North State Journal Vol. 9 Issue 27 by North State Journal

College football is back, see Sports

the BRIEF this week

Durham man among five killed in N.Y. murder-suicide

Syosett, N.Y.

A New York man distraught that he was being forced to move from his late mother’s home shot and killed four of his family members before taking his own life, police said Monday. Joseph DeLucia Jr. and his family had gathered shortly before noon on Sunday in his mother’s home in Syosset, about 30 miles east of Manhattan on suburban Long Island, just three days after laying the matriarch to rest. But instead of discussing the planned sale of the home, where DeLucia also lived, the 59-year-old fired 12 rounds from a shotgun he’d obtained, killing his three siblings and a niece, according to Nassau County Police Capt. Stephen Fitzpatrick. DeLucia then shot and killed himself on the front lawn. The victims were Joanne Kearns, 69, of Tampa, Florida; Frank DeLucia, 64, of Durham, and Tina Hammond, 64, and her daughter Victoria Hammond, 30, both of East Patchogue, also on Long Island.

U.S. consumer confidence rises

From pandemic to primary: Truitt’s whirlwind term in office

By A.P. Dillon North State Journal

This is the first installment in a two‑part series on the tenure of outgoing State Superintendent Catherine Truitt.

RALEIGH — North Carolina State Superintendent Catherine Truitt has two pieces of advice for whomever her successor may be.

New York American consumers felt more confident in August as their outlook for the future improved. The Conference Board, a business research group, said Tuesday that its consumer confidence index rose to 103.3 in August from 101.9 in July. The index measures both Americans’ assessment of current economic conditions and their outlook for the next six months. The measure of Americans’ short-term expectations for income, business and the job market rose to 82.5. July’s figure was revised up to 81.1 from its initial reading of 78.2, ending a five-month stretch below 80. A reading under 80 can signal a potential recession in the near future. Consumers’ view of current conditions rose to 134.4 in August from 133.1 last month. Consumer spending accounts for nearly 70% of U.S. economic activity and is closely watched by economists for signs how the American consumer is feeling. On top of the weak July jobs data, the government reported last week that the U.S. economy added 818,000 fewer jobs from April 2023 through March this year than were originally reported. See TRUITT, page A3 See ETCHISON, page A2

“First of all, this job is not about governing, it’s about leading. You don’t govern North Carolina Public Schools; you lead North Carolina Public Schools,” Truitt said.

NC-09 candidate’s past includes protective orders

Court records in Moore County show accusations against Shelane Etchison

By A.P. Dillon North State Journal

RALEIGH — A past history of protective orders involving a North Carolina candidate for Congress was found among 2020 court records filed in Moore County. Shelane Etchison, an un-

affiliated candidate in North Carolina’s 9th Congressional District running against incumbent Republican Rep. Richard Hudson and Democratic candidate Nigel Bristow, was involved in incidents associated with her former boyfriend, Harper Wilmoth, and a woman named Lauren Cabral, who was dating Wilmoth in 2020. Court documents reveal al-

Justice For All Party certified following court order

“We simply don’t have the statutory authority for a mobile app to take the place of the identification cards.”

Stacy “Four” Eggers, NCSBE member

UNC Digital ID was also approved for voting after a heated debate

By A.P. Dillon North State Journal

RALEIGH — The North Carolina State Board of Elections approved the Justice For All Party to be certified at its Aug. 20 meeting following an Aug. 12 federal court ruling ordering the agency to do so. There was no board discussion on the order to certify the Justice For All Party (JFA), with board member Siobahn Millen proposing a motion to approve JFA because “our hand is forced because of the federal court.” Member Jeff Carmon reluctantly seconded the motion after several mo-

ments of silence and the motion was unanimously approved.

For months, the North Carolina State Board of Elections (NCSBE) had refused to certify JFA, which has Cornel West as its presidential candidate. The NCSBE had also initially refused to certify the We The People Party (WTP), associated with Robert F. Kennedy Jr. as its presidential candidate, but eventually certified the party in early August.

The North Carolina Democratic Party then sued to remove WTP, but Wake County Superior Court Judge Keith Gregory ruled in favor of WTP, stating in his bench ruling, “It would be unconscionable for this court to attempt to tell a candidate who has decided to use one of two methods that the method that he used was a subterfuge, when in fact, if it is or it

“This job is not about governing, it’s about leading.”

NC State Superintendent Catherine Truitt

“And second, I would say that the bases of both parties have turned education into a wedge issue and that this position does have the ability to chip away at that wedge, but only if they move to the center on many issues that impact students. In other words, you’re representing all people, not just the people in your base.”

Truitt, elected during the 2020 pandemic election cycle, lost March’s Republican primary to Michele Morrow. Morrow — who has faced criticism for negative comments about public schools as well as her remarks and participation in events during the Jan. 6, 2021, uprising at the U.S. Capitol — will face Democrat Maurice “Mo” Green, a past superintendent of Guilford County Public Schools who spent the better part of the last decade running the Z. Smith Reynolds Foundation, a leading financial supporter of left and progressive groups in the state.

“People,” Truitt said, “always need to be looking closer at all Council of State races, not just this race.”

And not just the races. Truitt added that the job of the state superintendent is often overlooked — if known at all.

“I can tell you with 100% certainty, doing this job for almost four years, that most people don’t know we have a state superintendent of public instruction, let alone that

isn’t, he still complied with the requirements.” Kennedy has since suspended his campaign and officially endorsed former President Donald Trump at a rally in Arizona on Aug. 23.

NCSBE said it hadn’t been informed by WTP of plans to change its nomination, and it may be too late to remove Kennedy from the ballot anyway.

“If We The People officially withdraws his nomination, the State Board would have to consider whether it is practical to remove his name from ballots and reprint ballots at that time,” NCSBE said in an email to North State Journal.

“In North Carolina, the first absentee ballots go out on Friday, September 6, 10 days from now. As of Tuesday morning,

See ORDER, page A2

A.P. DILLON / NORTH STATE JOURNAL

State Superintendent Catherine Truitt, who lost the Republican primary in her reelection bid to Michele Morrow, reminisced about her term in office.

Truitt offered advice to her successor and discussed how the pandemic impacted her

the word | Transformation by trial

We stand corrected

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

Many years ago, while walking in a city suburb, I came across an open shed where workmen were busy. Near the door, a man stood by a large, irregular stone, using a chisel and mallet to knock off pieces. My curiosity was piqued as I watched him break chunks from the stone, seemingly with no purpose. The man continued chipping away at the stone, first with larger tools, then with smaller ones, yet I saw only destruction. He switched tools occasionally, but the work appeared random and aimless, leaving me to wonder what the final outcome would be.

I watched for a long time, still wondering, until the sculptor made a few quick strokes, revealing the outline of a lion’s head. With more precise cuts, the head became life-like, followed by the appearance of paws, and soon the entire figure emerged. What had seemed like aimless destruction was actually the skilled work of a sculptor.

What I had seen as a mere block of stone, he had envisioned as a lion. The seemingly purposeless work now revealed its intent: the discarded pieces were just waste material concealing the beautiful statue within.

I knew now that what would be left of the stone after the sculptor had completed his work would go to adorn some fine building and to be looked upon and admired by many people. No one had admired it in its former state. It was a block of stone but was transformed into a thing of beauty to be treasured. That change could take place only when the sharp steel had smitten away all useless parts.

I walked away thoughtful, recognizing a powerful allegory of life. The great Sculptor sees potential in every Christian, even when we can only see the rough exterior. Though man was created in God’s image, sin has obscured that likeness.

To restore it, the divine Sculptor must use the sharp chisel of affliction, disappointment and trial. These hardships may seem destructive and unfair, causing some to cry out in pain or rebel against God. Yet, through this painful process, the Master Sculptor is carving His image into our nature and character.

You want to be in his image, do you not? You desire the beautiful lines of holiness, purity, truth, meekness, faithfulness, and kindness to appear in you. You want to be a part of the adornment of the heavenly temple. If you would be not a mere block of stone without form or beauty, but the image of the Creator—then you must let

affliction do her work sculpting on you— that is only one way. Christian character comes only through affliction. If you shrink and murmur or if you rebel—then your character may be marred forever.

Do not think God will let your life be ruined. He wants you for the adornment of his palace. So when affliction comes— the pain of sorrow, of bereavement, of temporal loss, of being reproached and having your name cast out as evil, of being wounded by the tongue of slander—in whatever form affliction comes to you, hold still; bear it patiently; it will work out in your life God’s great design!

Would you have patience? Then you must have many things to try your patience.

Would you have meekness? You can obtain it only through endurance. Would you have faith? You must meet and overcome many obstacles.

Our graces and virtues can be brought to view in the solid structure of Christian character—only by long and continued chiseling. “Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened unto you” (1 Peter 4:12). “Which IS to try you.” It does not say which “may” try you or ‘probably’ try you; it says,

“Which IS to try you.” That signifies that it was intended to try you. It was meant for that purpose; it does not come by accident.

Trials are necessary. If you are ever to be what God wants you to be—then you need trials, you must have them; you can never be strong or patient or meek or brave or possess any other virtue God wants you to have—unless you stand the test. “For thou, O God, hast proved us: thou hast tried us, as silver is tried.” (Psalm 66:10) It is God that does the trying. “After you have suffered a while,” Peter says, God will “make you perfect, establish, strengthen, and settle you.”

The chisel pain must do its work. Even Jesus was “made perfect through suffering.” Let us bear it joyfully knowing it will leave its mark upon us, even the mark of our Lord Jesus Christ. It will bring out the beauty and richness of a Christian life and fit us to be in His presence forever.

Charles Wesley Naylor is considered one of the most prolific and inspiring songwriters of the Church of God. He was bedridden for much of his adult life but wrote eight books, a newspaper column and over 150 songs. Many of his writings are in the public domain.

legations of home invasion, computer hacking, threats and stalking leading to legal actions in Moore County. The events have not been previously reported in connection with her congressional run.

In his July 29, 2020, complaint against Etchison, Wilmoth stated he began an intimate relationship with Etchison in 2015 while they were both on active duty in the Army when he was still married.

“I was married to Claudia Wilmoth and acknowledge that I should not have been involved in an intimate relationship with Ms. Etchison and that I placed myself in jeopardy by doing so,” Wilmoth said in the complaint. “However, Ms. Etchison is emotionally unstable, engaging in behaviors such as self-mutilation, threatening suicide and striking inanimate objects while in emotional disarray. She also historically takes anti-depressants.”

Wilmoth also alleged Etchison made multiple statements that she wanted “to kill myself,” and would send photos to him of cuts she made to her own arms and legs. Wilmoth said he

more than half of the state’s 100 counties had already printed ballots.”

Earlier in the meeting, there was debate over the Mobile UNC One Card“ as an acceptable form of photo ID for voting in the 2024 general election. Board member Stacy “Four” Eggers, one of two Republicans on the board, expressed concerns that this was a mobile ID as opposed to a card.

“We simply don’t have the statutory authority for a mobile app to take the place of the identification cards,” said Eggers.

Eggers was critical of the lack of ability to photocopy the ID and that it could be digitally altered or be “passed as a digital screenshot” from one person to another. He cited memo 20203-3, which states that a photo on a mobile device is not an acceptable form of ID and raised concerns over technical issues in poll workers

ended the relationship in December 2019. Wilmoth asserts Etchison refused to accept the relationship was over and began stalking him, as well as harassing him and his former wife.

In the complaint, he said he returned home from deployment in 2020 and found that on or around June 4, 2020, Etchi-

handling someone else’s phone.

NCSBE Executive Director Karen Brinson Bell said there have been requests by other colleges in the state that use digital IDs, but those IDs were not brought before the board because they “lacked an expiration date.”

Brinson Bell said UNC’s digital ID was different because it does display an expiration date. She also said the mobile app had “met the criteria” for an acceptable ID. Eggers pushed back, saying, “That is if you see this as an identification card and not a mobile app, that’s the crux.” Eggers said he wasn’t debating expiration date requirements but rather “is this an identification card.”

“Mr. Eggers raises a technical statutory interpretation question,” Chair Alan Hirsch said. “My own view is that there is certainly enough flexibility within the statute for us to approve a digital card as a card. I think that’s the

Shelane Etchison, an unaffiliated candidate for Congress in North Carolina’s 9th District, said the revelation of past protective orders against her was “drudged up by my opponent.”

plaint, Wilmoth asked the court to prevent Etchison from “possessing or purchasing” a gun.

In a July 17, 2020, complaint requesting a no-contact order against Etchison, Cabral alleged that a month earlier, on June 16, 2020, Cabral’s Ring camera alerted her there was someone outside her garage.

“I was able to view the Defendant looking through my car with a flashlight and attempted to open the vehicle. The police were called,” Cabral said in her complaint. “She went to the side of my house and heard someone messing with the window. At that point I sounded the house alarm. She immediately ran up the street with her dog in hand.

I called the police back to give them a description. The police caught the Defendant and she admitted to the police she was the individual I observed at my house.”

son had broken into his home and “hacked” his computer and “stole electronic information that was private to me,” and Etchison had sent it to his former wife and was threatening to send it to the Army. It is not stated what was contained in the alleged stolen information.

Per the July 29, 2020, com-

way of the world. … I think everyone of a certain younger generation than we are lives by that and they don’t carry cards.”

Hirsch used the example of digital board passes for a plane. Eggers responded that the ID for getting on a plane has to be a physical form.

Board member Kevin Lewis, the other Republican on the board, also said use of a digital ID went against state statute, asking Hirsch to “point out all this flexibility in the statute because I don’t see it.” Hirsch responded by moving the meeting along, asking for any other comments on the matter.

Following debate on the topic, the board voted to approve the Mobile UNC One Card with all three Democrat members voting to approve and the two Republican

against.

Several months later, in fall 2020, a no-contact order against Etchison was awarded to Wilmoth and a one-year protective order was issued in favor of Cabral.

“This was a difficult time in my life, characterized by confusing and deceptive circumstances with someone who was

a loved and welcome member of my family for many years,” Etchison said in a statement to North State Journal.

“In the strongest terms, I have always objected to the characterization and truthfulness of the accusations and statements made against me. In North Carolina, Ex Parte no contact orders are granted from just one party’s claim, giving no due process for the accused — making it an easy tool for character defamation and misuse.

“There are no factual findings or legal conclusions in any of the court records that I committed any of the acts in which I was accused. I consented to entering temporary protective orders to simply move on with life and focus on my studies at Harvard, where I was living at the time. These orders were willfully entered by all parties with no findings of wrongdoing.

“Instead of focusing on distractions from the past drudged up by my opponent with no understanding of the situation’s context, truth, or implications for my family, we need to concentrate on the real issues that matter in this election — the ones that actually affect our families, economy, and future.”

PUBLIC DOMAIN

“Daniel in the Lions’ Den” by Peter Paul Rubens (1614) is a painting in the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C.

ORDER from page A1

ETCHISON from page A1

IMAGE COURTESY UNC CHAPEL HILL

The North Carolina State Board of Elections approved the use of the Mobile UNC One Card as a form of identication for voting in the state.

COURTESY SHELANE ETCHISON

NCGOP, RNC sue over noncitizens on NC voter rolls

Two lawsuits concerning voter roles and registrations were filed in less than a week

By A.P. Dillon North State Journal

RALEIGH — The North Carolina State Board of Elections has been sued twice in a week over the state’s voter rolls and registrations.

The North Carolina Republican Party (NCGOP) and Republican National Committee (RNC) first filed a lawsuit against the North Carolina State Board of Elections (NCSBE) over enforcement Section 44 of Session law 2023-140 which requires election officials to conduct voter list maintenance based on information about noncitizens who seek to be excused from jury duty.

“Only Americans should vote in American elections,” RNC Chair Michael Whatley said in a release. “If someone claims non-citizenship, they must be taken off the voter rolls — that’s the law. The NCSBE has cho-

sen to blatantly ignore the law, undermine basic election safeguards, and neglect a fundamental principle of our election integrity. The RNC and NCGOP defended this law in court, and now we will make sure the NCSBE follows and enforces these critical safeguards in The Old North State.”

The lawsuit claims the NCSBE is refusing to implement Section 44 before the Nov. 5 election despite the law taking effect July 1. The RNC’s press release says the “NCSBE has made zero effort to implement the law before the November election.”

The complaint cites a February 2024 report estimating approximately 325,000 “unauthorized” immigrants in North Carolina out of 501,000 foreign-born noncitizens in the state.

The NCGOP and RNC’s complaint also alleges the NCSBE has violated public records law by failing to respond to requests.

“To date, other than the emails opening the two matters, Plaintiffs have received no communication, nor any production

of documents, regarding the public records requests from the NCSBE,” the NCGOP and RNC lawsuit states.

The plaintiffs are asking the court to order the NCSBE to fully respond to their public records requests and develop and implement plans to comply with Section 44.

The NCGOP’s filing follows the U.S. Supreme Court’s unsigned 5-4 ruling allowing an Arizona law to implement proof of citizenship requirement in order to register to vote. The high court rejected a portion

of an RNC request that would have required voters who registered using the standard federal form to provide proof of citizenship before voting for president, either in person or by mail.

The NCGOP and RNC filed a second lawsuit against the NCBSE on Aug. 26. That lawsuit alleges the NCSBE violated federal and state law by accepting more than 225,000 voter registration forms that did not collect required identification information (a driver’s license number or the last four digits of a Social Security number) as

RFK Jr. exits campaign, endorses Trump

The longtime Democrat appeared at the former president’s rally last Friday in Arizona

The Associated Press

PHOENIX — Robert F. Kennedy Jr. suspended his independent campaign for the White House and endorsed Donald Trump last Friday, a latestage shake-up of the race that could give the former president a modest boost from Kennedy’s supporters.

Hours later, Kennedy joined Trump onstage at an Arizona rally, where the crowd burst into “Bobby!” cheers.

Kennedy said his internal

NCDOT NOTICE TO INTERESTED PARTIES - VIRTUAL OPEN MEETING ON PROPRIETARY PRODUCTS FOR: NCTA PHASE 2 COMPLETE 540 PROJECT

STIP Project Nos. R-2829A & R-2829B, Contract Numbers C204824 & C204825

The purpose of this meeting is to communicate the performance standards for the preferred products and solicit alternatives from manufacturers that the Engineer will consider for approval on this project. The Engineer will give a presentation of the preferred products during the virtual open meeting. Any additional product alternates, submitted prior to the meeting or during the meeting will be discussed by the manufacturer at this meeting.

Raleigh/Wake County – This open meeting is for any interested stakeholders to participate in a live virtual open meeting on September 3, 2024, from 2:00PM to 3:00PM to learn more about the performance standards for alternates for the preferred products for Phase 2 of the complete 540 project.

In accordance with GS 133-3, the following preferred products are being considered for the project: Cobrahead luminaire as manufactured by American Electric Lighting and a high mast luminaire as manufactured by Holophane.

Documents related to these products will be open for inspection at the following location: R-2829 website or contacting Nathan Dominguez, PE, at 919-707-6275 or npdominguez@ ncdot.gov.

REGISTER NOW: Anyone interested may sign up for the virtual open meeting by going to the R-2829 website to review the preferred products, and anyone interested in learning about these products or have an alternate option please scan this registration link.

The audience may submit questions via a chat box or email to npdominguez@ncdot.gov.

If you are a manufacturer interested in being considered as an alternative for the cobrahead luminaire, please fill out the form at this link and submit to Nathan Dominguez, PE, at npdominguez@ncdot.gov no less than 2 business days prior to the virtual open meeting on September 3, 2024, at 2:00PM.

If you are a manufacturer interested in being considered as an alternative for the high mast luminaire, please fill out the form at this link and submit to Nathan Dominguez, PE, at npdominguez@ncdot.gov no less than 2 business days prior to the virtual open meeting on September 3, 2024, at 2:00PM.

Contact NCDOT as soon as possible if you require any accommodations under the Americans with Disabilities Act. Anyone requiring special services should contact Tony Gallagher, Environmental Analysis Unit, at 1598 Mail Service Center, Raleigh, NC 27699-1598, 919-7076069 or magallagher@ncdot.gov as early as possible so arrangements can be made.

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

mandated by the Help America Vote Act (HAVA). Per the Aug. 26 lawsuit, the NCSBE admitted to using noncompliant voter registration forms but has refused to take corrective action to identify and remove potentially ineligible voters from the rolls.

The lawsuit wants the NCSBE to identify and remove ineligible registrants from voter rolls by Sept. 6. The lawsuit also wants the NCSBE to require provisional ballots from affected registrants if removal isn’t feasible.

polls had shown that his presence in the race would hurt Trump and help Democratic nominee Kamala Harris, though recent public polls don’t provide a clear indication that he is having an outsize impact on support for either major-party candidate.

Kennedy cited free speech, the war in Ukraine and “a war on our children” as among the reasons he would try to remove his name from the ballot in battleground states.

“These are the principal causes that persuaded me to leave the Democratic Party and run as an independent, and now to throw my support to President Trump,” Kennedy said at the event in Phoenix.

this person was elected,” said Truitt.

“I think people who try to do hard things and tackle big hairy goals always have to remind themselves that you can only save the world in regard to your piece of the pie, and my piece of the pie is education.”

She cited poverty, food scarcity and health care as issues that “always come back to education,” which she says “still has the power to lift people out of poverty.”

Truitt said her first days in office in January 2021, faced with shuttered schools during the COVID-19 pandemic, made her think “this was untenable.”

“And that the cure was all of a sudden worse than the disease,” added Truitt, “and that there had not really been any conversation” about reopening schools.

She said she reached out to the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Service (DHS), which had been “very communicative with us and the state board throughout the pandemic.”

“But again, no sense of urgency or plan for how to reopen schools,” Truitt said discussions with the state board of education and the governor’s office.

“Did we move as fast as I would have liked? No,” said Truitt, who said talks were fruitless and “that eventually culminated in the legislature having to say, ‘Thou shalt open schools to everyone.’” Despite the pandemic impact, Truitt said none of her plans were upended.

However, he made clear that he wasn’t formally ending his bid and said his supporters could continue to back him in the majority of states where they are unlikely to sway the outcome. Kennedy took steps to withdraw his candidacy in at least two states late this week, Arizona and Pennsylvania, but election officials in the battlegrounds of Michigan, Nevada and Wisconsin said it would be too late for him to take his name off the ballot even if he wants to do so.

Kennedy said his actions followed conversations with Trump over the past few weeks. He cast their alliance as “a unity party,” an arrangement that would “allow us to disagree publicly and privately and seriously.” Kennedy suggested Trump offered him a job if he returns to the White House, but neither he nor Trump offered details.

“My primary goal was to establish a certain kind of leadership team that would get Science of Reading legislation over the finish line and that would reopen schools,” said Truitt.

She said she knew federal COVID relief dollars would need to be addressed.

“That money came to us, I want to say, in February of 2021,” said Truitt. “And it another $3.5 billion, 90% of which would be going to districts.” Truitt set up the Office of Learning Recovery (OLR) to get a handle on the deluge of federal COVID funds and how to help districts use those funds based on their district-specific needs, though she said the levels of astuteness in the use of those funds “depends on the district, it’s different district by district.”

“That was the first of its kind in the nation where we actually provided local superintendents with data on where their students were, down to the students who had suffered the most academically during the pandemic,” Truitt said of the OLR.

The data included “vetted resources” that matched up with the needs of students in the district. Under Truitt, the OLR was recognized nationally, including praise from a U.S. House committee, for its approach in encouraging spending relief funds.

While waiting for the most recent numbers to be finalized, Truitt said the state has “certainly seen two consecutive years of post-pandemic academic recovery; probably three.”

TRUITT from page A1

PJ WARD-BROWN / NORTH STATE JOURNAL

EVAN VUCCI / AP PHOTO

Former President Donald Trump shakes hands with Robert F. Kennedy Jr. at a campaign rally in Glendale, Arizona, last Friday.

The RNC, led by Chairman Micheal Whatley, joined the NCGOP in a lawsuit against the North Carolina State Board of Elections.

THE CONVERSATION

Neal Robbins, publisher | Frank Hill, senior opinion editor

VISUAL VOICES

EDITORIAL | FRANK HILL

Character vs. policy: What is more important in a candidate?

His “Malaise Speech” blamed the American people for being unhappy about 12% inflation and 21% interest rates caused by his policies”.

IMAGINE THE FOLLOWING RESUME for a so-called “perfect” candidate for president, especially if you are a moderate-to-conservative Christian in either party.

A distinguished person who graduated from the U.S. Naval Academy with honors in engineering. Helped develop the U.S. nuclear submarine program. Small business owner and farmer. Sunday school teacher in a local Baptist church. Genuine religious faith which helped spark the “born-again” Christian spiritual revival in America and brought the phrase into the common vernacular.

Faithful husband and devoted father.

Governor of a major state. Gentle personal demeanor and widely acknowledged as a good, well-meaning soul without any major scandals or controversies in his past.

Sounds too good to be true, right? A hypothetical candidate described above would have been the envy of both the Democratic and Republican parties in the past ― Gen. Dwight D. Eisenhower was actively recruited by both major parties to run as their candidate in 1952.

As a person who cares about who represents our nation on the world stage and serves as an example for our children, would this be the kind of candidate you would vote for based on character and personal integrity alone?

If you were a Christian who did not follow politics closely or felt wedded to the philosophy of either party, such a resume would make it pretty hard to not vote for such a candidate ― especially if the other candidate is considered to have “questionable” character with little personal integrity.

Well, such a candidate actually did exist in

recent American history. He ran as a moderate Democrat from the South. His name was Jimmy Carter of Plains, Georgia. He defeated incumbent Republican President Gerald Ford, a great man of character in his own right, in 1976 after Ford pardoned President Richard Nixon in the aftermath of the Watergate debacle.

There might not be another president who had more personal integrity or character rooted in Christian faith dating back to George Washington than our 39th president, James Earl Carter Jr. He may be our “greatest” former president in terms of his selfless charitable work helping the poor with Habitat for Humanity.

And yet, he will forever be remembered as one of the worst presidents in American history.

Carter made the wrong policy decisions at exactly the wrong time for four long years. He left the country far weaker domestically, economically and on the world stage than when he took office in 1977.

In many circles, Carter is considered the worst president in the last century ― that is until Joe Biden came along.

What would have been better for America in 1976: electing a less dedicated Christian or perhaps an atheist who made the right decisions to avoid a crippling, bone-crushing recession and the Iranian hostage crisis, or Carter?

To make matters worse, Carter was unlucky. A rabid rabbit attacked him while trout fishing.

A helicopter carrying U.S. Marines trying to save 52 hostages in Tehran crashed killing all military servicemen on board. When asked what was the biggest problem in the world at the time, he said he had talked to his daughter, Amy, who thought it was nuclear weapon

RFK Jr. throws wrench into the Democrats’ election scheme

The Democratic Party was the most fearful of his candidacy and set about trying to keep him off the ballot.

IN JULY, DEMOCRATS pulled off what some, including GOP presidential nominee Donald Trump, have described as a palace coup of sorts, shaming President Joe Biden into dropping out of the presidential race after his disastrous June debate performance.

Installed in Biden’s place was Vice President Kamala Harris, who critics have not hesitated to point out “won” the nomination without a single presidential primary vote ever being cast directly for her.

Biden, on the other hand, went through the traditional primary process and secured the delegates needed to become the nominee in March.

Terrifying Democrats since his entry into the race has been Robert F. Kennedy Jr. of the famed Kennedy political family. He announced his candidacy in April 2023, challenging Biden for the nomination before switching to an independent presidential candidacy in October 2023.

“The Democrats are frightened that I’m going to spoil the election for President Biden, and the Republicans are frightened that I’m going to spoil it for Trump,” Kennedy said at the time. “The truth is, they’re both right. My intention is to spoil it for both of them.”

The Democratic Party, however, was the

most fearful of his candidacy and set about trying to keep him off the ballot over fears that disaffected Democrats and independents would opt to vote for him instead, effectively making him a “spoiler” candidate who ultimately could help Trump.

Kennedy had been critical of both Trump and Biden and what he called the “uni party” system of government that only did things to benefit itself, “a two-headed monster that’s constantly bickering with itself as it leads us all over a cliff.”

But last Friday, Kennedy announced he was suspending his campaign and endorsing Trump in part due to disgust over the behindthe-scenes machinations from Democrats to suppress his candidacy.

“In the name of saving democracy, the Democratic Party set itself to destroying it,” Kennedy said.

As to how this will impact the race, polls have been mixed over the last year, with some showing Kennedy pulling votes from the Democrat ticket, others showing him pulling from Trump, and some indicative that he’d pull from both.

But in recent weeks there has been a shift in polling, with recent segments on CNN laying out how Kennedy’s exit has the potential to

proliferation ― and he was promptly excoriated for taking strategic political advice from a 10-year-old.

The final blow was his infamous “Malaise Speech” in which he essentially blamed the American people for being so unhappy about 12% annual inflation and 21% interest rates caused by his policies. “Stagflation” became associated with everything that went wrong under the Carter administration.

Voting for a candidate with a stellar reputation who makes the right decision for the country at every turn is the dream of our Founders and citizenry. There have been darn few since Washington was elected unanimously in 1788. Absent such a guarantee of having both qualities in a candidate, each voter has to consider which candidate will make the right policy for the good of the nation that will benefit them and their families most of the time, unlike Jimmy Carter. Mother Teresa would have been the most moral, ethical, righteous and Christ-like candidate had she ever run for public office. But if she espoused Marxist communist beliefs and proposed to enact policies that were antithetical to every American value and principle of liberty, free enterprise and constitutional democratic republicanism, voting for her would not only have been wrong, but it would also have been immoral.

Neither Kamala Harris and Donald Trump is Mother Teresa. However, Trump has already proven himself to not be Jimmy Carter in terms of making policy decisions that worked. Harris, on the other hand, enthusiastically supported every misguided policy of failed President Joe Biden.

The answer is pretty clear.

benefit Trump down the home stretch.

“Now, the latest swing state polls show Kennedy with 5% or 6% of the vote. And so, when you think about it overall, you may say ‘Well, that’s not a big deal,’” anchor Erin Burnett said on Friday.

“Actually, if that is the case in swing states, it is huge, it is everything. It is more than the margin between Harris and Trump in some of those same states,” she also noted.

In another segment, anti-Trump presidential historian Tim Naftali observed that Kennedy’s move last week was “significant because he was taking more votes from — potential votes — from Trump than he was from Vice President Harris.”

“But we don’t know how many people who said they would vote for him will actually turn up on Nov. 5,” he also pointed out, while stating that the battleground states were close and that a couple of thousand votes changing from one side to the other could be a game changer.

As it should be, ultimately it will be up to the voters to decide. But rest assured that the Democrats who thought they’d dodged disaster in getting Biden off the ticket aren’t feeling nearly as confident anymore.

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

COLUMN | BEN SHAPIRO

Kamala Harris’ authoritarian ‘joy’

Mao’s posters featured celebratory children, with the words, “Mao’s Words Bring Joy!”

WE’VE BEEN TOLD, over and over and over again, that Kamala Harris is the candidate of “joy.”

Tim Walz, upon accepting his vice-presidential nomination, thanked her for “bringing back the joy.” Rolling Stone gushed that Harris’ “new politics of joy is the best way to fight fascism.” The New York Times headlined, “Harris used to worry about laughing. Now joy is fueling her campaign.”

Now, for most Americans, this simply is not a time of joy.

Not a single poll shows more than 35% believing that the country is moving in the right direction. Two-thirds of Americans think America is on the wrong track. Meanwhile, the supposed candidate of joy has the approval of approximately 46% of Americans; almost 50% are unfavorable on her. Three years of extraordinary inflation means that everyday items now cost at least 20% more than they did in 2021.

Uncertainty and chaos span the globe, from Ukraine to Taiwan to the Middle East. Americans no longer know whether they can safely say that a man is different than a woman, while simultaneously being informed that it is deeply important that they elect a woman president.

But ... joy.

It’s a brilliant marketing gimmick, to be sure. Harris’ career has been filled with three marked characteristics: blatant and manipulative calculation; heavy-handed government interventionism; and awkward, off-putting mannerisms ranging from word salad to laughter.

But “joy” can be used as a shield against all these charges. She’s not manipulative — she’s genuine! She’s not tyrannical — she’s caring! She’s not awkward and phony — she’s joyous! That laughter you hear isn’t the strange cackling of a machine politician caught in a lie. It’s a sheer outburst of happiness springing directly from the heart of a woman who is dancing on the inside. She is youth, she is joy, she is a little bird that has broken out of the egg!

Joy is also a sword to be used against opponents. Donald Trump, we are told, is a candidate of darkness and revenge. JD Vance, his vice-presidential candidate, is “weird” and authoritarian. Why can’t they feel the joy?

COLUMN | MICHAEL BARONE

In fact, why don’t you feel the joy? Is something wrong with you? Why can’t you bob your head to Beyonce’s “Freedom” while Kamala dances and Tim Walz pastes on a smile so broad it would turn Jack Nicholson’s Joker green with envy? Do you hate joy?

All of this is, to put it mildly, slightly sinister.

It is one thing to demand that Americans vote for a candidate for the presidency on the basis of her policies, or even on the basis of her opponent’s supposed unworthiness.

It is another to demand that we feel the joy.

It reeks of authoritarians of the past, all of whom suggested that the failures of their policies were not failures of leadership but failure of the people to change their hearts of stone for hearts of flesh.

It is not a coincidence that Joseph Stalin’s propaganda posters routinely featured small children gazing adoringly up at him, with the slogan emblazoned, “We Are Warmed By Stalin’s Affection!” Or that Mao’s posters similarly featured celebratory children, with the words, “Mao’s Words Bring Joy!” Or that Hitler offered free vacations to members of the German Labour Front with the slogan, “Strength Through Joy!” (One legacy of “Strength Through Joy” was the German “People’s Car,” later to be known as the Volkswagen Beetle.)

Authoritarians demand emotional fealty, not merely political fealty.

This doesn’t mean that Harris is a Stalinist, Maoist or Nazi (although members of the radical Democratic Party base seem to be warm toward aspects of all three regimes). It does mean that authoritarianism papers over its totalitarian policies with the soothing platitudes of paternalism and maternalism, and demands that you sacrifice the true joys in life — family, church, community — in favor of a Big Brother.

Or, in the case of Harris, a Big Mother.

Just feel the joy. And stop asking questions.

Ben Shapiro’s new collection, “Facts and Furious: The Facts About America and Why They Make Leftists Furious,” is available now. Shapiro is a graduate of UCLA and Harvard Law School, host of “The Ben Shapiro Show,” and co-founder of Daily Wire+.

The white college graduates’ party’s candidate doesn’t know economic history

They discovered that when people exchanged goods and services in free markets, economies could grow in ways that improved the lives of not just the few but the many.

LEARNING ISN’T NECESSARILY cumulative. Human experience over the centuries provides lessons, some clearer than others. But each generation has to learn lessons anew, and some do not.

The lessons about economic growth taught over the long run of history are clear. Growth is not inevitable, and while riches may be accumulated, or appropriated, by the few in high positions, the lives of the very large majority throughout the centuries have been nasty, brutish and short.

The exception, the Great Enrichment, began some three centuries ago around the North Sea, in the Dutch Republic and England, according to economic historian Deirdre McCloskey, in societies when people began respecting and encouraging commerce, rather than resenting and scorning it.

They discovered that when people exchanged goods and services in free markets, with property rights secured by limited government and the rule of law, economies could grow in ways that improved the lives of not just the few but the many.

Suddenly, and not just for a moment, the great masses of people went from living on $3 a day, just barely subsistence, and in times of famine or war not even that, to $130 a day.

The 20th century proved full of lessons for how to produce extended and widely distributed economic growth — and how to squelch it. Growth occurs when free markets are allowed to operate in societies with high levels of trust and the rule of law.

It ceases, and living standards plummet, in societies where governments flood the economy with currency, try to control wages and prices, impose centralized economic planning, and outlaw voluntary market transactions.

Governments sometimes impose such measures temporarily in wartime, with various results depending on the course of the war. In peacetime, the results are destructive — in Weimar Germany, the Soviet Union, Mao Zedong’s China and, most recently, oil-rich Venezuela.

And, perhaps, in Kamala Harris’ America.

Since President Joe Biden ended his candidacy for reelection four weeks ago, the vice president has said remarkably little about what policies she would pursue as president. Her website has had no issues section.

She has taken almost no questions and has undergone nothing like an intensive interview from the press — most members of which, in their enthusiasm for her candidacy, have shown no discomfort at her neglect.

Only last Friday did she begin talking issues, announcing “the first-ever federal ban on price gouging” — she read the word as “gauging” — “on food and groceries.” Presumably, this was

an attempt to address an obvious vulnerability for any candidate with a Biden-Harris pedigree, the fact that administration policy, by showering money on consumers already flooded with lockdown-accumulated cash, stoked inflation that no voter under 60 had experienced as an adult.

But of course, this made no sense. The grocery business is highly competitive, with low profit margins — if one firm “gouges” consumers too much, they can go elsewhere. “It’s hard to exaggerate how bad this policy is,” wrote The Washington Post’s Catherine Rampell. “At best, this would lead to shortages, black markets, and hoarding.”

Rampell has since taken a different view after Harris’ actual speech backpedaled from her campaign’s fact sheet, but her initial take remains persuasive and in line with historic experience, including with the price controls imposed by former President Richard Nixon 53 years ago this month.

Similarly economically illiterate is Harris’ proposal to give first-time homebuyers a $25,000 government subsidy. Just as colleges and universities have vacuumed up governmentsubsidized college loans for their own purposes, so obviously developers and home sellers are going to raise their asking prices by $25,000 and pocket the subsidy.

As Jason Furman, head of former President Barack Obama’s second-term Council of Economic Advisers, said of the price-gouging announcement, “This is not sensible policy, and I think the biggest hope is that it ends up being a lot of rhetoric and no reality.”

Is it fair to argue that Harris has learned nothing from the dismal history of price controls on the basis of just one proposal? Yes, if it’s just the only thing she has proposed in a whole month as the de facto and de jure Democratic nominee for president.

And yes, as she has never personally renounced the similarly outlandish promises she made in 2019 in her campaign for the 2020 nomination — a ban on fracking, defunding the police, abolishing private health insurance, “snatching” drug company patents. Tweets from anonymous staffers ditching these policies don’t count.

The delicious irony here is that the party favored by college graduates, many of them smugly confident of their knowledge and wisdom, is nominating a candidate who has shown no sign of learning from the dismal history of economic ukases. Learning isn’t necessarily cumulative.

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

Kamala Harris’ moment in the sun

AFTER THREE-AND-A-HALF days of largely meaningless Democratic National Convention speeches (at least as seen by this pro-Donald Trump Republican), the great moment came: We got to hear Vice President Kamala Harris’s acceptance speech.

While I disagree with virtually all her radical policies, she gave a good speech. She combined strong speechwriting with excellent training on delivery. It was evidence of the Democrats’ advantage of having Hollywood friends who advise them.

Harris was preceded by her sister, who did a fine job of humanizing Harris and her mother. By the end of the introduction, I felt admiration for her mother, family and the life lessons they had learned.

The convention audience — deeply relieved that President Joe Biden withdrew and fine with the bosses’ decision that Harris was the nominee — was primed for total support. Harris did a good job of patiently accepting the steady outpouring of support from the party she now leads.

Her speech started strong and briefly drifted into the usual banal partisan attacks. But then it switched back to patriotism.

Whether she believes it — or because her advisers showed her the polls which reflect that most Americans are stunningly patriotic — Kamala Harris picked up the rhythm. We are now a long way from the left’s support for football players who refused to stand for the national anthem.

In fact, this was the most patriotic, proAmerican audience of any Democratic National Convention since the 1960 Los Angeles Convention which nominated John F. Kennedy for president.

If you were confused about the sudden change in tone, the answer is simple. The Obama political team has moved in to run the Harris campaign. You can expect her to suddenly take common-sense, popular positions — for the campaign, at least. The San Francisco radical version of Harris will be on vacation for a few months. The failures of the Biden administration will be put in one of George Orwell’s “memory holes,” and no one in the media will mention she’s been vice president with Biden for the last 1,300-plus days.

Until the election, for Democrats, protests are out, and patriotism is in.

Virtually every value described by President Ronald Reagan showed up in the Harris acceptance speech — hard work, patriotism, references to religious afterlife (“my mother is looking down”).

One of Harris’s great conservative adoptions was the word opportunity. As the developer of the Conservative Opportunity Society in 1982, I was more than a little amused by her new “opportunity economy.” Of course, her proposals for massive tax increases and enormous regulatory bureaucracy and policies would crush small business. Young people would be so burdened, most of them could never actually save enough to become entrepreneurs and investors.

The trouble with Harris’s opportunity economy is it simply wouldn’t work.

An amazing reversal in Harris’s acceptance speech was her foreign policy and national security commitments. They consistently deviated from virtually everything the BidenHarris administration has done.

Harris pledged to stand up to Iran, which of course the Biden-Harris administration has clearly failed to do.

Harris pledged to help Ukraine — even though the Biden-Harris administration has slow-walked equipment to the Ukrainian military and severely limited where and how they could be used.

The real Democratic Party did shine through, though. Harris’ commitment to support Israel was met with far less enthusiasm and applause than her commitment to the future of the Palestinian people.

Despite Harris’s good showing, two themes held the Democrats together for their fourday convention: hatred of Donald Trump, and a pork barrel desire to feed taxpayers’ money to key elements of their coalition. These were, of course, combined with a substantial commitment to left-wing radicalism.

There was little effort spent on trying to build a better future because the Democratic Party coalition does not want to have a better future if it involves Trump. They prefer poverty to a Trump victory.

Of course, these left-wing institutions provide thousands of jobs to people willing to go along and enjoy being with their perceived saviors.

The Democratic National Convention did not particularly hurt Harris. Nor did it decisively help her. After each meeting, people left to find high prices, illegal immigrants, widely available deadly illegal drugs and a host of other reasons to be unhappy with the Biden-Harris administration.

In 1988, Massachusetts Gov. Michael Dukakis left his convention with a 17-point lead over Vice President George H. W. Bush. Three-and-a-half months later, Dukakis lost by 8 points. One out of four Americans switched their vote as they learned more about how radical Dukakis was.

Kamala Harris helped herself a little. But I suspect it was not nearly enough.

Newt Gingrich is the former GOP Speaker of the House.

In session

Murphy to Manteo Jones & Blount

STATE BOARD OF EDUCATION MEMBERS

Eric C Davis, Chairman

Alan Duncan, Vice Chairman, Piedmont-Triad

Mark R. Robinson, Lieutenant Governor

Dale Folwell, State Treasurer

Olivia Holmes Oxendine, Sandhills Region

Reginald Kenan, Southeast Region

Jill Camnitz, Northeast Region

Donna Tipton-Rogers, Western Region

John Blackburn, Northwest Region

Wendell Hall, Member At-Large

Catty Moore, Member-At-Large

Catherine Truitt, Secretary to the State Board and Superintendent of Public Instruction

Marvin Connelly Jr. Superintendent of the Year

Michael Williams, Outstanding Board Member 2023-24

Donna Bledsoe, 2023 Principa of the Year

Beckie Spears, 2024 Principal of the Year

Kimberly Jones, 2023 Teacher of the Year

Heather Smith, 2024 Teacher of the Year

The study indicates that homes n the hottest ZIPs saw 3.7 times the page views per propert y on average, and homes sold more than a month faster compared to the typica l U.S home. The 28277 ZIP is the highest n the Southeast and the only in the top 50 from the Carolinas. Homes there have 2.6 viewers per propert y and a median of 26 days on the market before sold. The latter is lower than the 32 days for Mecklenburg County’s data overall, according to the Canopy Realtor’s Association. Meanwhile seven of the 10 hottest ZIP codes on the list are in the Northeast, with three coming from Massachusetts and t wo in New Jersey.

NSJ

accused of soliciting a minor Caswell County A Piedmont Triad man is facing charges after soliciting a child via social media, cour t documents say.

EAST

and

Walz’s military exit left openings for critics NATION & WORLD

Kamala Harris’ running mate served in the Minnesota National Guard

The Associated Press

WASHINGTON, D.C. — John Kolb, a retired Minnesota National Guard colonel, knew Tim Walz by reputation as an “excellent leader” who adroitly guided the enlisted troops in his field artillery battalion. But Kolb was stunned by what he saw when Walz left the military and entered politics.

Walz retired from the National Guard in 2005 to run for Congress just before his unit received an order to mobilize for the war in Iraq. Then during the campaign, Walz overstated the rank he held at the point he left the service.

“That is not the behavior I would expect out of a senior noncommissioned officer,” Kolb said in an interview.

Those two sides of Walz’s service have been in the spotlight now that the Minnesota governor is the Democratic nominee for vice president. Supporters have lauded Walz’s 24 years of service in the National Guard, where he rose through the enlisted ranks and received an honorable discharge.

“What I know about Tim Walz is he did his job diligently,” said retired Minnesota National Guard Brig. Gen. Jeff Bertrang.

Suspect

“He was in charge of troops under him, and he made sure they were taken care of.”

Republicans have seized on criticism by Guard veterans as a major line of attack on Walz and Democratic presidential nominee Kamala Harris. Some of that criticism, like Kolb’s, is measured. Others offer harsher appraisals.

It’s far from clear whether Republicans can turn Walz’s military record into a liability. His decades of service stand in contrast with former President Donald Trump, the Repub-

in Germany

lican presidential nominee who received a series of deferments to avoid serving in Vietnam, including one attained with a physician’s letter stating that Trump suffered from bone spurs in his feet.

Trump’s running mate, Ohio Sen. JD Vance, was a Marine Corps corporal, including six months as a military journalist in Iraq. After four years, he left the military for college and later a career in venture capital and as a best-selling author. Vance has led the criticism of Walz. For many Democrats, the

attack

may have been motivated by Islamic

Three were killed and eight injured in Solingen

By Daniel Niemann and David Mchugh

The Associated Press

SOLINGEN, Germany — A Syrian man on Sunday was ordered held on suspicion of murder and membership in a terrorist organization in connection with the Solingen knife attack that left three dead and eight wounded at a festival marking the city’s 650th anniversary.

A judge at the Federal Court of Justice in Karlsruhe ordered 26-year-old Issa Al H. held pending further investigation and a possible indictment after federal prosecutors said that he shared the radical ideology of the Islamic State extremist group — and was acting on those beliefs when he stabbed his victims repeatedly from behind in the head and upper body.

The ruling came after the suspect turned himself in, saying that he was responsible for

the attack, police said. He is also suspected of attempted murder and serious bodily injury, prosecutors said. His last name wasn’t released in line with German privacy rules.

The suspect, wearing handcuffs and leg shackles, was taken Sunday from the police station in Solingen for the initial court appearance.

He “shares the ideology of the foreign terrorist organization Islamic State” and on the basis of his “radical Islamic convictions” decided “to kill the largest possible number of those he considers unbelievers” at the festival, the Office of the Federal Prosecutor said in a statement.

The suspect is a Syrian citizen who had applied for asylum in Germany, police confirmed to The Associated Press.

The dpa news agency reported, without citing a specific source, that his asylum claim had been denied and that he was to have been deported last year.

On Saturday, the Islamic State group claimed responsibility for the attack, without

State

“Why does something like this have to happen? It’s incomprehensible and it hurts.”

Cord Boetther, merchant from Solingen

providing evidence. IS said on its news site that the attacker targeted Christians and that the perpetrator carried out the assaults Friday night “to avenge Muslims in Palestine and everywhere.”

The attack comes amid debate over immigration before regional elections on Sept. 1 in Germany’s Saxony and Thuringia regions where anti-immigration parties such as the populist Alternative for Germany are expected to do well. In June, Chancellor Olaf Scholz vowed that the country would start deporting criminals from Afghanistan and Syria again after a knife attack by an Afghan immigrant left one

GOP salvos are an eerie reprise of the tactics used to sully their 2004 presidential candidate, John Kerry, by questioning his leadership as a swift boat commander in Vietnam, even though Kerry was a decorated combat veteran and his Republican opponent, President George W. Bush, did not fight in the war.

But the criticism of Walz stems not so much from his service record but from how he has characterized his time in uniform and how he ended his tenure.

An Associated Press review of Walz’s statements as a congressional candidate, congressman and governor shows that Walz has toggled between being precise and careless about key details.

By military standards, Walz’s 24 years of service is substantial. He could have retired almost three years earlier. But it is the circumstances surrounding the retirement and how it overlapped with his political ambitions that have drawn scrutiny. Joe Eustice, who took over for Behrends as the 1st Battalion’s top enlisted soldier, said Walz was entitled to leave the Guard when he did.

“When you’ve given 24 years of your life, you get to decide, and your reasoning can be whatever you want it to be,” said Eustice, who retired in 2014.

But he is troubled by Walz’s statements after he left the Guard.

“He should answer to the fact that he said he carried a weapon in war and explain why he’s been saying he’s a retired sergeant major,” Eustice said. “Those two things are not true, and he should know better.”

police officer dead and four other people injured. Friday’s attack plunged the city of Solingen into shock and grief. A city of about 160,000 residents near the bigger cities of Cologne and Duesseldorf, Solingen was holding a “Festival of Diversity” to celebrate its anniversary.

People alerted police shortly after 9:30 p.m. local time Friday that a man had assaulted several people with a knife on the city’s central square, the Fronhof. The three people killed were two men, ages 56 and 67, and a 56-year-old woman, authorities said. Police said that the attacker appeared to have deliberately aimed for his victims’ throats.

The festival, which was due to have run through Sunday, was canceled as police looked for clues in the cordoned-off square. Instead, residents gathered to mourn the dead and injured, placing flowers and notes near the scene of the attack.

“Warum?” — meaning “why” — asked one sign placed amid candles and teddy bears.

Among those asking themselves the question was 62-yearold Cord Boetther, a merchant from Solingen.

“Why does something like this have to happen? It’s incomprehensible and it hurts,” Boetther said.

Harris, Trump squabble over muted debate mics

Philadelphia

The campaigns of Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump are arguing in advance of their Sept. 10 debate over whether microphones should be muted except for the candidate whose turn it is to speak. Trump on Sunday night raised the possibility that he might not show up on ABC. The muting of microphones when a candidate isn’t speaking was a condition both Biden and Trump accepted for their June debate hosted by CNN.

Fauci recovering after bout with West Nile virus

Washington, D.C

Dr. Anthony Fauci, the former top U.S. infectious disease expert, spent time in the hospital after being infected with West Nile virus and is now recovering at home, a spokesperson confirmed Saturday. Fauci is expected to make a full recovery, the spokesperson said on condition of anonymity due to security concerns. West Nile virus is commonly spread through the bite of an infected mosquito. While most people don’t experience symptoms, about 1 in 5 can develop a fever, headache, body aches, vomiting, diarrhea, or rash, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Former Lebanese prime minister Hoss dies at 94

Beirut

Five-time former Lebanese Prime Minister Salim Hoss, who served during some of the most tumultuous years of his country’s modern history, died Sunday at age 94, the current premier said. “He placed the country’s supreme interest and the interest of citizens above all considerations,” Prime Minister Najib Mikati said. Hoss was often described as a technocrat and widely respected as a rare statesman in a country marked by political and sectarian divisions. He served as prime minister for four terms during the country’s 15-year civil war that lasted from 1975 to 1990. His final term in office was from 1998 to 2000.

French authorities arrest suspect in synagogue explosion

Nice, France

French police have apprehended and detained a suspect in an arson attack on a synagogue in a southwestern Mediterranean town that injured a police officer, the country’s acting interior minister said Sunday. Two cars parked at the Beth Yaacov synagogue complex in the seaside resort town of La Grande Motte were set ablaze just after 8 a.m. Saturday. Firefighters discovered additional fires at two entrances to the synagogue. A police officer who walked up to the site was injured after a propane gas tank placed near the burning vehicles exploded. French prosecutors said the man was arrested in the southern city of Nimes shortly before midnight Saturday.

J. SCOTT APPLEWHITE / AP PHOTO

Republicans have taken aim at how Gov. Tim Walz has characterized his military service and his exit from the Minnesota National Guard.

The suspect in a knife attack Friday that killed three in Solingen, Germany, is escorted from a helicopter Sunday.

catastrophe

questions about when normal

shelter-in-place or stay-at-home

majority of Americans “new normal.” end of this month.

China lied about the origin of the tried to tell the world there were only worldwide panic, economic collapse and being thrown out of work.

taxpayer at least $2.4 trillion in added Federal Reserve backup liquidity to the the U.S. dollar were not the reserve to fund any of these emergency fear of rampant in ation and currency

we begin to get back to normal

The 3 big questions

The comfort

How China will pay for this COVID-19 catastrophe

WITH MOST STATES under either shelter-in-place or stay-at-home orders thanks to local or state governments, a majority of Americans are having to adjust to what is being called the “new normal.”

ONE THING IS CERTAIN; after this COVID-19 virus dissipates around the globe and in the United States, China will pay for this catastrophe one way or another.

fallen into place. I understand the seriousness of the virus and the need to take precautions, but I’m uneasy with how people who simply ask questions about the data, and when things can start getting back to normal are treated in some circles with contempt.

WALTER E. WILLIAMS

Cooper stated during don’t know yet” if the asked as to the vague ones like “we of this state who undetermined thousands of cases asked and then had questions about get asked, there is people to treat those can start getting back or are people who sick. levels become a bad society were supposed course, is my family. I’m worried I will. After the 2009 pandemic, all of this brings up prefer not to repeat. most everyone has

Fixing college corruption

n.c. FAST FACTS

aberrant ways and decisions through Diplomacy has obviously not worked world of 21st century health, hygiene communist regimes never take the blame remorse, because that is not what They take advantage of every weakness pushing until they win or the event happens such as the Chernobyl believe that event, not the Star Wars to the dissolution of the Soviet Union Chernobyl. already talking about the possibility debt we owe them as one way to get they have caused the US. Don’t hold your “Jubilee” to happen but ask your elected accountable in tangible nancial ways for expected to operate as responsible citizens of nation.

Perhaps COVID-19 is China’s Chernobyl.

They’re treated as though we as a society simply must accept without question what the government tells us about when it’s safe to begin the process of returning back to normalcy.

No. The government works for us, and we have the right to ask those questions. And the longer stay-at-home orders are in place all over the country, and the stricter some of them get in states, such as Michigan, the more people, sitting at home feeling isolated and/or anxious about when they can get back to providing for their families, will demand answers.

AMERICA’S COLLEGES are rife with corruption. The nancial squeeze resulting from COVID-19 o ers opportunities for a bit of remediation. Let’s rst examine what might be the root of academic corruption, suggested by the title of a recent study, “Academic Grievance Studies and the Corruption of Scholarship.” The study was done by Areo, an opinion and analysis digital magazine. By the way, Areo is short for Areopagitica, a speech delivered by John Milton in defense of free speech.

business & economy

In order to put the crisis caused by China in perspective, zero worldwide pandemics can trace their source to the United States over our 231-year history. At least four in the 20th century alone can be directly traced to China: 1957 “Asian u,” 1968 “Hong Kong u,” 1977 “Russian u” and the 2002 SARS outbreak. There is evidence that the massive 1918 “Spanish u” pandemic also had its origins in China.

Since when did questioning government at all levels become a

Leaders at the local and state levels should be as forthcoming as they can be with those answers — and again, not vague answers, but answer with details that give their statements believability.

We should all continue to do what we can to keep our families, ourselves, and our communities safe. But we should also still continue to ask questions about the data, because while reasonable stay-at-home measures are understandable, they should also have an expiration date.

FDA approves breakthrough brain cancer drug linked to Duke trial

This is all new to Americans, and it is not normal. Not in any way, shape, or form. So while we should remain vigilant and stay safe, at the same time we shouldn’t get comfortable with this so-called “new normal.”

Not one little bit.

Authors Helen Pluckrose, James A. Lindsay and Peter Boghossian say that something has gone drastically wrong in academia, especially within certain elds within the humanities. They call these elds “grievance studies,” where scholarship is not so much based upon nding truth but upon attending to social grievances. Grievance scholars bully students, administrators and other departments into adhering to their worldview. The worldview they promote is neither scienti c nor rigorous. Grievance studies consist of disciplines such as sociology, anthropology, gender studies, queer studies, sexuality and critical race studies.

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

DURHAM — The Preston Robert Tisch Brain Tumor Center at Duke recently announced patients with low-grade glioma brain tumors, a deadly form of brain cancer, now have a new treatment option for the first time in decades. The FDA approved vorasidenib earlier this month for adult and pediatric patients 12 and older with Grade 2 astrocytoma or oligodendroglioma.

“I have been working on malignant brain tumors for 50 to 60 years, and it is extremely gratifying to finally have a breakthrough we know is going to help a significant number of patients,” Dr. Darell Bigner with Duke’s Preston Robert Tisch Brain Tumor Center told WRAL.

the seriousness of the virus and the need uneasy with how people who simply ask when things can start getting back to circles with contempt. as a society simply must accept without tells us about when it’s safe to begin the normalcy. us, and we have the right to ask those stay-at-home orders are in place all over the them get in states, such as Michigan, feeling isolated and/or anxious about providing for their families, will demand levels should be as forthcoming as they and again, not vague answers, but answer statements believability. what we can to keep our families, safe. But we should also still continue because while reasonable stay-at-home they should also have an expiration date. and it is not normal. Not in any way, should remain vigilant and stay safe, at comfortable with this so-called “new

In 2017 and 2018, authors Pluckrose, Lindsay and Boghossian started submitting bogus academic papers to academic journals in cultural, queer, race, gender, fat and sexuality studies to determine if they would pass peer review and be accepted for publication. Acceptance of dubious research that journal editors found sympathetic to their intersectional or postmodern leftist vision of the world would prove the problem of low academic standards.

In 2008, Bigner and a team from Johns Hopkins discovered that the mutated gene IDH was frequently found in brain cancers, such as gliomas.

“This IDH mutant protein, it produces essentially a chemical that causes tumor cells to grow. What the drug does is it inhibits that mutant protein,” said Dr. Katy Peters.

Peters, also with the Preston Robert Tisch Brain Tumor Center, led the largest clinical trial for the drug through Duke.

Virginia’s stay-at-home orders go into June.

written under the pseudonym Sister Toldjah RedState and Legal Insurrection.

Some of these orders extend at least through the end of this month.

Here in North Carolina, Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper stated during a recent coronavirus press brie ng that “we just don’t know yet” if state’s stay-at-home orders will extend into May.

We need transparency and honesty from our

There is 100% agreement, outside of China, that COVID-19 originated in Wuhan Province probably from the completely unregulated and unsanitary wet markets. Some believe it came out of a

Lenten and Easter seasons provide a message of

THIS WEEK, according to members and state and local governments, Americans the curve in the novel coronavirus outbreak. muted — after all, trends can easily reverse have abided by recommendations and orders. to stay at home; they’ve practiced social they’ve donned masks.

If he does decide to extend it, questions should be asked as to the justi cation for it. And the answers should not be vague ones like must do this out of an abundance of caution.”

Several of the fake research papers were accepted for publication. The Fat Studies journal published a hoax paper that argued the term bodybuilding was exclusionary and should be replaced with “fat bodybuilding, as a fat-inclusive politicized performance.” One reviewer said, “I thoroughly enjoyed reading this article and believe it has an important contribution to make to the eld and this journal.”

“All the way to discovery at Duke, to translation at Duke, and finally now treatment at Duke, it’s very exciting,” Peters said. “This is a rare scenario, and I’m excited to be a part of it.

“To have all of these wonderful discoveries at Duke is pretty exciting, and I think it’s wonderful that we have so many patients and caregivers who can benefit from it,” said Peters.

Three hundred thirtyone patients enrolled in the study. One of those patients was Rebecca Richmond.

According to an interview with WRAL News, the Durham mother said her glioma diagnosis came at age 37.

It will need to be explained in detail to the people of this state are being told to remain jobless and at home for an undetermined amount of time why models predicting hundreds of thousands of

The result: a reduction in expected hospitalization According to the University of Washington Metrics and Evaluation model most oft Trump administration, the expected need peak outbreak was revised down by over ventilators by nearly 13,000 and the number

To date, I’ve gone along with what the state has asked and then mandated that we do, but along the way I’ve also had questions about

The cavalier manner virus, covered up its spread 3,341 related deaths has millions of Americans needlessly The crisis has cost the debt plus trillions more markets and nancial outlets. currency, we would not measures without immediate depreciation. China has to pay for their economic and nancial to bring China into the and fair trade. Totalitarian or express sincere regret totalitarian governments they nd in adversaries adversaries push back. That is, unless an exogenous meltdown in 1986. Some program of Reagan, led

Here’s the problem: We still don’t know questions that will allow the economy to

Unfortunately, when certain types of questions get asked, there sometimes a disturbing tendency among some people to treat those simply questioning the data and asking when we can start getting to normal as though they are conspiracy theorists or are people who otherwise don’t care if they get themselves or others sick.

First, what is the true coronavirus fatality important because it determines whether be open or closed, whether we ought to pursue more liberalized society that presumes wide

“THIS IS in it” (Psalm I know that working from be glad” as and dad, the have to be pandemic. For me, making. As Corinthians a iction, so a iction, with God.” If you are re ect on this God’s example this di cult con dent we In this same neighbors In Concord, money to buy health care

The comfort and hope

Takeaways from Fed chair’s Powell’s speech in Wisconsin

Jerome Powell proclaimed victory in the fight against inflation

By Paul Wiseman The Associated Press

Since when did questioning government at all levels become a bad thing?

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell proclaimed victory in the fight against inflation and signaled that interest rate cuts are coming in a much-anticipated speech last Friday in Jackson Hole, Wyoming.

“Our Struggle Is My Struggle: Solidarity Feminism as an Intersectional Reply to Neoliberal and Choice Feminism,” was accepted for publication by A lia, a feminist journal for social workers. The paper consisted in part of a rewritten passage from Mein Kampf. Two other hoax papers were published, including “Rape Culture and Queer Performativity at Urban Dog Parks.” This paper’s subject was dog-on-dog rape. But the dog rape paper eventually forced Boghossian, Pluckrose and Lindsay to prematurely out themselves. A Wall Street Journal writer had gured out what they were doing.

Some papers accepted for publication in academic journals advocated training men like dogs and punishing white male college students for historical slavery by asking them to sit in silence on the oor in chains during class and to be expected to learn from the discomfort. Other papers celebrated morbid obesity as a healthy life choice and advocated treating privately conducted masturbation as a form of sexual violence against women. Typically, academic journal editors send submitted papers out to referees for review. In recommending acceptance for publication, many reviewers gave these papers glowing praise.

That is what free citizens living in a free society were supposed to do, last I checked.

Under Powell, the Fed raised its benchmark rate to the highest level in 23 years to subdue inflation, which two years ago was running at the hottest pace in more than four decades. Inflation has come down steadily, and investors now expect the Fed to start cutting rates at its next meeting in September — an expectation that essentially got Powell’s endorsement Friday.

“My confidence has grown that inflation is on a sustainable path back to 2%,” Powell said in his keynote speech at the Fed’s annual economic conference in Jackson Hole.

Political scientist Zach Goldberg ran certain grievance studies concepts through the Lexis/Nexis database, to see how often they appeared in our press over the years. He found huge increases in the usages of “white privilege,” “unconscious bias,” “critical race theory” and “whiteness.”

“It’s terrifying. I had a young family so a lot of things go through your mind of what does our future hold?” she said.

Several states, including N.C., had alleged that landlords coordinated to hike rental prices

All of this is being taught to college students, many of whom become primary and secondary school teachers who then indoctrinate our young people.

Richmond said she feared missing out on her 11-yearold daughter’s future.

“When I was diagnosed, she was 3 and a lot of it goes through your mind of the things you could potentially miss and the things you want to prepare her for that you may not be around to do so,” the mom shared.

By Alanna Durkin Richer and R.J. Rico The Associated Press

I doubt whether the coronaviruscaused nancial crunch will give college and university administrators, who are a crossbreed between a parrot and jelly sh, the guts and backbone to restore academic respectability. Far too often, they get much of their political support from campus grievance people who are members of the faculty and diversity and multicultural administrative o ces.

Richmond is now starting her 49th cycle of drug therapy.

“It seems to be working great. I’m able to function, carry out work as normal and activities of daily living completely normal,” she said.

Peters explained that the drug was shown in trials to slow the growth of low-grade tumors, buying patients like Richmond time.

The best hope lies with boards of trustees, though many serve as yes-men for the university president. I think that a good start would be to nd 1950s or 1960s catalogs. Look at the course o erings at a time when college graduates knew how to read, write and compute, and make them today’s curricula. Another helpful tool would be to give careful consideration to eliminating all classes/majors/minors containing the word “studies,” such as women, Asian, black or queer studies. I’d bet that by restoring the traditional academic mission to colleges, they would put a serious dent into the COVID-19 budget shortfall.

It also provided patients and physicians with another treatment option besides chemotherapy and radiation.

WASHINGTON, D.C. — The Justice Department filed an antitrust lawsuit Friday against RealPage Inc., a real estate software company, accusing it of an illegal scheme that allows landlords to coordinate to hike rental prices. The lawsuit, filed alongside attorneys general in states including North Carolina and California, alleges the company is violating antitrust laws through its algorithm that landlords use to get recommended rental prices for millions of apartments nationwide. Rents across the U.S. spiked dramatically in 2021 and 2022, and though their growth has since tapered off, they remain stubbornly high for many tenants.

Justice Department officials allege that RealPage is anoth-

Walter E. Williams is a professor of economics at George Mason University.

WITH MOST STATES under either shelter-in-place or stay-at-home orders thanks to local or state governments, a majority of Americans are having to adjust to what is being called the “new normal.”

Virginia’s stay-at-home orders go into June.

According to the Fed’s preferred gauge, he noted that inflation had fallen to 2.5% from a peak of 7.1% two years ago. Measured by the better-known consumer price index, inflation has dropped from 9.1% in mid2022 to 2.9% last month. Both are edging closer to the Fed’s 2% target.

“THIS IS THE DAY the lord has made, in it” (Psalm 118:24).

Some of these orders extend at least through the end of this month.

Here in North Carolina, Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper stated during a recent coronavirus press brie ng that “we just don’t know yet” if the state’s stay-at-home orders will extend into May.

Powell sounded confident that the Fed would achieve a soft landing — containing inflation without causing a recession. “There is good reason to think that the economy will get back to 2% inflation while maintaining a strong labor market,’’ he said.

Last year, the Fed had predicted that it would trim rates three times this year. But the cuts kept getting pushed back as the progress against inflation faltered early in 2024. Since then, the steady drop in inflation has resumed, giving the Fed more confidence that victory was in sight.

I know that during this challenging time working from home or losing a job, it may be glad” as the Bible tells us to do. However, and dad, the Easter holiday has reminded have to be thankful and hopeful for, even pandemic.

If he does decide to extend it, questions should be asked as to the justi cation for it. And the answers should not be vague ones like “we must do this out of an abundance of caution.”

It will need to be explained in detail to the people of this state who are being told to remain jobless and at home for an undetermined amount of time why models predicting hundreds of thousands of cases are reliable.

fallen into place. I understand to take precautions, but questions about the data, normal are treated in some They’re treated as though question what the government process of returning back No. The government questions. And the longer country, and the stricter the more people, sitting when they can get back answers.

For me, my faith is an important part making. As I celebrated Easter with my Corinthians 1:4, which reminds us our Lord a iction, so that we may be able to comfort a iction, with the comfort which we ourselves God.”

than expected. It spread from goods subject to supply chain backlogs into services, which is harder to dislodge without raising rates and risking severe economic pain in layoffs and higher unemployment. The Fed proceeded to raise rates 11 times in 2022 and 2023.

To date, I’ve gone along with what the state has asked and then mandated that we do, but along the way I’ve also had questions about the data. State Republican leaders have, too.

Higher rates contributed to progress against inflation, as did the easing of supply chain bottlenecks and worker shortages that caused shipping delays and higher prices. The economy bounded back with unexpected strength from COVID-19 lockdowns.

Powell acknowledged that he and his Fed colleagues misjudged the inflationary threat when it emerged in early 2021.

Unfortunately, when certain types of questions get asked, there is sometimes a disturbing tendency among some people to treat those simply questioning the data and asking when we can start getting back to normal as though they are conspiracy theorists or are people who otherwise don’t care if they get themselves or others sick.

Lenten and Easter seasons provide a message of hope that we will once again enjoy sporting events, concerts, family gatherings, church services and many more after our own temporary sacri ces are over.

At the time, they expected the flareup of higher prices to be short-lived — the temporary consequence of pandemic-related supply chain disruptions. The pressure, they thought, would fade “fairly quickly without the need for a monetary policy response — in short, that the inflation would be transitory.’’

Leaders at the local and can be with those answers with details that give their We should all continue ourselves, and our communities to ask questions about the measures are understandable,

Since when did questioning government at all levels become a bad thing? That is what free citizens living in a free society were supposed to do, last I checked.

They weren’t alone in their optimism.

My rst concern as we go along in all this, of course, is my family. I’m worried about them catching the virus, and I’m worried I will. After su ering from the H1N1 virus (swine u) during the 2009 pandemic, I’ve been trying to take extra precautions, because all of this brings up way too many memories of a painful experience I’d prefer not to repeat.

Powell suggested Friday that rate cuts are all but inevitable. “The direction of travel is clear, and the timing and pace of rate cuts will depend on incoming data, the evolving outlook, and the balance of risks,” he said.

“The good ship Transitory was a crowded one,’’ Powell said, “with most mainstream analysts and advanced-economy central bankers on board.’’

But the word “transitory” returned to haunt the Fed as inflation proved more intractable

er reason for the high rents.

The algorithm allows landlords to align their prices and avoid competition that would otherwise keep rents down.

“Americans should not have to pay more in rent simply because a company has found a new way to scheme with landlords to break the law,” Attor-

ney General Merrick Garland told reporters.

In a statement, RealPage said the Justice Department’s claims were “devoid of merit and will do nothing to make housing more affordable.”

“We are disappointed that, after multiple years of education and cooperation on the an-

Powell admitted that policymakers and economists have struggled to understand and respond to an economy that has been unpredictable since COVID-19 hit in early 2020. First, the pandemic shut down commerce, and companies slashed millions of jobs. Then, the economy roared with unexpected vigor, setting off inflationary pressures that had been dormant since the early 1980s. When the Fed belatedly responded aggressively, economists predicted the hiring borrowing costs would cause a painful recession. But it didn’t.

But what also makes me lose sleep is how easily most everyone has

This is all new to Americans, shape, or form. So while the same time we shouldn’t normal.”

If you are celebrating the Easter season, re ect on this message and be comforted, God’s example and comfort all those in this di cult time. Through faith and by con dent we will emerge out of this pandemic In this same spirit, I continue to be inspired neighbors helping neighbors. In Concord, a high school senior named money to buy a 3-D printer and plastic health care workers out of his own home.

Not one little bit.

Stacey Matthews has also and is a regular contributor

“The limits of our knowledge — so evident during the pandemic — demand humility and a questioning spirit focused on learning lessons from the past and applying them flexibly to our current challenges,’’ Powell said.

titrust matters concerning RealPage, the DOJ has chosen this moment to pursue a lawsuit that seeks to scapegoat pro-competitive technology that has been used responsibly for years,” the company said.

RealPage came under scrutiny after a 2022 ProPublica investigation into the company’s practice suggested that it could be to blame for some of the rapid increases in housing costs. Since then, RealPage has drawn the ire of Democratic lawmakers, including Sen. Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota, who introduced a bill to bar companies from using algorithms to collude and fix prices in February.

White House National Economic Advisor Lael Brainard said the White House had no comment on the lawsuit but added that President Joe Biden’s administration “has made clear that no one should pay higher prices because of corporate lawbreaking and continues to support fair and vigorous enforcement of the antitrust laws to prevent illegal collusion.”

AMBER BAESLER / AP PHOTO

Fed Chair Jerome Powell, left with governor of the Bank of Canada Tiff Macklem, spoke at Fed’s annual economic conference last Friday in Jackson Hole, Wyoming.

MARK SCHIEFELBEIN / AP PHOTO

Attorney General Merrick Garland speaks to reporters after an antitrust lawsuit was brought against real estate software company RealPage.

Millions lose access to internet subsidy, FCC to fill gaps

The Affordable Connectivity Program ran out of funding earlier this year

By Kavish Harjai

The Associated Press

LOS ANGELES — The Biden administration is moving to blunt the loss of an expired broadband subsidy program that helped more than 23 million families afford internet access by using money from an existing program that allows libraries and schools to provide Wi-Fi hotspots to students and patrons. Jessica Rosenworcel, chairwoman of the Federal Communications Commission, told The Associated Press last week that the agency had voted in July to “modernize” a federal program known as E-Rate to fill at least some of the gaps left by the Affordable Connectivity Program, which gave families with limited income a monthly subsidy to pay for high-speed internet.

“A lot of those households are at risk of disconnection,” Rosenworcel said after a visit to a Los Angeles elementary school. “We should be clear that it’s not always an on-off switch. It’s about sustainability.”

The Affordable Connectivity Program, part of a broader effort pushed by the adminis-

tration to bring affordable internet to every home and business in the country, was not renewed by Congress and ran out of funding earlier this year.

Mothers of students at Union Avenue Elementary School, which has a 93% Latino student population, told Rosenworcel that their need for the internet has never been greater. They said the cost of rent and food makes it hard to prioritize maintaining a continuous connection.

After listening to the mothers describe using Wi-Fi in a McDonald’s parking lot to take part in remote doctor’s appointments, pay bills and provide their kids with an internet connection for their online homework, an emotional Rosenworcel called their stories “chilling.”

“That family and that child are going to have a harder time thriving in the modern world without that connection at home,” she said.

The E-Rate program, established in the 1990s, has provided more than $7 billion in discounts for eligible schools and libraries since 2022 to afford broadband products and services. According to AP data analysis, it offered benefits to more than 12,500 libraries, nearly half in rural areas, and 106,000 schools.

For the most recent round of funding, the E-Rate program

Kroger, Albertsons defend merger plan against US regulators’ objections

The FTC alleges it would eliminate competition and raise grocery prices

By Dee-Ann Durbin and Claire Rush The Associated Press

PORTLAND, Ore. — Supermarket chain Albertsons told a federal judge Monday that it might have to lay off workers, close stores and even exit some markets if its planned merger with Kroger cannot proceed.

In October 2022, the two companies proposed the largest supermarket merger in U.S. history. However, the FTC sued to prevent the $24.6 billion deal, alleging it would eliminate competition and raise grocery prices in a time of already high food price inflation.

In the three-week hearing that opened Monday, the FTC seeks a preliminary injunction to block the merger while its complaint goes before an in-house administrative law judge.

“This lawsuit is part of an effort aimed at helping Americans feed their families,” the FTC’s chief trial counsel, Susan Musser, said in her opening arguments.

Musser said Kroger and Albertsons currently compete in 22 states, closely matching each other on price, quality, private label products and services like store

RENT from page A9

RealPage is not the only company that offers an algorithmic tool to help property managers set prices. However, the lawsuit says the company is by far the biggest in the industry, controlling 80% of the market.

Using data to help property managers set their rents is familiar and, on its face, illegal. But officials argue that RealPage is different.

According to lawsuits filed in the past year by the attorneys general for Arizona and Washington, D.C., RealPage doesn’t

was expanded to include Wi-Fi on school buses. Rosenworcel said the list of eligible products will grow to Wi-Fi hotspots starting next year.

The Affordable Connectivity Program was helping one in six families in the U.S. afford internet access. Rosenworcel said the decision to include Wi-Fi hotspots in E-Rate was partly due to the failure to extend the subsidies.

“Every child needs internet access at home to thrive,” Rosenworcel said.

Alex Houff, who manages digital equity programs for the Baltimore County Public Library in Maryland, said the library began a Wi-Fi hotspot lending program with around 50 devices right before the COVID-19 lockdown began in 2020. She said the program has grown to include 1,000 devices, which still needs to meet demand. More than 160 people are waiting to use a hotspot, Houff said.

“Most of the time, we heard from branches that their communities were borrowing these hotspots because it was their only source of connectivity,” Houff said.

Houff said affordability is the most significant barrier to connection. She said the library system would apply for E-Rate funding to double the hotspots it offers patrons.

The expansion of the pro -

FCC Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel says the agency voted to “modernize” the E-Rate program to fill some of the gaps left by the Affordable Connectivity Program.

gram has pleased some. The two Republicans on the commission argued that E-Rate was meant to bolster and support internet access within the classroom, not at home or other places where students “might want to learn.”

“The last I checked, schools, which have classrooms and libraries, are physical locations with addresses; not philosophical, conceptual ideas of instruction or education,” Republican commissioner Nathan Simington said in a statement after the vote.

Rosenworcel, who took over as chair of the FCC after President Joe Biden defeated Donald Trump in the 2020 election, said the Republican members’ characterization of where the program should be applied was too restrictive.

After the FCC voted to expand Wi-Fi hotspots to school buses, Republican senators endorsed a lawsuit challenging the agency’s decision. Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas, who led the group of senators, said in a news release that the commission’s new rule was an overreach that would “harm children by enabling their unsupervised access to the internet.”

Disagreements between political parties aren’t the only threat to E-Rate. The Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals — the same one where Cruz filed an amicus brief about Wi-Fi on school buses — ruled at the end of July that the funding mechanism that supports E-Rate and other FCC-administered internet access programs, known as the Universal Service Fund, is unlawful.

pickup. She noted that shoppers benefit from that competition and will lose those benefits if the merger is allowed.

The lawyer said customers are also wary of the merger. In Santa Fe, New Mexico, 278 shoppers wrote to the FTC to express their concerns about a combined Kroger and Albertsons, which would own five of the city’s eight supermarkets.

However, Kroger and Albertsons insist that the FTC’s objections don’t consider the rising competition in the grocery sector. Walmart’s grocery sales totaled $247 billion last year compared to $63 billion in 2003; Costco’s sales have grown more than 400% in the same period.

“Consumers are blurring the line of where they buy groceries,” Albertson’s attorney Enu Mainigi said.

Mainigi said Albertsons’ customers now spend 88 cents of every dollar at competitors that range from Aldi and Trader Joe’s to Dollar General. She said Albertsons can’t compete with larger rivals nationally, but joining forces with Kroger would help it do that.

Kroger attorney Matthew Wolf also defended the proposed merger.

“The savings that come from the merger are obvious and intuitive. Kroger may have the best price on Pepsi. Albertsons may

just use publicly available data — it uses confidential data that RealPage’s clients have agreed to share privately to help its software determine the highest price.

Authorities say that amounts to cartel-like illegal price collusion. Only this time, instead of cartel members meeting inside a proverbial “smoke-filled room,” the price-fixing is done by AI.

The Justice Department points to RealPage executives’ words about how their product maximizes prices for landlords. One executive said, “There is a greater good in everybody suc-

have the best price on Coke. Put them together, they have the best price on both,” Wolf said.

The two sides also disagree on Kroger and Albertsons’ plan to sell 579 stores in places where their stores overlap. The buyer would be C&S Wholesale Grocers, a New Hampshire-based supplier that owns the Grand Union and Piggly Wiggly store brands.

The FTC says C&S is ill-prepared to take on those stores. Laura Hall, the FTC’s senior trial counsel, cited internal documents that indicated C&S executives were skeptical about the quality of the stores they would get and may want the option to sell or close them.

However, Wolf said C&S has the experience and infrastructure to run the divested stores and would be the eighth-largest supermarket company in the U.S. if the merger plan goes through.

The commission also alleges that workers’ wages and benefits

ceeding versus trying to compete against one another in a way that keeps the entire industry down.”

RealPage has noted that landlords are free to reject the price recommendations generated by its software. But the Justice Department alleges that doing so often requires a series of steps, including a conversation with a RealPage pricing adviser who can “stop property managers from acting on emotions.”

“Renters must be able to negotiate prices with landlords without the specter of conspiracy to arrive at a fair deal for everyone involved. But RealPage has shut

would decline if Kroger and Albertsons no longer compete with each other.

Before the hearing, several United Food and Commercial Workers International union members gathered outside the federal courthouse in downtown Portland to oppose the proposed deal.

“Enough is enough,” said Carol McMillian, a bakery manager at a Kroger-owned grocery store in Colorado. “We can no longer stand by and allow corporate greed that puts profit before people. Our workers, our communities and our customers deserve better.”

U.S. District Judge Adrienne Nelson is expected to hear from around 40 witnesses, including the CEOs of Kroger and Albertsons, before deciding whether to issue the preliminary injunction. If she does decide to block the merger temporarily, the FTC’s in-house hearings are scheduled to begin Oct. 1.

away those ingredients, changed the locks and thrown away the keys,” said Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco.

The case is the latest example of the Biden administration’s aggressive antitrust enforcement.

The Justice Department sued Apple in March and announced a sweeping lawsuit against Ticketmaster and its owner, Live Nation Entertainment, in May. Antitrust enforcers have also opened investigations into the roles Microsoft, Nvidia and OpenAI have played in the artificial intelligence boom.

Among those celebrating the

But Nelson’s decision will seal the merger’s fate, according to Wolf. He said the FTC’s in-house administrative process is so long and cumbersome that merger deals almost always fall apart before it’s through. Earlier this month, Kroger sued the FTC, alleging that the agency’s internal proceedings were unconstitutional and wants the merger’s merits decided in federal court. The attorneys general of Arizona, California, the District of Columbia, Illinois, Maryland, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon and Wyoming joined the case on the FTC’s side. Washington and Colorado filed separate cases in state courts to block the merger.

Based in Cincinnati, Ohio, Kroger operates 2,800 stores in 35 states, including brands like Ralphs, Smith’s and Harris Teeter. Based in Boise, Idaho, Albertsons operates 2,273 stores in 34 states, including brands like Safeway, Jewel Osco and Shaw’s.

lawsuits against Real{age is Lee Hepner, legal counsel for the American Economic Liberties Project, which advocates for government action against business concentration.

“There’s a temptation for courts to turn a blind eye to this harm because algorithms tend to conceal the existence of an agreement between competitors,” Hepner said. “It’s not as straightforward as an email between competitors agreeing to fix prices. I think it is essential that our courts address the use of these software algorithms as if it is any other form of price-fixing.”

JENNY KANE / AP PHOTO

Kroger and Albertsons have proposed the largest supermarket merger in U.S. history.

MARCIO JOSE SANCHEZ / AP PHOTO

France’s Macron says arrest of Telegram’s Durov wasn’t political

The platform’s CEO was detained Saturday in a judicial inquiry involving 12 alleged criminal violations

By The Associated Press

PARIS — French President Emmanuel Macron said Monday that the arrest in France of the CEO of the popular messaging app Telegram, Pavel Durov, wasn’t a political move but part of an independent investigation.

The Paris prosecutor’s office said Monday that Durov was detained Saturday at Le Bourget airport in a judicial inquiry opened last month involving 12 alleged criminal violations.

It said in a statement that the suspected violations include complicity in selling child pornography and in drug trafficking, fraud, abetting organized crime transactions and refusing to share information or documents with investigators when required by law.

In France’s first public comment on the arrest, Macron posted on the social media platform X that his country “is deeply committed” to freedom of expression, but “freedoms are upheld within a legal framework, both on social media and in real life, to protect citizens and respect their fundamental rights.”

Macron denounced false information and said the arrest “is not a political decision. It is up to the judges to rule on the matter.”

The prosecutor’s office said Durov’s detention was extended until Monday night and could be prolonged until Wednesday evening before authorities release or charge him.

Durov is a citizen of Russia, France, the United Arab Emirates, and the Caribbean island of St. Kitts and Nevis.

Russian government officials have expressed outrage at his detention, with some calling it politically motivated and proof of the West’s double standard on freedom of speech. The outcry has raised eyebrows among Kremlin critics: In 2018, Russian authorities tried to block Telegram but failed, withdrawing the ban in 2020.

Telegram, which claims to have nearly a billion users worldwide, was founded by Durov and his brother after he faced pressure from the Russian authorities.

In 2013, he sold his stake in VKontakte, a popular Russian social networking site launched in 2006.

The company came under pressure amid the Russian government’s crackdown after mass pro-democracy protests that rocked Moscow at the end of 2011 and 2012.

Durov said the authorities demanded that the site take down online communities of Russian opposition activists and later that it had to hand

over the personal data of users who took part in the 2013 popular uprising in Ukraine, which eventually ousted a pro-Kremlin president.

Durov said in a recent interview that he had turned down these demands and left the country.

The demonstrations prompted Russian authorities to clamp down on the digital space, and Telegram and its pro-privacy rhetoric offered a convenient way for Russians to communicate and share news.

Telegram continues to be a popular news source in Ukraine, where both media outlets and officials use it to share information on the war and deliver missile and air raid alerts.

In a statement posted on its platform after his arrest, Telegram said it abides by EU laws, and its moderation is “within industry standards and constantly improving.”

“It is absurd to claim that a platform or its owner is responsible for abusing that platform,” Telegram’s post said. “Almost a billion users globally use Telegram as a means of communication and as a source of vital informa-

tion. We’re awaiting a prompt resolution of this situation. Telegram is with you all.”

French media reported Monday that a French investigative judge extended Durov’s detention order on Sunday night. Under French law, Durov can remain in custody for questioning for up to four days. After that, judges must decide whether to charge him or release him.

The Russian Embassy in Paris said consular officials were denied access to Durov because French authorities view his French citizenship as his primary one.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Monday, “We still don’t know what exactly Durov is being accused of. ... Let’s wait until the charges are announced — if they are announced.’’

Elon Musk, the billionaire owner of X who has previously called himself a “free speech absolutist,” posted “#freePavel” supporting Durov following the arrest.

Western governments have often criticized Telegram for a lack of content moderation, which experts say opens up the messaging platform for potential use in money laundering, drug trafficking and the sharing of material linked to the sexual exploitation of minors.

In 2022, Germany issued fines of $5 million against Telegram’s operators for failing to establish a lawful way to report illegal content or to name an entity in Germany to receive official communication. Both are required under German laws that regulate large online platforms.

Last year, Brazil temporarily suspended Telegram over its failure to surrender data on neo-Nazi activity related to a police inquiry into school shootings in November.

Ford’s baby Bronco gets Sasquatched

The refreshed Bronco Sport gets a new, tougher, off-road trim

By Jordan Golson North State Journal

MARYVILLE, Tenn. — The Ford Bronco Sport, the smaller “baby” Bronco SUV, is getting a new “Sasquatch” package for 2025 that brings all manner of hardware upgrades that will significantly increase its offroad prowess.

When Ford first introduced the Bronco Sport, many folks thought the small, RAV4-sized vehicle was meant to be the New Bronco.

It wasn’t, but because of production delays, the smaller, rounded family SUV came out well ahead of the larger, beefier, full-size off-roader and the Bronco Sport became the butt of much derision and jokes.

It wasn’t big enough, and it was too soft, and, most importantly, it wasn’t A Real Off-Roader.

It’s not that the Bronco Sport is bad — it’s actually extremely well-designed and capable for what it is: a small, family-focused, outdoorsy SUV. But, because it had that prancing pony emblem, Bronco purists howled even though the Sport was actually a quite capable vehicle for the sorts of outdoor pursuits that buyers of a small sport utility vehicle would undertake.

I never bought into this criticism and have happily joked that the Bronco Sport is the baby Bronco but is still an excellent and worthy alternative to competitors like the Toyota RAV4, Chevrolet Equinox and Hyundai Tucson.

Canada imposes 100% tariff on Chinese-made EVs

Toronto Canada’s government says it is imposing a 100% tariff on imports of Chinese-made electric vehicles that matches U.S. tariffs and follows similar plans announced by the European Commission. The announcement comes after encouragement by U.S. National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan during a meeting with Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on Sunday. Sullivan is making his first visit to Beijing on Tuesday. Trudeau says Canada also will impose a 25% tariff on Chinese steel and aluminum. There is no immediate response from China, but a former Canadian ambassador to Beijing says there will be retaliation.

Fed to reexamine permit for $7.6B Ga. Hyundai EV plant

Savannah, Ga.

A federal agency has agreed to reexamine an environmental permit for Hyundai’s $7.6 billion electric vehicle plant in Georgia after conservationists complained that regulators failed to properly assess the factory’s impacts on the local water supply. The Army Corps of Engineers said in letters to the Ogeechee Riverkeeper environmental group and economic developers Friday that it will reassess its 2022 determination that the plant would have “negligible impacts.” Hyundai is working to start production at its first U.S. electric vehicle plant west of Savannah by the end of the year. The riverkeeper group in June threatened to file suit, saying the Army Corps’ permit relied on outdated data and made incorrect assumptions about the project’s water needs.

Spanos leaves Delta to head Outback owner

Tampa, Fla.

sion travel respectively and the ability to ford almost two feet of water.

If you’re an off-road enthusiast, these may seem like trivial numbers, but they’re actually quite impressive when you consider the size of the Bronco Sport and its place in the market. Though competitors like Subaru, Toyota and Jeep offer “wilderness” or “trail” editions, they haven’t gone so far as to offer true off-road capabilities quite like Ford has with the new ‘Squatch.

The 2025 Bronco Sport also gains new standard tech like an enormous 13-inch center infotainment screen (with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto now standard) and the horribly named Ford Co-Pilot360 Assist+, which includes a host of standard safety features, including automatic emergency braking with pedestrian detection, adaptive cruise control with lane centering, blind spot monitoring and automatic headlights.

Available as an optional extra is a 360-degree camera and automatic rear-emergency braking — an interesting feature that automatically stops the car if you’re about to back into something (or someone).

A high-ranking Delta Air Lines executive whose impending departure was announced last week has been named CEO of Bloomin’ Brands, which owns Outback Steakhouse and several other restaurant chains. Bloomin’ Brands announced Monday that Michael Spanos will start his new job next week. The company’s current CEO is retiring after 12 years in the job. Spanos spent just over a year at Delta, serving as chief operating officer and overseeing daily operations. His departure comes after Delta canceled 7,000 flights as it struggled to recover from a technology outage.

A Delta spokesperson says Spanos told the airline’s CEO before the outage that he was looking at other jobs.

The Badlands variant also gets Bilstein rear shocks with position-sensitive damping and piggyback reservoirs, as well as actual underbody protection, something usually reserved for more hardcore off-road vehicles.

But the new Sasquatch package, available as an upgrade to the Badlands and Outer Banks trims, adds 29-inch Goodyear Territory all-terrain tires adapted from the full-size Bronco and clever tech features like Trail One-Pedal Drive that allows you to navigate off-road with a single pedal that doubles as both throttle and brake (like an EV).

Redesigned bumpers include modular mounting points for accessories like brush bars and driving lights, and I’m told that it might even be possible to mount a winch, though Ford will not be offering one through official channels as it does for the full-size Bronco. That, plus new front and rear springs increasing ride height, gives the Bronco Sport Badlands Sasquatch 8.3 and 8.7 inches of front and rear suspen-

In all, Ford has taken a modest mid-cycle refresh of the Bronco Sport that I first drove three years ago and made it far more interesting. It has real offroad capabilities now and, in a brief demo and drive last week at Ford’s new Bronco Off-Roadeo in the Smokey Mountains of eastern Tennessee, the upgrades are not just for show.

The Bronco Sport may be the baby of the Ford SUV family, but it’s now far more capable — and more unique as a competitive offering — than before. Plus, Sasquatch is just a cool name.

The 2025 Bronco Sport will arrive in dealers in November, and the Sasquatch package will ship in the new year.

NCDOT CASH REPORT FOR THE WEEK ENDING

Beginning Cash $2,330,779,803

Receipts (income) $132,759,604

Disbursements $115,802,273 Cash Balance $2,347,738,438

TATAN SYUFLANA / AP PHOTO

Messaging platform Telegram co-founder Pavel Durov was arrested Saturday by French authorities.

JORDAN GOLSON / NORTH STATE JOURNAL

Which head coaches are on the hot seat?

All three are

coaches that didn’t recruit him.”

COLLEGE FOOTBALL

No Chick-Fil-A at Carter-Finley this season

Raleigh Wolfpack football fans will be missing a familiar sight at NC State home games this season. Chick Fil-A, a longtime concession stand staple at the stadium, will not be offered this year. The school confirmed the information in a press release outlining enhancements to the football experience, saying, “Chick Fil-A has discontinued operations for NC State football and will not be offered at Carter-Finley in 2024.” An in-house hot honey chicken sandwich will be available.

TENNIS

Tennis hall inducts 4

Greensboro

The North Carolina Tennis Hall of Fame will induct four new members this year. Donald Clark, of Snow Hill, has coached for more than three decades at the high school level. Don Flow, of Winston- Salem, has promoted high-level tennis in the state, including the Winston-Salem Open. Janet Moseley, of Elkin, has won consistently in adult and age-g roup tennis competitions. Ashley Rhoney, of Hickory, won at the high school, college and pro levels and now is a successful coach.

MLS Manoel continues to haunt Charlotte in 1-1 draw

Charlotte Elias Manoel scored his seventh goal in six career matches against Charlotte FC to help the New York Red Bulls earn a 1-1 draw. Karol Swiderski, making just his second start and appearance of the season, notched his second goal on penalty kick in the 13th minute to give Charlotte (10-8-8) a 1-0 lead. New York pulled even in the 37th minute. Manoel has scored five goals in 53 career appearances against the rest of the league.

Wolfpack football hoping to match preseason hype

With a new-look offense and a veteran defense, could this be the year that NC State finally wins another title?

By Ryan Henkel North State Journal

RALEIGH — Break out the body paint and get ready to tailgate because the college football season is now upon us.

While everyone gets excited at the thought of another season filled with drama that only college football can supply, the NC State Wolfpack has to be one of the most elated.

Heading into Week 1, NC State is ranked No. 24 in the AP Preseason Poll and are considered by many to be a competitor for the ACC, especially af-

ter Florida State lost its opener to Georgia Tech across the pond in Ireland.

Expectations are high for the Wolfpack, who finished last season 9-4, mostly due to its new-look offense highlighted by a few key transfers.

“Coach (Robert) Anae and his staff have done a nice job of evolving and tweaking our system, looking at our talent and how it’s changed and how our offense needs to change based on that talent and what our strengths are,” said NC State head coach Dave Doeren, who is heading into his 12th season in Raleigh.

The Wolfpack’s offense will be led by quarterback Grayson McCall, who transferred from Coastal Carolina — where he threw for 88 touchdowns and more than 10,000 yards — for his final year of eligibility.

“To be the best team that we can be, we have to put a premium on eliminating self-inflicted wounds.”

NC State coach Dave Doeren

“He comes in with a wealth of accolades and is not only our starter, but a captain as well,” Doeren said of his new quarterback. “He’s fun to coach. He’s a football guy and has great experience. He’s a winner, has grit running through his veins, is tough and, again, another guy with a chip on his shoulder. Wasn’t recruited on this level out of high school in Charlotte and now comes in with an opportunity to play against a lot of

2 quarterbacks at UNC: the history, possibilities for 2024

Coach Mack Brown said UNC could play Max Johnson and Connor Harrell throughout the season

By Asheebo Rojas North State Journal

CHAPEL HILL — In the days leading up to UNC’s season opener at Minnesota, there were still question marks on who would man the quarterback position when the Tar Heels took their first offensive snap.

Yet football coach Mack Brown offered some clarification on what to expect: Graduate transfer Max Johnson and sophomore Conner Harrell could both see the field in week one and possibly throughout the season.

“Depending on how the game goes, we would like to play two quarterbacks, and we’d like to do it for the season,” Brown said.

“They’re both good enough to win, but we’ve got to figure out what during the game works best to win the game.”

a touchdown run against Campbell last November. Harrell is one of two candidates to start for the Tar Heels this season.

For now, the Tar Heels operating with two quarterbacks in 2024 is still just a possibility. But if that ends up being the game plan, how well will a dual-quarterback system work? For reference, UNC can look at some of its own previous seasons. In 2013, the Tar Heels found themselves in a two-quarterback situation after starting the season 1-4 with senior Bryn Renner in the backfield. Following a 55-31 loss to East Carolina, sophomore Marquise Williams started against Virginia Tech while Renner was out with an ankle injury. Although UNC lost 27-17, Williams showed some good things in his 23-for35, 277-yard, two-touchdown and two-interception passing performance, leading to former

Also from the portal are new starting running back Jordan Waters from Duke (who last season, ran for 819 yards, 12 touchdowns), wide receiver Noah Rogers from Ohio State (a four-star recruit), tight end Justin Joly from UConn (578 yards and two touchdowns last season) and center Zeke Correll from Notre Dame (semifinalist for the Joe Moore Award given annually to the best offensive line in college football).

“The backfield and the receiver and the tight end rooms, all those rooms have really been made over through the portal and through development,” Doeren said. “We’re going to be able to rotate and we’re going to need to rotate in these games.” In total, the Wolfpack added 17 players to the roster from the transfer portal.

“We are a team with a lot of new players, 42 right now, but it’s one of the closest groups of guys that I’ve been around, and that’s unique,” Doeren said. “It’s really been one of the biggest and most fun challenges

See NC STATE , page B3

coach Larry Fedora incorporating him more into the offense. By the next week, both quarterbacks split time on the field by sharing snaps depending on the game situation. After a close loss to Miami, UNC beat Boston College and NC State with both quarterbacks at the helm, but a shoulder injury against the Wolfpack sidelined Renner for the rest of the season. Williams finished the year as the primary starter and led the Tar Heels to a 7-6 overall record and a bowl win.

UNC tried two quarterbacks in 2006, too, with junior Joe Dailey sharing time with freshman Cam Sexton. That season, the Tar Heels had one of the worst offenses in the ACC, placing 10th in total offense per game and averaging just 179.7 passing yards per contest. Paired with the worst run defense in the conference, the two-quarterback system didn’t make much of an impact on winning as UNC went 3-9 that season.

Even further back in 2001, the Tar Heels had both Darian Durant and Ronald Curry leading the offense in a winning season. Despite starting the season 0-3, UNC won eight of its last 10 games, losing to Georgia Tech and Wake Forest in the absence of Cur-

NELL REDMOND / AP PHOTO

UNC quarterback Conner Harrell (15) breaks free for

BRYAN WOOLSTON / AP PHOTO

NC State safety Sean Brown (0), defensive back Devan Boykin (12) and cornerback Aydan White (3) combine for a sack against UConn last season.

back on the Wolfpack defense this year.

Beyond the box score

“If you have children 10 or younger a ll they k now is (NC State) championships.”

NC State athletic director Boo Corrigan

“We were emotiona l a lot tonight We’ve got to be pa ssionate

Big

SMU coach Rhett Lashlee after the Mustangs narrowly avoided an upset loss to Nevada in their season opener

PRIME NUMBER

2,159

Number of days bet ween MLB appearances for Reds reliever Ca sey Kelly, MLB save la st week Kelly wa s draf ted 16 years ago and pitched for the Padres, Braves and Giants before spending si x years play ing in Korea

Joe D’A lessandr is died Sunday at age 70 He wa s hospitalized earlier this D’A lessandr is coached in the CFL , World Leag ue and several colleges before reaching the NFL He wa s an a ssistant w ith the Chiefs, Bills, Chargers and R avens

Boston Red Sox catcher Danny appear in the same game for both teams on Monday Jansen wa s in the lineup for the Toronto Blue Jays when their June 26 game in Boston wa s suspended because of rain Before Monday ’ s completion, Jansen wa s traded to Boston

A l Attles, a Hall of Famer who coached the 1975 NBA champion Warr iors and spent more than si x decades w ith the organization a s a player, general manager and team amba ssador, died at 87 Attles played at N C A&T before the Warr iors selected him

1960 draf t Attles wa s black head coaches

Hope returns to Carolina Panthers’ sideline

An encouraging preseason performance by Bryce Young has caused an outbreak of optimism

By Shawn Krest North State Journal

CHARLOTTE — Carolina Panthers fans: Do not call your doctor. Stay off WebMD. No need to rush to the local pharmacy to get a vaccine booster. There’s nothing wrong with you. That unfamiliar feeling in your stomach? It’s hope.

After sitting out the first two preseason games, the Panthers’ regulars played to start the exhibition finale in Buffalo. That includes most of the rebuilt offensive line, the top receivers — most of which are new arrivals — and, of course, second-year quarterback Bryce Young.

You read all of that right. The Carolina Panthers played their regulars … and some of you may still be experiencing signs of hope.

Granted, the regulars weren’t in there long. Young and the linemen got a total of 12 snaps. Running back Chuba Hubbard took 10. Adam Thielen had 11. The gang was together for all of one drive, but that’s one drive was more than the success-starved city has seen go well in the last several years of false starts and letdowns.

Young, the first overall pick in the 2023 draft, represented a new start for the franchise last season. That start was derailed by a porous offensive line and a coaching staff that redefined instability, with the playcalling duties seemingly decided by revolving door. Young’s rookie season had to be given a grade of incomplete because no one could have developed in that environment — picture a caterpillar building a cocoon in a blender.

Young was cautious, relying heavily on Thielen as his main receiver or dumpoffs to tight ends or running backs, stringing together short gains until a sack or other calamity eventually ended the drive.

For 12 shining plays in the fi-

nal preseason game, however, we got a glimpse of what Young could eventually become. He started with passes to tight ends on the first two snaps, then three handoffs and a sack, leaving observers sighing and muttering about the same old thing.

Something then changed, however, and Young seemed to blossom mid-drive. He found wide receiver Jonathan Mingo. Then he converted a fourthand-3 to another receiver, Dionte Johnson, acquired from Pittsburgh in an offseason trade. That play went for 17 yards. The next play was a pass to Thielen for 21. He finished the drive three plays later with an 8-yard pass to tight end Jordan Matthews in the end zone. It may not sound like much, but it represented a milestone in Young’s maturation. The three consecutive completions to Mingo, Johnson and Thielen was something that took Young almost all of last year to accom-

plish — completing passes to three different wide receivers on a drive.

Out of the 157 drives Young presided over as a rookie, he had completions to three different wide receivers (tight ends and running backs don’t count) on just 11 of them.

Young also showed an appetite for throwing downfield that was missing from his rookie year. Even when he did find a receiver, it was usually for a short gain or a catch and run. The 17and 21-yard completions were even rarer during Young’s rookie season.

It took until drive No. 94, in the fourth quarter of the Nov. 26 game against Tennessee, for Young to throw two completions of 17 yards or longer on the same drive. In the final month of the season, he would do it another five times, for a total of six in his 157 drives.

“I saw him extend plays with his legs, keeping his eyes down the field, finding guys,”

Diaz, Duke look to recover from unfortunate series of events

The new Blue Devils coach looks to erase demons from a past stint at Miami

By Shawn Krest North State Journal

DURHAM — Manny Diaz sipped from his water bottle and searched for the correct words. Much like the quarterback his team had just spent three hours trying to tackle, they eluded him.

“I saw football things happen in a football game that allowed them to maintain possession,” he said. “It doesn’t matter. The result stays the same. Read into it what you want. I think there will be some things in the rubble of the loss that will give us encouragement going forward.”

Two days later, after getting to review tape, he still hadn’t found the right words.

“To me, 27-0 is a series of events that occurred,” he said. “To me, it’s a game and there are football things that occur in a game. That’s the point, the competition and the execution were what they were able to do at a level that we couldn’t match.”

It was 2021, and Diaz’s third season at Miami had opened with high hopes. A sea-

NC STATE from page B1 that I’ve had outside of a season. Building a team not just from a talent standpoint but from a chemistry standpoint.”

son-opening loss to Alabama quickly put that optimism to rest. The Crimson Tide, led by Bryce Young, jumped out to a 27-0 lead with 6:55 remaining in the first half and cruised to a 44-13 win. Miami would lose two of its first three, three of its first five, and nine days after the end of the season, Diaz was fired.

But while everything new in the offense is exciting, it’s the dependableness of the defense that should help propel NC State to new heights with returners at nearly every position. For years, the Wolfpack’s defense has felt like a bygone conclusion: a veteran group, the heart and soul of the team, NC State’s bread and butter. They’ve been, by far, the best side of the ball year after year for Doeren, and with all the excitement surrounding the newlook offense, the defense has al-

Football coaches talk about the need for short memories. Most have a 24-hour rule, after which the team can no longer celebrate a win or mourn a loss. And, to a man, football coaches break that rule.

Three years later, Diaz is back at the helm of an ACC team. He took over the Duke Blue Devils in the offseason and is prepar-

most felt like an afterthought.

“I saw him extend plays with his legs, keeping his eyes down the field, finding guys.”

Panthers coach Dave Canales on Bryce Young

new coach Dave Canales said of Young. “You can see the carry-over from practice to the game. … Those are the things that are so critical for us. He handled the run game with great expertise and got us to the right runs in those situations. So I felt great about it.”

The fourth-and-3 completion may have been the most encouraging play of the dozen. Young held the ball for more than three seconds but never panicked, didn’t dump off, fought the temptation to cut and run. He rolled to his left, stopped, reset his feet and fired downfield,

ing for his first game as a head coach in 1,007 days. He inherits a team that has had back-toback eight-win seasons, both culminating in bowl victories. His quarterback is Texas transfer Maalik Murphy, a promising passing talent who won the job in the preseason.

Looking much more relaxed than in his post-Alabama press conferences, Diaz discussed Murphy’s performance in the team’s last preseason scrimmage.

“We had kind of a mock game Friday night,” he said. “Our defense created a turnover and gained a little bit of momentum, and Maalik came up on the next play and threw a beautiful post from about 50 yards out for a touchdown. That’s the type of leadership people want to see — like, a response.”

It’s what Diaz is looking for in his own career. Long heralded as a defensive mastermind as a coordinator for several top teams, his abbreviated threeyear stint as Miami’s head coach still stings. He improved the program during his time there, but not fast enough to please the fans or appease the critics. A series of events occurred, and he found himself back in the assistant’s seat.

There is no 24,000-hour rule for Diaz, however. Consider the details of that scrimmage, where Murphy bounced back from adversity to throw the touchdown.

“You put everybody on the one sideline and you’re playing against people who are trying to emulate the schemes

“Fifth straight year with the same staff led by Tony Gibson, so I’m excited about that continuity,” Doeren said. “Those guys possibly have another chip on their shoulder with the lack of respect they get with losing one player that was so good (Payton Wilson) and how are they going to make up for that player’s loss. There’s a lot of guys that want to show that to everybody.” But if the Wolfpack wants to reach its goals — namely winning its conference for the first time since 1979 and competing in the newly expanded College Football Playoff — it’s all about delivering on both sides of the ball.

Carolina Panthers quarterback Bryce Young drops back to pass in the preseason finale against the Buffalo Bills. Young led the team to a touchdown in his only drive of the preseason.

getting all 17 yards through the air.

“Poise, eyes down the field,” Canales said. “You know, that aggressive nature, but being able to do it within the confines of what’s the smartest thing to do in this situation. He kept it alive, found us a completion, and then we ended up coming away with a touchdown a little bit later.”

It’s not a guarantee of success, by any means, but it was a brief snapshot of where things could go, if everything goes well. And for once, the phrase “if everything goes well” may not have sent shudders up the spines of Panthers fans.

It was a lottery ticket, tucked in the toe of a Christmas stocking after years of getting nothing but coal. And it may just have had some Panthers fans feeling a bit light-headed. That’s perfectly normal. Folks in other NFL cities feel that all the time.

You might even get used to it.

of our first opponent,” Diaz explained. “And then what we always do is we put ourselves down 27-0. And we play 10-minute quarters. 27-0. With 40 minutes to play.

“We’re just trying to see like, you know, where you’re trying to create an urgency,” he said. “You would imagine that the starters should be better than the backups, but now, all of a sudden, they need to be 28 points better than the backups.”

Was there any special significance, Diaz was asked, to the score and time remaining.

“We just spun a wheel,” he said with a smile. “27-0 is good because it’s (going to take) four touchdowns. We don’t make it 28 because you can get some organic ‘go for two, don’t go for two’ decisions. … You want your ones to have success, but you still have to create a sense of urgency for them.”

For the record, Murphy and the Duke offense took a 28 -27 lead in that scrimmage. Then the turnover and touchdown — with a two-point conversion — put them back down 35-28. Murphy’s response tied the score again, and the Duke ones eventually took a 42-35 win. Diaz was satisfied that the scrimmage had the effect he’d intended as his players prepare for the games that count.

“I’m sure there’ll be plenty of adversity (this season) that we’ll get to bounce back from as well,” he said. Their coach will also be looking to do the same.

“To be the best team that we can be, we have to put a premium on eliminating self-inflicted wounds,” Doeren said. “That’s execution and unforced errors. … Now it’s all about consistency. We’ve got a lot of guys, so it’s about who’s going to be the most consistent performer and that’s what games are about. Finding that out.”

CHARLES KRUPA / AP PHOTO

CHRIS SEWARD / AP PHOTO

Manny Diaz, left, shakes hands with then Duke head coach David Cutcliffe after the two teams met in Nov. 2021. It was Diaz’s last game as head coach until this Friday’s Duke season opener.

Where each coach in the state stands

Most of the coaches are safe — but not necessarily comfortable — entering the season

By Shawn Krest North State Journal

AFTER A BRIEF TASTE of college football this past weekend, we get a full schedule of games this weekend.

That includes all seven FBS teams in North Carolina, who kick off their respective seasons starting on Thursday.

Four of the seven in-state teams are coming off of bowl appearances, while the other three are looking to rebound from losing seasons. Still, as defending ACC champion Florida State showed us in Week Zero, a hot seat is just a bad day away for even the most successful college football coaches.

Here’s a look at where North Carolina’s seven head coaches stand heading into the 2024 season.

MACK BROWN 16th season at UNC 8-5 (4-4 ACC) in 2023

The Tar Heels reached a bowl for the fifth straight season, but UNC fans were expecting more.

Once again, UNC suffered inexplicable upset losses (against Virginia), lost to rival NC State (third straight) and lost its bowl game (fourth straight).

Still, Brown is a hall of famer and a recruiting juggernaut. With a mere mortal taking snaps this year after five years of Sam Howell and Drake Maye, he’ll get a mulligan, even if the Tar Heels slip. Pressure

may eventually begin to mount to gently push the 73-year-old back into retirement, but for the moment, he’s in a good position.

Hot seat: Slightly less cool than last year

DAVE DOEREN

12th season at NC State 9-4 (6-2 ACC) in 2023

The Wolfpack have racked up 34 wins in the last four seasons, and Doeren, the elder statesman on the sideline in the state (based on consecutive service), has won three straight over UNC. So there’s little for fans to be cranky about, other than a long ACC title drought, underscored by basketball coach Kevin Keatts’ tournament title and Final Four run in March.

Doeren has a proven quarterback in transfer Grayson McCall, a solid running game and a strong defense. This might be the team that turns in the elusive 10-win season for NC State and possibly competes for a league crown. Of course, higher expectations also means higher potential for letdown, but for the moment, Doeren is about as safe as a veteran coach can be.

Hot seat: Cool

MANNY DIAZ

1st season at Duke 8-5 (4-4 ACC) in 2023

Remember when former LSU national championship coach Les Myles was hired at Kansas? Or when college control freak Urban Meyer went to the NFL’s Jacksonville Jaguars? Even when a team is hiring a proven head coach, organizational fit is a crucial component to success. After a decade-long hug from

BEN MCKEOWN / AP PHOTO

Manny Diaz claps for basketball fans at Cameron Indoor Stadium shortly after being introduced as Duke’s new football coach. It’s an interesting hire for the Blue Devils.

David Cutcliffe and two years of new-school earnestness from Mike Elko, Duke has turned to Diaz, who gives the impression that he would drape his arm around your shoulder and use your first name four times in the first two sentences he speaks to you.

One of Diaz’s longtime friends said, “Oh, he’s slick, but he’s a decent guy. His father was mayor of Miami, so he comes by that naturally.” None of that has anything to do with his ability as a coach, but the mismatch in personalities could mean he gets a shorter leash if things don’t go well. He should be safe this year and may build another winning dynasty at Duke, but there is some skepticism, and his seat isn’t as cool as it would be for most first-year coaches.

Hot seat: Cool-ish

DAVE CLAWSON

11th season at Wake Forest 4-8 (1-7 ACC) in 2023

For the first time, Clawson’s college football cheat codes didn’t work. Working at a tiny school with less talent than its rivals and running an offense with a run-pass option so slow

it makes it look like your video player is buffering, Clawson somehow managed to win consistently. Last year’s down season snapped a string of seven straight bowl bids for the Demon Deacons. For the first time, Clawson’s offense struggled as Wake couldn’t find a consistent replacement for Sam Hartman. Transfer Hank Bachmeier should help solve that issue, and it’s possible Wake will be back doing it, seemingly with smoke and mirrors, again this year. Still, based on a decade of work, Clawson is a long way from having to worry about job security.

Hot seat: Still cool

SHAWN CLARK

5th season at Appalachian State 9-5 (6-2 Sun Belt) in 2023

After a 6-6 season in 2022, Clark had App State back in the Sun Belt title game and a bowl last season. For those counting, that’s eight nine-win seasons in the last nine years for App, eight bowls in the last nine and four conference title games in the last six.

The Mountaineers have quar-

terback Joey Aguilar back, and an expanded College Football Playoff field means that winning the Sun Belt could have major postseason implications for App State. A year after having the warmest seat in the state, it’s good to be Shawn Clark.

Hot seat: Ice cold

BIFF POGGI

2nd season at Charlotte 3-9 (2-7 AAC) in 2023

Speaking of odd fits, Poggi begins his second year in Charlotte, although, to be fair, it’s hard to imagine a situation where Poggi would fit well. The head coach does things his own way, and, with a program that doesn’t have a long, successful history, it might be the perfect place for the maverick to build a program in his image. The 49ers are heavy on transfers and appear to be full of attitude as they open the season with, in Poggi’s words, “a chip on their shoulders.”

Expectations are low —

Charlotte was picked 13th in the 14 -team league, so Poggi will likely have another year before he has to worry about rumblings on the horizon.

Hot seat: Cold

MIKE HOUSTON

6th season at East Carolina 2-10 (1-7 AAC) in 2023

After an 8-5 2022 season, Houston’s second straight winning campaign, and a bowl win, things appeared to be looking up in Greenville. Without longtime quarterback Holton Ahlers, ECU finished in the bottom five in the nation in scoring last year and put up 10 points or fewer five times.

Missouri transfer Jake Garcia won the starting job and should help the Pirates put up more points this year. That, combined with a solid defense, could get the Pirates back on track. Until that happens, though, Houston has the warmest seat in the state.

Hot seat: Warming up

Sonego rolls past Michelsen to win Winston-Salem Open

Nathaniel Lammons and Jackson Withrow defended their doubles title

By Jesse Deal North State Journal

WINSTON-SALEM — An award-winning ATP World Tour 250 men’s tennis tournament event in North Carolina wrapped up this past weekend as a warmup to the U.S. Open.

With 48 singles players and 16 doubles teams, the weeklong 2024 Winston-Salem Open ended Saturday at the Wake Forest University Tennis Complex as Lorenzo Sonego took home the singles title and doubles partners Nathaniel Lammons and Jackson Withrow defended their 2023 Winston-Salem Open crown.

Sonego — ranked 48th globally and the No. 10 seed in the tournament — claimed his fourth career title in a resounding 6-0, 6-3 win over American and No. 11 seed Alex Michelsen, who made the top 50 (49th) of the PIF ATP Live Rankings for the first time last week.

The 29-year-old Italian got his first title since winning the Moselle Open in France in September 2022, while the 20-year-old American had a chance to be the youngest winner in the 13-year history of the tournament but struggled to keep up with his older opponent in two sets.

“It’s a crazy week for me, for my team, for my family,” said Sonego, now the 11th active

U NC from page B1

ry and winning the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl over Auburn on New Year’s Eve.

The Tar Heels didn’t have the most explosive offense that year (sixth in the ACC in total offense per game), but they were one of the better passing teams in the conference, finishing with a fourth-best 239.3 passing yards per game. Having one of the best defenses in the

player to have won a title on outdoor hard, indoor hard, clay and grass. “I brought my game every day. I’m really proud of myself. I will enjoy this moment with my team and then I’ll start to think about the U.S. Open.”

As a former World No. 21, Sonego had dropped out of the top 50 but looked sharp in winning his first title in two years; he won 32 of 41 total service points (78%) while getting 19 winners compared to Michelsen’s six. Additionally, Sonego took 11 of 14 chances (79%) compared to 8 of 18 by Michelsen (44%), who was just 4 for 31 in first-return points won (13%). In the semifinals round lead-

conference — led by Julius Peppers — had a huge impact on the team’s success, too.

However, in Brown’s second stint, UNC has been known for its dynamic and explosive offenses, highlighted by 3,500yard passing seasons from Sam Howell and Drake Maye, who were both able to lead the offenses themselves.

Although running a two-quarterback system may keep both Johnson and Harrell ready for

ing up to the championship match, Sonego defeated David Goffin 6-3, 6-2 on Friday as Michelsen beat Pablo Carreno Busta 7-6 (5), 2-1.

“I played very aggressively on the second serve against Goffin,” Sonego said after his Friday win. “He’s one of the biggest players of all-time, and I served very well. I had nothing on my mind and just followed the flow. I played a perfect match today. I take the confidence from my practice, and I work hard with my team each and every day. I’ve started to play better, and I’m more aggressive than last year.”

Over in the doubles bracket, the American duo of Lammons

game days, they might not be able to grow into the offense and establish a rhythm like their predecessors did, which also may not bode well for a team with question marks on the offensive line.

The Tar Heels’ line is light on experience, raising questions of just how effective the run game can be and which quarterback can best handle pressure in the pocket.

With Harrell having no expe -

Lorenzo Sonego, of Italy, shown here earlier this year at Indian Wells, won his first tournament in nearly two years when he took the WinstonSalem Open title last week.

tle added pressure knowing that you played well here last year and having an expectation,” Withrow said. “But at the same time, I think we feel comfortable here. It’s another great time of the year for us when we feel like we play our best tennis back in the States, we feel comfortable at home. We feel like we’re a part of this Wake community, and it’s always exciting to be coming back here.”

Lammons and Withrow are now the second pair to retain the doubles title in Winston-Salem, following Jean-Julien Rojer and Horia Tecau in 2017-18. They have nine ATP Tour doubles titles together in total.

and Withrow — ranked No. 9 in the PIF ATP Doubles Team Rankings — claimed their second straight Winston-Salem Open title with a 6-4, 6-3 victory over Julian Cash and Robert Galloway, a British-American team aiming for its third title of 2024. For Lammons and Withrow, their latest achievement marked their third title in a month after winning both the Atlanta Open and Mubadala Citi DC Open in late July.

In last year’s Winston-Salem Open, they defeated the British pairing of Lloyd Glasspool and Neal Skupski 6-3, 6-4.

“I think they kind of said it last night with feeling a lit-

rience as a starter, those questions may give Johnson an edge when determining who trots out first. Yet if Johnson doesn’t work out, how much better can Harrell be?

Harrell and Johnson both expressed that they can bring similar assets to the Tar Heels’ offense at ACC Kickoff in July, detailing their abilities to make accurate throws and use their legs to make plays. Johnson said he feels he

“You get kind of the emotional roller coaster in the first two rounds with the 10-point busters and sneaking out of those was great,” Lammons said. “We kind of played ourselves into the event finally and then it was the semis and the final. I think you can’t take a negative away from it; we played a lot of matches and that was the main point.”

In the double semis, Lammons and Withrow defeated wild cards and Demon Deacon duo Luca Pow and DK Suresh 6-4, 6-2 in 47 minutes after dropping just seven points on serve; Cash and Galloway reached the finals after rallying past Jamie Murray and John Peers 5-7, 7-5, 10-8. The Winston-Salem Open will return to the Wake Forest University Tennis Complex again next year with a start date of Aug. 17, 2025.

doesn’t get as much credit for his ability to run as he’s thrown for 5,852 yards and only rushed for 168 yards in four years at Texas A&M and LSU.

But Harrell, who has shown his ability to scramble, must’ve also shown some good things in the passing game since he’s in the running to be the starter.

Given what UNC has in both quarterbacks, there will be some tough decisions to make on how to use them.

RYAN SUN / AP PHOTO

J. Lopez, Administrator, at 8 Windy Knl., Columbia, SC 29229, on or before the 9th day of November, 2024 (which date is three months after the day of the first publication of this notice), or this notice will be pleaded in bar of their recovery. Debtors of

having qualified as Administrator/Executor of the estate of Irene M Cruz, deceased, late of Cumberland County, hereby notifies all persons, Firms, and corporations having claims against said estate to present their claim to the undersigned on or before the 8th day of November, 2024 or this notice will be pleaded in bar of their recovery. All Debtors of the decedent are requested to make immediate payment to the undersigned. This 8th day of August, 2024 Alicia Kidd Administrator/Executor 524 Donovan Street Fayetteville, NC 28301 4127799799 Of the Estate of Irene M Cruz, Deceased NOTICE

In The General Court of Justice Superior Court Division Estate File # 2024E000617 STATE OF NORTH CAROLINA CUMBERLAND COUNTY Administrator’s/Executor’s Notice

The undersigned having qualified as Ronald K. McEachern of the Estate of Gwendolyn Joyce McEachern, deceased, Late of Cumberland County, hereby Notifies all persons, firms, and corporations Having claims against said estate to present Their claim to the undersigned on or before the 17th day of November, 2024, (which date is three months after the day of the first publication of this notice) or this notice will be pleaded in bar of their recovery. All Debtors of the decedent are requested to make immediate payment to the undersigned. This 15th day of August, 2024. Ronald K. McEachern 114 Pendelton Street New Haven, CT 0651 Of the Estate of Gwendolyn Joyce McEachern, Deceased EXECUTOR’S NOTICE IN THE GENERAL COURT OF JUSTICE SUPERIOR COURT DIVISION ESTATE FILE 24-E-1169 State of North Carolina Cumberland County NOTICE TO CREDITORS

The undersigned, having qualified as the Executor of the Estate of Alton Earl Smith, Jr., late of Cumberland County, North Carolina, does hereby notify all persons, firms or corporations having claims against said estate to present them to the undersigned at 6735 Fire Department Road, Hope Mills, North Carolina 28348, on or before November 15, 2024, or this notice will be pleaded in bar of their recovery. All persons indebted to the estate will please make immediate payment to the undersigned. This the 15th day of August, 2024. Rose Smith Kennedy aka Lila Rose Kennedy Executor of the Estate of Alton Earl Smith, Jr., Deceased c/o Gilliam Law Firm, PLLC J. Duane Gilliam, Jr., Attorney PO Box 53555 Fayetteville, NC 28305

08/15/2024, 08/22/2024, 08/29/2024 and 09/05/2024

NOTICE

STATE OF NORTH CAROLINA In The General Court of Justice COUNTY OF CUMBERLAND Superior Court Division Estate File# 2024E 001267 Administrator’s/Executor’s Notice The undersigned, having qualified as Patricia M Lowe of the Estate of James Frederick McKeithan, deceased, late of Cumberland County, hereby notifies all persons, firms, and corporations having claims against said estate to present their claim to the undersigned on or before December 1, 2024 or the notice will be pleaded in bar of their recovery. All debtors of the decedent are requested to make immediate payments to the undersigned.

This 19th day of August 2024

Patricia M Lowe Administrator/Executor

Address: 406 Andrew Ave, Timberlake NC 27583 Of the Estate of James Frederick McKeithan Deceased

NOTICE In The General Court of Justice Superior Court

Division Before the Clerk Estate File #24E1204

State of North Carolina

Cumberland County Administrator Notice

The undersigned having qualified as Administrator of the Estate of, Linda Undercoffler Dickens, deceased, late of Cumberland County, this is to notify all persons having claims against said estate to present them to the undersigned on or before the 10th day of November, 2024, or this notice will be pleaded in bar of their recovery. All persons indebted to the estate will please make payment to the undersigned. This is the 30th day of July, 2024. Administrator of the Estate of Linda Undercoffler DIckens Christopher Michael Smith P.O. Box 377 Anderson, SC 29622

NOTICE TO CREDITORS

ESTATE OF JOHN LEE DOUGLAS

Cumberland County Estate File No. 24 E 1387 All persons, firms and corporations having claims against John Lee Douglas, deceased, of Cumberland County, North Carolina, are notified to present their claims to Davis W. Puryear, Administrator, at HUTCHENS LAW FIRM, LLP, 4317 Ramsey St., Fayetteville, NC 28312, on or before the 30th day of November, 2024 (which date is three months after the day of the first publication of this notice), or this notice will be pleaded in bar of their recovery. Debtors of the Decedent are requested to make immediate payment to the Administrator named above. This the 21st day of August, 2024. Davis W. Puryear Administrator of the Estate of John Lee Douglas

Davis W. Puryear

Hutchens Law Firm

Attorneys for the Estate 4317 Ramsey Street Fayetteville, NC 28311 Run dates: August 29, September 5, September 12 and September 19, 2024

NOTICE TO CREDITORS

ESTATE OF BOBBIE PATRICIA GANN

Cumberland County

Estate File No. 24 E 1354

All persons, firms and corporations having claims against Bobbie Patricia Gann, deceased, of Cumberland County, North Carolina, are notified to present their claims to Donna Lee Landers, Executor, at 208 Faison Ave. Apt. A. Fayetteville, NC 28304, on or before the 30th day of November, 2024 (which date is three months after the day of the first publication of this notice), or this notice will be pleaded in bar of their recovery. Debtors of the Decedent are requested to make immediate payment to the Executor named above.

This the 20th day of August, 2024.

Donna Lee Landers

Executor of the Estate of Bobbie Patricia Gann

Davis W. Puryear

Hutchens Law Firm

Attorneys for the Estate 4317 Ramsey Street Fayetteville, NC 28311 Run dates: August 29, September 5, September 12, and September 19, 2024

NOTICE TO CREDITORS

ESTATE OF NOAH GROSSMAN

Cumberland County

Estate File No. 24 E 1258

All persons, firms and corporations having claims against Noah Grossman, deceased, of Cumberland County, North Carolina, are notified to present their claims to Sandy Barton, Administrator, at 2601 Adkins Hill Dr., Fayetteville, NC 28306, on or before the 16th day of November (which date is three months after the day of the first publication of this notice), or this notice will be pleaded in bar of their recovery. Debtors of the Decedent are requested to make immediate payment to the Executor/ Administrator named above.

This the 6th day of August, 2024. Sandy Barton Administrator of the Estate of Noah Grossman Davis W. Puryear Hutchens Law Firm Attorneys for the Estate 4317 Ramsey Street Fayetteville, NC 28311 Run dates: 8/15, 8/22, 8/29 and 9/5/2024

NOTICE

STATE OF NORTH CAROLINA in the General Court of Justice County of Cumberland Superior Court Division State File #: 2024 E 001280 Administrator’s / Executor’s Notice The undersigned, having qualified as co-executor of the estate of Mary Ruth McLamb, deceased, late of Cumberland County, hereby notifies all persons, firms, and corporations having claims against said estate to present their claim to the undersigned on or before the twenty-fifth day of November, 2024, (which date is at least three months after the day of the first publication of this notice) or this notice will be pleaded in bar of their recovery. All Debtors of the decedent are requested to make immediate payment to the undersigned.

This fifteenth day of August, 2024. Robert J. Bunting Co-Executor 223 Riverdell Drive Address Fayetteville, NC 28311-1628 City, State, Zip Of the Estate of Mary Ruth McLamb, Deceased

NOTICE TO CREDITORS

The undersigned, having qualified as Executor of the Estate of Mary Ann McNeill, deceased, late of Cumberland County, hereby notifies all persons, firms, and corporations having claims against said estate to present their claim to the undersigned on or before the 18th day of November 2024, (which is three months after the day of the first publication of this notice) or this notice will be pleaded in bar of their recovery. All Debtors of the decendent are requested to make immediate payment to the undersigned.

This 15th day of August, 2024 Paula McNeill, Administrator/Executor P. O. Box 87702 Fayetteville, NC 28304 Of the Estate of Mary A. McNeill, Deceased

NOTICE

In The General Court of Justice Superior Court Division Before the Clerk Estate File #24 E 1335 STATE OF NORTH CAROLINA CUMBERLAND COUNTY

ADMINISTRATOR NOTICE

The undersigned having qualified as Executor of the Estate of Henry Lee Pierce, deceased, late of Cumberland County, hereby notifies all persons, firms, and corporations having claims against said estate to present their claim to the undersigned on or before the 2nd day of December, 2024, (which date is three months after the day of the first publication of this notice) or this notice will be pleaded in bar of their recovery. All Debtors of the decedent are requested to make immediate payment to the undersigned. This 21st day of August, 2024. Ida M. Pierce Administrator/Executor 6458 Ginger Cir Fayetteville, NC 28314 Of the Estate of Henry Lee Pierce, Deceased

NOTICE

In The General Court of Justice Superior Court Division Before the Clerk Estate File # 2UE125 STATE OF NORTH CAROLINA CUMBERLAND COUNTY

ADMINISTRATOR NOTICE

The undersigned James T Page III

having qualified as Executor of the Estate of Darrel Jean Page, deceased , late of Cumberland County, this is to notify all persons having claims against said estate to present them to the undersigned on or before the 29th day of November ,2024 or this notice will be pleaded in bar of their recovery. All persons indebted to the estate will please make immediate payment to the undersigned, James T PageIII 2115 AlRay Rd Eastover, NC 28312

NOTICE TO CREDITORS

IN THE GENERAL COURT OF JUSTICE

SUPERIOR COURT DIVISION ESTATE FILE NO. 23-E-1166

STATE OF NORTH CAROLINA COUNTY OF CUMBERLAND

Having qualified as Administrator of the Estate of Johnny Ray Vines, late of Cumberland County, North Carolina, the undersigned does hereby notify all persons, firms, and corporations having claims against the estate of said decedent to exhibit them to the undersigned at 2517 Raeford Road, Fayetteville, NC 28305, on or before November 22, 2024, or this notice will be pleaded in bar of their recovery. All persons, firms, and corporations indebted to the said Estate will please make immediate payment to the undersigned. Dated this 22nd day of August, 2024. Amy Vines, Administrator of the Estate of Johnny Ray Vines

NICOLE A. CORLEY

MURRAY, CRAVEN & CORLEY, L.L.P. N.C. BAR NO. 56459 2517 RAEFORD ROAD FAYETTEVILLE, NC 28305 – 3007 (910) 483 – 4990 COUNSEL FOR ADMINISTRATOR

ADMINISTRATOR CTA’S NOTICE

IN THE GENERAL COURT OF JUSTICE

SUPERIOR COURT DIVISION

ESTATE FILE 24-E-1176

State of North Carolina Cumberland County NOTICE TO CREDITORS

The undersigned, having qualified as the Administrator CTA of the Estate of Richard E. Washburn, late of Cumberland County, North Carolina, does hereby notify all persons, firms or corporations having claims against said estate to present them to the undersigned at Post Office Box 53555, Fayetteville, North Carolina 28305, on or before November 08, 2024, or this notice will be pleaded in bar of their recovery. All persons indebted to the estate will please make immediate payment to the undersigned. This the 8th day of August, 2024. J. Duane Gilliam, Jr. Administrator CTA of the Estate of Richard E. Washburn, Deceased c/o Gilliam Law Firm, PLLC J. Duane Gilliam, Jr., Attorney PO Box 53555 Fayetteville, NC 28305

08/08/2024, 08/15/2024, 08/22/2024 and 08/29/2024

NOTICE

STATE OF NORTH CAROLINA In

The General Court of Justice County of Cumberland Superior Court Division Estate File # 24 E 1220

Administrator’s/ Executor’s Notice

The undersigned, having qualified as Executor of the Estate of Larry David Wimert, deceased, late of Cumberland County, herby notifies all persons, firms, and corporations having claims against said estate to present their claim to the undersigned on or before the 13th day of November, 2024, (which date is three months after the day of the first publication of this notice) or this notice will be pleaded in bar of their recovery. All Debtors of the decedent are requested to make immediate payment to the undersigned. This 8th day of August, 2024. David Allen Wimert Administer/Executor 704 Carthage Lane NE Leland, North Carolina 28451 Of the Estate of Larry David Wimert, Deceased

NOTICE

STATE OF NORTH CAROLINA

County of Cumberland

In The General Court of Justice Superior Court Division Estate File#.2022 E. 002053

Administrator’s/Executor’s Notice

The undersigned, having Qualified as Administrator of the Estate of Tynicia D Walton, deceased, late of Cumberland County, hereby notifies all persons, firms, and corporations having claims against said estate to present their claim to the undersigned on or before the 29rd day of November, 2024 (which date is three months after the day of the first publication of this notice) or this notice will be pleaded in bar of their recovery. All Debtors of the decedent are requested to make immediate payment to the undersigned. This 20th day of August, 2024 Ronald Edward Walton 4025 Hunting Path Drive Hope Mills, NC 28348 Of the Estate of Tynicia D Walton, Deceased 08/29,09/05,09/12,09/19/2024

ADMINISTRATOR’S/EXECUTOR’S

ONSLOW

RANDOLPH

WAKE

AMENDED NOTICE OF SALE

NORTH CAROLINA WAKE COUNTY

GENERAL COURT OF JUSTICE SUPERIOR COURT DIVISION BEFORE THE CLERK FILE NO. 23SP003315-910

IN THE MATTER OF THE FORECLOSURE UNDER THAT POWER OF SALE GRANTED IN THE DECLARATION OF COVENANTS AND PROVISIONS OF STONEBRIDGE HOMEOWNERS’ ASSOCIATION, INC., RECORDED AT BOOK 5942, PAGE 390 AND AS AMENDED, WAKE COUNTY REGISTRY, CONCERNING HARPER HOMES, LLC; JUSTIN R. WINSTEAD AND SPOUSE, IF ANY AND ASHLEY B. WINSTEAD AND SPOUSE, IF ANY AMENDED NOTICE OF ASSOCIATION’S SALE OF REAL ESTATE

Under and by virtue of the power and authority contained in the Declaration of Covenants and Provisions of Stonebridge Homeowners’ Association, Inc., recorded at Book 5942 Page 390 and as amended; and because of default in the payment of the indebtedness secured by said Declaration and failure of performance of the stipulations and agreements therein contained, and pursuant to the Order entered

AMENDED NOTICE OF SALE

NORTH CAROLINA WAKE COUNTY

GENERAL COURT OF JUSTICE SUPERIOR COURT DIVISION BEFORE THE CLERK FILE NO. 23SP003517-910 IN THE MATTER OF THE FORECLOSURE UNDER THAT POWER OF SALE GRANTED IN THE DECLARATION OF COndominium for sweetbriar condominium association, INC., RECORDED AT BOOK 3535, PAGE 9 AND AS AMENDED, WAKE COUNTY REGISTRY,

request the Court to declare the sale to be void and return the deposit. The purchaser will have no further remedy. The real estate will be sold subject to any and all superior liens, including taxes and special assessments, if any. Upon the conclusion of the sale an order for possession of the property may be issued pursuant to

N.C.G.S.§45-21.29 in favor of the purchaser and against the party or parties in possession by the Clerk of this Court. If you occupy the property pursuant to a rental agreement please note that any person who occupies the property pursuant to a rental agreement entered into or renewed on or after October 1, 2007, may, after receiving notice of said sale, terminate the rental agreement by providing written notice of termination to the landlord, to be effective on a date stated in the notice that is at least 10 days, but no more than 90 days after the sale date contained in the notice of sale, provided that the mortgagor (homeowner) has not cured the default at the time the tenant provides the notice of termination. Upon termination of a rental agreement, the tenant is liable for rent due under the rental agreement prorated to the effective date of termination. The sale will be held open for ten (10) days for upset bids as required by law.

THIS IS A COMMUNICATION FROM A DEBT COLLECTOR. THE PURPOSE OF THIS COMMUNICATION IS TO COLLECT A DEBT AND ANY INFORMATION OBTAINED WILL BE USED FOR THAT PURPOSE. EXCEPT IN THE INSTANCE OF BANKRUPTCY PROTECTION. IF YOU ARE UNDER THE PROTECTION OF THE BANKRUPTCY COURT OF HAVE BEEN DISCHARGED AS A RESULT OF THE BANKRUPTCY PROCEEDING, THIS NOTICE IS GIVEN TO YOU PURSUANT TO STATUTORY REQUIREMENT AND FOR INFORMATIONAL PURPOSES AND IS NOT INTENDED AS AN ATTEMPT TO COLLECT A DEBT FROM YOU PERSONALLY.

Date and Hour for Sale: September 9, 2024, at 10:00 am

Place of Sale:Wake County Courthouse

Date of this Notice: August 6, 2024

/s/ James W. Kilbourne, Jr. James W. Kilbourne, Jr. Allen, Stahl & Kilbourne, PLLC Attorney for the Trustee F. Todd Whitlow 3739 National Drive, Suite 105 Raleigh, NC 27612 Telephone: 919-817-8850 jamesk@asklawnc.com

CABARRUS

AMENDED NOTICE OF FORECLOSURE SALE

22 SP 144

Under and by virtue of the power of sale contained in a certain Deed of Trust made by Gregory Garner and Laura Garner (PRESENT RECORD OWNER(S): Gregory Garner and Laura Garner) to Michael Lyon, Trustee(s), dated November 20, 2015, and recorded in Book No. 11683, at Page 0229 in Cabarrus County Registry, North Carolina, default having been made in the payment of the promissory note secured by the said Deed of Trust and the undersigned, Substitute Trustee Services, Inc. having been substituted as Trustee in said Deed of Trust by an instrument duly recorded in the Office of the Register of Deeds Cabarrus County, North Carolina and the holder of the note evidencing said indebtedness having directed that the Deed of Trust be foreclosed, the undersigned Substitute Trustee will offer for sale at the courthouse door in Concord, Cabarrus County, North Carolina, or the customary location

NOTICE OF FORECLOSURE SALE 24 SP 105 Under and by virtue of the power of sale contained in a certain Deed of Trust made by Jared Dullum (PRESENT RECORD OWNER(S): Michael Eugene Bloom, Jr.) to Gary Bradley, Trustee(s), dated August 23, 2007, and recorded in Book No. 7776, at Page 260 in Cabarrus County Registry, North Carolina, default having been made in the payment of the promissory note secured by the said Deed of Trust and the undersigned, Substitute Trustee Services, Inc. having been substituted as Trustee in said Deed of Trust by an instrument duly recorded in the Office of the Register of Deeds Cabarrus County, North Carolina and the holder of the note evidencing said indebtedness having directed that the Deed of Trust be foreclosed, the undersigned Substitute Trustee will offer for sale at the courthouse door in Concord, Cabarrus County, North Carolina, or the customary location designated for foreclosure sales, at 12:00 PM on September 4, 2024 and will sell to the highest bidder for cash the following real estate situated in Kannapolis in the County of Cabarrus, North Carolina, and being more particularly described as follows: Being all of Lots 74, 75 and part of lot 76 as shown the map of Matthews Hills in No. 4 Township, Cabarrus County, a part of the W.F. Winecoff Estate as surveyed by

designated for foreclosure sales, at 12:00 PM on September 9, 2024 and will sell to the highest bidder for cash the following real estate situated in Huntersville in the County of Cabarrus, North Carolina, and being more particularly described as follows: Being all of Lot 87 of Fullerton Place Subdivision, Phase 3, Map 3, as same is shown on map thereof recorded in Plat Book 68, Pages 82 & 83, Cabarrus county, North Carolina Public Registry. Together with improvements located thereon; said property being located at 10335 Rutledge Ridge Drive, Huntersville, North Carolina. Trustee may, in the Trustee’s sole discretion, delay the sale for up to one hour as provided in N.C.G.S. §45-21.23.

G. Same Rowe, April 1950 and is about 1 1/2 to 2 miles southwest of Kannapolis, NC and is more particularly described as follows:

Beginning at an iron stake in the southern edge of Franklin Avenue (now Bailey Street), front corner of Lot Numbers 73 and 74, this beginning point lying South 82-30 East 150 feet from the southeast intersection of Franklin Avenue and Davis Street, and runs thence with the dividing line between Lots 73 and 74, South 0052 East 150 feet to an iron stake, rear corner of Lots 73 and 74 in the line of Lot 80; thence along the line of Lot 80 North 82-30 West 70 feet to an iron stake, a new corner in the rear line of Lot 76; thence with a new line through Lot 76 North 0052 West 150 feet to an iron stake, a new corner in the southern edge of Franklin Avenue; thence with the southern edge of Franklin Avenue, South 82-30 East 70 feet to the point and place of beginning. Together with improvements located thereon; said property being located at 1311 Bailey Street, Kannapolis, North Carolina.

For reference see Deed Book 472 at Page 543 in the Cabarrus County Public Registry.

Trustee may, in the Trustee’s sole discretion, delay the sale for up to one hour as provided in N.C.G.S. §45-21.23. Should the property be

Date and Hour for Sale: September 9, 2024, at 10:00 am

Place of Sale: Wake County Courthouse

Date of this Notice: August 6th, 2024 /s/ James W. Kilbourne, Jr. James W. Kilbourne, Jr. Allen, Stahl + Kilbourne, PLLC Attorney for the Trustee F. Todd Whitlow 3739 National Drive, Suite 105 Raleigh, NC 27612

Telephone: 919-817-8850 jamesk@asklawnc.com

directors, attorneys, employees, agents or authorized representative of either the Trustee or the holder of the note make any representation or warranty relating to the title or any physical, environmental, health or safety conditions existing in, on, at or relating to the property being offered for sale, and any and all responsibilities or liabilities arising out of or in any way relating to any such condition are expressly disclaimed. Also, this property is being sold subject to all taxes, special assessments, and prior liens or prior encumbrances of record and any recorded releases. Said property is also being sold subject to applicable Federal and State laws. A deposit of five percent (5%) of the purchase price, or seven hundred fifty dollars ($750.00), whichever is greater, is required and must be tendered in the form of certified funds at the time of the sale. If the trustee is unable to convey title to this property for any reason, the sole remedy of the purchaser is the return of the deposit. Reasons of such inability to convey include, but are not limited to, the filing of a bankruptcy petition prior to the confirmation of the sale and reinstatement of the loan without the knowledge of the trustee. If the validity of the sale is challenged by any party, the

purchased by a third party, that party must pay the excise tax, as well as the court costs of Forty-Five Cents ($0.45) per One Hundred Dollars ($100.00) required by N.C.G.S. §7A-308(a)(1). T he property to be offered pursuant to this notice of sale is being offered for sale, transfer and conveyance “AS IS, WHERE IS.” Neither the Trustee nor the holder of the note secured by the deed of trust/security agreement, or both, being foreclosed, nor the officers, directors, attorneys, employees, agents or authorized representative of either the Trustee or the holder of the note make any representation or warranty relating to the title or any physical, environmental, health or safety conditions existing in, on, at or relating to the property being offered for sale, and any and all responsibilities or liabilities arising out of or in any way relating to any such condition are expressly disclaimed. Also, this property is being sold subject to all taxes, special assessments, and prior liens or prior encumbrances of record and any recorded releases. Said property is also being sold subject to applicable Federal and State laws. A deposit of five percent (5%) of the purchase price, or seven hundred fifty dollars ($750.00), whichever is greater, is required and must be tendered in the form of certified funds at the time of the sale. If the trustee is unable to convey title to this property for any reason, the sole remedy of the purchaser is the return of

trustee, in its sole discretion, if it believes the challenge to have merit, may request the court to declare the sale to be void and return the deposit. The purchaser will have no further remedy. Additional Notice for Residential Property with Less than 15 rental units, including Single-Family Residential Real Property An order for possession of the property may be issued pursuant to N.C.G.S. § 45-21.29 in favor of the purchaser and against the party or parties in possession by the clerk of superior court of the county in which the property is sold. A ny person who occupies the property pursuant to a rental agreement entered into or renewed on or after October 1, 2007, may after receiving the notice of foreclosure sale, terminate the rental agreement by providing written notice of termination to the landlord, to be effective on a date stated in the notice that is at least 10 days but not more than 90 days, after the sale date contained in this notice of sale, provided that the mortgagor has not cured the default at the time the tenant provides the notice of termination. Upon termination of a rental agreement, the tenant is liable for rent due under the rental agreement prorated to the effective date of the termination.

SUBSTITUTE TRUSTEE SERVICES, INC.

the deposit. Reasons of such inability to convey include, but are not limited to, the filing of a bankruptcy petition prior to the confirmation of the sale and reinstatement of the loan without the knowledge of the trustee. If the validity of the sale is challenged by any party, the trustee, in its sole discretion, if it believes the challenge to have merit, may request the court to declare the sale to be void and return the deposit. The purchaser will have no further remedy. Additional Notice for Residential Property with Less than 15 rental units, including Single-Family Residential Real Property An order for possession of the property may be issued pursuant to N.C.G.S. § 45-21.29 in favor of the purchaser and against the party or parties in possession by the clerk of superior court of the county in which the property is sold. A ny person who occupies the property pursuant to a rental agreement entered into or renewed on or after October 1, 2007,

secured by the said Deed of Trust and the undersigned, Trustee Services of Carolina, LLC, having been substituted as Trustee in said Deed of Trust, and the holder of the note evidencing said default having directed

24 SP 000042 NOTICE OF FORECLOSURE SALE

NORTH CAROLINA, FORSYTH COUNTY

Under and by virtue of a Power of Sale contained in that certain Deed of Trust executed by Da’neon Christopher Clyburn a/ ka Da’neon Clyburn to Shapiro & Ingle, LLP, Trustee(s), which was dated July 14, 2021 and recorded on July 14, 2021 in Book RE 3625 at Page 402, Forsyth County Registry, North Carolina.

Default having been made of the note thereby secured by the said Deed of Trust and the undersigned, Trustee Services of Carolina, LLC, having been substituted as Trustee in said Deed of Trust, and the holder of the note evidencing said default having directed that the Deed of Trust be foreclosed, the undersigned Substitute Trustee will offer for sale at the courthouse door of the county courthouse where the property is located, or the usual and customary location at the county courthouse for conducting the sale on September 12, 2024 at 10:00 AM, and will

24 SP 144 NOTICE OF FORECLOSURE SALE

NORTH CAROLINA, FORSYTH COUNTY

Under and by virtue of a Power of Sale contained in that certain Deed of Trust executed by Jennifer Ann White to The Law Office of Clint Calaway, Trustee(s), which was dated August 2, 2018 and recorded on August 2, 2018 in Book RE 3418 at Page 1962, Forsyth County Registry, North Carolina.

in Durham County, North Carolina, to wit: Being all of Lot 5, Laurel Glen, according to the plat thereof, recorded in Plat Book 159, Page 137, in the Office of the Register of Deeds of Durham County, North Carolina. This property has the address of 3 Azzi Court, Durham, NC 27703

Save and except any releases, deeds of release or prior conveyances of record.

Said property is commonly known as 3 Azzi Ct, Durham, NC 27703.

A Certified Check ONLY (no personal checks) of five percent (5%) of the purchase price, or Seven Hundred Fifty Dollars ($750.00),

that the Deed of Trust be foreclosed, the undersigned Substitute Trustee will offer for sale at the courthouse door of the county courthouse where the property is located, or the usual and customary location at the county courthouse for conducting the sale on September 12, 2024 at 10:00 AM, and will sell to the highest bidder for cash the following described property situated in Forsyth County, North Carolina, to wit: BEING ALL OF LOT 133, SUMMIT POINTE SUBDIVISION, PHASE 3, PER PLAT AND SURVEY THEREOF RECORDED IN PLAT BOOK 75 PAGE 81, FORSYTH COUNTY REGISTRY, TO WHICH PLAT REFERENCE IS HEREBY MADE FOR A MORE PARTICULAR DESCRIPTION OF SAME.

Save and except any releases, deeds of release or prior conveyances of record.

Said property is commonly known as 4622 Heatherly Road, Winston Salem, NC 27105. A Certified Check ONLY (no personal checks)

sell to the highest bidder for cash the following described property situated in Forsyth County, North Carolina, to wit:

BEING all of Lot 38 as shown on a map or plat of WHITTIER POINT, Phase II (Lots 2 thru 39) which map or plat is recorded in Plat Book 47 at Page 78 in the Office of the Register of Deeds of Forsyth County, North Carolina.

Save and except any releases, deeds of release or prior conveyances of record.

Said property is commonly known as 5502 Pinebrook Ln, Winston Salem, NC 27105.

A Certified Check ONLY (no personal checks) of five percent (5%) of the purchase price, or Seven Hundred Fifty Dollars ($750.00), whichever is greater, will be required at the time of the sale. Following the expiration of the statutory upset bid period, all the remaining amounts are immediately due and owing. THIRD PARTY PURCHASERS MUST PAY THE EXCISE TAX AND THE RECORDING COSTS FOR THEIR DEED.

Said property to be offered pursuant to this

county courthouse for conducting the sale on September 12, 2024 at 10:00 AM, and will sell to the highest bidder for cash the following described property situated in Forsyth County, North Carolina, to wit: BEING KNOWN AND DESIGNATED AS LOT 1 AS SHOWN ON THE MAP OF RECOMBINATION SURVEY FOR VINCENTE ORELLANO DEL CID, RECORDED IN PLAT BOOK 68, PAGE 76, FORSYTH COUNTY REGISTRY, REFERENCE TO WHICH IS HEREBY MADE FOR A MORE PARTICULAR DESCRIPTION.

Save and except any releases, deeds of release or prior conveyances of record.

Said property is commonly known as 361 W Wall St, Rural Hall, NC 27045.

A Certified Check ONLY (no personal checks) of five percent (5%) of the purchase price, or Seven Hundred Fifty Dollars ($750.00), whichever is greater, will be required at the

whichever is greater, will be required at the time of the sale. Following the expiration of the statutory upset bid period, all the remaining amounts are immediately due and owing. THIRD PARTY PURCHASERS MUST PAY THE EXCISE TAX AND THE RECORDING COSTS FOR THEIR DEED.

Said property to be offered pursuant to this Notice of Sale is being offered for sale, transfer and conveyance “AS IS WHERE IS.” There are no representations of warranty relating to the title or any physical, environmental, health or safety conditions existing in, on, at, or relating to the property being offered for sale. Substitute Trustee does not have possession of the property and cannot grant access, prior to or after the sale, for purposes of inspection and/or appraisal. This sale is made subject to all prior liens, unpaid taxes, any unpaid land transfer taxes, special assessments, easements, rights of way, deeds of release, and any other encumbrances or exceptions of record. To the best of the knowledge and belief of the undersigned, the current owner(s) of the property is/are Josephine

of five percent (5%) of the purchase price, or Seven Hundred Fifty Dollars ($750.00), whichever is greater, will be required at the time of the sale. Following the expiration of the statutory upset bid period, all the remaining amounts are immediately due and owing. THIRD PARTY PURCHASERS MUST PAY THE EXCISE TAX AND THE RECORDING COSTS FOR THEIR DEED.

Notice of Sale is being offered for sale, transfer and conveyance “AS IS WHERE IS.” There are no representations of warranty relating to the title or any physical, environmental, health or safety conditions existing in, on, at, or relating to the property being offered for sale. Substitute Trustee does not have possession of the property and cannot grant access, prior to or after the sale, for purposes of inspection and/or appraisal. This sale is made subject to all prior liens, unpaid taxes, any unpaid land transfer taxes, special assessments, easements, rights of way, deeds of release, and any other encumbrances or exceptions of record. To the best of the knowledge and belief of the undersigned, the current owner(s) of the property is/are DA’NEON CLYBURN.

time of the sale. Following the expiration of the statutory upset bid period, all the remaining amounts are immediately due and owing. THIRD PARTY PURCHASERS MUST PAY THE EXCISE TAX AND THE RECORDING COSTS FOR THEIR DEED.

Substitute Trustee does not have possession of the property and cannot grant access, prior to or after the sale, for purposes of inspection and/or appraisal. This sale is made subject to all prior liens, unpaid taxes, any unpaid land transfer taxes, special assessments, easements, rights of way, deeds of release, and any other encumbrances or exceptions of record. To the best of the knowledge and belief of the undersigned, the current owner(s) of the property is/are All Lawful

Peachtree St, Winston Salem, NC 27107.

Blackwell. An Order for possession of the

and belief of the undersigned, the current owner(s)

rental agreement by providing written notice of termination to the landlord, to be effective on a date stated in the notice that is at least 10 days, but no more than 90 days, after the sale date contained in the notice of sale, provided that the mortgagor has not cured the default at the time the tenant provides the notice of termination [NCGS § 45-21.16A(b)(2)].

Upon termination of a rental agreement, the tenant is liable for rent due under the rental agreement prorated to the effective date of the termination.

If the trustee is unable to convey title to this property for any reason, the sole remedy of the purchaser is the return of the deposit.

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

Heirs of Jennifer Ann White.

An Order for possession of the property may be issued pursuant to G.S. 45-21.29 in favor of the purchaser and against the party or parties in possession by the clerk of superior court of the county in which the property is sold. Any person who occupies the property pursuant to a rental agreement entered into or renewed on or after October 1, 2007, may, after receiving the notice of sale, terminate the rental agreement by providing written notice of termination to the landlord, to be effective on a date stated in the notice that is at least 10 days, but no more than 90 days, after the sale date contained in the notice of sale, provided that the mortgagor has not cured the default at the time the tenant provides the notice of termination [NCGS § 45-21.16A(b)(2)].

County Registry, North Carolina. Default having been made of the note thereby secured by the said Deed of Trust and the undersigned, Trustee Services of Carolina, LLC, having been substituted as Trustee in said Deed of Trust, and the holder of the note evidencing said default having directed that the Deed of Trust be foreclosed, the undersigned Substitute Trustee will offer for sale at the courthouse door of the county courthouse where the property is located, or the usual and customary location at the county courthouse for conducting the sale on September 12, 2024 at 10:00 AM, and will sell to the highest bidder for cash the following described property situated in Forsyth County, North Carolina, to wit:

NOTICE OF FORECLOSURE SALE 24 SP 191

Under and by virtue of the power of sale contained in a certain Deed of Trust made by Anthony Tirome Price (PRESENT RECORD OWNER(S): Anthony Tirome Price) to Anderson Langford, Trustee(s), dated February 23, 2021, and recorded in Book No. RE 3593, at Page 1972 in Forsyth County Registry, North Carolina, default having been made in the payment of the promissory note secured by the said Deed of Trust and the undersigned, Substitute Trustee Services, Inc. having been substituted as Trustee in said Deed of Trust by an instrument duly recorded in the Office of the Register of Deeds Forsyth County, North Carolina and the holder of the note evidencing said indebtedness having directed that the Deed of Trust be foreclosed, the undersigned Substitute Trustee will offer for sale at the courthouse door in Winston Salem, Forsyth County, North Carolina, or the customary location designated for foreclosure sales, at 1:15 PM on September

ALL THAT PARCEL OF LAND IN TOWNSHIP OF WINSTON, FORSYTH COUNTY, STATE OF NORTH CAROLINA, AS MORE FULLY DESCRIBED IN DEED BOOK 1161, PAGE 1161, ID# 2536- 013. BEING KNOWN AND DESIGNATED AS LOT 13, BLOCK A, SECTION 2, MORNINGSIDE MANOR, FILED IN PLAT BOOK 18, PAGE 172. BY FEE SIMPLE DEED FROM LEON WITHERSPOON AND BERNESE D. WITHERSPOON, HUSBAND AND WIFE AS SET FORTH IN BOOK 1161, PAGE 1161 DATED 11/28/1975 AND RECORDED 12/05/1975, FORSYTH COUNTY RECORDS, STATE OF NORTH CAROLINA. Save and except any releases, deeds of release or prior conveyances of record.

Said property is commonly known as 1260

11, 2024 and will sell to the highest bidder for cash the following real estate situated in Belews Creek in the County of Forsyth, North Carolina, and being more particularly described as follows: Being Known and designated as Lot 12, of Brinkley Estates, Section 1, as shown on the plat map of same recorded in Plat Book 29 at page 200 in the Office of the Register of Deeds of Forsyth County, North Carolina, reference to which is hereby made for a more particular description thereof. The subject property is the same as that property described in Deed Book 1510, Page 815, Forsyth County Registry. Together with improvements located thereon; said property being located at 5833 Poppyseed Drive, Belews Creek, North Carolina.

A certified check only (no personal checks) of five percent (5%) of the purchase price, or Seven Hundred Fifty Dollars ($750.00), whichever is greater, will be required at the time of the sale. Following the expiration of the statutory upset bid period, all the remaining amounts are immediately due and owing. THIRD PARTY PURCHASERS MUST PAY THE EXCISE TAX AND THE RECORDING COSTS FOR THEIR DEED.

Trustee may, in the Trustee’s sole discretion, delay the sale for up to one hour as provided in N.C.G.S. §45-21.23. Should the property be purchased by a third party, that party must pay the excise tax, as well as the court costs of Forty-Five Cents ($0.45) per One Hundred Dollars ($100.00) required by N.C.G.S. §7A-308(a)(1). The property to be offered pursuant to this notice of sale is being offered for sale, transfer and conveyance “AS IS, WHERE IS.” Neither the Trustee nor the holder of the note secured by the deed of trust/security agreement, or both, being foreclosed, nor the officers, directors, attorneys, employees, agents or authorized representative of either the Trustee or the holder of the note make any representation or warranty relating to the title or any physical, environmental, health or safety conditions existing in, on, at or relating to the property being offered for sale, and any and all responsibilities or liabilities arising out of or in any way relating to any such condition are expressly disclaimed. Also, this property is being sold subject to all taxes, special assessments, and prior liens or prior encumbrances of record and any

rights of way, deeds of release, and any other encumbrances or exceptions of record. To the best of the knowledge and belief of the undersigned, the current owner(s) of the property is/are TONY LEMONT WILLIAMS.

property is/are David A. Grohs.

FORSYTH

23 SP 677 NOTICE OF FORECLOSURE SALE

NORTH CAROLINA, FORSYTH COUNTY Under and by virtue of a Power of Sale contained in that certain Deed of Trust executed by David Grohs and Megan Grohs to William R. Echols,

of Carolina, LLC, having been substituted as Trustee in

Deed of Trust, and the holder of the

evidencing

county courthouse where the property is located, or the usual and customary location at the county courthouse for conducting the sale on September 5, 2024 at 10:00 AM, and will sell to the highest bidder for cash the following described property situated in Forsyth County, North Carolina, to wit:

NOTICE OF FORECLOSURE SALE 24 SP 443 Under and by virtue of the power of sale contained in a certain Deed of Trust made by Donnette Hartsell (deceased) and Gregory H. Gordon (deceased) (PRESENT RECORD OWNER(S): Donnette Hartsell and Gregory H. Gordon, Heirs of Donnette Hartsell: Danika Speer, Jennifer McDonald, Audre Smith a/k/a Audre Hotchkiss; Heirs of Audre Smith a/k/a Audre Hotchkiss: Christopher Merideth a/k/a Shane Merideth, Cierra Smith, Dalton Smith, William Hotchkiss; Heirs of Gregory H. Gordon a/k/a Gregory Gordon: Beverly McKenzie) to Countrywide Title Corporation, Trustee(s), dated March 7, 2002, and recorded in Book No. 2239, at Page 2031 in Forsyth County Registry, North Carolina, default having been made in the payment of the promissory note secured by the said Deed of Trust and the undersigned, Substitute Trustee Services, Inc. having been substituted as Trustee in said Deed of Trust by an instrument duly recorded in the Office of the Register of Deeds Forsyth County, North Carolina and the holder of the note evidencing said indebtedness having directed that the Deed of Trust be foreclosed, the undersigned Substitute Trustee will offer for sale at the

is located, or the usual and customary location at the county courthouse for conducting the sale on September 5, 2024 at 10:00 AM, and will sell to the highest bidder for cash the following described property situated in Forsyth County, North Carolina, to wit: ALL THAT PARCEL OF LAND IN FORSYTH COUNTY, STATE OF NORTH CAROLINA, BEING KNOWN AND DESIGNATED AS LOT 45, SECTION 2, TEMORA LAKE ESTATES, FILED IN PLAT BOOK 25, PAGE 170 Save and except any releases, deeds of release or prior conveyances of record.

Said property is commonly known as 790 Shellhabour Blvd, Rural Hall, NC 27045-9791.

A Certified Check ONLY (no personal checks) of five percent (5%) of the purchase price, or Seven Hundred Fifty Dollars ($750.00), whichever is greater, will be required at the

directed that the Deed of Trust be foreclosed, the undersigned Substitute Trustee will offer for sale at the courthouse door of the county courthouse where the

ALL THAT PARCEL OF LAND LYING IN WINSTON TOWNSHIP, COUNTY OF FORSYTH AND STATE OF NORTH CAROLINA DESIGNATED AS TRACT 2B AS SHOWN ON THE PLAT OF PROPERTY OF OLIVER L. SAPP HEIRS & WILLIAM C. NIXON, JR. RECORDED IN PLAT BOOK 64, PAGE 178, FORSYTH COUNTY REGISTRY AND BEING PORTIONS OF LOTS 8 AND 9 AS SHOWN ON THE MAP OF OLD TOWN HEIGHTS, SECTION 8 AS RECORDED IN PLAT BOOK 17, PAGE 167, FORSYTH COUNTY REGISTRY AND BEING DESCRIBED MORE PARTICULARLY AS FOLLOWS:

BEGINNING at an iron stake in the East Right of Way line of Tim Road (a 60’ wide Right of Way), Northwest corner of the property of Terry Fritts (Deed Book 2619, page 3612/ PIN No: 6807-89-4779) and running thence with the East Right of Way line of Tim Road, North 29° 05’ 18” East 121.95 feet to a new iron stake; running thence with the new line of William C. Nixon, Jr., South 63° 55’ 06” East 240.46 feet to an iron stake; running thence South 30° 12’ 59” West 29.65 feet to an iron stake; running thence South 10° 12’ 48” West 53.76 feet to an iron stake; running thence North 87° 30’ 51” West 99.95 feet to an iron

courthouse door in Winston Salem, Forsyth County, North Carolina, or the customary location designated for foreclosure sales, at 1:00 PM on September 4, 2024 and will sell to the highest bidder for cash the following real estate situated in Kernersville in the County of Forsyth, North Carolina, and being more particularly described as follows: Beginning at an iron stake on the southernmost right of way line of west mountain street (aka N.C. Highway 66) northeasternmost corner of Etta B. Fulp lot recorded in Deed Book 1173 Page 489, Forsyth County Registry, (Tax Lot 23b Block 5345); from said beginning point thence continuing with the southernmost margin of said west mountain street South 70 degrees 28’ 37” East 99.86 feet to an iron stake, northwesternmost corner of another Etta B. Fulp lot as recorded in the same said aforementioned Deed Book and Page (Tax Lot 22a Block 5345) thence continuing with said Fulp westernmost line South 4 degrees 55’ 58’ West 206.73 feet to an iron stake, southwesternmost corner of said Fulp lot; running thence north 70 degrees 29’ west 101.99 feet to an iron southeasternmost corner of the intitial said Fulp lot (Tax Lot 23b); running thence with easternmost line of said lot North 19 degrees 32’ 23” East 200.08 feet to the point and place of beginning, containing

the Deed of Trust be foreclosed, the undersigned Substitute Trustee will offer for sale at the courthouse door in Winston Salem, Forsyth County, North Carolina, or the customary location designated for foreclosure sales, at 1:00 PM on September 3, 2024 and will sell to the highest bidder for cash the following real estate situated in Rural Hall in the County of Forsyth, North Carolina, and being more particularly described as follows: Beginning at a point in the intersection of Pine Street and Lee Street, the northern margin of Lee Street and the eastern margin of Pine Street, and continuing from said point along the eastern margin of Pine Street, North 03 deg. 31’ 10” East 75.14 feet to an existing iron pin, the southwest corner of Velner Sprinkle; thence South 84 deg. 52’ East 107.91 feet to an existing iron pin, a common point with Wallace R. Hatcher; thence South 03 deg. 32’ 30” West 74.65 feet to a point on the northern margin of Lee Street; thence continuing along said northern margin, North 85 deg. 07’ 30” West 107.87 to the point and place of beginning according to a survey by Callicutt Surveyors dated 5/4/93 and denoted as job no. 93-90. Together with improvements located thereon; said property being located at 7755 Pine Street, Rural Hall, North Carolina. Trustee may, in the Trustee’s sole discretion, delay the sale for up to one hour as provided in N.C.G.S. §45-21.23.

the highest bidder for cash the following real estate situated in Troutman in the County of Iredell, North Carolina, and being more particularly described as follows:

stake; and running thence North 67° 42’ 00” West 169.04 feet to the place of BEGINNING. Save and except any releases, deeds of release or prior conveyances of record.

Said property is commonly known as 4630 Tim Road, WINSTON-SALEM, NC 27106.

0.578 acres, more or less, all according to a survey prepared by Larry L. Callahan, R.L.S. -2499 dated October 24, 1991. Together with improvements located thereon; said property being located at 1403 West Mountain Street, Kernersville, North Carolina.

Trustee may, in the Trustee’s sole discretion, delay the sale for up to one hour as provided in N.C.G.S. §45-21.23.

Should the property be purchased by a third party, that party must pay the excise tax, as well as the court costs of Forty-Five Cents ($0.45) per One Hundred Dollars ($100.00) required by N.C.G.S. §7A-308(a)(1). The property to be offered pursuant to this notice of sale is being offered for sale, transfer and conveyance “AS IS, WHERE IS.” Neither the Trustee nor the holder of the note secured by the deed of trust/security agreement, or both, being foreclosed, nor the officers, directors, attorneys, employees, agents or authorized representative of either the Trustee or the holder of the note make any representation or warranty relating to the title or any physical, environmental, health or safety conditions existing in, on, at or relating to the property being offered for sale, and any

in a

virtue of the power of

Deed of Trust

T. Wilkins (PRESENT RECORD

Anton T. Wilkins) to John C. Warren, Trustee(s), dated September 13, 2005, and recorded in Book No. 1680, at Page 2405 in Iredell County Registry, North Carolina, default having been made in the payment of the promissory note secured by the said Deed of Trust and the undersigned, Substitute Trustee Services, Inc. having been substituted as Trustee in said Deed of Trust by an instrument duly recorded in the Office of the Register of Deeds Iredell County, North Carolina and the holder of the note evidencing said indebtedness having directed that the Deed of Trust be foreclosed, the undersigned Substitute Trustee will offer for sale at the courthouse door in Statesville, Iredell County, North Carolina, or the customary location designated for foreclosure sales, at 11:00 AM on September 12, 2024 and will sell to

BEING all of Lot 57, ROCKY CREEK COVE SUBDIVISION, as shown on plat thereof recorded in Plat Book 29, Page 80, Iredell County Registry. Together with improvements located thereon; said property being located at 144 Ridge Creek Drive, Troutman, North Carolina.

Trustee may, in the Trustee’s sole discretion, delay the sale for up to one hour as provided in N.C.G.S. §45-21.23.

The property to be offered pursuant to this notice of sale is being offered for sale, transfer

and conveyance “AS IS, WHERE IS.” Neither the Trustee nor the holder of the note secured by the deed of trust/security agreement, or both, being foreclosed, nor the officers, directors, attorneys, employees, agents or authorized representative of either the Trustee or the holder of the note make any representation or warranty relating to the title or any physical, environmental, health or safety conditions existing in, on, at or relating to the property being offered for sale, and any and all responsibilities or liabilities arising out of or in any way relating to any such condition are expressly disclaimed. Also, this property is being sold subject to all taxes, special assessments, and prior liens or prior encumbrances of record and any recorded releases. Said property is also being sold subject to applicable Federal and State laws.

A deposit of five percent (5%) of the purchase price, or seven hundred fifty dollars ($750.00), whichever is greater, is required and must be tendered in the form of certified funds at the time of the sale.

If the trustee is unable to convey title to this property for any reason, the sole remedy of the purchaser is the return of the deposit.

and/or appraisal. This sale is made subject to all prior liens, unpaid taxes, any unpaid land transfer taxes, special assessments, easements, rights of way, deeds of release, and any other encumbrances or exceptions of record. To the best of the knowledge and belief of the undersigned, the current owner(s) of the property is/are MONICA JONES ROSS, FREE TRADER.

and all responsibilities or liabilities arising out of or in any way relating to any such condition are expressly disclaimed. Also, this property is being sold subject to all taxes, special assessments, and prior liens or prior encumbrances of record and any recorded releases. Said property is also being sold subject to applicable Federal and State laws. A deposit of five percent (5%) of the purchase price, or seven hundred fifty dollars ($750.00), whichever is greater, is required and must be tendered in the form of certified funds at the time of the sale. If the trustee is unable to convey title to this property for any reason, the sole remedy of the purchaser is the return of the deposit. Reasons of such inability to convey include, but are not limited to, the filing of a bankruptcy petition prior to the confirmation of the sale and reinstatement of the loan without the knowledge of the trustee. If the validity of the sale is challenged by any party, the trustee, in its sole discretion, if it believes the challenge to have merit, may request the court to declare the sale to be void and return the deposit. The purchaser will have no further remedy. Additional Notice for Residential Property with Less than 15 rental units, including Single-Family Residential Real Property An

subject to applicable Federal and State laws. A deposit of five percent (5%) of the purchase price, or seven hundred fifty dollars ($750.00), whichever is greater, is required and must be tendered in the form of certified funds at the time of the sale. If the trustee is unable to convey title to this property for any reason, the sole remedy of the purchaser is the return of the deposit. Reasons of such inability to convey include, but are not limited to, the filing of a bankruptcy petition prior

Reasons of such inability to convey include, but are not limited to, the filing of a bankruptcy petition prior to the confirmation of the sale and reinstatement of the loan without the knowledge of the trustee. If the validity of the sale is challenged by any party, the trustee, in its sole discretion, if it believes the challenge to have

SUBSTITUTE TRUSTEE SERVICES, INC.

SUBSTITUTE TRUSTEE

c/o Hutchens Law Firm

P.O. Box 1028 4317 Ramsey Street

Fayetteville, North Carolina 28311

Phone No: (910) 864-3068

https://sales.hutchenslawfirm.com Firm Case No: 20958 - 101111

WAKE

18 SP 2217

AMENDED NOTICE OF FORECLOSURE SALE

NORTH CAROLINA, WAKE COUNTY

Under and by virtue of a Power of Sale contained in that certain Deed of Trust executed by Wanda Allen a/k/a Wanda M. Allen to Walter F. Jones, Trustee(s), which was dated November 19, 2003 and recorded on November 20, 2003 in Book 010553 at Page 02099, Wake County Registry, North Carolina.

AMENDED NOTICE OF FORECLOSURE SALE 13SP003348-910

Under and by virtue of the power of sale contained in a certain Deed of Trust made by Raymond Carpenter and Rachel Carpenter (PRESENT RECORD OWNER(S): Raymond S. Carpenter) to Benita Mitten, Trustee(s), dated March 31, 2005, and recorded in Book No. 011298, at Page 02021 in Wake County Registry, North Carolina, default having been made in the payment of the promissory note secured by the said Deed of Trust and the undersigned, Substitute Trustee Services, Inc. having been substituted as Trustee in said Deed of Trust by an instrument duly recorded in the Office of the Register of Deeds Wake County, North Carolina and the holder of the note evidencing said indebtedness having directed that the Deed of Trust be foreclosed, the undersigned Substitute Trustee will offer for sale at the Wake County Courthouse door, the Salisbury Street entrance in Raleigh, Wake County, North Carolina, or the customary location

NOTICE OF FORECLOSURE SALE

24SP001373-910

Under and by virtue of the power of sale contained in a certain Deed of Trust made by Jamal Yasin and Elizabeth Yasin (deceased) (PRESENT RECORD

OWNER(S): Elizabeth Yasin and Jamal Yasin)

to Michael L. Riddle, Trustee(s), dated April 25, 2005, and recorded in Book No. 011342, at Page 01812 in Wake County Registry, North Carolina, default having been made in the payment of the promissory note secured by the said Deed of Trust and the undersigned, Substitute Trustee Services, Inc. having been substituted as Trustee in said Deed of Trust by an instrument duly recorded in the Office of the Register of Deeds Wake County, North Carolina and the holder of the note evidencing said indebtedness having directed that the Deed of Trust be foreclosed, the undersigned Substitute Trustee will offer for sale at the Wake County Courthouse door, the Salisbury Street entrance in Raleigh, Wake County, North Carolina, or the customary

Stevens and Katie Ann Stevens (PRESENT RECORD OWNER(S): Christopher Douglas Stevens) to Cynthia Porterfield, Trustee(s), dated November 25, 2020, and recorded in Book No. 018209, at Page 00520 in Wake County Registry, North Carolina, default having been made in the payment of the promissory note secured by the said Deed of Trust and the undersigned, Substitute Trustee Services, Inc. having been substituted as Trustee in said Deed of Trust by an instrument duly recorded in the Office of the Register of Deeds Wake County, North Carolina and the holder of the note evidencing said indebtedness having directed that the Deed of Trust be foreclosed, the undersigned Substitute Trustee will offer for sale at the Wake County Courthouse door, the Salisbury Street entrance in Raleigh, Wake

IN THE GENERAL COURT OF JUSTICE OF NORTH CAROLINA SUPERIOR COURT DIVISION WAKE COUNTY 24SP001077-910 IN THE MATTER OF THE FORECLOSURE OF A DEED OF TRUST EXECUTED BY JAMES CURTIS LEMON DATED OCTOBER 20, 2023 AND RECORDED IN BOOK 19461 AT PAGE 2243 IN THE WAKE COUNTY PUBLIC REGISTRY, NORTH CAROLINA NOTICE OF SALE Under and by virtue of the power and authority contained in the above-referenced deed of trust and because of default in payment of the secured debt and failure to perform the agreements contained therein and, pursuant to demand of the holder of the secured debt, the undersigned will expose for sale at public auction at the usual place

the undersigned Substitute Trustee will offer for sale at the courthouse door of the county courthouse where the property is located, or the usual and customary location at the county courthouse for conducting the sale on September 4, 2024 at 10:00 AM, and will sell to the highest bidder for cash the following described property situated in Wake County, North Carolina, to wit: BEING all of Lot 298, Chastain Subdivision, Phase Eight, as shown on map recorded in Book of Maps 2002, Page 989, Wake County Registry.

Save and except any releases, deeds of release or prior conveyances of record.

Said property is commonly known as 3316 Perkins Ridge Road, Raleigh, NC 27610.

designated for foreclosure sales, at 1:30 PM on September 9, 2024 and will sell to the highest bidder for cash the following real estate situated in Raleigh in the County of Wake, North Carolina, and being more particularly described as follows: Being all of Lot 9, Northchester Subdivision as shown on that plat recorded in Book of Maps 1995, page 1929, Wake County Registry. Together with improvements located thereon; said property being located at 10912 Cahill Road, Raleigh, North Carolina.

Trustee may, in the Trustee’s sole discretion, delay the sale for up to one hour as provided in N.C.G.S. §45-21.23.

The property to be offered pursuant to this notice of sale is being offered for sale, transfer and conveyance

location designated for foreclosure sales, at 1:30 PM on September 11, 2024 and will sell to the highest bidder for cash the following real estate situated in Raleigh in the County of Wake, North Carolina, and being more particularly described as follows: BEING ALL OF Lot 5, as shown on that map entitled “Recombination of Lots in Raven’s Point Subdivision” recorded in Book of Maps 1981, Page 78, Wake County Registry. Together with improvements located thereon; said property being located at 1208 Ravens Point Circle, Raleigh, North Carolina.

County, North Carolina, or the customary location designated for foreclosure sales, at 1:30 PM on September 11, 2024 and will sell to the highest bidder for cash the following real estate situated in Fuquay Varina in the County of Wake, North Carolina, and being more particularly described as follows: Being all of Lot 151, The Woods of Crooked Creek, Section B, Crooked Creek Subdivision, as shown on that certain plat Map recorded in Book of Maps 1996, Page 117, Wake County Registry. Together with improvements located thereon; said property being located at 4700 Linaria Lane, Fuquay Varina, North Carolina.

Trustee may, in the Trustee’s sole discretion, delay the sale for up to one hour as provided in N.C.G.S. §45-21.23.

of sale at the Wake County courthouse at 11:00AM on September 4, 2024, the following described real estate and any improvements situated thereon, in Wake County, North Carolina, and being more particularly described in that certain Deed of Trust executed James Curtis Lemon, dated October 20, 2023 to secure the original principal amount of $330,500.00, and recorded in Book 19461 at Page 2243 of the Wake County Public Registry. The terms of the said Deed of Trust may be modified by other instruments appearing in the public record. Additional identifying information regarding the collateral property is below and is believed to be accurate, but no representation or warranty is intended. Address of property: 8611 Brushfoot Way Unit 107, Raleigh, NC 27616 Tax Parcel ID: 0510203 Present Record Owners: James Curtis Lemon The record owner(s) of the property,

EXECUTED BY RICHARD J. PATTISON DATED OCTOBER 4, 2010 AND RECORDED IN BOOK 14108 AT PAGE 708 IN THE WAKE COUNTY PUBLIC REGISTRY, NORTH CAROLINA NOTICE OF SALE Under and by virtue of the power and authority contained in the above-referenced deed of trust and because of default in payment of the secured debt and failure to perform the agreements contained therein and, pursuant to demand of the holder of the secured debt, the undersigned will expose for sale at public auction at the usual place of sale at the Wake County courthouse at 11:00AM on September 4, 2024, the following described real estate and any improvements situated thereon, in Wake County, North Carolina, and being more particularly described in that certain Deed of Trust executed Richard J. Pattison, dated October 4, 2010 to secure the original principal amount of $98,000.00, and recorded in Book 14108 at Page 708 of the Wake County Public Registry. The terms of the said Deed of Trust may be modified by other instruments appearing in the public record. Additional identifying information regarding the collateral property is below and is believed to be accurate, but no representation or warranty is intended. Address of property: 1109 Sorcerer Ct, Knightdale, NC 27545 Tax Parcel ID: 0223128 Present Record Owners: Richard J. Pattison

of the statutory upset bid period, all the remaining amounts are immediately due and owing. THIRD PARTY PURCHASERS MUST PAY THE EXCISE TAX AND THE RECORDING COSTS FOR THEIR DEED.

Said property to be offered pursuant to this Notice of Sale is being offered for sale, transfer and conveyance “AS IS WHERE IS.” There are no representations of warranty relating to the title or any physical, environmental, health or safety conditions existing in, on, at, or relating to the property being offered for sale. Substitute Trustee does not have possession of the property and cannot grant access, prior to or after the sale, for purposes of inspection and/ or appraisal. This sale is made subject to all prior liens, unpaid taxes, any unpaid land transfer taxes, special assessments, easements, rights of way, deeds of release, and any other encumbrances or exceptions of record. To the best of the knowledge and belief of the undersigned, the current owner(s) of the property is/are Wanda Allen.

THE MATTER OF THE FORECLOSURE OF

DEED OF

“AS IS, WHERE IS.” Neither the Trustee nor the holder of the note secured by the deed of trust/security agreement, or both, being foreclosed, nor the officers, directors, attorneys, employees, agents or authorized representative of either the Trustee or the holder of the note make any representation or warranty relating to the title or any physical, environmental, health or safety conditions existing in, on, at or relating to the property being offered for sale, and any and all responsibilities or liabilities arising out of or in any way relating to any such condition are expressly disclaimed. Also, this property is being sold subject to all taxes, special assessments, and prior liens or prior encumbrances of record and any recorded releases. Said property is also being sold subject to applicable Federal and State laws. A deposit of five percent (5%) of the purchase price, or seven hundred fifty dollars ($750.00), whichever is greater, is required and must be tendered in the form of certified funds at the time of the sale. If the trustee is unable to convey title to this property for any reason, the sole remedy of the purchaser is the return of the deposit. Reasons of such inability to convey include, but are not limited

offered for sale, transfer and conveyance

The property to be offered pursuant to this notice of sale is being offered for sale, transfer and conveyance “AS IS, WHERE IS.” Neither the Trustee nor the holder of the note secured by the deed of trust/security agreement, or both, being foreclosed, nor the officers, directors, attorneys, employees, agents or authorized representative of either the Trustee or the holder of the note make any representation or warranty relating to the title or any physical, environmental, health or safety conditions existing in, on, at or relating to the property being offered for sale, and any and all responsibilities or liabilities arising out of or in any way relating to any such condition are expressly disclaimed. Also, this property is being sold subject to all taxes, special assessments, and prior liens or prior encumbrances of record and any recorded releases. Said property is also being sold subject to applicable Federal and State laws.

A deposit of five percent (5%) of the purchase price, or seven hundred fifty dollars ($750.00), whichever is greater, is required and must be tendered in the form

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

The record owner(s) of the property, according to the records of the Register of Deeds, is/are Richard J. Pattison. The property to be offered pursuant to this notice of sale is being offered for sale, transfer and conveyance AS IS, WHERE IS. Neither the Trustee nor the holder of the note secured by the deed of trust being foreclosed, nor the officers, directors, attorneys, employees, agents or authorized representative of either the Trustee or the holder of the note make any representation or warranty relating to the title or any physical, environmental, health or safety conditions existing in, on, at or relating to the property offered for sale. Any and all responsibilities or liabilities arising out of or in any way relating to any such condition expressly are disclaimed. This sale is subject to all prior liens and encumbrances and

remedy of the purchaser is the return of the deposit. Reasons of such inability to convey include, but are not limited to, the filing of a bankruptcy petition prior to the confirmation of the sale and reinstatement of the loan without the knowledge of the trustee. If the validity of the sale is challenged by any party, the trustee, in its sole discretion, if it believes the challenge to have merit, may request the court to declare the sale to be void and return the deposit. The purchaser will have no further remedy. Additional Notice for Residential Property with Less than 15 rental units, including Single-Family Residential Real Property

An order for possession of the property may be issued pursuant to N.C.G.S. § 45-21.29 in favor of the purchaser and against the party or parties in possession by the clerk of superior court of the county in which the property is sold. Any person who occupies the property pursuant to a rental agreement entered into or renewed on or after October 1, 2007, may after receiving the notice of foreclosure sale, terminate the rental agreement by providing written notice of termination to the landlord, to be effective on a date stated in the notice that is at least 10 days but not more than 90 days, after the sale date contained in this notice of

of certified funds at the time of the sale. If the trustee is unable to convey title to this property for any reason, the sole remedy of the purchaser is the return of the deposit. Reasons of such inability to convey include, but are not limited to, the filing of a bankruptcy petition prior to the confirmation of the sale and reinstatement of the loan without the knowledge of the trustee. If the validity of the sale is challenged by any party, the trustee, in its sole discretion, if it believes the challenge to have merit, may request the court

whichever is greater, is required from the highest bidder and must be tendered in the form of certified funds at the time of the sale. Cash will not be accepted. This sale will be held open ten days for upset bids as required by law. After the expiration of the upset period, all remaining amounts are IMMEDIATELY DUE AND OWING. Failure to remit funds in a timely manner will result in a Declaration of Default and any deposit will be frozen pending the outcome of any resale. If the sale is set aside for any reason, the Purchaser at the sale shall be

the sale. Cash will not be accepted. This sale will be held open ten days for upset bids as required by law. After the expiration of the upset period, all remaining amounts are IMMEDIATELY DUE AND OWING. Failure to remit funds in a timely manner will result in a Declaration

Flyover country

“Trump Force One” made a dramatic entrance at Asheboro Regional Airport last Wednesday as former President Donald Trump held his second campaign stop in North Carolina in as many weeks. Turn to page B4 for more photos from the event.

WHAT’S HAPPENING

Girl Scouts recruiting new members

In preparation for the new troop year beginning Oct. 1, Girl Scouts Carolinas Peaks to Piedmont is seeking new members and leaders. Girls in grades K12 are eligible and application review is underway. The organization prides itself on offering a community that values friendship, learning, adventure and leadership. New troop leaders are also being recruited. You can search for a troop in your area and learn more by visiting BeAGirlScout.org/ discover.

Red Cross facing blood emergency

The American Red Cross is facing a national blood emergency, exacerbated by recent severe weather events including Hurricane Debby. Nearly 60 blood drives were canceled nationwide, resulting in 1,500 uncollected blood donations. In North Carolina alone, Tropical Storm Debby led to 500 missed donations in August. The Red Cross emphasizes the critical need for both new and regular donors to address the shortage. Those in unaffected areas are urged to schedule appointments immediately. Donors can use the Red Cross Blood Donor App or visit RedCrossBlood.org to book. As incentives, donors through Aug. 31 will receive a $20 Amazon. com gift card, while those giving Sept. 115 will get an exclusive Red Cross Tshirt, supplies permitting.

Albemarle City Council updated on business growth

Joshua Davis of Retail Strategies LLC spoke to the council

By Jesse Deal Stanly County Journal

ALBEMARLE — Council

members were briefed with a retail recruitment update from Retail Strategies LLC, who provided its annual review of activities and services to the city, at the Albemarle City Council meeting on Aug. 19.

For the past decade, the firm has teamed up with Albemarle to assist the city with business recruitment and retention, bolstering the recent additions of Starbucks, Jersey Mike’s, ChickFilA , Biscuit

ville, Aspen Dental, Planet Fitness, and others.

Joshua Davis, portfolio director for Retail Strategies, gave an overview of the re

tail economy and the activity that the firm saw in Albemarle during the preceding year.

“Our firm is a fullservice advisory firm and we work as an extension of the city of Albemarle, with the economic development team,” Davis said. “We pretty much take over the dayto day of the commercial real estate as far as retail recruitment for the city.”

He noted that Retail Strategies is currently in the process of negotiating with two fullservice restaurants, two regional grocers, and a national beauty retailer for a poten

tial move to Albemarle.

Regarding Retail Strategies’ specific relationship with Albemarle, Davis said the firm spends “a lot of time and attention” at its head office in Birmingham, Alabama, focusing on retail recruitment through comprehensive data and a demographics package.

“Data and demographics can change year over year, so it’s important to us — when we’re affiliated with certain cities — to have this refreshed year over year,” he said. “It helps us better serve our communities that we work with and it helps us speak the language to different retailers that we come across.”

Retail Strategies uses mobile data tracking and gap analysis to track the demo

graphics of shoppers in Albemarle and to see what location they are coming from; the analysis can also indicate what retail services aren’t available within a local radius.

Davis said his firm has tuned in to the upward trajectory of retail patterns in the city and how they operate exponentially.

“I say ‘retail builds on retail’ because a lot of these guys like to see some of their peers in the market for whatever reason,” he added. “They don’t like to be the first one to hold their flag and take advantage of a new market. But if you already have a certain tier of retails that are in the market, it creates a more compelling story for different retailers to come into the market.”

Following Davis’ presentation, Councilman Chris Bramlett spoke on the current situation where Albemarle has a chance to ride the wave of retail expansion, offering lo

Stanly County’s narcotics division has opened a series of investigations

By Jesse Deal Stanly County Journal

ALBEMARLE — The Stanly County Sheriff’s Office Narcotics Division recently enacted a series of investigations that led to multiple drug trafficking and possession arrests in both New London and Albemarle.

On Aug. 13, the sheriff’s office conducted an investigation into the illegal trafficking of methamphetamine in New London.

Following a traffic stop on U.S. 52 North, Frank Yang of New London was pulled over and searched, leading to the discovery of more than 76 grams of methamphetamine.

Yang was arrested on five charges: trafficking by possession of methamphetamine; trafficking by transportation of

methamphetamine; possession with intent to manufacture sell and deliver methamphetamine; possession with intent to manufacture sell and deliver schedule I controlled substance; and maintaining vehicle for the sale of controlled substances.

Yang initially received a secured $500,000 bond from the Aug. 13 arrest. However, three days later, a continued investigation into Yang’s illegal behavior led to a search warrant for his residence located at 344 East Church St. in New London.

During the search of the home, over 53 grams of methamphetamine, an undisclosed amount of fentanyl and multiple drug paraphernalia items were located in the residence. Yang received a secured $250,000 bond along with four charges: trafficking by possession of methamphetamine; possession with intent to manufacture sell and deliver methamphetamine; possession with intent to manufacture sell and deliver schedule II controlled substance; and maintaining vehicle for the sale of controlled substances.

THE STANLY COUNTY EDITION OF NORTH STATE JOURNAL

COURTESY STANLY COUNTY SHERIFF’S OFFICE

The Stanly County Sheriff’s Office seized drugs during multiple arrests earlier this month.

North State Journal

(USPS 20451) (ISSN 2471-1365)

Neal Robbins, Publisher

Jim Sills, VP of Local Newspapers

Cory Lavalette, Senior Editor

Jordan Golson, Local News Editor

Shawn Krest, Sports Editor

Dan Reeves, Features Editor

Jesse Deal, Reporter

P.J. Ward-Brown, Photographer

BUSINESS

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Published each Thursday as part of North State Journal

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COUNCIL from page A1

cal customers even more shopping options and keeping them within the city limits.

“I’ve seen this before, and we have an incredible opportunity here. We’ve got far too many people shopping outside our area. It’s almost unbelievable to see,” Bramlett said. Davis reaffirmed Retail Strategies’ commitment to making sure that Albemarle can continue to open its doors to new businesses, as well as the followup businesses that come along with them.

The Albemarle City Council is set to meet again on Sept. 3 at 6:30 p.m. in the City Hall Council Chambers.

LOG

Aug. 23

• Khalil Daquez Davis, 26, was arrested for trafficking in methamphetamine, trafficking in cocaine and numerous other drug charges.

• Stafford Labrad Davis, 44, was arrested for habitual larceny.

• Corey Allen Higgins, 34, was arrested for larceny of a motor vehicle, misdemeanor larceny and injury to personal property.

Aug. 26

• Monte Abdullah Sauls, 44, was arrested for assault on a female and misdemeanor crime of domestic violence.

THURSDAY

FRIDAY

SATURDAY

NC elections board sued over ‘ballot selfie’ law

Does a law prohibiting ballot photos violate First Amendment protections?

By Makiya Seminera The Associated Press

RALEIGH — A woman is suing state elections board over state laws that ban most photography in polling places after she took a selfie with her ballot in March.

The lawsuit was filed in the U.S. Eastern District Court of North Carolina by Susan Hogarth.

The lawsuit centers around a letter Hogarth said she received from the North Carolina State Board of Elections asking her to remove a post on X that included a selfie she took with her completed ballot during the March primary election.

She says the letter and the laws underpinning it are unconstitutional. She is suing the Board of Elections and the Wake County Board of Elections.

Hogarth, a Wake County resident, took a “ballot selfie” in her voting booth on March 5, the lawsuit said. She then posted her selfie on X, endorsing presidential and gubernatorial candidates for the Libertarian Party — something she does to “challenge the narrative that

SHUTTER BY NITISH LLC / FIRE VIA AP

Susan Hogarth shows the selfie she took in a North Carolina ballot box, something the state elections board says is a crime.

voters can only vote for major party candidates,” according to the lawsuit.

The suit says Hogarth received a letter two weeks later from a state Board of Elections investigator asking her to take down the post, or she could face a misdemeanor charge. Hogarth refused.

“It would have been easier to just take the post down,” Hogarth said in a statement. “But in a free society, you should be able to show the world how you voted without fear of punishment.”

Photography and videography of voters in a polling place is mostly illegal in North Carolina unless permission is granted by a “chief judge of the precinct.” Photographing completed ballots is also prohibited under state law.

One reason for outlawing ballot photos, the state elections board says, is to prevent them from being used “as proof of a vote for a candidate in a vote buying scheme.”

The North Carolina State Board of Elections and the Wake County Board of Elec

Ace Speedway COVID shutdown lawsuit can continue, court rules

The long-running suit alleges numerous constitutional violations

By A.P. Dillon Stanly County Journal

“The trial court correctly concluded that the claims are valid and therefore the State’s motion to dismiss must be de

BUST from page A1

In a separate investigation on Aug. 23, the sheriff’s office conducted a pair of search warrants for illegal controlled substance sales in two residences on Thomas Street in Albemarle, leading to two arrests and a large amount of controlled substance being seized by authorities.

nied. The Court of Appeals, in turn, properly affirmed that ruling,” the Supreme Court’s Aug. 23 ruling in Kinsley v. Ace Speedway states. “We affirm the decision of the Court of Appeals.”

In 2020, during COVID 19 restrictions, Ace Speedway’s owner publicly criticized the governor’s orders limiting crowd sizes and held races exceeding the limits. The state took enforcement action specifically against Ace Speedway, issuing an abatement order to shut it down.

Ace Speedway filed a lawsuit claiming constitutional violations against the state, in par

More than 166 grams of methamphetamine and over 112 grams of cocaine were located, as well as firearms and multiple items deemed as drug paraphernalia.

With a secured $400,000 bond, Khalil Daquez Davis was arrested on six charges: trafficking by possession of methamphetamine; trafficking by possession of cocaine; pos

“The claims are valid and therefore the State’s motion to dismiss must be denied.”

NC Supreme Court decision

ticular, violations of their right to earn a living and allegations of selective enforcement. The case made it to the North Carolina Court of Appeals, which ruled in August 2022 that the case can proceed.

The Supreme Court’s ruling says that Ace Speedway’s al

session with intent to manufacture sell and deliver methamphetamine; maintaining a dwelling for the sale of controlled substances; possession of controlled substances within 1,000 feet of a school; and possession of drug paraphernalia.

With a secured $50,000 bond, Marlon Lamonte Davis was arrested on three charges:

tions declined to comment on the litigation.

Most states have passed laws permitting ballot selfies and other photography, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures.

Some states, such as Arizona, ban photos from being taken within a certain radius of a polling place. Other states, such as Indiana, have seen ballot photography laws struck down by federal judges because they were found unconstitutional.

Now, Hogarth and the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression (FIRE) are trying to do the same in North Carolina.

FIRE contends North Carolina’s ballot photography laws violate the First Amendment. The complaint adds that the state would need to demonstrate real concerns of vote buying schemes that outweigh the right to protected speech.

“Ballot selfie bans turn innocent Americans into criminals for nothing more than showing their excitement about how they voted, or even just showing that they voted,” said Jeff Zeman, an attorney at FIRE. “That’s core political speech protected by the First Amendment.”

The plaintiff’s goal is to stop enforcement of the law before the November general election, in part because Hogarth is a Libertarian Party candidate running for a state legislative seat and she plans to take another selfie to promote herself, according to the lawsuit.

legations, if proven true, constitute colorable constitutional claims that pierce the state’s sovereign immunity.

The ruling cites application under the “Fruits of Their Labor” clause, in which Ace Speedway alleged the state’s true purpose was retaliation, not public health, and the means were unreasonable. The ruling also speaks to claims under the Equal Protection clause, where Ace Speedway alleged discriminatory purpose, specifically retaliation for speech, and the effect it had of singling out Ace Speedway while ignoring other violators. The ruling allows the lawsuit to proceed but does not decide the merits of the claims, and the court emphasized these are just allegations at this stage. The court also rejected the state’s argument about remedies, saying it’s too early to consider that issue.

possession with intent to manufacture sell and deliver schedule II controlled substance; possession of drug paraphernalia; and maintaining a dwelling for the sale of controlled substances.

The Stanly County Sheriff’s Office advises anyone with information about illegal controlled substances in the county to reach out to the office at 704 986 3714.

Share with your community! Send us your births, deaths, marriages, graduations and other announcements: community@stanlyjournal.com | Weekly deadline is Monday at Noon

CRIME

THE CONVERSATION

Neal Robbins, publisher | Frank Hill, senior opinion editor

VISUAL VOICES

She

nailed it

I think Harris will wipe the floor with him.

KAMALA HARRIS did exactly what she needed to do. She introduced herself to the American people.

She addressed the most important issues facing our country. She drew sharply the contrast with Donald Trump, a small and unserious man who is a serious danger to American freedoms. She displayed the force and command that qualifies her to be commander in chief. She showed a side of herself that Americans have mostly just not seen in the last four years.

She went out of her way to reach out not only to the choir but to Republicans and undecided voters. As Bob Shrum pointed out in my podcast, “No Holding Back,” she did not mention the word Democrat a single time in her speech. She did not play to identity politics. She promised to be a president for all Americans.

Her speech — roughly one t hird the length of Trump’s diatribe at the Republican National Convention — did what his was supposed to do but didn’t. He was supposed to give a speech about unity. That lasted about 15 minutes until he veered off script and went back to polarization politics.

It was a great convention. With the exception of going long on Monday night — and pushing Joe Biden out of prime time — it was flawlessly programmed. It was actually fun to watch. It was full of joy. No disrespect for Biden, but it was an entirely different convention than the one that was slated to renominate him. A much better one, animated

by the movement for change, by the optimism about the future, by the size of the tent, big enough for everyone from Alexandria Ocasio C ortez to Adam Kinzinger.

In fact, it was drafted by numerous alumni and friends of the Trump administration as a playbook for the next Republican administration. He defended the overturning of Roe v. Wade, falsely claiming that “everybody,” including Democrats, “wanted Roe v. Wade TERMINATED.” No, they didn’t; an overwhelming majority of Americans support Roe v. Wade. In response to her strong commitment to Israel’s security, he posted “SHE HATES ISRAEL ― Wouldn’t even show up to Congress for Netanyahu’s session!” In fact, she met with him privately. And on and on. Throw all the mud you can and hope something sticks. Repeat the same lies over and over again in the hope that if people hear it enough times, they will believe it. Will it work?

Can DMV pilot its way to shorter lines on the horizon?

DMV launched an early check-in system called Q-Anywhere to help reduce the appearance of lines and let people wait in comfort.

I’VE SEEN FIRSTHAND the troubles our citizens have with the DMV. I’ve witnessed the full waiting room and the line stretched around the building at the FuquayVarina office in my district. Something has to change. I invited Commissioner Wayne Goodwin to meet me there to talk about solutions. Here’s what we saw: James Hall was in constant motion on a recent hot and humid Friday morning in Fuquay. As manager of that location, Hall was making sure customers in line had their papers in order and keeping an eye on things inside. People began standing outside before the office opened at 8 a.m. Although walkin visits did not start officially until noon, many of those in line had tried making an appointment and had waited in line multiple times at other offices. They came prepared on this day. One had an umbrella to shade himself from the sun. Another brought a kendama, the traditional Japanese cup and ball toy, to keep himself entertained. Near the 15person line, Rep. Howard Penny (RHarnett), FuquayVarina Mayor Blake Massengill, Town Manager Adam Mitchell, Holly Springs Mayor Sean Mayefskie and I talked with Commissioner Goodwin and his team about why this scene has become common.

We saw the DMV employees doing great work and heard customers leave praising their efforts. They are doing their best within a broken system — a broken system that we are working to fix.

FuquayVarina’s influx of new residents from across the country and around the world mean transactions take longer, but long lines are endemic. Ronald Byrd was on his third try to renew his driver’s license. “I tried Sanford since I was down that way but didn’t get in,” he told us. “I went to Erwin, but I didn’t get in there either.”

DMV is trying to overcome its own past experience to solve its customer service problems. Officials told us they tried all day appointments but moved to morning only appointments in October 2023 to accommodate more walkin visits. That left half as many appointments available, forcing more people to show up without an appointment. Commissioner Goodwin promised to try different approaches and measure the results.

Inspired by common practice at hair salons and restaurants, DMV launched an early checkin system called Q A nywhere to help reduce the appearance of lines and let people wait in comfort. The DMV’s twist on this convenience is that a person must go to the office and scan a QR code to check in. Although people line up before the office opens and can wait

Harris has had the best month of any politician in modern political history. Her choice of Tim Walz has turned into an unexpected bonanza, while Trump’s choice of JD Vance has to be seen as one of the worst choices of a vice presidential nominee in recent years.

And it’s still a close race, at this point, too close to call.

That’s because the politics of polarization — of us against them — works for Trump. As Shrum points out, he has a lock on 45% of the American people. And, effective as Harris and the Democratic Convention was, it is hard to see what anyone can do to loosen that lock. Last week, Trump received the endorsement of Robert Kennedy Jr., a pitiful stain on the Kennedy family legacy. Harris, rightly, wanted nothing to do with him. Trump, who has no scruples about who he makes common cause with, from white supremacists to antisemites, welcomed the support.

The debate will be critical. I know I’m supposed to lower expectations, but I think Harris will wipe the floor with him. If their respective acceptance speeches are any guide to what will happen when they are on the stage together, she will stay on message and he will rant and rave.

It may not shake loose his supporters, but so far, he has come up with no argument to move those voters who are not already with him. And they will decide this election. That, and getting the vote out, which the enthusiasm and momentum coming out of the convention should facilitate on the Democratic side.

Susan Estrich is a lawyer, professor, author and political commentator.

outside for hours, DMV practice had been to not make Q A nywhere available until noon. Wait times posted online, therefore, may not be accurate because they are tied to the Q A nywhere code. Office managers have since been asked to make the signs available at the start of the day and official notice should be out by the time you read this.

We asked how DMV made decisions on staffing beyond one day transfers to fill holes, but Commissioner Goodwin admitted that DMV has no system to receive data from around the state to determine where staff should go. They must have data driven information to accurately allocate resources. If one of my constituents goes to another office in another county because the line is too long in Fuquay, DMV needs to know that.

They don’t. They should.

I am grateful that DMV leadership was willing to visit with us and to measure results of its customer service changes. We want this to be far less painful experience. The citizens of southern Wake County look forward to tracking DMV’s progress.

Rep. Erin Paré represents southern Wake County, including Fuquay-Varina and Holly Springs.

COLUMN | SUSAN ESTRICH

COLUMN | REP. ERIN PARÉ

STATE & NATION

North Korea unveils new drone in show of strength

The U.S. and South Korea have been conducting a large-scale exercise

By Kim Tong-Hyung

The Associated Press

SEOUL, South Korea — North Korean leader Kim Jong Un supervised a demonstration of new exploding drones designed to crash into targets and pledged to spur development of such weapons to boost his military’s war readiness, state media said Monday.

Kim has been flaunting his growing military capabilities amid tensions with Washington and Seoul. North Korean photos of the test showed a white drone with Xshaped tails and wings supposedly crashing into and destroying a target resembling South Korea’s main K2 battle tank. Most combat drones stand off from targets and fire missiles.

The test, which state media said took place Saturday, came as the U.S. and South Korean militaries are conducting a largescale exercise aimed at enhancing their combined capabilities to defend against growing North Korean nuclear threats.

The allies said the Ulchi Freedom Shield drills, which continue through Thursday, are focused on enhancing their readiness against North Korean

threats and will also reflect lessons learned from recent armed conflicts.

The United States and South Korea also on Monday began a separate amphibious landing drill involving dozens of aircraft and vessels from their navies and marines, including U.S. F35 fighters and the amphibious assault ship USS Boxer. South Korea’s military said the Ssangyong Exercise, which will continue through Sept. 7, is aimed at sharpening combat interoperability.

North Korea’s official Korean Central News Agency said Saturday’s drone test involved various types of drones built to fly different ranges to attack enemy targets on land and sea. It said the drones flew along various routes before accurately hitting test targets.

Kim said global trends in military technologies and modern combat show the importance of drones in war and that the North’s military should be equipped with advanced drones “as early as possible.”

He called for accelerated development and production of various drones that explode on impact, conduct reconnaissance or attack targets underwater, KCNA said.

Lee Chang Hyun, spokesperson of South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff, said during a briefing that South Korea’s military was closely examining North Korea’s drone capabilities but did not provide a detailed assessment. He said without elaborating that the South’s military is equipped with systems to detect and intercept such drones.

Some analysts suggest the North Korean drones shown in state media photos resemble Russia’s Zala Lancet3 drones, and Lee said the South was looking into the possibility Russia had helped North Korea acquire its drone capability.

“We are aware that during the past exchanges between North Korea and Russia that some (drones) were given (to North Korea) as gifts,” Lee said.

“We would need to analyze various aspects, including whether (North Korea) would have modified to improve their capabilities, or other possibilities.”

North Korea and Russia have been aligning closely in the face of their separate confrontations with the United States, with Kim Jong Un and Russian President Vladimir Putin holding backtoback summits in September last year and June.

Washington and its allies have accused the countries of expanding an alleged arms arrangement in which North Korea provides Putin with badly needed munitions to prolong Russia’s fighting in Ukraine in

Italian prosecutors open shipwreck, manslaughter investigation into superyacht sinking

A British tech magnate and his daughter were among seven killed

By Giada Zampano

The Associated Press

ROME — Prosecutors in Italy said Saturday they have opened an investigation into culpable shipwreck and multiple manslaughter after a superyacht capsized during a storm off the coast of Sicily, killing seven people onboard. They included British tech magnate Mike Lynch and his daughter.

Termini Imerese prosecutor Ambrogio Cartosio confirmed the investigation has been launched but hasn’t identified a suspect.

“We are only in the initial phase of the investigation. We can’t exclude any sort of development at present,” he told reporters at a news conference.

Cartosio said his team will carefully consider each possible element of responsibility, including those of the Bayesian’s captain, the crew, individuals in charge of supervision, the yacht’s manufacturer and others.

“For me, it is probable that of

fenses were committed, that it could be a case of manslaughter, but we can only establish that if you give us the time to investigate,” he said. The main question investigators are focusing on is how a sailing vessel deemed “unsinkable” by its manufacturer, Italian shipyard Perini Navi,

sank while a nearby sailboat remained largely unscathed.

Prosecutors said the event was “extremely rapid” and could have been a “downburst” — localized, powerful wind that descends from a thunderstorm and spreads out rapidly upon hitting the ground. Initially, civil protection of

“We can’t exclude any sort of development at present.”

Ambrogio Cartosio, Termini Imerese prosecutor

ficials said they believed the yacht, which featured a distinctive 246foot aluminum mast, was struck by a tornado over the water, known as a waterspout.

Investigators were also asked why the crew was almost entirely saved, except for the chef, while six passengers remained trapped in the hull.

Local officials confirmed that most of the bodies recovered were found in the same part of the yacht — on the left side and closer to the surface — suggesting that passengers had sought safety in the cabins where the last air bubbles had formed.

Deputy Prosecutor Raffaele Cammarano said it was likely the passengers were asleep, adding that one of the main focus of the investigation is to ascertain whether they were alerted by someone.

Cammarano confirmed that

exchange for economic aid and technologies to upgrade Kim’s nucleararmed military.

Animosity on the Korean Peninsula is high as Kim uses Russia’s war against Ukraine as a distraction while he strengthens his nucleararmed military and issues verbal threats of conflict toward Washington and Seoul.

While most of the international attention has been focused on his longrange missiles designed to reach the U.S. mainland, Kim has also been expanding weapons targeting rival South Korea, most notably shortrange missiles and artillery systems the North has described as nuclearcapable.

Earlier this month, Kim staged a huge ceremony in North Korea’s capital, Pyongyang, to mark the delivery of 250 nuclearcapable missile launchers to frontline military units and called for a ceaseless expansion of the military’s nuclear program.

The event added to concerns about Kim’s weapons program as he demonstrates an intent to deploy battlefield nuclear weapons along the North’s border with South Korea and claims his military could react with preemptive nuclear strikes if it perceived the leadership was under threat.

Analysts say Kim may seek to dial up pressure in a U.S. election year as he advances his longterm goals of forcing Washington to accept the idea of the North as a nuclear power and negotiate economic and security concessions from a position of strength.

one person was on watch in the cockpit.

Rescuers last Friday brought ashore the last of seven bodies from the sinking of the Bayesian, a 184 foot Britishflagged luxury yacht that went down in a storm near the Mediterranean island in southern Italy early Monday. The sailboat was carrying a crew of 10 people and 12 passengers.

The seventh victim was Hannah Lynch, 18, the daughter of Mike Lynch., whose body was recovered last Thursday. He had been celebrating his recent acquittal on fraud charges with his family and the people who had defended him at trial in the United States. His wife, Angela Bacares, was among the 15 survivors.

Rescuers struggled for four days to find all the bodies, making only slow headway through the interior of the wreck lying on the seabed 164 feet below the surface.

Prosecutors said the recovery of the Bayesian will be crucial for the investigation but noted it will be a long and complex process, which will be paid for by the owners.

The other five victims are Christopher Morvillo, one of Lynch’s U.S. lawyers, and his wife, Neda; Jonathan Bloomer, chairman of Morgan Stanley’s Londonbased investment banking subsidiary, and his wife, Judy; and Recaldo Thomas, the yacht’s chef.

KOREAN CENTRAL NEWS AGENCY / KOREA NEWS SERVICE VIA AP

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un inspects a demonstration of what it says is a drone crashing into a target at an undisclosed location in North Korea on Saturday.

ALBERTO LO BIANCO / LAPRESSE VIA AP

Italian firefighter divers last Friday bring ashore the body of one of the victims of a shipwreck off Sicily.

STANLY SPORTS

South Stanly defeats West Stanly in opener

The North Stanly Comets also came out on top in their matchup

points allowed by Albemarle in a seasonopening loss

By Jesse Deal Stanly County Journal

A YEAR AGO, the West Stanly Colts varsity football team ran away with a 34-0 road win over the South Stanly Rowdy Rebel Bulls in the season opener between the two squads.

The tables were turned this past weekend in Norwood as the Bulls (10) pulled out a 16-10 win over the Colts (0 -1), marking their first victory over West in 11 games.

The Bulls struck first as junior quarterback Kaleb Richardson found wide receiver Jayden Woods with a 26-yard touchdown pass. West responded in the second quarter as junior quarterback Hudson Snider connected in the end zone with Phoenix Hendy.

The Colts led 7-6 at halftime but trailed 8-7 heading into the fourth quarter after a safety. In what became a back-and-forth routine, the Colts regained the lead and led 10-8 after a 23 -yard field goal from kicker Reece Huneycutt.

With nine minutes left, Bulls junior quarterback Kaleb Richardson linked up with sophomore wideout Kylan Dockery for a 30-yard touchdown pass to go up 16-10 following a two-point conversion catch by senior Ethan Gaddy.

Moving ahead, South will hit the road to face South Rowan (1-0), who is coming off a 21-17 victory over Union Academy (0-1). West is set to travel to Carson (0-1); the Cougars lost to Mount Pleasant in a 31-14 finish on Friday.

North Stanly 28, Anson 6

Over in Wadesboro, the North Stanly Comets (1-0) turned a one-point halftime lead into a runaway 28-6 victory over the Anson Bearcats (0-1).

The Comets’ first touchdown of the night was courtesy of senior wide receiver Jaylon McCoy, who reeled in an 81-yard touchdown pass from junior quarterback Charlie Shaver. In North’s dominant second half, junior running back Juice Lilly had two rushing scores while senior wideout Justice Gramling added to the Comets’ point total.

North will stay on the road and head to East Rowan (0-1) as the Comets look to build upon their schedule-opening victory. The Mustangs suffered a 46-6 home loss to North Rowan (1-0) on Friday.

Asheboro 38, Albemarle 14

Facing the Asheboro Blue Comets (1- 0), the Albemarle Bulldogs (0 -1) found themselves down three points in the second quarter as they played their season opener at home. The Blue Comets, however, scored three straight times to pull away from the Bulldogs for a 38-14 road win.

The Bulldogs trailed 14-0 before star senior Ja’Zyion Geiger’s 93-yard touchdown return and senior running back Vincent Gregory’s 3-yard score provided Albemarle some points.

Albemarle has another home game to start the season as the Bulldogs challenge Trinity (0-1), who lost at home to Starmount 34-0 over the weekend. The Bulldogs defense will look to regroup after allowing 38 points — a total that Albemarle only allowed only twice last season.

ATHLETE OF THE WEEK

Jaylon McCoy

North Stanly, football

Jaylon McCoy is a senior wide receiver on the North Stanly football team.

The Comets opened the season with a 28-6 win over Anson. North Stanly only completed seven passes for 153 yards on the day, and McCoy caught two of them for 105 yards, including an 81-yard score. He also added four solo tackles on defense.

Miami’s Cam McCormick follows the action during a game last September. This season will be his ninth in college football. 38

There are players in their mid-20s all over college football; here’s why

COVID and injuries are both contributing to extra‑long college careers

The Associated Press

EACH TIME he sees his freshman teammates, Oklahoma State quarterback Alan Bowman gets a reality check about the length of his college career.

“When I was playing as a true freshman at Texas Tech, they were probably in seventh grade,” Bowman said.

Bowman is entering his seventh year of college football and his situation isn’t unique in this era of college football.

Hundreds of Bowl Subdivision players are in their sixth season of eligibility and dozens are in their seventh year or later. Miami tight end Cam McCormick is entering his ninth season of eligibility at the age of 26. Bowman believes this prevalence of older players produces crisper football. FBS teams averaged 5.83 penalties and 51.15 penalty yards per game last season, the lowest numbers in both categories since 2013. Bowman, 24, has seen plenty in his college career. He made a combined 16 starts for Texas Tech from 2018-20, though a broken collarbone limited him to three games in 2019

before he took a medical redshirt. Bowman transferred to Michigan and played three games as a backup each of the next two years, getting another redshirt in 2021. Bowman left behind a Michigan team that went on to win the national title in 2023 for the opportunity to regain a starting role at Oklahoma State.

Bowman’s two redshirt seasons and the COVID-19 year enabled him to earn a seventh year of eligibility and has helped him get a wide-ranging education. He got his undergraduate degree in business management from Texas Tech and earned a master’s in supply chain management at Michigan. He’s now

working toward a graduate certificate in leisure studies at Oklahoma State, and he also is getting a real estate license. Here are the other ACC players entering their seventh season or later.

Miami TE Cam McCormick McCormick, 26, is getting a ninth season because of injuries that caused him to play a total of three games from 2018-21. He played all 13 games for Oregon in 2017 but broke his fibula and tore a deltoid ligament in the 2018 season opener. He tore an Achilles tendon in 2021. He returned in 2022 to play 13 games and start six for Oregon in 2022. He caught eight passes for 62 yards at Miami in 2023.

Louisville QB Tyler Shough Shough, who turns 25 next month, redshirted at Oregon in

2018, played five games in 2019 and made seven starts in 2020. He played at Texas Tech from 2021-23 but appeared in just four games last year due to a broken fibula, enabling him to get a medical redshirt. He also has dealt with shoulder injuries in the past. Now he’s at his third school. Shough has 4,625 career yards passing with 36 touchdowns and 17 interceptions.

Pitt LB Keye Thompson Thompson, 24, transferred to Pitt after collecting 96 tackles for Ohio in 2022 and 94 more in 2023. He was a first-team all-Mid-American Conference selection last year. Thompson played four games before taking a redshirt in 2018, and he missed the entire 2021 season due to injury. He has a seventh year of eligibility because of those two redshirt seasons plus the extra year he got due to the pandemic.

DOUG MURRAY / AP PHOTO

Burton earns first win in wild NASCAR Cup race at Daytona

Harrison Burton’s victory earned him a surprise playoff berth

By Mark Long The Associated Press

DAYTONA

BEACH, Fla. —

Out of his ride and far removed from the playoff picture, Harrison Burton changed his fortunes with a lap to remember Saturday night at Daytona International Speedway.

Burton passed two-time Cup Series champion Kyle Busch on the final lap in overtime to pick up his first career victory and a spot in NASCAR’s postseason.

The 23-year-old Burton, who already lost his ride in the famed No. 21 Ford with Wood Brothers Racing next season, took the lead thanks to a huge push from little-known Parker Retzlaff.

Busch fought back and had a chance down the stretch. He even got to Burton’s bumper and forced Burton below the double-yellow line. But NASCAR officials ruled the contact caused Burton to cross the line and did not penalize him.

“Besides just flat-out wrecking him, there was nothing else I could do,” Busch said.

Busch finished second, followed by Christopher Bell, Cody Ware and Ty Gibbs. It was Burton’s first win in 98 career Cup starts, and it was the 100th vic-

tory for the Wood Brothers.

“I cried the whole victory lap,” Burton said. “I, obviously, got fired from this job. I wanted to do everything for the Wood Brothers that I could. They’ve given me an amazing opportunity in life and to get them (No.) 100 on my

way out is amazing. We’re in the playoffs now. Let’s go to Darlington and see what happens.”

Burton’s dad, former NASCAR driver Jeff Burton, called the race for NBC Sports and radioed down to offer his congratulations. He also hustled down

from the broadcast booth to celebrate with his son in victory lane.

“It’s been the hardest three of years of my life, obviously the hardest three years for some of these guys’ lives,” Harrison Burton said. “To win it the way we just did it, to beat the best in the

Boise State, Liberty, UTSA top contenders for Group of Five’s spot in college football playoff

App State also hopes to take advantage of the expanded playoff field

By Eric Olson The Associated Press

BOISE STATE HAS won 83 of 100 Mountain West games and five championships since joining the conference in 2011, and the stage is set for the Broncos to take the next step.

The expansion of the College Football Playoff guarantees the Group of Five will be included in the 12-team field. It’s opportunity that’s ratcheted up the hype surrounding the defending Mountain West champion and preseason favorite.

“There’s a lot of great excitement and buzz, and our players deserve that,” coach Spencer Danielson said, “but we’ve got to continue to earn it every single day.”

The 2021 Cincinnati Bearcats are the only Group of Five team to make the playoff since its inaugural 2014 season. Beginning this year, spots are reserved for the five highest-ranked conference champions. With the demise of the Pac-12, there are now four power conferences. That leaves the winner of the American Athletic, Con-

App

ference USA, Mid-American, Mountain West or Sun Belt to receive an automatic bid.

Here’s a look at the other teams expected to challenge Boise State for a spot in the playoff.

Liberty

The defending Conference USA champion Flames were unbeaten last season until their bowl loss to Oregon, and

they could be just as good with the return of star quarterback Kaidon Salter and running back Quinton Cooley.

Liberty gets a couple measuring-stick games early with September road trips to New Mexico State and Appalachian State.

UTSA

The Roadrunners have won nine games three straight seasons to become one of the top Group of Five programs under Jeff Traylor. They bring back 16 starters from the team that went 9-4 overall and 7-1 in its first season in the American Athletic Conference.

Back-to-back nonconference road games against Sun Belt favorite Texas State and SEC newcomer Texas are big tests.

Memphis

The Tigers are coming off a 10-win season and are the AAC favorite with a bevy of experience on both sides of the ball.

Fourth-year starting quarterback Seth Henigan put up some of the best numbers in the FBS, throwing for 3,883 yards and 32 touchdowns and averaging 319.8 yards per game in total offense. His top four targets are back.

business — Kyle Busch — across the line, it’s pretty fantastic.”

No one saw it coming, even though Daytona often provides unique winners. Burton had one top-five finishes and five top-10s in his three-plus years driving at NASCAR’s top level.

Now, he gets to vie for a championship that would be even more improbable.

Thirteen drivers are locked into the 16-man playoff field thanks to wins: Kyle Larson, Denny Hamlin, Bell, Tyler Reddick, William Byron, Ryan Blaney, Chase Elliott, Brad Keselowski, Austin Cindric, Joey Logano, Daniel Suarez, Alex Bowman and Burton.

Five other winless drivers are vying for the three remaining spots: Martin Truex Jr., Gibbs, Chris Buescher, Bubba Wallace and Ross Chastain. The regular season ends next week at Darlington.

All five contenders were involved in crashes at Daytona. The scariest ones came late.

More aerials

Josh Berry’s No. 4 Ford flipped and slammed into an inside retaining wall while upside down and sliding on its roof. Berry had to wait several minutes inside his car as safety crews flipped the car over. But Berry flashed a thumbs-up to the crowd after getting helped out.

Berry was leading the race with two laps to go when Austin Cindric got turned sideways by Busch and slammed into Berry. It was the second time in less than a week that a Cup car flipped. Corey LaJoie went for a wild ride at Michigan International Speedway on Monday, and NASCAR modified the cars in hopes of raising liftoff speed and keeping cars on all four tires.

Early games against Troy, at home, and on the road against Florida State will be good measuring sticks. Tough November games against UTSA and Tulane are both on the road.

Appalachian State

The Mountaineers have the Sun Belt Conference preseason offensive player of the year in quarterback Joey Aguilar and the core of a defense that intercepted 15 passes. Aguilar passed for 33 touchdowns, including 10 to returning receiver Kaedin Robinson. Kanye Roberts, who averaged 5.7 yards per carry and scored five touchdowns, is the top returning running back following Nate Noel’s transfer to Missouri.

The Sun Belt East Division favorite’s schedule features nonconference games against Clemson (road), East Carolina (road) and Liberty (home).

Tulane

Tulane made a fast ascent in the AAC by going 23-5 the last two years under Willie Fritz, now at Houston. The Green Wave don’t expect to regress under Jon Sumrall, the ex-Tulane assistant who went 23-4 the last two years at Troy.

Tulane has the third-toughest schedule among Group of Five teams. It opens against Kansas State (home) and Oklahoma (road) and close against Memphis (home).

MIKE CAUDILL / AP PHOTO

Appalachian State head coach Shawn Clark, front right, congratulates his offense as they come off the field after scoring a touchdown against Old Dominion last season. Clark hopes

will be celebrating a playoff berth this season.

PHELAN M. EBENHACK / AP PHOTO

Harrison Burton, center right, celebrates with the championship trophy after winning Saturday night’s NASCAR Cup Series race at Daytona International Speedway.

Leonard Riggio, who forged a bookselling empire at Barnes & Noble, dead at 83

Barbara Jean (Taylor) Drye

Dwight Farmer

James Roseboro

John B. Kluttz

Kathryn (Kathy)

McIntyre Miller

April 17, 1936 ~ January 14, 2023

Sept. 28, 1950 –Aug. 25, 2024

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

Kathryn (Kathy)

Barbara was born April 17, 1936 in North Carolina to the late Robert Lee Taylor and the late Eva Belle Watts Taylor. She was also preceded in death by husband of 61 years, Keith Furr Drye, and brothers, Robert Lee Taylor, Jr. and George Kenneth Taylor.

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

McIntyre Miller, 73, of Albemarle passed away on Sunday, August 25, 2024. Kathy’s funeral service will be at 10 a.m. on Friday, August 30, 2024, at Stanly Funeral & Cremation Care in Albemarle. Rev. Brandon King will be officiating the service. Burial will follow at Stanly Gardens of Memory. Visitation will be on Thursday, August 29, 2024, from 6 to 8 p.m. at Stanly Funeral & Cremation Care in Albemarle.

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.

Kathy was born on September 28, 1950, to Jack McIntyre and Ercel Fowler McIntyre of Badin, NC. Kathy was a graduate of North Stanly High School and Queens College. She worked as a teacher’s assistant for Stanly County Schools. Kathy attended New London Baptist Church. Kathy’s survivors include a son, Neil Miller (Heather), of Albemarle, NC, two daughters, Charm Thompson (Jason) of Albemarle, NC, and Hope Miller-Drye (Nick) of Albemarle, NC, a brother, John McIntyre of Florida, seven grandchildren and one great-grandchild. Kathy was preceded in death by her husband Rayvon Miller, and her sister, Jackie Deckert. Memorials can be sent to the donor’s choice.

January 24, 1939 ~ January 15, 2023

Terry Lee Harward

March 3, 1941 –Aug. 25, 2024

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

Dwight was born January 24, 1939 in Stanly County to the late Walter Virgil and Martha Adkins Farmer. He was a 1957 graduate of Norwood High School and was a United States Army Veteran.

He was a member of Cedar Grove United Methodist Church where he had served as church treasurer and choir member. He began his career with the Stanly County Sheriff’s Department moving to the Norwood Police Department and retiring as Chief of Police with the Town of Norwood after many years of service.

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

Terry Lee Harward, 83, of Albemarle passed away on Sunday, August 25, 2024, in his home. His funeral service will be at 2 p.m. on Thursday, August 28, 2024, at Union Grove Baptist Church with Rev. Jeremy Blake and Rev. Jerry Mabry officiating. Burial will follow in the church cemetery. The family will receive friends at Stanly Funeral and Cremation Care of Albemarle on Wednesday evening from 6 to 8 p.m.

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

He was preceded in death by his son Alex, brothers, Tommy and Jimmy, sisters, Nancy, Cornelia Annabell, Glennie Mae, and Betty. Memorials may be made to Cedar Grove United Methodist Church, Cemetery or Choir Fund c/o Pam Smith 36071 Rocky River Springs Road, Norwood, NC 28128.

Born March 3, 1941, he was the son of the late Ernest B. Harward and Tempie Smith Harward. He was a member of Union Grove Baptist Church and was the former owner and operator of Southside Tire and Recapping. He loved working and spending time with his family.

Terry was preceded in death by his wife Jeanette and son David. He is survived by his fiancé Barbara Smith, two granddaughters

Victoria Biles (Mitchell) of Albemarle and Jessica Jones (Patrick) of Norwood, six grandchildren, Benjamin Jones, Alexander Biles, Shane Biles, Austin Jones, Sophia Biles and Anissa Jones, as well as a daughter-in-law, Teresa Kendall.

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

June 23, 1967 ~ January 10, 2023

Corriher

Juanita Geraldine Johnson

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

Jan. 25, 1931 – Aug. 25, 2024

Doris Jones Coleman

March 23, 1935 - January 9, 2023

He grew the bookseller into a massive chain

By Hillel Italie The Associated Press

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.

Juanita Geraldine Johnson Corriher, 93, of Albemarle passed away on Sunday, August 25, 2024, in Bethany Woods Nursing and Rehab Center. A memorial service will be held at 3 p.m. on Wednesday, August 28, 2024, in the Stanly Funeral Home Chapel with Rev. David Blalock officiating. The family will receive friends on Tuesday evening at Stanly Funeral and Cremation Care of Albemarle from 6 to 8 p.m.

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.

Darrick

Baldwin

January 7, 1973 ~ January 8, 2023

Born January 25, 1931, in Stanly County, NC, she was the daughter of the late Shelly Johnson and Lottie Springer Johnson. She was a member of East Albemarle Church of God, and she retired as an apartment manager. She was preceded in death by her husband, Leonard H. Corriher, and a son, Danny E. Bowers. Survivors include two daughters, Debra Hathcock (Grady) of Albemarle and Rose B. Smith (Smiley) of Albemarle, two sisters, Myrtle Stone of Greensboro and Jane Burris of Albemarle, seven grandchildren: Tonya Russell, Jodi Merritt, Kevin Bowers, Jill Talbert, Joanie Mauldin, Emily Bledsoe and Jeremy Russell, and 16 great-grandchildren.

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

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

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

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

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

NEW YORK — Leonard

Riggio, a brash, self-styled underdog who transformed the publishing industry by building Barnes & Noble into the country’s most powerful bookseller before his company was overtaken by the rise of Amazon.com, has died at age 83. Riggio died Tuesday “following a valiant battle with Alzheimer’s disease,” according to a statement issued by his family. He had stepped down as chairman in 2019 after Barnes & Noble was sold to the hedge fund Elliott Advisors.

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

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

“His leadership spanned decades, during which he not only grew the company but also nurtured a culture of innovation and a love for reading,” reads a statement from Barnes & Noble. Riggio’s near-half century reign began in 1971 when he used a $1.2 million loan to purchase Barnes & Noble’s name and its flagship store on lower Fifth Avenue in Manhattan. He acquired hundreds of new stores over the next 20 years and, in the 1990s, launched what became a nationwide empire of “superstores” that combined a chain’s discount prices and massive capacity with the cozy appeal of couches, reading chairs and cafes.

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

This is what John’s Model A Community had to say upon learning of his death: He was an active member of Wesley Chapel Methodist Church where he loved serving as greeter on Sunday mornings. He also belonged to the United Methodist Men. John is survived by his wife Julie Ussery Kluttz, for 66 years of the home. He is also survived by a son John David Kluttz (Kim) of Oakboro, NC; two daughters, Sally Simerson of Denver, CO and Betsy Tusa (John) of Lafayette, CO; three grandchildren, Bonnie Kluttz Sammons (Ben) of Richfield, NC John Alexander McKinnon (Sarah) of Asheville, NC and Seth William McKinnon (Amanda) of Germany; five great-grandchildren, Charlotte, Meredith, Grant, Victoria and Ronan. John is also preceded in death by his parents, J.S. Kluttz and Mary Wyatt Clayton Kluttz; a large and loving group of brothers and sisters, Jack Methias Kluttz, Annie Lou Kluttz Honeycutt, Jake Nelson Kluttz, Julius Kluttz, Mary Patricia Phillips and a grandson, Kevin Fowler Kluttz.

“Our bookstores were designed to be welcoming as opposed to intimidating,” Riggio told The New York Times in 2016. “These weren’t elitist places. You could go in, get a cup of coffee, sit down and read a book for as long as you like, use the restroom. These were innovations that we had that no one thought was possible.”

By the end of the 1990s, an estimated one of every eight books sold in the U.S. were purchased through the chain, where front table displays were so valuable that publishers paid thousands of dollars to have their books included. Thousands of independent sellers went out of business even as Riggio insisted that he was expanding the market by opening up in neighborhoods without an existing store. Instead, independent owners spoke of being overwhelmed by competition from both Barnes & Noble and Borders Book Group, the rival chains sometimes setting up stores in close proximity to each other and to the locally owned business.

Barnes & Noble became so identified as an overdog that one of the 1990s’ most popular romantic comedies, “You’ve Got Mail,” starred Tom Hanks as an executive for the “Fox Books” chain and Meg Ryan

as the owner of an endangered independent store in Manhattan.

October 11, 1944 - January 10, 2023

“We are going to seduce them with our square footage, and our discounts, and our deep arm chairs, and our cappuccino,” Hanks’ character confidently declares. “They’re going to hate us at the beginning, but we’ll get ’em in the end.”

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

The internet shifts bookselling Riggio began the 2000s at the height of power, with more than 700 superstores and hundreds of others outlets. But internet commerce was growing quickly and Barnes & Noble, with its roots in physical retail, lacked the imagination and flexibility of the startup from Seattle that called itself “Earth’s Biggest Bookstore,” Amazon.com. The online giant launch in 1995 by Jeff Bezos gained business throughout the 2000s and by the early 2010s had displaced Barnes & Noble through such innovations as the Kindle e-book reader and the Amazon Prime subscription service.

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.

Bezos would liken himself to David taking down Goliath, although the contrast between the leaders also had the feel of an Aesop’s fable: The muscular, mustachioed Riggio, a boxer’s son, upended by the quick and clever Bezos.

“We’re great booksellers; we know how to do that,’’ Riggio acknowledged to the Times in 2016. “We weren’t constituted to be a technology company.”

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

Leonard S. Riggio was the eldest son of a prize fighter (who twice defeated Rocky Graziano) turned cab driver and a dress maker. Even in childhood, he advanced quickly, skipping two grades and attending one of the city’s top high schools, Brooklyn Tech. He studied metallurgical engineering at New York University’s night school before focusing on commerce, and by day absorbed the bookselling world and the rising cultural rebellion of the 1960s.

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

Riggio and the independent community may have seemed to hold opposing values, but they shared a love of reading and the arts and a liberal political outlook. He was a generous philanthropist and a prominent supporter of Democratic politicians. He was even friendly with the consumer activist Ralph Nader, who featured Riggio, Ted Turner and Yoko Ono among others in his 2009 novel “Only the Super-Rich Can Save Us!”, in which Nader imagines a progressive revolution from above.

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.

“Money can become a burden, like something you carry on your shoulders,” he told New York magazine in 1999. “My nature is to be a ball-buster, but my role is to help people.”

barnstorming

Former President Donald Trump made a second campaign visit to North Carolina in as many weeks, this time stopping in Asheboro last Wednesday to speak on public safety and other topics. He appeared on stage with a dozen sheriffs from around North Carolina.

It was Trump’s first outdoor rally since he was shot in Pennsylvania in mid-July, and increased security was visible everywhere. Randolph County Sheriff sniper teams were stationed on a nearby rooftop, thick bulletproof glass surrounded the podium and there was a significantly larger Secret Service detail than at Trump’s last outdoor event.

At one point, a member of the crowd needed medical attention and Trump stopped his speech to embrace her at the fence before she was taken away by Asheboro FD personnel.

PHOTOS BY PJ WARD-BROWN / STANLY COUNTY JOURNAL

CHUCK BURTON / AP PHOTO

Flyover country

WHAT’S HAPPENING

Girl Scouts recruiting new members

In preparation for the new troop year beginning Oct. 1, Girl Scouts Carolinas Peaks to Piedmont is seeking new members and leaders. Girls in grades K-12 are eligible and application review is underway. The organization prides itself on offering a community that values friendship, learning, adventure and leadership. New troop leaders are also being recruited. You can search for a troop in your area and learn more by visiting BeAGirlScout.org/discover.

Red Cross facing blood emergency

The American Red Cross is facing a national blood emergency, exacerbated by recent severe weather events including Hurricane Debby. Nearly 60 blood drives were canceled nationwide, resulting in 1,500 uncollected blood donations. In North Carolina alone, Tropical Storm Debby led to 500 missed donations in August. The Red Cross emphasizes the critical need for both new and regular donors to address the shortage. Those in unaffected areas are urged to schedule appointments immediately. Donors can use the Red Cross Blood Donor App or visit RedCrossBlood.org to book. As incentives, donors through Aug. 31 will receive a $20 Amazon. com gift card, while those giving Sept. 1-15 will get an exclusive Red Cross T-shirt, supplies permitting.

Robinson campaign releases public safety plan

The plan includes increased penalties for certain crimes and cooperation with immigration officials

By A.P. Dillon Twin City Herald

RALEIGH — North Caroli-

na Lt. Gov. Mark Robinson released his public safety plan last week as part of his campaign for governor.

“For too long, far-left career politicians like Josh Stein and Kamala Harris have made our state and country a magnet for violent crime and dangerous drugs,” Robinson said in a press release. “From ending cash bail to pandering to radical activists that want to defund the police, Josh Stein and Kamala Harris’

pro-criminal, anti-law-enforcement agenda must end.

“My plan focuses on standing with law enforcement, cracking down on violent crime and dangerous drugs, and getting criminals off the streets and behind bars where they belong.”

Some key elements of Robinson’s plan include:

• Rejecting calls to defund the police and prioritizing raises for law enforcement officers in state budgets

• Reinstating the death penalty for those who kill police and corrections officers

• Requiring law enforcement to cooperate with federal immigration authorities and honor ICE detainers

• Rejecting proposals to end

NC elections board faces lawsuit over ‘ballot selfie’ law

Does a law prohibiting ballot photos violate First Amendment protections?

By Makiya Seminera The Associated Press

RALEIGH — A woman is suing state elections board over state laws that ban most photography in polling places after she took a selfie with her ballot in March. The lawsuit was filed in the U.S. Eastern District Court of North Carolina by Susan Hogarth. The lawsuit centers around a letter Hogarth said she received from the North Carolina State Board of Elections asking her to remove a post

on X that included a selfie she took with her completed ballot during the March primary election.

She says the letter and the laws underpinning it are unconstitutional. She is suing the Board of Elections and the Wake County Board of Elections.

The suit says Hogarth re -

cash bail and appointing judges who will follow the law and not let violent criminals out with “a slap on the wrist”

Robinson criticized the “pro-criminal, anti-law enforcement agenda” of Democratic leaders like Stein, the state’s attorney general and his Democratic opponent in the gubernatorial race, and Harris.

The press release cited the recent rise in violent attacks on law enforcement, large increases in murder in major metro areas like Charlotte and Raleigh, and growing problems with human trafficking and fentanyl overdoses as concerns Robinson wants to address.

The Robinson campaign also tied Harris to illegal immigration, a main talking point of Republicans in this election cycle.

“Since President Biden ap-

“My plan focuses on standing with law enforcement, cracking down on violent crime and dangerous drugs, and getting criminals off the streets and behind bars where they belong.”

Lt. Gov. Mark Robinson

pointed Kamala Harris border czar in 2021, human trafficking and drug smuggling continue to plague our state,” the release said.

In the past week, the RGA’s Right Direction PAC announced it was investing seven figures in ad buys targeting the North Carolina governor’s race.

The most recent ad attempts to tie Stein to the Biden administration’s “Bidenomics.” The ad points to inflation and high gas and food prices while quoting Stein as saying, “President Biden has done such a great job of jump-starting the economy.”

ceived a letter two weeks later from a state Board of Elections investigator asking her to take down the post, or she could face a misdemeanor charge. Hogarth refused.

“It would have been easier to just take the post down,” Ho -

Susan Hogarth shows the selfie she took in a North Carolina ballot box, something the state elections board says is a crime.

Neal Robbins, Publisher

Jim Sills, VP of Local Newspapers

Cory Lavalette, Senior Editor

Jordan Golson, Local News Editor

Shawn Krest, Sports Editor

Dan Reeves, Features Editor

Ryan Henkel, Reporter

P.J. Ward-Brown, Photographer BUSINESS

Ace Speedway COVID shutdown lawsuit can continue, court rules

By A.P. Dillon Twin City Herald

concluded that the claims are valid and therefore the State’s motion to dismiss must be denied. The Court of Appeals, in turn, properly affirmed that ruling,” the Supreme Court’s Aug. 23 ruling in Kinsley v. Ace Speedway states. “We affirm the decision of the Court of Appeals.”

In 2020, during COVID-19 restrictions, Ace Speedway’s owner publicly criticized the governor’s orders limiting crowd sizes and held races exceeding the limits. The state took enforcement action specifical-

ly against Ace Speedway, issuing an abatement order to shut it down. Ace Speedway filed a lawsuit claiming constitutional violations against the state, in particular, violations of their right to earn a living and allegations of selective enforcement. The case made it to the North Carolina Court of Appeals, which ruled in August 2022 that the case can proceed. The Supreme Court’s ruling says Ace Speedway’s allegations, if proven true, constitute colorable constitutional claims

that pierce the state’s sovereign immunity.

The ruling allows the lawsuit to proceed but does not decide the merits of the claims, and the court emphasized these are just allegations at this stage. The court also rejected the state’s argument about remedies, saying it’s too early to consider that issue.

garth said in a statement. “But in a free society, you should be able to show the world how you voted without fear of punishment.”

One reason for outlawing ballot photos, the state elections board says, is to prevent them from being used “as proof of a vote for a candidate in a vote-buying scheme.”

The North Carolina State Board of Elections and the Wake County Board of Elections declined to comment on the litigation.

Most states have passed laws permitting ballot selfies and other photography, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures.

Now, Hogarth and the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression (FIRE) are trying to do the same in North Carolina.

FIRE contends North Carolina’s ballot photography laws violate the First Amendment. The complaint adds that the state would need to demonstrate real concerns of vote-buying schemes that outweigh the right to protected speech.

NC Supreme Court won’t fast-track GOP lawsuit appeals

Republican leaders asked the high court to skip the Court of Appeals entirely

By Gary D. Robertson The Associated Press

RALEIGH — North Carolina’s highest court has decided it won’t fast-track appeals of results in two lawsuits initiated by Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper that challenged new laws that eroded his power to choose members of several boards and commissions.

The decisions could lengthen the process that leads to final rulings on whether the board alterations enacted by the GOP-controlled General Assembly in late 2023 over Cooper’s vetoes are permitted or prevented by the state constitution. The state Supreme Court may want to review the cases even after the Court of Appeals weighs in. No dates have been set for oral arguments at the Court of Appeals, and briefs are still being filed.

One lawsuit challenges a law that transfers the governor’s powers to choose state and local election board members to the General Assembly and its leaders. A three-judge panel of trial lawyers in March struck down election board changes, saying they interfere with a governor’s ability to ensure elections and voting laws are “faithfully executed.”

The election board changes, which were blocked, were supposed to have taken place last January. That has meant the current election board system

has remained in place — the governor chooses all five state board members, for example, with Democrats holding three of them.

Even before Friday’s rulings, the legal process made it highly unlikely the amended board composition passed by Republicans would have been implemented this election cycle in the presidential battleground state. Still, Cooper’s lawyers wrote the state Supreme Court saying that bypassing the Court of Appeals risked “substantial harm to the ongoing administration of the 2024 elections.”

In the other lawsuit, Cooper sued to block the composition of several boards and commissions, saying each prevented him from having enough control to carry out state laws. While a separate three-judge panel blocked new membership formats for two state boards that approve transportation policy and spending and select economic incentive recipients, the new makeup

of five other commissions remained intact.

Also Friday, a majority of justices rejected Cooper’s requests that Associate Justice Phil Berger Jr. be recused from participating in hearing the two cases. Cooper cited that the judge’s father is Senate leader Phil Berger, who is a defendant in both lawsuits along with House Speaker Tim Moore. In June, the younger Berger, a registered Republican, asked the rest of the court to rule on the recusal motions, as the court allows.

A majority of justices — the other four registered Republicans — backed an order saying they didn’t believe the judicial conduct code barred Justice Berger’s participation. The older Berger is a party in the litigation solely in his official capacity as Senate leader, and state law requires the person in Berger’s position to become a defendant in lawsuits challenging the constitutionality of state laws, the order said. The court’s two registered Democrats — Associate Justices Allison Riggs and Anita Earls — said that the younger Berger should have recused himself. In dissenting opinions, Riggs wrote that the code’s plain language required his recusal because of their familial connection.

ROBERT WILLETT / THE NEWS & OBSERVER VIA AP

Race fans wait in line to purchase tickets at the Ace Speedway in Altamahaw in May 2020.

THE CONVERSATION

Neal Robbins, publisher | Frank Hill, senior opinion editor

VISUAL VOICES

America in 1776 and today

Imagine what we can do in partnership with the government, lifting our neighbors up with a helping hand.

BEING A BUSINESSWOMAN, I’m accustomed to identifying a problem and developing a solution. In government, that’s difficult to do. First, it’s easy to identify the problem. But too many have a different idea of what the solution might be. Usually in government, too many think the answer is to throw more money at the problem. In business, that’s the definition of insanity. Throwing more money at the situation doesn’t help if changes are not made.

This is probably the most frustrating of all requirements to serve in government. Finding ways to institute solutions to a difficult problem when we can’t agree on the solution. Agreeing on the goal is easy, but often, too many think that if we only had more money to throw at the problem, it would be solved. That’s usually never the case.

I realize that this has been the standard operating procedure for many years. I decided to look back at some important lessons. Life in 1776 was quite different in many ways and yet very much the same. In 1776, the 13 colonies had been around for 150 years, and those with talent and ambition had risen to the top and acquired wealth. In the South, the wealthiest were large plantation owners. In the North, the higher-income earners were merchants like John Hancock. Then, there were lawyers like John Adams and tavern owners who averaged about $100,000 per year in modern money.

Surprisingly, doctors of the day made very little money. Dentists made even less and were very rare. That’s a big change from the way things are today.

In the northern colonies, data shows that the top 10% of the population owned about 45% of all wealth. In parts of the South, 10% owned 75% of the wealth. But America had a thriving middle class, in contrast to most countries at the time. There were many well-to-do farmers who shipped crops to Europe and the West Indies. These shipments provided enough profits to send their children to private schools and provide carriages and expensive gowns for their wives. Skilled workmen such as tailors and carpenters also prospered.

America was also a very diverse nation. The first census,

taken in 1790, shows that only 60% of our people came from England. The remainder were a mixture of German, Irish, African, Swedish, Dutch and Scottish.

America is still one of the most diverse nations on Earth. Our people come from every walk of life and every corner of the Earth. Each one is unique, a creation of the almighty with different skills and talents. Each is here for a purpose with distinct assignments.

The problems of today are not too different from the ones that were faced in 1776. There were many who were very rich and many who had little. That’s not too different than today.

The differences are stark in contrast to the role of government today and in 1776. There were no social programs for those who were poor to rely on. There were no welfare programs, Medicare, Medicaid, Social Security, Food Stamps, etc. We could go on for days making the contrast to programs available today compared to then.

This has reminded me of how often Jesus spoke about the poor and our responsibility to care for the least among us. I must point out that Jesus was speaking to us, the people, and not to the government when He commanded us to care for the poor. A faceless bureaucrat will never be able to take the place of a caring neighbor who loves and supports their fellow human beings. Imagine what we can do in partnership with the government, lifting our neighbors up with a helping hand.

Neighbors helping neighbors was a way of life in 1776 and not too many years ago as well. Sadly, today, it’s not so much the case. I’m afraid that too often, we look to someone else, oftentimes the government, to fill the roles that we, as fellow human beings, are commanded to fill.

Most of the changes since 1776 have made our country better. The community spirit and neighbor-helping-neighbor are not as strong a tradition as they were back then. They should be. It’s a grand solution to many problems.

Sen. Joyce Krawiec has represented Forsyth County and the 31st District in the North Carolina Senate since 2014. She lives in Kernersville.

Can DMV pilot its way to shorter lines on the horizon?

DMV launched an early check-in system called Q-Anywhere to help reduce the appearance of lines and let people wait in comfort.

Here’s what we saw: James Hall was in constant motion on a recent hot and humid Friday morning in Fuquay. As manager of that location, Hall was making sure customers in line had their papers in order and keeping an eye on things inside.

People began standing outside before the office opened at 8 a.m. Although walk-in visits did not start officially until noon, many of those in line had tried making an appointment and had waited in line multiple times at other offices. They came prepared on this day. One had an umbrella to shade himself from the sun. Another brought a kendama, the traditional Japanese cup and ball toy, to keep himself entertained. Near the 15-person line, Rep. Howard Penny (R-Harnett), Fuquay-Varina Mayor Blake Massengill, Town Manager Adam Mitchell, Holly Springs Mayor Sean Mayefskie and I talked with Commissioner Goodwin and his team about why this scene has become common.

We saw the DMV employees doing great work and heard customers leave praising their efforts. They are doing their best within a broken system — a broken system that we are working to fix.

Fuquay-Varina’s influx of new residents from across the country and around the world mean transactions take longer, but long lines are endemic. Ronald Byrd was on his third try to renew his driver’s license. “I tried Sanford since I was down that way but didn’t get in,” he told us. “I went to Erwin, but I didn’t get in there either.”

DMV is trying to overcome its own past experience to solve its customer service problems. Officials told us they tried all-day appointments but moved to morning- only appointments in October 2023 to accommodate more walk-in visits. That left half as many appointments available, forcing more people to show up without an appointment. Commissioner Goodwin promised to try different approaches and measure the results.

Inspired by common practice at hair salons and restaurants, DMV launched an early check-in system called Q-Anywhere to help reduce the appearance of lines and let people wait in comfort. The DMV’s twist on this convenience is that a person must go to the office and scan a QR code to check in. Although people line up before the office opens and can wait

We asked how DMV made decisions on staffing beyond one-day transfers to fill holes, but Commissioner Goodwin admitted that DMV has no system to receive data from around the state to determine where staff should go. They must have data-driven information to accurately allocate resources. If one of my constituents goes to another office in another county because the line is too long in Fuquay, DMV needs to know that.

They don’t. They should. I am grateful that DMV leadership was willing to visit with us and to measure results of its customer service changes. We want this to be far less painful experience. The citizens of southern Wake County look forward to tracking DMV’s progress.

Rep. Erin Paré represents southern Wake County, including Fuquay-Varina and Holly Springs.

COLUMN | REP. ERIN PARÉ

TRIAD STRAIGHT TALK | JOYCE KRAWEIC

STATE & NATION

North Korea unveils new drone in show of strength

The U.S. and South Korea have been conducting a large-scale exercise

By Kim Tong-Hyung

The Associated Press

Kim has been flaunting his growing military capabilities amid tensions with Washington and Seoul. North Korean photos of the test showed a white drone with X-shaped tails and wings supposedly crashing into and destroying a target resembling South Korea’s main K-2 battle tank. Most combat drones stand off from targets and fire missiles.

The test, which state media said took place Saturday, came as the U.S. and South Korean militaries are conducting a large-scale exercise aimed at enhancing their combined capabilities to defend against growing North Korean nuclear threats.

The allies said the Ulchi Freedom Shield drills, which continue through Thursday, are focused on enhancing their readiness against North Korean

threats and will also reflect lessons learned from recent armed conflicts.

The United States and South Korea also on Monday began a separate amphibious landing drill involving dozens of aircraft and vessels from their navies and marines, including U.S. F-35 fighters and the amphibious assault ship USS Boxer. South Korea’s military said the Ssangyong Exercise, which will continue through Sept. 7, is aimed at sharpening combat interoperability.

He called for accelerated development and production of various drones that explode on impact, conduct reconnaissance or attack targets underwater, KCNA said.

Some analysts suggest the North Korean drones shown in state media photos resemble Russia’s Zala Lancet-3 drones, and Lee said the South was looking into the possibility Russia had helped North Korea acquire its drone capability.

“We are aware that during the past exchanges between North Korea and Russia that some (drones) were given (to North Korea) as gifts,” Lee said. “We would need to analyze various aspects, including whether (North Korea) would have modified to improve their capabilities, or other possibilities.”

Italian prosecutors open shipwreck, manslaughter investigation into superyacht sinking

A British tech magnate and his daughter were among seven killed

By Giada Zampano

The Associated Press

Termini Imerese prosecutor Ambrogio Cartosio confirmed the investigation has been launched but hasn’t identified a suspect.

“We are only in the initial phase of the investigation. We can’t exclude any sort of development at present,” he told reporters at a news conference.

“For me, it is probable that offenses were committed, that it could be a case of manslaughter, but we can only establish that if you give us the time to investigate,” he said. The main question investigators are focusing on is how a sailing vessel deemed “unsinkable” by its manufacturer, Italian shipyard Perini Navi,

sank while a nearby sailboat remained largely unscathed.

Initially, civil protection of-

“We can’t exclude any sort of development at present.”

Ambrogio Cartosio, Termini Imerese prosecutor

ficials said they believed the yacht, which featured a distinctive 246-foot aluminum mast, was struck by a tornado over the water, known as a waterspout.

Investigators were also asked why the crew was almost entirely saved, except for the chef, while six passengers remained trapped in the hull.

Deputy Prosecutor Raffaele Cammarano said it was likely the passengers were asleep, adding that one of the main focus of the investigation is to ascertain whether they were alerted by someone.

Cammarano confirmed that

exchange for economic aid and technologies to upgrade Kim’s nuclear-armed military.

Animosity on the Korean Peninsula is high as Kim uses Russia’s war against Ukraine as a distraction while he strengthens his nuclear-armed military and issues verbal threats of conflict toward Washington and Seoul.

While most of the international attention has been focused on his long-range missiles designed to reach the U.S. mainland, Kim has also been expanding weapons targeting rival South Korea, most notably short-range missiles and artillery systems the North has described as nuclear-capable.

Earlier this month, Kim staged a huge ceremony in North Korea’s capital, Pyongyang, to mark the delivery of 250 nuclear-capable missile launchers to frontline military units and called for a ceaseless expansion of the military’s nuclear program.

Analysts say Kim may seek to dial up pressure in a U.S. election year as he advances his long-term goals of forcing Washington to accept the idea of the North as a nuclear power and negotiate economic and security concessions from a position of strength.

one person was on watch in the cockpit.

Rescuers last Friday brought ashore the last of seven bodies from the sinking of the Bayesian, a 184-foot British-flagged luxury yacht that went down in a storm near the Mediterranean island in southern Italy early Monday. The sailboat was carrying a crew of 10 people and 12 passengers.

Rescuers struggled for four days to find all the bodies, making only slow headway through the interior of the wreck lying on the seabed 164 feet below the surface.

Prosecutors said the recovery of the Bayesian will be crucial for the investigation but noted it will be a long and complex process, which will be paid for by the owners.

The other five victims are Christopher Morvillo, one of Lynch’s U.S. lawyers, and his wife, Neda; Jonathan Bloomer, chairman of Morgan Stanley’s London-based investment banking subsidiary, and his wife, Judy; and Recaldo Thomas, the yacht’s chef.

KOREAN CENTRAL NEWS AGENCY / KOREA NEWS SERVICE VIA AP

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un inspects a demonstration of what it says is a drone crashing into a target at an undisclosed location in North Korea on Saturday.

ALBERTO LO BIANCO / LAPRESSE VIA AP

Italian firefighter divers last Friday bring ashore the body of one of the victims of a shipwreck off Sicily.

Forsyth SPORTS

Boise State, Liberty, UTSA top contenders for Group of Five’s spot in college football playoff

App State also hopes to take advantage of the expanded playoff field

By Eric Olson The Associated Press

BOISE STATE HAS won 83 of 100 Mountain West games and five championships since joining the conference in 2011, and the stage is set for the Broncos to take the next step.

“There’s a lot of great excitement and buzz, and our players deserve that,” coach Spencer Danielson said, “but we’ve got to continue to earn it every single day.”

The 2021 Cincinnati Bearcats are the only Group of Five team to make the playoff since its inaugural 2014 season. Beginning this year, spots are reserved for the five highest-ranked conference champions. With the demise of the Pac12, there are now four power conferences. That leaves the winner of the American Athletic, Conference USA, Mid-American, Mountain West or Sun Belt to receive an automatic bid.

Here’s a look at the other teams expected to challenge Boise State for a spot in the playoff.

Liberty

The defending Conference USA champion Flames were unbeaten last season until their bowl loss to Oregon, and they could be just as good with the return of star quarterback Kaidon Salter and running back Quinton Cooley.

Liberty gets a couple measuring-stick games early with September road trips to New Mexico State and Appalachian State.

UTSA

Back-to-back nonconference road games against Sun Belt favorite Texas State and SEC newcomer Texas are big tests.

Memphis

The Tigers are coming off a 10-win season and are the AAC favorite with a bevy of experience on both sides of the ball.

Fourth-year starting quarterback Seth Henigan put up some of the best numbers in the FBS, throwing for 3,883 yards and 32 touchdowns and averaging 319.8 yards per game in total offense. His

top four targets are back.

Early games against Troy, at home, and on the road against Florida State will be good measuring sticks. Tough November games against UTSA and Tulane are both on the road.

Appalachian State

The Mountaineers have the Sun Belt Conference preseason offensive player of the year in quarterback Joey Aguilar and the core of a defense that intercepted 15 passes.

Aguilar passed for 33 touchdowns, including 10 to returning receiver Kaedin Robinson. Kanye Roberts, who averaged 5.7 yards per carry and scored five touchdowns, is the top returning running back following Nate Noel’s transfer to Missouri.

The Sun Belt East Division favorite’s schedule features nonconference games against Clemson (road), East Carolina (road) and Liberty (home).

Tulane

Tulane has the third-toughest schedule among Group of Five teams. It opens against Kansas State (home) and Oklahoma (road) and close against Memphis (home).

ATHLETE OF THE WEEK

JP Gilchrist

East Forsyth, football

JP Gilchrist is a senior wide receiver on the East Forsyth football team.

The Eagles opened the season with a 44-0 win over Heritage on Friday. Gilchrist, who had 42 catches for 581 yards and six touchdowns last season, set a pace to improve significantly on those numbers this year.

Against the Huskies, Gilchrist had four catches for 101 yards and two touchdowns, including a 52-yarder.

There are players in their mid-20s all over college football; here’s why

COVID and injuries are both contributing to extra‑long college careers

The Associated Press

EACH TIME he sees his freshman teammates, Oklahoma State quarterback Alan Bowman gets a reality check about the length of his college career.

“When I was playing as a true freshman at Texas Tech, they were probably in seventh grade,” Bowman said. Bowman is entering his seventh year of college football and his situation isn’t unique in this era of college football.

working toward a graduate certificate in leisure studies at Oklahoma State, and he also is getting a real estate license. Here are the other ACC players entering their seventh season or later.

Louisville QB Tyler Shough Shough, who turns 25 next month, redshirted at Oregon in

Miami’s Cam McCormick follows the action during a game last September. This season will be his ninth in college football.

DOUG MURRAY / AP PHOTO

SIDELINE REPORT

NCAA BASKETBALL

Maui Invitational returns to island after wildfires; UNC, UConn highlight field Lahaina, Hawaii

Two-time defending national champion UConn will highlight the Maui Invitational, which is returning to the Lahaina Civic Center a year after fatal wildfires forced a move to Honolulu.

The tournament will be played from Nov. 25-27. The Huskies will take on Memphis on the opening day, followed by Colorado -Michigan State, Auburn-Iowa State and Dayton-U NC. Tournament

chairman Dave Odom called it one of the strongest fields in the event’s history. UConn is making its fifth Maui appearance.

NFL Herbert, other Chargers players stuck in elevator for 2 hours

Arlington, Texas

Los Angeles Chargers

coach Jim Harbaugh praised quarterback Justin Herbert and others who were stuck on an elevator for two hours at the team hotel in Dallas. The incident happened the night before a preseason game against the Cowboys. Harbaugh says “11 or 12 of our players” were on the elevator along with Jeri Fouts, the wife of Pro Football Hall of Fame quarterback Dan Fouts. Harbaugh says he almost ended up on the elevator that got stuck. The Chargers beat the Cowboys 26-19 in their preseason finale.

MLB

Ruth’s “called shot” jersey sells at auction for over $24 million

Dallas The jersey Babe Ruth wore when he called his shot during the 1932 World Series, hitting a home run to center field, has sold at auction for o$24 million.

Heritage Auctions said the New York Yankee slugger’s jersey went for $24.12 million after a bidding war in Dallas that lasted over six hours. Heritage says the buyer wishes to remain anonymous. The record-breaking amount the jersey sold for topped fellow Yankee Mickey Mantle’s 1952 rookie card, which the Dallas-based auction house sold for $12.6 million in 2022.

NHL, NBA

Diamond Sports will continue to broadcast NHL, NBA games through upcoming season

Houston The largest broadcaster of regional sports networks across the country will continue to televise games for more than a dozen NBA teams and nine NHL teams — including the Carolina Hurricanes and Charlotte Hornets — through the 2024-25 season even as it moves through bankruptcy proceedings.

Diamond Sports Group, which broadcasts the Ballybranded regional sports networks, said it has reached agreements to carry games for the upcoming season.

DSG will drop the contracts of the NBA’s Dallas Mavericks and New Orleans Pelicans. The deals require the approval of a federal bankruptcy judge.

Burton earns first win in wild NASCAR Cup race at Daytona

Harrison Burton’s victory earned him a surprise playoff berth

By Mark Long The Associated Press DAYTONA BEACH,

Fla. —

Out of his ride and far removed from the playoff picture, Harrison Burton changed his fortunes with a lap to remember Saturday night at Daytona International Speedway.

Burton passed two-time Cup Series champion Kyle Busch on the final lap in overtime to pick up his first career victory and a spot in NASCAR’s postseason.

The 23-year-old Burton, who already lost his ride in the famed No. 21 Ford with Wood Brothers Racing next season, took the lead thanks to a huge push from little-known Parker Retzlaff.

Busch fought back and had a chance down the stretch. He even got to Burton’s bumper and forced Burton below the double-yellow line. But NASCAR officials ruled the contact caused

Burton to cross the line and did not penalize him.

“Besides just flat-out wrecking him, there was nothing else I could do,” Busch said.

Busch finished second, followed by Christopher Bell, Cody Ware and Ty Gibbs. It was Burton’s first win in 98 career Cup starts, and it was the 100th victory for the Wood Brothers.

Burton’s dad, former NASCAR driver Jeff Burton, called the race for NBC Sports and radioed down to offer his congratulations. He also hustled down from the broadcast booth to celebrate with his son in victory lane.

“It’s been the hardest three of years of my life, obviously the

hardest three years for some of these guys’ lives,” Harrison Burton said. “To win it the way we just did it, to beat the best in the business — Kyle Busch — across the line, it’s pretty fantastic.”

No one saw it coming, even though Daytona often provides unique winners. Burton had one top-five finishes and five top-10s in his three-plus years driving at NASCAR’s top level.

Now, he gets to vie for a championship that would be even more improbable.

Hall of Famer Al Attles dies at 87

The former NC A&T player starred as a player and coach for the Warriors

By Janie McCauley The Associated Press

OAKLAND, Calif. — Al

Attles, a Hall of Famer who coached the 1975 NBA champion Warriors and spent more than six decades with the organization as a player, general manager and most recently team ambassador, has died. He was 87.

Nicknamed “The Destroyer” for his physical style of play, the Warriors were his love and his only team after they selected him in the fifth round of the 1960 draft after playing at NC A&T. He remained employed by Golden State until his death, with his 64-year stint the longest with a single franchise for one person in league history.

Attles, one of the first black head coaches in the NBA, was witness to some of the greatest games spanning different eras. He played in Wilt Chamberlain’s 100-point game for the Philadelphia Warriors in Hershey, Pennsylvania, on March 2, 1962. He also coached Hall of Famer Rick Barry the day he

scored 64 against Portland on March 26, 1974, then watched Klay Thompson drop 60 points in December 2016.

“My heart is heavy today with the loss of my mentor and friend. Al was my roommate during my rookie season,” Barry said in a statement. “Later, as our coach during the 1975 championship season, he exemplified leadership, togetherness and a keen strategic ability.”

Attles coached the Warriors to their first championship since moving West in 1975. His 557 coaching wins are the

most in franchise history.

Attles never compared all the great performances he cherished getting to see up close. Different basketball times, different challenges. So many special milestones to celebrate and appreciate, he insisted.

“Because I played with Wilt, people always ask, ‘What do you think about Wilt scoring 100 points?’ I say, ‘Give him credit for what he did then.’ It’s like apples and oranges. They’re both good fruit. It’s a matter of what you like. I was very close to Wilt, but you have to enjoy

Five other winless drivers are vying for the three remaining spots: Martin Truex Jr., Gibbs, Chris Buescher, Bubba Wallace and Ross Chastain. The regular season ends next week at Darlington. All five contenders were involved in crashes at Daytona. The scariest ones came late. More aerials Josh Berry’s No. 4 Ford flipped and slammed into an inside retaining wall while upside down and sliding on its roof. Berry had to wait several minutes inside his car as safety crews flipped the car over. But Berry flashed a thumbs-up to the crowd after getting helped out. Berry was leading the race with two laps to go when Austin Cindric got turned sideways by Busch and slammed into Berry. It was the second time in less than a week that a Cup car flipped. Corey LaJoie went for a wild ride at Michigan International Speedway on Monday, and NASCAR modified the cars in hopes of raising liftoff speed and keeping cars on all four tires.

what they did that night. I enjoy any great performance.”

As a player, Attles averaged 8.9 points, 3.5 rebounds and 3.5 assists in 11 seasons with the Warriors.

The Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame honored him with the John W. Bunn Lifetime Achievement Award in 2014.

In the months leading up to his Hall of Fame enshrinement as part of the Class of 2019, Attles remained his usual modest self.

“They made a mistake,” Attles joked with a big grin, still showing that quick wit. “They haven’t caught up to me yet.”

Long known for his fashionable suits on the sidelines and even later once watching in the stands, Warriors coach Steve Kerr once paid tribute to Attles by wearing one.

“He’s the face of the franchise,” Kerr said. “He’s been so for 60 years, so he’s an incredible presence.”

Former center Clifford Ray considered Attles a “father figure to all of us,” and noted that black NBA players often felt more comfortable learning from the coach because of their similar cultural background.

“He made things easy and simplified things,” Ray said. “He also didn’t inundate us with a lot of technical things and paperwork. It was very structured. We knew what we were doing.”

JESSICA HILL / AP PHOTO

Class of 2019 Basketball Hall of Fame inductees Al Attles, left, and Vlade Divac, right, laugh during a news conference.

PHELAN M. EBENHACK / AP PHOTO

championship trophy after winning Saturday night’s NASCAR Cup Series

“I cried the whole victory lap.” Harrison Burton

STATE & NATION

North Korea unveils new drone in show of strength

The U.S. and South Korea have been conducting a large‑scale exercise

By Kim Tong-Hyung

The Associated Press

The allies said the Ulchi Freedom Shield drills, which continue through Thursday, are focused on enhancing their readiness against North Korean

threats and will also reflect lessons learned from recent armed conflicts.

The United States and South Korea also on Monday began a separate amphibious landing drill involving dozens of aircraft and vessels from their navies and marines, including U.S. F-35 fighters and the amphibious assault ship USS Boxer. South Korea’s military said the Ssangyong Exercise, which will continue through Sept. 7, is aimed at sharpening combat interoperability.

He called for accelerated development and production of various drones that explode on impact, conduct reconnaissance or attack targets underwater, KCNA said.

“We are aware that during the past exchanges between North Korea and Russia that some (drones) were given (to North Korea) as gifts,” Lee said.

“We would need to analyze various aspects, including whether (North Korea) would have modified to improve their capabilities, or other possibilities.”

Italian prosecutors open shipwreck, manslaughter investigation into superyacht sinking

A British tech magnate and his daughter were among seven killed

By Giada Zampano

The Associated Press

Termini Imerese prosecutor Ambrogio Cartosio confirmed the investigation has been launched but hasn’t identified a suspect.

“We are only in the initial phase of the investigation. We can’t exclude any sort of development at present,” he told reporters at a news conference.

sank while a nearby sailboat remained largely unscathed.

“We can’t exclude any sort of development at present.”

Ambrogio Cartosio, Termini Imerese prosecutor

ficials said they believed the yacht, which featured a distinctive 246-foot aluminum mast, was struck by a tornado over the water, known as a waterspout.

Investigators were also asked why the crew was almost entirely saved, except for the chef, while six passengers remained trapped in the hull.

Deputy Prosecutor Raffaele Cammarano said it was likely the passengers were asleep, adding that one of the main focus of the investigation is to ascertain whether they were alerted by someone.

Cammarano confirmed that

exchange for economic aid and technologies to upgrade Kim’s nuclear-armed military.

one person was on watch in the cockpit.

Rescuers struggled for four days to find all the bodies, making only slow headway through the interior of the wreck lying on the seabed 164 feet below the surface.

Prosecutors said the recovery of the Bayesian will be crucial for the investigation but noted it will be a long and complex process, which will be paid for by the owners.

KOREAN CENTRAL NEWS AGENCY / KOREA NEWS SERVICE VIA AP

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un inspects a demonstration of what it says is a drone crashing into a target at an undisclosed location in North Korea on Saturday.

ALBERTO LO BIANCO / LAPRESSE VIA AP

Italian firefighter divers last Friday bring ashore the body of one of the victims of a shipwreck off Sicily.

barnstorming

At one point, a member of the crowd needed medical attention and Trump stopped his speech to embrace her at the fence before she was taken away by Asheboro FD personnel.

PHOTOS BY PJ WARD-BROWN / TWIN CITY HERALD

CHUCK BURTON / AP PHOTO

Randolph record

Flyover country

“Trump Force One” made a dramatic entrance at Asheboro Regional Airport last Wednesday as former President Donald Trump made his second campaign appearance in North Carolina in as many weeks. Turn to A6 and B6 for more photos from the event.

WHAT’S HAPPENING

Asheboro to return to regular water treatment

The City of Asheboro will resume standard water treatment practices using chloramines Sept. 3. This means that customers should no longer notice a slight chlorine odor or taste, such as they may have experienced over the past month, according to information from the city. Each year the city uses a pure chlorine water treatment to help ensure a high level of disinfection in the water mains. During the remainder of the year, a chloramines treatment is used. This is a compound of chlorine and ammonia that results in water with little odor or taste. Both treatment methods meet all requirements set by the N.C. Department of Environment and Natural Resources, according to the city’s release. The city’s annual water quality report (which is mailed to every city household and made available online) details water treatment and testing standards. Customers with special health concerns, such as those on kidney dialysis, are encouraged to seek advice about drinking water from their medical professional.

Five finalists named for RCSS Teacher of the Year

Five finalists have been named for Teacher of the Year in the Randolph County School System. They are Elizabeth Tillery of Trinity High School, Harmonee Klein of Hopewell Elementary School, Lauren Wood of Randolph Early College, Sarah Davis of Randleman High School and William Villano of Uwharrie Ridge Six-Twelve. The winner will be unveiled Sept. 3 during the annual banquet at Pinewood Country Club in Asheboro.

Ramseur’s police force disappears

The chief is retiring from the small town amid pay disputes for officers

R andolph Record staff

RAMSEUR — The Ramseur Police Department might not exist by the beginning of next month.

That was the fallout from a sometimes-heated city council meeting last week.

Chief David Presley said he’ll retire at the end of August, and he’s the last full-time officer standing. Five of the department’s officers resigned, in part connected to disputes regarding potential pay increases.

Meeting attendees expressed displeasure with Mayor Hampton Spivey and his handling of the situation.

Presley submitted a request for a 10% bump for his officers. The town says it can only afford a 5% hike. The chief’s overall budget request was for an additional $200,000 for his department in the next fiscal year.

Spivey said the chief’s pro -

posed budget increase was on top of the existing $655,000 police department budget.

There were “tough decisions,” mayor pro tem Tresa Hatchett said at the meeting.

“You can’t dip into the rainy day fund every time you have

want,” she said. If Ramseur’s police department folds, that would mean the area would receive primary coverage from the Randolph County Sheriff’s Office.

Several residents spoke out at the meeting to express con-

cerns about the potential lack of law enforcement presence specific to Ramseur.

Presley has been working in Ramseur since 1996. At least two officers left the department because of higher pay elsewhere, Presley said.

Two Eastern Randolph students die in car wreck

Randolph Record staff

RAMSEUR — The Eastern Randolph High School community is in mourning after the death of two students in an automobile accident last Thursday night.

Mario Lara, 15, died at the scene, while Tyler Franklin, who was the driver of the Infiniti, died Friday after he was airlifted to Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center in Winston-Salem.

Two other students were hospitalized following the single-vehicle accident. Franklin, 17, was the son of Kevin Franklin, who is president of the Randolph County Economic Development Corporation.

The accident occurred at

about 6:25 p.m. at the intersection of Parks Crossroads Church Road and Kildee Church Road in Ramseur.

Based on an initial police report, Franklin’s vehicle traveled off the road to the right, overcorrected, reentered the roadway before traveling off the roadway to the right again and hitting a tree.

Emergency services said it received two 911 calls from iPhone crash notifications within the car.

Fred Smith, board chair of the Randolph County Economic Development Corporation, released a statement.

“This tragic event touches so many of our friends, students, and the faculty of Eastern Randolph High School as well as our community at large,” the

statement said. “Our business community was especially saddened to learn that the son of Kevin Franklin, President of the Randolph County Economic Development Corporation, was among those in the accident. On behalf of the RCEDC Board, staff and associates, our thoughts and prayers for healing and comfort go out to those families involved.”

The two injured passengers in the vehicle have been described as teenage girls.

Classes at the school began Monday.

The Randolph County School System released a statement that said in part: “These students are very special members of the student body at Eastern Randolph High School as well as the Randolph Coun-

ty School System. The leadership of the school system will keep these students and their families in our thoughts and prayers during this difficult time. “ The school district announced that counselors will be on the school’s campus this week to provide support for students and staff members as needed.

THE RANDOLPH COUNTY EDITION OF NORTH STATE JOURNAL

PJ WARD-BROWN / RANDOLPH RECORD

Last week’s city council meeting drew plenty of attention in Ramseur.

PJ WARD-BROWN / RANDOLPH RECORD

Editor

Ryan Henkel, Reporter

P.J. Ward-Brown, Photographer

BUSINESS

David Guy, Advertising Manager

Army’s training might involve Randolph land

Several counties could have training activities through the first week of September

Randolph Record staff

THE U.S. ARMY’S special forces training exercises called Operation Robin Sage that involve Randolph County are taking place through Sept. 5.

The two-week exercises in multiple sites across North Carolina and South Carolina are the final test of the U.S. Special Forces training, according to the John F. Kennedy Special Warfare Center and School.

Numerous North Carolina counties are included in the list of areas that might involve the exercises. In addition to Randolph County, they are Avery, Alamance, Anson, Bladen, Brunswick, Cabarrus, Chatham, Columbus, Cumberland, Davidson, Duplin, Guilford, Harnett, Hoke, Lee, Montgomery, Moore, Richmond, Robeson, Rowan, Sampson, Scotland, Stanly, Union and Wake.

The participants are students at the U.S. Army John F. Kennedy Special Warfare Center and School at Fort Liberty (formerly known as Fort Bragg).

Matson, Wittenberg join RCC board

Two board members were renewed, while there also was a retirement

CRIME LOG

Aug. 20

• Gary Michael Shipwash, 51, of Archdale, was arrested by Randolph County Sheriff’s Office (RCSO) for two counts of second degree sexual exploitation of a minor.

• Stephon Omar Silas, 28, of Randleman, was arrested by RCSO for breaking and entering a place of worship and injury to real property.

• Christopher Stanley Genopolos, 46, was arrested by Randleman PD (RPD) for second degree trespass and possession of stolen goods.

Aug. 21

• George Archie Beane, 47, of Seagrove, was arrested by Asheboro Police Department (APD) for misdemeanor larceny, breaking and entering, and injury to real property.

• Benjamin Hunter Bowman, 22, of Ramseur, was arrested by RCSO for larceny after breaking and entering, two counts of larceny of a motor vehicle, and breaking and entering.

• Raymond Alsheen Brooks, 47, of High Point, was arrested by RPD for sex offender residence violation and three counts of failing to register as a sex offender.

• Janelle Ann Gilmer, 56, of Randleman, was arrested by RPD for second degree trespass.

• Kevin Lee Hege, 24, of Sophia, was arrested by RCSO for non support of a child.

• Dylan Andrew Pastva, 27, was arrested by RPD for second degree trespass, first degree trespass, injury to personal property, and breaking and entering.

Aug. 22

• Joshua Blaine Arquette, 37, was arrested by RCSO for larceny of a motor vehicle.

• David Martrice Camp, 34, was arrested by RCSO for assault inflicting serious injury, injury to personal property, resisting a public officer, three counts of communicating threats, and disorderly conduct.

• Harold Lee Collins, 54, of Sophia, was arrested by APD for misdemeanor child abuse and driving while license revoked.

Aug. 23

• Nataly Carbajal Hernandez, 22, of Asheboro, was arrested by APD for possession of methamphetamine and possession of drug paraphernalia.

Randolph Record staff ASHEBORO — Jonathan Matson and Bill Wittenberg were sworn in as the newest members of the Randolph Community College Board of Trustees during the board’s monthly meeting Aug. 15. Vice chair James Gouty and Chris Yow also took their oaths of office as their terms were renewed, while Harvey Boone retired from the board. The board also voted to retain the same officers with Reynolds Lisk as chair, Gouty as

vice chair and RCC president/

CEO Shah Ardalan as secretary.

Matson, who was the state House of Representatives choice, is an electrical engineer with Somero Matson Group, a family company that created scheduling software for contractors and builds instruments for measuring concrete flooring.

“My hopes are to help and keep up the good work at RCC, especially working with Toyota,” he said. “My background is in construction technology, so I might be able to help educate people about some of the opportunities available in that industry.”

Wittenberg, who is the state

These military members act as realistic opposing forces and guerrilla freedom fighters, also known as Pineland’s resistance movement. To add realism of the exercise, civilian volunteers act as role players.

All Robin Sage movements and events have been coordinated with public safety officials throughout the counties where training takes place.

Residents might hear blank gunfire, see occasional flares and military aircraft or vehicles. Controls are in place to ensure there is no risk to the public or property, according to the U.S. Army.

Residents with concerns should contact local law enforcement officials, who’ll contact exercise control officials.

Training areas and vehicles used during exercises should be clearly labeled.

Questions concerning the exercise should be referred to the U.S. Army John F. Kennedy Special Warfare Center and School Public Affairs Office at 910-432-5703 or pao_swcs@ socom.mil.

Senate’s choice, is retired. He was the CEO of Klaussner Furniture from 2010-19, joining the High Point Market Authority Board of Directors in 2016 and being elected chair of the American Home Furnishings Alliance Board of Directors in 2018. Before Klaussner, Wittenberg was CEO of Berkline/BenchCraft.

The September 2023 state budget changed the way members of local boards of trustees for community colleges are chosen. Instead of four seats selected by the local board of education, four by the local board of commissioners and four by the governor, eight trustees will be appointed by the North Carolina General Assembly — four from the House of Representatives and four from the Senate — and four by the board of commissioners of the county in which the main campus of the college is located. One of those four trustees can be a county commissioner.

Guide

Here’s a quick look at what’s coming up in Randolph County:

Aug. 31

Letters From Home

7 p.m.

Sunset Theatre 234 Sunset Ave., Asheboro

Prepare to be dazzled and entertained as “Letters From Home” descends upon Asheboro’s historic Sunset Theatre on Saturday, Aug. 31 at 7 p.m. (doors open at 6 p.m.) hosted by Randolph County Veterans Services Office. “Letters From Home” infuses the classic style of the USO with a witty, modern edge. A donation will be collected to benefit local veterans’ organizations, continuing the tradition of supporting those who have served our country.

Joseph Sand Pottery – Summer Kiln

Opening – Final Day

10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

2555 George York Rd., Randleman

Sept. 2

Teen Zone

4 to 5 p.m.

Asheboro Public Library 201 Worth St.

Every Monday at 4 p.m., teens take over the TeenZone at the Asheboro Public Library! Asheboro Public Library TeenZone hosts programs for ages 12+, including arts and crafts, book clubs, tutoring nights and more. Free programs, no registration required. For more information, call 336‑318‑6804.

Sept. 3

Randolph County Farmers Market

2 to 6 p.m. 214 Park Dr., Archdale

Asheboro Downtown Farmers Market

7 a.m. to 1 p.m.

134 S. Church St.

This is a growers only market where you will find local, homegrown and home processed products from Randolph County. The farmers featured are from diverse and minority backgrounds. For more information, call 336‑626 1 240.

COURTESY RCC

Left to right, Bill Wittenberg, Jonathan Matson, Chris Yow and vice chair James Gouty are sworn in Aug. 15 at the Randolph Community College Board of Trustees meeting. At the far right is Kevin Walker, executive assistant to the president and board of trustees.

THE CONVERSATION

Neal Robbins, publisher | Frank Hill, senior opinion editor

VISUAL VOICES

| SUSAN ESTRICH

She nailed it

I think Harris will wipe the floor with him.

KAMALA HARRIS did exactly what she needed to do. She introduced herself to the American people.

Her speech — roughly one-third the length of Trump’s diatribe at the Republican National Convention — did what his was supposed to do but didn’t. He was supposed to give a speech about unity. That lasted about 15 minutes until he veered off script and went back to polarization politics.

by the movement for change, by the optimism about the future, by the size of the tent, big enough for everyone from Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez to Adam Kinzinger.

The best Trump could do in response, on Truth Social and on Fox News, was to fling his usual mud in response. “SAY GOODBYE TO THE U.S.A.! SHE IS A RADICAL MARXIST!” he posted. In real time, he repeated his lies about immigration and crime. “LYING AGAIN ABOUT PROJECT 2025, WHICH SHE KNOWS, AND SO DO ALL DEMOCRATS, THAT I HAVE ABSOLUTELY NOTHING TO DO WITH!” In fact, it was drafted by numerous alumni and friends of the Trump administration as a playbook for the next Republican administration. He defended the overturning of Roe v. Wade, falsely claiming that “everybody,” including Democrats, “wanted Roe v. Wade TERMINATED.” No, they didn’t; an overwhelming majority of Americans support Roe v. Wade. In response to her strong commitment to Israel’s security, he posted “SHE HATES ISRAEL ― Wouldn’t even show up to Congress for Netanyahu’s session!” In fact, she met with him privately. And on and on. Throw all the mud you can and hope something sticks. Repeat the same lies over and over again in the hope that if people hear it enough times, they will believe it. Will it work?

Can DMV pilot its way to shorter lines on the horizon?

DMV launched an early check-in system called Q-Anywhere to help reduce the appearance of lines and let people wait in comfort.

I’VE SEEN FIRSTHAND the troubles our citizens have with the DMV. I’ve witnessed the full waiting room and the line stretched around the building at the Fuquay-Varina office in my district. Something has to change. I invited Commissioner Wayne Goodwin to meet me there to talk about solutions. Here’s what we saw: James Hall was in constant motion on a recent hot and humid Friday morning in Fuquay. As manager of that location, Hall was making sure customers in line had their papers in order and keeping an eye on things inside. People began standing outside before the office opened at 8 a.m. Although walk-in visits did not start officially until noon, many of those in line had tried making an appointment and had waited in line multiple times at other offices. They came prepared on this day. One had an umbrella to shade himself from the sun. Another brought a kendama, the traditional Japanese cup and ball toy, to keep himself entertained. Near the 15-person line, Rep. Howard Penny (R-Harnett), Fuquay-Varina Mayor Blake Massengill, Town Manager Adam Mitchell, Holly Springs Mayor Sean Mayefskie and I talked with Commissioner Goodwin and his team about why this scene has become common.

We saw the DMV employees doing great work and heard customers leave praising their efforts. They are doing their best within a broken system — a broken system that we are working to fix.

And it’s still a close race, at this point, too close to call.

Susan Estrich is a lawyer, professor, author and political commentator.

Despite the best efforts of DMV officials to make these recent changes, patience is running out from southern Wake residents. The problem only seems to be getting worse. We also urged DMV officials to explore reworking the design of the office to allow more space for examiners, finding a larger facility for the office, and adding an additional site in the area. All would accommodate more customers in our fast-growing area. We asked how DMV made decisions on staffing beyond one-day transfers to fill holes, but Commissioner Goodwin admitted that DMV has no system to receive data from around the state to determine where staff should go. They must have data-driven information to accurately allocate resources. If one of my constituents goes to another office in another county because the line is too long in Fuquay, DMV needs to know that. They don’t. They should. I am grateful that DMV leadership was willing to visit with us and to measure results of its customer service changes. We want this to be far less painful experience. The citizens of southern Wake County look forward to tracking DMV’s progress.

Rep. Erin Paré represents southern Wake County, including Fuquay-Varina and Holly Springs.

COLUMN

COLUMN | REP. ERIN PARÉ

NASA will send SpaceX to rescue stranded Boeing astronauts

Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams will not return until February

By Marcia Dunn

The Associated Press

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla.

— NASA decided it’s too risky to bring two astronauts back to Earth in Boeing’s troubled new capsule, and they’ll have to wait until next year for a ride home with SpaceX. What should have been a weeklong test flight for the pair will now last more than eight months.

The seasoned pilots have been stuck at the International Space Station since the beginning of June. A cascade of vexing thruster failures and helium leaks in the new capsule marred their trip to the space station, and they ended up in a holding pattern as engineers conducted tests and debated what to do about the flight back.

After almost three months, the decision finally came down from NASA’s highest ranks on Saturday. Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams will come back in a SpaceX capsule in February. Their empty Starliner capsule will undock in early September and attempt to return on autopilot with a touchdown in the New Mexico desert.

As Starliner’s test pilots, the pair should have overseen this critical last leg of the journey.

“A test flight by nature is neither safe nor routine,” said NASA Administrator Bill Nelson. The decision “is a result of a commitment to safety.”

Nelson said lessons learned from NASA’s two space shuttle accidents played a role. This time, he noted, open dialogue was encouraged rather than crushed.

“This has not been an easy decision, but it is absolutely the right one,” added Jim Free, NASA’s associate administrator.

It was a blow to Boeing, adding to the safety concerns plaguing the company on its airplane side. Boeing had counted on Starliner’s first crew trip to revive the troubled spacecraft program after years of delays and ballooning costs. The company had insisted Starliner was safe based on all the recent thruster tests both in space and on the ground.

Rare, deadly mosquito virus leads to closings in Massachusetts

A case of eastern equine encephalitis is the state’s first since 2020

By Nick Perry

The Associated Press

A RARE BUT DEADLY disease spread by mosquitoes has one town in Massachusetts closing its parks and fields each evening. Four other towns are urging people to avoid going outdoors at night.

They’re concerned about eastern equine encephalitis. State health officials announced last week a man in his 80s had caught the disease, the first human case found in Massachusetts since 2020.

The town of Plymouth, about 40 miles southeast of Boston, announced Friday that it’s closing public outdoor recreation facilities from dusk until dawn each day after a horse in the town was infected with the disease. Meanwhile, state health officials warned that a cluster of four towns south of Worcester — Douglas, Oxford, Sutton and Webster — are at “critical risk” after a man from Oxford caught the virus. State and local health officials urged people in those towns to avoid the peak mosquito biting times by finishing outdoor activities by 6 p.m. until Sept. 30 and then by 5 p.m. after that, until the first hard

frost.

They also recommend that people across Massachusetts use mosquito repellents when outdoors and drain any standing water around their homes.

Jennifer Callahan, Oxford’s town manager, wrote in a memo that the family of the man who caught the virus in mid-August had reached out to her office.

“They want people to be aware this is an extremely serious disease with terrible physical and emotional consequences, regardless if the person manages to live,” Callahan wrote.

She said the infected person had often recounted to his family how he never got bitten by mosquitoes. But just before he became symptomatic, he told

Boeing did not participate in Saturday’s news conference by NASA but released a statement: “Boeing continues to focus, first and foremost, on the safety of the crew and spacecraft.” The company said it is preparing the spacecraft “for a safe and successful return.”

Rand Corp.’s Jan Osburg, a senior engineer who specializes

them he had been bitten. She said the man remains hospitalized and is “courageously battling” the virus.

Callahan said the family is urging people to take the public health advice seriously and to do their utmost to protect themselves.

The presence of the virus in Massachusetts this year was confirmed last month in a mosquito sample and has been found in other mosquitoes across the state since then.

In a 2019 outbreak, there were six deaths among 12 confirmed cases in Massachusetts. The outbreak continued the following year with five more cases and another death.

There are no vaccines or treatment for EEE.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says that although rare, EEE is very serious and about 30% of people who become infected die.

in aerospace and defense, said NASA made the right choice. “But the U.S. is still left with egg on its face due to the Starliner design issues that should have been caught earlier.”

Wilmore, 61, and Williams, 58, are both retired Navy captains with previous long-duration spaceflight experience. Before their June 5 launch from Cape Canaveral, Wilmore and Williams said their families bought into the uncertainty and stress of their professional careers decades ago.

During their lone orbital news conference last month, the astronauts said they had trust in the thruster testing being conducted. They had no complaints, they added, and enjoyed pitching in with space station work.

Wilmore’s wife, Deanna, said she and their daughters, along with family and friends, “were praying for a safe return on whatever spacecraft that may be.” While they are disappointed that he will be away longer, “we know that it’s the Lord’s plan,” she said via text.

The SpaceX capsule currently parked at the space station is reserved for the four residents who have been there since March. They will return in late September, their routine six-month stay extended a month by the Starliner dilemma. NASA said it would be unsafe to squeeze two more into the capsule, except in an emergency.

The docked Russian Soyuz capsule is even tighter, capable of flying only three — two of them Russians wrapping up a yearlong stint.

So Wilmore and Williams will wait for SpaceX’s next taxi flight. It’s due to launch in late September with two astronauts instead of the usual four. NASA is yanking two to make room for Wilmore and Williams on the return flight in late February.

“They want people to be aware this is an extremely serious disease with terrible physical and emotional consequences, regardless if the person manages to live.”

Jennifer Callahan, Oxford, Massachusetts, town manager

Symptoms include fever, headache, vomiting, diarrhea and seizures.

People who survive are often permanently disabled, and few completely recover, Massachusetts authorities say. The disease is prevalent in birds, and although humans and some other mammals can catch EEE, they don’t spread the disease. The CDC says only a few cases of EEE are reported in the U.S. each year, with most infections found in the eastern and Gulf Coast states.

Boeing Crew Flight Test astronauts Butch Wilmore, left, and Suni Williams will not return to Earth until February.

George Allen Cockerham

Aug. 26, 2024

George Allen Cockerham, age 96, of Asheboro, passed away on August 26, 2024, at Clapp’s Convalescent Nursing Home.

The family will receive friends on Friday, August 30, 2024, from 6 to 8 p.m. at Pugh Funeral Home, 437 Sunset Avenue in Asheboro. Funeral services will be held on Saturday, August 31, 2024, at 11 a.m. at Asheboro First Wesleyan Church, 825 Highland Street in Asheboro with Rev. Mark C. Beane officiating. Interment will follow at Randolph Memorial Park with military honors by the Randolph County Honor Guard.

Kathy Walker

Sept. 23, 1966 –Aug. 24, 2024

Kathy Jean Cook Walker, 57, of Asheboro, North Carolina, passed away Saturday, August 24, 2024, at her home.

A memorial service will be conducted at 2 p.m., Saturday, September 7, 2024, at Ridge Funeral Home Chapel.

Kathy was born in Randolph Co., NC on September 23, 1966, the daughter of the late Hubert Cook and Patty Brigman Cook. She enjoyed traveling the world, and some of her favorite trips were to Disney World, Jamaica, New Orleans, LA, and their home in Myrtle Beach, SC. Kathy loved her dogs Ozzy, Miley, Zoey, Bentley and Ziggy. Her family was most important to her, and she loved them very much.

Mrs. Walker is survived by her husband of 19 years, William Walker; daughters, Camilla Morton Sexton and husband Dylan, Megan Chandler and fiancé Chris Brouillard; son, John Walker Coltrane and husband, Robert; brothers, Ted Cook and wife Geri, Ronnie Cook and wife Ruth Ann; grandchildren, Eleanor Chandler, Henry Chandler; and great niece, Anna Kaye Poole. Memorials may be made to the American Cancer Society, 7027 Albert Pick Rd., Greensboro, NC 27409.

Ronald “Ronnie” Yow

June 2, 1948

Aug. 19, 2024

Ronald “Ronnie” Keith Yow, 76, of Asheboro, North Carolina, passed away Monday, August 19, 2024, at High Point Medical Center.

A funeral Service will be conducted at 11 a.m., Friday, August 23, 2024, at Ridge Funeral Home Chapel, with Pastor Jeff Freeman officiating. Burial will follow at Randolph Memorial Park, with military honors provided by the Randolph County Honor Guard. Ronnie was born in Randolph

obituaries

Linda Carol Cockerham

Nov. 9, 1941 –Aug. 25, 2024

Linda Carol Cockerham went to live with Jesus on Sunday, August 25 from Clapps Convalescent Home in Asheboro, North Carolina. Linda was born on November 9th, 1941, in Asheboro to the late Neal and Ruth Cockerham.

She lived her entire life in Asheboro, except during the war when she lived with her parents in Wilmington, NC, while her dad worked at the shipyard.

Linda was a dedicated and loyal employee at the Asheboro Public Library for over 38 years where she made many friends. In 1980, she was selected by the Asheboro Pilot Club as the Handicapped Woman of the Year. Linda never let her handicapping condition interfere with spreading warmth and kindness to everyone she met. She faced every situation in her life with a joyful heart.

Linda was a faithful member of Balfour Baptist Church for over 70 years and served as the church librarian. She thought it necessary to read every book received before she put it on the shelves. Reading was her passion. Even after Clapps became her forever home in 2019, she made sure her nurses had her tablet charged up so she could watch all the services at her beloved church.

Linda is survived by her brother, Mike (Anne) Cockerham of Wilmington, her sister, Susan (Wiley) Ballard of Ocean Isle Beach, and Harold, her puppy, who visited her often at Clapps and brought her such joy.

Nieces and nephews and extended family: Keisha (John) Akers and Owen, Olivia, Harrison and Hines Akers of Matthews, Beau (Jenny) Eckard and Braxton and Brody Eckard of Hickory, Matt Cockerham and Walker and Bryson Cockerham of Wilmington, Josh (Haley) Cockerham of Wilmington, also, Greg, Ann and McCray Hinson of Raleigh and Johnna Harrelson of Whiteville.

The family would like to thank her church family at Balfour for all the visits, cards, phone calls and prayers and also Clapps Convalescent Home who surrounded our dear sister with love and tender care and whom she regarded as her family, never holding back on sharing her faith and her opinions on all subjects, which was one of her endearing qualities. Finally, special thanks to “Dee” her caregiver and best friend, who always gave Linda unconditional love and attention. We are forever grateful.

A graveside service will be held at noon on Thursday, August 29 at Oaklawn Cemetery, 737 Albemarle Rd., 1713, Asheboro, NC. Memorials can be made to: Balfour Baptist Church Library, 1642 N, Fayetteville St., Asheboro, NC 27203 or the Asheboro Public Library, 201 Worth St., Asheboro, NC 27203.

Co., NC, on June 2, 1948. Ronnie was a proud, passionate U.S. Marine veteran, making sure to show time and respect to other veterans. He enjoyed golfing and watching football, basketball and racing. He will always be remembered for his great storytelling.

Mr. Yow was preceded in death by his mother, Kathleen “Kitty” Yow, stepson, Joey Moore, and brother in law, Michael Jordan. Ronnie is survived by his wife, Connie Yow of the home; son, Brian K. Yow (Laurie) of Asheboro; stepson, Shane Johnson (Kelley) of Charleston, SC; stepdaughter, Janet Sykes (Keith) of Asheboro; father, Glen Yow of Asheboro; sister, Ginger Yow Jordan of Asheboro; grandchildren, Kaili Yow, Kiersten Yow, Kamryn Yow, Austin Sykes, Kinsley Johnson, Ashlyn Johnson; nephew, Andrew Jordan (Ashley) of Asheboro; niece, Allison Jordan (Josh) of Asheboro; many cousins; and fur baby, “Ally.” The family will receive friends from 6 to 8 p.m. on Thursday, August 22, 2024, at Ridge Funeral Home & Cremation Service. Memorials may be made to the Wounded Warrior Project, P.O. Box 758517, Topeka, KS 66675.

Lawrence “Bobby” Everette Sellers

Sept. 4, 1934 –Aug. 25, 2024

Lawrence “Bobby” Everette Sellers, 89, of Asheboro passed away on August 25, 2024, at the Randolph Hospice House.

A funeral service will be held at 11 a.m., Thursday, August 29, 2024, at the Ridge Funeral Home Chapel with Rev. Scotty Sellers officiating. Burial will follow at Holly Hill Memorial Park Cemetery, Thomasville.

Bobby was born in Anson County, NC on September 4, 1934, to the late Thomas Gunter Sellers and MayBelle Brooks Sellers. He retired from Branch Motor Lines. Bobby also owned and operated Lawrence Sellers Trucking. He was a member of Oakhurst Baptist Church. He enjoyed restoring old cars and trucks.

Bobby was preceded in death by his parents and brothers: Clarence Sherrill Sellers, Richard Brooks Sellers, William Ray Sellers and Johnny Edward Sellers. He is survived by his wife, Jessie Harris Sellers, sister, Peggy Sellers Graf, brother, Thomas “Billy” Sellers, and special pet, Roxy. The family will receive friends from 9:45 to 10:45 a.m. on Thursday, August 29, 2024, at Ridge Funeral Home.

Memorials may be made to Hospice of Randolph, 416 Vision Drive, Asheboro, NC 27203.

Darlene Eldreth Moore

June 7, 1948 –Aug. 23, 2024

Cecylia Darlene Eldreth Moore, age 76, of Randleman passed away on August 23, 2024, at her home. Mrs. Moore was born in Ft. Bragg, NC on June 7, 1948, to Cecil and Lois Heath Eldreth. Darlene attended Randleman High School and was the owner/operator of Jitterburger in Randleman. She was a member of the First Presbyterian Church in Asheboro. In addition to her parents, Darlene was preceded in death by her son, David Lawson, Jr. Darlene loved her children, her husband and her grandchildren dearly. She and her husband, Jim, loved to take cruises and attend NASCAR races. She is survived by her husband of 33 years, James “Jim” Moore; daughters, Christine Lein (Jamie) of Charlotte and Michelle Atkins of High Point; stepchildren, Jerry Moore (Stephanie) of Asheboro and Traci McDaniel (John) of Asheboro; grandchildren, Kamerin, Christian, Carsten, Brittany, Nick, Kari and Caleb; several great grandchildren; and siblings, Tony Eldreth (Suzy) of Winston Salem, Patricia Covington (Steve) of Denton and Debbie Pegram (David) of New London. The family will receive friends on Sunday, August 25, 2024, from 1 to 2 p.m. at Pugh Funeral Home, 437 Sunset Avenue in Asheboro. Funeral services will follow on Sunday at 2 p.m. at the Pugh Funeral Home Chapel with Rev. Mark Hall officiating. Interment will be held at the Smyrna Grove Community Church Cemetery.

David Turner

Sept. 20, 1962 –Aug. 24, 2024

David Neil Turner, 61, of Sophia, North Carolina, passed away Saturday, August 24, 2024, at High Point Medical Center. Memorial services will be conducted at 2 p.m., Wednesday, August 28, 2024, at Ridge Funeral Home Chapel, with Rev. Charles Trout officiating. Mr. Turner was born in Guilford Co., NC, on September 20, 1962, the son of the late Neil Turner and Ruth Gunter Turner Mosley. He was a very “outdoorsy” person who loved 4 wheeling, rock crawling and anything adventurous. David had an incredible sense of humor and was a big jokester, always playing pranks on people. The most important part of David’s life was his family and providing for them. He was a proud husband, father and “very proud” Papaw. Survivors include his wife, Robin Turner of the home; daughters, Nicole Turner, Kady Turner, both of Ocean Isle Beach, NC; grandson, Connor David Turner. sisters, Glenda Smith (Robert) of High Point, Janice Welborn (Ray) of Climax, Wanda Turner, formerly of Thomasville; and brother, Jackie Turner (Doris) of Sophia. The family will receive friends at Ridge Funeral Home following the service.

Ray Kearns

April 21, 1944 – Aug. 23, 2024

Mr. Francis Ray Kearns, 80, of Asheboro, North Carolina, passed away Friday, August 23, 2024, at his residence. Funeral Service will be conducted at 2:00 p.m., Monday, August 26, 2024, at Ridge Funeral Home Chapel, with Pastor Brian Faircloth officiating. Burial will follow at Mt. Lebanon Baptist Church Cemetery.

Mr. Kearns was born in Randolph Co., NC, on April 21, 1944, the son of the late Paul Spivey and Ida Kearns. He was the best mechanic in the world and could build any engine in no time. He loved motorcycles and was an outdoorsman. Ray had a big heart for animals, especially dogs and his pit bull, Buddy. Above all, Ray was a family man. In addition to his parents, Mr. Kearns was preceded in death by his wife, Shirley Williams Kearns, and his brother, Kenneth Paul Spivey.

Mr. Kearns is survived by his son, Ben Kearns, of the home; sisters in law, LaRue Cook (Larry) of Denton, Betty Satterfield of Troy; brother in law, Vance Williams of Seagrove; several nieces and nephews including his niece, Jamie Satterfield, who had a special relationship with his family; and several great nieces and nephews.

The family will receive friends from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. on Sunday, August 25, 2024, at Ridge Funeral Home.

Memorials may be made to Randolph County SPCA, 300 W. Bailey Street, Asheboro, NC 27203; or the American Cancer Society, 7027 Albert Pick Rd., Greensboro, NC 27409.

May 30, 1945 –Aug. 25, 2024

Lillian Marlene Wilson (79) of Ramseur, NC passed peacefully into the arms of our Lord on August 25, 2024.

Born on May 30, 1945, to Ida Mae and James Bartlett of Vermont, she was one of three children and attended RHAM High School in Hebron, CT. Lillian went on to become a CNA, med tech and nurse. She married her husband, Henry Wilson, and spent time traveling between Connecticut, Maine, Vermont, North Carolina and Kansas, before his death on April 29, 2011. After Henry’s passing, Lillian moved back to North Carolina where she enjoyed spending time with her children, grandchildren and great grandchildren.

Lillian was a devoted mom and Christian. She always looked forward to family outings to the beach, monthly girls’ nights, attending revivals and church retreats to the mountains. She also enjoyed many hobbies including gardening, cooking and crocheting.

In addition to her husband, Lillian was predeceased by her infant son, her son in law, Terry Smith, her parents, Ida and James Bartlett, her two sisters, Betty Wilson and Susan Sarubee, as well as her grandson, Jesse Dodge.

She is survived by her loving children: Heidi Wilson and spouse John of Asheboro, NC, Henry Dodge and wife Lily of Ramseur, NC, Dollie Smith of Ashland, ME, and John Lowe of Springfield, MO, as well as 13 grandchildren and 18 great grandchildren.

The family will receive friends at Ridge Funeral Home on Thursday, August 29, 2024, from 4 to 6 p.m. A ceremony to spread Lillian’s ashes will be held at the convenience of the family.

Memorial contributions may be made to Hospice of Randolph, 416 Vision Drive, Asheboro, NC 27203.

June 6, 1948 –Aug. 23, 2024

Linda Ann Hooker, 76, of Asheboro, North Carolina, passed away Friday, August 23, 2024, at Randolph Health, Asheboro, NC. A funeral Service will be conducted at 11 a.m., Wednesday, August 28, 2024, at Ridge Funeral Home Chapel, with Pastor Paul Milton and Rev. Jehiah Cundiff officiating. Burial will follow at St. Marks Methodist Church Cemetery. Linda was born in Randolph Co., NC, on June 6, 1948, the daughter of the late Percell Ellerbe and Fleta Davis Ellerbe. She was a devoted member, secretary and treasurer for St. Marks Methodist Church for over 20 years. Linda retired from Arrow Manufacturing after 21 years. She loved cooking for her friends and family. Linda was a loving mother, grandmother and great grandmother. In addition to her parents, Linda was preceded in death by her brothers, Johnny Ellerbe, Marvin Ellerbe; and a sister, Dorothy Dorsett. She is survived by her sons, Tyrone Ellerbe of Asheboro, Christopher Hooker of Greensboro, Anthony Hooker of Charlotte, Harry Hooker, Jr. (Alex) of New York, NY, Falcaro Hooker of Asheboro; many grandchildren; many great grandchildren; and her sisterhood that she cherished deeply.

The family will receive friends from 6 to 8 p.m. on Tuesday, August 27, 2024, at Ridge Funeral Home & Cremation Service.

Linda Hooker

Lillian Marlene Wilson

Trump in Asheboro

Bottom: Asheboro FD personnel assist a woman in the crowd who had a medical issue during Trump’s speech. The former president stopped his speech while EMS intervened, then proceeded to embrace the woman before she was helped away for treatment.

Former President Trump and his running mate stopped by the North Carolina Aviation Museum at Asheboro Regional Airport last Wednesday for a campaign rally, and we were there to capture it.

Clockwise from top left: Former President Donald J. Trump greets the crowd; VP candidate JD Vance; Rep. Richard Hudson (R‑09); Randolph Sheriff Greg Seabolt; a young supporter waiting for Trump to arrive; a Randolph Sheriff’s Deputy stands guard.

PHOTOS BY PJ WARD-BROWN / RANDOLPH RECORD

CHUCK BURTON / AP PHOTO

JULIA NIKHINSON / AP PHOTO

RandolpH SPORTS

Winning smiles

Uwharrie Charter Academy’s volleyball team has had plenty to celebrate across the first couple of weeks of the season. The Eagles have already rolled up big success with a bunch of nonconference matches.

Defenses provide foundation in football openers

Providence Grove won just weeks after a coaching change

Randolph Record staff

DEFENSES FOR Randleman and Eastern Randolph were in good form and Asheboro’s offense put up the most points of any Randolph County team in the first week of the high school football season.

There were a couple of coaches in their first games with Randolph County teams, with a win and a loss in those outcomes.

Last Friday night’s openers provided an array of outcomes and storylines. Here’s a look.

Asheboro 38, Albemarle 14: At Albemarle, DJ Scott gained 226 rushing yards and scored two touchdowns as the visiting Blue Comets won their opener for the second year in a row.

Last year, they never won again. But for the opening night it was smooth at times. Quincey Lee picked up 93 rushing yards and also posted two touchdowns.

Aiden Robinson caught a touchdown pass from Logan Laughlin.

plaque upon his induction into the Wall of Fame at Caraway Speedway.

Caraway

The

Micah Garcia kicked a 31-yard field goal. Providence Grove 33, East Davidson 14: At Climax, Providence Grove scored a couple of touchdowns on defense and won just a few weeks after a coaching change. Mark Heilig took over the program as interim coach following David Hayes’ departure after preseason practices began earlier this month. Holden Swift and Jameson Summey returned interceptions for touchdowns for the Patriots. Jackson Lawver threw touchdown passes to Jacob Flinchum and Jack-

Hunter

UCA’s pitcher has built strong baseball credentials just halfway through high school

By Bob Sutton Randolph Record

ASHEBORO — When Jake Hunter was named the Most Valuable Player of the state championship baseball series in the spring, it turns out he was just getting warmed up.

The Uwharrie Charter Academy pitcher had a summer filled with travel baseball and has been assessing some of the college recruiting interest that has been directed his way.

“I kind of set my focus on travel ball and doing what I need to do to play college baseball,” Hunter said.

Yet he is only halfway through his high school career. In each of his first two seasons, he logged complete games in the opening game of the Class 1A state finals. He struck out 11 batters in the eight-inning matchup with Northside-Pinetown the season.

“That was as dominant as

son Rhyne. Brady Collins ran for a touchdown. Randleman 28: Thomasville 0: At Thomasville, John Kirkpatrick had scoring passes of 10, 14 and 45 yards in the visiting Tigers’ victory. The outcome spoiled the debut of Thomasville coach Bradley George. Thomasville advanced to the Randleman 5-yard line in the fourth quarter, but a fumble thwarted that scoring chance.

Eastern Randolph 29, Eastern Alamance 0: At Mebane, the

See FOOTBALL, page B2

I was all year,” Hunter said.

“Since I’d been there before, I kind of knew what to expect.”

Hunter and rising senior Brett Smith have been a strong combination on the UCA mound.

“The depth that we have, we’re just blessed that all of our pitching is coming back next year,” coach Rob Shore said. Hunter has been a consistent starter since his first season, giving the Eagles a luxury.

Now he has picked up the MVP label.

“The MVP definitely helped my stock a little bit,” Hunter said.

The weekend after UCA captured its second consecutive state crown, Hunter was in a travel ball event. In the following weeks, he put in more work during travel ball with 5 Star National. That took him to tournaments in Florida, Georgia and Alabama.

“I pitched against some of the best competition,” the righthander said.

Hunter, at 6-foot-2 and about 160 pounds, routinely had fastballs clocked in the 85-86 mph range, sometimes a tick or two

Friday’s games

Asheboro at Eastern Randolph

Southern Guilford at Providence Grove West Stokes at Randleman

North Moore at Southwestern Randolph

Trinity at Albemarle

Wheatmore at East Davidson

higher. That’s not his main emphasis.

“My best attribute is knowing where the ball is going,” he said.

Hunter played shortstop when he wasn’t pitching for much of the past two UCA seasons. He sticks to pitching for 5 Star National.

“If I go anywhere (to play collegiately), it’s going to be pitching,” he said.

COURTESY CARAWAY SPEEDWAY

Homer Allred accepts a

Lowder family had a productive night on the track

Randolph Record staff

SOPHIA — Five men were inducted into Caraway Speedway’s “Wall of Fame” in prerace activities Saturday night. Jesse Coke, Wayne Andrews, Homer Allred, Charles Sweatt and Richard Townsend

make up the Class of 2024. On the track, the Lowder family had a big night. Rylan Lowder claimed the Bandoleros feature, pulling away from runner-up Mason Roberts. Michael Scronce, Lincoln Baucom and Kolton Peckish rounded out the top three. Lowder took the checkered flag before his father and grandfather competed in the

COURTESY NCHSAA

Pitcher Jake Hunter of UCA was the Most Valuable Player in the Class 1A state finals a few months ago.

WARD-BROWN / RANDOLPH RECORD

HOME PLATE MOTORS

Elijah Woodle

Asheboro, football

Woodle, a senior receiver and defensive back, is bound to be a key part of the Blue Comets’ offense this year as one of the top returning playmakers. He made a pair of catches in the team’s season-opening victory at Albemarle.

Last year, he racked up 10 touchdown receptions to go with a team-high 780 receiving yards. He made a team-best 47 catches.

Woodle doesn’t limit his contributions to football for Asheboro. He also plays basketball and competes in track and field.

As a junior, he was an All-Mid-Piedmont Conference selection in all three sports.

BASEBALL from page B1

The 2024 season wasn’t totally smooth. In a mid-March game at Central Davidson, Hunter was on third base when he tagged up on a fly ball and headed toward the plate. He dodged the catcher and scored but suffered a hyperextended right knee in the process.

That cost him a couple weeks of playing time as he recovered.

“It was pretty tough,” he said.

“But I kind of knew I wasn’t going to be gone for long.”

By the postseason, he was rolling, pitching for the Eagles in the first and third rounds of

the state playoffs before throwing a shutout against Mount Airy in Game 1 of the regional finals.

Hunter, 17, reclassified during eighth grade, and that delayed his entry to high school. He said he hopes that translates into being a sought-after talent in the Class of 2026.

He’s embracing chances to attend college camps, taking part in a North Carolina event last weekend in Chapel Hill. He said he has a full travel ball schedule again this fall in addition to playing in the high school fall league at McCrary Park in Asheboro.

“It’s a nonstop thing,” he said.

Ace

The long-running suit alleges numerous constitutional violations

By A.P. Dillon Randolph Record

“The trial court correctly concluded that the claims are valid and therefore the State’s motion to dismiss must be denied. The Court of Appeals, in turn, properly affirmed that ruling,” the Supreme Court’s Aug. 23 ruling in Kinsley v. Ace Speedway states. “We affirm the deci-

sion of the Court of Appeals.” In 2020, during COVID-19 restrictions, Ace Speedway’s owner publicly criticized the governor’s orders limiting crowd sizes and held races exceeding the limits. The state took enforcement action specifically against Ace Speedway, issuing an abatement order to shut it down.

Ace Speedway filed a lawsuit claiming constitutional violations against the state, in particular, violations of their right to earn a living and allegations of selective enforcement. The case made it to the North Carolina Court of Appeals, which ruled in August 2022 that the case can proceed. The Supreme Court’s ruling says that Ace Speedway’s allegations, if proven true, constitute colorable constitutional claims that pierce the

state’s sovereign immunity.

PREP SPORTS ROUNDUP

Southwestern Randolph gets off to a strong start in soccer

Randolph Record staff

UWHARRIE Charter Academy has won nine of its first 10 volleyball matches this season.

The Eagles added three more triumphs last week with home sweeps of Phoenix Academy and Union Pines and a road conquest of Richmond County.

UCA defeated Richmond County 25-19, 25-13, 25-19 as Emory Johnson posted 23 assists and Caroline Way provided nine kills and nine aces.

• Asheboro’s 25-6, 25-21, 25-18 sweep of visiting Eastern Randolph included 14 service points and five kills from Emma Ingold.

• Trinity had road victories against Southern Guilford in a sweep and against Southeast Guilford in four sets.

Trinity’s Avalynn Johnson totaled 69 assists for those two matches. Karrington Batten’s 15 kills and six aces and Kaitlyn McCoy’s 19 kills and four aces paced the Bulldogs vs. Southeast Guilford.

Boys’ soccer

Cam Letterlough tallied three goals and Ozmar Martinez had the other in Asheboro’s 4-3 victory against visiting Western Alamance. Win Smith had two assists.

• Southwestern Randolph’s 4-1 victory against visiting Jor-

• Kailey Brown’s 18 assists and Lara Wiseman’s seven kills came in Providence Grove’s 2518, 25-13, 25-13 sweep of visiting East Davidson.

FOOTBALL

visiting Wildcats spoiled the head coaching debut for Mitch Mitchener at Eastern Alamance.

Eastern Randolph led 14-0 at halftime and scored a third-quarter touchdown before adding a safety and another touchdown in the fourth quarter.

The Eagles won openers against Eastern Randolph the two previous seasons, marking the only regular-season defeats for the Wildcats in those years.

West Davidson 27, Wheatmore 20: At Trinity, the host Warriors fell in the first

game under new coach Jacob Sheffield.

West Davidson scored the only points in the fourth quarter and snapped a 16-game losing streak that included last year’s 33-7 opening loss to the Warriors.

The Dragons led 20-12 at halftime before Wheatmore pulled even in the third quarter.

Aaron Journigan’s short touchdown run with slightly more than three minutes left gave West Davidson the winning points.

Wheatmore’s Johnathan Kelly ran for two touchdowns, including one for 71 yards, and gained 134 rushing yards. Dan-

dan-Matthews came with two goals apiece from Fernando Hernandez and Aaron Avina.

The Cougars won 2-1 at Bishop McGuinness with goals from Braydon Tyl and Avina, pushing their record to 3-0.

• Wheatmore avenged an opening-game loss to East Davidson by picking up a 3-1 road victory with goals from Carter Queen, Sawyer St. Clair and Jaylen Aquillina.

ny Craig also rushed for a touchdown.

Starmount 43, Trinity 0: At Trinity, the Bulldogs lost to Starmount for the second year in a row. Trinity failed to mount sustained offense.

Jymire Billips scored three rushing touchdowns and Luke Collins ran for two more touchdowns for Starmount, which led 23-0 at halftime. The Bulldogs failed to cash in on either of Collins’ two interceptions.

Western Guilford 29, Southwestern Randolph 0: At Asheboro, the host Cougars lacked in production on offense. Western Guilford, up 6-0 at halftime, pulled away.

RANDOLPH RECORD FILE PHOTO

PJ WARD-BROWN / RANDOLPH RECORD

Uwharrie Charter Academy’s Caroline Way goes up for a spike during last week’s victory against visiting Union Pines.

from page B1

ROBERT WILLETT / NEWS & OBSERVER VIA AP

Race fans wait in line to purchase tickets at the Ace Speedway in Altamahaw in May 2020.

pen & paper pursuits

this week in history

Princess Diana died in a tragic car crash, Katrina ravaged New Orleans, Mother Teresa canonized

The Associated Press

HERE’S WHAT happened this week in history.

AUG. 29

1814: During the War of 1812, Alexandria, Virginia, formally surrendered to British military forces.

1825: Portugal and Brazil signed the Treaty of Rio de Janeiro, officially ending the Brazilian War of Independence.

1944: Approximately 15,000 American troops of the 28th Infantry Division marched down the Champs Elysees in Paris to celebrate its liberation from the Nazis.

2005: Hurricane Katrina struck the U.S. Gulf Coast near Buras-Triumph, Louisiana, breaching levees and spurring floods that devastated New Orleans. The costliest storm in U.S. history, Katrina caused nearly 1,400 deaths and an estimated $200 billion in damage.

AUG. 30

1916: Ernest Shackelton successfully returned to Elephant Island in Antarctica to rescue 22 stranded crew members. The crew had survived on the barren island for 4½ months after their ship, the Endurance, sank.

1967: The Senate confirmed Thurgood Marshall’s appointment as the first black justice on the U.S. Supreme Court.

AUG. 31

1886: An earthquake with an estimated magnitude of up to 7.3 devastated Charleston,

South Carolina, killing at least 60 people. 1962: The Caribbean nation of Trinidad and Tobago became independent of British colonial rule.

1997: Diana, Princess of Wales, was killed as the car she was riding in crashed on the Pont de l’Alma bridge in Paris; her partner Dodi Fayed and driver Henri Paul (who was found to have been intoxicated at the time of the accident) also died.

SEPT. 1

1715: After a 72-year reign, King Louis XIV of France died four days before his 77th birthday.

1923: The Japanese cities of Tokyo and Yokohama were devastated by an earthquake that claimed some 140,000 lives.

1939: World War II began as Nazi Germany invaded Poland.

1969: A coup in Libya brought Moammar Gadhafi to power.

1972: American Bobby

Fischer won the international chess crown in Reykjavik, Iceland, as Boris Spassky of the Soviet Union resigned before the resumption of Game 21

SEPT. 2

1789: The United States Treasury Department was established.

1945: Japan formally surrendered in ceremonies aboard the USS Missouri in Tokyo Bay, ending World War II.

1969: In what some regard as the birth of the Internet, two connected computers at UCLA passed test data through a 15foot cable.

SEPT. 3

1783: Representatives of the United States and Britain signed the Treaty of Paris, officially ending the Revolutionary War.

1939: Britain, France, Australia and New Zealand declared war on Germany two days after the Nazi invasion of Poland; in a radio address, Britain’s King George VI said, “With God’s help, we shall prevail.”

1943: Allied forces invaded Italy during World War II.

1970: Legendary football coach Vince Lombardi, 57, died in Washington, D.C.

SEPT. 4

1781: Los Angeles was founded by Spanish settlers under the leadership of Gov. Felipe de Neve.

1888: George Eastman received a patent for his roll-film box camera and registered his trademark: “Kodak.”

2016: Elevating the “saint of the gutters” to one of the Catholic Church’s highest honors, Pope Francis canonized Mother Teresa.

JACQUELINE ARZT LARMA / AP PHOTO Diana, Princess of Wales, was killed in a car crash on the Pont de l’Alma bridge in Paris; her partner Dodi Fayed and driver Henri Pau were also killed.

DAVID J. PHILLIP / AP PHOTO

Hurricane Katrina ravaged New Orleans, causing nearly 1,400 deaths and an estimated $200 billion in damage.

Former Pentagon insider says US holds back UFO info in ‘Imminent’

The Department of Defense often put up roadblocks for Luis

Elizondo

By Jeff Rowe

The Associated Press

A PROCESSION of books in recent years have explored the UFO phenomenon, but only some, perhaps with the authority Luis Elizondo brings as a Defense Department insider, laboring for decades to learn who the visitors are, where they are from and what they want.

In the 275 pages of “Imminent: Inside the Pentagon’s Hunt for UFOs,” Elizondo provides evidence of what the U.S. Department of Defense knows with this somewhat surprising conclusion — Defense Department higher-ups often thwart Elizondo and his team’s efforts.

Why? Elizondo writes that the defense establishment doesn’t want to present a problem it neither can explain nor offer a solution to. But are these visitors a threat? Elizondo concludes that their capabilities make them a “very serious national security issue.”

The earliest documented UFO sightings date back to before World War II. Since then, many UFOs have violated sensitive military airspace, but no one appears to have been deliberately hurt by a UFO in the United States. However, perhaps given his combat experiences and long association with Defense Department work, Eli-

“Imminent:

zondo worries about another 9/11-type attack, a threat we should have anticipated but did not.

Elizondo deploys too many government acronyms — consider AAWSAAP/AATIP, for example — but he undeniably thoroughly presents what he has worked on and learned over two decades. Pages of diagrams and explanations suggest how UFOs might propel themselves.

Elizondo became so alarmed at what he was learning about UFOs that the Defense Department refused to disclose to the public. He ultimately resigned from his job with the Defense Department so he could go pub-

New streaming service peeks into 2024 election

Swing State Election News lets streamers choose from 37 local television stations, including in N.C.

By David Bauder The Associated Press

NEW YORK — Fans of politics have another way to keep track of what’s happening in the most competitive states in the country through a new service that collects and streams local newscasts.

Swing State Election News, which began operation Monday, lets streamers choose from 37 local television stations in Arizona, Georgia, Michigan, Nevada, North Carolina, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin. These stations are primarily local affiliates of CBS, NBC, ABC and Fox.

Those states, pollsters have concluded, will most likely decide the presidential contest between Kamala Harris and Donald Trump. The service will

allow people to test the maxim of “all politics is local” by closely following how the campaigns are being waged there.

“Nobody knows local politics better than the journalists in the local communities,” said Jack Perry, CEO of Zeam Media. Viewers can choose between live and archived programming.

Swing State Election News is an outgrowth of Zeam, a free streaming service affiliated with Gray Television that began last winter. Zeam caters to people who have given up cable or satellite television subscriptions by offering hundreds of local market broadcasts. The service said that most of its users follow their local markets, but a significant number check in on other areas where they may have had ties in the past.

Swing State Election News lets users choose between live programming or archived newscasts. For instance, a quick click Monday on a tab calls up the morning news -

lic with much of what he knew about the presence of visitors whose vehicles are far more advanced than what we earthlings have built. Several passages in the book are redacted, and Elizondo writes multiple times that he can only say a little about specific subjects.

Perhaps more alarmingly, as he points out, the Defense Department and other government entities at every level tend to regard our elected representatives as “temporary hires” who need to be managed and fed information as the departments see fit. The Defense bureaucracy, for example, didn’t trust President Richard Nixon, so it only told him a little about UFOs.

The Defense Department recently released more information on UFOs, thanks mainly to Elizondo and his colleagues. Still, given the reluctant government pace, the bureaucracy doesn’t appear to judge UFOs as an “imminent” threat.

In the meantime, the American people — make that the world — seem to regard the proven-beyond-reasonable-doubt arrival of visitors from far away as news eliciting little more than a shrug.

A Defense Department briefing detailing much more of what it knows might change that. A good starting point might be what happened to the remains of non-human bodies that have been recovered from crash sites. Elizondo fears the Defense Department will never disclose what it knows about that.

cast on WMGT-TV in Macon, Georgia.

As the campaign goes on, Perry said the newscasts will offer a window into rallies and other events held in those states, along with details in local House and Senate races that may impact control of those chambers.

Perry said it contrasts with national newscasts because “at the local level, you’re going to get a different feel. It’s the people living in these communities.”

You won’t see local political commercials, though A critical indicator of how the campaigns are going must be included. A local newscast in the swing states this fall is expected to feature commercials for the presidential candidates, which can illustrate some of the campaign strategies and issues they feel are resonating.

However, Swing State Election News sells its advertising and will not show what is being seen in the local advertising breaks, Perry said.

In another effort to boost election news for swing states, The Associated Press said last month it is offering its campaign coverage to a series of small, independent news organizations that cannot otherwise afford it.

WILLIAM MORROW VIA AP

Inside the Pentagon’s Hunt for UFOs” by former Pentagon insider Luis Elizondo explores what the government knows and could be hiding about UFOs.

EVAN VUCCI / AP PHOTO

Swing State Election News viewers can stream news from Arizona, Georgia, Michigan, Nevada, North Carolina, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin.

famous birthdays this week

Aug. 29: Actor Elliott Gould is 86. Former U.S. Treasury Secretary Robert Rubin is 86. Olympic gold medal sprinter Wyomia Tyus is 79. Olympic gold medal long jumper Bob Beamon is 78. Animal behaviorist and autism educator Temple Grandin is 77. Actor Rebecca De Mornay is 65. Supreme Court Justice Neil Gorsuch is 57.

Aug. 30: Investor and philanthropist Warren Buffet is 94. Actor Elizabeth Ashley is 85. Actor John Kani is 82. Cartoonist Robert Crumb is 81. Comedian Lewis Black is 76. North Carolina U.S. Sen. Thom Tillis is 64. Actor Michael Chiklis is 61. Actor Cameron Diaz is 52.

Aug. 31: World Golf Hall of Famer Isao Aoki is 82. Violinist Itzhak Perlman is 79. Singer Van Morrison is 79. Actor Richard Gere is 75. Attorney and author Marcia Clark is 71. Singer-composer Deborah Gibson is 54. Actor Chris Tucker is 53.

Sept. 1: Comedian-actor Lily Tomlin is 84. Actor Don Stroud is 80. Singer Archie Bell of Archie Bell and the Drells is 79. Singer Barry Gibb of the Bee Gees is 77. Talk show host Dr. Phil is 73. Singer Gloria Estefan is 66.

Sept. 2: Singer Jimmy Clanton is 85. Singer Rosalind Ashford of Martha and the Vandellas is 80. Sportscaster Terry Bradshaw is 75. Actor Mark Harmon is 72. Actor Keanu Reeves is 59. Actor Salma Hayek is 57.

Sept. 3: Actor Pauline Collins is 83. Singer-guitarist Al Jardine of The Beach Boys is 81. Actor Valerie Perrine is 80. Drummer Don Brewer of Grand Funk Railroad is 75. Actor Charlie Sheen is 58.

Sept. 4: Actor Mitzi Gaynor is 92. Singer Sonny Charles of the Checkmates, Ltd. is 83. Actor Kenneth Kimmins (“Coach”) is 82. Actor Jennifer Salt (“Soap”) is 79. Actor-comedian Damon Wayans is 63.

Singer Beyonce is 42.

DANIEL COLE / AP PHOTO

Actor Richard Gere, pictured in 2024, turns 75 on Saturday.

CHRIS PIZZELLO / AP PHOTO Comedian-actor Lily Tomlin turns 84 on Sunday.

Legendary Irish musician Van Morrison turns 79 on Saturday.

MARK ZALESKI / AP PHOTO

barnstorming

At one point, a member of the crowd needed medical attention and Trump stopped his speech to embrace her at the fence before she was taken away by Asheboro FD personnel.

same race later on the card.

Lowder cruised to victory, while his father, Dean Lowder, was the runner-up. The next three spots were held by Cody Norman, Kevin Orlando and Jaxson Casper.

The next racing night comes Sept. 7 with a visit from the SMART Modified Tour. Also on the slate will be 602 Modifieds, Challengers, UCARs, Mod 4s, Bootleggers and the Bowman

PHOTOS BY PJ WARD-BROWN / RANDOLPH RECORD

CHUCK BURTON / AP PHOTO

HOKE

Flyover country

WHAT’S HAPPENING

Girl Scouts recruiting new members

Red Cross facing blood emergency

The American Red Cross is facing a national blood emergency, exacerbated by recent severe weather events including Hurricane Debby. Nearly 60 blood drives were canceled nationwide, resulting in 1,500 uncollected blood donations. In North Carolina alone, Tropical Storm Debby led to 500 missed donations in August. The Red Cross emphasizes the critical need for both new and regular donors to address the shortage. Those in unaffected areas are urged to schedule appointments immediately. Donors can use the Red Cross Blood Donor App or visit RedCrossBlood.org to book. As incentives, donors through Aug. 31 will receive a $20 Amazon. com gift card, while those giving Sept. 1-15 will get an exclusive Red Cross T-shirt, supplies permitting.

Robinson campaign releases public safety plan

The plan includes increased penalties for certain crimes and cooperation with immigration officials

By A.P. Dillon North State Journal

RALEIGH — North Caroli-

na Lt. Gov. Mark Robinson released his public safety plan last week as part of his campaign for governor.

pro-criminal, anti-law-enforcement agenda must end.

“My plan focuses on standing with law enforcement, cracking down on violent crime and dangerous drugs, and getting criminals off the streets and behind bars where they belong.”

Some key elements of Robinson’s plan include:

• Rejecting calls to defund the police and prioritizing raises for law enforcement officers in state budgets

• Reinstating the death penalty for those who kill police and corrections officers

• Requiring law enforcement to cooperate with federal immigration authorities and honor ICE detainers

• Rejecting proposals to end

NC elections board faces lawsuit over ‘ballot selfie’ law

Does a law prohibiting ballot photos violate First Amendment protections?

By Makiya Seminera The Associated Press

asking her to remove a post on X that included a selfie she

took with her completed ballot during the March primary election.

She says the letter and the laws underpinning it are unconstitutional. She is suing the Board of Elections and the Wake County Board of Elections.

The suit says Hogarth received a letter two weeks later from a state Board of Elections

cash bail and appointing judges who will follow the law and not let violent criminals out with “a slap on the wrist”

Robinson criticized the “pro-criminal, anti-law-enforcement agenda” of Democratic leaders like Stein, the state’s attorney general and his Democratic opponent in the gubernatorial race, and Harris.

The Robinson campaign also tied Harris to illegal immigration, a main talking point of Republicans in this election cycle.

“Since President Biden ap-

investigator asking her to take down the post, or she could face a misdemeanor charge. Hogarth refused.

“It would have been easier to just take the post down,” Hogarth said in a statement. “But in a free society, you should be able to show the world how you voted without fear of punishment.”

One reason for outlawing ballot photos, the state elections board says, is to prevent them from being used “as proof of a vote for a candidate in a vote-buying scheme.”

The North Carolina State Board of Elections and the Wake County Board of Elections declined to comment on the litigation.

Most states have passed laws permitting ballot selfies and other photography, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures.

“My plan focuses on standing with law enforcement, cracking down on violent crime and dangerous drugs, and getting criminals off the streets and behind bars where they belong.” Lt. Gov. Mark Robinson

pointed Kamala Harris border czar in 2021, human trafficking and drug smuggling continue to plague our state,” the release said.

In the past week, the RGA’s Right Direction PAC announced it was investing seven figures in ad buys targeting the North Carolina governor’s race.

Now, Hogarth and the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression (FIRE) are trying to do the same in North Carolina.

See SELFIE, page A2

“Join

Ace Speedway COVID shutdown lawsuit can continue, court rules

suit

numerous constitutional violations

By A.P. Dillon North State Journal

SELFIE from page A1

ly against Ace Speedway, issuing an abatement order to shut it down.

The Supreme Court’s ruling says that Ace Speedway’s allegations, if proven true, constitute colorable constitutional claims

that pierce the state’s sovereign immunity.

NC Supreme Court won’t fast-track GOP lawsuit appeals

Republican leaders asked the high court to skip the Court of Appeals entirely

By Gary D. Robertson

The Associated Press

The election board changes, which were blocked, were supposed to have taken place last January. That has meant the current election board system has remained in place — the governor chooses all five state board members, for example, with Democrats holding three of them.

THE CONVERSATION

Neal Robbins, publisher | Frank Hill, senior opinion editor

VISUAL VOICES

She

nailed it

I think Harris will wipe the floor with him.

KAMALA HARRIS did exactly what she needed to do. She introduced herself to the American people.

by the movement for change, by the optimism about the future, by the size of the tent, big enough for everyone from Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez to Adam Kinzinger.

Can DMV pilot its way to shorter lines on the horizon?

DMV launched an early check-in system called Q-Anywhere to help reduce the appearance of lines and let people wait in comfort.

We saw the DMV employees doing great work and heard customers leave praising their efforts. They are doing their best within a broken system — a broken system that we are working to fix.

And it’s still a close race, at this point, too close to call.

Susan Estrich is a lawyer, professor, author and political commentator.

Rep. Erin Paré represents southern Wake County, including Fuquay-Varina and Holly Springs.

COLUMN | SUSAN ESTRICH

COLUMN | REP. ERIN PARÉ

NASA will send SpaceX to rescue stranded Boeing astronauts

Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams will not return until February

By Marcia Dunn

The Associated Press

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla.

As Starliner’s test pilots, the pair should have overseen this critical last leg of the journey.

“A test flight by nature is neither safe nor routine,” said NASA Administrator Bill Nelson. The decision “is a result of a commitment to safety.”

Nelson said lessons learned from NASA’s two space shuttle accidents played a role. This time, he noted, open dialogue was encouraged rather than crushed.

“This has not been an easy decision, but it is absolutely the right one,” added Jim Free, NASA’s associate administrator.

Rare, deadly mosquito virus leads to closings in Massachusetts

A case of eastern equine encephalitis is the state’s first since 2020

By Nick Perry

The Associated Press

A RARE BUT DEADLY disease spread by mosquitoes has one town in Massachusetts closing its parks and fields each evening. Four other towns are urging people to avoid going outdoors at night.

They’re concerned about eastern equine encephalitis. State health officials announced last week a man in his 80s had caught the disease, the first human case found in Massachusetts since 2020.

They also recommend that people across Massachusetts use mosquito repellents when outdoors and drain any standing water around their homes.

Jennifer Callahan, Oxford’s town manager, wrote in a memo that the family of the man who caught the virus in mid-August had reached out to her office.

“They want people to be aware this is an extremely serious disease with terrible physical and emotional consequences, regardless if the person manages to live,” Callahan wrote.

She said the infected person had often recounted to his family how he never got bitten by mosquitoes. But just before he became symptomatic, he told them he had been bitten. She

Rand Corp.’s Jan Osburg, a senior engineer who specializes

said the man remains hospitalized and is “courageously battling” the virus.

Callahan said the family is urging people to take the public health advice seriously and to do their utmost to protect themselves.

The presence of the virus in Massachusetts this year was confirmed last month in a mosquito sample and has been found in other mosquitoes across the state since then.

In a 2019 outbreak, there were six deaths among 12 confirmed cases in Massachusetts. The outbreak continued the following year with five more cases and another death.

There are no vaccines or treatment for EEE.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says that although rare, EEE is very serious and about 30% of people who become infected die. Symptoms include fever, headache, vomiting, diarrhea and seizures.

in aerospace and defense, said NASA made the right choice. “But the U.S. is still left with egg on its face due to the Starliner design issues that should have been caught earlier.”

The docked Russian Soyuz capsule is even tighter, capable of flying only three — two of them Russians wrapping up a yearlong stint.

“They want people to be aware this is an extremely serious disease with terrible physical and emotional consequences, regardless if the person manages to live.”

Jennifer Callahan, Oxford, Massachusetts, town manager

The CDC says only a few cases of EEE are reported in the U.S. each year, with most infections found in the eastern and Gulf Coast states.

Boeing Crew Flight Test astronauts Butch Wilmore, left, and Suni Williams will not return to Earth until February.

HOKE SPORTS

Hoke football drops opener

Volleyball and boys’ soccer continued their fast starts

North State Journal staff

HOKE COUNTY football had its opening game last Friday, while the rest of the Bucks’ fall sports teams continued their respective seasons. Here’s a round-up of how each team is faring early in the year.

Football

A year after opening the season with a 7-0 win over Jack Britt, the Bucks and Buccaneers played another tight opener. This one went against Hoke, however, as the Bucks dropped a home opener, 27-22. The Bucks fell behind 12-0 and struggled to cut into that early lead, closing the gap to five with five minutes remaining on a Brandon Saunders pass to William Leak for

Favor Anab (20) gets around a defender and crosses the goal line for a two-point conversion in Hoke County’s seasonopening game. Anab also added a rushing touchdown, but the Bucks fell by five points to Jack Britt, 27-22.

a touchdown, followed by a Favor Anab run for the two-point conversion. A last-minute Bucks drive for the win was stopped on downs on the Britt 17, however. Saunders threw two touchdowns and a two-point conversion but also had two interceptions. Anab had 54 yards rushing and a touchdown run to go with his two-pointer. Leak and Tycen Vick caught the Saunders touchdowns.

Hoke now tries to earn its first win of the season on the road with a trip to South View on Friday at 7:30 p.m. The Tigers lost to Overhills 20-13 in their opener and are coming off a 7-4 season.

Boys’ soccer

The Bucks boys’ soccer team extended its unbeaten start to three straight, beating Terry Sanford 2-0 and South View 1-0. The winning and shutout streaks came to an end at Clay-

ton when Hoke fell 4-1. They got back on the winning track with a 3-1 win at Red Springs and stand at 4-1 on the year. David Hernandez leads the team with three goals, while Pedro Ramos-Alejandro has four assists.

This week, Hoke hosts Lumberton then plays at Cape Fear.

Volleyball

The Bucks are now unbeaten through their first five games after sweeping three last week. It’s the best start for the Hoke County volleyball team in decades.

Making the week even more impressive, Hoke won all three games on the road, without dropping a game, getting 3-0 wins at Red Springs, E.E. Smith and St. Pauls.

Hoke heads to Scotland this week before returning home to face Lee County as the Bucks open their Sandhills Conference schedule with two league opponents.

ATHLETE OF THE WEEK

Brandon Saunders

Hoke County,

football

Brandon Saunders is a senior quarterback on the Hoke County football team.

The Bucks opened the 2024 season with a tough loss to Jack Britt, 27-22, but Saunders did everything he could to get Hoke County to come out on top.

A team captain, Saunders completed 16 of 25 passes for 142 yards and two touchdowns and added 51 yards on the ground on three carries.

There are players in their mid-20s all over college football; here’s why

COVID and injuries are both contributing to extra‑long college careers

The Associated Press

EACH TIME he sees his freshman teammates, Oklahoma State quarterback Alan Bowman gets a reality check about the length of his college career.

Hundreds of Bowl Subdivi-

sion players are in their sixth season of eligibility and dozens are in their seventh year or later. Miami tight end Cam McCormick is entering his ninth season of eligibility at the age of 26. Bowman believes this prevalence of older players produces crisper football. FBS teams averaged 5.83 penalties and 51.15 penalty yards per game last season, the lowest numbers in both categories since 2013. Bowman, 24, has seen plenty in his college career. He made a combined 16 starts for Texas Tech from 2018-20, though a broken collarbone limited him to three games in 2019 before he took a medical red-

shirt. Bowman transferred to Michigan and played three games as a backup each of the next two years, getting another redshirt in 2021. Bowman left behind a Michigan team that went on to win the national title in 2023 for the opportunity to regain a starting role at Oklahoma State.

working toward a graduate certificate in leisure studies at Oklahoma State, and he also is getting a real estate license. Here are the other ACC players entering their seventh season or later.

Louisville QB Tyler Shough Shough, who turns 25 next month, redshirted at Oregon in

DOUG MURRAY / AP PHOTO

Miami’s Cam McCormick follows the action during a game last September. This season will be his ninth in college football.

SIDELINE REPORT

NCAA BASKETBALL

Maui Invitational

returns to island after wildfires; UNC, UConn highlight field Lahaina, Hawaii

Two-time defending national champion UConn will highlight the Maui Invitational, which is returning to the Lahaina Civic Center a year after fatal wildfires forced a move to Honolulu.

The tournament will be played from Nov. 25-27. The Huskies will take on Memphis on the opening day, followed by Colorado -Michigan State, Auburn-Iowa State and Dayton-U NC. Tournament chairman Dave Odom called it one of the strongest fields in the event’s history. UConn is making its fifth Maui appearance.

NFL

Herbert, other Chargers players stuck in elevator for 2 hours

Arlington, Texas

Los Angeles Chargers coach Jim Harbaugh praised quarterback Justin Herbert and others who were stuck on an elevator for two hours at the team hotel in Dallas. The incident happened the night before a preseason game against the Cowboys. Harbaugh says “11 or 12 of our players” were on the elevator along with Jeri Fouts, the wife of Pro Football Hall of Fame quarterback Dan Fouts. Harbaugh says he almost ended up on the elevator that got stuck. The Chargers beat the Cowboys 26-19 in their preseason finale.

MLB

Ruth’s “called shot” jersey sells at auction for over $24 million

Dallas The jersey Babe Ruth wore when he called his shot during the 1932 World Series, hitting a home run to center field, has sold at auction for o$24 million. Heritage Auctions said the New York Yankee slugger’s jersey went for $24.12 million after a bidding war in Dallas that lasted over six hours. Heritage says the buyer wishes to remain anonymous. The record-breaking amount the jersey sold for topped fellow Yankee Mickey Mantle’s 1952 rookie card, which the Dallas-based auction house sold for $12.6 million in 2022.

NHL, NBA

Diamond Sports will continue to broadcast NHL, NBA games through upcoming season

Diamond Sports Group, which broadcasts the Ballybranded regional sports networks, said it has reached agreements to carry games for the upcoming season. DSG will drop the contracts of the NBA’s Dallas Mavericks and New Orleans Pelicans. The deals require the approval of a federal bankruptcy judge.

Burton earns first win in wild NASCAR Cup race at Daytona

Harrison Burton’s victory earned him a surprise playoff berth

By Mark Long The Associated Press

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. —

Out of his ride and far removed from the playoff picture, Harrison Burton changed his fortunes with a lap to remember Saturday night at Daytona International Speedway.

Burton passed two-time Cup Series champion Kyle Busch on the final lap in overtime to pick up his first career victory and a spot in NASCAR’s postseason.

The 23-year-old Burton, who already lost his ride in the famed No. 21 Ford with Wood Brothers Racing next season, took the lead thanks to a huge push from little-known Parker Retzlaff.

Busch fought back and had a chance down the stretch. He even got to Burton’s bumper and forced Burton below the double-yellow line. But NASCAR officials ruled the contact

caused Burton to cross the line and did not penalize him.

“Besides just flat-out wrecking him, there was nothing else I could do,” Busch said.

Busch finished second, followed by Christopher Bell, Cody Ware and Ty Gibbs. It was Burton’s first win in 98 career Cup starts, and it was the 100th victory for the Wood Brothers.

“It’s been the hardest three of years of my life, obviously the hardest three years for some of

these guys’ lives,” Harrison Burton said. “To win it the way we just did it, to beat the best in the business — Kyle Busch — across the line, it’s pretty fantastic.”

No one saw it coming, even though Daytona often provides unique winners. Burton had one top-five finishes and five top-10s in his three-plus years driving at NASCAR’s top level.

Now, he gets to vie for a championship that would be even more improbable.

Hall of Famer Al Attles dies at 87

The former NC A&T player starred as a player and coach for the Warriors

By Janie McCauley The Associated Press

OAKLAND, Calif. — Al At-

tles, a Hall of Famer who coached the 1975 NBA champion Warriors and spent more than six decades with the organization as a player, general manager and most recently team ambassador, has died. He was 87.

1974, then watched Klay Thompson drop 60 points in December 2016.

Attles coached the Warriors to their first championship since moving West in 1975. His 557 coaching wins are the most in

franchise history.

vying for the three remaining spots: Martin Truex Jr., Gibbs, Chris Buescher, Bubba Wallace and Ross Chastain. The regular season ends next week at Darlington.

All five contenders were involved in crashes at Daytona. The scariest ones came late.

More aerials Josh Berry’s No. 4 Ford flipped and slammed into an inside retaining wall while upside down and sliding on its roof. Berry had to wait several minutes inside his car as safety crews flipped the car over. But Berry flashed a thumbs-up to the crowd after getting helped out.

you have to enjoy what they did that night. I enjoy any great performance.”

As a player, Attles averaged 8.9 points, 3.5 rebounds and 3.5 assists in 11 seasons with the Warriors.

The Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame honored him with the John W. Bunn Lifetime Achievement Award in 2014.

In the months leading up to his Hall of Fame enshrinement as part of the Class of 2019, Attles remained his usual modest self.

“They made a mistake,” Attles joked with a big grin, still showing that quick wit. “They haven’t caught up to me yet.”

Long known for his fashionable suits on the sidelines and even later once watching in the stands, Warriors coach Steve Kerr once paid tribute to Attles by wearing one.

“He’s the face of the franchise,” Kerr said. “He’s been so for 60 years, so he’s an incredible presence.”

“He made things easy and simplified things,” Ray said. “He also didn’t inundate us with a lot of technical things and paperwork. It was very structured. We knew what we were doing.”

JESSICA HILL / AP PHOTO

Class of 2019 Basketball Hall of Fame inductees Al Attles, left, and Vlade Divac, right, laugh during a news conference.

PHELAN M. EBENHACK / AP PHOTO

Harrison Burton, center right, celebrates with the championship trophy after winning

“I cried the whole victory lap.”

Harrison Burton

Thelma McLaughlin

April 9, 1931 –Aug. 20, 2024

Ms. Thelma McLaughlin age, 83 went home to rest with her Heavenly Father on August 20, 2024. She was the daughter of the late Sim (Tip) McLaughlin Sr. and Stella Graham McLaughlin. She leaves to cherish her loving memories her daughter, Shelley McCoy-Emory (Tracy); sister, Margaret Ozella McLaughlin White; brothers: Sim McLaughlin Jr., William Henry McLaughlin, Johnnie McLaughlin; grandson, McCoy Orlando Emory along with a host of other family and friends.

Thelma will be greatly missed.

A Graveside Service to honor her life and legacy will be held on Sunday, August 25 at 2 p.m. at JG & DJ McLaughlin Family Cemetery.

Margaret Moore

March 11, 1951 –Aug. 23, 2024

Ms. Margaret Moore, age 73, went home to rest with her Heavenly Father on August 23, 2024. She was the wife of the late Phillip Moore.

She leaves to cherish her loving memories her children: Gene Christopher Moore, Felicia Moore; sisters: Betty Kershaw, Jackie Jackson, Diann McAllister, Rose McNeill, Gladys Murchison; brother, John McDuffie; nine grandchildren, eight greatgrandchildren along with a host of other family and friends. Margaret will be greatly missed.

The Celebration of Life will be held on Friday, August 30, at 1 p.m. at the Pauline T. Buie Chapel.

Mr. Chris Jacobsen

Aug. 23, 1959 –Aug. 20, 2024

Mr. Chris Jacobsen, of Raeford, NC went to be with his Lord and Savior on Tuesday, August 20, 2024, at the age of 64. He was born in Virginia on August 23, 1959, to the late Harvey and Barbara Jacobsen.

Along with his parents, he was preceded in death by his wife, Phyllis Jacobsen, and his brother, Brian Jacobsen. Chris Jacobsen began his career in Public Safety following in his father’s footsteps as a volunteer firefighter in Cumberland County in the late 1970s.

He became an EMT in the early 1980s and worked with Cumberland County Ambulance Service. In the mid-1980s, he began working with Hoke County EMS and later First Health of the Carolinas EMS as an EMTIntermediate and later as a Paramedic.

Injury forced him to end his field career, and he became a Telecommunicator with Hoke County Emergency Communications in 2003 until his retirement in 2016.

Chris served as a Clinical Coordinator with the EMS Division of Bladen Community College.

Chris also served as ViceCommander for Training of the Hoke County Rescue Squad from June 2008 until his retirement in 2016. Chris was granted Life Member status by the Rescue Squad upon his retirement.

He is survived by his children, Christopher Jacobsen (Heather), Tanya Smith (Tommy), William Tart (Michelle), Jeremy Wood, and Melissa Schantz; grandchildren, BJ Wright, Timothy Smith (Ariana), Tyler Tart, Taylor Smith (Molly), Hunter Smith, Juliana Sullivan, Isacc Vanhoose, Haley Jacobsen, Victoria Aydell, Raelyn Tart, Connor Jacobsen, and Grace Jacobsen; two greatgrandchildren, Harper Smith and Haisleigh Smith; and two siblings, Kathy Baber and Steve Jacobsen; and numerous nieces and nephews.

A visitation will be held from 2-3:30 p.m. on Sunday, August 25, 2024, at Crumpler Funeral Home 131 Harris Ave. Raeford, NC 28376. A service will immediately follow with Pastor Gary Strickland and Pastor Bruce Suggs officiating. Burial will be in the Raeford Cemetery with full Emergency Service honors. Online condolences may be made on the Crumpler Funeral Home Website.

James Edward Adams

May 4, 1952 –Aug. 20, 2024

James Edward Adams, age 72 passed away on Tuesday, August 20, 2024.

Milton Vila Sr. April 11, 1945 –Aug. 17, 2024

Milton Vila Sr., age 79, of Raeford, North Carolina passed away on Saturday, August 17, 2024.

He was born in Puerto Rico on April 11, 1945, to the late Ramon and Magdalena Vila.

Along with his parents, he was preceded in death by his loving wife of 62 years, Percides (Pat) Vila.

Milton, Sr. is survived by his three sons, Milton Vila, Jr., Richard Vila and Eric Vila; granddaughters, Kyra Vila, Erin Vila, Celina Vila; grandson, Julian Alexander Vila; great-grandchildren, Raquelle S. Ocasio, Lee “Anthony” Jones, Khloe M. Jones, Jordan S. Jones, Kamorie M. Davis, Kameryn L. Davis, Gage Felix and Samara Felix.

A service will be held on August 26th at 10 a.m. at Sandhills State Veterans Cemetery with full military honors.

Aljoyce Campbell

Jan. 23, 1958 – Aug. 22, 2024

Ms. Aljoyce Campbell age, 66 went home to be with her Heavenly Father on August 22, 2024. She was the daughter of the late Roy Lee Murchison.

She leaves to cherish her loving memories her children: Alisha Campbell, Earl Campbell; mother, Rosa Murchison; sisters: Luculle McLean, Beatrice Fowler, Priscilla Leak, Brenda Smith; brother, Roger Murchison; seven grandchildren, five greatgrandchildren along with a host of other family and friends. Aljoyce will be greatly missed.

The Celebration of Life will be held on Wednesday, August 28 at 11 a.m. at Friendship Grove Freewill Baptist Church.

Harold Denton Monroe

July 14, 1934 – Aug. 20, 2024

Mr. Harold Denton Monroe, of Raeford, NC went to be with his Lord and Savior on Tuesday, August 20, 2024, at the age of 90. He was born on July 14, 1934, to the late William and Bessie Monroe. Along with his parents, he was preceded in death by his wife of 62 years, Joyce Conoly Monroe; and one grandson, Sean Eastwood. Harold was a lifelong member of Galatia Presbyterian Church where he served as an Elder and Deacon. He was a founding member of the Puppy Creek Fire Department. Harold loved farming, his 1947 Chevy truck and his family and friends. He is survived by his children, Jennie Gibson (Danny), Wayne Monroe (Peggy), and Sheila Carter (Tony); grandchildren, Kimberly Gibson Brock, Will Gibson, Kelly Carter Lassiter (MacKinsey), Chris Carter, Heather Carter, Josh Eastwood (Faiza), Scott Eastwood, Kyle Nelson, and John Loper; and great grandchildren, Grayson Brock, Harper Brock, Ava Gibson, Sean Eastwood, Jr., Liam Eastwood, Chase Eastwood, Jamie Jones, Kaleigh Locklear, Briley Humphrey, Logan Loper and Daniel Loper. A visitation will be held on Friday, August 23, 2024, from 1-2 p.m. at Galatia Presbyterian Church 8800 Galatia Church Rd, Fayetteville, NC 28304. A service will follow at 2 p.m. with Pastor Brett Johnson officiating. Burial will be in the Galatia Presbyterian Church Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, please make contributions to Galatia Presbyterian Church or The Raeford Hoke Museum.

barnstorming

At one point, a member of the crowd needed medical attention and Trump stopped his speech to embrace her at the fence before she was taken away by Asheboro FD personnel.

PHOTOS BY PJ WARD-BROWN / NORTH STATE JOURNAL

CHUCK BURTON / AP PHOTO

MOORE COUNTY

Flyover country

WHAT’S HAPPENING

Girl Scouts recruiting new members

Red Cross facing blood emergency

The American Red Cross is facing a national blood emergency, exacerbated by recent severe weather events including Hurricane Debby. Nearly 60 blood drives were canceled nationwide, resulting in 1,500 uncollected blood donations. In North Carolina alone, Tropical Storm Debby led to 500 missed donations in August. The Red Cross emphasizes the critical need for both new and regular donors to address the shortage. Those in unaffected areas are urged to schedule appointments immediately. Donors can use the Red Cross Blood Donor App or visit RedCrossBlood. org to book. As incentives, donors through Aug. 31 will receive a $20 Amazon. com gift card, while those giving Sept. 1-15 will get an exclusive Red Cross T-shirt, supplies permitting.

Robinson campaign releases public safety plan

The plan includes increased penalties for certain crimes and cooperation with immigration officials

By A.P. Dillon North State Journal

RALEIGH — North Caroli-

na Lt. Gov. Mark Robinson released his public safety plan last week as part of his campaign for governor.

pro-criminal, anti-law-enforcement agenda must end.

“My plan focuses on standing with law enforcement, cracking down on violent crime and dangerous drugs, and getting criminals off the streets and behind bars where they belong.”

Some key elements of Robinson’s plan include:

• Rejecting calls to defund the police and prioritizing raises for law enforcement officers in state budgets

• Reinstating the death penalty for those who kill police and corrections officers

• Requiring law enforcement to cooperate with federal immigration authorities and honor ICE detainers

• Rejecting proposals to end

NC elections board faces lawsuit over ‘ballot selfie’ law

Does a law prohibiting ballot photos violate First Amendment protections?

By Makiya Seminera The Associated Press

RALEIGH — A woman is suing state elections board over state laws that ban most photography in polling places after she took a selfie with her ballot in March.

The lawsuit was filed in the U.S. Eastern District Court of North Carolina by Susan Hogarth.

The lawsuit centers around a letter Hogarth said she received from the North Carolina State Board of Elections asking her to remove a post on X that included a selfie she

took with her completed ballot during the March primary election.

She says the letter and the laws underpinning it are unconstitutional. She is suing the Board of Elections and the Wake County Board of Elections.

The suit says Hogarth received a letter two weeks later from a state Board of Elections

cash bail and appointing judges who will follow the law and not let violent criminals out with “a slap on the wrist”

The Robinson campaign also tied Harris to illegal immigration, a main talking point of Republicans in this election cycle.

“Since President Biden ap-

investigator asking her to take down the post, or she could face a misdemeanor charge. Hogarth refused.

“It would have been easier to just take the post down,” Hogarth said in a statement. “But in a free society, you should be able to show the world how you voted without fear of punishment.”

One reason for outlawing ballot photos, the state elections board says, is to prevent them from being used “as proof of a vote for a candidate in a vote-buying scheme.”

The North Carolina State Board of Elections and the Wake County Board of Elections declined to comment on the litigation.

Most states have passed laws permitting ballot selfies and other photography, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures.

“My plan focuses on standing with law enforcement, cracking down on violent crime and dangerous drugs, and getting criminals off the streets and behind bars where they belong.”

Lt. Gov. Mark Robinson

pointed Kamala Harris border czar in 2021, human trafficking and drug smuggling continue to plague our state,” the release said.

In the past week, the RGA’s Right Direction PAC announced it was investing seven figures in ad buys targeting the North Carolina governor’s race. The most recent ad attempts to tie Stein to the Biden administration’s “Bidenomics.” The ad points to inflation and high gas and food prices while quoting Stein as saying, “President Biden has done such a great job of jump-starting the economy.”

Now, Hogarth and the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression (FIRE) are trying to do the same in North Carolina.

See SELFIE, page A2

PJ WARD-BROWN / NORTH STATE JOURNAL

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

Neal Robbins, Publisher

Jim Sills, VP of Local Newspapers

Cory Lavalette, Senior Editor

Jordan Golson, Local News Editor

Shawn Krest, Sports Editor

“Join the conversation” The long-running suit alleges numerous constitutional violations

Dan Reeves, Features Editor

Ryan Henkel, Reporter

P.J. Ward-Brown, Photographer

BUSINESS

David Guy, Advertising Manager

Published each Thursday as part of North State Journal

1201 Edwards Mill Rd. Suite 300 Raleigh, NC 27607 TO SUBSCRIBE:

Ace Speedway COVID shutdown lawsuit can continue, court rules

of the Court of Appeals.”

state’s sovereign immunity.

Aug. 20

• Christina Marie Daniel, 34, was arrested by Robbins PD for possession of methamphetamine.

• Olivia Desirae Graham, 32, was arrested by Robbins PD for simple assault.

• Marcus Antonio Pratt, 35, was arrested by Robbins PD for possession of methamphetamine.

Aug. 22

• Aaron Marcellous Obrian Haywood, 39, was arrested by Moore County Sheriff’s Office (MCSO) for felony possession of cocaine.

• Aaron Herson Steele, 34, was arrested by Southern Pines PD for trafficking in opium or heroin.

Aug. 23

• Tracey Trusell Quick, 54, was arrested by MCSO for domestic violence protective order violation.

• Jasmine Symone Jackson, 28, was arrested by Southern Pines PD for obtaining property by false pretense.

• Susan Marie McRae Lira, 44, was arrested by Southern Pines PD for simple possession of Schedule V controlled substance.

• Vincent Michael Verbal, 43, was arrested by Southern Pines PD for felony possession of cocaine.

Aug. 24

• Johnny Brett McLamb, 33, was arrested by Pinehurst PD for breaking and/or entering.

Aug. 25

• Johnny Winford Patterson, 49, was arrested by Aberdeen PD for cyber stalking.

Aug. 26

• Shomari Izykiah Ailey, 18, was arrested by Aberdeen PD for possession of drug paraphernalia.

• George Riley Garner, 41, was arrested by MCSO for misdemeanor crime of domestic violence.

• Brian Thomas Gilligan, 50, was arrested by MCSO for secret peeping.

By A.P. Dillon North State Journal

RALEIGH — The North Carolina Supreme Court has affirmed the ruling by the Court of Appeals that Ace Speedway’s case involving constitutional violations during COVID lockdowns against the state can proceed. “The trial court correctly concluded that the claims are valid and therefore the State’s motion to dismiss must be denied. The Court of Appeals, in turn, properly affirmed that ruling,” the Supreme Court’s Aug. 23 ruling in Kinsley v. Ace Speedway states. “We affirm the decision

NC Supreme Court won’t fast-track GOP lawsuit appeals

Republican leaders asked the high court to skip the Court of Appeals entirely

By Gary D. Robertson The Associated Press

The state Supreme Court, in orders released last Friday, denied the requests from Republican legislative leaders sued by Cooper to hear the cases without waiting for the intermediate-level Court of Appeals to consider and rule first on arguments. The one-sentence rulings don’t say how individual justices came down on the petitions seeking to bypass the cases to the Supreme Court. Cooper’s lawyers had asked the court not to grant the requests. The decisions could lengthen the process that leads to final rulings on whether the board alterations enacted by the GOP-controlled General Assembly in late 2023 over Cooper’s vetoes are permitted or prevented by the state constitution. The state Supreme Court may want to review the cases even after the Court of Appeals weighs in. No dates have been set for oral arguments at the

Court of Appeals, and briefs are still being filed.

formats for two state boards that approve transportation policy and spending and select economic incentive recipients, the new makeup of five other commissions remained intact.

The court’s two registered Democrats — Associate Justices Allison Riggs and Anita Earls — said that the younger Berger should have recused himself. In dissenting opinions, Riggs wrote that the code’s plain language required his recusal because of their familial connection.

moore happening

Here’s a quick look at what’s coming up in and around Moore County:

Aug. 29

Moore County Farmers Market

9 a.m. to 1 p.m.

604 W. Morganton Rd (Armory Sports Complex), Southern Pines

Moore County Historical Association: Shaw House & Property Tours

1 to 4 p.m.

Shaw House 110 Morganton Rd., Pinehurst

The Moore County Historical Association’s Shaw House grounds and properties are open for tours on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays from 1-4 p.m. The tours are free and open to all ages. Enjoy learning of the impressive history here in Moore County. “The Moore County Historical Association is a non-profit organization dedicated to collecting, preserving, and sharing, the rich historical legacy of the towns, cities and surrounding area, of Moore County, North Carolina.”

The Vass Farmers Market

3 to 6:30 p.m.

Sandy Ramey Keith Park 3600 US-1 BUS, Vass Shop the Vass Farmers Market every Thursday at Sandy Ramey Keith Park. Enjoy supporting many local farmers and vendors.

Aug. 31

Moore County Farmers Market

Downtown Park, 156 SE Broad St., Southern Pines. 8 a.m.-12 p.m.

Sandhills Farmers Market

10 a.m. to 1 p.m. James W. Tufts Memorial Park 1 Village Green Rd. West, Pinehurst

SELFIE from page A1

THE CONVERSATION

Neal Robbins, publisher | Frank Hill, senior opinion editor

VISUAL VOICES

| SUSAN ESTRICH

She

nailed it

I think Harris will wipe the floor with him.

KAMALA HARRIS did exactly what she needed to do. She introduced herself to the American people.

by the movement for change, by the optimism about the future, by the size of the tent, big enough for everyone from Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez to Adam Kinzinger.

The best Trump could do in response, on Truth Social and on Fox News, was to fling his usual mud in response.

“SAY GOODBYE TO THE U.S.A.! SHE IS A RADICAL MARXIST!” he posted. In real time, he repeated his lies about immigration and crime. “LYING AGAIN ABOUT PROJECT 2025, WHICH SHE KNOWS, AND SO DO ALL DEMOCRATS, THAT I HAVE ABSOLUTELY NOTHING TO DO WITH!”

Can DMV pilot its way to shorter lines on the horizon?

DMV launched an early check-in system called Q-Anywhere to help reduce the appearance of lines and let people wait in comfort.

We saw the DMV employees doing great work and heard customers leave praising their efforts. They are doing their best within a broken system — a broken system that we are working to fix.

And it’s still a close race, at this point, too close to call.

Susan Estrich is a lawyer, professor, author and political commentator.

outside for hours, DMV practice had been to not make Q-Anywhere available until noon. Wait times posted online, therefore, may not be accurate because they are tied to the Q-Anywhere code. Office managers have since been asked to make the signs available at the start of the day and official notice should be out by the time you read this. Despite the best efforts of DMV officials to make these recent changes, patience is running out from southern Wake residents. The problem only seems to be getting worse. We also urged DMV officials to explore reworking the design of the office to allow more space for examiners, finding a larger facility for the office, and adding an additional site in the area. All would accommodate more customers in our fast-growing area. We asked how DMV made decisions on staffing beyond one-day transfers to fill holes, but Commissioner Goodwin admitted that DMV has no system to receive data from around the state to determine where staff should go. They must have data-driven information to accurately allocate resources. If one of my constituents goes to another office in another county because the line is too long in Fuquay, DMV needs to know that. They don’t. They should. I am grateful that DMV leadership was willing to visit with us and to measure results of its customer service changes. We want this to be far less painful experience. The citizens of southern Wake County look forward to tracking DMV’s progress.

Rep. Erin Paré represents southern Wake County, including Fuquay-Varina and Holly Springs.

COLUMN

COLUMN | REP. ERIN PARÉ

NASA will send SpaceX to rescue stranded Boeing astronauts

Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams will not return until February

By Marcia Dunn

The Associated Press

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla.

As Starliner’s test pilots, the pair should have overseen this critical last leg of the journey.

“A test flight by nature is neither safe nor routine,” said NASA Administrator Bill Nelson. The decision “is a result of a commitment to safety.”

Nelson said lessons learned from NASA’s two space shuttle accidents played a role. This time, he noted, open dialogue was encouraged rather than crushed.

“This has not been an easy decision, but it is absolutely the right one,” added Jim Free, NASA’s associate administrator.

Rare, deadly mosquito virus leads to closings in Massachusetts

A case of eastern equine encephalitis is the state’s first since 2020

By Nick Perry The Associated Press

A RARE BUT DEADLY disease spread by mosquitoes has one town in Massachusetts closing its parks and fields each evening. Four other towns are urging people to avoid going outdoors at night.

They’re concerned about eastern equine encephalitis. State health officials announced last week a man in his 80s had caught the disease, the first human case found in Massachusetts since 2020.

frost.

They also recommend that people across Massachusetts use mosquito repellents when outdoors and drain any standing water around their homes.

Jennifer Callahan, Oxford’s town manager, wrote in a memo that the family of the man who caught the virus in mid-August had reached out to her office.

“They want people to be aware this is an extremely serious disease with terrible physical and emotional consequences, regardless if the person manages to live,” Callahan wrote.

She said the infected person had often recounted to his family how he never got bitten by mosquitoes. But just before he became symptomatic, he told

space and on the ground.

Rand Corp.’s Jan Osburg, a

them he had been bitten. She said the man remains hospitalized and is “courageously battling” the virus.

Callahan said the family is urging people to take the public health advice seriously and to do their utmost to protect themselves.

The presence of the virus in Massachusetts this year was confirmed last month in a mosquito sample and has been found in other mosquitoes across the state since then.

In a 2019 outbreak, there were six deaths among 12 confirmed cases in Massachusetts. The outbreak continued the following year with five more cases and another death.

There are no vaccines or treatment for EEE.

senior engineer who specializes in aerospace and defense, said NASA made the right choice. “But the U.S. is still left with egg on its face due to the Starliner design issues that should have been caught earlier.”

The docked Russian Soyuz capsule is even tighter, capable of flying only three — two of them Russians wrapping up a yearlong stint.

“They want people to be aware this is an extremely serious disease with terrible physical and emotional consequences, regardless if the person manages to live.”

Jennifer Callahan, Oxford, Massachusetts, town manager

The CDC says only a few cases of EEE are reported in the U.S. each year, with most infections found in the eastern and Gulf Coast states.

Boeing Crew Flight Test astronauts Butch Wilmore, left, and Suni Williams will not return to Earth until February.

MOORE SPORTS

Two football teams start seasons with wins

Union Pines and Pinecrest got lopsided victories in their openers

By North State Journal staff

FOOTBALL kicked off on Friday, and two of the three area schools found success on the gridiron.

Union Pines

Union Pines got a shutout victory, blanking Triton 42-0 on the road. Athlete of the Week Caleb Milton scored five touchdowns, four rushing and one on an interception return, while senior running back Jeremiah Carraway had 107 rushing yards on 12 carries.

The Vikings have their home opener against Northwood on Friday, at 7:30 p.m.

The Chargers are 0-1 after

dropping the opener to Riverside Durham, but they’re coming off a 7-4 season last year.

Pinecrest

The Patriots also got a lopsided win on the road, hammering Knightdale 62-18. Pinecrest ran up 400 yards on the ground, led by junior Chris Najm’s 177 yards on 11 carries. Najm also scored three rushing touchdowns. Senior Jayden Kounkel added 109 yards on 11 carries and a score, while senior Zymire Spencer had 66 yards and a touchdown. Senior Gage White caught two touchdowns.

Pinecrest opens its home schedule Friday at 7:30 p.m. against Overhills. The Jaguars opened with a 20-13 win over South View and were 5-6 last season.

North Moore

The lone blemish on the county football opening weekend ledger was North Moore. The Mustangs fell to Carver at home, 34-22. This week, North Moore travels to Southwestern Randolph. The Cougars are coming off a 29-0 season-opening loss to Western Guilford and were 6-5 last year.

Moore County Week Two High School Schedule

• Friday Aug. 30, 7:30 p.m., Pinecrest Patriots (1-0) vs. Overhills Jaguars (1-0)

• Friday Aug. 30, 7:30 p.m., North Moore Mustangs (0 -1) at Southwestern Randolph Cougars (0-1)

• Friday Aug. 30, 7:30 p.m., Union Pines Vikings (1-0) vs. Northwood Chargers (0-1)

Caleb Milton celebrates his pick-six touchdown in Union Pines’ season-opening win. It was one of five scores on the day for the senior two-way player.

ATHLETE OF THE WEEK

Caleb Milton

Union Pines, football

Caleb Milton is a senior on the Union Pines football team.

The Vikings beat Triton 42-0 to open the season, and Milton played both ways, contributing on offense and defense.

Milton only had seven carries for Union Pines, but four of them reached the end zone as he made the most of his 32 rushing yards. On defense, he returned an interception 38 yards for a fifth touchdown and also recovered a fumble. Not to neglect special teams, Milton also returned a kick 45 yards.

There are players in their mid-20s all over college football; here’s why

COVID and injuries are both contributing to extra‑long college careers

The Associated Press

EACH TIME he sees his freshman teammates, Oklahoma State quarterback Alan Bowman gets a reality check about the length of his college career.

“When I was playing as a true freshman at Texas Tech, they were probably in seventh grade,” Bowman said.

Bowman is entering his seventh year of college football and his situation isn’t unique in this era of college football.

working toward a graduate certificate in leisure studies at Oklahoma State, and he also is getting a real estate license. Here are the other ACC players entering their seventh season or later.

Miami TE Cam McCormick McCormick, 26, is getting a ninth season because of injuries that caused him to play a total of three games from 2018-21.

He played all 13 games for Oregon in 2017 but broke his fibula and tore a deltoid ligament in the 2018 season opener. He tore an Achilles tendon in 2021. He returned in 2022 to play 13 games and start six for Oregon in 2022. He caught eight passes for 62 yards at Miami in 2023.

Louisville QB Tyler Shough

Shough, who turns 25 next month, redshirted at Oregon in

Miami’s Cam McCormick follows the action during a game last September. This season will be his ninth in college football.

MILTON’S

DOUG MURRAY / AP PHOTO

Monsignor Frank Joseph Hendrick

Nov. 2, 1926 –Aug. 23, 2024

Monsignor Frank Joseph Hendrick, 97 of Southern Pines, passed on Friday, August 23, 2024, at the FirstHealth Hospice House in Pinehurst.

A Vigil for the Deceased will be held from 1 to 2 p.m. on Wednesday, August 28, 2024, at St. Anthony of Padua Roman Catholic Church in Southern Pines followed by a Funeral Mass at 2 p.m. Burial will be in the St. Anthony Cemetery.

Monsignor Hendrick was born on November 2, 1926, in Richmond, VA to Arthur Cleveland Hendrick and Beulah Elizabeth (Burrill) Hendrick who preceded him in death.

He was a priest of the Catholic Diocese in Arlington, VA. Since his retirement, he lived in Florida and also Pinehurst.

Monsignor Hendrick was ordained on May 8, 1954, and served in both the Richmond and Arlington Diocese.

He was a parish priest, high school principal and Catholic Charities Director.

He was named a Prelate Honor of the Holy See on January 29, 1977. He served in the US Navy as a Corpsman in WWII and also served in the US Army as a Combat Chaplain with the 199th Infantry Division in Vietnam. Services entrusted to Boles Funeral Home of Southern Pines.

John Engman

April 11, 1952 – Aug. 21, 2024

John Engman, aged 72, of Southern Pines, NC. Mr. Engman peacefully departed at Magnolia Gardens on August 21, 2024.

He was born in Seattle, Washington, on April 11, 1952, to John H. Fuehrer and Evelyn May Brown.

As an Army veteran, John will always be remembered for his big personality, fondness for scratch-off tickets, liking all types of chocolate pudding and enduring love for Marie Strub.

Mr. Engman is survived by his sister, Carol, of Waveland, Mississippi, as well as friends and family, including Angie Corrado and family, April Norton and family and Callie Strub and family. He was preceded in death by his parents and his beloved Marie Strub.

Services are entrusted to Boles Funeral Home, Southern Pines.

obituaries

Peter Frank Krause

April 29, 1963 –Aug. 20, 2024

Peter Frank Krause, age 61, of Pinehurst, NC, and formerly, Middleton MA, passed away suddenly at his home in Pinehurst, NC on August 20, 2024.

Peter was born in Palo Alto, CA on April 29, 1963, and along with his twin sister Barbara, was adopted at birth by Paul and Joan Krause.

At a young age, Peter moved with his family to Massachusetts. He enjoyed music, playing Little League baseball and hanging out with friends.

As a young adult, Peter relocated to Pinehurst, North Carolina with his parents.

Peter attended Calvary Memorial Church as a young man, serving at the school there as a custodian and forming some lifelong friendships, including Grange and Rabina Barron, who have been like family to him, with Grange discipling him throughout his life as a follower of Jesus Christ.

Peter was eternally grateful for his friendship with Grange over the many years. Peter was also extremely grateful for the friendship of his former neighbors, Eric and Rebecca Stephans, and their children, who brought him great joy. The Stephans welcomed him into their family with love and acceptance, and he felt like an uncle to their children.

Most recently in Peter’s life, particularly after the passing of his parents, Richard and Julie Field had become very close friends, welcoming him into their home and helping Peter navigate daily life.

He was most grateful for Richard’s faithful help, advice and friendship.

Peter is survived by his twin sister Barbara (Tom) Roe from Wisconsin, nephews Jacob (Courtney) and Owen (Tylar) Roe, nieces Katie (Josh) Hale and Clea (Hunter) Gade, all from Minnesota and two beloved felines, Blizzie and Lantana.

A visitation with the family will be held from 10 to 11 a.m. Friday, August 30, 2024, at the Boles Funeral Home in Southern Pines, NC.

A funeral service will follow at 11 a.m. at the funeral home with Pastor Charles Garrison officiating with refreshments and burial to follow in the Calvary Memorial Church Cemetery in Aberdeen.

Services entrusted to Boles Funeral Home of Southern Pines.

Wayne Laxton Wicker Jr. (JR)

Sept. 27, 1978 –Aug. 14, 2024

Wayne Laxton Wicker Jr. (J.R.) of Vass, NC (born and raised in Raleigh, NC) passed away on August 14, 2024.

Born on September 27, 1978, he lived a vibrant life filled with laughter and love.

J.R. grew up in Raleigh, NC, and graduated from Millbrook High School in 1996. He was drawn to the coast, residing in Wilmington and Morehead City before most recently enjoying small-town living in Vass, NC.

He excelled at anything he put his mind to. J.R. went on to become a decorated deputy sheriff, serving the New Hanover County and Greene County Sheriff’s Departments, where he received numerous accolades for his outstanding service.

As a second career, he became a licensed North Carolina realtor, continuing his passion for helping people.

J.R. was a lifelong Tar Heels fan and a lover of country music. Always a fan of the great outdoors, he was an avid golfer, hunter, and fisherman. He also loved animals.

J.R. was a lifelong learner, most recently studying to obtain his General Contractor’s License. He was always up to date on current events and was the reigning family Jeopardy champion.

J.R. was also an authority on fantasy football, loved a good rodeo, had a passion for cooking, appreciated a cold beer and was always the best-dressed one in the room. His ability to fill a room with laughter will be unmatched, and his stories will live on in our hearts forever.

J.R. was a devoted big brother, uncle, son and friend. He leaves behind his little sisters, Jenny Andreev (brother-in-law Andre Andreev) and Wendy Wicker (soon-to-be brother-in-law Mateo Aviles), his nieces Emily and Lucy Andreev, and his nephew, Maxim Andreev. He is also survived by his mother and stepfather, Ellen and Greg Maultsby, and his father and stepmother, Wayne and Amy Wicker. Additionally, he leaves behind a loving extended family of aunts, uncles, cousins and friends who will miss him dearly, especially his Aunt Kathryn “Sissy” Grant and his lifelong best friend, Matthew Butts.

We will joyfully gather to celebrate J.R.’s precious life. Details will be announced in the near future. Services are entrusted to Boles Funeral Home of Southern Pines.

Carol L. Keys

June 16, 1935 –Aug. 19, 2024

Carol L Keys passed away on August 19, 2024, at Peak Resources Pinelake in Carthage. She was surrounded by and cared for by the most caring staff during her last days. She was the wife of 44 years to Dana James Keys, who preceded her in death. She leaves behind two daughters, Delana Nicodemus (Michael) of Whispering Pines, NC, and Melanie Miller of Parma, OH, three grandchildren, John Walker (Michele), Keri Keys Cameron (Michael), Tyler Templeton and six great-grandchildren: Reece, Riley, Rebecca, Chris, Ashley, Daniel (Jade) and two great-greatgrandchildren, Wyatt and Remi. She was also the grandmother to her precious angel, Jason Templeton, who preceded her in death.

Carol was born June 16, 1935, in Charlotte, NC, and was the daughter of the late Ernest and Irma Lawhon. She graduated from Roosevelt Wilson, West Virginia, in 1953. Carol and Dana lived in Cleveland, OH until 1987 and moved to Pinehurst, NC to retire.

Carol was a loving and faithful wife, mother, grandmother, great grandmother and even a great-great-grandmother. She was affectionately known by the nickname Baa, which Jason named her. She is described by her loved ones as constant, caring, a believer, prayerful, wise, supportive, patient, generous and funny! She loved the beach, reading, watching her hummingbirds, listening to music or her daughters singing, dancing, laughing and cooking. Her favorite pastime would be when the whole family was at her home, preparing a wonderful meal, with dancing and singing. Many people looked forward to visiting her because they knew they would get some of her famous chicken salad, pepperoni rolls, fried or BBQ chicken, stuffed peppers and mashed potatoes!

She was loved by many, feared by few, and if you didn’t have an opinion, she had one for you and would tell you, “Bless your heart,” with a Southern smile.

A Celebration of Life will be held in the coming weeks and invitations will be sent.

Services entrusted to Boles Funeral Home of Southern Pines.

Mary Margaret Holstein

June 30, 1950 –Aug. 19, 2024

Margaret Mary Holstein, 74 of Pinehurst, passed away on August 19, 2024, at FirstHealth Hospice House in Pinehurst.

Born on June 30, 1950, in Lawrence, Massachusetts to the late Edward Mark and Margaret Mary Lynch. Margaret was very proud of her Irish heritage. Being from the Boston area, she was a true fan of all New England sports teams. She was also a big fan of classic rock and roll. Margaret dedicated her life to helping others, whether it be her friends, coworkers or her family. She will be missed by many.

She is survived by her loving husband of 34 years, Carl B. Holstein, Sr.; daughter Jennifer Cameron (Jason), and son Brian Holstein (Taylor); six siblings, Edward, Michael and Kathy Lynch, Mary Williams, Garrett and Barbara Lynch; five grandchildren, Tyler Twigg (Cyrenia), Jessica, Clayton and Nick Cameron and Maggie Holstein; two greatgrandchildren, Chason and Tate Twigg. She is also survived by many nieces, nephews, cousins and other family members and friends.

Services will be Private.

In lieu of flowers memorial donations may be made to FirstHealth Hospice Foundation or the American Cancer Society.

Services are entrusted to Boles Funeral Home of Southern Pines.

Alice Phipps Wolff (August 18, 2024)

Alice Phipps Wolff, 80 of Aberdeen passed away on August 18, 2024, at the Hospice House.

Alice is preceded in death by her parents, Willie Clyde Phipps and Margaret Phipps, three brothers: Frank Phipps, Clyde Phipps and William Wilson.

She is survived by her daughters, Frankie Colasacco of Aberdeen, Lynn Cox Bibey of Bristol, VA; sons, Peter Heinz of West Hills, CA, Jim Hensel of Clearwater, FL, Stan Quaintance of PA; a sister, Margaret Ann Phipps of FL; seven grandchildren and 11 great-grandchildren.

There will be a Celebration of Her Life at her home (600 Sanborn St., Aberdeen) on September 7, 2024, at 2 p.m. Officiating will be Nia Reczek

Services are entrusted to Boles Funeral Home of Southern Pines.

Wanda Joyce Lord

Aug. 17, 2024

Wanda Joyce Lord, beloved wife, mother, & friend, passed away on August 17, 2024, at the age of 90, at her daughter’s home in Jackson Springs, NC.

Born in Jacksonville FL, Wanda was the daughter of Talmadge Lorenzo Williams & Ruby Harris Williams. She was married to Steven M. Lord for 59 wonderful years, raising their son & daughter in Atlanta, GA before enjoying their later years in Dawsonville, GA on Lake Lanier. Wanda was an accomplished bass fisherman and guide, spending many of her happiest moments on the lake. In 2015, Wanda and Steven moved to North Carolina to be closer to their daughter, son-in-law and grandchildren.

Wanda was a remarkable woman filled with grace, gratitude and warmth who had a way of making lifelong friends wherever she went. A dedicated daughter, wife, mother, aunt and friend, Wanda’s caring spirit touched the lives of all who knew her, leaving a lasting legacy of love and kindness.

Wanda is survived by her daughter, Paige Wolters, and her husband Jeff; her grandchildren Dylan Lord, Luke Wolters and Ainslee Wolters; her daughter-inlaw, Linda Squier Lord; her sistersin-law, Fonda Williams and Roselyn Williams; her brother-in-law, Bobby Lord and his wife Nancy; and many nieces, nephews and their families.

Wanda was preceded in death by her brothers, Cecil, Wade, Jerry and Robert Williams, and son, Kenneth Steven Lord.

Memorial donations can be made in memory of Wanda Joyce Lord to the ASPCA or the American Heart Association.

A Celebration of Life gathering will be held for family and friends in the near future.

Services are entrusted to Boles Funeral Home of Southern Pines.

Dewey Ronald Caldwell

June 20, 1937 –Aug. 23, 2024

Dewey Ronald Caldwell, 87, passed away peacefully at First Health Hospice House in Pinehurst on Friday, August 23, 2024, after a brief illness. He was born on June 20, 1937, to his parents, Lillie and Len Caldwell, in Buffalo, SC. He was also preceded in death by his oldest brother, Len Caldwell Jr.

His early career was spent in textiles in North and South Carolina. He retired after 18 years as manager of the Southern Pines ABC store. He was an avid bird lover and fed them daily. He was most passionate about gardening and yard work.

Dewey’s respect for nature affected all of his actions.

Dewey is survived by his wife, Linda, of 38 years, whom he made laugh every day. He is survived by his brother, Frank Caldwell of Buffalo, SC, and many nieces and nephews. Dewey had four stepsons: Robert Reed, David Reed, Eric Reed, Greg Reed and their spouses all of whom he loved dearly. He is also survived by eleven wonderful grandchildren he loved with all his heart. Last but not least, he is survived by his three cat fur babies Molly, LuLu and Gator.

In lieu of a funeral, there will be a celebration of life at a later date.

The family would like to give a heartfelt thank you to all of the loving staff at FirstHealth Hospice for the wonderful care they provided Dewey as he transitioned to heaven.

In lieu of flowers, the family asks that you make donations in Dewey’s honor to FirstHealth Hospice & Palliative Care, 150 Applecross Road, Pinehurst, NC 28374. Services entrusted to Boles Funeral Home of Pinehurst.

Elizabeth Ann Robson

Aug. 9, 1939 – Aug. 21, 2024

Elizabeth Ann Robson, 85, of Whispering Pines, NC passed away peacefully on Wednesday, August 21, 2024, at her residence.

Ann was born in Ottawa, Canada on August 9, 1939, to the late Patrick and Kathleen O’Meara Murphy.

Ann married William “Bruce” Robson in 1960, and they were happily married until his passing in 2021. She and Bruce traveled extensively throughout the US and internationally. She managed to visit all 50 states.

She was a writer and wrote for The Pilot and most recently The Pitch. She also had a published book entitled, “Over My Shoulder.” She was an avid Bridge and Mahjong player. She was a loving wife, mother, sister, aunt and friend of many. She was described by her daughter as an extremely kind soul, one who always reached out to lend a helping hand to those in need. She leaves to cherish her memory her daughter, Beth Robson; brother, Ed Murphy (wife Marie) and his children Tim Murphy, Tom Murphy, Megan Murphy Fyfe and their families, as well as her cat, Sugar.

A service of remembrance will be held on Tuesday, September 3, 2024, at 3 p.m. at Boles Funeral Home, 425 W. Pennsylvania Avenue, Southern Pines, NC 28387. The family will receive friends following the service.

In lieu of flowers, please consider donations to the Moore County Food Bank, 195 Sandy Avenue, Southern Pines, NC 28387. Services entrusted to Boles Funeral Home of Southern Pines.

Dorothy “Dot” Monroe Templin

Oct. 10, 1935 – Aug. 20, 2024

Dorothy (Dot) Monroe Templin of Aberdeen, went to be with the Lord on August 20th, 2024, at the FirstHealth Hospice House. Dot was born in Aberdeen, NC, on October 10th, 1935, to Arthur and Bertha Monroe. She worked at JP Steven’s Carpet for 36 years, and that is where she met some of her best friends. She loved to spend time with her sister and her family at the beach. She loved to peoplewatch and play bingo. She loved cooking for family get-togethers and she was famous for her mac and cheese. She was a loving mother, grandma (MawMaw) and Aunt Dot. She took an active role in all their lives and will be greatly missed.

She is preceded in death by her parents, her brother, N.A. Monroe, her sister, Jane Hudson, Aunt Edna Kellis and her grandsons, Colby and Dusty McMillian. She leaves behind to cherish her memory, her daughter, Karen Templin Bibey (Tony), her son, Steven Templin (Christy), her granddaughter, Krista Templin, three greatgrandchildren: Zoey, Sophie and Tucker, a sister-in-law, Suzanne Pellicciotti, and her nieces and nephews.

The family would like to thank the staff of the Reid Heart Center, FirstHealth Hospice and Boles Funeral Home for the amazing care she received. The family asks any donations you would like to give be made in her honor to the FirstHealth Hospice House. Services are entrusted to Boles Funeral Home, Southern Pines.

barnstorming

At one point, a member of the crowd needed medical attention and Trump stopped his speech to embrace her at the fence before she was taken away by Asheboro FD personnel.

PHOTOS BY PJ WARD-BROWN / NORTH STATE JOURNAL

CHUCK BURTON / AP PHOTO

North State Journal Vol. 9 Issue 27

College football is back, see Sports

the BRIEF this week

From pandemic to primary: Truitt’s whirlwind term in office

NC-09 candidate’s past includes protective orders

Justice For All Party certified following court order

the word | Transformation by trial

NCGOP, RNC sue over noncitizens on NC voter rolls

RFK Jr. exits campaign, endorses Trump

THE CONVERSATION

VISUAL VOICES

RFK Jr. throws wrench into the Democrats’ election scheme

Kamala Harris’ authoritarian ‘joy’

In session

Murphy to Manteo Jones & Blount

EAST

Walz’s military exit left openings for critics NATION & WORLD

Suspect

attack

State

catastrophe

questions about when normal

we begin to get back to normal

The 3 big questions

The comfort

How China will pay for this COVID-19 catastrophe

Fixing college corruption

n.c. FAST FACTS

business & economy

FDA approves breakthrough brain cancer drug linked to Duke trial

The comfort and hope

Takeaways from Fed chair’s Powell’s speech in Wisconsin

Millions lose access to internet subsidy, FCC to fill gaps

Kroger, Albertsons defend merger plan against US regulators’ objections

France’s Macron says arrest of Telegram’s Durov wasn’t political

Ford’s baby Bronco gets Sasquatched

Which head coaches are on the hot seat?

COLLEGE FOOTBALL

TENNIS

Wolfpack football hoping to match preseason hype

2 quarterbacks at UNC: the history, possibilities for 2024

TRENDING

Beyond the box score

Hope returns to Carolina Panthers’ sideline

Diaz, Duke look to recover from unfortunate series of events

Where each coach in the state stands

Sonego rolls past Michelsen to win Winston-Salem Open

ONSLOW

RANDOLPH

WAKE

CABARRUS

FORSYTH

WAKE

NOTICE OF FORECLOSURE SALE

Flyover country

WHAT’S HAPPENING

Red Cross facing blood emergency

Albemarle City Council updated on business growth

NC elections board sued over ‘ballot selfie’ law

Ace Speedway COVID shutdown lawsuit can continue, court rules

THE CONVERSATION

VISUAL VOICES

She

STATE & NATION

North Korea unveils new drone in show of strength

Italian prosecutors open shipwreck, manslaughter investigation into superyacht sinking

STANLY SPORTS

South Stanly defeats West Stanly in opener

ATHLETE OF THE WEEK

Jaylon McCoy

North Stanly, football

Burton earns first win in wild NASCAR Cup race at Daytona

Boise State, Liberty, UTSA top contenders for Group of Five’s spot in college football playoff

Tulane

Leonard Riggio, who forged a bookselling empire at Barnes & Noble, dead at 83

Barbara Jean (Taylor) Drye

Dwight Farmer

James Roseboro

Terry Lee Harward

Juanita Geraldine Johnson