North State Journal Vol. 9, Issue 32

Several dead after plane crash at Outer Banks airport

Kill Devil Hills

Multiple people died after a single-engine plane crashed Saturday afternoon in a wooded area at Wright Brothers National Memorial’s First Flight Airport, the National Park Service said. The crash occurred at 5 p.m. as, according to eyewitnesses, as the airplane was trying to land at the airport, the park service said in a news release. The airplane caught fire after the crash, the park service said. The Kill Devil Hills Fire Department and other local fire departments put out the fire. The National Transportation Safety Board will investigate the incident. The Federal Aviation Administration has also been notified.

Robinson treated for burns after touching exhaust pipe

Mount Airy

Lt. Gov. Mark Robinson said Saturday that he was treated for burns he suffered when he accidentally touched an exhaust pipe at a truck show while campaigning for governor. Robinson, a Republican, was making an appearance Friday evening at the Mayberry Truck Show in Mount Airy when he was injured, campaign spokesperson Mike Lonergan said in a statement. Robinson was treated at Northern Regional Hospital in Mount Airy for second-degree burns, Lonergan added. Lonergan later referred to a video posted on X in which Robinson, with a bandaged left hand, told supporters during a campaign event what happened. Robinson said he had been riding in a “big rig” in a show parade. Supporters approached him as he was getting out of the truck, he said, and while trying to avoid running into them, he put his hand on the truck’s extremely hot exhaust pipe. “It burned my hand, but I am fine,” Robinson said.

$2.00

NCSBE removes nearly 750K from voter rolls

Duplicate in-state registration and inactive status made up more than two-thirds of the removals

By A.P. Dillon North State Journal

RALEIGH — The North Carolina State Board of Elections has removed close to 750,000 ineligible voters from its rolls, according to the agency’s Sept. 26 press release.

The voter records remove fall between January 2023 and August 2024, according to the North Carolina State Board of

Elections (NCSBE). The largescale removal is part of the state’s ongoing efforts to maintain accurate voter registration lists.

The eight reasons for removing a voter from the rolls are relocation, inactivity, death, felony conviction, duplicate registration, request by a voter, a successful voter challenge and noncitizenship.

Federal voting laws dictate inactive voters are removed if they have spent two federal general elections in inactive status without responding to county board mailings.

The NCSBE said the removals were conducted by county boards

Search for survivors continues after Helene

By Erik Verduzco and Jeffrey Collins The Associated Press

SWANNANOA — Rescuers fanned out across the mountains of western North Carolina on Tuesday in search of anyone still unaccounted for since Hurricane Helene’s remnants caused catastrophic damage to the Southeast, with the death toll nearing 140 people.

Many who lived through what was one of the deadliest storms in U.S. history were left without electricity or any way to reach out for help. Some cooked food on charcoal grills or hiked to high ground in the hopes of finding a signal to call loved ones. The devastation was especially bad in the Blue Ridge Mountains, where at least 40 people died in and around the city of Asheville, a tour-

ism haven known for its art galleries, breweries and outdoor activities. Just outside the city, in the small community of Swannanoa, receding floodwaters revealed cars stacked on top of others and trailer homes that had floated away during the storm. Roads were pockmarked with sinkholes and caked with mud and debris. Exhausted emergency crews worked around the clock to clear roads, restore power and phone service, and reach those still stranded by the storm, which killed at least 139 people in six states. Nearly half of the deaths were in North Carolina, while dozens of others were in South Carolina and Georgia.

Search and rescue crews from all levels of government were deployed throughout western North Carolina. Federal agencies, aid groups and volunteers worked to deliver supplies by air, truck and even mule train.

An affidavit filed in the lawsuit claimed easy manipulation of the UNC Chapel Hill Mobile One Card

By A.P. Dillon North State Journal

RALEIGH — The North Carolina Court of Appeals issued an order granting a temporary injunction and enjoining the State Board of Elections from allowing use of the UNC Chapel Hill Mobile One card, a digital ID, for use in voting.

“The motion for temporary injunction is allowed,” the Sept. 27 order stated. “The

State Board of Elections is hereby enjoined from accepting the University of North Carolina - Chapel Hill Mobile One Card, or any other ‘image of a photo ID, either as a photocopy or a photo on a mobile device’ that is prohibited by the State Board of Election’s Numbered Memo 2023-03, for the purpose of casting a ballot in the November 2024 general election.”

The order says the stay and injunction will “remain in effect until the disposition of petitioners’ appeal or until further order of this Court.”

The order follows a Court of Appeals panel review on

See DIGITAL ID, page A11

“Today’s Digital ID decision is a win for the people of North Carolina and for the rule of law.”

Jason Simmons, NCGOP chairman

See HELENE, page A8 See NCSBE,

MIKE STEWART / AP PHOTO

Debris covers parts of Asheville in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene on Monday.

The devastating hurricane ravaged western North Carolina

the word | The shot that missed

An archery contest was in progress. One after another the contestants stepped up to the line, took careful aim, and let their arrows fly at the target. Arrow after arrow embedded its point in the target, some near its center, others farther away. Finally, a contestant stepped up to the mark, poised his arrow carefully, and with a look of confidence on his face, let it fly. Away it flew for the target, but alas, instead of striking in the center — it struck out near the edge of the target, farther from the center than any other arrow. He had missed. He had done the poorest of any of the contestants.

Some of the spectators smiled covertly. Others laughed aloud at his poor shot. Some looked at him in surprise, for they had expected a good shot from him. But he missed. He failed in his purpose and now he stood before them chagrined, humiliated, ridiculed. How natural, under the circumstances, to feel discouraged. How natural that he should say within himself, “Well, I shall never try again. I shall never allow myself to be humiliated publicly again. If I cannot do better than that, then I will stop practicing archery altogether.”

Would he be wise to do this?

Should he not rather inquire why the arrow missed the mark? Why did he so fail in his purpose? Was he careless in his aim or in the manner of his shooting — or was there a flaw in his arrow? Perhaps the feathers on his arrow were not arranged properly, or possibly the bowstring

perhaps the contemptuous sneer. Failure is discouraging. The shot missed the target. You did not attain the expected result. Perhaps you tried to help someone. You said or did just what you thought would be the best, but you missed the mark. You failed and went away discouraged, and that discouragement stood in the way of your using your next opportunity or perhaps several opportunities to do something further. You realized you had done your best, but you had failed.

More than likely you have had a thousand such experiences in your life. You realize you have failed in many things. Sometimes you have not been able to carry out your intentions. Sometimes unexpected circumstances have arisen to dash your plans to the ground. Sometimes other people have consciously or unconsciously thrown hindrances in your way. Sometimes your own weaknesses, faults, carelessness, lack of forethought, unwise methods, or something else causes your goals and purposes to collapse at your feet.

slipped at one end. Perhaps a gust of wind caught the arrow and drove it out of its course. Was it his fault or was it a contingency against which he could not be prepared? Perhaps the miss was not his fault.

Life is like this contest. We can look back, doubtless, upon many shots that missed. Many of our endeavors have brought us only failure. We have felt the humiliation of failure. We have felt the heart-burning that has come with the ridicule from others, the scornful smile, the pitying look, or

We stand corrected In the Sept. 26, 2024, issue of North State Journal, a story on Dale Folwell said he received a loan for $12,118 while studying for his CPA exam. The loan was for $1,200.

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

NCSBE from page A1

of elections following policies to ensure only ineligible records are removed while preserving the registrations of eligible voters.

The NCSBE provided a detailed breakdown of the reasons for these removals and the number of records removed for each.

• Moved within state (duplicate registrations): 289,902

• Two federal elections in inactive status: 246,311

• Deceased: 130,688

• Moved out of state: 31,242

• Duplicate/Merged duplicate: 26,939

• Felony conviction: 18,883

• Request from voter: 2,329

• Other reasons: 980

The removal breakdown list did not include a category for noncitizens or individuals in the country illegally, but the NCSBE

3:13-14 reminds us, “... forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.” Unless we follow this wisdom in our lives, we will inevitably fail to be all we could be.” Life is made of successes and failures. No one can hope always to succeed. Not all efforts will be fruitful. We know too well the weakness and inefficiency of humanity to believe that we can always win.

Sometimes we fail when we feel we ought not to have failed. This is the kind of failure that stings us most. No matter what sort of failure we make, or how great that failure — there is one thing we ought never to do, but it is very natural to do this very thing. It is so natural that we will find ourselves doing it before we realize it. That thing is to condemn ourselves. Perhaps we have been to blame for our failure. Heaping condemnation upon ourselves is not going to help matters even in such a case. Meet the things as

There is always humiliation and discouragement in failure, whether that failure results from our own faults or from things beyond our control. We often fail because we do not know all the forces working or cannot foresee the contingencies that we must face. Sometimes we fail and do not know why we fail.

“What shall we do when we fail? Fold our arms and sit idle and discouraged? There is a better way. The old saying is, ‘If at first you don’t succeed, try, try again.’ The Bible also encourages us to forget what is behind and press on toward what is ahead, as Philippians

NC schools receive Blue Ribbon recognition

Five public schools and one private school were given the award

North State Journal staff

RALEIGH — Five public schools and one private school in North Carolina have been named National Blue Ribbon Schools for 2024 by U.S. Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona.

The schools are among 356 educational institutions across the nation recognized this year for their outstanding academic performance or significant progress in closing achievement gaps. Schools are honored in one of two performance categories: Exemplary High Performing Schools and Exemplary Achieve-

said it does not yet have that coded in its systems. “Removals for lack of citizenship are not specifically coded into the elections database,” the NCSBE press release says. “Any removals for this reason may be coded as ‘Request from voter’ or ‘Other.’ Due to a recent law going into effect requiring the identification of registrants excused from jury service due to noncitizenship, the State Board is working to code this specific removal reason into the database.”

NCSBE Communications Director Patrick Gannon responded to an email from North State Journal on voluntary removals, saying, “If someone voluntarily requests to cancel their voter registration, they typically would not inform a county board of elections why they are doing so.” He also reiterated the information in the press release related to noncitizen removals was because it is not yet coded in their system.

Gannon also referred back to the press release citing nine noncitizen individuals statewide dis-

ment Gap Closing Schools.

The North Carolina public schools receiving the National Blue Ribbon award were Martin L. Nesbitt, Jr. Discovery Academy (Buncombe County Schools); Hope Middle School (Pitt County Schools); McDowell Early College (McDowell County Schools); Willow Springs Elementary School (Wake County Public School System); and Rock Ridge Elementary School (Wilson County Schools)

Immaculate Catholic School, located in Durham, was the private school that won the award. The school earned the award as an Exemplary High Performing School.

“The National Blue Ribbon Schools Award is a testament to the exceptional achievements of students and educators at each

qualified as jurors that had a match on the voter rolls.

Per the press release, NCSBE is looking into those nine voters to determine if they are citizens or not. If they are found not to be U.S. citizens, the board will inform them and cancel their registrations. It is a felony to register for voting or to vote if not a U.S. citizen.

“List maintenance is one of the primary responsibilities of election officials across North Carolina, and we take this responsibility seriously,” said NCSBE Executive Director Karen Brinson Bell.

She also addressed concerns about potential misinformation, stating, “Unfortunately, there is a lot of false information out there about our voter rolls and the efforts we undertake to keep them up to date.”

New processes for voter roll maintenance to improve accuracy were included in the NCSBE press release, such as a new law requiring clerks of superior court to provide lists of individuals who

of these schools,” said U.S. Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona in a press release. “The 2024 National Blue Ribbon Schools are raising the bar for our nation’s students, serving as models for effective teaching and intentional collaboration in their schools and communities. As we celebrate their achievements, let us look to these schools for inspiration as we champion education as the foundation of a brighter future for every child.”

North Carolina State Superintendent Catherine Truitt said in a press release, “I’m so proud to see these schools recognized for their incredible accomplishments and dedication to their students. Their entire school communities – including educators, students, parents and members of the community – il-

requested to be excused from jury duty because they claimed noncitizenship.

The use of the jury duty requirement is the subject of a pending lawsuit against the NCSBE filed by the Republican National Committee and the North Carolina Republican Party.

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

“Assertions in the lawsuit that the State Board is refusing to comply with Section 44 of Session Law 2023-140 are categorically false,” a statement from the NCSBE said in response to the claims. “We ask that the NCGOP and RNC immediately rescind their press releases on this topic, as they will undermine voter confidence on an entirely false premise.”

The State Board has initiat-

lustrate the amazing things happening in North Carolina’s public schools, ultimately leading the way toward stronger schools across our state and even better outcomes for students.”

Since the program’s inception in 1982, 143 public schools in North Carolina have been recognized with the award.

In 2023, eight schools in the state received the award.

Up to 420 schools may be nominated each year. The nomination process involves top education officials from all states, plus the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands, the Department of Defense Education Activity, and the Bureau of Indian Education. Private schools are nominated by The Council for American Private Education.

ed a series of automated data checks to correct data entry errors and other inaccuracies in the voter registration database. These checks flag issues such as duplicate voter registration numbers, data entered into wrong fields, potentially invalid birth years or registration dates, and duplicate driver’s license numbers. Despite the substantial number of removals, North Carolina continues to see growth in its registered voter population. The state has experienced a 4.3% increase in registered voters since the 2020 election, according to NCSBE.

The state’s voter registration numbers show more than 7.666 million registered voters compared to more than 6.583 million at the same point in time 10 years ago.

North Carolina’s voter registration deadline for the 2024 general election is Oct. 11, with options for same-day registration during the early voting period from Oct. 17 to Nov. 2.

PUBLIC DOMAIN

“Colonel Acland and Lord Sydney: The Archers by Sir Joshua Reynolds” (1769) is a painting in the collection of Tate Britain in London.

The life and careers of Dale Folwell Portrait of a politician

Dale Folwell speaks during a press conference after Gov. Bev Purdue signed the Gfeller-Waller Concussion Awareness Act,

bill introduced by Folwell, on June 16, 2011. The law implemented a concussion safety training program to protect high

Folwell’s career shift into politics started with a loss

This is the third story in a five-week series on the life and career of outgoing North Carolina Treasurer Dale Folwell.

By A.P. Dillon North State Journal

RALEIGH — North Carolina State Treasurer Dale Folwell had worked myriad blue-collar jobs, made his way through college and remarkably aced his CPA exam. None had been easy, and Folwell’s next venture — into politics — proved just as difficult.

Folwell said he dipped his toe into the public realm with an unconventional suggestion for the Winston-Salem City Council on how it could save money.

“So it’s kind of upside down, but I’d recommend to the City Council that they spend more money — which is not what you hear conservatives say — to buy more police cars so that the police officers could drive them home,” said Folwell. “Because we were losing about 12% of the shift time every day due to people transferring their gear from one police car to another as they were going on and off shifts.

“That was my first opportunity about problem-solving in public service.”

His interest and involvement led to others having an interest in Folwell running for office, which he did in the late 1980s.

“I ran for City Council against Larry Womble,” Folwell said. “Lost by 74 votes. I was 28 years old.” Folwell did, however, later get appointed to the county’s school board, where he spent eight years

(1993-2000) before moving into state politics.

Fowlell said his run for a seat in the North Carolina House of Representatives in 2004 was about “saving lives, saving minds and saving money.”

He received 62.9% of the votes in the 74th District race, defeating Democrat Tom Brandon to succeed Linda P. Johnson, who had been redistricted to the 83rd District.

Once in office, Folwell passed significant legislation while maintaining a conservative ranking through his four terms in the statehouse (2005-13) despite Democrats occupying leadership positions at the legislature and in the Executive Mansion.

“When I came to Raleigh, I was in the minority party for six years,” said Folwell.

Despite Democratic Govs. Bev Perdue and Mike Easley and the House being held by the opposing party, Folwell said he had 29 pieces of legislation make their way to law without a veto.

He again credited hard work with helping him persevere.

“If you’re coming to Raleigh to be half-ass, what does that say about those things you love?” Folwell said. “So I felt like that while I’m here and when I was here, I needed to respect those individuals — my family — and work as hard as I possibly could.”

Folwell’s knack for tackling broken systems and improving efficiency in the past made its way to public service.

As Assistant Secretary of Commerce over the Division of Employment Security (DES) for Gov. Pat McCrory from 2013-15, Folwell said he worked on fixing the state’s

DALE

Rep.

unemployment system.

“We sucked,” Folwell said bluntly. “We paid money to people who didn’t deserve it and we couldn’t get money to people who did during the great financial crisis. Plus we had about $2.6 billion in debt — (the state was) paying hundreds of millions of dollars of interest.

“People talk about the turnaround in that system: paid off $2.7 billion in debt and built a billion-dollar surplus in 31 months. Which turned into a $4 billion surplus as we entered into COVID.”

“If

you’re coming to Raleigh to be half-ass, what does that say about those things you love?”

Dale Folwell

He said some of the best ideas over the years to make agencies he led more efficient came not from him but from the employees.

“What no one ever talks about is the ‘truth’ part of the success of that turnaround story,” Folwell said.

He said he empowered state employees, who in turn “had fantastic ideas about how to reform this system.”

One fix came from a temporary employee at DES who said it made no sense why the agency was paying out claims before they had received the corresponding verification from employers.

Folwell said he later discovered DES had tens of thousands of current claims that fell into that category and “hundreds of thousands, if not millions, of dollars” in

the previous year’s applications that had been marked “LOW,” which stands for “lack of work.”

“As soon as that LOW hit this system, it would automatically be adjudicated,” said Folwell in a frustrated tone. “Where they were making tens of thousands of dollars a year by being on unemployment, and by the time it actually caught up with them because of the backlogs, it’d be past the two years.”

Folwell also recalled working to improve DES’s call center, which he said at the time had a quality score behind Guam and Puerto Rico. He said at the start of every meeting he would put his cell phone on speaker while calling the call center “because it took me four months to get my phone call answered. It never answered.”

Even today, Folwell is still bothered by the inefficiency.

“You see that I’m getting a little more animated about this because I like fixing things,” he said. “I’m a mechanic and I like saving money, and that’s why all of this has been so important to me.”

COURTESY DALE FOLWELL

a

school athletes.

COURTESY DALE FOLWELL

From left, Republican state legislators Bill McGee, Dale Folwell, Carolyn Justus, Paul Stam and Rick Killian pose for a photo in 2007. Despite Democrats controlling the General Assembly and Executive Mansion during much of his time in the state House, Folwell had 29 pieces of legislation signed into law.

COURTESY

FOLWELL

Dale Folwell speaks during a NCGOP event ahead of the 2012 election.

THE CONVERSATION

Neal Robbins, publisher | Frank Hill, senior opinion editor

VISUAL VOICES

EDITORIAL | FRANK HILL

The dangers of selective

when it comes to voting

There is no conceivable way Kamala Harris had a complete political genetic therapeutic transformation and became a moderate in any way, shape, fashion or form.

I WAS TALKING to a dear friend recently who has spent a lifetime in conscientious contemplation of life’s mysteries within the scope of the Christian Gospel. He wanted to talk about the recent revelations about Lt. Gov. Mark Robinson and, of course, Donald Trump. He asked how any Christian could possibly square the circle between personal character and political philosophy when it comes to voting for this or that candidate in a binary sense.

It occurred to me people such as my friend never call me for political input about someone’s “character” when it has to do with a Democrat candidate for president such as Bill Clinton.

“Did you vote for Bill Clinton full well knowing of his lack of personal integrity and misogynistic behavior toward women?”

“I did,” was the response.

“Why did you do that if personal integrity and moral rectitude were your primary criteria for voting?” I asked.

“I guess because I agreed with his policies,” came back the measured, somewhat sheepish response.

“George H.W. Bush 41 was a man of high moral character and patriotism. So was Bob Dole. You could have voted for either of them had your sense of moral indignation toward Bill Clinton superseded your political proclivities,” I said.

“I thought Bill Clinton would bring a new direction to public policy. Plus Clinton was a young Southern Democrat, so his policies were not too far left of center,” he said.

Democrats apparently have a far easier time overlooking a candidate’s personal character than Republicans. MoveOn.org was specifically created by wealthy Democratic donors to get everyone to “move on” from

EDITORIAL | STACEY MATTHEWS

‘indignation!’

the spectacle of Clinton’s impeachment after his affair with Monica Lewinsky ― which apparently worked because he left office in 2001 with one of the highest ratings in White House history.

Democrats cherish the memory of JFK as if he hailed from Camelot instead of Hyannis Port, Massachusetts. His assassination in broad daylight is seared in the American consciousness as the day we lost our innocence somehow ― even though, on a personal scale, JFK was hardly “innocent” when it came to abuse and mistreatment of women.

Would Democrats today support Clinton or JFK even if they knew of all of their foibles and indiscretions?

Of course they would.

Democrats fully understand politics and elections are a means to power and control not only our government but our lives. Republicans think presidents should serve as some sort of moral avatar first and then pass legislation ― if any is needed, that is.

If such a combination exists, as it did with George Washington, terrific. But the human condition, as my friend loves to point out, is a nuanced gray instead of bright white and dark black.

The problem today is that if enough Republicans don’t vote for someone because they think he is a cad but they agree with 85% of his policies, Democrats will vote for whoever will toe the party line — in this case, Kamala Harris — without any reservation about her ability to lead or even string together coherent sentences whatsoever. She will accelerate the integration of far-left socialist domestic programs and weak foreign policy into our U.S. system, which started under Obama in 2009.

Kamala Harris’ latest border visit isn’t fooling anyone

Harris visiting the border is a big mistake because it gives Republicans, including Trump, an opportunity to remind voters of her past hard-left stances.

AS WE HEAD into the final full month of campaigning before the November elections, the presidential nominees and their supporters are hitting the gas and pulling out all the stops to motivate voters to go to the polls in one of the most consequential elections we’ll ever see in our lifetimes.

On Democratic presidential nominee Kamala Harris’ list of things to do was visit the southern border, only the second such visit she’s made during her vice presidency despite being President Joe Biden’s border czar since March 2021.

Last Friday, Harris made the trip alongside Sen. Mark Kelly (D-Ariz.) to Douglas, Arizona, where she looked and sounded like a fish out of water.

She met with border patrol officials (but not rank-and-file border agents), got in some campaign-worthy photo ops, and gave a short speech where she came off like a completely different candidate than the one she was in 2019 when she was pandering for Hispanic votes and was unapologetically pro-open borders.

“Those who cross our borders unlawfully will be apprehended and removed and barred from reentering for five years,” Harris declared in her remarks. “We will pursue more severe criminal charges for repeat violators.”

Even CBS News noted the “dramatic” change in her rhetoric in comparison to her failed 2019 presidential candidacy.

“Harris’ comments marked a dramatic departure from her more liberal immigration positions during the 2020 campaign, when she signaled support for decriminalizing unauthorized border crossings and more lenient asylum policies,” the network reported.

The Associated Press also noticed.

“Harris walks fence at US-Mexico border as she works to project tougher stance on migration,” was the headline to their story on her visit, with “project,” of course, being the operative word.

Exactly why is Harris visiting the southern border at this late date? Because polls show her opponent, Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump, is trusted far more to handle the Biden border crisis than she is.

Further, the surveys also show illegal immigration is a top issue for voters in this election cycle. Trump has made it a focal point of his campaign to become president, while Harris is just now playing catch up, hoping to pull the wool over voters’ eyes on the issue.

I think few, if any, will be fooled by Kamala 2.0’s illegal immigration flipflops, but for any who are, keep in mind that

The 2024 presidential election has to be a referendum on the policies and performance of the Biden/Harris administration and every elected Democrat who supported them unconditionally. If someone votes for them, they are saying they are OK with all of the inflation, economic uncertainty, ransacking of the border with illegal immigrants, weak, feckless leadership on the world stage, and the social engineering of the past four dreadful years ― and want to see it continue again for another four dreadful years.

There is no conceivable way Harris had a complete political genetic therapeutic transformation and became a moderate in any way, shape, fashion or form. If you think Joe Biden was bad, wait until you see what a Harris White House will wreak upon this nation.

Absentee ballots started to be mailed out on Sept. 21 to military voters and citizens living outside the United States who requested them. On Sept. 24, county boards of elections began mailing absentee ballots to all other voters who requested them for the Nov. 5 election.

Early voting in person begins Oct. 17 and ends at 3 p.m. on Nov. 2.

If you are a Republican conservative, you are faced with the choice to be inconsistent in your indignation and vote for the person who will try to advance at least 80% of the policies with which you agree and that will help make you and your family safer, prosperous and free. Or letting the other side win. Again.

It is time for you to decide what is most important to you and your family ― your righteous indignation at the human condition or your personal safety and economic wellbeing and the future path of the American Democratic Republic.

Harris said in 2020, “Trump’s border wall is a complete waste of taxpayer money and won’t make us any safer.”

“The president’s medieval vanity project is not going to stop” transnational gangs, she also said that same year of Trump’s border wall.

Harris now supports building one.

This issue isn’t the only one she’s switched gears on in recent weeks since becoming the Democratic nominee. But it’s one of the most critical ones, happening as reports of illegal immigrants, specifically those who have crossed the border under Biden-Harris, committing violent crimes (with some of the victims being children) are coming in on a daily basis.

Some have argued that Harris visiting the border is a big mistake because it gives Republicans, including Trump, an opportunity to remind voters of her past hard-left stances.

“For her entire career, she has wanted a more permissive immigration structure,” GOP strategist Scott Jennings told CNN in a recent segment. “When she ran for president before, she wanted to decriminalize border crossings.”

“In her heart of hearts, she wants a more liberal, permissive immigration structure,” Jennings also correctly observed, something that fence-sitting voters who are deeply concerned about the border crisis should take into account come November.

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.

The Harris campaign might need to change its strategy

The RealClearPolitics average of recent polls shows Trump at least 1% ahead in states with 246 electoral votes, Harris that far ahead in states with 226.

IN MY TIME as a political consultant, I observed that carrying out a campaign strategy was surprisingly simple. You settled on a basic strategy, emphasizing the candidate’s strong points on issues and character, framing the election in terms favorable to most voters. Then you just carried it out.

Almost always, events would intrude — campaign gaffes, unfavorable public polls, media controversies or surprise initiatives by the opposition. At such points, you’d get lots of advice, from inside and outside the campaign, about how you had to change course and do things differently. The hard part was distinguishing between the nine times out of 10 in which you should — diplomatically, if possible — ignore such advice and stick to the strategy, and the one time out of 10 when you should change course.

Looking on from afar, I think there’s a good chance Vice President Kamala Harris’ campaign has reached such a point.

Much of Harris’ strategy from President Joe Biden’s withdrawal on July 21, and even before, was obvious: emphasize former President Donald Trump’s character flaws, build on Democratic voters’ enthusiasm that they were no longer stuck with a sure loser, show off the best candidate’s smile since Ronald Reagan’s.

The hard part was dealing with issues.

The Biden-Harris record on inflation and immigration is highly unpopular. Beyond that, on her own as a candidate for the 2020 Democratic presidential nomination, Harris had taken a number of “woke” positions on issues that are not shared by anything like a majority of general election voters.

Banning fracking, a major industry in Pennsylvania. Decriminalizing illegal border crossing. Abolishing nongovernment health insurance. A mandatory buyback (i.e., confiscation) of so-called assault weapons. Major cuts in funding for U.S. Immigrations and Customs Enforcement. Government-paid gender transition surgery for detained illegal immigrants.

How to deal with these now-inconvenient facts? The Harris strategy has been to sweep them aside. Focus, as the candidate of change, on the future.

Otherwise, hide the candidate — and trust a mostly sympathetic press, something like 90% of whose members want to see Trump lose, not to press hard on any subject that might not help the campaign.

This has mostly seemed to work. In the single interview on Aug. 29 that Harris submitted to in her first month as presidential candidate, with Walz included, CNN’s Dana Bash did ask her to explain her changes on issues. “My values haven’t changed,” Harris said, not responding to the question.

This strategy has worked, up to a point. Poll averages two weeks after the debate show Harris a couple of points ahead of Trump nationally and

COLUMN

| BEN SHAPIRO

Were the American people to tie Harris to Biden’s record, she would lose the presidency.

competitive in target states. Poll analyst Nate Silver’s model Monday gave her a 53% chance of winning the Electoral College.

But that’s well below the 71% chance it gave former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton just before the 2016 election. The RealClearPolitics average of recent polls shows Trump at least 1% ahead in states with 246 electoral votes, Harris that far ahead in states with 226.

Independent analyst Mark Halperin perceives a more pessimistic outlook among Democratic strategists than public polls suggest, particularly over what specifically she would do as president and whether she’s “super liberal.”

“The general worry among some Democrats is that she’s not trying to address these concerns,” Halperin said in a recent livestream on the YouTube channel 2WAY.

There’s an obvious strategy here for Republicans: fill in the blanks. Harris’ strategy left 28% of voters in the New York Times-Siena Sept. 3-8 survey saying they “felt they needed to know more” about Harris compared to only 9% for Trump. Republicans have less money than Democrats, but they can still run barrages of TV ads highlighting Harris’ previous liberal positions and questioning whether she’s going to pursue them once she’s elected.

There’s video of her support for governmentpaid inmate transgender surgeries, which prompted an embarrassing correction by Time and an unacknowledged error by the normally well-informed Susan Glasser in the legendarily fact-checked New Yorker. And the Daily Mail just unearthed video of Harris chanting, “Down, down with deportation” with hate hoaxer Jussie Smollett.

In 1988, as Post columnist Richard Cohen reported, Michael Dukakis, a much more serious practitioner of public policy than Harris, lost his huge poll lead in part because of ads pointing out that for 11 years, he had supported a policy of releasing on weekend furloughs prisoners who had been sentenced to life without parole.

Democratic strategists and much of the press tried to ignore the issue or dismiss the ads as racism. The better strategy would have been an early confession of error and a promise to avoid such extreme stands in the future.

Harris strategists rejected that strategy back in July and hoped they could glide to victory on joyful vibes and with the help of a press determined not to ferret out any inconvenient truths.

Now, six weeks out and with odds not significantly better than 50/50, they seem to be wondering whether this is one of the nine out of 10 times when they should not change their strategy, or the one out of 10 times when they should.

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.”

The greatest scandal in modern American history that no one cares about

A LITTLE OVER EIGHT WEEKS ago,

President Joe Biden dropped out of the 2024 presidential race despite being the Democratic Party’s presumptive nominee and only true primary vote recipient. He was forced out by the party elite, who watched his debate with Donald Trump and saw what most of America already knew: That Biden is senile.

Biden was promptly replaced by Kamala Harris, his vice president, who has since solidified Democratic turnout and is running neck-and-neck with Trump.

But something strange has happened since Biden’s ouster: The country went back to ignoring Joe Biden’s senility. Photographs and footage of Biden asleep at the beach in Delaware have filled X feeds for weeks since he dropped out of the race. Just last week, Biden turned over a full Cabinet meeting to his wife, Jill, who sat herself at the head of the table and proceeded to lecture Constitutional appointees on women’s health issues. Within 48 hours, Biden completely forgot the world leader he was supposed to introduce at a Quad summit, snarling at his aides, “Thank you all for being here and now, uhh, who am I introducing next? Who’s next?” The leader, as it turns out, was Narendra Modi, prime minister of the most populous country on Earth, India.

So, why isn’t it something of an issue that the most powerful seat on the planet — the presidency of the United States — is currently being held as a sort of emeritus position by a doddering old fool? Why has an office once held by George Washington and Abraham Lincoln been treated as a sort of throwaway gift to a career corrupt politician, like a gold-plated watch or a set of steak knives handed to a pasthis-prime salesman at a Motel 6 retirement reception?

The answer is simple: The person tasked

with invoking the 25th Amendment so as to protect the presidency is Kamala Harris. And Harris cannot oust Biden. Were she to do so, that would lead to a pitched battle with Biden himself — and Biden is already fighting mad, during his waking hours, at his defenestration at her hands. But more importantly, Harris cannot oust Biden because were she to do so, she would make explicit that which has remained implicit: She is the sitting vice president of the United States and thus responsible for the actions of the Biden-Harris administration.

The entire Democratic Party gambit — their sleight-of-hand shell game — relies on Biden as the red herring. Were the American people to tie Harris to Biden’s record, she would lose the presidency. She has been, instead, proclaiming that she “isn’t Joe Biden” while at the same time dissociating from zero of his policies. It’s quite the trick. And it could only work with a compliant media and with Biden still retaining the title of acting president. The minute she takes over, she becomes responsible for all of it. And Biden’s record is the shoddiest of any president of our lifetimes.

And so the presidency will be sacrificed in order to advance the ambitions of Kamala Harris and the Democratic Party. The world will continue to spiral into chaos thanks to the leadership vacuum at the helm of the United States. And the Democrat-media human centipede will continue to ignore the absolute scandal that takes place every day at the White House, where a clearly befuddled octogenarian staggers from his living quarters to make unintelligible sounds before the cameras as the world burns.

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

Kamala Harris’s bait and switch on fracking

BECAUSE PENNSYLVANIA is possibly the decisive state in winning the presidential election, Vice President Kamala Harris is attempting a remarkable bait-and-switch on fracking.

Back in 2020, when she was running to be the Democratic presidential nominee, her position on the subject was crystal clear. Then-Sen. Harris said in a television interview, “There’s no question: I’m in favor of banning fracking.”

Now, western Pennsylvania has two of the four largest natural gas fields in the world. It is an energy resource worth thousands of jobs and billions of dollars. The farmers and landowners who earn royalties ― and the men and women who work directly in the natural gas business ― all have deep interest in keeping their industry vibrant and prosperous.

Even rational environmentalists see natural gas as useful. It is the least expensive and least carbon-producing fossil fuel. Switching from coal to natural gas has been a huge driver of reducing U.S. carbon emissions over the last few decades.

By contrast, the left’s green activists totally oppose all fossil fuels, including natural gas. Fracking has been one of their targets for years. However, the left’s extreme position of shutting down the natural gas industry is quite unpopular with consumers and those who work in the industry.

The Biden-Harris administration has been fully committed to eliminating natural gas usage wherever possible, including suggesting that gas stoves should be outlawed. It has provided massive federal subsidies for wind and solar power — and required the electric generation industry to use this alternative power when it is available. This has dramatically and intentionally reduced the use of natural gas — and increased power bills nationwide.

Now that Vice President Harris is desperate to win Pennsylvania, she has suddenly changed her tune. She now says she wouldn’t ban fracking.

The green community appears to be giving her a pass — likely because they believe she’s just saying what she must to win. As Columbia University Sabin Center for Climate Change Law Director Michael Gerrard said, “It’s a shift in rhetoric, not in policy.”

Another leading climate activist, Fossil Free Media Director Jamie Henn, posted on X:

“Look, personally, I think we should ban fracking and rapidly transition away from all new fossil fuel development. That’s what science says is necessary. But let’s face it, the politics aren’t there yet in a place like Pennsylvania. So I’m not particularly worried about Harris having to thread the needle on fracking and other energy issues. Her job right now is to get elected. That’s the most important ‘policy’ on climate and everything else. They’ll be plenty of time to push her when she’s in office.”

So those who most want to elect Harris are comfortable with her misleading the American people to get elected. They know she can easily revert to her original anti-fracking position.

Furthermore, Harris and her allies know there is another way to destroy fracking without formally trying to get a ban through Congress (which probably could not be done).

All they must do to stop fracking is make it unprofitable through high taxes, regulations and giving massive taxpayer subsidies to alternative energy sources so no one will invest in the natural gas industry.

So Harris can keep her new pledge to not ban fracking and still indirectly destroy it.

The road map for this strategy was laid out by then-Sen. Barack Obama while he was running for president in 2008. He spoke to the San Francisco Chronicle editorial board. When he was asked if he would stop all future coal mines, he said no — because he did not have to. Obama’s reasoning was simple:

“So if somebody wants to build a coal plant, they can — it’s just that it will bankrupt them because they are going to be charged a huge sum for all that greenhouse gas that’s being emitted.”

The parallel between the Obama assault on coal and the Biden-Harris effort to shrink and destroy the rest of the fossil fuel industry is amazing. They learned from him and now they want to go even further. Along the way, they will eliminate the least expensive and most available forms of energy available in America.

The left’s profound dishonesty and contempt for the intelligence of most Americans is amazing.

Harris seems to think a contradictory promise made in the heat of the campaign will get us to overlook a lifetime commitment to bankrupting and destroying the oil and gas industry.

As someone born in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, who has friends across the Commonwealth, I think Harris is greatly underestimating the intelligence of Pennsylvanians.

On Election Day, I think they are going to repudiate her dishonest arrogance.

Harris’s bait-and-switch isn’t going to work in Pennsylvania.

Newt Gingrich is a former speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives.

Murphy to Manteo

It’s campaign season

EAST

President Joe Biden was set to survey the devastation in the region Wednesday. The North Carolina death toll included one horrific story after another of people trapped by floodwaters or killed by falling trees. A courthouse security officer died after being submerged in his truck. A couple and a 6-year-old boy waiting on a rooftop to be rescued drowned when part of their home collapsed.

Rescuers did manage to save dozens of other people, including an infant and two others who were stuck on the top of a car in Atlanta. More than 50 hospital

patients and staff in Tennessee were plucked by helicopter from the hospital rooftop. Search crews around Asheville first focused on those who were especially vulnerable, using helicopters to get past washed-out bridges or hiking to isolated homes.

“We’ve been going door to door making sure that we can put eyes on people and see if they’re safe,” said Avril Pinder, the county manager for Buncombe County. “We know that there are places that are still hard to access.”

The storm unleashed the worst flooding in a century in North Carolina. Rainfall es-

timates in some areas have topped more than 2 feet since last Wednesday, and several main routes into Asheville were damaged or blocked by mudslides. That includes a 4-mile section of Interstate 40 that was heavily damaged.

Joey Hopkins, North Carolina’s secretary of transportation, asked people to stay off the roads.

“We’re continuing to tell folks if you don’t have a reason to be in North Carolina, do not travel on the roads of western North Carolina,” Hopkins said. “We do not want you here if you don’t live here and you’re not helping with the storm.”

NCDOT TO HOLD PUBLIC MEETING REGARDING FISHER ROAD WIDENING IN CUMBERLAND COUNTY

STIP Project U-6073

CUMBERLAND COUNTY - The N.C. Department of Transportation is holding a public meeting to discuss the proposed widening of Fisher Road in Cumberland County, from Strickland Bridge Road to Bingham Drive. The meeting aims to introduce the project to the community and gather feedback on the proposed design concepts.

The proposed project, State Transportation Improvement Program Project No. U-6073, would widen 2.1 miles of Fisher Road S.R. (1107) from Strickland Bridge Road (S.R. 1104) to Bingham Drive (N.C. 162).

Project details, including maps of the proposal(s), can be found on the NCDOT public meetings web page (www.ncdot.gov/news/public-meetings).

The meeting will be held 5-7 p.m. October 24th at John Griffin Middle School in Fayetteville. Interested residents can drop in any time to learn more about the proposal, have questions answered and talk with NCDOT representatives. There will not be a formal presentation.

People may also submit comments by phone, email or mail by 11/8/2024

For more information, contact NCDOT Division 6 Project Engineer Sean Matuszewski at 910-364-0688: spmatuszewski@ncdot.gov.

NCDOT will provide auxiliary aids and services under the Americans with Disabilities Act for disabled people who wish to participate in this workshop. Anyone requiring special services should contact Ronald Coleman, Environmental Analysis Unit, at 1598 Mail Service Center in Raleigh; 919-707-7050; or rcoleman2@ncdot.gov as early as possible so that arrangements can be made.

1-800-481-6494.

Top, Len Frisbee dumps a wheelbarrow of dirt as he helps with clean up Tuesday in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene in Hot Springs.

Bottom left, a passerby checks the water depth of a flooded road Saturday in Morganton.

Bottom center, a searchand-rescue dog looks for victims Tuesday in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene in Swannanoa.

Bottom right, Cliff Stewart, who survived a flash flood while in a hospital bed, is seen in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene on Tuesday in Swannanoa.

At a grocery store in Asheville, Elizabeth Teall-Fleming stood in line, hoping to find nonperishable food since her home had no power. She planned to heat canned food over a camp stove for her family.

“I’m just glad that they’re open and that they’re able to let us in,” she said. She was surprised by the storm’s ferocity: “Just seeing the little bit of news that we’ve been able to see has been shocking and really sad.”

In one neighborhood, residents collected creek water in buckets to flush toilets. Others waited in a line for more than a block to fill up milk jugs

Former Tenn. Gov. Dunn dies at 97

Nashville, Tenn.

Former Tennessee Gov. Winfield Dunn, who left dentistry to make a successful run for office in 1970 without having previously held public office, died of natural causes Saturday at his Nashville home, son Charles Dunn said in an email. He was 97. Dunn became the state’s first GOP governor in 50 years, helping usher in a two -party system. He was barred from succeeding himself as governor — a law that later was changed — and ran unsuccessfully for a second term in 1986. In addition to his son, he is survived by his wife of 74 years, Betty Prichard Dunn; daughters Donna Gayle Dunn Hurley and Julie Claire Dunn; and many grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

Accused L.A. bus

hijacker charged with murder, kidnapping

Los Angeles

A man who allegedly hijacked a city bus in Los Angeles, killed a passenger and held its driver at gunpoint last week has been charged with murder and kidnapping, authorities said. Lamont Campbell, 51, was charged following the shooting death 48-year-old Anthony Rivera.

and whatever other containers they could find with drinking water.

Helene blew ashore in Florida late Thursday as a Category 4 hurricane and quickly moved north. The storm upended life throughout the Southeast, where deaths were also reported in Florida, Tennessee and Virginia. Officials warned that rebuilding would be long and difficult.

“This has been an unprecedented storm that has hit western North Carolina,” Gov. Roy Cooper said Monday after an aerial tour of the Asheville area. “It’s requiring an unprecedented response.”

Forest wildfire kills 2 in Greece

Athens, Greece

Two people died overnight in a large wildfire burning through forestland in Greece near a seaside resort in the country’s south, authorities said Monday. The fire service said about 350 firefighters, assisted by 18 water-dropping aircraft, were battling the blaze near Xylokastro in the Peloponnese region. While the initial large front was put out, scattered flare-ups continued to burn, forcing evacuation orders for three villages on Monday. Earlier, half a dozen villages were ordered evacuated overnight as a precaution.

Scores dead in floods, landslides in Nepal

Kathmandu, Nepal Rescuers in Nepal recovered dozens of bodies from buses and other vehicles that were buried in landslides near the capital of Kathmandu as the death toll from flooding rose to at least 148 with dozens missing, officials said Sunday. The weather improved Sunday following three days of monsoon rains, and rescue and clean up efforts were underway. Kathmandu remained cut off Sunday as three highways out of the city were blocked by landslides. Rescuers retrieved 14 bodies overnight from two buses.

HELENE from page A1

JEFF ROBERSON / AP PHOTO

KATHY KMONICEK / AP PHOTO

MIKE STEWART / AP PHOTO MIKE STEWART / AP PHOTO

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

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.

Richmond Fed president urges caution on rate cuts; inflation isn’t defeated

Not one little bit.

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.”

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.

WASHINGTON, D.C. —

The president of the Federal Reserve’s Richmond branch says he supports reducing the central bank’s key interest rate “somewhat” from its current level but isn’t yet ready for the Fed to take its foot off the economy’s brakes fully.

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.

Tom Barkin also said the economy is showing “impressive strength,” highlighting recent solid reports on retail sales, unemployment claims, and growth in the April-June quarter, which reached a healthy 3%. “With inflation and unemployment being so close to normal levels, it’s okay to dial back the level of restraint, somewhat,” Barkin said, referring to cuts to the Fed’s key interest rate. “I’m not yet ready to declare victory on inflation. And so I wouldn’t dial it back all the way” to a level that no longer restricts the economy, which economists refer to as “neutral.” Estimates of neutral are currently about 3% to 3.5%, much lower than the benchmark rate’s current level of 4.8%.

The tech companies are accused of blocking third-party competition

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.”

By Sarah Parvini The Associated Press

written under the pseudonym Sister Toldjah RedState and Legal Insurrection.

“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.

In the interview, Barkin said a key factor in his support was the relatively modest path of rate reductions the Fed forecast for the rest of this year and through 2025 in a set of projections it released on Sept. 18. Those projections showed just two quarter-point reductions later this year and four next year, less than many investors and economists had expected.

Barkin said those projections showed a “very measured” series of rate cuts and a “reasonably positive view” of the economy, helping counter any perception that the Fed’s sharp rate cut this month reflected “panic” about the economy.

Barkin said inflation is likely to keep fading in the near term, but he does see some risk that it could prove stubborn next year. Conflict in the Middle East could push up oil prices, which would lift inflation, and lower interest rates might accelerate purchases of homes and cars, which would increase prices if supply doesn’t keep up.

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

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.

Barkin also spends considerable time discussing the economy with businesses in the Fed’s Richmond district, which includes Maryland, Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, the District of Columbia and most of West Virginia. He said most of his recent conversations have been reassuring.

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.

LOS ANGELES — Video game maker Epic Games sued Google and Samsung on Monday, accusing the tech companies of coordinating to block third-party competition in application distribution on Samsung devices. At issue is Samsung’s “Auto Blocker” feature, which only allows apps from authorized sources, such as the Samsung Galaxy Store or Google Play Store, to be installed. The feature is turned on by default but can be changed in a phone’s settings. According to Samsung, the tool prevents the installation of applications from unauthorized sources and blocks “malicious activity.

“

In a lawsuit filed in San Francisco federal court — Epic’s second against Google — the company said Auto Block-

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.”

The union says it will strike for as long as it needs to get a fair deal

By Tom Krisher and Tassanee Vejpongsa The Associated Press

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

PHILADELPHIA — A strike by dockworkers at 36 ports from Maine to Texas, the first in decades, could snarl supply chains and lead to shortages and higher prices if it stretches on for more than a few weeks.

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.

“Inflation is still over target,” Barkin said. “We do need to stay attentive to that.”

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.

Barkin said he sees the Fed cutting borrowing costs in two phases, beginning with a “recalibration” because rates are higher than needed given the drop in inflation in the past two years. According to the Fed’s preferred gauge, inflation has fallen sharply from a peak of 7% in 2022 to about 2.2% in August.

I’d bet that by restoring the traditional academic mission to colleges, they would put a serious dent into the COVID-19 budget shortfall.

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

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

er “is virtually guaranteed to entrench Google’s dominance over Android app distribution.” Epic, developer of the popular game “Fortnite,” filed the lawsuit to prevent Google from “negating the long overdue promise of competition in the Android App Distribution Market,” according to the complaint.

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.”

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

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

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

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

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.

VISUAL VOICE S

“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

, Apr il 15,

Since when did questioning government at all levels become a thing? That is what free citizens living in a free society were supposed

My rst concern as we go along in all this, of course, is my family. 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 way too many memories of a painful experience I’d prefer not to repeat.

We’ve seen case fatality rates — the number the number of identi ed COVID-19 cases and the denominator are likely wrong. We people have actually died of coronavirus. number has been overestimated, given that of death, particularly among elderly patients, sources suggest the number is dramatically many people are dying at home.

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 Perhaps COVID-19 is Senators in Washington of China forgiving $1.2 China to “pay” for the damage breath waiting for a Chinese representatives to hold It is about time they are the world like any other

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

Hill, senio

Even more importantly, we have no clue actually have coronavirus. Some scientists of identi ed cases could be an order of magnitude number of people who have had coronavirus

The comfort and hope

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.”

Some of these orders extend at least through the end of this month. Virginia’s stay-at-home orders go into June.

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.

“Allowing this coordinated illegal anti-competitive dealing to proceed hurts developers and consumers and undermines both the jury’s verdict and regulatory and legislative progress around the world,” Epic Games said in a post on its website.

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

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.”

download a third-party app outside of the Google Play Store or the Samsung Galaxy Store. A support page on Epic’s website shows a four-step process to remove the Auto Blocker setting. Epic said those steps, combined with Google’s and Samsung’s “install flow,” are part of the 21 steps to download the Epic Games Store.

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.

Google did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Samsung said it “actively fosters market competition, enhances consumer choice, and conducts its operations fairly.”

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.

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.”

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.

Epic won its first antitrust lawsuit against Google in December after a jury found that Google’s Android app store had been protected by anti-competitive barriers that damaged smartphone consumers and software developers.

“The features integrated into our devices are designed in accordance with Samsung’s core principles of security, privacy, and user control, and we remain fully committed to safeguarding users’ personal data.

once again enjoy sporting events, concerts, family gatherings, church services and many more after our own temporary sacri ces are over.

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

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.

Users have the choice to disable Auto Blocker at any time,” Samsung said, adding that it plans to “vigorously contest Epic Game’s baseless claims.” Epic launched its Epic Games Store on iPhones in the European Union and on Android devices worldwide in August. The company claims that it now takes “an exceptionally onerous 21-step process” to

The game maker says the “Auto Blocker” feature was intentionally crafted in coordination with Google to undermine the jury’s verdict in that case preemptively.

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.

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.

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.

“Literally no store can compete with the incumbents when disadvantaged in this way,” Epic Games CEO Tim Sweeney said on X. “To have true competition, all reputable stores and apps must be free to compete on a level playing field.”

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

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

Not one little bit.

Stacey Matthews has also and is a regular contributor

Workers began walking picket lines early Tuesday in a strike over wages and automation, even though progress had been reported in contract talks—the contract between the ports and about 45,000 members of the International Longshoremen’s Association expired Monday at midnight. The strike comes just weeks before the presidential election and could become a factor if there are shortages. Workers at the Port of Philadelphia walked in a circle outside the port and chanted, “No work without a fair contract.” The union, striking for the first time since 1977, had message boards on the side of a truck reading: “Automation Hurts Families: ILA Stands For Job Protection.”

COLUMN | REP. RICHARD HUDSON

Jason

RYAN COLLERD / AP PHOTO

Boise Butler, president of Local 1291, with an American flag on his wheelchair, pickets with his fellow longshoremen outside the Packer Avenue Marine Terminal Port in Philadelphia on Tuesday.

SETH WENIG / AP PHOTO

In its second lawsuit against Google, Epic Games accused Google and Samsung of coordinating to block third-party competition.

JEFF CHIU / AP PHOTO Epic Games CEO Tim Sweeney, pictured in 2022, won an antitrust lawsuit against Google in December.

Appeal delays $600M class action settlement payments in fiery Ohio train derailment

Checks from the disastrous 2023 accident could be held up for two years

By Josh Funk The Associated Press

LAWYERS IN THE CASE

said Monday that settlement checks related to Norfolk Southern’s disastrous 2023 derailment could be delayed up to two years because an appeal of a federal judge’s decision last week to approve the $600 million deal has been filed.

Many residents of East Palestine, Ohio, expressed outrage about the appeal because it will delay the payments they had been counting on to help them recover from the toxic train crash that disrupted their lives when it spewed hazardous chemicals into their community. Some people had planned to use the money to relocate.

People in town who were frustrated they would not receive their money right away lashed out at the Rev. Joseph Sheely and started threatening him and his wife on Monday because his name was on the appeal. Sheely did challenge the settlement this summer but said he specifically asked his lawyer to leave him out of any appeal and doesn’t want any part in it. He said with the serious health concerns he and his wife developed since the derailment, they can no longer tolerate the stress of being at the center of the case.

“I was trying to do something for the residents of East Pales-

A Norfolk Southern freight train derailment in 2023 in East Palestine, Ohio, spewed hazardous chemicals into the community.

tine, including myself,” Sheely said. “But it seems like they don’t want anybody to do anything. They just want the cash. And so I’m done. I’m so totally done.”

The plaintiffs’ attorneys had hoped to start sending out the first checks before the end of the year, but that won’t happen because the 6th Circuit Court of Appeals will first have to address concerns about whether the deal offers enough compensation and whether residents were given enough information to decide whether it is fair.

“We will do everything in our power to quickly resolve this appeal and prevent any further

burdens on the residents and local businesses that want to move forward and rebuild their lives,” the plaintiffs’ attorneys said in a statement. “It is tragic that one person is substituting their judgment for the entire community who wants this settlement, and instead of opting out, they have gone this route.”

The lawyers estimated that the payments will be delayed at least six to 12 months while the appellate court considers the appeal filed Friday. However, they could be delayed even longer if the case is appealed to the U.S. Supreme Court or sent back for additional proceedings in Judge

DirecTV to acquire Dish, Sling

DirecTV and Dish have collectively lost 63% of their satellite customers to streaming services since 2016

By Michelle Chapman and Wyatte GranthamPhilips The Associated Press

DIRECTV IS BUYING Dish and Sling, a deal it has sought to complete for years. The company is doing this to better compete against dominant streaming services.

DirecTV said Monday that it will acquire Dish TV and Sling TV from its owner, EchoStar, in a debt exchange transaction that includes a payment of $1 and the assumption of approximately $9.8 billion in debt.

The prospect of a DirecTV-Dish combo has long been rumored, with headlines about reported talks popping up over the years. The two almost merged more than two decades ago, but the Federal Communications Commission blocked their owners’ then-$18.5 billion deal, citing antitrust concerns. The pay-forTV market has shifted significantly since. As more consumers tune into online streaming giants, demand for more traditional satellites continues to shrink.

Although high-profile acquisitions have proven to be

See STRIKE, page A9

50 workers started picketing around midnight local time carrying signs saying “No Work Without a Fair Contract.”

The U.S. Maritime Alliance, which represents the ports, said Monday evening that both sides had moved off of their previous wage offers. But no deal was reached.

The union’s opening offer in the talks was for a 77% pay raise over the six-year life of the contract, with President Harold Daggett saying it’s necessary to make up for inflation and years of small raises. ILA members make a base salary of about $81,000 per year, but some can pull in over $200,000

DirecTV announced a deal to buy Dish TV and Sling TV from Colorado-based telecommunications company EchoStar in a debt exchange of approximately $9.8 billion.

particularly tough under the Biden-Harris administration, that may make regulators more inclined to approve DirecTV and Dish’s pairing this time around.

DirecTV said Monday that the transaction will help it bring smaller content packages to consumers at lower prices and essentially provide a onestop shopping experience for entertainment programming. This will appeal to those who have left satellite video services for streaming. The company said DirecTV and Dish have collectively lost 63% of their satel-

annually with large amounts of overtime.

On Monday evening, the alliance said it had increased its offer to 50% raises over six years and pledged to keep limits on automation in place from the old contract. The alliance also said its offer tripled employer contributions to retirement plans and strengthened health care options.

The union wants a complete ban on automation. It wasn’t clear how divided both sides were. In a statement early Tuesday, the union said it rejected the alliance’s latest proposal because it “fell far short of what ILA rank-and-file members are demanding in wages and protec -

lite customers since 2016.

“DirecTV operates in a highly competitive video distribution industry,” DirecTV CEO Bill Morrow said in a statement. “With greater scale, we expect a combined DirecTV and Dish will be better able to work with programmers to realize our vision for the future of TV, which is to aggregate, curate, and distribute content tailored to customers’ interests, and to be better positioned to realize operating efficiencies while creating value for customers through additional investment.”

tions against automation.” The two sides had not held formal negotiations since June. Supply chain experts say consumers won’t see an immediate impact from the strike because most retailers stocked up on goods, moving ahead with shipments of holiday gift items.

But if it goes more than a few weeks, a work stoppage could lead to higher prices and delays in goods reaching households and businesses. If it continues, the strike will force businesses to pay shippers for delays and cause some goods to arrive late for the peak holiday shopping season—potentially impacting the delivery of anything from toys and arti-

few hundred dollars offered to people who live closer to the limit of 20 miles away. The appeal won’t increase the $162 million in legal fees and $18 million in expenses the judge awarded to the plaintiff’s attorneys last week unless the deal is overturned and new fees are awarded as part of the case.

Residents posting on the “East Palestine off the rails!” Facebook group accused the pastor who filed the appeal of being greedy because one of his objections to the deal is the frustration that any payments residents received from the railroad since the derailment to temporarily relocate or replace damaged belongings will be deducted from any settlement they receive. Some characterized that as a desire to be compensated twice for the derailment.

Benita Pearson’s court.

Sheely’s attorney, David Graham, said the statement from the plaintiff’s attorneys only served to put more pressure on his client and spurred on the threats.

“Their reckless statements have put my client in jeopardy and make my client feel unsafe in his own community,” Graham said.

The settlement offered payments of up to $70,000 per household for property damage and up to $25,000 per person for injuries to those who lived within two miles of the derailment. The payments would drop off significantly further out, with only a

The current deal could provide a key lifeline for EchoStar. The Colorado-based telecommunications company has reportedly faced the prospect of bankruptcy as it continues to burn through cash and see losses pile up.

In a recent securities filing, EchoStar disclosed that it had just $521 million in “cash on hand.” The company forecast negative cash flows for the remainder of the year while also pointing to major looming debt payments, with more than $1.98 billion of debt set to mature in November.

“With an improved financial profile, we will be better positioned to continue enhancing and deploying our nationwide 5G Open RAN wireless network,” EchoStar President and CEO Hamid Akhavan said. “This will provide U.S. wireless consumers with more choices and help to drive innovation at a faster pace.”

“We are playing to win in the wireless business. There’s no doubt about it,” Akhavan said during a conference call, adding that the company may need to seek additional funding and financing in the future to achieve its goals.

The DirecTV and Dish deal is targeted to close in the fourth quarter of 2025. However, it is contingent on several factors, including regulatory approvals and bondholders writing off nearly $1.6 billion in debt related to Dish. The combined company will be based in El Segundo, California.

“We believe regulatory ap-

ficial Christmas trees to cars, coffee and fruit. The strike will likely have an almost immediate impact on supplies of perishable imports like bananas, for example. The ports affected by the strike handle 3.8 million metric tons of bananas each year, or 75% of the nation’s supply, according to the American Farm Bureau Federation. It also could snarl exports from East Coast ports and create traffic jams at ports on the West Coast, where a different union represents workers. Railroads say they can ramp up to carry more freight from the West Coast, but analysts say they can’t move enough to make up for the closed Eastern ports.

But the vocal few who objected to the deal have said they have deeper concerns. They have said they don’t know the full extent of the chemicals they were exposed to because the plaintiff’s lawyers have refused to disclose what their expert found when he tested in town and because the Environmental Protection Agency doesn’t disclose everything it knows about the extent of the lingering contamination.

The town of East Palestine remains deeply divided over the derailment. Some residents are eager to move forward and put the disaster behind them, while others, who are still dealing with unexplained health problems, can’t see how to do that. The dispute over the appeal in the class action case only adds to the divisions.

proval is likely to be greater than 50% given the opportunity for the combined company to improve its competitiveness to offer a range of linear video packages as well as to take a more aggressive stance on offering a live streaming video product,” Michael Rollins of Citi Investment Research wrote in a note to clients.

However, the analyst added that, based on previous talks with company management and industry experts over the last few years, there’s still significant uncertainty about whether or not the Federal Communications Commission, Department of Justice, and other possible regulators will give the necessary approvals.

Shortly before DirecTV made its announcement, AT&T said it was selling its remaining stake in DirecTV to private equity firm TPG in a deal valued at about $7.6 billion.

The move ends the communication giant’s remaining ties to the entertainment industry.

AT&T said Monday in a filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission that it will receive payments from TPG and DirecTV for its remaining 70% stake in the satellite TV company. This includes $1.7 billion in the second half of the year and $5.4 billion next year. The remaining amount will be paid in 2029. AT&T purchased DirectTV for $48.5 billion in 2015. However, in 2021, following the loss of millions of customers, AT&T sold a 30% stake of the business to TPG for $16.25 billion.

J.P. Morgan estimated that a strike that shuts down East and Gulf Coast ports could cost the economy $3.8 billion to $4.5 billion per day, with some of that recovered over time after normal operations resume. Retailers, auto parts suppliers and produce importers had hoped for a settlement or that President Joe Biden would intervene and end the strike using the Taft-Hartley Act, which allows him to seek an 80-day cooling off period. However, during an exchange with reporters on Sunday, Biden, who has worked to court union votes for Democrats, said “no” when asked if he planned to intervene in the potential work stoppage.

US economy in ‘solid shape,’ Fed chair says

Jerome Powell said gradual rate cuts are coming

By Christopher Rugaber The Associated Press

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell signaled Monday that more interest rate cuts are in the pipeline but suggested they would occur at a measured pace intended to support a still-healthy economy.

His comments at a conference of the National Association for Business Economics in Nashville, Tennessee, disappointed many investors who had hoped the Fed would implement another steep halfpoint reduction in its key rate before the end of the year. The Fed cut its rate by a larger-than-usual half point earlier this month as it has moved past its inflation fight and pivoted toward supporting the job market. The broad S&P 500 stock index initially fell 0.6% after his remarks but recovered afterward to close about 0.4% higher.

“We’re looking at it as a process that will play out over some time,” Powell said during a question-and-answer session, referring to the Fed’s interest rate reductions, “not something that we need to go fast on. It’ll depend on the data and the speed at which we actually go.”

Economists are already

Chairman Jerome

signaled Monday that there will be gradual rate cuts for Americans in the future.

pointing to Friday’s jobs report as a key piece of data that could alter the Fed’s policy path. If the unemployment rate rises noticeably or hiring stumbles, officials could consider a sharper rate cut later this year.

At their last meeting on Sept. 18, Fed officials reduced their rate to 4.8% from a two-decade high of 5.3% and penciled in two more quarter-point rate cuts in November and December. On Monday, Powell said that remains the most likely outcome.

“If the economy performs as expected, that would mean two more cuts this year,” Powell said, both by a quarter-point.

In prepared remarks, Powell said the U.S. economy and hir-

ing are largely healthy and emphasized that the Fed is “recalibrating” its key interest rate, as opposed to cutting rapidly as it would in an emergency.

He also said the rate is headed “to a more neutral stance,” a level that doesn’t stimulate or hold back the economy. Fed officials have pegged the socalled “neutral rate” at about 3%, significantly below its current level.

Powell emphasized that the Fed’s current goal is to support a largely healthy economy and job market rather than rescue a struggling economy or prevent a recession.

“Overall, the economy is in solid shape,” Powell said in written remarks. “We intend to use our tools to keep it there.”

The government reported Friday that inflation, according to the Fed’s preferred measure, fell to just 2.2% in August. Core inflation, which excludes the volatile food and energy categories and typically provides a better read on underlying price trends, ticked up slightly to 2.7%.

The unemployment rate, meanwhile, ticked down last month to 4.2% from 4.3%, but it is still nearly a full percentage point higher than the half-century low of 3.4% it reached last year. Hiring has slowed to an average of just 116,000 jobs a month in the past three months, about half its pace a year ago.

Over time, the Fed’s rate reductions should reduce bor-

Calif. governor vetoes bill to create

first-in-nation

The decision stifles efforts to rein in the industry that is evolving with little oversight

By Trân Nguyen The Associated Press

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — California Gov. Gavin Newsom vetoed a landmark bill aimed at establishing first-in-the-nation safety measures for large artificial intelligence models Sunday.

The decision is a major blow to efforts to rein in the homegrown industry that is rapidly evolving with little oversight. The bill would have established some of the first regulations on large-scale AI models in the nation and paved the way for AI safety regulations across the country, supporters said.

Earlier this month, the Democratic governor told an audience at Dreamforce, an annual conference hosted by software giant Salesforce, that California must lead in regulating AI in the face of federal inaction but that the proposal “can have a chilling effect on the industry.”

Newsom said the proposal, which drew fierce opposition from startups, tech giants and several Democratic House members, could have hurt the homegrown industry by establishing rigid requirements.

“While well-intentioned, SB 1047 does not take into account whether an AI system is

Sept. 26 of the related lawsuit filed by the Republican National Committee (RNC) and North Carolina Republican Party (NCGOP). The order reverses the ruling by Wake County Superior Court Judge Keith Gregory, who had previously denied a request for a temporary restraining order in the matter.

The RNC and NCGOP sued the North Carolina State Board of Elections over the board’s Aug. 20 decision to allow the use of the digital ID for voting. The NCSBE vote was 3-2 down party lines, with the Democratic majority voting in favor. The RNC and NCGOP lawsuit argued that North Carolina law only permits physical,

AI safety measures

deployed in high-risk environments, involves critical decision-making or the use of sensitive data,” Newsom said in a statement. “Instead, the bill applies stringent standards to even the most basic functions — so long as a large system deploys it. I do not believe this is the best approach to protecting the public from real threats posed by the technology.”

Newsom announced Sunday that the state would partner with several industry experts, including AI pioneer Fei-Fei Li, to develop guardrails around powerful AI models. Li opposed the AI safety proposal.

The measure, aimed at reducing potential risks created by AI, would have required companies to test their models and publicly disclose their safety protocols to prevent the models from being manipulated to, for example, wipe out the state’s electric grid or help build chemical weapons. Those scenarios could be possible in the future as the industry continues to advance rapidly.

The bill’s author, Democratic state Sen. Scott Weiner, called the veto “a setback for everyone who believes in oversight of massive corporations that are making critical decisions that affect the safety and the welfare of the public and the future of the planet.”

“The companies developing advanced AI systems acknowledge that the risks these models present to the public are real

tangible forms of photo ID for voting purposes, not electronic versions.

“When the NC State Board of Elections exceeds their statutory authority, we will use every available option to ensure elections in this state are safe,” wrote NCGOP Chairman Jason Simmons in a post on X following the order. “Today’s Digital ID decision is a win for the people of North Carolina and for the rule of law.”

An affidavit filed in the case by 22-year-old Jeffrey Moore detailed his ability to alter the UNC Chapel Hill Mobile One card using two online apps. He was able to alter the digital ID in about an hour but said in the affidavit that he could likely do it faster now that he knew how. Moore’s filing says he used

rowing costs for consumers and businesses, including lower rates for mortgages, auto loans and credit cards.

“Our decision ... reflects our growing confidence that, with an appropriate recalibration of our policy stance, strength in the labor market can be maintained in a context of moderate economic growth and inflation moving sustainably down to 2%,” Powell said.

Since the Fed’s rate cut, many policymakers have given speeches and interviews, with some clearly supporting further rapid cuts and others taking a more cautious approach.

Austan Goolsbee, president of the Fed’s Chicago branch, said that the Fed would likely implement “many more rate cuts over the next year.”

Yet Tom Barkin, president of the Richmond Fed, in an interview with The Associated Press last week, said that he supported reducing the central bank’s key rate “somewhat” but wasn’t prepared to cut it yet all the way to a more neutral setting.

A major reason the Fed is reducing its rate is that hiring has slowed and unemployment has picked up, which threatens to slow the broader economy. The Fed is required by law to seek both stable prices and maximum employment, and Powell and other policymakers have underscored that they are shifting to a dual focus on jobs and inflation after centering almost exclusively on fighting price increases for nearly three years.

understanding of how AI models behave and why.

The bill targeted systems that require a high level of computing power and more than $100 million to build. No current AI models have hit that threshold, but some experts said that could change within the next year.

“I do

not believe this is the best approach to protecting the public from real threats posed by the technology.”

Gavin Newsome

and rapidly increasing,” Wiener said in a statement Sunday afternoon. “While the large AI labs have made admirable commitments to monitor and mitigate these risks, the truth is that voluntary commitments from industry are not enforceable and rarely work out well for the public.”

Wiener said the debate around the bill has dramatically advanced the issue of AI safety and that he would continue pressing that point.

The legislation is among a host of bills passed by the legislature this year to regulate AI, fight deepfakes and protect workers. State lawmakers said California must take action this year, citing hard lessons they learned from failing to rein in social media companies when they might have had a chance.

Proponents of the measure, including Elon Musk and Anthropic, said the proposal could have injected some levels of transparency and accountability around large-scale AI models. Developers and experts say they still need a full

two apps: “Superimpose+: Background Eraser” for editing the photo and “Walletsmith — Wallet creator” to create a new credential with his picture and a fictitious name.

Moore added the modified UNC student electronic ID to his Apple Wallet app on his phone. Following the Court of Appeals order, Wake County Board of Elections member Gerry Cohen seemed to suggest UNC Chapel Hill voters could be angry “at whoever is responsible.” Cohen posted about the ruling on X, writing, “at the 2016 primary when NC Voter ID was in effect one election but student IDs weren’t accepted at all, I worked voter protection at Chapel of the Cross (UNC early

Shelter-in-place order for 90K-plus in Ga.

lifted after chemical fire

Conyers, Ga.

Authorities on Monday night ended a shelter-in-place order for more than 90,000 people after a weekend chemical plant fire that sent a massive plume of dark smoke into the Georgia sky. The fire led to complaints about a strong chemical smell and haze about 25 miles southeast of downtown Atlanta. Chlorine, a harmful irritant, had been detected in the air near the source of the fire. Officials were also monitoring the air quality across Atlanta.

Arkansas sues YouTube, claims site fueling mental health crisis

Little Rock, Ark. Arkansas has sued YouTube and its parent company, Alphabet, saying the videosharing platform is deliberately addictive and fueling a mental health crisis among youth. Attorney General Tim Griffin’s office filed the lawsuit Monday in state court. The lawsuit accuses the companies of violating the state’s deceptive trade practices and public nuisance laws. The suit claims the site has resulted in millions spent on mental health services. Google, which owns the video service, denied the lawsuit’s claims, calling its controls robust. The lawsuit is the latest move by states to highlight the impact of social media on youth mental health.

Jeep warns 194K plug-in hybrid SUV owners of fire risk

“This is because of the massive investment scale-up within the industry,” said Daniel Kokotajlo, a former OpenAI researcher who resigned in April over what he saw as the company’s disregard for AI risks. “This is a crazy amount of power to have any private company control unaccountably, and it’s also incredibly risky.”

The United States is already behind Europe in regulating AI to limit risks. The California proposal wasn’t as comprehensive as European regulations, but supporters said it would have been a good first step to set guardrails around the rapidly growing technology that is raising concerns about job loss, misinformation, invasions of privacy and automation bias.

Last year, several leading AI companies voluntarily agreed to follow safeguards set by the White House, such as testing and sharing information about their models. The California bill would have mandated AI developers to follow requirements similar to those commitments, said the measure’s supporters.

But critics, including former U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, argued that the bill would “kill California tech” and stifle innovation. They said it would have discouraged AI developers from investing in large models or sharing open-source software.

vote site) and several students came up to me and said ‘I want to vote against whoever is responsible for this.’”

According to the Mobile One card’s photo requirements, “Photo ID must be a valid U.S. Driver’s License, U.S. State ID, U.S. Military ID or Passport,” all of which are acceptable forms of photo ID that can be used to vote in North Carolina. “You can add the One Card to both your iPhone and Apple Watch, but only one format of the card (physical or mobile) will be permitted,” the UNC Chapel Hill Mobile One Card website states. “Once a card is added to Apple Wallet, the physical card will no longer work. However, cardholders are encouraged to keep their physical for use as a valid voter ID.”

Detroit Jeep is recalling more than 194,000 plug-in hybrid SUVs worldwide because they can catch fire with the ignition turned off. In addition, Jeep is urging owners only to charge the SUVs and to park them outdoors and away from structures once they are repaired. The recall covers the Wrangler four by e from the 2020 through 2024 model years, as well as the Grand Cherokee Four by e from 2022 through 2024. Most of the recalled SUVs are in North America. Stellantis, which makes Jeeps, said a remedy is near and affected customers will be notified when they can schedule service. The company says the risk of fire is reduced when the battery charge is depleted.

Many Verizon customers across U.S. hit by service outage

New York

A service outage hit some Verizon customers Monday, knocking out cellphone service for tens of thousands of people.

Data from outage tracker

DownDetector showed that reports surpassed 100,000 shortly after 11 a.m. ET. There were still nearly 48,000 reports hours later. In an update posted on social media platform X, Verizon wrote that it was “aware of an issue impacting service for some customers.”

NCDOT

Beginning Cash

$2,473,829,713

BEN CURTIS / AP PHOTO Federal Reserve Board

Powell

adventure awaits

Ford borrows from the best for 2025 Expedition

By Jordan Golson North State Journal

DETROIT — The 2025 Ford Expedition will roll into dealerships soon with new tech and clever features borrowed from some of the best SUVs in the world.

Ford’s flagship SUV, the new Expedition makes a bold move for supremacy in the competitive full-size SUV market, going up against stalwarts like the GMC Yukon and Chevrolet Tahoe.

I recently got a sneak peek at the redesigned Expedition a few weeks ago in Detroit, and it’s clear that Ford knows how families use these large vehicles in their everyday lives.

The most striking change is the new dash, with a 24-inchwide screen running along the base of the entire left side of the windshield. It replaces the instrument cluster and allows drivers to keep their eyes up and on the road while still accessing crucial information like speed and navigation.

In the middle is a large touchscreen running Google’s automotive platform. It offers built-in Google Maps, Google Assistant and access to the Google Play Store for additional apps.

It’s called the Ford Digital Experience, and it debuted earlier this year in the Lincoln Nautilus and new Ford Explorer, delivering a connected experience that is becoming mandatory in modern cars. It even supports video streaming services like YouTube, perfect for keeping kids (and parents) entertained during long waits at soccer practice. Wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are also on board, as is Alexa integration for those who prefer Amazon’s virtual assistant.

But the real winner is the split tailgate at the rear. This clever design combines a traditional SUV liftgate with a folddown tailgate similar to what you’d find on a pickup truck. The lower portion can support up to

600 pounds and includes a folddown seatback that can transform into a table. It’s a versatile setup that’s perfect for tailgating or impromptu picnics.

The split tailgate setup has been used in the Range Rover for years, and the fold-down seatback is reminiscent of a $10,000 seating option available on the Rolls-Royce Cullinan. Getting the same features as luxury SUVs that cost twice or six times as much is a clever move for Ford, and it’ll sell a lot of SUVs. It’s reminiscent of the fancy tailgate that GMC introduced on the Sierra a few years back, which left competitors scrambling to respond.

In the cabin, Expedition’s new Flex Powered Console (an awful name) can slide back nearly 8 inches, revealing a secure storage area up front while giving second-row passengers access to their HVAC controls and cup holders. Moms looking for a place to put purses will be thrilled with this development.

There’s also a new mount for securely holding tablets or smartphones on the back of the front headrests, a terrific alternative to wildly expensive (and generally terrible) permanently mounted rear-seat screens. It’s another feature borrowed from more luxurious SUVs, as I remember Volvo offering something similar in the XC90 nearly a decade ago.

To improve road trip life, Ford is expanding the availability of its BlueCruise hands-free highway driving system across the Expedition lineup. It’s now available on nearly 90% of all models, including the new Tremor off-road variant. Speaking of which, the Tremor is an exciting addition to the Expedition family, offering serious off-road capability for adventure-seeking families — and, if we’re honest, a terrific look that will attract even more attention than its functionality.

The Expedition Tremor boasts 10.6 inches of ground clearance, the highest in its class, and rides on 33-inch

all-terrain tires. It’s powered by a high-output version of Ford’s 3.5-liter EcoBoost V6, producing 440 horsepower and 510 lb-ft of torque. With additional features like skid plates, off-road auxiliary lights and special drive modes, the Tremor will be popular for those heading off the beaten path.

Like with its pickup trucks, Ford seems to know that it can keep packing lux features into its full-size SUVs, and people will keep buying them. With that in mind, the new Expedition gets premium touches like available massaging seats, a panoramic sunroof and a 28-speaker B&O sound system. The interior design is a significant step up, with higher-quality materials and a more modern aesthetic across all trim levels. Finally, Fords no longer look dated the moment they come off the assembly line.

A pair of 3.5-liter V6 EcoBoost (aka turbocharged) engines are available, one with higher output, but the base model offers 400 horsepower and 480 torque, so there’s plenty of power. However, in a segment where some competitors are moving toward hybrid powertrains, it will be interesting to see how the Expedition’s fuel efficiency stacks up — I was disappointed that Ford’s terrific PowerBoost hybrid wasn’t coming over from the F-150. Company spokespeople didn’t have a great answer as to why there wasn’t a hybrid option, and I spoke to a current Expedition owner who was passing on the new one because of the lack of one. Still, it’s clear that Ford has put a lot of effort into making it more than just a people mover. The Expedition is a versatile family tool that’s equally at home on the daily school run, a cross-country road trip, or even an off-road adventure. It pairs well with the Ford F-150 for buyers who need to decide whether they want the flexibility of a pickup’s open cargo compartment or a third-row and family-friendly SUV.

PHOTOS COURTESY FORD

NC State, Wake Forest both seek first

the Thursday SIDELINE REPORT

NBA Timberwolves agree to trade Towns to Knicks for Randle, DiVincenzo, 1st-rounder

Minneapolis

The Minnesota Timberwolves are sending Karl-Anthony Towns to the New York Knicks in exchange for Julius Randle, Donte DiVincenzo and a first-round draft pick. Towns is a four-time All-Star entering his 10th season. He never hinted at discontent with the team that drafted him first overall in 2015. The upside for Towns is a return to his roots. He grew up in New Jersey.

Mutombo, Hall of Fame player and tireless advocate, dies at 58 from brain cancer

Atlanta

Basketball Hall of Famer

Dikembe Mutombo, one of the best defensive players in NBA history and a longtime global ambassador for the game, died Monday from brain cancer, the league announced. He was 58. His family revealed two years ago that he was undergoing treatment in Atlanta for a brain tumor. The NBA said he died surrounded by his family. Philadelphia 76ers star Joel Embiid, who was born in Cameroon, said, “it’s a sad day, especially for us Africans, and really the whole world.”

GOLF

Americans win Presidents Cup for 10th straight time

Montreal

The Americans have won the Presidents Cup for the 10th straight time. Xander Schauffele led the way with five birdies in eight holes to lead a lot of red scores on the board for the U.S. team. It had a four-point lead going into the singles sessions and the outcome was never really in doubt. Sam Burns capped off an unbeaten week. Russell Henley had an impressive Presidents Cup debut.

Rose, baseball’s polarizing hits leader, dead at 83

By Hillel Italie

The Associated Press

NEW YORK — Pete Rose, baseball’s career hits leader and fallen idol who undermined his historic achievements and Hall of Fame dreams by gambling on the game he loved and once embodied, has died. He was 83. Cause and manner of death had not yet been determined. For fans who came of age in the 1960s and ‘70s, no player was more exciting than the Cincinnati Reds’ No. 14, “Charlie Hustle,” the brash superstar with shaggy hair and muscular forearms. At the dawn of artificial surfaces, divisional play and free agency, Rose was old school, a conscious throwback to baseball’s early days. Mil-

lions could never forget him crouched and scowling at the plate, running full speed to first even after drawing a walk, or sprinting for the next base and diving headfirst into the bag. A 17-time All-Star, the switch-hitting Rose played on three World Series winners. He was the National League MVP in 1973 and World Series MVP two years later. He holds the major league record for games played (3,562) and plate appearances (15,890) and the NL record for the longest hitting streak (44). He was the leadoff man for one of baseball’s most formidable lineups with the Reds’ championship

See ROSE , page B3

Key ACC matchups for Tobacco Road college basketball teams this season

The ACC released men’s and women’s basketball schedules on Sept. 24

By Asheebo Rojas North State Journal

FOR NORTH CAROLI-

NA’S ACC sports fans, with the exception of the Duke faithful, the light at the end of what seems to be a long, dark tunnel of a football season is quickly approaching.

The ACC released the 2024-25 men’s and women’s basketball schedules on Sept. 24 with times and broadcast details, completing the schedules for each of the four Tobacco Road programs and giving fan bases with bleak gridiron hopes something to look forward to in the near future. The new season will of-

ficially tip off on Nov. 4, but ACC play won’t start until Dec. 7 for the men and Dec. 8 for the women.

This year, the men’s conference slate for each team will consist of two home-andaway games against each of a school’s two current partners, one repeat opponent (home and away), seven home-only opponents and seven away-only opponents.

UNC, which has Duke and NC State as its home-andaway partners, will play Pitt for its repeat opponent. The Panthers will host the Tar Heels for the season’s first meeting on Jan 28. at 9 p.m., and the second game will follow shortly on Feb. 8 with the start time yet to be announced.

Pitt, coached by Jeff Capel, has given UNC problems the last few seasons. The Pan-

thers won’t have Blake Hinson and Bub Carrington lighting it up in the backcourt this year, but as they try to leave no doubt on their tournament status come spring, this game could still be a good test for a UNC squad full of fresh faces. Of course, the Tar Heels’ matchups with Duke on Feb. 1 and Mar. 8 will be their biggest games of the year, but their road test against Wake Forest on Jan. 21 at 9 p.m. should also be another bigtime ACC matchup. The Demon Deacons will return veteran experience, includ-

ing Hunter Sallis, Cameron Hildreth and Efton Reid III, and they’ll also be on a quest to prove they’re worthy of a tournament appearance. Wake Forest’s trip to Clemson on Dec. 21 at 2:30 p.m. should be a fun watch as the Demon Deacons try to boost their resume against a team building on an Elite Eight appearance last year. For the second year in a row, Duke and NC State will meet just one time during the regular season on Jan. 27 at

BEN MCKEOWN / AP PHOTO

Wake Forest’s Hunter Sallis, foreground, handles the ball as Duke’s Tyrese Proctor defends during the first half of an ACC game last February. Both players will be back this season.

AP PHOTO

Cincinnati Reds infielder Pete Rose slides headfirst into third base against the New York Yankees in the 1976 World Series. Nicknamed “Charlie Hustle,” Rose was known for his aggressive full-out play on the field.

AP PHOTO

Pete Rose of the Cincinnati Reds bats during a game in September 1973. The all-time hits leader was known for his exaggerated crouch while batting.

THURSDAY 10 3 24

TRENDING

Adam Thielen:

The most productive player on the Carolina last year will be out for at least four weeks The veteran was placed on injured reserve with a hamstring injury Thielen was injured while extending to make a diving touchdown catch near the end of the second quarter of Carolina s 36-22 win over the Las Vegas Raiders in Week 3

Mark Williams:

The Charlotte Hornets center and former Duke Blue Devil will miss the start of training camp with a strained tendon in his left foot the injury during a workout last Thursday He will be out at least two weeks and then be reevaluated Williams, expected to be Charlotte’s starting center averaged 12 7 points and 9 7 rebounds last year but missed 63 games with a back injury

Rod Brind’Amour:

The Carolina Hurricanes coach got the chance to coach his son Skyler Brind Amour played in the team s preseason game in Tampa last Tuesday The 25-year-old center was a member of Quinnipiac s 2022-23 national champions which won the title at the same arena as Tuesday s game

The younger Brind Amour is on a professional tryout contract with Carolina

Beyond the box score

POTENT QUOTABLES

“I

told her to litera lly lay dow n. Don’t do any thing until Monday.”

Chase Briscoe, whose wife is expecting t wins After rushing to the hospital for a false alarm on Friday, he left for the NASCAR Cup Series

“I doubt it’s any more dangerous. It’s footba

ll ” Donald Trump comparing the to the new NFL rule while attending the Alabama- Georgia game

NASCAR

Ross Cha stain took the lead from Mar tin Tr uex Jr on a late restar t and won the to cha se dow n Cha stain af ter he took the lead w ith 20 laps to go, though the qualif y for the second round of the postsea son

Panthers ow ner Dav id Tepper and his w ife Nicole made an initial $3 million commitment to Hurr icane Helene and long-term humanitar ian aid and w ill a ssist a number of food banks and pantr ies, local communit y foundations and other ser v ice agencies

Lionel Messi moved Inter Miami closer to the No. 1 seed for the MLS the 67th minute to earn a 1-1 tie w ith Charlotte FC on Saturday Inter Miami pushed its unbeaten streak to eight straight It wa s Messi’s 15th goal in 16 leag ue matches this sea son

Number of NBA teams that w ill not have a s many nationally telev ised games a s Duke Nineteen of the Blue Dev ils’ 32 reg ular sea son games are expected to be on an ESPN net work or Fox.

Joe Wolf, a former U NC captain for Dean Smith who went on to play for seven teams in an 11-year NBA career before becoming a coach, died unexpectedly at 59 Wolf wa s an a ssistant coach for the Bucks’ the Wisconsin Herd Wolf wa s a co-captain for the Tar Heels a s a senior in 1986 -87

NC State, Wake Forest both looking to claim first conference win

The longest running rivalry in the ACC will see its 118th iteration on Saturday

By Ryan Henkel North State Journal

THE NC STATE Wolfpack (3-2, 0-1 ACC) and Wake Forest Demon Deacons (1-3, 0-1 ACC) will kick off the latest in the longest running rivalry in ACC history – the two teams have played annually since 1910 – Saturday afternoon with its 118th iteration.

The Pack leads the all-time series, with a 69-42-6 edge, and also have won the last two, the latest being a 26-6 win in Winston-Salem.

It’s been a roller-coaster of a season for NC State who has yet to find solid stability on either side of the ball.

A constant pattern of winning a close game followed by getting blown out has spelled out the season so far for the Pack, but they’ll be hoping to stop that streak following their 24-17 win over NIU last week.

Coach Dave Doeren has been challenging his team as of late to play with more physicality and fire, something he’s noted that they’ve lacked at times this season.

“We have to play harder than teams across the sidelines,” Do -

eren said. “We have to. It gives us an opportunity to be in the game every week. Not everybody’s wired that way. Football’s just not what it used to be when it comes to tough guys, but at NC State, we have to be tough.

That’s our edge.”

The Pack will also hope to see their passing game get a bit more of a spark, especially facing a young Deacon secondary.

“It’s pretty hard to evaluate our pass game,” Doeren said.

“It hasn’t been what I was hop -

Hornets head to Duke for 2024 training camp

Charlotte’s 20-player camp roster was announced on Monday

By Jesse Deal North State Journal

CHARLOTTE — For the first time in five years, the Charlotte Hornets have opted to conduct their training camp outside of the Queen City.

The Hornets are currently on the campus of Duke University in Durham as they lead their four-day camp (Oct. 1-4) at the Michael W. Krzyzewski Center, better known as “the K Center.”

Charlotte is looking to rebound in a major way from last season’s 21-61 campaign during which notable players were traded away, coach Steve Clifford stepped down, and the franchise finished with its fewest wins in 11 years.

On Monday, players, coaches and members of the Hornets front office spoke to the media after the team’s 20-player roster for the 2024 training camp session at Duke was publicly released.

“There’s a great buzz around the team — no pun intended,” first-year Hornets coach Charles Lee said. “During the whole offseason, the players have been bought in. Consis-

ROSE from page B1 teams of 1975 and 1976, with teammates that included Hall of Famers Johnny Bench, Tony Perez and Joe Morgan.

But no milestone approached his 4,256 hits, breaking his hero

Ty Cobb’s 4,191 and signifying his excellence no matter the notoriety which followed. It was a total so extraordinary that you could average 200 hits for 20 years and still come up short. Rose’s secret was consistency, and longevity. Over 24 seasons, all but six played entirely with the Reds, Rose had 200 hits or more 10 times, and more than 180 four other times. He batted .303 overall, even while switching from second base to outfield to third to first, and he led the league in hits seven times.

“Every summer, three things are going to happen,” Rose liked to say, “the grass is going to get green, the weather is go -

tency of habits, competitiveness and togetherness are going to get us through the season. There’s been a ton of change, they are so resilient and focused on what they can control. I see a team that’s going to embrace the challenges that come with an NBA season.”

Now engulfed in a darker shade of blue this week, the team traveled to the University of North Carolina’s Dean E. Smith Center back in 2019 for its previous training camp detour outside of Charlotte.

Heading into his third season in the NBA, the potential return of former Duke standout center Mark Williams to Krzyzewskiville has been marred by the recent news that he has a strained tendon in his left foot and will be reevaluated in two weeks.

“It’s nothing too serious. I’m personally not worried about it,” said Williams, who will miss training camp and the start of the preseason at a minimum. “I feel good. I think this is the safest course of action to be there for the games that count.”

Charlotte Hornets President of Basketball Operations Jeff Peterson added that Williams’ injury is a “minor setback” and “hopefully nothing major,” reiterating the importance of the team’s 7-foot tall starting center who missed a combined 102

ing to get hot, and Pete Rose is going to get 200 hits and bat .300.”

Rose caught up with Cobb on Sept. 8, 1985, and surpassed him three days later, in Cincinnati, with Rose’s mother and teenage son, Pete Jr., among those in attendance. Rose was 44 and the team’s player-manager. The game was halted to celebrate. Rose wept openly on the shoulder of first base coach and former teammate, Tommy Helms.

Baseball Commissioner Peter Ueberroth, watching from New York, declared that Rose had “reserved a prominent spot in Cooperstown.” After the game, a 2-0 win for the Reds in which Rose scored both runs, he received a phone call from President Ronald Reagan.

“Your reputation and legacy are secure,” Reagan told him.

“It will be a long time before anyone is standing in the spot

ing for. Part of that is what’s transpired with having a freshman at quarterback, but I’m not blaming CJ [Bailey] at all. I think CJ is getting better, but you can’t put the entire system on a freshman either. So you are a little more restricted. It’s a work-in-progress right now, but it does need to get better and we need to find more ways to spread the ball around and let those kids make plays for us.”

While NC State has been a

NC State coach Dave Doeren runs out with his team for the first half of the Wolfpack’s game against Tennessee earlier this season.

lineup throughout the field.

“We were an old football team for seven years and there’s a lot of guys that we’d love to still have on our football team right now that aren’t there,” Clawson said. “So we’re bringing in guys in the summer to play for us and we’ve got freshmen out there playing. That’s never been how we’ve built the program at Wake Forest.

“Just to fix problems, you need a lot of money. We recruited what we could afford. I think those guys will get better and they’ll continue to grow and again they have ability, but I think it’s a little bit of baptism by fire right now.”

The offense has been good most of the season, outside the 40-6 loss to No. 12 Ole Miss, and has averaged 29.75 points per game.

However, Wake is going to need everything to come together at the same time if they want to get things back on track after the tough start.

roller coaster, Wake Forest on the other hand has just been a downward spiral, having lost their last three games in a row.

“We’re struggling right now,” said Wake Forest coach Dave Clawson. “And like I told the team, when you’re in this position, all you can do is go back to work.”

Defensively, things have been especially tough for the Demon Deacons who lost a lot of players to the portal this offseason and have had to go with a very young

Charlotte Hornets guard LaMelo Ball poses during the team’s media day on Monday.

“Consistency of habits, competitiveness and togetherness are going to get us through the season.”

Charles Lee, Hornets coach

regular season games over the first two years of his career, including nearly all of last season from a lingering back issue.

Williams isn’t the only Hornet whose health status remains at the forefront of fans’ minds.

Star point guard LaMelo Ball might be the team’s centerpiece

where you’re standing now.”

Four years later, he was gone.

On March 20, 1989, Ueberroth (who would soon be succeeded by A. Bartlett Giamatti) announced that his office was conducting a “full inquiry into serious allegations” about Rose. Reports emerged that he had been relying on a network of bookies and friends and others in the gambling world to place bets on baseball games, including some with the Reds. Rose denied any wrongdoing, but the investigation found that the “accumulated testimony of witnesses, together with the documentary evidence and telephone records reveal extensive betting activity by Pete Rose in connection with professional baseball and, in particular, Cincinnati Reds games, during the 1985, 1986, and 1987 baseball seasons.”

In August 1989, at a New York press conference, Gia-

and figurehead on a national level, but the former All-Star has yet to play a full campaign in his four-season career so far.

On Monday, Ball and team leaders confirmed that he has been hard at work rehabbing and strengthening his oft-injured ankles.

“I feel good and ready to play,” Ball said. “They got me in ankle braces.”

The 23-year-old averaged a career-best 23.9 points last season but was limited to just 22 appearances in a 2023-24 campaign where he was seen in street clothes more than purple and teal attire.

“I think to start the year the plan is for him to try to wear the braces as much as possible,” Lee

matti said, “One of the game’s greatest players has engaged in a variety of acts which have stained the game, and he must now live with the consequences of those acts.” Giamatti announced that Rose had agreed to a lifetime ban from baseball, a decision that in 1991 the Hall of Fame would rule left him ineligible for induction. Rose attempted to downplay the news, insisting that he had never bet on baseball and that he would eventually be reinstated. In the beginning, it was all about the game. He was a Cincinnati native from a working-class neighborhood whose father, Harry Francis Rose, like the father of Mickey Mantle, taught his son to be a switch hitter. Rose mastered his skills with a broom handle and a rubber ball, thrown to him by his younger brother, Dave. Pete Rose graduated from high school in June 1960. He

“Right now, I’m concerned about everything,” Clawson said. “We’re 1-3. I think this is the worst start we’ve been off to in my 11 years. We’re just a struggling football team right now. We’re just clearly not where we’ve been. We just have to keep these guys together, make sure they keep improving and keep working and stick together which is always the challenge when you get off to a bad start. The only way to get better is to go back to work and fix the mistakes and have guys buy in. There’s no magic formula to do that.”

The game will kick off Saturday, Oct. 5 at noon on the CW Network.

said of his point guard. “LaMelo plays with such great joy and now what we want to see from him is that he has competitive joy. This offseason, he’s shown a real commitment to come in and be consistent. There’s been a really good plan put in place by our performance staff, coaching staff and front office.”

In light of Ball’s varying availability the past few years, last season’s rapid emergence of rookie forward Brandon Miller (17.3 points, 4.3 rebounds) has provided Charlotte a ray of hope as someone with the ability to truly generate star power in a league dominated by elite talent.

The Hornets’ new coach didn’t mince words when describing how impactful Miller is to the team’s overall output: “He has to go from being a guy on the scouting report to ‘the guy’ on the scouting report.”

Along with re-signed power forward Miles Bridges, newly added small forward Josh Green and returning bench players Grant Williams, Nick Richards, Tre Mann and Cody Martin, the Hornets have puzzle pieces at hand if they can find a way to put them all together into a winning product.

“We want to make sure we put a competitive group on the floor night in and night out. We take pride in player development,” Peterson said.

Following training camp, Charlotte’s five-game preseason will kick off at home in the Spectrum Center on Oct. 6 with a visit from the New York Knicks.

flew to Rochester, New York, two days later, and then rode a bus some 45 miles to Geneva, home of the Reds’ level D minor league team. By 1962, he had been promoted to level A, in Macon, Georgia. He batted .330 and vowed to displace Reds second baseman Don Blasingame in 1963, telling a reporter “I’m going to be on his heels.” Blasingame was with the Washington Senators by midseason and Rose was a phenomenon: “Charlie Hustle,” Yankees pitcher Whitey Ford reportedly called him, mockingly, after watching him hurry to first upon drawing a walk in spring training. Rose hit .273 as a rookie and, starting in 1965, batted .300 or higher 14 out of 15 seasons. He was so dependable that in 1968, the “Year of the Pitcher,” he led the league with a .335 average, one of three batting titles.

CHRIS CARLSON / AP PHOTO

SCOTT KINSER / AP PHOTO

A

By Shawn Krest North State Journal

look at NC college football

NORTH CAROLINA football teams posted their second winning week of the season. But that good news was outweighed by the impact of Tropical Storm Helene.

Schedule havoc: While college football pales in comparison to the other damage the storm inflicted on the state, Helene impacted five games on the state’s college football schedule. Three were canceled outright: App State’s home game against Liberty, Mars Hill at Wingate and St. Andrews’ game at Lindsey Wilson. Another game—Brevard against Maryville—was postponed. It’s expected to be played at some point, but the date has not yet been determined. Two other games were moved to Sunday. In addition to the extra day, Davidson’s game at Presbyterian was moved to become a Wildcats home game. Lenoir-Rhyne against Tusculum was also played on Sunday.

• North Carolina’s record: 14-11 (66-72 overall)

Last week’s winners (ranked in order of impressiveness of the victory—a combination of opponent and performance):

1. Johnson C. Smith: 42-3 at Bluefield State

2. NC Central: 37-10 over Norfolk State

3. Greensboro: 42-23 over Southern Virginia

4. Duke: 21-20 over UNC

5. Charlotte: 21-20 at Rice

6. Livingstone: 15-14 at Lincoln, PA

7. ECU: 30-20 over UTSA

8. Winston-Salem State: 28-14 over Bowie State

9. Lenoir-Rhyne: 37-23 over Tusculum

10. NC State: 24-17 over Northern Illinois

11. Davidson: 48-37 over Presbyterian

12. Barton: 27-14 over Anderson

13. Campbell: 44-41 over Delaware State

14. Chowan: 27-25 over Mississippi College

Last week’s losers (ranked in order of impressiveness, despite the result):

1. UNC: 21-20 at Duke

2. Catawba: 35-34 to Carson-Newman

3. UNC Pembroke: 14-7 at Glenville State

4. Wake Forest: 41-38 to Louisiana

5. Elon: 27-17 to Richmond

6. Methodist: 40-24 at LaGrange

7. NC Wesleyan: 30-12 at Belhaven

8. Fayetteville State: 35-18 at Virginia State

9. NC A&T, 45-25 at S.C. State

10. Gardner-Webb: 52-21 to Tennessee Tech

11. Shaw: 42-7 at Virginia Union

Off: App State, Western Carolina, Elizabeth City State, Guilford, Mars Hill, Wingate, Brevard, St. Andrews

ACC from page B1

8:30 p.m. This could be one of the biggest games in the ACC should the Blue Devils live up to the hype of their No. 1 incoming recruiting class and the Wolfpack carry over the momentum of its Final Four run into this season.

That stretch of the season could be a good test for Cooper Flagg and the highly-touted Duke freshmen as the meeting with NC State is sandwiched between a date at Wake Forest on Jan. 25 and the first matchup with UNC.

The Wolfpack will get to host UNC first on Jan. 11 at 4 p.m., and they’ll travel to Chapel Hill on Feb. 19 at 7 p.m.

For the women’s schedule,

Remaining unbeatens (4, unchanged from last week):

1. Duke: 5-0

2. Johnson C. Smith: 5-0

3. Lenoir-Rhyne: 4-0

4. Guilford: 3-0

Winning records (9, up from 6 last week):

1. Winston-Salem State: 4-1

2. Davidson: 3-1

3. NC Central, NC State, UNC, ECU, Livingstone, Shaw: 3-2

4. Wingate: 2-1

At .500 (5, down from 7 last week)

• App State, Elizabeth City State, Barton, Fayetteville State: 2-2

• Brevard: 1-1

Losing records (11, up from 10 last week):

• Campbell, Charlotte: 2-3

• Elon, NC A&T, Gardner-Webb: 1-4

• Catawba, Wake Forest, Western Carolina, Greensboro, Methodist: 1-3

• Chowan: 1-2

Still winless (4, down from 6 last week):

• UNC Pembroke, NC Wesleyan: 0-4

• St. Andrews: 0-3

• Mars Hill,: 0-2

Chowan and Greensboro got off the schneid this weekend.

Name Game: NC Central beat Norfolk State in the 40th annual Circle City Classic in Indianapolis, an annual showcase of two HBCUs. Duke also took the Victory Bell from UNC in the rivalry game between the two schools.

State title standings: Duke moved into a first-place tie for the Mack Brown Trophy.

2-0: Duke, Guilford, Fayetteville State

• 1-0: App State, NC State, Wake Forest, Campbell, Wingate, Davidson, Barton, LenoirRhyne

• 2-1: UNC

1-1: Charlotte, Shaw, Catawba, Methodist

1-2: Elizabeth City State, NC A&T, NC Central, Elon, Western Carolina

0-1: ECU, Gardner-Webb, Winston-Salem State, Mars Hill

• 0-2: Chowan, UNC Pembroke, Greensboro

State title games this week:

• Wake Forest at NC State

• East Carolina at Charlotte

each team will only play a home-and-away with one opponent.

NC State, which is coming off a Final Four appearance, will have Wake Forest as its home-and-away partner, playing in Winston-Salem on Jan. 30 at 6 p.m. and at home on Feb. 27 at 7 p.m. There are bigger games on the Wolfpack’s schedule though, as they’ll get to avenge their ACC tournament championship loss to Notre Dame when they host the Irish on Feb. 23 at noon, and they’ll get another round with Stanford at home on Jan. 12 at 3 p.m.

UNC will host Duke on Jan. 9 at 7 p.m., then the two rivals will play again in Durham on Feb. 27 at 7 p.m. for their home-and-away series. Led

Wake Forest’s Tate Carney (30) celebrates after scoring a touchdown in the Deacs’ loss to Louisiana.

• Elizabeth City State at Livingstone

• NC Central at Campbell

• Methodist at NC Wesleyan

Out of state battles for Week Six:

App State at Marshall, Duke at Georgia Tech, Pitt at UNC, Wofford at Western Carolina, Guilford at Hampden-Sydney, NC A&T at Richmond, Gardner-Webb at UT-Martin, Barton at Carson-Newman, Catawba at Anderson, Chowan at Delta State, Bowie State at Fayetteville State, Virginia State at JC Smith, Wingate at UVA-Wise, Mars Hill at Newberry, Marist at Davidson, Lenoir-Rhyne at Emory & Henry, Bluefield State at Shaw, UNC Pembroke at Wheeling, Winston-Salem State at Virginia Union, Brevard at Southern Virginia,

Off: Elon, Greensboro, St. Andrews

Bad neighbors: Virginia teams went 3-1 against N.C. teams last week to improve to 15-6 in the state-vs.-state battle. Bluefield, Presbyterian and Bowie State all picked up their second win against N.C. teams.

All-state performances for Week Five:

Quarterback: Chad Mascoe, Campbell, 18-of-26 passing for 323 yards and 3 touchdowns. De’von Cannon, Greensboro, 20-for-32, 363 yards, 4 touchdowns.

Running backs; Star Thomas, Duke: 30 carries, 166 yards and a touchdown, 2 catches for 45 yards and another touchdown. Demond Claiborne, Wake Forest, 12 rushes for 94 yards, was carted off the field with what was initially reported as a dislocated kneecap. He was announced as out for the game, then returned and ran for a 60-yard touchdown.

Receiver: O’Mega Blake, Charlotte, 5 catches, 153 yards, 2 touchdowns. Jayden Flood-Brown, Barton, 7 catches, 162 yards, 2 touchdowns.

Defensive line: Davin Vann, NC State, 10 tackles, 4 solo, 1 sack, 3.5 TL, 2 forced fumbles. Julian Rawlins, Davidson, 10 tackles, 5 solos, 2.5 TFL, 2 sacks, forced fumble.

Linebacker: Prince Wallace-Bemah, Charlotte, 6 tackles, 5 solo, 2 TFL. Jayden Reeder, Livingstone, 3 tackles, all solo, TFL, interception.

Defensive back: Al-Ma’hi Ali, Charlotte, 6 tackles, all solo, 1 QB hit, 3 pass breakups. Malcolm Reed, NC Central, 7 tackles, 3 solo, 4 pass breakups.

Special teams: Jason Zapata, Livinstone, scored 10 of the team’s 15 points with 3 field goals and a PAT.

by senior guard Reigan Richardson, Duke is looking to take the next step towards another solid run in the NCAA tournament. A Jan. 19 home game against Stanford, a Feb. 3 matchup at NC State and back-to-back games at Notre Dame and against Louisville on Feb. 17 and 20, respectively, should be strong tests for the Blue Devils. With the loss of guards Deja Kelly and Paulina Paris to the transfer portal, the Tar Heels will look to regroup, get healthy and build off of last year’s up and down season. Things won’t be easy as UNC will host Notre Dame on Jan. 5, Florida State on Jan. 26, NC State on Feb. 16, and it will travel to Stanford on Feb. 2 and Louisville on Feb. 23.

Comeback for the ages leads Duke past UNC

Blue Devils rallied from down 20-0 to post an unlikely win in the rivalry game

By Shawn Krest North State Journal

DURHAM — As the final seconds ticked away of the most improbable of wins, the Duke Blue Devils left their bench and charged across the field. Water flew in the air in celebration as the team angled toward the far corner of the end zone, on the opposite sideline.

That’s where the Victory Bell had been sitting all night long. This was just the Bell’s third visit to Durham since it’s three years in residence, from 2016 to 2019. Since then, it had come, painted light blue, for just a few hours, then returned to Chapel Hill.

It would be staying for a bit longer this time.

get its only use this evening. He grabbed the handle and spun the bell wildly, uncorking the only spiral required of him, and the crowd cheered the ringing.

“I told them at halftime, ‘We have a chance to do something legendary,’” coach Manny Diaz said. “But it would require all of our belief in ourselves and each other. Especially since there wasn’t a lot of evidence in the first half that we were capable of that.”

At that time, Duke had managed just 97 yards of offense. They trailed 10-0 before they’d recorded they got a first down, and they’d managed just six in the first 30 minutes of play. Quarterback Maalik Murphy was just 7-of19 for 45 yards and had been consistently overthrowing his receivers.

“If we’d played another quarter, we’d have won by more.”

The players leading the charge pulled up before reaching their destination. They stood, in the red zone, confused.

Manny Diaz, Duke coach

“We told them all week, ‘It’s not just another game, until it begins,’” Diaz said. “’And then, when it ends, it’s not just another game.’ But I think it felt different. They get in that stadium, with all the juice in there, and then they’ve got to do simple football stuff.” Diaz told his team not to panic.

The bell was gone.

Once the outcome, as unlikely as it had seemed an hour earlier, was no longer in doubt, officials, looking to avoid a postgame confrontation as custody of the bell transferred, had moved the bell from the far end zone to the Blue Devils’ tunnel, far from the Carolina bench. Now it was being wheeled to midfield to join the celebrating players.

It took awhile to get there, as players and fans, pouring from the stands, met it and crowded around.

Fans and players sang together as songs best known as the basketball team’s anthems played over the loudspeaker—“All I Do Is Win, Win, Win,” complete with the Cameron Crazies’ unprintable customization of the chorus, followed by Cascada’s “Every Time We Touch.”

Once that was done, the Victory Bell began its slow victory lap of Wallace Wade Stadium. Players took turns pulling the Bell on its path, two at a time, while another two Blue Devils rode on top, ringing it wildly. As it reached the Duke bench, and stands still full of Blue Devil fans who hadn’t stormed the field, Tre Freeman was one of the passengers. He had clinched the 21-20 victory over the Tar Heels with an interception in the final minute. Receiver Jordan Moore sat next to him. Defensive back Chandler Rivers waited his turn to jump on board.

The bell came to a halt, and backup quarterback Henry Belin approached. At halftime, as the Blue Devils fell behind 17-0 and seemed incapable of moving the ball, there seemed to be a good chance that Belin would be seeing time on the field. Instead, Duke mounted the biggest comeback in the history of the series and the Blue Devils’ largest football rally since 1962, and Belin’s arm was about to

“The way to come back was going to be through body blows,” he said. “Just keep hitting singles. What happens is you want to get it all back at one, and that really is what they want us to do—get impatient on offense. We just had to go to work on them.”

That’s exactly what the Blue Devils did,

Running back Star Thomas revived the running game, allowing Murphy to find his targets. The pair hooked up for a third-quarter touchdown. Duke still trailed 20-7, however.

In other words, they had UNC right where they wanted them. “We call the fourth quarter the sewer,” Diaz said. “Our guys believe that’s our quarter. We can catch you. You can’t catch us. And that’s exactly what happened tonight.”

Thomas ran in a touchdown on the first drive of the fourth.

“I thought we could dominate the fourth quarter,” Diaz said. “I thought we got stronger as the game went on, and they went in the other direction.”

The Duke defense held UNC to nine plays and 26 yards on the next two drives, and then Peyton Jones ran in the go-ahead touchdown. Another 16-yard UNC drive stalled, setting the stage for the last-minute interception by Freeman.

In a postgame radio interview, Diaz added, “If we’d played another quarter, we’d have won by more.”

Instead, Duke escaped with a dramatic one-point victory, and Diaz’s first win in the rivalry series.

In his first year as Blue Devils coach, there might have been a question as to whether Diaz fully understood what was at stake in the rivalry game.

“Of course,” he said, gesturing toward the locker room.

“There’s a big ol’ bell in there that reminds us on repeat.”

ALLISON LEE ISLEY / THE WINSTON-SALEM JOURNAL VIA AP

GENE GALIN FOR NORTH STATE JOURNAL

Duke defensive tackle Kenny Charles rings the Victory Bell after the Blue Devils’ comeback win over the Tar Heels.

CUMBERLAND

NOTICE

In the General Court of Justice Superior Court Division Estate File # 24E-1137 State of North Carolina County of Cumberland Having qualified as executor or the Estate of Daniel Robert Adams, late of Cumberland County, North Carolina, the undersigned does here by notify all persons, firms, and corporations having claims against the estate of said decedent to exhibit them to the undersigned at 376 Conifer Drive, Fayetteville, North Carolina 28314 on or before January 3, 2025 or this notice will be pleaded in bar of their recovery. All persons, firms, and corporations indebted to the said Estate will please make payment to the undersigned. Dated this 3rd day of October 2024. Executor of the Estate of Daniel Robert Adams Jami Adams 376 Conifer Drive Fayetteville, North Carolina 28314

NOTICE

The undersigned, having qualified as Executer of the Estate of Janice M. Beaufort, 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 26th day of December, 2024. (which date is three months after the publication of this notice) or this notice will be pleaded in the bar of their recovery. All person indebted to the descendent are requested to make immediate payment to the undersigned. This 26th day of September, 2024. Virginia M. Beaufort 6458 Rockford Drive Fayetteville NC 28304 Of the Estate of Janice M. Beaufort, Deceased.

NOTICE TO CREDITORS

ESTATE OF DOROTHY LOUISE BLUE

CUMBERLAND County Estate File No. 23 E 1288 All persons, firms and corporations having claims against Dorothy Louise Blue, deceased, of Cumberland County, North Carolina, are notified to present their claims to Claudinette Blue, Administrator, at 1316 Skyline Dr., Fayetteville, NC 28314, on or before the 4th 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. Debtors of the Decedent are requested to make immediate payment to the Administrator named above. This the 24th day of September, 2024. Claudinette Blue Administrator of the Estate of Dorothy Louise Blue Davis W. Puryear Hutchens Law Firm Attorneys for the Estate 4317 Ramsey Street Fayetteville, NC 28311 Run dates: October 3, October 10, October 17 and October 24, 2024

NOTICE

STATE OF NORTH CAROLINA

In the General Court Of Justice County of Cumberland Superior Court Division

Estate File #23 E 792

Executor’s Notice The undersigned, having qualified as Executor of the Estate of Billy Earnest Bohannon Sr., 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 26th 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 26th day of September, 2024.

Billy E. Bohannon, Jr. Administrator/Executor

P.O. Box 1561

Address Mableton, Georgia, 30126 City, State, Zip Of the Estate of Billy Earnest Bohannon Sr., Deceased

NOTICE TO CREDITORS

ESTATE OF MARGARET SUNSOOK CHOI Cumberland County Estate File No. 2024 E 000424

All persons, firms and corporations having claims against Margaret Sunsook Choi, deceased, of Cumberland County, North Carolina, are notified to present their claims to Young Sammy Choi, Fiduciary, at 408 Kingsford Court, Fayetteville, North Carolina 28314, on or before the 19th 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. Debtors of the Decedent are requested to make immediate payment to the Fiduciary named above.

This the 13th day of September 2024. Young Sammy Choi Fiduciary and Executor of the Estate of Margaret Sunsook Choi 408 Kingsford Court Fayetteville, North Carolina 28314 Run dates: September 19, 26, October 3 and October 10, 2024 Notice to Creditors

State of North Carolina In The General Court of Justice Superior Court Division Before the Clerk Cumberland County Estate of James Norwood Canady Estate File No. 24E1562

The undersigned, having qualified as Trustee/ Executor of the estate of James Norwood Canady, 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 3rd day of January, 2025 or same will be pleaded in bar of their recovery. All Debtors of the decedent are requested to make immediate payment to the undersigned. This the 3rd day of October, 2024 Timothy W Canady 3329 Wrightsville Ave Ste D Wilmington, NC 28403 Trustee/Executor of the Estate of James Norwood Canady

NOTICE

State of NC County of Cumberland In the General Court Of Justice Superior Court Division Estate File # 2024E 001557 Administrator’s / Executor’s Notice

The undersigned, having qualified as Executor’s of the Estate of Frances Heyer Bostic, 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 3rd day of January 2025, (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 3rd day of October, 2024. Mary Kulig and Milton Bostic ( Executor’s) 1721 Catawba Street Fayetteville, NC 28303 Of the Estate of Frances Heyer Bostic, Deceased

NOTICE

STATE OF NORTH CAROLINA In the General Court of Justice Superior Court Division Estate File # 2024 E 001342 County of Cumberland Administrator’s/Executor’s Notice

The undersigned, having qualified as Executor of the Estate of Elizabeth B. Bolton, 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 26th 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 23rd day of September 2024 Elizabeth Ann Bolton Administrator/Executor 961 Bolton Acres Drive

Address Hope Mills, North Carolina 28348 City, State, Zip of the Estate of Elizabeth B. Bolton, Deceased.

NOTICE

STATE OF NORTH CAROLINA

CUMBERLAND COUNTY IN THE GENERAL COURT OF JUSTICE

SUPERIOR COURT DIVISION BEFORE THE CLERK FILE NO. 24E 1122

ADMINISTRATOR NOTICE

The undersigned, having qualified as Executor of the Estate of Deloise Martinsus Clayton, deceased, late of Cumberland County, North Carolina, hereby notifies all persons, firms, and corporations having claims against the estate of said decedent to present them to the undersigned on or before December 03, 2024 (90 days from the date of this notice) or this notice will be pleaded in bar of their recovery. All persons indebted to the estate are requested to make immediate payment to the undersigned.

This the 5th day of September, 2024

William Clayton Executor of the Estate of Deloise Martinsus Clayton 1599 Rossmore Drive Fayetteville, North Carolina 28314

NOTICE TO CREDITORS

ESTATE OF ROBERT LEE CRAWFORD, JR.

Cumberland County Estate File No. 24 E 89 All persons, firms and corporations having claims against Robert Lee Crawford, Jr., deceased, of Cumberland County, North Carolina, are notified to present their claims to Ronda Baker, Executor, at 31 Holly Dr., New Castle, DE 19720, on or before the 27th 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.

Debtors of the Decedent are requested to make immediate payment to the Executor named above.

This the 17th day of September, 2024.

Ronda Baker Executor of the Estate of Robert Lee Crawford, Jr. Davis W. Puryear Hutchens Law Firm Attorneys for the Estate 4317 Ramsey Street Fayetteville, NC 28311 Run dates: September 26, October 3, October 10 and October 17, 2024

NOTICE

In the general court of justice Superior Court division Before the clerk File #24E1462 State of North Carolina

Cumberland county Administrator notice The undersigned Gary Blakely Having qualified as administrator of the estate of Jill Ferrel deceased of Cumberland County this is to notify all persons having claims against said estate to present them to the undersigned on or before the 12th day of December 2024 or notice will be pleaded in bar of their recovery all persons indebted to the will please make immediate payment to the undersigned this 12th day of September 2024

Gary Blakely 2705 Bullard Ct Fayetteville NC 28312

NOTICE TO CREDITORS

ESTATE OF Felicia Rose Flanigan

CUMBERLAND County

Estate File No. 24 E 756

All persons, firms and corporations having claims against Felicia Rose Flanigan, deceased, of Cumberland County, North Carolina, are notified to present their claims to Joseph T. Tesoriero, Executor, at 10206 Caldwell Forest Dr., Charlotte, NC 28213, on or before the 27th 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. Debtors of the Decedent are requested to make immediate payment to the Executor named above.

This the 20th day of September, 2024. Joseph T. Tesoriero Executor of the Estate of Felicia Rose Flanigan

Davis W. Puryear Hutchens Law Firm Attorneys for the Estate 4317 Ramsey Street Fayetteville, NC 28311 Run dates: September 26, October 3, October 10 and October 17, 2024

NOTICE TO CREDITORS

ESTATE OF ROBERT P. KUNKEL

CUMBERLAND County

Estate File No. 24 E 1451 All persons, firms and corporations having claims against Robert P. Kunkel, deceased, of Cumberland County, North Carolina, are notified to present their claims to Ann Fisher, Executor, at 1111 Sturbridge Dr., Durham, NC 27713, on or before the 20th 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. Debtors of the Decedent are requested to make immediate payment to the Executor named above.

This the 10th day of September, 2024.

Ann Fisher Executor of the Estate of Robert P. Kunkel

Davis W. Puryear

Hutchens Law Firm

Attorneys for the Estate 4317 Ramsey Street Fayetteville, NC 28311 Run dates: September 19, September 26, October 3 and October 10, 2024

Estate File# 24E1140

NOTICE

The undersigned, has qualified as Executor of Kiara

Imoni Smith, 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 26th 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 descendent are requested to make immediate payment to the undersigned. This 23rd day of September 2024. Leona Smith 2116 Ashridge Dr Fayetteville NC 28304 of the Estate of Kiara Imoni Smith, Deceased

NOTICE

In The General Court of Justice

Superior Court Division Before the Clerk Estate File #24 E-1112

STATE OF NORTH CAROLINA CUMBERLAND COUNTY

ADMINISTRATOR NOTICE

The undersigned having qualified as Administrator of the Estate of Hilton Johnson, 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 12th 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 12th day of September, 2024.

Regina Byrd Administrator 1100 Clarendon Street, Apt. 508 Fayetteville, N.C. 28305

Publication date: 9/12/2024 9/19/2024 9/26/2024 10/3/2024

NOTICE TO CREDITORS

ESTATE OF CHARLES DAY HALSEY Cumberland County Estate File No. 24 E 1438

All persons, firms and corporations having claims against Charles Day Halsey, deceased, of Cumberland County, North Carolina, are notified to present their claims to Davis W. Puryear, Administrator, at 4317 Ramsey St. Fayetteville, NC 28311, on or before the 4th day of January, 2025 (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 24th day of September, 2024.

Davis W. Puryear Administrator of the Estate of Charles Day Halsey Davis W. Puryear Hutchens Law Firm Attorneys for the Estate 4317 Ramsey Street Fayetteville, NC 28311 Run dates: October 3, October 10, October 17, and October 24, 2024

NOTICE TO CREDITORS

STATE OF NORTH CAROLINA County of Cumberland

In The General Court of Justice Superior Court Division Estate File# 24E1526 Administrator’s/Executor’s Notice

The undersigned, having Qualified as Administrator of the Estate of Richard James McGuinness, 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 26th 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 26th day of September, 2024 Aurelia McGuinness 571 Milden Rd. Fayetteville, NC 28314

Of the Estate of Richard James McGuinness, Deceased

NOTICE

IN THE GENERAL COURT OF JUSTICE

SUPERIOR COURT DIVISION

ESTATE FILE #24E971 STATE OF NORTH CAROLINA

CUMBERLAND COUNTY

Having qualified as the Executor of the Estate of Betty Ann Moaney, 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 5204 Thruway Rd, Hope Mills, N. C. 28348, on or before December 19, 2024, or the 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 19th day of September, 2024. Tywana Bingham: Executor of Estate for Betty Ann Moaney 5204 Thruway Rd. Hope Mill , N.C. 28348

NOTICE

STATE OF NORTH CAROLINA COUNTY OF CUMBERLAND IN THE GENERAL COURT OF JUSTICE

SUPERIOR COURT DIVISION

ESTATE FILE 2024 E 1511 IN THE MATTER OF THE ESTATE OF:

CHARLIE DAVIS MURPHY

ADMINISTRATOR’S

NOTICE

The undersigned, having qualified as Administrator of the estate of Charlie Davis Murphy, deceased, late of Cumberland County, this is to notify all persons, firms, and corporations having claims against said estate to present them to the undersigned on or before the 4th day of January, 2025, (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 persons indebted to said estate will please make immediate payment to the undersigned. This 3rd day of October, 2024.

Cynthia M. Blackwell PO Box 48042

Cumberland, NC 28331 Administrator of the estate of Charlie Davis Murphy, deceased

NOTICE TO CREDITORS

ESTATE OF Gabriele Auguste New, aka Gabriele Keifer New CUMBERLAND County Estate File No. 24 E 1440 All persons, firms and corporations having claims against Gabriele Auguste New, aka Gabriele Keifer New, deceased, of Cumberland County, North Carolina, are notified to present their claims to Gisela Jackson, Administrator, at 501 Durhams Corner Rd., Reevesville, SC 29471, on or before the 27th 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. Debtors of the Decedent are requested to make immediate payment to the Administrator named above. This the 19th day of September, 2024. Gisela Jackson Administrator of the Estate of Gabriele Auguste New aka Gabriele Keifer New Davis W. Puryear Hutchens Law Firm

Attorneys for the Estate 4317 Ramsey Street Fayetteville, NC 28311 Run dates: September 26, October 3, October 10, and October 17, 2024

NOTICE IN THE GENERAL COURT OF JUSTICE SUPERIOR COURT DIVISION ESTATE FILE #24E1269 STATE OF NORTH CAROLINA CUMBERLAND COUNTY Having qualified as the Executor of the Estate of Thomas R. Pullen deceased late of Cumberland County, North Carolina, the undersigned does hereby notify all persons, firms and corporations having claims against the decedent to exhibit them to the undersigned at 702 Platinum St, Fayetteville,

the estate of LEON OFFER JR., deceased, late of Cumberland County, this is to notify all persons, firms and corporations having claims against said estate to present them to the undersigned on or before the 26th day of December, 2024, (which date is three months after the day of the first publication of this notice) or the notice will be pleaded in bar of their recovery All persons indebted to said estate will please make immediate payment to the undersigned. This 26th day of September, 2024 STACY MAURICE OFFER 8245 E 96TH ST #1138 INDIANAPOLIS, IN 46256 Executor of the estate of LEON OFFER JR., deceased. Publication Dates 9/26, 10/3, 10/10, 10/17

NOTICE TO CREDITORS ESTATE OF ODELL SURLES CUMBERLAND County Estate File No. 24 E 1439 All persons, firms and corporations having claims against Odell Surles, deceased, of Cumberland County, North Carolina, are notified to present their claims to Davis W. Puryear, Administrator, at 4317 Ramsey St., Fayetteville, NC 28311, on or before the 27th 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. Debtors of the Decedent are requested to make immediate payment to the Administrator named above. This the 20th day of September, 2024. Davis

indebted to the estate will please make immediate payment to the unsigned. This is the 23rd day of September, 2024. Administrator of the Estate of Monica Danielle Thibeault, Dimas G. Thibeaul

NOTICE State of North Carolina County of Cumberland In the General Court of Justice Superior Court Division Estate File

corporations having claims against said estate to present them to the undersigned on or before the December 19, 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 persons indebted to said estate will please make immediate payment to the undersigned. This 12th day of September 2024. E. David Thames 11089 Wilson Blvd Blythewood, SC 29016 Executor of the estate of Patsy McKinnon Thames deceased

NOTICE TO CREDITORS IN THE GENERAL COURT OF JUSTICE SUPERIOR COURT DIVISION ESTATE FILE NO. 24-E-942 STATE OF NORTH CAROLINA COUNTY OF CUMBERLAND Having qualified as Administrator of the Estate of Subodh Kumar Thakur, 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 December 19, 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 19th day of September, 2024. Sangeeta Thakur, Administrator of the Estate of Subodh Kumar Thakur 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 NOTICE

In the General Court of Justice Superior Court Division Before the Clerk Estate File #24E786 State of North Carolina Cumberland County Administrator Notice

The undersigned having qualified as Executor of the Estate of Kinnon Ray Tatum, 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 19th day of December 2024 (which date is 3 months after the first publication of this notice) 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 is the 16th day of September 2024. Administrator of the Estate of Kinnon Ray Tatum 4109 Knollwood Dr Fayetteville, NC 28304 Proposed publish dates 9/19, 9/26, 10/3, 10/10. Administrator/Executor Notice

The undersigned, having qualified as Iyanna Jones of the Estate of Columbus N. Thurmond, 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 27th day of December 2024, or this notice will be pleaded in bar of their recovery. All Debtors of the decedent are requested to make immediate payment of the undersigned. This 26th day of September 2024. Iyanna Jones Administrator/Executor 1003 Marston Drive Jacksonville, NC 28540 Address Of the Estate of Columbus N. Thurmond NOTICE TO CREDITORS IN THE GENERAL COURT OF JUSTICE SUPERIOR COURT DIVISION ESTATE FILE NO. 2024E 001458 COUNTY OF CUMBERLAND SUPERIOR COURT DIVISION Having qualified as the executor of the estate of Marion Towles, late of Cumberland County, North Carolina, the undersigned does hereby notify all persons, firms and corporations having claims against

State of North Carolina County of Cumberland Estate File # 24-E-1559

NOTICE

The undersigned having qualified as Administrator for the Estate of Hilda Faircloth Utley, 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 26th day of December, 2024, (which date is three (3) months after the day of the first publication of this notice) or this notice will be pleaded in bare of their recovery. All debtors of the decedent are requested to make immediate payment to the undersigned. This 22 day of September, 2024 Christopher D. Ultey, Administrator 472 Shep Drive Fayetteville, NC 28311

NOTICE

sTATE OF NORTH CAROLINA County of Cumberland

The undersigned, having qualified as Administrator of the Estate of Pamela Vargas, 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 26th 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 20th day of September, 2024.

Tiffany Dunlap-Banks 6123 Hilco Drive Fayetteville NC, 28314 Of the Estate of Pamela Vargas, Deceased

NOTICE TO CREDITORS

ESTATE OF JANIE C. VANN

CUMBERLAND County

Estate File No. 24 E 1234

All persons, firms and corporations having claims against Janie C. Vann, deceased, of Cumberland County, North Carolina, are notified to present their claims to Davis W. Puryear, Administrator, at 4317 Ramsey St., Fayetteville, NC 28311, on or before the 4th day of January, 2025 (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 26th day of September, 2024. Davis W. Puryear Administrator of the Estate of Janie C. Vann Davis W. Puryear Hutchens Law Firm Attorneys for the Estate 4317 Ramsey Street Fayetteville, NC 28311 Run dates: October 3, October 10, October 17 and October 24, 2024

NOTICE TO CREDITORS

ESTATE OF PATRICIA ROOF WIDDOWS

Cumberland County Estate file No. 24 E 1520 Having qualified as Executor of the estate of Patricia Roof Widdows, 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 309 Kirkwood Drive, Fayetteville, North Carolina 28303, on or before the 20th of December 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 9-20-2024. Robert L. Widdows, Executor of the estate of Patricia Roof Widdows Robert Widdows 309 Kirkwood Drive Fayetteville, NC 28303 6910-867-2397

NOTICE

STATE OF NORTH CAROLINA COUNTY OF CUMBERLAND IN THE GENERAL COURT OF JUSTICE SUPERIOR COURT DIVISION ESTATE FILE 2024E 000484 IN THE MATTER OF THE ESTATE OF:

MARGARET D WILLIAMS Executor’s notice

The undersigned, having qualified as Executor of Margaret Denise Williams, deceased, late Cumberland County, this is to notify all persons, firms and corporations having claims against said estate to present them to the undersigned on or before the 30th 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 persons indebted to said estate will please make immediate payment to the undersigned. This 19th day of September 2024. 11901 Carters Creek Dr, Chesterfield VA 23838. Executor of the Estate of Margaret Denise Williams, deceased September 19,26, October 3,10th 2024.

Administrator’s Notice

The undersigned, having qualified as Glenda M. Wright of the Estate of Cory Paul Wright, 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 19th day of December, 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 16th day of September, 2024. Glenda M. Wright 780 Baywood Road Fayetteville, NC 28312 Of the Estate of Cory Paul Wright, deceased.

NEW HANOVER

NOTICE TO CREDITORS

24E1105 In the estate of Marjorie Lou Ard, AKA Marjorie Meeks Ard of New Hanover County, North Carolina, deceased. All claims against the above estate must be sent to the undersigned before the 15th day of December, 2024. This the 30th day of August, 2024. Ivy Wiggins 3307 South College Road Wilmington, NC 28412

Executor of the Estate of Marjorie Lou Ard

NOTICE NORTH CAROLINA NEW HANOVER COUNTY NOTICE TO CREDITORS THE UNDERSIGNED, George T. Burch, having qualified on the 11th day of September 2024, as Administrator of the Estate of Betty Sue Burch (2024-E-973), deceased, does hereby notify all persons, firms, and corporations having claims against said Estate that they must present them to the undersigned at DAVID E. ANDERSON, PLLC, 9111 Market Street, Suite A, Wilmington, North Carolina, 28411, on or before the 30th day of December, 2024, or the claims will be forever barred thereafter, and this notice will be pleaded in bar of recovery. All persons, firms, and corporations indebted to said Estate will please make prompt payment to the undersigned at the above address. This 26th day of September 2024. George T. Burch Administrator ESTATE OF BETTY SUE BURCH David Anderson Attorney at Law 9111 Market St, Ste A Wilmington, NC 28411

Publish: September 26, 2024, October 3, 2024, October 10, 2024, October 17, 2024

NOTICE

NORTH CAROLINA NEW HANOVER COUNTY NOTICE TO CREDITORS

THE UNDERSIGNED, Linda J. Williams, having qualified on the 6th day of August 2024, as Limited

Personal Representative of the Estate of Norwood Wayne Cooper (2024-E-1006), deceased, does hereby notify all persons, firms, and corporations having claims against said Estate that they must present them to the undersigned at DAVID E. ANDERSON, PLLC, 9111 Market Street, Suite A, Wilmington, North Carolina, 28411, on or before the 23rd day of December, 2024, or the claims will be forever barred thereafter, and this notice will be pleaded in bar of recovery. All persons, firms, and corporations indebted to said Estate will please make prompt payment to the undersigned at the above address. This 19th day of September 2024.

Linda J. Williams

Limited Personal Representative ESTATE OF NORWOOD WAYNE COOPER David Anderson Attorney at Law 9111 Market St, Ste A Wilmington, NC 28411 Publish: September 19, 2024 September 26, 2024 October 3, 2024 October 10, 2024

NOTICE

All persons, firms and corporations having claims against Kenneth Edward Grady (aka Kenneth E. Grady), deceased, of New Hanover County, North Carolina, New Hanover County Estate File 24-E-1315, who died on August 28, 2024, are notified to exhibit the same to undersigned on or before the 27th day of December, 2024, or this notice will be pleaded in bar of recovery. This 26th day of September 2024. Taylor Gregory Potter, Executor, c/o Andrew W. Blair, Adams, Howell, Sizemore & Adams, P.A., 1600 Glenwood Ave, Suite 101, Raleigh, North Carolina 27608. North State Journal: September 26, October 3, 10, 17, 2024

NOTICE TO CREDITORS

ALL PERSONS, firms and corporations having claims against William Watkins Merriman III, deceased, of New Hanover County, N.C., are notified to exhibit the same to the undersigned on or before January 5, 2025, or this notice will be pleaded in bar of recovery. Debtors of the decedent are asked to make immediate payment. This 3rd day of October, 2024. John Milton Merriman and David Morrison Merriman, Executors, 3300 Ridgecrest Court, Raleigh, NC 27607

NOTICE TO CREDITORS AND DEBTORS

Having qualified as the Administrator of the Estate of Roy Scott Parrish, late of New Hanover 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 the offices of Culp Elliott & Carpenter, PLLC, 6801 Carnegie Boulevard, Suite 400, Charlotte, NC 28211, before the 26th day of December, 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.

This the 26th day of September, 2024. Martha Jane Anderson, Administrator of the Estate of Roy Scott Parrish Attorney: Stanton P. Geller Culp Elliott & Carpenter, PLLC 6801 Carnegie Boulevard, Suite 400 Charlotte, NC 28211 01412820.DOCX

NOTICE

STATE OF NORTH CAROLINA COUNTY OF NEW HANOVER NOTICE TO CREDITORS

The undersigned, MARTIN EDWARD ORENDT, having qualified as the EXECUTOR of the Estate of MARTIN ERNST ORENDT, Deceased, hereby notifies all persons, firms or corporations having claims against the Decedent to exhibit same to the said MARTIN EDWARD ORENDT, at the address set out below, on or before January 3, 2025, or this notice may be pleaded in bar of any payment or recovery of same.

All persons indebted to said Decedent will please make immediate payment to the undersigned at the address set out below.

This the 3rd day of October, 2024.

MARTIN EDWARD ORENDT

EXECUTOR OF THE ESTATE OF MARTIN ERNST ORENDT c/o ROBERT H. HOCHULI, JR. 219 RACINE DR., SUITE #A6 Wilmington, NC 28405

Notice to Creditors

NORTH CAROLINA NORTH HANOVER COUNTY NOTICE TO CREDITORS

THE UNDERSIGNED, Atiya Zakia Nixon, having been appointed on the 20th day of August 2024 as Permanent Receiver of Willie Earl Vereen of New Hanover County, North Carolina, deceased. All claims against the above estate must be sent to the undersigned before December 19th 2024. This is the 16th day of September 2024. Atiya Zakia Nixon 1612 Clooney Ln Charlotte, NC 28262

Executor of the Estate of Willie Earl Vereen

NOTICE

NORTH CAROLINA NEW HANOVER COUNTY NOTICE TO CREDITORS

THE UNDERSIGNED, Dia Ann-Marie Rice, having qualified on the 3rd day of September 2024, as Administrator of the Estate of Michael Ralph Weathers (2024-E-1250), deceased, does hereby notify all persons, firms, and corporations having claims against said Estate that they must present them to the undersigned at DAVID E. ANDERSON, PLLC, 9111 Market Street, Suite A, Wilmington, North Carolina, 28411, on or before the 23rd day of December, 2024, or the claims will be forever barred thereafter, and this notice will be pleaded in bar of recovery. All persons, firms, and corporations indebted to said Estate will please make prompt payment to the undersigned at the above address. This 19th day of September 2024. Dia Ann-Marie Rice Administrator ESTATE OF MICHAEL RALPH WEATHERS

David Anderson Attorney at Law 9111 Market St, Ste A Wilmington, NC 28411

Publish: September 19, 2024

RANDOLPH

27526

(For publication: 9/26, 10/3, 10/10, 10/17/2024)

Notice to Creditors

Having qualified as Executor of the Estate of WENDELL KUNTZ, III, late of Wake County, North Carolina (24E003584-910), the undersigned does hereby notify all persons, firms and corporations having claims against the estate of said decedent to exhibit them to the undersigned on or before the 29th day of December 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.

This the 26th day of September 2024.

Rebecca S. Meckley Executor of the Estate of Wendell Kuntz, III c/o Lisa M. Schreiner Attorney at Law P.O. Box 446 114

Notice to Creditors

(For publication: 09/26, 10/3, 10/10, 10/17/2024)

of John Melvin: Hilda Byrd Melvin) to Brock and Scott, PLLC, James P. Bonner, Trustee(s), dated December 27, 2021, and recorded in Book No. 11351, at Page 0628 in Cumberland 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 Cumberland 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 Fayetteville, Cumberland County, North Carolina, or the customary location designated for foreclosure sales, at 12:00 PM on October 7, 2024 and will sell to the highest bidder for cash the following real estate situated in Fayetteville in the County of Cumberland, North Carolina, and being more particularly described as follows: Being all of Lot 3 in a subdivision known as Glendale Acres, Section I, Block “B” according to a plat of same duly recorded in Book of Plats 24, Page 63, Cumberland County Registry, North Carolina. Together with improvements located thereon; said property being located at 1510 Berkshire Road, Fayetteville, North Carolina. AND BEING the same property conveyed to Marilyn Faye Coffelt, unmarried by Warranty Deed from Stephen K. Anderson and wife, Jennifer A. Anderson dated April 1, 1991 and recorded April 2, 1991 in Book 356, Page 746, among the Land Records of Cumberland County, North Carolina. For informational purposes only: Property Address: 1510 Berkshire Road Fayetteville, NC 28304

L. Bullock; Shawn Bullock; Spouse of Shawn Bullock, if any; Jasmine Bullock; Spouse of Jasmine Bullock, if any; Bryan Davidson; Spouse of Bryan Davidson, if any; Bel Canto NPRC Parcstone LLC; and Substitute Trustee Services, Inc., Substitute Trustee, Defendants” 24 CVS 1524 Cumberland County and pursuant to the

DAVIDSON

IN THE GENERAL COURT OF JUSTICE SUPERIOR COURT DIVISION 24SP000382 STATE OF NORTH CAROLINA COUNTY OF DAVIDSON NOTICE OF SALE IN THE MATTER OF THE FORECLOSURE OF A DEED OF TRUST EXECUTED BY CHRISTOPHER HURTLE DATED NOVEMBER 17, 2023 RECORDED IN BOOK NO. 2626, AT PAGE 2029 IN THE DAVIDSON COUNTY PUBLIC REGISTRY, NORTH CAROLINA

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 therein contained 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 Davidson County courthouse at 11:00 AM on October 7, 2024, the following described real estate and any improvements situated thereon, in Davidson County, North Carolina, and being more particularly described in that certain Deed of Trust executed by Christopher Hurtle, dated November 17, 2023 to secure the original principal amount of $177,553.00, and recorded in Book No. 2626, at Page 2029 of the Davidson 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.

FORSYTH

IN THE GENERAL COURT OF JUSTICE OF NORTH CAROLINA SUPERIOR COURT DIVISION FORSYTH COUNTY 24SP480

IN THE MATTER OF THE FORECLOSURE OF A DEED OF TRUST EXECUTED BY FREDDIE

H. JARRETT DATED MAY 24, 2013 AND RECORDED IN BOOK 3126 AT PAGE 1757, AND RE-RECORDED ON JUNE 6, 2013, IN BOOK 3127, PAGE 2072 IN THE FORSYTH 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

Address of property: 306 Lenalan Dr, Lexington, NC 27295 Tax Parcel ID: 14-006-E-000-0006

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 Forsyth County courthouse at 10:00AM on October 10, 2024, the following described real estate and any improvements situated thereon, in Forsyth County, North Carolina, and being more particularly described in that certain Deed of Trust executed Freddie H. Jarrett, dated May 24, 2013 to secure the original principal amount of $184,500.00, and recorded in Book 3126 at Page 1757 of the Forsyth 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: 1783 Ryefield Ct, Kernersville, NC 27284 Tax Parcel ID:

Tax ID No. 0426-07-8857

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 recorded releases. Said property is also being sold subject to applicable Federal and State

The record owner(s) of the property, according to the records of the Register of Deeds, is/are Christopher Hurtle.

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), 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. 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 entitled only to a return of the deposit paid. The Purchaser shall have no further recourse against the Mortgagor, the Mortgagee, the Substitute Trustee or the attorney of any of the foregoing. SPECIAL NOTICE FOR LEASEHOLD TENANTS residing at the property: be advised

6865-74-7648.000 Present Record Owners: The Heirs of Freddie H. Jarrett The record owner(s) of the property, according to the records of the Register of Deeds, is/are The Heirs of Freddie H. Jarrett. 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), 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 entitled only to a return of the deposit paid. The Purchaser shall have no further recourse against the Mortgagor, the Mortgagee, the Substitute Trustee or the attorney of any of the foregoing. SPECIAL NOTICE FOR LEASEHOLD TENANTS residing at the property: be advised that an Order for Possession of the

NOTICE OF FORECLOSURE SALE 24 SP 453 Under and by virtue of the power of sale contained in a certain Deed of Trust made by William T. Staples (deceased) and Shirley H. Staples (deceased) (PRESENT RECORD OWNER(S): Shirley H. Staples and William T. Staples, Heirs of Shirley H. Staples: William Jeffrey Staples, Teresa Staples Braswell; Heirs of William Jeffrey Staples: William Eric Staples a/k/a Eric Staples, Lyndsey Staples Lipford Slezak, Brooke Staples Hancock; Heirs of Teresa Staples Braswell: William Douglas Braswell, James William Mabe, Ashley Mabe Owen; Heirs of William Douglas Braswell: James William Mabe) to Angela M. Burton, Trustee(s), dated May 23, 2016, and recorded in Book No. RE 3288, at Page 2460 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 1:00 PM on October 16, 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 in the eastern margin of the right of way of Glenwood Road, corner with J. R. Beeson property; thence with the eastern margin of the right of way of Glenwood Road North 16 degrees 35’ 20” East 125.0 feet to an iron stake, corner with Chester Bodenhamer property; thence with the line of Chester Bodenhamer property South 75 degrees 56’ East 239.62 feet to an iron stake; thence South 14 degrees 00’ 40” West 125.0 feet to an iron stake; thence with the line of J. R. Beeson property North 75 degrees 53’ 40” West 245.25 feet to an iron stake, the point and place of BEGINNING according to an unrecorded map and survey made by John T. Morgan, R.L.S. on December 26, 1968. The above described property is the same as that described in Deed Book 948 at Page 408 and is a portion of Tract No.2, conveyed to C. R. Beeson and wife, by O. B. Beeson and wife by deed dated February 24, 1949, and recorded in Deed Book 595 at Page 400, Forsyth County Registry. Together with improvements located thereon; said property being located at 1321 Glenwood Road, Kernersville, North Carolina. Tax ID# 6875-84-1106.00

NOTE: The property address and tax parcel Identification number listed are provided solely for informational purposes, without warranty as to accuracy or completeness and are not hereby insured.

Being that parcel of land conveyed to William T. Staples and wife, Shirley E. Staples from TriCity Real Estate Company by that deed dated 12/31/1968 and recorded 1/23/1969 in deed book 978, at page 245 of the Forsyth County, NC public registry. PARCEL NUMBER(S): 6875-84-1106.00 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 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

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).

or the customary location designated for foreclosure sales, at 1:00 PM on October 16, 2024 and will sell to the highest bidder for cash the following real estate situated in Winston Salem in the County of Forsyth, North Carolina, and being more particularly described as follows: BEING known and designated as Lot Number 64 as shown on the Map of Easton as recorded in Plat Book 14, Page 23 in the Office of the Register of Deeds of Forsyth County, North Carolina, reference to which is hereby made for a more particular description. Together with improvements located thereon; said property being located at 1035 Louise Road, Winston Salem, North Carolina. PIN# 6844-11-0076

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

ROBESON

47 minutes West 2.91 feet to an existing iron rod, the second corner of the Franklin Bullard lot as shown in Deed Book 662, Page 439; thence with the second line of

UNION

Address of property: 2035 Beckwith Lane, Waxhaw, NC 28173 Tax Parcel ID: 06141537

said lot South 50 degrees 33 minutes 40 seconds West 34.25 feet to an iron rod, the third

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 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

IN THE GENERAL COURT OF JUSTICE SUPERIOR COURT DIVISION 24SP170 STATE OF NORTH CAROLINA COUNTY OF UNION IN THE MATTER OF THE FORECLOSURE OF A DEED OF TRUST EXECUTED BY LAURIE LINGENFELTER DATED MARCH 6, 2006 RECORDED IN BOOK NO. 4088, AT PAGE 310 IN THE UNION COUNTY PUBLIC REGISTRY, NORTH CAROLINA NOTICE OF SALE Under and by virtue of the power and authority contained in the abovereferenced deed of trust and because of default in payment of the secured debt and failure to perform the agreements therein contained 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 Union County courthouse at 12:30 PM on October 15, 2024, the following described real estate and any improvements situated thereon, in Union County, North Carolina, and being more particularly described in that certain Deed of Trust executed by Laurie Lingenfelter, dated March 6, 2006 to secure the original principal amount of $116,950.00, and recorded in Book No. 4088, at Page 310 of the Union 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.

NOTICE OF FORECLOSURE SALE

NORTH CAROLINA, UNION COUNTY 24 SP 150

Under and by virtue of a Power of Sale

contained in that certain Deed of Trust executed by Tonyarn Huntley and Scottie Huntley, Mortgagor(s), in the original amount of $108,900.00, to Bank of America, N.A, Mortgagee, dated August 10, 2006 and recorded on August 11, 2006 in Book 4263, Page 0012, as instrument number 36632, Union County Registry. Default having been made in the payment of the note thereby secured by the said Deed of Trust and the undersigned, Anchor Trustee Services, LLC having been substituted as Trustee in said Deed of Trust by an instrument duly recorded in the Office of the Register of Deeds of Union 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 or other usual place of sale in Union County, North

OF FORECLOSURE SALE NORTH CAROLINA, WAKE COUNTY

The record owner(s) of the property, according to the records of the Register of Deeds, is/are Laurie Lingenfelter.

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), 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. 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

Carolina, at 2:00PM on October 17, 2024, and will sell to the highest bidder for cash the following described property, to wit: Being all of Lot 30 of Glencroft Subdivision, Phase I, Map II, as shown on plat recorded in Plat Cabinet H, File 625, in the Union County Registry. Together with improvements located hereon; said property being located at 410 Glencroft Drive, Wingate, NC 28174 Tax ID: 02-239-208 Third party purchasers must pay the recording costs of the trustee’s deed, any land transfer taxes, the excise tax, pursuant North Carolina General Statutes §105-228.30, in the amount of One Dollar ($1.00) per each Five Hundred Dollars ($500.00) or fractional part thereof, and the Clerk of Courts fee, pursuant to North Carolina General Statutes §7A308, in the amount of Forty-five Cents (0.45) per each One Hundred Dollars ($100.00) or fractional part thereof with a maximum amount of Five Hundred Dollars ($500.00). A deposit of five percent (5%) of the bid or Seven Hundred Fifty Dollars ($750.00), whichever is greater, will be required at the time of the sale and must be tendered in the form of certified funds. Following the expiration of the statutory upset bid period, all the remaining amounts will be immediately due and owing. 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. This sale is made subject to all prior liens, unpaid taxes, special assessments, land transfer taxes, if any, and encumbrances of record. To the best of the knowledge and belief of the undersigned, the current owner(s) of the property is Tonyarn Huntley. PLEASE TAKE NOTICE: An order for possession of the property may be issued pursuant to North Carolina General Statutes §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

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

Being all of Lot 23, Section 1, Block 4, of Spring Garden Townhouses, as depicted in Map Book 1974, beginning at or including page 474.

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

Said property is commonly known as 1344 Garden Crest Cir, Raleigh, NC 27609.

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.

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 October 16, 2024 at 10:00 AM, and

AMENDED NOTICE OF FORECLOSURE SALE

24SP000495-910 Under and by virtue of the power of sale contained in a certain Deed of Trust made by Devin Keith Russell (deceased) (PRESENT RECORD OWNER(S): Devin Keith Russell, Heirs of Devin Keith Russell: Roger Keith Russell, Debra Lynn Russell) to Blue Door Homes, LLC, Trustee(s), dated October 24, 2022, and recorded in Book No. 019180, at Page 00876 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 designated for foreclosure sales, at 1:30 PM on October 14, 2024 and will sell to the

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

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 122, Phase Three, Crescent Ridge Subdivision as described in “Subdivision Plat, Crescent Ridge - Phase Three”, and recorded in Book of Maps 2004, Page 031-034 and recombination map recorded in Book 2004, page 2403, Wake County Registry. Together with improvements located thereon; said property being located at 4423 Sugarbend Way, 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.

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

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 Jansen Mitchell.

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

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 (North Carolina General Statutes §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 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 Substitute 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

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.

Pursuant to NCGS §45-21.25A, this sale may be subject to remote bids placed by bidders not physically present at the place of sale, which may be accepted by the person conducting the sale, or their agent”.

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.

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 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 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.

SUBSTITUTE TRUSTEE

Trustee Services of Carolina, LLC Substitute Trustee Brock & Scott, PLLC Attorneys for Trustee Services of Carolina, LLC 5431 Oleander Drive Suite 200 Wilmington, NC 28403 PHONE: (910) 392-4988 File No.: 23-24355-FC01

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: 18876 - 89937

Record Owners: The Estate of Reuben Harrison The record owner(s) of the property, according to the records of the Register of Deeds,

notice of

of

is

and conveyance AS

Trustee nor the holder of the

foreclosed, nor

by

of

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

but no representation or warranty is intended. Address of property: 3411 Futura Ln, Raleigh, NC 27610 Tax Parcel ID: 0298783

Randolph record

Waters rise in the Land of the Sky

Emergency personnel watch as floodwaters rise in front of The Grand Bohemian hotel in downtown Asheville on Friday. Hurricane Helene devastated parts of western North Carolina with torrential rainfall and “biblical” flooding over the weekend.

WHAT’S HAPPENING

Ruling allows public high school students to profit from NIL

A judge in has cleared the way for the state’s public school athletes to profit off their fame in a court case involving a high school football player who has committed to play at Tennessee. The lawsuit challenged North Carolina’s restrictions on athletes cashing in on the use of their name, image and likeness, known as NIL. It was filed on behalf of Greensboro Grimsley quarterback Faizon Brandon, who is the nation’s top-ranked recruit in the class of 2026, according to 247Sports. An attorney for the family said, “Justice has been served, not only for Faizon but for all public high school students in North Carolina.” The ruling does not apply to private school student athletes.

Election faces

“daunting” level of uncertainty

Election officials say they will do everything in their power to ensure that voters in North Carolina, a crucial presidential swing state, will be able to cast their ballots despite the devastation of Hurricane Helene only about a month before the November election. North Carolina state election board

Executive Director Karen Brinson Bell said Tuesday that 12 county election offices in the hard-hit western part of the state remain closed. She described the storm as causing a “daunting” level of uncertainty, with early inperson voting scheduled to start in just over two weeks.

Election officials in Florida, Tennessee and the presidential battleground of Georgia also were assessing the damage and the potential impacts on voting.

Randolph County recovers from damage spawned from Hurricane Helene

on

Asheboro schools will fill board vacancy

Gustavo Agudelo is leaving the area so his position became open

By Bob Sutton Randolph Record

ASHEBORO — Ten residents have applied for a vacancy on the Board of Education for Asheboro City Schools.

There’s a vacant seat due to the resignation of Gustavo Agudelo, who has moved out of state for work. The eligible applicants are: Jennyfer Bucardo of 2491 Whirlwind Lane; Mikayla Cassidy of 725 South Main St., 2B; Hilda DeCortez of 1591 E. Allred St.; Maria Delgado of 915 Worth St.; Todd Dulaney

of 147 S. Randolph Ave.; Kevin Garcia of 512 Kelly Circle; David Lambert of 1214 Canterbury Trail; Samara Martinez Arredondo of 897 Breeze Hill Road; Joel McClosky of 875 Parkview Ave; and Brad Thomas of 2600 Old Lexington Road. An 11th applicant was deemed ineligible due to living outside of the district.

In accordance with board policy, the board of education’s ad hoc committee members will interview the applicants this week. The group will make a recommendation to the board of education at the regular meeting scheduled for Oct. 10 at 7:30 p.m.

The ad hoc committee members are Beth Knott, Hailey Lee and Ryan Patton. Board

Asheboro reported wastewater overflows stemming from heavy rains

By Bob Sutton Randolph Record

ASHEBORO — Power outages and other damages coming from storms and rains connected to the leftovers of Hurricane Helene were documented in Randolph County, with most of them coming Friday.

Randolph Electric Membership Corporation reported nearly 1,200 power outages in Randolph County before 9 a.m. That number dwindled rapidly even with a tornado watch issued for the area. By 5 p.m., the REMC an-

chair Michael Smith serves as an ex officio member. Agudelo’s term was set to expire in 2025, so the appointed member will serve until the next election in 2025. Agudelo also has been on the board’s finance committee. The appointed board member will take the oath of office Nov. 14 at the board of education meeting. This is at least the sec-

nounced that there was one remaining outage in the county among its membership.

REMC also addressed outages in nearby counties, including Alamance, Chatham, Montgomery and Moore.

The Randoph County Emergency Services office reported mostly downed trees with some downed power lines as the main impact from the storm.

Jared Byrd, deputy director of Randolph County Emergency Services, said the North Carolina Department of Transportation should be removing trees in right-ofways from the sides of roads this week.

Meanwhile, the City of Asheboro reported overflows of wastewater stemming from the rains. As required by state regulations, a waste spillage of 1,000 gallons or more must be reported.

“The City of Asheboro experienced two wastewater overflows on Friday, September 27th, 2024, due severe natural conditions,” according to the city.”

ond time in the last 13 years that a resignation from the city school board has created necessary action in between elections.

Derek Robbins left the board in October 2011 because he was moving out of state based on change in his employment status.

Early in 2020, Joyce Harrington resigned from the board for personal reasons. She had served after about 34 years on the board.

In addition to what had been Agudelo’s position, the terms of Smith, Phillip Cheek and Linda Cranford also expire in 2025.

$2.00

THE RANDOLPH COUNTY EDITION OF NORTH STATE JOURNAL

PJ WARD-BROWN / RANDOLPH RECORD

Duke Energy crews work

downed power lines Friday along Balfour Road in Asheboro after the remnants of Hurricane Helene caused damage across the state.

COURTESY PHOTO Gustavo Agudelo

ERIK VERDUZCO / AP PHOTO

Matthews-White named named ‘Citizen of the Year’ by Asheboro Civitan Club

Kenita Matthews-White does it all with the nonprofit Grace Given

By Dan Reeves For Randolph Record

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

Neal Robbins, Publisher Jim Sills, VP of Local Newspapers

Dan Reeves, Features Editor Bob Sutton, Randolph Editor Ryan Henkel, Reporter

P.J. Ward-Brown, Photographer

BUSINESS

David Guy, Advertising Manager

1201

TO SUBSCRIBE: 919-663-3232

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

THURSDAY OCT 3

FRIDAY OCT 4

SATURDAY OCT 5

SUNDAY OCT 6

MONDAY OCT 7

ASHEBORO — Dozens gathered at Our Daily Bread Kitchen to celebrate and recognize Kenita Matthews-White. Her unwavering dedication to serving the community and helping the less fortunate has earned her Citizen of the Year from an Asheboro chapter of Civitans International.

Matthews-White, surrounded by Asheboro Civitans Group members, family, friends and staff from Our Daily Bread Kitchen, accepted the honor after testimonials detailing not only her work with Grace Given, a nonprofit organization she founded, but her spirited, faith-driven disposition.

Matthews-White does it all with Grace Given. She provides necessities for those in need by washing and delivering clothing, shoes, and shelter. Matthews-White facilitates medical exams, finds jobs and connects people in the community with mentors to help in every aspect of life. And she prays for and with the tired and hungry with vigor and boundless love.

Her work feeding and housing homeless people and families, securing health insurance, and finding employment for those in need through Grace Given caught the attention of Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Carolina.

A short video featured a

highlight reel of her servicevshowed Matthews-White in action, driving her Grace Given branded RV to wooded locations where homeless families sought shelter, walking individuals into medical care facilities and serving warm meals at Our Daily Bread Kitchen in Asheboro.

Blue Cross Blue Shield donated $10,000 to Kenita Matthews-White to enhance the service she provides through Grace Given.

“She’s going to take care of people; that’s her nature,” one testimonial said.

Following the video, Our Daily Bread Kitchen President Gene Woodle and others spoke about Matthews-White’s impact on the Asheboro community.

“She hits the ground running,” Woodle said. “People come here to see Kenita.”

The Asheboro Civitans Group awards the honor of

Citizen of the Year, “but this occasion was unlike any other,” Sandra Jernigan said. “Kenita is a spitfire who hits the ground running for our community.”

Civitan International is an organization of volunteer service clubs around the world dedicated to helping people in their communities. Civitans help wherever the need arises — from collecting food for a homeless shelter to volunteering at their local retirement home.

Before the gathering to honor, thank and award Kenita Matthews-White the title Citizen of the Year adjourned, the Civitans Creed was read aloud. Within each of the 12 short parts is a promise of service and fellowship to uphold, build good citizenship, and, at its core, follow the Golden Rule. Matthews-White “goes above and beyond” each part of Civitan Creed.

NASCAR Day Festival might attract additional vendors

The big event in Randleman will include a visit from Richard Petty

By Bob Sutton Randolph Record

RANDELMAN — The 36th edition of the NASCAR Day Festival in downtown Randleman is scheduled for 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday.

The event honors the Petty family and their impact on NASCAR and in the community.

The activities extend well beyond tributes to stock car racing.

“It’s a lot of other things,” said Jeff Freeman, director of the Randleman Chamber of Commerce. “It’s a promotional tool to keep Randleman on the map.” Main Street and Commerce

DAMAGE from page A1

“Approximately 3,500 gallons overflowed from Lift Station No. 4 (577 Lexington Road), and approximately 7,749 gallons overflowed from Lift Station No. 6 (15 Richland Place). There was no observed environmental

Square will have food, crafts, art, home products, racing memorabilia, youth activities and a stilt walker. There’s also three stages for entertainment.

Freeman said vendors will arrive from multiple states. There could be an extra influx of vendors, he said, with a new dose of inquiries coming during the past week.

“Because stuff for this (past) weekend has been canceled,” Freeman said, referring to events called off in the aftermath of the remnants of Hurricane Helene.

NASCAR Festival Day can handle the additional vendors, he said.

Stock-car racing legend Richard Petty will sign autographs from 10-11 a.m. His availability is early in the day as he’s scheduled to travel to Detroit for an event later in the day Freeman said.

impact from this overflow because most of the spilled sewer resulted from storm runoff leaking into the sanitary sewer system. Laboratory analysis of the stream revealed no environmental impact. Neither the City of Asheboro nor any other drinking water has been adversely affected.”

NASCAR Hall of Famer Dale Inman, a former Petty crew chief, is also expected to attend. Former University of North Carolina men’s basketball standout Phil Ford is slated to be on hand from 3-5 p.m.

There’s a car show, with an entry fee of $25, for antique and classic cars, trucks and motorcycles. Those proceeds go to the Rady Lady Foundation, Petty Family Foundation projects and the Randleman Chamber of Commerce.

Music will have several themes from local country and variety groups to gospel.

There’s also a NASCAR Day pageant.

Attendance for the NASCAR Day Festival often is related to the weather.

“If weather cooperates, we can have 15,000 or thereabouts,” Freeman said.

Schools were closed last Friday in Randolph County.

Sending help

Byrd is among a group assisting in recovery in hard-hit areas in western North Carolina. He could be spending most of the week at the Buncombe County

Randolph Guide

Here’s a quick look at what’s coming up in Randolph County:

Oct. 5

Asheboro Fall Festival

9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sunset Avenue

Oct. 7

TeenZone

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-plus, including arts and crafts, book clubs, tutoring nights and more. Free programs, no registration required. For more information, call 336-318-6804.

Oct. 8

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 336-626-1240.

Oct. 9

Chat and Craft for Adults

6:30 to 8:30 p.m.

Asheboro Public Library 201 Worth St.

Get chatty in Asheboro library crafting events! Welcome to “Chat and Craft” at 6:30 p.m. every second and fourth Wednesday. Bring in your own unfinished craft, start a new one or learn a new skill with a bunch of your fellow crafty people. Drop in any time between 6:30 and 8:30 p.m. to work on your crafts. For further information, contact Meghan at 336-318-6808.

Emergency Operations Center. Byrd said that several fire departments from Randolph County have sent personnel. Members from Asheboro, Randleman and Tabernacle (Trinity) have been deployed, while other departments have offered to make firefighters available.

TUESDAY OCT 8

WEDNESDAY OCT 9

with your community!

community@randolphrecord.com

JANN ORTIZ FOR RANDOLPH RECORD

Kenita Matthews-White was named Citizen of the Year by Asheboro Civitan Club for her tireless efforts in helping the community.

THE CONVERSATION

Neal Robbins, publisher | Frank Hill, senior opinion editor

VISUAL VOICES

Cracking down on open borders and standing up for your safety

Law-abiding, tax-paying American citizens are already bearing the brunt of the Biden-Harris administration’s dangerous border policies.

THE BIDEN-HARRIS ADMINISTRATION and the Democrats’ dangerous open border and soft-on-crime policies have made communities across America less safe. House Republicans recently took action to protect you, your family and your tax dollars from paying the painful price of the left’s radical, dangerous agenda.

It seems like every day we are seeing another shocking headline about illegal migrants who have crossed our border and committed heinous crimes against America’s women and girls, including rape and sexual assault. A 37-year-old Maryland mom, Rachel Morin, was raped and murdered by an illegal while out on a run. A 12-year-old Texan girl, Jocelyn Nungaray, was assaulted, strangled to death and left under a bridge by two illegals. These are just a few of the female victims who have suffered the tragic consequences of the administration’s open border policies.

Just one instance of a woman or young girl being violently assaulted by an illegal migrant should be enough for President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris to enforce our immigration laws and remove them from our country. Unfortunately, they are still letting these criminals roam freely. It’s infuriating, and House Republicans won’t stand for it. We passed the Violence Against Women by Illegal Aliens Act to ensure illegals convicted of sex offenses or domestic violence are deported from the United States. Throughout our country, radical liberal sanctuary states and cities like New York City are also disregarding America’s immigration laws, imposing policies to block immigration enforcement and protect illegal criminals. This is only worsening

COLUMN | DAVID HARSANYI

the out-of-control border crisis and incentivizing more migrants to cross illegally into the United States without fear of consequences. Worse, these far-left mayors and governors are using taxpayer dollars to foot the bill for their sanctuary policies and subsidize illegals.

Law-abiding, tax-paying American citizens are already bearing the brunt of the Biden-Harris administration’s dangerous border policies. It’s time the federal government stopped bailing out our blue cities and started holding them accountable instead. That’s why I was proud to join my House Republican colleagues in passing the No Bailout for Sanctuary Cities Act. This legislation would prevent sanctuary cities from receiving federal funds that would subsidize illegals and encourage more illegal crossings.

In North Carolina and across our country, families are worried about rising crime. This is a direct result of radical policies, like cashless bail, that allow violent offenders to be released back onto our streets, jeopardizing Americans’ safety.

You and your family deserve to feel safe in your community.

House Republicans passed a bill to ensure those convicted of violent crimes are not let back into our communities to commit more crimes and restore oversight to out-of-control bail funds.

Open border and soft-on-crime policies are threatening the safety and security of the American people. Rest assured, I will continue to fight for policies that prioritize law and order, ensuring that you and your loved ones can live without fear.

Rep. Richard Hudson represents the 9th Congressional District in Washington, D.C.

Harris’ attack on the filibuster is an attack on the constitutional order

Democrats have targeted virtually every institution that makes “democracy” tenable in a truly diverse and sprawling nation that is home to hundreds of millions of people.

THOUGH DEMOCRATS are endlessly prattling on about “norms” and “democracy,” it is often unclear what aspects of the constitutional order they actually support. This week, for example, Vice President Kamala Harris reiterated her support for suspending the legislative filibuster so Democrats, should they eke out a slim Senate majority, can overturn thousands of state laws and force the entire country to legalize taxpayer-subsidized, late-term abortions on demand. It is, of course, true that the filibuster isn’t in the Constitution. In many ways, however, it is one of the last remaining tools upholding a semblance of constitutional order. Yet to most contemporary Democrats, the 60-vote threshold to cut off debate is an antiquated tool that facilitates “minority rule” — by which they mean “federalism.” Which makes sense. Democrats are keen on empowering narrow, fleeting leftwing majorities cramming through wideranging generational “reform” bills without any consensus. They know well that once a massive entitlement or regulatory program is passed, it will be virtually impossible to roll back.

You don’t need to be a constitutional scholar to understand there’s no version of the founding that envisioned this kind of governance.

Imagine, if you can, what the world would look like if former President Donald Trump announced he was going to blow up the filibuster using a one-vote Senate majority and then cram through a national limit on abortion. Republicans would be accused of acting like fascistic ghouls, and the media would have a thermonuclear meltdown. It would be 1939 Germany all over again. Worse, Democrats have targeted virtually

every institution that makes “democracy” tenable in a truly diverse and sprawling nation that is home to hundreds of millions of people.

Because if forcing red states to adopt maximalist abortion laws is important enough to sink long-standing checks on federal power, you better believe it won’t be the last exception to the rule.

For one thing, Republicans can’t be expected to play by a different set of governing guidelines. For another, the left seems to believe every policy position it takes is fundamental to preserving “democracy.”

The exemptions would be endless.

It’s not just about the naked hypocrisy. It’s about republic-destroying norm-breaking. “Reforming” the filibuster is part of a broader effort to create a powerful, highly centralized state.

The Supreme Court is perhaps the only institution inhibiting state overreach these days, which is why Democrats have been busy delegitimizing and now want to pack the court and transform it into another malleable partisan institution. Harris included.

The other institution somewhat tempering a direct democracy is the Electoral College. Yet left-wing pundits are already whining about the undemocratic nature of that institution as well. It is always confusing to me when someone writes to complain that the Electoral College doesn’t align with the “popular vote,” as if this wasn’t the entire point of the enterprise. If the two always harmonized, we wouldn’t need it.

The Senate was created as a countermajoritarian institution. Now that leftists believe they have the upper hand, they are increasingly perplexed by the fact

that Wyoming and California have the same number of senators.

You know, it’s called the United States for a reason.

When it comes to executive abuse, Trump, who makes tons of grandiose promises that lay far outside the president’s purview, is a mere piker compared to his predecessor and successor. There is a growing movement among progressive politicians and intellectuals, sometimes referred to as “popular constitutionalism,” that would allow Democrats to ignore the courts whenever they choose.

It’s no accident that Harris promised to confiscate guns via an executive order like some kind of dictator. Or that President Joe Biden keeps ignoring the high court and unilaterally “forgives” loans. Or that Democratic senators implore their president to declare national emergencies that would empower the White House to run the entire economy through a massive administrative state.

Perhaps Harris’ position on the filibuster is a cynical play for votes. What’s become undeniable, however, is that counter-constitutionalism is being normalized on the left.

Democrats want to get rid of the Electoral College so that a few giant urban areas can run the executive branch. They want to get rid of the filibuster so they can unilaterally transform the nation. When they don’t have congressional majorities, they want (their) presidents to rule by fiat.

And many now want to pack the Supreme Court to make sure no one will stop them. There are numerous ways to describe this brand of governance, but none of them have anything to do with American norms or democracy.

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

COLUMN | REP. RICHARD HUDSON

Rwanda reports 8 deaths linked to Marburg virus

Most of the affected are health care workers

By Ignatius Ssuuna

The Associated Press

Kigali, RWANDA — Rwanda says eight people have died so far from the Ebola-like and highly contagious Marburg virus, just days after the country declared an outbreak of the deadly hemorrhagic fever that has no authorized vaccine or treatment.

Like Ebola, the Marburg virus originates in fruit bats and spreads between people through close contact with the bodily fluids of infected individuals or with surfaces, such as contaminated bed sheets. Without treatment, Marburg can be fatal in up to 88% of people who fall ill with the disease. Rwanda, a landlocked country in central Africa, declared an outbreak last Friday, and a day later the first six deaths were reported.

So far 26 cases have been confirmed, and eight of the sickened people have died, Health Minister Sabin Nsanzimana said Sunday night.

The public has been urged to avoid physical contact to help curb the spread. Some 300 people who came into contact with those confirmed to have

the virus have also been identified, and an unspecified number of them have been put in isolation facilities.

Most of the affected are health care workers across six out of 30 districts in the country.

“Marburg is a rare disease,” Nsanzimana told journalists. “We are intensifying contact tracing and testing to help stop the spread.”

The minister said the source of the disease has not been determined yet. A person infected with the virus can take between three days and three weeks to show symptoms, he added.

Symptoms include fever, muscle pains, diarrhea, vomiting and, in some cases, death through extreme blood loss.

The World Health Organization was scaling up its support and will work with Rwandan authorities to help stop the spread, WHO’s Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said on Saturday on the social media platform X.

The U.S Embassy in Rwanda’s capital of Kigali has urged its staff to work remotely and avoid visiting offices.

Marburg outbreaks and individual cases have in the past been recorded in Tanzania, Equatorial Guinea, Angola, Congo, Kenya, South Africa, Uganda and Ghana,

medical worker carries a meal to an

coming into contact in Uganda with a

according to the WHO.

The rare virus was first identified in 1967 after it caused simultaneous outbreaks of disease in laboratories in Marburg, Germany, and Belgrade, Serbia. Seven people died who were exposed to the virus while conducting research on monkeys.

Separately, Rwanda has so far reported six cases of mpox, a disease caused by a virus related to smallpox but that typically causes milder symp -

toms. Mpox, previously known as monkeypox because it was first seen in research monkeys, has also affected several other African countries in what the WHO has called a global health emergency.

Rwanda launched an mpox vaccination campaign earlier this month, and more vaccines are expected to arrive in the country. Neighboring Congo has so far reported most of the cases of mpox, the epicenter of the emergency.

“Marburg is a rare disease. We are intensifying contact tracing and testing to help stop the spread.”

Sabin Nsanzimana, Rwanda health minister

Factory surveys show Chinese economy weakening

The government has announced a stimulus package

By Elaine Kurtenbach

The Associated Press

CHINA’S ECONOMY weakened further in recent weeks, according to surveys released Monday, signaling the need for more support as the government ratchets up stimulus.

The Caixin purchasing managers survey showed new manufacturing orders fell at the fastest pace in two years in September.

“Operating conditions in China’s manufacturing sector deteriorated in September after improving during August,” the report said. “Furthermore, firms lowered their hiring and purchasing activity.”

An official survey released by the National Bureau of Sta-

tistics showed a less drastic decline, but it marked a fifth straight month of contraction.

The purchasing managers index was at 49.8 in September, up from a six-month low of 49.1 in August. The index is on a scale where figures above 50 indicate expansion.

The survey showed that factory output rose while new orders fell.

Chinese stock markets surged Monday, reflecting enthusiasm over a barrage of policy measures announced last week, including lower interest rates and smaller down payment requirements for mortgages and a cut in required bank reserves.

“There is no doubt that the coordinated and emphatic policy stimulus measures announced by Beijing have justifiably invoked optimism,” Tan Boon Heng of Mizuho Bank in Singapore said in a commentary. The main index smaller mar-

“There is no doubt that the coordinated and emphatic policy stimulus measures announced by Beijing have justifiably invoked optimism.”

Tan Boon Heng, Mizuho Bank

ket in Shenzhen soared 8.2% while the Shanghai Composite index jumped 5.7%

“The stimulus package announced last week should help shore activity over the coming months,” Gabriel Ng of Capital Economics said in a report. But he noted that imbalances between excess supply of many products versus weak demand persist. And trade measures against China, such as higher tariffs on electric vehicles and

other goods, also will weigh on the economy.

“In this environment, a meaningful cyclical recovery would require sizeable fiscal stimulus,” he said. “There has yet to be any official announcement on fiscal support, though some media reports suggest that one could come soon.”

Over the weekend, Beijing moved forward with the measures announced last week to support the property industry and revive languishing financial markets. The central bank announced on Sunday that it would direct banks to cut mortgage rates for existing home loans by Oct. 31. Meanwhile, the major southern city of Guangzhou lifted all home purchase restrictions over the weekend, while both Shanghai and Shenzhen revealed plans to ease key buying curbs.

Property developers have struggled after the government

cracked down on excessive borrowing for projects several years ago. Housing prices have continued to fall and the government has moved to ensure that developers deliver apartments that were paid for but not yet built.

The downturn in the property sector has rippled throughout the world’s second-largest economy, hitting many other industries that depended on booming housing construction, such as appliance makers and manufacturers of building materials.

It has slowed China’s recovery from the massive disruptions of the COVID-19 pandemic, adding to pressures on Chinese consumers worried over pay cuts, job losses and weaker asset prices.

The economy expanded at a 4.7% pace in the last quarter, slightly below the government’s target of about 5%.

BEN CURTIS / AP PHOTO

A

isolation tent housing a man being quarantined after

carrier of the Marburg virus in Nairobi, Kenya, in 2014.

Estelle Fuller Hinesley

July 31, 1931 – Sept. 25, 2024

Heaven is rejoicing as Estelle Fuller Hinesley joined her beloved Ernest in their heavenly home on September 25, 2024.

The world was blessed when Estelle was born on July 31, 1931 to Will and Cora Fuller. She was a loving sister to her 5 siblings and married the love of her life, Ernest, on July 10, 1949 in SC. She and Ernest worked at BB Walker Shoe Company in supervisory positions and she was known for her strong work ethic and compassionate leadership to her teammates. She retired from BB Walker after 32 years of service. She was a lifelong member of Mt Shepherd Church and dedicated her life to sharing the Word of God and supporting her church through her unwavering Christian faith. She was able to attend church her last Sunday and received an amazing homecoming surrounded by the love and blessings of her church family.

Estelle was known for her sweet disposition, sense of humor and enjoyed working with her flowers and gardens. She loved her family fiercely and supporting her children, grandchildren and great grandchildren at all of their activities-always at school events, ball fields and church services. Her home was always open and she loved and fed so many friends, families and strangers through the years. If you were lucky enough to sit at her table (“sit anywhere you want, make yourself at home just like family”), you enjoyed the most delicious meal full of love (and butter and sugar) and a soul fed like only a grandma can give. She loved everyone she met unconditionally and never met a stranger.

In addition to her parents, Estelle was preceded in death by her husband, Ernest, sisters Lillian Westmoreland, Evelyn Earnhardt, Ola Draughn, Barbara Allred, and brother Wilbur (Buck) Fuller.

She is survived by son Steve Hinesley (Vickie) of Asheboro, daughter Lori Trent (Michael) of Asheboro, grandchildren Bradley Hinesley (Emily), Brandy Beck (Clint), Kobe Trent (Isabell), great grandchildren Kylee and Ellie Beck and Lincoln and Estelle Hinesley.

While we will miss her sweet smile, love of life and family dinners, we are blessed to have been loved by her and have comfort knowing she is celebrating with her family and friends and we will see her again. She would want everyone to enjoy a good meal (or “persimmon pudding”) with your loved ones, always see the good in people, and to know the love and grace of Jesus. Well done, good and faithful servant.

The family will receive friends on Monday, September 30, 2024 from 6-8 p.m. at Pugh Funeral Home, 437 Sunset Avenue in Asheboro. Funeral services will be held on Tuesday, October 1, 2024 at 3 p.m. at Mt. Shepherd Church, 844 Mt. Shepherd Road in Asheboro with Pastor Rick McCranie and Rev. Lee Ellis officiating. Interment will follow at the church cemetery. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to Mt Shepherd Church 844 Mt Shepherd Church, Asheboro NC 27205 or the Randolph Hospice House.

Robert Wayne Latham

Sept. 9, 1948 – Sept. 27, 2024

Robert Wayne Latham, 76, of Randleman passed away Friday, September 27, 2024, at home surrounded by his loved ones. He was born September 9, 1948, to Warren Latham and Hazel Lucas Latham in Asheboro, NC.

Wayne was a loving, caring, and devoted husband, father, grandfather, and friend. He loved his family more than anything, putting them above all else in his life. Wayne was well educated in life and lived a simple life with many passions. His love of others made sure no one was a stranger around him for long. He never missed a good meal, loved carp fishing, going to auctions and junkyards to find missing parts for tinkering on, and repairing his old Ford trucks. Wayne loved playing golf and being with his golfing buddies. He was a volunteer fireman with Randolph Fire Department and all the firemen of the past held a special place in his heart. Wayne was a member of Dayspring Baptist Church in Worthville. He now joins his beloved wife of 49 years, Kitty, in Heaven.

The family would like to extend a heartfelt Thank You to Marty Leonard, Fred & Jane Pack, caregiver, Heather Adkins and Hospice nurses, Mattie & Renee.

Wayne is survived by his son, Robert Wayne “Chub” Latham, Jr (Kristen) of Sophia; daughter, Cindy Henley (Scott) of Randleman; sisters, Becky Patterson (Otis) of Franklinville, Vickie Boyd (Arnold) of Asheboro; grandchildren, Emily Welch, Matthew Henley, Ryan Edwards, Rinnah Edwards; greatgrandchildren, Jaxon Welch, Phoenix Welch, Easton Henley. In addition to his parents, he is preceded in death by his wife, Kitty Latham, and one brother.

The family will receive friends Tuesday, October 1, 2024, from 57 p.m. at Pugh Funeral Home, 600 S. Main St. Funeral services will be Wednesday, October 2, 2024, at 2 p.m. at Pugh Funeral Home Randleman Chapel with Pastor Tommy Kidd officiating. Interment will follow at Faith Temple Baptist Church Cemetery.

Memorials in Wayne’s honor can be made to Hospice of Randolph, 416 Vision Dr., Asheboro, NC, 27203 Pugh Funeral Home is serving the Latham family.

John Walter Davis

March 5, 1935 –Sept. 23, 2024

John Walter Davis, age 89, of Mt. Gilead, NC passed away at his home on Monday, September 23, 2024. John was born in Richmond County, NC to the late Johnny Davis and Ruby Irene Hardister. He joined the U.S. Navy in April, 1952. He continued serving his country until retirement from the Navy in 1972, earning commendations during that time including the Bronze Star. He continued working for the U. S. Government in Panama until 1985 when he returned to NC.

John is survived by his sons: John R. Davis of Weaverville, NC and Tank Davis (Allison) of Troy, NC; two grandchildren: John Austin Davis and Nikki Alexis Davis Padilla (Johnny Padilla III); two great grandchildren: Brookelyn Diana Padilla and Johnny Padilla IV. He was preceded in death by his wife Diana Rae, and daughter in law Mary Davis. A Graveside service will be held on Saturday, October 5, 2024, at 2:00 PM at Uwharrie Methodist Church Cemetery, 3027 N.C. Hwy. 109, Troy, NC, with Rev. William Saunders officiating. Military Honors will be provided by Randolph County Honor Guard. Pugh Troy Funeral Home is serving the family of John Davis.

Routh Ellen Davis

June 10, 1962 – Sept. 26, 2024

Darlene Langston Reynolds 62 of Asheboro passed away unexpectedly on Thursday, September 26, 2024, at her residence.

Darlene was born on June 10, 1962, in High Point, North Carolina to Donald Earl and Dorris Harris Langston. Darlene was a 1981 graduate of Southern Guilford High School and later attended Brookstone Business College and Davidson County Community College where she studied Pharmacy Tech training. She was a homemaker.

She loved her family, especially all her children and loved having the title of Nana for her grandchildren. Darlene loved purple and had an admiration for butterflies. She loved her lord and savior, although she struggled at times. Darlene had many talents some of which were shopping, painting, embroidery, computer games, crocheting and the biggest was writing. She was an excellent mother to all the children. Darlene was preceded in death by her parents.

Left to cherish her memory are her children, Son: Christopher Reynolds of Asheboro Daughters: Tabetha Reynolds Barton (Ryan) of Thomasville, Jessica ReynoldsRaines (Paul) of Level Cross. Sister Deborah Langston Wall of Winston Salem. Brothers: Dennis Langston (Crystal) of Thomasville, Donald Earl Langston Jr. of Belmont. Nine Grandchildren and One great Grandchild.

Services will be held later. Memorials may be made to Calvary Baptist Church Building Fund 210 Oak Grove Rd. Asheboro, North Carolina. www.cbcasheboro. com

Pugh Funeral Home in Asheboro is proudly serving the Reynolds Family

Routh Ellen Davis

Feb. 6, 1939 – Sept. 22, 2024

Mrs. Routh Ellen Davis 85 of Candor, formerly of Asheboro passed away after an extended illness Sunday, September 22, 2024. Mrs. Davis was born on February 6, 1939, to Carl Jones Redmon and Lauretta Routh Redmon. She worked for over 30 years in the textile industry. She loved and lived for her children and family. Routh Ellen loved to read, work crossword puzzles, Christmas and watch Hallmark movies.

Routh Ellen was married to the love of her life Larry Nelson Davis Sr. for 33 years. She was preceded in death by her parents Carl Jones Redmon and Lauretta Routh Redmon, one brother Bruce Carlton Redmon Sr. and one son Darren Todd Davis. Left to cherish her memories are her children daughter Venus Davis Tester of Greensboro and son Larry Davis Jr. of Arizona. One sister Mary Agnes Fulton (Bob) and grandchildren Damien Alexander Tester, Davis Todd Tester, Dayton Charles Tester, Cia Ashley Davis and Diedre Cherie Porch. Two greatgrandchildren Revin Porch and Ryder Porch. The family will receive friends on Tuesday, October 1, from 6-8 p.m. at the Pugh Funeral Home, 437 Sunset Avenue, Asheboro. Funeral services for Mrs. Davis will be held Wednesday, October 2, at 2 p.m. at Bethany Community Methodist Church in Franklinville with Reverend Jena Grogan officiating. Pugh Funeral Home Asheboro is serving the Davis Family.

Bruce Nelson Edwards

May 7, 1942 – Sept. 26, 2024

Bruce Nelson Edwards, 82, of Asheboro, North Carolina, passed away Thursday, September 26, 2024, at his home. A memorial service will be conducted at 2 p.m., Saturday, October 5, 2024, at Ridge Funeral Home Chapel.

Bruce was born in Asheville, NC, on May 7, 1942, the son of the late Hugh “Rebo” Edwards and Helen Miller Edwards. He grew up in Swannanoa, NC, and was a graduate of Western Carolina University, class of 1966. He was a member of Central Church and retired from Asheboro Municipal Golf Course. Bruce was an avid golfer and served on the North Carolina Golf Panel. Bruce loved spending time with his family.

In addition to his parents, Bruce was preceded in death by his first wife, Sherry Turner Edwards; sister, Delores Bass; and brother, Gary Edwards. He is survived by his wife, Rita B. Edwards of the home; daughters, Melissa Beane of Greensboro, Michele Newman (Kenny) of Asheboro, Brooke Lassiter (Dennis) of Wilmington, Wendy Falkowski (Rob) of Holly Ridge; son, Brad Wilkinson (Amy) of Morehead City; grandchildren, Zac Beane (Joaniebeth), Brett Beane (Taylor), Kylie Newman, Genna Newman, Darian Brooks (Gillian), Mallory Brooks (Jordan), Bridget Lassiter (Luke), Shay Lassiter, Brody Lassiter, Cooper Wilkinson; great grandchildren, Scottiebeth Beane, Londunn Beane; and several nieces and nephews.

The family will receive friends following the service.

Memorials may be made to Hospice of Randolph, 416 Vision Drive, Asheboro, NC 27203; or to the Randolph County SPCA, 300 West Bailey Street, Asheboro, NC 27203.

The family would like to express a special thank you to Bruce’s caregivers, for all the love and support given to him during these times.

David Wayne Trent

Sept.9, 1967 – Sept. 28, 2024

Mr. David Wayne Trent 57 of Asheboro passed away after an extended illness Saturday, September 28, 2024, at Randolph Health in Asheboro. David was born in Lexington, NC on September 9, 1967. For many years David worked as a machine mechanic in the bedding industry. David enjoyed working on cars and machinery. He loved spending time with his very large family.

David is survived by his wife Dana of the home, children Candice Findley (Jayce), Ashley Hutchison (Doug), Hannah Payne (Brandon), Cody Ellis (Liz), Sumer Trent (Dalton), Austin Auman (Levi), Stormi O’Neill (Ryan), Logan Hicks, Hunter Trent and Harley Trent. Twelve grandchildren, Father David Trent and sister Brenda Gathings (Sonny). He was preceded in death by his mother Thelma Trent. Visitation for David will be held Saturday, October 5, from 4-6 p.m. at the Pugh Funeral Home, 437 Sunset Avenue, Asheboro, NC.

Robert “Bobby” Chester Hill

June 3, 1934 – Sept. 26, 2024

Robert “Bobby” Chester Hill, 90, of Asheboro, North Carolina, passed away Thursday, September 26, 2024, at Randolph Hospice House, Asheboro, NC.

A graveside service will be conducted at 3 p.m., Sunday, September 29, 2024, at Hopewell Friends Meeting Cemetery, with Pastor Randy Kelley officiating. Military honors will be provided by the United States Air Force.

Bobby was born in Randolph Co., NC, on June 3, 1934, the son of the late Chester Delbert “C.D.” Hill and Jennie Robbins Hill. He was a graduate of Farmer High School, class of 1952. He joined the U.S. Air Force in 1953 and retired as a Master Sergeant in 1973, working as an intelligence specialist. Bobby later retired from Champagne Dye. In addition to his parents, Bobby was preceded in death by his wife, Jean Hill, who passed in November of 2022; brothers, Charles D. Hill, Earl Bryan Hill and John Jason Hill. Bobby is survived by his daughter, Cassandra “Cassie” Thomas (Keith) of Trinity; son, Bobby Hill, Jr. (Martha) of Asheboro; sister, Margaret Ann Hogan (Thurman) of Asheboro; grandchildren, April McDonald of Winston-Salem, Kelleigh Tarlton of Myrtle Beach, SC; greatgrandchildren, Austin McDonald, Rebecca McDonald, Mikey Didyoung; and loving pet, Sassy. The family will receive friends from 6 to 8 p.m. on Saturday, September 28, 2024, at Ridge Funeral Home Chapel.

June 6, 1940 – Sept. 23, 2024

Joann Parrish Shaw, 84, of Asheboro, passed away peacefully on September 23, 2024, at Hospice of Davidson County. Born on June 6, 1940, Joann lived a life filled with love, devotion, and pride for her family. She was the beloved wife of Harold Frank Shaw, to whom she was married for 49 beautiful years until his passing. Joann dedicated much of her life to education, retiring from the Randolph County School System, where she impacted countless lives with her kindness and dedication. She was also a member of Pierces Chapel Primitive Baptist Church, where her faith played a central role in her life.

She is survived by her two loving sons: David Shaw and his wife Fonda of Denton, and Terry Shaw and his wife Nielda of Atlanta. Joann was a proud “Memaw” to seven grandchildren and ten great-grandchildren. Her siblings Lorraine Smith and her husband Lewis, and Ron Parrish and his wife Julie, also survive her. In addition to her husband, Joann was preceded in death by her parents, Roy Eugene Parrish and Ethel Small Parrish. Joann’s life was marked by her love for her family, her faith, and the joy she found in nurturing those around her. She lived a long, wonderful life and leaves behind a legacy of love and family that will endure for generations. The family would like to thank the staff at Hospice of Davidson County for their compassion and the outstanding care provided during Joann’s time there.

A visitation will be held on Wednesday, September 25th, from 6 to 8 p.m. at Pugh Funeral Home, Asheboro, NC. A funeral service to honor Joann’s life will take place on Thursday, September 26th, at 11 a.m. at Pierces Chapel Primitive Baptist Church (2661 Ross Wood Rd., Trinity, NC 27370) with Dakota Johnson officiating. In lieu of flowers, donations can be sent to Hospice of Davidson County in her memory.

Joann Parrish Shaw

STATE & NATION

Native Americans in Montana ask court for more in-person voting sites

Tribes are asking counties to create satellite offices

By Matthew Brown The Associated Press

BILLINGS, Mont. — Native Americans living on a remote Montana reservation filed a lawsuit against state and county officials Monday, saying they don’t have enough places to vote in person — the latest chapter in a decades-long struggle by tribes in the United States over equal voting opportunities.

The six members of the Fort Peck Reservation want satellite voting offices in their communities for late registration and to vote before Election Day without making long drives to a county courthouse.

The legal challenge, filed in state court, comes five weeks before the presidential election in a state with a pivotal U.S. Senate race where the Republican candidate has made derogatory comments about Native Americans.

Native Americans were granted U.S. citizenship a century ago. Advocates say the right still doesn’t always bring equal access to the ballot.

Many tribal members in rural western states live in farflung communities with limited resources and transportation. That can make it hard to reach election offices, which are some-

times located off-reservation.

The plaintiffs in the Montana lawsuit reside in two small communities near the Canada border on the Fort Peck Reservation, home to the Assiniboine and Sioux tribes. The plaintiffs’ attorney, Cher Old Elk, grew up in one of those communities, Frazer, Montana, where more than a third of people live below the poverty line and the per capita income is about $12,000,

according to census data.

It’s a 60-mile round trip from Frazer to the election office at the courthouse in Glasgow. Old Elk says that can force prospective voters into difficult choices.

“It’s not just the gas money; it’s actually having a vehicle that runs,” she said. “Is it food on my table, or is it the gas money to find a vehicle, to find a ride, to go to Glasgow to vote?”

The lawsuit asks a state judge

for an order forcing Valley and Roosevelt counties and Secretary of State Christi Jacobson to create satellite election offices in Frazer and Poplar, Montana. They would be open during the same hours and on the same days as the county courthouses.

The plaintiffs requested satellite election offices from the counties earlier this year, the lawsuit says. Roosevelt County officials refused, while Valley

DOJ will launch review into 1921 Tulsa

A public report is expected by the end of the year

By Sean Murphy The Associated Press

OKLAHOMA CITY — The Justice Department announced Monday it plans to launch a review of the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre, an attack by a white mob on a thriving black district that is considered one of the worst single acts of violence against black people in U.S. history.

The review was launched under a federal cold-case initiative that has led to prosecutions of some Civil Rights Era cases, although Assistant U.S. Attorney General Kristen Clarke said they have “no expectation” there is anyone living who could be prosecuted as a result of the inquiry. Still, the announcement of the first federal probe into the massacre was embraced by descendants of survivors who have long criticized city and state leaders for not doing more to compensate those affected by the attack. Clarke said the agency plans to issue a public report detailing its findings by the end of the year.

“We acknowledge descendants of the survivors, and the victims continue to bear the trauma of this act of racial terrorism,” Clarke said during her remarks in Washington.

Damario Solomon-Simmons, an attorney for the last known survivors of the massacre, 110-year-old Viola Fletcher and 109-year-old Lessie Benningfield Randle, described Clarke’s

announcement as a “joyous occasion.”

“It is about time,” said Solomon-Simmons, flanked by descendants of massacre survivors. “It only took 103 years, but this is a joyous occasion, a momentous day, an amazing opportunity for us to make sure that what happened here in Tulsa is understood for what it was — the largest crime scene

County officials said budget constraints limited them to opening a satellite voting center for just one day.

Valley County Attorney Dylan Jensen said there were only two full-time employees in the Clerk and Recorder’s Office that oversees elections, so staffing a satellite office would be problematic.

“To do that for an extended period of time and still keep regular business going, it would be difficult,” he said.

Roosevelt County Clerk and Recorder Tracy Miranda and a spokesperson for Jacobson did not immediately respond to messages seeking comment.

Prior efforts to secure Native American voting rights helped drive changes in recent years that expanded electoral access for tribal members in South Dakota and Nevada.

A 2012 federal lawsuit in Montana sought to establish satellite election offices on the Crow, Northern Cheyenne and Fort Belknap reservations. It was rejected by a judge, but the ruling was later set aside by an appeals court. In 2014, tribal members in the case reached a settlement with officials in several counties. Monday’s lawsuit said inequities continue on the Fort Peck Reservation and that tribal members have never fully achieved equal voting since Montana was first organized as a territory in 1864 and Native Americans were excluded from its elections. Native voters in subsequent years continued to face barriers to registering and were sometimes stricken from voter rolls.

“It’s unfortunate we had to take a very aggressive step, to take this to court, but the counties aren’t doing it. I don’t know any other way,” Old Elk said.

Race Massacre

in the history of this country.”

As many as 300 black people were killed; more than 1,200 homes, businesses, schools and churches were destroyed; and thousands were forced into internment camps overseen by the National Guard when a white mob, including some deputized by authorities, looted and burned the Greenwood District, also known as Black Wall Street.

The Oklahoma Supreme Court in June dismissed a lawsuit by survivors, dampening the hope of advocates for racial justice that the city would make financial amends for the attack.

The nine-member court upheld the decision made by a district court judge in Tulsa last year, ruling that the plaintiff’s grievances about the destruction of the Greenwood district, although legitimate, did not fall within the scope of the state’s public nuisance statute.

After the state Supreme Court turned away the lawsuit, Solomon-Simmons asked the U.S. Department of Justice to open an investigation into the massacre under the Emmett Till Unsolved Civil Rights Crime Act.

Although investigations under the act have led to successful

prosecutions of Civil Rights Era cases, the DOJ acknowledged in a report to Congress last year that there are significant legal barriers to cases before 1968.

“Even with our best efforts, investigations into historic cases are exceptionally difficult, and rarely will justice be reached inside of a courtroom,” the agency noted in the report.

Since the Act was approved in 2008, the DOJ has opened for review 137 cases involving 160 known victims. The agency has fully investigated and resolved 125 of those cases through prosecution, referral or closure.

The report also notes the Act has led to two successful federal prosecutions and three successful state prosecutions. Both federal prosecutions involved separate murders of Black men in Mississippi by members of the Ku Klux Klan in the 1960s.

The first federally assisted state prosecution under the initiative was against Klansmen who bombed a Birmingham, Alabama, church in 1963, killing four young girls. That prosecution in the early 2000s led to convictions and life sentences for two men involved in the bombing.

ALVIN C. KRUPNICK CO. / LIBRARY OF CONGRESS VIA AP

Smoke billows over Tulsa, Oklahoma, during the city’s 1921 race riots.

MATTHEW BROWN / AP PHOTO

Bret Healy, left, a consultant for Four Directions Native Vote, speaks about voting opportunities on Native American reservations in Montana while attorney Cher Old Elk (center) and activist Tom Rodgers (right) listen during a press conference Sept. 26 in Billings, Montana.

RandolpH SPORTS

Cougars come up clutch, nip Asheboro

Eastern Randolph heads to league play with unblemished record

Randolph Record staff

ASHEBORO — Southwestern Randolph won a closely contested matchup with visiting Asheboro, winning 49-47 in Saturday night’s nonconference football game.

Southwestern Randolph (3-2) posted its largest point total in the series with Asheboro, winning for the fifth consecutive season in the rivalry, keyed by clutch plays from quarterback Noah Stills.

“What a battle,” Southwestern Randolph coach Seth Baxter said. “It’s a huge win for our guys.”

Asheboro (2-3) scored the final touchdown with an extra-point kick with 23 seconds remaining, but the Cougars secured the ensuing kickoff to clinch the outcome.

The Blue Comets have lost three close games, all to Randolph County opponents.

“Nothing good came of (this game),” Asheboro coach Calvin Brown said.

The score was 28-28 at halftime. It was a matter of coming up with defensive stops.

“We challenged them,” Baxter said. “We needed one stop. Give us one stop.”

Asheboro’s Logan Loughlin threw for four touchdowns, with two of those to Elijah Woodle and one each to Ben Luck and Jewel Barrett-Riggins. Loughlin

FRIDAY NIGHT’S GAMES

Eastern Randolph (5-0) at Southwestern Randolph (3-2)

Providence Grove (1-4) at Trinity (2-3) Wheatmore (0-5) at Randleman (5-0)

Oak Grove (4-1) at Asheboro (2-3)

had 265 passing yards. Quincey Lee ran for three touchdowns and Connor Brinton gained 82 rushing yards on 13 carries.

The frustrations brewed for Asheboro’s defense.

“We played as bad as we could in the first half,” Brown said. “We told them where to get.

Blue Comets show strength early in league soccer

PAC volleyball teams roll in nonconference play

Randolph Record staff

ASHEBORO FLEXED right away in Mid-Piedmont Conference boys’ soccer, winning 9-2 at Oak Grove last week.

Cam Letterlough racked up five goals, Diego Bustamante had three goals and Daniel Gutierrez also scored for the Blue Comets.

Sandwiched around that league-opening romp, the Blue Comets won a pair of nonconference home games.

A 9-1 victory against Providence Grove included goals two apiece from Omar Gonzalez, Alexander Diaz and Letterlough. Asheboro took apart Eastern Randolph by 9-0 with Bustamante scoring four goals and providing two assists and Letterlough notching three goals to go with five assists.

The three results pushed Asheboro’s record to 11-2.

• Southwestern Randolph stayed undefeated by nipping visiting Randleman 2-1 behind goals from Braydon Tyl and Fernando Hernandez.

• Trinity won twice in PAC

games, edging host Uwharrie Charter Academy 2-1 and defeating visiting Providence Grove 4-2. Several other games slated for last week were postponed because of weather-related concerns.

Volleyball

Southwestern Randolph has had an up-and-down season, but defeating nonconference rival Asheboro 25-20,

25 -23, 18-25, 25-20 at home in the only scheduled meeting of the season brought some satisfaction. Hailey Kennedy had 19 assists and two aces for the Cougars. That was one of four nonleague matches that PAC teams won last week.

• Randleman avenged one of its two losses this season by topping host Northern Guiford 27-25, 22-25, 25-22,

They weren’t lined up right. We got it fixed at halftime and they still didn’t do it right, and that’s why we could stop them.”

Eastern Randolph 41, Parkwood 12: At Ramseur, James Combs scored four touchdowns as the host Wildcats made it

through the nonconference portion of their schedule without a loss by rolling in Saturday night’s game.

Running back Lucas Smith gained 150 yards with a touchdown run. Combs scored the next two first-half touchdowns and added another second-half touchdown on the ground.

Eastern Randolph (5-0), which led 20-6 at halftime before scoring the next three touchdowns, will go into Piedmont Athletic Conference play unscathed with a result that matched its second-largest margin of victory this year. The Wildcats received two touchdowns from their defense, including Combs’ return of an interception. Parkwood is 1-4.

Patriots eager to pounce on PAC play

Providence Grove went through an August coaching change before beginning the season

By Bob Sutton Randolph Record

CLIMAX — The Providence Grove football team started the season after an awkward preseason, so the Patriots hope they can benefit from a reset going into Piedmont Athletic Conference play.

With an early August coaching change, the Patriots were making adjustments.

“It has been a lot of change,” said Jackson Rhyne, a senior running back and safety. “Nobody was really expecting that (coaching change) at all. It was very sudden. I think we handled it really good. … We’re talented enough to win any game we have. Nothing has changed with that.”

Providence Grove (1-4) tries to shed a four-game losing streak Friday night at Trinity.

With David Hayes resigning from his coaching position after the start of preseason practices, Providence Grove turned to longtime assistant coach Mark Heilig as interim coach.

“For what they’ve been through, if we could make it (to the playoffs), that would be a big boost for them.”

Mark Heilig. Providence Grove interim coach

Players said it’s stabilizing with someone familiar in charge. Heilig is the team’s third head coach in three seasons. After defeating East Davidson in the opener, the Patriots lost their next three games by a total of 16 points. Then came a 17-0 setback at Ledford before a week off.

“We’ve done some really good things,” Heilig said. “We’ve done some not good things at times. We can’t quite get over the hump for some reason.”

Yet an encouraging tone is coming from the Patriots.

“We did get off to a rough start,” said senior fullback/ linebacker Brady Collins, a three-year starter. “Most of those games were winnable.”

Southwestern Randolph’s Julian Mosley, right, makes a catch in front of Asheboro’s Aiden Robinson during Saturday night’s game.

PJ WARD-BROWN / RANDOLPH RECORD

PJ WARD-BROWN / RANDOLPH RECORD

Randleman’s Haley Hinshaw goes for a spike with Southwestern Randolph’s Jade Matias at the net during last week’s Piedmont Athletic Conference match.

HOME PLATE MOTORS

Cam Letterlough

Asheboro, boys’

soccer

Asheboro won 11 of its first 13 games and Letterlough has been a big part of the success.

The senior forward leads the Blue Comets with 29 goals and 14 assists.

Letterlough emerged as an Asheboro standout as a freshman in 2021 before time away to concentrate on club soccer.

This year, Letterlough is part of an Asheboro offense that scored nine goals in three consecutive games in a late-September stretch.

ROUNDUP from page B1

21-25, 15-11 behind Camden Scott’s 31 digs and 14 kills, Haley Hinshaw’s 17 kills and 16 digs, Kadie Green’s 21 digs, and Camryn Vickery’s 44 assists and 16 digs.

• UCA bested Mount Airy 25-22, 25-15, 25-15 with Emory Johnson’s 30 assists, Sadie Upchurch’s 22 digs and Kayden Faglier’s 10 kills.

• Wheatmore withstood host East Davidson by 25-11, 25-23, 21-25, 22-25, 16-14 as Kynnedi

Routh had 30 digs and Gracie Heiney’s 13 assists and three aces. In PAC play, Randleman (at Wheatmore and vs. Southwestern Randolph), Southwestern Randolph (vs. Trinity) and UCA (vs. Providence Grove and at Trinity) all had sweeps, while Eastern Randolph needed four sets to top visiting Wheatmore. In the Mid-Piedmont Conference, second-place Asheboro fell in three sets to league-leading Oak Grove.

Brannon picked for coveted fall league

Randleman’s former catcher has played parts of three pro baseball seasons

By Bob Sutton Randolph Record

FORMER RANDLEMAN

standout Brooks Brannon will be one of the youngest players in the Arizona Fall League, which is a circuit for some of the baseball’s top prospects.

“I was ecstatic,” Brannon said of the selection. “I knew it was very prestigious. It was a really good feeling.”

Brannon, a catcher in the Boston Red Sox organization, has played parts of three seasons as a professional since he was drafted in 2022 in the ninth round following his final season with Randleman, which won Class 2A state championships in his last two seasons.

Brannon, 20, is the youngest player on 40-player roster for the Mesa Solar Sox. He’s one of three catchers listed for the Solar Sox.

“This is an opportunity to get extra game reps in,” he said. “A good third of my season was taken away because of

“I’m just excited to have this experience. I’m itching to get back on the field.”

Brooks Brannon, ex-Randleman catcher

the knee (injury). I’m just excited to have this experience. I’m itching to get back on the field.”

His Mesa teammates will include first baseman Xavier Isaac, a Tampa Bay Rays minor leaguer from Kernersville and offseason workout partner with Brannon, who also lives in Kernersville.

Brannon played this year for Class A Salem (in Virginia) in the Carolina League, batting .251 with six home runs, eight doubles and two triples and 24 RBIs across 54 games. He also played eight games with Boston’s rookie-level Florida Complex League club in the spring as part of an injury rehabilitation following knee surgery.

“I feel like the season went really well,” Brannon said. “I didn’t perform as well as I’m

capable of all the time. But it’s not a sprint, it’s a marathon.”

He said he was most happy to complete the season in good health because his pro career has been interrupted a few times.

“The biggest highlight to me was staying healthy, and I got through the season,” he said. “The last two years have been riddled with injuries and made the seasons more difficult.”

Even though he played as a first baseman at times for Salem, he said catching remains his primary position. Coming off the surgery, he said playing in the infield reduced some potential wear and tear.

After some time at home, Brannon spent a couple of weeks of additional training in Fort Myers, Florida, where the Red Sox have their offseason headquarters. He was leaving this week for Arizona.

The AFL begins Monday, lasting a little more than five weeks.

Brannon is one of eight Red Sox minor leaguers in the fall league. Since the beginning of the Arizona Fall League in 1992, more than 3,000 of its players have reached the major leagues.

FOOTBALL from page B1

Providence Grove’s defense has been steady and at times spectacular.

“That part of the plan has gone pretty good,” Heilig said. “The offense has to catch up.”

That’s clear to observers. The Patriots aren’t trying to be flashy with the ball, just efficient.

“We rely on consistent yards, not big gains,” Rhyne said. “We need to run our offense correctly and eliminate penalties. Our defense has been keeping us in our games. We knew our defense had to be solid.”

There were changes with some offensive schemes. The Patriots are expecting low-scoring games.

“We do hang our hat on our defense a lot,” Collins said.

He’s a big reason for that coming off the 2023 season as the Patriots’ top tackler. Through the first five weeks of this season, Collins led the state with 77 tackles.

“It’s pretty neat and I’d like to keep up with that,” he said.

Last week without a game, the Patriots visited a college team’s practice at Elon one afternoon. Heilig said that change of pace gave his team a different perspective and experience.

“It’s still football-related, so that’s good for us,” he said.

The PAC path ahead won’t be easy. Two teams — Eastern Randolph and Randleman — in the league are unbeaten. The Patriots want to be

this season.

clustered with the elite teams.

“We’re looking to prove that we are one of them,” Collins said. “We’re looking forward to turning our season around.”

“For what they’ve been through, if we could make it (to the playoffs), that would be a big boost for them,” Heilig said.

For now, there are shortterm objectives.

“We just need to win that next one,” Rhyne said.

Providence Grove probably needs at least three victories in PAC play to gain a Class 2-A spot in the state playoffs. Heilig said the team has addressed goals for the remainder of the season.

RANDOLPH RECORD FILE PHOTO

COURTESY PHOTO Providence Grove linebacker Brady Collins has been a top tackler in the state so far

BOB SUTTON / RANDOLPH RECORD

Brooks Brannon signs an autograph for a fan this summer while with the Salem Red Sox.

pen & paper pursuits

this week in history

The space age began, Janis Joplin found dead, “Cats” opened on Broadway

OCT. 3

1990: West Germany and East Germany ended 45 years of postwar division, declaring the creation of a reunified country.

1993: Eighteen U.S. service members and hundreds of Somalis were killed in the Battle of Mogadishu — the deadliest battle for U.S. troops since the Vietnam War and inspired the film “Black Hawk Down.”

1995: A jury found O.J. Simpson not guilty of the 1994 slayings of ex-wife Nicole Brown Simpson and Ronald Goldman.

OCT. 4

1927: Sculptor Gutzon Borglum began construction on what is now Mount Rushmore National Memorial.

1957: The Space Age began as the Soviet Union launched Sputnik 1, the first artificial satellite, into orbit.

1970: Rock singer Janis Joplin was found dead in her Hollywood hotel room at age 27.

OCT. 5

1953: Earl Warren was sworn in as the 14th chief justice of the United States, succeeding Fred M. Vinson.

1986: Nicaraguan Sandinista government soldiers shot down a cargo plane carrying weapons and ammunition bound for Contra rebels; the event exposed a web of illegal arms shipments, leading to the Iran-Contra Scandal.

2011: Steve Jobs, the Apple founder and former chief executive, died at age 56.

OCT. 6

1536: English theologian and scholar William Tyndale, who was the first to translate the Bible into Early Modern English, was executed for heresy.

1927: The era of talking pictures arrived with the opening of “The Jazz Singer,” starring Al Jolson.

1973: War erupted in the Middle East as Egypt and Syria launched a surprise attack on Israel during the Yom Kippur holiday, starting a nearly threeweek conflict that would become known as the Yom Kippur War.

OCT. 7

1765: The Stamp Act Congress convened in New York to draw up Colonial grievances against England.

1949: The Republic of East Germany was formed.

1982: The Andrew Lloyd Webber-Tim Rice musical “Cats” opened on Broadway.

1991: Law professor Anita Hill publicly accused Supreme Court nominee Clarence Thomas of making sexually inappropriate comments when she worked for him; Thomas denied Hill’s allegations and would go on to win Senate confirmation.

1992: Trade representatives of the United States, Canada and Mexico initialed the North American Free Trade Agreement.

1996: Fox News Channel made its debut.

OCT. 8

1871: The Great Chicago Fire erupted; fires also broke out in Peshtigo, Wisconsin, and in several communities in Michigan.

1956: Don Larsen pitched the only perfect game in a World Series to date as the New York Yankees beat the Brooklyn Dodgers in Game 5, 2-0.

2005: A magnitude 7.6 earthquake flattened villages on the Pakistan-India border, killing an estimated 86,000 people.

OCT. 9

1936: The first generator at Boulder (later Hoover) Dam began transmitting electricity to Los Angeles.

1962: Uganda won autonomy from British rule.

1967: Marxist revolutionary guerrilla leader Che Guevara, 39, was executed by the Bolivian army.

2010: Chile’s 33 trapped miners cheered and embraced each other as a drill punched into their underground chamber, where they had been stuck for 66 days.

AP PHOTO

Singer Janis Joplin died of a drug overdose on Oct. 4,1970.

LEFTERIS PITARAKIS / AP PHOTO

The Andrew Lloyd Webber-Tim Rice musical “Cats” opened on Broadway on Oct. 7, 1982.

‘Beverly Hills Cop’ actor John Ashton dies at 76

The veteran actor was a regular face on TV and in films

By Jake Coyle

The Associated Press

NEW YORK — John Ashton, the veteran character actor who memorably played the gruff but lovable police detective John Taggart in the “Beverly Hills Cop” films, has died. He was 76. Ashton died last Thursday in Fort Collins, Colorado, his family announced in a statement released by Ashton’s manager, Alan Somers, on Sunday. No cause of death was immediately available.

In a career that spanned more than 50 years, Ashton was a regular face across TV series and films, including “Midnight Run,” “Little Big League” and “Gone Baby Gone.”

But in the “Beverly Hills Cop” films, Ashton played an essential part of an indelible

trio. Though Eddie Murphy’s Axel Foley, a Detroit detective following a case in Los Angeles, was the lead, the two local detectives — Billy Rosewood (Judge Reinhold) and Ashton’s Taggart — were Axel’s sometimes reluctant, sometimes eager collaborators.

Of the three, Taggart — “Sarge” to Billy — was the more fearful, by-the-book detective. But he would regularly be coaxed into Axel’s plans. Ashton co-starred in the first two films, beginning with the 1984 original, and returned for the Netflix reboot, “Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F,” released earlier this year.

Ashton played a more unscrupulous character in Martin Brest’s 1988 buddy comedy Midnight Run. He was the rival bounty hunter also pursuing Charles Grodin’s wanted accountant in The Duke while he was in the custody of Robert De Niro’s Jack Walsh.

Speaking in July to Collid-

In the “Beverly Hills Cop” films, Ashton played an essential part of an indelible trio.

er, Ashton recalled auditioning with De Niro.

“Bobby started handing me these matches, and I went to grab the matches, and he threw them on the floor and stared at me,” said Ashton. “I looked at the matches, and I looked up, and I said, ‘F--- you,’ and he said, ‘F--- you, too.’ I said, ‘Go --- yourself.’ I know every other actor picked those up and handed it to him, and I found out as soon as I left he went, ‘I want him,’ because he wanted somebody to stand up to him.”

Ashton is survived by his wife, Robin Hoye, of 24 years, two children, three stepchildren, a grandson, two sisters and a brother.

Actor John Ashton, pictured in 2024, died last Thursday. He was 76.

Louise Erdrich writes about love, loss in North Dakota in ‘The Mighty Red’

The title refers to the river that serves as a metaphor for life in the Red River Valley

By Rob Merrill The Associated Press

PULITZER PRIZE-winning novelist Louise Erdrich (“The Night Watchman,” 2021) returns with a story close to her heart, “The Mighty Red.” Set in the author’s native North Dakota, the title refers to the river that serves as a metaphor for life in the Red River Valley. It also carries a secret central to the story’s plot.

The slow reveal of that secret propels a good chunk of the novel, which tells the story of Kismet Poe, a teen girl caught in the middle of a love triangle featuring one of the town’s richest residents (he stands to inherit two lucrative sugar beet farms) and a homeschooled romantic who works at his mom’s bookstore. By page 15, 18-yearold Gary Geist proposes to Kismet, who then tells her mother, “It could be, I think, that I love him.” Pages later, we meet Hugo, who Kismet considers less mature but who built his own computer and has a plan to make lots of money in the oil fields, buy a car and win Kismet’s eternal affection.

Erdrich’s prose is lovely as she describes scenes like this one while Kismet and Gary’s friend Eric watch birds feed-

reverie, “and although this nutritionless white killer is depleting the earth’s finest cropland, you forget that when you are eating blueberry crumble.”

There’s a secondary plot that Erdrich spins involving Kismet’s mom, Crystal, and her husband, Martin, who works as a traveling theater arts teacher throughout North Dakota. He disappears one day during the economic meltdown of 2008, along with the church investment fund that he was managing. The plot is played partly for laughs from that point on, but Erdrich does have something to say about how economic downturns impact people like Crystal and Kismet, or as she writes: “real Americans — rattled, scratching always-in-debt Americans.”

ing on the prairie: “They outflew their shadows, veered so close and at such a rate of speed it seemed at every second they would collide, but only their shadows merged and came apart. Their intricate blur of flight rose to a frenzied joy so dark and dazzling that Kismet was lost in emotion.”

Part of the story’s emotion comes from the contrast Erdrich establishes between a community that is economically tethered to a crop that is literally killing the earth and its inhabitants. “Sugar is a useless and even harmful substance,” thinks Hugo in a moment of

There’s lots more here about love and loss and the things people do when they experience the highs and lows of both. The story culminates with more backstory, as Eric and then Gary recount to Kismet what happened one winter night when they and their friends on the high school football team took an inebriated snowmobile ride on the frozen Red River. Erdrich foreshadows it from the start of the book — Gary’s mom wonders if her son has a guardian angel — but when we finally get the truth, it’s a powerful moment, and one that sets the scene for, if not forgiveness, some measure of peace.

RICHARD SHOTWELL / AP PHOTO

HARPER VIA AP

Pulitzer Prize-winning novelist Louise Erdrich invokes her hometown in “The Mighty Red.”

Chubby Checker Is 88, Sigourney Weaver turns 75, Paul Hogan hits 85

OCT. 3

Composer Steve Reich is 88. Rock and roll star Chubby Checker is 83. Musician Lindsey Buckingham (Fleetwood Mac) is 75. Golf Hall of Famer Fred Couples is 65. Drummer Tommy Lee is 62. Actor Clive Owen is 60. Singer-TV personality Gwen Stefani is 55.

OCT. 4

Baseball Hall of Fame manager Tony La Russa is 80. Actor Susan Sarandon is 78. Singer Jon Secada is 63. Actor Alicia Silverstone is 48.

OCT. 5

Musician Steve Miller is 81. Rock singer Brian Johnson (AC/DC) is 77. Singer-songwriter Bob Geldof is 73. Writer-filmmaker Clive Barker is 72. Astrophysicist-author Neil deGrasse Tyson is 66. Actor Guy Pearce is 57. Actor Kate Winslet is 49. NFL tight end Travis Kelce is 35.

OCT. 6

Singer-guitarist Thomas McClary (The Commodores) is 75. Guitarist David Hidalgo of Los Lobos is 70. Actor Elisabeth Shue is 61. Actor Jeremy Sisto (“Law and Order,” ″Six Feet Under”) is 50.

OCT. 7

Musician John Mellencamp is 73. Cellist Yo-Yo Ma is 69. Reality competition judge Simon Cowell is 65. Singer Toni Braxton is 57. Singer Thom Yorke of Radiohead is 56.

OCT. 8

Actor Paul Hogan is 85. Actor-comedian Chevy Chase is 81. Author R.L. Stine (“Goosebumps”) is 81. Actor Sigourney Weaver is 75. Singer Robert “Kool” Bell of Kool and the Gang is 74. Actor Emily Procter (“CSI: Miami”) is 56. Actor-screenwriter Matt Damon is 54. Singer-songwriter Bruno Mars is 39.

AP PHOTO

Chubby Checker, pictured at age 20, turns 88 on Thursday.

VIANNEY LE CAER / AP PHOTO

Actor Sigourney Weaver turns 75 on Tuesday.

RICHARD SHOTWELL / AP PHOTO

Australian actor Paul Hogan, famous for his role as ‘Crocodile Dundee,’ turns 85 on Tuesday.

the stream

Coldplay releases ‘Moon Music,’

‘Salem’s

The American Music Awards will celebrate its 50th anniversary on CBS

The Associated Press

COLDPLAY’S 10TH studio album and the American Music Awards celebrating their 50th anniversary are some of the new television, films, music and games headed to a device near you.

Also among the streaming offerings worth your time: Sarah Paulson plays a woman in fear of a sinister presence in “Hold Your Breath,” and Charlie Puth stars as himself in “The Charlie Puth Show,” a mockumentary series on Roku.

MOVIES TO STREAM

As if being a mother in the 1930s Dust Bowl wasn’t stressful enough, Sarah Paulson and her children are living in fear of a sinister presence in “Hold Your Breath.” Coming to Hulu on Thursday, this psychological thriller from Karrie Crouse and Will Joines co-stars “The Bear’s” Ebon Moss-Bachrach as a mysterious character who arrives at their home amid worries over a murderous drifter at large. On top of all of this, her daughter becomes obsessed with a storybook fable about The Grey Man, who comes into people’s homes as if made of dust and, when breathed in, turns his victims into villains.

Speaking of “The Bear,” the new Blumhouse film “House of Spoils” leans into the horror element of opening a restaurant (albeit on a remote estate with a haunting presence, two things Carmy has yet to deal with). Oscar-winning “West Side Story” actor Ariana DeBose plays the ambitious chef at the center of Bridget Savage Cole and Danielle Krudy’s film, which also features Barbie Ferreira (“Euphoria”) and Arian Moayed (“Succession”). “House of Spoils” arrives on Prime Video on Thursday.

Writer-director Gary Dauberman adapts Stephen King’s “Salem’s Lot” in a new film coming to Max on Thursday. Lewis Pullman, of “Top Gun: Maverick,” stars as a man who comes back to his small Maine town to try to finish his book, but unfortunately, that

Lot’ reboot lands on Netflix

town is being terrorized by a vampire. It’s so far divided critics, some declaring it among the best King adaptations, others on the opposite end. But the author seems pleased. In February, King wrote on X, “I’ve seen the new SALEM’S LOT, and it’s quite good. Old-school horror filmmaking: slow build, big payoff.” Netflix also has the Sundance breakout “It’s What’s Inside” coming Friday. In it, a reunion between college friends turns into a nightmare when a suitcase and a strange game arrive. Jourdain Searles, in her IndieWire review, wrote, “It’s a loud, colorful, frantic, and pitch-black horror comedy about identity that mercilessly critiques modern anxiety about desirability and success. Scary!”

MUSIC TO STREAM

There’s nothing worse than a self-serious pop star, and thankfully, Charlie Puth appears to know that more than most. In a new Roku channel mockumentary titled “The Charlie Puth Show,” the “See You Again” singer stars as a fictionalized version of, well, himself — a musician looking to maintain relevancy by starring in a reality show. Expect a few A-list cameos, too, for this parodic take on the current cultural zeitgeist. Talents like Will Ferrell, Dorinda Medley and Courteney Cox make an appearance. Coldplay’s expansive alt-contemporary rock fills stadiums around the world; on record, they turn a simple sing-along phrase into a soaring mantra. The repetitive “la la la” on “feels-

likeimfallinginlove” is enough evidence, as is the chorus on the stuffed “WE PRAY,” which features Little Simz, Burna Boy, Elyanna, and TINI. Both appear on the band’s 10th studio album, “Moon Music.” They’ve cornered the market on Earth; where else would they head?

Finneas, the second-youngest person to win two Oscars (he’s just behind his sister and principal collaborator, Billie Eilish), is gearing up to release his sophomore solo album, “For Cryin’ Out Loud!” Most are likely familiar with his production work, less so his ambitious material — luckily, it’s not too late to dive into the dreamy poprock of “Cleats” or the funky, frustrated title track, “For Cryin’ Out Loud!” The American Music Awards are celebrating their 50th anni-

versary on Sunday with a television special airing live on CBS and available to stream on Paramount+ at 8 p.m. Viewers can expect a few brand-new performances from Brad Paisley, Chaka Khan, Gladys Knight, Green Day, Jennifer Hudson, Kane Brown, Mariah Carey, Raye and Stray Kids, as well as artist interviews and previously unreleased footage from AMAs past. Consider it appointment viewing for those who love award shows.

SHOWS TO STREAM

The Netflix coming-of-age romance series “Heartstopper,” focused on teens Charlie and Nick, returns Thursday. In the new season, Annette Badland of “Outlander” and Jonathan Bailey of “Bridgerton” join the cast. Movie and television studies love a franchise where they can make sequels and bank on dollars at the box office a la “Deadpool & Wolverine.” The new comedy series “The Franchise” follows the behind-the-scenes mayhem of filming a movie in an unpopular franchise. It stars Himesh Patel, Aya Cash, Billy Magnussen, Richard E. Grant and Daniel Brühl. The series premieres Oct. 6 on HBO and streams on Max.

VIDEO GAMES TO PLAY

It’s a special time of year for those of us who are fans of lousy baseball teams (ahem, Washington Nationals). The National Hockey League season is right around the corner, and EA Sports’ NHL 25 is coming with it. This year’s edition features ICE-Q, revamped artificial intelligence that’s intended to make your computer-controlled teammates more reliable and accurate. Franchise mode has been streamlined to make stat tracking, trades and contract negotiations easier. Perhaps you and a friend like to play over and over with the same teams? The new Grudge Match system keeps track of your headto-head records, raising the stakes whenever you face off. The cover models know a little about sibling rivalries: They’re the Hughes brothers, Jack and Luke of the New Jersey Devils, and Quinn of the Vancouver Canucks. The puck drops Friday on PlayStation 5 and Xbox X/S.

Sarah Paulson, left, and Emily Katherine Ford star in “Hold Your Breath,” coming to Hulu on Thursday.

WHAT’S HAPPENING

Ruling allows public high school students to profit from NIL

A judge in has cleared the way for the state’s public school athletes to profit off their fame in a court case involving a high school football player who has committed to play at Tennessee. The lawsuit challenged North Carolina’s restrictions on athletes cashing in on the use of their name, image and likeness, known as NIL. It was filed on behalf of Greensboro Grimsley quarterback Faizon Brandon, who is the nation’s top-ranked recruit in the class of 2026, according to 247Sports. An attorney for the family said, “Justice has been served, not only for Faizon but for all public high school students in North Carolina.” The ruling does not apply to private school student athletes.

Election faces “daunting” level of uncertainty

Election officials say they will do everything in their power to ensure that voters in North Carolina, a crucial presidential swing state, will be able to cast their ballots despite the devastation of Hurricane Helene only about a month before the November election. North Carolina state election board Executive Director Karen Brinson Bell said Tuesday that 12 county election offices in the hard-hit western part of the state remain closed. She described the storm as causing a “daunting” level of uncertainty, with early in-person voting scheduled to start in just over two weeks. Election officials in Florida, Tennessee and the presidential battleground of Georgia also were assessing the damage and the potential impacts on voting.

Sheriff’s office deploys deputies for hurricane relief efforts

The office is collecting donations to deliver this weekend

By Jesse Deal Stanly County Journal

ALBEMARLE — In the aftermath of Hurricane Helene’s destruction last week, the Stanly County Sheriff’s Office has sent a team of deputies to western North Carolina to help meet the urgent needs of the region.

The sheriff’s office announced on Friday night that a unit was being deployed to provide aid to state and local agencies with search and rescue operations, public safety efforts, and general support to law en-

forcement agencies in the affected areas.

“We continue to pray for the families affected, as well as the volunteers who are sacrificing their time, safety and resources to provide as much assistance as possible,” Sheriff Jeff Crisco said in a media release. “I am immensely proud of the continued, overwhelming support by citizens of our county and could not be more proud to be part of Stanly County.”

The western part of the state has been disrupted with catastrophic flooding, power outages and considerable infrastructural damage.

“The Stanly County Sheriff’s Office remains in communication with emergency management officials and will continue

to evaluate the situation to provide further assistance as necessary,” the SCSO announced. “We extend our thoughts and prayers to all those affected by the storm and are committed to doing everything possible to support recovery efforts. The teams we have sent to the western part of NC continue to work around the clock helping communities in desperate need.”

For an assistance shipment that will be transported this weekend, the SCSO is accepting donations at its Albemarle location at 223 S. Second St. every weekday between 8:30 a.m. and 5 p.m.

After gauging the scene on the ground, the sheriff’s office has been advised by vol-

unteers that the donations of highest priority are baby items such as diapers, wipes and formula; toothbrushes, toothpaste, shampoo, deodorant, feminine products, sealed water, pop -top canned food and shelf stable food are also listed as items of need.

Along with the assistance efforts being made by the sheriff’s office, the Locust Police Department is also collecting supplies to help support first responders and aid the victims of the flooding in the western part of the state.

The LPD has already completed a delivery to the Burnsville area of Yancey County and is now in the process of taking

Albemarle hires new public housing director

Winston-Salem native Renae Miller is the latest addition to Albemarle’s city staff

By Jesse Deal Stanly County Journal

ALBEMARLE — Albemarle City Manager Todd Clark announced last week that the city has hired a new director of public housing. With more than 20 years of experience in the housing industry, Winston-Salem native Renae Miller was selected for the job leading the City of Albemarle Public Housing Department and overseeing the city’s Section 8 vouchers and its 200 apartment units.

“I am genuinely excited to be part of the city of Albemarle and to support its mission,” Miller said in a city press release. “I’m dedicated to providing outstanding customer and community service to the

city’s residents. I look forward to utilizing my background in property management, leadership, and personnel development to make a positive difference in our community.”

Albemarle’s apartments are at two sites: Amhurst Gardens and Elizabeth Heights. The former has 150 units ranging in size from one-bedroom units up to five bedrooms, while the latter has 50 one-bedroom units serving elderly and disabled individuals.

“Renae Miller brings a wealth of professional knowledge and experience to her role with the City of Albemarle,” Clark said. “Throughout the interview process, she demonstrated that she is a solutions-focused leader. I look forward to seeing her utilize her skills to benefit our community.”

ty management professional, Miller holds the following industry certifications: accredited residential manager; certified occupancy specialist; project-based voucher specialist; public housing manager; certified property manager; blended occupancy specialist; housing choice voucher specialist; and rent calculation specialist.

In her new role with the city of Albemarle, Miller will assist and advocate for housing residents to gain access to services for families, including health care, mental health

According to the city’s press release, Miller enters her new role with “extensive knowledge of various housing programs,” such as HUD Public Housing, the Housing Choice Voucher program, RAD operations and compliance, as well as leasing new construction Low-Income Housing Tax Credit (LIHTC) properties and managing acquisition-rehab communities. As a certified proper -

THE STANLY COUNTY EDITION OF NORTH STATE JOURNAL

PHOTO COURTESY THE CITY OF ALBEMARLE

Renae Miller is Albemarle’s new director of public housing.

COURTESY LOCUST PD

Locust police officers worked to assemble donations and to transport them to towns in western North Carolina over the course of several supply runs.

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

Years in the making, OBX beach homes are collapsing into the ocean

Nearly a dozen homes have been lost since 2020

By Ben Finley The Associated Press

NORFOLK, Va. — A

slow-motion catastrophe has been playing out in the coastal North Carolina village of Rodanthe, where 10 houses have fallen into the Atlantic since 2020. Three have been lost since Friday. The most recent collapse was Tuesday afternoon, when the wooden pilings of a home nicknamed “Front Row Seats” buckled in the surf. The structure bumped against another house before it bobbed in the waves, prompting now familiar warnings about splintered wood and nail-riddled debris.

The destruction was decades in the making as beach erosion and climate change slowly edged the Atlantic closer to homes in the somewhat outof-the way vacation spot. The threat is more insidious than a hurricane, while the possible solutions won’t be easy or cheap, either in Rodanthe or other parts of the U.S.

Barrier islands aren’t ideal for building

CRIME LOG

Sept. 26

• Jason Paul Efird, 42, was arrested for assault on a female.

• Amanda Sue Carlton, 45, was arrested for misdemeanor larceny and failure to appear.

Sept. 27

• Kristopher Thomas Yow, 30, was arrested for resisting a public officer, possession of methamphetamine, possession of drug paraphernalia, and driving while license revoked impaired.

Sept. 28

• Brian Wayne Champer, 65, was arrested for simple assault, resisting a public officer, possession of marijuana up to 1/2 ounce, and possession of marijuana paraphernalia.

Sept. 29

• Jazmyne Luria Thomas, 31, was arrested for first-degree burglary and larceny after breaking and entering.

Sept. 30

• Shelly Dawn Christian, 31, was arrested for multiple counts of financial card theft, obtaining property by false pretense, financial card fraud, and identity theft.

• Dustin James Barlow, 38, was arrested for possession of methamphetamine, possession of drug paraphernalia, possession of marijuana paraphernalia, driving while license revoked not impaired, no liability insurance, and an additional count of driving while license revoked not impaired.

Oct. 1

• Brian Scott Amphavanna, 37, was arrested for safecracking, felony larceny, and possession of stolen goods/property.

Rodanthe is a village of about 200 people on the Outer Banks, a strip of narrow barrier islands that protrude into the Atlantic like a flexed arm.

Barrier islands were never an ideal place for development. They typically form as waves deposit sediment off the mainland. And they move based on weather patterns and other ocean forces. Some disappear. David Hallac, superinten-

dent of the Cape Hatteras National Seashore, along which Rodanthe is located, said it was more common in previous decades for homeowners to move their houses from the encroaching surf.

“Perhaps it was more well understood in the past that the barrier island was dynamic, that it was moving,” Hallac said. “And if you built something on the beachfront it may not be there forever or it may need to be moved.”

The beach is rapidly eroding

Rodanthe is one of many communities on Hatteras Island, which is roughly 50 miles ong and has been experiencing beach erosion for decades.

The Cape Hatteras Lighthouse was 1,500 feet from the ocean when it was built in 1870, Hallac said. By 1919, the Atlantic was 300 feet away. The lighthouse was later moved to a more protected location.

The erosion has been measured to be as much as 10 to 15 feet a year or more in some places.

“And so every year, 10 to 15 feet of that white sandy beach is gone,” Hallac said. “And then the dunes and then the backdune area. And then all of a sudden, the foreshore, that area between low water and high water, is right up next to somebody’s backyard. And then the erosion continues.”

“Like a toothpick into wet sand”

Ocean waves eventually lap at the wooden pilings that hold up the beach houses. The supports could be 15 feet deep. But

the surf slowly takes away the sand that is packed around them.

“It’s like a toothpick in wet sand or even a beach umbrella,” Hallac said. “The deeper you put it, the more likely it is to stand up straight and resist leaning over. But if you only put it down a few inches, it doesn’t take much wind for that umbrella to start leaning. And it starts to tip over.”

A single home collapse can shed debris up to 15 miles along the coast, according to an August report from a group of federal, state and local officials who are studying threatened oceanfront structures in North Carolina. Collapses can injure beachgoers and lead to potential contamination from septic tanks, among other environmental concerns.

Collapsed houses were likely in compliance

Rules that govern coastal development in North Carolina have been in place since the 1970s, before many of the collapsed houses were constructed and when there was a lot more beach, said Noah Gillam, Dare County’s planning director.

“At the time they were built, they were likely in compliance with all of the set-back requirements,” Gillam said. “And they were set back, in many situations, hundreds of yards from the dune line, let alone the ocean.”

Since then, the rate of erosion has sped up, swallowing swaths of sand. Storms also have become more frequent and more intense, pounding the shoreline of a community

that is acutely exposed to the ocean.

‘This is a national issue’

Meanwhile, officials and experts have been focused on solutions or at least ways to address the problem. The report on threatened oceanfront homes noted that 750 of nearly 8,800 oceanfront structures in North Carolina are considered at risk from erosion.

Among the possible solutions is hauling dredged sand to eroding beaches, something that is already being done in other communities on the Outer Banks and East Coast. But it could cost $40 million or more in Rodanthe, posing a major financial challenge for its small tax base, said Gillam, of Dare County.

Other ideas include buying out threatened properties, moving or demolishing them. But those options are also very expensive. And funding is limited.

U.S. Rep. Greg Murphy (NCR) recently introduced a bill in Congress that would make some money available. For example, the legislation would authorize federal flood insurance dollars to help demolish or relocate erosion-plagued homes before they collapse.

Braxton Davis, executive director of the North Carolina Coastal Federation, a nonprofit, said the problem isn’t limited to Rodanthe or even to North Carolina. He pointed to erosion issues along California’s coast, the Great Lakes and some of the nation’s rivers.

“This is a national issue,” Davis said, adding that sea levels are rising and “the situation is only going to become worse.”

RELIEF from page A1

a delivery to the Lansing area of Ashe County. “We were able to provide teams with things they needed, as well as link-up with a cap-

DIRECTOR from page A1

services, youth development, child care and literacy programs. Additionally, she will work to promote job training and employability skills to pro -

tain from the Yancey County Sheriff’s Office who found us a place to drop off the rest of the items as a distribution point,” Locust Officer Eric P. Fore wrote in a social media update. “As far as I can tell, we were the

mote employment placement in the workplace. Raised in the Winston-Salem Housing Authority Public Housing communities, she has stated that her upbringing in the public housing environment led to her inter -

first to make a delivery in that area. He was very grateful and said to bring all we can. They have not received any federal assistance at this point in food, diapers, etc.” All donations in Locust can

be left beside the front door of the Locust Government Center (186 Ray Kennedy Drive) 24 hours a day, or given to on-site employees during regular business hours from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.

est and career journey in the field. Miller — a mother of three and a grandmother — is also the senior leader of the Winston-Salem-based Power of God in Christ Ministries, as well as the founder of the Generations of Women United nonprofit organization. Albemarle’s previous public housing director was Kim L. Scott, who was hired by the city in January 2022 by former Albemarle City Manager Michael Ferris.

THE CONVERSATION

Neal Robbins, publisher | Frank Hill, senior opinion editor

VISUAL VOICES

Israel derangement syndrome

According to Walzer, terrorists can only be killed when they are “operating,” “mobilized” or “militarily engaged.”

JULIE HARTMAN, a 24-year-old woman with whom I do a weekly podcast (“Dennis & Julie”), described the anti-Israel world perfectly: A vast number of people suffer from Israel Derangement Syndrome.

The description is, of course, based on the widely cited “Trump Derangement Syndrome,” which supporters of Vice President Kamala Harris and the Democratic Party deride as nonsense. Though I voted for former President Donald Trump and thought he was a very good, at times excellent, president, I never used that term during the four years of the Trump presidency. I did not regard opposition to Trump as necessarily an expression of psychological pathology. Eventually, however, I changed my mind. I came to believe that much Trump hatred was rooted in psychology, not moral reasoning. This was particularly so regarding conservatives who became “Never Trumpers.”

Given that the left had taken over the once largely liberal Democratic Party, and given that the left is the greatest threat to freedom and the entire American experiment since the Civil War, the only explanation for why a conservative would vote for a leftist rather than for Trump had to be a psychological one.

Whether or not one subscribes to the existence of a Trump Derangement Syndrome, “derangement syndrome” perfectly explains support for Hamas and the Palestinians (at

COLUMN | DAVID HARSANYI

this time, the two are largely the same, just as “Nazis” and “Germans” were largely the same, and therefore used interchangeably, during World War II).

On Sept. 21, The New York Times provided a perfect example of Israel Derangement Syndrome in a column written by Michael Walzer, a professor emeritus at the Institute for Advanced Study in Princeton, New Jersey, titled “Israel’s Pager Bombs Have No Place in a Just War.”

As is well known, pagers used by Hezbollah terrorists exploded, killing a handful of them and wounding hundreds more. Amazingly accurate, the exploding pagers killed very few noncombatants.

Hezbollah is the Shiite and Lebanese equivalent of the Gaza-based Sunni Hamas. Like Hamas, Hezbollah has one purpose: to kill as many Israelis as possible and eradicate the Jewish state. Hezbollah has fired more than 8,000 rockets into Israel in an attempt to kill as many Israeli civilians as possible. Tens of thousands of Israelis have fled their homes in northern Israel and have not returned in nearly a year.

That Israel is being attacked for killing Hezbollah terrorists is proof that, according to the vast array of Israel-haters — the political, media and academic left, and Muslims in the Western world — Israel is not allowed to defend itself. It should now

Harris’ attack on the filibuster is an attack on the constitutional order

Democrats have targeted virtually every institution that makes “democracy” tenable in a truly diverse and sprawling nation that is home to hundreds of millions of people.

THOUGH DEMOCRATS are endlessly prattling on about “norms” and “democracy,” it is often unclear what aspects of the constitutional order they actually support. This week, for example, Vice President Kamala Harris reiterated her support for suspending the legislative filibuster so Democrats, should they eke out a slim Senate majority, can overturn thousands of state laws and force the entire country to legalize taxpayer-subsidized, late-term abortions on demand. It is, of course, true that the filibuster isn’t in the Constitution. In many ways, however, it is one of the last remaining tools upholding a semblance of constitutional order. Yet to most contemporary Democrats, the 60-vote threshold to cut off debate is an antiquated tool that facilitates “minority rule” — by which they mean “federalism.”

Which makes sense. Democrats are keen on empowering narrow, fleeting leftwing majorities cramming through wideranging generational “reform” bills without any consensus. They know well that once a massive entitlement or regulatory program is passed, it will be virtually impossible to roll back.

You don’t need to be a constitutional scholar to understand there’s no version of the founding that envisioned this kind of governance. Imagine, if you can, what the world would look like if former President Donald Trump announced he was going to blow up the filibuster using a one-vote Senate majority and then cram through a national limit on abortion. Republicans would be accused of acting like fascistic ghouls, and the media would have a thermonuclear meltdown. It would be 1939 Germany all over again.

Worse, Democrats have targeted virtually every institution that makes “democracy” tenable in a truly diverse and sprawling nation that is home to hundreds of millions of people.

Because if forcing red states to adopt maximalist abortion laws is important enough to sink long-standing checks on federal power, you better believe it won’t be the last exception to the rule.

For one thing, Republicans can’t be expected to play by a different set of governing guidelines. For another, the left seems to believe every policy position it takes is fundamental to preserving “democracy.”

The exemptions would be endless.

It’s not just about the naked hypocrisy. It’s about republic-destroying norm-breaking. “Reforming” the filibuster is part of a broader effort to create a powerful, highly centralized state.

The Supreme Court is perhaps the only institution inhibiting state overreach these days, which is why Democrats have been busy delegitimizing and now want to pack the court and transform it into another malleable partisan institution. Harris included.

The other institution somewhat tempering a direct democracy is the Electoral College. Yet left-wing pundits are already whining about the undemocratic nature of that institution as well. It is always confusing to me when someone writes to complain that the Electoral College doesn’t align with the “popular vote,” as if this wasn’t the entire point of the enterprise. If the two always harmonized, we wouldn’t need it.

The Senate was created as a countermajoritarian institution. Now that leftists believe they have the upper hand, they are increasingly perplexed by the fact

be obvious that the current hatred of Israel is not a result of Israel’s bombing of Gaza. When Israel targets Hezbollah terrorists — and only Hezbollah terrorists — it is equally condemned.

Which brings me to the Times column by Walzer.

Walzer writes: “The explosions on Tuesday and Wednesday were very likely war crimes — terrorist attacks by a state that has consistently condemned terrorist attacks on its own citizens.

“Yes, the devices most probably were being used by Hezbollah operatives for military purposes. This might make them a legitimate target in the continuous cross-border battles between Israel and Hezbollah. But the attacks ... came when the operatives were not operating; they had not been mobilized and they were not militarily engaged. ... It is important for friends of Israel to say: This was not right.”

According to Walzer, terrorists can only be killed when they are “operating,” “mobilized” or “militarily engaged.” If they are not doing so, it is a “war crime” to kill them. Furthermore, the mere fact that these members of Hezbollah had those pagers — devices the professor admits “probably were being used by Hezbollah operatives for military purposes” — means these terrorists were “operating.” That’s why they had them: to plan and carry out operations against Israel. That, dear reader, is derangement.

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

that Wyoming and California have the same number of senators.

You know, it’s called the United States for a reason.

When it comes to executive abuse, Trump, who makes tons of grandiose promises that lay far outside the president’s purview, is a mere piker compared to his predecessor and successor. There is a growing movement among progressive politicians and intellectuals, sometimes referred to as “popular constitutionalism,” that would allow Democrats to ignore the courts whenever they choose.

It’s no accident that Harris promised to confiscate guns via an executive order like some kind of dictator. Or that President Joe Biden keeps ignoring the high court and unilaterally “forgives” loans. Or that Democratic senators implore their president to declare national emergencies that would empower the White House to run the entire economy through a massive administrative state.

Perhaps Harris’ position on the filibuster is a cynical play for votes. What’s become undeniable, however, is that counterconstitutionalism is being normalized on the left.

Democrats want to get rid of the Electoral College so that a few giant urban areas can run the executive branch.

They want to get rid of the filibuster so they can unilaterally transform the nation.

When they don’t have congressional majorities, they want (their) presidents to rule by fiat.

And many now want to pack the Supreme Court to make sure no one will stop them. There are numerous ways to describe this brand of governance, but none of them have anything to do with American norms or democracy.

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

COLUMN | DENNIS PRAGER

Rwanda reports 8 deaths linked to Marburg virus

Most of the affected are health

care workers

By Ignatius Ssuuna

The Associated Press

Kigali, RWANDA — Rwanda says eight people have died so far from the Ebola-like and highly contagious Marburg virus, just days after the country declared an outbreak of the deadly hemorrhagic fever that has no authorized vaccine or treatment.

Like Ebola, the Marburg virus originates in fruit bats and spreads between people through close contact with the bodily fluids of infected individuals or with surfaces, such as contaminated bed sheets. Without treatment, Marburg can be fatal in up to 88% of people who fall ill with the disease.

Rwanda, a landlocked country in central Africa, declared an outbreak last Friday, and a day later the first six deaths were reported.

So far 26 cases have been confirmed, and eight of the sickened people have died, Health Minister Sabin Nsanzimana said Sunday night.

The public has been urged to avoid physical contact to help curb the spread. Some 300 peo-

ple who came into contact with those confirmed to have the virus have also been identified, and an unspecified number of them have been put in isolation facilities.

Most of the affected are health care workers across six out of 30 districts in the country.

“Marburg is a rare disease,” Nsanzimana told journalists. “We are intensifying contact tracing and testing to help stop the spread.”

The minister said the source of the disease has not been determined yet. A person infected with the virus can take between three days and three weeks to show symptoms, he added.

Symptoms include fever, muscle pains, diarrhea, vomiting and, in some cases, death through extreme blood loss.

The World Health Organization was scaling up its support and will work with Rwandan authorities to help stop the spread, WHO’s Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said on Saturday on the social media platform X.

The U.S Embassy in Rwanda’s capital of Kigali has urged its staff to work remotely and avoid visiting offices.

Marburg outbreaks and individual cases have in the

past been recorded in Tanzania, Equatorial Guinea, Angola, Congo, Kenya, South Africa, Uganda and Ghana, according to the WHO.

The rare virus was first identified in 1967 after it caused simultaneous outbreaks of disease in laboratories in Marburg, Germany, and Belgrade, Serbia. Seven people died who were ex-

posed to the virus while conducting research on monkeys.

Separately, Rwanda has so far reported six cases of mpox, a disease caused by a virus related to smallpox but that typically causes milder symptoms. Mpox, previously known as monkeypox because it was first seen in research monkeys, has also affected several other

African countries in what the WHO has called a global health emergency. Rwanda launched an mpox vaccination campaign earlier this month, and more vaccines are expected to arrive in the country. Neighboring Congo has so far reported most of the cases of mpox, the epicenter of the emergency.

Factory surveys show Chinese economy weakening

The government has announced a stimulus package

By Elaine Kurtenbach

The Associated Press

CHINA’S ECONOMY weakened further in recent weeks, according to surveys released Monday, signaling the need for more support as the government ratchets up stimulus.

The Caixin purchasing managers survey showed new manufacturing orders fell at the fastest pace in two years in September.

“Operating conditions in China’s manufacturing sector deteriorated in September after improving during August,” the report said. “Furthermore, firms lowered their hiring and purchasing activity.”

An official survey released by the National Bureau of Sta-

tistics showed a less drastic decline, but it marked a fifth straight month of contraction.

The purchasing managers index was at 49.8 in September, up from a six-month low of 49.1 in August. The index is on a scale where figures above 50 indicate expansion.

The survey showed that factory output rose while new orders fell.

Chinese stock markets surged Monday, reflecting enthusiasm over a barrage of policy measures announced last week, including lower interest rates and smaller down payment requirements for mortgages and a cut in required bank reserves.

“There is no doubt that the coordinated and emphatic policy stimulus measures announced by Beijing have justifiably invoked optimism,” Tan Boon Heng of Mizuho Bank in Singapore said in a commentary. The main index smaller mar-

“There is no doubt that the coordinated and emphatic policy stimulus measures announced by Beijing have justifiably invoked optimism.”

Tan Boon Heng, Mizuho Bank

ket in Shenzhen soared 8.2% while the Shanghai Composite index jumped 5.7%

“The stimulus package announced last week should help shore activity over the coming months,” Gabriel Ng of Capital Economics said in a report. But he noted that imbalances between excess supply of many products versus weak demand persist. And trade measures against China, such as higher tariffs on electric vehicles and

other goods, also will weigh on the economy.

“In this environment, a meaningful cyclical recovery would require sizeable fiscal stimulus,” he said. “There has yet to be any official announcement on fiscal support, though some media reports suggest that one could come soon.”

Over the weekend, Beijing moved forward with the measures announced last week to support the property industry and revive languishing financial markets. The central bank announced on Sunday that it would direct banks to cut mortgage rates for existing home loans by Oct. 31. Meanwhile, the major southern city of Guangzhou lifted all home purchase restrictions over the weekend, while both Shanghai and Shenzhen revealed plans to ease key buying curbs.

Property developers have struggled after the government

cracked down on excessive borrowing for projects several years ago. Housing prices have continued to fall and the government has moved to ensure that developers deliver apartments that were paid for but not yet built.

The downturn in the property sector has rippled throughout the world’s second-largest economy, hitting many other industries that depended on booming housing construction, such as appliance makers and manufacturers of building materials.

It has slowed China’s recovery from the massive disruptions of the COVID-19 pandemic, adding to pressures on Chinese consumers worried over pay cuts, job losses and weaker asset prices.

The economy expanded at a 4.7% pace in the last quarter, slightly below the government’s target of about 5%.

ANDY WONG / AP PHOTO

A woman carrying her belongings walks by a luxury housing construction site in Beijing last week.

BEN CURTIS / AP PHOTO

A medical worker carries a meal to an isolation tent housing a man being quarantined after coming into contact in Uganda with a carrier of the Marburg virus in Nairobi, Kenya, in 2014.

STANLY SPORTS

Pfeiffer soccer teams begin conference slate of games

The Falcon are a month into the 2024 season

By Jesse Deal Stanly County Journal

MISENHEIMER — Now

seven contests into their schedules, the Pfeiffer Falcons men’s and women’s soccer teams have each entered USA South Athletic Conference play as the first month of their 2024 seasons wraps up.

The men’s team is looking to achieve its second-consecutive winning season, while the women’s team is hunting for its first winning season in four years.

Eighth-year coach Tony Faticoni and the Falcons men’s team are coming off a 7-6-3 (3 - 3-1 conf.) season and currently have a 2-3-2 record after starting USA South play with a 1-0 home loss to N.C. Wesleyan (3-2-4, 1-0 USA) last weekend.

Sophomore defender Alex Michael currently leads the Falcons with four goals, while freshman defender Alec Parai-

so has played a team-high 496 minutes.

The Falcons opened the season with a home loss to Averett (3-3-3, 0-2 ODAC) followed by back-to-back road wins at Ferrum (4-5, 1-1 ODAC) and Johnson & Wales (4-2-2). From there, Pfeiffer had a pair of ties with Wooster (5-4-1) and Piedmont (5-3-2, 1-0 CCS), leading up to a 2-1 loss to Virginia State (1-4-1).

Pfeiffer hoped to get back in the win column with a home matchup versus Methodist (4-4-2, 1-0 USA) on Tuesday night. From there, the Falcons have five more conference matchups — with two nonconference games in between — before taking a shot at the USA South men’s tournament starting on Nov. 6.

For second-year coach Acasio Roche III and Pfeiffer’s women’s team, the Falcons (2-5, 0-1 USA) have already matched the amount of victories they had in all of last season’s 2-14-2 (0-8-1) campaign.

The team picked up two wins right from the jump in September, besting both War -

ren Wilson (0-6) and Regent (1-6) in road matchups.

From there, however, the Falcons have been the victim of five consecutive losses where they have only posted one combined goal. Guilford (5-2-1, 0-1 ODAC), Piedmont (3-2-3, 1-0 CCS), Johnson & Wales (4-2-2), Bob Jones (6 - 3), and Greensboro (4-7, 1-1 USA) have each gotten the better of Pfeiffer in this two-week stretch of games.

In the Falcons’ conference-opening game at Greensboro, they finally snapped a four-game scoreless skid but only posted a single goal in a 5-1 loss to the Pride.

Sophomore forward Khamani Spencer tops the Falcons with three goals, and junior defender Jadelyn Taylor leads her team in minutes played (628).

Following a seven-day break from action, Pfeiffer is set to host N.C. Wesleyan (3-6-1, 1-0-1 USA) on Saturday before taking on seven other conference opponents. The USA South women’s tournament is scheduled to begin on Nov. 2.

ATHLETE OF THE WEEK

Jasiah Holt

South Stanly, football

Jasiah Holt is a junior on the South Stanly football team.

Last year as a sophomore, Holt was the leading punt returner in the Yadkin Valley Conference as well as the No. 3 receiver in the league. This year, he’s stepped things up. He leads the Yadkin in receiving and is No. 6 in North Carolina 1A, averaging 94 yards a game, up 30 from last season. He also is the league-leading scorer, with 38 points on six touchdowns and a conversion.

In a win over Wheatmore last week, Holt had five catches for 108 yards and a pair of touchdowns, including a 60-yarder. He also returned a punt 40 yards and made a tackle on defense, where he plays safety.

Chastain passes Truex to win in Kansas

William Byron and Martin Truex Jr. suffered near misses after a late restart

By Dave Skretta The Associated Press

KANSAS CITY, Kan. — Ross Chastain finally got to smash a watermelon for the first time this season Sunday at Kansas Speedway.

He smashed the hopes of a bunch of playoff drivers trying to earn an automatic berth in the next round, too.

The seventh-generation watermelon farmer took the lead from Martin Truex Jr. on a restart with 20 laps to go, then held off title contender William

Byron the rest of the way to the finish line. It was the first win for Chastain since last year’s finale at Phoenix, when he also played a bit of a spoiler on the day that the NASCAR Cup Series crowned its champion.

“We haven’t gone anywhere. We keep showing up,” said Chastain, who barely missed out on qualifying for the playoffs. “It’s not easy when you’re failing or struggling at something, and you just can’t get to where you want to get to.”

The retiring Truex, who was eliminated from the playoffs last week, finished third.

He was leading when Carson Hocevar brought out the final caution of a wreck-filled day.

Truex picked the top on the restart, and Chastain opted for

the bottom, and it was the No. 1 car from Trackhouse Racing that got the big push to the front.

“It’s pretty deflating when you don’t make the playoffs, and we knew the last couple of races of the regular season, we were right on that cut line,” said Chastain’s crew chief, Phil Surgen. “But there’s no give-up here. We’re not laying down.”

Byron’s second-place run was the best among the 12 drivers going on to the second round of the playoffs. And while the win would have locked him into the next round of the playoffs with unpredictable Talladega up next, the result was enough to move the No. 24 car to the top spot in the playoff points standings.

“You’re so close, and going to Talladega, you know what that is,” Byron said. “But proud of the effort.” Ryan Blaney had a loose left wheel in the final stage but rallied to finish fourth, giving the defending champ’s postseason hopes a big boost. Ty Gibbs was fifth, followed by four more playoff contenders: Alex Bowman was sixth, pole sitter Christopher Bell recovered from a couple of scrapes with the wall to finish seventh, Denny Hamlin salvaged an eighth-place run after trouble on pit road, and Chase Elliott was ninth after starting at the rear of the field due to an engine change.

“Considering yesterday and starting last and everything, it could have been a lot worse,” El-

liott said. “But I’m always on the side of the fence where our car was good enough. I felt like (the results) could have been a lot better, but we’ll take it.”

Kyle Busch looked like he might finally extend his streak to 20 seasons with a Cup Series win when he passed Chastain with 64 laps to go. But cycling back to the front after pit stops, Busch was trying to squeeze by Chase Briscoe as the latter fought to stay on the lead lap. Busch ended up hitting the wall and skidding down the back stretch with 30 laps to go. He wound up 19th, extending his winless streak to 51 races dating to last year in St. Louis.

“I guess I got in too big of a hurry,” Busch said. “I mean, I’m numb. I don’t know what to do.”

COLIN E. BRALEY / AP PHOTO

Ross Chastain celebrates in Victory Lane after winning Sunday’s NASCAR Cup Series race at Kansas Speedway in Kansas City.

Summer of snubs could keep Tatum hungry for repeat title

The Celtics star was an afterthought on the

Olympic basketball team

By Jimmy Golen The Associated Press

BOSTON — Jayson Tatum has a new tattoo on his back, another gold medal to hang around his neck, and a chip on his shoulder.

The Boston Celtics star reported for his eighth NBA season on Tuesday after an eventful few months in which he helped the franchise win an 18th championship and then joined the U.S. team for its victory at the Paris Games, only to be consigned to being a role-player and getting benched for two games in the middle of the Olympics.

“In real time, it was tough,”

Tatum said at the Celtics media day, acknowledging “I guess you could say that” it would motivate him when the Celtics try to repeat as NBA champions.

“Did I need any extra motivation coming into the season? No,” said Tatum, whose new ink is a picture of himself cradling the championship trophy.

“It was a unique circumstance — something I haven’t experienced before in my playing career. But I’m a believer that everything happens for a reason.”

The Celtics return to practice on Wednesday, and the biggest obstacle to a repeat championship may be the complacency that can set in after winning the first one. That’s why Tatum’s Olympic humiliation may be just what coach Joe Mazzulla was looking for to keep his star focused. (Tatum had also been bypassed for Finals MVP in favor of teammate Jaylen Brown, who also — by virtue of coming into the league a year earlier —

was the highest-paid player in the NBA.)

“Joe was probably the happiest person in the world that I didn’t win Finals MVP, and I didn’t play in two of the games of the Olympics,” Tatum said. “So that was odd. But if you know Joe, that makes sense.”

Also nursing a bruised ego is Brown, who was not selected to the Olympic team and took to social media to complain about the snub. Reporters didn’t wait long

before asking Brown about it.

“Damn. Question No. 1,” Brown said with a laugh. “Don’t I get to warm up a little?”

“The past is the past,” he said. “I’m extremely motivated, for obvious reasons. I’m ready to get after it.”

The Celtics had the shortest offseason in the league, beating Dallas in the NBA Finals on June 17 and then returning to practice about a week earlier than most of the NBA because they open the preseason in Abu

Brady responds to Mayfield’s criticism on Fox broadcast

The legendary quarterback defended his demanding attitude while with Buccaneers

By Rob Maaddi

The Associated Press

TAMPA, Fla. — Tom Brady has no regrets about pushing his teammates to be their best.

The seven-time Super Bowl champion didn’t hold back in responding to Baker Mayfield’s recent comments that Brady created a “stressful environment” during the 2022 season, his last with the Buccaneers.

After Mayfield threw his second touchdown pass to give Tampa Bay a 14-0 lead over the Philadelphia Eagles on Sunday, Brady shared his thoughts from the booth about his replacement’s criticism.

“I thought stressful was not having Super Bowl rings, so there was a mindset of a champion that I took to work every day,” Brady said when Fox posted Mayfield’s

comments on screen. “This wasn’t daycare. If I wanted to have fun, I would’ve went to Disneyland with my kids.”

Mayfield revived his career in Tampa Bay last season, led the Buccaneers to their third straight

NFC South title and a playoff win. He got a $100 million, three-year contract to stay in Tampa Bay and has become a fan favorite.

Brady, who arrived in 2020, led the Buccaneers to a Super Bowl title that season — his sev-

Dhabi on Oct. 4. Three of them didn’t even get the summer off: Tatum, Jrue Holiday and Derrick White all played for the United States at the Olympics. Holiday said the break was plenty.

“I love this game, so basketball isn’t like a hassle to me or anything,” he said. “I guess I love this job that I have. I had some great experiences this summer, so I wouldn’t trade that for anything.”

The Celtics return virtual-

enth ring — and two division titles in 2021 and 2022 before he retired.

During an appearance on a Casa de Klub podcast, Mayfield said Brady’s intensity created a stress-filled environment in the locker room.

“The building was a little bit different with Tom in there. Obviously, playing-wise, Tom is different. He had everybody dialed in, high-strung environment, so I think everybody was pretty stressed out,” Mayfield said on the podcast. “They wanted me to come in, be myself, bring the joy back to football for guys who weren’t having as much fun.”

Mayfield also took a shot at the way Brady handled disputes with former offensive coordinator Byron Leftwich over play calls.

“You hear some of the stories about if he didn’t like a certain play call and he didn’t like it throughout the week and they still call it in the game, there might have been a throwaway on purpose or throwing it at the running back or receiver’s feet,” Mayfield said. “There were a lot of mind games going on.”

Mayfield downplayed Brady’s reaction after leading the Buccaneers to a 33-16 victory over Philadelphia.

“I think a lot of that got taken out of context. None of it was per-

ly the same roster that won it all: Fifteen players are back from last year’s team, including the top 11 scorers. The last NBA team to win back-to-back titles was the Golden State Warriors, who won three in four seasons from 2015-18.

“It was never about trying to just win one,” Tatum said. “All the guys I looked up to growing up won at least one championship. Now it’s just a conversation of how great are you trying to be?”

“I thought stressful was not having Super Bowl rings.”

Tom Brady

sonal, by any means,” Mayfield said. “It’s just what he demanded of the guys, and that’s the aura of Tom Brady, and that’s what he did to bring a championship here. Nothing personal, but I talked with him before the game. He’s obviously happy for me and he knows the guys. He knows how much I enjoy throwing to Mike (Evans) and Chris (Godwin) because he did the same, and it’s fun to talk about some of the same experiences.

“A lot of things got taken out of context. He did it his own way and that’s why he has seven rings. Not much else needs to be said.” Brady was back in Tampa Bay for the first time as an analyst. He greeted Mayfield and many former teammates, coaches and team staff before the game.

“There’s a way to approach this game and that’s with the right mindset and try to push each other outside of our comfort zone,” Brady said. “Great teammates do that.”

MICHAEL DWYER / AP PHOTO

Boston Celtics star Jayson Tatum poses for team photos during the team’s media day last week.

PETER JONELEIT / AP PHOTO

Former NFL quarterback Tom Brady visits with Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Baker Mayfield on the field before a game against the Philadelphia Eagles on Sunday.

Barbara Jean (Taylor) Drye

Robert Joe Bowers

April 17, 1936 ~ January 14, 2023

Aug. 11, 1955 – Sept. 29, 2024

Robert Joe Bowers ‘Bobby’, 69, of Norwood, passed away Sunday, September 29, 2024. A celebration of life will be announced at a later date.

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

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.

Bobby was born on August 11, 1955, in Stanly County to the late Robert Lee Bowers and Merle Mabry Bowers, who survives. He was a 1973 South Stanly High School graduate and a member of Norwood First Baptist Church. Bobby’s greatest treasure was his family. Spending time together around the table and making memories. He left his earthly home, surrounded by his loving mother, sisters, and extended family.

He was preceded in death by his father, Robert Lee Bowers.

In addition to his mother, Merle, he is survived by his sisters, Kimberly Bowers, Kathy Thompson, and Rebecca Sipe; nieces and nephews: Amanda, Dera, Jonathan, Justin, Kari, and Landon; and numerous great-nieces and nephews; and his beloved canine companion, Pepper.

Memorials may be made to Tillery Compassionate Care 960 N First Street, Albemarle NC 28001.

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. 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.

Dwight Farmer

January 24, 1939 ~ January 15, 2023

Boyce Lance Austin

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

June 28, 1948 – Sept. 27, 2024

Boyce Lance Austin, 76, of Marshville, passed away Friday, September 27, 2024, at home surrounded by his beloved family.

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.

Boyce was born at home on June 28, 1948, in Marshville, North Carolina to the late Mr. & Mrs. Homer David Austin. He was also preceded in death by wife, Joyce Thomas Austin; brothers: Allen Davis Austin, Teddy Michael Austin, and twin, Royce Vance Austin; sisters: Merle Lorriane Helms and Pamela Joy Austin; and beloved nephew, Michael Dwayne Austin.

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

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.

Boyce retired from ATI in Monroe, NC after 50 years of service. After retiring, Boyce spent his time fixing things around the house, helping to care for his grandchildren, and he was an avid couch potato. Boyce was a devoted husband, loving girl dad, amazing pawpaw, brother and uncle. Even though he was not a man of many words, Boyce showed his love through his actions.

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.

The family will receive friends from 1:30 p.m. -2 p.m. on Sunday, October 6, 2024, at Pleasant Hill Baptist Church. A Memorial service will follow at 2 p.m., officiated by Pastor John Miller. Burial will follow in the Church Cemetery at 7002 Pleasant Hill Church Rd., Marshville, NC.

Survivors include daughter, Selina Austin of Marshville, NC, daughter, Michele Austin of Marshville, NC; grandchildren: Caitlin Joy Austin, Gabriela Faith Austin, Clinton David White and Jasper Austin White all of Marshville, NC; brother: Charles Timothy Austin (Carol) of Locust, NC; sisters: Patricia Mullis of Stanfield, NC Angel (Dale) Tarleton of Marshville, NC and Cynthia Thomas Austin of Marshville, NC; as well as many, many special nieces and nephews.

Memorials may be made to the Alzheimer’s Foundation of America or the National Kidney Foundation.

Hartsell Funeral Home of Albemarle is serving the Austin family.

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

James Roseboro

June 23, 1967 ~ January 10, 2023

Joshua Bruce Hinson

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

March 1, 1997 – Sept. 26, 2024

Joshua Bruce Hinson, 27, of Locust, passed away Thursday, September 26, 2024, at Mint Hill Medical Center in Charlotte.

Joshua Bruce was born March 1, 1997, in North Carolina to Michael Todd Hinson and the late Lisa Lathe.

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.

Our beloved Joshua Bruce Hinson left as an angel on September 26, 2024. Joshua lived 27 beautiful years along with his family. Joshua joined his mother, Lisa Rusche Lathe in heaven. Joshua was a gift that was sent to us by God. He loved everything about life. Joshua enjoyed laughing, talking and singing with his loved ones. Joshua enjoyed spending time at Disney, watching the Atlanta Braves play, and most of all spending quality time with his family especially during Christmas. Joshua Bruce will always be remembered by his big smile, his charm, his jokes and his way to love. We will forever carry his memories in our hearts.

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.

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.

The family will receive friends from 1 p.m. - 1:45 p.m., Tuesday, October 1, 2024, at Hartsell Funeral Home of Albemarle. The funeral service will be on Tuesday at 2 p.m. at Hartsell Funeral Home’s Lefler Memorial Chapel in Albemarle, officiated by Pastor Tony Thomas. Burial will follow at Running Creek Primitive Baptist Church Cemetery, 24671 Millingport Road, Locust.

Darrick

Baldwin

January 7, 1973 ~ January 8, 2023

Survivors include He is survived by his best dad ever, Michael Hinson and step mom, Abigail Hinson. He is also survived by his siblings whom he adored dearly: Tyler Hinson, Shelby Hinson, Abby Velasquez, Oscar Velasquez and Yaritza Velasquez. Joshua is also survived by his uncle, Scotty Hinson, his grandmother, Diane Hinson and grandfather, Tommy Hinson. He was taken care of by his favorite special nurse, Sherri Gates.

Hartsell Funeral Home of Albemarle is serving the Hinson family.

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.

Joyce Elaine Tucker

John B. Kluttz

March 23, 1935 - January 9, 2023

Aug. 11, 1955 – Sept. 23, 2024

Joyce Elaine Tucker, 76, of Norwood went home to be with the Lord on Monday, September 23, 2024, at Atrium Health Stanly.

A memorial service will be held on Wednesday, September 25, 2024, at 4 p.m. at Edwards Funeral Home in Norwood. Pastor Joe Tomberlin will officiate. The family will receive friends starting at 2 p.m. at Edwards Funeral Home.

Joyce was born on September 16, 1948, to the late Baron Roosevelt and Vertie Hinson Howard. She graduated from Garinger High School in 1966 and retired from over 50 years of service at B&H Steel. Joyce and her husband Bobby established Subway in Norwood and they proudly owned it for years. She was a member of Eastway Baptist Church in Charlotte, NC. In addition to her parents, she is preceded in death by her husband, Bobby Wayne Tucker, and her sister Patricia H. Gallagher. She is survived by her children, Lara Dawn Bowen (John) of Windermere, FL, Jeremy Ray Tucker (Carmen) of Southport, and Angela Tucker Pistole (Ben) of Pittsboro, four grandchildren: Courtney Tatum (Cameron), Dana Bowen, Baron Tucker, and Gavin Tucker, and her sister Marilyn H. Pearce.

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

When John purchased his 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.

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.

Amelia Katherine Baker

October 11, 1944 - January 10, 2023

Sept. 23, 1936 – Sept. 20, 2024

Amelia Katherine Baker, 87, of Stanfield, passed away on Friday, September 20, 2024, at her home.

A memorial service will be held on Sunday, September 29, 2024, at 3:00 PM at Edwards Funeral Home in Norwood. Chaplain Karen Kaser-Odor will officiate. The family will receive friends one hour prior to the service.

Amelia was born on September 23, 1936, in Walker County, Alabama to the late Robert Talton and Mary Azalee Staggs Lansford. She attended Curry High School in Jasper, Alabama. Mrs. Baker was a homemaker and a nurturing caregiver for her grandchildren. She is survived by her husband, AD Baker, daughter Deborah Holloway (Dennis), sons Robert Adams (Tina), and Ricky Adams, three grandchildren: Kristin Owens-White (Chris), Caleb Adams, and Juliet Adams, four great-grandchildren: Joshua Owens (Misty Morgan), Killian White, Braelynne White, and Lillian White, one great great granddaughter, and her pride and joy, Ember Owens, brother George Lansford, sister Helen Alvarado, and one bonus granddaughter: Camila Haddad Vieira.

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.

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.

Memorials may be made to Tillery Compassionate Care or St. Jude’s.

The family would like to extend a special thank you to everyone at Tillery Compassionate Care.

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.

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.

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.

Doris Jones Coleman

STATE & NATION

Native Americans in Montana ask court for more in-person voting sites

Tribes are asking counties to create satellite offices

By Matthew Brown The Associated Press

BILLINGS, Mont. — Native Americans living on a remote Montana reservation filed a lawsuit against state and county officials Monday, saying they don’t have enough places to vote in person — the latest chapter in a decades-long struggle by tribes in the United States over equal voting opportunities.

The six members of the Fort Peck Reservation want satellite voting offices in their communities for late registration and to vote before Election Day without making long drives to a county courthouse.

The legal challenge, filed in state court, comes five weeks before the presidential election in a state with a pivotal U.S. Senate race where the Republican candidate has made derogatory comments about Native Americans.

Native Americans were granted U.S. citizenship a century ago. Advocates say the right still doesn’t always bring equal access to the ballot.

Many tribal members in rural western states live in farflung communities with limited resources and transportation. That can make it hard to reach election offices, which are some-

times located off-reservation.

The plaintiffs in the Montana lawsuit reside in two small communities near the Canada border on the Fort Peck Reservation, home to the Assiniboine and Sioux tribes. The plaintiffs’ attorney, Cher Old Elk, grew up in one of those communities, Frazer, Montana, where more than a third of people live below the poverty line and the per capita income is about $12,000,

according to census data.

It’s a 60-mile round trip from Frazer to the election office at the courthouse in Glasgow. Old Elk says that can force prospective voters into difficult choices.

“It’s not just the gas money; it’s actually having a vehicle that runs,” she said. “Is it food on my table, or is it the gas money to find a vehicle, to find a ride, to go to Glasgow to vote?”

The lawsuit asks a state judge

for an order forcing Valley and Roosevelt counties and Secretary of State Christi Jacobson to create satellite election offices in Frazer and Poplar, Montana. They would be open during the same hours and on the same days as the county courthouses. The plaintiffs requested satellite election offices from the counties earlier this year, the lawsuit says. Roosevelt County officials refused, while Valley

DOJ will launch review into 1921 Tulsa

A public report is expected by the end of the year

By Sean Murphy The Associated Press

OKLAHOMA CITY — The Justice Department announced Monday it plans to launch a review of the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre, an attack by a white mob on a thriving black district that is considered one of the worst single acts of violence against black people in U.S. history.

The review was launched under a federal cold-case initiative that has led to prosecutions of some Civil Rights Era cases, although Assistant U.S. Attorney General Kristen Clarke said they have “no expectation” there is anyone living who could be prosecuted as a result of the inquiry. Still, the announcement of the first federal probe into the massacre was embraced by descendants of survivors who have long criticized city and state leaders for not doing more to compensate those affected by the attack.

Clarke said the agency plans to issue a public report detailing its findings by the end of the year.

“We acknowledge descendants of the survivors, and the victims continue to bear the trauma of this act of racial terrorism,” Clarke said during her remarks in Washington.

Damario Solomon-Simmons, an attorney for the last known survivors of the massacre, 110-year-old Viola Fletcher and 109-year-old Lessie Benningfield Randle, described Clarke’s

announcement as a “joyous occasion.”

“It is about time,” said Solomon-Simmons, flanked by descendants of massacre survivors. “It only took 103 years, but this is a joyous occasion, a momentous day, an amazing opportunity for us to make sure that what happened here in Tulsa is understood for what it was — the largest crime scene

County officials said budget constraints limited them to opening a satellite voting center for just one day.

Valley County Attorney Dylan Jensen said there were only two full-time employees in the Clerk and Recorder’s Office that oversees elections, so staffing a satellite office would be problematic.

“To do that for an extended period of time and still keep regular business going, it would be difficult,” he said.

Roosevelt County Clerk and Recorder Tracy Miranda and a spokesperson for Jacobson did not immediately respond to messages seeking comment.

Prior efforts to secure Native American voting rights helped drive changes in recent years that expanded electoral access for tribal members in South Dakota and Nevada.

A 2012 federal lawsuit in Montana sought to establish satellite election offices on the Crow, Northern Cheyenne and Fort Belknap reservations. It was rejected by a judge, but the ruling was later set aside by an appeals court. In 2014, tribal members in the case reached a settlement with officials in several counties.

Monday’s lawsuit said inequities continue on the Fort Peck Reservation and that tribal members have never fully achieved equal voting since Montana was first organized as a territory in 1864 and Native Americans were excluded from its elections. Native voters in subsequent years continued to face barriers to registering and were sometimes stricken from voter rolls.

“It’s unfortunate we had to take a very aggressive step, to take this to court, but the counties aren’t doing it. I don’t know any other way,” Old Elk said.

Race Massacre

in the history of this country.”

As many as 300 black people were killed; more than 1,200 homes, businesses, schools and churches were destroyed; and thousands were forced into internment camps overseen by the National Guard when a white mob, including some deputized by authorities, looted and burned the Greenwood District, also known as Black Wall Street.

The Oklahoma Supreme Court in June dismissed a lawsuit by survivors, dampening the hope of advocates for racial justice that the city would make financial amends for the attack.

The nine-member court upheld the decision made by a district court judge in Tulsa last year, ruling that the plaintiff’s grievances about the destruction of the Greenwood district, although legitimate, did not fall within the scope of the state’s public nuisance statute.

After the state Supreme Court turned away the lawsuit, Solomon-Simmons asked the U.S. Department of Justice to open an investigation into the massacre under the Emmett Till Unsolved Civil Rights Crime Act. Although investigations under the act have led to successful

prosecutions of Civil Rights Era cases, the DOJ acknowledged in a report to Congress last year that there are significant legal barriers to cases before 1968.

“Even with our best efforts, investigations into historic cases are exceptionally difficult, and rarely will justice be reached inside of a courtroom,” the agency noted in the report.

Since the Act was approved in 2008, the DOJ has opened for review 137 cases involving 160 known victims. The agency has fully investigated and resolved 125 of those cases through prosecution, referral or closure.

The report also notes the Act has led to two successful federal prosecutions and three successful state prosecutions. Both federal prosecutions involved separate murders of Black men in Mississippi by members of the Ku Klux Klan in the 1960s.

The first federally assisted state prosecution under the initiative was against Klansmen who bombed a Birmingham, Alabama, church in 1963, killing four young girls. That prosecution in the early 2000s led to convictions and life sentences for two men involved in the bombing.

ALVIN C. KRUPNICK CO. / LIBRARY OF CONGRESS VIA AP

Smoke billows over Tulsa, Oklahoma, during the city’s 1921 race riots.

MATTHEW BROWN / AP PHOTO

Bret Healy, left, a consultant for Four Directions Native Vote, speaks about voting opportunities on Native American reservations in Montana while attorney Cher Old Elk (center) and activist Tom Rodgers (right) listen during a press conference Sept. 26 in Billings, Montana.

Waters rise in the Land of the Sky

Emergency personnel watch as floodwaters rise in front of The Grand Bohemian hotel in downtown Asheville on Friday. Hurricane Helene devastated parts of western North Carolina with torrential rainfall and “biblical” flooding over the weekend.

WHAT’S HAPPENING

Ruling allows public high school students to profit from NIL

A judge in has cleared the way for the state’s public school athletes to profit off their fame in a court case involving a high school football player who has committed to play at Tennessee. The lawsuit challenged North Carolina’s restrictions on athletes cashing in on the use of their name, image and likeness, known as NIL. It was filed on behalf of Greensboro Grimsley quarterback Faizon Brandon, who is the nation’s top-ranked recruit in the class of 2026, according to 247Sports. An attorney for the family said, “Justice has been served, not only for Faizon but for all public high school students in North Carolina.”

Election faces

“daunting” level of uncertainty

Election officials say they will do everything in their power to ensure that voters in North Carolina, a crucial presidential swing state, will be able to cast their ballots despite the devastation of Hurricane Helene only about a month before the November election.

North Carolina state election board Executive Director Karen Brinson Bell said Tuesday that 12 county election offices in the hard-hit western part of the state remain closed. She described the storm as causing a “daunting” level of uncertainty, with early inperson voting scheduled to start in just over two weeks. Election officials in Florida, Tennessee and the presidential battleground of Georgia also were assessing the potential impacts on voting.

WSFCS looking for input on academic calendar options

The two calendars are fairly similar for students outside of the spring break dates

By Ryan Henkel Twin City Herald

WINSTON-SALEM — The school district is seeking input from the school community as it seeks to finalize the calendar for the 2025-26 school year. At the WSFCS Board of Education’s Sept. 24 regular business meeting, the board authorized the posting of two calendar options to the district’s website in order to collect public input following a less than expected amount of responses from the spring.

“We talked about this a bit

in the spring, but we might have been a little too early,” said Chief Operations Officer Lauren Richards. “We put a survey out in the spring, but we did not get a great response on that survey. We made a couple of tweaks, and we are going to work with our new chief communications officer and her team to do a big push to try and get responses for this calendar.”

Both calendars will see school start Wednesday, Aug. 13 and end May 21, with the first semester ending Dec. 18 rather than traditionally ending after the winter break.

“To get 215 days in that tight window was a little tough and there were not many variations to make.”

WSFCS Chief Operations Officer Lauren Richards

“I’d like to thank you for having the start of school be midweek,” said board member Leah Crowley. “We have heard over and over that the first week being five days is just too big of a transition for staff and students.”

The biggest difference between the two calendars is when spring break falls.

In Option A, spring break will fall in April, while in Option B, spring break will fall in March.

“What I will say is that the devil’s in the details,” Richards said. “To get 215 days in that tight window was a little tough, and there were

Years in the making, OBX beach homes are collapsing into the ocean

Nearly a dozen homes have been lost since 2020

By Ben Finley The Associated Press

NORFOLK, Va. — A slow-motion catastrophe has been playing out in the coastal North Carolina village of Rodanthe, where 10 houses have fallen into the Atlantic since 2020. Three have been lost since Friday. The most recent collapse was Tuesday afternoon, when the wooden pilings of a home nicknamed “Front Row Seats” buckled in the surf. The structure

not many variations to make.”

The calendar options can be voted on on the district’s website.

In addition, the board also approved moving the Ashley Elementary project from the schematic design phase to the construction design phase at a cost of $700,000.

“The 2016 Bond included funds to do design for the new Ashley Elementary through design documents,” said Chief Construction and Planning Darrell Walker. “What typically happens in a design process is that you have a schematic design, then a design document, then a construction document, which allows you to take it out to bid for pricing. So our bond carried us through schematic and design documents.”

Finally, the board approved a $36,000 contract with American Reading Company for professional development for Flat Rock Middle School.

The Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Schools Board of Education will next meet Oct. 8.

bumped against another house before it bobbed in the waves, prompting now familiar warnings about splintered wood and nail-riddled debris.

The destruction was decades in the making as beach erosion and climate change slowly edged the Atlantic closer to homes in the somewhat outof-the way vacation spot. The threat is more insidious than a hurricane, while the possible solutions won’t be easy or cheap, either in Rodanthe or other parts of the U.S.

See OBX, page A2

$2.00

Neal

“Join the conversation”

Cory Lavalette,

P.J. Ward-Brown,

David

Robinson names new chief aide as staff departures grow

By Gary D. Robertson The Associated Press

RALEIGH — Lt. Gov. Mark Robinson named his next state government office chief last week, as a dozen workers have quit his office or gubernatorial campaign after a CNN report alleging he posted strongly worded racial and sexual comments on an online message board.

Robinson said he had elevated Deputy Chief of Staff Krishana Polite to become the next chief of staff in the Lieutenant Governor’s Office. The announcement came the day after current Chief of Staff and General Counsel Brian LiVecchi disclosed that he was resigning effective next week.

Polite “has been a great major asset to our great state for years,” Robinson wrote on X. “We are blessed to have her leading our administration.”

We stand corrected

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

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Weekly deadline is Monday at Noon

LiVecchi, who has served in Robinson’s office since his term began in early 2021, confirmed Thursday that three other office

OBX from page A1

Barrier islands aren’t ideal for building

Rodanthe is a village of about 200 people on the Outer Banks, a strip of narrow barrier islands that protrude into the Atlantic like a flexed arm.

Barrier islands were never an ideal place for development, according to experts. They typically form as waves deposit sediment off the mainland. And they move based on weather patterns and other ocean forces. Some even disappear.

David Hallac, superintendent of the Cape Hatteras National Seashore, along which Rodanthe is located, said it was more common in previous decades for homeowners to move their houses from the encroaching surf.

“Perhaps it was more well understood in the past that the barrier island was dynamic, that it was moving,” Hallac said. “And if you built something on the beachfront it may not be there forever or it may need to be moved.”

The beach is rapidly eroding

Rodanthe is one of many communities on Hatteras Island, which is roughly 50 miles ong and has been experiencing beach erosion for decades.

The Cape Hatteras Lighthouse was 1,500 feet from the ocean when it was built in 1870, Hallac said. By 1919, the Atlantic was 300 feet away. The lighthouse was later moved to a more protected location.

The erosion has been measured to be as much as 10 to 15 feet a year or more in some places.

“And so every year, 10 to 15 feet of that white sandy beach is gone,” Hallac said. “And then the dunes and then the back-dune area. And then all of a sudden, the foreshore, that area between low water and high water, is right up next to somebody’s backyard. And then the erosion continues.”

workers were also resigning as of Oct. 1: communications director John Wesley Waugh, policy director Jonathan Harris and director of government affairs Nathan Lewis. The office, which is allocated $1.3 million in this year’s state budget, lists eight employees on its website. A lieutenant governor holds few inherent duties.

LiVecchi didn’t give a reason for the departures, which were revealed a few days after the Robinson campaign’s senior adviser said eight of the campaign’s top staff members were stepping down, including himself, the campaign manager and finance director. Robinson, who would be the state’s first black governor if elected, has said he will rebuild his campaign staff.

The personnel departures come as Republican officials and GOP groups have distanced themselves from Robinson mere weeks before the Nov. 5 election where he faces Democratic nominee Josh Stein, the sitting attorney general. Absentee voting has started. The Republican Governors Association said it’s no longer supporting Robinson. And Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump,

“Like a toothpick into wet sand”

Ocean waves eventually lap at the wooden pilings that hold up the beach houses. The supports could be 15 feet deep. But the surf slowly takes away the sand that is packed around them.

“It’s like a toothpick in wet sand or even a beach umbrella,” Hallac said. “The deeper you put it, the more likely it is to stand up straight and resist leaning over. But if you only put it down a few inches, it doesn’t take much wind for that umbrella to start leaning. And it starts to tip over.”

A single home collapse can shed debris up to 15 miles along the coast, according to an August report from a group of federal, state and local officials who are studying threatened oceanfront structures in North Carolina. Collapses can injure beachgoers and lead to potential contamination from septic tanks, among other environmental concerns.

Collapsed houses were likely in compliance

Rules that govern coastal development in North Carolina have been in place since the 1970s, before many of the collapsed houses were constructed and when there was a lot more beach, said Noah Gillam, Dare County’s planning director.

“At the time they were built, they were likely in compliance with all of the set-back requirements,” Gillam said. “And they were set back, in many situations, hundreds of yards from the dune line, let alone the ocean.”

Since then, the rate of erosion has sped up, swallowing swaths of sand. Storms also have become more frequent and more intense, pounding the shoreline of a community that is acutely exposed to the ocean.

“This is a national issue”

Meanwhile, officials and experts have been focused on solutions or at least ways to

“We are blessed to have her leading our administration.”

Lt. Gov. Robinson on incoming Chief of Staff Krishana Polite

who endorsed Robinson before the March primary, hasn’t mentioned Robinson at two North Carolina rallies held since last weekend.

The CNN report said Robinson left statements on a porn site’s message board in which he referred to himself as a “black NAZI,” said he enjoyed transgender pornography, said in 2012 that he preferred Hitler to then-President Barack Obama and slammed the late Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. as “worse than a maggot.”

Robinson, who has denied writing the messages, already had a history of inflammatory comments about topics like abortion and LGBTQ+ rights that Stein and his allies have emphasized in opposing him on TV commercials and online.

Democratic presidential nominee Kamala Harris’ campaign

and her party also are focused on linking Trump with Robinson to win the battleground state.

Robinson’s campaign said this week that it had hired a Virginia law firm to investigate how what he calls “false smears” in the report came to be. Jesse Binnall, a partner in the law group, told Fox News that ”the voters need an answer before the election. And so we are going to move very quickly and still give them a very fulsome report.”

“We are going to investigate this strenuously,” said Binnall, whose clients have included Trump and his campaign. “We are going to leave no stone unturned. We’re going to be very, very aggressive.”

CNN hasn’t commented on Robinson’s accusations. But the network report said it matched details of the account on the message board to other online accounts held by Robinson by comparing usernames, a known email address and his full name. CNN reported details discussed by the account holder matched Robinson’s age, length of marriage and other biographical information.

address the problem. The report on threatened oceanfront homes noted that 750 of nearly 8,800 oceanfront structures in North Carolina are considered at risk from erosion. Among the possible solutions is hauling dredged sand to eroding beaches, something that is already being done in other communities on the Outer Banks and East Coast. But it could cost $40 million or more in Rodanthe, posing a major financial challenge for its small tax base, said Gillam, of Dare County. Other ideas include buying out threatened properties, moving or demolishing them. But those options are also very expensive. And funding is limited.

U.S. Rep. Greg Murphy (NC-R) recently introduced a bill in Congress that would make some money available. For example, the legislation would authorize federal flood insurance dollars to help demolish or relocate erosion-plagued homes before they collapse.

Braxton Davis, executive director of the North Carolina Coastal Federation, a nonprofit, said the problem isn’t limited to Rodanthe or even to North Carolina. He pointed to erosion issues along California’s coast, the Great Lakes and some of the nation’s rivers. “This is a national issue,” Davis said, adding that sea levels are rising and “the situation is only going to become worse.”

Debris from a collapsed house in Rodanthe in late September.

Krishana Polite was promoted to chief of staff

THE CONVERSATION

Neal Robbins, publisher | Frank Hill, senior opinion editor

VISUAL VOICES

Don’t believe your lyin’ eyes… or ears

Harris is trying her best to pretend that she is not a socialist. Good luck with that. Americans are not stupid.

THE AMERICAN PEOPLE are being asked to remove all the things from our memory that we know about Vice President Kamala Harris. We are encouraged to forget the things we have seen and heard from her and listen to the new “Kamala.”

It is ironic that she is being portrayed as the candidate of change. Her campaign slogan is “A New Way Forward.” We should forget that she is the incumbent in this race. They expect us to forget that she was the first candidate to drop out of the race in 2020 for lack of support. We should also forget that she has been the most unpopular vice president in American history.

The race is on, and she is the Democratic candidate. Elections are around the corner, and many are still trying to figure out what Harris stands for. When asked why she flip-flopped on so many issues, she said her values have not changed. What are her values?

What do we know about the beliefs of Harris? We know she is the most liberal senator in the U.S. Senate. She is to the left of Bernie Sanders, a declared socialist, and Elizabeth Warren. Getting to the left of those two takes some real squeezing.

Harris is trying her best to pretend that she is not a socialist and is really a moderate like so many Americans. Good luck with that. Americans are not stupid.

She has spent her time, since becoming the nominee, dodging media interaction and avoiding any press conferences. It is unlikely that media members will ask her tough questions, but she’s not taking any chances. Seventy-one days into her campaign, she has not had a single press conference. In her few

COLUMN | DAVID HARSANYI

sit-down interviews, all with friendly press members, she has not answered a single substantive question.

The only thing she says in the few media interactions is, “I am from a middle-class family.” That isn’t true either. Middle-class families do not spend weekends and summers in Palo Alto, California, and they do not attend private schools. According to their website, her private school, where she attended kindergarten class, has a tuition of $29,800 per year. They don’t take ballet lessons from a world-renowned Russian ballerina, either.

Most middle-class families don’t travel to Jamaica for vacations and visit relatives in India. Her father is from a privileged family in Jamaica who were former slave owners.

Her parents both taught and researched at some of the most prestigious universities in the world, including Cambridge, Yale, Stanford, etc. She lived in Canada for six years, in one of the most upscale neighborhoods in Montreal, and attended the top schools.

She talks about the house her mother was finally able to buy after saving enough money. She does not tell you that the house is in a very prestigious neighborhood and is valued at nearly $1 million, according to Redfin. How many middle-class families live in houses like that?

Let us look at what we know she has said and done in the past:

• We have had the highest inflation in 40 years due to the policies of this administration. Her answer is price controls. That really reeks of socialism.

• She was the Border Czar and erased the

Harris’ attack on the filibuster is an attack on the constitutional order

Democrats have targeted virtually every institution that makes “democracy” tenable in a truly diverse and sprawling nation that is home to hundreds of millions of people.

THOUGH DEMOCRATS are endlessly prattling on about “norms” and “democracy,” it is often unclear what aspects of the constitutional order they actually support.

This week, for example, Vice President Kamala Harris reiterated her support for suspending the legislative filibuster so Democrats, should they eke out a slim Senate majority, can overturn thousands of state laws and force the entire country to legalize taxpayer-subsidized, late-term abortions on demand. It is, of course, true that the filibuster isn’t in the Constitution. In many ways, however, it is one of the last remaining tools upholding a semblance of constitutional order. Yet to most contemporary Democrats, the 60-vote threshold to cut off debate is an antiquated tool that facilitates “minority rule” — by which they mean “federalism.” Which makes sense. Democrats are keen on empowering narrow, fleeting left-wing majorities cramming through wide-ranging generational “reform” bills without any consensus. They know well that once a massive entitlement or regulatory program is passed, it will be virtually impossible to roll back.

You don’t need to be a constitutional scholar to understand there’s no version of the founding that envisioned this kind of governance.

Imagine, if you can, what the world would look like if former President Donald Trump announced he was going to blow up the filibuster using a one-vote Senate majority and then cram through a national limit on abortion. Republicans would be accused of acting like fascistic ghouls, and the media would have a thermonuclear meltdown. It would be 1939 Germany all over again.

Worse, Democrats have targeted virtually every institution that makes “democracy” tenable in a truly diverse and sprawling nation that is home to hundreds of millions of people.

Because if forcing red states to adopt maximalist abortion laws is important enough to sink long-standing checks on federal power, you better believe it won’t be the last exception to the rule.

For one thing, Republicans can’t be expected to play by a different set of governing guidelines. For another, the left seems to believe every policy position it takes is fundamental to preserving “democracy.”

The exemptions would be endless.

It’s not just about the naked hypocrisy. It’s about republic-destroying norm-breaking. “Reforming” the filibuster is part of a broader effort to create a powerful, highly centralized state.

The Supreme Court is perhaps the only institution inhibiting state overreach these days, which is why Democrats have been busy delegitimizing and now want to pack the court and transform it into another malleable partisan institution. Harris included.

The other institution somewhat tempering a direct democracy is the Electoral College. Yet left-wing pundits are already whining about the undemocratic nature of that institution as well. It is always confusing to me when someone writes to complain that the Electoral College doesn’t align with the “popular vote,” as if this wasn’t the entire point of the enterprise. If the two always harmonized, we wouldn’t need it.

The Senate was created as a countermajoritarian institution. Now that leftists believe they have the upper hand, they are increasingly perplexed by the fact that

border to allow more than 10 million illegals into our country. Many of them were flown into our communities.

• She wants to do away with gas automobiles.

• She sponsored the Green New Deal and has said she would do away with the filibuster to pass it.

• Banning fracking was a priority for her, and it would cost millions of jobs.

• She advocated for sex change transitions for illegals to be paid by taxpayers, even those in our prisons.

• She supported “No Bail Laws,” which allow criminals back on the streets. She even promoted a GoFundMe page for contributing to criminals who took over a police precinct in Minnesota.

• She supports men participating in women’s sports.

• She supports gun confiscation. She denies it now, but there are videos out there, in her own words. She said, “Just because you own a gun in the safety of your own home doesn’t mean that we’re not going to walk into that home and check to see if you’re being responsible. That’s right out of the Gestapo playbook.

• A mandatory “Gun Buyback” was one of her favorites. (Video on that also)

I could go on and on with this list, but you get the picture. She is not what she is being portrayed.

We must not forget that one of her biggest lies was the constant drumbeat about how sharp President Biden was. She claimed he had never been sharper. Lies, Lies, Lies.

Sen. Joyce Krawiec has represented Forsyth County and the 31st District in the North Carolina Senate since 2014. She lives in Kernersville.

Wyoming and California have the same number of senators.

You know, it’s called the United States for a reason.

When it comes to executive abuse, Trump, who makes tons of grandiose promises that lay far outside the president’s purview, is a mere piker compared to his predecessor and successor. There is a growing movement among progressive politicians and intellectuals, sometimes referred to as “popular constitutionalism,” that would allow Democrats to ignore the courts whenever they choose.

It’s no accident that Harris promised to confiscate guns via an executive order like some kind of dictator. Or that President Joe Biden keeps ignoring the high court and unilaterally “forgives” loans. Or that Democratic senators implore their president to declare national emergencies that would empower the White House to run the entire economy through a massive administrative state.

Perhaps Harris’ position on the filibuster is a cynical play for votes. What’s become undeniable, however, is that counterconstitutionalism is being normalized on the left.

Democrats want to get rid of the Electoral College so that a few giant urban areas can run the executive branch. They want to get rid of the filibuster so they can unilaterally transform the nation.

When they don’t have congressional majorities, they want (their) presidents to rule by fiat. And many now want to pack the Supreme Court to make sure no one will stop them. There are numerous ways to describe this brand of governance, but none of them have anything to do with American norms or democracy.

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

TRIAD STRAIGHT TALK | SEN. JOYCE KRAWEIC

Rwanda reports 8 deaths linked to Marburg virus

Most of the affected are health care workers

By Ignatius Ssuuna

The Associated Press

Kigali, RWANDA — Rwanda says eight people have died so far from the Ebola-like and highly contagious Marburg virus, just days after the country declared an outbreak of the deadly hemorrhagic fever that has no authorized vaccine or treatment.

Like Ebola, the Marburg virus originates in fruit bats and spreads between people through close contact with the bodily fluids of infected individuals or with surfaces, such as contaminated bed sheets. Without treatment, Marburg can be fatal in up to 88% of people who fall ill with the disease. Rwanda, a landlocked country in central Africa, declared an outbreak last Friday, and a day later the first six deaths were reported.

So far 26 cases have been confirmed, and eight of the sickened people have died, Health Minister Sabin Nsanzimana said Sunday night.

The public has been urged to avoid physical contact to help curb the spread. Some 300 people who came into contact with those confirmed to have

the virus have also been identified, and an unspecified number of them have been put in isolation facilities.

Most of the affected are health care workers across six out of 30 districts in the country.

“Marburg is a rare disease,” Nsanzimana told journalists. “We are intensifying contact tracing and testing to help stop the spread.”

The minister said the source of the disease has not been determined yet. A person infected with the virus can take between three days and three weeks to show symptoms, he added.

Symptoms include fever, muscle pains, diarrhea, vomiting and, in some cases, death through extreme blood loss.

The World Health Organization was scaling up its support and will work with Rwandan authorities to help stop the spread, WHO’s Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said on Saturday on the social media platform X.

The U.S Embassy in Rwanda’s capital of Kigali has urged its staff to work remotely and avoid visiting offices.

Marburg outbreaks and individual cases have in the past been recorded in Tanzania, Equatorial Guinea, Angola, Congo, Kenya, South Africa, Uganda and Ghana, according to the WHO.

medical worker carries a meal to an isolation

coming into contact in Uganda with a

The rare virus was first identified in 1967 after it caused simultaneous outbreaks of disease in laboratories in Marburg, Germany, and Belgrade, Serbia. Seven people died who were exposed to the virus while conducting research on monkeys.

Separately, Rwanda has so far reported six cases of mpox, a disease caused by a virus related to smallpox but that typically causes milder symptoms. Mpox, previously known

as monkeypox because it was first seen in research monkeys, has also affected several other African countries in what the WHO has called a global health emergency.

Rwanda launched an mpox vaccination campaign earlier this month, and more vaccines are expected to arrive in the country.

Neighboring Congo has so far reported most of the cases of mpox, the epicenter of the emergency.

“Marburg is a rare disease. We are intensifying contact tracing and testing to help stop the spread.”

Sabin Nsanzimana, Rwanda health minister

Factory surveys show Chinese economy weakening

The government has announced a stimulus package

By Elaine Kurtenbach

The Associated Press

CHINA’S ECONOMY weakened further in recent weeks, according to surveys released Monday, signaling the need for more support as the government ratchets up stimulus.

The Caixin purchasing managers survey showed new manufacturing orders fell at the fastest pace in two years in September.

“Operating conditions in China’s manufacturing sector deteriorated in September after improving during August,” the report said. “Furthermore, firms lowered their hiring and purchasing activity.”

An official survey released by the National Bureau of Sta-

tistics showed a less drastic decline, but it marked a fifth straight month of contraction.

The purchasing managers index was at 49.8 in September, up from a six-month low of 49.1 in August. The index is on a scale where figures above 50 indicate expansion.

The survey showed that factory output rose while new orders fell.

Chinese stock markets surged Monday, reflecting enthusiasm over a barrage of policy measures announced last week, including lower interest rates and smaller down payment requirements for mortgages and a cut in required bank reserves.

“There is no doubt that the coordinated and emphatic policy stimulus measures announced by Beijing have justifiably invoked optimism,” Tan Boon Heng of Mizuho Bank in Singapore said in a commentary. The main index smaller mar-

“There is no doubt that the coordinated and emphatic policy stimulus measures announced by Beijing have justifiably invoked optimism.”

Tan Boon Heng, Mizuho Bank

ket in Shenzhen soared 8.2% while the Shanghai Composite index jumped 5.7%

“The stimulus package announced last week should help shore activity over the coming months,” Gabriel Ng of Capital Economics said in a report. But he noted that imbalances between excess supply of many products versus weak demand persist. And trade measures against China, such as higher tariffs on electric vehicles and

other goods, also will weigh on the economy.

“In this environment, a meaningful cyclical recovery would require sizeable fiscal stimulus,” he said. “There has yet to be any official announcement on fiscal support, though some media reports suggest that one could come soon.”

Over the weekend, Beijing moved forward with the measures announced last week to support the property industry and revive languishing financial markets. The central bank announced on Sunday that it would direct banks to cut mortgage rates for existing home loans by Oct. 31. Meanwhile, the major southern city of Guangzhou lifted all home purchase restrictions over the weekend, while both Shanghai and Shenzhen revealed plans to ease key buying curbs.

Property developers have struggled after the government

cracked down on excessive borrowing for projects several years ago. Housing prices have continued to fall and the government has moved to ensure that developers deliver apartments that were paid for but not yet built.

The downturn in the property sector has rippled throughout the world’s second-largest economy, hitting many other industries that depended on booming housing construction, such as appliance makers and manufacturers of building materials.

It has slowed China’s recovery from the massive disruptions of the COVID-19 pandemic, adding to pressures on Chinese consumers worried over pay cuts, job losses and weaker asset prices.

The economy expanded at a 4.7% pace in the last quarter, slightly below the government’s target of about 5%.

BEN CURTIS / AP PHOTO

A

tent housing a man being quarantined after

carrier of the Marburg virus in Nairobi, Kenya, in 2014.

Forsyth SPORTS

Brind’Amour plays first NHL game coached by his father

Skyler Brind’Amour made his Hurricanes preseason debut with Rod behind bench

By Mark Didtler

The Associated Press

TAMPA. Fla. — Skyler

Brind’Amour is looking to make a good impression on the Hurricanes, and his father, coach Rod Brind’Amour.

The younger Brind’Amour played in his first NHL game with his father behind the bench in Carolina’s 2-1 preseason victory at the Tampa Bay Lightning on Tuesday night.

“Once the game started, it was just playing hockey,” he said. “I had a lot of fun playing. It’s always cool to put on the NHL sweater, especially one from your hometown.”

Rod Brind’Amour said he didn’t really think about coaching his son during the game but called it a special moment to look back at.

“In the heat of it, he’s trying to prove himself, and we’re just trying to get through a day here,” Rod Brind’Amour said. “But is was nice ... a nice moment.”

Carolina signed Skyler Brind’Amour to a professional tryout deal on Wednesday after the 25-year-old center played 54 games last season in the AHL with the Charlotte Checkers.

He played on Quinnipiac University’s 2022-23 national championship team that won the title at Amalie Arena, the site of Tuesday’s game.

KARL B. DEBLAKER / AP PHOTO

Carolina Hurricanes coach Rod Brind’Amour talks with an official during Game 5 of last season’s first-round playoff series against the New York Islanders. Brind’Amour has his son on the preseason roster this season.

“I was there, too,” Rod Brind’Amour said. “That was probably a better moment to share than this one, I’ll tell you that.”

“Definitely love this building,” Skyler Brind’Amour added. “It’s been good to us so far” Skylar Brind’Amour was born in Raleigh and played his youth hockey in the area where his father has had an iconic career as a player and a coach.

The elder Brind’Amour was traded to Carolina in January 2000 from Philadelphia and stayed until he retired in 2010. He spent seven seasons as an assistant coach before taking over in 2018.

“He’s trying to round out a little bit,” Rod Brind’Amour said. “He’s still just trying to find his way, so this a good op -

portunity for him.”

Skyler Brind’Amour played 18 shifts that totaled 14:10. He won 500 faceoffs as a faceoff specialist at Quinnipiac. After struggling in the first period Tuesday, he won all six faceoffs during the second to end at 50% (7 of 14).

“I’m sure he’ll have a couple of clips for me at the end because I lost few in a row,” Skyler Brind’Amour said. “Obviously it’s a different level, faceoffs out here against those stronger NHL guys. It’s good learning experience.”

Rod Brind’Amour has one of the top faceoff marks for the Hurricanes with a faceoff win percentage of 59.3.

Skyler Brind’Amour played against Carolina in a preseason game last year with the Florida Panthers.

ATHLETE OF THE WEEK

Corey Blair

East Forsyth, football

Corey Blair is a senior on the East Forsyth football team.

The Eagles pounded Davie 55-0 last week to move to 5-0 on the season. They are averaging 54 points per game this season and have shut out two opponents. Blair has been a key on defense, averaging 76 rushing yards a game. Against Davie, he ran for 152 yards on just five carries, rushing for two touchdowns — one of them a 96-yarder.

They’ve taken notice at the next level, as Blair has begun to attract college attention. He’s already collected offers from FCS powers Grambling, Valdosta State and Austin Peay.

Chastain passes Truex to win in Kansas

William Byron and Martin Truex Jr. suffered near misses after a late restart

By Dave Skretta

The Associated Press

KANSAS CITY, Kan. — Ross Chastain finally got to smash a watermelon for the first time this season Sunday at Kansas Speedway.

He smashed the hopes of a bunch of playoff drivers trying to earn an automatic berth in the next round, too.

The seventh-generation watermelon farmer took the lead from Martin Truex Jr. on a restart with 20 laps to go, then

held off title contender William Byron the rest of the way to the finish line. It was the first win for Chastain since last year’s finale at Phoenix, when he also played a bit of a spoiler on the day that the NASCAR Cup Series crowned its champion.

“We haven’t gone anywhere. We keep showing up,” said Chastain, who barely missed out on qualifying for the playoffs. “It’s not easy when you’re failing or struggling at something, and you just can’t get to where you want to get to.”

The retiring Truex, who was eliminated from the playoffs last week, finished third.

He was leading when Carson Hocevar brought out the final caution of a wreck-filled day.

Truex picked the top on the restart, and Chastain opted for the bottom, and it was the No. 1 car from Trackhouse Racing that got the big push to the front.

“It’s pretty deflating when you don’t make the playoffs, and we knew the last couple of races of the regular season, we were right on that cut line,” said Chastain’s crew chief, Phil Surgen. “But there’s no give-up here. We’re not laying down.”

Byron’s second-place run was the best among the 12 drivers going on to the second round of the playoffs. And while the win would have locked him into the next round of the playoffs with unpredictable Talladega up next, the result was enough

to move the No. 24 car to the top spot in the playoff points standings.

“You’re so close, and going to Talladega, you know what that is,” Byron said. “But proud of the effort.”

Ryan Blaney had a loose left wheel in the final stage but rallied to finish fourth, giving the defending champ’s postseason hopes a big boost. Ty Gibbs was fifth, followed by four more playoff contenders: Alex Bowman was sixth, pole sitter Christopher Bell recovered from a couple of scrapes with the wall to finish seventh, Denny Hamlin salvaged an eighth-place run after trouble on pit road, and Chase Elliott was ninth after starting at the rear of the

field due to an engine change.

“Considering yesterday and starting last and everything, it could have been a lot worse,” Elliott said. “But I’m always on the side of the fence where our car was good enough. I felt like (the results) could have been a lot better, but we’ll take it.”

Kyle Busch looked like he might finally extend his streak to 20 seasons with a Cup Series win when he passed Chastain with 64 laps to go. But cycling back to the front after pit stops, Busch was trying to squeeze by Chase Briscoe as the latter fought to stay on the lead lap. Busch ended up hitting the wall and skidding down the back stretch with 30 laps to go.

He wound up 19th, extending his winless streak to 51 races dating to last year in St. Louis.

“I guess I got in too big of a hurry,” Busch said. “I mean, I’m numb. I don’t know what to do.”

COLIN E. BRALEY / AP PHOTO

Ross Chastain celebrates in Victory Lane after winning Sunday’s NASCAR Cup Series race at Kansas Speedway in Kansas City.

SIDELINE REPORT

NBA

Rose, No. 1 overall pick in 2008 and the 2011 NBA MVP, announces retirement

Derrick Rose, the No. 1 overall pick in the 2008 NBA draft by the Chicago Bulls and the league’s MVP in 2011, announced his retirement. Rose was the league’s rookie of the year in 2008-09 for the Bulls, was the league’s MVP two seasons later and was an All-Star selection in three of his first four seasons. A major knee injury during the 2012 playoffs forced him to miss almost two full seasons. He would go on to play for five other franchises other than the Bulls — New York, Detroit, Minnesota, Cleveland and Memphis.

MLB

Marlins part ways with 2023 NL Manager of the Year Schumaker

Miami The Miami Marlins have parted ways with Skip Schumaker, ending the 2023 NL Manager of the Year’s two-season stint with the team. The Marlins went 146-178 under Schumaker, who was hired in 2022 as the franchise’s 16th manager. His contract was for two years with a club option for the 2025 season, which the team voided earlier this year. In his first season, Schumaker led the Marlins to their first playoff appearance in a nonpandemic year since 2003. They made the postseason despite a minus-57 run differential and eventually were swept by the Phillies in their NL wild-card series.

NCAA FOOTBALL

Alabama overtakes

Texas for No. 1, UNLV earns 1st ranking in program history

Alabama has returned to No. 1 in the AP college football poll for the first time in two years following its victory over Georgia, making this 16 of 17 seasons the Crimson Tide have held the top spot at some point. UNLV is making its first- ever appearance and is tied for No. 25 with Texas A&M. Alabama received 40 of 63 first-place votes and leapfrogged three teams to take over No. 1 from Texas. Texas tussled with Mississippi State and slipped to No. 2. Ohio State remained No. 3, Tennessee is No. 4 and Georgia is No. 5.

NHL

Kings defenseman Doughty needs surgery for broken left ankle, will miss most of season Los Angeles Los Angeles Kings

defenseman Drew Doughty needs surgery to repair his broken left ankle and is expected to miss most of the season. Coach Jim Hiller said the injury is not season- ending, adding that the team expects Doughty back at some point. Hiller did not provide a timeline, and the Kings have listed Doughty on their injury report as “month-to-month.” Doughty was injured during the first period of a preseason game against the Vegas Golden Knights. The 34-year-old had his left leg caught up against the boards as he was battling for a loose puck.

Summer of snubs could keep Tatum hungry for repeat title

Celtics

was an afterthought on the Olympic basketball team

By Jimmy Golen The Associated Press

BOSTON — Jayson Tatum has a new tattoo on his back, another gold medal to hang around his neck, and a chip on his shoulder.

The Boston Celtics star reported for his eighth NBA season on Tuesday after an eventful few months in which he helped the franchise win an 18th championship and then joined the U.S. team for its victory at the Paris Games, only to be consigned to being a role-player and getting benched for two games in the middle of the Olympics.

“In real time, it was tough,” Tatum said at the Celtics media day, acknowledging “I guess you could say that” it would motivate him when the

Celtics try to repeat as NBA champions.

“Did I need any extra motivation coming into the season? No,” said Tatum, whose new ink is a picture of himself cradling the championship trophy. “It was a unique circumstance — something I haven’t experienced before in my playing career. But I’m a believer that everything happens for a reason.”

The Celtics return to practice on Wednesday, and the biggest obstacle to a repeat championship may be the complacency that can set in after winning the first one. That’s why Tatum’s Olympic humiliation may be just what coach Joe Mazzulla was looking for to keep his star focused. (Tatum had also been bypassed for Finals MVP in favor of teammate Jaylen Brown, who also — by virtue of coming into the league a year earlier — was the highest-paid player in the NBA.)

Brady responds to Mayfield’s criticism on Fox broadcast

The legendary quarterback defended his demanding attitude while with Buccaneers

By Rob Maaddi

The Associated Press

TAMPA, Fla. — Tom Brady has no regrets about pushing his teammates to be their best.

The seven-time Super Bowl champion didn’t hold back in responding to Baker Mayfield’s recent comments that Brady created a “stressful environment” during the 2022 season, his last with the Buccaneers.

After Mayfield threw his second touchdown pass to give Tampa Bay a 14-0 lead over the Philadelphia Eagles on Sunday, Brady shared his thoughts from the booth about his replacement’s criticism.

“I thought stressful was not having Super Bowl rings, so there was a mindset of a champion that I took to work every day,” Brady said when Fox posted Mayfield’s comments on screen. “This wasn’t daycare. If I wanted to have fun, I would’ve went to Disneyland with my kids.”

Mayfield revived his career in Tampa Bay last season, led

“I thought stressful was not having Super Bowl rings.”

Tom Brady

the Buccaneers to their third straight NFC South title and a playoff win. He got a $100 million, three-year contract to stay in Tampa Bay and has become a fan favorite.

Brady, who arrived in 2020, led the Buccaneers to a Super Bowl title that season — his seventh ring — and two division titles in 2021 and 2022 before he retired.

During an appearance on a Casa de Klub podcast, Mayfield said Brady’s intensity created a stress-filled environment in the locker room.

“The building was a little bit different with Tom in there. Obviously, playing-wise, Tom is different. He had everybody dialed in, high-strung environment, so I think everybody was pretty stressed out,” Mayfield said on the podcast. “They wanted me to come in, be myself, bring the joy back to football for guys who weren’t having as much fun.”

“Joe was probably the happiest person in the world that I didn’t win Finals MVP, and I didn’t play in two of the games of the Olympics,” Tatum said. “So that was odd. But if you know Joe, that makes sense.”

Also nursing a bruised ego is Brown, who was not selected to the Olympic team and took to social media to complain about the snub. Reporters didn’t wait long before asking Brown about it.

“Damn. Question No. 1,” Brown said with a laugh. “Don’t I get to warm up a little?”

“The past is the past,” he said. “I’m extremely motivated, for obvious reasons. I’m ready to get after it.”

The Celtics had the shortest offseason in the league, beating Dallas in the NBA Finals on June 17 and then returning to practice about a week earlier than most of the NBA because they open the preseason in Abu Dhabi on Oct. 4. Three of them didn’t even get

the summer off: Tatum, Jrue Holiday and Derrick White all played for the United States at the Olympics. Holiday said the break was plenty.

“I love this game, so basketball isn’t like a hassle to me or anything,” he said. “I guess I love this job that I have. I had some great experiences this summer, so I wouldn’t trade that for anything.”

The Celtics return virtually the same roster that won it all: Fifteen players are back from last year’s team, including the top 11 scorers. The last NBA team to win backto-back titles was the Golden State Warriors, who won three in four seasons from 2015-18.

“It was never about trying to just win one,” Tatum said. “All the guys I looked up to growing up won at least one championship. Now it’s just a conversation of how great are you trying to be?”

Mayfield also took a shot at the way Brady handled disputes with former offensive coordinator Byron Leftwich over play calls.

“You hear some of the stories about if he didn’t like a certain play call and he didn’t like it throughout the week and they still call it in the game, there might have been a throwaway on purpose or throwing it at the running back or receiver’s feet,” Mayfield said. “There were a lot of mind games going on.” Mayfield downplayed Brady’s reaction after leading the Buccaneers to a 33-16 victory over Philadelphia.

“I think a lot of that got taken out of context. None of it was personal, by any means,” Mayfield said. “It’s just what he demanded of the guys, and that’s the aura of Tom Brady, and that’s what he did to bring a

championship here. Nothing personal, but I talked with him before the game. He’s obviously happy for me and he knows the guys. He knows how much I enjoy throwing to Mike (Evans) and Chris (Godwin) because he did the same, and it’s fun to talk about some of the same experiences.

“A lot of things got taken out of context. He did it his own way and that’s why he has seven rings. Not much else needs to be said.” Brady was back in Tampa Bay for the first time as an analyst. He greeted Mayfield and many former teammates, coaches and team staff before the game.

“There’s a way to approach this game and that’s with the right mindset and try to push each other outside of our comfort zone,” Brady said. “Great teammates do that.”

PETER JONELEIT / AP PHOTO

Former NFL quarterback Tom Brady visits with Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Baker Mayfield on the field before a game against the Philadelphia Eagles on Sunday.

The

star

MICHAEL DWYER / AP PHOTO

Boston Celtics star Jayson Tatum poses for team photos during the team’s media day last week.

the stream

Coldplay releases ‘Moon Music,’

‘Salem’s

The American Music Awards will celebrate its 50th anniversary on CBS

The Associated Press

COLDPLAY’S 10TH studio album and the American Music Awards celebrating their 50th anniversary are some of the new television, films, music and games headed to a device near you.

Also among the streaming offerings worth your time: Sarah Paulson plays a woman in fear of a sinister presence in “Hold Your Breath,” and Charlie Puth stars as himself in “The Charlie Puth Show,” a mockumentary series on Roku.

MOVIES TO STREAM

As if being a mother in the 1930s Dust Bowl wasn’t stressful enough, Sarah Paulson and her children are living in fear of a sinister presence in “Hold Your Breath.” Coming to Hulu on Thursday, this psychological thriller from Karrie Crouse and Will Joines co-stars “The Bear’s” Ebon Moss-Bachrach as a mysterious character who arrives at their home amid worries over a murderous drifter at large. On top of all of this, her daughter becomes obsessed with a storybook fable about The Grey Man, who comes into people’s homes as if made of dust and, when breathed in, turns his victims into villains.

Speaking of “The Bear,” the new Blumhouse film “House of Spoils” leans into the horror element of opening a restaurant (albeit on a remote estate with a haunting presence, two things Carmy has yet to deal with). Oscar-winning “West Side Story” actor Ariana DeBose plays the ambitious chef at the center of Bridget Savage Cole and Danielle Krudy’s film, which also features Barbie Ferreira (“Euphoria”) and Arian Moayed (“Succession”). “House of Spoils” arrives on Prime Video on Thursday.

Writer-director Gary Dauberman adapts Stephen King’s “Salem’s Lot” in a new film coming to Max on Thursday. Lewis Pullman, of “Top Gun: Maverick,” stars as a man who comes back to his small Maine town to try to finish his book, but unfortunately, that

Lot’ reboot lands on Netflix

town is being terrorized by a vampire. It’s so far divided critics, some declaring it among the best King adaptations, others on the opposite end. But the author seems pleased. In February, King wrote on X, “I’ve seen the new SALEM’S LOT, and it’s quite good. Old-school horror filmmaking: slow build, big payoff.” Netflix also has the Sundance breakout “It’s What’s Inside” coming Friday. In it, a reunion between college friends turns into a nightmare when a suitcase and a strange game arrive. Jourdain Searles, in her IndieWire review, wrote, “It’s a loud, colorful, frantic, and pitch-black horror comedy about identity that mercilessly critiques modern anxiety about desirability and success. Scary!”

MUSIC TO STREAM

There’s nothing worse than a self-serious pop star, and thankfully, Charlie Puth appears to know that more than most. In a new Roku channel mockumentary titled “The Charlie Puth Show,” the “See You Again” singer stars as a fictionalized version of, well, himself — a musician looking to maintain relevancy by starring in a reality show. Expect a few A-list cameos, too, for this parodic take on the current cultural zeitgeist. Talents like Will Ferrell, Dorinda Medley and Courteney Cox make an appearance. Coldplay’s expansive alt-contemporary rock fills stadiums around the world; on record, they turn a simple sing-along phrase into a soaring mantra. The repetitive “la la la” on “feels-

likeimfallinginlove” is enough evidence, as is the chorus on the stuffed “WE PRAY,” which features Little Simz, Burna Boy, Elyanna, and TINI. Both appear on the band’s 10th studio album, “Moon Music.” They’ve cornered the market on Earth; where else would they head?

Finneas, the second-youngest person to win two Oscars (he’s just behind his sister and principal collaborator, Billie Eilish), is gearing up to release his sophomore solo album, “For Cryin’ Out Loud!” Most are likely familiar with his production work, less so his ambitious material — luckily, it’s not too late to dive into the dreamy poprock of “Cleats” or the funky, frustrated title track, “For Cryin’ Out Loud!”

The American Music Awards are celebrating their 50th anni-

versary on Sunday with a television special airing live on CBS and available to stream on Paramount+ at 8 p.m. Viewers can expect a few brand-new performances from Brad Paisley, Chaka Khan, Gladys Knight, Green Day, Jennifer Hudson, Kane Brown, Mariah Carey, Raye and Stray Kids, as well as artist interviews and previously unreleased footage from AMAs past. Consider it appointment viewing for those who love award shows.

SHOWS TO STREAM

The Netflix coming-of-age romance series “Heartstopper,” focused on teens Charlie and Nick, returns Thursday. In the new season, Annette Badland of “Outlander” and Jonathan Bailey of “Bridgerton” join the cast. Movie and television studies love a franchise where they can make sequels and bank on dollars at the box office a la “Deadpool & Wolverine.” The new comedy series “The Franchise” follows the behind-the-scenes mayhem of filming a movie in an unpopular franchise. It stars Himesh Patel, Aya Cash, Billy Magnussen, Richard E. Grant and Daniel Brühl. The series premieres Oct. 6 on HBO and streams on Max.

VIDEO GAMES TO PLAY

It’s a special time of year for those of us who are fans of lousy baseball teams (ahem, Washington Nationals). The National Hockey League season is right around the corner, and EA Sports’ NHL 25 is coming with it. This year’s edition features ICE-Q, revamped artificial intelligence that’s intended to make your computer-controlled teammates more reliable and accurate. Franchise mode has been streamlined to make stat tracking, trades and contract negotiations easier. Perhaps you and a friend like to play over and over with the same teams? The new Grudge Match system keeps track of your headto-head records, raising the stakes whenever you face off. The cover models know a little about sibling rivalries: They’re the Hughes brothers, Jack and Luke of the New Jersey Devils, and Quinn of the Vancouver Canucks. The puck drops Friday on PlayStation 5 and Xbox X/S.

Sarah Paulson, left, and Emily Katherine Ford star in “Hold Your Breath,” coming to Hulu on Thursday.

STATE & NATION

Native Americans in Montana ask court for more in-person voting sites

Tribes are asking counties to create satellite offices

By Matthew Brown The Associated Press

BILLINGS, Mont. — Native Americans living on a remote Montana reservation filed a lawsuit against state and county officials Monday, saying they don’t have enough places to vote in person — the latest chapter in a decades-long struggle by tribes in the United States over equal voting opportunities.

The six members of the Fort Peck Reservation want satellite voting offices in their communities for late registration and to vote before Election Day without making long drives to a county courthouse.

The legal challenge, filed in state court, comes five weeks before the presidential election in a state with a pivotal U.S. Senate race where the Republican candidate has made derogatory comments about Native Americans.

Native Americans were granted U.S. citizenship a century ago. Advocates say the right still doesn’t always bring equal access to the ballot.

Many tribal members in rural western states live in farflung communities with limited resources and transportation. That can make it hard to reach election offices, which are some-

times located off-reservation.

The plaintiffs in the Montana lawsuit reside in two small communities near the Canada border on the Fort Peck Reservation, home to the Assiniboine and Sioux tribes. The plaintiffs’ attorney, Cher Old Elk, grew up in one of those communities, Frazer, Montana, where more than a third of people live below the poverty line and the per capita income is about $12,000,

according to census data.

It’s a 60-mile round trip from Frazer to the election office at the courthouse in Glasgow. Old Elk says that can force prospective voters into difficult choices.

“It’s not just the gas money; it’s actually having a vehicle that runs,” she said. “Is it food on my table, or is it the gas money to find a vehicle, to find a ride, to go to Glasgow to vote?”

The lawsuit asks a state judge

for an order forcing Valley and Roosevelt counties and Secretary of State Christi Jacobson to create satellite election offices in Frazer and Poplar, Montana. They would be open during the same hours and on the same days as the county courthouses.

The plaintiffs requested satellite election offices from the counties earlier this year, the lawsuit says. Roosevelt County officials refused, while Valley

County officials said budget constraints limited them to opening a satellite voting center for just one day.

Valley County Attorney Dylan Jensen said there were only two full-time employees in the Clerk and Recorder’s Office that oversees elections, so staffing a satellite office would be problematic.

“To do that for an extended period of time and still keep regular business going, it would be difficult,” he said.

Roosevelt County Clerk and Recorder Tracy Miranda and a spokesperson for Jacobson did not immediately respond to messages seeking comment.

Prior efforts to secure Native American voting rights helped drive changes in recent years that expanded electoral access for tribal members in South Dakota and Nevada.

A 2012 federal lawsuit in Montana sought to establish satellite election offices on the Crow, Northern Cheyenne and Fort Belknap reservations. It was rejected by a judge, but the ruling was later set aside by an appeals court. In 2014, tribal members in the case reached a settlement with officials in several counties.

Monday’s lawsuit said inequities continue on the Fort Peck Reservation and that tribal members have never fully achieved equal voting since Montana was first organized as a territory in 1864 and Native Americans were excluded from its elections. Native voters in subsequent years continued to face barriers to registering and were sometimes stricken from voter rolls.

“It’s unfortunate we had to take a very aggressive step, to take this to court, but the counties aren’t doing it. I don’t know any other way,” Old Elk said.

DOJ will launch review into 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre

A public report is expected by the end of the year

By Sean Murphy The Associated Press

OKLAHOMA CITY — The Justice Department announced Monday it plans to launch a review of the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre, an attack by a white mob on a thriving black district that is considered one of the worst single acts of violence against black people in U.S. history.

The review was launched under a federal cold-case initiative that has led to prosecutions of some Civil Rights Era cases, although Assistant U.S. Attorney General Kristen Clarke said they have “no expectation” there is anyone living who could be prosecuted as a result of the inquiry. Still, the announcement of the first federal probe into the massacre was embraced by descendants of survivors who have long criticized city and state leaders for not doing more to compensate those affected by the attack.

Clarke said the agency plans to issue a public report detailing its findings by the end of the year.

“We acknowledge descendants of the survivors, and the victims continue to bear the trauma of this act of racial terrorism,” Clarke said during her remarks in Washington.

Damario Solomon-Simmons, an attorney for the last known survivors of the massacre, 110-year-old Viola Fletcher and 109-year-old Lessie Benningfield Randle, described Clarke’s

announcement as a “joyous occasion.”

“It is about time,” said Solomon-Simmons, flanked by descendants of massacre survivors. “It only took 103 years, but this is a joyous occasion, a momentous day, an amazing opportunity for us to make sure that what happened here in Tulsa is understood for what it was — the largest crime scene

in the history of this country.”

As many as 300 black people were killed; more than 1,200 homes, businesses, schools and churches were destroyed; and thousands were forced into internment camps overseen by the National Guard when a white mob, including some deputized by authorities, looted and burned the Greenwood District, also known as Black Wall Street.

The Oklahoma Supreme Court in June dismissed a lawsuit by survivors, dampening the hope of advocates for racial justice that the city would make financial amends for the attack.

The nine-member court upheld the decision made by a district court judge in Tulsa last year, ruling that the plaintiff’s grievances about the destruction of the Greenwood district, although legitimate, did not fall within the scope of the state’s public nuisance statute.

After the state Supreme Court turned away the lawsuit, Solomon-Simmons asked the U.S. Department of Justice to open an investigation into the massacre under the Emmett Till Unsolved Civil Rights Crime Act.

Although investigations under the act have led to successful

prosecutions of Civil Rights Era cases, the DOJ acknowledged in a report to Congress last year that there are significant legal barriers to cases before 1968.

“Even with our best efforts, investigations into historic cases are exceptionally difficult, and rarely will justice be reached inside of a courtroom,” the agency noted in the report.

Since the Act was approved in 2008, the DOJ has opened for review 137 cases involving 160 known victims. The agency has fully investigated and resolved 125 of those cases through prosecution, referral or closure.

The report also notes the Act has led to two successful federal prosecutions and three successful state prosecutions. Both federal prosecutions involved separate murders of Black men in Mississippi by members of the Ku Klux Klan in the 1960s.

The first federally assisted state prosecution under the initiative was against Klansmen who bombed a Birmingham, Alabama, church in 1963, killing four young girls. That prosecution in the early 2000s led to convictions and life sentences for two men involved in the bombing.

ALVIN C. KRUPNICK CO. / LIBRARY OF CONGRESS VIA AP

Smoke billows over Tulsa, Oklahoma, during the city’s 1921 race riots.

MATTHEW BROWN / AP PHOTO

Bret Healy, left, a consultant for Four Directions Native Vote, speaks about voting opportunities on Native American reservations in Montana while attorney Cher Old Elk (center) and activist Tom Rodgers (right) listen during a press conference Sept. 26 in Billings, Montana.

HOKE COUNTY

Students night out

A group of Hoke High School students attended Superintendents Night Out at East Hoke Middle School on Tuesday to speak with Superintendent Kenneth Spells about the Theatrical Arts program at Hoke County High School. The event gave parents and students the ability to give feedback to the school district and to learn more about the school’s offerings. The Hoke County Schools Exceptional Children’s Department Night Out will be Oct. 14 at East Hoke Middle from 5 to 7 p.m. Pictured above, from left to right, are Seniors Cameela Byrd and Ryan Glover, Superintendent Spells and junior Arianna Albino.

WHAT’S HAPPENING

Ruling allows public high school students to profit from NIL

A judge in has cleared the way for the state’s public school athletes to profit off their fame in a court case involving a high school football player who has committed to play at Tennessee. The lawsuit challenged North Carolina’s restrictions on athletes cashing in on the use of their name, image and likeness, known as NIL. It was filed on behalf of Greensboro Grimsley quarterback Faizon Brandon, who is the nation’s top-ranked recruit in the class of 2026, according to 247Sports. An attorney for the family said, “Justice has been served, not only for Faizon but for all public high school students in North Carolina.” The ruling does not apply to private school student athletes.

Election faces

“daunting” level of uncertainty

Election officials say they will do everything in their power to ensure that voters in North Carolina, a crucial presidential swing state, will be able to cast their ballots despite the devastation of Hurricane Helene only about a month before the November election. North Carolina state election board Executive Director Karen Brinson Bell said Tuesday that 12 county election offices in the hard-hit western part of the state remain closed. She described the storm as causing a “daunting” level of uncertainty, with early in-person voting scheduled to start in just over two weeks. Election officials in Florida, Tennessee and the presidential battleground of Georgia also were assessing potential impacts on voting.

Commissioners sign lease to utilize McCain Water Treatment Plant

While Hoke County plans to own the plant eventually, it will lease from the state for $1

By Ryan Henkel North State Journal

RAEFORD — The Hoke County Board of Commissioners continues work on improving the Hoke’s water availability. At its meeting Monday evening, the board approved a twoyear contract with the North Carolina Department of Adult Correction to lease the McCain Water Treatment Plant at the cost of $1.

Currently, the NCDAC owns the land where the water treatment plant is, and while the

county has been using the water from there for a while now, per Commissioner Tony Hunt, the plan is for the county to eventually own the plant themselves.

“Our intentions and the state’s intentions is that we will eventually own McCain water,” Hunt said. “There’s just things we need to go ahead and get to doing now. The red tape has just been crazy with trying to get everybody to sign what needs to be signed. We’ve actually got some of our representatives involved trying to move it along, but long story short, we want to go ahead and get the lease agreement signed so it protects us.”

According to Hunt, the county wants to go ahead and lease

the plant so they can drill more wells and so that when they finish upgrading the water lines, the county is able to start moving water immediately.

Hunt also articulated that while the county is working toward expanding their available water supply, there is no shortage for Hoke County residents.

“We don’t have a water issue with any of our residents now,” Hunt said. “I want everyone to understand that. The only issue we have is that developers are wanting to develop quicker than we can supply the water for them, therefore we need to put in some more wells. But we’re going to do that at the pace we want to do that and not at the pace they want to do it at. We want everybody to under-

Years in the making, OBX beach homes are collapsing into the ocean

Nearly a dozen homes have been lost since 2020

By Ben Finley The Associated Press

NORFOLK, Va. — A slow-motion catastrophe has been playing out in the coastal North Carolina village of Rodanthe, where 10 houses have fallen into the Atlantic since 2020. Three have been lost since Friday. The most recent collapse was Tuesday afternoon, when the wooden pilings of a home nicknamed “Front Row Seats” buckled in the surf. The structure bumped against another house before it bobbed in the waves, prompting now familiar warn-

ings about splintered wood and nail-riddled debris. The destruction was decades in the making as beach erosion and climate change slowly edged the Atlantic closer to homes in the somewhat out-of-the way vacation spot. The threat is more insidious than a hurricane, while the possible solutions won’t be easy or cheap, either in Rodanthe or other parts of the U.S.

Barrier islands aren’t ideal for building

Rodanthe is a village of about 200 people on the Outer Banks, a strip of narrow barrier islands that protrude into the Atlantic like a flexed arm.

Barrier islands were never an

ideal place for development, according to experts. They typically form as waves deposit sediment off the mainland. And they move based on weather patterns and other ocean forces. Some even disappear. David Hallac, superintendent of the Cape Hatteras National Seashore, along which Rodanthe is located, said it was more common in previous decades for homeowners to move their houses from the encroaching surf.

“Perhaps it was more well understood in the past that the barrier island was dynamic, that it was moving,” Hallac said. “And if you built something on the beachfront it may not be there forever or it may need to be moved.”

stand that there is not a water shortage for our folks that have homes now.

The board also held a public hearing for submission of the Hoke County Transportation Program application.

The application seeks federal and state dollars from the N.C. Department of Transportation for administrative and capital costs totaling $510,703. Of that, $58,760 would need to be provided from local funding.

The funding would provide for two raised-roof vans, a 22foot light transit vehicle, vehicle lettering and vinyl safety decals for the new vehicles, salary and benefits for the transit director and admin expenses such drug

See BOARD, page A2

The beach is rapidly eroding

Rodanthe is one of many communities on Hatteras Island, which is roughly 50 miles ong and has been experiencing beach erosion for decades.

The Cape Hatteras Lighthouse was 1,500 feet from the ocean when it was built in 1870, Hallac said. By 1919, the Atlantic was 300 feet away. The lighthouse was later moved to a more protected location.

The erosion has been measured to be as much as 10 to 15 feet a year or more in some

See OBX, page A2

BOARD from page A1

and alcohol testing, DOT physicals, uniforms, marketing fees, advertising fees, office supplies, travel, telephone services, scheduling software and printer maintenance contracts.

Following the hearing, the board approved the application.

The board then approved authorizing county staff to submit a request for proposals in order to investigate the potential costs for solar power systems in the county.

“When we had our board retreat, we had a group that came and gave us a presentation to let us know the potential savings (of solar panels),” said Vice Chair Harry Southerland. “As America goes green, we’re all trying to go green, but this could be a good way to save money and go green at the same time.”

Finally, a $408,304 budget increase was approved by the board for the multiuse building/fire tower center project due to a change order request to increase the size to 3,000 square feet in order to add showers and a kitchen.

The Hoke County Board of Commissioners will next meet Oct. 14.

THURSDAY

places.

“And so every year, 10 to 15 feet of that white sandy beach is gone,” Hallac said. “And then the dunes and then the backdune area. And then all of a sudden, the foreshore, that area between low water and high water, is right up next to somebody’s backyard. And then the erosion continues.”

“Like a toothpick into wet sand”

Ocean waves eventually lap at the wooden pilings that hold up the beach houses. The supports could be 15 feet deep. But the surf slowly takes away the sand that is packed around them.

“It’s like a toothpick in wet sand or even a beach umbrella,” Hallac said. “The deeper you put it, the more likely it is to stand up straight and resist leaning over. But if you only put it down a few inches, it doesn’t take much wind for that umbrella to start leaning. And it starts to tip over.”

A single home collapse can shed debris up to 15 miles along the coast, according to an August report from a group of federal, state and local officials who are studying threatened oceanfront structures in North Carolina. Collapses can injure beachgoers and lead to potential contamination from septic tanks, among other environmental concerns.

Collapsed houses were likely in compliance

Rules that govern coastal development in North Carolina have been in place since the 1970s, before many of the collapsed houses were constructed and when there was a lot more beach, said Noah Gillam, Dare County’s planning director.

“At the time they were built, they were likely in compliance with all of the set-back requirements,” Gillam said. “And they were set back, in many situations, hundreds of yards from the dune line, let alone the ocean.”

Since then, the rate of erosion has sped up, swallowing swaths of sand. Storms also have become more frequent and more intense, pounding the shoreline of a community that is acutely exposed to the ocean.

“This is a national issue”

Meanwhile, officials and experts have been focused on solutions or at least ways to address the problem. The report on threatened oceanfront homes noted that 750 of nearly 8,800 oceanfront structures in North Carolina are considered at risk from erosion.

Among the possible solutions is hauling dredged sand to eroding beaches, something that is already being done in other communities on the Outer Banks and East Coast. But it could cost $40 million or more in Rodanthe, posing a major financial challenge for its small tax base, said Gillam, of Dare County. Other ideas include buying out threatened properties, moving or demolishing them. But those options are also very expensive. And funding is limited.

U.S. Rep. Greg Murphy (NCR) recently introduced a bill in Congress that would make some money available. For example, the legislation would authorize federal flood insurance dollars to help demolish or relocate erosion-plagued homes before they collapse.

Braxton Davis, executive director of the North Carolina Coastal Federation, a nonprofit, said the problem isn’t limited to Rodanthe or even to North Carolina. He pointed to erosion issues along California’s coast, the Great Lakes and some of the nation’s rivers.

“This is a national issue,” Davis said, adding that sea levels are rising and “the situation is only going to become worse.”

OBX from page A1

PAID FOR BY CARTER FOR HOKE COMMISSIONER

THE CONVERSATION

Neal Robbins, publisher | Frank Hill, senior opinion editor

VISUAL VOICES

Cracking down on open borders and standing up for your safety

Law-abiding, tax-paying American citizens are already bearing the brunt of the Biden-Harris administration’s dangerous border policies.

THE BIDEN-HARRIS ADMINISTRATION and the Democrats’ dangerous open border and soft-on-crime policies have made communities across America less safe. House Republicans recently took action to protect you, your family and your tax dollars from paying the painful price of the left’s radical, dangerous agenda.

It seems like every day we are seeing another shocking headline about illegal migrants who have crossed our border and committed heinous crimes against America’s women and girls, including rape and sexual assault. A 37-year-old Maryland mom, Rachel Morin, was raped and murdered by an illegal while out on a run. A 12-year-old Texan girl, Jocelyn Nungaray, was assaulted, strangled to death and left under a bridge by two illegals. These are just a few of the female victims who have suffered the tragic consequences of the administration’s open border policies.

Just one instance of a woman or young girl being violently assaulted by an illegal migrant should be enough for President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris to enforce our immigration laws and remove them from our country. Unfortunately, they are still letting these criminals roam freely. It’s infuriating, and House Republicans won’t stand for it. We passed the Violence Against Women by Illegal Aliens Act to ensure illegals convicted of sex offenses or domestic violence are deported from the United States.

Throughout our country, radical liberal sanctuary states and cities like New York City are also disregarding America’s immigration laws, imposing policies to block immigration enforcement and protect illegal criminals. This is only worsening

COLUMN | DAVID HARSANYI

the out-of-control border crisis and incentivizing more migrants to cross illegally into the United States without fear of consequences. Worse, these far-left mayors and governors are using taxpayer dollars to foot the bill for their sanctuary policies and subsidize illegals.

Law-abiding, tax-paying American citizens are already bearing the brunt of the Biden-Harris administration’s dangerous border policies. It’s time the federal government stopped bailing out our blue cities and started holding them accountable instead. That’s why I was proud to join my House Republican colleagues in passing the No Bailout for Sanctuary Cities Act. This legislation would prevent sanctuary cities from receiving federal funds that would subsidize illegals and encourage more illegal crossings.

In North Carolina and across our country, families are worried about rising crime. This is a direct result of radical policies, like cashless bail, that allow violent offenders to be released back onto our streets, jeopardizing Americans’ safety.

You and your family deserve to feel safe in your community.

House Republicans passed a bill to ensure those convicted of violent crimes are not let back into our communities to commit more crimes and restore oversight to out-of-control bail funds.

Open border and soft-on-crime policies are threatening the safety and security of the American people. Rest assured, I will continue to fight for policies that prioritize law and order, ensuring that you and your loved ones can live without fear.

Rep. Richard Hudson represents the 9th Congressional District in Washington, D.C.

Harris’ attack on the filibuster is an attack on the constitutional order

Democrats have targeted virtually every institution that makes “democracy” tenable in a truly diverse and sprawling nation that is home to hundreds of millions of people.

THOUGH DEMOCRATS are endlessly prattling on about “norms” and “democracy,” it is often unclear what aspects of the constitutional order they actually support. This week, for example, Vice President Kamala Harris reiterated her support for suspending the legislative filibuster so Democrats, should they eke out a slim Senate majority, can overturn thousands of state laws and force the entire country to legalize taxpayer-subsidized, late-term abortions on demand. It is, of course, true that the filibuster isn’t in the Constitution. In many ways, however, it is one of the last remaining tools upholding a semblance of constitutional order. Yet to most contemporary Democrats, the 60-vote threshold to cut off debate is an antiquated tool that facilitates “minority rule” — by which they mean “federalism.” Which makes sense. Democrats are keen on empowering narrow, fleeting leftwing majorities cramming through wideranging generational “reform” bills without any consensus. They know well that once a massive entitlement or regulatory program is passed, it will be virtually impossible to roll back. You don’t need to be a constitutional scholar to understand there’s no version of the founding that envisioned this kind of governance. Imagine, if you can, what the world would look like if former President Donald Trump announced he was going to blow up the filibuster using a one-vote Senate majority and then cram through a national limit on abortion. Republicans would be accused of acting like fascistic ghouls, and the media would have a thermonuclear meltdown. It would be 1939 Germany all over again. Worse, Democrats have targeted virtually

every institution that makes “democracy” tenable in a truly diverse and sprawling nation that is home to hundreds of millions of people.

Because if forcing red states to adopt maximalist abortion laws is important enough to sink long-standing checks on federal power, you better believe it won’t be the last exception to the rule.

For one thing, Republicans can’t be expected to play by a different set of governing guidelines. For another, the left seems to believe every policy position it takes is fundamental to preserving “democracy.”

The exemptions would be endless.

It’s not just about the naked hypocrisy. It’s about republic-destroying norm-breaking. “Reforming” the filibuster is part of a broader effort to create a powerful, highly centralized state.

The Supreme Court is perhaps the only institution inhibiting state overreach these days, which is why Democrats have been busy delegitimizing and now want to pack the court and transform it into another malleable partisan institution. Harris included.

The other institution somewhat tempering a direct democracy is the Electoral College. Yet left-wing pundits are already whining about the undemocratic nature of that institution as well. It is always confusing to me when someone writes to complain that the Electoral College doesn’t align with the “popular vote,” as if this wasn’t the entire point of the enterprise. If the two always harmonized, we wouldn’t need it.

The Senate was created as a countermajoritarian institution. Now that leftists believe they have the upper hand, they are increasingly perplexed by the fact

that Wyoming and California have the same number of senators.

You know, it’s called the United States for a reason.

When it comes to executive abuse, Trump, who makes tons of grandiose promises that lay far outside the president’s purview, is a mere piker compared to his predecessor and successor. There is a growing movement among progressive politicians and intellectuals, sometimes referred to as “popular constitutionalism,” that would allow Democrats to ignore the courts whenever they choose.

It’s no accident that Harris promised to confiscate guns via an executive order like some kind of dictator. Or that President Joe Biden keeps ignoring the high court and unilaterally “forgives” loans. Or that Democratic senators implore their president to declare national emergencies that would empower the White House to run the entire economy through a massive administrative state.

Perhaps Harris’ position on the filibuster is a cynical play for votes. What’s become undeniable, however, is that counter-constitutionalism is being normalized on the left.

Democrats want to get rid of the Electoral College so that a few giant urban areas can run the executive branch. They want to get rid of the filibuster so they can unilaterally transform the nation. When they don’t have congressional majorities, they want (their) presidents to rule by fiat.

And many now want to pack the Supreme Court to make sure no one will stop them. There are numerous ways to describe this brand of governance, but none of them have anything to do with American norms or democracy.

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

COLUMN | REP. RICHARD HUDSON

Rwanda reports 8 deaths linked to Marburg virus

Most of the affected are health care workers

By Ignatius Ssuuna

The Associated Press

Kigali, RWANDA — Rwanda says eight people have died so far from the Ebola-like and highly contagious Marburg virus, just days after the country declared an outbreak of the deadly hemorrhagic fever that has no authorized vaccine or treatment.

Like Ebola, the Marburg virus originates in fruit bats and spreads between people through close contact with the bodily fluids of infected individuals or with surfaces, such as contaminated bed sheets. Without treatment, Marburg can be fatal in up to 88% of people who fall ill with the disease.

Rwanda, a landlocked country in central Africa, declared an outbreak last Friday, and a day later the first six deaths were reported. So far 26 cases have been confirmed, and eight of the sickened people have died, Health Minister Sabin Nsanzimana said Sunday night.

The public has been urged to avoid physical contact to help curb the spread. Some 300 people who came into contact with those confirmed to have the virus have also been iden-

tified, and an unspecified number of them have been put in isolation facilities.

Most of the affected are health care workers across six out of 30 districts in the country.

“Marburg is a rare disease,” Nsanzimana told journalists. “We are intensifying contact tracing and testing to help stop the spread.”

The minister said the source of the disease has not been determined yet. A person infected with the virus can take between three days and three weeks to show symptoms, he added.

Symptoms include fever, muscle pains, diarrhea, vomiting and, in some cases, death through extreme blood loss.

The World Health Organization was scaling up its support and will work with Rwandan authorities to help stop the spread, WHO’s Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said on Saturday on the social media platform X.

The U.S Embassy in Rwanda’s capital of Kigali has urged its staff to work remotely and avoid visiting offices.

Marburg outbreaks and individual cases have in the past been recorded in Tanzania, Equatorial Guinea, Angola, Congo, Kenya, South Africa, Uganda and Ghana, according to the WHO.

medical worker carries a meal to an

coming into contact in Uganda with a

The rare virus was first identified in 1967 after it caused simultaneous outbreaks of disease in laboratories in Marburg, Germany, and Belgrade, Serbia. Seven people died who were exposed to the virus while conducting research on monkeys.

Separately, Rwanda has so far reported six cases of mpox, a disease caused by a virus related to smallpox but that typically causes milder symptoms. Mpox, previously known

as monkeypox because it was first seen in research monkeys, has also affected several other African countries in what the WHO has called a global health emergency.

Rwanda launched an mpox vaccination campaign earlier this month, and more vaccines are expected to arrive in the country.

Neighboring Congo has so far reported most of the cases of mpox, the epicenter of the emergency.

“Marburg is a rare disease. We are intensifying contact tracing and testing to help stop the spread.”

Sabin Nsanzimana, Rwanda health minister

Factory surveys show Chinese economy weakening

The government has announced a stimulus package

By Elaine Kurtenbach

The Associated Press

CHINA’S ECONOMY weakened further in recent weeks, according to surveys released Monday, signaling the need for more support as the government ratchets up stimulus.

The Caixin purchasing managers survey showed new manufacturing orders fell at the fastest pace in two years in September.

“Operating conditions in China’s manufacturing sector deteriorated in September after improving during August,” the report said. “Furthermore, firms lowered their hiring and purchasing activity.”

An official survey released by the National Bureau of Sta-

tistics showed a less drastic decline, but it marked a fifth straight month of contraction.

The purchasing managers index was at 49.8 in September, up from a six-month low of 49.1 in August. The index is on a scale where figures above 50 indicate expansion.

The survey showed that factory output rose while new orders fell.

Chinese stock markets surged Monday, reflecting enthusiasm over a barrage of policy measures announced last week, including lower interest rates and smaller down payment requirements for mortgages and a cut in required bank reserves.

“There is no doubt that the coordinated and emphatic policy stimulus measures announced by Beijing have justifiably invoked optimism,” Tan Boon Heng of Mizuho Bank in Singapore said in a commentary. The main index smaller mar-

“There is no doubt that the coordinated and emphatic policy stimulus measures announced by Beijing have justifiably invoked optimism.”

Tan Boon Heng, Mizuho Bank

ket in Shenzhen soared 8.2% while the Shanghai Composite index jumped 5.7%

“The stimulus package announced last week should help shore activity over the coming months,” Gabriel Ng of Capital Economics said in a report. But he noted that imbalances between excess supply of many products versus weak demand persist. And trade measures against China, such as higher tariffs on electric vehicles and

other goods, also will weigh on the economy.

“In this environment, a meaningful cyclical recovery would require sizeable fiscal stimulus,” he said. “There has yet to be any official announcement on fiscal support, though some media reports suggest that one could come soon.”

Over the weekend, Beijing moved forward with the measures announced last week to support the property industry and revive languishing financial markets. The central bank announced on Sunday that it would direct banks to cut mortgage rates for existing home loans by Oct. 31. Meanwhile, the major southern city of Guangzhou lifted all home purchase restrictions over the weekend, while both Shanghai and Shenzhen revealed plans to ease key buying curbs.

Property developers have struggled after the government

cracked down on excessive borrowing for projects several years ago. Housing prices have continued to fall and the government has moved to ensure that developers deliver apartments that were paid for but not yet built.

The downturn in the property sector has rippled throughout the world’s second-largest economy, hitting many other industries that depended on booming housing construction, such as appliance makers and manufacturers of building materials.

It has slowed China’s recovery from the massive disruptions of the COVID-19 pandemic, adding to pressures on Chinese consumers worried over pay cuts, job losses and weaker asset prices.

The economy expanded at a 4.7% pace in the last quarter, slightly below the government’s target of about 5%.

BEN CURTIS / AP PHOTO

A

isolation tent housing a man being quarantined after

carrier of the Marburg virus in Nairobi, Kenya, in 2014.

HOKE SPORTS

Volleyball continues to roll, soccer searching for goal

North State Journal staff

VOLLEYBALL continues its historic season, while football suffers a heartbreaking loss. Soccer hopes to find its offensive spark again.

Football

The Bucks lost their third straight game and second since opening Sandhills conference play. The Bucks scored on offense, defense and special teams and led in the fourth quarter, but a 21-yard touchdown pass from Aiden Poole to Jayden Hill broke Bucks hearts and led Lee County to a 24-20 win on Hoke’s home field. The Bucks are now 1-5, 0-2 in conference.

Hoke got its first touchdown on a 15-yard scoop-andscore fumble return by Dontrell Mims. Tycen Vick then gave the Bucks their first lead by returning the second-half kickoff 85 yards for a touchdown. Favor Anab ran in a touchdown early in the fourth to put the Bucks on top, 18-10. Poole threw for two of his three touchdowns on the day in the final minutes of the game, however, also adding a two-point conversion pass to lead the Lee County rally. It was the seventh straight year Hoke has lost to the Yellow Jackets. Now the Bucks will look to end two streaks — their current three-game skid in 2024, as well as a historical run of trouble against this week’s opponent, Richmond. Hoke hasn’t beaten the Raiders since 2011 and fell last year, 41-0. The game will be on the road. Richmond is 4-2 on the year, 2-0 in the Sandhills. They won at Pinecrest last week by a 36-7 margin and have outscored their two league opponents, 77-14.

Boys’ soccer

Hoke County only played one game last week as the team hit a break in the schedule, with only one scheduled contest in a

nine- day span. As it turned out, the rainy weather would have made it tough to get any additional games in had they been on the slate. So it was a good time for a breather.

Hoke fell at home to Pinecrest, 1-0, stretching their winless streak to three games, over which they’re 0-2-1. The Bucks haven’t scored in their last two contests.

The Bucks are now 7-5-2, 1-3-1 in the Sandhills. They’ll try to rediscover their offense in a pair of league games this week. The Bucks host Scotland on Wednesday, then travel to Lee County early next week. The Scots are winless in the Sandhills at 0-6, while Lee County’s 3-2 mark puts the Yellow Jackets in third place in the league.

Volleyball

The volleyball team continued its most successful season in recent memory, winning all

three games last week to stretch its winning streak to five. Hoke swept all three opponents, including two Sandhills conference rivals, winning at Lee County and home against Richmond and Douglas Byrd, all by 3-0 margins.

Kayeliana Bonner did a little bit of everything last week, recording 20 kills, seven aces, three blocks, 26 digs and 16 receptions in the three games. Aubrey Carpenter had 40 digs and 31 receptions.

The Bucks are now 14-3 on the year and 6-3 in the Sandhills, good for a second-place tie with Scotland. They now have a stretch run of four more regular-season games. The first three are Sandhills foes — at Southern Lee and home against Union Pines this week, then at Pinecrest to start next week. They close out the schedule with a nonconference tilt at home against Red Springs.

ATHLETE OF THE WEEK

Aaliyah Carter

Hoke County, volleyball

Aaliyah Carter is a junior on the Hoke County volleyball team.

The Bucks have won five straight games to move to 14-3 on the year, more wins than they’ve had since before Carter and her teammates were in diapers.

Hoke recorded three wins last week, all in 3-0 sweeps, and Carter played a big role. She led the Bucks in assists in all three games, getting 18 against Lee County, while the rest of the team combined for 11. Against Richmond, she had 11 of the team’s 27 assists, and against Byrd, she had nine of Hoke’s 25 assists. For the season, she leads the team with 209 assists.

Last week, she also had two kills, 14 digs and five receptions in the three games.

Chastain passes Truex to win in Kansas

William Byron and Martin Truex Jr. suffered near misses after a late restart

By Dave Skretta

The Associated Press

KANSAS CITY, Kan. — Ross Chastain finally got to smash a watermelon for the first time this season Sunday at Kansas Speedway.

He smashed the hopes of a bunch of playoff drivers trying to earn an automatic berth in the next round, too.

The seventh-generation watermelon farmer took the lead from Martin Truex Jr. on a restart with 20 laps to go, then

held off title contender William Byron the rest of the way to the finish line. It was the first win for Chastain since last year’s finale at Phoenix, when he also played a bit of a spoiler on the day that the NASCAR Cup Series crowned its champion.

“We haven’t gone anywhere. We keep showing up,” said Chastain, who barely missed out on qualifying for the playoffs. “It’s not easy when you’re failing or struggling at something, and you just can’t get to where you want to get to.”

The retiring Truex, who was eliminated from the playoffs last week, finished third.

He was leading when Carson Hocevar brought out the final caution of a wreck-filled day.

Truex picked the top on the restart, and Chastain opted for the bottom, and it was the No. 1 car from Trackhouse Racing that got the big push to the front.

“It’s pretty deflating when you don’t make the playoffs, and we knew the last couple of races of the regular season, we were right on that cut line,” said Chastain’s crew chief, Phil Surgen. “But there’s no give-up here. We’re not laying down.”

Byron’s second-place run was the best among the 12 drivers going on to the second round of the playoffs. And while the win would have locked him into the next round of the playoffs with unpredictable Talladega up next, the result was enough

to move the No. 24 car to the top spot in the playoff points standings. “You’re so close, and going to Talladega, you know what that is,” Byron said. “But proud of the effort.”

Ryan Blaney had a loose left wheel in the final stage but rallied to finish fourth, giving the defending champ’s postseason hopes a big boost. Ty Gibbs was fifth, followed by four more playoff contenders: Alex Bowman was sixth, pole sitter Christopher Bell recovered from a couple of scrapes with the wall to finish seventh, Denny Hamlin salvaged an eighth-place run after trouble on pit road, and Chase Elliott was ninth after starting at the rear of the field

due to an engine change.

“Considering yesterday and starting last and everything, it could have been a lot worse,” Elliott said. “But I’m always on the side of the fence where our car was good enough. I felt like (the results) could have been a lot better, but we’ll take it.”

Kyle Busch looked like he might finally extend his streak to 20 seasons with a Cup Series win when he passed Chastain with 64 laps to go. But cycling back to the front after pit stops, Busch was trying to squeeze by Chase Briscoe as the latter fought to stay on the lead lap. Busch ended up hitting the wall and skidding down the back stretch with 30 laps to go. He wound up 19th, extending his winless streak to 51 races dating to last year in St. Louis.

“I guess I got in too big of a hurry,” Busch said. “I mean, I’m numb. I don’t know what to do.”

JASON JACKSON FOR NORTH STATE JOURNAL

Hoke senior outside hitter Kayeliana Bonner prepares to serve during a game earlier this season.

COLIN E. BRALEY / AP PHOTO

Ross Chastain celebrates in Victory Lane after winning Sunday’s NASCAR Cup Series race at Kansas Speedway in Kansas City.

SIDELINE REPORT

NBA

Rose, No. 1 overall pick in 2008 and the 2011 NBA MVP, announces retirement

Derrick Rose, the No. 1 overall pick in the 2008 NBA draft by the Chicago Bulls and the league’s MVP in 2011, announced his retirement. Rose was the league’s rookie of the year in 2008-09 for the Bulls, was the league’s MVP two seasons later and was an All-Star selection in three of his first four seasons. A major knee injury during the 2012 playoffs forced him to miss almost two full seasons. He would go on to play for five other franchises other than the Bulls — New York, Detroit, Minnesota, Cleveland and Memphis.

MLB

Marlins part ways with 2023 NL Manager of the Year Schumaker

Miami The Miami Marlins have parted ways with Skip Schumaker, ending the 2023 NL Manager of the Year’s two-season stint with the team. The Marlins went 146-178 under Schumaker, who was hired in 2022 as the franchise’s 16th manager. His contract was for two years with a club option for the 2025 season, which the team voided earlier this year. In his first season, Schumaker led the Marlins to their first playoff appearance in a nonpandemic year since 2003. They made the postseason despite a minus-57 run differential and eventually were swept by the Phillies in their NL wild-card series.

NCAA FOOTBALL

Alabama overtakes

Texas for No. 1, UNLV earns 1st ranking in program history

Alabama has returned to No. 1 in the AP college football poll for the first time in two years following its victory over Georgia, making this 16 of 17 seasons the Crimson Tide have held the top spot at some point. UNLV is making its first- ever appearance and is tied for No. 25 with Texas A&M. Alabama received 40 of 63 first-place votes and leapfrogged three teams to take over No. 1 from Texas. Texas tussled with Mississippi State and slipped to No. 2. Ohio State remained No. 3, Tennessee is No. 4 and Georgia is No. 5.

NHL

Kings defenseman Doughty needs surgery for broken left ankle, will miss most of season

Los Angeles Los Angeles Kings

defenseman Drew Doughty needs surgery to repair his broken left ankle and is expected to miss most of the season. Coach Jim Hiller said the injury is not season- ending, adding that the team expects Doughty back at some point. Hiller did not provide a timeline, and the Kings have listed Doughty on their injury report as “month-to-month.” Doughty was injured during the first period of a preseason game against the Vegas Golden Knights. The 34-year-old had his left leg caught up against the boards as he was battling for a loose puck.

Summer of snubs could keep Tatum hungry for repeat title

The Celtics star was an afterthought on the Olympic basketball team

By Jimmy Golen The Associated Press

BOSTON — Jayson Tatum has a new tattoo on his back, another gold medal to hang around his neck, and a chip on his shoulder.

The Boston Celtics star reported for his eighth NBA season on Tuesday after an eventful few months in which he helped the franchise win an 18th championship and then joined the U.S. team for its victory at the Paris Games, only to be consigned to being a role-player and getting benched for two games in the middle of the Olympics.

“In real time, it was tough,” Tatum said at the Celtics media day, acknowledging “I guess you could say that” it would motivate him when the

Celtics try to repeat as NBA champions.

“Did I need any extra motivation coming into the season? No,” said Tatum, whose new ink is a picture of himself cradling the championship trophy. “It was a unique circumstance — something I haven’t experienced before in my playing career. But I’m a believer that everything happens for a reason.”

The Celtics return to practice on Wednesday, and the biggest obstacle to a repeat championship may be the complacency that can set in after winning the first one. That’s why Tatum’s Olympic humiliation may be just what coach Joe Mazzulla was looking for to keep his star focused. (Tatum had also been bypassed for Finals MVP in favor of teammate Jaylen Brown, who also — by virtue of coming into the league a year earlier — was the highest-paid player in the NBA.)

Brady responds to Mayfield’s criticism on Fox broadcast

The legendary quarterback defended his demanding attitude while with Buccaneers

By Rob Maaddi

The Associated Press

TAMPA, Fla. — Tom Brady has no regrets about pushing his teammates to be their best.

The seven-time Super Bowl champion didn’t hold back in responding to Baker Mayfield’s recent comments that Brady created a “stressful environment” during the 2022 season, his last with the Buccaneers.

After Mayfield threw his second touchdown pass to give Tampa Bay a 14-0 lead over the Philadelphia Eagles on Sunday, Brady shared his thoughts from the booth about his replacement’s criticism.

“I thought stressful was not having Super Bowl rings, so there was a mindset of a champion that I took to work every day,” Brady said when Fox posted Mayfield’s comments on screen. “This wasn’t daycare. If I wanted to have fun, I would’ve went to Disneyland with my kids.”

Mayfield revived his career in Tampa Bay last season, led

“I thought stressful was not having Super Bowl rings.”

Tom Brady

the Buccaneers to their third straight NFC South title and a playoff win. He got a $100 million, three-year contract to stay in Tampa Bay and has become a fan favorite.

Brady, who arrived in 2020, led the Buccaneers to a Super Bowl title that season — his seventh ring — and two division titles in 2021 and 2022 before he retired.

During an appearance on a Casa de Klub podcast, Mayfield said Brady’s intensity created a stress-filled environment in the locker room.

“The building was a little bit different with Tom in there. Obviously, playing-wise, Tom is different. He had everybody dialed in, high-strung environment, so I think everybody was pretty stressed out,” Mayfield said on the podcast. “They wanted me to come in, be myself, bring the joy back to football for guys who weren’t having as much fun.”

“Joe was probably the happiest person in the world that I didn’t win Finals MVP, and I didn’t play in two of the games of the Olympics,” Tatum said. “So that was odd. But if you know Joe, that makes sense.”

Also nursing a bruised ego is Brown, who was not selected to the Olympic team and took to social media to complain about the snub. Reporters didn’t wait long before asking Brown about it.

“Damn. Question No. 1,” Brown said with a laugh. “Don’t I get to warm up a little?”

“The past is the past,” he said. “I’m extremely motivated, for obvious reasons. I’m ready to get after it.”

The Celtics had the shortest offseason in the league, beating Dallas in the NBA Finals on June 17 and then returning to practice about a week earlier than most of the NBA because they open the preseason in Abu Dhabi on Oct. 4. Three of them didn’t even get

the summer off: Tatum, Jrue Holiday and Derrick White all played for the United States at the Olympics. Holiday said the break was plenty.

“I love this game, so basketball isn’t like a hassle to me or anything,” he said. “I guess I love this job that I have. I had some great experiences this summer, so I wouldn’t trade that for anything.”

The Celtics return virtually the same roster that won it all: Fifteen players are back from last year’s team, including the top 11 scorers. The last NBA team to win backto-back titles was the Golden State Warriors, who won three in four seasons from 2015-18.

“It was never about trying to just win one,” Tatum said. “All the guys I looked up to growing up won at least one championship. Now it’s just a conversation of how great are you trying to be?”

Mayfield also took a shot at the way Brady handled disputes with former offensive coordinator Byron Leftwich over play calls.

“You hear some of the stories about if he didn’t like a certain play call and he didn’t like it throughout the week and they still call it in the game, there might have been a throwaway on purpose or throwing it at the running back or receiver’s feet,” Mayfield said. “There were a lot of mind games going on.”

Mayfield downplayed Brady’s reaction after leading the Buccaneers to a 33-16 victory over Philadelphia.

“I think a lot of that got taken out of context. None of it was personal, by any means,” Mayfield said. “It’s just what he demanded of the guys, and that’s the aura of Tom Brady, and that’s what he did to bring a

championship here. Nothing personal, but I talked with him before the game. He’s obviously happy for me and he knows the guys. He knows how much I enjoy throwing to Mike (Evans) and Chris (Godwin) because he did the same, and it’s fun to talk about some of the same experiences.

“A lot of things got taken out of context. He did it his own way and that’s why he has seven rings. Not much else needs to be said.” Brady was back in Tampa Bay for the first time as an analyst. He greeted Mayfield and many former teammates, coaches and team staff before the game.

“There’s a way to approach this game and that’s with the right mindset and try to push each other outside of our comfort zone,” Brady said. “Great teammates do that.”

PETER JONELEIT / AP PHOTO

Former NFL quarterback Tom Brady visits with Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Baker Mayfield on the field before a game against the Philadelphia Eagles on Sunday.

MICHAEL DWYER / AP PHOTO

Boston Celtics star Jayson Tatum poses for team photos during the team’s media day last week.

Ester McCrae

Sept. 2, 1930 – Sept.22, 2024

Esther was a native of Raeford for most of her life and was called to her rest on Sunday, September 22, 2024, while residing in St. Peters, Missouri where she lived with family. She was the wife of the Late James Walter McRae, Sr. and mother of eight children: Alice Stewart, the late Carrie Purcell; James McRae Jr., Beatrice Ray, Gloria Stephen, Leo McRae, Larry McRae and Debra McRae. Her remains are entrusted to Buie Funeral Home located at 543 Vass Rd in Raeford where the family will receive visitations on Friday afternoon, October 4, 2024, from two to five. Going home services will be held at Freedom Chapel A.M.E. Zion Church at noon. A repast will be held immediately after the Interment in the Church’s Fellowship Hall for family and friends.

Julius Dale Powell

May 23, 1958 – Sept. 25, 2024

Julius Dale Powell went to be with his Lord and Savior on September 25, 2024, at the age of 66. He was born in Cumberland County, NC on May 23, 1958, to the late Iris Haithcock.

Along with his mother, he was preceded in death by his brothers, Dennis Lee Powell and John Dees, Sr.

Dale was team captain of the APA Pool League in Fayetteville. He loved the Dallas Cowboys.

He is survived by his wife of 45 years, Joann Powell; his daughter, Anita Michel (Josh); grandchildren, Jonathan, Daniel Dale, Matthew, Zachary, and Summer Iris; and his siblings, Maxine, Donna and Steve.

A visitation will be held on Tuesday, October 01, 2024, from 3-6 p.m. at Crumpler Funeral Home 131 Harris Avenue, Raeford, NC 28376.

In lieu of flowers, please send contributions to the Cape Fear Valley Cancer Center or Liberty Hospice of Hoke County.

Kris Kristofferson, actor and singer-songwriter, dies at 88

The country music legend had a decades-long career

By Andrew Dalton and Kristin M. Hall The Associated Press

LOS ANGELES — Kris

Kristofferson, a Rhodes scholar with a deft writing style and rough charisma who became a country music superstar and an A-list Hollywood actor, has died.

Kristofferson died at his home on Maui, Hawaii, last Saturday, family spokeswoman Ebie McFarland said in an email. He was 88.

McFarland said Kristofferson died peacefully, surrounded by his family. No cause was given.

Starting in the late 1960s, the Brownsville, Texas, native wrote such country and rock ’n’ roll standards as “Sunday Mornin’ Comin’ Down,”

“Help Me Make it Through the Night,” “For the Good Times” and “Me and Bobby McGee,” which became his best-known song as a posthumous hit for Janis Joplin.

He starred opposite Ellen Burstyn in director Martin Scorsese’s 1974 film “Alice Doesn’t Live Here Anymore,” starred opposite Barbra Streisand in the 1976 “A Star Is Born,” and acted alongside

2019.

Wesley Snipes in Marvel’s “Blade” in 1998.

Kristofferson, who could recite the poems of William Blake from memory, wove folk music lyrics about loneliness and tender romance into popular country music. He represented a new breed of country songwriters along with such peers as Willie Nelson,

John Prine and Tom T. Hall.

“There’s no better songwriter alive than Kris Kristofferson,” Nelson said at a 2009 BMI award ceremony for Kristofferson.

Kristofferson retired from performing and recording in 2021, making only occasional guest appearances on stage. Nelson and Kristofferson

Maggie Smith, actor famed for Harry Potter and ‘Downton Abbey,’ dies at 89

The longtime stage actor won over a new generation

By Jill Lawless The Associated Press

LONDON — Maggie Smith, the masterful, scene-stealing actor who won an Oscar for the 1969 film “The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie” and gained new fans in the 21st century as the dowager Countess of Grantham in “ Downton Abbey” and Professor Minerva McGonagall in the Harry Potter films, died Friday. She was 89.

Smith was frequently rated the preeminent British female performer of a generation that included Vanessa Redgrave and Judi Dench, with two Oscars, a clutch of Academy Award nominations and

a shelf full of acting trophies.

She made her film debut in the 1950s, won Oscars for work in the 60s and 70s and had memorable roles in each subsequent decade, including an older Wendy in Peter Pan story “Hook” (1991) and a mother superior of a convent in Whoopi Goldberg’s comedy “Sister Act” (1992).

A commanding stage actor, she played Shakespearean tragedy — 1965 adaptation “Othello” — and voiced Shakespeare-inspired animation in “Gnomeo & Juliet” (2011).

She remained in demand even in her later years, despite her lament that “when you get into the granny era, you’re lucky to get anything.”

Smith drily summarized her later roles as “a gallery of grotesques,” including Professor McGonagall. Asked why she took the role, she quipped:

“Harry Potter is my pension.”

From 2010, she was the acid-tongued Violet Crawley, Dowager Countess of Grantham, in hit TV period drama “ Downton Abbey,” a role that won her legions of fans, three Emmy Awards, a Golden Globe and a host of other awards nominations.

But she chafed at television fame. When the show’s run ended in 2016, Smith said she was relieved. “It’s freedom,” she told The Associated Press.

“Not until ‘Downton Abbey’ was I well-known or stopped in the street and asked for one of those terrible photographs,” she said.

She continued acting well into her 80s, in films including the big-screen spinoff to “Downton Abbey” in 2019, its 2022 sequel “Downton Abbey: A New Era” and 2023 release “The Miracle Club.”

would join forces with Johnny Cash and Waylon Jennings to create the country supergroup “The Highwaymen” starting in the mid-1980s.

Kristofferson was a Golden Gloves boxer, rugby star and football player in college; received a master’s degree in English from the University of Oxford; and flew helicopters as a captain in the U.S. Army but turned down an appointment to teach at the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, New York, to pursue songwriting in Nashville.

Hoping to break into the industry, he worked as a parttime janitor at Columbia Records’ Music Row studio in 1966 when Dylan recorded tracks for the seminal “Blonde on Blonde” double album. At times, the legend of Kristofferson was larger than real life. Cash liked to tell a mostly exaggerated story of how Kristofferson landed a helicopter on Cash’s lawn to give him a tape of “Sunday Mornin’ Comin’ Down” with a beer in one hand.

Over the years in interviews, Kristofferson said with all respect to Cash, the Man in Black wasn’t even home at the time, the demo tape was a song that no one ever actually cut and he certainly couldn’t fly a helicopter holding a beer.

He later said he might not have had a career without Cash.

“He kind of took me under his wing before he cut any of my songs,” Kristofferson said in a 2006 interview with The Associated Press. “He cut my first record that was record of the year. He put me on stage the first time.”

Smith conceded that she could be impatient at times.

“It’s true I don’t tolerate fools, but then they don’t tolerate me, so I am spiky,” Smith said. “Maybe that’s why I’m quite good at playing spiky elderly ladies.”

Critic Frank Rich, in a New York Times review of “Lettice and Lovage,” praised Smith as “the stylized classicist who can italicize a line as prosaic as ‘Have you no marmalade?’ until it sounds like a freshly minted epigram by Coward or Wilde.”

Smith famously drew laughs from a prosaic line — “This haddock is disgusting” — in a 1964 revival of Noel Coward’s “Hay Fever.”

She repeated the gift for one-liners in “Downton Abbey,” when the tradition-bound Violet witheringly asked, “What is a weekend?” Margaret Natalie Smith was born in Ilford, on the eastern edge of London, on Dec. 28, 1934. She summed up her life briefly: “One went to school, one wanted to act, one started to act, one’s still acting.”

OWEN SWEENEY / INVISION / AP

Kris Kristofferson performs at The American Music Theatre in April

STATE & NATION

Native Americans in Montana ask court for more in-person voting sites

Tribes are asking counties to create satellite offices

By Matthew Brown The Associated Press

BILLINGS, Mont. — Native Americans living on a remote Montana reservation filed a lawsuit against state and county officials Monday, saying they don’t have enough places to vote in person — the latest chapter in a decades-long struggle by tribes in the United States over equal voting opportunities.

The six members of the Fort Peck Reservation want satellite voting offices in their communities for late registration and to vote before Election Day without making long drives to a county courthouse.

The legal challenge, filed in state court, comes five weeks before the presidential election in a state with a pivotal U.S. Senate race where the Republican candidate has made derogatory comments about Native Americans.

Native Americans were granted U.S. citizenship a century ago. Advocates say the right still doesn’t always bring equal access to the ballot.

Many tribal members in rural western states live in farflung communities with limited resources and transportation. That can make it hard to reach election offices, which are some-

times located off-reservation.

The plaintiffs in the Montana lawsuit reside in two small communities near the Canada border on the Fort Peck Reservation, home to the Assiniboine and Sioux tribes. The plaintiffs’ attorney, Cher Old Elk, grew up in one of those communities, Frazer, Montana, where more than a third of people live below the poverty line and the per capita income is about $12,000,

according to census data.

It’s a 60-mile round trip from Frazer to the election office at the courthouse in Glasgow. Old Elk says that can force prospective voters into difficult choices.

“It’s not just the gas money; it’s actually having a vehicle that runs,” she said. “Is it food on my table, or is it the gas money to find a vehicle, to find a ride, to go to Glasgow to vote?”

The lawsuit asks a state judge

for an order forcing Valley and Roosevelt counties and Secretary of State Christi Jacobson to create satellite election offices in Frazer and Poplar, Montana. They would be open during the same hours and on the same days as the county courthouses.

The plaintiffs requested satellite election offices from the counties earlier this year, the lawsuit says. Roosevelt County officials refused, while Valley

DOJ will launch review into 1921 Tulsa

A public report is expected by the end of the year

By Sean Murphy The Associated Press

OKLAHOMA CITY — The Justice Department announced Monday it plans to launch a review of the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre, an attack by a white mob on a thriving black district that is considered one of the worst single acts of violence against black people in U.S. history.

The review was launched under a federal cold-case initiative that has led to prosecutions of some Civil Rights Era cases, although Assistant U.S. Attorney General Kristen Clarke said they have “no expectation” there is anyone living who could be prosecuted as a result of the inquiry. Still, the announcement of the first federal probe into the massacre was embraced by descendants of survivors who have long criticized city and state leaders for not doing more to compensate those affected by the attack. Clarke said the agency plans to issue a public report detailing its findings by the end of the year.

“We acknowledge descendants of the survivors, and the victims continue to bear the trauma of this act of racial terrorism,” Clarke said during her remarks in Washington.

Damario Solomon-Simmons, an attorney for the last known survivors of the massacre, 110-year-old Viola Fletcher and 109-year-old Lessie Benningfield Randle, described Clarke’s

announcement as a “joyous occasion.”

“It is about time,” said Solomon-Simmons, flanked by descendants of massacre survivors. “It only took 103 years, but this is a joyous occasion, a momentous day, an amazing opportunity for us to make sure that what happened here in Tulsa is understood for what it was — the largest crime scene

County officials said budget constraints limited them to opening a satellite voting center for just one day.

Valley County Attorney Dylan Jensen said there were only two full-time employees in the Clerk and Recorder’s Office that oversees elections, so staffing a satellite office would be problematic.

“To do that for an extended period of time and still keep regular business going, it would be difficult,” he said.

Roosevelt County Clerk and Recorder Tracy Miranda and a spokesperson for Jacobson did not immediately respond to messages seeking comment.

Prior efforts to secure Native American voting rights helped drive changes in recent years that expanded electoral access for tribal members in South Dakota and Nevada.

A 2012 federal lawsuit in Montana sought to establish satellite election offices on the Crow, Northern Cheyenne and Fort Belknap reservations. It was rejected by a judge, but the ruling was later set aside by an appeals court. In 2014, tribal members in the case reached a settlement with officials in several counties. Monday’s lawsuit said inequities continue on the Fort Peck Reservation and that tribal members have never fully achieved equal voting since Montana was first organized as a territory in 1864 and Native Americans were excluded from its elections. Native voters in subsequent years continued to face barriers to registering and were sometimes stricken from voter rolls.

“It’s unfortunate we had to take a very aggressive step, to take this to court, but the counties aren’t doing it. I don’t know any other way,” Old Elk said.

Race Massacre

in the history of this country.”

As many as 300 black people were killed; more than 1,200 homes, businesses, schools and churches were destroyed; and thousands were forced into internment camps overseen by the National Guard when a white mob, including some deputized by authorities, looted and burned the Greenwood District, also known as Black Wall Street.

The Oklahoma Supreme Court in June dismissed a lawsuit by survivors, dampening the hope of advocates for racial justice that the city would make financial amends for the attack.

The nine-member court upheld the decision made by a district court judge in Tulsa last year, ruling that the plaintiff’s grievances about the destruction of the Greenwood district, although legitimate, did not fall within the scope of the state’s public nuisance statute.

After the state Supreme Court turned away the lawsuit, Solomon-Simmons asked the U.S. Department of Justice to open an investigation into the massacre under the Emmett Till Unsolved Civil Rights Crime Act.

Although investigations under the act have led to successful

prosecutions of Civil Rights Era cases, the DOJ acknowledged in a report to Congress last year that there are significant legal barriers to cases before 1968.

“Even with our best efforts, investigations into historic cases are exceptionally difficult, and rarely will justice be reached inside of a courtroom,” the agency noted in the report.

Since the Act was approved in 2008, the DOJ has opened for review 137 cases involving 160 known victims. The agency has fully investigated and resolved 125 of those cases through prosecution, referral or closure.

The report also notes the Act has led to two successful federal prosecutions and three successful state prosecutions. Both federal prosecutions involved separate murders of Black men in Mississippi by members of the Ku Klux Klan in the 1960s.

The first federally assisted state prosecution under the initiative was against Klansmen who bombed a Birmingham, Alabama, church in 1963, killing four young girls. That prosecution in the early 2000s led to convictions and life sentences for two men involved in the bombing.

ALVIN C. KRUPNICK CO. / LIBRARY OF CONGRESS VIA AP

Smoke billows over Tulsa, Oklahoma, during the city’s 1921 race riots.

MATTHEW BROWN / AP PHOTO

Bret Healy, left, a consultant for Four Directions Native Vote, speaks about voting opportunities on Native American reservations in Montana while attorney Cher Old Elk (center) and activist Tom Rodgers (right) listen during a press conference Sept. 26 in Billings, Montana.

MOORE COUNTY

Thinking pink

Pinecrest girls’ volleyball held a “Pink Out” match Tuesday to benefit Kind Souls, a nonprofit that assists those battling cancer or other “medical storms.” The Patriots won 3-0 over Lee County to improve to 9-0 in conference. Above, from left, are Pinecrest seniors Taylor Miller, Kianna Hall-Wickham and Julia Pate, with Lee County junior Allison Jacobs in the foreground.

WHAT’S HAPPENING

Ruling allows public high school students to profit from NIL

A judge in has cleared the way for the state’s public school athletes to profit off their fame in a court case involving a high school football player who has committed to play at Tennessee. The lawsuit challenged North Carolina’s restrictions on athletes cashing in on the use of their name, image and likeness, known as NIL. It was filed on behalf of Greensboro Grimsley quarterback Faizon Brandon, who is the nation’s top-ranked recruit in the class of 2026, according to 247Sports. An attorney for the family said, “Justice has been served, not only for Faizon but for all public high school students in North Carolina.” The ruling does not apply to private school student athletes.

Election faces “daunting” level of uncertainty

Election officials say they will do everything in their power to ensure that voters in North Carolina, a crucial presidential swing state, will be able to cast their ballots despite the devastation of Hurricane Helene only about a month before the November election. North Carolina state election board Executive Director Karen Brinson Bell said Tuesday that 12 county election offices in the hard-hit western part of the state remain closed. She described the storm as causing a “daunting” level of uncertainty, with early in-person voting scheduled to start in just over two weeks. Election officials in Florida, Tennessee and the presidential battleground of Georgia also were assessing potential impacts on voting.

Years in the making, OBX beach homes are collapsing into the ocean

Nearly a dozen homes have been lost since 2020

By Ben Finley The Associated Press

NORFOLK, Va. — A slow-motion catastrophe has been playing out in the coastal North Carolina village of Rodanthe, where 10 houses have fallen into the Atlantic since 2020. Three have been lost since Friday. The most recent collapse was Tuesday afternoon, when the wooden pilings of a home nicknamed “Front Row Seats”

buckled in the surf. The structure bumped against another house before it bobbed in the waves, prompting now familiar warnings about splintered wood and nail-riddled debris.

The destruction was decades in the making as beach erosion and climate change slowly edged the Atlantic closer to homes in the somewhat out-of-the way vacation spot. The threat is more insidious than a hurricane, while the possible solutions won’t be easy or cheap, either in Rodanthe or other parts of the U.S.

Barrier islands aren’t ideal for building

Rodanthe is a village of about 200 people on the Outer Banks, a strip of narrow barrier islands that protrude into the Atlantic like a flexed arm.

Barrier islands were never an ideal place for development, according to experts. They typically form as waves deposit sediment off the mainland. And they move based on weather patterns and other ocean forces. Some even disappear.

David Hallac, superintendent of the Cape Hatteras National Seashore, along which Rodan-

Father of Raleigh mass shooting suspect pleads guilty to gun crime

Austin Thompson is expected to go to trial next September

The Associated Press

RALEIGH — The father of a teenager accused in a 2022 mass shooting in Raleigh that left five people dead pleaded guilty last week to improperlystoring a handgun that authorities said was found with his son after the shootings. Alan Thompson, 61, appeared to cry as he entered the plea to the misdemeanor charge in Wake County court, news outlets reported. District Court Judge Mark Stevens, who gave him a 45-day suspended jail sentence and a year of unsupervised probation, called the matter “a case of epic tragedy.”

the is located, said it was more common in previous decades for homeowners to move their houses from the encroaching surf.

“Perhaps it was more well understood in the past that the barrier island was dynamic, that it was moving,” Hallac said. “And if you built something on the beachfront it may not be there forever or it may need to be moved.”

The beach is rapidly eroding Rodanthe is one of many

2025 and faces life in prison if convicted.

“As a parent, Alan is living the unthinkable, he has lost both his sons and still doesn’t know why this happened,” said Russell Babb, a lawyer representing Thompson’s father and mother. Authorities have alleged the Oct. 13, 2022, killing rampage began when Austin Thompson shot and stabbed 16-yearold brother James in their east Raleigh neighborhood. He then shot multiple neighbors, including an off-duty Raleigh police officer on his way to work, according to police.

Dressed in camouflage with multiple weapons strapped to his belt, Austin Thompson was located by law enforcement in

Austin Thompson is scheduled to go to trial in September

Thompson’s attorney said in court there were no warning signs that Austin Thompson — accused of five counts of murder as well as other charges — would commit violence. The shootings happened when Austin was 15, and among the five people killed was his older brother.

DAVID SINCLAIR FOR NORTH STATE JOURNAL

ALLEN BREED / AP PHOTO

The Hedingham neighborhood in Raleigh was the scene of a October 2022 mass shooting.

“Join the conversation”

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, Loss Tabulator

Dan Reeves, Features Editor

Ryan Henkel, Reporter

P.J. Ward-Brown, Photographer

BUSINESS

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Sept. 22

• Angelo Everett McLean, 38, was arrested by MCSO for trafficking in cocaine.

• Albert Henry Loyd, 67, was arrested by MCSO for second-degree trespass.

• Elijah Devon Harris, 26, was arrested by Southern Pines PD for possession of firearm by felon.

Sept. 23

• Guadalupe Cano Cazares, 26, was arrested by MCSO for assault with a deadly weapon on government official/employee.

• George Archie Beane, 47, was arrested by MCSO for breaking or entering.

Sept. 24

• Dylan Michael Brown, 25, was arrested by MCSO for breaking and entering motor vehicle with theft.

Sept. 25

• Franklin Darnell Kelly, 57, was arrested by Pinebluff PD for felony possession of cocaine.

• Sandra Marie Dunn, 50, was arrested by Pinebluff PD for simple possession of Schedule VI controlled substance.

Sept. 26

• Dillon Coyote Lyston, 36, was arrested by MCSO for breaking and entering.

Sept. 27

• Deja Nicole Smith, 28, was arrested by Richmond County for possessing controlled substance on prison/jail premises.

• James Michael Robert Brown, 43, was arrested by MCSO for injuring property to obtain nonferrous metal.

OBX from page A1

communities on Hatteras Island, which is roughly 50 miles ong and has been experiencing beach erosion for decades.

The Cape Hatteras Lighthouse was 1,500 feet from the ocean when it was built in 1870, Hallac said. By 1919, the Atlantic was 300 feet away. The lighthouse was later moved to a more protected location.

The erosion has been measured to be as much as 10 to 15 feet a year or more in some places.

“And so every year, 10 to 15 feet of that white sandy beach is gone,” Hallac said. “And then the dunes and then the back-dune area. And then all of a sudden, the foreshore, that area between low water and high water, is right up next to somebody’s backyard. And then the erosion continues.”

“Like a toothpick into wet sand”

Ocean waves eventually lap at the wooden pilings that hold up the beach houses. The supports could be 15 feet deep. But the surf slowly takes away the sand that is packed around them.

“It’s like a toothpick in wet sand or even a beach umbrella,” Hallac said. “The deeper you put it, the more likely it is to stand up straight and resist leaning over. But if you only put it down a few inches, it doesn’t take much wind for that umbrella to start leaning. And it starts to tip over.”

A single home collapse can shed debris up to 15 miles along the coast, according to an August report from a group of federal, state and local officials who are studying threatened oceanfront structures in North Carolina. Collapses can injure beachgoers and lead to potential contamination from septic tanks, among other environmental concerns.

GUILTY from page A1

a shed near a public greenway and arrested after an hours-long standoff. Investigators have said a handgun and a shotgun were used in the shootings.

Wake County Assistant District Attorney Luke Bumm said last week a handgun found in the shed belonged to Alan Thompson. According to Bumm, Alan Thompson kept the loaded 9 mm handgun in an unlocked box on a bedside table. The gun was consistent with evidence around the earliest victims, Bumm said. Alan Thompson was initially charged last year.

Babb said Austin Thompson showed no signs of violence and that his father spoke with Austin twice on the phone in the moments leading up to and after the mass shooting.

Collapsed houses were likely in compliance

Rules that govern coastal development in North Carolina have been in place since the 1970s, before many of the collapsed houses were constructed and when there was a lot more beach, said Noah Gillam, Dare County’s planning director.

“At the time they were built, they were likely in compliance with all of the set-back requirements,” Gillam said. “And they were set back, in many situations, hundreds of yards from the dune line, let alone the ocean.”

Since then, the rate of erosion has sped up, swallowing swaths of sand. Storms also have become more frequent and more intense, pounding the shoreline of a community that is acutely exposed to the ocean.

“This is a national issue”

Meanwhile, officials and experts have been focused on solutions or at least ways to address the problem. The report on threatened oceanfront homes noted that 750 of nearly 8,800 oceanfront structures in North Carolina are considered at risk from erosion.

“He did not seem agitated,” Babb said. “He did not seem angry. He did not seem upset.”

Babb said Alan Thompson spoke to him while driving home from work and that he asked if he needed anything while he stopped to get a gallon of milk. Thompson then saw police cars rushing toward the Hedingham neighborhood and called again to tell Austin Thompson to “hunker down,” according to Babb.

Police initially wouldn’t let Alan Thompson enter the house, Babb said, and first responders told him his older son was killed and his younger son was missing. Babb said he assumed his younger son had gone to pursue the killer but that’s when an officer told him “Austin was not chasing the shooter. Austin was the shooter.”

Among the possible solutions is hauling dredged sand to eroding beaches, something that is already being done in other communities on the Outer Banks and East Coast. But it could cost $40 million or more in Rodanthe, posing a major financial challenge for its small tax base, said Gillam, of Dare County. Other ideas include buying out threatened properties, moving or demolishing them. But those options are also very expensive. And funding is limited.

U.S. Rep. Greg Murphy (NCR) recently introduced a bill in Congress that would make some money available. For example, the legislation would authorize federal flood insurance dollars to help demolish or relocate erosion-plagued homes before they collapse.

Braxton Davis, executive director of the North Carolina Coastal Federation, a nonprofit, said the problem isn’t limited to Rodanthe or even to North Carolina. He pointed to erosion issues along California’s coast, the Great Lakes and some of the nation’s rivers.

“This is a national issue,” Davis said, adding that sea levels are rising and “the situation is only going to become worse.”

“Alan never in a million years thought his own family member would behave this way, he is heartbroken,” Babb said. Also killed in the shootings were Officer Gabriel Torres, Mary Elizabeth Marshall, Nicole Connors and Susan Karnatz. Two other people were wounded during the shootings, including another officer. Austin Thompson is also accused of attempted murder, assault with a deadly weapon with intent to kill and assault with a firearm on a law enforcement officer.

Investigators seized 11 firearms and 160 boxes of ammunition — some of them empty — from the Thompson home, according to search warrants.

Wake County’s top prosecutor has said Austin Thompson had a self-inflicted gunshot wound when he was captured.

MOORE COUNTY

moore happening

Here’s a quick look at what’s coming up in and around Moore County:

Oct. 3

Moore County Farmers Market

9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.

604 W. Morganton Road (Armory Sports Complex), Southern Pines

The Vass Farmers Market

3 to 6:30 p.m.

Sandy Ramey Keith Park 3600 U.S.-1 BUS, Vass

Shop the Vass Farmers Market every Thursday at Sandy Ramey Keith Park. Enjoy supporting many local farmers and vendors.

Oct. 3-5

Moore County Historical Association: Shaw House & Property Tours

1 to 4 p.m.

Shaw House

110 Morganton Road, 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.”

Oct. 5

AutumnFest

9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Downtown Park

145 SE Broad St. Southern Pines

Oct. 9

Sandhills Farmers Market

3 to 6 p.m.

James W. Tufts Memorial Park

1 Village Green Road West, Pinehurst

The Sandhills Farmers Market features some of the many wonderful farms, nurseries, bakeries, meat and egg providers, cheesemakers and specialty food producers our area has to offer. For more information visit moorefarmfresh.com.

CAPE HATTERAS NATIONAL SEASHORE / NATIONAL PARK SERVICE VIA AP

Debris from a collapsed house in Rodanthe in late September.

THE CONVERSATION

Neal Robbins, publisher | Frank Hill, senior opinion editor

VISUAL VOICES

Cracking down on open borders and standing up for your safety

Law-abiding, tax-paying American citizens are already bearing the brunt of the Biden-Harris administration’s dangerous border policies.

THE BIDEN-HARRIS ADMINISTRATION and the Democrats’ dangerous open border and soft-on-crime policies have made communities across America less safe. House Republicans recently took action to protect you, your family and your tax dollars from paying the painful price of the left’s radical, dangerous agenda.

It seems like every day we are seeing another shocking headline about illegal migrants who have crossed our border and committed heinous crimes against America’s women and girls, including rape and sexual assault. A 37-year-old Maryland mom, Rachel Morin, was raped and murdered by an illegal while out on a run. A 12-year-old Texan girl, Jocelyn Nungaray, was assaulted, strangled to death and left under a bridge by two illegals. These are just a few of the female victims who have suffered the tragic consequences of the administration’s open border policies.

Just one instance of a woman or young girl being violently assaulted by an illegal migrant should be enough for President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris to enforce our immigration laws and remove them from our country. Unfortunately, they are still letting these criminals roam freely. It’s infuriating, and House Republicans won’t stand for it. We passed the Violence Against Women by Illegal Aliens Act to ensure illegals convicted of sex offenses or domestic violence are deported from the United States.

Throughout our country, radical liberal sanctuary states and cities like New York City are also disregarding America’s immigration laws, imposing policies to block immigration enforcement and protect illegal criminals. This is only worsening

COLUMN | DAVID HARSANYI

the out-of-control border crisis and incentivizing more migrants to cross illegally into the United States without fear of consequences. Worse, these far-left mayors and governors are using taxpayer dollars to foot the bill for their sanctuary policies and subsidize illegals.

Law-abiding, tax-paying American citizens are already bearing the brunt of the Biden-Harris administration’s dangerous border policies. It’s time the federal government stopped bailing out our blue cities and started holding them accountable instead. That’s why I was proud to join my House Republican colleagues in passing the No Bailout for Sanctuary Cities Act. This legislation would prevent sanctuary cities from receiving federal funds that would subsidize illegals and encourage more illegal crossings.

In North Carolina and across our country, families are worried about rising crime. This is a direct result of radical policies, like cashless bail, that allow violent offenders to be released back onto our streets, jeopardizing Americans’ safety.

You and your family deserve to feel safe in your community.

House Republicans passed a bill to ensure those convicted of violent crimes are not let back into our communities to commit more crimes and restore oversight to out-of-control bail funds.

Open border and soft-on-crime policies are threatening the safety and security of the American people. Rest assured, I will continue to fight for policies that prioritize law and order, ensuring that you and your loved ones can live without fear.

Rep. Richard Hudson represents the 9th Congressional District in Washington, D.C.

Harris’ attack on the filibuster is an attack on the constitutional order

Democrats have targeted virtually every institution that makes “democracy” tenable in a truly diverse and sprawling nation that is home to hundreds of millions of people.

THOUGH DEMOCRATS are endlessly prattling on about “norms” and “democracy,” it is often unclear what aspects of the constitutional order they actually support. This week, for example, Vice President Kamala Harris reiterated her support for suspending the legislative filibuster so Democrats, should they eke out a slim Senate majority, can overturn thousands of state laws and force the entire country to legalize taxpayer-subsidized, late-term abortions on demand. It is, of course, true that the filibuster isn’t in the Constitution. In many ways, however, it is one of the last remaining tools upholding a semblance of constitutional order. Yet to most contemporary Democrats, the 60-vote threshold to cut off debate is an antiquated tool that facilitates “minority rule” — by which they mean “federalism.” Which makes sense. Democrats are keen on empowering narrow, fleeting leftwing majorities cramming through wideranging generational “reform” bills without any consensus. They know well that once a massive entitlement or regulatory program is passed, it will be virtually impossible to roll back. You don’t need to be a constitutional scholar to understand there’s no version of the founding that envisioned this kind of governance. Imagine, if you can, what the world would look like if former President Donald Trump announced he was going to blow up the filibuster using a one-vote Senate majority and then cram through a national limit on abortion. Republicans would be accused of acting like fascistic ghouls, and the media would have a thermonuclear meltdown. It would be 1939 Germany all over again. Worse, Democrats have targeted virtually

every institution that makes “democracy” tenable in a truly diverse and sprawling nation that is home to hundreds of millions of people.

Because if forcing red states to adopt maximalist abortion laws is important enough to sink long-standing checks on federal power, you better believe it won’t be the last exception to the rule.

For one thing, Republicans can’t be expected to play by a different set of governing guidelines. For another, the left seems to believe every policy position it takes is fundamental to preserving “democracy.”

The exemptions would be endless.

It’s not just about the naked hypocrisy. It’s about republic-destroying norm-breaking. “Reforming” the filibuster is part of a broader effort to create a powerful, highly centralized state.

The Supreme Court is perhaps the only institution inhibiting state overreach these days, which is why Democrats have been busy delegitimizing and now want to pack the court and transform it into another malleable partisan institution. Harris included.

The other institution somewhat tempering a direct democracy is the Electoral College. Yet left-wing pundits are already whining about the undemocratic nature of that institution as well. It is always confusing to me when someone writes to complain that the Electoral College doesn’t align with the “popular vote,” as if this wasn’t the entire point of the enterprise. If the two always harmonized, we wouldn’t need it.

The Senate was created as a countermajoritarian institution. Now that leftists believe they have the upper hand, they are increasingly perplexed by the fact

that Wyoming and California have the same number of senators.

You know, it’s called the United States for a reason.

When it comes to executive abuse, Trump, who makes tons of grandiose promises that lay far outside the president’s purview, is a mere piker compared to his predecessor and successor. There is a growing movement among progressive politicians and intellectuals, sometimes referred to as “popular constitutionalism,” that would allow Democrats to ignore the courts whenever they choose.

It’s no accident that Harris promised to confiscate guns via an executive order like some kind of dictator. Or that President Joe Biden keeps ignoring the high court and unilaterally “forgives” loans. Or that Democratic senators implore their president to declare national emergencies that would empower the White House to run the entire economy through a massive administrative state.

Perhaps Harris’ position on the filibuster is a cynical play for votes. What’s become undeniable, however, is that counter-constitutionalism is being normalized on the left.

Democrats want to get rid of the Electoral College so that a few giant urban areas can run the executive branch. They want to get rid of the filibuster so they can unilaterally transform the nation. When they don’t have congressional majorities, they want (their) presidents to rule by fiat.

And many now want to pack the Supreme Court to make sure no one will stop them. There are numerous ways to describe this brand of governance, but none of them have anything to do with American norms or democracy.

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

COLUMN | REP. RICHARD HUDSON

Rwanda reports 8 deaths linked to Marburg virus

Most of the affected are health care workers

By Ignatius Ssuuna

The Associated Press

Kigali, RWANDA — Rwanda says eight people have died so far from the Ebola-like and highly contagious Marburg virus, just days after the country declared an outbreak of the deadly hemorrhagic fever that has no authorized vaccine or treatment.

Like Ebola, the Marburg virus originates in fruit bats and spreads between people through close contact with the bodily fluids of infected individuals or with surfaces, such as contaminated bed sheets. Without treatment, Marburg can be fatal in up to 88% of people who fall ill with the disease. Rwanda, a landlocked country in central Africa, declared an outbreak last Friday, and a day later the first six deaths were reported.

So far 26 cases have been confirmed, and eight of the sickened people have died, Health Minister Sabin Nsanzimana said Sunday night.

The public has been urged to avoid physical contact to help curb the spread. Some 300 people who came into contact with those confirmed to have

the virus have also been identified, and an unspecified number of them have been put in isolation facilities.

Most of the affected are health care workers across six out of 30 districts in the country.

“Marburg is a rare disease,” Nsanzimana told journalists. “We are intensifying contact tracing and testing to help stop the spread.”

The minister said the source of the disease has not been determined yet. A person infected with the virus can take between three days and three weeks to show symptoms, he added.

Symptoms include fever, muscle pains, diarrhea, vomiting and, in some cases, death through extreme blood loss.

The World Health Organization was scaling up its support and will work with Rwandan authorities to help stop the spread, WHO’s Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said on Saturday on the social media platform X.

The U.S Embassy in Rwanda’s capital of Kigali has urged its staff to work remotely and avoid visiting offices.

Marburg outbreaks and individual cases have in the past been recorded in Tanzania, Equatorial Guinea, Angola, Congo, Kenya, South Africa, Uganda and Ghana, according to the WHO.

medical worker carries a meal to an

coming into contact in Uganda with a

The rare virus was first identified in 1967 after it caused simultaneous outbreaks of disease in laboratories in Marburg, Germany, and Belgrade, Serbia. Seven people died who were exposed to the virus while conducting research on monkeys.

Separately, Rwanda has so far reported six cases of mpox, a disease caused by a virus related to smallpox but that typically causes milder symptoms. Mpox, previously known

as monkeypox because it was first seen in research monkeys, has also affected several other African countries in what the WHO has called a global health emergency.

Rwanda launched an mpox vaccination campaign earlier this month, and more vaccines are expected to arrive in the country.

Neighboring Congo has so far reported most of the cases of mpox, the epicenter of the emergency.

“Marburg is a rare disease. We are intensifying contact tracing and testing to help stop the spread.”

Sabin Nsanzimana, Rwanda health minister

Factory surveys show Chinese economy weakening

The government has announced a stimulus package

By Elaine Kurtenbach

The Associated Press

CHINA’S ECONOMY weakened further in recent weeks, according to surveys released Monday, signaling the need for more support as the government ratchets up stimulus.

The Caixin purchasing managers survey showed new manufacturing orders fell at the fastest pace in two years in September.

“Operating conditions in China’s manufacturing sector deteriorated in September after improving during August,” the report said. “Furthermore, firms lowered their hiring and purchasing activity.”

An official survey released by the National Bureau of Sta-

tistics showed a less drastic decline, but it marked a fifth straight month of contraction.

The purchasing managers index was at 49.8 in September, up from a six-month low of 49.1 in August. The index is on a scale where figures above 50 indicate expansion.

The survey showed that factory output rose while new orders fell.

Chinese stock markets surged Monday, reflecting enthusiasm over a barrage of policy measures announced last week, including lower interest rates and smaller down payment requirements for mortgages and a cut in required bank reserves.

“There is no doubt that the coordinated and emphatic policy stimulus measures announced by Beijing have justifiably invoked optimism,” Tan Boon Heng of Mizuho Bank in Singapore said in a commentary. The main index smaller mar-

“There is no doubt that the coordinated and emphatic policy stimulus measures announced by Beijing have justifiably invoked optimism.”

Tan Boon Heng, Mizuho Bank

ket in Shenzhen soared 8.2% while the Shanghai Composite index jumped 5.7%

“The stimulus package announced last week should help shore activity over the coming months,” Gabriel Ng of Capital Economics said in a report. But he noted that imbalances between excess supply of many products versus weak demand persist. And trade measures against China, such as higher tariffs on electric vehicles and

other goods, also will weigh on the economy.

“In this environment, a meaningful cyclical recovery would require sizeable fiscal stimulus,” he said. “There has yet to be any official announcement on fiscal support, though some media reports suggest that one could come soon.”

Over the weekend, Beijing moved forward with the measures announced last week to support the property industry and revive languishing financial markets. The central bank announced on Sunday that it would direct banks to cut mortgage rates for existing home loans by Oct. 31. Meanwhile, the major southern city of Guangzhou lifted all home purchase restrictions over the weekend, while both Shanghai and Shenzhen revealed plans to ease key buying curbs.

Property developers have struggled after the government

cracked down on excessive borrowing for projects several years ago. Housing prices have continued to fall and the government has moved to ensure that developers deliver apartments that were paid for but not yet built.

The downturn in the property sector has rippled throughout the world’s second-largest economy, hitting many other industries that depended on booming housing construction, such as appliance makers and manufacturers of building materials.

It has slowed China’s recovery from the massive disruptions of the COVID-19 pandemic, adding to pressures on Chinese consumers worried over pay cuts, job losses and weaker asset prices.

The economy expanded at a 4.7% pace in the last quarter, slightly below the government’s target of about 5%.

BEN CURTIS / AP PHOTO

A

isolation tent housing a man being quarantined after

carrier of the Marburg virus in Nairobi, Kenya, in 2014.

MOORE SPORTS

ATHLETE

OF THE WEEK

Blake Pennington

North Moore, football

Blake Pennington is a freshman on the North Moore football team.

Playing with older brother Colby, a North Moore senior this season, in their only year together, Blake has quickly made a name for himself on the Mustangs defense. He is averaging more than 10 tackles a game to lead the team.

In North Moore’s shutout win over JordanMatthews last week, Pennington had a game-high 14 tackles. He also added two tackles for loss, giving him three on the season, to go with one sack. Pennington also blocked two punts against the Jets.

Ross

North Moore breaks through

The Mustangs got their first win, while the Patriots got a rude welcome to conference play

North State Journal staff

IT WAS A week where everybody’s “0” must go. North Moore got rid of the 0 in its win column, posting a dominant win over Jordan-Matthews. Meanwhile, Pinecrest saw its 0 in the loss column disappear with a loss in its conference opener.

Union Pines

The Vikings enjoyed a bye week last Friday, after opening 4-1 on the season, their best since 2015.

This week, the Vikings are back in action with a home game against Scotland in a Sandhills conference contest. Kickoff is Friday at 7:30 p.m.

The Fighting Scots are 3-3, 2-0 in the Sandhills and coming off a 38-17 home win over Southern Lee. The Union Pines defense, which has been outstanding this season, will be tested by a Scotland offense that has scored at least 20 points in every game and is averaging 32.3 points per game on the year.

Pinecrest

Pinecrest saw its undefeated start to the season come to a halt in their conference opener. The Patriots lost at home to Richmond 36-7 in a Sandhills Conference game. It was the first conference loss and first regular season loss for the Patriots since the 2022 season.

Pinecrest’s defense had 10 tackles for loss, and running back Zymire Spencer rushed for 154 yards. The Patriots had three turnovers, however, including an interception that was returned for a touchdown. Richmond also rushed for 232 yards and three touchdowns.

This week, Pinecrest will try to get back on a winning track at Southern Lee in another Sandhills Conference

32.3

Points per game averaged by Scotland, who will be facing Union Pines’ stingy defense this week

game. The Cavaliers are 2-3, 0-2 in the conference, so somebody will be picking up their first Sandhills win of the year. The Patriots are 4-1, 0-1 in the Sandhills.

North Moore

North Moore has been looking for its first win of the season, and when the Mustangs finally got it, they exploded in a big way.

North Moore had a dominant 54-0 win over Jordan-Matthews on Friday, overwhelming the Jets on both sides of the ball. The Mustangs threw just one pass in the game, an incompletion, as they racked up 455 rushing yards. They ran for eight touchdowns against the Jets, finishing the game with two 100-yard rushing perfor -

mances from Brandon Powell (169 yards and three touchdowns) and Xander Greene (129 yards and 2 touchdowns).

The North Moore defense had 20 tackles for loss, recovered a fumble and blocked a pair of punts in the shutout win.

North Moore is now 1-4, 1-2 in the Mid-Carolina Conference. They’ll look to keep rolling this week with a third straight home game. This one will be against Bartlett Yancey at 7 p.m. Friday. The Buccaneers are 2-4, 2-2 in the conference, and lost to Northwood, 40-22, last week.

Moore County Week Seven High School Schedule:

Friday Oct. 4, 7:30 p.m., Pinecrest Patriots (4-1, 0-1 in Sandhills) at Southern Lee Cavaliers (2-3, 0-2) *Sandhills Conference game

Friday Oct. 4, 7 p.m., North Moore Mustangs (1-4, 1-2 in Mid-Carolina) vs. Bartlett Yancey Buccaneers (2-4, 2-2) *Mid-Carolina Conference game

Friday Oct. 4, 7:30 p.m., Union Pines Vikings (4-1, 1-0 in Sandhills) vs. Scotland Fighting Scots (3-3, 2-0) *Sandhills Conference game

Chastain passes Truex to win in Kansas

William Byron and Martin Truex Jr. suffered near misses after a late restart

By Dave Skretta

The Associated Press

KANSAS CITY, Kan. — Ross Chastain finally got to smash a watermelon for the first time this season Sunday at Kansas Speedway.

He smashed the hopes of a bunch of playoff drivers trying to earn an automatic berth in the next round, too.

The seventh-generation watermelon farmer took the lead from Martin Truex Jr. on a restart with 20 laps to go, then

held off title contender William Byron the rest of the way to the finish line. It was the first win for Chastain since last year’s finale at Phoenix, when he also played a bit of a spoiler on the day that the NASCAR Cup Series crowned its champion.

“We haven’t gone anywhere. We keep showing up,” said Chastain, who barely missed out on qualifying for the playoffs. “It’s not easy when you’re failing or struggling at something, and you just can’t get to where you want to get to.”

The retiring Truex, who was eliminated from the playoffs last week, finished third.

He was leading when Carson Hocevar brought out the final caution of a wreck-filled day.

Truex picked the top on the restart, and Chastain opted for the bottom, and it was the No. 1 car from Trackhouse Racing that got the big push to the front.

“It’s pretty deflating when you don’t make the playoffs, and we knew the last couple of races of the regular season, we were right on that cut line,” said Chastain’s crew chief, Phil Surgen. “But there’s no give-up here. We’re not laying down.”

Byron’s second-place run was the best among the 12 drivers going on to the second round of the playoffs. And while the win would have locked him into the next round of the playoffs with unpredictable Talladega up next, the result was enough

to move the No. 24 car to the top spot in the playoff points standings. “You’re so close, and going to Talladega, you know what that is,” Byron said. “But proud of the effort.”

Ryan Blaney had a loose left wheel in the final stage but rallied to finish fourth, giving the defending champ’s postseason hopes a big boost. Ty Gibbs was fifth, followed by four more playoff contenders: Alex Bowman was sixth, pole sitter Christopher Bell recovered from a couple of scrapes with the wall to finish seventh, Denny Hamlin salvaged an eighth-place run after trouble on pit road, and Chase Elliott was ninth after starting at the rear of the field

due to an engine change.

“Considering yesterday and starting last and everything, it could have been a lot worse,” Elliott said. “But I’m always on the side of the fence where our car was good enough. I felt like (the results) could have been a lot better, but we’ll take it.”

Kyle Busch looked like he might finally extend his streak to 20 seasons with a Cup Series win when he passed Chastain with 64 laps to go. But cycling back to the front after pit stops, Busch was trying to squeeze by Chase Briscoe as the latter fought to stay on the lead lap. Busch ended up hitting the wall and skidding down the back stretch with 30 laps to go. He wound up 19th, extending his winless streak to 51 races dating to last year in St. Louis.

“I guess I got in too big of a hurry,” Busch said. “I mean, I’m numb. I don’t know what to do.”

DAVID SINCLAIR FOR NORTH STATE JOURNAL

Pinecrest senior defensive back Donovan Brown (30) knocks the ball loose with a big hit on defense. The Patriots had 10 tackles for loss, but it wasn’t enough in a loss to Richmond.

COLIN E. BRALEY / AP PHOTO

Chastain celebrates in Victory Lane after winning Sunday’s NASCAR Cup Series race at Kansas Speedway in Kansas City.

George Edgar Dozier

Nov. 10, 1944 – Sept. 26, 2024

George Edgar Dozier, 79, passed away peacefully surrounded by family and friends on Thursday, September 26, 2024, at the FirstHealth Hospice House in Pinehurst.

Funeral Services will be conducted at 2 PM Sunday at the New Covenant Fellowship, 1305 Hulsey Rd., Carthage NC 28327 with Pastors Lee McKinney and Joe Keen officiating. The family will receive friends from 6-8 PM Saturday at the Church. Burial will follow the service at Pinebluff Cemetery.

George was born in Seneca, S.C. on November 10, 1944, to the late Grady and Mary Dozier. In addition to his parents, he was preceded in death by two brothers, Sonny and Allen, four sisters, Mary Dozier, Peggy Jean Smith, Jewell Dew and Lilly Mae Poston.

He is survived by his wife of 56 years, Kathy Dozier, three sons, John (Lisa), Rodney (Tabatha) and David, a brother, Billy Dozier, a sister Grace Parrott and 4 grandchildren, Brooke, Kearsten, Luke and Payton. In lieu of flowers, the family requests memorial contributions be made to the Fellowship Christian Academy, 1305 Hulsey Rd., Carthage, NC 28327. Service arrangements are entrusted to Boles Funeral Home.

Rhonda Kaye Steed

Aug. 17, 1968 –Sept. 23, 2024

Rhonda Kaye Steed, 56 of Aberdeen, passed away on September 23, 2024, at FirstHealth Moore Regional Hospital in Pinehurst.

Born on August 17, 1968, in Moore County. Rhonda loved her family deeply. She was always giving and helping those around her and never forgot a birthday. Anytime she could get her family together she would. She loved to cook for them and spend time with all her nieces and nephews.

She was preceded in death by her mother, Brenda Steed Grant.

She is survived by brother and sisters, Racquel Alford of Aberdeen, Jaime Patterson of Gaffney, SC, Jennifer Eifert of Aberdeen, Kelly Grant, Jr. of Aberdeen and Kathy Grant of Seagrove; step-father, Kelly Grant, Sr. of Aberdeen; also survived by 15 nieces and nephews and many other family and friends.

A visitation will be held on Saturday, September 28, 2024 from 2:00-3:00PM at Boles Funeral Home in Southern Pines with a service following at 3:00PM.

In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to St. Judes Children’s Research Hospital. Services are entrusted to Boles Funeral Home of Southern Pines.

David B. Wright

March 27, 1948 –Sept. 23, 2024

David B. Wright, 76, of Whispering Pines, NC passed peacefully on September 23, 2024, at home with his wife of nearly 50 years, Christine (Payne) Wright, by his side. Survived by his wife and daughters Katie Wright (Mike) of FL, Amy Wright (Shavar) of East Quogue, NY, and son, Charles Wright (Francesca) of Whispering Pines, NC. “Pop” to grandchildren Kayla, Kyle, and Brayden. Dave is also survived by siblings Barbara (Dale) Keasling, Bruce Wright, Sandy Rosendahl, and Keith Wright, extended family and many nieces and nephews.

Dave was always known as a man of service. Born in Southampton, NY, son of the late Edward and Miller Barker Wright, he grew up in the hamlet of East Quogue, NY. Graduated Westhampton Beach High School in 1965 and was drafted into the US Army in 1967. He served as an infantryman in Vietnam and was honorably discharged as a Sergeant in 1969. He was awarded the Army Commendation Medal for Valor while there. After serving his country, he returned to East Quogue to help run the family business, Edward Wright Cesspool Service, and later worked with Precision Excavating, until retiring and moving to Whispering Pines, NC in 2005. Dave was a Life Member of VFW Post 5350 and served as Post Commander and Quartermaster. He was a member of EQ Methodist church and later Pinehurst Methodist Church.

Dave loved to share a good story over coffee, or a celebratory drink and a good cigar.

His generosity, smile and trademark handlebar mustache will be missed by all those whose lives he touched. He was “one of the good ones” . A Celebration of Life and Interment at Calverton National Cemetery on Long Island will be held in April of 2025.

Memorials and tribute gifts are accepted at Wounded Warriors & St. Jude’s Children’s Hospital. Services are entrusted to Boles Funeral Homes of Southern Pines.

Elizabeth Ann Margulis

Feb. 22, 1931 – Sept. 21, 2024

Elizabeth Ann (Campbell) Margulis 93, of Pinehurst, passed on Saturday, September 21, 2024, at Fox Hollow Assisted Living in Pinehurst. Mrs. Margulis was born February 22, 1931, in Greenville, SC, to the late Hugh Campbell and Margaret (Holtzclaw) Campbell. In addition to raising her three children, Ann worked her entire career at the Pentagon in Arlington, VA for the Department of Army. She retired in 1991 with 30 years of service. She was a wonderful mother, grandmother and greatgrandmother. She loved her family and especially loved cooking for her family. She was a wonderful cook; the family has fond memories of her fried chicken, mac & cheese, and brisket to name just a few.

Mrs. Margulis was preceded in death by her husband Harold Joseph Margulis in 2007. Also preceding her in death was a son, John Baucom; a daughter, Kathy Johnson; a brother, Samuel Campbell, and a granddaughter, Susan del Castillo.

She is survived by her daughter, Lisa Weaver of Whispering Pines; a step-son, Don Margulis of Massachusetts; daughter-in-law, Adriana Baucom of Florida; son-inlaw, Carl Johnson of Virginia; eight grandchildren, Sergio de del Castillo, Linda de del Castillo, Jennifer Petroski, Jaimie O’Connor, Juan Diego Baucom, Marianna Baucom, and Jonathan Margulis; seven greatgrandchildren, Tyhra Barreto, Michael Collins, Jordan Liggett, Carleigh Liggett, Kaitlynn Liggett, Allison Chewning, and Roger Chewning III. A committal service will be held at a later date at Arlington National Cemetery where Mrs. Margulis will be placed with her husband.

Memorials may be made in her memory to FirstHealth Hospice and Palliative Care at 150 Applecross Drive, Pinehurst, NC 28374 Services entrusted to Boles Funeral Home of Southern Pines.

Grace Reinbott

Dec.6, 1934 – Sept. 19, 2024

Grace Reinbott (nee Nitti), 89, of Southern Pines, N.C., passed peacefully on Sept. 19, 2024. She was a first-generation Italian American born in Newark, N.J. For most of her life, she lived in New Jersey. After graduating from Newark State Teachers College, she taught Special Education classes at the elementary level. She loved her students and friends. At age 65 she retired to travel with her husband of 64 wonderful years, Bill, and dote on their family. For the past 6 years she lived at Gracious Retirement of Southern Pines. She enjoyed living there and was grateful for the many friendships among the residents and staff.

She delighted in cooking and hosting parties; talking with her best friend, Fern; volunteering; solving crossword puzzles; reading novels and newspapers; dancing at many weddings; playing cards; and watching movies and New York Yankees and Giants games.

Survivors are children Bill (Barbara), Denise, Rick (Joan), and Keith (Domenica); granddaughters Carrie (Will), Meredith (Kevin), Jackie, Marie, and Brianna; greatgrandchildren Jonah, Bobby, Louisa, Temperance, and Samuel; and many nieces and nephews. Grace was a beautiful person; her warmth, generosity, humor, and selflessness will be remembered.

The family is also very grateful to the staff at First Health Moore Regional Hospital for their compassion and care given to Grace.

Visitation will be 10 a.m.12 p.m. on Friday, October 4 at Boles Funeral Home, Southern Pines. A funeral Mass will follow at 2 p.m. at St. Anthony of Padua Roman Catholic Church in Southern Pines and streamed live. Entombment will follow at Pinelawn Memorial Park Mausoleum.

Donations may be made to The Foundation of First Health or Macular Degeneration Research BrightFocus Foundation. Services entrusted to Boles Funeral Home of Southern Pines.

Claude Lee Webster Jr.

July 12, 1936 – Sept. 25, 2024

Claude Lee Webster Jr., age 88, of Pinehurst, NC, went home to be with the Lord on Wednesday, September 25, 2024, in the comfort of his home.

Claude Lee, affectionately known as C.L., was born on July 12, 1936, in Ridgeway, VA to Claude Lee Webster Sr. and Katherine Frazier. After C.L. graduated from Drewry Mason High School in 1954, he went on to study at Wake Forest University, where he graduated in 1960.

C.L. Webster was blessed to have loved only one woman, his wife Frances (Fran) Manning Webster, for 67 years of marriage. They met in Martinsville, VA, while they were both still in high school and were married shortly after C.L. graduated. While attending Wake Forest University, C.L. and Fran began their family, blessing them with three incredible children, Katherine Webster Snyder, Lee Webster, and Maggie Webster Neese.

Upon graduation from Wake Forest University, C.L. was hired at Red Springs High School as a Biology teacher and to coach baseball and basketball. His second career and passion was in sales. For over twenty-five years, C.L. received numerous awards for being a sales performance leader for CocaCola.

C.L. had a deep love for his family. His wife, Fran, was truly the love of his life. They enjoyed almost every day together, sitting by the pool, walking on the beach, reading a book on the porch, and everything in between.

As a father and grandfather, C.L. was encouraging, supporting his family in their various activities. He attended school plays, sporting events, music recitals, weddings, showers, and just about any other event where he could spend time with his family. C.L. was proud and protective of his family, making sure the referees were calling the game in their team’s favor or at making sure his friends knew that his kids and grandkids were “the best.”

If you knew C.L. well, you knew he was going to make some type of playful comment, at your expense, just to trigger a reaction. He loved the resulting banter and the stories that would spark from one small comment. In no time, everyone in the room would be laughing and enjoying the moment. C.L. had a way of bringing out the best in everyone.

In 2000, C.L. & Fran moved to Pinehurst, NC to join the Aberdeen Coca Cola Bottling Company. In 2007, C.L. retired and spent his time playing handball, watching baseball, clogging the night away, and reading books by the pool. For many years, C.L. and his wife enjoyed long walks through their neighborhood and get-togethers with their friends.

Claude Lee Jr. was preceded in death by his parents, Claude Lee Webster Sr. and Katherine Frazier, and his sister, Dorthy Jean Wickham. He is survived by his beloved wife, Frances Webster; his daughter, Kathy Snyder and her husband, Jack; his son, Lee Webster and his wife, Charla; his daughter, Maggie Neese and her husband, Johnny; his eight grandchildren and his ten great-grandchildren. C.L. was looking forward to the arrival of his eleventh greatgrandchild in December.

In honor of C.L., the family will be having a private Celebration of Life ceremony. In lieu of gifts or flowers, help the family remember C.L. by sending a card with a story and/or picture involving C.L. He impacted so many lives and these memories will carry on his legacy.

Services are entrusted to Boles Funeral Home of Southern Pines.

Vickie Jean Carlson

July 12, 1936 – Sept. 25, 2024

A lifetime of nursing takes someone who can always see the positive, truly believes in the value of each life, and works tirelessly to create safe environments for their patients. No one emulated these ideals better than Vickie Jean Carlsen who sadly passed away on September 25th.

Born December 10th, 1956 in Hawthorne, California to Walter E. Carlsen and Claudette J. Weikal; Vickie was quickly introduced to an always active lifestyle as she shared a home with her parents while being the second eldest of six siblings.

As an adult, Vickie found her passion as a Registered Nurse and over the next 43 years showed that passion in the areas of labor and delivery, neonatal intensive care, mental health and substance abuse recovery and public health. In 2003, she started a new journey with her loving husband which - in a truly Vickie style - took place on a family adventure with them and their three children in Gretna Green in Scotland dressed in traditional Scottish garb.

And as anyone who knew Vickie could tell you, she was 67, but based on her adventures you’d have guessed she was both 20 and 100, for she had experiences that could easily span multiple lifetimes and she approached each adventure with a youthful exuberance.

On her fortieth birthday, she celebrated by skydiving. On her sixtieth, she climbed Mt Everest. And in between she climbed and summited Mt. Kilimanjaro and Patagonia, bungee jumped 111 meters in Zimbabwe, scuba-dived and ran countless marathons “just for fun.” And when she wasn’t on a grand adventure, she found joy in the simple pleasures of gardening, spending time with her loyal dogs Bella and Ozzy and tending to her ever-growing flock of chickens.

Vickie’s loss is felt not only by her loving family and friends, but also by the multitude of army families she helped while working as a Nurse Home Visitor for Fort Liberty’s New Parent Support Program. With the support of her amazing team, she was able to flourish and show her beloved Army families her kindness, knowledge, and gentleness could only ever be matched by her unwavering work ethic doing what she often called, “the best job ever.”

She is preceded in death by her beloved husband, Kerry N. Ross, and her brother, Walter E. Carlsen, Jr. She is survived and sorely missed by her daughter Kristen Tate; sons Philip (Michelle) Carlsen and Douglas Ross; grandchildren Hope and Max Carlsen; her sister Karen Kasten and children; brothers David (Ana) Carlsen; Charles Carlsen; and her closest friend and confidant, Dr. Jennifer Oakley.

A memorial service will be held at on Saturday, November 2, 2024, at 1:00 p.m. at Boles Funeral Home, 425 W. Pennsylvania Avenue, Southern Pines, NC 28387. A livestream of the service will be available.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the James J. Brearton Memorial scholarship, established to advance the educational opportunities at LaSalle Institute, 174 Williams Road, Troy, NY. Services entrusted to Boles Funeral Home of Southern Pines.

Domenik Karl Ceraso

March 22, 1999 –Sept. 23, 2024

With his loving family by his side, Domenik Karl Ceraso, 25, peacefully passed into the arms of his Heavenly Father on September 23, 2024. His life was marked by a relentless desire to live fully and never give up. Whether cliff jumping in Hawaii, driving his brightly striped jeep with no doors or windows and plenty of rubber ducks on the dash, or simply connecting with patrons at the Roast Office, Domenik made a significant and unforgettable impact on everyone around him. Those who knew him admired his unwavering positivity and timely comedic relief. He faced life’s challenges with grace and strength, finding peace in his trust in God. His love for family and friends was unmatched and will be cherished by all who had the privilege of knowing him.

Domenik was born on March 22, 1999, to his loving parents Dr. John and Karla Ceraso, and grew up in Pinehurst, NC. He was a 2017 graduate of Pinecrest High School.

He was a loving brother to Nikolas (wife Deicy) Ceraso of Charlotte, NC and Mikayla Ceraso (fiancé, Ben) from Charleston, SC. In addition to his immediate family, he is survived by his girlfriend, Adri Perez, as well as aunts, uncles, and cousins, all of whom loved him very much.

Domenik enjoyed soccer, skateboarding, fishing, snowboarding, surfing, cooking, off-roading in his Jeep Gladis the Gladiator, traveling with his family, and spending time at his favorite coffee shop, the Roast Office.

He is preceded in death by his maternal and paternal grandparents.

Domenik’s strength and grace were a testament to his love for those around him. Despite the challenges of his illness, he remained resilient, often offering comfort and support to others even in his most difficult moments. He faced his battle with unwavering serenity, leaving behind a legacy of kindness, strength, and selflessness that will forever be cherished by all who knew.

A visitation will be held on Sunday, September 29, 2024 from 2:00-4:00PM at Boles Funeral Home in Southern Pines.

A funeral mass will be held on Monday, September 30, 2024 at 11:00AM at Sacred Heart Catholic Church in Pinehurst. In lieu of flowers the family request donations in Domenik’s name be made to The NC Zoo at nczoo.org or Family Promise at fpofmc.org. Services are entrusted to Boles Funeral Home of Southern Pines.

Kris Kristofferson, singer-songwriter and actor, dies at 88

The country music legend had a decades-long career

By Andrew Dalton and Kristin M. Hall The Associated Press

LOS ANGELES — Kris Kristofferson, a Rhodes scholar with a deft writing style and rough charisma who became a country music superstar and an A-list Hollywood actor, has died.

Kristofferson died at his home on Maui, Hawaii, last Saturday, family spokeswoman Ebie McFarland said in an email. He was 88. McFarland said Kristofferson died peacefully, surrounded by his family. No cause was given. Starting in the late 1960s, the Brownsville, Texas, native wrote such country and rock ’n’ roll standards as “Sunday Mornin’ Comin’ Down,”

“Help Me Make it Through the Night,” “For the Good Times” and “Me and Bobby McGee,” which became his best-known song as a posthumous hit for Janis Joplin.

He starred opposite Ellen Burstyn in director Martin Scorsese’s 1974 film “Alice Doesn’t Live Here Anymore,” starred opposite Barbra Streisand in the 1976 “A Star Is Born,” and acted alongside Wesley Snipes in Marvel’s “Blade” in 1998.

Kristofferson, who could recite the poems of William Blake from memory, wove folk music lyrics about loneliness and tender romance into popular country music. He represented a new breed of country songwriters along with such peers as Willie Nelson, John Prine and Tom T. Hall.

“There’s no better songwriter alive than Kris Kristofferson,” Nelson said at a 2009

BMI award ceremony for Kristofferson.

Kristofferson retired from performing and recording in 2021, making only occasional guest appearances on stage. Nelson and Kristofferson would join forces with Johnny Cash and Waylon Jennings to create the country supergroup “The Highwaymen” starting in the mid-1980s. Kristofferson was a Golden Gloves boxer, rugby star and football player in college; received a master’s degree in English from the University of Oxford; and flew helicopters as a captain in the U.S. Army but turned down an appointment to teach at the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, New York, to pursue songwriting in Nashville.

Hoping to break into the industry, he worked as a parttime janitor at Columbia Records’ Music Row studio in 1966 when Dylan recorded tracks for the seminal “Blonde on Blonde” double album. At times, the legend of Kristofferson was larger than real life. Cash liked to tell a mostly exaggerated story of how Kristofferson landed a helicopter on Cash’s lawn to give him a tape of “Sunday Mornin’ Comin’ Down” with a beer in one hand. Over the years in interviews, Kristofferson said with all respect to Cash, the Man in Black wasn’t even home at the time, the demo tape was a song that no one ever actually cut and he certainly couldn’t fly a helicopter holding a beer. He later said he might not have had a career without Cash.

“He kind of took me under his wing before he cut any of my songs,” Kristofferson said in a 2006 interview with The Associated Press. “He cut my first record that was record of the year. He put me on stage the first time.”

OWEN SWEENEY / INVISION / AP

Kris Kristofferson performs at The American Music Theatre in April 2019.

STATE & NATION

Native Americans in Montana ask court for more in-person voting sites

Tribes are asking counties to create satellite offices

By Matthew Brown The Associated Press

BILLINGS, Mont. — Native Americans living on a remote Montana reservation filed a lawsuit against state and county officials Monday, saying they don’t have enough places to vote in person — the latest chapter in a decades-long struggle by tribes in the United States over equal voting opportunities.

The six members of the Fort Peck Reservation want satellite voting offices in their communities for late registration and to vote before Election Day without making long drives to a county courthouse.

The legal challenge, filed in state court, comes five weeks before the presidential election in a state with a pivotal U.S. Senate race where the Republican candidate has made derogatory comments about Native Americans.

Native Americans were granted U.S. citizenship a century ago. Advocates say the right still doesn’t always bring equal access to the ballot.

Many tribal members in rural western states live in farflung communities with limited resources and transportation. That can make it hard to reach election offices, which are some-

times located off-reservation.

The plaintiffs in the Montana lawsuit reside in two small communities near the Canada border on the Fort Peck Reservation, home to the Assiniboine and Sioux tribes. The plaintiffs’ attorney, Cher Old Elk, grew up in one of those communities, Frazer, Montana, where more than a third of people live below the poverty line and the per capita income is about $12,000,

according to census data.

It’s a 60-mile round trip from Frazer to the election office at the courthouse in Glasgow. Old Elk says that can force prospective voters into difficult choices.

“It’s not just the gas money; it’s actually having a vehicle that runs,” she said. “Is it food on my table, or is it the gas money to find a vehicle, to find a ride, to go to Glasgow to vote?”

The lawsuit asks a state judge

DOJ will launch review into 1921

A public report is expected by the end of the year

By Sean Murphy The Associated Press

OKLAHOMA CITY — The Justice Department announced Monday it plans to launch a review of the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre, an attack by a white mob on a thriving black district that is considered one of the worst single acts of violence against black people in U.S. history.

The review was launched under a federal cold-case initiative that has led to prosecutions of some Civil Rights Era cases, although Assistant U.S. Attorney General Kristen Clarke said they have “no expectation” there is anyone living who could be prosecuted as a result of the inquiry. Still, the announcement of the first federal probe into the massacre was embraced by descendants of survivors who have long criticized city and state leaders for not doing more to compensate those affected by the attack. Clarke said the agency plans to issue a public report detailing its findings by the end of the year.

“We acknowledge descendants of the survivors, and the victims continue to bear the trauma of this act of racial terrorism,” Clarke said during her remarks in Washington.

Damario Solomon-Simmons, an attorney for the last known survivors of the massacre, 110-year-old Viola Fletcher and 109-year-old Lessie Benningfield Randle, described Clarke’s

announcement as a “joyous occasion.”

“It is about time,” said Solomon-Simmons, flanked by descendants of massacre survivors. “It only took 103 years, but this is a joyous occasion, a momentous day, an amazing opportunity for us to make sure that what happened here in Tulsa is understood for what it was — the largest crime scene

for an order forcing Valley and Roosevelt counties and Secretary of State Christi Jacobson to create satellite election offices in Frazer and Poplar, Montana. They would be open during the same hours and on the same days as the county courthouses.

The plaintiffs requested satellite election offices from the counties earlier this year, the lawsuit says. Roosevelt County officials refused, while Valley

County officials said budget constraints limited them to opening a satellite voting center for just one day.

Valley County Attorney Dylan Jensen said there were only two full-time employees in the Clerk and Recorder’s Office that oversees elections, so staffing a satellite office would be problematic.

“To do that for an extended period of time and still keep regular business going, it would be difficult,” he said.

Roosevelt County Clerk and Recorder Tracy Miranda and a spokesperson for Jacobson did not immediately respond to messages seeking comment.

Prior efforts to secure Native American voting rights helped drive changes in recent years that expanded electoral access for tribal members in South Dakota and Nevada.

A 2012 federal lawsuit in Montana sought to establish satellite election offices on the Crow, Northern Cheyenne and Fort Belknap reservations. It was rejected by a judge, but the ruling was later set aside by an appeals court. In 2014, tribal members in the case reached a settlement with officials in several counties. Monday’s lawsuit said inequities continue on the Fort Peck Reservation and that tribal members have never fully achieved equal voting since Montana was first organized as a territory in 1864 and Native Americans were excluded from its elections. Native voters in subsequent years continued to face barriers to registering and were sometimes stricken from voter rolls.

“It’s unfortunate we had to take a very aggressive step, to take this to court, but the counties aren’t doing it. I don’t know any other way,” Old Elk said.

Tulsa Race Massacre

in the history of this country.”

As many as 300 black people were killed; more than 1,200 homes, businesses, schools and churches were destroyed; and thousands were forced into internment camps overseen by the National Guard when a white mob, including some deputized by authorities, looted and burned the Greenwood District, also known as Black Wall Street.

The Oklahoma Supreme Court in June dismissed a lawsuit by survivors, dampening the hope of advocates for racial justice that the city would make financial amends for the attack.

The nine-member court upheld the decision made by a district court judge in Tulsa last year, ruling that the plaintiff’s grievances about the destruction of the Greenwood district, although legitimate, did not fall within the scope of the state’s public nuisance statute.

After the state Supreme Court turned away the lawsuit, Solomon-Simmons asked the U.S. Department of Justice to open an investigation into the massacre under the Emmett Till Unsolved Civil Rights Crime Act.

Although investigations under the act have led to successful

prosecutions of Civil Rights Era cases, the DOJ acknowledged in a report to Congress last year that there are significant legal barriers to cases before 1968.

“Even with our best efforts, investigations into historic cases are exceptionally difficult, and rarely will justice be reached inside of a courtroom,” the agency noted in the report.

Since the Act was approved in 2008, the DOJ has opened for review 137 cases involving 160 known victims. The agency has fully investigated and resolved 125 of those cases through prosecution, referral or closure.

The report also notes the Act has led to two successful federal prosecutions and three successful state prosecutions. Both federal prosecutions involved separate murders of Black men in Mississippi by members of the Ku Klux Klan in the 1960s.

The first federally assisted state prosecution under the initiative was against Klansmen who bombed a Birmingham, Alabama, church in 1963, killing four young girls. That prosecution in the early 2000s led to convictions and life sentences for two men involved in the bombing.

ALVIN C. KRUPNICK CO. / LIBRARY OF CONGRESS VIA AP

Smoke billows over Tulsa, Oklahoma, during the city’s 1921 race riots.

MATTHEW BROWN / AP PHOTO

Bret Healy, left, a consultant for Four Directions Native Vote, speaks about voting opportunities on Native American reservations in Montana while attorney Cher Old Elk (center) and activist Tom Rodgers (right) listen during a press conference Sept. 26 in Billings, Montana.