North State Journal — Vol. 3., Issue 9

VOLUME 3 ISSUE 9

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WEDNESDAY, APRIL 25, 2018

Inside Trump’s first state visit shows progress on Iran

KEVIN LAMARQUE | REUTERS

President Donald Trump and French President Emmanuel Macron (L) review the Old Guard Fife and Drum Corps during the official arrival ceremony for Macron and his wife Brigitte Macron on the South Lawn of the White House in Washington, April 24.

the Wednesday NEWS BRIEFING Two-thirds of U.S. Senate pushes Turkey to release American pastor Washington, D.C. Sixty-six U.S. senators have signed a letter urging Turkey President Tayyip Erdogan to release North Carolina pastor Andrew Brunson, on trial in Turkey accused of helping in a failed military coup.

The letter, led by Republican Sen. Thom Tillis (R-N.C.), warned that unspecified measures might be necessary to ensure the Turkish government “respects the rights of law-abiding citizens” of the U.S. to be in Turkey without fear of prosecution. President Donald Trump also called for Brunson’s release on Monday. The letter was signed by 43 Republicans and 23 Democrats.

Former President George H.W. Bush admitted to Houston hospital Houston Former President George H.W. Bush was admitted to a Houston hospital for an infection that spread to his blood a day after the funeral of Barbara Bush, his wife of seven decades, a family spokesman said on Monday. Bush, 93, was admitted to Houston Methodist Hospital on Sunday, spokesman Jim McGrath said in a statement. Bush was seen in a wheelchair on Saturday at the funeral of his wife, the former U.S. first lady, who died last Tuesday.

The two had been married for 73 years.

Wheels and wings beat revenue estimates, drive stocks higher New York Caterpillar, Lockheed Martin and Harley Davidson report profits and revenues that exceeded Wall Street’s estimates in the first quarter. Revenue from Harley motorcycles rose 2.7 percent to $1.36 billion, driving stocks up 2.2 percent. Caterpillar shares jumped 4.25 percent after reporting sales up 31 percent to $12.9 billion.

Lockheed Martin shares are up 3.8 percent on reports of a 6.7 percent increase in revenue to $4.4 billion, driven heavily by increase in sales of the F-35 jet.

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NORTH

STATE

JOURNaL ELEVATE THE CONVERSATION

By Emily Roberson North State Journal CHARLOTTE — Vice President Mike Pence was in North Carolina on Friday for a multistop visit, primarily to tout President Donald Trump’s tax overhaul law and stump for local candidates.

In Charlotte, Pence cited the local job growth in particular to

By Donna King North State Journal

promote the success of the measure. He pointed to bonuses handed out to workers at Bank of America, which is headquartered in Charlotte, and American Airlines, which has a hub at Charlotte Douglas International Airport, as proof of what the tax cuts have done.

“Jobs are coming back. Confidence is back,” Pence said. “In a word, under President Donald Trump, America is back and we’re just getting started.”

Noting that income tax returns were due last week, the vice president also said tax cuts and tax simplifications are on the way.

“What you just went through is the last time you’ll have to pay

RALEIGH — Under “extreme objection,” the executive director of the N.C. Republican Party, Dallas Woodhouse, testified in a deposition for nearly two hours on Monday.

His appearance was required by subpoena from the N.C. Democratic Party that also “commanded” him to turn over internal party documents including emails, written political plans, texts, payroll records and his personal calendar information.

The NCGOP filed requests to quash the subpoena, but the effort was not addressed by the court in time.

“It is hard to imagine information that is more confidential and proprietary than the political strategy of a political party concerning the winning of elections in a current cycle,” the NCGOP’s motion read. The court denied Republicans’ effort.

The subpoena stems from a lawsuit by the NCDP over changes to the 2018 judicial primary. The suit was filed against N.C. Senate Leader Phil Berger (R-Rockingham), House Speaker Tim Moore (R-Kings Mountain) and Kim Strach, executive director of the N.C. Bipartisan State Board of Elections and Ethics Enforcement. Democrats also deposed their own executive director, Kim Reynolds, in the case.

The NCGOP was not named in the suit, but the subpoena solicits communication on the elimination of judicial primary elections in 2018. Outraged, Woodhouse invited media to attend the deposition saying that he wanted witnesses to the “kangaroo court” proceedings.

“I really do wish they would just simply try to beat us at the ballot box,” he said before walking into the Raleigh law offices of Poy-

See PENCE, page A2

See NCGOP, page A2

Pence talks tax reform, local politics in Triad and Charlotte V.P. says healthy Charlotte economy due to recent U.S. tax reforms and job growth under President Trump; visits storm-damaged Greensboro after rally for Rep. Mark Walker

NCGOP forced to testify in Democrats’ lawsuit “If the rival political party can grab somebody and try to make them reveal conversations and information, or threaten them with contempt of court for not complying … the system can collapse.”

— Dallas Woodhouse, NCGOP executive director

EPA set to unveil policy barring ‘secret science’

By Valerie Volcovici Reuters WASHINGTON, D.C. — The Environmental Protection Agency is close to announcing a new policy that would stop it from relying on scientific research underpinned by confidential data in its rulemaking, according to two sources familiar with the matter.

The measure will be billed by the agency as a way to boost transparency for the benefit of the industries it regulates, according to the sources who asked not to be named. But scientists and former

EPA officials worry the move will hamstring the agency’s ability to protect public health by putting key medical and industry data off limits.

EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt, who has been pursuing President Donald Trump’s mission to ease the regulatory burden on business, is expected to unveil the new policy as early as Tuesday afternoon, the sources said.

EPA officials did not respond to requests for comment.

The EPA has for decades relied on scientific research that is rooted in confidential medical and indus-

The measure will be billed by the agency as a way to boost transparency for the benefit of the industries it regulates

the practice is tantamount to writing laws behind closed doors and unfairly prevents them from vetting the research underpinning the EPA’s often costly regulatory requirements. They argue that if the data can’t be published, then the rules should not be adopted.

But ex-EPA officials say the practice is vital.

“Other government agencies also use studies like these to develop policy and regulations, and to buttress and defend rules against legal challenges. They are, in fact,

try data as a basis for its air, water and chemicals rules. While it publishes enormous amounts of research and data to the public, the confidential material is held back.

Business interests have argued See EPA, page A2

North State Journal for Wednesday, April 25, 2018

A2 WEDNESDAY

4.25.18 #125

NATION & WORLD Van kills 10, injures 15, on Toronto sidewalk

“The whole state.

The whole story.”

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JOSHUA ROBERTS | REUTERS

President Donald Trump and French President Emmanuel Macron hug as they take part in an official State Arrival ceremony with their wives Brigitte Macron and first lady Melania Trump on the South Lawn of the White House.

France’s Macron visits Trump as Iran nuclear deal hangs in balance Marcon’s visit this week with Macron is the first foreign be followed by one from German leader to make state visit under Trump administration Chancellor Angela Merkel on FriBy Steve Holland and Marine Pennetier North State Journal WASHINGTON, D.C. — French President Emmanuel Macron arrived in Washington this week for a state visit likely to be dominated by differences with the United States over trade and the nuclear accord with Iran.

As Macron headed west, the Iranian government urged European leaders to convince President Donald Trump not to tear up the 2015 deal between Tehran and six world powers.

The Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), a controversial agreement reached under the Obama administration and six European powers, has been widely criticized as unenforceable and weak. Trump has said he will scrap it unless European allies fix

by May 12 what he called “terrible flaws.”

“This visit is very important in our current context, with so many uncertainties, troubles and at times threats,” Macron said in French remarks as he arrived in Washington.

EPA from page A2

NCGOP from page A2

essential to making sound public policy,” former EPA Administrator Gina McCarthy and former Assistant Administrator for Air and Water Janet McCabe wrote in an op-ed in the New York Times last month.

The new policy would be based on proposed legislation spearheaded by House Science Chairman Lamar Smith, a Republican from Texas who denies mainstream climate change science. Emails obtained through a public records request last week showed Smith or his staff met with Pruitt’s staff in recent months to craft the policy. Those emails also showed that Pruitt’s staff grappled with the possibility the policy would complicate things for the chemicals industry, which submits reams of confidential data to EPA regulatory programs.

An official for Smith’s office did not provide comment.

ner Spruill, representing the N.C. Democratic Party.

“It’s extremely easy to think of this as just sort of inside baseball, or whatever, but when you think about it, political parties and political campaigns have a purpose in our society,” Woodhouse said.

“If the rival political party can grab somebody and try to make them reveal conversations and information, or threaten them with contempt of court for not complying … the system can collapse.”

NCGOP Chairman Robin Hayes argued that Democrats are on a “fishing expedition” that is unconstitutional and jeopardizes valuable trade secrets and party strategy. He says that the maneuver not only negatively impacts the Republican Party in the 2018 elections, it could set a precedent that impacts future campaign op-

PENCE from page A2 taxes under that old, broken system,” Pence said. “And you can say goodbye to the days of complicated, time-consuming forms. Next year, millions of Americans will be able to file their taxes on a simple, single sheet of paper,” he continued.

Pence was keynote speaker at the Charlotte gathering sponsored by America First Policies, a nonprofit organization that promotes President Trump’s policies. The speech

Toronto A white Ryder rental van killed 10 people and injured 15 when its driver plowed through a busy Toronto sidewalk on Monday afternoon, police said. Just before 1:30 p.m., as large crowds of office workers were on lunch breaks, the driver appeared to deliberately target victims on a mile-long rampage, according to witnesses.

The driver was in custody, police said. A number of the victims are reportedly older people, and at one point a witness reported a stroller flying into the air. The U.S. and Europe have seen a string of deadly attacks in which vehicles were used to mow down pedestrians, including an Oct. 31 attack in New York that killed eight.

was preceded by a panel discussion on tax cuts featuring North Carolina Republican Sen. Thom Tillis and Rep. Robert Pittenger, who is seeking a fourth term.

Pittinger described the event as a celebration of the tax cuts, after their passage last year.

“I think it’s recognition of the realities of when you lower the tax burden, lower the regulatory burden, it transforms the economy,” he said.

The speech was one of three stops in N.C. for Pence, including

day. The leaders hope to outline enough increases in protections and accountability in the deal to keep Trump onboard.

Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif called on European leaders to save the agreement, with Russian and Chinese officials saying they are working to keep the U.S. from withdrawing from it.

“It is either all or nothing. European leaders should encourage Trump not just to stay in the nuclear deal, but more important to begin implementing his part of the bargain in good faith,” Zarif wrote on Twitter.

The deal put curbs on Iran’s nuclear program in exchange for sanctions relief, but critics have said it was weak on enforcement and other incremental protections.

Minutes after Macron touched down in the United States on Monday, the White House said it had no announcements on the Iran deal. White House spokeswoman Sarah Sanders added, “The president has been extremely clear that he thinks it’s a bad deal. That certainly has not changed.”

Macron said on “Fox News Sunday” it would be better to pro-

erations for all parties.

“Lawyers for the North Carolina Democratic Party have threatened Republican Party leaders with contempt of court charges that could carry possible jail time if Party leaders do not reveal sensitive political information,” said Hayes in a statement. “This includes a wide range of political documents such as e-mails, text messages, payroll records, charts, and calendar records in an unconstitutional fishing expedition.

This was designed to cripple the NCGOP’s ability to conduct operations going into the fall elections, and threaten the ability of all political parties to operate in the future.”

The challenge faced by Republicans if they comply with the Democrats subpoena is that their private conversations, strategy, emails and other information would be a part of the pub-

a Republican National Committee event in Charlotte and a fundraiser for U.S. Rep. Mark Walker in Greensboro, where he also toured areas damaged by a tornado last Sunday. Walker, who is seeking a third term in Congress this fall, leads the conservative Republican Study Committee caucus on Capitol Hill.

In his Charlotte speech, the vice president touched on the judiciary and the Trump administration’s efforts to nominate conservative judges. Pence reiterated the intent

tect the deal instead of getting rid of it. “Is this agreement perfect and this JCPOA a perfect thing for our relationship with Iran?

No. But for nuclear, what do you have as a better option? I don’t see it,” he said.

Macron’s visit is the first time Trump has hosted a state visit since he took office in January 2017. Macron and his wife, Brigitte, shortly after their arrival at the Blair House residence, took quickly to the streets of Washington, walking past the White House complex to the Lincoln Memorial, and greeting tourists.

Macron brought with him an oak tree sapling for planting on the South Lawn of the White House. The tree came from the Belleau Woods, site of a World War I battle in 1918 where 9,000 Americans died.

Trump and Macron shared a meal on Monday night at Mount Vernon, the Virginia home of George Washington whose alliance with France during the Revolutionary War aided in the United States’ victory over the British.

Working meetings were held at the White House on Tuesday ahead of Macron’s planned address to Congress on Wednesday, the anniversary of the day French Gen. Charles de Gaulle addressed a joint session of Congress in 1960.

lic record — accessible to the N.C. Democratic Party, despite the long history of generations of candidates speaking candidly with the state party about their campaigns.

“As a leader of the Young Republicans and a candidate for the North Carolina General Assembly, I worry about the long-term implications of one political party, forcing another to reveal confidential information,” said Catherine Whiteford, a candidate for the N.C. House 34 seat, in a statement released by the NCGOP. Democrats are seeking to block parts of a law that canceled the 2018 judicial primaries while the General Assembly examines a way to update the judicial district lines. Lawmakers say they canceled the 2018 judicial primaries because they wanted to allow newly eligible candidates to be able to get a closer look at

to erect a wall along the Mexican border.

“When it comes to the wall, we’re going to build it all. That’s a promise.”

His other remarks ranged from urging support for the military to lamenting the fatal shootings of two Florida law enforcement officers. He twice urged the crowd to stand and applaud the military and the police officers assigned to the event.

While at the event, Pence spoke personally with Charlotte veteran,

Facebook says it is taking down more material about ISIS, al-Qaeda San Francisco Facebook said this week that it removed or put a warning label on 1.9 million pieces of extremist content related to ISIS or alQaeda in the first three months of the year, or about double the amount from the previous quarter. The European Union has been putting pressure on Facebook and its tech industry competitors to remove extremist content more rapidly or face legislation forcing them to do so, and the sector says it has increased efforts to demonstrate progress.

Judge revokes bond for Nashville shooting suspect after outcry Nashville, Tenn.

After a public outcry, a Tennessee judge revoked a $2 million bond on Tuesday set for Travis Reinking, the man accused of fatally shooting four people at a Waffle House restaurant. The Nashville district attorney’s office was “inundated with calls” on Tuesday morning from angry members of the public saying there should be no possibility of the suspect being released on bond. Police say a nearly naked Reinking opened fire with an AR-15 rifle at a Waffle House restaurant in Nashville at about 3:30 a.m. Sunday, then fled the scene.

what could be new judicial district maps or other changes that stem from the work of the new committee.

Democrats say it’s a Republican-led effort to turn the courts more to the right. Woodhouse says the NCGOP’s role, and his own as its executive director, is political and has nothing to do with the legislative actions. He called the subpoena corrosive to the state’s political process.

“I did five congressional district conventions this week driving across the state talking to all kinds of candidates about all kinds of issues,” Woodhouse said. “Why would they ever want to talk to you if they think that the conversations they have with you can be revealed to the other side?”

The N.C. Democratic Party did not respond to requests for comment.

Michael Verardo.

He suffered a traumatic brain injury while serving in Afghanistan. He was in the front row with his wife, Sarah, to ensure lawmakers see the price of war.

“It’s so important to look at a man like my husband and say this is the cost of freedom,” said Sarah.

Together, the couple travels to advocate for better veteran health care.

“The system is archaic,” said Sarah. “It’s in need of massive overhaul.”

North State Journal for Wednesday, April 25, 2018

BUSINESS & ECONOMY

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Greg Scheu, the president of the Americas Regions for ABB and a keynote speaker at the 2018 State Energy Conference.

PHOTO COURTESY OF NC CLEAN ENERGY TECHNOLOGY CENTER

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New survey confirms importance and potential of regional energy economy

State Energy Conference looks to NC’s future The two-day conference brings together top energy industry experts and innovators

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North and South Carolina’s energy sector and the assets that support it are strong contributors to the region’s economy that could benefit from greater stakeholder collaboration and a shared vision for future innovation, according to the results of a new survey published last week by the North Carolina Department of Commerce and E4 Carolinas, a trade association for energy companies and organizations.

The report, Carolinas’ Energy Economy Survey: Findings & Recommendations, publishes results from a survey of professionals in energy and energy-related companies and organizations across the Carolinas.

Almost a third of respondents worked in energy-related businesses, and respondents included people working for utilities, energy-related nonprofits, educational institutions and governments.

“Reliable and affordable energy always appears on the list of things companies seek from a business location,” said North Carolina Commerce Secretary Anthony M. Copeland. “North Carolina has always scored well on this requirement, so we must all work together to keep our state’s energy economy strong.”

The survey confirmed an overwhelming consensus that research centers, utilities, universities, community colleges, and energy efficiency firms are considered part of the energy economy, along with energy companies themselves. These resources also serve as vital assets for innovation in the Carolinas’ energy economy.

The report is available online for download at nccommerce.com/sti/ resources/strategic-reports.

RALEIGH — Energy leaders provided insights on the progress, challenges and solutions of the energy sector at the State Energy Conference at NC State’s McKimmon Center on April 17-18.

Connecting more than 75 experts and 744 attendees, the conference facilitated presentations and discussions about the future of energy in North Carolina.

Greg Scheu, the president of the Americas Regions for ABB and Wednesday’s keynote speaker, spoke about how much innovation in energy has happened in the past 10 years. He pointed to several examples: Solar Impulse, a solar-powered aircraft that traveled around the world; Formula E, an electric-powered race car, keeping up with Formula One; DC fast chargers that can recharge a car in less than 15 minutes; and a robot programmed in less than 17 hours to conduct an orchestra.

“We talk about change a lot, and change is happening more than I think we know or realize, because it’s happening right in front of our eyes,” Scheu said.

One change that garnered a lot of conversation is the rise of solar energy in the state. N.C. ranks No. 2 in the country for most installed solar generators.

Finding solutions for the lack of reliability that comes with solar energy was a focus.

“That’s a real challenge for renewables,” Scheu said. “When does a sun go behind the cloud?

How well can you predict weather in terms of energy reli-

ability and predictability?”

Panelists offered solutions — one in the form of legislation.

Rep. Dean Arp (R-Union) spoke about House Bill 589, which was passed last year and aims to change power grid connections, explore community solar and look into power storage.

Arp explained the implementation will save the state $850 million over 10 years.

“Can you imagine the amount of solar we have in North Carolina if we can take in new technology that simply shifts that to other parts of the day that we store that and utilize that?” Arp said. “We would benefit from that in North Carolina so much because of the amount that we have.”

Casey Collins, the energy manager at Duke University, joined Arp in explaining the impact the bill would have on Duke University and North Carolina as a whole.

“We recognize that how we choose to procure our energy resources is at a scale that matters to North Carolina’s economy and certainly the environmental footprint associated with that energy,” Collins said.

Chris Doerfler, the founder of 3DFS Software-Defined Electricity in Pittsboro, offered some solutions when it comes to determining the problems that the energy sector faces, but he said more investments from institutions like the FREEDM Center at NC State are needed.

“I look at the FREEDM Center and NC State, and they are churning out all these great ideas,” Doerfler said. “But to see the path ahead of them without someone coming in to front a $50 million check — it’s going to be very, very difficult business to be in.”

Robert Sipes, vice president of the Western Carolinas Modernization Plan for Duke Energy, said his group has begun their largest battery storage

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“I look at the FREEDM Center and NC State, and they are churning out all these great ideas. ... But to see the path ahead of them without someone coming in to front a $50 million check — it’s going to be very, very difficult business to be in.”

— Chris Doerfler, founder of 3DFS Software-Defined Electricity projects.

“We got a community that is very interested in how the electricity they use is generated and distributed,” Sipes said. “Storage is not something new at Duke Energy. We’ve been doing this for a while.”

Sipes drew examples from the Mount Sterling microgrid and the Hot Springs battery system.

“Cases like these battery storage [systems] will be part of a solution for us to provide that cleaner and smarter and affordable future for our customers,” he said.

Scheu told the audience, “We’re in the midst of an energy revolution,” citing the shift to renewables, natural gas production surpassing coal, and nuclear staying stable.

“This is exciting in terms of what this means for sustainability,” Scheu said. “It also means that the various systems that control the grid have to be more resilient and more responsive.”

Next year’s State Energy Conference is April 30 to May 1, 2019.

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All Power, No Bull at Saturday’s Public Power Lineworkers Rodeo When you flip on a light switch or do anything else that requires electricity, you can thank a lineworker for making that possible.

Lineworkers are the folks who build and maintain our electric system. They are skilled, hard-working and dedicated.

When storms or other disasters take out our power, lineworkers are the first responders, working tirelessly and selflessly in all kinds of conditions—hot or cold, wet or dry, underground or skyhigh—to get and keep our lights on.

Lineworkers power our lives. This Saturday, April 28, from 7:30 a.m. to 2 p.m., you can get an enlightening glimpse into how they do that at the 2018 Public Power Lineworkers Rodeo in the public power town of Wake Forest. There are no bulls or bucking broncos at this rodeo.

Instead, lineworkers from all over the country will scale 40-foot light poles to compete against each other in events that mimic tasks they might do on the job.

This free, family-friendly event will also have a Fun Zone for kids, complete with an energy education booth, kid-sized rodeo events, and opportunities to touch utility trucks and other heavy equipment. Food trucks will be on-site, so you can spend the day celebrating these hometown heroes.

For details, including a map of the area, visit http://bit.ly/WF-Rodeo.

North State Journal for Wednesday, April 25, 2018

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North State Journal for Wednesday, April 25, 2018

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The goal of each competitor, whether solo or team, is completing each event perfectly, with no deductions for mistakes, also called infractions or gigs.

Wake Forest

What does it take to be a lineworker?

It takes a lot of skill—not just knowledge. You have to be physically capable, and you have to be willing to give up time and leave your family to work after hours, especially during storms. It’s hard work, but it’s very rewarding.

What’s the most rewarding part of your job?

When we go out during storms and help restore power to people who may have been out a while.

It feels good to make someone’s life a little easier after they’ve gone through a natural disaster.

Being a part of helping them start to rebuild … that’s the most rewarding.

Most challenging?

The danger aspect of it is always in the back of your head—being safe and not getting complacent is one of the most challenging things to do, especially after you’ve been doing it for a while.

Even though they may look the same, there’s always something different about every pole.

Rose Foster, Senior Safety Specialist at Santee Cooper

Lineworkers aren’t all linemen Take Rose Foster, for example. With

no line work experience but in need of a job, she applied for a temporary position with Santee Cooper: “a grunt on the line crew,” she says. “I was carrying conduit, framing poles, running hand line, digging holes—doing whatever they needed.” The Santee Cooper crew must have been impressed, because they brought her on full time.

Nearly 24 years later, Rose is Santee Cooper’s senior safety specialist.

It wasn’t an easy road, but she was determined, whether that meant passing pole-climbing and earning her CDL—as was required within her

first six months of employment—or just proving to herself and her very skeptical supervisor that she could do the job.

“You fall in love with it,” she says.

“The first time you ever go on a trouble call, whether it’s for a little old man and lady or a young couple with kids, when you get their power on in the middle of the night or when it’s freezing cold, [line work] gets in you. You can’t get it out.”

Foster acknowledges that a lot women don’t gravitate to this kind of work, but she says, “It wouldn’t hurt to reach out” and simply include women in the recruiting conversation for lineworkers, as well as roles in solar and wind.

When Lineworkers Benefit, Communities Benefit Mike Barton, director of public works for Wake Forest, points out that lineworkers refining their skills translates to faster restoration when they’re back home on the job, “working safely to get the power back on as quickly as possible.”

Aaron Haderle, manager of transmission & distribution (T&D) operations at Kissimmee Utility Authority (KUA) and this year’s Journeyman Master Judge, says, “One of the things that’s really cool is working together and

Nine lawmakers request audit of I-77 toll road project

By NSJ Staff RALEIGH — N.C. State Sen. Jeff Tarte (R-Mecklenburg) says the I-77 project to add toll lanes outside of Charlotte is a “catastrophic mess.” Traffic accidents have increased 55 percent since the construction started two years ago, with nearly 1,800 crashes reported.

The controversial project is one of the issues that plagued former Gov. Pat McCrory during his 2016 re-election campaign, and Tarte, with eight other members of the General Assembly, say an independent review is long overdue. In a February letter to State Auditor Beth Woods, the lawmakers asked her office to audit and investigate the RFP and contract for the I-77 project between the state and Cintra/I-77 Mobility Partners.

“The contract with Cintra needs to be cancelled or the remote possibility of renegotiated, but they cannot be left to operate as currently planned,” Tarte wrote in a Facebook post last week. “The construc-

What would you tell a high school student about a career in line work?

If you want something challenging and fun that keeps you on your toes and won’t get boring, go for it. It’s dangerous, but you have a lot of safety procedures to follow that help you. If you like helping other people, you would love this job.

Congratulations on your promotion to line crew supervisor. What was the path you took to get there?

Hard work and being dedicated to the job. Taking ElectriCities classes helped as well. I completed the lineman career development program and got my journeyman card through the town and ElectriCities.

tion zone as managed is a catastrophic mess; I stand by that characterization.”

Tarte is also calling for better signage and safer transition lanes around the road construction.

“It is generally acknowledged that this contract has many issues and would not be a template for future state contracts,” said Tarte in a release accompanying the legislators’ letter to Wood. “It is time to ensure all the rules, procedures, protocols and guidelines associated with the RFP and contract were followed in accordance with state and federal laws. If any material issues are identified during this audit we can determine the appropriate action(s) to remedy such.”

Sens. Tamara Barringer (R-Wake) and John Alexander (R-Wake) signed onto the letter along with Reps. John Bradford (R-Mecklenburg) and Chaz Beasley (D-Mecklenburg), and Sens. Andrew Brock (R-Davie), David Curtis (R-Lincoln), Jim Davis (R-Franklin) and Tom McInnis (R-Richmond).

Former Lt. Gov. Pat Taylor Jr. passes away

Do you see value in public power?

If I was a customer, I’d rather have public power.

Most of our linemen live nearby. Our outage restoration time is way better than any of the other local utilities, IOUs or co-ops.

Ask anyone who has ever been to or been involved in a rodeo, and they’ll tell you without hesitation: Attend! And bring your utility crews—whether they compete or not, along with utility directors, city and town employees and leaders, and public power customers. The impact of the rodeo is far-reaching.

“You fall in love with it.”

Around the Grid

What led you to line work?

When I was a senior at Nash Central High School in Rocky Mount, two linemen came in for Career Day. It sounded cool, so I signed up for their program. I’ve been doing it since I graduated about 10 years ago.

Why Everyone Should Attend the Rodeo

Safety is the Ultimate Prize By participating in the rodeo, lineworkers learn techniques that enable them to perform their jobs safer, faster and more efficiently.

Bob Rumbaugh, manager of technical training at AMP and this year’s Apprentice Master Judge, explains, “This whole thing is based around safety—safe work practices and safe procedures.

We want to make sure everybody works safe.” That sentiment is echoed throughout public power, with ElectriCities Manager of Safety & Training David Young adding, “It’s a great opportunity to develop well-rounded, safer workers.”

jonesandblount.com @JonesandBlount

Meet Hugo Mier, line crew supervisor for Wake Forest Power. He was the third-place journeyman in the 2017 NCAMES rodeo and will represent NC Public Power on the NCAMES team at the national rodeo in April.

National Lineworkers Rodeo 101 New to the rodeo concept? Here’s a short primer. At the national rodeo, apprentices (lineworkers who have less than four years of experience) and teams of journeymen (lineworkers with more than four years of experience) compete in events that mimic tasks they might do on the job. There’s no live electricity involved in the events, but the competitors must use procedures as if there is.

There are 10 events in all. Apprentices compete in four rodeo events and take a written test on the day before the rodeo. Teams of three or four journeymen compete in five rodeo events.

Competitors are judged on safety, work practices, neatness, ability and equipment handling.

The goal of each competitor, whether solo or team, is completing each event perfectly, with no deductions for mistakes, also called infractions or gigs. Competitors who score the highest—which usually means no infractions—in the fastest times win! Winners are declared for each event and for overall apprentice and overall journeyman team.

Each event has a Chief Judge who is in charge of that event. There are usually 10 stations per event, so multiple linemen can compete at once.

An event judge mans each event station. Overseeing all the events are a Master Apprentice Judge and a Master Journeyman Judge.

Jones & Blount

Manteo

Get Ready for the First-Ever National Public Power Lineworkers Rodeo in Wake Forest, North Carolina!

A5

By NSJ Staff

VIA TWITTER

Berger staffer leaves for UNC

WADESBORO — Former N.C. Lt. Gov. Pat Taylor Jr. died Sunday at the age of 94. Born April 1, 1924, in Wadesboro, Taylor, a Democrat, was elected in 1968 after serving as speaker of the N.C. House for three years. He graduated from UNC Chapel Hill and fought in World War II and the Korean War. Taylor’s father also served as N.C.’s lieutenant governor from 1949 to 1953.

By NSJ Staff

being able to use other people’s equipment even though you’re competing against each other.

We’ve always done that—shared equipment, shared tools, shared ideas. It’s really neat.”

Relationships developed during rodeo competition also help facilitate mutual aid during storms.

As crews arrived in response to Haderle’s mutual aid call during Hurricane Irma, “A lot of the guys I knew from rodeos and conferences,” he explains. It was like having long-lost brothers roll into his shop to help.

Mike Willets, director of training & safety at Minnesota Municipal Utilities Association (MMUA), says the rodeo is also about preserving the craft of line work—

climbing poles and doing work off poles. With the prevalence of bucket trucks and underground systems, “We don’t do that as much as we used to,” he explains. During storm repair, climbing skills are key, since bucket trucks often can’t get to where damaged lines are.

The rodeo helps lineworkers keep those climbing skills sharp.

Community Enlightenment Willets has been in public power for going on 40 years and was event organizer when MMUA hosted the national rodeo in 2016.

He says, “The rodeo is public power at its best.” It’s also an excellent educational opportunity for people outside the utility industry.

Wake Forest Mayor Vivian

Jones says the rodeo informs the community that public power is bigger than one municipality. “In North Carolina, we have about 9 million people; 1.2 million get their energy from a public power utility,” says Mayor Jones. “It’s not a small thing.”

Even more than that, Mayor Jones says the rodeo highlights the importance of the lineworker’s job. It gives people a chance to appreciate the pride that linemen take in what they do. “They want to be the best they can be and serve the community the best that they can,” she says. “It’s my job as a leader of the community to support their desire to be the best, and we can do that just by showing up.”

RALEIGH — A long-time adviser to N.C. Senate Leader Phil Berger (R-Rockingham) announced this week that she is leaving her post. Amy Auth is leaving to be director of state affairs with the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill starting in May. A graduate of UNC Chapel Hill, Auth served in Berger’s office for more than seven years, most recently as deputy chief of staff for communications. She also worked in communications for Gov. Pat McCrory’s first gubernatorial campaign, for former Sen. Elizabeth Dole (R- N.C.) and for Rep. Virginia Foxx (N.C.-05).

PHOTO COURTESY OF LEAVITT FUNERAL HOME

The Energy Behind Public Power

Bring your family to the 2018 APPA Lineworkers Rodeo and see public power lineworkers from across the nation demonstrate the skills and knowledge needed to keep your lights on. Enjoy multiple food trucks and a kids’ zone, too!

Free to the public | April 28 | 7:30 a.m. - 2:00 p.m. | South Franklin Street off Rogers Road | Wake Forest, N.C. | Visit wakeforestnc.gov

NSJ 2018 APPA Lineworkers Rodeo Ad.indd 1

4/9/2018 11:24:21 AM

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North State Journal for Wednesday, April 25, 2018

north STATEment Neal Robbins, publisher | Frank Hill, senior opinion editor | Troy Kickler, deputy opinion editor

VISUAL VOICES

EDITORIAL | FRANK HILL

The scariest budget chart you will ever see

We have raised and lowered taxes on everyone and everything over the past 40 years. What has been the upshot of it all?

EVERY SINGLE TAX DOLLAR COLLECTED by the U.S. federal government in 2039 will be used to pay for just four things in the budget: Medicare; Medicaid; Social Security; Interest on the national debt.

This includes 100 percent of all individual and corporate income taxes; OASDI (Social Security) payroll taxes; Medicare payroll taxes, estate taxes and excise taxes.

Every dollar we spend on other federal programs will be borrowed from foreign governments such as China or Saudi Arabia; corporations and high net worth individuals.

That includes national defense, homeland security, environmental protection, welfare, subsidized housing, Pell grants and any other federal program you can think of or benefit from.

What does this “crowding out” effect mean?

We can already see what it has done over the past 60 years.

Nonentitlement discretionary funding, essentially the “guns-and-butter” part of the budget, accounted for 68 percent of the 1962 federal budget.

Today, those same programs account for 32 percent of the budget. You can argue all you want about the need for more money to be dedicated to education, housing or welfare, but the truth is, as a percentage of the federal budget, those programs have already been hit proportionally hard since 1980 by the slow but steady expansion of entitlement programs.

“Why not raise taxes on the rich and corporations?”

“Because it won’t work” is the honest answer.

We have raised and lowered taxes on everyone and everything over the past 40 years. What has been the upshot of it all?

The American public has paid about 18 percent of GDP to Washington per year under all tax plans, regimes and disciplines. For whatever reason, either through aggressive tax planning or deliberate underpayment of taxes, the American taxpayer has been remarkably consistent in paying taxes amounting to about 18 percent of GDP since 1970.

The only responsible way to run any budget for any government, corporation, organization or household is to control the rate of growth in spending or reduce it responsibly.

The sad, and odd, thing is that virtually all of our fiscal budget deficit and national debt issues today could have been avoided with a few legislative changes to both Medicare and Medicaid as far back as 1990.

Had growth in both programs been held to the rate of inflation in the economy rather than allowed to grow at double or triple the rate of inflation annually since then, we would be talking about massive annual surpluses today and virtually zero national debt.

Annual tax cuts would have been the norm rather than the exception.

Social Security could have been reformed as well by changing the “bend point” in calculation of benefits, which would have contributed to a further flattening out of federal spending as well.

Instead, after experiencing a too brief period of adult leadership and

sensibility about the federal budget from 1997-2001 when four budgets produced surpluses instead of deficits, we now have to contend with the implications of dealing with rising interest rates on servicing national debt of $21 trillion and rising fast; critical national security concerns around the world, a burgeoning senior population due to millions of baby boomers now retiring and a plethora of other public policy issues that have not been solved by either political party.

What can we do to solve our budget dilemma?

Congress can cut spending. Which it should.

Congress can try to raise taxes. But it won’t work as we have seen over the past 40 years.

The economy can expand at a 3 percent annual rate for 10 years instead of the desultory 1.9 percent average rate of growth under President Obama for eight years.

Some believe we can grow at 4 percent per year or perhaps even 5 percent for some period of time.

If American economic growth outruns our fiscal irresponsibility, it will be the greatest escape act since Harry Houdini.

EDITORIAL | TROY KICKLER

What’s in a (county) name?

Most N.C. counties are named after very important and influential people.

A LIST OF NAMES can be, well, simply a list of names. The list can also provide keys that unlock a rich history. Let’s explore the roots of a few N.C. counties.

Many of today’s N.C. counties were once part of another county. As more and more people moved to N.C., there were more and more complaints concerning traveling long distances to a county courthouse to do official business.

As a result, many counties splintered off from another one.

Today, N.C. has 100 counties. They were all once a part of a few N.C. counties. For instance, Bladen County, the “Mother of Counties,” covered a vast area; more than half of North Carolina’s counties — 55 — were formed from the original Bladen County.

Most N.C. counties are named after very important and influential people. Here are some examples.

Harnett County was part of Cumberland County and was formed in 1855. It is named after one of the leading Patriot commanders from North Carolina during the Revolutionary War: Cornelius Harnett. It should be no surprise, then, that the county seat, Lillington, is named after another leading patriot: Alexander Lillington.

Wake County, as we know it, was established in 1771. Lord William Tryon was the royal governor, and the county was named after his wife, Margaret Wake. Tryon Road in Cary

and Tryon Street in Charlotte undoubtedly are named after the royal governor, who in 1771 ordered state militia to fire on Piedmont farmers in an Alamance field. After subduing the Regulator Rebellion, Tryon went to New York.

There, he played an important role opposing the patriots.

Formed out of Beaufort County, Pitt County was named after William Pitt, Earl of Chatham, in 1760. Pitt played a key and vigorous role in defeating the French during the Seven Years War (or what Americans call the French and Indian War.) Historians regard this conflict (1754-1763) as the globe’s first world war. The reader will not be surprised to learn that Chatham County (1771) is also named after William Pitt. He later opposed British actions against America during the Revolutionary War. In 1828, Macon County was formed. Any Southeastern location named Macon is most likely named after Nathaniel Macon. The Warren countian was a national political figure and a U.S. Speaker of the House (1801-07). Many of his contemporaries argued that Macon’s politics were more Jeffersonian than Thomas Jefferson.

A pronounced regionalism existed. So efforts were made to unite diverse North Carolinians within an artificial political boundary. One effort was to name a western location after famous eastern North Carolinians. Examples would be Macon County and Murphy in

Cherokee County after Archibald Murphey, a leading proponent of public education and infrastructure improvement during antebellum North Carolina.

Burke County (1777) is named for Thomas Burke. He is an interesting yet much forgotten founder of the United States. He was a member of the Continental Congress (1777-1781). There, Burke played a key role guaranteeing powers to states that were not granted to the national government under the Articles of Confederation.

His handiwork was incorporated into what became the 10th Amendment in the Bill of Rights.

In 1781, Burke became governor of North Carolina. The notorious Tory David Fanning and his men captured the governor. In Charleston, S.C., Burke was later paroled and found his way back to North Carolina.

Place names can prompt the uncovering of a rich history. William Powell revealed that in his invaluable The North Carolina Gazatteer.

Although his Gazatteer is full of statewide information, it is incomplete. Local historians need to compile a gazetteer for their respective counties. The endeavor is needed. And, it would be worthwhile.

North State Journal for Wednesday, April 25, 2018

A7 COLUMN ADAM MICHEL AND JAMES GATTUSO

COLUMN | L. BRENT BOZELL III AND TIM GRAHAM

Impeachment frenzy in fictional TV Is Hollywood just indulging itself with a liberal fantasy?

THE INTENSE FEAR and loathing that permeates news coverage of President Donald Trump is being multiplied on television dramas. Impeachment scenarios and 25th Amendment removal strategies are rolling around in the brains of scriptwriters.

Barbara Hall, the creator of the pro-Hillary Clinton CBS show “Madam Secretary,” claimed, “We just take things that are already in the atmosphere, and if we find them interesting in terms of a civics lesson, we show you what it would look like. We’re not campaigning for it. We’re not politicizing it, really.

We’re just saying, ‘Here’s what the process looks like.’”

Agenda? What agenda? It’s a civics lesson.

So CBS debuted a show called “Madam Secretary” with a heroic white female secretary of state in 2014, and it wasn’t intended to promote the presidential ambitions of Hillary Clinton. It was merely showing “what the process looks like” when there’s a noble, intelligent female president in waiting.

In January, “Madam Secretary” had an episode where the president sounds too recklessly warmongering about going after Russia with “force and ferocity” (“fire and fury,” anyone?), so our Madam Secretary and the White House chief of staff plot to remove him via the 25th Amendment.

Can anyone imagine this plot twist if President Clinton were in office? We’d suggest there would be other topics for hot scripts, maybe a plot or two about the sexist “deep state” and crypto-fascist Congress that can’t abide a brilliant female chief executive.

CBS is also pushing an even less fictional scenario in its streaming program “The Good Fight,” a sequel to another Hillary-inspired drama, “The Good Wife.”

This show has real-life liberal horror Donald Trump at its center. The liberal lawyer main character, Diane Lockhart, has her firm competing with others in getting a piece of the Democratic Party’s impeachment business after the midterm elections.

“It’s become this wet dream. We wanted to satirize that while (being realistic) about how Democrats, in our imaginations, are preparing to prosecute it,” said the show’s creator, Robert King. “With something very controversial in the news, it’s always fun to drive toward it, not run away from it.” Later this season,

King and his wife and co-creator, Michelle, are promising an episode that exploits the tabloidish DNCfunded Trump-Russia dossier by former British spy Christopher Steele.

The Kings do put some wretched liberal excess in their plot. A character played by Audra McDonald makes it plain she doesn’t care whether the allegations that remove Trump are true or false, as long as they work.

CBS is also employing a 25th Amendment plot over on the CBS-owned cable channel Showtime, in “Homeland.” Here their paranoid female president Elizabeth Keane is fighting with her vice president, who begs her not to create a crisis by firing cabinet members who would vote to remove her.

On ABC, the show “Designated Survivor” has its noble HUD Secretary-turned-president Tom Kirkman facing a 25th Amendment process after his wife was killed in a car accident and he turned to a therapist, whose tapes discussing the president’s mental state have been leaked to the press. Kirkman is no Trump.

He’s more of a Mr. Smith-goes-to-Washington character. But impeachment is impeachment.

In The Washington Post, TV writer Scott Tobias unloaded an unintentionally funny line that these writers are “working at a time when television has embraced open partisanship, rejecting the firm political neutrality of the past.” Because in the Bush years, ABC’s female-president drama “Commander-inChief” or NBC’s heroic Democrat in “The West Wing” were firmly neutral?

Is Hollywood just indulging itself with a liberal fantasy? Or is it preparing the public to accept impeachment and/or removal of the president as a desirable reality? If our times are so extremely partisan and desperate, why should we imagine this is all just a fictional exercise?

Word to the wise: Hollywood is having a bigger impact than most realize.

L. Brent Bozell III is the president of the Media Research Center. Tim Graham is director of media analysis at the Media Research Center and executive editor of the blog NewsBusters.org.

COLUMN | WALTER E. WILLIAMS

South Dakota Republicans push for higher taxes PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP may have spearheaded a large tax cut late last year, but two members of his party apparently prefer that Americans pay more.

In two different battlegrounds, South Dakota Republicans are leading the charge to increase the ability of tax collectors to reach out and collect revenue from anyone in the U.S. Twenty-five years ago, in Quill v.

North Dakota, the Supreme Court threw out exactly this sort of tax scheme, ruling that a state cannot require a business to collect sales taxes for it unless the business has a physical presence — such as a building, warehouse or employees — in that state.

This fundamental principle of physical presence limits the reach of revenue hungry tax collectors in all 50 states. It keeps California or Illinois from forcing local businesses elsewhere to collect their taxes. The protections of Quill are under fire in the courts and in Congress.

Ever since the protections in Quill were decided, efforts have been underway to get the court — or Congress — to overturn precedent.

And they may get their way later this year, when the Supreme Court will rule on a case that challenges Quill. The case was argued earlier this week by South Dakota Attorney General Marty Jackley.

Quill is also once again being challenged on Capitol Hill by another South Dakotan, Kristi Noem, the state’s lone representative in the House. Her bill to expand the power of state tax collectors is based on the premise that the physical presence standard deprives states of needed revenue. It also pleases local retailers, who have long asked for protection from out-of-state online retailers.

The retailers’ complaints are not

There is still no good reason to expand the reach of state taxes beyond their borders.

NSJ STAFF

Students photographed during a college commencement ceremony in North Carolina.

Educational fraud continues

It’s inconceivable that college administrators are unaware that they are admitting students who are ill-prepared and cannot perform at the college level.

EARLIER THIS MONTH, the 2017 National Assessment of Educational Progress, aka The Nation’s Report Card, was released. It’s not a pretty story. Only 37 percent of 12th-graders tested proficient or better in reading, and only 25 percent did so in math. Among black students, only 17 percent tested proficient or better in reading, and just 7 percent reached at least a proficient level in math.

The atrocious NAEP performance is only a fraction of the bad news. Nationally, our high school graduation rate is over 80 percent. That means high school diplomas, which attest that these students can read and compute at a 12th-grade level, are conferred when 63 percent are not proficient in reading and 75 percent are not proficient in math. For blacks, the news is worse.

Roughly 75 percent of black students received high school diplomas attesting that they could read and compute at the 12th-grade level. However, 83 percent could not read at that level, and 93 percent could not do math at that level. It’s grossly dishonest for the education establishment and politicians to boast about unprecedented graduation rates when the high school diplomas, for the most part, do not represent academic achievement. At best, they certify attendance.

Fraudulent high school diplomas aren’t the worst part of the fraud. Some of the greatest fraud occurs at the higher education levels — colleges and universities.

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, 70 percent of white high school graduates in 2016 enrolled in college, and 58 percent of black high school graduates enrolled in college. Here are my questions to you: If only 37 percent of white high school graduates test as college-ready, how come colleges are admitting 70 percent of them? And if roughly 17 percent of black high school graduates test as college-ready, how come colleges are admitting 58 percent of them?

It’s inconceivable that college administrators are unaware that they are admitting students who are ill-prepared and cannot perform at the college level.

Colleges cope with ill-prepared students in several ways.

They provide remedial courses. One study suggests that more than two-thirds of community college students

take at least one remedial course, as do 40 percent of four-year college students. College professors dumb down their courses so that ill-prepared students can get passing grades. Colleges also set up majors with little analytical demands so as to accommodate students with analytical deficits. Such majors often include the term “studies,” such as ethnic studies, cultural studies, gender studies and American studies. The major for the most ill-prepared students, sadly enough, is education.

When students’ SAT scores are ranked by intended major, education majors place 26th on a list of 38.

The bottom line is that colleges are admitting youngsters who have not mastered what used to be considered a ninth-grade level of proficiency in reading, writing and arithmetic. Very often, when they graduate from college, they still can’t master even a 12th-grade level of academic proficiency. The problem is worse in college sports. During a recent University of North Carolina scandal, a learning specialist hired to help athletes found that during the period from 2004 to 2012, 60 percent of the 183 members of the football and basketball teams read between fourth- and eighthgrade levels. About 10 percent read below a third-grade level. Keep in mind that all of these athletes both graduated from high school and were admitted to college.

How necessary is college anyway? One estimate is that 1 in 3 college graduates have a job historically performed by those with a high school diploma.

According to Richard Vedder, distinguished emeritus professor of economics at Ohio University and the director of the Center for College Affordability and Productivity, in 2012 there were 115,000 janitors, 16,000 parking lot attendants, 83,000 bartenders and about 35,000 taxi drivers with a bachelor’s degree.

I’m not sure about what can be done about education.

But the first step toward any solution is for the American people to be aware of academic fraud at every level of education.

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

entirely baseless. Under Quill, an internet retailer selling remotely to consumers in another state might not be required to collect sales tax, while brick-and-mortar retailers selling the same products are.

But the disparity is not as big as the political rhetoric makes it out to be. Most large retailers such as Amazon already collect taxes in every state. An expansion of sales tax collections would only affect smaller businesses. These are the firms least likely to be able to deal with the burden of collecting the proper taxes for some 10,000 jurisdictions and 46 state tax authorities, each with its own tax rates.

If states wish to impose costs on retailers within their borders, they should be able to do so. But retailers should not be subject to mandates from states with which they have no physical connection, and whose policymakers face no accountability for the costs they impose.

If local officials want to treat all sales in their state equally, they are currently able to impose taxes on sales that originate from all businesses located within their borders. Internet vendors would be taxed on an equal footing with brickand-mortar retailers — at the “origin of sale.”

Unlike the current proposals to overturn Quill, an equally applied tax on all sales shipped from South Dakota would not require the law to change, would protect American citizens from taxation without representation, and would treat similarly located businesses the same.

The Supreme Court got it right 25 years ago. There is still no good reason to expand the reach of state taxes beyond their borders. While seeming to level the retail tax playing field, it would instead create new burdens, while undermining government accountability.

Adam Michel focuses on tax policy and the federal budget as a policy analyst in the Thomas A. Roe Institute for Economic Policy Studies at The Heritage Foundation.

James Gattuso handles regulatory and telecommunications issues for The Heritage Foundation as a Senior Research Fellow in its Roe Institute for Economic Policy Studies.

This article was originally published

by The Daily Signal.

ECU College of Business Dean Stan Eakins congratulates sophomore Taylor Hicks on winning the Miller School of Entrepreneurship’s inaugural Pirate Entrepreneurship Challenge.

That’s the spirit.

When East Carolina University® sophomore Taylor Hicks won first place in the inaugural Pirate™ Entrepreneurship Challenge, she readily confirmed her plan for the $12,500 prize accompanying the award: “We’re going to sign a lease for a new office in Greenville.”

Taylor, a student in ECU’s College of Business and owner of a company that creates hand-lettered goods, embodies a special kind of school spirit that abounds at ECU. It’s a spirit especially vibrant in the Miller School of Entrepreneurship.

The only one of its kind in eastern North Carolina, the school was founded to

create new opportunities for small-business ventures — and to inspire generations of ECU students to take an entrepreneurial mindset into their communities.

Innovative leadership is ECU’s business.

Most in NC More students are enrolled in the ECU College of Business than in any other business school in the state.

20

+

Part of ECU’s College of Business, the Miller School of Entrepreneurship offers more than 20 courses as part of its curriculum.

50

+

Years

Since 1967, ECU’s business programs have been continuously accredited by the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business.

Group Effort

The Miller School of Entrepreneurship unites academic programs, research, campus-wide collaboration, public-private partnerships and other resources to serve small businesses.

Transforming economies. Developing national models for educating students. Preparing tomorrow’s leaders to meet tomorrow’s challenges. These are hallmarks of a great university.

These are hallmarks of ECU.

www.ecu.edu C.S. 18-2377

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 25, 2018

BOB DONNAN | USA TODAY SPORTS

Tar Heels cornerback M.J. Stewart, who earned All-ACC honors in his last three seasons in Chapel Hill, is expected to be a middle-round pick at this week’s NFL Draft.

the Wednesday SIDELINE REPORT

SPORTS

NHL

NC State players could make up half or more of picks from North Carolina at this week’s draft

Bill Peters resigns from Hurricanes, hired by Flames Raleigh Bill Peters, who failed to reach the postseason in four seasons in Carolina, resigned as the Hurricanes’ coach Friday, opting out of the final year of a deal that would have paid him $1.6 million. He was only briefly unemployed, being named the next coach of the Calgary Flames — in his native Alberta — on Monday. Peters was 137138-53 in Raleigh, his first NHL head coaching job. The Hurricanes, still in search of their next general manager, have in-house candidates Rod Brind’Amour — Carolina’s former captain and an assistant coach with the team for the past seven seasons — and Mike Vellucci — the team’s assistant GM and coach of the AHL’s Charlotte Checkers— along with several other options around the league.

COLLEGE BASKETBALL

Luke Maye entering NBA Draft, hasn’t hired agent Chapel Hill UNC rising senior forward Luke Made announced Monday that he is entering his name into the draft process. Because he is not hiring an agent, there’s a better than even chance that he will return for his final college season in 201819. Maye earned firstteam All-ACC honors, as well as the league’s Most Improved Player award, after averaging 16.9 points and 10.1 rebounds per game last season. The 6-foot-8 Huntersville native scored 30 or more points three times, including a careerhigh 33 at NC State, had 17 double-doubles, and led UNC in rebounding, field goals (251), 3-point field goal percentage (.431) and blocked shots (38). He was second in the ACC in field goals and rebounding, and seventh in scoring and field goal percentage (.486).

Underclassmen have until 5 p.m. on June 11 to withdraw their name from the draft and return to school if they don’t hire an agent. The draft will be held on June 21 at Barclays Center in Brooklyn.

Pack mentality at NFL Draft

By Brett Friedlander and Shawn Krest North State Journal

JAMES GUILLORY | USA TODAY SPORTS

Sixth-year pitcher Johnny Piedmonte, pictured last August, is 4-1 on the season for the Wolfpack.

AFTER MONTHS of ranking, critiquing, measuring and evaluating, the NFL Draft is finally here.

Thursday’s first round should see NC State defensive end Bradley Chubb off the board early — likely surrounded by several quarterbacks and Penn State running back Saquon Barkley.

Throughout the three-day event — Rounds 2 and 3 will be Friday, and the remaining four rounds on Saturday — several Wolfpack players should be picked, perhaps as many or more than the total from all other N.C. schools. Here’s a look at eight Wolfpack players who could selected, along with eight more from five other N.C. schools who could hear their names called.

NC STATE

NC State baseball near the top of the polls

Brandon Chubb, defensive end

Coach Elliott Avent has just happens that way.” guided the Wolfpack to a It hasn’t happened by accident, 31-8 record and No. 2 ranking though.

As impressive as Hines was during a junior season at State in which he rushed for 1,112 rushing yards and 12 touchdowns while catching 26 passes for 152 yards, the 5-foot-8, 198-pound speedster opened even more eyes by running a 4.38 40-yard dash at the NFL’s Scouting Combine — fastest among all running backs. Because of his size, Hines will likely be slotted — at least early in his career — as a thirddown back and return specialist.

Projection: Round 3

By Brett Friedlander North State Journal ELLIOTT AVENT had a feeling that this NC State baseball team was going to be good.

But then, he’s had the same feeling about most of the other recent Wolfpack teams he’s coached.

“I know the record and I know the No. 2 ranking, but this club is not much different than the last three or four clubs,” said Avent, whose 31-8 squad is ranked second in multiple national polls.

“They’ve all been good. They’ve all had great leadership. We’ve just won more games. Sometimes it

Among the biggest reasons why this State team has won in a way others have not is the resilience it has shown in rising to the top of the ACC’s Atlantic Division standings at 15-6 heading into this weekend’s sold out rivalry series with North Carolina.

Before winning the first two games at Duke last weekend, the Wolfpack went through a stretch in which it lost four straight series-opening games, only to storm back and win the final two games each time.

State, which had Tuesday’s nonconference showdown against No. 8 East Carolina washed out

See BASEBALL, page B4

Chubb surpassed Mario Williams’ career school records of 26 sacks and 60 tackles for loss on his way to becoming the first Wolfpack player ever to be named ACC Defensive Player of the Year. He also won the Bronko Nagurski Trophy as the top defender in college football. Although Chubb won’t follow in Williams’ footsteps as the No. 1 overall pick, he’s almost a sure bet to be the first defensive player to come off the board.

Projection: Early Round 1

9

Players from N.C. schools picked in the top 10 since 2000.

NC State’s Bradley Chubb, likely to be selected in the top five, would be the 10th

Nyheim Hines, running back

Will Richardson, offensive tackle At 6-6, 306 pounds, Richardson has the size and strength to become a fixture on someone’s NFL offensive line. He was a second-team All-ACC performer as a junior last season while helping State’s offense become one of the most productive in the conference.

He did have two team suspensions during his college career, including the first two games of 2017 for driving while intoxicated.

Projection: Round 3 See NFL DRAFT, page B3

INSIDE Ron Rivera and the Carolina Panthers returned to the postseason in 2017, but there are still plenty of holes for returning general manager Marty Hurney to fill at this week’s NFL Draft. The Panthers, armed with eight picks, will likely target additions to their secondary, receiving corps and offensive line. Carolina picks 24th overall in Thursday’s first round, then will have the 55th in Round 2 and the 85th and 88th selections in the third round, which will take place Friday. On Day 3 of the draft Saturday, the Panthers will pick four times (once in the fifth and sixth, and twice in the seventh round). B3 CHUCK COOK | USA TODAY SPORTS

North State Journal for Wednesday, April 25, 2018

B2 WEDNESDAY

4.25.18

TRENDING

Greg Hardy: The former Panthers and Cowboys defensive end is set to make his MMA debut as part of the “Dana White Tuesday Night Contender Series” in a heavyweight fight June 12, according to multiple reports. Hardy has gone 3-0 in his amateur fights since his last game with the Cowboys in 2015.

Hardy will reportedly fight Brandon Sayles (5-1). Hardy made the Pro Bowl and was second-team All-Pro as a member of the Panthers in 2013.

The 29-year-old was arrested in 2014 after allegedly assaulting his ex-girlfriend and pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor drug charge in 2016.

Shaq Thompson: The Carolina Panthers will pick up the linebacker’s fifth-year option before the May 3 deadline, according to an NFL Network report.

Thompson, 24, is set to make about $1.9 million in 2018, the fourth year of his rookie contract.

The fifth-year option for 2019 would pay him an average of the third through 25th highest salaries at his position, a figure currently pegged at $9.2 million. Taken 25th overall in 2015, Thompson is expected to take a larger role in 2018.

Jose Bautista: The former Blue Jays slugger, who signed a minor-league contract with Atlanta last week, could join the Braves on its upcoming road trip. Bautista, 37, is a career .250 hitter with 331 home runs and 927 RBIs over 14 major league seasons.

After failing to find any takers in the offseason, Bautista signed with the Braves and former Blue Jays general manager Alex Anthopoulos, now in charge of the organization.

beyond the box score POTENT QUOTABLES

NHL

For the second-straight year, the Hurricanes have a finalist for the Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy. Jordan Staal, the nominee of the Carolina Chapter of the Professional Hockey Writers Association, was joined by New Jersey’s Brian Boyle and Florida’s Roberto Luongo as finalists for the award that goes annually to the “player who best exemplifies the qualities of perseverance, sportsmanship, and dedication to ice hockey.” Teammate Derek Ryan was a finalist last season. The winner will be announced at the 2018 NHL Awards in Las Vegas on June 20.

JAMES GUILLORY | USA TODAY SPORTS

“You won’t get the Eddie Lack soundbite. …

That was a mistake.”

Former Hurricanes coach Bill Peters after he was hired by the Calgary Flames, referencing his tenure-defining “Make a (expletive) save” directed toward Lack.

JAMES GUILLORY | USA TODAY SPORTS

NBA

PGA

JASEN VINLOVE | USA TODAY SPORTS

“I can’t wait to get you on the golf course, man. ... I can’t wait for this one. ... You’re mentally weak.”

Marlins CEO Derek Jeter to HBO’s “Real Sports” host Bryant Gumbel after Gumbel asked if the struggling team was tanking.

NASCAR

6

SOOBUM IM | USA TODAY SPORTS

SOOBUM IM | USA TODAY SPORTS

Texas native Andrew Landry had a 4-under-par 68 to finish at 17-under 271 at the TPC San Antonio’s Oaks Course, capturing his first career win in his 32nd PGA Tour start. Trey Mullinax, who set the course record with a 62 on Saturday, finished in a tie for second with Sean O’Hair at 15-under.

Ettore Messina, considered a candidate for the vacant Charlotte Hornets’ job, coached the San Antonio in Games 3, 4 and 5 of the team’s first-round matchup with Golden State as Gregg Popovich took a leave from the Spurs following the death of his wife. The Warriors led the series 3-1 heading into Tuesday night’s Game 5.

NBA

Combined Monster Energy Cup Series wins by two drivers — Kevin Harvick and Kyle Busch — through nine races this season. Busch’s win at Richmond on Saturday night was his third straight after Harvick won three in a row earlier in the season.

Warriors All-Star guard Stephen Curry was back on the court Saturday and is “coming along well” in his recovery from a knee injury, Golden State coach Steve Kerr told reporters.

Curry has not played in four weeks since spraining the MCL in his left knee.

The Warriors hope to have Curry back for the secondround if Golden State advances.

JOHN GLASER | USA TODAY SPORTS

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North State Journal for Wednesday, April 25, 2018

Tar Heels focus on improvement during spring practices, scrimmage Coming off a 3-9 season, the Tar Heels skipped the traditional fan-friendly game for a closed scrimmage

By Brett Friedlander North State Journal CHAPEL HILL — The North Carolina football team needed to make the most of its 15 spring practices after a 3-9 season marred by a rash of injuries that forced many young players into action before they were ready.

That’s why coach Larry Fedora decided to skip his team’s traditional public spring game for a more productive closed intrasquad scrimmage.

“When you do a spring game, you’re limited in what you can do and how many reps you’re going to get,” Fedora said last week.

“You’re doing it for the fans. This was much better, because we could get more reps and get really what we wanted out of it.”

Among the areas of greatest concern for Fedora and his staff is quarterback, where junior Nathan Elliott and sophomore Chazz Surratt return after splitting time with now departed graduate transfer Brandon Harris in 2017.

Both youngsters enjoyed flashes of success in their first taste of college playing time, but they also made their share of mistakes while struggling to find consistency with their decision making and accuracy.

Surratt, the 2016 Parade magazine prep Player of the Year, had slightly better stats, completing 58.5 percent of his 183 passes for 1,342 yards, eight touchdowns and only three interceptions while rushing for 210 yards and five scores.

Elliott, however, won two of the three games he started while throwing for a .514 percentage, 926 yards, 10 touchdowns and five interceptions.

Because stats from the Tar Heels’ final spring scrimmage were not announced, it’s difficult to say which — if either — of the quarterbacks is the frontrunner for the starting job heading into the summer and preseason camp.

But Fedora did say he is pleased with the progress both have made

By Shawn Krest North State Journal

BOB DONNAN | USA TODAY SPORTS

UNC sophomore Chazz Surratt will again compete for time under center guiding the Tar Heels’ offense. since the end of last season.

“I think they did a really good job this winter preparing themselves,” Fedora said. “I think both of them are much more comfortable in the offense with what we’re trying to do. The game is slowing down for both of them so that the decision-making process is much easier for them, therefore they can be much more accurate.”

One thing that will help whichever quarterback ends up under center when the Tar Heels open the 2018 season at California on Sept. 1 is a healthy, cohesive offensive line in front of him.

That’s something UNC was never able to produce last season because of injuries and players leaving the program for personal reasons.

Although Fedora and offensive coordinator Chris Kapilovic were able to start making strides in building a better line during the spring, with tackle Charlie Heck, center Jay Jay McCargo and guard Nick Polino emerging as potential leaders, the group is still anything but a finished product.

Compounding the development process is that 6-foot‑7,

“This was much better, because we could get more reps and get really what we wanted out of it.”

Larry Fedora, UNC coach 300-pound tackle William Sweet was unable to participate in spring drills while working his way back from a knee injury that cost him the final nine games last season.

“Because of guys being out, it makes it really difficult,” Fedora said. “That group needs to get a lot of work together. Unfortunately at this time, we weren’t able to do that. You’re rolling in a lot of guys looking for the best five, and that changed throughout spring.

“On the other side of that, you got a look at a lot of people, and a lot of people got opportunities. It was good to see the growth some of those young guys have made in one year.”

In addition to getting a look at the improving young players

Like Hines, Hill also made a positive impression at the Combine. He put on an impressive display of strength and speed by running a 4.99 40 that was best among defensive tackles and bench pressing 35 reps — 11 more than Chubb. Hill used his athleticism to make 57 tackles, including 5.5 for losses, with three sacks and three pass breakups for the Wolfpack in 2017.

Projection: Round 4

Andre Smith, linebacker An early entry to the draft who is coming off a season-ending knee injury suffered in the second game of his junior year, Smith is intelligent and tough. He impressed teams with his willingness to hit and tackling ability.

Speed and mobility are a question mark, especially considering his injury history.

Projection: Round 6 or 7

Jaylen Samuels, tight end

Street was catapulting up everybody’s draft board after standout showings at the East-West Shrine Game and the Combine in February. But his momentum came to a screeching halt earlier this month when he tore an ACL while doing a private workout for the New York Giants and underwent surgery. The injury will almost certainly cost Street on draft day, but with elite pass rushing skills, he shouldn’t drop too far.

Projection: Round 5 Tony Adams, offensive guard A three-year starter who earned second-team All-ACC recognition as both a junior and senior, Adams is a steady, powerful, compact blocker whose footwork and body control should outweigh concerns about his lack of length.

already in the program, Fedora and his staff were also treated to a sneak preview of their incoming freshman class. Six new recruits enrolled in January and were allowed to participate in spring practice — four-star wide receiver Dyami Brown, quarterbacks Cade Fortin and Jace Ruder, defensive back Bryson Richardson, running back Javonte Williams and linebacker Kyle Wright.

Of that group, Fedora singled out Richardson, Williams and Brown as the most impressive.

“I was pleased to get a really good look at the incoming guys entering into school in January,” the seventh-year coach said. “It was good to see those guys perform in that type of atmosphere.”

It’s an atmosphere that, unlike the other three state ACC teams, didn’t involve fans in the stands.

That’s not to say UNC has seen the last of the traditional spring game festivities.

“It depends on the team,” Fedora said. “We have a lot of young guys that needed a lot more reps this spring. It just worked out better for us in this situation. We’ll make that decision each and every spring.”

riety of spots in the secondary at the NFL level. Has good instincts and solid speed. Many teams appear to be considering him as a safety at the next level.

Projection: Round 2 or 3

B.J. Hill, defensive tackle

Kentavius Street, defensive end

Many needs mean wide open draft options for Panthers Secondary, receiver, offensive line appear most likely targets

NFL DRAFT from page B1

Samuels is a productive playmaker so versatile that the ACC created a new position on its AllACC team for him. As an “all-purpose” player, however, he’s not as big as most traditional fullbacks or tight ends, and he’s much bigger than most wide receivers. It’s hard to argue with his results, though, especially around the end zone where he scored 31 touchdowns (16 rushing, 15 receiving) during his Wolfpack career.

Projection: Round 4

B3

ROB KINNAN | USA TODAY SPORTS

NC State running back Nyheim Hines passed up on his senior season to enter the NFL Draft. He’s projected to be selected in the third round.

Projection: Fifth round Justin Jones, defensive tackle Another member of State’s talented defensive line, Jones is a fundamentally sound tackle who was overshadowed by those with more star power playing beside him. Solidly built, with good strength and footwork, Jones will make his living as a run stopper who is best at breaking through double teams.

Projection: Round 6 APPALACHIAN STATE Colby Gossett, guard Started 46 straight games on the Mountaineers’ offensive line.

Started at right guard as a senior but also had time at right tackle. A first-team All-Sun-Belt pick as a junior and senior, he is quick and versatile, but teams may be concerned about his technique against top-level talent. Could spend some time developing on a practice squad.

Projection: Round 5 or 6 EAST CAROLINA Davon Grayson, wide receiver A jumper and relay sprinter in

high school, Grayson was honorable mention all-conference as a senior. He struggled with injuries throughout his career, missing the entire 2016 season with back problems, and he battled hip and back woes last season. He impressed at the combine with his ability to juke and add yards after catch.

Projection: Round 7 or undrafted free agent NC A&T Brandon Parker, tackle A three-time first-team All-MEAC selection, Parker was selected the league’s Offensive Lineman of the Year as a senior, when he was named a first-team All-American at left tackle. Parker has the size and ability to be a factor in the NFL. He will need to add weight and fine-tune his technique.

Projection: Round 4 or 5 NORTH CAROLINA M.J. Stewart, cornerback UNC’s career leader in pass breakups, Stewart won All-ACC honors his last three seasons. He is versatile and physical enough that he could end up playing a va-

WAKE FOREST Jessie Bates, safety An early entry following his redshirt sophomore year, Bates was a Freshman All-American and runner-up in the ACC’s Defensive Rookie of the Year voting in 2016. He had six interceptions, including two pick-sixes, in his career. Very physical, but size and speed in the open field are the two biggest concerns.

Projection: Round 2 or 3 Duke Ejiofor, defensive end Can pass rush on the inside or outside. His power impressed scouts, and he seems very knowledgeable and experienced for a college player. Speed and agility may be a concern at the next level. Also missed time in three of his four college seasons due to injury, raising a red flag for some teams.

Projection: Round 3 or 4 Cam Serigne, tight end A first-team All-ACC player as a senior, Serigne broke school receiving records for a tight end.

Good hands and tough enough to catch the ball over the middle and take a hit. Speed is a concern, and his size makes him more of an H-back than a classic tight end.

Struggles in blocking as well.

Projection: Undrafted free agent

THE CAROLINA Panthers have three main areas of need as they approach this week’s NFL Draft.

The team definitely needs to add help in the secondary. The Panthers traded away starter Darryl Worley, then saw their plans to replace him blow up when free agent signee Bashaud Breeland failed his physical.

In fact, a survey of mock drafts shows that cornerback is the most popular choice for the Panthers in Round 1, followed by safety.

Louisville’s Jaire Alexander, a North Carolina native who visited the team during the draft interview process, is a popular choice, as is former Tar Heel corner Mike Hughes. Carolina brought in Hughes and also visited his pro day.

At safety, Stanford’s Justin Reid and Wake Forest’s Jesse Bates appear to be high on the team’s board, although Bates would likely be a choice in a later round.

Florida State safety Derwin James also popped up as a mock draft first-rounder for Carolina.

The Panthers brought in Florida’s Duke Dawson and LSU’s Donte Jackson for interviews and visited Vanderbilt’s Tre Herndon, Iowa’s Josh Jackson, Stanford’s Quenton Meeks and Georgia State’s Chandon Sullivan at pro days, showing that corner is a top priority.

Next on the wish list is a wide receiver. The Panthers still haven’t replaced Kelvin Benjamin, who was traded early in the season last year. Alabama’s Calvin Ridley is the most popular mock choice in the first round. Carolina brought him in and also went

8 Draft picks held by the Panthers, including four in the first 88 selections. to his pro day.

Maryland’s D.J. Moore is also a strong possibility. The Panthers brought him in and also had a private workout with Moore.

Other receivers the team brought in were Texas A&M’s Christian Kirk and Memphis’ Anthony Miller. Penn State’s DaeSean Hamilton also got attention on the pro day and all-star game circuit.

The third area of need for the Panthers is on the offensive line.

Carolina already needed to add depth up front, then lost Andrew Norwell in free agency.

The mock draft authors seem to have more interest in drafting a lineman early than the Panthers’ predraft activity has indicated. Names mentioned as possible picks by the experts include Arkansas lineman Frank Ragnow, UTEP guard Will Hernandez and Georgia guard Isaiah Wynn.

Iowa center James Daniels was the only first-round caliber lineman the team brought in, however. The Panthers also interviewed Auburn guard Braden Smith, a likely second- or third-rounder.

NC State’s Tony Adams had a private workout, and the team talked to A&T’s Brandon Parker and South Carolina’s Alan Knott.

The team’s current spot in the first round might make it tough to add a pass rusher, another area of need, but the Panthers are definitely evaluating the possibility of devoting a draft pick or two to that area. Miami’s Chad Thomas was brought in for an interview, as was Wake’s Duke Ejiofor. The team also looked at Ohio State’s Jayln Holmes and NC State’s Kentavius Street at pro days, and FSU’s Josh Sweat at the Combine.

The need isn’t as glaring, but the team is also looking at tight end options, with South Carolina’s Hayden Hurst high on the list.

B4

North State Journal for Wednesday, April 25, 2018

Potential Trump pardon of boxing champ has NC ties Jack Johnson, the first black heavyweight champion, died in Raleigh

By Shawn Krest North State Journal Last weekend, President Donald Trump announced he was considering granting a pardon to Jack Johnson.

The first African-American heavyweight champion in boxing history, Johnson was also an outspoken critic of racism, which often brought him into fierce conflict with authorities in the early 20th century.

Johnson was convicted for violations of the Mann Act in 1913, for transporting a woman across state boundaries for the purpose of sex. The law, often called the “White Slave Traffic Act,” was intended to prevent sexual trafficking. In Johnson’s case, however, it was used to prevent him from traveling with white women he was dating at the time, some of whom were current or former prostitutes.

Despite marrying one of the alleged victims in the Mann Act violations, Johnson would eventually serve nearly a year in prison.

The movement to pardon Johnson has been sponsored by former Sen. Harry Reid (D-Nev.) and Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) for more than 14 years. The senators first asked for a presidential pardon in 2004. Congress passed a resolution urging the pardoning of Johnson in 2009 and 2011. McCain and Reid again urged a pardon in 2013. Presidents George W. Bush and Barack Obama both declined to grant it, however.

“Johnson’s memory was unjustly tarnished by a racially motivated criminal conviction,” Reid said in 2013, “and it is now time to recast his legacy.”

Johnson was released from prison in 1921, but his battles against the establishment, and racism, didn’t end there. In fact, he would continue to clash with authority over race until his death, and that’s where his story brought him to North Carolina.

There are conflicting reports on exactly what happened on June 10, 1946, but by all accounts, Johnson was just passing through the Old North State, on his way to New York. He’d just finished a series of personal appearances in either Texas or Miami, which had been his primary source of income in the 15 years since his last sanctioned fight.

Johnson was driving his 1939 Lincoln Zephyr, along with Fred Scott, a friend who had accompa-

PHOTO COURTESY OF BELLATOR

Wilmington-based welterweight John Salter will fight Rafael Lovato Jr. at Bellator 198 on Saturday in Rosemont, Ill.

Wilmington’s Salter looks to earn Bellator welterweight title shot Contender fights Saturday with seven-bout win streak on line

By Shawn Krest North State Journal John Salter believes it’s time for him to get a title shot.

The 33-year-old welterweight has fought out of Port City Sports Performance in Wilmington for the last three years, a period that has been the most successful of his nine-year pro MMA career.

Salter fights undefeated Brazilian jiujitsu black belt Rafael Lovato Jr. in Rosemont, Ill., on Saturday night, as one of the main-card events of Bellator 198. Most observers, including Salter himself, think that a win there should set him up as the top contender in the division.

“I can’t imagine anybody could argue that at this point,” he said.

Salter has won his last seven fights, all by stoppages — two knockouts and five submissions.

Six of the seven have ended in the first round, and no opponent has reached the midpoint of a three-round fight against him during the streak.

“Brandon Halsey fought (current Bellator champion Rafael Carvalho) and dominated that fight. He ended up getting kicked in the body and took a loss, but he dominated that fight.

I went out and finished Halsey in the first round without ever be-

BASEBALL from page B1 by rain, is the only ACC team that has yet to lose a weekend series to a conference opponent.

It’s a consistency Avent believes has been developed through experience. And there’s plenty of veteran presence to go around in his dugout.

Pitching ace Brian Brown is a senior. Fellow starter Johnny Piedmonte is in his sixth year while closer Joe O’Donnell is in his fifth.

There aren’t many situations they haven’t experienced in their careers.

Among the position players, right fielder Brock Deatherage and second baseman Stephen Pitarra are seniors while juniors Brett Kinneman and Josh McLain are multiple-year starters.

It’s a group, along with seasoned sophomores Will Wilson, Brad Debo and junior college transfer Evan Edwards, that has set an ex-

ing hit,” Salter said. “I think that right there should have jumped me above the pack in Bellator.”

Instead, Carvalho’s first two title defenses were against Melvin Manhoef, a fighter who got his title shot despite winning just one of his previous three bouts.

“Then I took a fight in Italy,” Salter said, “and won that.”

That was on the undercard of Carvalho’s next title defense, against Alessio Sakara, a 36-year-old veteran who had won just three of his last eight.

“I came back and fought (former Ultimate Fighter winner) Kendall Grove and finished that in the first round,” Salter said.

“Even (two-time UFC title contender) Demian Maia couldn’t do that. Then I went and got a win in Israel. Now I’m fighting a guy like Lovato. I’ve fought all different types of fighter. I’ve beaten every one they’ve put in front of me.”

While a win over Lovato should clear the path for a long-awaited shot at the title — against the winner of Carvalho and former Strikeforce champion Gegard Mousasi, which takes place at the end of May — Salter knows better than to think about the future when an undefeated foe looms on Saturday night.

“There have been several fights where everybody was bringing that up,” Salter said.

“They’d tell me, ‘If you get this win, you get a title shot.’ I take

“I’ve fought all different types of fighter. I’ve beaten every one they’ve put in front of me.”

John Salter, Bellator welterweight

ample a talented group of freshmen — led by standout catcher Patrick Bailey — has enthusiastically followed.

“It’s impressive to watch this team go about their business,” Avent said. “Baseball is not an easy game to play, but it’s a fun game to watch when it’s played well. And right now, these guys are going about their business very well.”

They’re doing it both at the plate and on the mound.

The Wolfpack ranks sixth nationally with 56 home runs through 39 games, with three players already having reached double figures. Kinneman, who has cooled off of late, ranks among the nation’s leaders with 13 long balls. Edwards, whose eighth-inning blast at Durham Bulls Athletic Park put the finishing touches on a nonconference win against the Tar Heels last week, and Wilson have 10 each.

As a team, State is hitting a ro-

it one fight at a time. I made that mistake in wrestling.”

Salter was the 2007 NAIA college champion at Lindenwood University and has won two professional grappling crowns, but the times he fell short are what stick in his mind.

“In a tournament, you start thinking, ‘If I win this fight, who do I have next? Who would I have in the finals?’ I’ve lost matches because of that before — overlooking people,” Salter said. “It’s something I want to make sure I never do again.

I’ve just got to put that out of my head and concentrate on him.

That’s one thing I’ve been pretty effective at lately — focusing on one thing when getting ready for a fight. It probably makes everybody else in my life frustrated, when I focus on my fight and ignore everything else, but it’s helped me be successful.”

While Salter may be guilty of shutting out his family during training, his devotion to them is the reason that he ended up in Wilmington.

nied him on the trip. They stopped somewhere in the Raleigh area — one account claims it was Apex — to attempt to get lunch at a diner.

Johnson and Scott, who was also black, were told they had to eat in the back of the restaurant — although some reports say he was forced to eat outside. Either way, that demand didn’t sit well with Johnson.

“He told them he was the heavyweight champion of the world and would not go around back,” Joseph Cutchins Jr. told a publication in 2013. “He took his rage out on his car.”

Angry at his treatment, Johnson sped off, at speeds that may have reached 80 mph. He followed the winding path north on Route 1, until he missed a turn near Evergreen Cemetery in Franklinton.

Johnson’s Zephyr collided with a light pole and flipped. Both he and Scott were thrown from the car. Scott suffered minor injuries, but Johnson wasn’t as fortunate.

At the time, hospitals and emergency services were segregated, which meant that Johnson couldn’t be taken by ambulance to Rex Hospital. Instead, the town’s African-American undertaker, Joseph Cutchins Sr., was summoned to take Johnson to the nearest black hospital — St. Agnes Hospital, more than 25 miles away, in Raleigh.

Cutchins Jr. said that Johnson told his father, “I’ll be all right,” when he arrived on the scene.

Johnson was pronounced dead at the hospital at 6:10 p.m.

While the circumstances surrounding Johnson’s death are uncomfortable, to say the least, Franklinton has embraced its place in the boxing champion’s personal history. There is a commemorative plaque at the Cutchins Funeral Home, and a wreath is placed on the location of the accident on June 10 of each year.

Former professional boxing trainer Aaron Snowell also co-produced a documentary on Johnson’s death. Snowell’s mother was a native of Franklin County, and he was able to track down and interview several Franklinton residents who witnessed the car crash, more than 70 years ago.

Johnson’s boxing career and life after leaving the ring was controversial and combative. A presidential pardon could help to heal some of the scars that remain.

“As we look back on our nation’s history, the Jack Johnson case is a shameful stain, apparent to all,” McCain said in 2013. “Rectifying this injustice is long overdue.”

KEVIN LAMARQUE | REUTERS

President Donald Trump is considering pardoning legendary boxer Jack Johnson, who died in North Carolina in 1946.

CHRISTINE T. NGUYEN | NORTH STATE JOURNAL | FILE

“It’s impressive to watch this team go about their business.”

— Elliott Avent, NC State coach bust .303 while averaging 7.5 runs per contest.

“When we get in counts where

we’re disciplined and not trying to do too much, we can beat you in a lot of different ways,” Avent said.

“Our offense has been good.”

So has the pitching.

Brown, who like Kinneman is a finalist for the Golden Spikes Award as national Player of the Year, is 6-0 in 10 starts with a miniscule 0.99 earned run average.

Piedmonte is 4-1 while O’Donnell has been lights out from the bullpen with eight saves. Freshman Reid Johnston (6-0, four saves) has also been a major contributor, both out of the bullpen and, more recently, as a starter.

The balance between pitching and hitting — and the variety of different contributors to both — make the Wolfpack a dangerous team once the rapidly approaching postseason arrives.

“There’s not one guy where you go, ‘Dang, if this guy doesn’t play well, we’re going to lose,’“ Kinneman said after last week’s 8-3 win against UNC. “It always feels like it’s somebody different coming through.”

a new addition to the royal family, page 7

WEDNESDAY

4.25.18

NORTH

STATE

JOURNaL

the good life HENRY NICHOLLS | REUTERS

play list

April 26-29 MerleFest Wilkes Community College, Wilkesboro Enjoy a unique mix of bluegrass, country and rock at the 31st annual MerleFest. This fourday musical event features performances spread across 13 stages with appearances by The Steep Cannon Rangers, Alison Brown, Sam Bush Band, Mandolin Orange and many more. Visit MerleFest.org for a full schedule of events and ticket information.

IN A NORTH STATE OF MIND

Fayetteville Dogwood Festival Downtown Fayetteville Discover the Dogwood Festival in downtown Fayetteville featuring carnival rides, food vendors, fireworks, street fair shopping and a classic car show. The festival includes free concerts with musical performances by Rodney Atkins, Coolio, Rob Base, Young MC, Jackyl and Zoso. Visit www.FayDogwoodFestival.com for more information.

April 27-28 Brewgaloo N.C. Craft Beer Festival Fayetteville Street, Raleigh PHOTOS COURTESY OF LT. GOVERNOR’S OFFICE

Dr. Robert “Bob” J. Brown accepts the Order of the Henry Clay Oak from Lt. Governor Dan Forest at the Hawkins-Hartness House, on April 23.

Henry Clay Day One oak among many

April 27-April 29 Festival D’Avion Moore County Airport, Carthage

By Meredith Pace North State Journal RALEIGH — The City of Oaks played host to a unique event this week that has its roots in an oak tree that used to stand there.

Lt. Gov. Dan Forest has hosted an annual Henry Clay Day each year since 2014 where he inducts a new member in to The Order of the Henry Clay Oak. Recipients are selected for their service to the Old North State based on principle over party, and Forest limits new inductees to one per year. Beginning in 2014, the inductees have been former Lt. Gov. Jim Gardner, former governor and U.S. Sen. J. Melville Broughton, former N.C. Attorney General and Secretary of State Rufus Edmisten and N.C. Hall of Fame broadcaster Tom Campbell.

The Order of the Henry Clay Oak takes its name from the eponymous white oak that stood, by some estimates, for more than 200 years in downtown Raleigh.

The oak stood in the yard of the home of Revolutionary War hero and Raleigh resident William Polk. It was under this oak that Tarheel lore tells us that Whig presidential candidate Henry Clay wrote his famous “Raleigh Letter” advocating against the annexation of Texas and certain war with Mexico.

The Henry Clay Oak outlasted its namesake by almost 140 years as weather damage and disease finally resulted in the tree’s demise in October 1991. Since then, a bronze marker — earlier erected in 1939 by the Daughters of the American Revolution — has been the only fixture on Blount Street to commemorate the event. (The William Polk House was moved in 1872 to accommodate the expansion of Blount

Sample the best craft brews of N.C. and enjoy delicious offerings from local Raleigh food trucks at the annual Brewgaloo Festival in downtown Raleigh.

The two-day event showcases more than 75 N.C. breweries and includes local vendors and bands. Visit shoplocalraleigh.org for ticket information.

Celebrate freedom and flight at the first-ever Festival D’Avion where warbirds, cubs, clippers, Stinsons and staggerwings aircrafts will be on display. Watch military-style skydiving, listen to live music by Chicago Rewired, and enjoy delicious N.C. BBQ and craft beers. Visit festivaldavion. com for event times and ticket information.

April 28 Street). The Clay oak also lived on through seedlings distributed by the state to the 100 schools in Wake County.

Forest, whose office in the Hawkins-Hartness House is across the street from the marker and former site of the oak, has continued to promote Clay’s legacy as “The Great Compromiser” by recognizing leaders he sees as putting principles over politics.

This year, Forest selected High Point native Dr. Robert “Bob” J. Brown as the newest inductee into The Order of the Henry Clay Oak. Brown’s career includes working with Martin Luther King Jr. and serving on the board of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, working for U.S. Sen. Robert Kennedy, and serving as a direct report and adviser to President Richard Nixon.

An alumnus of N.C. A&T, Brown founded B&C International in the 1960s and remains CEO of the company which is now one of the oldest minority-owned consulting firms in the

Top, Lt. Gov. Dan Forest speaks to attendees of his Henry Clay Day event.

Left, Cheerwine on ice at the event.

U.S. In recognizing Brown, Forest said The Order of the Henry Clay Oak serves to “honor people who have made a significant impact in our state,” particularly, individuals who have “stood by their principles and their convictions regardless of the consequences of doing that.”

Before presenting Brown with a plaque, Forest detailed Brown’s lengthy resume and noted that he had just returned from Africa where he attended the funeral of Winnie Mandela. “The stuff that

was written in history books, he’s actually been a part of,” said Forest.

“To receive an award like this is a high honor and I’m grateful,” said Brown. “North Carolina is a place that I love. I live here by choice. I was born here, raised here and never want to live anywhere else. I’ve worked my whole life to lift this state up to the potential I know it has.”

State and local leaders joined Forest for the event and were treated to Cheerwine, MoonPies and Henry Clay cigars.

N.C. Pickle Festival Downtown, Mount Olive The Mount Olive Area Chamber of Commerce presents the N.C. Pickle Festival. The awardwinning festival celebrates agricultural heritage and includes a Pickle Derby, entertainment, local vendors and, of course, free pickles. Visit www.ncpicklefest.org for more information.

Cleveland Strawberry Festival Technology Drive, Garner Taste the delicious strawberries from the Town of Cleveland at the Cleveland Strawberry Festival. This family-friendly festival includes a classic car show, arts and crafts vendors, inflatables for children, music and dance entertainment. The festival is open from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m.

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North State Journal for Wednesday, April 25, 2018

NeCessities! history marked April 25, 1932

Meadowlark Lemon, basketball’s court jester Meadow Lemon III, was born in Lexington County, S.C. He moved to Wilmington at age 6. A fan of basketball from an early age, Lemon used to tell the story that his first basketball ensemble was a hoop made from an onion sack and a coat hanger with a Carnation milk can as a ball. After seeing the famed Harlem Globetrotters in a movie theater newsreel, he ran home to tell his father that he planned to join the team. In 1954, he did just that. Lemon changed his name to Meadowlark in the late 1950s, but he was also widely known as the “Clown Prince of Basketball.” Though a slick player with phenomenal ball-handling skills and a long-distance hook shot that rarely missed the hoop, it was his cheeky comedy on the court that propelled him into the spotlight.

The best-known Globetrotter, Lemon became a television star, portraying himself in television shows like “Gilligan’s Island” and in cartoons including “Scooby Doo.” Lemon retired from the Globetrotters in 1979, became an ordained minister in 1986 and established Meadowlark Lemon Ministries in 1994. Inducted into the North Carolina Sports Hall of Fame in 1975 and the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2003, Lemon died in 2015.

the plate You want a tarantula with that?

At Durham burger joint, it’s an option

JIM URQUHART | REUTERS

A tarantula burger is prepared at Bull City Burger and Brewery in celebration of Exotic Meat Month in Durham.

April 27, 1916

Baseball Hall of Famer Enos “Country” Slaughter of Roxboro On April 27, 1916, Hall of Fame baseball player Enos Slaughter was born near Roxboro to a farm family.

As a child, Slaughter honed his strength and skill with farm work, hunting rabbits with rocks and playing sports. He also began to develop a lifelong passion for baseball by watching Durham Bulls games. Slaughter began his pro career with a St. Louis Cardinals farm team, the Martinsville Redbirds, and it was while playing with the Virginia team that his tireless hustle earned him the nickname “Country.” Slaughter entered the majors with the Cardinals in 1938 and stayed with them until 1953. He went on to play for a number of other teams including the New York Yankees, seeing five World Series and 10 All-Star Games during his career. At various times he led the National League in triples, double plays by an outfielder and RBI. Though a standout player in many respects, Slaughter saw his reputation marred by his racial attitudes. In 1947, he tried to get Cardinal players to strike in protest of Jackie Robinson’s presence on the Dodgers’ roster. Though the strike attempt failed, Slaughter intentionally spiked Robinson in a later game. Slaughter retired from baseball in 1959 but managed a few minor league teams and coached briefly at Duke. He died in 2002.

April 28, 1993

By Peter Szekely Reuters DURHAM — Kristin Barnaby, a self-described arachnophobe, found a way to overcome what she dreads at a North Carolina burger joint.

“I am going to eat my fear,” the 27-year-old said at the Bull City Burger and Brewery, where she tucked in to a hamburger topped with a crunchy fullgrown, oven-roasted tarantula and a side of fries.

The tarantula burger was a feature of the restaurant’s April exotic meat month, which in the past six years has featured iguana, alligator, camels, python, turtle and various insects.

Tarantulas made their debut after restaurant owner Seth Gross read about how they have become a street food staple in Cambodia, where they are mixed with salt and sugar and cooked.

“I thought this would be a great way to really teach about diversity,” Gross said in an interview.

The tarantula burger is not for everyone. Gross gets only 15 of the farmed, organically raised creatures each year, so diners need to be lucky, as well as daring, to get a taste.

“You come in, you fill in a lottery tick-

JIM URQUHART | REUTERS

Bull City Burger and Brewery owner Seth Gross posses with a customer as he holds a tarantula toy before the restaurant serves their tarantula burger to another customer. et,” he said. “If we draw your name, you come and get to eat one.”

The lucky winners have up to 48 hours to claim their prize and Gross said none have yet backed out.

And what do tarantulas taste like?

“It reminded me of potato chips,” Barnaby said after washing down her first tarantula burger with a glass of water. “I like to eat weird food.”

the frame Stephen Curry lands TV, film deal with Sony Pictures

Jimmy V died of cancer

By Eric Kelsey Reuters

Jim Valvano died of cancer at the age of 47. Valvano was born in Queens, N.Y., played basketball at Rutgers University and had several coaching positions before coming to NC State as head coach in 1980.

In a series of inspiring and improbable last-minute victories, he led the Wolfpack to the championship of the men’s NCAA basketball tournament in 1983. Sports Illustrated included the achievement as one of the top-10 sporting events of the 20th century. In 1992, Valvano was diagnosed with terminal cancer. In the final months of his life, he helped establish the Jimmy V Foundation for Cancer Research, whose motto, “Don’t Give Up…Don’t Ever Give Up!” reflects Valvano’s eternal optimism. His last public appearance occurred when he received the Arthur Ashe Award for Courage from ESPN in March 1993. The broadcast of his inspirational speech at the ESPY Awards ceremony has become an annual tradition on the network and has helped the V Foundation raise more than $120 million for cancer research — a fitting legacy to a man who inspired a nation both on and off the basketball court.

LOS ANGELES — NBA star and N.C. native Stephen Curry has signed a multiyear film and television deal with Sony Pictures Entertainment, the Hollywood studio said on Monday, as the Golden State Warriors player makes a play to be the latest athlete to break into entertainment.

The development and production deal will focus on family, faith and sportsthemed projects, and will “extend to opportunities in partnerships, electronics, gaming and virtual reality,” the Sony-owned studio said in a statement.

“We’re thrilled to work alongside Steph to bring his positive, affirming brand to create content in the scripted and non-scripted television landscape,” Chris Parnell, co-president of the studio’s TV division, said in a statement.

“He’s tapping into his drive and creative energy on the court to expand to horizons off the court and we’re honored to be a part of it,” Parnell added.

Neither the financial terms nor the length of the agreement was disclosed.

Curry, 30, is a two-time NBA Most Valuable Player and one of the league’s most marketable stars on one of its best teams. He earned an estimated $35 million in endorsements last year with JPMorgan Chase and Under Armour among his deals, according to Forbes.

“I’ve been blessed to have this platform

MIKE DINOVO | USA TODAY SPORTS | FILE

Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry, reacts during the first half against the Chicago Bulls at the United Center in Chicago, on Jan. 17. and I want to use it to affect the world positively,” Curry said in a statement. “Partnering with Sony to share inspiring content with a global audience was a foregone conclusion.”

Curry’s production company will be called Unanimous Media. He was voted the NBA’s first unanimous MVP in 2016.

Curry follows the likes of Cleveland Cavaliers star LeBron James into Hollywood. James’ SpringHill Entertainment is most active in television, producing NBC game show “The Wall” and former Starz comedy series “Survivor’s Remorse.”

James also has scripted series in development with Netflix and HBO.

North State Journal for Wednesday, April 25, 2018

B7

entertainment

Big secrets, bumper box-office for ‘Avengers: Infinity War’

By Rollo Ross Reuters

HANNAH MCKAY | REUTERS

Britain’s Catherine, the Duchess of Cambridge and Prince William leave the Lindo Wing of St Mary’s Hospital with their new baby boy in London, on April 23.

It’s a boy!

House of Windsor welcomes a new prince

By Michael Holden and Guy Faulconbridge Reuters LONDON — Kate, wife of Prince William, smiled and waved as she left hospital on Monday after giving birth to a boy who is now fifth in line to the British throne.

The baby was born at 10:01 GMT and weighed 8 pounds, 7 ounces. William was present for the birth at St Mary’s Hospital in west London where their other two children, George and Charlotte, were also born.

Kate, wearing a red dress, smiled at hundreds of well-wishers and assembled journalists as she left the hospital clutching her baby just seven hours after the birth. William later put the boy, strapped into a car seat, into a waiting car.

“Thrice the worry now,” William told reporters, holding up three fingers with a smile, as he got into a Land Rover to take his wife and newborn back to Kensington Palace. “We didn’t keep you waiting too long this time.”

“Very happy, very excited, thank you,” he said. When asked about a

name for the boy, William said: “You’ll find out sooner or later.”

Bookmakers have made Albert, Arthur, Jack and Fred the favored names for a boy.

Queen Elizabeth, Prince Charles, the baby’s grandfather, and other members of the royal family and Kate’s family have been informed and “are delighted with the news,” Kensington Palace said.

When William brought his children to see their brother, Princess Charlotte, 2, turned and waved at the gathering of well-wishers.

George, 4, did not wave.

The baby is the queen’s sixth great-grandchild and is behind his grandfather and heir Prince Charles, father William, and siblings George and Charlotte in line to the throne.

A 2013 change to the law means that for the first time in British history, a new prince will not supplant his older sister in the order of succession. Previously younger males would take precedence over older female siblings.

William’s younger brother Harry, who marries U.S. actress Meghan Markle next month, falls to sixth on the list.

The official announcement of the birth was made by placing a notice on an easel in the forecourt of the queen’s London home,

Buckingham Palace, a tradition that has been in place since it became the sovereign’s official residence in 1837.

“My warmest congratulations to the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge on the birth of their baby boy,” Prime Minister Theresa May said. “I wish them great happiness for the future.”

The British royals are rarely out of the media glare, but the baby arrives at a time when the Windsors have particularly been in the limelight.

On Saturday William joined the queen and other senior royals, with the exception of Kate, as the monarch celebrated her 92nd birthday at a televised concert.

The queen also played a prominent role at the Commonwealth Heads of Government meeting in London last week, where it was announced that Charles would succeed her as head of the network of mainly former British colonies.

While interest in their third child has been more muted than with the birth of their first, large numbers of photographers and broadcasters from around the globe massed outside the hospital, along with some dedicated royal fans.

The birth also gives Kate’s own family another cause for celebration after it was reported by British media on Sunday that her sister Pippa, who is married to a wealthy financier, was pregnant with her first child.

“Avengers: Inf inity War” boasts more than 20 superheroes and expects to storm the box office, but even its A-list cast doesn’t know quite what to expect when the film gets its world premiere on Monday night Secrecy was key during filming on the Walt Disney Co. movie, which brings together almost every comic-book hero in Marvel’s cinematic universe for an all-out battle with supervillain Thanos.

Most of the actors were given scripts for only the scenes they were filming, or given complete scripts that turned out to be fake, in order to prevent spoilers — particularly which characters may get killed off — from leaking out.

The cast will not see the finished product until the world premiere in Los Angeles on Monday night.

“I kind of like that,” said Benedict Cumberbatch, who plays Dr. Strange. “I like that we’ll be sitting in our own audience. ... It’s just going to be a thrill to watch it for the first time. I’m genuinely really, really excited.”

With outsized heroes, including Captain America, Spider-Man, Iron Man, Black Widow, Black Panther and the Guardians of the Galaxy, comes massive fan appeal.

Analysts say the film could come close to, or even break, the $248 million North American box-office opening set in 2015 by

“Star Wars: The Force Awakens,” also from Disney.

Barton Crockett, media industry analyst at B. Riley FBR, predicted a $238 million debut for the film, which would make it the biggest opening this year.

The narrative seeds of “Infinity War” have been scattered through the Marvel cinematic universe franchise of crossover characters and plots since 2008’s “Iron-Man.” “The theory that Marvel had when they started to make movies was that these movies would be promotional platforms for each other, stories that would continue to pull people along,” Crockett said.

“Infinity War,” directed by brothers Joe and Anthony Russo, sees despot Thanos (Josh Brolin) fight the Avengers and their allies for all six of the legendary Infinity Stones that give the user specific powers to manipulate other people, objects or forms of energy.

“Thanos is a very interesting character because his agenda is to save the universe by destroying the universe,” said Tom Holland, who plays Spider-Man. “It’s something we haven’t seen before and a lot of the movie is seen through his eyes.”

Speculation has been rife about which characters may die but the directors declined to give details.

“Avengers: Inf inity War” starts its international rollout on Wednesday and arrives in U.S. movie theaters on Friday.

MARIO ANZUONI | REUTERS

Actor Josh Brolin signs autographs for fans at the premiere of “Avengers: Infinity Wars” in Los Angeles, on April 23.

TAKE NOTICE RANDOLPH NOTICE OF FORECLOSURE SALE 18 SP 68 Under and by virtue of the power of sale contained in a certain Deed of Trust made by Bonita E. Gagnon and Heather Gallagher, (Bonita E. Gagnon, deceased) (Heirs of Bonita E. Gagnon: Heather Gallagher, Gary P. Gagnon, Jr., Toby Gagnon and Unknown Heirs of Bonita E. Gagnon)(Toby Gagnon, deceased)(Heirs of Toby Gagnon: Unknown Heirs of Toby Gagnon) to Fields Law Firm, Trustee(s), dated the 28th day of August, 2007, and recorded in Book RE 2040, Page 2023, and Modification in Book 2351, Page 1072, in Randolph County Registry, North Carolina, default having been made in the payment of the note thereby 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 of Randolph 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 the City of Asheboro, Randolph County, North Carolina, or the customary location designated for foreclosure sales, at 1:30 PM on May 8, 2018 and will sell to the highest bidder for cash the following real estate situated in the County of Randolph, North Carolina, and being more particularly described as follows: BEGINNING at a point in the center line of S.R. 2634 (Old Coleridge Road), said point being 1/2 mile south of Manor Rock Road, said point also being the Southeast corner of W. Penn Spinks; thence with the center line of Old Coleridge Road South 13 degrees 2 minutes 48 seconds West 76.94 feet to a new point, the new Northeast corner of Clarice Spinks; thence with a new line of Clarice Spinks the following calls: North 80 degrees 4 minutes 13 seconds West, passing a new iron pipe at 30.04 feet, a total distance of 127.28 feet to a new iron pipe; South 87 degrees 2 minutes 32 seconds West 104.81 feet to a new iron pipe; South 30 degrees 41 minutes 24 seconds West 141.73 feet to a new iron pipe; and North 83 degrees 16 minutes 41 seconds West 481.51 feet to a new iron pipe west of a branch; thence with the line of W. Penn Spinks, the following calls; North 37 degrees 15 minutes 52 seconds East 145.33 feet to a new iron pipe alongside a marked Sweet Gum on the Western Bank of a Branch; and North 89 degrees 20 minutes 1 second East 710 feet to the point and place of beginning, containing 2.0000 acres. more or less and being according to a plat by William Donald Smith, R.L.S. dated July 12, 1996, and entitled “Survey for Gregory M. Fisher and wife, Sheila B. Fisher.” Together with improvements located thereon; said property being

located at 3358 Old Coleridge Road, Siler City, North Carolina.

This property is also currently known as 3358 Old Coleridge Road, Siler City, NC 27344 and is assigned parcel identification number 8629877255.

This property includes a manufactured home that is permanently affixed to the land and is classified as, and taxed as, real property by the Randolph County Tax Department and described as follows: 1996 Champion, RAD, TRA 335925,335926, serial number 23-97-774-0145AB, 23.5X56.5.

Trustee may, in the Trustee’s sole discretion, delay the sale for up to one hour as provided in NCGS §4521.23.

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 NCGS §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 expressly are 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 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.

Additional Notice for Residential Property with Less than 15 rental units, including SingleFamily 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 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 Case No: 1234757 (FC.FAY) PUBLICATION DATES: April 25, 2018 and May 2, 2018

STANLY AMENDED NOTICE OF FORECLOSURE SALE 17 SP 71 Under and by virtue of the power of sale contained in a certain Deed of Trust made by Ronnie K. Freeman and Edwina B. Freeman (PRESENT RECORD OWNER(S): Edwina B. Freeman) to Trustee Services of Carolina, LLC, Trustee(s), dated the 28th day of April, 2006, and recorded in Book 1135, Page 10, in Stanly County Registry, North Carolina, default having been made in the payment of the note thereby 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 of Stanly 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 the City of Albemarle, Stanly County, North Carolina, or the customary location designated for foreclosure sales, at 11:00 AM on May 9, 2018 and will sell to the highest bidder for cash the following real estate situated in the County of Stanly, North Carolina, and being more particularly described as follows:

Lying and being in the City of Albemarle, Stanley County, North Carolina, and being all of Lot Number Eight (8), Phase 1 of Granview Subdivision, as shown on Plat thereof and recorded in the Office of the Register of Deeds for Stanley County, North Carolina, in Plat Book 18, Pages 106 and 109, to which plat reference is hereby made for a more complete Description of said lots by metes and bounds. Together with improvements located thereon; said property being located at 431 Anderson Road, Albemarle, North Carolina.

Trustee may, in the Trustee’s sole discretion, delay the sale for up to one hour as provided in NCGS §4521.23.

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 NCGS §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 expressly are 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 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.

Additional Notice for Residential Property with Less than 15 rental units, including SingleFamily 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 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 Case No: 1213781 (FC.FAY) PUBLICATION DATES: April 25, 2018 and May 2, 2018

WAKE NOTICE OF SERVICE OF PROCESS BY PUBLICATION STATE OF NORTH CAROLINA WAKE COUNTY IN THE SUPERIOR COURT FILE NO. 17CVS13769 222 GLENWOOD, LLC V. INDIO RALEIGH, LLC, KETAN M. SHAH, DAVID CHANDRAKANT PANDORIA, CHELLAPPA MOHAMMED YASIN, SITA’S BLUE MANGO INDIAN CUISINE, LLC, RAJENDRAKUMAR R. PATEL, SEETA KHOSLA, and JAYESH C. PATEL: TAKE NOTICE that a Complaint seeking relief against INDIO RALEIGH, LLC and KETAN M. SHAH has been filed in the above-entitled action. The nature of the relief being sought is: Breach of Contract. You are required by law to make defense to such pleading within forty (40) days from the date of the first publication of this Notice. If you fail to do so, the party seeking service against you will apply to the Court for the relief sought therein. This is 18th day of April, 2018 by /s/ R. Daniel Boyce, Attorney, Nexsen Pruet, PLLC, 4141 Parklake Avenue, Suite 200, Raleigh, NC 27612.

PUBLICATION DATES: April 18, 2018; April 25, 2018; and May 2, 2018

North State Journal for Wednesday, April 25, 2018

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pen & paper pursuits comic relief

sudoku

SOLUTIONS FROM 04.18.18

Experience It All. All In One Place. #AllinOnePlace 50 Years of NC Arts Council in All 100 Counties State Parks and Recreation Areas North Carolina Aquariums Historic Sites North Carolina ZOO Museums of History, Art and Science Libraries and Archives North Carolina Symphony

dncr.nc.gov/AllinOnePlace

Happy New Year!

I wish you all the best in 2018 as you experience everything North Carolina has to offer.

Secretary Susi H. Hamilton

NC Department of Natural and Cultural Resources

NC DEPARTMENT OF NATURAL AND CULTURAL RESOURCES