Most of us have fond memories of

Most of us have fond memories of our fi rst time behind the wheel of a car, truck or tractor. My wife Pam, for example, told me that when she was a little

Jim Longworth girl, her grandfather let her drive his car up

Longworth a country road to a little store. Needat Large less to say, they did not tell her parents about the adventure. NASCAR legend Richard Petty had a similar experience, which he recounted for me during an interview on Triad Today.

“The fi rst time I ever remember driving at all was down on my Uncle’s farm. He was getting up hay one day, and had this old ’38 fl atbed truck, and they was throwing hay on the back of it. And they put it in ‘granny gear’ and pulled out the throttle so it sort of crept along. And they put me up there and I was standing in the seat, just holding the wheel straight ‘till they got to the end of the row.”

I asked the King if that incident scared his Momma. “Well, they didn’t tell her”, Richard laughed.

Last month, 12-year-old Riley Neal got behind the wheel of a car, but he wasn’t driving on a country road or in a hay fi eld, and he wasn’t afraid to tell his parents. The Walkertown Middle School student was driving in a 60 lap race at Caraway Speedway in Asheboro, and fi nished fi rst, much to the delight of his proud father, Kevin, himself an accomplished driver in the Sportsman Division. Riley’s victory was his fi rst in the 602 Super Limited Division, but it’s not the fi rst time that a young person made headlines at a race track. In 2018, Jake Garcia, then only 13 years old, became the youngest driver to compete in a Late Model race when he fi nished in thirteenth place at Nashville’s Fairground Speedway. For many kids, these lower division races give them an opportunity to develop their driving skills until they can get their NASCAR license, the minimum age for which is 14.

One of today’s most promising drivers also started young. Thad Mo” tt is the grandson of NASCAR legend Richard Petty and nephew of Kyle Petty. “Growing up at the track every weekend and being in that atmosphere makes you want to go out there and get in the car,” Thad told me. In 2017, at age 16, he did go get in a car, and today he races on the ARCA circuit, something that didn’t exist when Richard was coming along. Back then Petty learned the sport from under the hood, and spent his time working on his father Lee’s race car.

“When I was eighteen, I said, ‘Can I drive a race car?’, and he said, ‘Come back when you’re 21. You’re going to grow up a lot between now and the time you’re 21’. So I just kept working on his car, and he was winning races and championships, and then, one day, right before I turned 21 I said, ‘I’m turning 21’, and he said, ‘There’s a car over there in the corner. Get it ready to go.”

And though Richard was ready to hit the ground running, he doesn’t believe that anyone becomes an overnight success. “To be a good race car driver, it takes four or fi ve years to see how he makes it from one year to another, and from one car to another. It takes a while.”

Many of today’s pre-teen and teenage drivers are eager to get a head start on learning their craft, and the racing world is taking notice. In a 2018 interview with NBC sports, Cathy Rice, then general manager at a track in Virginia, commented on the ability of young drivers. “Kids today mature so much so early. I’ve been in this sport for 30 years, and I’ve seen the trend in maturity in the kids. Maybe (NASCAR) will even lower the age to 12 or 13.”

NASCAR star Kyle Busch, who started driving Late Model at age 15 (until he got caught), echoed Rice’s sentiment, saying, “I don’t think it’s necessarily an age thing as much as it is an experience thing.” But Busch also told NBC that 13 is too young to race in Late Model. Meanwhile, former Cup Champion Martin Truex, Jr., had regrets about not being able to race at a young age. “For me at 13, I would say I probably could have driven a full-size car…but I wasn’t allowed

to in New Jersey. I had to be 18. I lost quite a few years in racing because of that. I can’t imagine what I could have learned from the time I was 14 until I was 18.”

In fact, there are lots of things for young drivers to learn about on their road to a racing career, including how to stay safe at high speeds. But there are also some lessons to be learned away from the track. After he had just turned 16, I reminded Thad Mo” tt that women love race car drivers, and I asked him if he had any girlfriends. Motioning to his famous grandfather who was seated next to him, Thad said, “He told me to stay out of that stu› until I get older.”

Sage advice from a King to his Prince. ! JIM LONGWORTH is the host of Triad Today, airing on Saturdays at 7:30 a.m. on ABC45 (cable channel 7) and Sundays at 11 a.m. on WMYV (cable channel 15).

WE’RE NOT CHEAP, WE’RE FREE ! LOCAL & FREE SINCE 2005

CREEPY

Srinivas Gupta, a businessman in Koppal, India, and his wife, Madhavi, were building their dream home when she died in a tragic car crash in 2017. But in many

Chuck Shepherd ways, she is still with Gupta -- especially now that he has installed a life-size wax statue of her in the home. Madhavi’s likeness is in a seated position, clothed in a pink sari and gold jewelry. “The planning for the house was all done by her and we couldn’t imagine entering this new house without her,” Anusha Gupta, one of the couple’s daughters, told CNN. At a housewarming party on Aug. 7, friends and relatives posed with Madhavi on a couch and posted photos to social media. The family says they will keep the statue in their courtyard: “She used to enjoy the outdoors,” Anusha said.

MORE MONEY THAN SENSE

A Chinese businessman living in the United States has commissioned the priciest face mask in the world from Israeli jeweler Yvel, the Associated Press reported on Aug. 9. Yvel owner Isaac Levy said the 18-karat gold mask will cost $1.5 million and sparkle with 3,600 white and black diamonds. “Money maybe doesn’t buy everything,” Levy admitted, “but if it can buy a very expensive COVID-19 mask and the guy wants to wear it and walk around and get the attention, he should be happy with that. I am happy that this mask gave us enough work for our employees to be able to provide their jobs in very challenging times like these,” he added. Levy said he would not wear it himself, though.

O! CANADA

Social media has lit up recently in Canada with photos of unexpected additions to beaver lodges, including satellite dishes and a fl agpole. Glynnis Hood, a professor of environmental science at the University of Alberta, confi rmed that beavers could install a satellite dish, “but it would probably be covered in mud.” So what gives? Hood and others think it’s the quintessential Canadian prank: “I think that Canadians have this profound connection to beavers,” she told the CBC. “It’s our national symbol. (It) just seems to go well with the Canadian identity.” Sure enough, Grant Carlson of Thunder Bay, Ontario, confi rmed that he was one of the pranksters: “We decided to help the beavers. You know self-isolation isn’t so bad with Netfl ix.”

AWESOME!

It isn’t often that you can thank your overweight belly for saving your life, but a 28-year-old man in Henan Province, China, is doing just that. The man, identifi ed as Liu, fell through a wooden cover on a well in his hometown of Fuliudian Village on Aug. 7, Fox News reported. But rather than plunging to the bottom, he got stuck in the opening with his built-in life preserver. At least fi ve fi refi ghters were needed to hoist the man out of the well using a rope tied around his waist, but Liu escaped unharmed.

COMPELLING EXPLANATION

In Chesterfi eld County (Virginia) court on Aug. 12, prosecutors and the defense attorney for 55-year-old Robert Ra¦ fl oated a dubious agreement in Ra¦ ’s grisly murder case. Ra¦ is accused of killing his father and his mother in the same home, during the same two-day period in 2019. Two psychologists agreed that at the time of the killings, Ra¦ was insane. But the lawyers want to hold him culpable for his mother’s death, but not guilty by reason of insanity for his father’s death. “Explain to me how he can be guilty of one and not guilty of the other?” asked Circuit Judge David E. Johnson, according to the Richmond Times-Dispatch. Ra¦ , who has a long history of mental health issues, admitted to killing both parents. The lawyers’ unusual plea agreement is designed to produce a suspended 40-year sentence for the killing of his mother that would compel Ra¦ to adhere to treatment at the Central State Hospital for the murder of his father.

GOVERNMENT IN ACTION

Jade Dodd renewed her driver’s license in Hickman County, Tennessee, on time, but when she received the new card in the mail, it was missing a key ingredient: her photo. Where Dodd’s face should have been was an empty chair, WKRN reported. “The lady at the DMV did not really believe me when I was like, hey, I need my license fi xed,” Dodd said. But when she saw the ID on her computer, she said, “Oh, I need my manager for this.” Wes Moster of the Tennessee Department of Safety and Homeland Security explained that the chair photo was an old one on fi le for Dodd that was reused for the renewal by mistake, and she was issued a new license right away. ! © 2020 Chuck Shepherd. Universal Press Syndicate. Send your weird news items with subject line WEIRD NEWS to WeirdNewsTips@amuniversal.com.

Submissions should be sent to artdirector@yesweekly.com by Friday at 5 p.m., prior to the week’s publication. Due to COVID-19 listings may not be accurate and are subject to frequent change | Compiled by Austin Kindley

ASHEBORO Four Saints Brewing

218 South Fayetteville St. | 336.610.3722 foursaintsbrewing.com

Aug 22: Casey Noel Oct 3: Casey Noel

CLEMMONS Rizzo’s

6353 Cephis Drive | 336.893.9257

Sep 19: Gypsy Soul

DURHAM DPAC

123 Vivian St | 919.680.2787 www.dpacnc.com

Nov 12: Iliza: The Forever Tour Nov 13: Gabriel Iglesias

GREENSBORO Baxter’s Tavern

536 Farragut St | 336.808.5837

Aug 22: Ultimate Rock Machine Aug 23: Jim Quick and The Coastline Band Aug 29: Mostley Crue Aug 30: Cruise In Sep 19: JS and the Footlights

The Blind Tiger

1819 Spring Garden St | 336.272.9888 theblindtiger.com

Aug 21: Brothers Pearl Aug 22: Mean Street: Van Halen Tribute w/ Hinge Theory Aug 28: Eric Gales Aug 29: Goodie Mob Sep 5: 80’s Prom Sep 10: Casey Noel w/ Mason Via Sep 18: Whiskey Foxtrot w/ 49 Winchester & Tennessee Champagne

Cellar 23

2309 Fleming Rd, Suite 107 | 336.676.5003 cellar23gso.com

Aug 22: The Hedricks

Comedy Zone

1126 S Holden Rd | 336.333.1034 thecomedyzone.com

Aug 21: Don “D.C.” Curry Aug 22: Don “D.C.” Curry Aug 23: Don “D.C.” Curry Aug 25: Preacher Lawson Sep 4: Earthquake Sep 5: Earthquake Sep 6: Earthquake Sep 11: The Christi Show Sep 12: The Christi Show Sep 18: Rodney Perry Sep 19: Rodney Perry

Rody’s Tavern

117B W, Lewis St. | 336.285.6406 rodystavern.com

Sep 4: Whiskey Foxtrot Sep 7: Dave Moran Sep 11: Wickerbach Sep 13: Brothers Pearl Sep 18: Jim Mayberry Sep 21: Radio Revolver Sep 25: Low Key Sep 27: Second Glance Band

HIGH POINT Goofy Foot Taproom

2762 NC-68 #109 | 336.307.2567

Aug 22: Mason Via and Hot Trail Mix Aug 29: Tyler Millard Sep 19: David Lin Sep 26: Zac Kellum Oct 3: Analog Crash

Ham’s Palladium

5840 Samet Dr | 336.887.2434 hamsrestaurants.com

Aug 21: Rockit Science Aug 22: Brothers Pearl Aug 28: Bad Romeo Aug 29: Steel County Express

LEWISVILLE Old Nick’s Pub

191 Lowes Foods Dr | 336.747.3059 OldNicksPubNC.com

Aug 22: Lasater Union Aug 29: Exit 180 band Sep 12: The Dylan Jackson Band Sep 25: Whiskey Mic

WINSTON-SALEM Foothills Brewing

638 W 4th St | 336.777.3348 foothillsbrewing.com

Aug 23: Sunday Jazz

Winston-Salem Fairground

421 W 27th St | 336.727.2236 www.wsfairgrounds.com

Sep 4: Classic Country Series: Montgomery Gentry w/ Little Texas

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feature Sheri Terry Johnson tells woman ‘you’re breaking the law’ by being an activist

On Saturday, Alamance County Sheri Terry Johnson told activist Lindsay Ayling “you’re breaking the law” and “we know

Ian McDowell you’re with antifa” after she asked him why he and his

Contributor deputies were not wearing masks in downtown Graham. Ayling recorded the encounter in a video that has received 20,000 views on social media and has been shared by Newsweek.

The incident occurred in front of a small group of members of the neo-Confederate organization Alamance County Taking Back Alamance County (ACTBAC), who were counter-protesting the People’s Referendum, a symbolic vote conducted by Down Home NC, Siembra NC and Forward Motion Alamance on whether to move the city’s Confederate monument and repeal the sheri ’s 287g agreement with ICE. Sheri Jonson has on previous occasions expressed solidarity and support with ACTBAC by such physical gestures such as, putting his arm around the organization’s founder Jerry Williamson.

The video begins with Johnson speaking in a friendly manner to people o - screen at his left. At his right, a deputy readies a video camera, raising it and pointing it at Ayling as she approaches. Neither the sheri nor the deputy are wearing masks.

“I’m just curious why any of the police aren’t wearing masks,” Ayling asks, “in violation of the governor’s order?”

“What are you doing?” asks an unmasked woman appearing to be counterprotesting with the neo-Confederate group from o -screen. An unmasked man with the woman comes into view at the sheri ’s left. ACTBAC was an organization that the Southern Poverty Law Center identifi ed as a hate group in 2017.

As reported by Kate Croxton of Burlington’s TimesNews, ACTBAC was removed from the Southern Poverty Law Center’s “Hate Map” in 2018 because the group did not meet the “Hate Group” defi nition by making statements, “denigrating others based on immutable characteristics,” according to director of SPLC’s Intelligence Project Heidi Beirich. “Why are y’all breaking the law by not wearing masks?” asks Ayling, in apparent answer to the woman’s question.

“Ma’am, you’re breaking the law,” says Johnson, taking a step toward Ayling. “We know you’re a member of antifa.”

“Antifa” is an umbrella term for an extremely loose-knit quasi-coalition of anti-fascist groups, some far left or Marxist, others simply liberal or even centrist. The anti-Semitic conspiracy theory that it is a single unifi ed organization funded by billionaire fi nancier George Soros has been debunked by historian Mark Bray, among others. (Ayling said she does not identify with any particular organization, but even if she did, it would be no more illegal than belonging to ACTBAC or the League of the South.)

“We know you’re with antifa!” repeats Johnson, stepping back and laughing, as he is clapped on the back by his deputy, who videos Ayling with his right hand and reaches out to Johnson with his left, gently pulling the sheri back.

“Take all the pictures you want, sweetheart,” Johnson says.

Ayling replies, “you know it’s not illegal to be against . . . “

At this point, the woman interrupts, stepping into the shot and putting her

unmasked face very close to Ayling’s. “Elizabeth Baird, hello!” she says loudly, identifying herself and waving into camera, while yelling in Ayling’s face.

“Hold on,” says Ayling to woman purporting to be Elizabeth Baird, then, to Johnson, “does the Alamance County Sheri ’s OŸ ce believe it’s illegal to be against fascism?”

Johnson, who has been leaning into the deputy and laughing, says, “she’s such as sweetheart.”

“Because you just said I’m breaking the law by being anti-fascist.” “It’s not a law,” Johnson says.

“Dumbass,” Baird says.

“So, what you’re saying is, I’m not breaking the law,” Ayling says.

“There’s no law,” Baird replies.

“There’s no law against not wearing masks,” says the man with Baird, gesturing at his own face. “[Inaudible] when you wear a mask, guess, what all that stu goes up your nose, that mask don’t do anything . . .”

“There’s violating masking stu ,” Ayling says, “but I’m not violating any . . .”

“But you are in my personal space,” says Baird from o -camera. “So back o !”

“Now!” shouts Baird, as Ayling shifts the camera toward her. “Back o 6-feet, bitch, back o !” The man with Baird glowers at Ayling from behind. At no point does Ayling appear to have approached Baird. Instead, Baird appears to have remained where she was when she stepped toward Ayling.

“Maybe you should back o six feet,” Ayling says, “because you’re the one not wearing . . .”

“You were the one [inaudible] before you walked up, lady,” Baird says.

“I’m wearing a mask,” Ayling says.

“And you’re pain in my ass in my ass, too,” Baird snaps in reply.

“Don’t let her worry you,” says Johnson to Baird.

“What’s your name?” Ayling asks.

Baird steps forward, her face fi lling the screen, her mouth wide open, and so close the viewer can clearly see her lower teeth and tongue. “My name is Elizabeth Hodges Baird! You get a close-up?”

“Yeah,” Ayling says,” but you touched me, and I would like you not to do that.”

Baird has already turned away and walked back toward the man she was there with.

A repeated allegation made by antimonument protesters is that they are immediately arrested when they touch or even insult a neo-Confederate counterprotester, but when a counter-protester is arrested for touching one of them, the