Chatham News & Record Vol. 149, Issue 5

the BRIEF this week

Georgia could become rst state with weapons detection in all public schools

Georgia lawmakers may require that every public school student be checked for weapons each day. On Monday, a state Senate committee advanced a bill, pushing it closer to nal passage. The proposal follows a 2024 shooting at Apalachee High School in Winder that killed four. Supporters say detectors will help spot guns and knives. There’s little research, though, that their broad use stops school shootings. There are also concerns about how much the systems cost, how to guard against false alarms and whether detectors are really needed in elementary schools. Some opponents say the state should limit kids’ access to guns instead.

Some state o cials say shifting mail ballot deadline will complicate election

The U.S. Supreme Court is considering whether mail ballots that arrive after Election Day should be counted. If the justices decide they should not be, it would leave little time for election o cials and voters to adapt. Some election o cials said some material related to November’s midterm elections has already been printed. Others said informing voters of the change would be the biggest hurdle, to ensure they are not disenfranchised. In 14 states, all mail ballots will be counted if sent by Election Day and received within a certain period of days. Another 15 states have grace periods for military and overseas ballots.

$2.00

Davis out as UNC coach after rst-round loss

The Tar Heels blew a 19 -point lead to lose in the round of 64

By Shawn Krest Chatham News & Record

IN HIS FIRST PRESS conference as UNC coach, Hu-

Roy Williams (Sean May), “connecting the generations” as he termed it in that introductory press conference.

Five years later, UNC faces a future where the coach leading the legendary program is not a Carolina guy.

bert Davis made the following declaration:

“In terms of the sta , you can’t do this job unless you’re a Carolina guy,” he said. “It’s impossible. You can’t coach here. You can’t recruit here. You can’t work here unless you have been here. You’ve experienced it. You have lived it. And so in terms of the sta , it’s all guys that have experienced this place and believe it and have the passion and the desire that all of us have for this university and this program and these kids in this community.”

UNC announced Tuesday it had made a “leadership change” on the basketball team, parting ways with Davis.

Davis made sure that his sta had assistants who had played for Dean Smith (Je Lebo), Bill Guthridge (Brad Frederick) and

Chatham superintendent to retire at end of year

last Wednesday, stating that his retirement would be e ective July 1.

The Tar Heels blew a 19-point lead to VCU to lose in the NCAA Tournament round of 64 for the second straight year. It ended a half decade under Davis where

By Ryan Henkel Chatham News & Record

PITTSBORO

that he intends to retire at the end of the current school year.

has announced

— Chatham County Schools Superintendent Anthony Jackson

Jackson, who has served as superintendent of the district since 2021, made the announcement in a press release

“Serving as Superintendent of Chatham County Schools has been one of the greatest honors of my professional life,” Jackson said in a press release. “I am

Touch grass: Folks ‘bathe’ in nature to get respite from chaotic news cycle

“I think it’s important for people to take the opportunity to exist in natural spaces.”

Alan Mintz, transportation safety researcher

Forest therapy o ers a mindful escape from news-fueled stress and anxiety

By Allen G. Breed The Associated Press

RALEIGH — For two hours, Claire Je eries wanted to get away from the war in Iran and the rising gas prices and just commune with nature. And so, she treated herself to a little forest bathing.

“When I’m here, it’s almost like a protective bubble around me,” the human resources di-

rector said amid oaks and owering magnolias at the JC Raulston Arboretum in Raleigh. “It provides a shield.”

The Sunday morning session was led by certi ed forest therapy guide Shawn Ramsey. Jingling a tiny brass bell, she called her dozen or so charges to gather for meditation, breathing exercises and to commune with nature.

“I invite you to really spend the next 10 minutes just exploring this area,” she said, her own eyes closed. “Really focusing on your breath, on your footsteps.

Here’s a

Statues celebrate the bison’s remarkable comeback from near extinction

By Nick Ingram The Associated Press

KEARNEY, Mo.

— The national mammal of the United States is getting in on America’s 250th birthday celebration.

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

Red Cross blood drive set for April at Chatham Community Library

The drive has 57 appointment slots available for donors

Chatham News & Record sta THE AMERICAN RED CROSS will host a blood drive at Chatham Community Library on Monday, April 6, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. The drive will take place in the library’s Holmes Family Meeting Room at 197 NC Hwy 87 in Pittsboro. There are 57 appointment slots available, and residents are encouraged to schedule a time in advance.

To make an appointment, visit tinyurl.com/CCL-April2026 and select the April 6 drive at Chatham Community Library.

The bison earned its o cial status as the nation’s mammal under a law signed by former President Obama in 2016. Millions of bison once roamed the Great Plains but were nearly driven to extinction in the 1800s.

“It’s a wonderful story of conservation working, it’s a story of people seeing a need and getting behind that to conserve an animal that is specific to North America,” said Gary Staab, a paleoartist who made the statues.

Staab designed and sculpted the statues in Kearney,

Three bison statues cast in bronze have taken up a permanent display outside the Smithsonian’s National Museum of Natural History in Washington, D.C. The pieces — which are larger than real-life bison — made their public debut in the nation’s capital last Friday.

Missouri, where he works full time to create sculptures of animals and historical artifacts for museums around the world. For the bison, Staab sculpted the full-size statues in foam and clay before they were cast in bronze and assembled at a foundry in Colorado. The three statues depict a bull, a cow and a calf.

He said it took about four months to complete the sculptures — a time frame he called “lighting fast” given the size of the pieces. “They really represent a really unbelievably beautiful and unique thing about North America,” Staab said.

NASA hauls repaired moon rocket from hangar back to the pad for planned early April launch

Four astronauts ready for a lunar y-around after months of delays

By Marcia Dunn The Associated Press

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla.

— For the second time this year, NASA moved its moon rocket from the hangar out toward the pad last Friday in hopes of launching four astronauts on a lunar y-around next month.

If the latest repairs work and everything else goes NASA’s way, the Space Launch System could blast o as early as April 1 from Florida’s Kennedy Space Center. The Artemis II crew went into quarantine this week in Houston.

NASA

aboard leaves the Vehicle Assembly

March 26

Friends

The Friends of the Chatham Community Library hold their annual spring sale featuring more than 18,000 items including hardbacks, paperbacks, DVDs, audiobooks, vinyl records and CDs. The sale runs Thursday and Friday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Saturday from 9 a.m. to 2

Chatham

March 28

Chatham County Spring Ag Fest

10 a.m.

The annual Spring Ag Fest celebrates Chatham County’s agriculture, forestry and natural resources with livestock arena events including cow milking, barrel racing and a sheep show, plus pony rides, a petting zoo, a 4-H Kids’ Zone, master gardener demonstrations, cooking demonstrations, more than 80 vendors and food trucks. Admission and parking are free; Chatham Transit provides shuttle service from CCCC and the Justice Center. growingsmallfarms.ces.ncsu. edu/news/2026-ag-fest/ Chatham County Agriculture & Conference Center 1192 U.S. Highway 64 W Business Pittsboro

April 5

Downtown Pittsboro Historical Walking Tours

noon

The 322-foot rocket began the slow 4-mile trek in the middle of the night, transported atop a massive crawler used since the 1960s Apollo era. The trip was held up for several hours by high wind but completed by midday, 11 hours after it began.

slowly to pad 39B at the Kennedy Space Center

Cape Canaveral, Florida, last Friday.

lines. 1x=height and width of one arm of the cross.

The three Americans and one Canadian will zip around the moon in their capsule and then come straight home

Classic

without stopping. Their mission should have been completed by now, but hydrogen fuel leaks and clogged helium lines forced two months of delay.

logo

While technicians plugged the leaks at the pad, the helium issue could only be xed

in the Vehicle Assembly Building, forcing NASA to roll the rocket back at the end of February.

family

The last time NASA sent astronauts to the moon was during Apollo 17 in 1972. The new Artemis program aims for a two-person landing in 2028.

The Chatham County Historical Association o ers two guided historical walking tours of downtown Pittsboro, with sessions at noon and 2 p.m. departing from the Historic Chatham County Courthouse. chathamhistory. org/Upcoming-Events

Historic Chatham County Courthouse 9 Hillsboro St. Pittsboro

NATURE from page A1

All the natural sounds around you. Maybe the manmade sounds, too. Thinking about the forest’s natural rhythm and how are part of that here in this urban, forested environment.”

Based on the Japanese wellness practice of Shinrin-yoku, the activity has been known to reduce stress, improve mood, lower blood pressure and boost the immune system. Although the arboretum is in a busy section of a growing city, Ramsey said the bene ts of tuning out and getting in touch with nature are the same. She led the group of about a dozen through the various gardens, having them crush conifer twigs between their ngers and

smell them, or just touch trees.

“You know, in this day and age, there’s a lot of stress and anxiety and chaos,” she said. “And people are searching for ways to kind of cope with that.”

Transportation safety researcher Alan Mintz came with a friend. He had to be reminded to leave the talk of news at the entrance.

“I think it’s important for people to take the opportunity to exist in natural spaces, both to unwind and relax, so that it can be easier to interact with other people,” he said. “And to take a moment to appreciate beautiful things. That way, hopefully, they can carry that forward and have more of an appreciation for other people and other cultures that

they might be less experienced with.”

Je eries had to remind a friend to stop talking about news as they walked beneath the gently waving canopy.

“That focus back into spending time in nature and the healing power of that, and just remembering that we’re part of something bigger, that we’re all connected,” said the mother of a 9-year-old son. “And that what we do in our actions that we take really matter to the rest of the world. And so there’s no better place to see that than here, where you can see all of the interconnectedness and the ways that this plant life naturally supports one another. Doesn’t take more than they need.”

CRIME LOG

March 16

• Maryam Malik, 49, was arrested for simple assault and misdemeanor crime of domestic violence.

• Charles Damian Creel, 36, was arrested for simple possession of a Schedule VI controlled substance, possession of marijuana paraphernalia, felony larceny, possession of stolen goods/property, assault on a female, assault with a deadly weapon with a minor present, assault with a deadly weapon, interfering with emergency communication, injury to real property and misdemeanor crime of domestic violence.

• James Andrew Powers, 41, was arrested for possession of methamphetamine, cyberstalking and possession of drug paraphernalia.

• Shaquin D’Rante Sho ner, 33, was arrested for two counts of driving while license revoked (not impaired), two counts of expired registration card/tag, two counts of expired inspection, covering a registration sticker/plate, operating a vehicle with no insurance, covering/disguising a registration plate and failure to wear a seat belt.

• Juan Gabriel Bonilla, 50, was arrested for indecent liberties with a child and sexual o ense with a child.

• Tyler Boyd Poe, 20, was arrested for two counts of disorderly conduct, two counts of consuming beer/ wine underage and four counts of communicating threats.

• Quentin Lewis Glover, 46, of Siler City, was arrested for selling/delivering cocaine; possession with intent to manufacture, sell or deliver cocaine; felony possession of cocaine; and manufacturing/selling/ delivering/possessing a controlled substance within 1,000 feet of a park.

March 17

• Wilbert Watson, 45, was arrested for ve counts of statutory rape of a child, statutory sexual o ense with a child, two counts of indecent liberties with a child, assault on a female and sexual battery.

• Chanderica Yvette Caviness, 39, was arrested for breaking and entering a motor vehicle/theft and resisting a public o cer.

March 18

• Dekeshia Michelle Lester, 29, was arrested for robbery with a dangerous weapon.

• Brianna Nicole Beasley, 28, of Chapel Hill, was arrested for rst-degree trespassing.

March 19

• Brian Kent Moore, 31, was arrested for possession of marijuana up to 1/2 ounce, possession of marijuana paraphernalia and possession of drug paraphernalia.

SCHOOLS from page A1

deeply grateful for the partnership of the Board of Education, the dedication of our teachers and sta , the engagement of our families, and the support of the Chatham County community. Together, we have worked to strengthen opportunities for students and position the district for continued success.”

A nearly 40-year veteran in the public education eld, Jackson has served as superintendent in multiple districts, including Henry County Public Schools in Virginia, Nash County Schools, Vance County Schools and Chatham County Schools, but he also spent time as a teacher assistant, music teacher, assistant principal and principal.

• Larry Wilson Harris, 53, was arrested for attempted possession of a rearm by a felon, possession of methamphetamine and possession of drug paraphernalia.

• Larry Ray Maness, 54, was arrested for assault by strangulation, interfering with emergency communication, injury to personal property, misdemeanor crime of domestic violence, assault on a female, possession of a controlled substance on prison/jail premises and possession of drug paraphernalia.

• Shannon Deane Robinson, 43, of Siler City, was arrested for breaking or entering.

March 20

• Bryan Lizandra Martinez-Sauceda, 18, was arrested for two counts of statutory rape of a child, two counts of rst-degree kidnapping and contributing to the delinquency of a juvenile.

• Patricia Simmons Nettles, 60, of Pittsboro, was arrested for simple assault.

March 21

• James Lamonte Cotton, 48, was arrested for felony possession of a Schedule II controlled substance, simple possession of a Schedule III controlled substance and possession of drug paraphernalia.

• Aleaha Renne Marr, 32, was arrested for six counts of driving while impaired.

• Tina Lynn Smith, 37, was arrested for possession of drug paraphernalia, possession of stolen goods/ property, misdemeanor larceny, resisting a public o cer, possession of a rearm by a felon, two counts of larceny of a rearm and two counts of unauthorized use of a motor vehicle.

• Yamez Emmueal Bennett, 25, was arrested for possession of a rearm by a felon, driving while license revoked (not impaired) and license plate frame cover violation.

• Avante Aayion Jamar Artis, 26, was arrested for possession of a stolen rearm, possession of marijuana up to 1/2 ounce and carrying a concealed gun.

• Carlton Wayne Wrenn, 36, was arrested for breaking and entering a law enforcement motor vehicle, breaking and entering a motor vehicle, two counts of attempted larceny and resisting a public o cer.

• Sara Jo Burns, 41, was arrested for possession with intent to manufacture, sell or deliver cocaine; tra cking in cocaine; possession with intent to sell or deliver marijuana; felony possession of cocaine; possession of drug paraphernalia; possession of marijuana up to 1/2 ounce; and possession of marijuana paraphernalia.

Jackson has been a distinguished gure in the discipline, being honored as the 2020 North Carolina Superintendent of the Year and also being a recipient of the 2026 Duke Energy Annual Citizenship and Service Award, which honors individuals and organizations for outstanding volunteerism and service throughout North Carolina.

Under Jackson’s leadership, Chatham County Schools maintained a 92% graduation rate, saw all schools meet or exceed EVASS academic growth expectations, and expanded academic, CTE, arts and athletic programs.

The district was also nationally recognized under Jackson, being named in 2025 as one of 35 school systems worldwide as a Cognia District of Distinction.

Central Electric awards two Cooperative All-Stars Sports Camp Scholarships annually to local students in Chatham, Harnett, Lee, or Moore counties. A young man will be selected to attend the Carolina Basketball School at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and a young woman will be selected to attend the Wolfpack Women’s Basketball Camp at N.C. State University in Raleigh.

“On behalf of the Chatham County Board of Education, we thank Dr. Jackson for his dedicated leadership and service to the students, sta , and families of Chatham County Schools,” said Board of Education Chair Gary Leonard. “During his tenure, the district strengthened its strategic direction, expanded opportunities for students and built a strong foundation for continued success. We are grateful for his commitment to public education and look forward to working with him to ensure a smooth leadership transition.”

According to a press release, the Chatham County Board of Education will begin the process of identifying the district’s next superintendent in the coming months.

Church News

OAKLEY BAPTIST CHURCH

As Oakley Baptist Church (2300 Siler CityGlendon Road, Siler City) seeks to begin its next chapter, we are enjoying hearing a word from the Lord from various old and new friends. Our service begins at 10:30 a.m., but we also have Sunday School classes for every member of the family at 9:30 a.m. We would be blessed if you joined us for any and all of these speakers in the coming weeks.

March 29 – John Strider

April 5 – John Strider

April 12 – Jason Golden

April 19 – Gary McCollough

April 26 – Spencer Andrews

We look forward to meeting you at any of these services and in the future, and invite you to pray with us as we seek a new pastor. To learn more, go to oakleybaptist.org or email us at oakleybaptistchurch@gmail.com.

The Annual Easter Egg Hunt at Oakley Baptist Church will be on Saturday, April 4 from 1-3 p.m. at Lou Clark Park. All kids are welcome, and remember to bring your Easter Basket!

Easter Sunday Services at Oakley Baptist Church Sunrise Service at 8 a.m. Breakfast at 8:15 a.m.

(Sponsored by the Deacons) No Sunday School Service begins at 9:30 a.m., including Special Music by the Choir

ALL ARE WELCOME!

THE CROSS FOR OUR SINS! Bible study: John 12:23-43 Church of Living Water; James Mitchell.

To be eligible to apply, the student must be in the sixth or seventh grade during the upcoming school year, have permission from a parent or guardian to attend the overnight camp and must provide their own transportation if selected to attend.

Scan the QR code or visit CEMCPower.com for more information or to apply. e deadline for applications to both camps is March 31.

Share with your community!

Send your birth, death, marriage, graduation and other announcements to community@ chathamnewsrecord.com.

Weekly deadline is Monday at noon.

THE CONVERSATION

Trip Ho end, publisher | Frank Hill, senior opinion editor

Rocks those socks!

My daughter came home from school last Friday with a gift — socks.

MARCH 21 is World Down Syndrome Day because the date (3/21) refers to having three of the 21st chromosome as opposed to two. My daughter’s second grade class learned that the syndrome was named after a British physician in 1866. Most importantly, students got to meet their classmate’s special younger sister.

I have known a couple of people in my life with Down syndrome. I waited tables in college, and the manager’s daughter would accompany him to work some evenings. If there were few customers, I’d hang out with her at the bar while she drank a Shirley Temple. She loved my jokes, like what you call cheese that’s not your own — nacho cheese! This joke-telling has served me well as a dad.

After graduation, I moved to a new city, and the family that rented the other half of a duplex had an older son who lived with

COLUMN | BOB WACHS

them. He and I sat on the back porch and listened to the Atlanta Braves baseball games on the radio. When I moved away, he gifted me a Braves cap, which, I’m ashamed to say, I’ve lost. My daughter came home from school last Friday with a gift — socks. They were part of the Rock Your Socks campaign for World Down Syndrome Day. Each pair of socks is unique like each person, yet all the socks have bright colors arranged in a stripe pattern designed to mimic the double-helix structure of DNA. The eye-catching socks are meant to raise awareness.

I know that families can use support even though, by law, North Carolina and every state must provide developmental and education services for children with Down syndrome. It should be noted that private schools are not legally required to provide special education.

I also know that, with prenatal testing, variations in the genome can be identi ed and that some families choose not to continue the pregnancy. It is not my place to judge.

I do want to celebrate the gifts of children with an extra chromosome, and I’m grateful for schools that provide this educational opportunity for all students. We have much to teach one another.

As my daughter learned, every person is unique and wonderful. And whether you have an extra chromosome or wear wild socks, we are more alike than di erent — that gift totally rocks.

Andrew Taylor-Troutman’s newest book is “This Is the Day.” He serves as pastor of Chapel in the Pines Presbyterian Church as well as a writer, pizza maker, co ee drinker and student of joy.

Breakfasts of the past gone with the wind

If I could still down half a pound of bacon with a setting of eggs, a pan of biscuits and a pot of grits, there’s no doubt what my breakfast habits would be; forget the cost.

IT’S BEEN SAID we are what we eat.

If that’s so, I’m in trouble.

Although I have been trying recently, albeit not always successfully, to eat just half of a chicken instead of the whole bird, at times the issue has been more not the amount of the meal but its content.

For instance, as a child one of my favorite meals was a bologna, peanut butter, cheese and catsup sandwich consumed with a cold bellywasher. I’d even have one or two as a snack after getting o the school bus, sort of a warm-up before supper, which is what we uninformed country folks called the third meal of the day. Today, re ned folks refer to that meal as “dinner,” which at my house is meal No. 2, especially when prepared by my other half and her mom and mine long ago.

Most everyone I mention that sandwich to these days usually says something like “Ugh.” I’m not sure if that comment is a re ection of the food or they don’t want to wind up with a gure like mine, created in part by the consumption of a signi cant number of those sandwiches.

While it’s been a while since I’ve had one — or two — of those delightful creations, there are some other combinations no one else in my family seems to like as much as I do. For instance, mixing scrambled eggs, grits, cheese, bacon or sausage and

BE IN TOUCH

toast in a bowl, topped with catsup, comes to mind as one. I’m beginning to think it may be the love of catsup that other folks don’t have that drives them away. But our friends in Washington say catsup is a vegetable, so I’m sure I’m getting my recommended daily allowance of something.

Anyway, I ran across a story in the Sunday paper a little while back that said one of my childhood favorites was in the ght of its business life. Cereal, the story said, was in a pitched battle for its life on two fronts: competition from granola bars and yogurt and juice on one, and behavior habits — not everyone gets up in time for a “good breakfast” — on the other.

More and more folks, especially the millennials — those folks between 14 and 32 — are giving up on Cap’n Crunch and having a bowl of dirt or rocks or whatever is the Fad of the Day, if they eat breakfast at all. If not that, they’re having a homemade glass of freshly squeezed carrot juice from organic carrots grown in Lower Slobovia by a group of left-handed bald Philistine monks or driving through their local fast food for whatever is on the Dollar Menu.

Many of them are not eating at all or waiting until 11 a.m. for something called “brunch.” So sitting down with Snap,

Crackle and Pop around the breakfast table with Mom and Dad and Billy and Sally and don’t forget Rover — like they did in “Father Knows Best” — isn’t the highlight of the day for them.

Granted, there are a few boxes on the cereal aisle that should be named “Tons O’Sugar” or something similar. And I can appreciate the need to avoid so much of that stu as my body, which is now older than my mind, tries to maintain a measure of stability. And, I must confess, I nd it hard to pay $8 for a 12-ounce box of crumbs that settled during shipping.

To combat the urge to skip breakfast or eat at the drive-thru, cereal companies are beginning to tout that it’s cheaper to eat at home. But until that $8 box starts going for $4.50 that may be a hard sale.

The reality is this: things — taste, cost, tradition — change. If I could still down half a pound of bacon with a setting of eggs, a pan of biscuits and a pot of grits, there’s no doubt what my breakfast habits would be; forget the cost. It’s just that my doctor won’t let me. But so far, catsup is not on the endangered list.

Bob Wachs is a native of Chatham County and emeritus editor at Chatham News & Record. He serves as pastor of Bear Creek Baptist Church.

Letters to the editor may be sent to letters@nsjonline.com or mailed to 1201 Edwards Mill Road, Suite 300, Raleigh, NC 27607. Letters must be signed; include the writer’s phone number, city and state; and be no longer than 300 words. Letters may be edited for style, length or clarity when necessary. Ideas for op-eds should be sent to opinion@nsjonline.com.

Contact a writer or columnist: connect@northstatejournal.com

COLUMN

Welcome? What are my other options?

Could I have ever imagined discovering a closeted cheerleader in myself? I’m an introvert!

WE JUST NEVER know, do we?

I was hanging out in a physician’s waiting room, surrounded by at least four other folks, one of whom had a walker. A medical assistant emerged from the inner sanctum and called the name of the woman equipped with the walker. Time slowed down — way, way, down. Almost like watching an accident play out in slow motion. The woman with the walker, struggled to rise from her seat. Once, twice, nope.

No one, including the medical assistant, or me (with my back issues), did anything to assist. We just sat there, holding our collective breath, wondering, anxiously, what would happen next. “Time felt frozen,” that old cliché, was apropos to a T. (Can someone please explain what this T business is? OK, later.)

Suddenly, and unexpectedly, a heretofore unknown cheerleader burst out of me, energetically waving pompoms. OK, that’s an exaggeration, there were no pompoms. Nonetheless, a cheerleader’s plucky voice just popped out of my mouth: “All right, you can do this! I know it! We’re with you! Yes!” and a few more supportive chants. (I wasn’t popular enough to be a high school cheerleader, so why not now?)

This woman, trying and failing to rise, erupted in laughter, apparently prompting some extra internal ballast. She made it to her feet, grasping the walker’s handles. Hallelujah (and relief!).

Could I have ever imagined discovering a closeted cheerleader in myself? I’m an introvert! “A reserved person who tends to be introspective and enjoys spending time alone.”

COLUMN | LARRY ELDER

In younger years, conformity to norms was my (really boring) modus operandi. A cause for deep shame, on my part, was acting outside that box of accepted cultural behavior. (Excuse me, but accepted behavior governed by whom? I never asked.)

What if my particular life’s journey wasn’t supported by the “good girl” box. Let’s be honest, it wasn’t. My meandering path has been replete with inner cheerleaders, magicians, writers and (yay!) many yet-to-be-discovered selves. How about some healing salve for this ongoing journey?

For heaven’s sake, call down through the ages to the 13th-century poet, Rumi! A forefather to normalizing the trials of being human (of which there are many).

“This being human is a guest house, Every morning, a new arrival.

A joy, a depression, a meanness, some momentary awareness comes as an unexpected visitor.

Welcome and entertain them all!”

Rumi’s unexpected “arrivals” may be the seeds of our own uniqueness. Even the arrivals we didn’t see coming, or would have preferred not to meet at all. What say you? Should we place our guest house mats outside our own doors?

Please circle Yes, No or Maybe.

My curmudgeonly response? Yes. Curmudgeonly because there are times I’d rather run o and hide. The universal nature of being a vulnerable human …

Jan Hutton, a resident of Chatham County and retired hospice social worker, lives life with heart and humor.

Outrage hypocrisy: America’s accidental tragedy vs. Iran’s deliberate atrocities

The depravity is staggering. Iran treats its children like disposable tools, exploiting their poverty and brainwashing them with visions of post-death paradise.

THE RECENT U.S. Tomahawk missile strike in Iran, which reportedly killed 170 school children, has ignited a restorm of outrage from anti-war critics. Former Clinton White House sta er Keith Boykin used the unintentional tragedy, under investigation by the Pentagon, to write o the three-week- old Iran war as “a disaster for the 170 school children” and “an unmitigated disaster for the world.”

Apart from the estimated 20,000 to 30,000 Iranian protesters killed early this year, consider Iran’s intentional history of using its children during the 1980-88 Iran-Iraq War. To repel Saddam Hussein’s invasion, Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini mobilized child soldiers — boys as young as 9 — from poor families to serve as human minesweepers. Children were promised martyrdom and given “keys to paradise” to wear around their necks. Iranian commanders sent waves of them, often tied them together with ropes to prevent retreat. They marched onto mine elds and detonated explosives with their bodies, clearing paths for tanks and adult troops.

Estimates suggest as many as 500,000 children were used in this way, with tens of thousands blown to pieces or mowed down by Iraqi machine guns. Some sources suggest some 100,000 died to clear the eld for tanks and soldiers. Survivors recount the horror — bound together, facing withering re, their small bodies exploding on mines. Iran’s leaders glori ed it as holy duty.

The depravity is staggering. Iran treats its children like disposable tools, exploiting their poverty and brainwashing them with visions of post-death paradise. What would Iran do with a nuclear bomb?

Imagine the mullahs, who chant “Death to America” and fund proxies like Hezbollah and Hamas, armed with nukes and missiles. They would not hesitate to threaten Israel, Saudi Arabia, Europe and America. Iran, since the state of this war, has launched strikes against over a dozen countries, including “neutral” gulf states.

Their proxy wars have already killed thousands. A nuclear Iran could kill millions. The regime’s history of terrorism — from the 1983 Beirut barracks bombing to plots against dissidents abroad — shows they’re not rational actors. Preventing that nightmare is why this war, however messy, is necessary. Appeasement, as with former President Barack Obama’s nuclear deal, only emboldened them.

Let’s not forget the civilian toll. During the Obama administration, drone strikes in places like Pakistan, Yemen and Somalia resulted in hundreds of civilian deaths, including children. The Bureau of Investigative Journalism estimate that between 300 and 800 civilians were killed in those covert operations (excluding active war zones like Syria and Afghanistan). The Obama administration itself acknowledged between 64 and 116 civilian deaths in

nonbattle eld strikes from 2009 to 2016, though critics argued the true number was far higher. As with the Tomahawk strike on the Iranian school, the strikes conducted under Obama were not a deliberate targeting of innocents. Those civilian deaths resulted from intelligence errors in remote, hard-to -verify areas. Where was the outrage from the anti-Iran war critics when Obama ordered the attacks that killed civilians and children? Where was the outrage over Iran’s intentional mass killings of its own people, including the use of children and human detonators?

According to the 2013 book “Double Down: Game Change 2012,” Obama reportedly told senior aides, “Turns out I’m really good at killing people. Didn’t know that was going to be a strong suit of mine.” It’s the kind of o -the-cu remark that, if made by President Donald Trump, would be yet another addition of the ever-increasing list of “why I hate Trump.” Yes, mourn the 170 children. Every innocent life lost is a tragedy. But the fury should be directed to Tehran. That regime has been at war against America for 47 years, including attacks on U.S. bases; killing American soldiers with IEDs with Iran’s ngerprints on them; nuclear saber-rattling; and lethal regional aggression through its terror proxies. This is the real villain. America ghts with rules and restraint. We are civilized. We regret mistakes that cause civilian deaths and show genuine contrition. Iran ghts with fanaticism. It uses its kids as shields and mine detectors. Iran must be stopped. Standing against Iran’s evil protects innocents everywhere. This includes Iran’s own oppressed people, as well as Americans who hate Trump.

Larry Elder is a bestselling author and nationally syndicated radio talk-show host. (Copyright 2026 Creators.com)

COLUMN | VICTOR JOECKS

Why Americans have soured on higher education

WITHOUT STANDARDS, college degrees aren’t worth much. Americans have started to notice.

A recent I&I/TIPP poll found that just 24% of Americans believe college degrees are worth the cost. Even among the college - educated, nearly half, 49%, said it wasn’t worth the expense. Another 14% were unsure.

This isn’t an outlier.

Over the last year, polls from Gallup, Pew and NBC News showed a signi cant majority of Americans have soured on higher education.

It wasn’t always like this.

Without standards, college degrees aren’t worth much.

Americans have started to notice.

In 2010, 75% of Americans said a college education was very important, according to a Gallup poll. In 2025, the number had plummeted to 35%.

For decades, popular culture has pushed college as the sure re path to nancial stability. You’ve likely heard some version of the claim that college graduates earn more than $1 million more over their lifetimes than high school graduates.

There is ample statistical evidence for this — going back decades. More recently, full-time workers with a high school diploma earn a median of $1.6 million over their lifetimes, according to a 2021 Georgetown University report.

“Bachelor’s degree holders earn a median of $2.8 million during their career, 75% more than if they had only a high school diploma,” the report said.

Understandably, this led parents, the education establishment and popular culture to spend decades pushing students to college. But as those poll numbers show, something has gone wrong.

A major factor is the destruction of educational standards. Think about what made a college degree valuable to an employer. Even if it’s printed on something fancy, it’s not the piece of paper. It’s what the piece of paper represented. That a student was smart or talented enough to receive admission. That he passed the college’s core curriculum. That he has specialized knowledge in his major. This learning makes him a more valuable employee than those without that pedigree.

A degree from an elite college was especially sought after because it signaled that you were especially smart. Many jobs require signi cant on-the-job training.

Degrees gave employers a legally safe way to hire smarter people, since formal IQ tests are legally risky.

Standards also help students ght procrastination, work harder and study more. Even though the pressure and stress can be unpleasant in the moment, they are essential tools to help students learn more.

Standards also lead to racial disparities that deeply embarrass leftists who refuse to understand that disparities aren’t de facto proof of discrimination. For decades, the educational establishment has lowered the bar. Elementary schools send students who can’t read to the next grade. High school students graduate without being able to do freshman-level work. Politicians eliminated high school pro ciency exams that would make this failure obvious. Colleges lowered standards and went woke. For decades, supposedly elite schools racially discriminated to let in applicants with lower test scores but favored skin colors.

There are still excellent schools. My alma mater, Hillsdale College, and New Saint Andrews College come to mind. But many universities used the prestige they built over decades or even centuries to mask this shift.

While gutting standards lowered quality, it didn’t stop college tuition from skyrocketing.

In 1970, the average cost of a public college was under $400. That’s not per credit hour. That’s total. At private colleges, average tuition was just over $1,700. Today, those numbers are more than $10,400 for a public college and nearly $40,000 for a private school. Tuition for students today is around 25 times higher than it was in 1970. Increased demand, lower standards to accommodate more students and ample government student aid fueled these exorbitant price hikes. If you subsidize mediocre to poor education, you’ll get more of it.

P.T. Barnum is often thought to have said, “There’s a sucker born every minute.” Today, those individuals aren’t watching the circus. They’re attending college.

Victor Joecks is a columnist for the Las Vegas Review-Journal and host of the “Sharpening Arrows” podcast. (Copyright 2026 Creators.com)

obituaries

Fayedene Andrews Johnson Riddle

July 10, 1938 –March 19, 2026

Fayedene Andrews Johnson Riddle, lovingly known as Faye, passed away peacefully at her home on March 19, 2026, surrounded by her family. She was born on July 10, 1938, in Gold Hill, North Carolina, to the late Wesley and Mamie Andrews.

Faye was preceded in death by her parents and her beloved husband of 34 years, Perry Johnson.

She pursued her education at Greensboro College and went on to dedicate many years of faithful service to the Chatham County Department of Social Services. There, she worked as a social worker and later as a child support enforcement o cer, touching countless lives through her compassion and commitment. Following her retirement, Faye continued to serve her community by obtaining her realtor’s license and working with Jerry Harris Realty, a role she greatly enjoyed.

A woman of deep and abiding faith, Faye was a longtime member of Brookdale Baptist Church, where she faithfully played the organ. Most recently, she was an active member of Hickory Grove Baptist Church, where she played the piano, sang in the choir, and lovingly created costumes for the Christmas programs. She was also a devoted member of the Helping Hands Women’s Group. Faye’s love for the Lord was evident in the way she lived her life each day, serving as a testimony to all who knew her.

Faye had a creative and inquisitive spirit. She enjoyed sewing, painting, reading, and writing. Over her lifetime, she authored numerous poems, articles, and short stories—

many of which were published and received awards. A lifelong learner, she continually sought ways to grow and share her talents. Through music, especially her piano playing and singing, she ministered to others and brought joy to many. She especially cherished the time spent playing the piano with her great-grandchildren, often for hours during each of their visits, creating memories that will be treasured forever. In addition to church choirs, she was a member of the Harmony Quartet and the Senior Jubilee Choir.

She is survived by her loving children: son Ronnie Brady and wife Barbara of Knightdale, and daughter Lisa Cockman and husband Rickey of Bear Creek.

She was a proud grandmother to Jennifer Farriss (Ben), Gina Brady, Leslie Purvis, Jessica Marsh (Michael), and Christy Holt (Ritchie). Her legacy continues through her cherished great-grandchildren: Mackenzie and Gavin Farriss; Emsley and Allen Purvis; Lincoln and Cameron Marsh; and Abbie and Andy Holt.

Faye is also survived by her brothers, Wayne Andrews (Linda) of Staley and Harold Andrews (Frances) of Burlington; and her sister, Zelma Higgins of Elon.

Funeral services will be held on Tuesday, March 24, at Hickory Grove Baptist Church, with visitation beginning at 1:00 p.m. and the service following at 2:00 p.m. The family will also gather at her home to receive friends.

The family extends heartfelt gratitude to Liberty Home Care & Hospice, especially Leighann and Anissa, as well as the Lilies of Hope caregivers—Kimberly, Lendora, Darlene, and Edith— for their compassionate care and support.

In lieu of owers, memorials may be made to the Helping Hands Ladies Group at Hickory Grove Baptist Church in Bear Creek or to Liberty Hospice Care.

Faye will be remembered for her unwavering faith, her creative spirit, and the love she shared so freely with her family, friends, and community. Her life was a beautiful re ection of Christ like love through grace, service, and devotion.

Online condolences may be made at smithbucknerfh.com

Smith & Buckner Funeral Home is assisting the Riddle Family.

NORMAN ARTHUR SUITS

DEC. 19, 1951 – MAR. 19, 2026

Norman Arthur Suits, 74, of Bear Creek, went to his Heavenly home on Thursday, March 19, 2026, with his wife and daughter by his side.

Norman was born in Guilford County on December 19, 1951, to Omer Suits and Edna Earl Foy Suits.

Norman was a faithful member of Brush Creek Baptist Church. He was the Plant Manager at Chandler Concrete for forty-one years. His greatest joy came from spending time with his family, although his most treasured time was spent with Caroline Ash.

Norman is survived by his wife of 46 years, Lezlie Suits; daughter, Amber Suits and granddaughter, Caroline of Staley; brothers, Eddie Suits and wife, Shirley and John Suits and wife, Denise all of Staley; and bonus granddaughters, Elin, Brie and Wren Lindley of Bear Creek.

In addition to his parents he is preceded in death by his daughter, Ashley Lynn Suits.

A Celebration of Norman’s Life will be held on Wednesday, March 25, 2026, at Brush Creek Baptist Church, at 1:00 PM with Rev. Terry Pleasants and Rev. Je Fletcher o ciating. A reception will follow in the fellowship hall.

Family requests that the attire for the service be joyous and happy.

FRANCES SUE HOLDEN YOW

OCT. 20, 1944 – MARCH 18, 2026

Frances Sue Holden Yow, age 81, of Sanford, passed away after a lengthy illness on Wednesday, March 18, 2026. She was born in Chatham County on October 20, 1944 to the late Silas Presley Holden and Martha Lucille Partin Holden. In addition to her parents, she was preceded in death by her husband Clarence “Dink” Yow; daughter Dianne Renae Yow; brother Loyd Holden, Sr. and brother-in-law Robert Odell. Frances worked many years at Weyerhaeuser. She was a woman who found joy in life’s simplest pleasures. Whether sitting quietly in the sunshine, casting a line while shing, or taking peaceful Sunday afternoon rides with her husband and family to “Jessie’s Mountain”, she embraced each moment with a grateful heart. Above all, she loved her family deeply.

Mrs. Yow is survived by son Charles “Scott” Yow (Marsha) of Sanford; daughter Donna Yow Loudy of Tennessee; sisters Brenda Odell of Knightdale, Becky Baker (Stoney) of Fuquay Varina, Bobbie Mendenhall (Eddie) of Moncure and Karen Martin (Matthew) of Sanford; brother Crist Holden (Sheila) of New Hill; six grandchildren and many precious great-grandchildren.

Honoring her request, there will be no services.

KATHLEEN BROWN NORDAN

AUG. 10, 1937 – MARCH 15, 2026

Kathleen Brown Nordan, age 88 of Pittsboro, NC passed away on Sunday (3/15/2026) at UNC Hillsborough Hospital surrounded by her loving family. Kathleen was born in Lee County on August 10, 1937, daughter of Edward Lee Brown and Alma B. Brown. Kathleen was preceded in death by her parents and one brother, Lee Jackson Brown.

A private celebration of life service will be held at a later date. Kathleen is survived by her husband,

James Watson Nordan of the home, and recently celebrated their 70th wedding anniversary. Two daughters; Connie Nordan Cameron (Je ) of Sanford and Kay Nordan Farrell (Curt) of Chapel Hill. Four sisters; Barbara Parrish (Ray), Lou Ella “Lucy” Wilson (Tommy), Elaine Byrd (Richard) and Lisa Puckett (Wade) all of Sanford. One brother Dan Brown of Sanford. Four grandchildren Ashley Punte, Duncan Cameron, Ace Farrell, and Skyler Mans eld and four great-grandchildren.

CHARLIE THOMAS “TOMMY” MOTES

MAY 10, 1936 – MARCH 9, 2026

Charlie Thomas “Tommy” Motes, 89, of Bennett, passed away on Monday, March 9, 2026 at his home. The graveside service will be held at 3:00 p.m. on Saturday, March 14, 2026 at Fall Creek Baptist Church with Pastor Bob Wachs presiding. Military Rites will be presented by the Randolph County Honor Guard. The family will receive friends in the Fellowship Hall following the service. Joyce-Brady Chapel will be open from 1:00-5:00 p.m. on Friday, March 13, 2026 for friends to sign the register.

Tommy was born in Richmond County on May 10, 1936 to Richard Daniel Motes and Etta Mae Little Motes. After serving in the U.S. Army, he worked for North Carolina Natural Gas prior to working for Bahnson Service Company from which he retired as a superintendent after 40 years of service. Tommy attended Fall Creek Baptist Church. He enjoyed shing, reading and making homemade ice cream. He was a charter member of the “Harpers Crossroads Order of the Roundtable”. Tommy cherished his family and time spent with them.

In addition to his parents, Tommy was preceded in death by his sisters, Margaret A. Motes and Katie L. Wentland and brothers, Joseph Daniel Motes and Cli ord H. Motes.

Tommy is survived by his wife of 50 years, Louise Brewer Motes, of the home; sister, Barbara M. Coon, of Southern Pines and a host of family and friends.

ROBERT LEWIS MIMS

JAN. 9, 1931 – MARCH 22, 2026

Robert Lewis Mims age 95, of Moncure, passed away on March 22, 2026 at Magnolia Gardens Assisted Living in Southern Pines. He was born January 9, 1931 in Chatham County, son of the late Alpha and Alice Cotton Mims. Robert retired after many years of service with NC Equipment in Raleigh. He was preceded in death by his parents, his wife Joanne Buchanan Mims, brother; Tom Mims, and sisters, Eloise Taranto, Ruby Dawson, and Inez Childress. He is survived by his daughter, Tammy Tickle (Eddie) of Cameron. He was blessed with two grandchildren, Melinda Harrell (Aaron) and Crystal Fuquay; great-grandchildren, Ava Harrell, Aliza Harrell, Aria Harrell, Hollie Fuquay, Carter Gaines and great-great granddaughter, Ella Fuquay.

Dr. Kermit Gosnell, convicted of killing babies at Philadelphia abortion clinic, dead at 85

He had been serving a life sentence since his 2013 conviction

The Associated Press

PHILADELPHIA — Dr. Kermit Gosnell, an abortion clinic doctor sentenced to life for killing three babies who had been delivered alive, died earlier this month at a Pennsylvania hospital, prison o cials said Monday. Gosnell’s grimy West Philadelphia clinic became known as the “house of horrors.” Former employees testi ed he routinely performed illegal abortions past Pennsylvania’s 24-week limit, that he delivered babies who were still moving, whimpering or breathing, and that he and his assistants dispatched the newborns by “snipping” their spines, as he referred to it.

Department of Corrections spokesperson Maria Bivens said Gosnell, 85, died March 1 at a hospital outside the prison system. He had most recently been incarcerated at the State Correctional Institution-Smitheld, about 60 miles south of Pittsburgh. A cause of death was not disclosed.

Gosnell had portrayed himself as an advocate for poor and desperate women. In addition to three counts of rst-degree

murder, he also was convicted of multiple other crimes, including violations of Pennsylvania’s abortion laws. Conditions at his clinic became known during a 2010 investigation of prescription drug tra cking. Investigators described a foul-smelling place with bags and bottles of fetuses and jars of body parts, along with bloodstained furniture and dirty medical instruments. State authorities had failed

to conduct routine inspections of all its abortion clinics for 15 years by the time Gosnell’s facility was raided. In the scandal’s aftermath, two top state health o cials were red and Pennsylvania imposed tougher rules for clinics.

Gosnell did not testify at his 2013 trial, but his defense attorney argued that none of the fetuses was born alive and that any movements were posthumous twitching or spasms.

Chuck Norris, martial arts master and actor dead at 86

The karate champion became an action star and internet sensation

By Jonathan Mattise The Associated Press

CHUCK NORRIS, the martial arts grandmaster and action star whose roles in “Walker, Texas Ranger” and other television shows and movies made him an iconic tough guy — sparking internet parodies and adoration from presidents — has died at 86. Norris died last Thursday in what his family described as a “sudden passing.”

“While we would like to keep the circumstances private, please know that he was surrounded by his family and was at peace,” the family said in a statement posted to social media.

Before he would become a star in movies and on TV, Norris was wildly successful in competitive martial arts. He became a six-time undefeated World Professional Middleweight Karate champion. He also founded his own Korean-based American hard style of karate known sometimes as Chun Kuk Do and the United Fighting Arts Federation, which has awarded more than 3,300 Chuck Norris System black belts worldwide. Black Belt magazine ultimately credited Norris in its hall of fame with holding a 10th degree black belt, the highest possible honor.

Born Carlos Ray Norris in Ryan, Oklahoma, on March 10, 1940, he grew up poor. At age 12, he moved with his family to Torrance, California, and joined the U.S. Air Force after high school, in 1958. It was during a deployment to Korea that he started training in martial arts, including judo and Tang Soo Do.

“I went out for gymnastics and football at North Torrance High,” he told The Associated Press in 1982. “I played some football, but I also spent a lot of time on the bench. I was never really athletic until I was in the service in Korea.”

After he was honorably discharged in 1962, he worked as a le clerk for Northrop Aircraft and applied to be a police o cer, but was put on a waitlist. Meanwhile, he opened a martial

arts studio, which expanded to a chain, with students including such stars as Bob Barker, Priscilla Presley, Donnie and Marie Osmond, and Steve McQueen, whom he later credited with encouraging him to get into acting. Norris made his lm debut as an uncredited bodyguard in the 1968 movie “The Wrecking Crew,” which included a ght with Dean Martin. He had also crossed paths with Bruce Lee in martial arts circles. Their friendship — sometimes, as sparring partners — led to an iconic faceo in the 1972 movie “Return of the Dragon,” in which Lee ghts and kills Norris’ character in Rome’s Colosseum.

He went on to act in more than 20 movies, such as “Missing in Action,” “The Delta Force” and “Sidekicks.”

“I wanted to project a certain image on the screen of a hero. I had seen a lot of anti-hero movies in which the lead was neither good nor bad. There was no one to root for,” Norris said in 1982. In 1993, he took on his most famed role, as a crime- ghting lawman in TV’s “Walker, Texas Ranger.” The show ran for nine seasons, and in 2010, then-Gov. Rick Perry awarded him the title of honorary Texas Ranger. The Texas Senate later named him an honorary Texan.

“It’s not violence for violence’s sake, with no moral structure,” Norris told the AP in 1996, speaking about the show. “You try to portray the proper mean-

ing of what it’s about — ghting injustice with justice, good vs. bad. … It’s entertaining for the whole family.”

Norris also made a surprise comedic appearance as a decisive judge in the nal match of the 2004 movie “Dodgeball.” He only on occasion has taken acting roles in recent years, including 2012’s “The Expendables 2” and the 2024 sci- action movie “Agent Recon.”

It was around the time of “Dodgeball” that his toughman image became the stu of legend, literally: “Chuck Norris Facts” went viral online with such wildly hyperbolic statements as, “Chuck Norris had a staring contest with the sun — and won,” and, “They wanted to put Chuck Norris on Mount Rushmore, but the granite wasn’t tough enough for his beard.”

Norris ultimately embraced the absurdity of the meme craze, putting together “The O cial Chuck Norris Fact Book,” which combined his favorites with supposedly true stories and the codes he aimed to live by. He would also write books on martial arts instruction, a memoir, political takes, Civil War-era historical ction and more.

“To some who know little of my martial arts or lm careers but perhaps grew up with ‘Walker, Texas Ranger,’ it seems that I have become a somewhat mythical superhero icon,” Norris wrote in the forward to the fact book. “I am attered and humbled.”

DAVIS from page A1

the Tar Heels went from stratospheric highs — beating Duke in the rst-ever Final Four game between the two rivals in 2022 — to stunning lows for the blue blood program, including blown leads, upset losses and questionable coaching moves and motivation.

UNC o cials spent ve days evaluating the program and trying to decide what to do next. A chorus of UNC fans online called for Davis to be replaced, while former players, including Hall of Famer Larry Brown and national champion Justin Jackson, argued to keep him. At times, the tea leaves seemed to indicate that a change was forthcoming — possibly with Davis resigning, but a social media post from Davis made it clear that he wanted to continue coaching the team.

The consensus is that the school will now go “outside the family” for its next coach, ending more than six decades with Dean Smith or a member of his coaching tree heading up the Tar Heels program.

Davis had felt the hot seat on occasion over his tenure. The Tar Heels became the rst team to open the season ranked No. 1 and then miss the NCAA Tournament in 2022-23. Last year’s team barely made the NCAA eld, going to the First Four in Dayton to play their way into the round of 64.

This season, whispers increased when UNC lost back-to-back games at Stanford and Cal and were trounced by NC State in Raleigh. The Tar Heels closed the season with three straight high-pro le losses: the regular season nale to Duke, UNC’s rst game in the ACC Tournament and the NCAA opener. In the VCU loss, Davis earned criticism for his management of the game down the stretch.

Carolina appeared to run out of gas, going the nal 2:44 of regulation and all ve minutes of overtime without making a shot, as Davis used just one sub for nearly 25 minutes of game time after the half.

Davis gave ve-word answers to questions from the media about his substitution pattern, at one point saying, “Because that was my decision.”

Before a decision on Davis has even been announced, speculation had Alabama coach Nate Oats, Vanderbilt’s Mark Byington, Florida’s Todd Golden, Iowa State’s T.J. Otzelberger and the Chicago Bulls’ Billy Donovan as front runners. Gonzaga’s Mark Few, Baylor’s Scott Drew and retired Villa-

That book raised money for a nonpro t he founded with President George H.W. Bush that promoted martial arts instruction for kids.

The intentionally outlandish statements featured in the 2008 Republican presidential primary, when Norris endorsed Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee and shot an ad playing on the “Chuck Norris facts.”

President Donald Trump’s supporters later promoted Trump Facts in the same vein, and political pundits tried it as well, describing the commander-in-chief’s decision to seize Venezuela’s sitting president, Nicolas Maduro, as a “Chuck Norris Moment,” and its initial e ect on oil prices a “Chuck Norris Premium.”

Norris was outspoken about his Christian beliefs and his support for gun rights, and he backed political candidates for years — he even went skydiving with Bush for the former president’s 80th birthday. As for Trump, Norris endorsed him in the 2016 general election and wrote guest columns praising him without explicitly endorsing him the in the days before the 2020 and 2024 elections.

Norris has ve surviving children: stunt performers Mike and Eric with his late ex-wife Dianne Holechek, twins Dakota and Danilee with his wife Gena Norris, and Dina, the result of an early 1960s “one-night stand” revealed in his autobiography.

“Just really sad that we’re not continuing to play and to move forward because I have loved and enjoyed this team.”

UNC coach Hubert Davis in his nal press conference

nova coach Jay Wright have also been mentioned.

Not one of them has played or coached for Smith or Williams. Regardless of who is chosen, this move would mark the rst signi cant change of direction for the program since 1952 — a year before the birth of the ACC — when Frank McGuire was hired away from St. John’s. When McGuire left after nine seasons, Smith, one of his assistant coaches, was promoted to replace him.

Even if the school wanted to continue to lineage, there is a distinct lack of obvious candidates rooted in the program. Wes Miller was red earlier this month at Cincinnati and was just hired by Charlotte. Jerry Stackhouse is an NBA assistant who was red by Vanderbilt two seasons ago. King Rice is probably the most stable coach currently employed, and he has a sub-.500 record in 15 seasons at Monmouth. The school could conceivably bring back Williams, at age 75 and retired for ve years. It could also promote someone from the current sta , although Lebo is the only assistant with head coaching experience, and he was red at ECU with a sub-500 record over eight seasons. No, it appears that the unbroken 74-year-long line will be broken after producing three Hall of Fame coaches and six national titles.

It’s a tragic irony that Davis, who has professed his love for the program since the outset of his tenure, is the last one in the lineage.

At his introductory press conference, he said, “The last nine years coaching under Coach Williams, it hasn’t been a job at all. It’s been missionary work. It’s been an act of service. And I’ve been so honored and privileged and appreciative of being able to be in this role.”

In the nal answer of what may be his last press conference as coach, he said, “Just really sad that we’re not continuing to play and to move forward because I have loved and enjoyed this team. I enjoy and love all of them, but I’ve just really enjoyed coaching this team.”

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the undersigned does hereby notify all persons, rms, and corporations having claims against said estate to exhibit them to the undersigned at the o ce of the attorney for the estate on or before the 28th day of June, 2026, or this Notice will be pleaded in bar of their recovery.

CREDITOR’S NOTICE

Having quali ed on the 26th day of September 2025, as Administrator CTA DBN of the Estate of Henry Roderick Alston, deceased, late of Chatham County, North Carolina, this is to notify all persons, rms and corporations having claims against the decedent to exhibit the same to the undersigned on or before the 19th day of June, 2026, or this notice will be pleaded in bar of their recovery. All persons, rms and corporations indebted to the estate should make immediate payment.

This is the 10th day of March 2026. Woods Doster, Administrator CTA DBN of the Estate of Henry Roderick Alston 206 Hawkins Avenue Sanford, NC 27330

Attorneys: Law O ces of Doster & Brown, P.A. 206 Hawkins Avenue Sanford, NC 27330 Publish On: March 19th, 26th April 2nd and 9th 2026.

NOTICE TO CREDITORS

The undersigned, having quali ed as Executor of the Estate of MARY BETTY SOLOMON BASS, Deceased, late of Chatham County, North Carolina, does hereby notify all persons, rms and corporations having claims against the estate to exhibit them to the undersigned at the o ces of Munson Law Firm PLLC, P.O. Box 1811 Pittsboro, NC 27312, on or before the 10th day of June, 2026, or this notice will be pleaded in bar of their recovery. All persons indebted to the estate will please make immediate payment. This 12th day of March, 2026. DIANNE BASS HINSON, EXECUTOR ESTATE OF MARY BETTY SOLOMON BASS NOTICE NORTH CAROLINA CHATHAM COUNTY NOTICE TO CREDITORS

The undersigned, having quali ed on the 26th day of February, 2026, as Executor of the Estate of Don Eugene Tucker aka Don E. Tucker, deceased, of Chatham County does hereby notify all persons, rms and corporations having claims against said Estate to exhibit them to the undersigned on or before June 10th, 2026, or this Notice will be pleaded in bar of their recovery. All persons indebted to said Estate will please make immediate payment to the undersigned. This 5th day of March, 2026. Janet E. Tucker Executor of the Estate of Don Eugene Tucker aka Don E. Tucker c/o J Alan Campbell Law PO Box 850 Hillsborough, NC 27278

919-451-5441

Public Hearing Notice

The Town of Goldston will hold a public hearing on April 6th to consider adoption of a new Land Use Plan. For questions about the plan or the process please email Chris Lawson at clawson@ centralpinesnc.gov

NOTICE TO CREDITORS

ALL PERSONS, rms and corporations having claims against MARIELLE SHINE aka MARIELLE EMILIA SHINE, deceased, of Chatham County, are noti ed to exhibit the same to the undersigned on or before, the 19th day of June, 2026, or this notice will be pleaded in bar of their recovery. All persons indebted to the Estate will please make immediate payment. This 19th day of March, 2026. BRENDA SHINE, Executrix ESTATE OF MARIELLE SHINE aka MARIELLE EMILIA SHINE c/o Tillman, Whichard & Cagle, PLLC 501 Eastowne Drive, Suite 130 Chapel Hill, NC 27514

NOTICE Notice is hereby given that on February 20th, 2026, William J. Vick was appointed Personal Representative of the Estate of Beverly A Vasko, deceased, by the Clerk of Superior Court, Chatham County, North Carolina. All persons having claims against the decedent are required to present their claims to the aforenamed Personal Representative, at 2212 Briland Ct. Fuquay Varina, NC 27526, or le them with the Clerk of the Court, 40 E Chatham St, Pittsboro, NC 27312, within 3 months from the date of the rst publication of this notice, or said claims will be forever barred.

NOTICE

NORTH CAROLINA NOTICE TO CREDITORS CHATHAM COUNTY

HAVING QUALIFIED as Administrator of the Estate of Patricia Ann Campbell a/k/a Ann Lindley Campbell a/k/a Anne Lindley Campbell late of Chatham County, North Carolina, this is to notify all persons, rms and corporations having claims against the estate of said deceased to present them to the undersigned on or before the 18th day of June, 2026, or this notice will be pleaded in bar of their recovery. This the 11th day of March, 2026. Casey Anne Campbell Administrator Of the Estate of Patricia Ann Campbell a/k/a Ann Lindley Campbell a/k/a Anne Lindley Campbell 255 Bob Clark Road Snow Camp, North Carolina 27349 MOODY, WILLIAMS, ATWATER & LEE ATTORNEYS AT LAW BOX 629 SILER CITY, NORTH CAROLINA 27344 (919) 663-2850 4tp

NOTICE

NORTH CAROLINA NOTICE TO CREDITORS CHATHAM COUNTY

HAVING QUALIFIED as Administrator of the Estate of Peggy Alice Cockman late of Chatham County, North Carolina, this is to notify all persons, rms and corporations having claims against the estate of said deceased to present them to the undersigned on or before the 18th day of June, 2026, or this notice will be pleaded in bar of their recovery.

This the 10th day of March, 2026. Kimberly Rose Cockman, Administrator Of the Estate of Peggy Alice Cockman 1034 Stage Coach Road Siler City, North Carolina 27344

MOODY, WILLIAMS, ATWATER & LEE ATTORNEYS AT LAW BOX 629 SILER CITY, NORTH CAROLINA 27344 (919) 663-2850 4tp

NOTICE TO CREDITORS

NORTH CAROLINA Chatham COUNTY 26E000098-180 All persons, rms, and corporations having claims against Frankye Carlene Spiller, deceased, late of Chatham County, NC, are noti ed to exhibit the same to the undersigned on or before the 5th day of June, 2026, or this notice will be pleaded in bar of recovery. Debtors of the decedent are asked to make immediate payment. This the 5th day of March, 2026. Patricia Diane Bonvissuto, Executor c/o Hemphill Gelder, PC PO Box 97035 Raleigh, NC 27624-7035 Pub dates: 3/5, 3/12, 3/19, and 3/26/2026

Notice to Creditors

All persons, rms and corporations having claims against Anthony Michael Hayes, Deceased, of Chatham County, North Carolina are noti ed to present their claims to the below-named Administrator on or before June 26, 2026, or this Notice will be pleaded in bar of recovery. Debtors of the decedent are requested to make immediate payment to the undersigned. This the 26th day of March, 2026. Marsha L. Henthorn, Administrator c/o Thomas R. Crawford Attorney at Law Crawford Law Firm P.O. Box 300 Sylva, NC 28779-0300

NOTICE TO CREDITORS

NORTH CAROLINA CHATHAM COUNTY

26E000075-180

ALL persons having claims against Carol A. Moore, a/k/a Carol P. Moore, deceased, late of Chatham County, North Carolina, are noti ed to exhibit the same to the undersigned on or before Jun 19 2026, or this notice will be pleaded in bar of recovery. Debtors of the decedent are asked to make immediate payment. This the 19th day of March, 2026. Leslie A. Argenta C/O Christopher S. Morden, Limited Personal Representative C/O Monroe, Wallace, Morden & Sherrill, PLLC 3225 Blue Ridge Road, Suite 117 Raleigh, NC 27612 M19, 26, 2 and 9

NOTICE TO CREDITORS

NORTH CAROLINA CHATHAM COUNTY

26E000128-180

ALL persons having claims against Linda Kay Betulius, deceased, late of Chatham County, North Carolina, are noti ed to exhibit the same to the undersigned on or before Jun 26 2026, or this notice will be pleaded in bar of recovery. Debtors of the decedent are asked to make immediate payment. This the 26th day of March, 2026. Gregory Gary Duell, Executor C/O Huston Law Firm, PLLC 2501 Blue Ridge Road, Suite 300 Raleigh, NC 27607 M26, 2, 9 and 16

NOTICE TO CREDITORS

NORTH CAROLINA CHATHAM COUNTY

FILE#26E000121-180 The undersigned COURTNEY H. KNOLL, having quali ed on the 9TH Day of MARCH 2026 as EXECUTOR of the Estate of BARBARA DUNNAVANT HEDGEPETH deceased, of Chatham County, North Carolina, does hereby notify all persons, rms and corporations having claims against said Estate to exhibit them on or before the 12TH Day OF JUNE 2026, or this Notice will be pleaded in bar of their recovery. All persons indebted to said Estate will please make immediate payment to the undersigned. This, the 12TH DAY OF MARCH 2026. COURTNEY H. KNOLL, EXECUTOR 153 EDGEWOOD DRIVE DURHAM, NC 27713 Run dates: M12,19,26,A2p

NOTICE TO CREDITORS

NORTH CAROLINA CHATHAM COUNTY

FILE#26E000040-180

The undersigned SARAH ELIZABETH WILSON, having quali ed on the 16TH Day of JANUARY 2026 as ADMINISTRATOR of the Estate of CALVIN MARTIN WILSON deceased, of Chatham County, North Carolina, does hereby notify all persons, rms and corporations having claims against said Estate to exhibit them on or before the 19TH Day OF JUNE 2026, or this Notice will be pleaded in bar of their recovery. All persons indebted to said Estate will please make immediate payment to the undersigned. This, the 19TH DAY OF MARCH 2026.

SARAH ELIZABETH WILSON, ADMINISTRATOR 1764 GLOVERS CHURCH ROAD BENNETT, NC 27208 Run dates: M19,26,A2,9p

NOTICE OF FORECLOSURE SALE 25SP000140-180 Under and by virtue of the power of sale contained in a certain Deed of Trust made by Je rey J. McFarlane and Cathy Lynn McFarlane (PRESENT RECORD OWNER(S): Je rey J. McFarlane and Grecia Elsa Burga Champa) to CB Services Corp., Trustee(s), dated July 1, 2010, and recorded in Book No. 01519, at Page 0380 in Chatham County Registry, North Carolina, default having been made in the payment of the promissory note secured by the said Deed of Trust and the undersigned, Substitute Trustee Services, Inc. having been substituted as Trustee in said Deed of Trust by an instrument duly recorded in the O ce of the Register of Deeds Chatham 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 o er for sale at the courthouse door in Pittsboro, Chatham County, North Carolina, or the customary location designated for foreclosure sales, at

1:30 PM on April 9, 2026 and will sell to the highest bidder for cash the following real estate situated in Durham in the County of Chatham, North Carolina, and being more particularly described as follows: Being all of Lot 54 of Rosemont Subdivision, Phase III, as shown on that Map recorded in Plat Slide 2004, Page 360, Chatham County Registry. Together with improvements located thereon; said property being located at 558 Royal Sunset Drive, Durham, North Carolina.

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

Should the property be purchased by a third party, that party must pay the excise tax, as well as the court costs of Forty-Five Cents ($0.45) per One Hundred Dollars ($100.00) required by N.C.G.S. §7A-308(a)(1). Should the property be purchased by a third party, 31 CFR 1031.320 requires certain qualifying residential real estate transactions to be reported to the federal government. If you are the

successful bidder in this proceeding, you may be required to provide all applicable identifying information about yourself and, if applicable, any entity or trust purchasing the property. The property to be o ered pursuant to this notice of sale is being o ered 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 o cers, 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 o ered for sale, and any and all responsibilities or liabilities arising out of or in any way relating to any such condition are expressly disclaimed. Also, this property is being sold subject to all taxes, special assessments, and prior liens or prior encumbrances of record and any recorded releases. Said property is also being sold subject to applicable Federal and State laws.

NOTICE TO CREDITORS

NORTH CAROLINA CHATHAM COUNTY FILE#17E000351-180

The undersigned DOBORAH LOFTON AND MAURICE NUNN, having quali ed on the 12TH Day of JANUARY 2026 as CO-EXECUTORS of the Estate of ELSIE ROSETTA HARRIS NUNN deceased, of Chatham County, North Carolina, does hereby notify all persons, rms and corporations having claims against said Estate to exhibit them on or before the 12TH Day OF JUNE 2026, or this Notice will be pleaded in bar of their recovery. All persons indebted to said Estate will please make immediate payment to the undersigned. This, the 12TH DAY OF MARCH 2026.

DEBORAH LOFTON, CO-EXECUTOR 50 NEW HOPE CHURCH RD. APEX, NC 27523 MAURICE NUNN, CO-EXECUTOR 93 NEW HOPE CHURCH RD. APEX, NC 27523 Run dates: M12,19,26,A2p

NOTICE TO CREDITORS

NORTH CAROLINA CHATHAM COUNTY FILE#26E000141-180

The undersigned JAMES TUCKER COWARD, having quali ed on the 12TH Day of MARCH 2026 as ADMINISTRATOR of the Estate of JAMES THOMAS COWARD deceased, of Chatham County, North Carolina, does hereby notify all persons, rms and corporations having claims against said Estate to exhibit them on or before the 19TH Day OF JUNE 2026, or this Notice will be pleaded in bar of their recovery. All persons indebted to said Estate will please make immediate payment to the undersigned. This, the 19TH DAY OF MARCH 2026.

JAMES TUCKER COWARD, ADMINISTRATOR 6448 BUFFALO FORD ROAD RAMSEUR, NC 27316 Run dates: M19,26,A2,9p

NOTICE TO CREDITORS

NORTH CAROLINA CHATHAM COUNTY FILE#26E000120-180

The undersigned JANET DUNN FRANTZ, having quali ed on the 3RD Day of MARCH 2026 as EXECUTOR of the Estate of JOSEPH GLENN DUNN, SR., deceased, of Chatham County, North Carolina, does hereby notify all persons, rms and corporations having claims against said Estate to exhibit them on or before the 12TH Day OF JUNE 2026, or this Notice will be pleaded in bar of their recovery. All persons indebted to said Estate will please make immediate payment to the undersigned. This, the 12TH DAY OF MARCH 2026. JANET DUNN FRANTZ, EXECUTOR 1525 RED LANE EXTENSION SALEM, VA 24153 Run dates: M12,19,26,A2p

NOTICE TO CREDITORS

NORTH CAROLINA CHATHAM COUNTY

FILE#26E000156-180

The undersigned TRACI B. NUNN, having quali ed on the 18TH Day of MARCH 2026 as ADMINISTRATOR of the Estate of MARY H. BROWN deceased, of Chatham County, North Carolina, does hereby notify all persons, rms and corporations having claims against said Estate to exhibit them on or before the 26TH Day OF JUNE 2026, or this Notice will be pleaded in bar of their recovery. All persons indebted to said Estate will please make immediate payment to the undersigned. This, the 26TH DAY OF MARCH 2026. TRACI B. NUNN, ADMINISTRATOR 90 JOHNSON FARM ROAD NEW HILL, NC 27562 Run dates: M26,A2,9,16p

NOTICE TO CREDITORS

NORTH CAROLINA CHATHAM COUNTY FILE#26E000095-180

The undersigned NATALIE HARRIS, having quali ed on the 19TH Day of FEBRUARY 2026 as EXECUTOR of the Estate of SUZANN MARIE MARCLE, deceased, of Chatham County, North Carolina, does hereby notify all persons, rms and corporations having claims against said Estate to exhibit them on or before the 5TH Day OF JUNE 2026, or this Notice will be pleaded in bar of their recovery. All persons indebted to said Estate will please make immediate payment to the undersigned. This, the 5TH DAY OF MARCH 2026. NATALIE HARRIS, EXECUTOR 4671 PEACE FOREST LANE CLIMAX, NC 27233 Run dates: M5,12,19,26p

NOTICE TO CREDITORS

NORTH CAROLINA CHATHAM COUNTY FILE#26E000119-180 The undersigned MAX WILEY BUTLER, having quali ed on the 2ND Day of MARCH 2026 as EXECUTOR of the Estate of SYLVIA HOLT BUTLER, deceased, of Chatham County, North Carolina, does hereby notify all persons, rms and corporations having claims against said Estate to exhibit them on or before the 5TH Day OF JUNE 2026, or this Notice

616

PONTE

FL 32082 MAIL AFFIDAVIT TO: BELLE B. BROOKS C/O SYLVIA BUTLER 475 HENRY WEBSTER RD. PITTSBORO, NC 27312 Run dates: M5,12,19,26p

Notice to Creditors

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

300 Durham, North Carolina 27707 3/26, 4/2, 4/9 and 4/16 The Chatham News

It’s complicated, Cubans say

Capitalism is not dead in Cuba, just under cover — for now

By Erika Ho man For Chatham News & Record

“IT’S COMPLICATED” was the answer Cubans gave when asked if they could own their own house in Cuba. “It’s complicated” was also the frequent reply to anything deemed political. I had trouble discerning whether it was indeed too complicated to explain in English to a foreigner or simply a polite way to respond to a question they preferred not to answer.

I went to Cuba on a person-to-person cultural exchange for writers. Americans aren’t allowed to visit Cuba as tourists but can go as part of a highly scheduled, supervised tour. Of course, some Americans circumvent this regulation and travel via Mexico or another country if they can convince o cials at the airport not to stamp their passport. I wanted to go legally.

What I witnessed was a country in misery. Everything seemed twice as hard as it had to be. No one hurried. Often, we were kept waiting for scheduled meetings with Cuban writers, or we cooled our heels in brutal heat and humidity waiting for a restaurant to be ready, or the tour changed altogether from the planned itinerary. “Go with the ow” became the mantra.

I’m not the only person from Siler City to travel to Cuba in recent months. In June 2016, Margaret de St. Aubin, who owns NC Travel in Siler City, took a group on a di erent people-to-people cultural exchange. I asked members of that group for their impressions.

Margaret thought the highlights were the people, the beautiful countryside and the music. Her lowlights were the lack of infrastructure, lack of clean water and the ies.

A street vendor selling pastries walks down the middle of the street looking for customers in Havana, Cuba, on March 19.

“My

philosophy is to send all the complainers in this country to Cuba for a week, and they will never complain about anything.”

Donna Atwater

“While the poverty is stunning and widespread, we found the people to be very gracious,” Margaret said. Pam Scheetz noted, “I thought the people were so kind and proud of their country’s educational system.”

Because doctors are not paid much more than garbage collectors, she asked their guide why anyone would bother to go through the grueling work to become a physician when a person could make about the same money in a less taxing profession.

“She said it was a badge of honor to complete the work to pursue medicine.”

Diane Kirkman told of meeting with an architect whose rm

was engaged by the government to revitalize Old Havana.

“Part of his fascinating dialogue included discussing rights of families to live in housing in areas included in the revitalization area,” Diane said. “Families don’t own the property but do own the right to live in the spaces and are usually multigenerational.”

The properties are dilapidated and ready for overhaul, but all families in a building must agree — which means some would be relocated, disrupting family groups. Thus, getting the buildings restored was a challenge.

The architect also touched on the embargo.

“He said any ship that touches Cuba cannot touch the U.S. for six months, which leads to unpredictability in planning and overruns in scheduling any project,” Diane said. “He talked about how to incorporate respect for the historical and accommodate the ‘Starbucks mentality’ of new corporations ready to invest and occupy.”

Diane also shared her husband Richard’s observations as a veterinarian.

“Richard was distressed by the condition of most all the animals we saw,” she said. “At King Ranch, he spent time talking to the ranch manager. They have access to veterinary care but not much access to pharmaceuticals — even dewormers — as opposed to here where anyone can get anything they want to pump into their livestock.”

Their exposure to updated genetics doesn’t appear to exist, and access to modern herd-management practices isn’t available. Richard also has a client who is a researcher at Duke who traveled to Cuba several years ago to help address problem young men were having with blindness caused by vitamin de ciency.

Speaking of medicine, my husband, a physician, spoke with a couple of Cuban doctors. One retired early, discouraged with the system because he would write prescriptions but the medications weren’t available. Another doctor quit to become a poet.

Although Cuba touts its health system, our anecdotal evidence showed dissatisfaction. Cuban doctors are sent to serve in Latin American countries that pay the government for their work. The physicians themselves make little in Cuba — about $40 a month.

Some become bartenders on the other side of the island where British and Spanish tourists stay in gated resorts that Cubans cannot access. Jobs at these resorts that cater to Europeans, Canadians and Russians are coveted, and nepotism reigns as Cubans try to nd positions there for their relatives.

Our bus driver, Candido, said he has only one son, as most families can’t a ord more children. Almost every Cuban I met had a relative in the United States. The Cuban diaspora is real.

Donna Atwater echoed many of the same observations about the lack of clean water, sanitation, heating, air conditioning, roads, cars, equipment and new buildings.

“It is like living in the 1920s,” she remarked.

In an email she wrote, “My philosophy is to send all the complainers in this country to Cuba for a week, and they will never complain about anything.”

Although she noted the mass poverty and lack of supplies, she was also impressed with the kindness of the people, their educational system and the beauty of the tropical island.

Below I’m quoting Susan Baker, a former Texas judge and now a writer who lives in Mexico. She was referring to the meal we had outside Cienfuegos.

“Breakfast that morning took place in a dining room every bit as large as those in some casinos in Louisiana. The bu et seemed to go on forever, and the food was great. Even I could nd plenty. Of course, this is not how everyday Cubans eat. We were tourists. Foreigners.

“I heard a saying the other day from a Cuban ex-pat who lives in San Miguel de Allende. He said the Cubans say, ‘When I die, I want to come back as a foreigner.’”

Lately Cuba has been written about a lot. Documentaries have appeared on North Carolina’s WRAL and articles by a Durham Tech journalism professor have appeared in local newspapers. Most of the coverage I’ve seen I concur with, although some has been saccharine-coated and euphemisms have cloaked many of the real hardships the Cuban people have su ered due to the embargo rst put in place in 1962 and also due to communism — a system that does not monetarily reward high achievers.

I urge folks to see Cuba. You can’t help but empathize with ordinary people eking out a living however they can. Many seem ready to embrace capitalism.

Even though the government restricts how many cigars or bottles of rum one can take out of the country as mementos, the ingenious Cuban merchant is eager to fudge the receipt so he can sell more than Fidel allows. So capitalism is not dead in Cuba, just under cover — for now.

Ukraine’s front line became laboratory for drone innovation

Ukrainian soldiers develop cost-e ective drone defenses born of battle eld necessity

By Hanna Arhirova

The Associated Press

KHARKIV, Ukraine — The night air in eastern Ukraine is crisp, and myriad stars scatter above a small crew of soldiers watching for Iranian-designed Shahed drones that Russia launches in waves.

Such teams are deployed across the country as part of a constantly evolving e ort to counter the low-cost loitering munitions that have become a deadly weapon of modern warfare, from Ukraine to the Middle East.

While waiting, the crew from the 127th Brigade tests and ne-tunes its self-made interceptor drones, searching for aws that could undermine performance once the buzzing threat appears. When Shahed drones rst appeared in autumn 2022, Ukraine had few ways to stop them. Today, drone crews intercept them in ight with continually adapting technology.

In recent years, Ukraine’s domestic drone interceptor market has burgeoned, producing some key players who tout their products at international arms shows.

But it’s on the front line where small teams have become laboratories of rapid military innovation — grassroots technology born of battle eld necessity that now draw international interest.

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy says U.S. allies in the Middle East have approached Ukraine for help in defending against Iranian drones, the same type that Russia has red by the tens of thousands in the 4-year-old war.

Iran has also used the same drones in retaliation for joint U.S.-Israeli strikes, at times overwhelming far more sophisticated Western-made air defenses and highlighting the need for cheaper and more exible countermeasures.

“It’s not like we sat down one day and decided to ght

with drones,” said a pilot with Ukraine’s 127th Brigade, sitting at his monitor after completing a pre ight check. “We did it because we had nothing else.”

How the drone war began Moments earlier, the pilot carefully landed his interceptor drone to avoid damaging it. He spoke on condition of anonymity because military rules did not allow him to be quoted by name.

Though designed to be disposable, limited resources mean Ukrainian crews try to preserve every tool they have, often reusing even single-use drones to study their weaknesses and improve them.

“Just imagine — a Patriot missile costs about $2 million, and here you have a small aircraft worth about $2,200,” the pilot said. “And if it doesn’t hit the target, I can land it, x it a bit and send it back into the air. The difference is huge. And the e ect? Not any worse.”

Ukraine’s 127th Brigade is building an air defense unit centered on interceptor drone crews — a model increasingly adopted across the military.

Leading the brigade’s e ort is a 27-year-old captain, who previously served in another formation where he had already helped organize a similar system. He also spoke on condition of anonymity because military rules did not allow him to be quoted by name.

He clearly remembers the moment about two years ago when everything changed. He said he was assigned to lead a group of soldiers ordered to intercept Russian reconnaissance drones using shoulder- red air-defense missiles.

The approach quickly proved ine ective. Agile drones equipped with cameras could easily maneuver away from the slower, less- exible weapons, he said.

Determined to nd a better solution, the young o cer began searching for alternatives, asking fellow soldiers and volunteers supporting the front.

The answer turned out to be simple: another drone.

The captain still remembers the day a Russian Orlan reconnaissance drone hung above a Ukrainian position, transmitting coordinates to guide Russian artillery. A pilot from his unit downed it by using another drone, he added.

“That’s when I realized — this is a drone war. It had begun,” he said. “We had been moving toward it for some time, but that was the moment I saw it with my own eyes.”

They never found the wreckage of the Orlan, which burned as it fell to the ground.

Downing Shaheds

Another challenge soon emerged: how to intercept the hundreds of fast, durable Shahed drones ying far beyond the front line.

The young captain’s search for a solution led him to the 127th Brigade in Kharkiv and to cooperation with a local defense company. Their joint e orts resulted in aircraft-style interceptor drones capable of matching the speed of the Shaheds.

Kharkiv is not only where they work — it’s where their families live, a city that regularly comes under Shahed attacks.

Working with the company allows soldiers to test interceptor drones in real conditions and quickly re ne the technology through direct feedback.

The company’s Skystriker drone di ers from more widely known interceptor systems such as Sting or P1-Sun, which are based on modi ed rst-person view, or FPV, drones. Instead, it resembles a small aircraft with wings, allowing it to stay aloft longer.

“Yes, this is a joint e ort,” said the director of the company, who spoke on condition he not disclose the name of the rm or his own identity for security reasons.

“It’s not enough just to build it. It has to work — and work properly — and perform real combat tasks,” he said. “That’s why communication with the military is so important. They give us feedback and help us improve it every time.”

Nonpro ts and volunteers

In Ukraine, cooperation often goes beyond the military and manufacturers. Volunteers frequently act as intermediaries between the two, sometimes even helping them nd one another.

The Come Back Alive Foundation, a nonpro t think tank and charity that raises money to equip Ukraine’s forces, launched a project called “Dronopad,” loosely translated as “Dronefall,” in summer 2024.

The idea grew from battle eld reports that FPV drone pilots were occasionally able to track and intercept aerial targets —

early cases that helped shape efforts to counter the Shaheds.

“At that moment, it wasn’t clear whether this was even a scalable solution or just isolated incidents,” said Taras Tymochko, who leads the project. “Our goal was to turn it into a system — to help units that already had their rst successful cases build the capability and scale what they had achieved.”

The foundation worked with drone manufacturers to better understand what systems soldiers needed. As the project developed, the capabilities of interceptor drones evolved.

“At some point they were able to reach speeds of more than 200 kilometers per hour (124 mph), which made it possible to intercept targets like Shaheds in the air,” Tymochko said.

The team closely monitored the rapidly growing drone market. A key factor, he said, was ensuring close cooperation between manufacturers and the military so that engineers could receive feedback quickly from battle eld tests.

“It’s always action and counteraction,” Tymochko said, noting both sides develop ways to counter enemy drones and improve their technology to neutralize each other’s responses. “That cycle is what drives the evolution of drone warfare.”

The technology itself, he said, is not especially di cult to copy. The real value lies in how it is used — and in the experience of the pilots who have learned to operate it e ectively.

“People were very skeptical about the technology,” Tymochko said of the early days of interceptor drones. “Some thought it wouldn’t work, that within a month the Russians would come up with countermeasures and the drones would become useless.”

Nearly two years later, the results suggest otherwise.

“Many people called it air defense for the poor,” he said. “But it turns out that air defense for the poor can sometimes be more e ective than air defense for the rich.”

CHATHAM SPORTS

Bound for Sweet 16

Seaforth’s Gabby White (3) celebrates with University of Virginia teammate Romi Levy (23) during their win over Georgia in the rst round of the NCAA Tournament. White and the Cavaliers advanced to the Sweet 16 with a pair of wins in the rst weekend.

Chatham Central wins 9-inning thriller on Oldham walk-o triple

The senior batted home the winning run to defeat Providence Grove

By Asheebo Rojas

Chatham News & Record

BEAR CREEK — Senior center elder Sallie Oldham notched an RBI triple to walk

J-M softball evened the series with Northwood

By Asheebo Rojas Chatham News & Record

SOFTBALL

Jordan-Matthews 2, Northwood 1

SILER CITY — Jordan-Matthews senior Lilli Hicks celebrated her birthday with pitching heroics in the Jets’ 2-1 win over Northwood on Friday. Hicks pitched a complete game, allowing one hit and zero earned runs while striking out seven batters.

Facing loaded bases with the game tied at one run apiece in the top of the fourth inning, Hicks ended Northwood’s scoring threat with two straight 3-2 strikeouts. The Chargers didn’t record a hit and reached base once more from that point.

“Honestly, I was a little pissed o at myself for allowing people to get on base like that,” Hicks said. “So I knew I had to get a strikeout because anything in the out eld was going to score probably two.”

o Chatham Central’s 10-9 win over Providence Grove in extra innings on March 19.

In the top of the ninth inning, Providence Grove failed to get a runner on base, setting up the Bears, who entered the inning near the top of their lineup, with a chance to break the nine-run tie. Junior third baseman Maeson Smith started the

batting turn with a double to left eld, and Oldham’s following hit sent Smith home for the winning score.

“I swung at the rst pitch,” Oldham said. “I usually do that. And, I don’t know, I’m ready to go home, so I was ready to get the game over with.”

Providence Grove led 2-0 after the rst three innings. With

the bases loaded in the bottom of the fourth, junior Maddie Kaczmarczyk, facing two strikes, smashed a grand slam to center eld and gave Chatham Central a 4-2 advantage.

“I just always tell myself that I’m not going to let her strike me out,” Kaczmarczyk said. “So I didn’t.”

The Bears remained in front

until the top of the seventh inning when the Patriots ripped o ve runs. An RBI double from Providence Grove’s Ruby Caudle tied the game at six, and the Patriots took an 8-6 lead after Callie Lambert reached home on a passed ball and Caudle made it home on a bunt from Liz Shoe.

Kaczmarczyk, who pitched the rst ve innings and reentered the circle for the last out of the sixth, once again took over the pitching duties for Smith and closed the top of the seventh with two strikeouts. “I told (Kaczmarczyk) out

By Asheebo Rojas Chatham News & Record

BASEBALL

In the bottom of the fth inning, Hicks, the Jets’ leado hitter, helped break the tie by starting the batting turn with a single. Sophomore Graciana Williams followed that with a sacri ce bunt, allowing

give

un

to round the bases

Following a 13-3 loss to Southwestern Randolph on March 18, Chatham Charter dominated River Mill 20-0 and Chatham HomeSchool 10-0 to close out the week. The Knights recorded 18 hits against River Mill. Jordan-Matthews picked up its second win in four games with a 10-3 victory over E.E. Smith on March 18. Senior Landon Moser knocked in a team-high three RBIs. Down 7-6 through four innings, Chatham Central scored four runs in the bottom of the fth inning to beat Bishop McGuinness 10-7 on March 17. Senior Westley Brower went 2 for 4 with a team-high three RBIs. The Bears fell to Bishop McGuinness 11-5 Friday, snapping their three-game winning streak. Seaforth fell twice to conference foe Cedar Ridge last week, losing 3-2 on March 17

Seaforth’s So a Viana goals against Cedar Ridge

and 1-0 Friday — the Hawks’ rst consecutive losses of the season. Northwood fell to Harnett Central 7-0 on March 18. Conference standings as of Sunday (overall, conference): Central Tar Heel 1A: T1. Chatham Charter (5-2, 2-0); T1. Clover Garden (4 -2, 2-0); T3. Southern Wake (0-4, 0-2); T3. River Mill (2-4, 0-2); 5. Central Carolina (0 -1, 0-0) Greater Triad 1A/2A: 1. South Stokes (6-2, 6-0); T2. Chatham Central (3-4, 3-3); T2. Bishop McGuinness (5-5, 2-2); 4. North Stokes (1-6, 1-3); 5. South Davidson (3-6, 0-4) Four Rivers 3A/4A: 1. Northwood (5-4, 3-0); 2. Uwharrie Charter (8-1, 3-1); 3. Southwestern Randolph (4 -3, 1-1); T4. North Moore (4 - 4, 1-3); T4. Jordan-Matthews (2-7, 1-3); 6. Eastern Randolph (4-5, 0-1) Big Seven 4A/5A: T1. Cedar Ridge (6-1, 4-0); T1. South

Finn Sullivan

Northwood, baseball

Northwood junior Finn Sullivan earns athlete of the week honors for the week of March 16.

In the Chargers’ 15-0 win over Jordan-Matthews on March 17, Sullivan pitched a no-hitter, striking out 11 batters in ve innings. He nearly pitched a perfect game, but he hit a batter in the top of the fth inning. At the plate, Sullivan went 3 for 3 with three RBIs and a run.

Sullivan has pitched two complete games as of Sunday, giving up a combined four hits and zero earned runs in both contests. Northwood is 3-1 in games Sullivan appeared in.

ROUNDUP from page B1

Granville (7-1, 4-0); 3. Seaforth (6-4, 2-2); T4. Durham School of the Arts (3-5, 0-2); T4. Orange (3-5, 0-2); 6. Carrboro (2-7, 0-4); 7. Webb (1-6, 0-0)

Power rankings (week of March 16): 1. Seaforth; 2. Chatham Charter; 3. Northwood; 4. Chatham Central; 5. Jordan-Matthews SOFTBALL

Seaforth remained undefeated after three straight wins over Durham School of the Arts (24-1), Panther Creek (5-4) and Chapel Hill (9-3) last week. Abigail Johnson and Emma Grace Hill both hit home runs against Chapel Hill on Friday.

Northwood took its rst loss of the season to Chatham Charter 11-9 on March 18. The Knights notched six hits and seven runs in the top of the seventh inning to take the lead. Senior Taylor Hussey recorded a team-high three RBIs.

Chatham Charter followed that with a 21-2 win over River Mill, picking up consecutive wins for the rst time this season. The Knights scored 15 runs in the bottom of the second inning.

Chatham Central split a doubleheader with South Stokes on Friday, falling 3-2 in the rst game and winning the second game 8-1.

Jordan-Matthews bounced back from its rst loss of the year to Northwood with a 15-0 win over Central Carolina on March 18. Senior Lilli Hicks and freshman Ella Parks combined for a no-hitter.

Conference standings as of Sunday (overall, conference):

Central Tar Heel 1A: 1. Clo -

ver Garden (7-0, 4-0); 2. River Mill (3-2, 2-1); 3. Chatham Charter (4-5, 3-2); T4. Ascend Leadership (0-3, 0-2); T4. Central Carolina (0-7, 0-4)

JordanMatthews’ Lilli Hicks reaches third in a game against Northwood on March 20

GIRLS’ SOCCER

there in the circle, it was all her this game,” Chatham Central coach John Warf said. “From a grand slam to coming back in. We didn’t want to pitch her that much this game because of what we’ve got coming up in the rest of the week, but she came in big for us.”

With the game on the line, Chatham Central made contact in its rst four at-bats in the bottom of the seventh. Following a single from junior Chloe Brewer and a sacri ce bunt from Smith, Oldham scored Brewer with a single. Freshman Lillie Poe con-

tinued the rally with a double, sending Oldham home for the tying run. Poe advanced to third on a subsequent y out, but another y out sent the game to extra innings. Lambert, facing two outs in the top of the eighth, put the Patriots ahead one run with an RBI double.

After Chatham Central freshman Maddy Wingerter singled to start the Bears’ turn, she tagged up on a y out from senior Heidi Vicente Perez to tie the game. Two straight outs once again prevented a walk-o nish, but Chatham Central still found itself in a favorable posi-

Greater Triad 1A/2A: 1. South Stokes (5-3, 3-1); 2. Chatham Central (7-3, 2-1); 3. North Stokes (4-3, 1-1); 4. South Davidson (2-6, 0-3) Four Rivers 3A/4A: T1. Northwood (7-2, 3-1); T1. Southwestern Randolph (6-1, 3-1); 3. Jordan-Matthews (7-1, 2-1); 4. Uwharrie Charter (3-5, 2-2); 5. North Moore (4-4, 1-2); 6. Eastern Randolph (1-8, 0-4) Big Seven 4A/5A: 1. Seaforth (7-0, 3-0); T2. Cedar Ridge (5-3, 2-1); T2. Orange (2-5, 2-1); T2. Webb (7-1, 2-1); 5. South Granville (3-4, 2-2); 6. Carrboro (2-7, 1-3); 7. Durham School of the Arts (0-8, 0-4) Power rankings (week of March 16): 1. Seaforth; 2. Jordan-Matthews; 3. Northwood; 4. Chatham Central; 5. Chatham Charter

tion, with Providence Grove rolling out the bottom of its batting lineup in the top of the ninth.

Kaczmarczyk went 2 for 4 with a team-high four RBIs and two runs. In the circle, she struck out 13 batters while allowing ve hits and three earned runs.

Oldham also went 2 for 4 with two RBIs and two runs.

Chatham Central swept the regular season series against Providence Grove as it won the rst meeting 14-12 on March 10. With the win, the Bears picked up their fourth win in a row, improving to 6-2.

Providence Grove fell to 3-5.

After a 2-0 loss to Middle Creek on March 17, Seaforth senior So a Viana notched a hat trick to help the Hawks beat Cedar Ridge 5-0. Sophomore Amara Darden also scored two goals. Woods Charter extended its winning streak to four with a 7-0 win over Ascend Leadership on March 18. Northwood dominated Northern Durham 9-0 on March 18. Senior Amelia Cherry scored four goals in the win. Jordan-Matthews fell to

Southern Alamance 7-0 on March 19.

BOYS’ TENNIS

Chatham Charter defeated Jordan-Matthews 9-0 Friday, extending its win streak to six matches.

Seaforth defeated Orange 7-2 on March 18 and fell to East Chapel Hill 8-1 on March 19. Northwood lost to Carrboro 8-1 on March 17.

BOYS’ LACROSSE

Northwood went on a three-game winning streak last week, defeating Southeast Alamance (15-4), Western Alamance (14-2) and Terry Sanford (18-2). Senior Grayson Cox dished out nine assists against Southeast Alamance, and he scored six goals against Terry Sanford. Seaforth fell to Union Pines 18-11 Friday.

GIRLS’ LACROSSE

Seaforth lost to Croatan 13 -12 Saturday.

2025-26 CNR all-county basketball teams

Cam Fowler and Katie Leonard were named Players of the Year

By Asheebo Rojas Chatham News & Record

CHATHAM NEWS & Re -

cord has released its All-County basketball teams, recognizing Chatham County’s standout high school athletes from the 2025-26 season.

Coaches submitted their own players for All-County consideration, and the CNR selected the teams based on player stats.

The CNR All-County selection process included all six of Chatham County’s North Carolina High School Athletic Association member schools and the Chatham Thunder, which plays in the North Carolinians for Home Education Athletic Commission.

Here are the CNR All-County teams and superlatives from the latest high school basketball season.

BOYS

Player of the Year: Cam Fowler, Northwood

Northwood senior Cam Fowler takes CNR Player of the Year honors after averaging a career-high 22.3 points along with 6.8 rebounds, 2.7 assists and 2.1 steals per game. During the season, he proved he was the best scorer in the county and one of the best in the state with monster performances, including his record-setting 51-point, 10-rebound night against North

Jaysa Luna also went 2 for 3 at the plate, scoring the Jets’ rst run of the night on an error by Northwood’s defense in the bottom of the third. Junior Jasmine Sorto ended the night 2 for 3.

Northwood freshman pitcher Logan Thompson struck out 11 batters while allowing seven hits and one earned run.

With the win, Jordan-Matthews avenged its 3-2 loss to the Chargers from March 17. The Jets improved to 7-1, while Northwood fell to 7-2.

BASEBALL

Northwood 7, Jordan-Matthews 2

Northwood completed the regular-season sweep over

Moore in February. Fowler’s consistency also set him apart as he scored in double gures in all but one game this winter. He was also a standout defender, leading the Chargers with 2.1 steals per game and nishing second behind senior Chad Graves in blocks (18).

Defensive Player of the Year: Turner Albright, Chatham Central Chatham Central sophomore Turner Albright stu ed the takeaways column this season, averaging a team-best six steals per game.

Coach of the Year: John Berry, Seaforth Seaforth coach John Berry led a historic season for the school’s basketball program in his second year at the helm. After nishing 15-13 in 2025, Seaforth took a step forward this winter with an 18-7 record, claiming the regular season conference title, earning the highest single-season win percentage in team history and claiming the team’s rst conference tournament championship.

First team

Cam Fowler, Northwood; Declan Lindquist, Seaforth; Luke Coletta, Chatham Thunder; Simon Sabbagh, Chatham Central; Bakari Watkins, Northwood

Second team

Campbell Meador, Seaforth;

Brooks Albright, Chatham Central; Turner Albright, Chatham Central; Levi Haygood, Woods Charter; Chad Graves, Northwood

Honorable mention

Ryder Murphy, Chatham Charter; Josiah Brown, Northwood; Nolan Mitchell, Jordan-Matthews; Zaeon Auguste, Jordan-Matthews; Breylan Harris, Chatham Charter

GIRLS

Player of the Year: Katie Leonard, Seaforth

Seaforth senior Katie Leonard is the 2026 CNR Player of the Year after averaging career highs in points (21.7), rebounds (7.3), assists (5.9), steals (3.2) and blocks (1.3). With the graduation of star guard Gabby White, Leonard, a Cornell signee, amped up her reputation as the most dangerous shooter in Chatham County. She knocked down 80 3s (32% clip from beyond the arc) and scored in double gures every game. Leonard dropped three 30-pieces, including a career-high 36 points against Webb in February.

Defensive Player of the Year: Ansley Preslar, Chatham Central

Not much got past Chatham Central junior Ansley Preslar this winter. Preslar led the Bears with 5.7 steals per game, leading the Greater Triad 1A/2A conference in the stat. She recorded at least ve steals in 19 games,

Jordan-Matthews 7-2 Friday thanks to a combined no-hitter from sophomore Riley D’Angelo and freshman Mason Lutterloh. It was the Chargers’ second no-hitter of the week as junior

including her 11 steals agasint South Davidson in February. Coach of the Year: Kerri Stubbs, Northwood Northwood coach Kerri Stubbs led the Chargers to a dominant run at the turn of the new year. After going into winter break with the taste of a double-digit loss, Northwood responded with 14 straight wins (all by at least 10 points), including three double-digit wins in the playo s. The Chargers reached the regional nal for the rst time since winning the 3A state title in 2022.

First team

Katie Leonard, Seaforth; Wesley Oliver, Woods Charter;

Northwood’s Tessa Cobler nds herself in a pickle against JordanMatthews last Friday.

ters while allowing one earned run in 62⁄3 innings. He logged eight strikeouts in the rst three innings. After D’Angelo walked three straight batters in the bottom of the seventh, Lutterloh took the mound for thenal out.

“My changeup was really good tonight,” D’Angelo said. “I just tried to blow fastballs by them.”

Said Northwood coach Brent Haynes, “We don’t think we have a No. 2. We think we have a 1A and a 1A.”

pitcher Finn Sullivan struck out 11 batters with zero earned runs and no walks in Northwood’s 15-0 win over the Jets on March 17.

D’Angelo struck out 15 bat-

Northwood and Jordan-Matthews were tied at one run until the top of the fth inning. Senior Owen Zsuppan was walked to start the inning, and senior Dylan Perry brought him home with a triple to right eld. Sophomore Brody Zsuppan followed that with a single of his own to score Perry and extend

Peyton York, Chatham Charter; Addison Goldston, Chatham Central; Shaylah Glover, Northwood

Second team

Alyia Roberts, Northwood Mia Moore, Seaforth; Neah Henry, Northwood; Annika Johansson, Seaforth; Mikaylah Glover, Northwood

Honorable mention

Ansley Preslar, Chatham Central; Valentina Podolyanskaya, Woods Charter; Sydney Sellers, Chatham Central; Jada Scott, Jordan-Matthews; Samantha King, Chatham Thunder

the Chargers’ lead to two runs.

“I was really seeing the ball well tonight,” Brody Zsuppan said. “I was attacking fastballs as soon as I saw it and jumped on it.”

The Chargers notched four hits in the sixth inning to pull away. Back-to-back triples by juniors Nic Armstrong and Campbell Parks to start the inning helped Northwood take a 5-1 lead, and an RBI double from Brody Zsuppan scored Perry, who singled to get on base, for a 6-1 advantage.

Brody Zsuppan went 3 for 4 from the plate with a team-high three RBIs. Perry went 2 for 3 and scored a team-high three runs. Armstrong, Parks and junior Zeke Wicker nished the night with two hits each. Northwood improved to 5-4 with the win.

Jordan-Matthews fell to 2-7.

White, Virginia reaches Sweet 16

Reddick picks up 4th Cup Series win of season at Darlington for Jordan’s team

The 23XI Racing driver overcame malfunctions to continue his hot start to the season

The Associated Press

DARLINGTON, S.C. — A malfunctioning battery, a cool suit that got very hot and a big de cit to the leader with less than 50 laps remaining at Darlington Raceway.

The “Track Too Tough To Tame” tested Tyler Reddick in every way possible, and this year’s top star in NASCAR naturally passed with ying colors for his fourth victory of the season.

“I know never to give up,” said Reddick, who broke through after three runner-up nishes on the tricky 1.366-mile oval. “I think it’s very tting that when we nally get our rst win here at Darlington that ‘The Lady in Black’ would test us like that. We’ve been so close so many times.”

Starting on the pole position for the 23XI Racing team co - owned by Denny Hamlin and Michael Jordan, Reddick led 77 laps in the No. 45 Toyota for his 12th career victory. Chasing down Brad Keselowski after his nal pit stop, Reddick breezed to a 5.847-second margin of victory.

Ryan Blaney nished third, followed by Carson Hocevar and Austin Cindric.

The problems started on the rst lap for Reddick, who radioed his team about an alternator problem that caused his voltage to drop dangerously low. The team swapped a battery with larger capacity into his Camry after the rst stage, but the charging problems remained.

Reddick had to toggle o his cockpit fans and the power to his cool suit, which provides driver comfort through a water circulation system. During a later pit stop, Reddick pumped water out of the suit, which had

Tyler Reddick (45) and 23XI Racing teammate

Bubba Wallace (23) compete through Turn 2 during Sunday’s NASCAR Cup Series race at Darlington.

begun to cook because of temperatures in the high-80s.

“The battery wasn’t charging at all,” Reddick said. “All day long just not running fans and sweating my tail o inside the race car. We knew it was going to be physical. Really wore out, but I guess I don’t need as much of that cooling stu as I normally have.”

It might not quite have been a performance on par with the “ u game” that Jordan delivered in Game 5 of the 1997 NBA Finals, but it still pleased the basketball great.

“Pretty sure it’s frustrating for him because he had an unbelievable car, and I think the key to him winning was just keeping his head,” said Jordan, who has been on hand for every Reddick win this season and got to celebrate Sunday at a track he attended with his family decades ago as a child growing up in North Carolina. “We just had to get the car right, and I think he did an unbelievable job. I just wanted everything to be good because once he gets back out there, then I feel like his competitive juices are going to carry him all the way to the end. He earned it all week, and I’m real proud of the team.”

Keselowski led a race-high six times for 142 laps. But the Roush Fenway Keselowski driver made his nal pit stop four laps earlier than Reddick, who made the most of fresher rubber to erase a seven-second gap and complete the winning pass on the 266th of 293 laps.

“We didn’t have the best car today, not compared to Tyler,” Keselowski said. “Tyler drove a hell of a race, and he’s driving a rocket and making it count right now.”

Reddick began the season with a Daytona 500 win on the way to becoming the rst driver in Cup Series history to win the rst three races of the season. He joined NASCAR Hall of Famers Dale Earnhardt (1987) and Bill Elliott (1992) as the only Cup drivers to win four of the rst six races in a season.

Seaforth sends another former hooper to March Madness’ second weekend

By Asheebo Rojas Chatham News & Record

FOR THE THIRD straight year, a Chatham County native will play in the Sweet 16. Former Seaforth star Gabby White and No. 10 Virginia upset No. 2 Iowa in an 83-75 double-overtime thriller in the second round of the Women’s NCAA Tournament Monday. White, a freshman, will continue the streak of Seaforth athletes playing in the Sweet 16 after Jarin Stevenson helped Alabama reach the second weekend of the men’s Tournament in 2024 and 2025. Stevenson reached the Final Four with Alabama as a freshman.

Virginia will continue its run of upsets against No. 3 TCU at the Golden 1 Center in Sacramento, California Saturday. In the Cavaliers’ win over Iowa, White recorded two rebounds and an assist in 10 minutes.

She showcased her ability

to facilitate in the rst round, dishing out four assists in 12 minutes during Virginia’s 83 -73 overtime win over No. 7 Georgia. White scored her rst Tournament points in the First Four to help Virginia take down Arizona State 57-55. Prior to the Tournament, White saw a bigger role in the Cavaliers’ rotation. She’s played at least 15 minutes in 18 games this season. In late January, White scored a career-high 22 points and grabbed 12 rebounds to help Virginia beat Wake Forest in triple overtime. She’s scored in double gures seven other times this season, most recently on Feb. 15 when she scored 11 points in a win over Stanford. This season, White is averaging 6.4 points, 3.5 rebounds and two assists per game. She’s shooting 44.5% from the oor. UNC associate head coach Joanne Aluka-White, White’s mother, will also coach in the Sweet 16 as UNC will take on No. 1 UConn Friday in Fort Worth, Texas. White coached against her daughter on Feb. 26 as the Tar Heels won 82-70. A potential rematch between the mother and daughter can happen in the Final Four if both teams continue to pull o upsets.

3-pointer changed college basketball; long-range shot attempts kept ticking up heading into March Madness

Teams aren’t making a higher percentage, but they’re shooting more

By Aaron Beard

The Associated Press

NO TEAM has made more 3-pointers, nor launched more, than Alabama in the past four seasons. And nothing will shake coach Nate Oats from believing they’re at the core of building a winner in modern basketball.

Teams might struggle to match the Crimson Tide’s sheer volume heading into March Madness, but they’re leaning into those long-distance shots, too.

“Finding e cient shots is at the top of what we do,” Oats said recently. “It’s at the top of what everybody in the NBA is looking at is generating ecient shots. And if you’re not thinking about how to get open catch-and-shoot 3s, I don’t think you’re thinking about creating e cient shots.”

This marks the 40th season with the 3-pointer fully integrated into college basketball, an advancement that has transformed the sport since its 1986-87 introduction.

Division I teams ttingly have taken nearly 40% of their shots from behind the arc in this 40th season of the 3, yet a fraction of Final Four teams and NCAA champions in the 3-point era have utilized it to this year’s levels with their seasons on the line.

Higher volume

The 3-point shooting percentage has barely moved. Di-

vision I teams have bounced from around 33-35% shooting on 3s going back to the 2002- 03 season, with this year at 34.1% entering the week.

Yet 3s have gone from accounting for 32.1% of all shot attempts in 2002-03 to a 24-season high of 39.5% this year, according to SportRadar. And 3s account for 29.8% of all made shots in Division I, up from around 25% in 2002-03.

The right looks

The Crimson Tide’s 4,436 attempted 3s are 339 more than the next closest Division I team, according to SportRadar. Alabama has shot 35.5% behind the arc in that span, with 3s accounting for 48.3% of Alabama’s shot attempts.

“The math part of it is how can you create the most ecient o ense, and how can you try to keep the other team from running the e cient o ense?”

said Oats, whose team is the Midwest Region’s 4-seed.

“Well if you’re all in on getting the most e cient shots you can, the 3-point line and taking 3s has to be a part of that. It just does.”

Gravity’s pull

Duke coach Jon Scheyer is only in his fourth season as successor to retired Hall of Famer Mike Krzyzewski, so he’s been willing to adjust his approach in these early years of his tenure. That’s included an uptick in 3-point usage.

“For me, it’s actually not even the fact of shooting more 3s,” Scheyer said. “It’s about having the threat to shoot the 3. And I think that’s the big-

gest key, is spacing. ... Because that’s what opens up drives. That’s what open up free throws. That’s what opens second-chance points. So I think naturally by having really good spacing, you do end up shooting more 3s.”

Duke’s rst two teams took 36.4% of their shots from 3-point range, with 3s accounting for 28% of their made baskets. Last year, those numbers jumped to 44.6% and 34.9%; it made sense considering Duke was led by No. 1 overall NBA draft pick Cooper Flagg and No. 4 pick Kon Knueppel — who has set an NBA rookie single-season 3-point record and has a league-best 238.

This year’s team uses what Scheyer has likened more to a “smashmouth” approach with a big frontline led by freshman NBA prospect and Associated Press rst-team All-American Cameron Boozer. And yet, even as the No. 1 overall tournament seed has routinely pummeled teams in the paint and on the glass, the 3-pointer accounts for a similar percentage of Duke’s attempted shots (44.4%) and made baskets (31.8%). Scheyer gures it’s about nding the right balance in shot selection, along with a good shooter’s “gravity” in pulling defenders from the paint.

“You can still establish yourself inside while you still shoot 3s,” Scheyer said. “Now if you’re shooting other shots and just living on the perimeter, well yeah, I think it’s tough to win that way, because the best shot you can get is a layup or a dunk or get to the free-throw line. But if you’re shooting 3s, you better be really good at it.”

SIDELINE REPORT

MLB

Arozarena apologizes to Seattle teammate Raleigh over WBC comments

Randy Arozarena apologized to Seattle Mariners teammate Cal Raleigh after Arozarena cursed out the catcher for not returning a handshake at the World Baseball Classic. Arozarena’s statement said he doesn’t want the incident to “be a distraction. Cal and I have talked and I apologized for what I said after the game.” The incident took place March 9 when Arozarena reached down to greet Raleigh at home plate, and Raleigh declined to o er his hand back in a game where the Americans beat Mexico 5-3. Arozarena cursed in four dialects afterward as he reacted to Raleigh’s snub.

NCAA WOMEN’S BASKETBALL

Clemson shining March moment wiped out because of clock mistake

Columbia, S.C.

A clock issue cost Clemson an apparent buzzer-beater in the women’s NCAA Tournament. Mia Moore made a running 3-pointer at the buzzer against Southern California, but o cials looked at video and determined that the clock hadn’t started on time. That meant the 4.4 seconds left when Clemson inbounded the ball had expired before Moore got her shot o . USC went on to win 71-67 in overtime. Clemson coach Shawn Poppie called it “a tough, tough day.”

TENNIS

Wimbledon introduces video review on 6 courts for this year’s tournament

London Wimbledon will use video review technology for the rst time at this year’s tournament. The All England Club says it will have the technology available on Centre Court, No. 1 Court — the club’s second-biggest stadium — plus four other show courts. Players will be allowed to review speci c calls made by the chair umpire — such as double bounces. Video review made its Grand Slam tennis debut at the 2023 U.S. Open. The Australian Open also uses the technology.

NBA Durant passes Jordan for No 5 on NBA scoring list in Rockets’ win

Houston On the night Kevin Durant passed Michael Jordan for fth on the NBA’s all-time scoring list, the 37-year-old was already looking ahead. “Four more (spots) to go,” he said. Durant scored 27 points in Houston’s win to move past Jordan. Durant had 21 points entering the fourth quarter and hit back-to-back 3-pointers with less than ve minutes left, from nearly the same spot in the right corner, to give him 32,294 points, two more than Jordan.

Dominant performances by top seeds now commonplace at NCAA Tournament

Big schools have big advantages in the tournament

By Will Graves The Associated Press

THERE IS STILL mad-

ness in March. There are buzzer-beaters. Upsets. Postgame tears. “Wait, what?” moments that go viral and become part of NCAA Tournament lore.

The chaos that makes the tournament such a captivating three-week spectacle is just getting a little harder to come by these days. And that might not be changing any time soon.

For every High Point and VCU — which shredded perfect brackets by the millions while pulling rst-round stunners over power-conference schools — there is an ever-increasing helping of chalk as favorites crush the dreams of potential Cinderellas before they even catch a glimpse of a glass slipper.

The top four seeds in each region went 16-0 across an opening two days that were only occasionally compelling and competitive, just as the top four seeds did a year ago. The average margin of victory in the rst round was 17.4 points, the highest since the tournament expanded to 64 (and then 68) teams. Fourteen games were decided by at least 20 points, a record, and Florida won by 59 — the second-biggest margin in tournament history.

Transfers and NIL increase the gap between haves and have-nots

It’s not a coincidence that this run of dominance has come nearly in lockstep with the easing of transfer rules and the ability of athletes to make money o their name, image and likeness.

Saint Louis was one of the rare lower-seeded teams to make it to the round of 32 when the ninth-seeded Bil-

likens raced by eighth-seeded Georgia last Thursday. Less than 48 hours later, they were run o the oor by top-seeded Michigan.

“I think the talent gap at the top is more signi cant than it was,” Saint Louis coach Josh Schertz said. “I think NIL has created that, where just the size and physicality, the di erences between the top ve or 10 teams and everybody else ... I do think there’s a chasm.”

The math is easy: The bigger the school, the bigger the budget. The bigger the budget, the easier it is to attract top talent, including raiding the rosters of schools lower on the food chain.

“These teams that don’t have the resources; it’s just hard to keep anyone longer than one year,” Texas Tech coach Grant McCasland said. “If you’re great, it’s like, you’re in a catch-22. If you play great, you’re gone because there’s people with more resources.”

Mid-major schools are also struggling to put together a schedule that prepares them for the step up in competition that awaits in March.

It can sometimes lead to ugly mismatches like the ones peppered across this year’s opening round.

High Point wasn’t one of those teams. The Big South champion Panthers more than held their own in fending o fth-seeded Wisconsin last Thursday, continuing a long tradition of 12th-seeded bracket busters.

Still, Panthers coach Flynn Clayman said he would like to see things “tweaked” so power-conference programs are incentivized to hit the road or play on a neutral court every once in a while against strong mid-majors.

“Fans deserve to see High Point versus a good team in the nonconference,” Clayman said. “You can run down

Is James running out of records

How LeBron’s list of accomplishments keeps growing

By Tim Reynolds The Associated Press

LEBRON JAMES might be running out of records to chase. He already has gotten plenty of them: most points scored, most seasons played, most minutes played, most All-NBA selections, most All-Star selections, most eld goals made, most eld goals attempted, most playo games, most playo points, highest career earnings.

And that list doesn’t even include ones that James’ Los Angeles Lakers teammate Austin Reaves adds to the tally — highly nuanced and perhaps made-up categories like the most sneakers worn and most shoestrings used.

“He says a new stat every day about me,” James said.

James took outright possession of yet another record when he started the 1,612th regular-season game of his career — breaking a tie with Robert Parish for the most in NBA history. It’s an obvious tribute to James’ longevity. He is in his 23rd season, one more than Vince Carter’s previous record. There are 79 players who have logged NBA minutes this season and weren’t even born when James played his debut game in the league on Oct. 29, 2003.

“It’s not like I’m like writing things down and looking at the record book and saying: ‘I’m going to get that, I’m going to get that, I’m going to get that.’ It just kind of happened,” James said. “It was not on the list of things that I wanted to accomplish.

“I wanted to be the best player in this league at some

Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James smiles during a game against the Boston Celtics.

“It’s not like I’m like writing things down and looking at the record book and saying: ‘I’m going to get that, I’m going to get that, I’m going to get that.’ It just kind of happened.”

LeBron James

point.” I wanted to be one of the greatest, if not the greatest, to ever play this game. I wanted to be an NBA champion. I wanted to possibly win rookie of the year, make All-Star appearances, win a gold medal, win some MVPs, those were some of my goals. But some of the stu that’s just been happening over the course of the last few years has been super-duper cool.”

The records James has

A breakdown of some of the NBA records that James owns at this point:

• Points. James entered Saturday with 43,229 points. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar is second on the list with 38,387.

• Minutes played: James’ total was 60,676. Only seven players have reached 50,000 in their careers.

• Field goals: James (15,884) recently passed Abdul-Jabbar (15,837). Karl Malone is the only other player with more than 13,000 makes.

• Field-goal attempts: At 31,350, James is just over 3,000 shots ahead of Abdul-Jabbar.

• Consecutive double-digit games: James’ streak of 1,297 consecutive regular-season games with at least 10 points ended earlier this season. Michael Jordan (866) had the second-longest such streak. Kevin Durant has the longest active streak; he’d have to play until at least 2038 to catch James.

• Most award selections: 22 All-Star selections and 21 All-NBA picks.

• Double-digit games: James has scored 10 or more points in 99.44% of his regular-season games, a staggering 1,602 times out of the rst 1,611 appearances. He also is the leader in 20- and 30-point games

the list. Look at Santa Clara (against Kentucky), what a game that is. They deserve to get games.”

Purdue’s Matt Painter understands the frustration but isn’t sure those games will happen with any regularity. The Boilermakers played three mid-majors this season, all at home. Any true road or neutral-site nonconference games will likely be saved for other power-conference programs as schools try to boost their NCAA Tournament resumes.

And that could make the brackets even chalkier as the years go on.

Still, all it takes is one thunderclap moment by an underdog for the chalk to be washed away. That remains the ultimate lure of March. For now.

“I think there was some teams that ducked us this year,” High Point forward Cam’Ron Fletcher said. “But, I mean, like coach Flynn say, we’re here now, so ... there’s no ducking anymore.”

In the tournament, for better or worse, there never is.

to chase?

— and is tied with Allen Iverson for sixth most on the 40-point-game list.

• Playo scoring: James has 8,289 playo points; nobody else has even reached 6,000.

• On-court earnings: He’s up to around $580 million through this season, and that doesn’t take into account his massive o -court empire.

Where can James still move up?

No. 1 on these all-time lists might be hard to get, but James can move up a few notches in a couple of categories (assuming he returns to play next season).

• Assists: James is fourth on the all-time list and almost certainly isn’t going to catch record holder John Stockton (15,806), but he could catch Jason Kidd (12,091) early next season and Chris Paul (12,552) by the end of next season.

• Steals: Stockton’s record (3,265) is out of reach, and Paul’s No. 2 spot (2,728) and Kidd’s No. 3 spot (2,684) likely are as well. But James — currently sixth on the list — could catch No. 5 Gary Payton (2,445) and No. 4 Michael Jordan (2,514).

• Made 3-pointers: James is currently sixth, and odds are that’s where he’ll be whenever he retires, unless he plays multiple seasons after this.

Stephen Curry, James Harden, Ray Allen, Klay Thompson and Damian Lillard are the ve names ahead of James on the 3s list; of those, Allen is the only one who is retired, and he’s more than 300 ahead.

• Triple-doubles: Russell Westbrook (209), Nikola Jokic (191) and Oscar Robertson (181) aren’t within reach. But James (currently fth with 124) could pass Magic Johnson (138).

this week in history

Victory at Iwo Jima, Reagen shot, Alaska bought for $7.2M, Apple Computer founded

The Associated Press

MARCH 26

1917: The Seattle Metropolitans became the rst U.S. ice hockey team to win the Stanley Cup, defeating the Montreal Canadiens 9-1 to clinch the championship series three games to one.

1945: U.S. forces declared victory in the Battle of Iwo Jima against Japan. About 27,000 U.S. Marines and Navy personnel were killed or wounded during the 36-day battle, while more than 18,000 Japanese troops died.

1997: The bodies of 39 members of the Heaven’s Gate were discovered inside a rented mansion in Rancho Santa Fe, California, after the group carried out a mass suicide.

MARCH 27

1794: Congress approved the “Act to Provide a Naval Armament” authorizing six-a rmed ships and laying the foundation for the permanent U.S. Navy.

1912: In Washington, D.C., rst lady Helen Herron Taft and the wife of Japan’s ambassador to the United States, Viscountess Chinda, planted the rst two of 3,000 cherry trees given as a gift from the mayor of Tokyo.

1964: Alaska was struck by a magnitude 9.2 earthquake — still the strongest recorded in North America — followed by tsunamis that together killed more than 130 people.

MARCH 28

1935: The Nazi propaganda lm “Triumph des Willens”

GEORGE CHARLES BERESFORD / ADAM CUERDEN VIA WIKIPEDIA

On March 28, 1941, British author Virginia Woolf, best known for novels such as “Mrs. Dalloway,” died by suicide at age 59 near her home in Lewes, East Sussex, England.

(“Triumph of the Will”), directed by Leni Riefenstahl, premiered in Berlin with Adolf Hitler in attendance.

1941: Author Virginia Woolf, 59, drowned herself near her home in Lewes, East Sussex, England.

1979: America’s worst commercial nuclear accident occurred when a reactor at the Three Mile Island nuclear power plant near Middletown, Pennsylvania, partially melted down.

MARCH 29

1943: World War II rationing of meat, fats and cheese began in the United States, limiting consumers to about two pounds a week of beef, pork, lamb and mutton through a coupon system.

1951: Julius and Ethel Rosenberg were convicted in New York of conspiracy to commit espionage for the Soviet Union. (They were executed in June 1953.)

1974: Chinese farmers digging a well uncovered fragments of buried terra-cotta gures, leading archaeologists to dis-

cover the famed “Terracotta A rmy” — more than 8,000 life-size soldiers and other gures.

MARCH 30

1822: Florida became a United States territory.

1867: U.S. Secretary of State William H. Seward reached agreement with Russia to purchase Alaska for $7.2 million.

1981: President Ronald Reagan was shot and seriously wounded by John Hinckley Jr. outside a Washington, D.C., hotel. White House press secretary James Brady and two others were also wounded.

MARCH 31

1492: Spain’s King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella issued the Alhambra Decree ordering Jews to leave Spanish territory unless they converted to Christianity.

1854: Japan and the United States signed the Treaty of Kanagawa, opening two Japanese ports to American ships and beginning Japan’s move away from isolation.

1889: The Ei el Tower in Paris opened for dignitaries; at 1,024 feet, it was the tallest structure in the world at the time.

APRIL 1

1945: American forces launched the amphibious invasion of Okinawa during World War II. The island was captured June 22 after a battle that left more than 240,000 dead.

1976: Apple Computer was founded by Steve Jobs, Steve Wozniak and Ronald Wayne.

1984: Singer Marvin Gaye was shot and killed by his father after intervening in an argument between his parents at their home.

March

led

Chappell Roan pushes back after Jorginho alleges stepdaughter was mistreated

The girl is the daughter of Jude Law and the soccer’s star wife

The Associated Press

RIO DE JANEIRO — Grammy-winning singer Chappell Roan responded on Sunday to accusations made by Brazilian Italian soccer star Jorginho that a security guard mistreated his 11-year-old stepdaughter after she recognized the singer.

Jorginho Frello, a player for Flamengo widely known as Jorginho, said his wife and the child were staying at the same hotel in Sao Paulo as the singer, who is in the country for the Lollapalooza Brazil music festival, when the controversy occurred.

“During breakfast, the artist walked past their table. My daughter, like any child, recognized her, got excited and just wanted to make sure it was really her,” Jorginho said, in a lengthy text posted on Instagram in Portuguese and English on Saturday.

Cavaliere, weighed in on the controversy late on Saturday, saying that while he was mayor, Roan would never perform on Copacabana Beach as Madonna and Lady Gaga have, and as Shakira will do in May.

The actor died in 2025 following complications from throat cancer

By Jake Coyle

The Associated Press

NEW YORK — A year after the actor’s death, a generative AI version of Val Kilmer will co-star in an independent lm in one of the boldest uses yet of arti cial intelligence in moviemaking.

First Line Films announced last week that Kilmer has posthumously joined the cast of a lm titled “As Deep as the Grave.” The producers said that, before his death, Kilmer had signed on to perform in the movie but was unable to because of his health.

Kilmer’s estate gave permission for his digital replication and is being compensated for it. Mercedes Kilmer, the actor’s daughter, said the role resonated with her father.

“She didn’t say anything, didn’t ask for anything,” Jorginho said, adding that a security guard then came over to his family’s table and spoke “in an extremely aggressive manner to both my wife and my daughter.”

“He always looked at emerging technologies with optimism as a tool to expand the possibilities of storytelling,” she said in a statement. “This spirit is something that we are all honoring within this speci c lm, of which he was an integral part.”

Kilmer died last April at the age of 65 from pneumonia. In 2014, Kilmer was diagnosed with throat cancer and required two tracheotomies. After losing his natural speaking voice, Kilmer turned to an AI software company to digital recreate his voice. In his nal screen performance, 2022’s “Top Gun: Maverick,” Kilmer’s voice was digitally altered.

Jorginho said that Roan did not deserve her fans’ a ection.

“It’s unfair for security to just assume someone doesn’t have good intentions,” Roan said.

“I do not hate people who are fans of my music. I do not hate children.”

Rio’s new mayor, Eduardo

Roan addressed the incident on Sunday, also on Instagram. The singer said that the security guard was not her personal security and she didn’t see a woman and a child.

“I doubt that Shakira would do that!” he said, adding that Jorginho’s daughter would be a guest of honor at the Colombian superstar’s upcoming free concert on Rio’s sprawling sands. Cavaliere replaced former Rio Mayor Eduardo Paes on Friday. Roan, who is openly queer and taps into drag culture, was the sassy toast of the pop world in 2024 with tracks that include “Good Luck, Babe!” “Red Wine Supernova” and “Hot To Go!” from her 2023 album “The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess.” Roan nudged aside Sabrina Carpenter to win the Grammy for best new artist last February.

After the lengthy texts, Jorginho posted a story of his daughter’s excited reaction upon arriving at Carpenter’s show at Lollapalooza. “Everything is well with the girls, and thanks for the messages,” he said.

er this month, it debuted a music video.

SAG-AFTRA, the actors union, has condemned Xicoia’s “AI actor,” but it has regulations around other uses of the technology. Its rules stipulate that consent from performers must be given for the use of digital replicas.

a demonstrator for how to do it ethically and correctly, especially in the case of working with a deceased actor’s estate and family,” they said.

“It was very unfortunate that his health at the time prevented him from playing this role which spoke to him spiritually and culturally,” Voorhees said. “We are honored to collaborate with his daughter Mercedes, who brings her own lmmaking experience, to bring this character to life in the way that we had all originally imagined it.” AI-rendered actor Kilmer will posthumously appear in new lm

The use of arti cial intelligence in lmmaking has been one of the most contentious topics in Hollywood in recent years. Lately, some have attempted to make greater inroads for AI-generated performance. The company Xicoia last year launched the AI-concocted persona “Tilly Norwood”; earli-

“Consent not obtained before death must be obtained from an authorized representative or the union,” reads its guidance.

In an email, writer-director Coerte Voorhees and producer John Voorhees said SAG guidelines were followed.

“We believe we are serving as

“As Deep as the Grave,” formerly titled “Canyon of the Dead,” was shot several years ago but has been stuck in postproduction. It’s based on a true story about the archaeologists Ann and Earl Morris, whose Arizona excavations uncovered Native American history. The AI version of Kilmer plays Father Fintan, a Catholic priest and Native American spiritualist. The cast includes Abigail Lawrie, Tom Felton,

Wes Studi and Abigail Breslin. Coerte Voorhees said Kilmer, who identi ed as part Native American, was drawn to the project ve years ago. Producers are seeking distribution with the hope of releasing the lm this year.

famous birthdays this week

Diana Ross celebrates 82, Michael York hits 84, Eric Idle turns 83, Raleigh native Amy Sedaris is 65

THESE CELEBRITIES have birthdays this week.

MARCH 26

Basketball Hall of Famer Wayne Embry is 89. Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi is 86. Author Erica Jong is 84. Journalist Bob Woodward is 83.

Singer Diana Ross is 82. Rock

singer Steven Tyler (Aerosmith) is 78. Actor-comedian Martin Short is 76.

MARCH 27

Actor Michael York is 84. Film director Quentin Tarantino is 63. Singer Mariah Carey is 57. Actor Pauley Perrette is 57.

Actor Nathan Fillion is 55. Singer Fergie is 51.

MARCH 28

Basketball Hall of Famer Rick Barry is 82. Actor Dianne Wiest is 78. Singer-actor Reba McEntire is 71. Olympic gymnastics gold medalist Bart Conner is 68. Rapper Salt (Salt-N-Pepa) is 60.

Actor Vince Vaughn is 56. Actor Julia Stiles is 45. Singer-actor Lady Gaga is 40.

MARCH 29

Comedian Eric Idle is 83. Former British Prime Minister John Major is 83. Basketball Hall of Famer Walt Frazier is 81. Football Hall of Famer Earl Campbell is 71. Actor Brendan Gleeson is 71. Comedian-actor Amy Sedaris is 65.

MARCH 30

Actor John Astin is 96. Actor-director Warren Beatty is 89. Basketball Hall of Famer Jerry Lucas is 86. Musician Eric Clapton is 81. Actor Paul Reiser is 70. Rap artist MC Hammer is 64. Singer Tracy Chapman is 62. TV personality Piers Morgan is 61. Singer Celine Dion is 58.

MARCH 31

Actor William Daniels is 99.

Actor Shirley Jones is 92. Musician-producer Herb Alpert is 91.

Actor Christopher Walken is 83.

Raleigh native Amy Sedaris turns 65 on Sunday.

Former Vice President Al Gore is 78. Actor Rhea Perlman is 78. Rock musician Angus Young (AC/DC) is 71.

APRIL 1

Actor Ali MacGraw is 87. Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito is 76. Actor Annette O’Toole is 74. Filmmaker Barry Sonnenfeld is 73. Singer Susan Boyle is 65. Hockey Hall of Famer Scott Stevens is 62. Political commentator Rachel Maddow is 53.

Charlie Puth, Daniel Day-Lewis, Robyn, James Marsden, ‘Hannah Montana’ special

Red Hot Chile Pepper’s bassist Flea drops his debut solo album

The Associated Press

A “HANNAH MONTANA” anniversary special starring Miley Cyrus, fresh music from Robyn and a Charlie Puth album are some of the new television, lms, music and games headed to a device near you. Also among the streaming o erings worth your time this week: the Oscar-winning Norwegian family drama “Sentimental Value,” James Marsden as a hit man in “Mike & Nick & Nick & Alice,” and the San Francisco Giants host the New York Yankees on Net ix’s rst MLB broadcast.

MOVIES TO STREAM

In “Mike & Nick & Nick & Alice” (Friday on Disney+), Marsden plays a hitman named Mike who’s hired by a time traveler named Nick (Vince Vaughn). Nick wants to prevent the biggest mistake of his life by killing his past self. Writer-director Ben David Grabinski’s lm recently premiered at the SXSW lm festival.

Following its win at the Academy Awards, Joachim Trier’s Norwegian family drama “Sentimental Value” is streaming now on Hulu. Nominated for nine Oscars, including best picture, it won for best international lm. In it, Renate Reinsve and Inga Ibsdotter Lilleaas play sisters who reconnect with their lmmaker father (Stellan Skarsgård), who’s making an autobiographical lm starring an American actor (Elle Fanning). In her review, AP Film Writer Lindsey Bahr wrote that the lm’s focus “may be small and limited — one Norwegian family struggling to connect and communicate — and yet its emotional scope is downright cosmic.”

Daniel Day-Lewis came out of retirement to star in his rst lm since 2017’s “Phantom Thread” in “Anemone” (Saturday on Net ix), a family drama directed by his son, Ronan Day-Lewis. In it, Day-Lewis plays a hermit in the North England woods who’s visited by an old friend (Sean Bean) sent to bring him back to his son. In her review, AP’s Jocelyn Noveck called it “bleak, somber, absorb -

ing but also sometimes frustratingly opaque.”

MUSIC TO STREAM

The Red Hot Chili Peppers’ eccentric bassist Flea will release his debut album on Friday. And in a true shock to those who don’t know him, it’s a trumpet-forward jazz record. You read that correctly. Long before the rocker made a name for himself in a band known for songs about California, he was a huge jazz fan, a musical world he explores on the record titled “Honora.” Come for the name,

stay for his inventive improvisations and star-studded collaborations, which include Radiohead’s Thom Yorke and the always introspective Nick Cave. A lot has happened to Puth in the time since the singer/ songwriter’s last album, “Charlie,” was released in 2022. He got married. He’s expecting his rst child. He performed at the Super Bowl. Taylor Swift gave him a shoutout on her album “The Tortured Poets Department.” And now, he’s embracing it all on a new record, the playful “Whatever’s Clever!” Expect fun pop songs about life and its

“(‘Sentimental Value’ may be small and limited — one Norwegian family struggling to connect and communicate — and yet its emotional scope is downright cosmic.”

Lindsey Bahr, AP Film Writer

many transformative moments. That, and some Kenny G. Swedish pop savant Robyn has returned with “Sexistential,” her rst album in eight years. It is nine tracks of shimmering synths (“Dopamine,” “Really Real”) ascendant choruses (“Into the Sun”) and rebellious pop songs that double as emotional life rafts (“Sucker for Love.”) The songs are all about freedom, single motherhood, love and lust — often in the same breath. It’s a lascivious collection for the dance oor: exactly what most pop stars hope to achieve, many fail, and Robyn makes look e ortless.

SERIES TO STREAM

“Hannah Montana” made Cyrus a star, and a new special now streaming on Disney+ celebrates 20 years since the show’s

premiere. Filmed in front of a live audience, the “Hannah Montana 20th Anniversary Special” features music, archival footage and an interview with Cyrus, hosted by podcast host Alex Cooper.

A bride-to-be starts to get a bad feeling about her impending nuptials. Is it cold feet or intuition? “Something Very Bad is Going to Happen” stars Camila Morrone (“Daisy Jones & The Six”) and Adam DiMarco (“The White Lotus”) star in the new creepy limited-series debuting Thursday on Net ix.

VIDEO GAMES TO PLAY

In 2015’s Life Is Strange, a young woman named Max rewound time to save her childhood friend Chloe’s life. The series has bounced around since between di erent lead characters with di erent supernatural gifts, but Max and Chloe are back in Life Is Strange: Reunion. Max is now a teacher whose university has been destroyed by an inferno — and when she turns back the clock this time, Chloe shows up. Does she have mysterious powers of her own? Can they save the school and their relationship? If you’re craving an emotional, metaphysical mystery, you can check in Thursday on PlaySta-

5, Xbox X/S or PC.