Team USA forward Brady Tkachuk, foreground, takes a photo of Hurricanes defenseman Jaccob Slavin and his family after the United States defeated Canada 2-1 in overtime Sunday to win the men’s hockey gold medal at the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan, Italy.
U.S. military boards
third oil tanker in Indian Ocean
The Pentagon says U.S. military forces have boarded a third sanctioned oil tanker in the Indian Ocean after tracking it from the Caribbean Sea in an e ort to target illicit oil connected to Venezuela.
U.S. forces boarded the Bertha overnight. President Donald Trump had ordered a quarantine of sanctioned tankers near Venezuela in December to pressure then-President Nicolás Maduro before his capture. Venezuela faced U.S. sanctions on its oil for several years, relying on a shadow eet of falsely agged tankers to smuggle crude into global supply chains.
Supreme Court rules Postal Service can’t be sued
A divided Supreme Court has ruled that Americans can’t sue the U.S. Postal Service, even when employees deliberately refuse to deliver mail. By a 5-4 vote Tuesday, the justices ruled against Texas landlord Lebene Konan, who alleged her mail was intentionally withheld for two years. Konan is black and claims racial prejudice played a role in postal employees’ actions. Justice Clarence Thomas wrote in his majority opinions the federal law that generally shields the Postal Service from lawsuits over missing, lost and undelivered mail includes “the intentional nondelivery of mail.” Justice Sonia Sotomayor wrote in dissent the immunity doesn’t apply to situations when the decision not to deliver mail “was driven by malicious reasons.”
$2.00
Chatham County farmer takes small-batch craft to national moonshine stage
By Dan Reeves Chatham News & Record
BEAR CREEK — Daniel Stevens spends most mornings the same way he has for years — tending poultry houses, check-
ing cattle and keeping a Chatham County farm running.
On March 3 at 9 p.m., though, Stevens trades feed bins and fence lines for a national television audience. The Bear Creek farmer will appear on the Dis-
covery Channel in a competitive moonshine series lmed last June in Asheville.
Out of roughly 20,000 applicants, producers narrowed the eld to 200 before Discovery selected 27 new distillers across two seasons. Each episode features three competitors, with one winner advancing to potential future appearances.
Stevens didn’t grow up in a long line of distillers. He was born in Redhouse, West Virginia, and moved to Bear Creek at age 10. His parents started the family farm, and he took it over in 2016. Farming is the family business. Distilling came later. Yet in North Carolina —
Armed NC man shot, killed at Mar-a-Lago never interested in politics,
Authorities say the 21-year-old groundskeeper purchased the shotgun while driving to Florida
By Allen G. Breed The Associated Press
CAMERON — The 21-year-old North Carolina man who drove through a gate at President
Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago resort with a shotgun before he was shot and killed worked as a golf course groundskeeper and liked to sketch.
Austin Tucker Martin rare -
ly, if ever, talked about politics, seemed afraid of guns and came from a family of Trump supporters, according to Braeden Fields, a cousin who said the two grew up together.
“I wouldn’t believe he would do something like this. It’s mind-blowing,” Fields said. “He wouldn’t even hurt an ant. He
Police nding criminal suspects based on online searches as courts weigh privacy concerns
“Unfettered access to the thoughts, feelings, concerns and secrets of countless people” Amicus brief
Investigators work backward from search terms to identify suspects
By Mark Scolforo The Associated Press
HARRISBURG, Pa. —
Criminal investigators hoping to develop suspects in di cult cases have been asking Google to reveal who searched for speci c information online, seeking “reverse keyword” warrants that critics warn threaten the privacy of innocent people.
Unlike traditional search warrants that target a known suspect or location, keyword
warrants work backward by identifying internet addresses where searches were made in a certain window of time for particular terms, such as a street address where a crime occurred or a phrase like “pipe bomb.”
Police have used the method to investigate a series of bombings in Texas, the assassination of a Brazilian politician and a fatal arson in Colorado.
It’s not a wild guess by investigators to conclude that people are using Google searches in all manner of crimes, as the company’s search engine has become the main gateway to the internet and users’ daily lives
doesn’t even know how to use a gun.”
Martin drove into the secure perimeter at Mar-a-Lago early Sunday and raised a shotgun at two Secret Service agents and a Palm Beach County sheri ’s deputy who then opened re
Feb. 16
• Crecencio Solares Martinez, 25, was arrested for driving while impaired, reckless driving to endanger persons or property and driving without an operator’s license.
Miguel Angel Benitez, 20, was arrested for assault by strangulation, assault on a pregnant woman, misdemeanor crime of domestic violence and battery of an unborn child.
• Evan Jair Martinez, 21, was arrested for breaking and entering, entering to terrorize or injure, injury to real property and aiding and abetting.
Feb. 17
Alexander Joseph Serrone, 19, was arrested for rst-degree sexual exploitation of a minor, seconddegree forcible sex o ense, crime against nature and indecent liberties with a child.
• Thomas Coy Brooks, 47, was arrested for misdemeanor larceny.
Mauricio Amado Perez Vasquez, 44, was arrested for driving while impaired, driving on a revoked license, expired registration, driving without an operator’s license and possession of an open container or consuming alcohol in a passenger area.
• Arlinda Shaw, 54, was arrested for habitual larceny, misdemeanor larceny and shoplifting by concealment of goods.
Feb. 18
• Jose Manuel Menendez, 25, was arrested for driving on a revoked license and no liability insurance.
Rachel Diane Byrd, 25, was arrested for larceny from the person and simple assault.
Hannah Marley, 30, was arrested for motor vehicle theft.
Feb. 19
Shantina Marie Thompson, 24, was arrested for resisting a public o cer and simple a ray.
Feb. 20
Bernarda Arroyo Gomez, 53, was arrested for misdemeanor stalking.
Lorenzo Eavan Nettles, 35, was arrested for possession of methamphetamine.
Federal o cials say the nonpro t’s race-based eligibility violates civil rights law
By Jocelyn Gecker and Collin Binkley The Associated Press
THE TRUMP administration said last Thursday its campaign to end diversity programs in higher education has led dozens of universities to cut ties with an organization known as The PhD Project, which helps racial minorities earn doctorate degrees.
The PhD Project was a little-known nonpro t group until it caught the attention of conservative strategists last year and became the focus of an investigation by the U.S. Department of Education. The Republican administration says school diversity programs often exclude white and Asian American students.
The investigation, opened in March 2025, has resulted in 31 universities agreeing to end partnerships with the group, the department’s O ce for Civil Rights said last week. Negotiations are continuing with 14 additional schools, it said.
The department said in its statement that The PhD Project “unlawfully limits eligibility based on the race of participants” and that institutions partnering with it violated Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which bars discrimination on the basis of race, color or national origin in education programs and activities that receive federal money.
“This is the Trump e ect in action: institutions of higher education are agreeing to cut ties with discriminatory organizations, recommitting themselves to abiding by federal law, and restoring equality of opportunity on campuses across the nation,” Education Secretary Linda McMahon said.
Many of the schools promptly cut ties with The PhD Project after the investigation was opened in order to avoid entanglements with the administration. It had undertaken the inquiries
after warning schools they could lose federal money over “race -based preferences.”
The PhD Project is one of many nonpro ts that helps underrepresented groups gain access to higher education.
“The PhD Project was founded with the goal of providing more role models in the front of business classrooms and this remains our goal today,” the organization said in a statement. The website says it has “helped more than 1,500 members earn their doctoral degree.”
The group of 31 colleges listed by the department included major public research universities such as Arizona State, Ohio State and the University of Michigan, along with prestigious private schools like Yale, Duke and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
MIT, like many of the schools cited in the investigation, had paid The PhD Project “a nominal fee” to participate in the group’s university fairs or conferences, allowing MIT to send representatives to answer questions about attending their school, spokesperson Kimberly Allen said.
MIT informed the government in April 2025 it had ended its participation in such conferences and was noti ed months later that the O ce for Civil Rights had found it in violation of Title VI. The school signed a “resolution agreement” with the department about a week ago
to resolve the matter “but explicitly did not admit any liability, wrongdoing or violation of any law or regulation,” Allen said.
The University of North Dakota said it, too, promptly ended its membership with The PhD Project two weeks after the investigation was announced last year.
“The University became a member of the PhD Project to have access to the PhD Project’s member directory and applicant database, to be able to recruit a larger pool of quali ed applicants for faculty positions,” spokesperson David Dodds said in a statement.
The University of Utah said it had a table at annual conferences hosted by the nonpro t in the 2024-25 school year and two previous years. It cut ties with the project in October after settling with the department, university spokesperson Rebecca Walsh said.
Out of 170 PhD students admitted to Utah’s business school over the past 14 years, just two were involved through the PhD Project, Walsh said.
The Education Department said that all of the 31 universities have also agreed to review partnerships with other organizations “to identify any that violate Title VI by restricting participation based on race.”
The administration has targeted a wide range of practices that it has labeled as diversity, equity and inclusion.
Horse’s neigh may be unique in animal kingdom; now scientists know how they do it
Their distinctive calls combine vocal cord vibration with internal whistling
By Adithi Ramakrishnan The Associated Press
NEW YORK — Horses whinny to nd new friends, greet old ones and celebrate happy moments like feeding time. How exactly horses produce that distinctive sound — also called a neigh — has long eluded scientists.
The whinny is an unusual combination of both high- and low-pitched sounds, like a cross between a grunt and a squeal — that come out at the same time. The low-pitched part wasn’t much of a mystery. It comes from air passing over bands of tissue in the voice box that make noise when they vibrate. It’s a technique similar to how humans speak and sing.
But the high-pitched piece is more puzzling. With some exceptions, larger animals have larger vocal systems and typically make lower sounds. So how do horses do it?
According to a new study, they whistle. Researchers slid a small camera through horses’ noses to lm what happened inside while they whinnied and made an-
SUE OGROCKI / AP PHOTO
A horse whinnies in a barn at the Oklahoma State Fairgrounds in Oklahoma City during a cutting horse competition in June 2011.
other common horse sound, the softer, subtler nicker. They also conducted detailed scans and blew air through the isolated voice boxes of dead horses.
The whinny’s mysterious high-pitched tones, they discovered, are a kind of whistling that starts in the horse’s voice box. Air vibrates the tissues in the voice box while an area just above contracts, leaving a small opening for the whistle to escape. That’s di erent from human whistling, which we do with our mouths.
“I’d never imagined that there was a whistling component. It’s really interesting, and I can hear that now,” said Jenifer Nadeau, who studies horses at the University of Connecticut. Na-
Here’s a quick look at what’s coming up in Chatham County.
Now through Feb. 26
Virtual Film Screening: “From Sea to Shining Sea”
The Chatham Community Library will present this lm virtually all day on Feb. 19 as part of its America 250 celebrations. The 2025 lm tells the story of Katharine Lee Bates, the woman who penned the poem upon which the song “America the Beautiful” is based. The link to log in to the movie is Vimeo PRO. A password is required to view; contact social. library@chathamlibraries.org to request one.
21
The History Between the Lines Book Club
9:30 a.m.
Delve into Thomas Healy’s 2021 book, “Soul City: Race, Equality, and the Lost Dream of an American Utopia,” in honor of Black History Month. Participation is free. Chatham County Historical Museum 9 Hillsboro St. Pittsboro
Feb. 25
Paint & Sip Gathering for Chatham Young Professionals
5-7 p.m.
This guided painting experience is sponsored by the Chatham Chamber and is a networking opportunity for professionals 40 and under. For more information, contact Cheryl Littleton, at 984-265-9172.
Inspire Briar Chapel 152 Market Chapel Road Pittsboro
Feb. 26
Bynum Bite Night at BFP
6-8 p.m.
deau was not involved with the study, which was published Monday in the journal Current Biology.
A few small rodents like rats and mice whistle like this, but horses are the rst known large mammal to have a knack for it. They’re also the only animals known to be able to whistle through their voice boxes while they sing.
“Knowing that a ‘whinny’ is not just a ‘whinny’ but that it is actually composed of two different fundamental frequencies that are created by two di erent mechanisms is exciting,” said Alisa Herbst with Rutgers University’s Equine Science Center, of the study in an email.
A big lingering question is how horses’ two-toned calls came to be. Wild Przewalski’s horses can do something similar, as can elks. But more distant horse relatives like donkeys and zebras can’t make the high-pitched sounds.
The two-toned whinnies could help horses convey multiple messages at the same time. The di erently pitched neighs may help them express a more complex range of feelings when socializing, said study author Elodie Mandel-Briefer with the University of Copenhagen.
“They can express emotions in these two dimensions,” Mandel-Briefer said.
If you are an area teen with an inner geek – embrace it with kids who have similar interests at this bimonthly event at BFP. There is a virtual reality (VR) headset on-site so you can go beyond this world for a short time. Bring your projects and games and be ready to discuss your personal passion of the moment! Questions? Call Helbragga (John G.) at 919-593-3559.
Front Porch, Bynum General Store 950 Bynum Road Bynum
Bluegrass Jam Circle
10 a.m. to noon
This free acoustic jam session is open to musicians and singers of all ages and skill levels. There is no admission fee, and the public is welcome to attend.
Front Porch, Bynum General Store 950 Bynum Road Bynum
Interrupted helium ow forced the rocket back to the hangar, pushing the mission to April
By Marcia Dunn The Associated Press
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. —
In the latest setback to return astronauts to the moon, NASA delayed the highly anticipated ight yet again after a new problem cropped up with the rocket Saturday.
April is now the earliest that the four Artemis II astronauts could y to the moon.
NASA revealed the latest problem just one day after targeting March 6 for Artemis II, humanity’s rst ight to the moon in more than half a century. Overnight, the ow of helium to the rocket’s upper stage was interrupted, o cials said. Solid helium ow is essential for purging the engines and pressurizing the fuel tanks.
This helium issue has nothing to do with the hydrogen fuel leaks that marred a countdown dress rehearsal of the Space Launch System rocket earlier this month and forced a repeat test.
NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman said a bad lter, valve or connection plate could
be to blame for the stalled helium ow. Regardless of the cause, he said, the only way to access the area and x the problem is to return the 322-foot rocket to its hangar for repairs.
“We will begin preparations for rollback, and this will take the March launch window out of consideration,” Isaacman said via X. NASA’s next opportunities would be at the beginning or end of April.
“I understand people are disappointed by this development,” he added. “That disappointment is felt most by the team at NASA, who have been working tirelessly to prepare for this great endeavor.”
Earlier in the day, NASA said it was preparing to move the rocket back to the Vehicle Assembly Building at Kennedy Space Center while raising the possibility of the work being done at the pad.
The situation is dynamic, said spokeswoman Cheryl Warner. Whether the xes are at the pad or in the hangar, the rollback preparations alone rule out any chance of making a March launch, she said.
Hydrogen fuel leaks had already delayed the Artemis II lunar y-around by a month. A second fueling test last Thursday revealed hardly any leaks, giving managers the con dence
to aim for a March lifto . The four astronauts went into their two-week quarantine Friday evening, mandatory for avoiding germs.
Everything worked ne with the rocket’s helium system during both dress rehearsals, Isaacman said. The “unexpected development” cropped up later in routine testing that kept engineers up all night assessing the situation.
The interrupted helium ow is con ned to the SLS rocket’s interim cryogenic propulsion stage. This upper stage is essential for placing the Orion crew capsule into the proper high-altitude orbit around Earth for checkout, following lifto . After that, it’s supposed to separate from Orion and serve as a target for the astronauts inside the capsule, allowing them to practice docking techniques for future moon missions.
During NASA’s Apollo program, 24 astronauts ew to the moon from 1968 through 1972. The new Artemis program has completed only one ight so far, a lunar-orbiting mission without a crew in 2022. That rst test ight was also plagued by hydrogen fuel leaks before blasting o , as well as a helium issue similar to the one that arose Saturday. The rst moon landing with a crew under Artemis is still at least a few years away.
NASA’s moon rocket sits on the pad at Kennedy Space Center in Florida last Thursday.
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. Spencer Andrews will return on March 1 to speak. Andrews is the former youth pastor at Oakley and is currently ministering at Grace Hill Church in Pittsboro (gracehillchatham.com), a church he helped plant.
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.
from page A1
“to neutralize the threat,” said Sheri Ric Bradshaw. Trump, who often spends weekends at the Palm Beach, Florida, resort, was at the White House at the time. Investigators have not identi ed a motive. Trump faced two assassination attempts during the 2024 campaign, including one just a few miles from Mar-a-Lago when a man was spotted aiming a ri e through shrubbery while Trump was gol ng. Following Sunday’s incident, Secret Service spokesperson Anthony Guglielmi said investigators believe Martin bought his shotgun while driving to Florida. Authorities said his family had recently reported him missing. Martin was from central North Carolina, where guns and hunting are a part of life, his cousin said. But whenever they’d go hunting or target shooting, Martin would never pick up a gun, Fields told The Associated Press on Sunday. He lived with his mother in a modest modular house
down a rutted sandy road near the town of Cameron. No one answered the door Monday, and the large police presence from the day before was gone. Martin’s sister was killed in a car accident a few years ago, and he has an older brother who’s in the military, Fields said.
For the past three years, Martin worked as a groundskeeper at Pine Needles Lodge & Golf Club.
“It’s tragic. I feel for his family,” said Kelly Miller, president of the course in nearby Southern Pines. “It’s just unfortunate what transpired. It was totally unexpected.”
Martin last year started a business to sell pen drawings he made, according to state records. A website matching the company name features illustrations of golf courses, buildings and ancient Roman architecture.
Politics didn’t seem to be among his interests, his cousin said.
“We are big Trump supporters, all of us. Everybody,” Fields said, but his cousin was “real quiet, never really talked about anything.”
Wolfpack Women’s Basketball Camp at N.C. State University in Raleigh.
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.
Trip Ho end, publisher | Frank Hill, senior opinion editor
“If my mind can conceive it, and my heart can believe it, I know I can achieve it.”
I ONCE OFFERED a prayer at a public gathering in which I was introduced by my ministerial title. Afterward, a gentleman came up to me and wagged his pointer nger in my face, “I believe only one man was ‘revered.’”
Honestly, I agree. The “revered one” in my faith tradition warned against those leaders who walked around with their chests pu ed out and made long-winded prayers to hear the sound of their voices.
But I also think that the Rev. Jesse Jackson deserves to be remembered with respect.
After the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr., Jackson was one of the leaders who strove to pick up the mantle left by the fallen leader. He worked to build a “rainbow coalition” of poor and working-class citizens of di erent races and ethnicities in hopes “to transform the mind of America.” In the 1980s, he campaigned for the nomination of the president of the United States, and while he didn’t win, he helped to change the face of politics.
Like many preachers in his tradition, Jackson was a terri c orator with a rhythmic cadence: “If my mind can conceive it, and my heart can believe it, I know I can achieve it.” These are clearly the words of an ambitious man. Jackson was criticized for his self-promotion. Public and family controversies also marred his image. I’m not here to cast stones.
It’s not easy to be a pastor in today’s culture. Religions, like many institutions, have fallen from public trust, and
COLUMN | BOB WACHS
admittedly, corrupt and crooked pastors are a tragic contributing factor. Religious leaders who believe they deserve worship are not what we need.
At his best, Jackson identi ed with people who struggled at the bottom of American society; he claimed to speak for “the desperate, the damned, the disinherited, the disrespected and the despised.” He foreshadowed the modern progressive movement of a multiracial coalition confronting inequality. What I nd most laudable was that Jackson’s professed alignment with the poor and oppressed was the identical platform of an ancient rabbi who claimed to be found “among the least of my family” (Matthew 25).
Jackson delivered his most famous speech at the 1988 Democratic Convention, concluding with the shout, “Keep hope alive!” Twenty years later, another African American man campaigned for president on a message of hope. When Barack Obama won the election, a photograph captured Jackson with tears streaming down his face. To me, this photograph could be captioned with the psalm, “Joy comes in the morning.”
May his memory continue to inspire us to revere the best in each other. Keep hope alive.
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.
Along with the perishable food items were numerous nonperishable things which are not food, things which live in rooms other than the kitchen.
THE OTHER DAY my wife paid her weekly visit to the grocery store, bringing home valuable and necessary food items — things like big jars of extra-crunchy Jif peanut butter, which I often consume via spoon, a feat which explains in part my current physical pro le.
There were other important things, as well, things like jars of V8 juice, which goes well with Jif extra-crunchy. There were also raspberry preserves, which I like on pumpernickel rye bread, fudge-stripe cookies and a host of other nutritious, well-balanced foods.
Along with the perishable food items were numerous nonperishable things which are not food, things which live in rooms other than the kitchen. Among those are soft, u y tissues and toothpaste, essential items for today’s world. In the past, we have also gotten bird seed, dog feed, antifreeze and motor oil o our friendly grocer’s shelves. Simply put, today you can get all kinds of nongrocery things at a grocery store.
The fact it took several dollars to accomplish her haul didn’t bother me. I’m thankful we can do that from time to time. And the fact there were many bags wasn’t a big deal either. I’m con dent she left enough in the store for a few other folks. But as I helped her bring in her (our) goodies, I was struck by the number of plastic bags used to get the stu home and how the items were “bagged.” My mind immediately went back to my teenage bag-boy days at the Progressive Store in Pittsboro. Now long gone, it stood where the town’s parking lot is, o the street between Hillsboro Street’s tra c signal and the Pittsboro Baptist Church buildings.
Shirley’s haul the other day featured one loaf of bread in a bag, a bag of sugar by itself in a bag, a bunch of cans way too heavy for the one layer of bag they were in, and a host of other creations which made no sense to me. The reason for such attention, I now know, is because in my day, bagging groceries wasn’t just chucking items at plastic bags. Rather, it was an art, carefully taught by the masters of such (older bag
boys), studied in great detail and re ned on the y through repeated experiences, all sometimes painful.
And plastic bags? No way. We used paper bags you could snap open that would then stand up for the pack. And there were boxes. Many folks wanted boxes so we saved them after stocking shelves, throwing them into a bin to be shed out later when a customer asked for his or her goodies to be packed into one.
Box or bag, you learned to put square things like cereal or pasta boxes in the corners, to put some cans but not all in the centers, to double-bag if needed, to put bread on the top of an almost- lled bag, to not put cartons of Pepsis into a bag and to do it all using both hands at the same time. And then we’d take the groceries to the customer’s car.
I learned some valuable lessons then and there that became life lessons — lessons like focus on what you’re doing, don’t put the eggs on the bottom under two heads of cabbage, same for the bread, and don’t put bags of potatoes on top of anything, if you put milk in the bottom of a bag, it would eventually get the bottom wet and it would fall through, that some customers were nice and others weren’t and on and on.
Today, some 60 years since, I haven’t always followed those lessons. I know they’re still there; it’s just that I don’t always remember them. But it’s still a good thing to focus on what you’re doing. And don’t put your fragile eggs and bread of life under a load of heavy worry. Separate and center the heavy cans among other things. Sometimes it’s better just to leave the heavy potatoes o to the side by themselves. And when life gets moist and sweaty, take time to dry it o before proceeding. And, oh yeah, when you can, help other people carry their bags as you come and go into the grocery store of life. Usually makes things go better …
Bob Wachs is a native of Chatham County and emeritus editor at Chatham News & Record. He serves as pastor of Bear Creek Baptist Church.
Even my homemade, potent, cold brew co ee couldn’t touch my exhaustion.
THAT’S FABULOUS! I love plantar fasciitis! Dancing on a rooftop in my mind’s eye! Go, plantar fasciitis, go!! Whoa! Let’s back up. Thought I had a stress fracture in one foot, but even more worrying, a knot suddenly appeared in the middle of that same foot, with considerable ankle pain.
Waited eight days for an ortho appointment. A week to work myself into considerable anxiety, fear and certainty that I had ALS. Hey, I have a fertile mind, a disposition toward anxiety, and quite a stretch of unexpected — boom, boom, boom — physical challenges. (I did keep myself from googling ALS; wonderful new restraint on my part.)
Finally saw the ortho practitioner. X-rays, palpations and no apparent “red ags.” Doing absolute somersaults in my mind as I listened! It’s plantar fasciitis!! (Wondering when plantar fasciitis was last so celebrated?) Arriving home, I was exhausted. Even my homemade, potent, cold brew co ee couldn’t touch my exhaustion. Realized I’d been so lled with stress around this
COLUMN | MICHAEL BARONE
In February 2025, the audience at Munich took Vance’s comments as insults. In February 2026, the audience, as evidenced by its standing ovation, took Rubio’s as compliments.
MY FIRST REACTION to Secretary of State Marco Rubio’s speech, delivered on Valentine’s Day, at the Munich Security Conference, was, “Last year, President Donald Trump sent the bad cop, Vice President JD Vance. This year, he sent the good cop, Rubio. Progress.” In February 2025, the audience at Munich took Vance’s comments as insults. In February 2026, the audience, as evidenced by its standing ovation, took Rubio’s as compliments.
Yet, as even journalists writing on deadline quickly discerned, Rubio’s words were no less critical than Vance’s of what have been European elites’ cherished policies.
“Mass migration,” Rubio said, is “a crisis which is transforming and destabilizing societies all across the West.” He decried a “climate cult” and “energy policies” that “impoverished our people.” He condemned policies that “outsourced our sovereignty to international institutions” and “invested in massive welfare states.”
Red meat substance, suitable for delivery at any of the three Trump Republican National Conventions — more than have nominated any one person, the president might remind you, except for President Richard Nixon. But leavened, as the above quotations suggest, with frequent employment of the rst-person pronouns and adjectives — “we” (69 times in the text, by my count), “us” (11), “our” (65).
“What comforted worried attendees,” wrote Michael Froman, head of the Council on Foreign Relations and Obama trade negotiator, “was the undertone of the secretary’s remarks.”
But it wasn’t just the undertone that had many Republicans and others start thinking of Rubio as a possible future presidential candidate, despite his recent avowals of support for Vance for the Republican nomination in 2028.
And as a national leader with an intellectually serious grasp of history. Rubio began by summoning memories of the rst Munich conference, in 1963, when the Iron Curtain ran through a divided Germany and the Berlin Wall was just two years old.
Halfway through the speech, he went further back, to the postwar years when “our predecessors,” faced with a “Europe in ruins” and expanding communism, “recognized that decline was a choice, and it was a choice they refused to make.” An interesting way to frame the decisions that produced the Truman Doctrine and the NATO treaty.
Against that, he described the post-Cold War euphoria that “the rules-based global order” would replace national interest. “A foolish idea,” he said unemolliently, that “has cost us dearly.” A Trumpian take, followed by an implicit denunciation of opening up trade relations with China.
Rather than dwell on that critique, however, he segued back to “centuries of shared history, Christian faith, culture,
appointment that exhaustion was the natural outcome. Poof. Energy totally sucked up. (The mini-celebration for plantar fasciitis, however, was still ongoing in a corner of my mind.)
With each new medical appointment (and there have been a helluva lot of them lately) anxiety sees an opening and dives right in, leaving me feeling exhausted afterward. (Upcoming cliche, be warned.) I’m learning that being purely kind to myself is something of a panacea during the waiting period for appointments. Let’s face it, I’m not very skilled at being purely kind to myself, unless I have a searing reason for doing so. I’ve been too well trained by our “suck-it-up” culture. You’d think reaching a certain age would have provided me with all the wisdom I need. Dream on. At my august age, I won’t be growing any taller, but the kindness of my heart can still grow to be more inclusive of me. Take that, culture! Thanks, plantar fasciitis.
Jan Hutton, a resident of Chatham County and retired hospice social worker, lives life with heart and humor.
Obama is in no position to lecture us about decency
IN A RECENT INTERVIEW with “No Lie” podcaster Brian Tyler Cohen, former President Barack Obama claimed that conservatives do “the mean, angry, exclusive, us/them, divisive politics. That’s their home court. Our court is coming together.”
This is a jaw-dropping contention coming from a man who began his presidential aspirations accusing Americans who refused to embrace his brand of progressive politics of being “bitter” and clinging “to guns or religion or antipathy to people who aren’t like them.”
Is there any group of people in the country who exude more “antipathy to people who aren’t like them” than progressives?
Virtually every poll taken on the issue nds Democrats are far less inclined to accept Republicans as friends or family members. This comes as no surprise to anyone who’s witnessed the screeching moralistic anger of the average leftist activist — a disposition popularized during the Obama era.
Obama’s entire scandal-ridden supercilious presidency was focused on coercing, browbeating and, ultimately, slandering the bitter clingers. In the former president’s vernacular, “coming together” simply meant accepting Obama’s worldview as incontrovertible truth.
And one of the most grating habits in this regard was Obama’s turning every tragedy and political event into a sermon about our collective failings.
heritage, language, ancestry,” all parts of “the common civilization to which we have fallen heir.”
This might have rankled, and perhaps was intended to rankle, the European Union leaders who, out of secular conviction or for fear of angering Muslim immigrants, successfully blocked mention of Europe’s “Christian roots” in the EU charter.
As he neared his peroration, Rubio celebrated Christopher Columbus and the English, Scots-Irish, French, German, Spanish and Dutch roots of Americans from Davy Crockett to “the cowboy archetype ... born in Spain.” Rep. Alexandria OcasioCortez (D-N.Y.), in Munich for her rst security conference, ridiculed that last claim, apparently unaware that the Americas had no horses until Hernan Cortes brought some to Mexico in 1519.
More importantly, Rubio’s emphasis on America’s European heritage is a rebuke of the Franz Fanon-inspired theory, fostered on campuses for decades and sweeping the streets in post-Oct. 7, 2023, “anti-Zionist” demonstrations, that colonialism was the greatest evil in history, and that Europeans and Americans should do penance for their complicity.
Europeans are or should be aware, from the totalitarian tides of the 20th century, that there are worse evils than colonialism — and that to exclude di cult-to-assimilate immigrants is to commit another Holocaust.
But rather than belabor that last point, Rubio instead made the point earlier that “it was here, in Europe, where the ideas that planted the seeds of liberty that changed the world were born.” Including “the rule of law, the universities and the scienti c revolution,” plus Mozart and Beethoven, Dante and Shakespeare, Michelangelo and Leonardo, the Beatles and the Rolling Stones.
Europe should be “proud,” a word he repeated half a dozen times, “of its heritage and its history.” Proud of a “spirit of creation and liberty that sent ships out into uncharted seas and birthed our civilization,” with a Europe that has the means to defend itself and the will to survive.”
Among American and European elites, open expression of pride is something, well, just not done. They prefer to denounce the “systemic racism” of their fellow citizens or the “oppressive colonialism” of their forebears, to disparage the motives of “settlers” and idealize the virtues of the “indigenous.”
But pride in one’s nation and one’s civilization, properly understood, is not a warrant for self-satisfaction but a summons to duty, a reminder that for us to whom much has been given, much is asked. In Munich, Rubio was not just Trump’s good cop but a mature American leader towering above the crowd.
Michael Barone is a senior political analyst for the Washington Examiner. (Copyright 2026 Creators.com)
BE
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Obama, the only president to that point to belittle the notion of American exceptionalism, would go abroad and tell the world that the “future must not belong to those who slander the prophet of Islam.”
Slandering Christians in the United States, on the other hand, was no problem. The Obama administration spent years trying to destroy the Little Sisters of the Poor for their faithbased objections to paying for condoms. The Obama- era Democrats normalized the legal war on orthodox Christianity, meant to chill speech and compel progressive cultural supremacy, a cause that’s not abated to this day.
The inclusive Obama, who had hitched his career to Black Liberation theologians like the Rev. Jeremiah Wright and irted with the Nation of Islam (a picture of a smiling Obama meeting with black supremacist Louis Farrakhan was hidden during his presidency), was the rst president to engage in anti-Jewish dual loyalty tropes against Americans who opposed his obsession with rewarding Iran with nuclear weapons.
But perhaps worst of all, the rst black president in history, Obama, did everything he could to roll back 40 years of progress on race relations.
There seemingly wasn’t a single “racial” incident anywhere in the country that Obama wouldn’t exacerbate and exploit for political purposes.
It began with his contention that “Cambridge police acted stupidly” after local police arrested historian Henry Louis Gates Jr., who was seen breaking into his own house, and continued with the killing of Trayvon Martin in an altercation with a neighborhood watch volunteer. Obama implored 350 million Americans, none of whom had anything to do with the case, to do “soul-searching.”
“If I had a son, he would look like Trayvon,” Obama said. “Trayvon Martin could have been me 35 years ago.” The implication, of course, was that young black men were being killed solely due to their color.
Martin’s shooter, George Zimmerman, was found not guilty by a jury, and Obama’s Justice Department did not le civil rights charges. Nothing, however, tops Obama’s detestable speech at the funeral of ve Dallas police o cers, murdered by a racist anti-cop extremist at Black Lives Matter protest in 2016. “None of us are entirely innocent” when it comes to “racial discrimination,” the president noted, “and this includes our police departments.”
Obama invoked the names of Alton Sterling and Philando Castile, two black men who had been recently shot by police, not only creating a false equivalency but also basically rationalizing the anger of the shooter.
It’s worth remembering that neither of the investigations into Sterling and Castile had even been concluded at the time. In 2017, Obama’s Department of Justice didn’t charge the police in the killing of Sterling.
By 2016, Gallup found that 46% of Americans believed race relations had worsened during his presidency, compared with 29% who felt they improved. A 2016 New York Times poll found 69% of Americans described race relations as “generally bad.”
Obviously, Americans are divided because we have deep -seated, legitimate and meaningful disagreements about the future. That’s why politics exists. The political “unity” that Democrats claimed to strive for only exists in dictatorships. The inability to accept this made Obama the most divisive president of the modern age.
Which isn’t to say that subsequent presidents brought us together. Far, far from it. It’s to say that Obama changed the way presidents spoke about and to their constituents. It was Obama’s systematic subversion of norms that made Donald Trump possible.
We don’t need any more of his lectures.
David Harsanyi is a senior writer at the Washington Examiner. Harsanyi is a nationally syndicated columnist and author of ve books. (Copyright 2026 Creators.com)
MAY 23, 1943 – FEB. 21, 2026
Edna Louise Nall Haithcox, 82, of Moncure peacefully left this world to be with her savior Friday February 21st surrounded by her family. Louise, as her family a ectionally called her, was born May 23,1943 in Hot Springs, Arkansas to William Berry and Charlotte Elizabeth Nall. The growing Nall family moved to Mississippi when Louise was 6. Finally settling in southern Florida, more siblings followed, making Louise the eldest of nine. After attending The University of Miami, Louise earned a Teaching Degree in Mathematics Education. Spending the rst three years of her career between Florida and Pennsylvania she and her husband along with their three kids moved to North Carolina. After settling in Moncure, Louise spent the rest of her career at Moncure Elementary teaching Math and Social Studies. During her exceptionally long career Louise taught at least 2 generations of families including all three of her children, two grandchildren, and at least 10 nieces, nephews, and great nephews.
In addition to her parents, Louise was preceded in death by her husband of 58 years, Robert Loften “Bob” Haithcox, their son William Nall (Billy) Haithcox and her sister Lucy Nall. She leaves behind her son Robert (Rene’) of Moncure, her daughter Charlotte (Bill) of Moncure, her daughter-in-law Wendy Haithcox Lee of FL, four grandchildren Justin (Halley), Ashton, Abigail, and Nicholas and one great granddaughter, Arden, with whom she was smitten. Louise also leaves behind three brothers, Bill (Terry), George (Kay), and James Nall, four sisters, Charlotte, Nancy, Liz, and Gini (Eric) Nall, one sisterin-law Shirley (Duncan) Harrington and many nieces and nephews.
Eric L. Baines
3/28/66-01/22/26
Eric L. Baines, 59 of Charlotte, North Carolina, originally from Siler City, will be Saturday, March 7, 2026 at God’s Way Fellowship from 4 pm - 5 pm.
Address: 1121 12th St. Siler City, North Carolina
Celebrate the life of your loved ones. Submit obituaries and death notices to be published in Chatham News & Record at obits@chathamnewsrecord.com
The Grammy-nominated musician championed social activism alongside his approach to salsa
The Associated Press
WILLIE COLÓN, the Grammy-nominated architect of urban salsa music and social activist, died Saturday. He was 75.
Over his decades-long career, the trombonist, composer, arranger and singer produced more than 40 albums that sold more than 30 million copies worldwide. He collaborated with a wide range of artists, including the Fania All Stars, David Byrne and Celia Cruz.
His celebrated collaboration with Rubén Blades, “Siembra,” became one of the bestselling salsa albums of all time, and the pair were known for addressing social issues through the genre.
Colón’s family and manager con rmed his death through social media posts.
“Willie didn’t just change salsa; he expanded it, politicized it, clothed it in urban chronicles, and took it to stages where it hadn’t been heard before,” manager Pietro Carlos wrote. “His trombone was the voice of the people, an echo of the Caribbean in New York, a bridge between two cultures.”
Colón, who was nominated for 10 Grammys and one Latin Grammy, made famous songs such as “El gran varón,” “Sin poderte hablar,” “Casanova,” “Amor verdad” and “Oh, qué será.”
Blades said on the social platform X that he con rmed “what I was reluctant to believe” and o ered his condolences to Colón’s family.
Born in New York’s Bronx borough, Colón was raised by his grandmother and aunt, who from a young age nurtured him with traditional Puerto Rican music and the typical rhythms of the Latin American repertoire, including Cuban son and tango.
At age 11, he ventured into the world of music, rst with ute, then bugle, trumpet and nally trombone, with which he stood out in the then-nascent genre of salsa.
His interest in trombone arose after hearing Barry Rogers playing it on “Dolores,” Mon
Colón, considered by many to be the “architect of urban salsa,” died Saturday. He was 75.
Rivera’s song with Joe Cotto.
“It sounded like an elephant, a lion ... an animal. Something so di erent that, as soon as I heard it, I said to myself: ‘I want to play that instrument,’” he recalled in an interview published in the Colombian newspaper El Tiempo in 2011.
At 17, he joined the group of artists that formed the famous record label Fania Records, led and created by Jerry Masucci and Johnny Pacheco. Fania was largely responsible for the new sound that was produced in the Latin world of New York and would later be called “salsa.”
Colón’s main characteristic as a musician was the fusion of rhythms, as he harmonized jazz, rock, funk, soul and R&B with the old Latin school of Cuban son, cha-cha-cha, mambo and guaracha, adding the nostalgia of the traditional Puerto Rican sound that encompasses jíbara, bomba and plena music.
In 2004 the Latin Recording Academy awarded Colón a special Grammy for his career and contributions to music.
As a community leader, Colón fought for civil rights, mostly in the United States. He was part of the Hispanic Arts Association, the Latino Commission on AIDS, the Arthur Schomburg Coalition for a Better New York and the Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute, among others.
In 1991, he was honored with the Chubb fellowship from Yale University, a public service rec-
ognition also awarded to the likes of John F. Kennedy, Moshe Dayan, the Rev. Jesse Jackson and Ronald Reagan, among others. In the political arena, he served as special assistant to David Dinkins, New York’s rst black mayor, and was later appointed special assistant and adviser to Mayor Michael Bloomberg.
Colón had little luck running for public o ce himself, however. He failed in a challenge to then-U.S. Rep. Eliot Engel in the 1994 Democratic primary, and in 2001 came in third in the Democratic primary for New York’s public advocate.
He backed Hillary Clinton’s presidential campaign in 2008, but he told the Observer that he voted for Donald Trump in 2016. Colón had public clashes with artists and politicians. His friendship with Blades ruptured after Colón sued for breach of contract over the 2003 concert “Siembra ... 25 years later,” held in Puerto Rico. He also sparked a controversy when he called the then-president of Venezuela, Hugo Chávez “rotten” on a social network.
Colón acted in lms such as “Vigilante,” “The Last Fight” and “It Could Happen to You,” and on TV in “Miami Vice” and “Demasiado Corazón.” More recently, he appeared in Bad Bunny’s music video for “NuevaYol.” He is survived by his wife and four sons.
Georgia’s SEC Freshman of the Year spent 10 seasons in the WNBA
By Doug Feinberg The Associated Press
TWO-TIME WNBA champion Kara Braxton died after being in a car crash in Atlanta on Saturday. She was 43.
The athletic department at Georgia, where Braxton played in college, texted The Associated Press con rmation of her death on Monday and posted on social media. Her son, Jelani Thurman, posted a photo of his younger self in his mother’s jersey on social media and wrote that he we will miss his “queen.”
Braxton last played in the WNBA in 2014 while nishing up a four-year stint with New York. She won two titles with the Detroit Shock in 2006 and 2008. She celebrated her birthday last week.
“It is with profound sadness that we mourn the passing of 2x WNBA Champion Kara Braxton,” the league said on social media on Sunday night. “A
JESSICA HILL / AP PHOTO
New York Liberty’s Kara Braxton walks on the court at the end Game 1 of an opening-round WNBA playo series against Connecticut in Uncasville, Connecticut, in 2012.
10-season veteran, Kara played with the Detroit Shock, Tulsa Shock, Phoenix Mercury, and New York Liberty. Our thoughts are with her family, friends, and
former teammates at this time.” The 6-foot-6 Braxton was drafted by Detroit with the seventh pick in 2005. She earned All-Rookie honors that season after averaging 6.9 points and 3.0 rebounds. She played half of a season with the franchise when it moved to Tulsa in 2010 before getting traded to Phoenix for the second half of the year.
Braxton then played the rst 18 games in Phoenix in 2011 before being acquired by New York. She played with the Liberty until 2014 when she was waived after playing four games.
“We mourn the loss of Kara Braxton, a former Liberty player whose presence and passion left a lasting impact on our organization and the women’s game,” the Liberty posted on social media.
Braxton was SEC Freshman of the Year for Georgia in 2002. Thurman played football for Ohio State and won a national championship with the Buckeyes in 2024. He has since transferred to North Carolina.
Braxton is also survived by her husband Jarvis Jackson and their young son Jream.
The “McSteamy” actor died less than a year after his ALS diagnosis
By Maria Sherman The Associated Press
ERIC DANE, the celebrated actor best known for his roles on “Grey’s Anatomy” and “Euphoria” and who later in life became advocate for ALS awareness, died last Thursday. He was 53. His representatives said Dane died from amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, known also as Lou Gehrig’s disease, less than a year after he announced his diagnosis.
“He spent his nal days surrounded by dear friends, his devoted wife, and his two beautiful daughters, Billie and Georgia, who were the center of his world,” said a statement that requested privacy for his family. “Throughout his journey with ALS, Eric became a passionate advocate for awareness and research, determined to make a di erence for others facing the same ght. He will be deeply missed, and lovingly remembered always. Eric adored his fans and is forever grateful for the outpouring of love and support he’s received.”
Dane was born Nov. 9, 1972, and raised in California. His father, a Navy man, died of a gunshot wound when he was 7. After high school, he moved to Los Angeles to purse acting, landing guest roles on
shows like “Saved by the Bell,” “Married...With Children,” “Charmed” and “X-Men: the Last Stand” and one season of the short-lived medical drama “Gideon’s Crossing.”
His big break arrived in the mid-2000s when he was cast as Dr. Mark Sloan, a.k.a. McSteamy, on the ABC medical drama “Grey’s Anatomy,” a role he would play from 2006 until 2012 and reprise in 2021. In 2019, he did a complete 180 and became Cal Jacobs, a troubled married man, in HBO’s provocative drama, “Euphoria,” a role he continued in up until his death.
Dane also starred as Tom Chandler, the captain of a U.S. Navy destroyer at sea after a global catastrophe wiped out most of the world’s population, in the TNT drama “The Last Ship.” In 2017, production was halted as Dane battled depression.
In April 2025, Dane announced he had been diagnosed with ALS, a progressive disease that attacks nerve cells controlling muscles throughout the body.
ALS gradually destroys the nerve cells and connections needed to walk, talk, speak and breathe. Most patients
die within three to ve years of a diagnosis.
Dane became an advocate for ALS awareness, speaking a news conference in Washington, D.C., on health insurance prior authorization. “Some of you may know me from TV shows, such as “Grey’s Anatomy,” which I play a doctor. But I am here today to speak brie y as a patient battling ALS,” he said in June 2025. In September of that year, the ALS Network named Dane the recipient of their advocate of the year award, recognizing his commitment to raising awareness and support for people living with ALS.
A memoir by Dane is scheduled to be published in late 2026. “Book of Days: A Memoir in Moments” will be released by Maria Shriver’s The Open Field, a Penguin Random House imprint. According to Open Field, Dane will look back upon key moments in his life, from his rst day at work on “Grey’s Anatomy” to the births of his two daughters and learning that he has ALS.
“I want to capture the moments that shaped me — the beautiful days, the hard ones, the ones I never took for granted — so that if nothing else, people who read it will remember what it means to live with heart,” Dane said in a statement around the book’s announcement. “If sharing this helps someone nd meaning in their own days, then my story is worth telling.”
“Some of you may know me from TV shows, such as ‘Grey’s Anatomy,’ which I play a doctor. But I am here today to speak brie y as a patient battling ALS.”
Eric Dane during a June 2025 news conference
Dane is survived by his wife, actor Rebecca Gayheart, and their two teen daughters, Billie Beatrice and Georgia Geraldine. Gayheart and Dane wed in 2004 and separated in September 2017. Gayheart led for divorce in 2018, but later led to dismiss the petition. In a December essay for New York magazine’s The Cut re ecting on Dane’s diagnosis, Gayheart called their dynamic “a very complicated relationship, one that’s confusing for people.” She said they never got a divorce, but dated other people and lived separately.
“Our love may not be romantic, but it’s a familial love,” she said. “Eric knows that I am always going to want the best for him. That I’m going to do my best to do right by him. And I know he would do the same for me. So whatever I can do or however I can show up to make this journey better for him or easier for him, I want to do that.”
ing to make the best jar that’s ever been made.”
particularly in the Appalachian region where the show was lmed — distilling has long been intertwined with agriculture.
The state’s moonshine tradition dates back to 18th-century Scotch-Irish settlers who brought copper stills and distilling knowledge into the mountains. For generations, farmers converted excess corn into untaxed whiskey, creating a crucial income stream in rural economies. Hidden woodland stills became part of the landscape, and the illicit white liquor evolved into a symbol of independence and resistance to federal taxation. North Carolina would eventually earn the nickname “Moonshine Capital of the World.”
That underground enterprise also gave rise to another industry. Bootleggers modi ed cars to outrun law enforcement while transporting liquor through the mountains — mechanical innovations that later evolved into organized stock car racing and, ultimately, NASCAR.
Stevens’ work today is legal hobbyist craft, but it remains rooted in that same agricultural logic: grain in, value-added product out.
When his children grew up and moved out, Stevens found himself looking for a hobby. Watching television shows about moonshining sparked an idea. What began as curiosity turned into hours of study, experimentation and re nement.
“There’s probably some history of drinking it in my family,” he said with a laugh. “But not making it.”
He learned through research and trial and error, building technique the same way many farmers learn new equipment or crop rotations — by doing. Over time, the hobby became less about novelty and more about precision.
“I wanted to make something better than what you could buy,” Stevens said. “Try-
His approach leans small batch rather than mass production. From 50 gallons of fermented mash, he might yield about ve gallons of nished spirits after carefully separating the unusable “heads” from the drinkable “hearts.”
He prefers whiskey in the 90- to 100-proof range — strong but balanced — and fruit brandies around 80 proof.
“You can’t enjoy 150 proof,” he said. “I don’t want two sips and then I’m done for the night.”
Where Stevens separates himself is in his grain selection. He favors heritage varieties such as Hickory King white corn and Jimmy Red, a nearly extinct South Carolina grain revived from just two surviving cobs after the original grower died. Jimmy Red is the corn he used during lming.
For Stevens, using older grains connects agriculture and distilling — past and present. Grain quality matters on the farm, and it matters in a mash bill.
Beyond the barn, Stevens has found a sizable audience. He joined TikTok to share his process and discovered a large home-distilling community. Today, he has roughly 190,000 followers, many of whom are hobbyists re ning their own craft.
Still, farming remains the foundation. Stevens would eventually like to pursue a legal partnership with an established distillery to produce his recipes commercially. For now, the focus is the farm — and March 3. Filming lasted 11 days in Asheville. Stevens spent roughly 42 hours on set, about 20 in front of the camera, all distilled into 42 minutes of television.
From Bear Creek elds to a national stage, a craft rooted in North Carolina’s agricultural past is about to air coast to coast.
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TAKE NOTICE
NOTICE OF FORECLOSURE SALE NORTH CAROLINA, CHATHAM COUNTY 25 SP 117 Under and by virtue of a Power of Sale contained in that certain Deed of Trust executed by Jared Spruill, Mortgagor(s), in the original amount of $197,150.00, to Mortgage Electronic Registration Systems, Inc., (“MERS”) as bene ciary as nominee for AdvantageFirst Lending Inc. , Mortgagee, dated January 21st, 2023 and recorded on February 9th, 2023 in Book 2347, Page 0562, as instrument number 01145, Chatham County Registry. Default having been made in the payment of the note thereby secured by the said Deed of Trust and the undersigned, Anchor Trustee Services, LLC having been substituted as Trustee in said Deed of Trust by an instrument duly recorded in the O ce of the Register of Deeds of 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 or other usual place of sale in Chatham County, North Carolina, at 1:00 PM on March 3rd, 2026, and will sell to the highest bidder for cash the following described property, to wit: All that certain lot or parcel of land situated in Matthews Township, Chatham County, North Carolina and more particularly described as follows: BEGINNING at the southern margin of East Raleigh Street and in the eastern margin of South 7th Avenue (formerly State Avenue) and running thence with the eastern margin of South 7th Avenue in a southerly direction 125 feet to a stake; thence in an easterly direction, a line parallel with East Raleigh Street, 75 feet to a stake; thence in a northerly direction with a line parallel with South 7th Avenue 125 feet to a stake in the southern margin of East Raleigh Street, thence in a westerly direction with the southern margin of East Raleigh Street 75 feet to the point of beginning, and being a portion of that certain real estate
NOTICE
Anthemnet, Inc proposes to build a 199-foot monopole communications tower at the approx. vicinity of 1879 Andrews Store Road, Pittsboro, Chatham County, NC 27312 [Lat: 35-48-57.4, Long: -79-7-29.8]. Public comments regarding potential e ects from this site on historic properties may be submitted within 30 days from the date of this publication to: Trileaf Corp, Hannah Dell, h.dell@ trileaf.com, 1775 The Exchange SE, Suite 525, Atlanta, GA 30339, 314-492-3468.
Public Notice
Chatham County Schools’ federal projects under Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) of 2015 are presently being developed. Projects included: Title I (Helping Disadvantaged Children Meet High Standards)
Title II (High Quality Teachers and Principals)
Title III (Language Acquisition) Title IV A (Student Support and Academic Enrichment) Migrant Education Program (MEP) Career and Technical Education (CTE) High school students can enroll, without cost, in college credit classes through the Career and College Promise program. This includes Career and Technical Education pathways of study. IDEA (Students with Disabilities) The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEAPart B, Public Law 108.446) Project is presently being amended. The Project describes the special education programs that Chatham County Schools proposes for Federal funding for the 2026-2027 School Year. Interested persons are encouraged to review amendments to the Project and make comments concerning the implementation of special education under this Federal Program. All comments will be considered prior to submission of the amended Project to the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction in Raleigh, North Carolina These projects describe the programs that Chatham County Schools proposes for federal funding for the 2026-2027 school year. Non-pro t private schools and interested persons are encouraged to review these federal guidelines for the above listed projects and indicate their interest in participation in the projects if quali ed. These projects are being developed during April and May and are due to the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction on June 30, 2026. The initial Equitable Services for Private Schools meeting will be held on March 4, 2026, at 2:00 PM, in person, at the address listed below. Interested parties are encouraged to contact the o ce of Carol Little, Executive Director Federal Programs and School Improvement, at Chatham County Board of Education, P.O. Box 128, 468 Renaissance Dr, Pittsboro, N.C.
Spanish Version below: Aviso público Los proyectos federales de las Escuelas del Condado Chatham bajo la Ley Cada Estudiante Triunfa (ESSA) de 2015 están en proceso de plani cación. Los proyectos incluidos son: Título I (Ayuda a los niños desfavorecidos a alcanzar altos estándares)
Título II (Maestros y directores de alta calidad)
Título III (Adquisición del Lenguaje)
Título IV A (Apoyo al Estudiante y Enriquecimiento Académico) Programa de Educación para Familias Migrantes (MEP, por sus siglas en Inglés) Carreras y Educación Técnica (CTE, por sus siglas en Inglés) Los estudiantes de preparatoria pueden inscribirse, sin costo, en clases de créditos universitarios a través del programa Career and College Promise. Esto incluye vías de estudio de Educación Técnica y Profesional. IDEA (Estudiantes con Discapacidades) Actualmente se encuentra en proceso de modi cación el Proyecto de Ley de Educación para Personas con Discapacidad (IDEA-Parte B, Ley Pública 108.446). El Proyecto describe los programas de educación especial que las Escuelas del Condado Chatham proponen para nanciamiento federal para el año escolar 20262027. Se anima a las personas interesadas a revisar las enmiendas al Proyecto y hacer comentarios sobre la implementación de la educación especial bajo este Programa Federal. Todos los comentarios serán considerados antes de la presentación del Proyecto modi cado al Departamento de Instrucción Pública de Carolina del Norte en Raleigh, Carolina del Norte. Estos proyectos describen los programas que las Escuelas del Condado Chatham proponen para nanciamiento federal para el año escolar 20262027. Se anima a las escuelas privadas sin nes de lucro y a las personas interesadas a revisar estas pautas federales para los proyectos enumerados anteriormente e indicar su interés en participar en los proyectos si cali can. Estos proyectos se están desarrollando durante abril y mayo y deben entregarse al Departamento de Instrucción Pública de Carolina del Norte el 30 de junio del 2026. La reunión inicial de Servicios Equitativos para Escuelas Privadas se llevará a cabo el 4 de marzo del 2026 a las 2:00 PM, en persona en la dirección listada abajo. Se anima a las partes interesadas a comunicarse con la o cina de Carol Little, Directora Ejecutiva de Programas Federales y Mejoramiento Escolar, en la Junta de Educación del Condado de Chatham, P. O. Box 128, 468 Renaissance Dr, Pittsboro, N.C.
NOTICE
NOTICE TO CREDITORS AND DEBTORS OF ANNETTE ANN MORDUS All persons, rms, and corporations having claims against Annette Ann Mordus, now deceased, are noti ed to exhibit them to Sandrah Pederson, Executor of the decedent’s estate, on or before the 5th day of May, 2026, at Post O ce Box 2290, Burlington, North Carolina 27216, or be barred from their recovery. Debtors of the decedent are asked to make immediate payment to the above-named Executor. Sandrah Pederson Executor of the Estate of Annette Ann Mordus (25E000646-180) Nathan R. Adams Pittman & Steele, PLLC Post O ce Box 2290 Burlington, NC 27216 336-270-4440 The Chatham News & Record February 5, 12, 19 and 26, 2026
NOTICE
ALL PERSONS, rms and corporations holding claims against Dorothy H King aka Dorothy King Harris aka Dorothy Herring King, deceased, of Chatham County, NC are noti ed to exhibit same to the undersigned on or before May 29, 2026, or this notice will be pleaded in bar of recovery. Debtors of the decedent are asked to make immediate payment. This 26th day of February 2026. Sandra King McGraw, Exec., c/o Clarity Legal Group, PO Box 2207, Chapel Hill, NC 27515. Notice to Creditors
Having quali ed as Administrator of the Estate of MARGARET KAY HIRSCHMAN HICKS, late of Chatham County, North Carolina (26E000085-180), the undersigned does hereby notify all persons, rms and corporations having claims against the estate of said decedent to exhibit them to the undersigned on or before the 29th day of May, 2026 or this notice will be pleaded in bar of their recovery. All persons, rms and corporations indebted to the said estate will please make immediate payment to the undersigned. This the 26th day of February 2026. Charles Hirschman Administrator of the Estate of Margaret Kay Hirschman Hicks c/o Lisa M. Schreiner Attorney at Law P.O. Box 446 114 Raleigh Street Fuquay Varina, NC 27526 (For publication: 02/26, 03/05, 03/12, 03/19/2026)
CREDITOR’S NOTICE
Having quali ed on the 30th day of October 2025, as Administrator of the Estate of Edward Joe Truett, 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 20th day of May, 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 February 2026. W. Woods Doster, Administrator of the Estate of Edward Joe Truett 206 Hawkins Ave Sanford, NC 27330
Attorneys: Law O ces of Doster & Brown, P.A. 206 Hawkins Avenue Sanford, NC 27330 Publish On: February 19th, February 26th, March 5th & 12th 2026.
NOTICE TO CREDITORS
26E000060-180 NORTH CAROLINA
CHATHAM COUNTY The undersigned, Linda Sue Eubanks, having quali ed as Administrator of the Estate of Susan D. Eubanks, deceased, late of Chatham County, this is to notify all persons having claims against said estate to present them to the undersigned on or before the day of May 6, 2026 or this notice will be plead in bar of their recovery. All persons indebted to said estate will please make immediate payment to the undersigned.
This the 5th day of February 2026. Linda Sue Eubanks
Administrator
Marie H. Hopper
Attorney for the Estate Hopper Cummings, PLLC Post O ce Box 1455 Pittsboro, NC 27312
NOTICE TO CREDITORS:
Chatham County, North Carolina RE: THE ESTATE OF JOHN THOMAS NASH –
25E000476-180 Having quali ed as Administrator of the Estate of John Thomas Nash, deceased, Chatham County, North Carolina, the undersigned does hereby notify all persons, rms, and corporations having claims against the estate of said deceased to exhibit them to the undersigned on or before the 20th day of May, 2026, or this notice will be pleaded in bar of their recovery. This the 19th day of February, 2026. Leigh Goodwin, Executrix DSR Legal, PLLC PO Box 51596 Durham, NC 27717
NOTICE STATE OF NORTH CAROLINA COUNTY OF CHATHAM PUBLIC NOTICE HEARING ON INTENT TO PERMANENTLY CLOSE A PORTION OF NC HWY 902
NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that the Chatham County Board of Commissioners has scheduled a public hearing to consider the closing of a portion of NC HWY 902. The public hearing has been scheduled for March 16, 2026, at 6:00 o’clock p.m. at the Superior Court Courtroom, Historic Chatham County Courthouse, Pittsboro, North Carolina at 9 Hillsboro Street, Pittsboro NC 27312. The hearing is being held pursuant to the provisions of NCGS §153A-241 and the Resolution of Intent to Permanently Close a portion of NC HWY 902 that was approved and adopted by the Chatham County Board of Commissioners on February 16, 2026 upon Petition led by Gavin Mekemson, Maura McKeon and Triple A Homes, Inc. (“Petitioner”).
This the 16th day of February, 2026. Chatham County Board of Commissioners ATTEST: Clerk to the Board Chatham County Board of Commissioners
NOTICE TO CREDITORS
The undersigned, having quali ed as Executor of the Estate of Sandra G. Funk aka Sandra Gail Funk, 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 Tillman, Whichard & Cagle, PLLC, 501 Eastowne Drive, Suite 130, Chapel Hill, NC 27514, on or before the 19th day of May, 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 February, 2026. SARAH ELIZABETH TILLMAN, EXECUTOR ESTATE OF SANDRA G. FUNK AKA SANDRA GAIL FUNK
NOTICE TO CREDITORS
26E000079-180
NORTH CAROLINA
CHATHAM COUNTY
The undersigned, James Yuschik, having quali ed as Administrator of the Estate of Elaine Marie Gregg, deceased, late of Chatham County, this is to notify all persons having claims against said estate to present them to the undersigned on or before the day of May 27, 2026 or this notice will be plead in bar of their recovery. All persons indebted to said estate will please make immediate payment to the undersigned. This the 26th day of February 2026. James Yuschik
Administrator Marie H. Hopper Attorney for the Estate Hopper Cummings, PLLC Post O ce Box 1455 Pittsboro, NC 27312
NOTICE TO CREDITORS
NORTH CAROLINA CHATHAM COUNTY
FILE#26E000097-180 The undersigned RICKY HALL, having quali ed on the 19TH Day of FEBRUARY 2026 as ADMINISTRATOR of the Estate of MICHAEL ALLEN HALL, 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 MAY 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 FEBRUARY 2026. RICKY HALL, ADMINISTRATOR 881 BIG PEAK CREEK ROAD LAUREL SPRINGS, NC 28644 Run dates: F26,M5,12,19p
NOTICE TO CREDITORS
Having quali ed as Executor/Administrator of the Estate of Donald G. Cheek, deceased, late of Chatham County, North Carolina, this is to notify all persons, rms, and corporations having claims against the estate to present them to the undersigned on or before May 19, 2026 or this notice will be pleaded in bar of their recovery. All persons indebted to said estate please make immediate payment to the undersigned.
This the 19 day of February, 2026. Danis A. Smith
Executor/Administrator of the Estate of Donald G Cheek Jr 3630 Lyle Creek Ave NE Conover, NC 28613
Dates of Publication: February 19, 2026
February 26, 2026
March 5, 2026 March 12, 2026
Notice to Creditors
All persons, rms and corporations having claims against Patricia C. Dutcher, deceased, of Chatham County, North Carolina, are noti ed to exhibit the same to the undersigned on or before June 1, 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 February, 2026.
Paul C. Dutcher, Administrator c/o W. Thomas McCuiston 200 Towne Village Drive Cary, NC 27513
ALL PERSONS, rms, and corporations having claims against Frederick R Stagg, Jr., deceased, of Chatham County, N.C., are noti ed to exhibit the same to the undersigned on or before May 19th, 2026, or this notice will be pleaded in bar of recovery. Debtors of the decedent are asked to make immediate payment.
This the 19th of February, 2026. Ryan Frederick Pamplin, Executor of the Estate of Frederick R Stagg, Jr., c/o Jessica Mantekas, Attorney, 1255 Crescent Green, Suite 200, Cary, NC 27518.
Notice to Creditors
ALL PERSONS, rms and corporations having claims against Virginia Dare Taylor, deceased, of Chatham County, NC, are noti ed to exhibit the same to the undersigned on or before May 22, 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 February, 2026. Sherra Chedaille, Executor, c/o Bagwell Holt Smith P.A., 111 Cloister Court, STE 200, Chapel Hill, NC 27514
Notice to Creditors
ALL PERSONS, rms and corporations having claims against Suzanne Duvall Steward, deceased, of Chatham County, NC, are noti ed to exhibit the same to the undersigned on or before May 15, 2026, or this notice will be pleaded in bar of recovery. Debtors of the decedent are asked to make immediate payment.
This the 12th day of February, 2026. Laura Strickler, Executor, c/o Bagwell Holt Smith P.A., 111 Cloister Court, STE 200, Chapel Hill, NC 27514
NOTICE TO CREDITORS
NORTH CAROLINA CHATHAM COUNTY
25E000671-180
ALL persons having claims against June A. Keefe, deceased, late of Chatham County, North Carolina, are noti ed to exhibit the same to the undersigned on or before May 05 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 February, 2026. KEVIN KEEFE, Co-Executor JOSEPH KEEFE, Co-Executor C/O Howard Stallings Law Firm PO Box 12347 Raleigh, NC 27605 F5, 12, 19 and 26
NOTICE
NOTICE TO CREDITORS AND DEBTORS OF Mary Jane C. McKenney
All persons, rms and corporations having claims against Mary Jane C. McKenney, late of Chatham, North Carolina, are noti ed to exhibit them to William P. McKenney, Esq. as Executor of the decedent’s estate on or before May 15, 2026, c/o Janet B. Witchger, Attorney at Law, 1414 Raleigh Rd., Ste. 203, Chapel Hill, NC 27517, or be barred from their recovery. Debtors of the decedent are asked to make immediate payment to the above-named Executor. This the 12th day of February 2026. William P. McKenney, Esq., Executor c/o Janet B. Witchger, Atty. TrustCounsel 1414 Raleigh Rd., Ste. 203 Chapel Hill, NC 27517
NOTICE
NOTICE TO CREDITORS AND DEBTORS OF Frederick Oscar Bowman, Jr. All persons, rms and corporations having claims against Frederick Oscar Bowman, Jr., late of Chatham, North Carolina, are noti ed to exhibit them to Frederick O. Bowman, III or John S. Bowman as Co-Executors of the decedent’s estate on or before May 23, 2026, c/o Janet B. Witchger, Attorney at Law, 1414 Raleigh Rd., Ste. 203, Chapel Hill, NC 27517, or be barred from their recovery. Debtors of the decedent are asked to make immediate payment to the above-named Executor.
This the 19th day of February 2026. Frederick O. Bowman, III, Co-Executor John S. Bowman, Co-Executor c/o Janet B. Witchger, Atty.
TrustCounsel 1414 Raleigh Rd., Ste. 203 Chapel Hill, NC 27517
Notice to Creditors
ALL PERSONS, rms and corporations having claims against Susan Trivitt Dotson, deceased, of Chatham County, NC, are noti ed to exhibit the same to the undersigned on or before May 8, 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 February, 2026. William Claude Cornette III, Executor, c/o Bagwell Holt Smith P.A., 111 Cloister Court, STE 200, Chapel Hill, NC 27514
NOTICE TO CREDITORS
NORTH CAROLINA
CHATHAM COUNTY
FILE#26E000081-180
The undersigned
RHONDA BOONE POE, having quali ed on the 11TH Day of FEBRUARY 2026 as EXECUTOR of the Estate of BARBARA HOLT BOONE, 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 MAY 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 FEBRUARY 2026. RHONDA BOONE POE, EXECUTOR 4577 PINEY GROVE CHURCH RD SILER CITY, NC 27344 Run dates: F19,26,M5,12p
NOTICE TO CREDITORS
NORTH CAROLINA CHATHAM COUNTY
FILE#26E000033-180 The undersigned KENNETH WARREN STURDIVANT, having quali ed on the 10TH Day of FEBRUARY 2026 as EXECUTOR of the Estate of LARRY STURDIVANT, 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 MAY 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 FEBRUARY 2026. KENNETH WARREN STURDIVANT, EXECUTOR 714 MT. PISGAH CHURCH RD. APEX, NC 27523 Run dates: F19,26,M5,12p
NOTICE TO CREDITORS
NORTH CAROLINA CHATHAM COUNTY
FILE#25E000660-180 The undersigned ANN PATRICIA RILEY, having quali ed on the 14TH Day of JANUARY 2026 as EXECUTOR of the Estate of MARY RILEY SEGAL, 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 MAY 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 FEBRUARY 2026. ANN PATRICIA RILEY, EXECUTOR 19 CHEMIN LEFEBVRE LA MINERVE QC J0T 150 CANADA MAIL TO: MICHAEL RILEY 154 HICKORY HILL
and a written agreement. A summary of the proposed incentive and project description will be available for public inspection at Pittsboro Town Hall and on the Town’s website no later than February 23, 2026. All interested persons are invited to attend and may be heard. Individuals requiring special accommodations should contact the
streams. Members of the public must attend in person if they wish to speak at the hearing. Contact the Town Clerk by 1 pm on March 9, 2026, with written comments or to sign up to speak at the public hearing. You can contact Town Clerk Carrie Bailey at cbailey@pittsboronc.gov, (919) 282-6647, or PO Box 759, Pittsboro, NC 27312.
NOTICE TO CREDITORS NORTH CAROLINA CHATHAM COUNTY FILE#26E000087-180 The undersigned MARY BETH COOKE, having quali ed on the 17TH Day of FEBRUARY 2026 as ADMINISTRATOR, CTA of the Estate of JAMES FRANKLIN WARFFORD, 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 MAY 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 FEBRUARY 2026. MARY BETH COOKE, ADMINISTRATOR CTA 1176 ASHEFORD GREEN AVENUE NW CHARLOTTE, NC 28207 Run dates: F26,M5,12,19p
The president’s push for redistricting has sparked a national tit-for-tat clash
By David A. Lieb
The Associated Press
CANDIDATES ARE campaigning, and voting is underway in some primaries. Yet a national battle to redraw U.S. House districts for partisan advantage is still raging in some states ahead of the November midterm elections.
Final boundaries for congressional voting districts remain uncertain in Missouri, New York, Utah and Virginia. Governors in Florida and Maryland are pushing lawmakers to reshape House districts. And that all comes on top of redistricting changes already enacted in California, North Carolina, Ohio and Texas.
Voting districts typically are redrawn once a decade after each census. But President Donald Trump triggered an unusual round of mid-decade redistricting when he urged Texas Republicans last summer to redraw House districts to give the GOP an edge in the midterm elections. California Democrats reciprocated, and a tit-for-tat redistricting clash soon spread.
So far, Republicans believe they could win nine additional seats in states where they have redrawn congressional districts, while Democrats think they could gain six seats elsewhere because of redistricting. But that presumes past voting patterns hold in November. And that’s uncertain, especially since the party in power typically loses seats in the midterms and Trump faces negative approval ratings in polls.
Democrats need to gain just a few seats in November to wrest control of the House from Republicans, which could allow them to obstruct Trump’s agenda.
REDISTRICTING BATTLEGROUNDS
Virginia
Current map: six Democrats, ve Republicans Proposed map: A new U.S. House map passed by the Democratic-led General Assembly could help Democrats win up to four additional seats. To facilitate that, lawmakers referred a constitutional amendment to the April ballot that would allow mid-decade redistricting.
Challenges: A state judge temporarily blocked the April referendum after ruling that the
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increasingly leave online traces. The potential value to investigators of the data Google collects is obvious in cases with no suspect, such as the search for Nancy Guthrie’s kidnapper.
The legal tension between the need to solve crimes quickly and the U.S. Constitution’s Fourth Amendment protections against overly broad searches was at the heart of a recent Pennsylvania Supreme Court decision that upheld the use of a reverse keyword warrant in a rape investigation.
Privacy advocates see it as giving police “unfettered access to the thoughts, feelings, concerns and secrets of countless people,” according to an amicus brief led in the Pennsylvania appeal by the American Civil Liberties Union, the Internet Archive and several library organizations.
In response to written questions about the warrants, Google provided an emailed statement:
“Our processes for handling law enforcement requests are designed to protect users’ privacy while meeting our legal obligations. We review all legal demands for legal validity, and we push back against those that are overbroad or improper, including objecting to some entirely.”
A break in the case
Pennsylvania State Police were stymied in their investigation into the violent rape of a woman in 2016 on a remote
amendment is invalid because lawmakers violated their own rules while passing it. Democrats are appealing.
Maryland
Current map: seven Democrats, one Republican Proposed map: The Democratic-led state House passed a redistricting plan backed by Democratic Gov. Wes Moore that could help Democrats win an additional seat.
Challenges: The Democratic state Senate president has said his chamber won’t move forward with redistricting because of concerns it could backre on Democrats.
Missouri
Current map: two Democrats, six Republicans New map: Republican Gov. Mike Kehoe signed a revised House map into law last fall that could help Republicans win an additional seat. Challenges: Opponents submitted petition signatures in December to try to force a statewide referendum on the map. The Republican secretary of state has until August to determine whether the petition meets legal muster and has enough signatures. Meanwhile, several lawsuits are challenging the legality of the new districts.
Utah
Current map: no Democrats, four Republicans New map: A judge in November imposed revised House districts that could help Democrats win a seat. The court ruled that lawmakers had circumvented anti-gerrymander-
cul-de-sac outside Milton, a small community in the center of the state. With no clear leads, police obtained a warrant directing Google to disclose accounts that searched for the victim’s name or address over the week when she was attacked.
More than a year later, Google reported two searches for the woman’s address were made a few hours before the assault from a speci c IP address, a numeric designation that lists where a phone or computer lives on the internet.
That led them to the home of a state prison guard named John Edward Kurtz.
Police then conducted surveillance and collected a cigarette butt he discarded that matched DNA recovered from the victim, according to court records. He confessed to the rape and attacks involving four other women over a ve-year period, and was convicted in 2020. Now 51, he’s been sentenced to 59 to 280 years.
Kurtz’s attorneys argued police lacked probable cause to obtain the information and impinged on his privacy rights.
The state Supreme Court rejected those claims late last year but split on the reasons why.
Three justices said Kurtz should not have expected his Google searches to be private, while three more said police had probable cause to look for anyone who searched the victim’s address before the attack. But a dissenting justice said probable cause requires more than just a “bald hunch” and guessing that a per-
Challenges: The U.S. Supreme Court in December cleared the way for the new districts to be used in this year’s elections. It put on hold a lower-court ruling that blocked the new map because it was “racially gerrymandered.”
California
Current map: 43 Democrats, nine Republicans New map: Voters in November approved revised House districts drawn by the Democratic-led Legislature that could help Democrats win ve additional seats.
ing standards passed by voters when adopting the prior map.
Challenges: Republicans are challenging the judicial map selection in the state Supreme Court and in federal court.
New York
Current map: 19 Democrats, seven Republicans
Proposed map: A judge in January ordered a state commission to draw new boundaries for the only congressional district in New York City represented by a Republican, ruling it unconstitutionally dilutes the votes of black and Hispanic residents.
Challenges: Republicans lost an appeal in state court but have asked the U.S. Supreme Court to take up the case.
Florida
Current map: eight Democrats, 20 Republicans
Proposed map: Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis says he will call a special legislative session in April on congressional redistricting.
Challenges: A lawsuit asserts that DeSantis cannot legally call the special session. The state constitution says districts cannot be drawn with intent to favor or disfavor a political party or incumbent.
REDISTRICTING TRIUMPHS
Texas
Current map: 13 Democrats, 25 Republicans
New map: Republican Gov. Greg Abbott signed a revised House map into law last August that could help Republicans win ve additional seats.
petrator would have used Google.
Kurtz lawyer Douglas Taglieri made the same point in a court ling but conceded, “It was a good guess.”
Julia Skinner, a prosecutor in the case, said reverse keyword searches are much more e ective when there are specific and even unusual terms that can narrow results, such as a distinctive name or an address. They are also particularly e ective when crimes appear to have been planned out beforehand, she said.
“I don’t think they’re used super frequently because what you need to target has to be so speci c,” she said. There were 57 searches returned in the Kurtz case, but many of them were rst responders trying to locate the home in the immediate aftermath of the crime, Skinner said. Acting in good faith
In the similar case in Colorado, police sought the IP addresses of anyone who searched over a 15-day period for the address of a home where a deadly arson occurred. Authorities got IP addresses for 61 searches made by eight accounts, ultimately helping identify three teenage suspects.
The Colorado Supreme Court ruled in 2023 that although the keyword warrant was constitutionally defective for not specifying an “individualized probable cause,” the evidence could be used because police had act-
Challenges: The U.S. Supreme Court in February allowed the new districts to be used in this year’s elections. It denied an appeal from Republicans and the Department of Justice, which claimed the districts impermissibly favor Hispanic voters.
Current map: four Democrats, 10 Republicans New map: The Republican-led General Assembly gave nal approval in October to revised districts that could help Republicans win an additional seat.
Challenges: A federal court panel in November denied a request to block the revised districts from being used in the midterm elections.
Ohio
Current map: ve Democrats, 10 Republicans New map: A bipartisan panel composed primarily of Republicans voted in October to approve revised House districts that improve Republicans’ chances of winning two additional seats.
Challenges: None. The state constitution required new districts before the 2026 election. Because Republicans had approved the prior maps without su cient Democratic support, they were required to expire after the 2024 election.
REDISTRICTING POSSIBILITIES
Louisiana
Current map: two Democrats, four Republicans
Proposal: Republican Gov. Je Landry signed legislation in October to delay the state’s primary election from April 18 until May 16. That could give lawmakers extra time to redraw House districts if the U.S. Su-
ed in good faith about what was known about the law at the time.
“If dystopian problems emerge, as some fear, the courts stand ready to hear argument regarding how we should rein in law enforcement’s use of rapidly advancing technology,” the majority of Colorado justices ruled.
Courts have long permitted investigators to seek things like bank records or phone logs. However, civil liberties groups say extending those powers to online keywords turns every search user into a suspect.
It’s unclear how many keyword warrants are issued every year — Google does not break down the total number of warrants it receives by type, according to the Electronic Frontier Foundation and the Pennsylvania Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers in a January 2024 brief.
The two groups said police working on the bombings in Austin, Texas, sought anyone who searched for terms such as “low explosives” and “pipe bomb.”
And in Brazil, investigators trying to solve the 2018 assassination in Rio de Janeiro of the politician Marielle Franco asked for those who searched for Franco’s name and the street where she lived. A Brazilian high court is expected to decide soon on the legality of those search disclosures.
Reverse keyword warrants are distinct from “geofence” warrants, where criminal investigators seek information about who was in a given area at a particu-
Districts altered by redistricing in North Carolina
preme Court overturns the current districts.
Challenges: The Supreme Court heard arguments in October but has not ruled yet.
Carolina
South
Current map: one Democrat, six Republicans
Proposed map: A legislative committee is considering a congressional redistricting plan that could help Republicans win an additional seat.
Challenges: Republican legislative leaders are concerned the plan could back re, and time is running short before this year’s election.
Colorado
Current map: four Democrats, four Republicans
Proposed map: A proposed ballot initiative would authorize mid-decade redistricting and impose a new House map that could help Democrats win three additional seats.
Challenges: Organizers must gather enough signatures to qualify for the November ballot. If approved by voters, the new districts couldn’t be used until the 2028 elections.
Washington
Current map: eight Democrats, two Republicans
Proposed map: Democratic lawmakers have proposed a constitutional amendment that would allow mid-decade redistricting.
Challenges: Democrats don’t hold the two-thirds majority needed in both legislative chambers to refer a proposed amendment to the ballot, meaning it is unlikely to be approved before the November election.
Wisconsin
Current map: two Democrats, six Republicans
Proposed map: Two lawsuits assert that congressional districts must be redrawn because they unconstitutionally favor Republicans.
Challenges: One case is not scheduled for trial until 2027, and it’s unclear whether the other case can be resolved before the midterm election.
lar time. The U.S. Supreme Court said last month it will rule on that method’s constitutionality. An index of deeply personal matters
For many people, their Google search history contains some of their most personal thoughts, from health issues and political beliefs to nancial decisions and spending patterns. Google is introducing more arti cial intelligence into its search engine, seemingly a way to learn even more about users.
“What could be more embarrassing,” asked University of Pennsylvania law professor and civil rights lawyer David Rudovsky, if every Google search “was now out there, gone viral?” Google warns users personal information can be shared outside the company when it has a “good-faith belief that disclosure of the information is reasonably necessary” to respond to applicable laws, regulations, legal processes or an “enforceable government request.”
In the Kurtz case, Pennsylvania Justice David Wecht drew a distinction between Kurtz deciding to search for the victim’s name on Google and a 2018 U.S. Supreme Court decision that limited the use of broad collections of cellphone location data.
“A user who wants to keep such material private has options,” Wecht wrote. “That user does not have to click on Google.”
Seaforth’s baseball players stand in the dugout during a 2025 game.
The 2026 season gets underway this week
By Asheebo Rojas Chatham News & Record
Last year
Seaforth: 19-8, 12-1 ( rst in Mid-Carolina 1A/2A); exited third round of NCHSAA 2A playo s Northwood: 13-10, 8-5 (third in Mid-Carolina 1A/2A); exited rst round of NCHSAA 2A playo s Jordan-Matthews: 0-18, 0-11 (seventh in Mid-Carolina 1A/2A); missed playo s Chatham Central: 8-16, 5-7 (fourth in Mid-Carolina 1A/2A): exited rst round of NCHSAA 1A playo s Chatham Charter: 15-9,
8-0 ( rst in Central Tar Heel
1A): exited third round of NCHSAA 1A playo s Top returners
• Bauer Bowling (Seaforth, junior)
• Jaedyn Rader (Seaforth, senior)
• Bryce Huneycutt (Seaforth, junior)
• Easton Sykes (Seaforth, junior)
• Colin Dorney (Seaforth, senior)
• Finn Sullivan (Northwood, junior)
• Dylan Perry (Northwood, senior)
• Riley D’Angelo
(Northwood, sophomore)
• Brett Phillips (Chatham Central, junior)
• Brayden Brewer (Chatham Central, senior)
• Carson Jackson (Chatham Central, junior)
• Jace Young (Chatham Charter, senior)
• Tyner Williams (Chatham Charter, senior)
• Landon Moser (Jordan-Matthews, senior)
Key matchups
Seaforth vs. Grace Christian (April 17 and April 23): Seaforth will welcome a challenge against the back-to-back defending NCISAA 3A champions. Northwood vs. Uwharrie
PJ WARD-BROWN / CHATHAM NEWS & RECORD
Chatham Central’s Addison Goldston takes a swing against Seaforth in a 2025 matchup.
Local teams will begin the regular season this week
By Asheebo Rojas Chatham News & Record
Last year
Seaforth: 16-7, 11-3 (second in Mid-Carolina 1A/2A); exited third round of NCHSAA 2A playo s Northwood: 4-16, 4-10 (sixth in Mid-Carolina 1A/2A); missed playo s Jordan-Matthews: 13 -9, 9-5 (third in Mid-Carolina 1A/2A); exited rst round of
NCHSAA 2A playo s Chatham Central: 204, 14-0 ( rst in Mid-Carolina 1A/2A); exited third round of NCHSAA 1A playo s Chatham Charter: 11-9, 6-3 (second in Central Tar Heel 1A); exited rst round of NCHSAA 1A playo s
Top returners
• Emma Grace Hill (Seaforth, junior)
• Annika Johansson (Seaforth, junior)
• Alyssa Harris (Seaforth, sophomore)
• Allison Bryant (Northwood, senior)
• Makenna Lux (Northwood, sophomore)
• Emma Payseur (Northwood, sophomore)
• Lilli Hicks (Jordan-Matthews, senior)
• Jasmine Sorto (Jordan-Matthews, junior)
• Addison Goldston (Chatham Central, sophomore)
See GIRLS, page B4
Charter (April 21 and April 24): A Four Rivers 3A/4A conference title will go through the Eagles, who have won three straight state titles.
Seaforth vs. Northwood (April 7 and April 8): The Battle of Pittsboro no longer has conference implications, but it’s still a prideful rivalry, nonetheless. Seaforth enters this season with a 4-3 lead in the series.
Chatham Charter vs. Falls Lake (March 18 and March 25); The Knights and the Firebirds face o in a rematch of last year’s meeting in the third round of the 1A playo s. TEAM OUTLOOK
Seaforth
7
Seaforth opponents won at least 15 games in 2025
Although they’ll miss two-way player Daniel White, the Hawks are returning 12 members from last year’s team that won 13 straight games before their playo loss. This season, the schedule is full of challenges as Seaforth will face seven opponents that won at least 15 games in 2025. The talented and experienced roster has plenty of chances to prove it can hang with some of the best programs in the state and make a deeper run in the state playo s. Northwood
The senior became the school’s rst swimmer in 2022
By Asheebo Rojas Chatham News & Record
JESSE ESKELUND’S father Dave recalled then Chatham Central athletic director Tommy Peele giving him a “quizzical look” when he approached him about starting a school swimming team during a pre-winter sport meeting in 2022. In the school’s more than 60 -year history, no one had ever represented the Bears in a pool.
“I was like, if he wants to do it, we can try to make that happen,” Peele said. “Especially with swimming being a sport that you can compete in as an individual.”
The school assigned baseball coach Brett Walden as the coach of the one-man team, made things o cial with the NCHSAA and let Eskelund take care of the rest. He practiced with his club team year-round, only needing his high school coach or a school representative to take him to his meets.
In 2025, the Chargers fared well for a team with three seniors
COURTESY DAVE ESKELUND
Chatham Central’s Jesse Eskelund poses with his state championship medals.
And four years later, an initially bizarre inquiry resulted in state championships for Chatham Central’s athletic program.
Eskelund won the boys’ 100 free and the 50 free at the NCHSAA 1A-3A state championship meet in Cary on Feb. 13. “De nitely a really good feeling,” Eskelund said. “Just knowing all the hard work that
Northwood, girls’ basketball
Northwood senior Shaylah Glover earns athlete of the week honors for the week of Feb. 16.
Glover posted a 22-point, 11-rebound double-double to lead the Chargers over Uwharrie Charter for the Four Rivers 3A/4A conference tournament title Friday. She also recorded three steals, a block and her only 3-point make of the year.
This season, Glover has logged three double-doubles. She’s averaging a career-high 9.7 points per game entering the state playo s.
from page B1
and multiple freshmen and sophomores playing crucial roles. This season, the experience gained will be put to the test. Northwood will compete in a tough Four Rivers 3A/4A conference with defending champions Uwharrie Charter and an Eastern Randolph team that made a regional nal appearance last spring. After winning 13 games in 2025, the Chargers are looking to continue its ascent as a program
and increase its wins for third straight year since the 7-15 campaign in 2023.
Chatham Central
Chatham Central graduated seven seniors, including six starters, from last year’s team.
The Bears will look to have key returners such as Brett Phillips and Brayden Brewer lead the way while new faces step into starting positions. After posting its worst win percent-
The Wildcats won their rst title under coach DeMarus Scurlock
By Asheebo Rojas Chatham News & Record
Boys: Horton 60, Pollard 38
Horton forward Lorenzo Gatlin scored a team-high 22 points to lift the Wildcats to a Chatham County middle school basketball title over Pollard 60-38 Friday in Pittsboro.
Gatlin set the tone with 11 points in the rst quarter. He got most of his buckets in the paint and at the free throw line.
“(Gatlin) does everything,” Horton coach DeMarus Scurlock said. “He defends. He can shoot it from outside.”
Horton guard Tyson Toomer poured in 17 points, including four made 3s. As Pollard tried to make up ground in the second half, Toomer scored eight points in the fourth quarter to close out the victory.
“I think Tyson Toomer might be the best guard under 15 in Chatham County,” Scurlock said.
The win marked the rst championship for Horton under Scurlock, who took over for his dad, Kenneth, in the 2023-24 season. After falling short in the championship game twice, Scurlock said it’s an “amazing feeling” to see his players nally take the crown.
“It’s a relief,” Scurlock said. “My dad was here for 30-plus years. So to follow in those footsteps and to nally be able to get me one, it’s a heavy weight lifted.”
Last year, Pollard defeated Horton in the county championship game.
“They came to me at the beginning of the season, and they said, ‘Coach, we don’t want to feel that way again,’” Scurlock said. “Last year kind of left
age since 2017 and giving up at least 10 runs in six games last year, Chatham Central hopes to turn things around this spring.
Jordan-Matthews
The only way is up for the 2026 Jets. After Jordan-Matthews graduated six seniors ( ve starters) from last year’s winless squad that gave up at least 10 runs in 14 games, senior and Guilford commit Landon Mos-
a bad taste in our mouth. We thought we should’ve had it, and we didn’t get it, and those guys came to me at the beginning of the year, and they had a goal.”
Girls: Horton 61, Bennett 5
Horton’s girls cruised to a county title with a 61-5 victory over Bennett on Friday.
With the win, Horton completed its second straight undefeated championship season.
“It feels good,” an emotional Horton coach Wanda Bland said. “That’s a special group.” The Wildcats dominated the game from start to nish, opening the game with a 22-1 run.
er looks to lead a massive turnaround. The Jets have opportunities to snap their losing streak before a challenging conference slate, including meetings with Uwharrie Charter, Northwood and Eastern Randolph.
Chatham Charter
The Knights graduated seniors Hunter Murphy (last year’s on-base percentage and stolen bases leader) and Luke Johnson (last year’s third-best
Forward Alaina Toomer scored all her team-high 16 points in the rst three quarters. Zadia Frazier contributed 11 points, including one of two Horton 3s. Kylee Moore and Camryn Lux poured in 10 points each.
Bland credited her eighth grade class, led by Toomer and Moore, for being “well rounded.”
“They’re going to do good at the next step,” Bland said. “We might even see some of them in a couple of years going on to play (Division I) basketball, and I’m sure that some of my seventh graders will be there too.”
Bland believes her Wildcats will be back in the championship game next season.
batting average) from its 2025 o ensive production, but they will return their two best hitters from last season in Jace Young and Tyner Williams (top two in batting average and RBIs). The biggest question is how Chatham Charter will replace the impact of pitcher Zach Cartrette, who achieved a 1.33 ERA in his senior season. Replicating last year’s defensive success will be huge for the Knights as they hope to make a deeper run in the state playo s.
Jordan Miller and Gabe Rogers each won state titles
By Asheebo Rojas Chatham News & Record
Wrestling
For the third straight year, Seaforth made it to the top of the podium in the First Horizon Coliseum on Saturday in Greensboro.
In the NCHSAA individual wrestling state tournament, seniors Gabe Rogers, wrestling in the 144-pound bracket, and Jordan Miller, a 120-pounder, capped o their careers with state championships and helped the Hawks nish as 5A state runners-up with a team score of 61.
Rogers won his second title over Dixon’s Dominic Avvisato, who he defeated in the 5A East regional, by a 19-3 tech fall. After Rogers took a 13-2 lead with three takedowns and a near fall by the end of the rst period, he nished his opponent with two more takedowns in the second. Rogers nished the year with a 28-1 record and ranked as North Carolina’s fourth-best 144-pounder.
“It’s nice to do it in the most dominant way,” Rogers said. “So I know all my hard work paid o .” Miller defeated Enka’s Colton Farmer by a 9-4 decision for his second state title. He built a 7-1 lead going into the nal period and scored on two escapes to cushion his advantage. With the win, Miller achieved a 44-1 record and nished the season as the No. 1 120-pounder in North Carolina.
earning his 150th career win this winter.
placer in program history.
Chatham County’s championship Friday could best be described as “historic.”
Seaforth’s boys, the regular season conference champions, won their rst conference tournament title in team history after defeating South Granville 76-72 in overtime behind a career-high 37 points from senior Campbell Meador.
South Granville junior Samir Lewis knocked down a 3 at the buzzer to send the game into overtime, but Meador knocked down two more triples, and junior Duncan Parker made a clutch free throw to ice the game.
“I got some easy ones early,” Meador said. “It helps a lot that I have (Declan Lindquist) on the team because they have to give him so much attention and stu opens up for me.”
After a buzzer-beater from sophomore Campbell Blackburn sent Woods Charter’s boys over Chatham Charter in the conference tournament semi nal, the Wolves pulled o a 41-38 upset over Southern Wake Academy to win their rst conference tournament title. Woods Charter led 30-27 entering the fourth quarter, and Blackburn hit a free throw to put the Wolves ahead three with 18 seconds left. Southern Wake defeated the Wolves by more than 30 points twice in the regular season.
37
points for Seaforth’s Campbell Meador for the Hawks’ rst conference tournament title
“It’s kind of sad I’m done in high school,” Miller said. “I’m happy to wrestle and go out there and compete for the last time.”
I put in and paying it o , it was a really special moment. I won’t ever forget it.”
From Chatham Central’s point of view, it may seem a historic rst just fell into the school’s lap, but Eskelund wanted it that way.
Eskelund started swimming in his younger days as a hobby, joining summer swim clubs for fun while also playing other sports. In 2019, Dave Eskelund retired from the military and moved his family from the Washington, D.C., area to Chatham County, and Jesse began swimming competitively in Asheboro.
Seaforth’s senior 190-pounder Harrison Compton came up short in his rst state nal appearance to Croatan’s Luke Padgett 1-0. Compton nished the season with a 35-3 record,
“After some training year-round, we did a couple of meets, and I had made a lot of improvements,” Eskelund said.
“That’s kind of when we decided, hey, this might be something we keep doing to maybe accomplish higher goals later on in the future.”
Coming into high school, Eskelund had two options of where to continue his swim journey.
Eskelund’s father recalled Jordan-Matthews, which already had a swim team and a recent state champion in Jennah Fadely, doing some recruiting for his son, but Jesse wanted to go to school with the friends he made at Bonlee. Also, his decision boiled down to what Eskel-
Chatham Central senior Carson Williams fell to Bradford Prep’s Michael Mauro by a 17-0 tech fall in the 1A/2A 157-pound title match. He became Chatham Central’s rst podium nish since Cole Armstrong in 2019 and the school’s rst state championship nalist since Nick Daggett took home the 113-pound crown in 2017. Williams nished the season with a 34-6 record.
In the girls’ tournament, Jordan-Matthews sophomore Alexandra Zumano Garcia nished fourth in the 1A-4A 114-pound bracket, becoming the Jets’ rst state
und and his family were looking for when they moved to North Carolina.
“We moved down here for small town America, and Chatham Central is that high school,” Dave Eskelund said.
Eskelund balanced swimming with basketball and golf in his rst three years at Chatham Central. In the pool, he consistently picked up wins in high school meets, including a Mid-Carolina 1A/2A conference title and a 1A/2A Central Regional title for the 50 free in 2025.
Leading up to his senior year, Eskelund had never placed higher than fourth in a state championship event. With goals to win a state title, swim on a
Seaforth’s Lilliana Messier nished third in the 5A 165-pound division.
Jordan-Matthews senior Jakari Blue tied for fth in the 4A 190-pound bracket after taking a loss in the consolation semi nals, and his teammate Mariyah Spruiell fell in the rst consolation round of the girls’ 1A-4A 145-pound division.
Seaforth’s Sarah Tanner nished her tournament run in the rst consolation round of the girls’ 5A 132-pound bracket. Luke Ayers, Seaforth’s 126-pounder, fell short of a podium placement in the consolation semi nals.
“I didn’t want to take fourth place as an answer.” Jesse Eskelund
team at the national level in the YMCA and become one of the top sprinters on a college roster, Eskelund decided in the fall to drop basketball, focus on swimming, switch to Greensboro Community YMCA and train harder than years prior.
“I didn’t want to take fourth place as an answer,” Eskelund said. “I really wanted to nish out on top, and I pretty
Northwood’s boys earned its sixth conference tournament title in the last seven seasons with a 78-60 win over Uwharrie Charter. Junior Josiah Brown went 9 for 9 from the eld (including 5 3s) in a 23-point performance.
Northwood’s girls won its fth conference tournament championship in the last seven seasons after beating Uwharrie Charter 51-37. Senior Shaylah Glover posted a 22-point, 11-rebound double-double.
Seaforth’s girls won the team’s fourth conference tournament title after a 58-33 victory over Orange. Senior Katie Leonard recorded 24 points and nine rebounds.
much did everything I could in my power to come out on top.”
After blazing his own path at Chatham Central, Eskelund will pursue another personal goal at the University of Lynchburg in Lynchburg, Virginia.
“The thing I’m most proud of is that when kids are younger, you’re kind of pushing them towards things,” Dave Eskelund said. “After his junior year, basicially, it was all on him. You make the decisions. We’re not going to dictate when practice is. You want to go to practice? You can go to practice. So all these decisions and goals were made by him himself, and my wife and I pretty much just stand by as observers, watching him.”
The driver is the rst in 17 years to win the rst two races of a season
The Associated Press
HAMPTON, Ga. — Whether on or o the racetrack, all Michael Jordan does is win in NASCAR.
For the second consecutive Sunday to open the season, the basketball great and co-owner of 23XI Racing celebrated in Victory Lane with driver Tyler Reddick. This time, after a thriller at Echo Park Speedway.
Jordan’s team now has the top two drivers in the Cup Series points standings with Reddick and Bubba Wallace. The six-time NBA champion already added a ring last week with Reddick in the Daytona 500, the crown jewel of stockcar racing.
Oh, and Jordan also settled a federal antitrust lawsuit with NASCAR in December, a major legal victory that secured a permanent franchise-style model and ensured his team would remain in business for the long term.
“The guys worked hard all summer, and I know we had our little ordeal,” Jordan said after Reddick’s victory Sunday, referring to the bruising court battle that ended with him making peace with NASCAR CEO and chairman Jim France. “They kept working hard, and this is the fruit of their labor. They put forth the e ort, and for us to come out and win the rst two races says a lot about our whole team.”
It especially says a lot about Reddick, who put on another dazzling performance the week
after he became the fourth driver in history to win the Daytona 500 by leading only thenal lap.
This time, he led a race-high 53 laps on the 1.54-mile oval south of Atlanta — including the nal two in a double-overtime restart. He snatched the lead from Wallace despite the right-front fender of his No. 45 Toyota being damaged in a nine-car crash on the 224th of a scheduled 260 laps. Reddick fell two laps down for repairs but came roaring back from 27th for his 10th career victory.
“I mean, that’s crazy, ain’t it?” said Reddick, who became the rst driver since Matt Kenseth
in 2009 to win the rst two NASCAR Cup Series races of the season. “I just found a way to get back in the top ve, and I tried to stay committed to somebody.”
He got a helpful push from runner-up Chase Briscoe. Ross Chastain nished third, followed by the Spire Motorsports tandem of Carson Hocevar (who triggered a large crash in the rst overtime) and Daniel Suarez.
“Tyler had like another gear,” Chastain said. “(He had) no fender, and he pulled us so fast.”
In a race that featured a track-record 57 lead changes, Wallace was rst entering
the nal restart but shu ed to eighth. He still gained the second-most points (48) by winning the second stage and leading 46 laps.
“Tyler did an unbelievable job,” Jordan said. “I feel bad for Bubba because he had an unbelievable day. But Tyler drove his ass o . I’m very happy for Tyler. I’m very happy for 23XI.”
Green turns to yellow
Austin Cindric took advantage of a stretch of 61 green- ag laps to open the race, winning the rst stage after starting 30th.
It was the second consecutive
Irving won’t play this season for Mavericks while continuing to recover from knee injury
The All-Star guard will miss a full season for the rst time in his career
By Schuyler Dixon
The Associated Press
DALLAS — Kyrie Irving won’t play this season as the star guard for the Dallas Mavericks continues his recovery from a knee injury sustained almost a year ago.
The nine-time All-Star and the team made the announcement two days before the Mavericks return from the All-Star break. Dallas entered the break on a nine-game losing streak, its longest in 28 years, and out of playo contention.
ny Davis. Just nine months earlier, Irving and Doncic led the Mavs to the NBA Finals.
Irving and Davis played together for just 21⁄2 quarters because Davis aggravated an abdominal injury in his Dallas debut and didn’t return before Irving went down in a 122-98 loss at home to Sacramento.
The Mavericks converted a 1.8% chance to win the draft lottery and picked former Duke standout Cooper Flagg No. 1 overall. But Irving, Davis and Flagg never played together.
year that the rst stage in the February race was completed without a yellow ag — an oddity for a track known for chaos since its 2022 recon guration into a high-banked drafting oval.
The cautions quickly picked up pace in the second stage with three yellow ags in 40 laps that collected 16 cars and eliminated notable drivers Ty Gibbs, Josh Berry, Ricky Stenhouse Jr. and Kyle Busch. The 160-lap middle segment ended under another yellow when defending Cup Series champion Kyle Larson slammed the outside wall after a collision with Shane van Gisbergen.
spect for Cooper,” said co-interim general manager Michael Finley, who was a two-time All-Star with the Mavericks a quarter-century ago. “He loves the kid’s work ethic. He loves the kid’s love for the game. And I think Kyrie’s embracing the role as a mentor to Cooper.”
The team said Irving would remain “actively engaged” with the team the rest of this season. Dallas is on its way to missing the playo s for the second year in a row since the ve-game loss to Boston in the NBA Finals.
“This decision wasn’t easy, but it’s the right one,” Irving said in a statement released by the team. “I am grateful for the Mavericks organization, my teammates and our fans for their continued support throughout the process. I am looking forward to coming back stronger next season. The belief and drive I have inside only grows.”
from page B1
• Maeson Smith (Chatham Central, junior)
• Sallie Oldham (Chatham Central, junior)
Maddie Kaczmarczyk (Chatham Central, junior)
Makenly Stanley (Chatham Charter, junior)
Taylor Hussey (Chatham Charter, senior)
Allie McLeod (Chatham Charter, junior)
Key matchups
Seaforth at Apex Friendship (April 22): The Hawks are 0-3 all-time against Apex Friendship. This season, the Patriots (8A) will be a late-season test and a chance to improve seeding near the start of the state playo s. Jordan-Matthews vs. Cha-
Irving tore the ACL in his left knee on March 3. This will be the rst time in his 15-year career that the 33-year-old has missed an entire season.
tham Central (April 8 and April 9): The West Chatham rivalry will continue despite the teams being in di erent conferences this season. Last year, Chatham Central swept the regular season series for the rst time since 2022.
Jordan-Matthews vs. Southwestern Randolph (March 24 and March 27): Southwestern Randolph will likely be one of the Jets’ toughest conference opponents, and the matchup could have conference title implications.
Chatham Central at Apex Friendship (March 25): Chatham Central will also take a trip to Apex to face the Patriots for a mid-season challenge.
TEAM OUTLOOK
Seaforth
Seaforth’s roster has been building chemistry for the past three seasons while improving
The most signi cant injury of Irving’s career came a month after the Mavericks traded young superstar Luka Doncic to the Los Angeles Lakers for a package centered around older and oft-injured big man Antho-
The last time
Chatham Central swept the regular season series with Jordan-Matthews
each year. After a breakout season in which the Hawks made their rst playo appearance and reached the third round, the Hawks are looking to take things a step further. Seaforth will return its top hitters, including Emma Grace Hill, who will once again give batters a hard time with her presence in the circle.
Northwood
The Chargers struggled defensively in 2025, giving up
Dallas sent Davis to Washington before the trade deadline, a deal that signaled the Mavericks were moving on from the ill-fated Doncic deal less than three months after ring general manager Nico Harrison in part because of that trade.
The Mavericks appear set to build around Flagg with help from Irving, believing the older of the two one-and-done stars from Duke can complement the new face of the franchise.
“Kyrie has the ultimate re-
double-digit runs in all but one of their losses. Northwood will need better play in the circle in order to improve this season, but o ensively, the return of Allison Bryant (last year’s batting average leader) and sophomores Emma Payseur and Makenna Lux could also help Northwood turn things around through more runs.
Chatham Central
With new classi cations, Roxboro Community (2A), which has eliminated Chatham Central the past two seasons in the playo s, is no longer in the way of a deep playo run. The Bears are reloading with all three of their top batters returning and their star pitcher Maddie Kaczmarczyk once again taking the circle. Chatham Central looks to be one of the best teams in the 1A classi cation and take the success it’s built in the past few years to a new level.
“And I wanted to send a huge shoutout to ALL of my brothers and sisters out there who’ve torn their ACL or gotten injured doing what they love to do every day,” Irving said in the team’s statement. “THANK YOU for the inspiration. No fear!” Before the injury, Irving thrived in two years with the Mavericks following a trade that ended a tumultous three-plus seasons in Brooklyn. There was plenty of drama in Boston before that. Irving was the No. 1 pick by Cleveland in 2011 and won a championship there with LeBron James in 2016.
Irving has averaged 23.7 points and and 5.6 assists per game over 779 games while shooting almost 40% from 3-point range and 89% on free throws.
Jordan-Matthews
Jordan-Matthews graduated key contributors from last year including Marcy Clark, Reagan Sandel and Sophia Murchison. Senior two-way player Lilli Hicks will lead the Jets after an all-district season, being one of the more experienced players on a young roster.
Chatham Charter
Chatham Charter fell just short of a conference title in 2025, but it will return its best hitters. Makenly Stanley will try to top last year in which she batted .574 with a .603 on-base percentage. After nishing second in the conference last spring, the Knights will look to nd themselves near the top of the Central Tar Heel 1A standings and hope for a di erent outcome in the rst round of the state playo s.
NBA
Warriors’ Curry to be reevaluated next week after second MRI on knee
San Francisco
Golden State star Stephen Curry had a second MRI on his troublesome right knee that revealed no structural damage, although the two -time NBA MVP is expected to miss at least another ve games before being reevaluated. The 37-year- old guard last played Jan. 30. He has been diagnosed with patella-femoral pain syndrome/bone bruising, otherwise referred to as runner’s knee. Warriors coach Steve Kerr said Curry will be reevaluated in 10 days from last Thursday’s scan.
Unbeaten Mayweather plans return to pro boxing 9 years after retirement
Los Angeles
Floyd Mayweather says he is ending his nine-year retirement and returning to competitive boxing this summer. He turned 49 last week and hasn’t fought in a real boxing match since 2017, when he beat Conor McGregor and retired for the third time. The former ve- division world champion has still been in the ring regularly throughout his 40s with a series of lucrative exhibition bouts. Mayweather already has announced yet another exhibition coming up this spring against 59-year-old Mike Tyson, although no location or television partner has been con rmed.
Selection committee picks Michigan, Duke, Arizona, Iowa State as top preliminary seeds
Michigan is the No. 1 overall seed in the preliminary rankings by the committee that will select the 68-team men’s eld for the NCAA Tournament. The Wolverines were joined by Duke, Arizona and Iowa State as the 1-seeds. The Cyclones got the last No. 1 seed ahead of UConn and Houston. Saturday’s reveal is a snapshot of where things stand with less than a month left until Selection Sunday.
Texas Tech standout
Toppin to miss rest of season with torn ACL Lubbock, Tex.
Texas Tech standout forward JT Toppin will miss the rest of the season because of a torn ACL in his right knee. An MRI con rmed the ACL tear after Toppin got hurt late in the 13th-ranked Red Raiders’ 72-67 loss at Arizona State. The 6-foot-9 Toppin, a preseason AP All-America selection, is the Big 12’s leading rebounder with 10.8 a game and ranks third in the league with 21.8 points a game.
JGR claims its former employee took sensitive information to Spire
By Jenna Fryer The Associated Press
CHARLOTTE — Joe Gibbs
Racing led suit against former competition director Chris Gabehart for allegedly embarking on “a brazen scheme to steal JGR’s most sensitive information” for the bene t of rival NASCAR team Spire Motorsports.
The suit led in the Western District of North Carolina — the same court that heard last December’s antitrust suit between 23XI Racing and Front Row Motorsports against NASCAR — claims Gabehart violated his contract and stole con dential team trade secrets when “his demands for additional authority were rebu ed by JGR’s owner.”
The suit alleges Gabehart caused more than $8 million in damages to JGR. The ling did not request an injunction preventing Gabehart from working for Spire.
JGR was founded by Joe Gibbs in 1992 after he won three Super Bowls as Washington’s football coach.
Gibbs is a member of both the Pro Football Hall of Fame and NASCAR Hall of Fame and now co-owns JGR with his daughter-in-law, Heather. The team elds Cup cars for Christopher Bell, Chase Briscoe, Ty Gibbs and Denny Hamlin. Gabehart joined JGR in 2012 as an engineer, worked his way to crew chief for Hamlin, and became competition director ahead of the 2025 season. Gabehart in that role was responsible for all competitive aspects of the race team, and as such, had access to all of JGR’s proprietary information. The lawsuit claims Gabehart throughout last season wanted complete responsibility and control over all competition
“The results were shocking.”
JGR lawsuit on the results of its laptop search
departments and asked Joe Gibbs in a Nov. 6, 2025, meeting for “carte blanche authority over all racing decisions.”
The suit said Gibbs denied the request, and Gabehart said he wanted to leave the organization. In the course of negotiating a separation agreement, JGR alleges it learned Gabehart had been meeting with Spire Motorsports, which triggered the organization to do a forensic analysis of Gabehart’s team-issued laptop.
“The results were shocking,” the suit alleges, claiming it found Google searches about Spire in October and November of last year, folders titled
“Spire” and “Past Setups,” and more than a dozen images of JGR les containing condential information and trade secrets.
From there, the suit alleges JGR and Gabehart squabbled over further forensic reviews and JGR attempted to impose a “cooling o period” in which Gabehart would not work for another organization.
JGR alleges it learned on Feb. 11 that Gabehart plans to become the chief motorsports o cer at Spire, where he would be responsible for all of Spire’s racing strategy and operations.
“This was new information to JGR, as Defendant previously represented to JGR ... that the job o er he received from Spire was for a role in which he would not provide Spire with services similar to the services he provided JGR,” the suit claims.
JGR contends Gabehart knew his actions accessing
JGR materials was unlawful, and he took intentional steps to avoid detection and hide his digital trail. Gabehart turned in his JGR laptop on Nov. 10 and has not worked for JGR since. The lawsuit claims the o er from Spire was made to Gabehart on Nov. 13, and Gabehart met with Spire co-owner Je Dickerson on Dec. 2. JGR claims Gabehart told his former team on Dec. 4 he had not spoken to anyone from Spire about employment, nor had he spoken to any other potential employers.
Instead, JGR claims Gabehart was actively soliciting JGR employees to move to Spire, and at least one employee has made the move. Spire has yet to announce hiring Gabehart. Cary Davis, the attorney representing Gabehart, said he could not comment on the suit. Gabehart must respond to JGR’s ling in 21 days.
The former Tar Heel was an ABA legend
By Eddie Pells The Associated Press
DENVER— Doug Moe, an ABA original who gained fame over a rumpled, irreverent decade as coach of the Denver Nuggets in the 1980s, died at 87 after a long bout with cancer.
Moe went 628-529 over 15 seasons as a head coach, including stints with the San Antonio Spurs and Philadelphia 76ers. He never won a title and was the NBA Coach of the Year in 1988. More than for wins and losses, Moe will be remembered for his motion o ense and for the equally entertaining shows he put on while prowling the bench during his coaching days.
His Denver teams led the league in scoring over ve straight seasons in the early ’80s, and he rarely ran a set play.
He called the people he liked the most “sti s” (or worse) and used more colorful language to drive points home to some of his favorite foils — Kiki VanDeWeghe, Danny Schayes and Bill Hanzlik stood out.
The coach stalked the sidelines in one of his well-worn sports coats, usually without a tie (he had a small stash of “emergency suits” in his closet for bigger events), his hair a mess and his overtaxed voice barely at a croak by the end of most games.
The Nuggets bench, along with the 10 rows behind it, was no place for children, but within hours, Moe would be at the bar or co ee shop hang-
ing with many of those same players he’d excoriated, often himself wondering where that foul-mouthed man on the sideline had come from.
“Sometimes I think I have a Jekyll-and-Hyde personality. I clown around a lot before and after a game, but once a game starts, my emotions just take over,” Moe said in a 1983 interview with The New York Times.
Moe paired with good friend Larry Brown at UNC, where as a 6-foot-5 small forward he twice earned All-America honors. But Moe’s college career was terminated early because of a point-shaving scandal for which he received $75 to y to a meeting; he refused to throw games. After a few years in Europe, Moe again became a package deal with Brown, as they winded their way through the new and edgling ABA. Moe was a three-time All-Star over
a ve-year career that ended early because of his perpetually ailing knees. His playing days done, he teamed again with Brown, working as his assistant with the Carolina Cougars and then with the Nuggets toward the end of the franchise’s ABA days. Alex English and VanDeWeghe nished 1-2 in scoring in the 1982-83 season, a feat no teammates have accomplished since. The Nuggets lost a 186 -184 game to the Pistons in 1983 that remains the highest-scoring game in NBA history. Moe won 432 games with the Nuggets, and the franchise retired that number, with Moe’s name attached. It took more than 30 years after Moe retired and moved back to San Antonio for the Nuggets to break through and become NBA champions.
Oddly enough, one of Moe’s most colorful coaching coups
came at the expense of the Nuggets on the last day of the 1977-78 season when he was with the Spurs. In an early game, Denver, coached by Brown at the time, fed David Thompson on the way to a 73-point outburst against Detroit that brie y put him ahead of Gervin in a neck-and-neck battle for the scoring title.
So that night, Moe told the Spurs to get out of “Ice’s” way. Gervin scored 63 against the Jazz to win the title by 0.07.
Though the focus of the Nuggets was o ense, Moe spent ample time preaching defense — insisting it, not the team’s scoring ability, would make the di erence between winning and losing.
Once, incensed at the lack of e ort during a blowout loss at Portland, he commanded his team to stop trying on defense and to let the Blazers make layups at will over the nal minutes to set the franchise scoring record for a single game. That earned him a ne and suspension, only weeks after he was ned for throwing water on an o cial.
For the most part, though, Moe made a career out of not taking himself too seriously — a wryly wrinkled counterbalance to the slicked-down Pat Riley and the Laker Showtime teams that dominated the NBA’s Western Conference over the decade.
Moe even punctuated one of his lowest moments — his ring by the Nuggets in 1990 — by wearing a Hawaiian shirt and popping open champagne at the news conference while his wife, whom he called “Big Jane,” looked on. A day to celebrate, he insisted, because he would now be getting paid to do nothing.
Gunbattle in Waco with Branch Davidians, Chamberlain scores 100, rst Federal Congress meets in New York
The Associated Press
FEB. 26
1815: Napoleon Bonaparte escaped from exile on the island of Elba, sailing back to France in an attempt to reclaim power.
1919: President Woodrow Wilson signed legislation establishing the Grand Canyon as a national park.
1993: A truck bomb built by Islamic extremists exploded in the parking garage beneath the North Tower of New York’s World Trade Center, killing six people and injuring more than 1,000 others.
FEB. 27
1933: Germany’s parliament building, the Reichstag, was severely damaged by re. Chancellor Adolf Hitler blamed communists and used the incident to justify suspending civil liberties.
1942: The Battle of the Java Sea began during World War II, ending in a decisive victory for Imperial Japanese naval forces over the Allies.
1951: The 22nd Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, limiting a president to two terms in o ce, was rati ed.
FEB. 28
1953: Francis H.C. Crick announced that he and fellow scientist James D. Watson had discovered the double-helix structure of DNA.
1983: The nal episode of the television series “M*A*S*H” aired; nearly 106 million viewers saw the nale, which remains the most-watched epi-
were indicted on charges of conspiring to obstruct justice in connection with the Watergate break-in.
MARCH 2
1807: The Act Prohibiting Importation of Slaves was signed by President Thomas Je erson.
1861: The state of Texas, having seceded from the Union, was admitted to the Confederacy.
1962: Wilt Chamberlain scored 100 points for the Philadelphia Warriors against the New York Knicks, a single-game NBA record that still stands. Philadelphia won by a score of 169-147.
MARCH 3
sode of any U.S. television series to date.
1993: A gunbattle erupted near Waco, Texas, as federal agents attempted to arrest Branch Davidian leader David Koresh on weapons charges.
Four agents and six Davidians were killed, triggering a 51-day stando .
MARCH 1
1872: President Ulysses S. Grant signed the Yellowstone National Park Protection Act, making Yellowstone the nation’s rst national park.
1932: Charles A. Lindbergh Jr., the 20-month-old son of Charles and Anne Lindbergh, was kidnapped from the family home in New Jersey.
1961: President John F. Kennedy signed an executive order establishing the Peace Corps.
1974: Seven people, including former Nixon White House aides H.R. Haldeman and John D. Ehrlichman, former Attorney General John Mitchell and former assistant Attorney General Robert Mardian,
1845: Florida became a U.S. state.
1931: President Herbert Hoover signed a bill making “The Star-Spangled Banner” the national anthem of the United States.
1991: Motorist Rodney King was severely beaten by Los Angeles police o cers after a high-speed chase in a scene captured on amateur video that sparked public outrage.
MARCH 4
1789: The Constitution of the United States took e ect as the rst Federal Congress met in New York.
1801: Thomas Je erson became the rst president to be inaugurated in Washington, D.C.
1933: Franklin D. Roosevelt was inaugurated for his rst term as president; he was the last U.S. president to be inaugurated on this date (subsequent inaugurations have been held on Jan. 20). In his inaugural speech, Roosevelt stated, “The only thing we have to fear is fear itself.”
Bagpipers play at Olympic curling in homage to sport’s Scottish heritage — but they’re Italian
The Cateaters Pipe Band are one of the only bands of its kind in the region
By Julia Frankel The Associated Press
CORTINA D’AMPEZZO,
Italy — Spectators trekking through heavy snow to the Cortina Olympic curling stadium were delighted to be greeted by a traditional Scottish bagpipe performance from a group of high sock-wearing, kilt-sporting, snare drum-carrying, glengarry-topped ... Italians.
The Milan Cortina Winter Games have put their own spin on the tradition of having a pipe band play at Olympic curling medal ceremonies, an homage that is meant to honor the sport’s Scottish heritage.
For this Games, the bagpipers are from northeastern Italy, more than 2,000 miles from Scotland. The Cateaters Pipe Band say they are one of two pipe bands in the Veneto region.
Until recently, the Cateaters’ performances were limited to local concerts, ballet performances and ceremonies around Veneto. Performing at
The neurological disorder can cause the uttering of inappropriate words
By Jill Lawless The Associated Press
LONDON — Britain’s lm academy and the BBC apologized to viewers after an audience member with Tourette syndrome shouted a racial slur during the British Academy Film Awards.
The highly o ensive word could be heard as “Sinners” stars Michael B. Jordan and Delroy Lindo were presenting the award for best visual e ects during Sunday’s ceremony.
Host Alan Cumming had earlier told the audience that a guest at the ceremony was John Davidson, a Scottish campaigner for people with Tourette syndrome who inspired the BAFTA-nominated lm “I Swear.”
Tourette syndrome is a neurological disorder characterized by involuntary, repetitive movements and vocalizations, including the uttering of inappropriate words.
“This is really one of the most acute examples of where something that is a disability can cause quite understandably huge amounts of o ense to someone.”
Ed Palmer, Tourettes Action vice chairman
After the outburst, Cumming apologized to the audience at London’s Royal Festival Hall for the “strong and o ensive language.”
“Tourette syndrome is a disability and the tics you have heard tonight are involuntary, which means the person who has Tourette syndrome has no control over their language,” Cumming said. “We apologize if you were o ended.”
The British Academy of Film and Television Arts referred to Cumming’s statement when asked for comment on Monday.
The epithet could be heard
the Olympic medal ceremony is their biggest gig yet.
“It’s so emotional for us to play here for the world,” said Marianna Spadarotto, the lone woman in the band, who is on the bass drum. “For me, yes, it is exciting, but also I’m shy, so it makes me nervous.”
Asked if they add Italian air to the Scottish tunes, they emphatically shake their heads. They don’t mess with tradition — though it is not unknown in Italy.
Luca Eze, who plays the bagpipes, says he started his career on the zampogna, a type of instrument common in central and southern Italy. In the Veneto re-
Italian
practice outside the curling stadium at the 2026 Winter Olympics in
gion, it’s sometimes called a “piva” and is played on Christmas and during other festivities.
“I played the electric guitar and then a friend passed along this instrument to me,” says Mauro Fortuna, a Venetian who began playing Scottish music in 2008.
Curling is believed to have originated in Scotland, with the rst written evidence of the sport’s existence documented, in Latin, by a notary living in Paisley, Scotland, in the 16th century, according to World Curling.
The notary told of a sti contest between a monk, John Sclater, and a representative of the Abbot, Gavin Hamilton, in-
volving sliding stones across ice. It was in Scotland where organized curling clubs originated, with players sliding stones across frozen lochs.
On a snowy day in front of the Cortina curling center, Olympic fans paused to take in the scene, some wondering how the musicians’ ungloved hands were not too cold to play.
The tufts of Eze’s hair, jutting out from beneath his glengarry cap, were covered in snow akes that fell down his face with every pu of the bagpipe. He’s bright red and smiling.
Some fans proudly wave Scottish ags. They’re here to watch the four players representing Britain on the ice, all of whom are from Scotland.
Italian tourists look animated in the breaks between tunes, realizing they understand the chatter between the bandmates. Cristian Negro, on snare drum, says that as an Italian, choosing to pursue Scottish music has given him frequent opportunities for gigs.
“I focus more on high tension snare drums because there are so few people who play it here,” he says. “I get to play more music — and it’s necessary for someone to do.”
audience
when the BBC broadcast the ceremony about two hours after the live event. The broadcaster apologized, though the o ensive word could still be heard on its iPlayer streaming service on Monday morning. The program was later removed, and the BBC said the slur would be edited out.
“Some viewers may have heard strong and o ensive language during the Bafta Film Awards,” the BBC said in a
statement. “This arose from involuntary verbal tics associated with Tourette syndrome, and as explained during the ceremony it was not intentional.
“We apologize that this was not edited out prior to broadcast and it will now be removed from the version on BBC iPlayer.”
“I Swear” won two BAFTAs, including best actor for Robert Aramayo, who plays Davidson.
Ed Palmer, vice chairman
of the charity Tourettes Action, said the BBC should have considered bleeping out the slur.
“This is really one of the most acute examples of where something that is a disability can cause quite understandably huge amounts of o ense to someone,” he told Times Radio. “So if it’s being prerecorded now, then bleeping it out, for example, might be a reasonable compromise.”
Actor Joanne Woodward turns 96, former Tar Heel James Worthy hits 65, Huntersville native Luke Combs is 36
The Associated Press THESE CELEBRITIES have birthdays this week.
FEB. 26
Singer Mitch Ryder is 81. Singer Michael Bolton is 73. Hockey Hall of Famer Joe Mullen is 69. Actor Greg Germann is 68. Democratic Sen. Tim Kaine of Virginia is 68. Singer Erykah Badu is 55.
FEB. 27
Actor Joanne Woodward is 96. Football Hall of Famer Raymond Barry is 93. Consumer advocate Ralph Nader is 92. Broadcast journalist Charlayne Hunter-Gault is 84. Rock musician Neal Schon (Journey) is 72. Basketball Hall of Famer James Worthy is 65.
FEB. 28
Rock singer Sam the Sham (aka Domingo Samudio) is 89. Actor-director-choreographer Tommy Tune is 87. Hall of Fame auto racer Mario Andretti is 86. Actor Mercedes Ruehl is 79. Nobel Prize-winning economist Paul Krugman is 73. Actor John Turturro is 69.
MARCH 1
Rock singer Roger Daltrey is 82. Actor Dirk Benedict is 81. Republican Sen. Deb Fischer of Nebraska is 75. Filmmaker Ron Howard is 72. Actor Javier Bardem is 57. Basketball Hall of Famer Chris Webber is 53. Actor Mark-Paul Gosselaar is 52. Pop singer Justin Bieber is 32.
MARCH 2
Author John Irving is 84.
Actor-comedian Laraine Newman (“Saturday Night Live”) is 74. Golf Hall of Famer Ian Woosnam is 68. Musician Jon Bon Jovi is 64. Actor Daniel Craig is 58. Rapper-actor Method Man is 55. Musician Chris Martin (Coldplay) is 49. Country musician Luke Combs is 36.
MARCH 3
Filmmaker George Miller is 81. Singer Jennifer Warnes is 79. Author Ron Chernow is 77. Football Hall of Famer Randy Gradishar is 74. Musician Robyn Hitchcock is 73. Radio personality Ira Glass is 67. Olympic track and eld gold medalist Jackie Joyner-Kersee is 64. Rapper-actor Tone Loc is 60.
MARCH 4
Film director Adrian Lyne is 85. Author James Ellroy is 78. Musician-producer Emilio Estefan is 73. Actor Mykelti Williamson is 69. Actor Patricia Heaton is 68. Democratic Sen. Tina Smith of Minnesota is 68. Actor Steven Weber is 65.
Bruno Mars drops ‘The Romantic,’ Paul McCartney doc, ‘Survivor’ at 50
“Scrubs” is back after 16 years
The Associated Press
BOTH THE K-POP girl group Blackpink and the funky pop star Bruno Mars returning with new music and a documentary about Paul McCartney after the Beatles 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: “Paradise” starring Sterling K. Brown returns for its second season, the freshly rebranded Actors Awards will be handed out live and there are bloodthirsty zombies to ght in Resident Evil Requiem.
MOVIES TO STREAM
Andrew Stanton has directed some very memorable Pixar movies (“WALL-E,” “Finding Nemo”), but his live-action track record is more checkered. Following 2012’s poorly received “John Carter,” Stanton is back with “In the Blink of an Eye,” a lm that brings together a handful of interconnected stories that explore the history of the world. Kate McKinnon, Rashida Jones and Daveed Diggs co-star. After a rocky reception at the Sundance Film Festival last month, “In the Blink of an Eye” debuts Friday on Hulu.
The Actor Awards, formerly the SAG Awards, will be handed out March 1 in a livestreamed ceremony on Net ix. Dished out by SAG-AFTRA, the actors guild, the awards are one of the most closely watched Oscar predictors. This year, Paul Thomas Anderson’s “One Battle After Another” comes in the lead nominee.
For the McCartney superfan comes a new documentary series from director Morgan Neville, who also helmed “Won’t You Be My Neighbor” and “Piece by Piece.” Not on the Beatles but what came after, “Paul McCartney: Man on the Run,” which hits Amazon Prime Video on Friday chronicles the music man’s life in the 1970s — Wings and then some. It’s an intimate portrait worth spending time with.
A
CHRIS PIZZELLO / AP
Andrew Stanton, director of the lm “In the Blink of an Eye,” attends the lm’s premiere during the Sundance Film Festival on Jan. 26 in Park City, Utah. The lm debuts Friday on Hulu.
Also on Friday: The return of Bruno Mars! “The Romantic” is Mars’ fourth full-length project and rst solo album since 2016’s hit making “24K Magic.” (That’s of course excluding his mega-popular collaborative project with Anderson. Paak, Silk Sonic, and their 2021 release “An Evening with Silk Sonic.”)
Retro-pop is the name of the game and Mars remains one of the great, spirited nostalgists. That’s evident from the jump: “I Just Might” is feel-good disco-pop-soul; it’s clear Mars is making his return just when the world wants him most.
All four members of K-pop girl group Blackpink have
“In the end, the love you take is equal to the love you make” Sir Paul McCartney
found incredible success as soloists, with ubiquitous pop hits like “APT.” and starring roles on “The White Lotus” among them. But now is the time for a comeback. On Friday, Jisoo, Jennie, Rosé and Lisa will release “Deadline,” their latest EP. Details surrounding the ve-track release have been scant, but the bilingual “Jump” is bouncy europop that irts with hardstyle, the ideal soundtrack to a Las Vegas day club. Clearly, they just want their listeners to have fun.
SERIES TO STREAM
Season 2 of “Paradise” starring Brown returns to Hulu. Brown plays Xavier, a Secret Service agent assigned to protect the president of the United States, played by James Mars-
den. In Season 1, we learned that Marsden’s character and a small number of privileged people escaped to an underground bunker just as an apocalypse was about to destroy everything. Xavier and his kids also made it to safety, but his wife got left behind. In Season 2, he sets out to nd her. Shailene Woodley joins the cast, and Julianne Nicholson and Marsden return.
The 50th, yes 50th, season of “Survivor” is streaming on Paramount+ after it airs on CBS. Make sure to have your whole night free though because the rst episode is three hours long. Season 50 features all returning “Survivor” contestants including “The White Lotus” creator, Mike White. Sixteen years after it aired its series nale, Zach Bra ’s “Scrubs,” has been resuscitated. The irreverent hospital begins streaming on Hulu on Thursday, with a returning cast Donald Faison, Sarah Chalke and Judy Reyes.
Kevin Costner and Morgan Freeman rst worked together on the lm “Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves.” They’ve got a new collab as executive producers of a new Civil War series for Prime Video called “The Gray House.” Mary Louise Parker stars alongside Ben Vereen, Robert Knepper (“Prison Break”) and Paul Anderson of “Peaky Blinders.” All eight episodes drop Thursday.
A washed-up Broadway actor (played by Kevin Kline) returns to his hometown and ends up directing a local production of “Our Town” in the new series “American Classic.” He also butts heads with his former girlfriend-turned-mayor played by Laura Linney. MGM+ kicks o the series by releasing the rst two episodes on Sunday.
VIDEO GAMES TO PLAY
It’s been 30 years since Capcom introduced us to the world of Resident Evil, where a bioweapon has turned all sorts of creatures into bloodthirsty zombies. With the ninth main entry in the franchise, Resident Evil Requiem, the monsters show no sign of slowing down. The new protagonist is Grace Ashcroft, an FBI analyst who has only a few weapons and is just trying to get out alive. Fortunately, Leon Kennedy — who has been around since RE2 — is also on the case, and he has a much more versatile arsenal. The developers hope to appeal to fans of pure survival horror as well as gamers who love more explosive action. The nightmare resumes Friday on PlayStation 5, Xbox X/S, Switch 2 and PC.