Chatham News & Record Vol. 149, Issue 10

Farm labor

the BRIEF this week

United Arab Emirates to leave OPEC, dealing blow to oil cartel

Dubai, United Arab Emirates

The United Arab Emirates announced that it will leave OPEC e ective May 1, stripping the oil cartel of its third-largest producer and further weakening its leverage over global oil supplies and prices. The UAE’s decision had been rumored as a possibility for some time, as it pushed back in recent years against OPEC production quotas it felt had been too low. Regional politics are also likely at play. The UAE has had increasingly frosty relations with Saudi Arabia, OPEC’s largest producer, even after both came under attack by fellow OPEC member Iran during the war.

Republicans in Congress push for Trump’s White House ballroom after shooting at event

Republicans in Congress have launched new e orts to approve and pay for President Donald Trump’s proposed ballroom at the White House. They argue it would help avert security breaches like the shooting at Saturday’s White House Correspondents’ Association dinner. A bill introduced by Republican senators would authorize $400 million for construction and security infrastructure underneath. Trump has said that private money would pay for the ballroom. Sen. Lindsay Graham said at a news conference that it is necessary to allow the president to hold events safely and avoid much less secure venues like the Washington Hilton.

$2.00

Commissioners push out decision on Fearrington Reserve

724 Andrews Store Road to be zoned as a compact community known as Fearrington Reserve.

By Ryan Henkel Chatham News & Record

PITTSBORO — The Chatham County Board of Commissioners has postponed a decision on a proposed com-

pact community to next month.

At its April 20 meeting, the board held three public hearings, with one being for a rezoning request for seven parcels of property containing approximately 370 acres and located o

The Associated Press NEW ORLEANS — Authorities say a former North Carolina law enforcement o cer planned to kill black people in a mass shooting at a major New Orleans festival but was arrested at a Florida hotel with a hand-

gun and hundreds of rounds of ammunition. Authorities in several states did not name the event, but the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival, commonly known as Jazz Fest, runs from last Thursday through May 3. The gathering attracted about 460,000

The proposed development is projected to include up to 603 residential units, potentially 23,000 square feet of commercial, 183 acres of natural open space and 75 acres of managed open space.

The project would be split into three phases, with Phase 1 involving the construction of single-family detached units, an amenity area and potentially a commercial area. Phase 2 would contain multifamily, two-story condo units, and Phase 3 would also consist of single-family detached units.

people last year, organizers said.

Christopher Gillum of Chapel Hill was wanted for “terroristic threats,” the Okaloosa County Sheri ’s O ce in Florida posted online last Thursday. Federal authorities told the sheri ’s o ce that Gillum, who is white, was in the Florida Panhandle

Tillis says he’s ready to move ahead with con rming Warsh as Trump’s pick as Fed chair

The Senate Banking Committee was set to vote after the DOJ closed its inquiry of Jerome Powell

The Associated Press

WASHINGTON, D.C. — The Republican senator who had e ectively blocked con rmation of President Donald Trump’s pick to lead the Federal Reserve said Sunday he was dropping his opposition after the Department of Justice ended its investigation of the current central bank chair.

The announcement by Sen. Thom Tillis of North Carolina removes a big hurdle to Trump’s e ort to install Kevin Warsh, a former high-ranking Fed o -

cial, in the job in place of Jerome Powell, long under White House pressure to lower interest rates. Tillis’ opposition was enough to stall the nomination in the GOP-controlled Senate Banking Committee as Powell neared the scheduled end of his term on May 15.

“I am prepared to move on with the con rmation of Mr. Warsh. I think he’s going to be a great Fed chair,” Tillis told NBC’s “Meet the Press” two days after the U.S. attorney for the District of Columbia said her o ce’s investigation of the Fed’s multibillion-dollar building renovations was over. Powell’s brief congressional testimony last summer about that work was also under review. The Fed’s internal watchdog is

“heading to do a mass shooting at a large festival in Louisiana.”

The FBI in New Orleans said it’s working on the investigation with law enforcement across the three states. The Okaloosa sheri ’s o ce

April 20

• Sykeem Kivon Freeman, 27, was arrested for reckless driving and speeding.

• Teona Nicole Thompson, 25, was arrested for assault on a government o cial or employee, misdemeanor crime of domestic violence, simple assault and other charges.

• Vernon Wayne Newby, 69, was arrested for possession with intent to sell or deliver cocaine, felony possession of cocaine, possession of drug paraphernalia and other charges.

• Kerry Donnell Wright, 33, was arrested for attempted tra cking in cocaine and maintaining a vehicle for a controlled substance.

• Timothy Lamont Sanders, 30, of Pittsboro, was arrested for misdemeanor larceny and possession of stolen goods or property.

• Tony Elisha Sanders, 32, of Pittsboro, was arrested for misdemeanor larceny and possession of stolen goods or property.

• Ian Lavar Brooks, 38, of Pittsboro, was arrested for manufacturing cocaine; possession with intent to manufacture, sell or deliver cocaine; possession with intent to manufacture, sell or deliver marijuana and other charges.

• Matthew James McDiarmid, 63, of Pittsboro, was arrested for assault and battery.

April 21

• Daniel McLean Fanfan, 51, of Pittsboro, was arrested for possession of a rearm by a felon; manufacturing cocaine; possession with intent to manufacture, sell or deliver cocaine and other charges.

April 22

• Joshua Alexander Robledo-Vera, 24, was arrested for breaking and entering a motor vehicle and felony larceny.

• Pablo Suarez Baldovinos, 33, was arrested for assault on a female, possession of drug paraphernalia and possession of marijuana.

April 23

• Michael Lamont Mayo Hardy, 22, was arrested for resisting a public o cer.

• Brandon Nicholas March, 41, was arrested for identity theft.

• Pate Russell Scott, 36, was arrested for possession of a rearm by a felon.

• Darreus Vo Shon McNeill, 28, was arrested for failure to register as a sex o ender.

• Phillip Charles Laney, 47, was arrested for possession of a rearm by a felon and probation revocation.

• Lakayla Chasity Davis, 28, was arrested for misdemeanor larceny.

• Martavelin Paul Witherspoon, 24, was arrested for violation of a domestic violence protective order.

Andre the Giant honored by small Richmond County town with roadside marker

The legendary wrestler adopted Ellerbe as his home

The Associated Press

ELLERBE — Andre the Giant, a towering menace in the wrestling ring but a gentle giant on the movie screen, is being honored with a roadside marker in his beloved adopted small town in North Carolina.

O cials unveiled the marker Thursday in the Richmond County town of Ellerbe, a community of about 1,000 people where the wrestler born Andre Rene Roussimo lived on a ranch just outside town.

Roussimo was billed at 7-foot-4 and 520 pounds during his time wrestling for the WWE in the 1970s and 1980s.

A larger-than-life villain, Roussimo was touted as unbeatable until he faced Hulk Hogan in a match in 1987 at WrestleMania III that launched the once regional wrestling company into a nationwide entertainment force.

Later that year, Roussimo appeared on lm as the giant Fezzik in “The Princess Bride.” Fezzik was the gentle-hearted muscle for the antagonist and needed rhymes to remember his instructions.

Roussimo was born in France. But as he wrestled around the U.S. South he fell in love with the region, buying his North Carolina ranch and raising cattle on his land about 60 miles east of Charlotte.

He became a critical part of the Ellerbe community. In

1990, he taped TV and radio spots against a possible low-level radioactive land ll nearby. A pair of his size-26 cowboy boots are kept at a museum.

Roussimo died in 1993 at age 46 in France where he was visiting for his father’s funeral. They had a service for him there, but his body was cremated and his ashes spread at his beloved ranch.

Wrestler Vladimir Kolo , who befriended Roussimo as he helped him get into the business, said his friend deserved the marker because he turned wrestling from a regional pastime into a huge international business.

“The world of professional wrestling has given us a larger-than-life icon,” Kolo said just before helping take the cover o the marker.

The Richmond County marker at N.C. Highway 73 and Old N.C. Highway 220

A newly erected historical marker celebrating legendary wrestler Andre the Giant is along a highway near Ellerbe.

simply says “Andre the Giant. 1946-1993. Actor and professional wrestler. Was born Andre Roussimo . Known for role in The Princess Bride in 1987. Lived nearby.”

Central Electric providing grants to local educators to fund innovative projects

Teachers, are you looking for new opportunities to fund projects for your classroom?

Central Electric is awarding up to $15,000 in Bright Ideas education grants to local educators in K-12 classrooms for the 2026-27 school year. Educators in K-12 classrooms with creative ideas for learning projects are encouraged to apply for a grant up to $2,000. Grant applications will be accepted through Sept. 15. However, it pays to apply early.

All teachers who submit their applications by the early bird deadline of Aug. 15 will be entered into a drawing for one of ve $100 Visa gi cards. Scan the QR code or visit NCBrightIdeas.com for more information or to apply!

May 1

Beach

headline the rst May installment of MOSAIC’s free outdoor Beach Music Series at the Tommy Edwards Stage. The lawn opens at 6 p.m.; the concert runs through 9 p.m.

Philip H. Kohl MOSAIC Family Commons 457 Freedom Parkway Pittsboro

Bynum

General Store; a hat is passed for band tips.

Bynum Front Porch 950 Bynum Road Pittsboro

May 2

NC Spring Chicken Festival 10 a.m.

The eighth annual NC Spring Chicken Festival, sponsored by Mountaire Farms, brings live music, food trucks, vendors and in atables to three blocks of downtown Siler City. Admission is free; the festival runs through 4 p.m.

Downtown Siler City Chatham Street Siler City

May 3

Downtown Pittsboro Historical Walking Tour: Making a Living noon

The Chatham County Historical Association leads its monthly themed walking tour of Pittsboro’s

Former Fauci adviser indicted for allegedly concealing communications related to COVID-19 research

Prosecutors say he suppressed alternative COVID-19 origin theories

The Associated Press

WASHINGTON, D.C. — A former senior adviser to Dr. Anthony Fauci was indicted on federal charges alleging he conspired to hide his communications related to COVID-19 research as the pandemic raged across the country, the Justice Department said Tuesday.

Dr. David Morens, 78, is accused of using his private email account to intentionally circumvent public records laws while employed at the National Institutes of Health. The Justice Department alleges that he concealed or destroyed records of discussions related to COVID-19 research grants, including an effort to revive a controversial coronavirus grant.

“These allegations represent a profound abuse of trust at a time when the American people needed it most — during the height of a global pandemic,” Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche said in a statement Tuesday. “Government o cials have a solemn duty to provide honest, well-grounded facts and advice in service of the public interest — not to advance their own personal or ideological agendas.”

Morens faces charges of conspiracy against the United States; destruction, alteration or falsication of records in federal investigations; concealment, remov-

al or mutilation of records; and aiding and abetting, according to a Justice Department news release. If convicted, he could face decades in prison. An attorney for Morens declined to comment.

The indictment re ects Republicans’ long-held belief that the federal government covered up key information about COVID-19 as the pandemic unfolded. Despite numerous probes, the origins of COVID have never been proven. Scientists are unsure whether the virus jumped from an animal, as many other viruses have, or came from a laboratory accident. A U.S. intelligence analysis released in 2023 said there is insu cient evidence to prove either theory.

Blanche said Morens’ alleged

US

soldier charged

conduct was part of an e ort to “suppress alternative theories” about COVID-19’s origins. The Justice Department also accused Morens of having an improper relationship with a collaborator, including allegedly accepting a gift of wine and discussing COVID-19 research and potential publications in a prominent medical journal. The indictment follows a probe by House Republicans into the origins of the COVID-19 pandemic that scrutinized Morens’ email communications and accused him of intentionally concealing records. In congressional testimony, Morens denied attempting to evade federal transparency laws by using his personal email.

with using

classi ed intel to win $400K on Maduro raid being released on bond

The case fuels a bipartisan push to regulate increasingly popular prediction markets

By Gary D. Robertson

The Associated Press

RALEIGH — A U.S. special forces soldier who took part in the capture of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro will be released on bond on charges accusing him of using classi ed information about the operation to win more than $400,000 in an online prediction market, a federal magistrate said last Friday.

The magistrate in North Carolina said he would allow Gannon Ken Van Dyke to be released and told him to report to a New York federal courthouse by Tuesday to continue his case there.

Bearded with arm tattoos, Van Dyke said little during the nearly hourlong hearing, during which he was appointed a federal public defender who declined to comment afterward. The $250,000 unsecured bond did not require Van Dyke to put up any money. Federal prosecutors say Van Dyke used his access to classi ed information about the operation to capture Maduro in January to win money on the prediction market site Polymarket.

The sites allow people to trade on almost anything — from the Super Bowl to U.S. elections and even the winners of the TV reality shows.

Van Dyke, who is stationed at Fort Bragg near Fayetteville, was charged last Thursday with the unlawful use of con dential government information for personal gain, theft of nonpublic government information, commodities fraud, wire fraud and making an unlawful monetary transaction.

He could face up to 10 years on four of the criminal counts, and up to 20 years on a fth, the government said Friday. A publicly listed phone number listed for Van Dyke isn’t in service.

Van Dyke, 38, was involved for about a month in the planning and execution of captur-

ing Maduro, according to the New York federal prosecutor’s o ce. He signed nondisclosure agreements promising to not divulge “any classi ed or sensitive information” related to the operations, but prosecutors say he used what he knew to make a series of bets related to Maduro being out of power by Jan. 31.

“This involved a U.S. soldier who allegedly took advantage of his position to pro t o of a righteous military operation,” FBI Director Kash Patel said in a social media post.

Polymarket, one of the largest prediction markets, said it found someone trading on classi ed government information, alerted the Justice Department and “cooperated with their investigation.”

Massive pro ts from well-timed bets aroused public attention days after the raid in Venezuela and brought bipartisan calls for stricter regulation of the markets.

The sudden rise of these markets has led to growing scrutiny by Congress and state governments. Some lawmakers alarmed by highly specific, well-timed trades on the U.S. and Israel’s war against Iran and wagers on President Donald Trump’s next moves have pushed for guardrails against insider trading.

The Trump administration has been supportive of the in-

Church News

OAKLEY BAPTIST CHURCH

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

May 3 – Eddie Ellison May 10 – John Hill

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.

Horton High School Alumni Association 2026 Scholarship Application

Applications are being accepted for Horton High School Alumni Association 2026-2027 Scholarship

Descendent of Horton High School alumnus or attendee of Horton High School may apply.

• Apply on website: www.hortonhighalumni.com

• CLICK: “Scholarship”

Deadline for application: June 1, 2026

NOTICE

I Am Retiring From The Practice Of Law Effective April 23rd, 2026

2026

Thanks For Letting Me Practice In Siler City For 60 Years

dustry’s expansion. The president’s eldest son is an adviser for both Polymarket and its main competitor, Kalshi, and is a Polymarket investor. Trump’s social media platform, Truth Social, is launching its own prediction market called Truth Predict.

The Commodity Futures Trading Commission, the federal agency that regulates prediction markets, announced Thursday that it had led a parallel complaint against Van Dyke.

That complaint alleges that Van Dyke moved $35,000 from his personal bank account into a cryptocurrency exchange account Dec. 26 — a little over a week before U.S. forces ew into Caracas and seized Maduro.

Van Dyke made a series of bets on when Maduro might be removed from power, according to the complaint. He placed those bets between Dec. 30 and Jan. 2, with the vast majority occurring the night of Jan. 2 — just hours before the rst missiles struck Caracas.

The bets resulted in “more than $404,000 of pro ts,” the complaint says.

“The defendant was entrusted with con dential information about U.S. operations and yet took action that endangered U.S. national security and put the lives of American service members in harm’s way,” said Michael Selig, the commission’s chairman.

THANK GOD FOR OUR MILITARY/LAW

Bible study: 2 Timothy 3:1-13. Church of Living Water; Pastor: James Mitchell.

The evil in the world today is because most have turned away from God and His Word. Perilous times are here now, as God’s Word says would come. We are at war now, and all America should be united together. Can you believe that most of the Democratic Party stands with our enemies? We also have a few RINO Republicans standing with Democrats. God will see that His judgment falls on you! NATO/Europe, you’re no friend or ally of America. Israel is America’s greatest friend! Those who stand against Israel are under the curse of Almighty God, the Father of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ! Genesis 12:3. America has defeated and will defeat our enemies! Israel is victorious over its enemies! Praise God! God and His children are greater than Satan and his children. We are in a spiritual war and a physical war. Heavenly Father, bless our military; Heavenly Father, bless Israel; Heavenly Father, bless our law enforcement—in Jesus’ name. Heavenly Father, let Your judgment fall on all who are standing against our ICE and Border Patrol. You blind, evil Democrats who brought in 15 to 20 million illegals/criminals for a rigged election. That’s why you want to defund our ICE and Border Patrol. Patriots/America First want immigrants to come legally to America. My Black, Brown, White brothers and sisters, do not be deceived by the Socialists/radical Muslims who promise all the free stuff. They want to bring you into slavery, just for your votes! Have we forgotten that a great Republican president, Abraham Lincoln, freed the slaves? Now we have President Trump to keep us safe, free, and prosperous! Satan is the father of lies who has blinded the minds of so many. Hispanic/Latinos/Black/White, America welcomes you to America — just come legally! Biden/Harris was part of an invasion that brought in millions of criminals. These criminals have killed approximately 13,000 people. We need more law enforcement. If I were younger, I would join up. I pray for all our law enforcement, in Jesus’ name!

THE CONVERSATION

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

COLUMN | ANDREW TAYLOR-TROUTMAN

Solidarity with our educators

Showing solidarity is yet another reason why I’m grateful for our county’s decision to cancel school on May 1.

I WAS ESPECIALLY proud to live in Chatham County when the school board voted to make May 1 an annual leave day. This decision was in response to requests from 20% of our teachers for a personal day o in order to participate in the educator march in downtown Raleigh. With our schools o cially closed, sta can exercise their right to peaceful assembly and make their voices heard.

The North Carolina Association of Educators (NCAE) has planned this event in support of educators, students and their families. The rally highlights critical funding issues.

According to the 2025 report by the Education Law Center, our state ranks dead last among all states in the nation in funding per student. This ranking considers factors such as curriculum funds, school building repairs and teacher salary.

Our state’s abysmal record has not occurred overnight. Corporate tax cuts have siphoned funding from public education for the past decade. By 2030, North Carolina’s corporate income tax rate is set to zero out, meaning corporations will no longer pay to support the state’s public education, health services and other infrastructure.

The NCAE has launched a campaign called “Kids Over Corporations” to highlight the lack of investment in our schools, our children and our collective future.

School funding has also been curtailed by our state

legislature’s failure to pass a budget, which means that teachers and sta have not received raises or cost-of-living increases. This economic impact is exacerbated by rising costs in gas, groceries and utilities. These issues hit home on a personal level for educators and families. People across the political spectrum can relate. Solidarity is recognizing our common humanity with di erent people rather than trying to hold on to the little bit we have. There are lessons for all of us to learn outside the classroom.

Showing solidarity is yet another reason why I’m grateful for our county’s decision to cancel school May 1 so that my children and I can support the rally in Raleigh. I will march with the NCAE because my life is immeasurably better on account of my experience in North Carolina public schools. I owe an incalculable debt to my teachers and all the sta , from the superintendent to the custodian. While I cannot put a price tag on my enriching educational experience, I can add my voice to this Friday’s chorus of support: “This is what democracy looks like!”

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.

Some things temporary; others something else

But if I lost those things or had them taken away before that day, it would be a di erent story.

IN THE STUDY at my house, one wall is made up of built-in bookcases reaching from oor to ceiling.

There are lots of great things on them, things that mean so very much to me.

For instance, there are notes and pictures from my children at various stages of their lives — and of mine. There are many great books … and the Great Book. Some of those books are from my time at seminary; others are great works of ction and history; some belonged to my mama.

There’s a metal horse that used to be golden in color. My daddy got him for me when I was 5 years old. It used to sit on the mantle of his home; now it sits in mine. There’s my mama’s pocketbook, just like it was the day she handed it to me when she went into the nursing home where she’d spend her last ve years.

There are pictures of my wife and children; I’m in some of them. There are notes from friends and family, some saying “thank you” for a time we spent together when times were tough for them. There’s a box of letters from my better half when I was trying to convince her to become my better half.

And there are lots of other things. Truth be told I’m not really sure what’s on the bottom shelves, especially at the back because there’s stu piled on the oor in front of them. And one day I’m going to get around to cleaning out the place so I can see just what is in there.

At least, that’s what I say.

But I think you get the picture.

And I’ll bet you’ve got a similar room or places in several rooms where special things of yours live.

Sometimes I think that one day those things will be here and I won’t. And that doesn’t really bother me because I won’t know it. Other folks, I guess, will go through those things. They may keep some of them and they may toss others. They may look at some and wonder or even say, “Why in the world did he keep this?”

But if I lost those things or had them taken away before that day, it would be a di erent story. I would know it, and I wouldn’t like it.

And I think that’s how the folks who have lived through tornadoes and similar storms must feel afterward.

Think back to Sanford a few years ago. So many folks lost all they had — except their lives and the lives of their loved ones. There were the tears and the shock of it all but then the gradual, sometimes instant, recognition it could have been worse.

But still they’ve lost the pictures of their children. And they’ve lost Mama’s pocketbook and they’ve lost special things. And life does — and must — go on.

Through the years, I’ve had occasion to be around numerous families at the time of a death. And I’ve come to notice that such times can and usually do bring out either the best or the worst in folks.

Tragedy can do the same. The tornadoes produced countless stories of heroes and helpers, but we also saw looters and losers.

Two things strike me immediately about all this.

One is a renewed understanding of a line I often nd myself using at gravesides when it is time to commit a body to its nal resting place until the time the old spiritual refers to as “that great getting up morning.” I’m always awestruck by the sights and sounds of life all around at that moment — the sounds of nature and commerce, the sight of other living beings. Yet I know, can sense even, we all stand at the edge of eternity.

And I remember that line out of the New Testament that tells us “the things which are seen are temporary; the things which are not seen are eternal.”

My pictures, Mama’s pocketbook, the horse from my Daddy … they’re all temporary. So are the houses that were destroyed and the contents that were ung from them. That tells me if we try to make a life only on what we can see, we’re basing our lives only on a temporary state of a airs.

That doesn’t mean we can’t and shouldn’t have some stu , but it does mean we shouldn’t make it our do all, end all.

And the second thing is don’t ask or wonder if you can or should help our neighbors.

Be like Nike … just do it.

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

Wall therapy — who knew?

“Don’t you have better things to do than staring at a wall?”

YOU HAVE APPOINTMENTS, meetings, and events you just dread attending? Anxiety to the max? Overload-city?

Of course you have. You’re human.

Returning from one of those high-anxiety appointments, I found myself sitting, staring at my living room wall. It’s de nitely a nice wall. My favorite woven tapestry, a tree, is the centerpiece. The beloved tapestry, however, was going unseen. I was staring, straight ahead, at the wall. Feeling surprisingly comforted.

“Don’t you have better things to do than staring at a wall?”

Uh-oh, it’s baaaack! My eons-long internal argument. “No, no! Staring at the wall feels calming. I love it. I’m tuckered out from the anxiety and overstimulation of my appointment. I need a break!”

“A break? Why a break? Go do something. The world needs your active presence. Now! I mean, you’re nonstop staring at, of all things, a wall! For heaven’s sakes, nd your putative bootstraps, pull up, and get a move on it. Geez … you’re coddling yourself. There’s great need in the world, and you’re spending precious time staring at a wall?”

COLUMN | EMILY STACK

“Whoa, whoa, whoa! This ‘great need in the world’ thing? What am I? Chopped liver? Don’t I have needs too?”

“Yep. I do have needs as a vulnerable human being. (Like you, perhaps?) I’m one of the many, many human underpinnings working to heal our fractious world. But hold it. Whatever happened to “healer heal thyself?” My underpinnings are in dire need of healing, too.”

“We must dig out the roots of unpeacefulness in ourselves. … Without this e ort, we can never hope to have any real e ect on others.” (Adam Curle, Peacemaker)

Yours truly is quite happily staring at the living room wall. Allowing the wall to do its own smoothing within me. I need a reset. Moments of stop. A minihibernation from overwhelming input (usually, from our damn world). An emergency brake, allowing my overstimulated brain to rest, recover and return to being a good human. That counts, doesn’t it?

Wall therapy. Who knew?

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

If China restricts these products at home, why are they

our communities?

China has taken signi cant steps to restrict avored vape products.

AS PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP prepares to meet with President Xi, much of the conversation will center on tari s, trade de cits and global competition. But there is another issue, one far closer to home for millions of American families that deserves urgent attention: the ood of illicit Chinese vapes into our communities.

Across the country, moms are watching a troubling trend unfold. Products that are unregulated, often illegal and clearly designed to appeal to young people are showing up in gas stations, convenience stores and even online marketplaces with little resistance. These aren’t the carefully reviewed products that went through federal approval processes. Many are unauthorized, mislabeled or smuggled into the United States altogether.

Overwhelmingly, they are coming from China.

What makes this even more concerning is the double standard. China has taken signi cant steps to restrict avored vape products and tighten oversight within its own borders. Yet at the same time, these same types of products are mass-produced for export, many ultimately ending up in the United States through illicit channels.

American families are left dealing with the consequences.

This is not just a regulatory issue. It’s a fairness issue. And for moms, it’s a safety issue.

Parents should not have to wonder whether the product their child was exposed to was legally sold, properly vetted or even safe. They should not have to compete with a black market that thrives on bright packaging, youth-targeted marketing and a lack of accountability.

At its core, this is about protecting our kids while enforcing laws already on the books.

For years, policymakers have debated how best to approach vaping. But there should be broad agreement on at least one point: Products that are illegal, unregulated and deliberately targeting minors should not be allowed to ood our markets unchecked.

Yet that is exactly what is happening.

Bad actors are exploiting gaps in enforcement, mislabeling shipments and routing products through complex supply

chains to evade detection. Meanwhile, small businesses trying to follow the rules are undercut by a steady stream of illicit competition. And families are left navigating a marketplace that feels increasingly out of control.

This is where leadership and leverage matter.

As Trump enters discussions with China, this issue should be on the table. Not as a secondary concern, but as part of a broader conversation about trade, accountability and reciprocity.

If a product is deemed harmful enough to warrant strict controls domestically, it should not be exported in ways that undermine the health and safety of families abroad. And if it is being exported illegally, there must be consequences.

This is not about punishing innovation or limiting adult choice. It is about enforcing the law, protecting children and ensuring that American communities are not treated as a dumping ground for products that other countries have chosen to restrict.

Moms understand trade may be complex. But this issue is not.

We teach our kids that rules matter. That fairness matters. That you don’t get to play by one set of rules at home and another somewhere else.

It’s time for our trade policy to re ect those same values.

The United States has the tools to address this problem, through stronger enforcement, better coordination, and a clear message to foreign manufacturers that illegal activity will not be tolerated. But it also requires raising the issue at the highest levels.

Because when it comes to protecting our kids, this isn’t just a domestic challenge. It’s an international one.

And it’s one we can’t a ord to ignore.

Emily Stack serves as the executive director of Moms for America Action.

(Copyright Daily Caller News Foundation)

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Contact a writer or columnist: connect@northstatejournal.com

CNN’S JAKE TAPPER recently denounced Trump administration judicial nominees because, at their con rmation hearing, they refused to say “yes” when asked, “Did Biden win the 2020 election?” Instead, the nominees replied, “Biden was CERTIFIED as the winner.”

For Tapper, this was an unacceptable dodge. He said, “What oath is going to be administered in those judges’ courtrooms? Will it be, ‘Do you swear to tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth, so help me God ... unless they are truths that o end Donald Trump?’”

Comparable or higher percentages of Democrats expressed doubts about the legitimacy of Trump’s 2016 win compared to Republican doubts about 2020.

On MS Now, co-host Michael Steele, the former head of the Republican National Committee, argued the nominees’ failure to answer “yes” disquali ed them from serving. He said, “If you cannot ask a fundamental question, right, this is a civics test, did the president of the United States lose the election in 2020, and if you do that kind of an answer, then you are not t to serve in government, period. Because no matter what else you say or do after that, it exposes who you are, and it exposes how you will lead.”

Let’s set aside questions about the 2020 election integrity in Georgia, Michigan, Wisconsin and Pennsylvania. California took away attorney John Eastman’s license to practice law because Eastman represented Donald Trump and raised factual and legal questions about the 2020 election. If you consider Eastman’s objections and legal arguments devoid of merit, please watch Eastman’s American Freedom Alliance speech on Rumble.

Did Tapper or any other CNN “reporters” ask former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, former President Jimmy Carter, former Democratic National Committee Chairman Terry McAuli e or former Vice President Kamala Harris — to name a few “election- denying” Democrats — “Did Donald Trump win the 2016 election?”

About the 2016 election, former Obama Secretary of Homeland Security Jeh Johnson testi ed that, while the Russians tried to manipulate voting machines, there is no evidence that a single vote tally was changed. Not one. Yet, a 2018 YouGov poll found 66% of Democrats believe Russia “changed vote tallies to elect Trump in 2016.”

CNN politics editor Chris Cillizza wrote that “76% of self-identi ed Republicans in a new national Quinnipiac University poll. That’s the number of Republicans who said they believe there was ‘widespread fraud in the 2020 election.’” But what about Democrats and their concern about the integrity of the 2016 election?

A 2018 Gallup poll found 78% of Democrats believe that Russian interference in 2016 “changed the outcome of the election” in favor of Trump. Never mind that Johnson testi ed there’s no way of knowing whether the interference altered the outcome. And a New York University study on the e ect of Russian interference found “no measurable changes in attitudes, polarization, or voting behavior among those exposed to this foreign in uence campaign.”

The bottom line is that comparable or higher percentages of Democrats expressed doubts about the legitimacy of Trump’s 2016 win compared to Republican doubts about 2020. Furthermore, House Democrats have disputed the certi cation of every Republican presidential victory since 2000.

In January 2001, nearly a dozen black House Democrats voted against certifying the election results of 2000. Rep. Maxine Waters (D-Calif.) said in a joint session of Congress: “The objection is in writing, and I do not care that it is not signed by a member of the Senate (as is necessary to force a Senate vote on the challenge.)”

As for the 2004 election, Jan. 6 Committee Chairman Rep. Bennie Thompson (D-Miss.) in January 2005 joined 30 other House Democrats and Sen. Barbara Boxer (D-Calif.) to object to the certi cation of Ohio’s presidential election results, claiming “voter suppression.”

As for 2016, Hillary Clinton consistently called the presidential election “stolen” and described President Donald Trump as “illegitimate.” Jimmy Carter, in 2019, said: “I think a full investigation would show that Trump didn’t actually win the election in 2016. He lost the election, and he was put into o ce because the Russians interfered on his behalf.” New York Attorney General Letitia James said she “will never be afraid to challenge this illegitimate president.”

One more thing about “election interference.” There are polling data suggesting the suppression of the Hunter Biden laptop story — in which CNN, particularly Brian Stelter, whom you rehired, was complicit — may have changed the outcome of the 2020 election. All of this makes Tapper look like fake news, a hypocrite and a partisan.

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

obituaries

Bobby Hudson

March 29, 1945 –April 22, 2026

Bobby Hudson passed away peacefully on April 22, 2026, surrounded by his loving family.

Born in Siler City, Bobby was known for his quick sense of humor, love of sports, and unwavering devotion to his family. He worked as a truck driver and farmer and took great pride in providing for his family and lending a helping hand to others whenever he could.

Bobby found joy in life’s simple pleasures, including

R.V. Anders

April 4, 1931 – April 23, 2026

R.V. Anders, age 95, of Goldston, NC, passed away on Thursday, April 23, 2026, at Beacon Place in Greensboro, NC. Mr. Anders was born in Sylva, NC on April 4, 1931, to the late Charlie Anders and the late Rosa Mathis Anders.

R.V. was born in a family of eleven children. He worked in textiles for 18 years for Southern Webbing Mill in Greensboro, NC and also at Boling Chair Company in Siler City. He loved helping people. He was a self-taught

Charles L. Thomas

Feb. 19, 1938 – April 17, 2026

Charles L. Thomas, age 88 of Pittsboro, passed away Friday, April 17, 2026 at Laurels of Chatham. A native of Chatham County, he was a son of the late George Harbert and Martha Annie Sturdevant Thomas. Charles was a retired service representative with Ohio Medical Products where he worked for over 30 years.

A lifelong bachelor he loved and cared for his family. He was an active member of Pittsboro Seventh-day Adventist church for his whole life. Over the years he served as treasure, deacon, Sabbath school teacher and superintendent, piano player, but above all of that he was probably most known for his

working in his yard, gardening, playing Rook, and cheering on the grandchildren at every sporting event. He treasured time spent with his family and created memories that will be cherished for generations.

He is survived by his loving wife of 63 years, Becky Hudson; his children, Michael Hudson (Jill) of Siler City and Joy Olczak (John) of Winston-Salem; his grandchildren, Jake Hudson (Ashley), Josh Hudson (Kelsey), Jonathon Olczak (Sierra), and Justin Olczak (Amber); and his ve precious greatgrandchildren, Cal, Lyla, Hatten, Eliza, and Teddy.

He was preceded in death by his parents, George and Beulah Hudson, as well as many beloved brothers and sisters.

Though our hearts are heavy with loss, we celebrate Bobby’s life and the love, laughter, and wisdom he shared with everyone who knew him. His memory will continue to live on in the hearts of all those he touched.

A celebration of Bobby’s life will be held at a later date.

carpenter by trade and spent his time remodeling and adding additions to houses. He loved working in his yard and making trips to the mountains to visit his mother.

R.V. is survived by his daughter: Darlene Bristow Greensboro, NC; son: Steve Anders (Alice) of Oak Ridge, NC; grandchildren: Joseph Bristow, Brandon Anders, Lenena Blake (Tim); greatgrandchildren: Myah, Kaylee, Kaydan, Lilli Grace, and Adley. He was preceded in death by his parents and his wife Faye Anders, son Kenneth Anders, granddaughter Tania Anders, and son-in-law Joe Bristow.

A Graveside service will be held on Monday, April 27, 2026, at 11:00 AM at Carbonton Community Church Cemetery, 5442 Goldston-Carbonton Road, Goldston, NC with the Mike Seawell o ciating. Online condolences may be made at www. pughfuneralhome.com. Smith & Buckner Funeral Home is honored to serve the family of R. V. Anders.

great cooking and managing countless church potlucks and special events. Charles was also a genealogist and spent countless hours tracing families throughout Chatham, Lee, Moore and other counties. He was a devoted volunteer with the Chatham County Historical Association.

He is survived by his sister, Annette T. Clement and husband David of Pittsboro; nephews Randy Conken and wife Debbie, Je Conken and wife Joy; great-nephews Jeremy Conken and wife Ti any and Ethan Conken; great-great nephews CJ, Liam and Maverick Conken.

A memorial service will be held at 4:00 Sunday, June 7, 2026 at Pittsboro Seventh-day Adventist Church. The family will receive friends one hour prior to the service. Following the service the family will gather in the church fellowship hall as Charles so many times did for a time of fellowship and heavy hor dourves. Charles will be buried beside his mother and father at Pleasant Hill Baptist Church cemetery. Memorials may be made to Pittsboro SDA Church, P.O. Box 339, Pittsboro, NC 27312. Services are entrusted to Fry & Prickett Funeral Home, Carthage, NC.

Celebrate the life of your loved ones. Submit obituaries and death notices to be published in Chatham News & Record at obits@chathamnewsrecord.com

Coy Burke Caudle

March 3, 1946 –April 20, 2026

Coy Burke Caudle, 80, of Bear Creek, went to his Heavenly home Monday, April 20th, 2026, at his home surrounded by family.

Coy was born March 3rd, 1946, in Chatham County, to the late Andrew “Leroy” and Sallie Burke Caudle. He is preceded in death by his parents and his sister, Virginia Brady.

Coy was a 1964 graduate of Chatham Central High School, where he played basketball and

IN MEMORY

We offer an on-site crematory with many options of Celebration of Life services, Traditional, and Green Burials. Call us to set an appointment to come by and learn more.

was the senior class president. He was the Pepsi man for many years and then was an auditor for The Pantry and other convenience stores. Coy enjoyed coaching and o ciating rec league basketball and baseball. He was PTA president at Bonlee School and the Athletic Booster Club President at Chatham Central for many years. He was very involved in his community working with Meals on Wheels and driving buses for multiple sports teams. He took pride in his yard and always made sure it was well maintained. Coy was a very giving man and loved helping those in need. He was a member of Goldston Baptist Church, where he was also a Deacon and Adult Sunday school teacher. The family would like to send a special thank you to Coy’s special caregivers, Dana Vest and Buck Wiley, and the sta from Liberty Hospice for the love and care they provided.

Left to cherish Coy’s memory is his wife of 54 years, Karen Moon Caudle; his daughters, Laurie Caudle Paige and her husband, Shane of Bear Creek, and Kathryn Caudle Perry and her husband, Clint of Bear

Creek; his grandchildren, Hasten Paige, Anderson Paige, Lane Perry, and Madison Perry; his sister, Jane Campbell and her husband, Jerry of Goldston; his brother, Howard Caudle and his wife Maude of Summer eld; his brother-in-law, Ledford Brady of Bennett; numerous nieces and nephews; and his faithful canine companion, Tanner.

Funeral services will be held Thursday, April 23rd, 2026, at 3 pm, at Goldston Baptist Church with Reverend Bob Wachs and Pastor Bruce Macinnes o ciating the services. A visitation will be held Wednesday, April 22nd, 2026, from 6-8 pm, at Smith & Buckner Funeral Home Chapel in Siler City.

Burial will follow the service Thursday at Sandy Branch Baptist Church Cemetery. Memorials can be made to Liberty Hospice, 401 E 3rd St, Siler City, NC 27344. Smith & Buckner Funeral Home will be assisting the Caudle family.

Online condolences can be made at www.smithbucknerfh. com

WILLIAM CARL “W.C.” CURRIN

OCT. 19, 1934 – APRIL 25, 2026

William Carl “W.C.” Currin, 91, of Bennett, passed away on Saturday, April 25, 2026 at his home. Visitation will be from 6:00-8:00 p.m. on Monday, April 27, 2026, at Joyce-Brady Chapel. The funeral will be held at 2:00 p.m. on Tuesday, April 28, 2026, at Bennett Baptist Church with Rev. Tim Strider presiding. Burial will follow in the church cemetery. The family will return to the fellowship hall following the committal.

W.C. was born In Nash County on October 19, 1934, to Aubrey and Selma Flowers Currin. He was a member of Bennett Baptist Church where he served as a Deacon for many years. W.C. was a Veteran of the U.S. Army and retired as a butcher from Winn-Dixie after over 40 years of service. Following his retirement, he did taxidermy work. He enjoyed camping with his family at White Lake and Morehead City. W.C. loved his family and cherished his time spent with them.

In addition to his parents, he was preceded in death by two sisters, Linda Bennett and Nancy Parker and one brother, Alan Currin.

W.C. is survived his wife of 69 years, Mae Upchurch Currin, of the home; daughter, Teresa Biggs (David Welch), of Bennett; son Wesley Currin (Shanna Jarrett), of White Lake; sister, Audrey McCullam, of Warsaw; brother, Bobby Currin (Betty), of Benson; grandchildren, Michael Biggs, of Bennett and Samantha Pittman, of Grantville; great-grandchild, Kyliegh Collins and a host of family and friends. Condolences may be o ered online at www.joycebradychapel.com.

VERNON MONROE MINTON

JUNE 6, 1932 – APRIL 19, 2026

Vernon Monroe Minton, 93, of Bennett, passed away on Sunday, April 19, 2026, at Dunmore. Senior Living in Siler City. The graveside service will at 2:00 pm on Thursday, April 23, 2026, at Bennett Baptist Church with Rev. Tim Strider presiding. The family will receive friends in the fellowship hall from 1:00-1:45 pm. They will return to the fellowship hall following the committal. Joyce-Brady Chapel will be open on Wednesday, April 22, 2026, from 1:00-5:00 pm for friends to sign the register.

Vernon was born on June 6, 1932, to Hayes and Cullie Caviness Minton. He retired as a supervisor from Boling Chair Company after 30 years of service. He was a master craftsman. He enjoyed working on classic cars, sandblasting and woodworking.

In addition to his parents, he was preceded in death by his wife, Agnes Minton, brother, Eugene Minton and sister, Virginia Minton.

Vernon is survived by his son, Wayne Minton, Bennett; daughter, Brenda Kivett (Larry), of Bennett; grandson, David Kivett, of Bennett; sister, Edith Shelton, of Wilkesboro; brother, Ray Minton, of Bear Creek and a host of family and friends.

Donald Riegle, represented Michigan in Congress under 7 presidents, dead at 88

He switched from Republican to Democrat and led Senate opposition to NAFTA

The Associated Press

SAN DIEGO — Donald W. Riegle, who represented Michigan in Congress for nearly three decades under seven presidents, has died, his family said Sunday. He was 88.

Riegle, who began his career as a Republican and later became a Democrat, died Friday of cardiac arrest at his home in San Diego, according to a family statement.

“The cornerstone of our family, Don was a kind, loving, courageous leader who taught us to stand up for justice, economic opportunity, and fairness for everyone,” the statement said.

His family said Riegle was proud of ghting for the rights of working people and leading the Senate opposition to NAFTA, the North American Free Trade Agreement that resulted in the loss of many jobs in his home state. He pushed for economic development and the

“The cornerstone of our family, Don was a kind, loving, courageous leader who taught us to stand up for justice, economic opportunity, and fairness for everyone.”

Family statement

expansion of health insurance in Michigan.

The native of Flint, Michigan, was rst elected to the U.S. House of Representatives as a Republican in 1966 at age 28. As a congressman, he challenged President Richard Nixon’s policies on the Vietnam War and crossed the aisle to join the Democratic Party in 1973. Three years later, he was elected to the U.S. Senate, where he served until 1994. As chair of the Senate Banking Committee, Riegle pushed fornancial reforms of the savings and loan industry. Later, he was instrumental in getting treatment for Gulf War syndrome for military veterans who fought in the Persian Gulf in 1991. Riegle was caught up in the Keating Five controversy, when

he and four other senators faced Ethics Committee hearings in 1990 about whether they pressured federal regulators to go easy on savings and loan kingpin Charles Keating after receiving campaign contributions from him. The committee found Riegle did not break any federal laws or Senate rules but determined his conduct gave the appearance of being improper.

In 2001, Riegle became chairman of government relations for public relations rm APCO Worldwide.

In retirement, he spent time with his grandchildren and other family at his homes in Michigan and California, his family said. His wife of 48 years, Lori Hansen Riegle, was by his side when he died, the statement said. Memorial services are pending.

Rep. David Scott, Georgia Democrat seeking 13th term in Congress, dead at age 80

The pioneering lawmaker championed farm aid and support for historically black colleges

By Bill Barrow, Matt Brown and Je Amy The Associated Press

ATLANTA — U.S. Rep. David Scott, a Georgia Democrat and the rst black chairman of the House Agriculture Committee, has died. He was 80.

Scott, who was seeking his 13th term in Congress despite challenges from within his party, was once a leading voice for Democrats on issues related to farm aid policy and food aid for consumers, and a prominent black member of the party’s moderate Blue Dog caucus. But he faced criticism and concerns in recent years because of declining health, enduring a primary challenge in 2024 and facing another one at the time of his death.

Democrats on Capitol Hill praised the longtime lawmaker.

“The news of Congressman Scott’s passing is deeply sad,” House Minority Leader Hakeem Je ries (D-N.Y.) told reporters on Wednesday.

“David Scott was a trailblazer who served the district that he represented admirably, rose up from humble beginnings to be-

come the rst African American ever to chair the House Ag Committee,” Je ries said. “He cared about the people that he represented. He was ercely committed to getting things done for the people of the great state of Georgia, and he’ll be deeply missed.”

News of Scott’s death came during the Congressional Black Caucus’ weekly luncheon on Capitol Hill. The Black Caucus’ chair, Rep. Yvette Clarke, told lawmakers at the outset of the meeting.

Death creates another vacancy

Scott’s death slightly widens Republicans’ narrow House majority going into the thick of this midterm election year. The GOP began the current Congress with a 220-215 advantage, but the margin has uctuated. Scott is the fourth House Democrat to die in o ce during this Congress.

Scott had been mostly absent from the campaign trail in 2024 and 2026 and had become a noted example of Democrats’ aging leadership targeted by younger generations of the left. He dodged questions from reporters when he quali ed for another term in March, but he earlier dismissed pressure to retire.

“Thank God I’m in good

tions to choose a representative for the next two-year term. Early in-person voting starts Monday for May 19 party primaries for the next full term.

Scott was a pioneering black lawmaker

David Albert Scott was born in rural Aynor, South Carolina, on June 27, 1945, in the era of Jim Crow segregation. He spent part of his childhood in Scranton, Pennsylvania, along with stints in New York and Florida.

Scott graduated from Florida A&M University, one of the nation’s largest historically black college campuses — and in ofce he was an outspoken advocate for federal support of HBCUs. Scott also earned an MBA from the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School in 1969.

health, moving and doing the people’s work,” the congressman said in 2024. His wife and campaign adviser Alfredia Scott was even more direct. “When the congressman decides to leave, he won’t be pushed out,” she said in 2024. “He will bow out.”

State o cials will have to schedule a special election to ll out the rest of Scott’s term, which could overlap with elec-

He settled in Atlanta, opened his own advertising business and got his start in politics as a sta er on Andrew Young’s 1972 congressional campaign. Young would go on to be Atlanta mayor and United Nations ambassador under President Jimmy Carter, another Georgian.

The support of Young and baseball legend Henry “Hank” Aaron, who was the older brother of Scott’s wife, helped launch Scott into Congress in 2002, said Democratic state Sen. Emanuel Jones. He was opposing Scott in the May 19 primary,

BOARD from page A1

Per the scal impact analysis done by the developers, the project is projected to bring an increase of $342.3 million in real property tax base and around $2.6 million in new Chatham County annual revenues.

However, the public and commissioners raised concerns regarding tra c impacts, protections for the wetland areas, setback distances, potential ooding risks, the location of wastewater treatment plant, impacts to Pokeberry Creek, a ordable housing and more.

County sta also didn’t see the project as being in line with what they would consider a compact community and saw it more as separate pods of development.

“To us, this is not a compact community nor is it o ering what the compact community ordinance envisioned when it was done,” said Zoning Director Angela Plummer. “Compact communities were created to create inner workings and walkability.”

Due to those concerns as well as a few unanswered questions from the commissioners, the board continued the hearing to May 18 in order to gather more information.

The second hearing was for a general use rezoning request for four parcels of property, totalling nearly 300 acres and located o of Christian Chapel Church Road, to be rezoned Heavy Industrial.

There is no current site plan submitted for the site, but any

although he called Scott “a good friend.” Scott was one of a pioneering generation of black state lawmakers in Georgia, winning election to the state House in 1974 and the state Senate in 1982 before being elected to Congress. Once identifying as a moderate “Blue Dog” — Scott had sponsored a law mandating a moment of silent school prayer in the state Senate — he evolved into a more mainstream liberal.

An advocate for historically black schools

Scott served decades in Congress while living outside his district after maps were redrawn. He maintained support, focusing intently on constituent service, including hosting job and health fairs.

Among his notable achievements on Capitol Hill, Scott secured $80 million for historically black land-grant schools as part of the 2018 Farm Bill. The money was steered to agriculture-related scholarships at 19 campuses. He helped author various housing and mortgage aid measures, and he pushed for better health care and other bene ts for veterans and their families. On foreign policy, Scott was an outspoken advocate for NATO and post-World War II American alliances.

Scott’s fellow Democrats ousted him from his post as ranking minority member on the Agriculture Committee in 2024 amid concerns about his age and health. Scott is survived by Alfredia Scott, the couple’s two adult daughters and grandchildren.

construction will be limited to 36% built upon area due to it being located in a W4 protected area as well as a local watershed designation.

“These properties are located in the rural node of our land use plan, however, this property falls within the Moncure Small Area Plan and is located within the employment center node of that plan,” Plummer said.

The property is intended to be utilized for industrial use and was described by the applicants as a “shovel-ready site.”

The property owners are currently working with the Chatham County Economic Development Corporation to identify potential ts for the site.

The nal hearing was for a map amendment to the Chatham Cary Joint Land Use Plan for approximately 6.5 acres of property located at 955 Earnest Jones Road from very low density residential (VLDR) to low density residential (LDR).

The parcel to the north, which is owned by the same owner, is already zoned LDR, so this request is to create consistency between them.

According to the applicant, the plan for the property is to construct a maximum of 27 homes between the two sites, with an average lot size of 1.26 units per acre. These two hearings were referred to the planning board after discussion.

The Chatham County Board of Commissioners will next meet May 18.

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Counties

NOTICE TO CREDITORS

ESTATE OF DAVID MANSFIELD BUNNELL-FILE

NO.26E000166-180 ALL PERSONS, rms and corporations having claims

against David Mans eld Bunnell, deceased, of Chatham County, NC, are noti ed to exhibit the same to the undersigned on or before July 20, 2026, or this notice will be pleaded in bar of recovery. Debtors of the decedent are asked to make immediate payment. This the 16th day of April, 2026.

Anne E. Bunnell, Executor

c/o Whitaker & Hamer, PLLC

121 E. Main Street Clayton, NC 27520 Chatham News + Record 4/16, 4/23, 4/30, 5/7, 2026

NOTICE TO CREDITORS

Having quali ed as Personal Representative of the Estate of David Clement McCormick, deceased of Chatham County, North Carolina, on the 2nd day of April, 2026, the undersigned hereby noti es all persons, rms, and corporations having claims against said estate to exhibit them to the undersigned at the o ce of the attorney for the estate on or before the 18th day of July, 2026, or this Notice will be pled in bar of recovery. All persons indebted to said estate will please make immediate payment to the undersigned. Issued this 16th day of April, 2026. Barbara L. McCormick, Personal Representative, c/o Christina Goshaw Hinkle, Attorney for the Estate, 3211 Shannon Road, Suite 400, Durham, NC 27707. Chatham News & Record: 4/16, 4/23, 4/30, 5/7NOTICE

IN THE PROBATE COURT OF BRADLEY COUNTY, TENNESSEE AT CLEVELAND

IN RE: GEORGIA FRAZIER, Decedent, SANDRA WILDASIN, Petitioner.

Docket No.: 2026-PR-92 NOTICE TO CREDITORS Estate of Georgia Frazier; Date of Death: January 18, 2026; Docket No.2026-PR-92 Notice is hereby given that on the 17thday of April, 2026, Letters Testamentary in respect to the Estate of Georgia Frazier, deceased, who died January 18, 2026, were issued to the undersigned by the Chancery Court, Probate Division of Bradley County, Tennessee. All persons, resident and non-resident, having claims, matured or un-matured, against the Estate are required to le the same with the Clerk of the above named Court on or before the earlier of the dates prescribed in (1) or (2) otherwise their claims will be forever barred: (1) (A) Four (4) months from the date of the rst publication (or posting, as the case may be) of this notice if the creditor received an actual copy of this notice to creditors at least sixty (60) days before the date that is four (4) months from the date of the rst publication (or posting); or (B) Sixty (60) days from the date the creditor received an actual copy of this notice to creditors if the creditor received the copy of the notice less than sixty (60) days prior to the date that is four (4) months from the date of rst publication (or posting) as described in (1) (A); or (2) Twelve (12) months from the decedent’s date of death.

This the 17th day of April, 2026 Sandra Wildasin, Personal Representative Estate of Georgia Frazier, Deceased HOLLY THOMPSON, CLERK & MASTER

APPROVED FOR SUBMISSION BY:

WILLIAM J. BROWN (BPR #05450 Attorney for Sandra Wildasin

NOTICE

STATE OF NORTH CAROLINA

NOTICE TO CREDITORS COUNTY OF CHATHAM

THE UNDERSIGNED, having quali ed on the 30th day of March 2026, as Executor of the ESTATE OF ABNER GRISWOLD BEVIN, AKA ABNER GRISWOLD BEVIN JR., Deceased, of Chatham County, North Carolina, does hereby notify all persons, rms and corporations having claims against said Estate to exhibit them to the undersigned on or before the 10th day of July 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 9th day of April 2026.

CHRISTOPHER MARSHALL BEVIN SR.,

EXECUTOR ESTATE OF ABNER GRISWOLD BEVIN c/o Shirley M. Diefenbach, Attorney Walker Lambe, PLLC Post O ce Box 51549 Durham, North Carolina 27717

Notice to Creditors

File Number: 26E000115-180

Having Quali ed as Executor of the Estate of John Alfred Gorman, deceased, late of Chatham County, North Carolina, this is to notify all persons, rms, and corporations having claims against the estate of said deceased to exhibit them to the undersigned on or before the 16th day of July, 2026, or this Notice will be pleaded in bar of their recovery. All persons indebted to said estate will please make immediate payment.

This the 3rd day of April, 2026.

Executor for the Estate Lynn Elizabeth Williford 87603 Aycock Chapel Hill, NC 27517

NOTICE ALL PERSONS, rms and corporations having claims against Cathy Blair Regan, deceased, of Chatham County, N.C., are noti ed to exhibit the same to the undersigned on or before July 23rd, 2026, or this notice will be pleaded in bar of recovery. Debtors of the decedent are asked to make immediate payment. This 23rd day of April 2026. Kimberly Wallace, Executor Estate of Cathy Blair Regan c/o Roberson Law Firm 1829 E. Franklin St., Ste. 800C Chapel Hill, NC 27514 Run Dates: 4/23, 30, 5/7, 14

NOTICE STATE OF NORTH CAROLINA CHATHAM COUNTY NOTICE TO CREDITORS File No: 26E000078-180 Having quali ed as Executor of the Estate of MERLE LEE FEATHERS, deceased, of 13

NOTICE TO CREDITORS

ALL PERSONS, rms and corporations having claims against THOMAS BRIEN NEFF, deceased, of Chatham County, are noti ed to exhibit the same to the undersigned on or before, the 30th day of July, 2026, or this notice will be pleaded in bar of their recovery. All persons indebted to the Estate will please make immediate payment.

This 30th day of April, 2026.

PAMELA STRAUB NEFF, Executrix

THOMAS BRIEN NEFF

c/o Tillman, Whichard & Cagle, PLLC 501 Eastowne Drive, Suite 130 Chapel Hill, NC 27514

NOTICE TO CREDITORS

26E000193-180

The undersigned, having quali ed as Administrator of the Estate of Rachel O. Brooks, late of Chatham County, North Carolina, noti es all persons, rms and corporations having claims against the estate of said deceased to present them to the undersigned at her address, 1179 Charlie Brooks Road, Moncure, North Carolina, 27559, on or before the 16th day of July, 2026, or this Notice will be pleaded in bar of their recovery. All persons indebted to said estate will please make immediate payment.

This 10th day of April, 2026. Amy Jo Brooks 1179 Charlie Brooks Road Moncure, North Carolina 27559

GUNN & MESSICK, PLLC P. O. Box 880 Pittsboro, North Carolina 27312-0880 April 16, 23, 30, May 7

CREDITOR’S NOTICE

Having quali ed on the 23rd day of April 2026, as Executor of the Estate of Sammy Franklin Dickinson, 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 30th day of July 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 23rd day of April 2026. Jan Rene Boydstun, Executor of the Estate of Sammy Franklin Dickinson 226 Haven Creek Road Apt 101 Pittsboro, N.C., 27312

Attorneys: Law O ces of Doster & Brown, P.A. 206 Hawkins Avenue Sanford, NC 27330

Publish On: April 30, May 7, 14 and 21 of 2026

NOTICE OF SERVICE OF PROCESS BY PUBLICATION

STATE OF NORTH CAROLINA COUNTY OF CHATHAM IN THE GENERAL COURT OF JUSTICE SUPERIOR COURT DIVISION FILE NO: 25CV000297-180

linda harris, Plainti vs. SHIHEIM MONTRELL SUGGS, Defendant TO: SHIHEIM MONTRELL SUGGS

Take notice that a pleading seeking relief against you has been led in the above Court in the aboveentitled action. The nature of the relief being sought is compensation for bodily injury arising from an automobile accident on 1/15/2023.

You are required to make defense to such pleading not later than May 26, 2026, and upon your failure to do so, the parties seeking service against you will apply to the Court for the relief sought.

This 8th day of April, 2026. Eliot F. Smith FARRIS & THOMAS LAW, P.A.

Attorneys at Law P. O. Box 2848 Wilson, NC 27894-2848

Telephone: (252) 243-3000

PUBLISH DATES: 4/16/26, 4/23/26, 4/30/26

NOTICE

STATE OF NORTH CAROLINA COUNTY OF CHATHAM LEGAL NOTICE

The undersigned, Kenneth Hilliard, having quali ed on April 20, 2026 as Executor of the Estate of Arthur Jackson Hilliard, deceased, late of Chatham County, North Carolina, this is to notify all persons, rms, or corporations having claims against said estate to present them to the undersigned’s Attorney, Tyler F. Chriscoe, at 135 West New Hampshire Avenue, P. O. Box 371, Southern Pines, North Carolina 283880371 on or before the 3rd day of August, 2026 or this notice will be pleaded in bar of their recovery. All persons, rms, and corporations indebted to said estate will please make immediate payment to the undersigned.

This 30th day of April, 2026. Kenneth Hilliard, Executor Estate of Arthur Jackson Hilliard Tyler F. Chriscoe Attorney for the Estate Poyner Spruill LLP Attorneys at Law P. O. Box 371 Southern Pines, N. C. 28388-0371 4: 30, and 5: 7, 14, 21, 2026

NOTICE TO CREDITORS

ESTATE OF GEORGE DANIEL JOHNSON FILE NO. 26E000201-180 All persons, rms and corporations having claims against GEORGE DANIEL JOHNSON, deceased, of Chatham County, North Carolina, are noti ed to exhibit the same to the undersigned on or before August 7, 2026, or this notice will be pleaded in the bar of recovery. Debtors of the decedent are asked to make immediate payment. This the 30th day of April, 2026. KELLY L JOHNSON, Executor C/O Caitlin Stone, Attorney for the Estate Pierce Law Group, PLLC 3020 S. Miami Blvd, Ste 201 Durham, NC 27703 A30, 7, 14 and 21

NOTICE TO CREDITORS

NORTH CAROLINA

CHATHAM COUNTY

26E000222-180 ALL persons having claims against Lois Jane Helburn, deceased, late of Chatham County, North Carolina, are noti ed to exhibit the same to the undersigned on or before July 30, 2026, or this notice will be pleaded in bar of recovery. Debtors of the decedent are asked to make immediate payment.

This the 30th day of April, 2026.

BRUCE JAMES STEINHARDT, Administrator

C/O Pierce Law Group, PLLC

3020 S Miami Blvd, Suite 201 Durham, NC 27703 April 30, May 7, 14, 21 A30, 7, 14 and 21

NOTICE TO CREDITORS

NORTH CAROLINA CHATHAM COUNTY

26E000189-180

ALL persons having claims against Joyce Ellis Clark, deceased, late of Chatham County, North Carolina, are noti ed to exhibit the same to the undersigned on or before Jul 23 2026, or this notice will be pleaded in bar of recovery. Debtors of the decedent are asked to make immediate payment.

This the 23rd day of April, 2026.

MELVIN ALAN CLARK C/O SIMPSON LAW FIRM, Executor C/O Simpson Law Firm 1188 Stonecrest Blvd, Suite #105 Fort Mill, SC 29708 A23, 30, 7 and 14

NOTICE

NOTICE TO CREDITORS AND DEBTORS OF Dora Elizabeth Bachtel Mathisen All persons, rms and corporations having claims against Dora Elizabeth Bachtel Mathisen, late of Chatham County, North Carolina, are noti ed to exhibit them to Barbara Jean Ramsland as Executor of the decedent’s estate on or before July 18, 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 16th day of April 2026. Barbara Jean Ramsland, Executor c/o Janet B. Witchger, Atty. TrustCounsel 1414 Raleigh Rd., Ste. 203 Chapel Hill, NC 27517

NOTICE

“All persons having claims against the estate of SALLY CHENEY MILLER of Chatham County, NC, who died on February 27, 2026, are noti ed to present them on or before Friday, July 17, 2026 to True Campbell, Executrix for the estate of Sally Cheney Miller, c/o Schupp & Hamilton, PLLC, 3013 Rippy Lane, Hillsborough, N.C. 27278, or this Notice will be pleaded in bar of recovery.”

DATES: 04/16/2026, 04/23/2026, 04/30/2026, 05/07/2026

NOTICE TO CREDITORS

NORTH CAROLINA CHATHAM COUNTY

FILE#26E000175-180

The undersigned LATOYA FOX, having quali ed on the 30TH Day of MARCH 2026 as ADMINISTRATOR of the Estate of ALYEASE FOX, 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 23RD Day OF JULY 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 23RD DAY OF APRIL 2026.

LATOYA FOX, ADMINISTRATOR 97 RILEY LANE SILER CITY, NC 27344 Run dates: A23,30,M7,14p

NOTICE TO CREDITORS

NORTH CAROLINA

CHATHAM COUNTY

FILE#26E000242-180

The undersigned TAMARA TICKLE, having quali ed on the 23RD Day of APRIL 2026 as ADMINISTRATOR of the Estate of ROBERT L. MIMS, 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 30TH Day OF JULY 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 30TH DAY OF APRIL 2026.

TAMARA TICKLE, ADMINISTRATOR 309 PINEYWOOD CHURCH RD. CAMERON, NC 28326 Run dates: A30,M7,14,21p

NOTICE TO CREDITORS

NORTH CAROLINA

CHATHAM COUNTY

FILE#26E000181-180 The undersigned HELEN FAYE MARKHAM, having quali ed on the 1ST Day of APRIL 2026 as ADMINISTRATOR of the Estate of PHILLIP LAWRENCE MARKHAM, 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 9TH Day OF JULY 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 9TH DAY OF APRIL 2026.

HELEN FAYE MARKHAM, ADMINISTRATOR 4090 NC HWY.751 APEX, NC 27523 Run dates: A9,16,23,30p

NOTICE TO CREDITORS

NORTH CAROLINA

CHATHAM COUNTY

FILE#26E000169-180

The undersigned JAY W. MARSHALL, having quali ed on the 9TH Day of APRIL 2026 as EXECUTOR of the Estate of JOANNE MARSHALL, 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 16TH Day OF JULY 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 16TH DAY OF APRIL 2026.

JAY W. MARSHALL, EXECUTOR 5696 SUGAR GROVE ROAD GREENS FORK, IN 47345 Run dates: A16,23,30,M7p

PUBLIC HEARING NOTICE

TOWN OF PITTSBORO, NC

On Monday, May 11, 2026 at 6:00 pm, the Pittsboro

Board of Commissioners will hold a legislative public hearing for the following requests at the Chatham County Agriculture & Conference Center at 1192 Hwy 64 Business West: The Town of Pittsboro’s Budget for FY 2026-2027 has been submitted to the Board of Commissioners, and a copy is available for public inspection in the o ce of the Town Clerk, Town of Pittsboro Town Hall, 287 East Street, Suite 221, Pittsboro, NC.

ZTA-2026-05. A legislative request by Town Sta to amend the De nitions found in the UDO Section 12.12. ZTA-2026-06. A legislative request by Town Sta to amend UDO Section 4.5 and include Wetland Protections of the UDO.

ZTA-2026-08. A legislative request by Town Sta to amend the Annexation Procedure and Table of Contents in the UDO Section 10.4.17 and Table of Contents. ZTA-2026-09. A legislative request by Town Sta to amend the Accessory Use/Structure Table found in the UDO Section 3.3.4.C to permit “Dwelling Unit, Accessory (ADU)” in the Neighborhood Mixed-Use Center (NMUC) and Community Mixed-Use Center (CMUC) zoning districts. The hearing will be held in person. The public can also watch the hearing live on the Town’s YouTube channel at https://www.youtube.com/@townofpittsboronc/ streams. Members of the public must attend in person if they wish to speak at the hearing. Contact the Town Clerk, Carrie Bailey, by 4 pm on May 8, 2026 with written comments or to sign up to speak at the hearing. You can contact Carrie Bailey at cbailey@pittsboronc.gov, (919) 542-4621 ext. 1104, or PO Box 759, Pittsboro, NC 27312.

NOTICE TO CREDITORS

NORTH CAROLINA CHATHAM COUNTY FILE#26E000229-180

The undersigned WANDA STAFFORD AND JAMES HADLEY, having quali ed on the 20TH Day of APRIL 2026 as CO-EXECUTORS of the Estate of JEANETTE LINDLEY HADLEY, 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 30TH Day OF JULY 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 30TH DAY OF APRIL 2026. WANDA STAFFORD, CO-EXECUTOR 4457 SILK HOPE LINDLEY MILL RD. SNOW CAMP, NC 27349 JAMES HADLEY, CO-EXECUTOR 4305 SILK HOPE LINDLEY MILL RD. SNOW CAMP, NC 27349 Run dates: A30,M7,14,21p

NOTICE TO CREDITORS

NORTH CAROLINA CHATHAM COUNTY FILE#23E000651-180 The undersigned GEORGE DAVIS CATES, having quali ed on the 9TH Day of APRIL 2026 as EXECUTOR of the Estate of GEORGE DAVIS CATES, 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 16TH Day OF JULY 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 16TH DAY OF APRIL 2026. VIRGINIA B. CATES, EXECUTOR 87 EASY ST. PITTSBORO, NC 27312 Run dates: A16,23,30,M7p

NOTICE TO CREDITORS

NORTH CAROLINA CHATHAM COUNTY FILE#26E000168-180 The undersigned CARLA REIL, having quali ed on the 27TH Day of MARCH 2026 as EXECUTOR of the Estate of BARBARA FARRELL, deceased, of Chatham County, North Carolina, does hereby notify all persons, rms and corporations having claims against said Estate to exhibit them on or

MARTHAS CHAPEL ROAD APEX, NC 27523 Run dates: A9,16,23,30p PUBLIC NOTICE 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 Charter School 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. The IDEA-Part B Project is open to the public for review and comments during the days of May 14,15,18,19, 2026 2026 in the o ce of Julie Franklin located at 2200 Hamp Stone Rd, Siler City, NC 27344.

NOTICE TO CREDITORS

Having quali ed as Executor of the Estate of Thomas Bayard Hollingsworth, Jr., deceased, late of Chatham County, North Carolina, the undersigned does hereby notify all persons, rms and corporations having claims against the decedent to present them to the undersigned on or before 07/31/2026 or this Notice will be pleaded in bar of their recovery. All claims must be presented in writing and delivered or mailed to: James D. Hollingsworth, Executor 1309 Snyder Street Durham, NC 27713 This the 26th day of April, 2026. James D. Hollingsworth Executor of the Estate of Thomas Bayard Hollingsworth, Jr. Chatham County Estate File No.: 26E000039-180 Publication Dates (once a week for four consecutive weeks): 4/30/2026 / 5/7/2026] / 05/14/2026 /05/21/2026

NOTICE TO CREDITORS NORTH CAROLINA CHATHAM COUNTY

FILE#25E000661-180 The undersigned JONATHAN K. MCMILLAN, having quali ed on the 20TH Day of APRIL 2026 as EXECUTOR of the Estate of BOBBY EUGENE MCMILLAN, 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 30TH Day OF JULY 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 30TH DAY OF APRIL 2026. JONATHAN K. MCMILLAN, EXECUTOR 188 LORI LANE SILER CITY, NC 27344 Run dates: A30,M7,14,21p

NOTICE TO CREDITORS

NORTH CAROLINA CHATHAM COUNTY

FILE#26E000146-180 The undersigned AMY LYNDON, having quali ed on the 27TH Day of MARCH 2026 as EXECUTOR of the Estate of JAMES M. LYNDON, 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 30TH Day OF JULY 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 30TH DAY OF APRIL 2026. AMY LYNDON, EXECUTOR 17302 BELMONT STAKES LANE CHARLOTTE, NC 28278 Run dates: A30,M7,14,21p

European cruise delivers castles, history; quirks, characters, odd lessons linger

What sticks after the trip: the small moments, not the monuments

By Erika Ho man For Chatham News & Record

WHAT’S REMEMBERED after taking an exorbitant, European, entertainment- lled cruise is not the castles you saw, the over-the-top meals you devoured, or the spa treatments you took or avoided; it’s sometimes other stu , little stu .

Last year, we accompanied friends on a once-in-a-lifetime journey starting in London and then sailing from Southport to the remote Orkney Islands and down the U.K. coast to Omaha Beach, where the moving scene of endless crosses of American GIs is unforgettable. It’s not that I don’t recall historical sites like the Rock of Cashel, the Standing Stones of Stenness or Skara Brae, a prehistoric village older than the pyramids of Giza. I do. For these, I have photos along with souvenir placemats, mugs and other trinkets — made in China — to remind me. I remember some big stu .

Yet when I look at what I scribbled in the corner of magazines, the backs of receipts and on paper scraps, they’re not facts one nds in tourist books. On one occasion, I devoted more room to chronicling the behavior of a snarky ight attendant on the trip over than to the Tower of London. Had I not made a quick notation, I might have forgotten the redheaded, chippy chap. When I read my scribbles, he materialized in my memory.

As we entered the plane in Charlotte, a male passenger blocked the aisle while hordes of others tried to board. Our seats were the last in the back — commode coach. The man was saving space in the overhead compartment for his wife’s luggage, preventing others from reaching their seats. His wife was behind us. I asked if I could scoot past

SHOOTING from page A1

said Gillum was arrested without incident last Wednesday night at a hotel in the city of Destin, and it posted a photo of him being led away in handcu s. Deputies recovered a handgun and about 200 rounds of ammunition from the hotel room, the statement said.

Gillum was arrested as a fugitive from justice and will be extradited to Louisiana to face charges there, the sheri ’s ofce said. It was not immediately known if he had a lawyer. The Associated Press left a message at phone numbers listed for him.

Gillum’s family reported him

FED from page A1

scrutinizing a project, now at $2.5 billion after earlier estimates had put it at $1.9 billion, that the Republican president has criticized for cost overruns. Powell had asked in July for the inspector general’s review.

“I believe that there will not be any wrongdoing,” Tillis said. “Maybe we nd a little stupid here in terms of somebody responsible for the project making a decision they shouldn’t? Maybe. But it doesn’t rise to a criminal prosecution. That was my problem to begin with because I feel like there were prosecutors in D.C. that thought this was going to be a lever to have Mr. Powell leave early,” he said.

Tillis, who infuriated Trump in June for opposing his big tax and spending cuts bill over Medicaid reductions and then announced he would not seek reelection in 2026, added that he had received assurances from the Justice Department that “the case is completely and fully settled … and that the only way an investigation would be opened would be a criminal referral from one of the most respected inspector generals.”

him, which I could have if he had brie y stepped into a row. Before he could answer, a snarky, young ginger steward apped his hands and told me to wait.

“There’s plenty of time!” he announced loudly.

That’s not the instruction we usually hear over a plane’s loudspeaker. Typically, passengers are told to move aside so others can nd their seats quickly. Later, just before dinner, I asked the same ight attendant if he could request the man in front of me to raise his seat so I could lower my tray table. The passenger had reclined as far as possible.

“No. I can’t tell him to raise his seat. It’s his right to recline his seat!” the attendant said.

I asked if there were another attendant I could speak with. He ignored me.

“What’s your name?” I asked.

“You have no right to know my name,” he replied. He wasn’t wearing a name tag like the others.

missing last Tuesday, and he has a history of self-harm, according to Lt. Clint Lyons of the Alamance County Sheri ’s O ce in North Carolina. Gillum’s family told law enforcement he had a gun and had “expressed recent threats to harm ‘Black people,’” according to a bulletin from police in Burlington. Lyons said Gillum left the state before his agency could prepare the paperwork to involuntarily commit him to psychiatric treatment. Lyons said there were no criminal grounds to detain Gillum despite his comments about black people “because there was no victim,” however the agen-

Important week for Fed leadership

The committee on Saturday said it planned to vote Wednesday on Warsh’s nomination. The ranking Democrat, Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren, responded with a statement that “no Republican claiming to care about Fed independence should support moving forward the nomination of Kevin Warsh, who proved in his nomination hearing to be nothing more than President Trump’s sock puppet.”

So, I tapped the passenger in front of me and asked if he could raise his seat.

“No problema,” he said.

“Gracias.”

Later, I watched as an obese woman across the aisle struggled into the aisle while the same ight attendant attempted to squeeze past her. Her girth blocked his way. Temporarily pinned between the seat in front of us and the woman, he tried to wiggle through. Karma has a sense of humor.

On excursions, we learned U.K. history, but what stuck with me wasn’t Jacobite battles or dates. It was quirky bits of knowledge that surprised or amused me.

An Irish guide spoke of “Cove,” though road signs read “Cobh.” The Gaelic language once had only 18 letters and no “v,” so that sound was spelled “bh.”

I learned where the expression “get plastered” originated. In old houses like one owned by the Talbot family 800 years ago,

cy decided it needed to spread the word about him to other departments.

Gillum was located and stopped by law enforcement in Okaloosa County last Wednesday, according to Lyons and the Burlington police bulletin. However, he “did not present any grounds for involuntary commitment or criminal charges” and was allowed to continue on his way, the bulletin stated. Gillum told o cers he was “en route to New Orleans,” the report added.

Okaloosa deputies were initially asked to make a “welfare check” on him last Wednesday morning but they didn’t

“No Republican claiming to care about Fed independence should support moving forward the nomination of Kevin Warsh, who proved in his nomination hearing to be nothing more than President Trump’s sock puppet.”

Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.)

Also Wednesday, Fed policymakers will meet and are expected to keep their key interest rate unchanged for the third straight meeting, shrugging o Trump’s demands for a cut. At a news conference, Powell could indicate whether he will remain on the Fed’s board of governors after his term as chair ends, an unusual but not completely unprecedented step that would deny Trump the opportunity to ll another seat on the seven-member board. Powell’s term as a governor lasts until January 2028. At a hearing last week, Warsh told senators he never promised the White House that he would cut interest rates and pledged to be “an independent actor” if con rmed as chair. Hours before that, Trump had been asked in a CNBC interview whether he would be disappointed if Warsh did not immediately cut rates. “I would,” the president said. Without the constraints of a political campaign, Tillis has spoken out forcefully about Powell, decrying the inquiry by U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro, a longtime Trump ally, as a “vindictive prosecution” and suggested it threatened the Fed’s longtime independence from

didn’t always nd the humor funny. One guide joked that we might see “mammals” in the park — meaning middle-aged men in Lycra. As a motorcyclist sped by, he added, “You know what we call motorcyclists over here? Body part donors.”

In Scotland, I learned that the Holy Loch was where American soldiers were based during World War II. North of the mountain fault lies the Highlands. Trees were planted close together so they would grow straight. A glen is a steep valley. Inveraray Castle, still privately owned, generates income for the duke and duchess. “Downton Abbey,” among other lms, was shot there.

I also learned why tree trunks turn black near distilleries. As whiskey ages in barrels, vapors escape into the air. A fungus attracted to the vapors coats nearby trees, darkening them.

Beyond the quirky facts and random bits of knowledge, travel o ers something more lasting: the desire to learn more.

plaster was applied to ceilings and often mixed with beer and wine. To get drunk was to get plastered. Perhaps the plasterers were drunk when they built the house.

At Malahide Castle, I learned that women once wore beeswax on their faces as makeup; if they sat too close to the re, it melted — thus the expression “to lose face.”

“Gink the horn,” I heard an Irish guide tell a driver. It sounds better than “honk.” Ireland has no snakes because St. Patrick drove them out, though badgers are plentiful. In large mansions, liquor was locked behind bars and only the owner had the key. Thus, “bar” became synonymous with a place to drink. A “blister plaster” is their term for a Band-Aid, and trash pickup is called “rubbish uplift.” Whiskey is “the water of life,” and “a crack” means a good time — a phrase with a very different meaning back home.

While I enjoyed the slang, I

know he’d been making violent threats, sheri spokesperson Michele Nicholson said. Later that day, after the sheri ’s o ce learned Gillum was being investigated, deputies surveilled him until an arrest warrant arrived from Louisiana, she added.

“At this time, there are no known direct threats to any festivals in Louisiana,” State Police spokesperson Trooper Danny Berrincha said.

Gillum served as a sworn police o cer in Chapel Hill from 2004 until his resignation in 2019, town spokesperson Alex Carrasquillo said.

He worked as a police o cer

day-to-day politics. Tillis told NBC that he had gotten assurances from the Justice Department that he needed “to feel like they were not using DOJ as a weapon to threaten the independence of the Fed. So this will allow Mr. Warsh to move on with his con rmation.”

On Saturday, Trump was asked by reporters whether there was now smooth sailing for Warsh with the end of the Justice Department’s investigation. “I imagine it’s smooth,” Trump said, adding that his nominee “is going to be fantastic.” The president said he still wanted to nd out “how can a building of that size cost ... whatever it’s going to be.”

Trump visited the Fed building in July and, in front of television cameras, said the renovations would run $3.1 billion. Powell, standing next to him, said after looking at a paper presented to him by Trump, that the president’s latest price tag was incorrect.

Justice Department pursues Trump adversaries

The investigation was among several undertaken by the Justice Department into Trump’s perceived adversar -

I had no interest in watching “Outlander” when friends raved about it — perhaps more about its handsome Scottish lead than its story. But after seeing the Standing Stones of Stenness, I found myself intrigued by time travel, witches and kilts. The trip sparked questions about Scottish origins, the D-Day invasion and modern history.

I’m not concerned with whether the Loch Ness monster exists, but I would like to learn more about the Orkney pirate who placed his hand through the perforated Stone of Odin to clasp his lover’s hand in a binding oath. John Gow was hanged in London in 1701. Legend says his sweetheart had to touch his dead hand to free herself from the vow.

Was it a severed hand?

Now that sounds like a horrid — but interesting — tale. Maybe even the start of a Stephen King novel.

in the coastal town of Carolina Beach from October 2019 until his resignation the following October, town administrative services o cer Sheila Nicholson said. Gillum became a detention o cer in October 2023 with the Orange County Sheri ’s O ce and left in July 2024, spokesperson Alicia L. Stemper said.

He returned the Chapel Hill police force as a non-sworn employee in 2024 before leaving again by the end of the year, Carrasquillo said. He was then rehired as an Orange County sheri ’s deputy in January 2025 but resigned that September, she said.

ies. For months it had failed to gain traction as prosecutors struggled to articulate a basis to suspect criminal conduct. Other e orts by the department to prosecute Trump’s adversaries, including New York state Attorney General Letitia James, a Democrat, and former FBI Director James Comey, have also been unsuccessful.

Last month, a federal judge quashed Justice Department subpoenas issued to the Fed in the investigation, describing their purpose as “to harass and pressure Powell to resign” and open the path for a new chair.

A prosecutor handling the Powell case had acknowledged at a closed-door court hearing that the government had not found any evidence of a crime. Pirro said last Friday on X that she “will not hesitate to restart a criminal investigation should the facts warrant doing so.” The acting attorney general, Todd Blanche, told NBC on Sunday that ”there is no doubt that we will investigate” if the inspector general nds evidence of criminal conduct. Warsh is a nancier and former member of the Fed’s board of governors. Trump nominated him in January.

CHATHAM SPORTS

Chatham Charter baseball takes share of conference title

The Knights split the series and crown with Clover Garden

By Asheebo Rojas Chatham News & Record

SILER CITY — For the fourth straight year, the Knights sit on the conference throne.

Chatham Charter clinched a share of the Central Tar Heel 1A conference title with a 10-0 win over Clover Garden on April 21.

Senior pitcher Garrison Clark struck out 13 batters and allowed three hits, leading Chatham Charter to its fth straight shutout victory. He struck out six straight batters between the fourth and fth

innings. Clark ended his regular season without giving up a run.

“Just got to go after people,” Clark said. “You can only strike people out if you throw strikes. So just going after people and knowing I can get them out. Trusting myself and my defense helps a lot.”

Sophomore Ryder Murphy went 2 for 3 from the plate with a team-high three runs and two RBIs. Senior Jace Young notched two doubles, including a shot to left center eld in the bottom of the fth inning that sparked the Knights’ pull-away stretch.

“They were going at me with a lot of fastballs,” Young said.

“So staying on the fastball, trusting that I can hit the fastball, (and) they can’t get it by

me. Once I got the two strikes, fastball, adjust, so if I get a fastball over the plate, I’m going to swing and try to hit it.”

The Knights’ lead grew to 3-0 when Murphy, who got on base with a single, scored on Young’s fth-inning double. In the following at-bats, Clark walked, and senior Tyner Williams scored Young on a sacrice y. With two outs, junior Jax Young then hit a single to score Jackson Clark, who ran for Garrison Clark, giving the Knights a 5-0 advantage.

Senior Brandon Rives scored Chatham Charter’s rst run on a passed ball in the second inning.

Following walks from Murphy and Jace Young in the third inning, Williams doubled to send in the Knights’ second

PJ WARD-BROWN / CHATHAM NEWS & RECORD

Northwood’s Riley D’Angelo slides home in the Chargers’ win over Uwharrie Charter on April 24.

Northwood baseball claims rst conference title since 2017

The Chargers beat defending champions Uwharrie Charter 7-2

By Asheebo Rojas

Chatham News & Record

ASHEBORO — In the biggest moment of the regular season, the Northwood baseball team, like it has all season, delivered when it mattered. The Chargers scored ve runs in the top of the seventh

inning to defeat the three -time defending 1A champions Uwharrie Charter on the road 7-2 Friday, claiming their rst regular season conference title since 2017. “After the Seaforth series, we had some tough luck,” Northwood coach Brent Haynes said. “Trying to get those guys motivated. We still had something to achieve other than what (Seaforth) had, right? So I used that as like a selling point. ‘Hey guys, we’re

still playing for something. We’re still playing for that conference championship. So let’s take advantage of it. Let’s get after it for these last two weeks of the regular season and see what happens.’ “I said, ‘This can etch yourself in Northwood history forever.’” Junior Zeke Wicker went 2 for 4 from the plate and recorded a team-high three

run. Williams went 2 for 3 from the plate and nished the game with a team-high three RBIs.

But with a chance to take the conference title for themselves, the Knights’ bats went cold in a 2-0 loss to Clover Garden on April 23.

Both teams recorded three hits. The Grizzlies notched all of theirs in the bottom of the third inning, including a double by Gavin Phillips that scored two runs. Meanwhile, Chatham Charter couldn’t get more than two runners on base in a single inning.

In the top of the sixth inning, the Knights had runners on second and third base with one out, but they were stranded due to back-to-back popouts.

Clover Garden pitcher

Runs allowed by Garrison Clark in the regular season

Brayden DeAlto struck out six batters in a complete game.

After splitting the series, Chatham Charter ended the regular season at 17-4, achieving its best regular season win percentage since 2023.

As of Sunday, the Knights sit at third in the 1A RPI standings, which will set them up for a high seed in the state playo s if their position holds.

Chatham Charter isn’t yet worried about that tournament, though. With losses to Clover Garden in the last two conference tournament championship games in mind, the Knights are focused on entering the playo s with two titles to their name.

“They want to put two trophies in the case this year,” Chatham Charter coach Bill

By Asheebo Rojas Chatham News & Record Baseball

Seaforth swept South Granville with an 11-1 win April 21 and a 16-4 win Friday. Junior Bauer Bowling hit a three-run home run in the second game, nishing the night with a team-high ve RBIs. The Hawks fell to Grace Christian for the second time this year 2-1 on April 23. Chatham Central ended its regular season with three straight wins over Bishop McGuinness (6-4), Southern Wake (19-3) and North Stokes (7-2). The Bears secured second place in the conference and their best regular season winning percentage since 2023.

Jordan-Matthews fell to Eastern Randolph twice, losing 15-0 on April 21 and 5-2 Friday. The Jets picked up a 13-3 win over South Davidson on April 23 behind a team total of 15 hits and senior Landon Moser’s 11 strikeouts and two hits on the mound. Conference standings as of Sunday (overall, conference)

*clinched conference title Central Tar Heel 1A: T1.

No-hitters this season for Emma Grace Hill

Chatham Charter* (17-4, 7-1); T1. Clover Garden* (12-8, 7-1); 3. River Mill (10-7, 4-4); 4. Southern Wake (2-10, 2-6); 5. Central Carolina (0-11, 0-8) Greater Triad 1A/2A: 1. South Stokes* (17-6, 11-1); T2. Chatham Central (12-8, 7-5); T2. Bishop McGuinness (13-8, 7-5); 4. North Stokes (4-18, 4-7); 5. South Davidson (6-15, 1-11) Four Rivers 3A/4A: 1. Northwood* (13-9, 8-2); T2. Eastern Randolph (13-11, 7-3); T2. Uwharrie Charter (17-6, 7-3); 4. Southwestern Randolph (15-6, 6-4); T5. North Moore (5-13, 1-9); T5. Jordan-Matthews (5-16, 1-9) Big Seven 4A/5A: 1. Cedar Ridge (17-4, 10-0); T2. Seaforth (15-7, 7-2); T2. South Granville (12-9, 7-2); 4. Orange (15-7, 7-3); 5. Carrboro (4 -14, 2-8); 6. Durham School of the Arts (5-14, 1-10) 7. Webb (2-14, 0-9)

ROUNDUP, page B3 See BASEBALL, page B5

Ruby Parks

Northwood, softball

Northwood freshman Ruby Parks earns athlete of the week honors for the week of April 20.

Against Uwharrie Charter on April 21, Parks set a new single-season stolen base record for Northwood. She entered the game with 32 stolen bases and needed two to break the previous mark (33) held by Kayli Blankenship. Parks nished the night with three stolen bases, overtaking the record in a single at-bat in the second inning.

With Northwood and Uwharrie Charter tied at 2-2 in a rematch Friday, Parks scored the go-ahead run with an RBI single in the top of the seventh inning. The Chargers won 3-2.

Local athletes make college decisions

Jordan-Matthews announces three football commitments

By Asheebo Rojas Chatham News & Record

LOCAL HIGH SCHOOL athletes have made decisions on their future college homes. Northwood and Seaforth held signing ceremonies this month, and Jordan-Matthews announced a few commitments recently. Here’s a rundown of the seniors who have signed or committed to collegiate programs over the past few weeks.

SIGNEES

Jayden Young (Seaforth, Belmont Abbey track and eld)

Jayden Young will continue his throwing career at Belmont Abbey, an NCAA Division II institution and a member of Conference Carolinas. Young has posted personal bests of 122 feet, 1 inch in discus and 37-2.5 in shot put this outdoor season.

Dylan Watkins (Seaforth, Belmont Abbey track and eld)

Dylan Watkins will join his high school teammate at Belmont Abbey. This outdoor season, Watkins has recorded personal bests of 146-0 in discus and 44-2 in shot put. He’s also jumping this year, hitting a mark of 5-4 in the high jump and 15-8 in the long jump.

Delaney Babo (Northwood, Lynchburg track and eld)

Delaney Babo is heading to Lynchburg, an NCAA Division III school in the Old Dominion Athletic Conference, to continue her track and eld career. In 2024, Babo won the 1A/2A indoor and 2A outdoor girls’ pole vault state titles.

Amelia Cherry (Northwood, Vassar women’s soccer)

Amelia Cherry signed to the Vassar women’s soccer program. Vassar is an NCAA Division III program in Poughkeepsie, New York, that competes in the Liberty League. Cherry, a midelder, earned All-State honors while at Woods Charter in 2024.

James Flanagan (Northwood, UMass Lowell men’s lacrosse)

James Flanagan will continue his goalkeeping career at UMass Lowell, which is an NCAA Di-

vision I program that competes in the America East Conference. Flanagan has logged 158 saves and a career-high .620 save percentage this season.

Robert Tripp (Northwood, North Carolina Wesleyan football)

Robert Tripp signed to the North Carolina Wesleyan, an NCAA Division III program in the USA South Athletic Conference. Tripp battled injuries his senior season but still rushed for 271 yards and an average of 6.3 yards per carry. As a junior, he rushed for more than 1,000 yards and 15 touchdowns. At linebacker this season, Tripp recorded 49 tackles, including eight tackles for loss.

Ben Porter (Northwood, Mercer football)

Porter made his commitment to Mercer permanent, becoming next in line of multiple Northwood specialists to sign to a Division I program.

Breanna Armstrong (Chatham Charter, Sandhills Community College volleyball)

Breanna Armstrong signed to the Sandhills Community College volleyball program. Sandhills CC competes in the NJCAA Division III as a member of Region 10. Armstrong recorded 206 digs and 34 kills as a senior.

COMMITMENTS

Jakari Blue (Jordan-Matthews, North Carolina Wesleyan football)

Jakari Blue announced his commitment to North Carolina

Wesleyan. Blue rushed for 750 yards and 11 touchdowns, and he recorded 36 tackles (10 tackles for loss) and ve sacks as a senior.

Kamarie Hadley (Jordan-Matthews, Methodist football and track and eld)

Kamarie Hadley committed to Methodist for two sports. Methodist is an NCAA Division III program in the USA South Athletic Conference. Hadley handled the quarterback duties in exciting season for Jordan-Matthews football, throwing for 650 yards and six touchdowns alongside 425 yards and ve scores as a rusher. He competed in the 2025 2A outdoor track and eld state championships, nishing fourth in the long jump and 16th in the triple jump.

DeAntaye Smith (Jordan-Matthews, Methodist football)

DeAntaye Smith committed to the Methodist football program alongside his high school teammate. Smith had a standout senior season as a defensive end, recording 45 tackles (10 tackles for loss) and eight sacks.

Landon Moser (Jordan-Matthews, Guilford baseball)

Landon Moser committed to the Guilford baseball program. Guilford is an NCAA Division III program competing in the Old Dominion Athletic Conference. Moser, one of two seniors for Jordan-Matthews, has been a crucial asset to the Jets both on the mound and at the plate this season.

Laros signs to Bucs as UDFA

The Northwood alum will compete for an NFL punting job

By Asheebo Rojas Chatham News & Record

FORMER NORTHWOOD

football specialist Aidan Laros is taking a shot at the pros.

Following the 2026 NFL Draft last weekend, Laros signed with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers as an undrafted free agent.

Laros played two seasons at Kentucky before turning pro. Prior to Kentucky, Laros played at UT Martin as a sophomore, and he spent his rst two college seasons at Charlotte.

This past fall, Laros averaged 44.5 yards per punt and landed a career-high 38% of his punts inside the opponents’ 20-yard line. In a 10-3 win over Auburn on Nov. 1, he dropped all six of his punts inside the Tigers’ 20, including a longest

ROUNDUP from page B1

Power rankings (week of April 20): 1. Seaforth; 2. Chatham Charter; 3. Northwood; 4. Chatham Central; 5. Jordan-Matthews

RPI standings as of Sunday (ranking): 1A: Chatham Charter (3), Chatham Central (14); 3A: Northwood (17); 4A: Jordan-Matthews (50); 5A: Seaforth (12)

Softball

Seaforth edged Orange 8-6 in a 10-inning battle on April 23. Annika Johansson hit a two -RBI double in the 10th inning to give Seaforth the lead, and she nished the night with three hits and a team-high four RBIs. Emma Grace Hill notched her third no-hitter of the season and hit a home run in a 10-0 win over Webb on Friday.

Chatham Central clinched the Greater Triad 1A/2A conference title with two wins over North Stokes on April 21. The Bears, who have won a share of the conference title for the fth consecutive year, closed out the regular season with a ve-game winning streak, defeating Wheatmore 17-4 on April 22 and Western Harnett 10-0 on April 23. Northwood snapped its six-game skid with a 3-2 win

kick of 57 yards (one yard shy of his season high). He ended his career ranked second on Kentucky’s career punting average list (45.8 yards). Laros also picked up kicko and eld goal duties at his previous schools. At UT Martin in 2023, he went 43 of 45 on PATs and made 62% of his eld goal attempts with a long of 43 yards. He also performed 65 kicko s for the Skyhawks, averaging 63.1 yards and logging 42 touchbacks. That season, he was named the FCS Punter of the Year by The Augusta Sports Council as he averaged 47.3 yards and notched a career long of 71 yards. As a redshirt freshman at Charlotte, Laros attempted 50 kicko s, landing 28 touchbacks and averaging 61.9 yards. Laros is the lone undrafted punter signed by the Buccaneers as of Sunday. Riley Dixon, entering his 11th NFL season, is the only other punter listed on the Buc-

Distance in yards of Aidan Laros’ longest collegiate punt

caneers’ roster. In 2025, Dixon recorded a gross average of 44.7 yards per punt, and 46% of his kicks landed within the opponents’ 20. For the season, Tampa Bay ranked near the bottom of the league in gross and net punting average, but it tied for fourth in total punts inside of the opponents’ 20 (29). The Buccaneers also tied for rst with the Saints, Browns and Raiders for the most punts blocked (two). Blocked punts were an issue for Tampa Bay early in the season as the two blocks came within its rst 16 attempts. If Laros can stick with the Buccaneers through the o season and make the 53-man ros-

over Uwharrie Charter in its regular season nale Friday. Jordan-Matthews won two games over Eastern Randolph and split the victories with a 14-3 loss to Providence Grove last week.

Chatham Charter dropped two games to Clover Garden but defeated River Mill 12-2. Conference standings as of Sunday (overall, conference) *clinched conference title Central Tar Heel 1A: 1. Clover Garden* (20-2, 12-0); 2. River Mill (10-7, 8-4); 3. Chatham

Charter (10-8, 7-5); 4. Central Carolina (3-13, 3-9); 5. Ascend Leadership (0-14, 0-12) Greater Triad 1A/2A: 1. Chatham Central* (19-4, 8-1); 2. South Stokes (10-10, 7-2); 3. North Stokes (9-11, 3-6); 4. South Davidson (4-15, 0-9) Four Rivers 3A/4A: 1. Southwestern Randolph* (16-4, 9-1); T2. Northwood (11-9, 6-4); T2. Uwharrie Charter (7-10, 6-4); 4. Jordan-Matthews (11-8, 5-5); 5. North Moore (6-12, 3-7); 6. Eastern Randolph (3-15, 1-9) Big Seven 4A/5A: 1. Seaforth (16-2, 10-0); 2. Cedar

Kentucky kicker Aidan Laros punts during a game against Georgia.

ter later this year, he can potentially be the third Chatham County high school alum to play in an NFL game behind Northwood’s Tobias Palmer and Jordan-Matthews’ Eddie Mason. Palmer, a receiver, appeared in one game with the Jaguars

Ridge (13-6, 7-2); 3. Orange (8-10, 7-3); 4. South Granville (6-9, 4-4); 5. Webb (11-6, 4-6); 6. Carrboro (4-13, 2-8); Durham School of the Arts (1-17, 0-11)

Power rankings (week of April 20): 1. Chatham Central; 2. Seaforth; 3. Northwood; 4. Jordan-Matthews; 5. Chatham Charter RPI standings as of Sunday (ranking): 1A: Chatham Central (3), Chatham Charter (14); 3A: Northwood (20); 4A: Jordan-Matthews (25); 5A: Seaforth (6)

Boys’ lacrosse

After Seaforth fell 11-10 to Southern Alamance on April 22, the Hawks defeated Northwood 9-5 Friday. Northwood lost to Orange 9-5 on April 20.

Girls’ lacrosse

Seaforth beat Northwood 12-7 on April 22. Freshmen Addie Holloway and Evie Ditter scored four goals each. The Hawks have won three of their last four as of Sunday.

Track and eld

Local winners from Northwood’s home meet on April 23 (school, event, time):

in 2013. Mason, a linebacker, played in 80 games and made three starts across six seasons from 1995 to 2002.

Jordan-Matthews alum George Edwards is currently the Buccaneers’ pass game coordinator.

Boys: Ezra Roebuck (Northwood, 100, 11.35 seconds); Tequone Moore (Northwood, 200, 23.03); Juan Sanchez (Northwood, 400, 54.12); Owen Becker (Northwood, 800, 2:10.64); Eli Coleman (Chatham Charter, 1,600, 4:56.97); Liam Patterson (Northwood, 3,200, 10:41.47); Yadiel Zayas (Jordan-Matthews, 110 hurdles, 17.57); Ben Altenburg (Northwood, 300 hurdles, 40.97); Northwood (4x100, 47.16); Northwood (4x200, 1:40.65); Chatham Charter (4x400, 3:49.43); Northwood (4x800, 9:00.00); Kamarie Hadley (Jordan-Matthews, long jump and triple jump, 21 feet and 40-3); Michael Ferrin (Northwood, pole vault, 6-0); Jamison Brown (Northwood, shot put, 40-4.5) Girls: Aaliyah Walden (Chatham Charter, 100, 13.62); Saniya Baldwin (Northwood, 200, 28.84); Sydney Gray (Northwood, 1,600 and 3,200, 5:44.65 and 12:38.24); Taylor Perry (Northwood, 100 hurdles, 19.75); Khamya Woods (Jordan-Matthews, 300 hurdles, 52.42); Jordan-Matthews (4x100, 55.34); Jordan-Matthews (4x200, 1:58.94); Northwood (4x400, 5:18.10); Evelyn Becker (Northwood, long jump, 13-11); Juanita Perez (Jordan-Matthews, triple jump, 28-2.5)

SIDELINE REPORT

NFL

“Hot pick” at No. 257: Broncos made Murdock latest Mr. Irrelevant

Pittsburgh University of Bu alo linebacker Red Murdock is this year’s “Mr. Irrelevant.” He was the nal pick of the NFL Draft by the Denver Broncos. Murdock expressed gratitude after being selected 257th on Saturday. The Broncos also picked Utah tight end Dallen Bentley just before Murdock. Denver became the only team to hold the last two picks since the AFL-NFL merger in 1970. Broncos coach Sean Payton praised Murdock’s instincts and tackling skills. Both players will attend the traditional celebration for the nal draft pick.

MLB Bauer dominates with 7-inning no-hitter for Atlantic League’s Long Island Ducks

Lancaster, Pa.

Trevor Bauer threw a no-hitter for the Long Island Ducks against the Lancaster Stormers in the Atlantic League. Bauer allowed just one baserunner in seven innings, striking out seven on 84 pitches. The Ducks won 13-0. The former Cy Young Award winner is trying to revive his career after a 194 -game suspension for violating MLB’s domestic violence policy. He was released by the Los Angeles Dodgers in January 2023. Bauer pitched in Japan and Mexico, where he was named the Mexican Baseball League’s pitcher of the year in 2024.

PGA Furyk returning as U.S. Ryder Cup captain for 2027 with Woods out

Houston

The PGA of America con rmed Jim Furyk is the next U.S. Ryder Cup captain. Furyk will be the fourth American captain to get another chance. Furyk was the choice after Tiger Woods took his name out of the mix following his March 27 arrest on suspicion of DUI in Florida. Europe has been dominating the matches for three decades. That includes last year at Bethpage Black when it built a record lead and held on. Furyk was captain in a losing e ort in France in 2018.

TENNIS

Reigning two-time champ Alcaraz out of French Open due to wrist injury

Madrid Carlos Alcaraz won’t play for a third successive French Open title due to a right wrist injury. No. 2-ranked Alcaraz was injured at the Barcelona Open this month during his rst-round win and withdrew the day after. He also pulled out of this week’s Madrid Open. He con rmed he was a no -go for Paris after undergoing more medical tests on Friday. Alcaraz said “It’s a complicated moment for me, but I’m sure we’ll come out stronger from here.”

NBA

Wolves’ Edwards has bone bruise in left knee, likely to miss weeks

The left knee of Minnesota guard Anthony Edwards remained structurally intact when he was injured during Game 4 of his team’s rst-round playo series, but he is likely to miss multiple weeks. Edwards has a bone bruise and hyperextended the knee. The Wolves also lost Donte DiVincenzo in that game with a torn Achilles tendon, meaning his season is over.

NHL playo s nearing record for penalty shots; rst round isn’t yet close to over

The rst 21 games featured more penalty shots than the last three years combined

By Stephen Whyno The Associated Press

NO GAME IN the NHL’s Stanley Cup Playo s has ever ended with a goal on a penalty shot in overtime, and Carolina’s Jordan Martinook was not eager to make history.

He and the Hurricanes thought they’d won Game 2 of their rst-round series against Ottawa when teammate Mark Jankowski scored, but a league-initiated challenge ruled the play to be o side, took the goal o the board and rewound the clock. On the same shift, Martinook was hooked by Senators forward Warren Foegele on a breakaway and awarded a penalty shot.

“I was trying to tell (the referee) we needed the power play, not the penalty shot,” Martinook said. He got turned aside by Linus Ullmark, then scored the winner in double overtime.

Through last Thursday night’s games, there had been four penalty shots already in these playo s — more through 21 games than the previous three years’ worth combined, including zero in 2025 — and the goaltenders have saved all four.

Two more penalty shots would tie the record for the most in a single postseason. There doesn’t seem to be a reason for the uptick in refs calling for penalty shots over power plays, but there is no doubt it has added rare and must-see entertainment to a compelling rst round.

“Everything’s very circumstantial,” Bu alo goalie Alex Lyon said after denying Boston’s Viktor Arvidsson in Game 3 last Thursday night. He’s not sure if he’d rather face the 1-on-1 matchup or endure a 2-minute penalty kill.

“To be honest with you, every player in this league has the ability to score on penalty shots,” Lyon said. “So yeah, I guess it’s just more circumstantial, but I don’t really have a denitive answer one way or the other.”

Lyon stopped Arvidsson, Ullmark stopped Martinook, Philadelphia’s Owen Tippett missed the net against Pittsburgh’s Stuart Skinner, and Colorado’s Scott Wedgewood made such a highlight-reel save on Los Angeles’ Quinton Byeld that jubilant fans in Denver broke the glass behind the Kings’ bench.

“Never really seen the glass shatter behind the bench,” Avalanche coach Jared Bednar said following a repair process that delayed the game more than 15 minutes. “That’s a di erent one. Stu happens. Fans get excited. Our guys were excited.” Is more grabbing going on

“Hockey’s crazy, sports are crazy and being able to score after that, I’ll tell my grandkids about that one, that’s for sure.”

Jordan Martinook

during play? More breakaways in a league that has increased the emphasis on o ense in recent years? Both could be true. The NHL’s rule 24.1 says “a penalty shot is designed to restore a scoring opportunity which was lost as a result of an infraction being committed by the o ending team, based on the parameters set out in these rules.” That does provide some latitude for o cials to determine what constitutes a penal-

ty shot if a player is unimpeded by an opponent with no one between him and the net.

Still, four penalty shots before the end of the rst round is unusual. The only playo s with more penalty shots were 2019 ( ve) and 2008 (six).

These are potentially game-changing moments and add even more pressure to a playo game. Martinook described his experience as being the big guy on one end of a teeter-totter, acknowledging he didn’t feel good about himself after not scoring on his opportunity. The 33-year-old grinder made good on his next one to keep from being perceived as the goat.

“It was going to be a long night if that penalty shot came back to bite me,” Martinook said. “Hockey’s crazy, sports are crazy and being able to score after that, I’ll tell my grandkids about that one, that’s for sure.”

Japan awakens to Radio Taiso exercise tradition

The morning routine is credited for the country’s longevity

By Stephen Wade The Associated Press

TOKYO — This is how Japan wakes up. It’s called Radio Taiso — Exercise Radio in English — a simple yet dynamic way to start the day.

Japanese radio plays music every morning at 6:30 to accompany basic instructions for calisthenics, and millions perform in the choreography: in parks, workplaces, schools — and at home.

Radio Taiso has an almost 100-year history, formally introduced in 1928 and coinciding with the enthronement of Emperor Hirohito. The tradition endures because the exercises are suitable for all ages and capabilities, and easily accessible.

We’re talking about basic exercise movements: reach to the sky to limber up, twist at the torso, bend at the hips, swing the arms and get the shoulders loose, or jump or run in place.

Exercisers can make it as strenuous as they wish, and it’s over in just 10 minutes, all done to the rhythm of a soft piano melody. There are about a dozen basic moves that can be done standing or seated. The idea is to keep moving and, though the program runs early in the morning, many devotees repeat it on their own later in the day.

The routine features a trio of three-minute segments that get slightly more di cult — but not much. Most Radio Taiso followers know the sequences by heart, but beginners can join in and quickly pick up the routines. No equipment is needed.

The program begins with arms exercises — lifting the arms, circling the arms and

stretching the arms side to side. It’s followed by bending from the waist and twisting at the waist.

Shoulder raises are incorporated with a few mini-jumping exercises and marching-in place moves. Along the way you add in neck exercises, moves to stretch the chest and small squats for leg power.

Each movement is repeated four to eight times with instructions throughout to relax, breathe, and inhale and exhale slowly.

Mieko Kobayashi is 88 and goes to Kiba Park — an expansive layout in the east Tokyo area — almost every day, where a large group gathers without fail.

“If it’s cold or raining, I don’t go,” she said. “By moving my body, I feel better.”

She and her 77-year-old friend, Yoshiko Nagao, said that some who go to the park daily live alone, and this is an important social anchor

particularly for the elderly.

“Laughing and chatting while taking a walk after is also good,” Nagao added. “We come even on New Year’s Day.”

Kenji Iguchi is 83 — he’d pass for 60 — and he’s been a regular for about 20 years.

“It’s for my joints, mainly the knees and back, because of my age,” Iguchi said.

“I get up at 5 a.m. anyway,” he added. “I come to the park about 6 a.m. and do a round of walking ahead of the Radio Taiso session. Most of the faces are familiar, and coming here and getting together with them is also one of the things I look forward to.”

Japan has one of the world’s longest-lived populations, attributed to its diet, healthcare system and a lifestyle that encourages the elderly to be active. The average life expectancy is about 85, and only Hong Kong is reported to be slightly higher. By comparison, the United States

“By

Mieko Kobayashi, 88-year-old Radio Taiso practitioner

life expectancy is about 79.

The Japanese government announced late last year that 99,763 people were alive in Japan at 100 or more, a new national record for the 55th straight year. Japan holds the record for the most centenarians relative to its population, which is about 122 million.

Radio Taiso was inspired a century ago by a similar radio program in the United States sponsored by the Metropolitan Life Insurance Co. The Japan Radio Taiso Federation says o cials of the postal ministry visited the United States in the 1920s and returned to Japan with the concept.

Within a decade, millions were participating. The federation says the program was led by postal workers who distributed pamphlets and organized training sessions.

Japan was under United States occupation after its defeat in 1945 in World War II, and the exercises were banned — largely because they were done in groups. The federation says the practice was seen as “totalitarian” with a possible air of militarism.

The group exercises were resumed in 1951, backed by popular demand as the American occupation ended in 1952. According to a 2023 survey by the federation, more than 20 million people in Japan practiced a Radio Taiso session at least once a week.

Radio Taiso has caught on in many countries abroad, most notably in Brazil, which has the largest population of people of Japanese descent living outside Japan.

Hocevar earns 1st NASCAR Cup victory at Talladega Superspeedway

He became the 13th driver to earn his rst win at the track

The Associated Press

TALLADEGA, Ala. — Carson Hocevar ensured the Talladega Superspeedway fans who witnessed his rst NASCAR Cup Series win would remember it.

After outdueling Chris Buescher with a last-lap pass Sunday, Hocevar celebrated with one of NASCAR’s most unconventional victory laps. While sitting on the windowsill of his No. 77 Chevrolet to salute the crowd with st pumps and waves, the lanky Hocevar managed to keep his left hand on the wheel while driving down the frontstretch.

He steered the car nose- rst into the outside wall to perform a burnout before climbing onto the roof.

“He looked like Shamu hanging out the window,” said Je Dickerson, a co-owner of Hocevar’s Spire Motorsports car.

The unique revelry was appropriate for the rising star who has made headlines by angering veterans with aggressive moves.

“I’ve had this thought up for a while,” Hocevar said after becoming the 13th driver to earn his rst Cup win at Talladega.

“I’ve messed it up every which way to not be able to do it. I was going to gure out how to do it. It took me a while.

“I’m so thankful. This is the biggest dream I’ve ever thought of. Thank you, everybody. I couldn’t have done it any better way.”

BASEBALL from page B1

RBIs. Sophomore pitcher Riley D’Angelo struck out nine batters and allowed three hits and zero earned runs in the rst ve innings. Senior pitcher Owen Zsuppan closed the game without allowing a batter to reach a base in the nal two innings.

“Actually tonight, o speeds weren’t the best,” D’Angelo said. “Just had to work with what I had. I had my guys in the dugout get me up. I was a little down in the beginning. Like I said with J-M, Finn told me what to throw to each guy.”

Facing a 2-0 de cit in the sixth inning with one out and runners on base, Wicker smashed a sin-

“I’ve messed it up every which way to not be able to do it. I was going to gure out how to do it.”

Carson Hocevar

Hocevar joined Ty Gibbs — who won two weeks ago at Bristol Motor Speedway — as the second rst-time winner this season by winning his 91st start in NASCAR’s premier series.

The 23-year-old from Portage, Michigan, used a drafting push from Alex Bowman’s No. 48 Chevrolet to edge past Buescher’s No. 17 Ford by 0.114 seconds.

Buescher had been getting drafting help from Erik Jones, who spun after contact from Hocevar while battling for second with seven laps remaining. Jones’ No. 43 Toyota stalled to bring out the nal yellow and set up a three-lap shootout in which Buescher and Hocevar ran side by side virtually all the way to the checkered ag.

“That was a fun race,” Buescher said. “I felt really good where we were at coming o Turn 4. Felt like we were in a spot to take this Ford Mustang into victory lane. Man, it was close.”

Bowman nished third — his best nish since missing four races with vertigo — followed by Chase Elliott and Zane Smith.

“To be blunt, it just feels good to get out of here without crashing,” Bowman said.

gle to score the tying runs. The two baserunners, D’Angelo and senior Dylan Perry, stole second and third base, respectively.

“I had a clear mind,” Wicker said about his approach to that hit. “I added it to my approach coming o the rst two (at-bats) with a punch out and a chance to score one that just went straight to the pitcher. So I reset my mindset, cleared my head. I knew I’m capable of this, I’ve done it before, and I just lead the bat on the ball.”

With one out in the following inning, junior Nic Armstrong hit a double and sparked a run of six straight Northwood batters getting on base against future Western Carolina pitcher Jake Hunter. After Armstrong’s

“I’m getting old and don’t have much of that left in me. Glad to get out of here clean.”

Big wreck

With tight packs at nearly 200 mph, Talladega is known for massive wrecks, and some contact at the front involved 26 of the 40 cars in the eld.

hit, Zsuppan walked, and Perry hit a single to score both runners for the Chargers’ rst lead of the game.

D’Angelo then walked, once again putting two Northwood runners on base. Junior Finn Sullivan launched a triple and scored both runners to put the Chargers’ lead at four runs. Wicker put the nishing touches on the avalanche with a double to bring Sullivan home.

“That (at-bat) for me was just con dence,” Wicker said. “We were in a great position and just did damage where I could.”

Leading up to thenal two innings, Northwood only landed two hits. Hunter struck out seven batters and walked one during North-

Bubba Wallace was leading on Lap 115 when he lost control of his No. 23 Toyota on a push by the No. 1 Chevrolet of Ross Chastain. Ryan Blaney, Joey Logano, Brad Keselowski and Kyle Larson were among those eliminated from contention in the crash, along with Wallace, who nished outside the top 30 for the third time in ve races.

wood’s scoreless batting turns.

In the bottom of the fourth inning, Uwharrie Charter took the lead with Wilson Boswell and Brody Engle taking advantage of the Chargers’ mistakes and scoring on passed balls.

From that point, Hunter became the only Uwharrie Charter batter to get on base for the rest of the night. Hunter went 2 for 3 from the plate.

Northwood sophomore Tripp O’Leary also went 2 for 3.

With the win, the Chargers ended their regular season with a 13-9 overall record, including 8-2 in conference play.

Northwood had a chance to put a bow on the conference championship in Tuesday’s home meeting against Uwhar-

“It’s a bummer,” said the 23XI Racing driver, who was making his 300th Cup start. “But we’ve got to gure out how to be pushed better, so I take responsibility on that. And we’ll have a good debrief and gure out what we can do to make our Toyotas a little bit better at being pushed and maybe not have that happen.”

rie Charter, but it couldn’t bring home the potential game-winning runs at the end of a 3-2 loss. Nevertheless, that game gave Northwood a preview of what to expect from Hunter, as he pitched the nal inning and, after making the necessary plays the second time around, the Chargers earned a crucial change in their playo positioning.

Leading up to Friday’s game, Northwood sat at 24th in the 3A RPI rankings. As of Sunday, the Chargers are 17th and still have time to move up more after this week’s conference tournament.

“We’re just going to try to build on this and take it into next week and then the following week,” Haynes said.

this week in history

Vietnam War ends, Francis Gary Powers shot down, Napoleon dies at 51

APRIL 30

1789: George Washington took the oath of o ce at Federal Hall in New York as the rst president of the United States.

1803: The United States completed the Louisiana Purchase, acquiring 828,000 square miles from France for 60 million francs (about $15 million), roughly doubling the nation’s size.

1975: The Fall of Saigon marked the end of the Vietnam War as the South Vietnamese capital of Saigon fell to Communist forces.

MAY 1

1960: The U-2 incident occurred when the Soviet Union shot down an American U-2 reconnaissance plane and captured its pilot, Francis Gary Powers.

1963: Jim Whittaker, joined by Sherpa mountaineer Nawang Gombu, became the rst American to summit Mount Everest.

2011: President Barack Obama announced the death of Osama bin Laden.

MAY 2

1863: During the American Civil War, Confederate Gen. Thomas “Stonewall” Jackson was accidentally wounded by his own men at Battle of Chancellorsville; he died eight days later.

1927: In Buck v. Bell, the U.S. Supreme Court upheld,

On April 30, 1803, the United States secured the Louisiana Territory from France in a $15 million deal, adding 828,000 square miles and e ectively doubling the nation’s landmass.

8-1, a Virginia law allowing the forced sterilization of people to promote the “health of the patient and the welfare of society.”

1994: Nelson Mandela claimed victory for the African National Congress.

MAY 3

1802: Washington, D.C., was incorporated as a city.

1937: Margaret Mitchell won the Pulitzer Prize for her novel “Gone with the Wind.”

1948: The U.S. Supreme Court, in Shelley v. Kraemer, ruled that racially restrictive housing covenants were legally unenforceable.

MAY 4

1886: A labor rally at Haymarket Square in Chicago

turned deadly when a bomb exploded, killing seven police ocers and at least four civilians.

1904: The United States took over construction of the Panama Canal from France.

1961: The rst group of Freedom Riders departed Washington, D.C., to challenge segregation on interstate buses and in terminals.

1970: Ohio National Guardsmen opened re on student demonstrators at Kent State University, killing four and wounding nine in an anti-war protest.

MAY 5

1821: Napoleon Bonaparte, 51, died in exile on the South Atlantic island of Saint Helena.

1925: High school teacher John T. Scopes was charged in Tennessee with violating a state law banning the teaching of evolution; he was later found guilty, though the conviction was set aside.

1973: Secretariat won the Kentucky Derby in 1:59.4, the rst of his Triple Crown victories and a record that still stands.

MAY 6

1889: The Ei el Tower opened to the public as part of the Paris World’s Fair.

1935: The Works Progress Administration was established by executive order signed by President Franklin D. Roosevelt.

1937: The German airship Hindenburg caught re and crashed while attempting to dock at Lakehurst, killing 35 of the 97 people on board and one crew member on the ground.

Evans, Choi among 6 nalists for Women’s Prize for Fiction

Winners of both prizes will be announced June 11 in London

By Jill Lawless The Associated Press

LONDON — Four debut

novelists are among six books on a U.S.-dominated list ofnalists for the 2026 Women’s Prize for Fiction, which is open to female English-language writers from any country.

American authors take four of the six places on the shortlist for the 30,000 pounds ($40,000) prize, announced last Wednesday by a judging panel led by former Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard.

Among them are bestselling writer Lily King’s campus-set romance “Heart the Lover” and Susan Choi’s twisty family saga “Flashlight,” a nalist for last year’s Booker Prize. First novels making the list include U.S. writer Virginia Evans’ “The Correspondent,” a novel told in letters with an older woman as protagonist that became a slow-burn hit after its release in 2025; and Ad-

die E. Citchens’ “Dominion,” a story of power and patriarchy centered on a black church in Mississippi.

Rounding out the list are two debut novels by British writers: Marcia Hutchinson’s “The Mercy Step,” a girl’s coming-of-age story set in northern England, and Rozie Kelly’s tale of love and grief, “King sher.”

Gillard, who was Australia’s leader between 2010 and 2013, said the books are all page-turners with intriguing characters that explore “power — where it lies, where it doesn’t lie. How you nd the ability to chart your own life course, what it means to potentially have others that are pushing you in di erent directions as you

Growing amateur choir brings joy, community to hundreds in Serbia

2,000 people have sung with Pop Hor since it started

By Jovana Gec

The Associated Press

BELGRADE, Serbia — An amateur pop choir that started with a couple dozen singers in a small Serbian town has found unexpected success across the country. Its motto? Anyone can sing.

While community choirs are common in other countries, they are relatively rare in Serbia. The no-stress and fun approach has attracted hundreds of people, mostly women of all ages.

Modeled after similar projects abroad, the choir is encouraging “everyone from 5 to 105” to join and sing for joy and stress relief.

Since starting out in a small town in central Serbia four years ago, Pop Hor has spread to 10 towns across the Balkan country with an ambition to grow further. There are no auditions or voice tests, and newcomers don’t have to know how to read music.

try and chart that life course.” The number of debut novelists doesn’t mean the authors lack experience. Hutchinson is a former lawyer in her 60s, while Evans wrote seven unpublished novels before nding international success with “The Correspondent.”

“I think the way the publishing industry is working now, there are quite a number of authors coming to the fore for whom being a ction author is well and truly a second act in a life that has brought other careers,” said Gillard.

“I’m delighted to see that,” Gillard told The Associated Press — though she is not in a rush to join them. While former leaders including Bill Clinton in the U.S. and Nicola Sturgeon in Scotland have written or co-written political thrillers, Gillard says she is not working on a novel.

“Never say never, but I’m not sure about that,” said Gillard, who has written a memoir and non ction books about women and leadership. “But I’m a ction lover, a ction reader, and it’s been just fantastic to have this experience” as a Women’s Prize judge.

Next, the ve judges will meet to choose a winner. Previous winners of the ction prize, founded in 1996, include Zadie Smith, Tayari Jones and Barbara Kingsolver. A sister prize for non ction was founded in 2024.

their after-class chat and co ee together.

The choir has had “a very positive e ect on me, psychologically,” she said. “It is joyful, it reduces stress.”

Music is known for positive neurobiological and psychological e ects, psychologist and Singidunum University professor Aleksandra Djuric said. In a group, she added, “we release the energy together, cortisol (levels) come down and positive hormones rise out of union and happiness.”

“I keep telling my students that we can’t be exposed on a daily basis to information, to be bombarded by information and follow everything all the time,” Djuric said. “We need to nd a space to calm down, relax and connect.”

Nevenka Bila, 72, said the choir has provided a much-needed positive contrast to the everyday reality of political tensions and pro-democracy protests in the troubled Balkan country.

“People come as total amateurs, most of them say they have no clue about singing,” said Nenad Azanjac, who trained as a music teacher and who founded Pop Hor, or Pop Choir, with his wife.

“In this madness that we are living, where I spend half of my free time in the streets ghting for basic human rights, I found something that feels so good for me,” Bila said. “I discovered a new world.”

The group packs halls and venues across the country weekly to belt out popular tunes — mostly in Serbian, though sometimes they also sing songs by Croatian and Bosnian bands and singers. Though amateur, the choir often performs at festivals and events in Serbia and abroad.

Serbia endured years of wars, international sanctions and economic crisis in the 1990s. The country remains politically divided and struggles economically. Youth-led protests against populist President Aleksandar Vucic erupted in 2024 over a train station tragedy blamed on widespread negligence and corruption in big state-run infrastructure projects.

“I never miss a class,” said Radmila Kozarac, a 62-year- old economist. The choir has changed her life for the better, she said, adding that she has made wonderful new friends and can’t wait for

Azanjac said many people have joined his choir after their therapists recommended singing as an anti-stress activity. They “ nd a sense of belonging here, they enjoy it,” he added, describing a “feeling of togetherness.”

“Singing comes second, socializing comes rst,” Azanjac said.

famous birthdays this week

Engelbert Humperdinck hits 90, Rita Coolidge celebrates 81, Christopher Cross is 75, Carlos Alcaraz turns 23

THESE CELEBRITIES have birthdays this week.

APRIL 30

U.N. Secretary-General António Guterres is 77. Filmmaker Jane Campion is 72. Filmmaker Lars von Trier is 70. Basketball Hall of Famer Isiah Thomas is 65. Actor Johnny Galecki is 51. Actor Kirsten Dunst is 44.

MAY 1

Singer Judy Collins is 87. Singer Rita Coolidge is 81. Filmmaker John Woo is 80. Actor Dann Florek is 76. Musician Ray Parker Jr. is 72. Hall of Fame jockey Steve Cauthen is 66. Singer-actor Tim McGraw is 59. Filmmaker Wes Anderson is 57.

MAY 2

Singer Engelbert Humperdinck is 90. Actor David Suchet is 80. Singer-songwriter Larry Gatlin is 78. Rock singer Lou Gramm (Foreigner) is 76. Actor Christine Baranski is 74. Basketball Hall of Famer Jamaal Wilkes is 73. Fashion designer Donatella Versace is 71.

MAY 3

Singer Frankie Valli is 92. Singer Christopher Cross is 75. Actor Amy Ryan is 58. Actor Bobby Cannavale is 56. Music executive-entrepreneur Damon Dash is 55. Actor Christina Hendricks is 51. Actor Dule Hill is 51. Country musician Eric Church is 49. Golfer Brooks Koepka is 36.

MAY 4

Jazz musician Ron Carter is 89. Pulitzer Prize-winning political commentator George Will is 85. Actor Richard Jenkins is 79. Country singer Randy Travis is 67. Comedian Ana Gasteyer is 59. Actor Will Arnett is 56. Basketball Hall of Famer Dawn Staley is 56.

MAY 5

Actor Lance Henriksen is 86. Comedian-actor Michael Palin is 83. Actor Richard E. Grant is 69. R&B singer Raheem DeVaughn is 51. Actor Vincent Kartheiser is 47. Actor Danielle Fishel is 45. Tennis player Carlos Alcaraz is 23.

MAY 6

Rock musician Bob Seger is 81. Country musician Jimmie Dale Gilmore is 81. Former British Prime Minister Tony Blair is 73. TV host Tom Bergeron is 71. Actor-director George Clooney is 65.

Michael B. Jordan, Kacey Musgrave, Tori Amos, double dose of Matthew Rhys

Kacey Musgraves drops “Middle of Nowhere” on Friday

The Associated Press

MICHAEL B. JORDAN voicing a tiny woodland creature who switches bodies with a majestic bird in the animated movie “Swapped” and Kacey Musgraves’ seventh studio album, “Middle of Nowhere,” 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: a TV adaptation of Isabel Allende’s beloved novel “The House of the Spirits” on Prime Video, the anime hit “Chainsaw Man — The Movie: Reze Arc” on Crunchyroll and two Matthew Rhys projects — the movie thriller “Hallow Road” and the Apple TV horror comedy “Widow’s Bay.”

MOVIES TO STREAM

Newly minted Oscar winner Jordan voices a tiny woodland creature who switches bodies with his sworn enemy, a majestic bird (voiced by Juno Temple) in “Swapped,” streaming on Net ix on Friday. “Tangled” lmmaker Nathan Greno directs the movie, which also features the voices of Cedric the Entertainer and Tracy Morgan. If it sounds a bit like “Hoppers,” remember, that was an “Avatar” situation. This is “Freaky Friday.” The anime hit “Chainsaw Man — The Movie: Reze Arc” will be streaming on Crunchyroll on Thursday. Tatsuya Yoshihara directed the lm, based on the manga series by Tatsuki Fujimoto about a teenager who was murdered by the Yakuza and reborn with a unique ability: transforming body parts into chainsaws, which he uses to help ght devils now. It’s also a romance! And rated R.

“Conbody vs Everybody,” about an ex-con attempting to rebuild his life in New York, might not technically be a movie (OK, it’s a ve-part docuseries), but it’s from the great Debra Granik (“Winter’s Bone” and “Leave No Trace”) and it’s debuting exclusively on the Criterion Channel on Friday. And nally, in the eerie “Hallow Road,” streaming on Hulu on Saturday, Rosamund Pike and Rhys play parents rushing to help their daughter after an accident

“‘Hallow Road’ is an e ectively minimalistic thriller that leaves much room for interpretation and debate.” Lindsey Bahr, AP lm writer

late one night. AP Film Writer Lindsey Bahr wrote that “it’s an e ectively minimalistic thriller that leaves much room for interpretation and debate.”

TO STREAM

MUSIC

Hold her beer, Sabrina Carpenter. It’s time. Musgraves has returned to corner the market on too-clever, comedic country-pop songs about arousal. Such is the case of Musgraves’ “Dry Spell,” the rst single from her highly anticipated seventh studio album, “Middle of Nowhere,” out Friday. But a one-trick pony she is not. The release was inspired by her home state of Texas, as evidenced by a song she premiered at Coachella earlier this month: “Uncertain, TX,” which on the album features the patron saint of the Lone Star State, Willie Nelson. Yeehaw and carry on. Many might know the Irish-language, Belfast-based hip-hop trio Kneecap from the headlines they inspire: from criticism for their political statements, which previously saw

them banned in Canada and Hungary — they’ve accused critics of trying to silence them because of their support for the Palestinian cause throughout the war in Gaza — to their BAFTA award-winning self-titled biopic. But Kneecap is a hip-hop group with a DIY ethos, and a hip-hop group with a DIY ethos they remain. On Friday, listeners will be able to form their own opinions: They’ll release another new album, titled “FENIAN,” a reference to the 19th-century Irish revolutionaries dedicated to independence from British colonial rule.

Even if you haven’t heard of them, you’ve heard them — or the results of their legacy. American Football, like the cult classic lm version of a rock band, have been undeniably in uential in independent music circles for the last three decades. That’s namely for their role as progenitors of a very distinct guitar sound often referred to as “twinkly,” or with the genre term “Midwest emo.”

It is an immediately recognizable sound, de ned by its characteristics: an unusual, complex

time signature, intricate ngerpicking and tapping but with a clean tone, no distortion, generous reverb and so on. If that’s too technical an explanation, just press play on their latest album, “LP4.”

A new high-concept album from Tori Amos? Why not! On Friday, she’ll release “In Times of Dragons,” a 17-track release that sees the singer performing an alternative universe version of herself as she “continues her ight from a dangerous and powerful billionaire husband,” according to the record’s o cial press materials. It’s allegorical and political, to be sure, and she’s not going it alone. She’s joined by the “Gasoline Girls” — there’s power in numbers — which is also a jaunty piano number about not giving up the good ght.

SERIES TO STREAM

Roku has a new program for younger rst-time home buyers. “This First House” follows millennial and Gen Z families as they go through the daunting process of buying a home. They’re guided by renovation experts Zack and Camille Dettmore. The show is a spino of the PBS staple “This Old House.” The TV adaptation of Allende’s beloved novel “The House of the Spirits” is available now on Prime Video. The Spanish-lan-

Kacey Musgraves performs during the rst weekend of the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival in 2025. The country star’s latest album, “Middle of Nowhere,” drops Friday.

guage series follows the trials and tribulations of a multigenerational Latin family. The cast includes Alfonso Herrera, Dolores Fonzi and Nicole Wallace with Allende and Eva Longoria among executive producers.

Rhys plays the mayor of a small coastal town that’s more creepy than charming in a new horror comedy for Apple TV called “Widow’s Bay.” He wants to make the island a tourist destination, but the locals aren’t on board. The reason? They think it’s haunted. The series is streaming now.

VIDEO GAMES TO PLAY Artemis II made space travel look fun, but things get scarier the farther you get from Earth. Take Carcosa, the setting of Sony’s Saros. Not only is it lled with hostile life-forms, but the planet itself is a shape-shifter — meaning its geography changes with each new mission. Fortunately, you have an arsenal of high-tech weapons as well as a nifty shield that absorbs alien projectiles and sends them back as missiles. Housemarque, the Finnish studio that helped launch the PlayStation 5 with 2021’s Returnal, calls it “bullet ballet, evolved.” Start dancing Thursday on PS5.