the BRIEF this week
Presidential Physical Fitness Award returns as Trump revives annual tness test
President Donald Trump is reviving the Presidential Physical Fitness Award as he reintroduces a competitive physical tness test in America’s schools. The award is part of Trump’s revamped Presidential Fitness Test, which had been a public-school xture for decades but was phased out under President Barack Obama. The earlier exam tested children on exercises including a 1-mile run and sit-ups. Those scoring above the 85th percentile received the presidential award. Details of the revived test have yet to be released.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said the test is now mandatory in 161 schools on U.S. military installations.
U.S. job openings unchanged at 6.9M in March; hiring improved
U.S. job openings were essentially unchanged at 6.9 million in March, another sign the American labor market remained sluggish even before the full impact of the Iran war hit the economy. The job market has been up and down so far this year after a dismal 2025. And the Iran war has clouded the outlook. On Tuesday, the Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey showed that layo s rose in March. But hiring improved and more people quit their jobs — a sign of con dence in the economy.
$2.00
The town will hold a public hearing on the budget on May 18
By Ryan Henkel Chatham News & Record
SILER CITY — The Town of Siler City Board of Commissioners was presented with the manager’s recommended 2026-27 budget at its May 4 regular business meeting.
Lawmakers in several states are meeting this week
By Kim Chandler, Travis Loller and David A. Lieb The Associated Press
MONTGOMERY, Ala. —
Lawmakers in several South-
ern states are meeting this week
“Siler City is committed to strengthening infrastructure, promoting responsible economic growth and delivering dependable services to support a safe and thriving community,” said Town Manager Jack Meadows. The budget was focused on ve strategic goals: organizational excellence, economic development, infrastructure and public facilities, public safety and quality of life.
to consider plans that could upend their congressional primaries and redraw U.S. House districts ahead of the November elections, as Republicans move quickly to capitalize on a U.S. Supreme Court ruling that weakened a key provision of the Voting Rights Act.
A special legislative session responding to the court ruling began Monday in Alabama
Police allege the suspects accessed the family’s bank, Venmo and PayPal accounts in multiple states
By Steve Reed The Associated Press
LESS THAN a month after former NASCAR driver Greg Bi e and his family died in a plane crash last year, investigators say two of their “friends” conspired to break into the empty home and took cash, guns and nancial informa-
In total, the budget is balanced at around $33.25 million, with the general fund (not counting water and sewer) being balanced at approximately $15.6 million.
That is about an 11% increase from last year’s general fund, which was balanced at approximately $13.9 million.
According to Meadows, three of the biggest areas of the budget are public safety, which makes up 26% of it, re (11%) and public works (13%).
and Tuesday in Tennessee. Louisiana lawmakers, who already are in session, also are looking at how to redraw their congressional districts. The Supreme Court on Monday essentially gave them a green light to proceed by approving a request to expedite the court’s formal judgment.
Civil rights activists have countered with rallies, protests and lawsuits challenging the new redistricting e orts. Several hundred protesters gathered outside the Alabama Statehouse on Monday, carrying signs declaring “No new map” and “We ght back! Black Voters Matter.”
tion in an attempt to steal hundreds of thousands of dollars. More than 40 search warrants have been issued, authorities in North Carolina say, focusing on a married couple who allegedly knew Bi e and his wife Cristina. The suspects did “a lot of planning in an attempt to make a nancial gain” o their deaths, Iredell County Sheri Darren Campbell said. The Associated Press is not naming the pair because no arrests have been made. Bi e, his wife and his two
Last week’s Supreme Court decision striking down a majority-black congressional district
North Chatham Street in downtown Siler City was taken over by the bustling and busy Spring Chicken Festival on Saturday.
PJ WARD-BROWN / CHATHAM NEWS & RECORD
April
•
elude arrest with a motor vehicle, reckless driving and failing to heed a light or siren, and other charges.
• Jaqueline Abonza, 28, was arrested for resisting a public o cer.
• Larry Ray Maness, 54, was arrested for assault by strangulation, possession of a controlled substance on prison or jail premises and assault on a female, and other charges.
• Denys Omar Cabrera, 32, was arrested for eeing to elude arrest with a motor vehicle, driving while impaired and reckless driving, and other charges.
• Rodney Campbell Randall, 34, was arrested for misdemeanor larceny.
• Roberto Cordova, 39, was arrested for assault in icting physical injury on a law enforcement o cer, malicious conduct by a prisoner and breaking or entering, and other charges.
April 29
• Eliezer Serrano Cartagena, 41, was arrested for indecent liberties with a child.
• Keresa Donielle Wright, 36, was arrested for felony stalking and violating a domestic violence protective order.
April 30
• Ricardo Ortiz Hernandez, 31, was arrested for assault with a deadly weapon, identity theft and assault on a female, and other charges.
• Cedric Laval Vinson, 36, was arrested for eeing to elude arrest with a motor vehicle, reckless driving and driving on a revoked license, and other charges.
May 1
• Kaleb Clay Dixon, 23, was arrested for breaking and entering, misdemeanor larceny and injury to real property.
• Christopher Blaine Dark, 54, was arrested for driving while impaired, identity theft and resisting a public o cer.
• Jennifer Joel Langston, 49, was arrested for assault and battery, possession of drug paraphernalia and aiding and abetting larceny, and other charges.
May 2
• Aleaha Renne Marr, 32, was arrested for driving while impaired.
• Mark Elijah Davis, 36, was arrested for assault by strangulation, false imprisonment and assault on a female, and other charges.
May 3
• Maria Guadalupe Perez Salazar, 57, was arrested for felony child abuse involving a sexual act, felony aiding and abetting and obstructing justice, and other charges.
Fearrington festival marks 250 years since Halifax Resolves 83
Here’s
Hundreds gather to commemorate North Carolina’s role as the rst colony to formally call for independence
Chatham News & Record sta
PITTSBORO — About 300 people gathered at Fearrington Village on April 25 for the Fearrington Independence Festival, which marked the 250th anniversary of the Halifax Resolves and North Carolina’s early role in the push for independence.
Delegates who unanimously authorized North Carolina’s vote for independence at the Fourth Provincial Congress in April 1776
The Halifax Resolves, adopted April 12, 1776, made North Carolina the rst colony to o cially authorize its delegates to vote for independence from Britain. Meeting at the Fourth Provincial Congress of North Carolina in Halifax, 83 delegates unanimously instructed William Hooper, Joseph Hewes and John Penn to support independence at the Second Continental Congress in Philadelphia. The Declaration of Independence was adopted less than three
months later, on July 4, 1776. The festival was part of America 250, the national commemoration of the country’s semiquincentennial, which culminates with the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence on July 4. The Guilford Courthouse Fife and Drum Corps headlined the event, and a display of classic cars was on hand.
Speakers included Giuliana Greto, a Seaforth High School student who won a local speaking contest about the Declaration, and Ken Samuelson, a retired Army veteran, who read the Declaration of Independence aloud. The Village Singers Chorus led the crowd in singing the national anthem.
The Guilford Courthouse Fife and Drum Corps performed at the festival.
BUDGET from page A1
The budget is primarily based on the property value of the town, which according to Meadows, is approximately $1.42 billion.
From that, the town is proposing a property tax rate of $0.54 per $100 valuation, which is the same as the current rate. According to Meadow, ev-
ery cent of property tax is projected to generate around $140,000 of revenue for the town.
In addition, Siler City is proposing a capital improvement plan totaling just more than $1.277 million, which will cover various town building projects and maintenance.
The board will hold a public hearing on the budget on May 18th.
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.
“Sta has done an excellent job at putting this together, not to mention that we have had several meetings of the commissioners hashing this thing out and getting it to where it is today,” said Mayor Donald Matthews. “A lot of good work went into this.”
The Town of Siler City Board of Commissioners will next meet for a regular business meeting on June 1.
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! Central Electric providing grants to local educators to fund
May 7
festival returns for its 22nd spring edition, featuring music performances, dance activities, workshops and camping on a rolling farm in Chatham County. The family-friendly, multigenre world music festival runs through May 10. Shakori Hills Community Arts Center 1439 Henderson Tanyard Road Pittsboro Spring
May 8
George Pauly Nature Trail Ribbon Cutting 3 p.m.
Chatham County o cials will formally open the new 0.6mile George Pauly Nature Trail, a natural-surface path honoring the late conservation advocate and Haw River Assembly supporter who died in 2021. The Haw River Assembly funded the project.
Northeast District Park 5408 Big Woods Road Chatham County
May 9
Chatham County SilverArts Open House 10 a.m. to 6:30 p.m.
The public is invited to
artwork submitted by senior competitors in the 2026 Chatham County SilverArts competition, which spans visual arts, literary arts, performing arts, heritage arts and cheerleading.
COURTESY FRANK HUISKING
Trump keeps public guessing with hints of what’s coming in new batch of UFO les
Skeptics warn Trump’s promised UFO revelations are unlikely to produce bombshell evidence
By Collin Binkley
The Associated Press
WASHINGTON — President
Donald Trump says the Pentagon is preparing to release some “very interesting” UFO les uncovered by his administration, generating a mix of buzz and skepticism as he hints at new revelations around questions of alien life.
Trump started stoking interest in the extraterrestrial in February, directing federal agencies to release their records related to extraterrestrial life and UFOs. Since then, he has built suspense with tantalizing updates, teasing an imminent release of documents never before shared by the U.S. government.
“We’re going to be releasing a lot of things that we haven’t,” Trump said at a White House event last week celebrating NASA astronauts. “I think some of it’s going to be very interesting to people.”
Trump has relished in portraying himself as the president who spills the secrets. In the rst week returning to o ce, he ordered the release of records related to the assassinations of President John F. Kennedy, Sen. Robert F. Kennedy and Martin Luther King Jr. The disclosures revealed little beyond what was already known.
In the buildup to that release, Trump said “the American people deserve transparency and truth.” Now, as he turns to the sky, the president has struck a similar tone, suggesting answers to decades-old questions may be on the way. His February directive on social media called for transparency around “alien and extraterrestrial life, unidenti ed aerial phenomena (UAP), and unidenti ed ying objects (UFOs).”
“The rst releases will begin very, very soon,” he told supporters in April at a Turning Point USA event in Phoenix. “So you can go out and see if that phenomena is correct. You’ll gure it out.”
An expert cautions against raising expectations
Even before Trump’s directive, the Pentagon was years into a process to declassify and release government documents related to UFOs, now often referred to as unexplained anomalous phenomena, or UAP.
Citing concerns over national security, Congress created an ofce in 2022 to investigate UAP and declassify as much material as possible. The o ce’s 2024 debut report revealed hundreds of new UAP incidents but found no evidence that the U.S. government had ever con rmed a sighting of alien technology. A second report covering more recent sightings is expected to come soon.
That agency, the All-domain
Anomaly Resolution O ce, is now working with the White House to release “never-before-seen UAP information,” according to a Pentagon statement.
“Readers should not get their hopes up that there’s going to be some document with photos, interviewing the aliens when they came down. Because that just doesn’t exist.”
Sean Kirkpatrick, former director of the All-domain Anomaly Resolution O ce
The o ce’s previous director, however, said Trump’s promises were bluster, a “shiny object” to distract Americans from the war with Iran. Sean Kirkpatrick, a physicist and former career intelligence o cer who led the o ce until 2023, said he has seen the government’s records and believes there are no bombshell revelations to be found.
“Readers should not get their hopes up that there’s going to be some document with photos, interviewing the aliens when they came down,” he said. “Because that just doesn’t exist.”
Videos purporting to show alien technology tend to have mundane explanations, he said. Modern infrared cameras used by the U.S. military often capture jet engines and other hot objects in a long thermal bloom, which, Kirkpatrick said, explains viral videos of speedy, pill-shaped objects.
Pentagon not forthcoming on UAP reports, GOP-led panel says
On Capitol Hill, those types of videos have caught the attention of a small group of Trumpaligned Republicans who insist the Pentagon is holding back secrets.
The Task Force on the Declassi cation of Federal Secrets has been conducting its own investigation into reports of mysterious aircraft near U.S. military installations, which the panel says pose a threat to national security and the armed forces.
Last fall, the task force heard testimony from current and former service members who described UAP encounters. In one case, a senior Navy o cer said he was o the coast of California in 2023 when he saw a glowing “Tic Tac” shaped object emerge from the ocean and link up with three similar objects. They sped away in an instant, he said.
Trump’s interest in the subject has energized congressional Republicans, including Florida Rep. Anna Paulina Luna, an Air Force veteran who co-chairs the task force. Luna has criticized what she calls “less than adequate” transparency from the Pentagon.
In a March letter to Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, Luna demanded dozens of UAP videos identi ed by whistleblowers and labeled with names such as “Spherical UAP in clouds.” Her deadline for Hegseth came and went, and no videos were produced.
Trump’s entry to the UFO fray drew applause from Luna,
who last year told podcaster Joe Rogan that she has seen evidence of “interdimensional beings.” The Pentagon “can’t hide from our docs request anymore!” Luna said on social media after Trump’s directive.
Vance professes to be “obsessed” with UFO les
Trump appears skeptical about the existence of extraterrestrial life. Addressing the Turning Point USA crowd in Phoenix, he said, “I gured this was a good crowd because I know you people, you’re really into that. I don’t know if I am.”
Why he made the revelation at that event, held at a megachurch, is unclear. A day earlier, Trump had spoken in Las Vegas, not far from Area 51, a top-secret Cold War test site that has fueled UFO conspiracy theories.
Vice President JD Vance has described himself as “obsessed” with UFO les. In March, he said he has been trying to nd time to investigate Area 51 since he took o ce.
“I’ve still got three more years as vice president,” Vance told conservative podcaster Benny Johnson. “I will get to the bottom of the UFO les.”
Invoking his Christian faith, Vance said he believes sightings reported to be aliens are actually the work of spiritual demons.
Even before Trump tackled the topic, alien buzz was already in the air.
It’s back in Hollywood with an upcoming Steven Spielberg movie, “Disclosure Day.” Former President Barack Obama made a splash in February when he declared on a podcast that aliens are real. He later clari ed that he had seen no evidence but that “the odds are good there’s life out there.”
Trump is hardly the rst president drawn to UFO mysteries. President Bill Clinton has said he once ordered a review of the Roswell Incident — something had crashed in 1947 at a New Mexico ranch and ofcials later said the debris was the remnants of a high-altitude weather balloon — around its 50th anniversary in 1997. Presidents Jimmy Carter and Ronald Reagan claimed to have seen UFOs before their time in the White House.
The U.S. government has been investigating UFO reports since the 1940s, in part to determine if they represent advanced technology from competing nations or “evidence of o -world technology,” according to the Defense Department’s 2024 report.
In online communities devoted to UFOs, some see Trump’s promise as a step in the right direction; others believe it will come to nothing. For people who follow the topic closely, promises of big revelations have never lived up to the hype, said Greg Eghigian, a Pennsylvania State University professor who wrote a book on the history of UFO sightings.
“There is almost no satisfaction that is possible for many of the really die-hard folks,” he said. “So in a sense, I think disappointment can almost be guaranteed to be expected no matter what comes out of this.”
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 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. •••
Homecoming at Oakley will be Sunday, May 24 beginning at 10 a.m. for special music and 10:30 a.m. for worship service. Tim Howell will be our guest speaker.
A covered dish lunch will be provided after the service.
Please come and bring a friend! Everyone is welcome!
ROBERTS CHAPEL MISSIONARY BAPTIST CHURCH
Greetings in the name of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ! The Roberts Chapel Missionary Baptist Church family in Goldston cordially invites you to our annual Woman’s Day program on Sunday, May 10 at 11 a.m.
Our speaker for the occasion will be the Rev. Sarah Small, associate minister of Roberts Chapel Missionary Baptist Church in Goldston. We look forward to seeing each of you. Please come worship with us and bring a friend.
GOD’S
Share with your community!
Send your birth, death, marriage, graduation and other announcements to community@ chathamnewsrecord.com. ••• Weekly deadline is Monday at noon.
SEMANSKY / AP PHOTO
THE CONVERSATION
Trip Ho end, publisher | Frank Hill, senior opinion editor
Firsts
She added that giving back to others was part of “paying rent” for her time on Earth.
AS I WALKED ACROSS the parking lot, I heard a strange rustling noise above my head and looked up just in time to see a bird streak past carrying a sheet of plastic, which waved behind the winged creature like the tail of a kite. I alone was there to witness the sight. I hurried into the hospital to tell my friend whom I had come to visit. She chuckled as she admitted that she’d never seen anything like that in her 95 years on the planet. Over the course of her long life, she had also never had an operation. Hadn’t had her tonsils out or a knee replaced, nary a single stent inserted nor cataract removed. Yet she’d been admitted over the weekend with abdominal pain, and later that very afternoon, she was to have an appendectomy. I said I’d never heard of someone her age having her appendix removed, and she
COLUMN | BOB WACHS
said that there was a rst time for everything. I witnessed another rst the previous Saturday at my child’s soccer game when an errant ball was kicked out of bounds, causing an impromptu timeout as it rolled to a stop in front of a wriggling puppy, which prompted players from both teams to forget soccer in favor of the furry little snuggle ball.
Yet another rst had occurred in church the following Sunday when a visitor received Communion. After the worship service, she said that she had worshiped in other churches but had never been invited to the sacrament. I shared this story of a rst Communion with my friend before her appendectomy, and she told me that’s the reason why she and many others had worked so hard to build our church. She added that giving back to others was part of “paying
rent” for her time on Earth, which was a way of putting the idea of service in a way that I’d never quite heard before. Like that bird with the uttering plastic, I carried her words out of the hospital, and now I’ve shared them on this page in the hope that you, too, might be inspired to serve with a joyful and generous heart. After all, you are a rst — a creature of grit and grace, of verve and possibility that has never before existed in the world. And so, it’s a mistake to think that miracles are rare; there are rsts that happen every single day.
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.
Baseball, church homecomings, love and several other signs of spring
Could you imagine if coaches in other sports dressed like their players?
YEARS AGO, A BRITISH poet by the name of Alfred Tennyson penned a poem entitled “Locksley Hall” in which he noted “In the spring a young man’s fancy lightly turns to thoughts of love. Spring is the season for love.”
Through his 83 years, Alfred — who would later become Alfred, Lord Tennyson — wrote a bunch of poems, partly to earn his keep because for much of Queen Victoria’s long reign, he was the poet laureate of England and Ireland, serving from 1850 until his death in 1892.
Ol’ Alfred pretty much hit the nail on the head with that line about love, at least in part. Spring will do that to you. After all, it’s been a long winter, the days are improving, sap is rising in the trees, the ladies are looking good, and it’s just what we do. But not to diminish Alfred’s observation, there are many other signs of spring upon us now. I’d like to note a few, with the hope we have some spring for a while and don’t go from winter directly into summer with its heat and humidity. One sign is baseball. It comes around in spring. I love baseball. Funny, though, I wasn’t very good at it. My entire playing career spanned about half a season of what was loosely called Little League in the days when dinosaurs roamed the earth. I usually managed to get in three quick swings; not sure I ever got a hit. We played on what I think East Chatham Little League today calls the Upper Field, across the street from Pittsboro Elementary School. There was no dugout or anything fancy. We either stood or sat on an old telephone pole along the third base line and tried not to be hit by a foul ball or errant pitch or throw from the out eld. But still I love it. I’ve been accused of being too slow or clumsy or whatever to appreciate football or basketball or soccer, which I don’t understand at all. In soccer, guys or gals run around for two hours and the score is 1-0. Sometimes there’s more action in the stands than on the eld, especially when some of the European teams set the bleachers on re or start a riot.
I like the strategy of baseball, of just how to pitch to just who, of how sometimes the game, as Yogi Berra said, isn’t over until it’s
over, of how the baseball gods sometimes jerk strings and if you don’t catch the foul pop that on the next pitch the batter will knock a dinger.
I like that baseball team managers dress like the players. Goes back to when they were player-coaches. Could you imagine if coaches in other sports dressed like their players? Tom Landry with shoulder pads or Pat Riley in shorts and sneakers?
Then there’s the phenomenon we call church homecoming or memorial day, not to be confused with the federal Memorial Day in May. Churches have them annually most often on the same day each year — rst Sunday in May, last Sunday in May, second Sunday in June, on Mother’s Day or whatever the local tradition calls for.
From time to time I will have the opportunity to be the Sunday morning speaker at one or two. It’s always a treat, a reminder of the past and its lessons for the future as well as a signal for spring. Nobody ever has homecoming in deep February. That’s because it’s too cold to have “dinner on the grounds,” although most places now have “dinner in the fellowship hall where it never rains and the temperature is not too hot or too cold or too muggy.”
In those carefree days of my childhood as we ate dinner outside, I learned to hold my plate with one hand, my tea with the other, consume a chicken leg without the corn juice getting on my chocolate pie and say “hello” to a fourth cousin once removed without making a mess of him, me or my food. Later on, I would imitate my father, who had learned that if you could nd a ’49 Plymouth with big front fenders then you could use them as a table.
Those events feature good music, good food, good fellowship, good friends. There’s the chance to say “hello” to someone you may not have seen for a while, to meet some new folks, to gure out family relationships and maybe have a little ol’ lady pat you on the head and say, “My, my, Sonny! You sure have grown since I last saw you.” My boyhood friend Bobby Joe High once told me his great-aunt Gertrude, whom he hadn’t seen for years, once at a family reunion patted him on top of his head and told him, “My,
my! Bobby Joe, you’ve grown a foot since I last saw you.” When he later told me about that, he said, “I don’t know what’s wrong with her. I’ve still only got two.”
In fairness to the other side, though, there are some down sides to spring, just as there are thorns on a rose bush. One is pollen. I’m all for the trees reproducing, but have you ever looked at a grain of pollen under a microscope? It looks like a smaller version of a sweet gum ball, all prickly and sharp. Try getting a truckload of those under your contact lenses and then you’ll know pain and agony.
And then there are the spring thunderstorms, although we surely haven’t had many lately. The weather folks often refer to them as “pop-ups.” If one does that all of a sudden where you are, then there’s a 100% chance you’ll get wet and that’ll be the end of your Game 7 of the World Series in your backyard. Funny thing about T-storms, at least for me: When they come knocking, they remind me of my mama. She was not a big fan. I found out later in life it was because lightning once hit her house. She always made sure we were not near a window, did not run water, got quiet and often sat in the middle of a bed. I’m not suggesting we all retire to the bedroom when it storms, but I do remember. Personally, I like rain, but part of that may be because, like snow, I usually don’t have to get out in it unless I forgot to roll up the windows in the pickup.
Mr. Tennyson is also remembered for a number of other sayings, many of which have become part of the conversation of today, at least for some folks. They include “Theirs not to reason why, Theirs but to do and die” along with “Tis better to have loved and lost than never to have loved at all” and “Knowledge comes but wisdom lingers.” All of that may be true, but for a really meaningful spring saying, nothing beats “Play ball.” Try 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.
COLUMN | ANDREW TAYLOR-TROUTMAN
Dr. Jekyll, Mr. Hyde and me
I’m not a bad person, just an ordinary human, probably like you.
YES, MY CHILDREN, there is a witching hour.
A witching hour? It’s not Halloween, is it?
Absolutely nothing to do with Halloween. This witching hour, both yours and mine, is biologically driven and can play havoc with our values. Oy.
Wait, wait, why don’t I know about this witching hour thing?
You’ve more than likely experienced it, countless times, but didn’t know what the heck was happening. The witching hour strikes toward the end of the day, driven by our emptying fuel tank of discipline. “Oh, no, I said what in that email?! Oh, geez.”
This human witching hour is a daily emotional mine eld that no one told us exists. During these witching hours, we’re experiencing behavioral wipeouts of cherished values and bowing (oh, lord!) to temptations we have previously forsworn. No, no! That can’t be true. Sadly, it is.
Our good ol’ biological containers (commonly known as human bodies) need sleep. The wondrous state of sleep helps restore our desired behavioral and cognitive fuel tanks on a daily basis. Voila, a restored human, feeling more whole and bushy-tailed, arises in the morning. This daily restoration means we wake up with a relatively full tank of self-discipline. Going forth, we model our cherished values at every opportunity.
Damn right, we do. However, humans that we are …
“We can only exert so much willpower … and make only so many decisions before we exhaust our stores. We go on autopilot until
COLUMN | BEN SHAPIRO
we can replenish by the next morning.” — Kyra Bobinet, Ph.D
Autopilot? You got it. Autopilot leads me (us?) to greater temptations and less willpower. My fuel tank of self-discipline plummets right on down to empty. Autopilot steps in and takes over. For instance, that Snickers bar, hidden (from myself) in the freezer, the one I’ve been able to ignore all day, oh god, by the evening it’s probably going to be a goner. Self-discipline, where art thou?
Truthiness: In conversation, my tongue becomes sharper when I’m under the spell of the witching hour. Feeling powerless, I watch values, such as kindness, dribbling out of my self-discipline tank. Followed, often, by embarrassment and oodles of self-judgment. Major ouches.
I’m not a bad person, just an ordinary human, probably like you. A normal, tired, human whose ability to enact her values is reduced when her self-discipline tank runs out at the end of a day. Can I remember that my diminished fuel tank also opens wide the possibility of a Dr. Jekyll/Mr. Hyde incursion?
No, please!
Painful remembrances of ill-serving others can be a corrective before I plunge into the greedy maws of the witching hour. If I fail, this vulnerable being tries ordering a decent-sized plate of self-compassion at the end of the evening. Still human, after all these years …
Jan Hutton, a resident of Chatham County and retired hospice social worker, lives life with heart and humor.
When does speech become dangerous?
The central issue is rhetoric that treats political opponents as criminals without proof, assigns monstrous motives without evidence and creates a cultural climate where violence feels justi ed.
AMERICANS LOVE arguing about free speech. We invoke the First Amendment as a kind of political force eld: You can say whatever you want, whenever you want, without consequence.
But the First Amendment only restricts government action. It does not guarantee you a career, a platform or immunity from backlash. The real question is not whether certain speech is legal but rather what kind of speech deserves social consequences — and what kind doesn’t.
And if we’re talking about reckless political speech, we should talk about Jimmy Kimmel. Years ago, he abandoned comedy in favor of applause lines, tearful monologues and the occasional performance of empathy. He’s an unfunny late-night scold who treats half the country as a punchline.
As annoying as that is, being unfunny is not a crime. The bigger issue is when media gures cross the line from tastelessness into rhetoric that creates a permission structure for violence.
To understand the di erence, it helps to break political speech into three categories.
First: illegal speech.
Yes, illegal political speech exists in America. A classic example: “I want to kill the president.” That’s not merely commentary. It is an actionable, direct threat. There is also incitement. Under the Supreme Court’s Brandenburg standard, speech quali es as incitement only if it is intended to and likely to produce imminent lawless action.
“Someone should do something about the president” is protected, though irresponsible, speech. “Go kill the president” crosses into territory the law can punish. It’s speech but also an attempt to trigger violence.
Second: typical in ammatory rhetoric. American politics is lled with heated language. “Fight like hell.” “We’re going to war with the other party.” That sort of rhetoric can be ugly and excessive, but it is also normal.
We’ve seen how absurd it becomes when people try to treat that as literal incitement. After Gabby Gi ords was shot, some on the left blamed Sarah Palin because a campaign graphic had “targeted” certain districts. That was ridiculous. Using combative imagery is not the same as directing violence.
Third: the permission structure for violence.
A permission structure for violence is created when people repeatedly portray political opponents as monsters.
This is how you create the mental environment where unstable people conclude that violence is justi ed. If the president is
BE IN TOUCH
California copied Europe’s insane energy playbook
EVEN AS U.S. GASOLINE prices rise again amid ongoing Strait of Hormuz tensions, American drivers are still paying less than half what many Europeans and Asians endure at the pump. The reason is simple: America chose lower taxes and genuine energy security. Europe and California deliberately chose the opposite — and are now reaping the painful, predictable consequences.
Taxes explain most of the gap, as the Wall Street Journal detailed April 22. European governments routinely pile on $3-$4 per gallon in excise duties, VAT and “green” levies. In Germany, prices recently hit the equivalent of $8.75 a gallon, with taxes comprising more than half the total. Most U.S. states charge roughly 20 cents.
This isn’t an accident of geography or culture. Americans built a sprawling, car-dependent economy after World War II and have repeatedly rejected European-style punishment at the pump. Europeans tolerated it, and their politicians weaponized fuel taxes as an easy money grab and to force behaviors preferred by their central planners.
The result is embedded in ation across every sector: Higher costs for trucking food, shipping goods and powering industry. Europeans don’t just pay more to ll their tanks — they pay more for everything that moves on petroleum. Their living standards su er accordingly.
Energy security delivers America’s second big advantage. The U.S. produces more than two-thirds of its own oil and imports the rest mostly from Canada and other friendly Western Hemisphere sources. We are largely insulated from Middle East chaos. Europe, by contrast, lectures the world about “energy transition” while remaining dangerously dependent on imports even as it sits atop known, undeveloped reserves. The same nations that demonize oil and gas refuse to produce their own, choosing instead to outsource vulnerability rst to Russia, then to OPEC and now to U.S. LNG. This is not prudent policy. It is willful self-sabotage clothed in false virtue.
a traitor, rapist, pedophile and mastermind behind a corrupt system, then how else could he be stopped?
This kind of rhetoric leads directly to chaos.
It is also the kind of rhetoric Kimmel has tra cked in for years.
Recently, Kimmel tastelessly joked that Melania Trump had “the glow of an expectant widow.” It was disgusting, and she has every right to be furious. But it wasn’t a call to violence. It was a cheap, ugly joke suggesting she secretly wants her husband dead.
Kimmel later claimed he rejects violent rhetoric, then immediately pivoted to blaming Donald Trump for rhetoric that supposedly inspires violence. It was the standard modern play: Insult someone, then wrap yourself in moral superiority.
But when it comes to rhetoric that encourages violence, it isn’t the widow joke that should be the focus; it’s the conspiracism.
Kimmel has repeatedly called Trump a pedophile, suggested he is connected to Je rey Epstein and involved in a coverup, called him a rapist and accused him of protecting pedophiles, coming after voting rights, enriching billionaires while harming the poor, and manipulating the system to evade accountability.
That is not “normal political speech.” It is speech that turns a political opponent into a movie villain — a gure so corrupt and monstrous that extreme action begins to feel righteous.
This kind of conspiratorial framing has a track record. It fuels ugly episodes of modern political violence: a steady stream of baseless accusations designed to convince audiences that the other side is not merely wrong but evil.
If someone eventually acts on that belief, we shouldn’t pretend it came out of nowhere.
So should Kimmel be red?
Firing him for the Melania joke would be punishing the wrong o ense. A tasteless, bad joke is not the central issue.
The central issue is rhetoric that treats political opponents as criminals without proof, assigns monstrous motives without evidence and creates a cultural climate where violence feels justi ed.
If America wants to lower the temperature, scrutiny should be directed at conspiratorial storytelling that teaches people to hate.
Ben Shapiro is a graduate of UCLA and Harvard Law School, host of “The Ben Shapiro Show,” and co-founder of Daily Wire+. He is a three-time New York Times bestselling author. (Copyright 2026 Creators.com)
Letters to the editor may be sent to letters@nsjonline.com or mailed to 1201 Edwards Mill Rd., Suite 300, Raleigh, NC 27607. Letters must be signed; include the writer’s phone number, city and state; and be no longer than 300 words. Letters may be edited for style, length or clarity when necessary. Ideas for op-eds should be sent to opinion@nsjonline.com.
Nowhere is this failure more glaring than California, which has imported Germany’s disastrous model wholesale and turned itself into America’s premier energy basket case. With an 81-cent state gas tax, 60 -70 cent cap-and-trade penalty, boutique “California blend” fuel mandates, and layers of environmental rules explicitly designed to punish gasoline and driving, the Golden State routinely posts pump prices $2 above the national average.
In-state production has been strangled. Re neries are closing or idling. The state now imports gasoline from South Korea, the Bahamas and the Middle East, exposing its residents to global shocks while preaching climate alarm orthodoxy.
Gavin Newsom and his bureaucrats want voters to believe it’s all President Donald Trump’s fault, but it isn’t. It is the entirely foreseeable outcome of using tax and regulatory warfare to force a premature energy transition. Instead of transitioning, California is deindustrializing and making its citizens poorer in the process.
The broader lesson is damning. High-tax, high-regulation, import-dependent energy policies do not deliver utopia or planetary salvation. They deliver chronic vulnerability, in ated living costs and economic drag. Europe’s drivers pay double or triple because politicians prioritized revenue and ideology over abundance. California followed suit and became a cautionary tale for the rest of America.
But most U.S. states reap the rewards of the opposite approach: Reasonable taxation that doesn’t treat fuel as a sin, aggressive domestic production that delivers record output and supply chains resilient enough to weather global crises without collapse. Prices rise during supply shocks, but there are no lines at the pump and no systemic shortages. That is the fruit of policy grounded in reality rather than fantasy.
America’s advantage at the pump is neither accident nor mystery: It is the direct result of rejecting the punitive European model that California eagerly embraced. Policymakers who ignore this lesson are not visionaries: They are ideologues imposing measurable harm on the people they claim to serve.
The current global turmoil should serve as a wake-up call. Punitive taxation and regulatory strangulation of conventional energy produce scarcity, insecurity and higher costs borne by working families.
America’s formula of lower taxes and energy dominance delivers a ordability, resilience and genuine energy security.
Europe — and California — stand as expensive warnings of what happens when nations choose ideology over reality. Americans outside of the Golden State should reject that failing path with zero apology.
David Blackmon is an energy writer and consultant based in Texas. (Copyright 2026 Daily Caller News Foundation)
obituaries
Janice Johnson Andrews
Jan. 8, 1946 – May 1, 2026
Janice Johnson Andrews, age 80, of Siler City, passed away on Friday May 1, 2026, surrounded by her loving family.
Janice was born on January 08, 1946, in Chatham County, NC to James Edward and Mary Kathryn Terry Johnson.
Janice was born and raised on a dairy farm in Hickory Mountain. She was in the graduating class of 1964 at Jordan Matthews High School and played basketball all four years. She received a business degree from what is now UNCG.
Following her schooling, she and her husband Mike coowned and operated Andrews Sales. Janice thoroughly enjoyed traveling with her family to the beach and Costa Rica where she loved o shore
Gayle Marie Stinson Daniel
Nov. 29, 1952 – May 2, 2026
Gayle Marie Stinson Daniel, 73, of Siler City, went to her Heavenly home on Saturday, May 2nd, 2026, at UNC Chapel Hill hospital surrounded by family.
Gayle was born November 29th, 1952, in Siler City, to the late Benner Henry Stinson, Sr, and Evangeline Davis Stinson. She is preceded in death by her parents, and her brother, Benner Henry Stinson, Jr.
Gayle was a 1971 graduate of Chatham Central High School where she was the valedictorian and was a member of the Beta Club. She was a lifelong member of Business & Professional Women, and she was the long-term treasurer of the Republican Party of Chatham County. She attended Bonlee Elementary School where she was a majorette. She received her accounting certi cate at Asheboro Business College. After graduating she worked for Siler City Mills, and Dossenbach Furniture Store. She retired from Clapp Brothers Tractor and Implement. After that she was a stay-at-home Maw Maw raising Tristin. Gayle often said she did not have a child of her own, but God sent her Tristin.
shing. If you knew Janice, you knew her pride and joy were her grandchildren that she loved and adored. Janice loved to cook for her family and was known for her country style steak, corn pudding, and coconut pie. Janice loved her Lord and Savior and was a faithful member at First United Methodist Church. In addition to her parents, Janice is preceded in death by her brother, Jimmy Johnson.
Janice is survived by her husband of 61 years, Mike Andrews, Sr.; sons, Michael Andrews, Jr. (MaryDouglas) of Siler City, James Andrews (Molly) of Pittsboro; grandchildren, Kennedy, Michael III, Mary-Maxton, Fisher, Banks, and Tyde; and her two sisters, Sue Renn (Mike), and Kaye Snipes (Dan).
A memorial service will be held on Wednesday, May 06, 2026, at 2:00 PM at First United Methodist Church, 1101 W. Raleigh St., Siler City, NC 27344 with Rev. Kyle Burrows o ciating.
In lieu of owers, memorials may be made in Janice’s honor to First United Methodist Church, 1101 W. Raleigh St., Siler City, NC 27344 or the Parkinson’s Foundation, 1350 Broadway, Ste 1530, New York, NY 10018. Smith & Buckner Funeral Home will be assisting the Andrews family. Online condolences can be made at www.smithbucknerfh. com
In her spare time, she loved watching her soap operas and Hallmark movies. Her favorite was her time spent with her grandson. She loved all her cats.
Left to cherish her memory, is her husband of 31 years, William Earl Daniel, Jr.; her grandson, Tristin Elkins; her stepdaughter, Kelly Daniel Elkins; her sisters, Cynthia “Cindy” Stinson White and her husband, Je rey of Wilmington, NC, and Angela Stinson of Sanford; her sisterin-law, Margaret S. Stinson of Goldston; her brother-in-law and sister-in-law, Jonathan and Sherry Daniel and their son, JJ of Siler City; her nephews, Christopher Henry Stinson and his wife, Teirtre, and their children, Cayson and Torin, Victor Henry Stinson and his wife, Kendall, and their children, Evelyn and Adeline, and her niece, Amber Brittany Shafer and her husband, Mark, and their children, Abigail, Adelaide, and August; and her special friend, Pam Pike.
In lieu of owers, memorials can be made to Antioch Baptist Church Cemetery Fund, 3835 Bonlee Carbonton Rd, Goldston, NC 27252.
A funeral service will be held Wednesday, May 6th, 2026, at Antioch Baptist Church, at 3 pm. There will be a visitation from 2-3 pm before the service at the church.
Burial will follow in the church cemetery. The family will receive friends at the home of Jonathan and Sherry Daniel, 101 Pine Forest Dr. Siler City, NC 27344 on Tuesday, May 5th, 2026, from 4-6 pm. Smith & Buckner Funeral Home will be assisting the Daniel family. Online condolences can be made at www.smithbucknerfh. com
Dorothy Paschal Frazier
April 29, 2026
Dorothy Paschal Frazier, 91, passed away on April 29, 2026, surrounded by her children.
The daughter of Len Broughton Paschal and Eva Gilbert, Dorothy was born and raised in Siler City, NC.
She was a 1953 Honors Graduate of Siler City High School, and then moved on to Meredith College, where she was a Marshal. She then transferred to the University of Georgia, where she ranked in
Howard Addison Frazier
March 9, 2026
Howard Addison Frazier, 91, a ectionately known as “Sea Breeze,” passed away unexpectedly on March 9, 2026. The son of the late Joseph
the top 5% of her class. Dorothy later returned to Siler City and married her high school sweetheart, Howard Frazier. They were married nearly 65 years, prior to his passing in March of this year.
Dorothy managed to provide much love and support to her three children, while at the same time managing a full-time career. She eventually retired from Farm Credit Service as a loan o cer. She credited her good friend and neighbor Tommy Emerson for encouraging her to pursue career advancement.
Faith in Jesus Christ was especially important to Dorothy. She was a faithful member of Siler City Chapel, and later Rehobeth Methodist Church. Dorothy often encouraged and prayed for all of her family to become followers of Jesus Christ.
One of Dorothy’s unmistakable trademarks was writing notes.
She was a master at expressing her thoughts on paper. It was her way of transferring wisdom, love, guidance and concern to those close to her.
Kenneth Frazier and Lydia Alice Stutts. Howard was born and raised in Siler City, North Carolina. A gifted athlete in his youth, he was a standout high school football and baseball player. His talent earned him a baseball scholarship to Oak Ridge Junior College, where he played until he answered the call to serve his country in the U.S. Army during the Korean War. Following his military service, Howard returned home to Siler City and married his high school sweetheart, Dorothy Paschal. A man with a tireless work ethic, he initially served as a brick mason before spending over forty years as a long-distance truck driver. In his retirement, Howard focused on his passion for golf, primarily at the Siler City Country Club. An accomplished player, he recorded seven holes-in-one during his lifetime. Howard was a
Also her brothers Lewis Paschal of Elizabethtown and Barton Paschal of Asheville, her sisters Leona Wichard of Chapel Hill, Vivian Michael (Gary) of Wilmington and Irma Simons of Carrabelle, FL.
Dorothy treasured her grandchildren, Bryan Brantley, Callie Kontoulas (Chris), and Mallory Brantley. And she proudly told everyone she was so grateful to live long enough to spend quality time with her great-grandsons Talon and Lenox Kontoulas, and Joseph Brantley. No services will be held at this time. Memorial gifts may to be sent to Bible Broadcasting Network by clicking here. After the toil and the heat of the day
After my troubles are past
In addition to her parents and husband, Dorothy was predeceased by her sister Jenny Cranford. She is survived by her children, Angela Brantley of Graham, Bentley Frazier of Siler City and Kenneth Frazier (Janice) of Graham.
After the sorrows are taken away I shall see Jesus at last.
man of faith, serving as a lifelong member of Rehobeth Methodist Church. He is survived by his wife of 65 years, Dorothy; their three children, Angela Brantley of Graham, Bentley Frazier of Siler City, and Kenneth Frazier (Janice) of Graham; his sister, Rosa Horne of Peachland; and his brothers, Bill Frazier (Diane) of Pitts eld, MA, Earle Frazier (Carol Ann) of Siler City, and Steve Frazier of Whitsett. He was also the proud grandfather of three grandchildren and three great-grandchildren. Out of respect for Howard’s wishes, a memorial service will not be held. In lieu of owers, gifts to the cemetery fund of Howard’s home church may be sent to Rehobeth United Methodist Church, 850 Kildee Church Road, Ramseur, NC 27316.
Pop star Spears pleads guilty to lesser ‘wet reckless’ charge in DUI case, avoids further jail time
She completed voluntary rehab and will serve summary probation with required substance abuse treatment
By Andrew Dalton The Associated Press
VENTURA, Calif. — Britney
Spears pleaded guilty through her lawyer Monday to a lesser charge that will allow her to avoid jail time after California prosecutors accused her of driving under the in uence of alcohol and drugs.
The 44-year-old pop star, who recently completed a stint at a rehabilitation facility, didn’t appear in Ventura County court. But her lawyer, Michael A. Goldstein, pleaded guilty on her behalf to what’s commonly called a “wet reckless.” That allowed her to be sentenced to one day in jail that the judge said she served when she was booked, one year of probation, a required DUI class and state-mandated nes.
The plea o er was standard for defendants with no DUI history, no crash or injury on the road, and a low blood-alcohol level, the county district attorney’s o ce said. And it’s especially common for defendants who have shown motivation to address their problems and seek
treatment, as Spears did when she voluntarily checked in to a substance abuse treatment center last month.
“I don’t think anybody’s happy about pleading guilty to anything, but under the circumstances, to get this behind her, I think everybody is pleased with the result,” Goldstein said after the hearing. “We appreciate the district attorney recognizing the positive steps that Brit-
ney is taking to help herself.”
Goldstein said Spears returned home after recently completing her rehab stint, and that reports that she left early were “absolutely false.” Asked what’s next for her, he replied, “I don’t know, I’m sure a lot.”
During the brief hearing, Spears received summary probation, which is informal and doesn’t involve mandatory meetings with a probation o -
cer. She temporarily yielded her Fourth Amendment search and seizure rights if she is pulled over, meaning she must automatically yield to searches and sobriety tests. At Goldstein’s request, the judge ruled this would not apply to her home.
District Attorney Erik Nasarenko said after the hearing that Spears had taken “full responsibility,” but he emphasized that DUI is a “serious crime” and said it was essential that she follow the requirements agreed to in court, which include continued substance abuse treatment, weekly visits with a therapist and monthly visits with a psychiatrist.
“We do not want Miss Spears to reo end,” Nasarenko said. She was charged last Thursday with one misdemeanor DUI count, which meant she was not required to appear in court for her arraignment. But her representatives hadn’t said whether she would appear, and the hearing drew an unusually heavy media turnout for Ventura, a seaside city of about 110,000 people roughly 70 miles northwest of downtown LA.
After her March 4 arrest, a representative called her actions inexcusable and said that ideally, the arrest would lead to overdue change in her life. She was pulled over for driv-
BIFFLE from page A1 children, along with three others, died in the Dec. 18 crash, which remains under investigation by the NTSB. Some survivors of those killed are suing the estates of Bi e and the pilot for millions of dollars. According to a search warrant a davit, the husband being investigated met Bi e when the former driver used his private helicopter to deliver aid after Hurricane Helene. The woman attended a Christmas party at the Bi es’ home in Mooresville weeks before the crash. Authorities reported a break-in at the home on Jan. 8, saying $30,000 in cash, two Glock handguns and NASCAR memorabilia were stolen. Search warrants were later executed at two sites, one near the Bi es’ residence and another in a nearby county.
A person seen on surveillance video, identi ed as a woman, appeared to be familiar with the large home’s layout, including the locations of cameras, closets and a safe room, a detective wrote in a search warrant a davit. The intruder spent nearly six hours inside the house the night of Jan. 7 into the following morning.
Evidence showed a cellphone and multiple devices were active on the property during that time, according to the warrant. The only people allowed there would’ve been the administrators of the estate, but they weren’t present. Authorities say they linked the woman to someone who
ing her black BMW quickly and erratically on U.S. 101, the California Highway Patrol said. She appeared to be impaired, took a series of eld sobriety tests, was arrested and was taken to jail, the CHP said.
Authorities said in the criminal complaint that Spears had alcohol and drugs in her system, but they didn’t specify which drugs or list her blood alcohol content.
Spears grew to superstardom in the 1990s and 2000s with hits including “Toxic,” “Gimme More” and “I’m a Slave 4 U.” Most of her nine studio albums have been certi ed platinum, with two diamond titles: 1999’s “… Baby One More Time” and 2000s “Oops! … I Did It Again.” She became a tabloid obsession in the early 2000s and a source of intense public scrutiny as she battled mental illness and paparazzi fought to document the details of her private life.
In 2008, Spears was placed under a court-ordered conservatorship, run primarily by her father and his lawyers, that would control her personal and nancial decisions for well over a decade. It was dissolved in 2021. Since then, she has married, divorced and released a bestselling memoir, “The Woman in Me.”
attended Bi e’s celebration of life and said license plate readers placed her husband’s truck near the home that night.
The warrants also describe alleged nancial crimes. Investigators say that bank, Venmo and PayPal accounts tied to the Bi es were accessed online using personal information, with phone numbers and email addresses changed to gain control of funds. Money was then allegedly transferred to accounts not belonging to the family and used for purchases, according to the warrant.
At least one fraudulent check tied to Bi e’s business interests was cashed, and other attempts were made to access accounts. The activity occurred across multiple states. The sheri would not say whether the same suspects in the break-in are being investigated for the nancial crimes, saying the department is waiting for more evidence.
Meanwhile, the plane crash sparked lawsuits against the estates of Bi e and the pilot, Dennis Dutton, who was killed along with his son.
On April 17, the estates of Dutton and his son sued Bife’s estate for at least $15 million each, alleging Bi e failed to properly maintain the plane and operated it in a defective condition. The claims include lost income and “predeath pain and su ering.”
In February, Bi e’s exwife, Nicole Bi e, led a notice of claim against Dutton’s estate on behalf of the couple’s 14-year-old daughter’s estate, seeking at least $10 million for wrongful death.
FREDERIC J. BROWN / POOL PHOTO VIA AP
Michael Goldstein, left, attorney for Britney Spears, speaks during her arraignment in a DUI case at the Ventura County Superior Court in Ventura, California, on Monday.
JOHN RAOUX / AP PHOTO
Greg Bi e looks on during driver introductions before the Daytona 500 at Daytona International Speedway in Daytona Beach, Florida, on Feb. 20, 2022.
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TAKE NOTICE
NOTICE
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,
CREDITOR’S NOTICE
Having quali ed on the 17th day of April 2026, as Executor of the Estate of Benner Henry Stinson, Jr., 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 23rd 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 20th day of April 2026. Margaret S, Stinson, Executor of the Estate of Benner Henry Stinson, Jr. 904 Delphus Stinson Road Goldston, NC 27252
Attorneys: Law O ces of Doster & Brown, P.A. 206 Hawkins Avenue Sanford, NC 27330 Publish On: April 23, 30, and May 7, 14, 2026
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
of
HOLLY THOMPSON, CLERK & MASTER APPROVED FOR SUBMISSION BY: WILLIAM J. BROWN (BPR #05450) Attorney for Sandra Wildasin
CHATHAM COUNTY FY27 BUDGET HEARING NOTICE
The Chatham County budget for FY202627 has been submitted to the Board of Commissioners and is available for public inspection on the Chatham County website or in the o ce of the Clerk to the Board, located at 12 East Street in Pittsboro. The Chatham County Board of Commissioners will hold two public hearings on the proposed Fiscal Year 2027 Budget on Monday, May 18, 2026 at 6:00pm and Tuesday, May 19, 2026 at 6:00pm. The public is invited to attend the hearing to express their viewpoints. The hearing on May 18, 2026 will be held at the Historic Courthouse located at 9 Hillsboro Street in Pittsboro at 6:00pm.
The hearing on May 19, 2026 will be held at Siler City Town Hall located at 311 North Second Avenue in Siler City at 6:00pm. To speak sign up on the county website or submit written comments to Clerk to the Board Jenifer Johnson at PO Box 1809, Pittsboro, NC 27312 or jenifer.johnson@ chathamcountync.gov.
NOTICE TO CREDITORS
ESTATE OF DAVID MANSFIELD BUNNELLFILE 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, 5/7 -
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 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 28388-0371 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, and5: 7, 14, 21, 2026
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 Carolina27559 GUNN & MESSICK, PLLC P. O. Box 880 Pittsboro, North Carolina27312-0880 April 16, 23, 30, May 7
PUBLIC HEARING NOTICE
A public hearing will be held by the Chatham County Board of Commissioners on Monday, May 18, 2026, beginning at 6:00 p.m. The public hearing will be held in the courtroom of the Historic Courthouse in Pittsboro, North Carolina at 9 Hillsboro Street, Pittsboro NC 27312. Additional information is available at the Chatham County Planning Department o ce. Speakers are requested to sign up at the meeting prior to the hearing. You may also sign up on the county website prior to the meeting at www. chathamcountync.gov by selecting the heading County Government, then Commissioner Meetings, then Public Comment. The public hearing may be continued to another date at the discretion of the Board of Commissioners. The purpose of the Public Hearing is to receive input, both written and oral, on the issues listed below.
Testimony is required to be given under oath during the evidentiary hearing for thefollowing item: Quasi-Judicial Request: A quasi-judicial public hearing requested by Margus Properties, LLC and The Towers, LLC for a Special Use Permit Wireless Telecommunications tower of 199 ft, on Parcel 65693, located at 460 Murchison Rd., Goldston, Gulf Township.
Substantial changes may be made following the public hearing due to verbal or written comments received or based on the Board’s discussions. Notice to people with special needs: If you have audio or visual impairment, unique accessibility requirements or need language assistance, please call the number listed below prior to the hearing and assistance may be provided. If you have any questions or comments concerning these issues, please call the Chatham County Planning Department at 919-542-8204, or write to P.O. Box 54, Pittsboro N.C.27312. Please run in your paper: May 7th and 14th, 2026
CREDITOR’S NOTICE
Having quali ed on the 28th day of April 2026, as Co-Executors of the Estate of Margie W. Johnson, 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 7stday ofAugust, 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 29th day of April 2026. Eric Johnson, Co-Executor of the Estate of Margie W. Johnson 5090 Butner Drive Hickory, NC 28602 Brad Johnson, Co-Executor of the Estate of Margie W. Johnson 6307 Whedbee Road Julian, NC 27283
Attorneys: Law O ces of Doster & Brown, P.A.
206 Hawkins Avenue Sanford, NC 27330 Publish On: May 7th, 14th 21st and 28th 2026.
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 to Creditors
Having quali ed as Administrator of the Estate of MICHAEL JOSEPH MCCORMICK, late of Chatham County, North Carolina (26E000177-180), the undersigned does hereby notify all persons, rms and corporations having claims against the estate of said decedent to exhibit them to the undersigned on or before the 10th day of August, 2026 or this notice will be pleaded in bar of their recovery. All persons, rms and corporations indebted to the said estate will please make immediate payment to the undersigned. This the 7th day of May 2026.
Daniel Dylan McCormick
Administrator of the Estate of Michael Joseph McCormick c/o Lisa M. Schreiner
Attorney at Law P.O. Box 446 114 Raleigh Street Fuquay Varina, NC 27526 (For publication: 05/07, 05/14, 05/21, 05/28/26)
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 Danbury Ct., Chatham County, Pittsboro, NC 27312, the undersigned does hereby notify all persons, rms, and corporations having claims against the estate of said decedent to exhibit them to the undersigned in care of the attorney for the estate on or before July 31, 2026, or this notice will be pleaded in bar of their recovery. All persons, rms, and corporations indebted to the said estate will please make immediate payment to the undersigned.
This the 30th day of April, 2026.
Je rey L. Austin Executor of the Estate of Merle Lee Feathers c/o Law O ce of Je rey L. Austin, PLLC 500 Westover Dr. #32043 Sanford, NC 27330 FOR PUBLICATION: The Chatham News & Record 4/30, 5/7, 5/14, and 5/21/2026
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
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 TO CREDITORS NORTH CAROLINA CHATHAM COUNTY
26E000227-180 ALL persons having claims against Mary T Schaumburg-Bo nger, deceased, late of Chatham County, North Carolina, are noti ed to exhibit the same to the undersigned on or before Aug 07 2026, or this notice will be pleaded in bar of recovery. Debtors of the decedent are asked to make immediate payment. This the 7th day of May, 2026. John R Knauf, Executor C/O Beth W Bowen 590 New Waverly Place, Suite 120 Cary, NC 27518 M7, 14, 21 and 28
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, NC27517
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, NC27344 Run dates: A23,30,M7,14p
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, NC27344 Run dates: A30,M7,14,21p
NOTICE TO CREDITORS
NORTH CAROLINA
CHATHAM COUNTY
FILE#26E000257-180
The undersigned GANG NAM YOO, having quali ed on the 30TH Day of APRIL 2026 as ADMINISTRATOR of the Estate of CHUN CHA YOO, 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 7TH Day OF AUGUST 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 7TH DAY OF MAY 2026. GANG NAM YOO, ADMINISTRATOR 354 SKY LANE PITTSBORO, NC27312 Run dates: M7,14,21,28p
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, NC28326 Run dates: A30,M7,14,21p
NOTICE TO CREDITORS
NORTH CAROLINA CHATHAM COUNTY FILE#26E000250-180 The undersigned DOROTHY TAYLOR, having quali ed on the 29TH Day of APRIL 2026 as EXECUTOR of the Estate of MATTHEW TAYLOR, JR., 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 7TH Day OF AUGUST 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 7TH DAY OF MAY 2026. DOROTHY TAYLOR, EXECUTOR 300 RIVER BEND ROAD SILER CITY, NC27344 Run dates: M7,14,21,28p
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, IN47345 Run dates: A16,23,30,M7p
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, NC28278 Run dates: A30,M7,14,21p
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 COEXECUTORS 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, NC27349 JAMES HADLEY, CO-EXECUTOR 4305 SILK HOPE LINDLEY MILL RD. SNOW CAMP, NC27349 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, NC27312 Run dates: A16,23,30,M7p
Secret Service says suspect opened re on them, was shot near Washington Monument
A minor bystander was shot but not seriously injured during the incident
The Associated Press
WASHINGTON, D.C. — A man spotted carrying a gun in the vicinity of the White House by plainclothes o cers and agents was shot by law enforcement Monday after he opened re on them near the Washington Monument, the Secret Service said.
Secret Service Deputy Director Matt Quinn said plainclothes agents spotted the man around 3:30 p.m. in the area near the White House complex and saw the imprint of the weapon on him. The agents followed him brie y and contacted the uniformed o cers.
The unidenti ed man attempted to ee when uniformed o cers with the Secret Service approached him. Quinn said the man red at the o cers, who returned re.
The alleged gunman was transported to a local hospital. Quinn said he had no information on the suspect’s condition.
Quinn said emergency personnel also transported a minor who was shot but not seriously injured. Quinn said he could not say de nitively that the bystander, who also
The U.S. Supreme Court’s latest ruling on redistricting could set o more court battles.
was taken to a hospital, was struck by shots from the suspect’s gun. “We’ll let the doctors gure that out,” he said, though he noted that “investigators believe he was struck by the suspect.”
Quinn said the Washington, D.C., police would investigate the o cer-involved shooting.
The Secret Service encouraged people to avoid the area as emergency crews responded to the shooting not far from the White House, where Presi-
dent Donald Trump was holding a small business event.
The White House was briefly locked down as authorities investigated the incident. The Secret Service ushered journalists who were outside into the brie ng room, and Trump continued his event without interruption.
The incident drew a large police presence, coming just over a week after a gunman tried to storm the White House Correspondents’ Asso -
ciation dinner with guns and knives. Cole Tomas Allen has been charged in that incident, in which a Secret Service ocer was shot, although he was wearing body armor and was not seriously injured.
Quinn said it was not known yet whether the Monday incident was related to Trump. “I’m not going to guess on that,” Quinn said. “Whether or not it was directed to the president or not, I don’t know, but we will nd out.”
from page A1
in Louisiana has unleashed “a wave of nefarious actions” across states that threatens to disenfranchise black voters, Alanah Odoms, executive director of the American Civil Liberties Union of Louisiana, said Monday.
Trump on Sunday encouraged more states to join in redistricting, saying in a social media post that Republicans could gain 20 House seats. But South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster’s o ce on Monday said the Republican would not call a special session to redraw the state’s only Democratic-occupied House seat.
The high court’s ruling said Louisiana relied too heavily on race when creating a second black majority House district as it attempted to comply with the Voting Rights Act. The ruling signi cantly altered a decades-old understanding of the law and provided grounds for Republicans in various states to try to eliminate majority-black districts that have elected Democrats to Congress.
As Republicans forge ahead, U.S. House Democratic Leader Hakeem Je ries touted a redistricting e ort in his home state of New York. But that isn’t expected to result in a new map until 2028. To adopt new districts, New York lawmakers must pass a constitutional amendment twice in two years, and voters would also have to approve it.
National redistricting battle expanding
Legislative voting districts typically are redrawn only once
a decade, after a census, to account for population changes.
But Trump urged Texas Republicans last year to redraw U.S. House districts to give the party an advantage. Democrats in California responded by doing the same, and then other states joined in.
On Monday, Florida became the eighth state to enact new House districts ahead of midterm elections, as Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis announced he had signed a redrawn map passed by lawmakers last week that could help Republicans win as many as four additional House seats. The new map was immediately challenged in court as a partisan gerrymander that violates a state constitutional provision against drawing districts that favor one political party over another.
All told, Republicans think they could gain as many as 13 seats from new congressional districts in ve states, while Democrats think they could pick up as many as 10 seats from new districts adopted in three states.
The newly proposed redistricting in Southern states could add to the Republicans’ tally.
After last week’s Supreme Court decision, Louisiana moved quickly to delay its May 16 congressional primary to allow time for lawmakers to approve new U.S. House districts. But Republicans have yet to unveil their planned revisions to district lines.
Democrats and civil rights groups have led several lawsuits challenging the election suspension, including another suit led Monday in federal court. They are encouraging people in Louisiana — where early voting already is underway
— to go ahead and cast votes in the congressional primaries in case courts later allow them to be counted.
Alabama plans for potential primary change
Rather than canceling the state’s May 19 primaries, Republican Gov. Kay Ivey called legislators into a special session to consider contingency plans for special primary elections in hopes the U.S. Supreme Court will let Alabama switch congressional maps ahead of the November midterms.
Federal judges previously ordered Alabama to use a court-selected map — with a second district that has a substantial number of black voters — until a new map is drafted after the 2030 Census. Alabama appealed that decision and has asked the court, in light of the Louisiana ruling, to let it revert to a 2023 map drawn by Republican state lawmakers. That map would substantially alter the district now represented by Rep. Shomari Figures, a black Democrat.
Redistricting opponents rallied Monday across the street from the historic Alabama Capitol, where the Confederacy was formed in 1861 and where the Rev. Martin Luther King addressed a crowd of thousands after the 1965 Selma-to-Montgomery voting rights march.
“Much blood, sweat and tears was shed in an e ort for us to gain the right to vote,” said Sheyann Webb-Christburg, who as a child participated in the 1965 Bloody Sunday voting rights march in Selma. “In 2026, there are still people who are still not exercising that right
to vote, and we are still ghting today, even in an e ort to keep our right to vote.”
Tennessee pushes for new House map
In Tennessee, Republican Gov. Bill Lee announced a special session starting Tuesday for the GOP-controlled Legislature to break up the state’s one Democratic-held House district, centered on the majority-black city of Memphis.
The move comes after a pressure campaign by Trump and other Republicans to recongure the state’s 9th Congressional District. Previous precedent in Voting Rights Act cases had prevented Republicans from spreading the district’s Democratic voters among neighboring conservative districts and making it winnable. But the law may no longer be an impediment.
“We owe it to Tennesseans to ensure our congressional districts accurately re ect the will of Tennessee voters,” Lee said.
Clergy members concerned about plans to split Memphis’ congressional district came together Monday to denounce the move.
“This latest attempt at redistricting is not just about lines on a map, it is about misrepresentation,” said the Rev. Earle Fisher, a pastor at the Abyssinian Missionary Baptist Church and the founder of Up the Vote 901, referring to the Memphis area code. “It’s about whether the voices of black people in this state will be heard or hidden.”
The candidate qualifying period in Tennessee ended in March, and the primary election is scheduled for Aug. 6.
ROD LAMKEY JR. / AP PHOTO
U.S. Secret Service police respond after a person was shot by law enforcement near the Washington Monument in Washington, D.C., on Monday.
VOTING
RAHMAT GUL / AP PHOTO
CHATHAM SPORTS
Chatham Central softball dominates to win conference tournament title
The Bears sti ed South Stokes in an 8-1 win
By Asheebo Rojas Chatham News & Record
BEAR CREEK — Chatham Central’s sprint toward the state softball playo s saw little resistance through the conference tournament checkpoint.
The top-seeded Bears defeated No. 2 South Stokes 8-1 in the Greater Triad 1A/2A conference tournament championship game Friday, sweeping the regular season and conference tourna-
ment titles for the rst time since 2022.
“We tell them to come out, leave it out on the eld, play every game like every game matters,” Chatham Central coach John Warf said. “And that’s what they did.”
Junior Maddie Kaczmarczyk had the best night at the plate, going 2 for 3 with three RBIs.
She also pitched a complete game with nine strikeouts and two hits allowed.
“Every time she steps on the mound, it’s big for us,” Warf said.
“She can throw that inside ball, throw the outside, throw the
high ball, whatever we need her to get the out.”
With the Bears up 2-1 and facing one out in the third inning, senior Sallie Oldham tripled to center eld to score senior Heidi Vicente Perez and junior Chloe Brewer.
Kaczmarczyk followed that two at-bats later with an RBI single, sending Oldham home for a 5-1 lead.
In the circle, Kaczmarczyk allowed one hit in the remaining four innings. To put the game away with loaded bases in the fth inning, she notched a two-RBI single to put the Bears
Eastern Randolph stays hot to win Four Rivers Conference Tournament title
By Asheebo Rojas
ahead by seven runs. Brewer, who got on base with a single, reached home on an error in the prior at-bat. Freshman Lillie Poe singled, and junior Maeson Poe walked before being brought home by Kaczmarczyk.
Chatham Central’s rst inning runs were set up by a walk by
Brewer and a single from Smith. South Stokes committed an error on Smith’s hit, allowing her and Brewer to score. Ellie White put South Stokes on the board with an RBI single in the third inning.
Chatham Central won the season series over South Stokes 3-1.
Prior to Friday’s victory, Chatham Central defeated South Davidson 14-1 in the conference tournament seminal. The Bears logged 15 hits as Brewer and Kaczmarczyk both went 3 for 4 from the plate
Northwood’s boys and girls claimed rst-place nishes in its conference championship track meet
By Asheebo Rojas Chatham News & Record
BASEBALL
Chatham Charter dominated Clover Garden 10-0 to take the Central Tar Heel 1A conference tournament title on April 30. Senior Garrison Clark struck out seven batters and allowed two hits in ve innings while continuing his streak of shutouts.
Prior to the championship game, the Knights defeated Southern Wake 19-2 in the semi nal.
Seaforth ended its regular season with back-to-back losses to Orange, both by a score of 2-1.
Final conference standings (overall, conference) *conference champion
5. Central Carolina (0-12, 0-8) Greater Triad 1A/2A: 1. South Stokes* (19-6, 11-1); T2. Bishop McGuinness (14 -9, 7-5); T2. Chatham Central (13-9, 7-5); 4. North Stokes (5 -19, 4-8); 5. South Davidson (6-18, 1-11) Four Rivers 3A/4A: 1. Northwood* (14-10, 8-2); T2. Uwharrie Charter (17-7, 7-3); T2. Eastern Randolph (16-11, 7-3); 4. Southwestern Randolph (16-7, 6-4); T5. Jordan-Matthews (6-17, 1-9); T5. North Moore (5-14, 1-9) Big Seven 4A/5A: 1. Cedar Ridge* (19-5, 12-0); 2. Orange (17-7, 9-3); 3. Seaforth (15-9, 8-4); 4. South Granville (12-11, 7-5); 5. Carrboro (6-15, 4-8); 6. Durham School of the Arts (6 -15, 2-10); 7. Webb (2 -17, 0-12)
Final power rankings: 1. Chatham Charter; 2. Seaforth; 3. Northwood; 4. Chatham Central; 5. Jordan-Matthews SOFTBALL
Chatham Charter claimed the Central Tar Heel 1A conference tournament title with a 6-2 win over Clover Garden on April 30. Allie McThe Wildcats took down Northwood 11-1
Central Tar Heel 1A: T1. Chatham Charter* (19-4, 7-1); T1. Clover Garden*; 3. River Mill (10-8, 4-4); 4. Southern Wake (3-11, 2-6);
ASHEEBO ROJAS / CHATHAM NEWS & RECORD
Ben Altenburg
Northwood, track and eld team
Northwood junior Ben Altenburg earns athlete of the week honors for the week of April 27.
In the Four Rivers 3A/4A conference championship track meet, Altenburg picked up three conference titles in the boys’ 110 hurdles (15.07 seconds), long jump (22 feet, 5 inches) and pole vault (10 feet). His title-clinching long jump was a personal best.
Altenburg has been one of Northwood’s most decorated athletes this school year as he won two state championships (pole vault and 55 hurdles) in the indoor season. He’s looking to defend his outdoor pole vault state title from last spring.
SOFTBALL from page B1
and combined for ve RBIs and ve runs.
Chatham Central improved to 21-4 at the end of the tournament. The Bears are rolling into the postseason on a seven-game winning streak in which all games were decided by at least six runs, including three shutouts. They’re entering the playo s with 20 wins for the rst time since 2013, a season in which Chatham Cen-
tral reached the regional nal. Warf said a state championship has been the goal for this season.
“From day one, we’ve known this year is going to be special,” Warf said. “With the new conference realignment, we do have some charter schools in it. Several that are bigger than us have moved on and everything. But from day one, we’ve talked about state championship bound. This is our year to do it.”
American Legion schedules released
Pittsboro will eld a junior team this season
By Asheebo Rojas Chatham News & Record
THE AMERICAN LEGION baseball season is weeks away from opening day.
Pittsboro will have a junior team this season under the name Circle City Stealth. Circle City is sponsored by Post 283 and coached by John Crowell, Logan Thomas, Matt Glass and Matthew Mospan.
This summer, Chatham will eld senior and junior teams. The senior team will open its season at home against Wake Forest on May 17, and the junior squad will start at Cary on May 19. The seniors will play their home games at Jordan-Matthews, while the juniors play home games at Chatham Central.
So far, Chatham’s senior team coached by Bryce Marsh will feature Colin Dorney (Seaforth, William Peace University), Landon Moser (Jordan-Matthews, Guilford College), Jayden Seawell (Chatham Thunder), Brayden Brewer (Chatham Central), Josh Johnson (Northwood), Brandon Rives (Chatham Charter), Westley Brower (Chatham Central), Calvin Tourville (Wake County Homeschool),
Jaedyn Rader (Seaforth, Catawba Valley CC), Brett Phillips (Chatham Central), Jax Young (Chatham Charter), Carson Jackson (Chatham Central) and Simon Delgado (Northwood alum).
The Chatham junior team coached by Chase Murray has added Cade Chesnutt (Chatham Charter), Kaide Davis (Lee County), Jackson Clark (Chatham Charter), Iker Vicente (Chatham Central), Mason Hayes (Lee County), Austin Morgan (Jordan-Matthews), Reid Caviness (Chatham Central), Channing Thomas (Lee County), Logan Ellis (Chatham Central), Xander Seawell (Chatham Thunder), Blaine Clewis (Chatham Central), Will Murchison (Jordan-Matthews) and Brayden Meulendyke (Seaforth).
Circle City’s roster includes Alex Dolinsky, Bryson Sanders, Carter Crowell, Carter Mospan, Hudson Williford, Jackson Mospan, Jenner Schutte, Keenan Gamber, Mario Sescilla, Miles Gilleland, Nate Patrick, Owen Duncan, Owen Finn, Russ Dreyer, Sam Kristiansen, Skyler Glass, Trevor Green, Tyson Yeager and Zach Nemerovski.
Here are the schedules for each team:
Chatham senior: May 17 — vs. Wake Forest; May 19 — vs. Durham; May 21 — at Wake
Forest; May 22 — at Durham; May 23 — vs. Johnston County (doubleheader); May 24 — vs. Liberty Post 81; May 26 — vs. Aberdeen; May 28 — at Liberty Post 81; May 30 — vs. Durham (doubleheader); June 2 — at Garner; June 10 — at High Point; June 11 — at Hamlet; June 12 — vs. Hamlet; June 14 — at Lexington; June 16 — at Moore; June 18 — vs. Moore; June 22 — at Aberdeen; June 23 — vs. Lexington; June 25 — at Randolph; June 27 — vs. Randolph; June 28 — vs. Liberty Post 81; June 30 — at Liberty Post 81; July 1 — vs. High Point; July 2 — vs. Aberdeen; July 4 — All-Star Game; July 6 — playo s begin Chatham junior: May 19 — at Cary; May 20 — vs. Cary; May 27 — at Eastern Randolph; May 29 — vs. Raleigh; May 31 — at HiToms; June 1 — vs. Pittsboro; June 2 — vs. Moore County; June 4 — vs. Pittsboro; June 8 — vs. Wheatmore; June 9 — at Moore County; June 10 — at Raleigh; June 13 — vs. HiToms; June 16 — at Wheatmore; June 18 — vs. Eastern Randolph; June 23 — at Eastern Randolph; June 24 — vs. Asheboro; June 26 — at Asheboro; June 29 — vs. Hamlet; June 30 — at Hamlet Circle City junior: May 27 — at Cary; June 1 — at Chatham; June 2 — at Cary; June 3 — at High Point; June 4 — at Chatham; June 9 — vs. Hamlet; June 11 — vs. High Point; June 15 — at Liberty; June 17 — at Moore; June 18 — vs. Trinity; June 20 — at Randolph; June 22 — at Liberty; June 24 — at Moore; June 25 — at Trinity; June 27 — at Randolph; June 28 — at Hamlet; July 6 — playo s begin
ASHEEBO ROJAS / CHATHAM NEWS & RECORD
ASHEEBO ROJAS / CHATHAM NEWS & RECORD
Jordan-Matthews’ Landon Moser is returning to Chatham’s senior team this summer.
White takes on WNBA competition with Nigerian national team
The former Seaforth star scored 16 points against the Lynx
By Asheebo Rojas Chatham News & Record
FORMER SEAFORTH bas -
ketball star Gabby White got a preview of the pros at the end of last month.
White played with the Nigerian National Team during its WNBA preseason tour, seeing minutes in the D’Tigress’ games against the Los Angeles Sparks on April 25 and the Minnesota Lynx on April 27.
Against the Sparks, she recorded seven points, four assists, two rebounds and two steals in an 89-63 loss. She followed that with 16 points (50% shooting), seven rebounds, two assists, a steal and a block in an 88-79 loss to the Lynx.
That performance earned praise from Lynx coach Cheryl Reeve.
“When White came in, she was terri c,” Reeve said. “She’s going to be a heck of a basket-
CHARLIE NEIBERGALL / AP PHOTO
Gabby White drives up court for UVA during a First Four game against Arizona State in the NCAA Tournament.
ball player, and she’ll be in the WNBA for sure.”
Said White, “I just think my teammates did a really good
job of putting me in the right position to make good plays. I mean, just a lot of ball screens, getting downhill, spacing the oor, you know, stu that I really thrive in.”
This was White’s rst run with Nigeria. After her freshman season at Virginia, Nigeria’s coaching sta reached out to White with an opportunity to join them for training camp and the exhibition games. At rst, she didn’t respond to the team, but after her dad received more information about the o er, she accepted.
White was one of 11 newcomers. A week before the WNBA games, the rookies did a multiday training camp before practicing with the returners. The team also practiced between games and experienced what it was like to travel across the country for games.
“It was so fun just being with the girls, doing our little training camp and then going to go play,” White said. “It felt like we were in the W.”
For White, the experience meant more than just the bas -
ketball played within the lines. By putting on the Nigeria uniform, White was following in her family’s footsteps. Her mother, Joanne Aluka-White, helped Nigeria win its rst Olympic contest in its history during the 2004 Summer Games.
“Just being able to represent her, represent where I come from, it was a surreal feeling,” White said.
White also got to compete against her idols during the WNBA tour.
“I was really just starstruck,” White said.
Growing up, she looked up to Sparks guard and two -time WNBA champion Kelsey Plum. The two actually go back before last week’s matchup. While White was leading Seaforth on a deep playo run in high school, Plum FaceTimed White and gave her a pep talk.
“After the game, I think she kind of recognized me, but we took a picture, and I was like, ‘Hey, do you remember when you FaceTimed a kid?’” White
Reynolds ‘gutted’ as Wrexham misses out on playo s to put Premier League dream on hold
The team saw its unprecedented run of three straight promotions come to an end
By Steve Douglas The Associated Press
WREXHAM’S DREAM of reaching the Premier League is over, for this season anyway.
And for Ryan Reynolds, it was tough to stomach.
“I am completely gutted by today’s result but incredibly proud of our season,” the actor wrote on X after the Welsh club he co-owns missed out on a place in the playo s in the second-tier Championship by drawing 2-2 with Middlesbrough in a dramatic nal round of
the regular season on Saturday.
That allowed Hull to jump ahead of Wrexham and into sixth place — the fourth andnal spot in the playo s — courtesy of a 2-1 win over Norwich in a match played at the same time.
The winning goal for Hull, by Oli McBurnie in the 67th, appeared to be scored from an oside position, but there are no video reviews in the English Football League.
It ended Wrexham’s unprecedented run of three straight promotions under its famous owners — a streak that began by getting out of the fth tier in the 2022-23 season and has been documented in the globally popular, Emmy Award-winning “Welcome to Wrexham” series.
Still, seventh place marked
Wrexham’s highest nish in its history, bettering the 15th position it achieved in the second tier in the 1978–79 season.
“We’ve come a long way in ve years and this was the best result in our 150+ year history,” Reynolds wrote alongside a graphic that showed how Wrexham has risen from the National League. “More to do. But for now, we have so much to be proud of, Reds.”
Elsewhere, Ipswich secured the second automatic promotion spot behind champion Coventry — and an immediate return to the Premier League — by beating Queens Park Rangers 3-0.
Ipswich is owned by U.S. investment group Gamechanger 20 Limited and counts pop
star Ed Sheeran as a minority shareholder. Joining Hull in the playo s, which begin next week and are over two legs, are Millwall, Southampton and Middlesbrough. Millwall will face Hull, and Southampton will meet Middlesbrough.
Best-ever nish by Wrexham
It was a memorable campaign by Wrexham in its rst season in the second tier since the 1980s.
However, the short-term pain was acute, and Wrexham’s players sat on the ground and looked disconsolate after the nal whistle — even though the Hull-Norwich match hadn’t nished.
Wrexham started the day in
said. “And she’s like, ‘Oh my God. Yeah. Before your state championship game or whatever?’ I was like, ‘Yeah.’ So we talked about it a little bit, and yeah, she was really cool.”
White also shared a more distant link with Lynx guard Courtney Williams through a family friend. When White checked in the game against Minnesota, to her surprise, Williams recognized her.
Performing against her idols and some of the best players in women’s basketball gave White an idea of who she could become.
White aspires to play in the WNBA and wants to continue playing for Nigeria. She’s currently in the process of becoming eligible for a possible opportunity to play with D’Tigress in the FIBA World Cup later this year. She also has the 2028 Summer Olympics in mind.
With the way she played in the two exhibition games, White can feel all those dreams within reach.
“A lot of basketball players have the aspiration to play in the W or playing in the Olympics or something like that,” White said. “But after this, I think now I can see those really coming into fruition, and I have so much con dence in these next couple of years of college and my future.”
sixth place, ahead of Hull on goal di erence, and conceded in the fourth minute to Middlesbrough, only to score through Josh Windass and Sam Smith for a 2-1 lead by the 41st.
Middlesbrough hit back immediately with a 43rd-minute equalizer, but Wrexham nished the stronger, squandering a string of great late chances for a winner that would have secured a playo place on goal di erence.
In the end, Wrexham nished two points behind Hull.
“This squad as it stands, with a preseason together, will be even stronger next year,” said Wrexham manager Phil Parkinson, who oversaw a summer spend of around $40 million last year.
“Of course we’ll always look to add to that to try and give ourselves an even better chance. ... We know where we’d like to strengthen and what we need to improve on. We’ll do that, and we’ll make this squad as strong as we possibly can to mount a challenge next year.”
SIDELINE REPORT
SOCCER
Man United beats Liverpool, will return to Champions League after 2-year absence
Manchester, England Manchester United guaranteed a return to the Champions League next season with a 3-2 win against Liverpool. Kobbie Mainoo’s rst-time strike from the edge of the area won it. Defending champion Liverpool had fought back from two goals down to level the game. But Mainoo’s goal meant United would be playing in European club soccer’s top competition after a two-year absence. Tottenham also climbed out of the relegation zone with a 2-1 win at Aston Villa.
MLB Reds tie MLB record by walking 7 straight batters in loss to Pirates
Pittsburgh
The Cincinnati Reds issued a Major League Baseball record-tying seven straight walks during the second inning of a 17-7 loss to the Pittsburgh Pirates. It was the third time in major league history that a team had walked that many batters consecutively — the rst in more than four decades. Starting pitcher Rhett Lowder walked three batters in the second inning and was replaced by Connor Phillips, who walked the next four, each time with the bases loaded. The Pirates scored ve runs in the inning without a hit.
NBA Knicks, ahead by 47 at half, enjoy rout for ages over Hawks in Game 6
Atlanta
The biggest halftime lead in NBA playo history. The most points and most lopsided win in New York Knicks postseason history, too. By any measure, what the Knicks did to the Atlanta Hawks was a historic blowout. The nal score: Knicks 140, Hawks 89 in Game 6 of the teams’ Eastern Conference rst-round series. New York won the series 4-2 after losing Games 2 and 3 by one point — and then winning the next three games by 16, 29 and 51 points, respectively.
TENNIS
Sinner crushes
Zverev to win Madrid Open, claim record 5th straight Masters 1000 title
Madrid
Top-ranked Jannik Sinner cruised past Alexander Zverev in the nal of the Madrid Open to become the rst man to triumph in ve consecutive Masters 1000 events. Sinner beat the third-ranked Zverev 6-1, 6-2 for his 23rd straight victory. He had already won in Monte Carlo, Miami and Indian Wells this year, and in Paris last year. Zverev lost to Sinner in the semi nals of each of those tournaments. Zverev won in Madrid in 2018 and 2021, and he was runner-up to Carlos Alcaraz in 2022.
Panthers RB Brooks’ faith helped him through father’s death, 2 torn ACLs
The former second-round pick got baptized after getting cleared to play
By Steve Reed The Associated Press
CHARLOTTE — After be-
ing cleared to participate in the team’s o season conditioning program without limitations, Carolina Panthers running back Jonathon Brooks celebrated in a way he deemed most appropriate: He got baptized.
Brooks has leaned heavily on his faith to get him through personal and professional issues: the death of his father and two serious knee injuries that have derailed the start of a promising NFL career.
The Panthers selected Brooks in the second round of the draft in 2024. They believed Brooks would overcome a torn ACL in his right knee that prematurely ended his college career late in the 2023 season.
But after months of rehab, Brooks’ debut in Carolina ended after just three games when he tore his ACL a second time.
He missed the rest of his rookie season and all of 2025.
After two surgeries and months of grueling rehab, Brooks said he is “close to 100%.” He has rejoined his teammates on the practice eld with the expectation that he’ll be part of Carolina’s running back rotation in 2026.
“I’ve been through a lot in my life,” the 22-year-old Brooks said. “I lost my father. I’ve torn my ACL twice. Every single time I reverted back to my faith, and for me, my baptism was a recommitment of my faith — to not only change myself, but from that day forward to stop making excuses for my surroundings.”
Brooks said he has always believed in and followed God.
But during his time away from the football eld he came to realize that he wasn’t fully committed to the process.
“I didn’t live accordingly,” Brooks said. “I used to use the excuse of being around the
locker room my whole football career, whether it’s high school, college or NFL, and I’d be like, ‘Oh, I’m around people who cuss and do all this.’ I kept trying to, I guess, put the blame on others in a sense. And, in reality, I just needed to check myself.”
His father, James “Skip” Brooks, died at 49 on March 28, 2022, due to complications from a blood clot that impacted his heart.
Brooks was a freshman at Texas and had just nished spring practice when his family phoned to tell him. His father had been his biggest fan. He taught him the game. He pushed him to be great.
The death hit Jonathon Brooks and his brother, Jordon, hard.
Months later, they honored their father with matching tattoos, the date of his death etched in Roman numerals on their right forearms. Brooks would tap or point to the tattoo after scoring a touchdown during his three seasons with the Longhorns.
He hasn’t had a chance to do the same at the NFL level.
He’s only played three games as a rookie before reinjuring the knee.
The majority of his NFL career has been spent in the training room.
That can often be a lonely place for a player leaving them feeling outcast, but Brooks said he received constant encouragement and emotional support from the guy he came in to compete with — starting running back Chuba Hubbard. Their relationship has transcended being teammates. They talk. They hang out. And when Brooks got baptized this past Sunday, Hubbard was there.
“He’s been building in his faith, building in his relationship with God, which I think is amazing,” Hubbard said. “And in doing that, I think it also just kind of creates a resiliency in your mind and where you’re going there.”
There is a chance Brooks could wind up pushing Hubbard for carries this season.
Hubbard said there’s nothing he’d like to see more than Brooks succeed after all that he’s been through.
“He’s one of one player and a one of one person,” Hubbard said.
Brooks has faith it will all work out, both football and life.
During the darkest of times — the emotional toll of dealing with a parent’s death and having the game he loves to play stripped away due to injuries — Brooks would remind himself of the story of Job from the Old Testament.
It has taught him to keep God “front and center” moving forward.
“Job had everything, and, Satan attacked him,” Brooks said. “He took his children. His money. His animals, and everything — and he was still rooted in his faith. After that, God gave Job everything he had, times two. So for me, I just feel like a lot has been taken from me — my father, my two ACLs — but I’m staying rooted in my faith and knowing that he has a great plan for me.”
Sorsby gambling addiction casts light on issue that could a ect thousands of college athletes
Many experts worry the known cases are the tip of the iceberg
By Eric Olson The Associated Press
IN THE EIGHT years since the Supreme Court cleared the way for legal sports gambling across the country, the bad headlines for college sports have picked up.
This week, the problems were underscored in a dramatic way: Brendan Sorsby, set to become the well-paid quarterback of Big 12 defending champion Texas Tech, stepped away to seek treatment for a gambling addiction. Investigations are reportedly under way involving a potential Heisman Trophy hopeful and his stays at Indiana and Cincinnati before his transfer to Texas Tech ahead of next season.
Details have not been released about Sorsby’s gambling. But experts estimate that thousands of athletes in men’s college sports are engaged in compulsive gambling.
“Statistically, I think this is still only the tip of the iceberg,” said Keith Whyte, a gambling industry consultant and former executive director of the National Council on Problem Gambling. “Given the elevated risk factors for young, male college athletes to demonstrate a high propensity to bet on sports and take on other risk-taking behaviors, there’s probably a lot more guys that have problems. So in some ways, I really admire his decision to publicly seek help for a gambling problem.”
The NCAA is the largest organization in college athletics, with some 500,000 athletes across 1,100 schools in three divisions. Its most recent survey of athlete gambling behaviors, released in January 2025, asked 13,306 male athletes across all divisions about their wagering habits.
Some 21.5% (2,861) acknowledged having placed at least one sports wager in the previous year; 10.7% (1,424) acknowledged having done so in the previous month. In Division I, 12.6% of the males (619 of 4,913) reported having gambled at least once in the previous year, 4.7% (231) in the previous month and 1.9% (93) in the previous week.
The NCAA, extrapolating from survey results, estimated about 6,000 mostly male athletes across the three divisions would meet standard diagnostic criteria for problem
gambling in any given year.
College-aged male athletes check a lot of boxes in a compulsive gambler’s pro le, according to Michelle L. Malkin, lead research scholar of the Gambling Research and Policy Initiative at East Carolina. Those athletes are in their 20s, highly competitive, aggressive and typically have a refuse-to -lose mentality.
“Just think about the person who’s down 20 points going into the fourth quarter and being told, ‘Keep going, you can still win this game.’ So the lifetime exposure of ‘if I just keep going, it’s going to turn around for me’ is the type of thing that leads to that lower risk aversion, which also leads to this (gambling addiction),” Malkin said.
The introduction of revenue-sharing and name, image and likeness compensation has put extra money in
athletes’ pockets, signi cant amounts in some cases. Sorsby, for example, signed a two-year NIL agreement with Cincinnati that paid him $875,000 last year, according to a lawsuit led by the school seeking a $1 million buyout from Sorsby for transferring to Texas Tech.
Whyte said athletes earning hundreds of thousands or millions of dollars wouldn’t place a lot of importance on losing a few dollars here and there. “That can lead to some risky decisions,” he said.
Eligibility can be at stake for NCAA athletes found to have gambled, and that can keep them from disclosing an addiction.
Malkin said there should be a con dential avenue for an athlete to ask for help, as long as the athlete didn’t bet on their own team. About the only option an athlete would have is to connect with an online therapist. NCAA rules require anyone who works in an athletic department to report gambling activity.
Athletic departments typically put on seminars to warn athletes about gambling and about risks to eligibility. Malkin said most athletes who gamble were doing so before they entered college, so lectures generally won’t stop existing behavior.
Malkin leads a team developing curricula for regular college students and athletes that explains how gambling can become addictive. East Carolina’s “Betting Blueprint” explores healthy gambling,nancial wellness, risk, identifying gambling-related harms and where to seek help.
ANNIE RICE / AP PHOTO
Texas Tech quarterback Brendan Sorsby, center, watches the school’s NFL football pro day.
JACOB KUPFERMAN / AP PHOTO
Carolina Panthers running back Jonathon Brooks looks on before an NFL game last September.
Leod went 3 for 4 with two runs and an RBI. Kynzie Jordan went 4 for 5 with four runs and four RBIs in the Knights’ 13-8 semi nal win over River Mill.
Seaforth clinched its rst regular season conference championship with wins over South Granville (17-1) and Orange (10-2) last week. Alyssa Harris, Blair Hill and Emma Grace Hill homered against the Vikings. Emma Grace Hill hit another home run against Orange, nishing the game 4 for 4 with two RBIs.
After dominant wins over Eastern Randolph (16-0) and Uwharrie Charter (8-1), Northwood fell to Southwestern Randolph 17-0 in the Four Rivers 3A/4A conference tournament championship game. Jordan-Matthews lost to North Moore in the rst round of that same tournament.
Final conference standings (overall, conference) *conference champion
Central Tar Heel 1A: 1. Clo -
ver Garden (21-3, 12-0); T2. River Mill (10-8, 7-5); T2. Chatham Charter (12-8, 7-5); 4. Central Carolina Academy (4 -14, 3-9); 5. Ascend Leadership (0-15, 0-13)
Greater Triad 1A/2A: 1. Chatham Central* (21-4, 8-1); 2. South Stokes (11-11, 7-2); 3. North Stokes (9-12, 3-6); 4. South Davidson (4-16, 0-9)
Four Rivers 3A/4A: 1. Southwestern Randolph* (18-4, 9-1); T2. Northwood (13-10, 6-4); T2. Uwharrie Charter (7-11, 6-4); 4. Jordan-Matthews (11-9, 5-5); 5. North Moore (7-13, 3-7); 6. Eastern Randolph (3-16, 1-10)
Big Seven 4A/5A: 1. Seaforth* (18-2, 12-0); 2. Cedar Ridge (16-7, 10-2); 3. Orange (9-12, 8-4); T4. J.F. Webb (13-7, 5-7); T4. South Granville (7-12, 5-7); 6. Carrboro (4-15, 2-10); 7. Durham School of the Arts (1-19, 0-12)
Final power rankings: 1. Chatham Central; 2. Seaforth; 3. Northwood; 4. Chatham Charter; 5. Jordan-Matthews
BASEBALL from page B1
an error at rst base in senior Bryson Marley’s game-opening at-bat, and two batters later, sophomore Maddox Dunn doubled to bring Marley and junior Cade McCallum home. Later in the rst inning, another error allowed junior Chance Holdaway to load the bases. All three runners scored as an error on a picko attempt allowed Holdaway to reach home for a 5-0 advantage.
By the second inning, the Wildcats were rolling. Eastern Randolph logged ve hits in the inning, including an RBI double from Holdaway, to build a
BOYS’ TENNIS (DUAL TEAM STATE PLAYOFFS)
Chatham Charter advanced to the third round of the 1A bracket after a forfeit from Voyager Academy in the second round.
In the 5A playo s, Seaforth defeated Webb 9-0 and Northside 6-0 in the rst and second rounds respectively. Jordan-Matthews fell to Red Springs 5-4 in the rst round of the 4A playo s.
GIRLS’ SOCCER
Woods Charter moved to 16-0 with shutout wins over Ascend Leadership (8-0), Central Carolina (10-0) and Cornerstone Charter (2-0). Leah Marshall recorded a hat trick, and Lucy Poitras and Annabel Unah scored two goals each against Ascend Leadership. Northwood won three straight games, defeating Jordan-Matthews (8-1) and North Moore twice (3-2 and 3-1).
Seaforth’s three-game win
9-0 lead. Two more defensive mistakes by Northwood helped Eastern Randolph extend its lead to 10 runs in the sixth inning. Northwood nished the game with nine errors.
“I thought we came out at,” Northwood coach Brent Haynes said. “When you come out at and you don’t have a lot of energy, guys just kind of go through the motions. You kind of get in that stagnant kind of body, and it just leads to bad ways.”
Meanwhile, Northwood struggled to get anything going o ensively. On the mound, Marley struck out nine batters and allowed two hits in the rst four
streak was snapped with back-to-back losses to Apex Friendship (2-0) and Holly Springs (3-0).
BOYS’ GOLF
Seaforth won the Big Seven 4A/5A conference tournament with a score of 308. Senior Campbell Meador took the individual conference title after shooting 1 over par.
BOYS’ LACROSSE
Northwood won three straight games last week, including an 8-5 win over Union Pines to hand the Vikings their rst loss. James Flanagan recorded 18 saves in the victory. Seaforth closed its regular season with a 10-9 win over Carrboro and an 18-10 loss to Orange.
GIRLS’ LACROSSE
Seaforth bounced back from a 20-4 loss to Chapel Hill with an 11-6 victory over Carrboro
innings and two outs. McCallum relieved him for an inning and one out and didn’t allow another hit.
“Bryce is one that tries to pitch contact,” Cockman said. “Obviously, he’s not going to throw it by a whole lot of people, but he pitches to his strengths. He pitches to his o -speed. Trusts his guys behind him, and he’s a senior force.”
Senior Dylan Perry batted in the Chargers’ only run of the night (junior Nic Armstrong) with a single in the third inning.
Prior to the championship game, Eastern Randolph defeated No. 2 Uwharrie Charter in the semi nal 12-3 behind
on April 29. Addie Holloway scored four goals in the win. Northwood split the week with a 13-12 win over Riverside-Durham and a 16-0 loss to East Chapel Hill.
TRACK AND FIELD
Northwood’s boys and girls nished rst in the Four Rivers 3A/4A championship meet last week. Jordan-Matthews’ girls were the outright runners-up, and the Jets’ boys tied for second. Here are the local individual conference champions (school, event): Boys: Ezra Roebuck (Northwood, 200 and 400); Sam Bachelor (Northwood, 800 and 1,600); Drew Yell (Northwood, 3,200); Ben Altenburg (Northwood, 110 hurdles, long jump and pole vault); Yadiel Zayas (Jordan-Matthews, 300 hurdles); Northwood (4x200, 4x400 and 4x800); Kamarie Hadley (Jordan-Matthews, triple jump); Jamison Brown (Northwood, discus); Jaxon Green (Northwood, shot put)
McCallum’s 4-for-5, three-RBI and two-run night. The Wildcats logged 15 runs as a team in the win. In the rst round, Eastern Randolph took down North Moore 7-4.
The Wildcats are entering the playo s with a 16-11 record, their best winning percentage before the playo s since the 2017 season. They’re also riding a nine-game winning streak with seven of those wins being decided by double digits.
Last year, Eastern Randolph hit its stride in the playo s, reaching the regional nal after going 11-12-1 in the regular season.
“Our guys are playing with an
Girls: Athena Dispennette (Jordan-Matthews, 400); Gabby Ghitta (Northwood, 800); Sydney Gray (Northwood, 1,600 and 3,200); Khamya Woods (Jordan-Matthews, 100 hurdles and 300 hurdles); Northwood (4x100 and 4x800); Jordan-Matthews (4x200 and 4x400); Evelyn Becker (Northwood, long jump); Juanita Perez (Jordan-Matthews, triple jump); Chloe Waldstein (Northwood, pole vault)
Greater Triad 1A/2A championships
Boys: Tyler Congrove (Chatham Central, 100 and 200)
Big Seven 4A/5A
Boys: Jace Jones (Seaforth, 110 hurdles); Ryan Yoder (Seaforth, pole vault); Dylan Watkins (Seaforth, discus)
Girls: Tinsley Borland (Seaforth, 300 hurdles); Amber Brown (Seaforth, long jump); Lyla Jacobs (Seaforth, triple jump)
all-time high con dence,” Cockman said. “They have a lot of energy. They’re loving what they do.”
As for Northwood, it’s heading into the postseason with a 14-10 record. Although the Chargers aimed to keep their pitchers fresh for the playo s instead of going full throttle to win the tournament, Haynes hopes his team’s “worst defensive game” of the year serves as a wakeup call.
“Next week, it’s win or go home,” Haynes said. “We can’t have a mishap like that.”
Said Haynes, “I’m glad it happened this week instead of next week.”
PJ WARD-BROWN / CHATHAM NEWS & RECORD
Northwood’s Kelis Watson makes a throw from the out eld against Southwestern Randolph on May 1.
this week in history
De Soto reaches Mississippi, Donner Party heads west, Lindbergh baby found
The Associated Press
MAY 7
1915: A German U-boat torpedoed and sank the British liner RMS Lusitania o the southern coast of Ireland, killing 1,198 people, including 128 Americans, out of the nearly 2,000 on board.
1945: Nazi Germany signed an unconditional surrender at Allied headquarters in Rheims, France, ending its role in World War II.
1975: President Gerald R. Ford formally declared an end to the “Vietnam era.” In Ho Chi Minh City — formerly Saigon — the Viet Cong celebrated its takeover.
MAY 8
1541: Spanish explorer Hernando de Soto reached the Mississippi River, the rst recorded European to do so.
1846: U.S. forces led by Gen. Zachary Taylor defeated Mexican forces near modern-day Brownsville, Texas, in the rst major battle of the Mexican-American War.
1945: President Harry S. Truman announced in a radio address that Nazi Germany’s forces had surrendered, stating that “the ags of freedom y all over Europe” on V-E (Victory in Europe) Day.
MAY 9
1754: The famous political cartoon “Join or Die” was rst published by Benjamin Franklin in the Pennsylvania Gazette newspaper.
1914: President Woodrow Wilson, acting on a joint con-
MAY 12
gressional resolution, signed a proclamation designating the second Sunday in May as Mother’s Day.
1960: The U.S. Food and Drug Administration conditionally approved Enovid for use as the rst oral contraceptive pill.
MAY 10
1775: Ethan Allen and his Green Mountain Boys, along with Col. Benedict Arnold, captured the British-held fortress at Ticonderoga, New York.
1865: Confederate President Je erson Davis was captured by Union forces near Irwinville, Georgia.
1869: A golden spike was driven at Promontory, Utah, marking the completion of the rst transcontinental railroad in the United States.
MAY 11
1935: The Rural Electri cation Administration was created as part of President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s New Deal.
1946: The rst CARE packages, sent by a consortium of American charities to aid the hungry in postwar Europe, arrived at Le Havre, France.
1981: Reggae artist Bob Marley died at a Miami hospital at age 36 after battling an aggressive skin cancer.
Bob
1780: The besieged city of Charleston, South Carolina, surrendered to British forces in one of the worst American defeats of the Revolutionary War.
1846: The pioneers of the Donner Party left Independence, Missouri, on the Oregon Trail, beginning their ill-fated migration to California.
1932: The body of Charles Lindbergh Jr., the 20-month-old kidnapped son of Charles and Anne Lindbergh, was found in a wooded area near Hopewell, New Jersey.
MAY 13
1846: The United States Congress formally declared war on Mexico following clashes along the disputed border; the Mexican-American War would last nearly two years, ending with the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo in February 1848.
1940: In his rst speech to the House of Commons as British prime minister, Winston Churchill said, “I have nothing to o er but blood, toil, tears and sweat.”
1973: In tennis’ rst so-called “Battle of the Sexes,” Bobby Riggs defeated Margaret Court 6-2, 6-1 in Ramona, California. (Billie Jean King later defeated Riggs at the Houston Astrodome.)
AP PHOTO
The four-stack British ocean liner RMS Lusitania was torpedoed by a German U-boat o the southern coast of Ireland on May 7, 1915, sinking in 18 minutes.
JACQUES LANGEVIN / AP PHOTO
Singer
Marley performs during a concert in Bourget, Paris, in 1980.
Former Librarian of Congress Hayden cheered for Authors Guild honor
Other honorees included Amy Tan and Percival Everett
By Hillel Italie
The Associated Press
NEW YORK — Nearly a year
since she was abruptly red by President Donald Trump as librarian of Congress, Carla Hayden stood before hundreds of cheering members of the literary community as she received a Champion of Writers Award from the Authors Guild last Monday.
Hayden, 73, who headed the Library of Congress from 2016 -25 and worked in libraries for much of her adult life, cited her profession as a vital bridge between writers and the general public.
“Libraries are where storytelling meets opportunity,” she told the audience gathered for the Guild’s annual dinner-gala, held at Cipriani Wall Street. “They are where a child discovers a rst favorite book, where a new American nds language and belonging, and where research uncovers hidden histo -
Foo Fighters bring stadium show to modest NYC venue
The band opened a ve-song encore with “A320” at Irving Plaza
By Maria Sherman
The Associated Press
NEW YORK — Two years ago Foo Fighters almost made a triumphant return to New York City. They performed for a sold- out crowd that summer at Citi Field in Queens — a baseball stadium with room for nearly 42,000 fans — but their ery set was cut short by Mother Nature: A torrential downpour and fearsome lightning made for unsafe and appropriately ominous conditions.
It was fortuitous in some ways; the next two years for the band would be tumultuous. It was also in 2024 that front man Dave Grohl announced he fathered a child outside his marriage. And then in 2025, the band parted ways with drummer Josh Freese after just one tour, hiring Ilan Rubin to replace him two months later. Things have since turned
around. Last week, the band released its 12th full-length studio album, “Your Favorite Toy,” an energetic collection of tracks with an aggressive, fast-paced punk style, distorted vocals and occasional overly compressed production, as The Associated Press’ Dennis Waszak Jr. wrote in his review. Those songs felt at home last Thursday night at the much smaller Irving Plaza in Manhattan, a sold-out space with a capacity of just around 1,000, where the larger-than-life rock band brought a sonic immediacy to the intimate venue.
A secret show for a lucky few
Foo Fighters announced two surprise shows last Wednesday: one at Irving Plaza the next night and another at the Starland Ballroom on Saturday in New Jersey. Tickets were priced at $30, limited to two per purchaser and available only on a rst-come, rst-served basis at 10 a.m. Thursday at each venue. Some fans camped overnight. Others lined up long before 10 a.m. The lucky few able to grab
ry, and where communities see themselves in the pages of literature. Libraries do more than house books. You know that. They connect people to ideas, to knowledge and to one another. They ensure that storytelling is not reserved for the few but shared by all.”
Hayden was among three honorees, along with Pulitzer Prize-winning novelist Percival Everett and “The Joy Luck Club” author Amy Tan. Hayden, the rst woman and rst Black person to be appointed librarian of Congress, didn’t refer to Trump or her ouster during her brief remarks. But her speech was an implicit rebuttal to Trump’s attacks against what he calls “woke” culture that have been directed at her and at such cultural institutions as the Kennedy Center and the Smithsonian Institution.
She praised libraries as “engines of accessibility and inclusion” and as havens for free expression at a time of record-high book bans.
“In many places today, librarians are under attack for believing in the power of the
JOHN LOCHER / AP PHOTO
Carla Hayden speaks at the Authors Guild Foundation Gala at Cipriani Wall Street in New York.
written word and in the principle that free people should be able to read freedom,” she said.
“Yet librarians remain steady and hopeful.”
The gala was a forum for opposing bans and for other causes crucial to the Guild and to the thousands of published writers it represents.
Author David Baldacci was among those who denounced AI, which has been the subject of various lawsuits led
by writers against Microsoft, OpenAI and other companies that allege their work had been used without their permission for AI generative programs. Baldacci was among several writers present who have been plainti s in legal action, and his name was invoked later in the evening: It was attached to the prize given to Everett, the Baldacci Award for Literary Activism.
Everett, 69, whose “James” won the Pulitzer and the National Book Award, is a proli c author and longtime academic who joked that receiving an honor for activism was like being called an athletic chess player. His books are known for their cutting and provocative takes on racism and other subjects, and he referred indirectly to Hayden’s departure by picturing a future — one he nds all too plausible — in which the only kinds of works available at the Library of Congress are the writings of Ayn Rand and other conservative favorites.
“That is where we are, and I can’t tell you how sad I am about this,” Everett said.
tickets to the Irving Plaza show that night wore vintage Foo Fighters merchandise into the venue and bought new designs. They swapped stories about the last time they saw the band and theorized about how they would perform on such a small stage.
When the Foo Fighters emerged, it was six minutes after 8 p.m. “How ya doing?” energetic front man Dave Grohl said in greeting the crowd, promising a lot of new tracks and some “old school.”
And the band delivered: 2002’s “All My Life” and “Times Like These” were next to late ’90s hits like “Monkey Wrench” and “My Hero,” and week-old
“For those who’ve never seen us before, next time we’ll try to make it feel like this.”
Dave Grohl
songs “Spit Shine” and “My Favorite Toy.”
“Sometimes I ask the audience if they love rock ‘n’ roll music,” Grohl told the crowd. “I’m not gonna ask you all because I know you love rock ’n’ roll music.”
Even if the location was
stripped down, the band had no interest in a minimized show. There were no pyrotechnics or reworks or fanfare, sure, but surprises abounded: “Window,” a new song, got its live debut. The band opened a ve-song encore with “A320,” its contribution to the oft-overlooked 1998 “Godzilla” soundtrack.
At one moment, a concertgoer shouted, “Taylor Hawkins forever!” in memory of the band’s late drummer. Grohl instinctively responded, “That’s right!”
“For those who’ve never seen us before,” Grohl said 21⁄2 hours into the set, “next time we’ll try to make it feel like this.”
EDUARDO VERDUGO / AP PHOTO
Foo Fighters frontman Dave Grohl performs during the Corona Capital music festival in Mexico City in 2025.
famous birthdays this week
David Attenborough hits 100, Candice Bergen is 80, Steve Winwood turns 78
THESE CELEBRITIES have birthdays this week.
MAY 7
Rock musician Bill Kreutzmann (Grateful Dead) is 80. Actor/former boxer Randall “Tex” Cobb is 76. Actor Breckin Meyer is 52. Reggaeton musician J Balvin is 41. Actor-comedian Aidy Bryant is 39.
MAY 8
Biologist/TV presenter David Attenborough is 100. Poet Gary Snyder is 96. Singer-songwriter Toni Tennille is 86. Pianist Keith Jarrett is 81. Singer Philip Bailey (Earth, Wind & Fire) is 75. Rock musician Chris Frantz (Talking Heads) is 75. Singer Enrique Iglesias is 51. Musician Joe Bonamassa is 49.
MAY 9
Producer-director James L. Brooks is 86. Musician-songwriter Sonny Curtis (The Crickets) is 89. Actor Candice Bergen is 80. Musician Billy Joel is 77. Former U.S. Poet Laureate Joy Harjo is 75. Actor John Corbett is 65. Rock musician Alex Van Halen is 73. Singer Dave Gahan (Depeche Mode) is 64.
MAY 10
Basketball Hall of Fame coach Jim Calhoun is 84. Musician-songwriter Donovan is 80. Fashion designer Miuccia Prada is 77. Republican Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith of Mississippi is 67. Singer-activist Bono (U2) is 66. Rapper Young MC is 59.
MAY 11
Rock singer Eric Burdon is 85. Actor Frances Fisher is 74. Former MTV VJ Martha Quinn is 67. Olympic boxing gold medalist Mark Breland is 63. Actor Tim Blake Nelson is 62.
Model Blac Chyna is 38. Former NFL quarterback Cam Newton is 37.
MAY 12
Hockey Hall of Famer Johnny Bucyk is 91. Musician Steve
Winwood is 78. Actor Bruce Boxleitner is 76. Actor Gabriel Byrne is 76. Actor Ving Rhames is 67. Actor- lmmaker Emilio Estevez is 64. Skateboarder Tony Hawk is 58.
MAY 13
Actor Harvey Keitel is 87. Musician Stevie Wonder is 76. Screenwriter-producer David Simon (“The Wire”) is 67. Basketball Hall of Famer Dennis Rodman is 65. Musician Darius Rucker (Hootie and the Blowsh) is 60.
CHRIS PIZZELLO / AP PHOTO
Singer Stevie Wonder turns 76 on Wednesday.
SCOTT A. GARFITT / INVISION / AP PHOTO
Designer Miuccia Prada turns 77 on Sunday.
FRANK FRANKLIN II / AP PHOTO Skateboarding pioneer Tony Hawk turns 58 on Tuesday.
the stream
‘The
Robert Pattinson, left, and Zendaya attend the special screening of “The Drama” at Regal Union Square in New
The lm is streaming now on premium on demand.
Drama,’ MUNA, Rachel McAdams, Dan Stevens, ‘The Other Bennet Sister’
Ashley McBryde drops “Lines in the Carpet”
By Mark Kennedy
The Associated Press
“THE DRAMA,” a rom-com that goes bad starring Zendaya and Robert Pattinson and the synth-pop group MUNA releasing their fourth studio album, “Dancing on the Wall,” 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: Sam Raimi’s movie “Send Help” starring Rachel McAdams; a TV series based on the unassuming, oft-forgotten Jane Austen sister Mary leads “The Other Bennet Sister”; and country star Ashley McBryde heading into the “Wild” on her latest album.
TO STREAM
MOVIES
“The Drama,” starring Zendaya and Pattinson, is available now on premium on demand after a much-talked-about run in theaters. The lm, written and directed by Kristo er Borgli, recently became the fth A24 release to clear $100 million at the box o ce. Pattinson and Zendaya play a couple whose wedding engagement is derailed after a disquieting revelation. In his review, AP’s Mark Kennedy wrote that the lm “wastes two of the planet’s most gorgeous people and will surely get everyone involved in trouble for using a current American tragedy as a plot point.”
In Raimi’s “Send Help,” a woman (McAdams) and her overbearing boss (Dylan O’Brien) are stranded on a deserted island after a plane crash. Raimi’s comic survivalist thriller grows increasingly unhinged as their roles reverse. After a theatrical run earlier this year, it debuts Thursday on Hulu.
The Net ix adaptation “Remarkably Bright Creatures” (streaming Friday) turns Shelby Van Pelt’s best-selling novel into a lm starring Sally Field as a widow working at an aquarium. There, she develops a healing bond with a giant Paci c octopus. Lewis Pullman co-stars.
MUSIC TO STREAM
The synth-pop group MUNA will release their fourth studio album on Friday. “Dancing on the Wall” arrives just in time for the approaching warmth — and hedonistic decision-making — of summer. It’s tank top party-pop for the once-heartbroken, now-victorious crowd (like what is found on “So What” and the familiar sounds of the title track) and whoever is the ob -
ject of a ection on the too-fun “Wannabeher.” Also on Friday: Country star McBryde heads into the “Wild” on her latest album. It is her most personal and most rock ’n’ roll collection yet, embodying McBryde’s ery spirit found on “Lines in the Carpet,” a cutting treatise on domesticity, the heartfelt mission statement of the title track and everywhere in between. The record opens with four barnburners fans will
recognize as staples of her live show — “Rattlesnake Preacher,” “Arkansas Mud,” “Water in the River” and “Creosote” — and diversi es from there. Expect big feelings and a playful, wizened heart.
SERIES TO STREAM
If you’re an Austen devotee who loved “Pride and Prejudice,” you’ll recall that Elizabeth and Jane aren’t the only two daughters in the Bennet family. A new series called “The Other Bennet Sister” follows the introspective and awkward but adorable Mary, played by Ella Bruccoleri. Mary steps out of the shadows of her other siblings and nds romance and independence. The show is already a hit in the UK and on social media. Mary gets her time to shine on BritBox. From the backwoods lakes of the Ozarks to the turquoise waters of the Florida Keys, Bill Dubuque, a co-creator of “Ozark,” has created a new series set against the drug world called “M.I.A.” In this crime drama, a daughter who wants nothing more than to separate herself from her family’s drug-running business is
pulled into a quest for vengeance after it’s destroyed. All nine episodes drop Thursday on Peacock.
Dan Stevens is wrongfully committed to a mental hospital where he must battle both supernatural and psychological demons in “The Terror: Devil in Silver.” This “Terror” is the third season of a horror anthology. Besides Stevens, the series features an impressive cast including CCH Pounder, Judith Light and John Benjamin Hickey. It premieres Thursday on both Shudder and AMC+.
Another classic gets reimagined in the new “Amadeus” limited-series starring Will Sharpe and Paul Bettany. Sharpe plays superstar composer Amadeus Mozart and Bettany is Antonio Salieri, also a successful composer of the time whom history has cast as the lesser talent. Salieri becomes increasingly obsessed with achieving the respect and acclaim that Mozart enjoys. It premieres on Starz on Friday.
VIDEO GAMES TO PLAY
Annapurna Interactive’s Mixtape includes tunes by Siouxsie and the Banshees, the Cure, Smashing Pumpkins, Roxy Music and Devo — the kind of alt-rock you might expect in a movie like “Sixteen Candles” or “Dazed and Confused.” So yes, we’re back in the 1990s with three teenagers seeking adventure on their last night of high school. That means skateboarding, sneaking beers, making out, looking for trouble, running from trouble and, to judge from the trailer, oating through space. You can press play Thursday on PlayStation 5, Xbox X/S, Switch 2 or PC. The soundtrack to Wax Heads is more diverse, but all the bands are completely made up. You’ve landed a job at a gnarly store called Repeater Records, and you get to deal with an assortment of eccentric customers who may or may not know what they want. The result is a kind of puzzle game in which you have to sort through their suggestions to track down the perfect vinyl. Patattie Games, the two-person U.K. studio behind Wax Heads, calls it “cozy-punk.” Drop the needle on PlayStation 5, Xbox X/S,
or
Switch
PC.
EVAN AGOSTINI / INVISION / AP PHOTO
GEORGE WALKER IV / AP PHOTO
Ashley McBryde performs “Help Me Make It Through the Night” during the 58th Annual CMA Awards in 2024. Her new album, “Lines in the Carpet,” comes out Friday.
MILLIE TURNER / INVISION / AP PHOTO
Ross Garshong and Ellie Buckley pose for photographers upon arrival at the premiere of the lm ‘Send Help’ in London. The thriller lands on Hulu on Thursday.
York.