Chatham News & Record Vol. 149, Issue 21

The opening of the Asia exhibition has been contingent on an updated budget

Supreme Court justices tell Congress safety at risk, more must be spent on security Supreme Court Justice Amy Coney Barrett told lawmakers that a sharp increase in threats targeting her and other justices is increasingly encroaching on their personal and family lives. Barrett and Justice Elena Kagan testi ed to Congress on Tuesday, a rare event for members of the high court. They’re seeking millions of dollars to enhance security as threats rise to the judiciary. Judges nationwide have faced increased violence and intimidation, including a fake swatting call to Barrett’s home in May.

Bu ett omits gift to Gates’ foundation after Microsoft cofounder’s Epstein ties disclosed

Warren Bu ett omitted Bill Gates’ foundation from his annual donations this year after disclosures of Gates’ ties to convicted sex o ender Je rey Epstein. He’ll donate about $6 billion to four family foundations but didn’t mention Gates. Bu ett also said in his statement that he wants all of his remaining Berkshire Hathaway stock worth nearly $146 billion donated to charity by the end of 2034. Most of Bu ett’s donations since 2006 have gone to the Gates Foundation.

$2.00

By Bob Sutton Chatham News & Record

ASHEBORO — The funding is in place but the hiring still needs to happen before the much-anticipated opening of the Asia Continent habitat at North Carolina Zoo. Construction on the exhib -

it began with a groundbreaking nearly four years ago, and that part of the facility was deemed complete this spring. But without a state budget, the zoo was unable to go ahead with hiring for positions needed for the Asia habitat.

Last week, a new state budget was approved, providing approximately $6.2 million to the NC Zoo for operating funds.

“The North Carolina Zoo is pleased that the majority of our requested positions and funding for the Zoo’s new Asia Con-

Seven schools to receive laptop refresh for teachers

By Ryan Henkel Chatham News & Record

PITTSBORO — The Chatham County Schools Board of Education met Monday for its

The study aims to provide the town with recommendations for future development

By Ryan Henkel Chatham News & Record

PITTSBORO — The Town of Pittsboro could have a very di erent look in its downtown area in the coming years.

At Monday’s Town of Pittsboro Board of Commissioner’s meeting, the board was presented with a predevelopment analysis from the Downtown Pittsboro Public Properties Project study.

regular business meeting with an agenda primarily consisting of administrative items.

The board rst approved the purchase of 225 MacBook Neos from Apple as part of its regular technology replacement process for teachers at a cost to the district of just under $190,000.

The computers will be uti-

tinent were appropriated by the new state budget,” Michele Walker, assistant communications director of the N.C. Department of Natural and Cultural Resources, said in a statement. “The 54 positions and $6.2 million in operating funds will allow us to move forward with opening this exciting new area to visitors as soon as practicable. We will work as quickly as possible to hire for these necessary positions and prepare to o cially open Asia once that process is complete.”

The Asia habitat consumes 12.5 acres. At one point, projections had the exhibit opening by June, but that time period passed without a state budget.

Interim NC Zoo director Diane Villa told a Triad-area television station that some animals from the Asia habitat can be heard in other parts of the zoo, heightening the anticipation for when that area is open to the public.

This is considered the zoo’s rst major expansion since 1994.

technology refresh since 2019.

The board also approved two contracts, the rst being with KNC Technologies for security access controls and video systems at a cost of around $108,000.

lized for teachers at Seaforth, Moncure, Bonlee, JS Waters, Chatham Early College, ONE Academy and Chatham Central. Teacher laptops at these schools were previously purchased in 2021 and 2022, and the laptops that are currently in use will be recycled for instructional assistants, who haven’t had a

The study, which began in July 2025, was led by consultants from Bolton and Menk and aims to provide Chatham County and the Town of Pittsboro with recommendations for its publicly owned properties in the downtown area.

The county intends to relocate some of its operations from downtown Pittsboro, and the relocation would leave opportunities for the town to implement additional ways to “support civic use, housing, economic development, public spaces, downtown activation, infrastructure and community character.”

“We

John Foley. commissioner

“This is actually a combination of ve contracts that we already have,” said Chief Technology O cer Mark Samberg. “We went out to the vendors and we asked the ones that do work for Chatham County and security access control, and we asked them to bid on a comprehensive

Share with your community! Send us your births, deaths, marriages, graduations and other announcements: community@ chathamnewsrecord.com

Weekly deadline is Monday at Noon

Pentagon says suspension lifted for South Carolina helicopter pilots following July 4 beach event

Pentagon reverses decision after Republican leadership rallied to defend the pilots

By Meg Kinnard The Associated Press

COLUMBIA, S.C. — Eight

South Carolina National Guard helicopter pilots have been returned to ying duties following a suspension over a low- ying sweep over beachgoers as part of a July 4 event honoring servicemembers.

“E ective immediately, the suspension of all involved South Carolina pilots has been lifted,” Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell wrote Friday morning on social media. “Carry on Patriots.”

The suspension followed “Salute from the Shore,” a July 4 tradition honoring servicemembers in South Carolina since 2010 that features vintage and modern military aircraft ying along the 187-mile length of the state’s shoreline, with the intent of sparking patriotism among thousands of beachgoers gathered for the holiday.

This year’s salute included F-16s with the South Carolina Air National Guard’s 169th Fighter Wing out of McEntire Joint Base, as well as a C-17 from the 437th Airlift Wing based at Joint Base Charleston. For the rst time, Apache helicopters joined the air parade, which also featured civilian-owned vintage planes like T-34s and T-6s.

Numerous attendees often post video on social me-

CRIME LOG

July 6

• Kristin Gray Vanravestein, 41, was arrested for felony probation violation.

• Armando Trevino, 27, was arrested for driving while impaired, reckless driving to endanger, driving on a revoked license, and other charges.

July 7

• Asia Monique Ashley, 33, was arrested for misdemeanor larceny and resisting a public o cer.

• Pablo Armando Morales, 30, was arrested for tra cking in cocaine; possession with intent to sell or deliver cocaine; manufacture, sell, deliver or possess a controlled substance within 1,000 feet of a park;

“Surely, they know how to safely navigate the coast of South Carolina — and her scores of cheering residents and tourists on our 250th anniversary.”

Gov. Henry McMaster

dia of the display, but this year, online images of the Apaches ying at what appeared to be a low height over crowded beaches sparked concern with the South Carolina National Guard, which launched a review of the event and temporarily suspended the eight pilots from ying duties while that was ongoing, later clarifying the suspension was “a routine, non-punitive safety measure, not a disciplinary action.”

Late last Thursday, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth noted on social media that the Pentagon was getting involved, writing, “We’ll x this. Carry on, Patriots.”

The message was similar to one issued by Hegseth in March after the lifting of a suspension for a pair of Army pilots who hovered two AH-64 Apache helicopters near Kid Rock’s Tennessee home during a training run while he clapped and saluted.

“No punishment. No Investigation. Carry on, patriots,” Hegseth said then in a social media post, less than three hours after the Army an-

and other charges.

• Adam Daniel Webster, 40, was arrested for domestic violence.

• Taylor Lewis Bradshaw, 35, was arrested for larceny of a motor vehicle and communicating threats.

July 8

• Kevin Lee Corns, 61, was arrested for driving while impaired, carrying a concealed gun, driving on a revoked license, and other charges.

July 9

• Dennis Raymond Oshea, 29, was arrested for possession of drug paraphernalia.

nounced its review. Kid Rock, an outspoken supporter of President Donald Trump, said he thought it was “really cool” that the pilots stopped to hover at his house.

South Carolina Republicans rebuked the suspension of its Guard pilots. Rep. Russell Fry, who represents the Myrtle Beach area, said last Thursday that the pilots “should be celebrated, not sanctioned.”

Ahead of Parnell’s post noting the suspension had been lifted, Republican Gov. Henry McMaster — who serves as commander-in-chief of the state’s National Guard — said he trusted the pilots’ acumen, writing in a social media post that Guardsmen y in wartime.

“Surely, they know how to safely navigate the coast of South Carolina — and her scores of cheering residents and tourists on our 250th anniversary,” McMaster wrote.

McMaster’s o ce said last Friday the governor was pleased the suspension had been lifted. Asked whether the governor — a longtime Trump ally — had directly intervened, a spokesperson said the o ce “remains in regular communication with state and federal partners as part of its routine operations.”

The Pentagon declined to comment beyond Parnell’s statement. Maj. Lisa Allen of the South Carolina National Guard con rmed in an email last Friday that the suspension had been lifted but did not respond to a question over whether the Guard were still conducting an internal review.

Here’s a quick look at what’s coming up in Chatham County.

July 17

GrassStreet at Bynum Front Porch

7 p.m.

Central North Carolina bluegrass ensemble GrassStreet — featuring guitar, banjo, ddle, Dobro and bass — performs at the historic Bynum General Store as part of the Bynum Front Porch Summer Music Series. Admission is free; donations to support the musicians are encouraged.

Bynum Front Porch 950 Bynum Road Bynum

Pittsboro Finally Fridays Arts Walk

5 p.m.

The monthly third-Friday arts walk lls downtown Pittsboro’s social district with local artisans displaying work in outdoor art pods, live music, and participating shops and restaurants open late. Admission is free; attendees may purchase an Arts Walk glass for complimentary beverages at participating establishments. Downtown Pittsboro Social District Hillsboro Street Pittsboro

Too Much Fun at The City Tap

7:30 p.m.

July 10

• Anthony Michael Colonello, 52, was arrested for second-degree murder.

July 11

• Luis Perez-Perez, 27, was arrested for driving while impaired.

• Fabio Estuardo Sajche-Gomez, 50, was arrested for sexual battery.

• Watson Henry Rubens, 61, was arrested for assault and battery and communicating threats.

July 12

• Jose Moreno Menendez, 25, was arrested for interfering with emergency communication, misdemeanor larceny, injury to personal property, and other charges.

Central Electric providing grants to local educators to fund innovative projects

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

Central Electric is awarding up to $15,000 in Bright Ideas education grants to local educators in K-12 classrooms for the 2026-27 school year. Educators in K-12 classrooms with creative ideas for learning projects are encouraged to apply for a grant up to $2,000.

Grant applications will be accepted through Sept. 15. However, it pays to apply early.

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

Roots-rock and rhythm-andblues band Too Much Fun, performing for nearly 40 years, takes the stage at The City Tap in downtown Pittsboro. No cover charge. The City Tap 89 Hillsboro St. Pittsboro

July 18

Chatham County Yardbirds Closing Night vs. Danville Dairy Daddies

7 p.m.

The Chatham County Yardbirds, Siler City’s inaugural Old North State League collegiate wood-bat baseball team, close out their rst season at home against the Danville Dairy Daddies. Yardbirds Field at Paul Braxton Park 111 S. 3rd Ave. Siler City

NC History Between the Lines Book Club — “Redcoats on the Cape Fear” 9:30 a.m.

The Chatham County Historical Association’s local history book club meets to discuss “Redcoats on the Cape Fear” by Robert M. Dunkerly, exploring Revolutionary War history in southeastern North Carolina. Registration is required through the association’s website.

Historic Chatham County Courthouse 9 Hillsboro St. Pittsboro

Darline Graham Nordone, sister of Lindsey Graham, chosen to ful ll remainder of his US Senate term

Nordone will be the rst woman to represent South Carolina in the U.S. Senate

By Meg Kinnard and Je rey Collins The Associated Press

COLUMBIA, S.C. — Lindsey Graham’s sister, Darline Graham Nordone, has been named as her late brother’s temporary replacement in the U.S. Senate after his unexpected death over the weekend.

South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster announced at a news conference at the Statehouse on Monday that Nordone would serve the remaining months on Graham’s current term, which expires in January.

A person familiar with the appointment process but not authorized to speak about it publicly said Nordone would be sworn in Wednesday. She will be the rst woman to represent the state in the U.S. Senate.

“It is such an honor,” Nordone said, as dozens of Graham sta ers and campaign advisers stood behind her, some with eyes glassy from welling tears. “Lindsey has always been there for me. And now, I will be there for him.”

Graham died Saturday night at age 71. He never married or had a family of his own, but Nordone was often by her brother’s side for the political touch points of his career, speaking at events and appearing in some of his campaign ads.

After their parents died at a young age, Graham was left to raise his sister, for whom he later became legal guardian. They were very close, and she was there as he led reelection paperwork earlier this year, along with her children and grandchildren.

“To Lindsey, I miss you more than I can even put into words,” Nordone said, emotion rising in her voice. “But I’m going to do this. I got it.”

Introducing Nordone, McMaster said the two had spoken in “in the wee hours of Sunday morning” after Graham’s death, and he asked her to serve.

“I had wondered what you would say, and I was humbled by your quickness to see the duty that you had to serve,” McMaster said. He added that President Donald Trump “thought it was a great idea” when he later told him of his pick. Trump announced his support for Nardone to ll the seat earlier Monday.

How will a special primary work?

A special election will be held next month to pick a new Republican nominee in the general election for Graham’s seat. He had been seeking a fth term this year.

The rare open Senate seat has ignited a scramble among South Carolina’s most ambitious conservatives, who have been eager to climb the political ladder.

Republicans just nished a sprawling and bruising contest to gure out their nominee for succeeding McMaster, who is wrapping up his second term. State Attorney General Alan Wilson won the nomination, overcoming a eld that included Lt. Gov. Pamela Evette, Rep. Nancy Mace and Ralph Norman — all of whom are now eyeing Graham’s seat following his death over the weekend. According to South Carolina law, a one-week ling period for a special primary election begins on the second Tuesday after the candidate’s death, or July 21.

The special primary election would be held on the second Tuesday after that ling period closes, or Aug. 11. Any necessary runo would follow two weeks after that, or Aug. 25.

From that point, the new nominee would have just over two months to campaign for the general election on Nov. 3.

RAINIER EHRHARDT / AP PHOTO

Darline Graham Nordone, sister of Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.), walks to the stage before his announcement for presidency on June 1, 2015, in Central, South Carolina.

“To Lindsey, I miss you more than I can even put into words. But I’m going to do this. I got it.”

Darline Graham Nordone

All of this is problematic according to federal law, which requires military and overseas ballots to go out 45 days before any federal election. For the special election primary, that would have been June 27. Federal Election Commission ocials didn’t immediately return a message seeking clarity about the process.

Who could replace Graham?

Graham died Saturday night, and a preliminary medical examiner report said he su ered a tear in his aorta, known as an aortic dissection.

In the hours after Graham’s death was announced, South Carolina’s Republican circles were already swirling with rumors about possible replacements. Given the proximity of November’s election, it’s likely that whomever McMaster appoints could be a top contender in the special primary, although it’s possible that McMaster’s choice will only serve as a temporary caretaker.

Evette, who has served nearly eight years alongside McMaster and received his endorsement in the governor’s race, is one possibility. She lost the June 23 runo to Wilson.

A person with knowledge of Evette’s thinking but not authorized to discuss it publicly said that she was getting encouragement from across the state and feels she would have good chances in the special primary.

It’s unlikely that any House member would be appointed to nish Graham’s current term, since Republicans have such a slim majority in the chamber.

U.S. Rep. Joe Wilson, a rumored replacement, said he assured Trump on Sunday that “my goal is to remain in the House to keep his two-vote majority for the American people!!!”

However, that doesn’t mean that House members won’t run for the next full term. A person with knowledge of Mace’s thinking but not authorized to speak about it publicly said she was considering the race. Mace is not running for reelection to the House.

But another Republican from the state, Rep. Russell Fry, could be a possibility. The two-term lawmaker represents the growing area around Myrtle Beach, and he’s been a top Trump ally.

Businessman Mark Lynch, whom Graham defeated in the primary, could also jump into the race. A person familiar with

Church News

OAKLEY BAPTIST CHURCH

As Oakley Baptist Church (2300 Siler City-Glendon Road, Siler City) seeks to begin its next chapter, we are enjoying hearing a word from the Lord with Dr. McCollough. 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!

Gary McCollough – Interim

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.

BEAR CREEK BAPTIST CHURCH

480 Bonlee Carbonton Rd., Bear Creek

July 19th through the 22nd Come join us for Vacation Bible School as we go on a Snowball Mountain Challenge with God!

6:30-8:30 p.m. nightly. All children aged 3 years to 6th grade are invited!

Sunday thru Tuesday night will be lled with music, crafts, Bible stories, games, supper and fun! Wednesday night is family night with a closing commencement and cookout!

SANDY BRANCH CHURCH

but not authorized to speak publicly about the thinking of Mark Sanford — South Carolina’s former governor who also served two separate stints in the U.S. House — said he was considering it too.

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, who lived in South Carolina before joining the Trump administration, has elded calls about potentially replacing Graham but doesn’t have interest in the role and enjoys working for the president, according to a person who insisted on anonymity to describe private conversations.

How does Graham’s death a ect the general election?

No Democrat has won a Senate seat in South Carolina in decades, and Republicans in recent history typically take statewide seats by double digits. When he last ran in 2020, Graham defeated his Democratic opponent, Jaime Harrison, by a 10 percentage point margin.

So while history suggests that Graham was en route to a fth term, Republicans are carefully surveying the landscape.

Charleston pediatrician Annie Andrews won the Democratic nomination last month and has raised more than $8 million in the race, and she had just under $3 million cash on hand at the end of May, according to federal lings. Graham had taken in $6 million, with just over $4 million on hand.

In a statement Sunday, Andrews called on South Carolinians to join her “in setting partisanship aside and o ering gratitude” to Graham for his service.

Harrison, noting that he and Graham “had our share of political disagreements,” wrote on social media that he “always appreciated that even in our ercest political battles, we could still share a conversation, a laugh, and a mutual respect for South Carolina and the institutions we were both privileged to serve.”

What happens to South Carolina’s Republican clout?

Graham leaves a major void in the Senate, where seniority can determine in uence. He served more than two decades in the chamber, positioning himself to lead committees and set the agenda.

Scott, South Carolina’s junior senator, has been in o ce only since 2012 — short by the state’s standards. Fritz Hollings served for 38 years, and Strom Thurmond was there for 47.

Scott, who co-chaired Graham’s reelection e ort, described his former colleague as “irreplaceable.”

“America lost a statesman, but I lost a friend,” he told ABC’s “This Week.”

We will be having our annual Vacation Bible School Friday and Saturday, July 17-18.

“Scuba Diving into Friendship with God”

There will be registration and an ice cream social on Friday night beginning at 6 p.m.

Classes for ages preschool and up will be Saturday morning from 9 a.m. to noon with a time for Bible study, crafts, games, music and then lunch afterward. We are located at 715 Sandy Branch Church Road in Bear Creek, and we hope you can join us.

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

OVERCOMING ADDICTIONS!

Bible Study: 1 John 5:1-5 Church of Living

Water; Pastor: James Mitchell

Good news to all who are addicted to hard drugs, alcohol, and gambling. These drugs are destroying your brain, your teeth, and your body. In jail or prison, the drugs are out of your system. They are still in your brain, so as soon as you get out, most people start taking these drugs again. How many years of your life have you spent behind bars?

Hundreds of thousands have died while taking these drugs. Oh, the pain you are causing your family members. Gambling is an addiction. Satan allows you to win sometimes to get you addicted. Some have lost a week’s pay, their car, and even their house. Their children and wives don’t have any food now. The answer is that you must want to stop destroying your life and hurting your family. Then you can have victory by giving your life to God. Jesus died on the cross for all our sins. If you believe in Jesus and want Him to come into your life and be your Lord and Savior, you can have victory over these deadly addictions! If you truly mean this in your heart, you need to get into a church where you can grow in the Lord. You must stay away from people who are doing drugs. When you have overcome, you can reach out to win other lost souls. You are welcome at the Church of Living Water! Please share this message with as many people as you can. I pray for you from my heart to please turn around.

THE CONVERSATION

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

Getting a human

Speaking of the youngsters, they are lots of fun and very cute. Most of them have tons of energy that you will have to burn o .

RAMONA HERE, Andrew’s dog. I’ve taken over his column this week because a friend of mine is considering getting a human. Here’s my honest opinion.

One, humans are a lot of work. They need to be trained to feed you, ll your water bowl and take you for walks. It’s helpful if they have a fenced-in backyard, for then they can simply open the door, which is manageable for most of them.

Two, humans are expensive. They require a tremendous amount of stu to keep them happy. Small glowing devices that they can hold in their little hands entertain most of them. But there are also many doctor’s appointments, especially for the young ones who have a habit of hurting themselves.

Speaking of the youngsters, they are lots of fun and very cute. Most of them have tons of energy that you will have to burn o . They struggle sometimes remembering what’s right and wrong, and they often make messes. Something called “potty training” is a big deal. But the young ones are the best listeners and most willing to nap together on the oor. It helps if you give your human his or her own space where they can read or tap on those glowing devices with their opposable thumbs. It makes them feel safe to have something like a den. They are not so di erent from us in that way. But they don’t turn around three times before they

lie down. They will just op down without warning. It’s very strange.

Most perplexing of all, some humans have a fondness for cats. You will want to know this form of mental illness ahead of time. It is possible that they will grow out of this nasty phase. That reminds me — hygiene is very important for humans. They need to bathe or shower at least every other day. Thankfully, most of them don’t seem to mind.

Humans come in various heights and sizes. Some have long hair, others short hair. The males tend to lose their hair; don’t be alarmed if it doesn’t grow back. Apparently, that’s fairly normal. Humans have di erent temperaments too. Some are very social, while others prefer to stick to themselves. Their scienti c name, “Homo sapiens,” means “wisdom,” but some de nitely live into that characteristic more than others. Bless their hearts.

Still, I recommend getting a human, even two or three! Though you will spend a lot of money and give a ton of time, there are moments with your human that are indeed priceless.

Ramona’s owner’s latest 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.

Life’s lessons linger, lengthen

There are things I experienced years ago that are still big on my radar, and I wonder why some of them are that way while others are not.

AS THE YEARS come and go with more candles on the birthday cake, I’m becoming more aware — maybe a better word is surprised — of things I remember.

Many of them are from childhood and the people who were part of mine. I daresay you likely have similar memories of the special folks who shepherded you through your tender years.

The question, however, isn’t so much remembering those people, places and things as it’s what’s their meaning.

Some are easily understood after remembering them. For instance, when my father started teaching me to drive, an early directive was, “Son, keep it between the ditches.” I had no trouble understanding what that meant.

When my mother would ask me how much money I made at my various teenage part-time jobs and even later as an adult, I thought that was a bit personal and said so on more than one occasion. Her standard answer was, “Son, nobody has your welfare at heart any more than I do. You need to save some of that instead of spending it all.” I also understood that. And believed it … and still pretty much do. Unfortunately, I was better at following what my dad said than what Mama said, but that’s another story.

Besides the sayings and words, there were actions that appeared on my life’s blueprint. For instance, Saturday night was always “shoe-shine night” in our basement so that we’d look good at church Sunday morning. My father impressed on me that a fellow could wear the sharpest suit and tie, but if his shoes were a mess, so was he. I still believe that, but through the years I have occasionally gotten casual at shining shoes. But every so often, I’ll empty the closet of shoes, go out on my back porch and throw polish around everywhere. That behavior tells me that some things I learned years ago are sometimes more words than actions. But then there are things I experienced years ago that are still big on my radar, and I wonder why some of them are that way while others are not.

I’ll be the rst to admit I’m a social media dinosaur. Using my desktop computer to hammer out these words is about as far as I can navigate the world of technology. I still have a ip phone because all I want is a way to contact folks when necessary and not to know what time it is in

Singapore. And I’m OK with that, that this “brave new world” of ours is leaving me behind. But I can’t help it … and don’t really want to change it or see the need. All that is said to say that some of the things I experienced as a child still have a hold on my life. And one of them is the world of business on Sunday. I know The Book says we’re to honor the Sabbath Day and “keep it holy,” and I know that the original Sabbath is Saturday and I also know it says if your ox falls into a ditch don’t leave it there until the next morning.

But I confess I still have second thoughts about mowing yards on Sunday or baling hay or cutting wood. I also know, though, if you’ve got hay down and all of a sudden it “comes up a cloud,” as Grandpa would say, you need to get the hay up before it sours and there’s nothing to feed the ox once you get him out of the ditch. I know some folks work on Sundays because their jobs require it — police, re ghters, nurses, cooks and servers. I’m not faulting that; I’m just remembering and trying to understand. Part of that was society’s call on our lives because on Saturdays you got gas in the car because no gas stations were open on Sunday.

With all that, however, there’s one thing I nd it extremely hard to do. Can’t remember the rst time of doing it, but it’s almost impossible for me to write a check on Sunday. Actually, what’s impossible is putting a date that falls on a Sunday on a check. I have written some on Sunday mornings for our church’s weekly o ering and put Saturday’s date on it. I’m pretty sure that comes from my father who, somewhere along the line as I remember, told me in those years banks wouldn’t cash checks written on Sundays. That’s probably not a true statement, now or then, but it’s lodged in my memory and living well.

So does that mean I’m a hypocrite? Probably. Is it legalism? Yeah, most likely. Am I straining at a gnat and missing an elephant? Again, most likely.

But remember, I said at the start of this piece that many things surprise me. I still wonder what they all mean.

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

Well, it does sound like …

What was I hearing?

The sound of loud running water. Disturbingly loud. COLUMN

WAILING AWAY on my stationary bike. I mean wailing. Hooked up to my iPhone and earbuds, listening to a “gentle rain for relaxation” track from a music playlist. Yep, I was sweating buckets but satis ed the old girl still has it in her. Ended by splashing water on my face, removing the sweat from this “you done good” stationary bike ride. Lifted my head from the bathroom sink and heard … what was I hearing? The sound of loud running water. Disturbingly loud. Lifted the heavy toilet tank lid and happily found its innards appeared docile and quiet. The rushing water sounds persisted. A quick peek into the tub and shower found nothing amiss (except, perhaps, my diminishing sanity).

A tad OCD (as I often am in crises), I once again lifted the heavy toilet tank top. Just doing its toilet tank thing; in this case, nothing. Still, the sound of omnipresent rushing water was scaring your friendly catastrophizer up the wazoo. Heart pounding, I trotted into the kitchen. The kitchen faucet looked a wee bit lonely, in the empty sink, but it damn well wasn’t dripping. But, OMG, the continuing sound of rushing water seemed to echo throughout the house. (Did it occur to me to take a deep breath — or two, or three — at that juncture? Nope.) Leaped out the back door to the patio faucet. Quiet as a lamb. But that damn sound of surging water rolled outside with me. Whoa!

Honestly, I’m a good and kind person, but also a lifelong catastrophizer with a fertile imagination, to boot. For a few seconds there, I pictured a watery geyser, boiling up beneath the duplex, and the edi ce oating

COLUMN | DENNIS BERWYN

o its foundation. (See what I mean about creative?)

And yours truly would be held responsible! Absolutely desperate to dispatch with my homeownership responsibilities, I’d sold my house a few years ago. Present moment, Poseidon, God of the Sea, seemed to be saying, “Not so fast, girlfriend.” (Had I recently blasphemed Poseidon, unknowingly? If so, many apologies.) OK, time to face the music (and text the duplex owners) to staunch my anxiety and the apparent nonstop ow of water on a late Friday afternoon. Oh, geez, the duplex owners are just going to love this one. Took in several belated deep breaths. Reached into my pocket where my iPhone nestled. Pulled it out and very, very loud running water sounds literally washed over me! On the iPhone screen, the gentle rain sounds, played during my bike ride, had migrated to the next track: “Rushing Mountain Stream.” My bogus “Rushing Mountain Stream” water emergency might soon be a comedic one-act play, appearing at a local theater near you. Who knows?

Coming clean on this story, I had to out myself as the catastrophizer I am. Not wishing to beat myself up for this lifelong challenge, I’m taking the sage advice of that long-lived cartoon character, Popeye, the Sailor Man:

“I yam what I yam, an’ that’s all what I yam.”

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

Patients deserve transparency and accountability in North

The 340B Drug Pricing Program was created in 1992 to help ensure low-income and rural patients have access to a ordable medicines.

Carolina’s hospital system

NORTH CAROLINA FAMILIES shouldn’t have to guess what their healthcare will cost or whether they’re getting a fair deal. But too often, that’s exactly where people nd themselves: navigating a system where prices vary widely, transparency is limited and accountability can feel just out of reach.

At the center of this challenge is a trend that has quietly reshaped healthcare across the country: hospital consolidation.

Over the past two decades, hospitals have steadily joined larger systems, often with the goal of improving coordination and expanding access to care. Those are important goals. But the reality for many patients, especially those in rural communities, has been more complicated. Research continues to show that when markets become more concentrated, prices often rise and choices become more limited. New consolidation e orts in North Carolina raise real questions about what this means for patients, taxpayers and local communities.

When competition declines, patients lose. And too often, families and employers end up paying the price.

We’re seeing the e ects here in North Carolina. Wide di erences in hospital prices and real gaps in price transparency make it harder for patients and employers to plan ahead or even know if they’ve been treated fairly.

And it’s not just about confusion. It’s about trust — trust that the system is working as intended and that patients are bene ting from it.

One clear example is the 340B Drug Pricing Program. This federal program was created in 1992 to help ensure low-income and rural patients have access to a ordable medicines. Eligible hospitals and clinics can buy outpatient medicines at steep discounts with the understanding that those savings should support patient care and community needs.

That goal and the 340B program are worth preserving. But over time, the program has expanded dramatically without consistent transparency or clear requirements for reporting how those savings are used. In too many cases, patients have no way to know whether discounted medicines are actually lowering their costs or improving access to care.

In North Carolina, data shows that some hospitals participating in 340B have charged far more than the discounted price they paid for certain medications. At the same time, there is no consistent requirement that those savings be passed directly to patients or clearly tied to improving patient access or a ordability. When that’s combined with continued hospital consolidation, it raises serious questions about whether the program is serving patients as Congress intended.

This highlights something else worth paying attention to: incentives matter. As hospitals grow larger and acquire new facilities, they can expand their use of programs like 340B. Over time, that dynamic can reward consolidation, reduce competition and make an already complicated health care system harder for families to understand.

Supporting hospitals and standing up for patients should not be in con ict. We can, and should, do both.

That starts with greater transparency so patients can understand prices before they receive care. It means clearer standards and accountability so programs designed to help vulnerable populations actually deliver on that promise. It also means practical federal reforms that protect legitimate safety-net providers while closing loopholes that allow the program to drift away from patients.

The Trump administration is taking one encouraging step by continuing to pursue the recent federal 340B rebate pilot, which o ers a measured way to add veri cation and accountability before discounts are nalized. Done correctly, that approach can help con rm that a prescription is eligible, reduce duplicate discounts, create a clearer data trail and bring more discipline to the program without changing which hospitals or clinics qualify for 340B. Just as important, it focuses on solving problems up front rather than relying on slower, after-the-fact e orts to untangle errors once the money has already moved.

That is the kind of commonsense reform conservatives should support: limited, practical, focused on accountability and respectful of both taxpayers and patients.

Just as importantly, we have to recognize where responsibility for reform truly sits. Programs like 340B are federal by design, and Congress should lead. A patchwork of state-level xes risks creating more inconsistency and less accountability, failing to provide the clarity and consistency patients deserve.

North Carolina has always valued fairness, personal responsibility, competition and looking out for one another. Bringing more transparency and accountability to our health care system is simply an extension of those values. At the end of the day, patients should come rst, and families should be able to trust the healthcare system they rely on. Congress should act now to strengthen 340B through clear federal reforms that restore transparency, protect taxpayers, preserve the safety net and ensure the program nally works the way it was intended: for patients.

Dennis Berwyn is vice chair of the Wake Republican Men and vice president of the Central Region of the North Carolina Federation of Republican Men.

AOC should thank baby boomers for the world they left her

ALEXANDRIA OCASIO-CORTEZ says she knows why socialism is on the rise: Blame it on the boomers.

“Millennials and Gen Z combined, now for the rst time, are eclipsing the number of baby boomers,” she explained recently. “Young people overall feel a tremendous amount of betrayal about the world we’ve been left.”

It’s inarguable that younger generations feel this way. The notion that millennials and Generation Z are toiling in a uniquely grueling economic era, however, is utterly delusional.

But convincing young people they’ve been handed a broken world only fostered an unprecedented sense of hopelessness. You are not victims of “oligarchs,” unfettered capitalism or any other imaginary monsters.

One of the most popular myths these days (you hear it from both sides all the time) is that the American middle class is being gutted. It’s simply not true. In 1980, 36% of American families were middle class.

Only 31% of Americans are still in the middle class because the upper middle class has grown from 10% of households to more than 30%. The middle class is shrinking because the upper middle class is expanding.

Real median income has not only grown across all classes over the past 40 years but has zoomed past the rest of the Western world. The average American family in Mississippi now has a higher per capita GDP than the average French, British and German family.

That’s a pretty remarkable economic inheritance. Just ask the soccer fans visiting for the World Cup.

Another big grievance of younger people is that housing has become far too expensive. It’s a genuine concern. But ownership rates are no lower today than they were in the ’60s, ’70s or ’90s, and most of the 1980s. The homeownership rate in 1980 was 65.5%. In 2025, it was 65.4%. Rates temporarily spiked through the 2000s when government policy incentivized millions to “buy” houses they couldn’t a ord with no money down.

Housing shortages are driven by the laws of physics. It’s not the boomers’ fault that too many people want to live in and around major urban areas.

You also wonder if the average Gen Zer understands that the environment is in nitely cleaner today than it was 30, 40 or 50 years ago. There has been widespread reforesting and wetland restoration. There is far less litter. Air quality is drastically cleaner, as is water. When boomers started driving, gas was leaded, and most cars didn’t even have catalytic converters. Gen X grew up worried about things called “nuclear winter” and “acid rain.”

An average household spends on clothing and food a fraction of what their grandparents did. And yet, they also have substantially more choices, including international and nutritious fare.

It’s true that healthcare costs have risen. Some of it can be attributed to bad policy. Most of it re ects prosperity, as younger Americans will generally enjoy longer life expectancy and better care than any generation before them.

Big Pharma, one of the industries reviled by Ocasio-Cortez and her allies, keeps coming up with ways to keep people with once-deadly diseases alive. None of it is cheap. Yet.

When Ocasio-Cortez rst won her congressional seat, Time magazine writer Charlotte Alter wrote a glowing pro le of the socialist newcomer, explaining that her “adulthood was de ned by nancial crisis, debt and climate change. No wonder she and her peers are moving left.”

Since Ocasio-Cortez turned 18 in 2007, there have been only two negative growth years in the United States, one of them due to a worldwide pandemic. From 1970 to 2007, there was, on average, a negative or recessionary year every three to four years. Americans worked through recessions in 1928, 1937, 1945, 1949, 1953, 1958, 1960, 1969, 1973, 1980/1981, 1990 and 2001 without turning to socialism. The only thing special about Ocasio-Cortez’s adulthood is that the recessions have become shorter and less severe. AOC is living in the golden age.

Boomers have failed on plenty of fronts, but being on the hook for a ridiculously expensive student loan on a useless degree isn’t one of the great tragedies to have befallen mankind. It’s just the consequence of choices. And most progressives want other people to pay for their choices. There are plenty of serious problems — there always are — but historically speaking, by virtually every quanti able measure available, Americans are living in a uniquely wealthy and safe world. Ocasio - Cortez should be thanking baby boomers for the world they left her.

David Harsanyi is a senior writer at the Washington Examiner. (Copyright 2026 Creators.com)

obituaries

Betty Sizemore King

June 3rd, 1931 –July 2nd, 2026

Betty Sizemore King, a beloved wife, mother, and grandmother, passed away peacefully on Thursday, July 2, 2026. Her hospitality, dry wit, and deep love for family and friends will be missed by all whose lives she touched. Born June 3, 1931, in Bear Creek, NC, Betty was the rst daughter of Florence Brewer and Walter Floyd Sizemore. She learned cooking and household management from her Grandmother Sizemore at a young age and took a special interest in her younger siblings—10 and 17 years her junior.

Betty graduated from Bonlee High School in 1949. Her yearbook quote beautifully foreshadowed the life of devotion she would lead: “Life will not be useless if lived for service to God and man.” Those words proved profoundly true. She began her lifelong service to God by being born into the Tysons Creek church family, where she served as the church pianist while still in her teens. A decade later, her life of service expanded to include a deep devotion to a very special man: Charles Conaway King. The matchmaking e orts of her cousin’s husband sparked a whirlwind romance that culminated in their marriage on November 22, 1959, at the same church where she had once played the piano. From that day forward, she was his constant companion in all things concerning God and Man. The newlyweds worked and saved to build their ranch-style home on Greenhill Drive. When their daughter, Dorlisa Dawn, was born, Betty chose to leave her work as a beautician to focus entirely on her family as a homemaker. She loved spending time outdoors tending her butter y bushes, cultivating a vegetable garden, hanging laundry to dry in the sunshine, and even helping Charles mow the lawn. Inside, she famously served three home-cooked meals each day. Anyone at her table was treated to a full spread of meat, two vegetables, fresh bread, a homemade dessert, and sweet iced tea. As a mother, Betty was fully present in Dorlisa’s world: volunteering as a class mom, fostering a love of music and piano, and serving as the ultimate shopping buddy for school holiday trips to Greensboro’s malls. Charles remained the center of Betty’s universe throughout their

nearly 64-year marriage. She supported his career as a professor and corporate executive and later walked alongside him in his avocation as a cattleman, checking cows and mending fences. As his health declined, her erce devotion as a caregiver took over. Her intense focus on his needs masked her own Alzheimer’s diagnosis until her early 90s. This caregiving journey peaked with their move to Lake Wylie Assisted Living. When Charles passed away in October 2023, the grief nearly overwhelmed Betty, and she spent much of the rst year waking each day to relive the fresh pain of his loss. Eventually, her mind drifted back to the simpler years of her youth, and she found a gentle, lasting peace. Her resilient spirit returned, and she endeared herself to her caregivers, who adored her radiant smile and trademark dry wit—which she often shared with a sharp comment just when they thought she was fast asleep. Betty recently celebrated her milestone 95th birthday at Lake Wylie—and again at The Brownstone at Park Crossing in Charlotte. The transition to this residential home, which accommodates six residents, provided her with the additional care and support she needed to enjoy her nal weeks in comfort and peace, thanks to an incredibly dedicated sta .

Left to cherish Betty’s life are her daughter, Dorlisa Flur; her son-in-law, Peter; and her granddaughter, Arella. She is survived by her sister, Nancy Williamson, and her husband; her sister-in-law, Belinda Sizemore; four Sizemore nieces and nephews and their families; three sisters-inlaw—Anne Clark, Doris King, and Ann King; and nine King nieces and nephews and their families.

In addition to her husband and parents, Betty was preceded in death by her two brothers, James Everette Sizemore and Ronny Floyd Sizemore.

On behalf of her mother, Dorlisa extends special thanks to the sta at The Brownstone at Park Crossing and VIA Health Partners for their loving care during her mother’s nal weeks. She also thanks the sta at Lake Wylie Assisted Living and the caregivers from Agape Care and Visiting Angels for serving as her mother’s SC family over the past four years.

A service to celebrate Betty’s life will be held at Tysons Creek Baptist Church in Bear Creek, NC, on Saturday, July 18, 2026, at 2:00 p.m., led by Reverend Bob Wachs.

A reception will follow in the Family Life Center.

Smith & Buckner Funeral Home of Siler City, NC, is serving the family and provided Betty with her angel wings home from Charlotte— so she could rejoin Charles. Memorials may be made to Tysons Creek Baptist Church, located at 10891 Siler CityGlendon Road, Bear Creek, NC 27207.

IN MEMORY

TOMMY WALLACE

JULY 21, 1947 – JUNE 7, 2026

It is with profound sadness that we announce the passing of Tommy Wallace, who passed away peacefully on June 7, 2026, at FirstHealth Hospice House in West End, North Carolina, at the age of 78. Born on July 21, 1947, in Sanford, North Carolina, Tommy was the son of the late Thelma and David Wallace. He was preceded in death by his beloved wife, Nora Faye Wood Wallace, and his siblings, Carolyn Wallace, Ted Wallace, and Donnie Wallace. Tommy is survived by his daughter, Stephanie Wallace (Lee); granddaughters Alyson (Mike), Kaila (Heath), and Madison (Andy); great-grandchildren Shelby, Teagan, and Morgan, with another great-grandson on the way; siblings Naomi Cotten, Patricia Wallace, Larry Wallace, Vickie Hickman, Phillip Wallace, Elton Wallace, and Jimmy Wallace; and many special nieces and nephews.

New Zealand actor Sam Neill, known for

‘Jurassic Park’

and ‘The Piano,’ dead at 78

He remained cancer-free despite his 2023 diagnosis with a rare lymphoma

By Mark Kennedy and Charlotte Graham-McLay The Associated Press

WELLINGTON, New Zealand — Sam Neill, a smoothly elegant and versatile actor whose career moved from art lm to blockbuster as he dodged velociraptors in “Jurassic Park” to playing Holly Hunter’s husband in “The Piano,” has died. He was 78. In 2023, Neill disclosed he had been diagnosed with angioimmunoblastic T-cell lymphoma, a rare type of non-Hodgkin lymphoma. Neill died Monday in Sydney, according to a statement posted to the actor’s social media page.

His death was “sudden and unexpected,” the statement said, adding that he “remained cancer free” when he died. A cause of death wasn’t speci ed.

“Sam was surrounded by family and passed with the dignity that has characterised his whole life,” his family wrote. Actor came to world’s notice with “Dead Calm” and “My Brilliant Career”

Neill was one of a host of actors and directors who achieved international fame after an explosion of Australian lms that began in the late 1970s, a list that includes Paul Hogan, Mel Gibson, Geo rey Rush, Russell Crowe, Jane Campion, Peter Weir and Gillian Armstrong. His range was remarkable, playing opposite Helena Bonham Carter in the Alan Ayckbourn comedy “Sweet Revenge” to chopping o Hunter’s nger in “The Piano” to poking his own eyes out in the sci- horror “Event Horizon.”

In “Omen III: The Final Conict,” he played Damien the Antichrist, and he also played Cardinal Thomas Wolsey in “The Tudors.”

The actor rst came to the attention of international audiences in Armstrong’s 1979 lm

“My Brilliant Career,” which also introduced Judy Davis. He later appeared in Phillip Noyce’s “Dead Calm,” a classy thriller set at sea and co-starring the then-relatively unknown Nicole Kidman.

Neill twice co-starred with Meryl Streep, in Australian director Fred Schepisi’s “Plenty” and — again for Schepisi — in “A Cry in the Dark,” a lm about the sensationalized aftermath of a dingo killing a baby in the Australian Outback. He earned an Emmy nomination for his performance in the title role of the 1998 miniseries “Merlin” and another as narrator of 2017’s “Wild New Zealand.”

“Jurassic Park” was his best-known lm

Perhaps Neill achieved his

highest level of fame in “Jurassic Park” playing paleontologist Alan Grant, who is summoned to an island o Costa Rica where a theme park has been built to house herds of cloned dinosaurs. He co-starred alongside Laura Dern, Je Goldblum and Richard Attenborough. His character was thoughtful and reasonable, a scientist who warned the mastermind of the theme park before the chaos: “Dinosaurs and man, two species separated by 65 million years of evolution have just been suddenly thrown back into the mix together. How can we possibly have the slightest idea what to expect?”

Grant survived the harrowing events when the creatures get loose but didn’t return for “The Lost World: Jurassic Park II” in 1997. He came back for the third episode in 2001 and “Jurassic World: Dominion” in 2022.

“It’s probably a little late to learn these things,” he told the Daily News of New York in 2001, “but I nally feel I’ve worked out how to be an action hero. I’m happier with Grant this time. He’s gnarly and grizzled, but he looks like he knows what he’s doing.”

Neill grew up in Northern Ireland, then New Zealand

Born in 1947 in Northern Ireland, Neill emigrated to New Zealand at the age of 7. He was born Nigel Neill but told interviewers he started to go by Sam because there were too many Nigels at his school.

His family settled in Dunedin on the South Island, and he was sent to boarding school in Christchurch. After college, he took the lead in “Sleeping Dogs” in 1977, the rst feature made in New Zealand in more than a decade.

Neill’s other lm roles included playing a Soviet submarine o cer who memorably dreams of a home in Montana in “The Hunt for Red October” and an investigator in director John Carpenter’s “In the Mouth of Madness.”

On the small screen, Neill played the malign Chester Campbell in TV’s “Peaky Blind-

ers” and Thomas Je erson in the four-hour CBS miniseries, “Sally Hemings: an American Tragedy.” On Apple TV, he was on “Invasion,” playing Oklahoma Sheri John Bell Tyson, a man late in his career searching for his purpose. In 2024 he starred opposite Annette Bening in the Peacock series “Apples Never Fall.”

Actor beloved in New Zealand as an unassuming celebrity

The actor became known in New Zealand as a modest and unassuming person who didn’t embrace celebrity. On social media, he often posted images of his farm animals, many of them a ectionately named after celebrities and friends, like Laura Dern the chicken, Kylie Minogue the duck and Helena Bonham Carter the cow.

New Zealand Prime Minister Christopher Luxon mourned Neill as “one of the greats” in a statement posted to social media.

“He started out when there was barely a lm industry to speak of,” Luxon wrote. “For more than fty years he took New Zealand stories to the world and his talents helped make our lm industry into what it is today.”

Neill was also a vintner, and under his Two Paddocks brand, he produced pinot noir and riesling wines from his winery in the Central Otago region of New Zealand’s South Island.

His memoir “Did I Ever Tell You This?” came out in March 2023, and he was awarded a knighthood in recognition of his “outstanding contribution to lm,” a title approved by the late Queen Elizabeth II.

“I can’t pretend that the last year hasn’t had its dark moments,” Neill told The Guardian in 2023, referring to his cancer diagnosis and treatment. “But those dark moments throw the light into sharp relief, you know, and have made me grateful for every day and immensely grateful for all my friends.”

He is survived by his four children and eight grandchildren.

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

Grateful dog owner describes mountain rescue after canine apparently ingests cannabis

Rescuers carried the incapacitated dog down the mountain in under an hour

By Brian Melley The Associated Press

LONDON — Christina Bluhme was high on the anks of Britain’s tallest mountain with her dogs and one of the hounds was a lot higher — and not in a good way.

Tokyo, a 5-year-old black Labrador retriever, had apparently ingested cannabis along the trail and had to be rescued after she began to sway like she was drunk and then couldn’t walk at all.

“She had a very bad trip,” said Bluhme, who was mysti ed at the time about what nearly doomed her dog during the July 5 hike. “It was a very terrifying experience.”

Bluhme knows a thing or two about dogs, having worked as a canine trainer for 25 years. But she never suspected Tokyo might be stoned.

While cases of cannabis toxicity in pets is rising in the U.K., it’s an even bigger problem in the U.S., where marijuana has been legalized in many states and is available as a medical option in others.

Marijuana and other drugs entered the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals top 10 list of toxins for pets for the rst time in 2023. Its poison control center said 10% more calls were related to potential marijuana ingestion than the previous year, and they had increased nearly threefold over the past ve years.

With the dog collapsed, Bluhme, her son and two dogs were more than three hours into their climb and near the peak of Ben Nevis, the 4,413foot (mountain in the Scottish Highlands. The weather, which had been clear at the start of the day, had turned to rain and the temperature had plunged to 41 F.

She told her son, Magnus, that their quest to reach the summit was over.

“I said, listen, we’ve got to turn around and get her down,” Bluhme said Monday. “There’s something completely wrong here.”

Her son called for help, but police said they weren’t sure they could send a rescue crew.

Luckily for Bluhme and Tokyo, though, a crew from the all-volunteer Lochaber Mountain Rescue Team was already making their way down from the peak after helping a heli-

copter airlift an injured hiker. The crew put the 55-pound dog in their stretcher and quickly carried her down the steep, slick, rocky trail, making it to the trailhead in about an hour.

“They were almost running,” Bluhme said. “I was clinging on to the stretcher. They were so agile and so fast. It was incredible.”

Police had called Crown Vets in nearby Fort William, and a veterinarian was standing by when Bluhme arrived.

Veterinarians initially thought the animal had a spinal issue, but a senior vet concluded she was on some kind of neurotoxin because she was drifting in and out of consciousness. When they consulted with a poison control center, her symptoms checked all the boxes for cannabis intoxication.

The dog was given activated charcoal and made a full recovery overnight.

After fearing she would lose the beloved dog on the mountain, Bluhme said the 1,000 pound ($1,335) vet bill was money well spent.

“The next day it was like nothing ever happened,” said Bluhme, who lives in southern England. “She recovered so quickly, and I’m the one still hanging a bit.”

SCHOOLS from page A1 contract that would cover all of those things under a single umbrella.”

According to Samberg, the comprehensive contract will cover the maintenance of the security and door systems, the software for the cameras and door controls, the intercom systems, the vape detectors and the software for the vape detectors, which had previously all been contracted out to separate vendors, for about the same cost.

“The advantage of a single contract is that it provides consistency in implementation,” Samberg said.

The second contract was with Applied Network Consulting Group for network management solutions.

The contract is for a term of ve years and at a cost of approximately $175,000, pri-

PITTSBORO from page A1

“We have an advantage with all of this land that’s been inherited and donated,” said Commissioner John Foley. “There’s not many towns in the United States that have such density like downtown Pittsboro.”

In total, seven clusters of property were studied across 23 parcels and 28 acres. These clusters are centrally located, highly visible and all have unique conditions associated with them.

The buildings studied included downtown public assets and community serving properties, including administrative facilities, public safety facilities, town-owned land, parking areas and more.

According to the consultants, it was a yearlong process involving extensive research, boots-on-the-ground investigation, option testing, market analysis and community outreach.

For each cluster, the consultants provided a detailed analysis on existing uses, ownership, site conditions, infrastructure, environmental conditions, market and housing conditions, as well as potential development alternatives, such as avenues of connectivity, residential and commercial options as well as potential parking and green spaces.

The project is intended to help de ne the future character of downtown Pittsboro while still preserving downtown Pittsboro distinctive character.

“The Town and County have

marily funded through the E-Rate program, a federally funded initiative that helps schools and libraries a ord broadband internet, Wi-Fi and network infrastructure.

The board also recognized former Sheri Mike Roberson, who relinquished his position as sheri in order to become the new interim county commissioner, with a resolution honoring his service.

“Sheri Roberson has fostered a strong and collaborative partnership between the Chatham County Sheri ’s Ofce and Chatham County Schools, recognizing that the safety, well-being, and success of students and sta are strengthened through shared purpose and coordinated effort,” said Board Chair Gary Leonard.

The Chatham County Schools Board of Education will next meet Aug. 3.

a rare, once-in-a-generation opportunity to use publicly owned and community-serving properties in downtown Pittsboro to shape the next phase of the town’s growth,” the study said. “These properties can help sustain the vitality of Pittsboro’s historic downtown, support new places to live, work, and gather, strengthen local business activity and guide change that re ects the town’s civic identity, small-town character and role as the heart of Chatham County.”

Following the presentation, the board approved a resolution in support of the analysis, however the commissioners also wanted to see even more done with the study as well.

“It’s very exciting and there’s so much potential,” said Commissioner John Bonitz. “We really have what’s bigger than a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to do something really signi cant. I’m in favor of an approach that has this study continue.”

While Bonitz recognized that the current study and its funding is at an end, he was in favor of continuing to receive community input and input especially from the Downtown Advisory Board and other downtown organizations.

“I think we’re on the right track, but I also think we need to think globally about what’s next tra c pattern-wise, parking-wise and all those things that will enhance the downtown area,” Foley said. The Town of

Board of Commissioners will next meet Aug. 10.

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NOTICE

NORTH CAROLINA FILE NO:

26E000346-180

CHATHAM COUNTY IN THE GENERAL COURT OF JUSTICE SUPERIOR COURT DIVISION BEFORE THE CLERK ESTATE OF DONETTA JANE DELISLE

EXECUTORS NOTICE TO CREDITORS THE UNDERSIGNED having quali ed as Executor of the Estate of Donetta Jane Delisle, Deceased, in the O ce of the Clerk of Superior Court of Chatham County, does hereby notify all persons, rms and corporations having claims against the said Decedent to present the same to the undersigned on or before October 16, 2026, said date being at least three months from the date of the rst publication or posting of this Notice as indicated below, or the same will be pleaded in bar of their recovery. All persons indebted to said Estate, please make immediate payment. This Notice is given pursuant to the provisions of G.S. 28A-14-1.

This 7th day of July, 2026. Name and Address of Executor Brian Gordon 1460 Brentwood Way Earlysville MD 22936 Name and Address of Attorney: Steven Lundberg 1155 Kildaire Farm Rd, Ste. 204 Cary, NC 27511 Date of Publication: July 16, 23, 30, and August 6, 2026

EXECUTORS NOTICE

TO CREDITORS AND DEBTORS All persons, rms, and corporations having claims against Willie R. Parker, Jr., deceased of Chatham County, North Carolina, are hereby noti ed to present their claims by mailing them to Cheryl Parker Jarmon, Executor of the Estate of Willie R. Parker, Jr., 1901 Village Crossing Drive, Chapel Hill, North Carolina 27517 before the 2nd day of October, 2026, or such claims will be forever barred. Debtors of the decent are requested to make immediate payment to the Estate through its Executor. File No.: 26-E-000350-180

This is the 2nd day of July, 2026 Published July 2, 9, 16 and 23, 2026

NOTICE TO CREDITORS

The undersigned, having quali ed as Executor of the Estate of Kathy VanLeur Moll, Deceased, late of Chatham County, North Carolina, does hereby notify all persons, rms and corporations having claims against the estate to exhibit them to the undersigned at the o ces of Munson Law Firm PLLC, P.O. Box 1811 Pittsboro, NC 27312, on or before the 2nd day of October, 2026, or this notice will be pleaded in bar of their recovery. All persons indebted to the estate will please make immediate payment. This 2nd day of July, 2026. LESLIE LEMUS SOTELO, EXECUTOR

ESTATE OF KATHY VANLEUR MOLL

Notice to Creditors

Estate of Patricia Ann Woodall

File No. 25E000453-180

All persons, rms and corporations having claims against Patricia Ann Woodall, deceased of Chatham County, North Carolina, are noti ed to exhibit the same to the undersigned on or before September 25th, 2026 or this notice will be pleaded in bar of recovery.

Debtors of the decedent are asked to make immediate payment.

This the 25th day of June, 2026. George Wallace Woodall, Executor c/o James S. Adcock III, PA 135 N. Main Street Fuquay-Varina, NC 27526

NOTICE OF FORECLOSURE SALE

FILE NUMBER: 24SP001134-180

Under and by virtue of the power of sale contained in a certain Deed of Trust executed by CHESTER S. PALMER AND JUDY PALMER payable to WR STARKEY MORTGAGE L.L.P., Lender, to W.R. STARKEY, JR., Trustee, dated June 3, 2008, and recorded in Book 1407, Page 642 of the Chatham County Public Registry by ANTHONY MASELLI OR GENEVIEVE JOHNSON, EITHER OF WHOM MAY ACT, Substitute Trustee, default having been made in the terms of agreement set forth by the loan agreement secured by the said Deed of Trust and the undersigned, ANTHONY MASELLI OR GENEVIEVE JOHNSON, EITHER OF WHOM MAY ACT , having been substituted as Successor Trustee in said Deed of Trust by an instrument duly recorded in the O cial Records of Chatham County, North Carolina, in Book , Page and the holder of the note evidencing said indebtedness having directed that the Deed of Trust be foreclosed, the undersigned Substitute Trustee will o er for sale at the courthouse door in Chatham County, North Carolina, or the customary location designated for foreclosure sales, on July 21, 2026 at 11:00am, and will sell to the highest bidder for cash the following real estate situated in the County of Chatham,

Notice to Creditors

ALL PERSONS, rms and corporations having claims against Robert Aloysius Messemer Jr., deceased, of Chatham County, NC, are noti ed to exhibit the same to the undersigned on or before October 9th, 2026, or this notice will be pleaded in bar of recovery. Debtors of the decedent are asked to make immediate payment. This the 9th day of July, 2026. Lyn Messemer, Executor, c/o Bagwell Holt Smith P.A., 111 Cloister Court, STE 200, Chapel Hill, NC 27514

NOTICE TO CREDITORS

The undersigned, having quali ed as Executor of the Estate of William Norman Sharpe, Jr., Deceased, late of Chatham County, North Carolina, does hereby notify all persons, rms and corporations having claims against the estate to exhibit them to the undersigned at the o ces of Tillman, Whichard & Cagle, PLLC, 501 Eastowne Drive, Suite 130, Chapel Hill, NC 27514, on or before the 9th day of October, 2026, or this notice will be pleaded in bar of their recovery. All persons indebted to the estate will please make immediate payment. This 9th day of July, 2026. SARAH ELIZABETH TILLMAN, EXECUTOR ESTATE OF WILLIAM NORMAN SHARPE, JR.

NOTICE TO CREDITORS

NORTH CAROLINA CHATHAM COUNTY

26E000323-180 ALL persons having claims against MARGARET HELEN PEARSON, deceased, late of Chatham County, North Carolina, are noti ed to exhibit the same to the undersigned on or before Oct 09 2026, or this notice will be pleaded in bar of recovery. Debtors of the decedent are asked to make immediate payment.

This the 9th day of July, 2026. CHAD PEARSON, Executor C/O Lenfestey, Maxie & Burger, PLLC 127 W. Hargett St., Ste 301, PMB 190 Raleigh, NC 27601 J9, 16, 23 and 30

NOTICE TO CREDITORS

NORTH CAROLINA CHATHAM COUNTY

26E000362-180 ALL persons having claims against Estate of Gent Hito, deceased, late of Chatham County, North Carolina, are noti ed to exhibit the same to the undersigned on or before Oct 02 2026, or this notice will be pleaded in bar of recovery. Debtors of the decedent are asked to make immediate payment.

This the 2nd day of July, 2026.

ENTON P. HITO, Executor C/O Schell Bray PLLC P.O. Box 21847 Greensboro, NC 27420 J2, 9, 16 and 23

NOTICE TO CREDITORS

NORTH CAROLINA CHATHAM COUNTY

26E000285-180 ALL persons having claims against STEPHEN RAY THOMAS, deceased, late of Chatham County, North Carolina, are noti ed to exhibit the same to the undersigned on or before Oct 16 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 July, 2026. LAURA THOMAS LUTTERLOH, CoExecutor THOMAS E LAYTON, Co-Executor C/O LAYTON & CARRAWAY, PA 680 Lutterloh Road Pittsboro, NC 27312 J16, 23, 30 and 6

NOTICE TO CREDITORS

NORTH CAROLINA CHATHAM COUNTY

FILE#26E000412-180

The undersigned Audrey Diane May Braswell, having quali ed on the 9th Day of July 2026 as Executor of the Estate of John H. May, 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 October 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 July 2026. AUDREY DIANE MAY BRASWELL 1837 MONCURE PITTSBORO RD. MONCURE, NC 27559 Run dates: Jy16,23,30,A6p

NOTICE TO CREDITORS

NORTH CAROLINA CHATHAM COUNTY

FILE#26E000390-180 The undersigned Antoinette DiBenedetto having quali ed on the 30th Day of June 2026 as Executor of the Estate of Libby Ann Capaldi 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 October 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 July 2026.

ANTOINETTE DIBENEDETTO, EXECUTOR 517 OAKWOOD AVE. RALEIGH, NC 27601 Run dates: Jy16,23,30,A6p

NOTICE TO CREDITORS

NORTH CAROLINA CHATHAM COUNTY

FILE#26E000411-180

The undersigned Gwendolyn Jones York having quali ed on the 8th Day of July 2026 as Executor of the Estate of William Mike York, 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 16TH Day OF October 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 July 2026. GWENDOLYN JONES YORK, EXECUTOR 41 OAKMONT LANE SILER CITY, NC 27344 Run dates: Jy16,23,30,A6p

NOTICE TO CREDITORS

NORTH CAROLINA CHATHAM COUNTY FILE#26E000322-180 The undersigned Douglas Pierce Leonard, having quali ed on the 22nd Day of JUNE 2026 as Executor of the Estate of ANNA LEE LEONARD, 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 2ND Day OF OCTOBER 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 2ND DAY OF JULY 2026. DOUGLAS PIERCE LEONARD, EXECUTOR 637 SILVERBERRY ROAD PITTSBORO, NC 27312 Run dates: Jy2,9,16,23p

NOTICE TO CREDITORS

NORTH CAROLINA CHATHAM COUNTY FILE#26E000404-180 The undersigned TARA GAINES BURNS AND BEN PHILIP GAINES, JR., having quali ed on the 7TH Day of JULY 2026 as Co-Executors of the Estate of BEN PHILIP GAINES, SR., deceased, of Chatham County, North Carolina, does hereby notify all persons, rms and corporations having claims against said Estate to exhibit them on or before the 16TH Day OF OCTOBER 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 JULY 2026. TARA GAINES BURNS, CO-EXECUTOR 4456 THOMPSON MILL RD. GRAHAM, NC 27253 MAIL TO: BEN PHILIP GAINES, JR., CO-EXECUTOR PO BOX 56 GOLDSTON, NC 27252 Run dates: Jy16,23,30,A6p

NOTICE TO CREDITORS

NORTH CAROLINA CHATHAM COUNTY FILE#26E000317-180 The undersigned Timothy Perry, having quali ed on the 11th Day of JUNE 2026 as Administrator of the Estate of CLYDE BERNICE PERRY, 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 25TH Day OF SEPTEMBER 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 25TH DAY OF JUNE 2026. TIMOTHY PERRY, ADMINISTRATOR 2880 PETE ROBERTON ROAD PITTSBORO, NC 27312 Run dates: J25,Jy2,9,16p

NOTICE TO CREDITORS

NORTH CAROLINA CHATHAM COUNTY

FILE#26E000380-180

The undersigned ROBERT LYNN HARGROVE, having quali ed on the 26TH Day of JUNE 2026 as Executor of the Estate of PEARL FAYE HARGROVE, deceased, of Chatham County, North Carolina, does hereby notify all persons, rms and corporations having claims against said Estate to exhibit them on or before the 9TH Day OF OCTOBER 2026, or this Notice will be pleaded in bar of their recovery. All persons indebted to said Estate will please make immediate payment to the undersigned. This, the 9TH DAY OF JULY 2026. ROBERT LYNN HARGROVE, EXECUTOR 906 N. GARDEN AVE. SILER CITY, NC 27344 Run dates: Jy9,16,23,30p

NOTICE TO CREDITORS

26E000374-180 NORTH CAROLINA CHATHAM COUNTY

The undersigned, Oceanna Sha er, having quali ed as Executor of the Estate of Michael Hunter Sha er, deceased, late of Chatham County, this is to notify all persons having claims against said estate to present them to the undersigned on or before the day of October 7, 2026 or this notice will be plead in bar of their recovery. All persons indebted to said estate will please make immediate payment to the undersigned. This the 9th day of July 2026. Oceanna Sha er Executor Marie H. Hopper Attorney for the Estate Hopper Cummings, PLLC Post O ce Box 1455 Pittsboro, NC 27312

North Carolina, and being more particularly described as follows: PARCEL IDENTIFICATION NUMBER(S): 0086597 ADDRESS: 2511 MT VERNON SPRINGS RD SILER CITY, NC 27344 THE LAND DESCRIBED HEREIN IS SITUATED IN THE STATE OF NORTH CAROLINA, COUNTY OF CHATHAM, AND IS DESCRIBED IN DEED BOOK 1407, PAGE 642, AS FOLLOWS: BEING ALL OF LOT 11, CONTAINING 4.666 ACRES, MORE OR LESS, AS SHOWN ON A PLAT ENTITLED “FINAL PLAT FOR OWNERS LEE EDWARD PALMER AND WIFE, VONNELL W. PALMER”, DATED JUNE 4, 2003, PREPARED BY RUFUS L. JOHNSON, PLS, AND REVISED ON NOVEMBER 26, 2007, AND RECORDED IN PLAT SLIDE 2007-495, CHATHAM COUNTY REGISTRY, TO WHICH PLAT REFERENCES HEREBY MADE FOR A MORE ACCURATE DESCRIPTION. INCLUDED IN THE LEGAL DESCRIPTION AND PEREMANENTLY AFFIXED IS A 2008 GILES MANUFACTURED HOME WITH SERIAL NUMBER GM-8243A/B PRESENT RECORD OWNER(S): CHESTER S. PALMER AND JUDY PALMER Trustee may, in the Trustee’s sole discretion, delay the sale for up to one hour as provided in N.C.G.S. §45-21.23.

Should the property be purchased by a third party, that party must pay the excise tax, as well as the court costs of Forty-Five Cents ($0.45) per One Hundred Dollars ($100.00) required by N.C.G.S. §7A-308(a)(1). The property to be o ered pursuant to this notice of sale is being o ered for sale, transfer and conveyance “AS IS, WHERE IS.” Neither the Trustee nor the holder of the note secured by the deed of trust/security agreement, or both, being foreclosed, nor the o cers, directors, attorneys, employees, agents or authorized representative of either the Trustee or the holder of the note make any representation or warranty relating to the title or any physical, environmental, health or safety conditions existing in, on, at or relating to the property being o ered for sale, and any and all responsibilities or liabilities arising out of or in any way relating to any such condition are expressly disclaimed. Also, this property is being sold subject to all taxes, special assessments, and prior liens or prior encumbrances of record and any recorded releases. Said property is also being sold subject to applicable Federal and State laws. A deposit of ve percent (5%) of the purchase price, or seven hundred fty dollars ($750.00), whichever is greater, is required and must be tendered in the form of certi ed funds at the time of the sale. If the trustee is unable to convey title to this property for any reason, the sole

remedy of the purchaser is the return of the deposit. Reasons of such inability to convey include, but are not limited to, the ling of a bankruptcy petition prior to the con rmation of the sale and reinstatement of the loan without the knowledge of the trustee. If the validity of the sale is challenged by any party, the trustee, in its sole discretion, if it believes the challenge to have merit, may request the court to declare the sale to be void and return the deposit. The purchaser will have no further remedy. Additional Notice for Residential Property with Less than 15 rental units, including Single-Family Residential Real Property: An order for possession of the property may be issued pursuant to N.C.G.S. § 45-21.29 in favor of the purchaser and against the party or parties in possession by the clerk of superior court of the county in which the property is sold. Any person who occupies the property pursuant to a rental agreement entered into or renewed on or after October 1,

NOTICE

Estate of Dwane Edward Porter AKA Dwane E. Porter, Chatham County Estate File No. 26E000401-180:

All persons, rms and corporations having claims against Dwane Edward Porter AKA Dwane E. Porter, deceased, of Travis County, TX. with an estate in Chatham County, are noti ed to exhibit the same to the undersigned on or before October 16, 2026, or this notice will be pleaded in bar of recovery. Debtors

Seeing Arles through Van Gogh’s eyes

By Erika Ho man For Chatham News & Record

ARLES, France — When you hear this city’s name, do you think about Roman ruins, an amphitheater that still hosts bull ghts or the nearby swampy area called the Camargue on the Mediterranean? Or do you conjure up a yellow house, starry nights and a bearded man with a bandage blanketing one ear?

I visited Arles recently on an Amadeus River cruise down the Rhône. Many folks, though unfamiliar with Provence, recognize the name “Arles” because of a renowned, long-deceased and impoverished Dutch painter whose painting of sun owers in a vase sold to a Japanese insurance company for nearly 25 million pounds in 1987. We pronounce his last name “Van Go,” but the French actually pronounce it “Van Gog.” He signed his paintings “Vincent” because the French had such di culty pronouncing his Dutch surname, “Van Gogh.”

If you venture to this ancient Roman town, you won’t discover the yellow bedroom in the Yellow House where he and his fellow artist and friend Paul Gauguin lived for a while. The building was damaged by Allied bombing during World War II and later demolished. Many sites of interest in Europe were accidentally destroyed during the war in addition to those that were intentional targets.

During his lifetime, this post-Impressionist sold relatively few of his paintings for modest sums. It was his young-

er brother, Theo, who supported him. Ergo, Vincent’s fame came largely posthumously. After Theo’s death, his widow, Johanna van Gogh-Bonger, promoted and sold her late brother-in-law’s works.

If you visit Arles, you’ll recognize many of the subjects in his paintings. Vincent didn’t represent them realistically. Many had a yellow tint in his renditions. The stars had halos, and the branches and trunks of olive trees were wavy, as were the stems of purple irises.

Yet you’ll recognize the elds seen in his painting called “Harvesters.” “Les Al-

“Often it seems to me that the night is even more richly colored than the day.”

Vincent van Gogh, in an 1888 letter to his sister Wilhelmina

yschamps,” a lane in Arles, is identi able. You can see the vantage point from which he created “Starry Night Over the Rhône” and its depiction of reections on the river. Vincent sketched and painted every-

ICE shot, killed motorist in Maine; advocates say victim 26-year-old man from Colombia

The man was authorized to work in the US and had a Social Security number

By Patrick Whittle, Leah Willingham and Jack Brook The Associated Press

BIDDEFORD, Maine — A federal immigration o cer fatally shot a motorist in Maine on Monday, the second time in a week that U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents have used deadly force. It is at least the ninth such killing since President Donald Trump began his immigration crackdown.

Immigrant rights groups identi ed the man who was killed as a 26-year-old native of Colombia.

Sen. Angus King, I-Maine, said Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin told him the o cer opened re after the man tried to use his vehicle as a weapon against o cers who were pursuing him for deportation in Biddeford, a coastal city of about 23,000 people roughly 15 miles (24 kilometers) southwest of Portland.

“He was in a vehicle — pulled out in the vehicle, and the term the secretary used was ‘weaponized’ the vehicle and was shot by an ICE agent,” King said.

The Maine attorney general’s o ce, which is investigating along with the FBI and other agencies, said initial statements suggest the motorist was trying to ee in the direction of the agent. The man was the target of an enforcement operation related to a nal order of removal, the o ce said, and the agent who killed him has been placed on leave.

Messages seeking comment were left for ICE and the Maine Department of Public Safety.

The man was authorized to work in the U.S., advocates say

The advocacy groups Maine Immigrants’ Rights Coalition

cause she’s never going to see her father again.”

The Colombian Embassy told the AP in an emailed statement that it is in contact with U.S. authorities and “working to formally con rm the individual’s identity and nationality.”

Security video but no body-worn camera footage

and Presente! said the man who was killed was authorized to work in the U.S. and had a Social Security number. After the shooting, his family contacted the Immigrants’ Rights Coalition, executive director Mufalo Chitam said.

“It’s a young family and he was leaving to go to work,” Chitam told The Associated Press.

The family, she said, isn’t ready to speak publicly about the shooting.

Mary Hayes, who lives close to where the shooting happened, said the man lived nearby with his wife and daughter.

“I watched a wife fall to her knees looking at her husband’s dead body on the ground,” Hayes told the AP as she held a piece of cardboard with “No ICE Stop ICE” written on it. “I watched a little girl crying with a little pink backpack on be-

Cory Poulin, whose family runs a laundromat near the scene, told the AP that security cameras at the business captured footage of the man’s car rolling into the intersection after shots were red. Other images from the scene showed the car going in circles and bullet holes in its windshield.

“Two ICE members ran to the intersection and another ICE member in a Ford SUV went into the intersection to stop the car from rolling,” he said. “I don’t know for a fact, but I don’t believe he was alive when the car started rolling.”

He said Maine State Police asked that he not release the footage publicly.

The agents involved in the shooting didn’t have body-worn cameras, King said.

“The question is, what did he do with his vehicle,” King said.

took his own life in 1890. Before moving to Auvers, he lived in Arles. From there, he visited the coastal resort of Saintes-Maries- de-la-Mer in 1888, where he painted the Mediterranean Sea in hues of pink, gray, yellow and violet.

Maybe some Impressionists were creative souls; perhaps their imaginations made them paint as they did. Yet in Van Gogh’s case, there has been much speculation that his interpretations might have been inuenced by medical conditions. His younger sister later spent decades in a psychiatric institution. Modern-day physicians and researchers have proposed numerous possible diagnoses for Van Gogh, including bipolar disorder, epilepsy, Ménière’s disease and porphyria. His known absinthe drinking and poor diet also may have a ected his health. However, no retrospective diagnosis has been conclusively established.

Before I had cataract surgery, I viewed my pool as having a green tint, and the headlights of oncoming cars had halos. After the surgery, yellow walls were white, and car headlights had a distinct orb, not a blurry one. That led me to wonder whether this fellow had vision problems caused by cataracts.

thing he came in contact with: the hospital where he was treated after injuring his ear, the café with a pool table where he hung out, the haystacks in the countryside around Arles and the red vineyard that became one of the works he sold during his lifetime.

Our astute guide was conscientious about holding up a reproduction of one of his famous paintings in front of the scene it depicted. Despite all this time, you can still recognize it.

After leaving the psychiatric hospital at Saint-Rémy-deProvence, Van Gogh moved to Auvers-sur-Oise, where he

“Were o cers threatened? Were the threats rising to the level that justi ed deadly force?

“That’s what this investigation is all about and I certainly intend to stay after it to do everything I can to be sure the investigation is as transparent and thorough as possible.”

Anti-ICE protesters gather near the scene

Dozens of demonstrators critical of ICE and President Donald Trump’s ongoing immigration crackdown gathered in Biddeford within hours of the shooting.

Amy Goodman, who is from nearby Wells, arrived with a sign that said “Stop Killing Us” and directed it toward police working at the scene.

“Sadly, it’s something we’re seeing a whole lot more often lately, and I’m mad about it,” said Goodman, who was wearing a shirt that said “ICE is best when crushed.”

“It’s heartbreaking and I wanted to show up,” Goodman’s friend, Molly Zucker of Cape Neddick, said as she held a sign reading, “No human being is illegal.”

Police blocked access to the shooting scene, which is in a neighborhood of mostly multifamily homes, churches and businesses near downtown. Several protesters stood nearby, with some holding signs condemning ICE’s presence in the community and state.

“We are grieving, we are furious, and we will not allow his death to be treated as routine or inevitable,” Chitam said.

“How much more harm must our communities endure before those with the power to act acknowledge that this has gone too far?”

A recent uptick in Trump’s immigration crackdown

Monday’s killing was at least the ninth death from an encounter with federal immigration o cials since Trump returned to o ce 18 months ago.

On July 7, an ICE o cer fatally shot 52-year-old Salgado Araujo, of Houston, after he was pursued by federal agents driving unmarked vehicles while he was taking his construction crew to a job site.

The shootings come amid a newly intensi ed push by the Trump administration to carry out its mass deportations agen-

Vincent’s artistic vision might well have had a medical aspect to it. Medications prescribed at the time also may have caused side e ects. He was hospitalized several times and later voluntarily entered the asylum at Saint-Rémy after experiencing recurring mental health crises.

Sometimes when you read about an artist’s life, it makes the artist’s oeuvre that much more intriguing. Likewise, when you travel, it makes you, the voyager or even the casual tourist, more curious and ultimately more knowledgeable! Places you visit have backstories! Always!

da. During the ve-day period at the end of June, ICE arrested more than 10,000 people. The gures indicate that while the administration is no longer cracking down on individual cities, the arrests continue and are surging. The administration’s enforcement e orts were widely condemned last winter after the killings of Alex Pretti and Renee Good in Minnesota.

“More than anything else, I want to know, ‘Why are you in Maine?’” Rep. Chellie Pingree, D-Maine, said in a video posted on social media.

Maine Secretary of State Shenna Bellows, a Democrat running for Senate, wrote on X: “It’s time to get ICE o our streets.”

Hundreds of Maine ICE arrests since Trump’s return

ICE had a signi cant presence in Maine earlier this year, which prompted several protests.

The Homeland Security Department named the operation “Catch of the Day,” an apparent play on Maine’s seafood industry, just as it has done for other enforcement surges, like “Metro Surge” in Minnesota and “Midway Blitz” in Chicago.

Immigration o cials said in late January that they had ceased “enhanced operations” in Maine after hundreds of arrests.

A Homeland Security spokesperson said at the time that some Maine arrests were of people “convicted of horrific crimes” including aggravated assault and endangering the welfare of a child.” Court records show that while some had felony convictions, others had unresolved immigration proceedings or had been arrested but never convicted of a crime.

ICE arrested 546 people in Maine between the start of Trump’s second term and March 11, 2026, the most recent data available, according to ICE arrest data provided to the University of California, Berkeley Deportation Data Project and analyzed by the AP.

About 45% of those arrested had criminal backgrounds. During the equivalent 416-day period before Trump took o ce, roughly 69% of those arrested had criminal backgrounds, the data show.

CHATHAM SPORTS

Not so fast: New rules for fall team sports

Gridiron o cials watch for head-slapping while changes are made with soccer goalies and volleyball liberos

By Michael Jaenicke Chatham News & Record

WALLACE — Prep players learning to play their specific sport often forget the biggest details.

Such as in football when a player at his own 10-yard line watches the opposition’s kicko and doesn’t actually know or remember he must catch the ball. Otherwise, the kicking team

1,029,588

High school football players across the United States

recovers the ball, just as it would on an onside or pooch kick. Sadly, this happens far too much at the high school level, sometimes because players don’t watch the game on TV, other times because they forget in the heat of the moment.

The NFHS, the national rules organizing body, can’t x that players are asleep at the wheel, but it has put out rule

changes for football, soccer and volleyball that will take e ect with the rst o cial grid hit, cage ringer and slam.

Cracking down on aiding the runner

There are not many changes for gridiron teams, yet a move to prohibit head-slapping an opponent has the movement

completely banned from the game.

Defensive players were the only ones restricted from it in the past.

Other changes deal with quarterbacks using play cards attached to their belts as well as on wristbands, and teams can also use xed electronic signs from the sidelines to relay plays. But in-helmet communication devices remain prohibited.

Points of emphasis include clari cation on agrant and unsportsmanlike fouls, sideline management control and o ensive players “helping the runner” make forward progress up eld.

O cials are being told to consistently and without hesitation enforce fouls that threaten the safety of players or the integrity of the game. In other words, no nonsense.

Meanwhile, pushing, pulling or lifting the ball carrier for the purpose of gaining progress is illegal.

Football is the most popular high school sport for boys with 1,029,588 participants in 14,269 schools across the country. In addition, there were 35,097 boys who participated in 6-, 8- and 9-player football, along with 4,969 girls in

See RULES, page B2

Small number of gridiron teams legitimate title contenders

Championship dreams begin in the o season, often with the declarative goal of playing for glory in early December

By Michael Jaenicke Chatham News & Record

WALLACE — It’s 97 degrees and so humid the swarming mosquitoes are wearing goggles with wipers.

That could only mean summer football drills in North Carolina. It’s also the time in which every player and coach dreams of a rivalry win, conference title and trip home from the state nals with a never-forget-me trophy for their high school.

Indeed, as every coach will spit out between shouts and whistles, this is when championships are won.

If you stop the sweat, you stop the progress. With the ultimate dream as a mindset destination, let’s examine past state-title winning teams.

Beating the odds

To begin, let’s look at the schools without a trophy. There are 188 of them and some might come as a surprise given their pro ciency in all things pigskin in the past. Only 114 schools have won a title, which includes 22 schools that no longer exist.

West Craven ts well into this category. They went to the biggest show of the fall in 2008 and lost 35-7 to Rowan. So does Northeastern, Charlotte schools Mallard Creek, Myers Park and

Vance in Charlotte, and Douglas Byrd (0-6), Cape Fear and newcomer Jack Britt (0-4). Goldsboro (1929), Northside-Jacksonville (2016), Pender (2010), Hobbton (1993), Lake-

wood (1992) and even sad-sack Jones Senior (2011) made it to the nals but returned with runner-up honors.

Yet, North Pitt, Richlands, North Lenoir, South Lenoir, Greene Central, West Columbus, White Oak, Croatan, Dixon, Eastern Wayne and 177 others never played for a state crown on the gridiron. Nor has Leesville Road, Terry Sanford, West Forsyth and Gates County despite having superb teams and making long state-tournament runs. All four of Chatham County’s current public school football programs — Seaforth, Northwood, Chatham Central and Jordan-Matthews — fall into this category.

Princeton and SouthsideChocowinity and Northside-Pinetown are all 0-2, and Kinston’s loss in the 3A nals last fall put the Vikings at 1-2. So it’s without a doubt hard and challenging, even for solid programs.

East Duplin (1-1) won its rst title in 2022 after falling short in 2017 to Hibriten, who won its rst championship. Midway, Jacksonville and Ayden-Grifton are likewise 1-1. Only 114 schools have won a title, which includes 22 schools that no longer exist. And some

See FOOTBALL, page B3

Gabriel Ferrell

Montreat College, baseball

Gabriel Ferrell is a rising sophomore on the Montreat College baseball team. The Cary native is also a member of the Chatham Yardbirds in the Old North State League for this summer’s wood bat season.

Ferrell led the state in hits as a high school senior, was named a high school All-American, and started 12 of the 23 games he played as a freshman at Montreat. The Yardbirds have seen their o ense explode this month, and Ferrell has been at the center of it. He went 3 for 3 with three homers and a walk in a 17-7 win over Danville. Then he added a grand slam in a 12-9 win over the same team.

Weather wreaks havoc with Yardbirds

Chatham County is having trouble getting on the eld

Chatham News & Record sta

AFTER A ROUGH start to the season, the Chatham County Yardbirds have hit their stride in July. After opening the Old North State League season with just two wins in their rst 13 games, the Birds have split their last 10, pulling ahead of the Danville Dairy Daddies, into fth place in the six-team Piedmont Division. Chatham sent one player to the ONSL East-West All-Star Game in late June, as two-way player Nick Papciak got the nod. The Greensboro native and rising sophomore at Wingate is hitting a team-high .381 and also

RULES from page B1

all four versions of the game to bring the number of players to more than 1.1 million.

Goalie action will be heavily monitored

Meanwhile, there will be more than 877,000 soccer players as the sport continues to grow closer to football in terms of numbers nationwide. And that mix is fairly equal between the genders as there are about 480,000 boys and 394,000 girls on prep sods.

This fall all eyes will be on goalies as they have eight seconds and not six to release the ball after catching it. Failure to meet the timeframe results in a corner kick and not a direct free kick. Encroachment during a penalty kick will now be penalized only if the o ense has a clear impact on the play.

According to the NFHS, “impact for the defending team occurs if an encroaching defender clearly distracts the kicker or if they play a rebounding ball or challenge an attacker to prevent a goal-scoring opportunity. For the attacking team, impact is distracting the goalkeeper or if an encroaching attacker plays the ball or challenges a defender to score or create a scoring chance.”

Also, spitting and biting now lead to direct kicks, and verbal o enses are a foul, which could rise to misconduct.

has struck out more than a batter an inning on the mound. The Yardbirds have seen their bats heat up with the summer weather. After averaging 5.3 runs per game to open the year, Chatham County has been scoring at an 8.7 runs-per-night clip. Since the start of July, the Birds’ scoring has jumped to 10.3 runs per game, and they’ve scored ve or more in their last six outings, as well as eight of the last nine. Now the only problem is getting onto the eld. The only thing tougher to control than Yardbird bats so far in July has been the North Carolina weather. After not having any cancellations in their rst 17 games of the season, Chatham County has now had almost as many games washed out (6) as completed (7) since the last week of June.

The Birds are currently riding a “streak” of three straight cancellations and four in their last ve scheduled games. Chatham has four games scheduled for the nal week of the ONSL regular season and will be looking to nish strong.

Hands down on volleyball serves

Believe it or not, 600,000 girls and nearly 100,000 boys play volleyball in the U.S., a gure that is sure to increase since North Carolina will begin sanctioned volleyball for boys in the spring. One tradition has bit the dust. Players on the serving team can no longer raise their hands before the serve crosses the net.

The girls of the fall can now designate two liberos, though only one can be on court at any given moment. Libero uniform

Grayson Cox wears a play card on his left wrist during a game last season. New rules changes will allow more exibility in where the play cards can be worn.

bottoms are not required to match the rest of the team and may be any color. “A team may designate up to two liberos, but only one libero can be in the game at a time,” the rule reads. “When a team designates two liberos and one is injured, a new libero may be redesignated. When a team designates two liberos and one is disquali ed, the team must continue with one libero.”

O cials are shouting out preseason warnings to coaches and schools about examining all game-related equipment on the court, including the platforms o cials stand on.

Wichita joins Dayton as host cities for 2027-28 opening-round games in 76-team NCAA Tournament

Each city will be the site of six games a year

By Dave Skretta The Associated Press

THE OPENING round of the expanded men’s NCAA Tournament will be split between Dayton, Ohio, where those early games traditionally have been played, and Wichita, Kansas, for at least the next two years.

The NCAA said last Thursday that both cities would host six games apiece in the enlarged 76-team eld.

“Like Dayton, Wichita is a basketball-crazed community that we expect will embrace the reimagined start of the tournament,” Sun Belt Commissioner Keith Gill, the chairman of the NCAA’s Division I men’s basketball committee, said in a statement.

“Having a city in Middle America will be advantageous for getting teams from various points around the country, many of which won’t be known until Selection Sunday, to the

Texas forward Dailyn

“Like Dayton, Wichita is a basketball-crazed community that we expect will embrace the reimagined start of the tournament.”

Keith Gill, NCAA Division I men’s basketball committee chairman

opening round and subsequently rst-round sites,” Gill said. The NCAA approved the expansion of the tournament from 68 teams in May. The rst edition of the new-look opening round will take place March 16 -17, with Dayton and Wichita hosting a triple-header each day. Those games will feature the 12 lowest-seeded automatic quali ers and the 12 lowest-seeded at-large teams. Dayton hosted the original play-in game in 2001. Since the tournament expanded to 68 teams in 2011, the addition-

al games also have been played at University of Dayton Arena, with two apiece on Tuesday and Wednesday of the rst week of the tournament.

The games in Wichita will be played at InTrust Bank Arena, about ve miles from the Wichita State University campus. The downtown arena was a host venue for rst- and second-round NCAA Tournament games in 2018 and 2025.

The men’s basketball committee also said it has voted to remove a provision that prohibited schools from playing at sites where they serve as a tournament host. The full selection and seeding procedure will be released later this year.

First- and second-round games in 2027 will be played in Charlotte; Minneapolis; Omaha, Nebraska; Fort Worth, Texas; Louisville, Kentucky; Pittsburgh; Sacramento, California; and Spokane, Washington. The regional rounds will be played in Kansas City, Missouri; Los Angeles; New York City; and San Antonio. The Final Four is scheduled for April 3 and 5 in Detroit.

FOOTBALL from page B1

are so in the past, such as Chapel Hill’s title in 1919, that even grandpa doesn’t remember much about the game when he pulls out his leather cap to show o . East Bladen, though, has a state nals loss and tie, but not a victory. And some of the schools thought to be powerhouses do not have the titles one might expect from the pedigree of the program as Whiteville is 2-3, Havelock 3-5 and New Bern 4-4. James Kenan is 3-1 in tittle games, winning in 2007 and 2013 under Ken Avent Jr., who recently retired from the school system. Bill Taylor led the Tigers to glory in 1960.

ACC picks longtime ref Patterson as football o cials supervisor

The veteran o cial has worked ACC games since 2002

The Associated Press

CHARLOTTE — The Atlantic Coast Conference has hired Gary Patterson as supervisor of football o cials.

The league announced the hiring Monday after Al Riveron announced last week he is stepping down, marking a return for the longtime o cial to the league. He had worked as an ACC on- eld o cial since 2002 and as a referee since 2009 before quitting last September. ESPN reported at the time it came in frustration with the handling of a UConn-Syracuse replay review, leading to a delayed review after the snap for the ensuing play.

Patterson has worked the 2009 BCS championship game, the Army-Navy game in 2006, four ACC title games and numerous bowl games in an o ciating career that began in 1994.

Patterson will oversee recruiting, training, evaluation and scheduling of league ocials. The ACC said he would work with ESPN to build on

“His deep understanding of the game makes him uniquely quali ed to lead ACC Football o ciating.”

ACC Commissioner Jim Phillips

last year’s launch of allowing viewers to listen live to replay reviews during select broadcasts.

In a statement, commissioner Jim Phillips said Patterson “has earned the trust and respect of coaches and his ociating colleagues.

“His extensive experience on the eld has been dened by excellence, integrity and leadership, and his deep understanding of the game makes him uniquely qualied to lead ACC Football ofciating,” Phillips continued. “We are thrilled to welcome Gary into this critical role, and we continue our commitment to excellence in football o ciating.”

In his statement, Patterson said it was “truly an honor to serve a conference that has meant so much to me throughout my career.”

Clinton has been to the nals nine times and won four times. That’s good enough to be in a tie for 18th place. Yet perhaps the school with the most bragging rights is Albemarle, who is 5-0 in the nals. Two of its wins prevented Wallace-Rose Hill from capturing a title when Jack Holley was the Bulldogs’ coach. Holley is second all-time among active coaches with a 412-96-9 mark. Top teams that have the championship shine include: Reidsville (22-7-2), Robbinsville (14 -2), Shelby (13-5), Tarboro (11-6), Murphy (10-4), Mount Airy (9-5), Charlotte Catholic (8-3), Edenton Holmes (8-21), Crest (7-4), Wallace-Rose Hill (7-4), Independence (7-1) and Thomasville (7-3). These 12 schools hauled in 102 state-title ags. The data clearly shows that most state titles are won by schools with a title in its trophy case. And nally, let’s bring to light the phrase that is repeated endlessly from late June to the second week in December: “Our goal at the beginning of the season was to win a state championship.”

Blaney wins 3-wide battle on nal lap of overtime in NASCAR Cup race in Atlanta

passing below the double yellow lines and nished 29th instead of second.

By Charles Odum

The Associated Press

HAMPTON, Ga. — A late brush with the wall wasn’t enough to send Ryan Blaney to pit row.

The decision paid o with a dominant victory.

Blaney emerged from a three-wide battle on the nal lap of overtime in the weather-delayed NASCAR Cup Series race at Atlanta early Monday.

Blaney won every stage of the race and led 171 laps after starting on the pole, but the Team Penske Ford driver had to ght o challenges from Bubba Wallace and Christopher Hill, who nished second, on the nal lap. Carson Hocevar and Ty Gibbs rounded out the top four.

Wallace was penalized for

There was a delay of 3 hours, 9 minutes because of rain and lightning. The race ended at 1:45 a.m. at EchoPark Speedway.

Blaney won the rst two stages but brushed the wall with 29 laps remaining, causing possible damage on his right side, after he was cut o by Wallace. Blaney remained on the track despite telling his crew he felt a “terrible” vibration.

“I tried to make a move and just got loose and hit the fence,” Blaney said. “You know, I think it’s just concrete in the wheels and paint and stu like that, but luckily it still drove really decent. ... It wasn’t too bad. Luckily it wasn’t enough damage we couldn’t keep running.”

Blaney’s crew chief Jonathan Hassler said his team was able to view photos of the right side of the car and determine the best chance to

win was to remain on the track.

“There were 30 cars on the lead lap at that point and not a lot of laps left,” Hassler said. ”Our best chance to win was to stay out there.”

Multiple drivers, including Kyle Larson, Chase Briscoe and Riley Herbst, were involved in a wreck with ve laps remaining to set up the overtime.

There had been concern about approaching rain before lightning within eight miles of the 1.54-mile oval track near Atlanta led NASCAR o cials to order cars o the track and advise fans to exit the grandstand. Rain began soon after the race was delayed. Following some caution laps and pit stops, the race went back to green at 12:02 a.m.

Blaney said he “took a nap and ate a little food” during the delay. Larson said the resumption of the race a few minutes before midnight “is de nitely past my bedtime.”

Blaney won the pole, and his

Rozier wants to play in NBA again, but bail conditions could hamper return

The former Hornet is awaiting a February gambling scandal trial

By Michael R. Sisak The Associated Press

NEW YORK — Former Miami Heat guard Terry Rozier wants to play in the NBA while he ghts sports gambling charges that sidelined him last season. Bail conditions that bar him from contact with certain players and limit his travel could complicate his potential return.

U.S. District Judge LaShann DeArcy Hall denied a defense request to modify Rozier’s bail conditions so he can practice and play with potential witnesses as long as they don’t talk about the case. The judge said it would be impossible to police Rozier’s on-court conversations.

She admonished Rozier for already violating the no-contact provision of his $3 million bond by sending a text message to a person he was told not to communicate with. Rozier was contacting the person to tell the person he was on the no-contact list, DeArcy Hall said.

“What that tells me is that he believes he knows better than the court,” DeArcy Hall said at

a hearing in Brooklyn federal court. Rozier, she said, “violated the court’s trust with that text message.” Rozier averaged 13.9 points, 3.9 rebounds and 3.5 assists per game in 10 NBA seasons, 41⁄2 of which he spent with the Charlotte Hornets before he was traded to Miami in 2024. He remains a free agent after the Heat released him in April. An arbitrator ruled in February that the Heat had to pay Rozier his $26.6 million salary for last season.

Rozier, 32, is scheduled to stand trial in February on bribery and conspiracy charges after federal prosecutors say he took a $70,000 payo to help gamblers cash in with a tip that he would leave a March 2023 game early, citing a lingering lower leg injury. He hadn’t been listed on the team’s injury report and neither the public nor sportsbooks knew of his plan, prosecutors said.

Rozier’s friend Deniro “Niro” Laster, who is also charged,

Team Penske teammate Joey Logano joined him on the front row. A third Team Penske driver, Austin Cindric, moved up to third early in the race for an early strong showing for the Fords.

Cup Series points leader Denny Hamlin, who quali ed 28th, nished 12th. Tyler Reddick was eighth.

Reddick, who won at EchoPark Speedway in February as part of his string of ve wins in the season’s rst nine races,

shared or sold the information to others, who placed more than $250,000 in bets that his points, assists and other totals would be lower than what the sportsbooks had set as betting lines, federal prosecutors said. Rozier has pleaded not guilty. His lawyers have asked DeArcy Hall to dismiss the case. They are also seeking to have it moved from New York to Miami. Rozier recently shook up his defense team, hiring David Markus, whose clients have included Ghislaine Maxwell, as his lead attorney, replacing President Donald Trump’s ex-lawyer Jim Trusty.

“I wish we were starting trial in this case because Terry is innocent, and we want to show the world that he had no involvement in this,” Markus told reporters after the hearing.

Rozier was arrested last October in a sweeping federal gambling investigation that has netted more than three dozen arrests.

After his arrest, Rozier was barred from any contact with the Heat or the Hornets. Prosecutors later removed the Heat and, after Rozier’s lawyers complained, agreed last month to narrow his contact ban to include a list of people who were with the Hornets when Rozier played for them in 2023.

Markus said that without further modi cations, NBA teams could construe his bail conditions as “a prohibition” on him playing in the league.

“It is not a directive that he cannot play in the NBA,” DeArcy Hall said, but “unfortunately there is a consequence of being under indictment. That’s the reality.”

quali ed only 31st on Saturday. By the 35th lap he already had moved up to fourth, proving early that he again would be a factor in Atlanta.

Clean start

The weather delay was the rst caution for cause in the race, a dramatic departure from the weekend’s rst race. There were a track-record 13 cautions in Saturday night’s O’Reilly Auto Parts Series race won by Justin Allgaier. That total included four red ag incidents, creating an ominous preview for the Cup Series race.

The rst caution for an incident on the track in the Cup Series race came when AJ Allmendinger lost control of his Chevrolet with 67 laps remaining. Allmendinger blew a tire and hit the wall with 25 laps remaining to cause another caution.

Another strong start for Team Penske

Blaney’s Stage 1 win gave Team Penske Fords yet another strong start in Atlanta. Team Penske drivers have won Stage 1 in six of the last eight races at the track. Blaney held o Reddick, who nished second in the rst stage after qualifying 31st.

“I wish we were starting trial in this case because Terry is innocent.”

David Markus, attorney

Rozier is barred from contact with at least a dozen potential witnesses, including seven ex-Hornets teammates who now play for four other teams.

Markus proposed that Rozier have a lawyer present to monitor any on-court interactions, but DeArcy Hall said that was a nonstarter because a lawyer watching from the sidelines wouldn’t be able to hear what’s being said.

“Unless you’re suiting up, it doesn’t help me,” the judge said.

Markus also asked DeArcy Hall to lift a ban on Rozier leaving the U.S. so that he could go to Canada to play the Toronto Raptors if he were signed to an NBA team.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Kaitlin Farrell said that request was premature and suggested Rozier might try to ee prosecution if he’s allowed to leave the country. Markus called that argument “out of bounds” and said Rozier would never sacri ce his career or his ability to see his family for a life on the lam.

After more discussion, DeArcy Hall said she’ll wait until Rozier signs an NBA contract before ruling on his travel. The judge told Markus that another defendant had recently sought her permission to play basketball in Greece. Her response in that case: denied.

SIDELINE REPORT

MLB White Sox rookie Peters hits for cycle, rst for franchise in 9 years

Chicago Rookie Chicago White Sox center elder Tristan Peters hit for the cycle, becoming the franchise’s rst player to do it in nine years. Peters doubled in the third, singled in the fth and hit a two-run homer in the seventh against the Athletics. He came up to bat a second time in the seventh and hit a grounder down the right- eld line. The 26-year- old former Durham Bull slid head rst into third to beat the relay throw. Peters is the third major leaguer to hit for the cycle this season.

PGA

Sche er misses cut for rst time in 4 years

North Berwick, Scotland

Scottie Sche er has his rst weekend o in nearly four years. The world’s No. 1 player looked ordinary over two days at the Scottish Open, shooting 72 on Friday and missing the cut by two shots. It’s his rst missed cut since the FedEx St. Jude Championship in August 2022. Sche er missed a 6-foot par putt on the last hole and missed a 7-foot birdie putt on his 16th hole.

WORLD CUP

FIFA selling eld to be used for World Cup nal in $450 pieces

East Rutherford, N.J.

FIFA is selling pieces of the World Cup nal eld for $450 each. The grass will be used for the July 19 nal at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey.

FIFA’s store describes each piece as 17.5 by 17.5 by 17.5 but doesn’t specify the unit of measurement. Players and coaches have criticized the eld quality at MetLife, which usually uses an arti cial surface for NFL games.

Rattín, whose dismissal in 1966 World Cup prompted rules change, dead at 89

Renowned Argentine soccer player Antonio Rattín died at 89. Rattín, a former Boca Juniors player, became famous for his de ance at the 1966 World Cup, which led to the introduction of yellow and red cards. Known for his hard-tackling style, he won six league titles with Boca Juniors. He played in two World Cups and was a Copa Libertadores runner-up. Rattín’s protest during a match against England at Wembley sparked changes in how referees communicate dismissals. His actions also fueled the soccer rivalry between Argentina and England.

NBA Raptors, Clippers put trade for Leonard on hold pending end of NBA investigation

Kawhi Leonard’s trade to the Toronto Raptors is on hold because of an NBA investigation into the Los Angeles Clippers. The league is examining whether the Clippers circumvented salary cap rules. The NBA’s probe began in September, focusing on a $28 million endorsement contract between Leonard and Aspiration Fund Adviser LLC. The Raptors and Clippers had agreed on a trade earlier this month. Leonard, a seven-time All-Star, is coming o his highest-scoring season. There is no timetable for the investigation’s conclusion.

Sinner beats Zverev to win Wimbledon again

Noskova wins the women’s title for her rst Grand Slam

By Andrew Dampf The Associated Press

LONDON — Jannik Sinner is starting to make a habit of responding to adversity in Paris with titles at Wimbledon.

The top-ranked Sinner beat Alexander Zverev 6-7 (7), 7-6 (2), 6-3, 6-4 Sunday for his second consecutive title at the All England Club after his German opponent appeared bothered by a knee issue following a slip to the grass on a key point in the third set.

Sinner’s fth Grand Slam title came in his rst tournament since a second-round meltdown at the French Open, when he wilted in a Paris heat wave.

When Sinner ripped a forehand winner up the line on his rst match point, the Italian dropped to the grass on his back in celebration.

“There’s no better place to play tennis,” Sinner said during the trophy ceremony.

A year ago, Sinner beat Carlos Alcaraz in the nal at the

All England Club after wasting three match points against his rival in the Roland Garros nal.

It was Sinner’s 10th straight victory over Zverev, who was coming o his rst Grand Slam title at the French Open.

Zverev’s previous best performance at Wimbledon was reaching the fourth round three times.

“I’m 29 years old and this is the rst time I actually believe I can win this trophy,” Zverev said.

Prince William joined his wife, Kate, and two of their children for the nal in a star-studded Royal Box that also included actors Dustin Ho man, Nicole Kidman and Ben Stiller.

Linda Noskova beat Karolina Muchova in an all-Czech women’s nal Saturday for her rst Grand Slam title.

Zverev slips

The top two seeds appeared perfectly matched until Zverev earned his only break point of the match at 3-3 in the third set — 2 hours and 42 minutes in. Sinner produced a drop shot, and Zverev slipped and

appeared to hyperextend his right knee as he attempted to change directions behind the baseline.

Zverev grasped his knee in apparent discomfort and Sinner went around the net and helped his opponent up o the grass. Zverev quickly resumed playing, but he appeared slightly hampered and slung his racket across the baseline in frustration when he missed a forehand and handed Sinner the rst break of the match and a 5-3 lead in the third. Sinner then served it out.

Zverev had also lost 14 straight sets to Sinner and when he claimed the opening set of the nal with a forehand winner up the line to conclude a tight tiebreaker. He let out a loud roar toward his box as he bent over in celebration.

Zverev continually cranked out serves at up to 139 mph, while Sinner produced a series of well-placed aces at a slightly lower speed.

But Sinner began to read Zverev’s serve better in the second-set tiebreaker, and Zverev started to miss forehands.

“He showed once again why he’s the best player in the world,” Zverev said.

Sinner produced 58 winners to Zverev’s 49 and had only 25 unforced errors to Zverev’s 45.

Zverev led 17-15 in aces.

Paris meltdown

Amid sti ing heat and humidity in Paris in late May, Sinner had his 30-match winning streak ended after coming within one game of a straight-set victory over Juan Manuel Cerundolo, who was ranked No. 56. Conditions were cooler in southwest London for thenal, with clear skies and a temperature of 82 degrees Fahrenheit but it was also breezy — which led to a series of shanked shots from both players.

Sinner went in for medical exams in Milan after the Paris defeat and didn’t play an ofcial match again until he arrived at Wimbledon, where he twice had to come back from a set down in a ve-set marathon against Miomir Kecmanovic in the rst round.

Sinner then didn’t drop a set the rest of the way until the nal, having dominated against Novak Djokovic in the semi nals.

Despite the defeat in thenal, Zverev leapfrogged Alcaraz into the No. 2 spot in the rankings.

Alcaraz missed both the French Open and Wimbledon this year due to a right wrist injury.

Hornets GM says Ball trade to Timberwolves made with long-term success in mind

The team hopes to break out of its play-in rut with the shakeup

By Steve Reed The Associated Press

THE CHARLOTTE Hornets won 44 games last season, a 25-win improvement over the previous year. So the question begs to be asked: Why would Hornets general manager and executive vice president of basketball operations Je Peterson break up a team that seemed on the rise by trading its most dynamic offensive player in LaMelo Ball? Peterson addressed the question on Saturday in Las Vegas where the Hornets are playing Summer League games, saying it was all about the long-term success of the organization.

“These decisions are challenging at times, but when you look at the totality of the season and everything of where we were, it’s important to take an honest look in the mirror of where you guys are as a team,” Peterson said. “And that’s what I had to do at the end of the season. And I just feel like again, the goal is never to compete for a play-in spot. The goal isn’t to get to the play-in or even the playo s for one year.”

Charlotte reached the play-in tournament and beat Miami at home before getting blown out on the road at Orlando.

Ball, who had struggled with injuries in the past, had one of his best seasons and averaged 20.1 points, 7.1 assists and 4.8 rebounds per game while nishing second in the league to rookie teammate Kon Knueppel in 3-pointers made with 272.

However, the Hornets failed to make the playo s in the six seasons since Ball came to them as the No. 3 overall pick in 2020.

“There’s no doubt in my mind that we had a successful season last year by a lot of people’s standards, and of course LaMelo was a huge part of that,” Peterson said. “But again, sometimes these decisions, they can be chal-

lenging. But ultimately I do feel a responsibility to the organization and to the fans really across the world of the Hornets to do what’s best for the long term of the franchise.” Peterson believes acquiring Naz Reid and draft picks from Minnesota for Ball will give the Hornets more exibility moving forward as they continue to build. As part of a four-team trade with Brooklyn, Chicago and Minnesota, Charlotte sent Ball and Josh Green to the Timberwolves in exchange for Reid, a 2033 unprotected rst-round pick, rst-round pick swaps in 2028, 2029 and 2030, and second-round picks in 2029, 2032 and 2033.

Along with draft capital, the Hornets also received a $40.7 million trade exception — the largest in NBA histo -

ry — as part of the deal, positioning themselves to add other top talent. Still, the move did not sit well with many fans in Charlotte, where Ball is extremely popular and has been a huge draw.

The anger is not on the same level as Mavs fans when Luka Doncic was traded to Los Angeles, but some felt the move was ill-timed given the Hornets appeared headed in the right direction with Ball as their leader.

Peterson said he knows Ball will do great things in Minnesota.

“I do empathize with the fans, and I understand just where they’re coming from,” Peterson said. “If I’m honest, I love LaMelo. He’s a tremendous human being. Of course, he’s an enormous talent. He and I have a great relationship.

“But I would hope that they understand that I have the best interest of the Hornets organization. I truly do. And it’s not about one year or two years. It’s about sustained success and just being objective of where we truly are in our life cycle. I have no doubt that this team we roll out next year and the years to come is going to continue to compete and eventually we’ll get there.”

this week in history

Mandela is born, Aldrin and Armstrong walk the moon, Dahmer arrested

The Associated Press

JULY 16

1945: The United States detonated its rst experimental atomic bomb in the desert of Alamogordo, New Mexico; the same day, the heavy cruiser USS Indianapolis left Mare Island Naval Shipyard in California on a secret mission to deliver atomic bomb components to Tinian Island in the Marianas.

1951: The novel “The Catcher in the Rye” by J.D. Salinger was rst published by Little, Brown and Co.

1999: John F. Kennedy Jr., his wife, Carolyn, and her sister, Lauren Bessette, died when their single-engine plane, piloted by Kennedy, plunged into the Atlantic Ocean near Martha’s Vineyard, Massachusetts.

JULY 17

1918: Russia’s Czar Nicholas II and his family were executed by the Bolsheviks.

1945: Following Nazi Germany’s surrender, President Harry S. Truman, Soviet leader Josef Stalin and British Prime Minister Winston S. Churchill began meeting at Potsdam in the nal Allied summit of World War II.

1955: Disneyland opened in Anaheim, California.

JULY 18

1536: The English Parliament passed an act declaring the authority of the pope void in England.

1918: South African an-

wearing a blindfold, reached into a glass bowl and pulled out a capsule containing the number 258.

1951: Jordan’s King Abdullah I was assassinated in Jerusalem by a Palestinian gunman.

1969: Astronauts Neil Armstrong and Edwin “Buzz” Aldrin became the rst men to walk on the moon after reaching its surface in their Apollo 11 lunar module.

JULY 21

1861: During the Civil War, the rst Battle of Bull Run was fought at Manassas, Virginia, resulting in a Confederate victory.

ti-apartheid leader and future President Nelson Mandela was born in the village of Mvezo.

1925: Adolf Hitler published the rst volume of his autobiographical manifesto, “Mein Kampf (My Struggle).”

JULY 19

1812: During the War of 1812, the First Battle of Sackets Harbor in Lake Ontario resulted in an American victory.

1848: The rst “Convention to discuss the social, civil and religious condition and rights of Woman” convened at the Wesleyan Chapel in Seneca Falls, New York.

1979: The Nicaraguan capital of Managua fell to Sandinista guerrillas two days after President Anastasio Somoza ed the country.

JULY 20

1917: America’s World War I draft lottery began as Secretary of War Newton Baker,

1921: The so-called “Monkey Trial” ended in Dayton, Tennessee, with John T. Scopes found guilty of violating state law for teaching Darwin’s theory of evolution. (The conviction was later overturned.)

1972: The Irish Republican Army carried out 22 bombings in Belfast, Northern Ireland, killing nine people and injuring 130 in what became known as “Bloody Friday.”

JULY 22

1933: Aviator Wiley Post landed at Floyd Bennett Field in New York City, completing the rst solo ight around the world in 7 days, 18 hours and 49 minutes.

1934: Bank robber John Dillinger was shot to death by federal agents outside Chicago’s Biograph Theater, where he had just seen the Clark Gable movie “Manhattan Melodrama.”

1991: Police in Milwaukee arrested Je rey Dahmer, who later confessed to killing 17 men and boys.

‘Ted Lasso’ stars bring World Cup fever to Kansas City as

Season 4 of the hit Apple TV comedy returns Aug. 5

By Dave Skretta The Associated Press

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Lionel Messi and reigning World Cup champion Argentina playing for a semi nal spot in Ted Lasso’s hometown?

You’d better “Believe” he’s paying attention.

The ctional coach of soccer club AFC Richmond — or rather, Jason Sudeikis, who plays the title character on the Apple TV series — was hosting a watch party at CPKC Stadium near downtown Kansas City on Saturday night when La Albiceleste were playing upstart Switzerland at Arrowhead Stadium in their quest for back-to-back championships.

The fourth season of the comedy-drama, which has been on hiatus since 2023, is due to premiere Aug. 5.

“As much as we’ve loved football before we got started, I’ve grown to love it more as we got more immersed in the soc-

Argentina faces Switzerland

“As much as we’ve loved football before we got started, I’ve grown to love it more as we got more immersed in the soccer culture.”

Jason Sudeikis

That includes riverfront CPKC Stadium, the home of the National Women’s Soccer League club Kansas City Current. It’s the rst of its size built speci cally for a women’s professional club, and a tting locale for several thousand people to attend a watch party, given that the new season of “Ted Lasso” will focus on the newly formed AFC Richmond women’s team.

cer culture,” said Sudeikis, who grew up in the Kansas City suburb of Overland Park, Kansas, and still has a deep a nity for the city.

In fact, many of the scenes in the new season of “Ted Lasso” were shot around Kansas City.

It was a concept that the character Keeley Jones — played by the award-winning Juno Temple — subtly pitched at the end of the third season, when it was still unclear whether “Ted Lasso” would return for another run.

“It feels like a perfect moment to be talking about wom-

‘Kiki’s Delivery Service’ author Kadono still believes in magic of books at 91

The series in original Japanese spans six books and three spino s

By Yuri Kageyama

The Associated Press

KAMAKURA, Japan — Eiko Kadono, the author behind Japan’s most famous — and almost certainly most beloved — literary witch, has a little trouble going up the stairs these days.

At 91, she’s still writing every day and hasn’t stopped loving the color pink, dressing up or believing in the magic of books.

“Kiki’s Delivery Service,” which was rst published in 1985 and turned into a 1989 animated lm by Hayao Miyazaki’s Studio Ghibli, is among 200 books she has written.

“I never tire of writing,” she told The Associated Press at her home in the picturesque seaside town of Kamakura, south of Tokyo.

With a little pink gate, the house is lled with books, pink chairs and her collection of animal gures.

“I’m probably a child at heart,” Kadono says with a small laugh. “I love to write”

These days, she uses a keyboard, punching the keys slowly, one at a time. But when she is creating a story, it still all starts with writing by hand. She also draws pictures. “I want to write so that the reader can visualize what I am writing,” she said. “I love to write.”

Still quick with her retorts, laughs and thoughts, Kadono shrugs o how she’s wearing a wig. She doesn’t understand why people might want to hide that. She wears red lipstick and acts a bit shy about her wrinkles.

Still, her writing hasn’t basically changed over the years.

Though when she looks back on her past writing, she feels it’s wordier than her current crisp style.

“Kiki and the New Magic”

Now, the second in the series, “Kiki and the New Magic,” is set

en’s football, and representing it — not that I play, obviously,” said Temple, who sported a teal Kansas City Current jersey Saturday. “So that’s rst and foremost. I hope that’s something people really treasure. And I also hope people enjoy the journey each of the characters are going on.”

As for the World Cup, the cast hopes fans of the show have become fans of the game over the years. That has certainly been the case in the Sudeikis household; he played a little soccer as a kid before realizing basketball was more his game.

“I’ve certainly heard from some people that didn’t care about soccer at all until they started to watch ‘Ted Lasso,’” said Brendan Hunt, who plays Coach Beard and is one of the show’s writers. He re ected on the last time the U.S. hosted the World Cup in 1994.

“As opposed to 1994 when we had the World Cup and people knew even less about soccer, including me, people were ready for it,” Hunt said. “Yes, the world has come with this great energy, but we were more ready to be aware of their presence and reciprocate energy.”

for release in August in English, translated by Emily Balistrieri and illustrated by Yuta Onoda. Kadono, who won the prestigious Hans Christian Andersen Award in 2018, never set out to become a writer. She was basically a housewife, married to a designer and raising a daughter. She lived in Brazil for two years during her 30s and was asked to write about that experience. That’s when she discovered she liked writing as a fun thing to do, not as a job. It was certainly not something she was ordered or pushed to do.

The character of the sprightly, no-nonsense Kiki was inspired by a drawing her daughter did when she was 12: A cute witch was ying on a broomstick toward the moon.

Kadono decided to create a coming-of-age story about a little witch who goes on an adventure, traveling with her black cat Jiji.

The rest is history.

Books bring creation, imagination

Kadono hopes there will be a continuous ux of talented writers of children’s books so that the future generation can grow up to love books.

Now is a crucial period, she believes, that may decide whether that can really happen. The walks in the woods and other activities that captured the imagination of children of the past no longer exist, said Kadono. There are other digital and modern diversions.

And so, they must read.

famous birthdays this week

Will Ferrell is 59, singer Kim Carnes hits 81, Kannapolis native George Clinton turns 85

The Associated Press THESE CELEBRITIES have birthdays this week.

JULY 16

International Tennis Hall of Famer Margaret Court is 84. Violinist Pinchas Zukerman is 78. Actor-singer Ruben Blades is 78. Rock composer-musician Stewart Copeland is 74. Actor-comedian Will Ferrell is 59. Football Hall of Famer Barry Sanders is 58. Actor Corey Feldman is 55.

JULY 17

Former sportscaster Verne Lundquist is 86. Queen Camilla of the United Kingdom is 79. Rock musician Terry “Geezer” Butler is 77. Actor Lucie Arnaz is 75. Actor David Hasselho is 74. Former German Chancellor Angela Merkel is 72.

JULY 18

Olympic gold medal gure skater Tenley Albright is 91. Movie director Paul Verhoeven is 88. Singer Dion DiMucci is 87. Actor James Brolin is 86. Baseball Hall of Famer Joe Torre is 86. Singer Martha Reeves is 85. Musician Ricky Skaggs is 72.

JULY 19

Civil rights activist and educator Rachel Robinson, widow of baseball’s Jackie Robinson, is 104. Blues singer-musician Little Freddie King is 86. Singer-musician Alan Gorrie (Average White Band) is 80. Rock musician Brian May (Queen) is 79. Actor Campbell Scott is 65.

JULY 20

Baseball Hall of Famer Tony Oliva is 88. Artist Judy Chicago is 87. Country singer T.G. Sheppard is 82. Singer Kim Carnes is 81. Rock musician Carlos Santana is 79. Rock musician Paul Cook (Sex Pistols) is 70.

JULY 21

Singer Yusuf Islam (also known as Cat Stevens) is 78. Author Michael Connelly is 70. Comedian Jon Lovitz is 69. Retired soccer player Brandi Chastain is 58. Actor-singer Charlotte Gainsbourg is 55.

JULY 22

Singer George Clinton is 85. Movie writer-director Paul Schrader is 80. Actor Danny Glover is 80. Singer Mireille Mathieu is 80. Actor-comedian-director Albert Brooks is 79. Rock singer Don Henley is 79. Author S.E. Hinton is 78. Jazz musician Al Di Meola is 72. Actor Willem Dafoe is 71.

‘Heartstopper Forever,’ ‘Lucky,’ ‘Marc by So a,’ Steve Lacy

Will Ferrell plays golf in “The Hawk” on Net ix

The Associated Press

A NEW ALBUM from Steve Lacy and the conclusion of the “Heartstopper” series 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, as selected by The Associated Press’ entertainment journalists: “Lucky,” which stars Anya Taylor-Joy, the game “D-topia” and “The Hawk,” which stars Will Ferrell as a gol ng great well past his prime.

NEW MOVIES TO STREAM

Net ix’s popular series “Heartstopper” concludes with a feature lm nale, “Heartstopper Forever,” streaming Friday on Net ix. The lm, written by “Heartstopper” creator and graphic novelist Alice Oseman, follows the Season 3 ending in which Nick Nelson (Kit Connor) and Charlie Spring (Joe Locke) take their relationship to a new level. New challenges await, though, as Nick considers what university he’ll attend.

So a Coppola pro les fashion designer Marc Jacobs in “Marc by So a” (Thursday on HBO Max). The lm, largely shot as Jacobs prepares to unveil a ready-to-wear collection, marks a documentary rst for Coppola, the lmmaker of “Lost in Translation” and “The Bling Ring.” Christian Petzold’s “Miroirs No. 3” (Mubi on Friday), one of the standouts of the rst half of 2026, is about a piano student (Paula Beer) who, following a car accident, rehabilitates in the rural home of an older woman (Barbara Auer) who lives near where the crash happened. In his review, AP Film Writer Jake Coyle called the lm “beguiling and restorative.”

MUSIC TO STREAM

In 2022, he was inescap -

able. Lacy’s “Bad Habit” was a hit, anchored by its surprising — and addictive — self-e acing

hook: “I wish I knew you wanted me.” On Friday, the alt-R&B talent, formerly of the group the Internet, will release a new album titled “Oh yeah?” It’s a pop progression, from the dreamy collaboration with SZA, “Is It Cool?” to the ambitious “The Feeling.”

The Colombian Canadian artist Lido Pimienta is no stranger to pushing boundaries; it is why she is frequently compared to Björk and Natalia Lafourcade in equal measure. On Friday she will release “Caribenya,” a portmanteau of “Caribe” and the elusive Irish singer

“‘Miroirs

“Enya.” The title should provide a framework in which to experience this work: It’s at the intersection of her cumbia and DIY roots, as well as her ever-expanding, anti-colonial sonic experimentations.

SERIES TO STREAM

Robert Irwin won Season 34 of “Dancing with the Stars,” and now he’s the host of “The Next Pro,” where 12 dancers compete to be a pro in its next season. Mark Ballas, a three-time Mirrorball champ, is a judge alongside his mother, Shirley Ballas, winner of many Latin dance competitions and renowned instructor and British TV personality. A third spot at the judges’ table will feature rotating guests

including Derek Hough, Witney Carson and Jenna Johnson. The show is streaming now on Hulu. What would you do if you had a winning lottery ticket that you couldn’t cash in? Taylor-Joy plays Lucky, a con artist with that conundrum in a new Apple TV series of the same name. The winnings would give Lucky a chance at a new life, but both the feds and her crime boss are on her trail. Reese Witherspoon, who chose the novel for her book club in 2021, is an executive producer. The rst two episodes are now streaming. Ferrell plays Lonnie Hawkins, No. 1 golfer — of 2004. Present day, though, the wear and tear of years on the course is showing. His ex-wife and son, golf’s latest hotshot, think the game is over and he should retire. Lonnie refuses to go out as anything but great — he’s just got to win one more major to complete a career Grand Slam. Molly Shannon, Jimmy Tatro, Fortune Feimster, Luke Wilson and Chris Parnell round out the cast. “The Hawk” premieres Thursday on Net ix.

VIDEO GAMES TO PLAY

“Culdcept Begins” represents the return of a cult classic that’s been absent from consoles for too long. It’s a mashup of two popular kinds of tabletop games. One is a board game, like Monopoly, in which you roll dice, move and claim property. The other is a collectible card game, like Magic: The Gathering, in which you use your deck to summon creatures, cast spells or deploy weapons. If you land on a space that an opponent has already claimed, the battle is on. With ever-changing boards and more than 400 cards, you can indulge in a challenging solo campaign or play online against friends. Cut the deck Thursday on Switch.

“D-topia” looks like it might be a nice place to live. After all, it’s a place where “life is curated by arti cial intelligence to maximize happiness.” But machines break down sometimes, and your job as a facilitator is to x them. You may run into some human residents who aren’t entirely happy in this mellow but bland town. And once you discover the hidden “Block Side,” you may reveal some unsavory secrets. Publisher Annapurna Interactive describes it as “a calm, yet thought-provoking journey” in which your choices may lead to joy or despair. Check in on PlayStation 5,

or PC.