VOLUME 147 ISSUE 27 | THURSDAY, AUGUST 29, 2024
CHATHAMNEWSRECORD.COM
Flyover country
PJ WARD-BROWN / CHATHAM NEWS & RECORD
“Trump Force One” made a dramatic entrance at Asheboro Regional Airport last Wednesday as former President Donald Trump held his second campaign stop in North Carolina in as many weeks. Turn to page B10 for more photos from the event.
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BRIEF this week
Girl Scouts recruiting new members In preparation for the new troop year beginning Oct. 1, Girl Scouts Carolinas Peaks to Piedmont is seeking new members and leaders. Girls in grades K-12 are eligible and application review is underway. The organization prides itself on offering a community that values friendship, learning, adventure and leadership. New troop leaders are also being recruited. You can search for a troop in your area and learn more by visiting BeAGirlScout.org/ discover.
Red Cross facing blood emergency The American Red Cross is facing a national blood emergency, exacerbated by recent severe weather events including Hurricane Debby. Nearly 60 blood drives were canceled nationwide, resulting in 1,500 uncollected blood donations. In North Carolina alone, Tropical Storm Debby led to 500 missed donations in August. The Red Cross emphasizes the critical need for both new and regular donors to address the shortage. Those in unaffected areas are urged to schedule appointments immediately. Donors can use the Red Cross Blood Donor App or visit RedCrossBlood. org to book. As incentives, donors through Aug. 31 will receive a $20 Amazon. com gift card, while those giving Sept. 1-15 will get an exclusive Red Cross T-shirt, supplies permitting.
SHUTTER BY NITISH LLC / FIRE VIA AP
Susan Hogarth shows the selfie she took in a North Carolina ballot box, something the state elections board says is a crime.
NC elections board sued over ‘ballot selfie’ law Does a law prohibiting ballot photos violate First Amendment protections? By Makiya Seminera The Associated Press RALEIGH — A woman is suing state elections board over state laws that ban most photography in polling places after she took a selfie with her ballot in March. The lawsuit was filed in the U.S. Eastern District Court of
North Carolina by Susan Hogarth. The lawsuit centers around a letter Hogarth said she received from the North Carolina State Board of Elections asking her to remove a post on X that included a selfie she took with her completed ballot during the March primary election. She says the letter and the laws underpinning it are unconstitutional. She is suing the Board of Elections and the See SELFIE, page A7
Chapel Hill Courthouse vandalized with violent messages toward police “Kill cops,” “death to cops” and “jihad now” covered a courthouse entryway Chatham News & Record staff CHAPEL HILL — The Chapel Hill Courthouse was vandalized on Saturday night after a protest event. The words “kill cops” was spray painted in red along the side of one of the building’s entrances. Other graffiti on the building in the same general area read “Jihad now,” “death to cops” and “burn the prisons.” “Calls for violence and murder have no place in this community, and we should all de-
Robinson campaign releases public safety plan “My plan focuses on standing with law enforcement, cracking down on violent crime and dangerous drugs, and getting criminals off the streets and behind bars where they belong.” Lt. Gov. Mark Robinson
The plan includes increased penalties for certain crimes and cooperation with immigration officials By A.P. Dillon Chatham News & Record RALEIGH — North Carolina Lt. Gov. Mark Robinson released his public safety plan last week as part of his campaign for governor. “For too long, far-left career politicians like Josh Stein and Kamala Harris have made our state and country a magnet for violent crime and dangerous drugs,” Robinson said in a press release. “From ending cash bail to pandering to radical activists that want to defund the police, Josh
Stein and Kamala Harris’ pro-criminal, anti-law-enforcement agenda must end. “My plan focuses on standing with law enforcement, cracking down on violent crime and dangerous drugs, and getting criminals off the streets and behind bars where they belong.” Some key elements of Robinson’s plan include: • Rejecting calls to defund the police and prioritizing raises for law enforcement officers in state budgets
See ROBINSON, page A2
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nounce it in the strongest possible terms,” said Chatham and Orange County District Attorney Jeff Nieman in a court issued press release. “Law enforcement officers risk their lives every day to keep all of us safe, including the individuals at this rally and those who spray-painted these hateful messages,” said Nieman. “I only hope those responsible can be identified so they can be held accountable in court. I encourage anyone with information about the perpetrators to contact their local law enforcement agency.” The yet-unidentified group began its protest at 9 p.m. at the courthouse before marchSee VANDALIZED, page A3