North State Journal Vol. 11, Issue 15

Stanley Cup nal returns to Raleigh

The Hurricanes hosted the Vegas Golden Knights in Game 1 of the Stanley Cup nal Tuesday, 20 years after the team’s coach, Rod Brind’Amour, led Carolina to its only championship as captain in 2006.

White House correspondents’ dinner rescheduled for July, Trump to attend New York

The White House Correspondents Association dinner has been rescheduled for July 24. The event was initially disrupted in April by an assassination attempt on President Donald Trump. Weijia Jiang, president of the White House Correspondents’ Association, announced the new date and emphasized enhanced safety measures and new access procedures. Trump revealed on his Truth Social platform that the dinner would be held at the Waldorf Astoria Hotel. He said he has accepted an invitation to speak and called the rescheduling a sign of strength. Jiang highlighted the dinner’s purpose as a celebration of a free press and democracy, despite some critics questioning whether it should be held at all.

U.S. job openings climb to 7.6M in April

Washington, D.C.

U.S. job openings jumped in April as the labor market looked resilient despite economic uncertainty caused by the Iran war.

The Labor Department reported Tuesday that U.S. employers posted 7.6 million job vacancies in April, up from 6.9 million in March and much higher than the 6.8 million economists had forecast. Layo s fell, but so did the number of Americans quitting their jobs — a sign of con dence in their prospects. The American job market has been recovering from a dismal 2025. Last year, companies, nonpro ts and government agencies added fewer than 10,000 jobs a month, least outside a recession since 2002.

Trump administration announces grant competition to reinvest in civic education the BRIEF this week

House Bill 921 would make signi cant changes to state law

House targets rate increases related to data centers

The Ratepayer Protection Act addresses hyperscaler facilities

By A.P. Dillon North State Journal

RALEIGH — A measure to protect consumers from rate increases potentially driven by data centers was recently introduced by statehouse Rep. Matthew Winslow (R-Franklin).

According to a press release, the Ratepayer Protection Act (Senate Bill 730) is a “comprehensive package of reforms” created to “protect North Carolina families, small businesses, and taxpayers from skyrocketing utility rates driven by unchecked data center development and energy policy mandates.”

“North Carolinians are already feeling the pinch of

See ELECTRICITY, page A8

By A.P. Dillon North State Journal

RALEIGH — North Carolina lawmakers advanced an overhaul of several state alcoholic beverage regulations during a May 19 committee meeting.

The legislative Alcoholic Beverage Control Committee approved a Proposed Committee Substitute (PCS) for House Bill 921 that would ease several restrictions on spirits, expand business opportunities, and loosen rules around nonpro ts and gaming while dropping a controversial proposal for Sunday ABC store sales.

The bill was rst introduced in April 2025. Among the original provisions was Sunday ABC store sales, creating a new framework for pre -

mixed/ready-to-drink (RTDs) cock tails and increased game nights for qualifying nonpro ts.

The PCS version keeps most of those original ideas but signi cantly expands and re nes them. Many of the changes would take e ect in mid-to -late 2026.

Changes from the original bill include removal of the Sunday sales option, which would have let counties and municipalities vote to allow ABC stores to open on Sundays.

The alcohol by volume (ABV) cap on premixed/ ready-to - drink cocktails was also lowered, from 13% in the original to 9.9% in the PCS.

The revised bill also creates a separate category for premixed cocktails, moving them out of the state’s spirituous liquor system and into a beer-and-wine -style three -tier distribution model

The grant program will fund colleges, nonpro ts and for-pro ts

By Jessica Taylor For North State Journal

RALEIGH — The U.S. Department of Education and U.S. Department of Labor recently announced a grant competition called the American History and Civics – National Activities Program. The program will support grantees and provide educators with high- quality professional development and instructional strategies, ac-

cording to the press release. The program aims to strengthen instruction that teaches American history, civics, government and geography.

The Department of Education plans to award approximately $19.8 million to institutions that implement changes to bene t low-income students and underserved populations through the AHC -NA Program. The program is expected to deliver 10 awards.

The program plans to reinvest in education to create a well- educated and self-reliant citizenship that will continue

See CIVICS, page A2

“These grants will help revitalize history and civics education in classrooms across the nation.”

Kirsten Baseler

“I will lift up my eyes unto the hills, from whence comes my help. My help comes from the Lord, who made heaven and earth.” Psalm 121:1-2.

It is good always to look up. Thousands of people dwarf their lives, and hinder the possibilities of growth in their souls by looking downward. They keep their eyes ever entangled in mere earthly sights, and miss the glories of the hills that pierce the clouds, and of the heavens that bend over them. The psalmist knew this temptation well, and yet he resolved to lift his gaze — not merely to the hills themselves, but to the One who made them.

A story is told of a boy who one day found a gold coin on the street. Ever after this — he kept his eyes on the ground as he walked, watching for coins. During a long lifetime, he found a good number of coins — but meanwhile he never saw the owers and the trees which grew in such wondrous beauty everywhere; he never saw the hills, the mountains, the sweet valleys, the picturesque landscapes; he never saw the blue sky. To him, this lovely world meant only a dusty road, dreary and unbeautiful, merely a place in which to look for coins.

This really is the story of the life of most people. They never lift their eyes o the earth. They live only to gather money, to add eld to eld, to scheme for power or to nd pleasure. Jesus himself warned of this very danger, saying, “No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon.”

Matthew 6:24. Or, if their quest is a little higher, it is still only for earthly things. They never lift up their eyes to God. There is no blue sky in their picture. They cherish no heavenly visions. They are without God in the world.

Scripture calls us upward. Hebrews urges us to x our eyes on “Jesus the author and nisher of our faith.” Hebrews

12:2. And the apostle Paul, writing from a prison cell — a place that might have turned any man’s eyes downward in despair — declared his heart remained xed on things above. “Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things.” Colossians 3:1-2

If we heed these verses, “The Lord shall preserve thy going out and thy coming in from this time forth, and even for evermore.” Psalm 121:8.

J.R. Miller was a pastor and former editorial superintendent of the Presbyterian Board of Publication from 1880 to 1911. His works are now in the public domain.

Robinson sued by man he accused of defamation

The former lieutenant governor had also sued CNN during his gubernatorial bid

By A.P. Dillon North State Journal

RALEIGH — Former Lt.

Gov. Mark Robinson is being sued by a Greensboro musician.

Louis Love Money, known for his band Trailer Park Orchestra, is the former employee of a pornography shop he claimed Robinson used to frequent. He was named as a co - defendant in Robinson’s 2024 defamation lawsuit against CNN following the bombshell report of Robinson’s posts on the pornography site Nude Africa.

The complaint accuses Robinson of abuse of process and malicious prosecution related to the 2024 defamation lawsuit in which Robinson initially demanded $50 million in damages and refuted claims Money made in an interview of buying a bootleg porn video from Money decades earlier. Robinson hired Washington, D.C., lawyer Jesse Binnall to sue CNN and Money. That case would be voluntarily dropped three months later, in January 2025. Campaign records show Binnall had been paid $116,995 as of mid-December 2024. Robinson’s inclusion of Mon-

“Well, I think more than anything, you know, were allegations that I watched pornography and was involved with people that watched pornography, and that was absolutely true.”

Former Lt. Gov. Mark Robinson’s remarks on the “After the call” podcast

or purpose in issuing process against Money,” the complaint reads. “One, the Money suit was to defeat diversity jurisdiction. Two, the Money suit was a part of an election strategy, as opposed to a legitimate lawsuit.”

ey in that lawsuit stemmed from an interview Money gave to The Assembly in September 2025 claiming Robinson was a regular at the pornography shop and still owed him $25 for a “bootleg“ video Money claims to have made for him. He referred to his band’s song, “The Lt. Governor Owes Me Money.” Money’s lawsuit argues that Robinson deliberately joined these unrelated claims together to prevent the case from being removed to federal court, as well as to generate media attention to de ect damaging allegations during his 2024 gubernatorial campaign.

“Robinson had an ulteri-

America’s autonomy in governance. It will support seminars that promote understanding of American government and politics while enabling students to engage with history with a motivated honesty and appreciation.

“In the lead-up to America’s 250th birthday, these grants will help revitalize history and civics education in classrooms across the nation, ensuring that future generations understand and cherish the ideals that have guided us since our founding,” said Kirsten Baseler, the assistant secretary of Education, O ce of Elementary and Secondary Education. “Through thoughtful engagement with our history and civics, we can

prepare young people who model respect, responsibility, and a deep appreciation for our nation’s exceptional founding principles.”

The discretionary grants are open to applications from colleges, nonpro ts and for-profits. The AHC -NA Program will run through the partnership established by the Department of Education and the Department of Labor, which will be managing grant funds, providing technical assistance and integrating programs established by the Department of Education.

“In light of America’s upcoming semi- quincentennial, these grants are a timely return to teaching rst principles and cultivating the common good,” said Henry Mack, as-

The complaint against Robinson contends the claims against him were brought without probable cause and with malice, especially since Robinson later admitted on a March 2026 podcast that allegations about his long-standing involvement with pornography were true.

“Robinson initiated and pursued the Wake County lawsuit against Plainti despite knowing that the allegations attributed to Plainti were substantially true or substantially based in truth,“ the complaint states.

The complaint also quotes Robinson as stating, “Well, I think more than anything, you know, were allegations that I watched pornography and was involved with people that

sistant secretary of labor, employment and training. “While the belief that individuals have certain immutable rights ordered toward an objective good is one that extends far beyond the classroom, it is a belief that must take root in classrooms, and the workplaces, for it to survive for another 250 years.”

The grant competition highlights past awards delivered through the program. In scal year 2023, the number of new awards was 25; in scal year 2025, the number was 85. Funding during the scal year 2021 was approximately $3.25 million. The grant competition expands upon the Department of Education’s combined $153 million it awards through the American History and Civ-

watched pornography, and that was absolutely true.“

The podcast referred to by Money is an interview Robinson gave on a show called “After the Call,” in which he “came clean” about his pornography addiction that began at a young age. During the interview, Robinson made no apologies for his “obsession” with pornography and compared it to drug addiction.

The complaint says Money incurred signi cant legal expenses defending the prior suit and is seeking damages exceeding $25,000, along with attorneys’ fees, costs and interest.

During the podcast interview, Robinson also said he would have beaten Josh Stein in the gubernatorial race despite the CNN story exposing his Nude Africa forum postings if he had dumped his campaign teams.

“I should have changed campaign teams in the summer and took my campaign in a completely di erent direction,”

ic Seminars (AHCS) Program. Grants awarded through the AHCS Program were given to higher- education institutions containing independent civics centers and nonpro t organizations that targeted American history education. The AHCS Program’s awards paved the way for higher education institutions to conduct seminars focusing on primary documents, constitutional study, historical eld experiences, civil discourse and American achievement. Additional awards supported the development of an open-access Civics Literacy Teaching Toolkit to educate on seminar content, founding documents, instructional strategy briefs and student civics engagement projects.

Robinson said. “And if I had, I believe even with the CNN scandal, I still would’ve won the race.”

Robinson’s campaign had issued a statement following the CNN article denying “he ever created or used an account on this website” and claimed the “minisoldr“ email address had been involved in several “data breaches.”

Robinson also reportedly blamed sta for “leaking” the information to CNN during various campaign stops following the report coming out. That also turned out to be false, with a former sta er con rming to North State Journal that the “minisoldr” handle and associated email cited by CNN belonged to Robinson. The “After the Call” podcast was produced and promoted by a company formed in early 2026 called “Real Truth Media.” Business lings show it was created by Robinson’s former campaign manager, Matt Hurley, who operates Southern Strategies — the company that ran Robinson’s campaign following his sta quitting after the CNN article was published. During the 2024 cycle, Robinson’s 2024 campaign paid Southern Strategies $50,246. The most recent campaign ling, a 2025 mid-year submission, shows Southern Strategies was paid $97,422 for “legal fees.”

The AHC -NA Program announcement follows a new partnership between the Department of Education and the Department of the Treasury, which are working to manage the nation’s $1.7 trillion federal student loan portfolio. The Federal Student Assistance Partnership allows the Treasury to manage collections on defaulted loans and create opportunity for borrowers to resume regular monthly payments.

The Department of Education announced 10 Interagency Agreements between ve agencies to date to downsize the department and ful ll Trump administration goals of improving national test scores in reading, writing and math while also returning educational responsibilities to the state.

High Point concert, Raleigh parade highlights for NC’s America 250

By A.P. Dillon North State Journal

RALEIGH — The North Carolina General Assembly’s America’s Semiquincentennial Committee met May 21 to review progress and coordinate statewide events marking the 250th anniversary of American independence.

Chairman Ted Alexander, a Republican senator from Cleveland County, opened the session by highlighting that exactly 250 years earlier, Richard Henry Lee and Francis Lightfoot Lee had voiced strong support for independence.

Before discussing planning updates, the committee heard a presentation by Michael Noriega of the American Journey Experience.

Noriega said when the Declaration of Independence was being crafted, Thomas Jefferson “stated the idea of the Declaration of Independence was never to nd out new principles.”

Noriega shared artifacts from the organization’s collection, including a lock of George Washington’s hair and an early draft of the Declaration of Independence. He spoke of American exceptionalism and called for renewed commitment to the nation’s founding ideals.

“President Abraham Lincoln had it right when he said, you and I, as Americans, we are recipients of the choicest bounties of heaven,” Noriega said. “But as we celebrate America 250, it’s more than just a time to celebrate what we’ve accomplished for over 250 years. But it’s a time to rededicate ourselves to foundational principles that allowed America to become the land of the free and the home of the brave.”

Celebration planning updates during the meeting included promotional materials, opinion- column opportunities in North State Journal, the American Constitution lm project and a planned kiosk ex-

hibit from the American Battle eld Trust.

Additionally, committee members discussed an America 250 license plate design, which will have an accompanying bill run to approve it.

Much of the discussion centered on major July 4 events planned across the state, with organizers reporting steady progress on a Grand Parade in Raleigh and the High Point First America 250 concert.

The High Point concert will include a VIP reception, performances by the North Carolina Brass Band and North Carolina Adult Choir, and headliners Darren and Brooke Aldridge, as well as multiple International Bluegrass Music Association award winners.

In Raleigh, the Grand Parade is slated to begin July 4 at 9:30 a.m. and will traverse downtown around the Capitol grounds.

Complementing the parade, the Capital 250 North Carolina Freedom Fest is set to take place in downtown Raleigh from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Ann Evangelista of the Department of Natural and Cultural Resources described Freedom Fest as a day of activities that will include live music, more than 50 vendors and

“It’s a time to rededicate ourselves to foundational principles that allowed America to become the land of the free and the home of the brave.”

Michael Noriega, American Journey Experience

special exhibitors, food trucks, living historians and a formal ceremony.

Evangelista said headliners will include musical performers Rissi Palmer and Ti Merritt. Additional performances during Freedom Fest will include Nest of Singing Birds, the 82nd Airborne All-American Brass Quintet, the Wake and District Raleigh Pipe Band, the N.C. Governor’s School Choir and Poet Zack Zachary.

Mike Leonard of the Conservation Fund briefed the committee on ongoing e orts to protect Revolutionary War battle elds in North Carolina.

“The Conservation Fund is communicating with the American Battle eld Trust and others about protecting a very signi cant (Revolutionary War) battle eld in this state,” Leonard said.

Leonard added his research showed the National Park Service has classi ed 30 battleelds in the country as priorities for protection.

“Land has been protected at every last one of those except the one in North Carolina,” Leonard said.

He added they are working with a landowner to bring that battle eld under protection.

The committee will meet one more time in June ahead of the July anniversary celebrations.

In national news, the Presidential 1776 Award for the national civics competition nals honoring the nation’s anniversary will be broadcast by CBS on June 30. North Carolina’s Ishant Jawali has qualied as one of the nalists. A total of $250,000 in scholarship prizes will go to the top three nishers.

NCDOT HOSTING A PUBLIC OPEN HOUSE A PROPOSAL TO REPLACE THE BRIDGE ON VANDORA SPRINGS ROAD OVER U.S. 70 IN WAKE COUNTY

STIP Project No. B-5681

GARNER - The N.C. Department of Transportation is hosting a public meeting to discuss the proposal to replace the bridge on Vandora Springs Road over U.S. 70 in the Town of Garner. The purpose of this meeting is to provide interested citizens with information on the project and gather public input on the proposed design.

Project details and maps can be found on NCDOT’s project input website at publicinput.com/vandoraspringsrd-us70. The information will be available at the meeting allowing for one-on-one discussions with NCDOT staff, but there will be no formal presentation.

The meeting will be held from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m on June 9 at Garner Town Hall, 900 7th Avenue, in Garner

People may also submit comments by phone at 984-205-6615 project code 6509, email vandoraspringsrd-us70@publicinput.com, or mail at the address shown below by Ju , 2026

By Mail: Martha Hodge, AICP, PMP

NCDOT

Project Management Unit

–Pro Manager 1582 Mail Service Center Raleigh, NC 27699-1582

NCDOT will provide auxiliary aids and services under the Americans with Disabilities Act for disabled people who wish to participate in this meeting. Anyone requiring special services should contact Tony Gallagher, Environmental Analysis Unit, at 1598 Mail Service Center, Raleigh, NC 27699-1598, 919-707-6069 or magallagher@ncdot.gov as early as possible so arrangements can be made.

Those who do not speak English, or have a limited ability to read, speak or understand English, may receive interpretive services upon request prior by calling 1-800-481-6494.

GOP groups claim victory in two elections cases

The cases deal with the removal of noncitizens from voter rolls and “never residents”

By A.P. Dillon North State Journal

RALEIGH — The Republican National Committee and the North Carolina Republican Party claimed victory with consent judgments of two court cases dealing with noncitizens on North Carolina voter rolls and “never residents.”

The rst consent judgment requires the North Carolina State Board of Elections (NCSBE) to follow a state law enacted in 2023 through an override of former Gov. Roy Cooper’s veto. The law requires elections o cials to use jury summons questionnaires to locate individuals self-identifying as non-U.S. citizens and remove those ineligible individuals from voter rolls.

Wake County Superior Court Judge Jennifer Bedford approved the agreement May 20 after a hearing lasting just under 20 minutes. Intervenor groups represented by Elias Law Group opposed the settlement, speci cally a portion instructing election o cials to post a list of those self-identifying noncitizen voters on the NCSBE website.

As of publication time, the formal consent order had not been posted in the state’s eCourts System.

Republican National Committee (RNC) Chairman Joe Gruters called it a “major win for election integrity in North Carolina.”

“It’s straightforward: if someone admits they’re not a U.S. citizen during jury duty, that information should be used to check the voter rolls and remove anyone who doesn’t belong,” Gruters said. “Our ght ensures the law is actually enforced and North Carolina Democrats can’t cheat by padding voter rolls with people who are not citizens.”

The RNC and NCGOP rst sued in 2024 over the NCSBE’s failure to comply with the law. The NCSBE had previously called the original allegations false and noted early compliance e orts only identied a small number of cases in 2024. According to the RNC’s release, the RNC, NCGOP and NCSBE have “agreed to the terms of the proposed consent judgment.”

The NCSBE did not respond to North State Journal’s request for comment prior to publication; however, the NCSBE took steps last December to ensure noncitizens are removed from voter rolls through use of the federal SAVE database. The NCSBE’s rst submission to the SAVE database found 34,000 deceased voters on the state’s rolls.

NCSBE Executive Director Sam Hayes has also been pursuing driver’s license and Social Security number data to clean up voter rolls from the N.C. Division of Motor Vehicles (NCDMV) but told North State Journal earlier this year that NCDMV Commissioner Paul Tine has been blocking release of the data on legal grounds.

The NCSBE, under a Republican majority and Hayes, has also carried out a vot-

er registration repair project to cure registrations missing those key data sets required by law. The second case deals with what the NCSBE has estimated to be between 200 and 1,000 “never residents” — individuals registered to vote in North Carolina but who have never actually resided in the state.

The 2024 legal challenge argued never residents to be a violation of the North Carolina Constitution’s residency requirements in Article VI, Section 2 of the state constitution, which requires actual residence or “intent to return” for state elections.

Special Wake County Superior Court Judge Hoyt Tessener issued the order, which has not yet been posted in the state’s eCourts System.

The previous Democratic- controlled NCSBE and Democratic National Committee both opposed “never resident” changes and wanted the case dismissed, pointing to “never residents” being eligible for federal elections under state law and prior rulings. Democrats also sought to move part of the case to a three-judge panel.

“This is a clear win for fair and lawful elections,” Gruters said in a statement. “The court upheld the North Carolina Constitution and made clear that only North Carolina residents can vote in the state. The RNC will keep ghting to ensure only eligible citizens can vote.”

The NCGOP issued a statement on the never resident case.

“This ruling con rms the state constitution forbids voting by individuals who have never lived in North Carolina,” NCGOP Chairman Jason Simmons said. “The Court of Appeals and Supreme Court decisively ruled on this previously and the decision rea rms the common-sense principle only North Carolina citizens can vote in North Carolina elections.“

The “never residents” issue was also raised during the 2024 Supreme Court race by Republican candidate and Court of Appeals Judge Je erson Gri n. The North Carolina Supreme Court eventually heard that case, ruling not to remove any ballots from the race but deciding those ballots shouldn’t have been counted.

The ruling disallowed “never residents” from voting in state elections but preserved the ability to vote in national-level elections due to federal voting rights laws. The court also upheld the Court of Appeals on overseas and military residents needing to show ID but did not toss their ballots. Additionally, the ruling reversed the Court of Appeals order tossing 60,000 ballots from voters whose registrations were incomplete for having missing driver’s license numbers and/or the last four digits of their Social Security number. In its ruling, the Supreme Court chastised the NCSBE for “inattention and failure to dutifully conform its conduct to the law’s requirements” to repair those registrations.

As with the noncitizens case, when the new Republican-majority took over at the NCSBE, the items decided by the state Supreme Court were addressed.

THE CONVERSATION

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

VISUAL VOICES

EDITORIAL | FRANK HILL

The patriotism of an American mutt

If I moved to France, would I want to be identi ed as “AmericanFrench”?

IF YOU WANT to nd out what it means to be an American, go buy a mattress on Memorial Day from a sales guy who served four tours of duty in Iraq.

This past Memorial Day, we went shopping for a new mattress. Unbeknownst to us, we came upon a gentleman who not only knew everything there is to know about mattresses, but he would also teach us a solid lesson about what it means to be an American.

We learned tons more about what it means to be an American through the eyes of this veteran than we could ever hope to learn on various tropes of the day on social media, that’s for sure.

Our salesman told us a little about himself and said Memorial Day was special to him since he served in the Army. When we thanked him for his service, he proceeded to tell us a little more about his background and why he chose to serve four di erent tours of duty in Iraq.

“You know, Mr. Hill,” he said, “when I was shooting at an ISIS ghter, I wasn’t thinking about which part of my ethnic heritage I was defending. I must have seven di erent nationalities owing through my veins — I am just an American mutt, I guess!

“All I could think about was how much I wanted to defeat this enemy who clearly wanted to take down America and take away all of the freedoms we take for granted, and I just resolved to never let that happen.”

His ethnic heritage ran the gamut from

Irish and Greek to African American and several others he named by grandparent and great-grandparent on both sides of his family. He was born in another state but grew up next door to a future Tar Heel basketball star and became a huge UNC fan, so he could count being a Tar Heel among his many lines of cultural heritage and a nities.

“When will it be time for us to identify ourselves as ‘American’ rst and only?” he said poignantly near the end of our meeting. “I mean, if I moved to France, would I want to be identi ed as ‘American-French’ or ‘American-Spaniard’ if I moved to Spain? Or would I want to be identi ed simply as an ‘American’ wherever I moved in the world? If I wanted to become a Frenchman or Spaniard, wouldn’t I simply drop the adjective ‘American-’ and adopt all of the cultural and societal norms of my new place of residency and become one of them?”

His sincerity in asking such questions deserves serious consideration regardless of any ethnic heritage of which we claim to be derivative. He obviously had spent a lot of time thinking about what it meant to be an American while dodging landmines, bullets and missiles aimed at him by people who wanted to make sure no “Americans” of any color, faith or creed existed ever after. It is not our race our adversaries want to erase, as in most wars in history. America is essentially an idea — a unique combination of ideals, values, virtues and culture unlike the world has seen before.

There is something unique and special about being an American, which this veteran clearly and profoundly explained by his words, his life decisions and actions. He said he couldn’t specify which part of his ethnic heritage he was representing each time he pulled the trigger on an ISIS target. All he knew was that if he was defending the freedoms and rights of one part of his heritage, he was defending those same freedoms and rights for every strand of his other ethnic heritages.

As Americans, we are all supposedly united behind the same set of shared goals and values, such as the rule of law, safety, freedom and protection from tyrannical rule by any individual or small faction of elected leaders. It doesn’t mean we are going to be a genetically homogeneous racial society such as many Asian or Scandinavian countries are, but it does mean we have to adhere to our commonly shared values or else the de nition of being an “American” quickly falls apart.

There wasn’t anything particularly preachy or polemic about the way this man spoke about America. He didn’t launch into any political endorsement or attack on anyone’s character. He wasn’t wearing a hat or shirt indicating support for any particular candidate or party. He was simply a man doing his job and carrying on a conversation with two customers he had met for the rst time only 30 minutes earlier. But he gave us a lot to think about and for which to be thankful.

Jill Biden’s new book will do her no favors

If you think your spouse is having a stroke, do you just sit there and watch, or do you immediately call for medical attention?

IT WAS INEVITABLE that former rst lady Jill Biden would write a book about her time in the White House. It was also inevitable that she was going to give her side of the story on what happened at the June 2024 presidential debate between her husband, then-President Joe Biden, and then-GOP presidential nominee Donald Trump.

It was inarguably one of the most consequential events in American presidential history, with Joe Biden giving a disastrous performance. It demonstrated to the American people beyond a shadow of a doubt that the president of the United States, who was 81 at the time, was unwell.

As we all know, it led to Biden withdrawing from the presidential race three weeks later under intense pressure from Democratic leaders, including then-Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.).

Jill Biden was at that debate, which turned out to be the only one Biden and Trump did before Biden dropped his reelection bid. One of the more notable moments from the event was something that happened afterward, with Jill Biden having to hold the president’s hand as he gingerly walked down a couple of steps on the stage.

Ahead of the June 2 release of her book, “View from the East Wing: A Memoir,” Jill Biden sat down for an interview with CBS

News “Sunday Morning,” where she was asked about how her husband looked at the debate and what her thoughts were as she watched it.

“I was frightened because I had never ever seen Joe like that before or since. Never,” she stated with emphasis. She went on to claim that at one point, she thought her husband was having a stroke on stage.

“I don’t know what happened. As I watched it, I thought, ‘Oh, my God, he’s having a stroke.’ And it scared me to death,” she said.

This does not really add up. If you think your spouse is having a stroke, do you just sit there and watch, or do you immediately call for medical attention? If she thought he was having a stroke, she didn’t have to pick up the phone to get an aide to step in. She was there. She could have done it herself by walking on the stage or having someone else intervene. That didn’t happen.

Not only did that not happen, but they appeared at two small campaign events afterward, where Jill Biden cheerfully praised her husband’s performance and joined in “four more years” chants from the small crowds. Those aren’t the actions of a woman who believed her husband might have su ered a major medical issue on live TV.

In her book, which was reviewed by a

writer at The Atlantic before its release, Jill Biden admitted she did not call for a medical evaluation to be done after the debate, the same debate where she says she thought the leader of the free world might have had a stroke.

Further, it was widely reported in the weeks after the debate that Jill Biden urged her husband to stay in the race, with the reason being that “she found that bowing out would make the Atlanta debate a de ning image of her husband’s presidency, an outcome she nds unacceptable,” Politico reported at the time.

As a caregiver to my 82-year-old mom, I found Jill Biden’s actions at that point in Biden’s presidency, seemingly more concerned with his (and her) legacy than his health, unconscionable, and the revelations in her book have only strengthened that belief.

If Jill Biden thought this book and her media tour were going to absolve her of what many feel was the extensive role she played in the cover-up of Joe Biden’s decline, she is sadly mistaken.

North Carolina native Stacey Matthews has also written under the pseudonym Sister Toldjah and is a media analyst and regular contributor to RedState and Legal Insurrection.

No, Iran and China are not ‘winning’

FOR YEARS, much of the American media has operated under a peculiar assumption — that the best way to confront adversaries such as China and Iran is to accommodate them. If the United States applies pressure, the narrative quickly becomes that America is overextended, losing leverage or somehow empowering its enemies.

That narrative has resurfaced during President Donald Trump’s confrontation with Tehran and Beijing. According to outlets such as The New York Times and The Washington Post, both Iran and China are supposedly emerging stronger from the current con ict.

It is a di cult claim to square with reality.

Survival is not victory, and disruption is not dominance.

Iran’s senior military leadership has been decimated. Its regional proxy network has been weakened. Its economy remains in severe distress, and its military capabilities have been heavily degraded. Yet much of the media coverage treats Iran’s mere survival as evidence that it is somehow winning.

The New York Times recently argued that Iran had “succeeded in confounding U.S. and Israeli expectations for a speedy victory,” suggesting that Tehran had created a kind of stalemate. But modern wars rarely end with formal surrender ceremonies or total collapse. By the standards of contemporary warfare, weakening an enemy’s military leadership, degrading its economy and limiting its regional in uence would traditionally be viewed as signi cant strategic gains.

Instead, media coverage often de nes victory so narrowly that any continued resistance by Iran becomes proof of American failure.

The Times also suggested that Iran had “maintained control” over the Strait of Hormuz. But if Iran truly controlled the strait in any meaningful sense, it would be freely exporting its own oil and pro ting from commercial tra c through the region. It is doing neither. Iran’s threats against shipping lanes re ect desperation and leverage-seeking behavior, not dominance.

In fact, instability in the strait creates problems not only for the United States and its allies but also for China, which depends heavily on imported oil owing through the Persian Gulf. That reality complicates the simplistic narrative that Beijing somehow bene ts automatically from chaos in the Middle East.

To be sure, the Trump administration has exercised restraint in certain areas, particularly regarding direct attacks on Iranian energy infrastructure. But that restraint re ects strategic calculation, not weakness. Completely destroying Iran’s energy sector could devastate the Iranian population and eliminate the economic foundation for any future moderate government.

COLUMN | MICHAEL BARONE

The same pattern appears in coverage of China.

The Post recently highlighted a reported intelligence assessment claiming Beijing is exploiting the Iran con ict to maximize its advantage over the United States. The report pointed to Chinese weapons sales, diplomatic messaging and China’s ability to study American military operations.

None of that is surprising. Great powers routinely study con icts and attempt to exploit geopolitical openings. That does not mean they are winning.

China still faces the same structural problems it faced before the con ict began: slowing economic growth, demographic decline, mounting debt and heavy dependence on imported energy. Prolonged instability in the Middle East threatens Beijing’s economy as much as Washington’s.

The Post also emphasized concerns that the con ict is depleting American munitions stockpiles that could be needed in a future Taiwan contingency. That concern is legitimate. But it re ects years of inadequate defense production and military downsizing under previous administrations, not some strategic triumph by Beijing.

Critics of American foreign policy often argue that China can portray the United States as an aggressive power in decline. But China’s own behavior makes that argument di cult to sustain. Beijing continues threatening Taiwan, tightening control over Hong Kong, expanding military in uence across the Paci c and pressuring neighboring countries throughout Asia.

The idea that China is positioned to win a global moral argument against the United States requires overlooking much of Beijing’s conduct.

Ultimately, the broader media narrative re ects a longstanding tendency in parts of the American press to interpret nearly every assertion of U.S. power as evidence of American weakness. Military action becomes proof of overreach. Economic pressure becomes recklessness. Adversaries surviving become adversaries winning.

But survival is not victory, and disruption is not dominance.

Whatever criticisms one may have of Trump’s foreign policy, the central premise of his approach remains straightforward: American strength deters adversaries more e ectively than accommodation does.

History suggests that argument deserves more serious consideration than much of the current media coverage is willing to give it.

Ben Shapiro is a graduate of UCLA and Harvard Law School, host of “The Ben Shapiro Show,” and co-founder of Daily Wire+. (Copyright 2026 Creators.com)

The California dream ends in empty reservoirs and homeless tents

MANY YEARS AGO, sometime after Ronald Reagan replaced Pat Brown as governor of California, I was driving up the coast from Los Angeles to San Francisco and visited Hearst Castle, William Randolph Hearst’s epic mansion in San Simeon. It was state property then, donated by the Hearst family, and the uniformed guide struck me as knowledgeable, competent and proud of her work.

I wrote articles arguing that California, not yet the highest-tax state but never a tax haven either, was proof that big government could provide competent services. For a generation under Govs. Earl Warren, Goodwin Knight, Pat Brown and Ronald Reagan, California state government built thousands of miles of freeway, rst-rate state universities and a whole archipelago of community colleges, and had begun to reduce smog in the LA basin.

No one would write such an article about California today. The public sector that helped make California the nation’s most populous state in 1963 is today producing a dystopia that has tens of thousands more people leaving than arriving in the once promised land of California every year.

California in its golden years made the movie “Casablanca.” Today, Casablanca is better at building public works than California.

Even as California-based tech companies have reached market capitalization of $1 trillion, its state and local governments have sunk to levels of incompetence associated with underdeveloped countries. California today “has the nation’s highest cost-of-living adjusted poverty rate, the highest levels of functioning illiteracy, and the worst housing a ordability in the continental US,” wrote Joel Kotkin, who has been chronicling California’s highs and lows for more than 40 years. “California increasingly resembles a neo-feudal state, where a handful of large companies drive the economy while the vast majority of workers endure high energy and housing costs, high taxes, and diminishing opportunity.”

Golden State government has spawned ascos large and small. Fraudulent Medicaid spending, which made headlines in Minnesota last winter, seems likely to be even more monumental in California, whose Medicaid programs are scheduled to get $138 billion from the federal government, up $18 billion from 2024. The state subsidizes tribal ceremonies and exorcisms, gym memberships and art lessons.

All of which makes it kind of odd that the national Democratic Party, increasingly dominated by a presumably sophisticated bloc of voters, those with college and graduate degrees, currently prefers California-based politicians like former Vice President Kamala Harris and Gov. Gavin Newsom (D-Calif.) for its presidential nomination in 2028.

They might have second thoughts, or so one would hope, if they re ected on the state of California’s biggest public works project, a high-speed railroad that backers say will someday connect its two largest metropolitan areas.

Today, after nearly 18 years, something like $13 billion has been spent, but no trains are running, and construction is currently limited to 171 miles of at Central Valley farmland between Bakers eld and Merced, whose combined demand for passenger rail service is close to zero. Cost estimates range far upward of $33 billion, to $126 billion or maybe $231 billion, and the completion date is estimated for the 2040s, when most of its 2008 voters will be dead.

In 2011, high-speed rail o cials sought advice from SNCF, the French rail operator. But the rm withdrew from California in favor of “less politically dysfunctional” Morocco, where it helped complete a high-speed system in seven years.

California in its golden years made the movie “Casablanca.” Today, Casablanca is better at building public works than California. The state that within six months completed two major bridges across the San Francisco Bay can’t properly route phone calls in Tuolumne County.

Taking a workable system and making it fail requires a particular talent. Reading between the lines, one sees little among California’s well-paid public-sector union ranks of the pride I once noticed in a state employee years ago. Instead, there is an eagerness to extract still more from the state’s private-sector success — SEIU is pushing a supposedly one-time wealth tax on the very rich to boost current employees’ bene ts — and a complacent indi erence to whether the work actually serves its intended bene ciaries. Will the politicians astride this rot pay a price? Harris was the Democratic nominee for president in 2024, and Newsom leads in polls for the nomination in 2028. But a countertrend may be visible in the theoretically nonpartisan June 2 primary for mayor of LA. The (sparse) polling shows LA Mayor Karen Bass way below the 50% needed to win reelection next week and former reality TV star Spencer Pratt overtaking the left-wing council member initially expected to be her chief challenger.

Pratt’s house was burned down in the January 2025 Paci c Palisades re, which struck as Bass (despite promising in 2002 to take no foreign trips) was headed to the inauguration of the president of Ghana. Pratt’s cheeky ads lampoon Bass’s left-wing policies, which have produced empty reservoirs and streets full of angry, drug-addicted homeless people.

Empty reservoirs and acres of homeless tents — that’s what California’s once-proud public sector has been producing.

Michael Barone is a senior political analyst for the Washington Examiner, resident fellow at the American Enterprise Institute and longtime co-author of “The Almanac of American Politics.” (Copyright 2026 Creators.com)

North Carolina passed Liam’s Law; now let’s stop the next crash before it happens

ON JUNE 26, 2021, two drivers were street racing on U.S. 74 in Gaston County at speeds of 90 to 100 mph. One lost control, went airborne over the grassy median and slammed head-on into the car my grandson, Liam Lagunas, was riding in with his father, Santiago. Liam was 6 years old. He was in the back seat, properly restrained. He was killed anyway. Santiago survived, barely. Liam was the best. He was funny and kind, and he lit up every room he walked into. He was set to turn 7 on July 14. We buried him before his birthday.

ISA uses locationbased technology to work to prevent a vehicle from exceeding the posted limit.

The two drivers were convicted. One is still in prison. Our family is grateful for that. But justice after the fact does not bring Liam back, and it does not stop the next family from standing where we stood.

That is why our family fought for Liam’s Law, signed into North Carolina law with the support of Gaston County legislators and prosecutors. Liam’s Law increased the penalties for street racing that results in death or serious injury, making them felonies. It was a hard-won victory, and we are proud of it. It means something that his name is written into the statutes of this state.

But Liam’s Law, like all laws that follow a tragedy, can only act after someone is already gone. What I want now, what our family wants, is a law that stops the next driver before the crash happens.

On April 30, Rep. Mike Schietzelt (R-Wake), with cosponsors including Rep. Erin Paré (R-Wake), led House Bill 1199. Among its provisions is an Intelligent Speed Assistance program requiring drivers whose licenses are revoked for reckless driving or extreme speeding o enses to install ISA technology as a condition of restored driving privileges. ISA uses location-based technology to work to prevent a vehicle from exceeding the posted limit. Speed-limiting technology has been used in commercial eets for decades. This bill would apply it to the small group of drivers who have already been convicted of the most dangerous behavior on our roads. This is not government overreach. It does not a ect ordinary drivers. It does not take away anyone’s license. It says to a convicted super speeder: You have proven you cannot be trusted to drive safely on your own, so here is a device that will make sure you do. You can keep driving. You just have to do it within the law. That is accountability. That is also, I would argue, common sense.

The men who killed Liam were accountable under Liam’s Law. But accountability after the fact was not enough to save my grandson. If either of those drivers had been required to install an ISA device after a prior conviction, they could not have reached 100 mph on U.S. 74 that night. Liam might have made it to his seventh birthday.

In 2024, 378 North Carolinians were killed in speed-related crashes and nearly 8,000 more were injured. Of those fatal crashes, 62% involved drivers exceeding the posted speed limit by more than 10 mph. Behind every one of those 378 deaths is a family like ours. And those families, and the communities around them, know what needs to happen. A new national poll from Advocates for Highway and Auto Safety found that 72% of Americans support laws requiring convicted super speeders to install ISA technology, rising to 89% among those with a stated position. North Carolinians are not di erent from the rest of the country on this. Liam’s Law was one step. This is the next one. I am asking the North Carolina General Assembly to take it so that the name written into our statutes is the last one that has to be.

Wendy Salazar is a Gaston County resident and member of Families for Safe Streets.

Murphy to Manteo Jones & Blount

Get outside!

PIEDMONT

Lawsuit led by ex-wife in Bi e plane crash case

Dog rescued after being pulled under oodwaters during hike

Peal marked an emotional milestone for the congregation, coinciding with a youth-led service held inside the historic sanctuary to honor six graduating high school seniors, according to local reports. The cathedral campus remains shuttered to the general public as a massive $10 million restoration e ort gets underway. WNC NEWS

Henderson County A dog who was swept away by oodwaters last week was reunited with his owner after being found the following day. Following storms after Memorial Day weekend, the dog, named Monchu, was rescued thanks to community support and drone technology, according to local outlets. The search began after Sam Haney and his girlfriend, Kristen Honeycutt, took their dogs to a spot along Cane Creek, but Honeycutt said that day the water level was much higher than usual, and as the dogs were playing some were being swept downstream. The couple was eventually able to get most of the dogs returned to land, but Monchu was still missing. As Honeycutt and Haney continued to search, Honeycutt’s mother turned to social media, asking for help. The next day, local drone pilot Bree Day-Bottai saw the social posts, reaching out to o er help, and was able to survey the location and quickly locate Monchu, who was reunited with owners in good condition.

WLOS

Iredell County The ex-wife of the late NASCAR driver Greg Bi e has led a wrongful death lawsuit against multiple parties following the December 2025 private jet crash that killed seven people, including her 14-year-old daughter Emma Elizabeth Bi e. Nicole Bi e, administrator of her daughter’s estate, led the complaint in Iredell County Superior Court on May 13, alleging gross negligence led to the fatal crash near Statesville Regional Airport on Dec. 18, 2025.

WFMY

2 more teens charged in Winston-Salem park shooting

Forsyth County

Two more teenagers are facing charges in connection to the mass shooting at a Winston-Salem park in April.

According to the Winston-Salem Police Department, a 14-year-old girl was charged on May 5, and Caroli Gonzalez-Medrano, 17, was charged last week. They have both been charged with inciting a riot where there is a death and engaging in a riot in which there is property damage or serious bodily injury. The 14-year-old is on house arrest, and Gonzalez-Medrano is scheduled to appear in court next week.

WGHP

Manhunt for accused killer of Va. deputy ends in Surry County

Surry County Michael Puckett, the man accused of killing a Carroll County, Virginia, sheri ’s deputy during a welfare check on Friday night, has been arrested in Surry County, the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation announced Sunday evening. SBI agents took Puckett into custody in Mount Airy earlier on Sunday without incident. He was armed with a handgun at the time of his arrest. Puckett was booked into the Surry County Detention Center in Dobson without bond. Puckett had been the subject of a massive multiagency manhunt stretching across the Virginia-North Carolina state line for more than two days. Deputies were dispatched Friday evening to a residence on Fancy Gap Highway in Carroll County after a family member requested a welfare check. When they arrived, investigators say Puckett opened re on the responding o cers. Deputy Logan Utt was fatally wounded and died at the scene. A second deputy was struck in a ballistic vest and survived; he remains in stable condition as of this report.

NSJ

EAST

Bertie County teen, uncle face charges in homicide

Bertie County Two people, including a 15-year-old, were arrested in connection with a homicide in Bertie County over the weekend. In a Monday press conference, o cials said 15-year-old Aaron Clark was arrested for murder and assault with a deadly weapon. Clark is accused of killing a man and seriously injuring a woman with a gun. Reports also indicate his 38-year-old uncle, Joe Clark Jr., was also arrested in the case on an accessory-after-the-fact charge, with warrants alleging he helped Aaron Clark leave the scene and avoid arrest.

WITN

Motorcyclist leads speedy chase across ENC before running out of gas

ECU expands access to healthcare in rural ENC

Pitt County

According to a news release, ECU Health and the Brody School of Medicine will now o er rural residency tracks in internal medicine, general surgery, obstetrics and gynecology, and pediatrics. O cials say the programs will allow physicians to train while providing much-needed care to patients in rural communities. Hospital o cials say the program rst launched in 2021 and has already shown strong results. The rural track for internal medicine will launch this July, while rural tracks for surgery, obstetrics-gynecology and pediatrics will launch in July 2027. NSJ

Martin County A high-speed motorcycle chase that started in Raleigh over the weekend ended in Martin County near Williamston when the suspect ran out of gas. According to the Wake County Sheri ’s O ce, a deputy spotted four motorcycles traveling at a high rate of speed around 1 a.m. Saturday on the Capital Boulevard portion of U.S. 1 in the Raleigh city limits. Court records from the North Carolina State Highway Patrol said the fastest speed of the motorcyclists was 105 miles per hour. A spokesperson for Wake County Sheri ’s O ce told local outlets that the deputy tried to stop one of the motorcyclists, 40-year-old Brandon James Peguese, but he sped o . The spokesperson said state troopers picked up the pursuit through Nash County into Martin County along U.S. 64, about 100 miles east of Wake County. According to the Martin County Sheri ’s O ce, Peguese stopped “due to running out of fuel.”

WNCN

“Across the nation, housing is the biggest expense that families face, and it’s only getting less and less a ordable,” Ratcli e said in the press release. “North Carolina is no di erent. I’m eager to work with cabinet agencies and partners across the state to create the rst statewide housing strategy and deliver solutions that bring costs down and expand opportunity for North Carolinians.”

Ratcli e will collaborate with local and tribal governments, state agencies and agency partners to establish a ordable goals. She will also evaluate and prioritize interventions and present the governor with an initial proposal to monitor progress toward the success of increased housing availability and a ordability.

Under the order, the governor will direct state agencies and Ratcli e to collaborate to increase housing opportunities and align in core values across agency outreach and housing program initiatives.

The order emphasized state agencies and departments will collaborate with the North Carolina Housing Finance Agency to use technologies that track infrastructure in underdeveloped housing areas and reach improvement in those areas.

Emphasis was also

Another portion of the order deals with collaboration with state agencies and departments to use advanced technology to improve housing areas with underdeveloped infrastructure, as well as directing the Department of Commerce to support the statewide housing strategy, expand e ective programs and strengthen housing construction in high-need areas.

Trump administration scrapping $1.8B fund

The plan was drawing criticism from Democrats and some Republicans

By Eric Tucker and Alanna Durkin Richer The Associated Press

WASHINGTON, D.C. — The Trump administration is scrapping plans to create a $1.8 billion fund meant to compensate allies of the Republican president, the Justice Department’s top o cial said Tuesday in retreating from a program that faced setbacks in the courts and a erce political backlash that had threatened to stall key elements of the White House agenda.

“We are not moving forward with the fund, period,” Blanche said in response to questions at a House hearing on the Justice Department budget.

“Not moving forward, ever?” asked Rep. Grace Meng, a New York Democrat.

“Correct,” Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche answered.

The blunt declaration marked an extraordinary, and rare, turnabout in the face of mounting political opposition to a fund o cials said was intended to compensate people who believe they have been improperly targeted by the criminal justice system. But since the fund’s creation two weeks ago, it’s been paused by a judge and lambasted by Democrats and Republicans alike who said they were troubled by a lack of oversight of the money dis-

with franchise protections for wholesalers. Bars, retailers and ABC stores could all sell them. A new excise tax of $2.50 per gallon would apply.

The bill also permits servers and bartenders to deliver up to two mixed beverages at once to a customer. Current state law prohibits this.

For bars and restaurants, the PCS would ease liquor purchasing by allowing them to buy from any mixed-beverage ABC store in the state if their local board runs out of stock.

bursement and the potential for payouts to participants in the violent Jan. 6, 2021, riot at the U.S. Capitol. The fund drew concerns even from Republicans The furor especially complicated matters in the Senate, where Republicans de antly left town nearly two weeks ago without passing legislation to fund President Donald Trump’s immigration enforcement agencies after Democrats said they would o er amendments to scrap or scale back the compensation fund. Furious, Senate Republicans jettisoned White House security mon-

Regulatory updates include expanding the ABC Commission with two new associate members appointed who have retail or commercial permit experience. Legislative leaders would make those appointments.

$2.50

Excise tax, per gallon, proposed on ready-to-drink cocktails

Mobile bars would gain the ability to serve on their own property during events, though they could not charge entry fees, and would face clari ed rules on purchasing and serving spirituous liquor.

Other everyday changes would allow special- event permit holders to o er small mixed-beverage tastings of up to 0.25 ounces of liquor at ABC stores. Additionally, private parties on noncommercial property would see easier brown-bagging rules for forti ed wine and liquor with owner permission.

In areas that have designated social districts, non-mixed-beverage businesses could allow customers to bring in drinks purchased elsewhere in the district.

The PCS introduces a new “Service Business Permit” that would let salons, spas and other licensed service businesses o er up to two complimentary beers or wines per customer per day with services.

Wineries would be permitted to sell beer on-site for consumption, and wine shops could hold educational tastings at private homes or other nonpermitted locations.

Large concerts would be treated more like professional sporting events under the bill, with alcohol sales allowed in seating areas. Hotels and restaurants near scenic parkways or byways could also qualify for permits under an expanded tourism zone provision without needing a local election.

Under the PCS, wholesalers would operate under a new franchise system with protections, alongside new permits and a $2.50 per gallon excise tax. ABC stores would keep uniform statewide pricing.

Small producers could see some tax relief with the inclusion of excise tax credits for breweries producing no more than 600,000 barrels per year and microdistilleries producing no more than 50,000 proof gallons annually. There are also provisions for nonpro ts and gaming.

The PCS allows up to 24 game nights per year for quali ed facilities and exempt nonpro ts. Nonpro ts and government entities would be allowed to run unlimited 50/50 ra es, exempt from standard limits on number, prize size and proceeds. An Angier-speci c provision would redirect old ABC board library funds to town recreation programs.

During the May 19 committee meeting, the Rev. Mark Creech, head of government relations for Return America, applauded some of the changes but criticized the bill overall during the public comment period.

“I want to thank the sponsor of the bill for the changes that have been made,” Creech said. “The Sunday sales and the waiver for mixed beverages, the cocktails, the lower ABV — those are all good changes, and it’s a good step forward.”

Creech, however, said the bill was trying to change too much at once, calling it “a sweeping omnibus bill that touches on access, pricing, distribution, public consumption, event services, premixed cocktails, ABC governance and gaming.”

He described the bill as “an industry bill.”

“In my 26 years of working on alcohol policy, this is the largest bill that I’ve ever seen,” he said. “This is an industry bill. It re ects the business side of alcohol policy almost entirely. But what is missing is the C. In ABC, the C stands for control. The recognition that alcohol is not an ordinary commodity, and it must be regulated with caution.”

The bill now waits for action by the House Finance Committee.

“We are not moving forward with the fund, period.”

ey from the bill and made clear they would not pass the legislation at all unless the administration made major changes to the plan. They had sought reassurances from Blanche before moving forward.

The $1.776 billion “An-

higher electricity bills, and we cannot allow massive data centers and unrealistic green energy mandates to make it worse,” Winslow said in the press release, which included details of the bill’s three sections.

The act was inserted into Senate Bill 730 as a proposed committee substitute, and it focuses on large - scale centers, often referred to as hyperscaler facilities. The bill would apply to new applications and construction but has exemptions for certain existing or limited expansions.

Under the bill, regulatory requirements would be set up for siting and operation of large data centers with peak monthly electricity demand of 100 megawatts or greater. The bill mandates “closed loop” water or liquid cooling systems to minimize water consumption.

Winslow underscored the bill is looking mainly at hyperscaler operations starting to come into the state, stating it was the reason for citing the 100 megawatts rate.

“We’re still playing with that — what’s the right number for the megawatts,” Winslow said. “But the large - scale data centers are the ones that are really starting to apply and advance across the country.”

Local governments would be directed to mandate site assessments evaluating noise impacts on nearby residences and schools within 500 feet. Additionally, before an approval or rezoning happens, local governments could conduct optional reviews of impacts on water resources, air quality, agriculture and other areas of possible concern.

One provision bans adversarial foreign governments and entities — speci cally China, Iran, North Korea and Russia — from having signi cant ownership interests or substantial control over data centers or the land they occupy.

Language in the bill would require longer-term contracts led with the Utilities Commission, and data centers would have to cover their own infrastructure and energy costs through contracts. In the same protection vein, use of eminent domain and new local government incentives for data center projects is prohibited.

The bill also has a section on responsible energy policy, such as supporting nuclear and hydro expansion. It includes streamlining the environmental permitting process to speed up critical ener-

ti-Weaponization Fund” was established to resolve Trump’s lawsuit against the Internal Revenue Service over the leak of his tax returns. The Justice Department had said it was an appropriate measure to correct what o cials have insisted was the weaponization of federal law enforcement under the Biden administration, when Trump faced criminal charges and several of his allies were investigated and prosecuted.

The administration had said that anyone who felt unfairly persecuted could apply for compensation regardless of political a liation, but Blanche’s re -

Rep. Matthew Winslow (R-Franklin) introduced a state House bill aimed at protecting consumers from potential rising utility costs due to data centers.

gy and infrastructure projects.

In the last section of the bill, a six-month waiting period is established for Utilities Commission or public sta employees before they can work for utility companies.

When asked if there was buy-in from House Speaker Destin Hall (R- Granite Falls), Winslow said they had gone to him “knowing he was interested in it.” Hall has said data centers need to pay their own way in an interview with North State Journal in February.

Winslow con rmed his ofce had gotten calls about data centers.

“We’ve had some general questions in our o ce, and then here locally, we had a data center apply up in Vance County, which is in my district,” said Winslow. “And so that’s really when I started recognizing that there were a lot of people paying attention and that it is a real issue.”

President Donald Trump and tech company heads signed o on his Ratepayer Protection Pledge earlier this year. Under that pledge, tech companies agreed to voluntarily generate or purchase their own power and cover infrastructure costs.

The Franklin County legislator said the president’s pledge was not a consideration in drafting the bill and said he didn’t know about it until North State Journal asked.

North State Journal also asked if the bill’s creation was in part due to increased public pushback, sometimes fueled by misinformation about data centers.

“There’s a lot of stu go -

President Donald Trump is not following through with his nearly $1.8 billion “AntiWeaponization Fund.”

fusal to publicly foreclose the possibility that people convicted of crimes of violence in the Jan. 6 riot could get payouts alarmed lawmakers. A ve -member commission was to have been responsible for deciding on the payouts.

Blanche made clear Tuesday that he stood behind the rationale for the fund even as he was abandoning its implementation, saying: “This Department of Justice was weaponized against many, many Americans. And we’re trying every day to to x it. And we’ve made a lot of progress, but we have a lot more to do.”

“North Carolinians are already feeling the pinch of higher electricity bills, and we cannot allow massive data centers and unrealistic green energy mandates to make it worse.”

Rep. Matthew Winslow (R-Franklin)

ing around about what the state can and can’t do or what it should or should not do,” Winslow said. “And so I got together with our energy chairs, and we started plotting down some ideas on what we can do to make sure that it doesn’t affect the ratepayers in our state.”

Coordinated campaigns against data centers allegedly backed by foreign countries have been seen nationwide, including in North Carolina. Earlier this month, the Party for Socialism and Liberation (PSL) led a protest at a Charlotte City Council meeting to pressure the council to enact a 150 - day data center moratorium.

Council members Dimple Amjera and J.D. Mazuera both called for more data center restrictions. No vote was taken during the May 26 meeting, and the issue will likely be taken up at the council’s next meeting June 6.

A recent Business North Carolina daily digest newsletter cited a report on that meeting by Rob Nanfelt, who leads Charlotte’s Real Estate and Building Industry Coalition. Nanfelt cited PSL’s involvement, as well as PSL’s links to the Service Employees Union International (SEIU), which Nanfelt noted “came out in force for city council elections during the 2025 cycle, successfully handing the election to Council Member J.D. Mazuera Arias by 34 votes.”

Winslow said the bottom line was he did not want to see residents struggle with rising bills like his mother did.

“And whenever I hear people say, ‘Well, it’s only $15 more dollars a month, there’s only eight more dollars a month,’ or whatever it is, it burns me up,” Winslow said.

“And my mother, if you’d asked her to pay $15 more dollars a month for her energy bill, it would a ect groceries, it would a ect gas, I mean, everything, because it was just, she couldn’t a ord it.”

CUMBERLAND

NOTICE TO CREDITORS

Estate of Mildred Jones Johnson a/k/a Mildred J. Johnson a/k/a Mildred M. Johnson

Cumberland County Estate File No. 26E000811-250 All persons, rms and corporations having claims against Mildred Jones Johnson a/k/a Mildred J. Johnson a/k/a Mildred M. Johnson, Deceased, of Cumberland County, North Carolina, are noti ed to present their claims to Barbara Gail Johnson, Executor of the Estate of Mildred Jones Johnson a/k/a Mildred J. Johnson a/k/a Mildred M. Johnson, at 3274 Rocky River Road, Fayetteville, NC 28312, on or before the 28th day of August, 2026, or this notice will be pleaded in bar of their recovery. Debtors of Mildred Jones Johnson a/k/a Mildred J. Johnson a/k/a Mildred M. Johnson are requested to make immediate payment to the Executor named above. This the 28th day of May, 2026. Barbara Gail Johnson, Executor of the Estate of Mildred Jones Johnson a/k/a Mildred J. Johnson a/k/a Mildred M. Johnson Williford McCauley - Attorney for the Estate of Mildred Jones Johnson a/k/a Mildred J. Johnson a/k/a Mildred M. Johnson Mailing address: P. O. Box 53606 Fayetteville, NC 28305 Physical address: 235 Green Street Fayetteville, NC 28301

EXECUTOR’S NOTICE In the General Court of Justice Superior Court Division Estate File # 26E000747-250 STATE OF NORTH CAROLINA COUNTY OF CUMBERLAND

The undersigned having quali ed as Executor of the Estate of Shirley B. Barefoot aka Shirley Barefoot Barefoot, Deceased of Cumberland County, North Carolina, this is to notify all persons, rms and corporations having claims against said Estate to present them to the undersigned on or before August 21, 2026 at 51 Bunnlevel Erwin Road, Bunnlevel, North Carolina 28323, or this notice will be pleaded in bar of their recovery. All persons, rms and corporations indebted to said Estate will please make immediate payment to the undersigned. This the 21st day of May, 2026 Charles D. Nowiski, Executor Estate of Shirley B. Barefoot aka Shirley Barefoot Barefoot, deceased c/o Gilliam Law Firm, PLLC Post O ce Box 53555 Fayetteville, NC 28305 (910) 485-8899

05/21/2026, 05/28/2026, 06/04/2026 and 06/11/2026

NOTICE TO CREDITORS

The undersigned having quali ed as Executor of the Estate of Wilbert Barefoot, deceased, of Cumberland County, North Caroliina, this is to notify all persons, rms, and corporation having claims against Wilbert Barefoot to present their claims in care of the undersigned Executor at the below address shown on or before September 10, 2026, or this notice will be pleaded in bar of recovery. All persons, rms and corporation indebted to Wilbert Barefoot, please make immediate payment to the Estate of Wilbert Barefoot.

This the 4th day of June, 2026. Name of Fiduciary: Sylvia B. Maxwell Fiduciary Capacity: Executor ESTATE OF WILBERT BAREFOOT, Deceased Sylvia B. Maxwell 600 Carolina Village Road, Apt. 279 Hendersonville, NC 28792 PUBLISH ON THE FOLLOWING DATES: June 4, 2026, June 11,2026, June 18, 2026 and June 25, 2026

NOTICE TO CREDITORS

IN THE GENERAL COURT OF JUSTICE SUPERIOR COURT DIVISION

ESTATE FILE NO. 26E000569-250 STATE OF NORTH CAROLINA COUNTY OF CUMBERLAND Having quali ed as Executor of the Estate of Joyce Edwards Carter, late of Cumberland County, North Carolina, the undersigned does hereby notify all persons, rms, and corporations having claims against the estate of said decedent to exhibit them to the undersigned at 2517 Raeford Road, Fayetteville, NC 28305, on or before August 28, 2026, or this notice will be pleaded in bar of their recovery. All persons, rms, and corporations indebted to the said Estate will please make immediate payment to the undersigned. Dated this 28th day of May, 2026. Lela C. Clark, Executor of the Estate of Joyce Edwards Carter NICOLE A. CORLEY MURRAY & CORLEY, P.A. N.C. BAR NO. 56459 2517 RAEFORD ROAD FAYETTEVILLE, NC 28305 – 3007 (910) 483 – 4990 COUNSEL FOR EXECUTOR

NOTICE

In The General Court of Justice Superior Court Division Estate File #26e000697-250 State of North Carolina County of Cumberland

The undersigned, having quali ed as Administrator of the Estate of Robert David Collier, deceased, late of Cumberland County, herby noti es all persons, rms and corporations having claims against said estate to present their claim to the undersigned on or before the 14th day of August, 2026 (which date is three months after the day of the rst publication of this notice) or this notice will be pleaded in bar of their recovery. All Debtors of the decedent are requested to make immediate payment to the undersigned. This 14th day of May, 2026. Callista Michelle Swart, Administrator 2430 Timber Oak Dr. Hillsborough, NC, 27278 Of the Estate of Robert David Collier, deceased.

ADMINISTRATOR’S EXECUTOR’S NOTICE

In The General Court of Justice Superior Court Division Estate File #26E000870-250 STATE OF NORTH CAROLINA County of Cumberland

The undersigned, having quali ed as Executor of the Estate of John H. Morrison, John Henry Morrison, deceased, late of Cumberland County, this is to notify all persons, rms and corporations having claims against said estate to present them to the undersigned on or before the 4th day of September, (which date is three months after the day of the rst publication of this notice) 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 4th day of June 2026. Betty Morrison 511 Canyon Court Fayetteville, NC 28303 Executor of the estate of John H. Morrison, John Henry Morrison, Deceased

NOTICE TO CREDITORS

NORTH CAROLINA CUMBERLAND COUNTY IN THE GENERAL COURT OF JUSTICE

SUPERIOR COURT DIVISION Administrator’s Notice 26E000405-250 The undersigned, having quali ed as Administrator cta of the Estate of Calvin Curry, deceased late of Cumberland County, this is to notify all persons having claims against said estate to present them to the undersigned on or before the 21st day of August 2026 or this notice will be pleaded in bar of their recovery. All persons indebted to said estate will please make immediate payment to the undersigned. This is the 21st day of May 2026. Wanda Michelle McDonald, Administrator cta of the Calvin Curry Estate Haymount Law, PC Attorney for the Estate 1008 Hay Street Fayetteville, NC 28305 Telephone: (910) 672-4600

Publish: 05/21, 05/28, 06/04, 06/11

Notice to Creditors

In the General Court of Justice Superior Court Division Before the Clerk Estate File # 26E000691250 STATE OF NORTH CAROLINA CUMBERLAND COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR NOTICE The undersigned having quali ed as Administrator of the Estate of Tony Roosevelt Daniels, deceased, of Cumberland County, this is to notify all persons having claims against said estate to present them to the undersigned on or before the 14th day of August, 2026, or this notice will be pleaded in bar of their recovery. All persons indebted to the estate will please make immediate payment to the undersigned.

This is the 5th day of May, 2026.

Terry Hunter Administrator of the Estate of Tony Roosevelt Daniels 830 Beuer Drive Fayetteville, NC 28314

Notice To Creditors

The undersigned, having quali ed as Executor of the Estate of Sylvia Davis Edwards, deceased, late of Cumberland County, hereby noti es all persons, rms, and corporations, having claims against said estate to present their claim to the undersigned on or before the 28th day of August, 2026, (which date is three months after the day of the rst publication of this notice) or this notice will be pleaded in bar of their recovery. All Debtors of the descendent are requested to make immediate payment to the undersigned.

This 28th day of May, 2026. James Edward Edwards II 1075 Cashwell Rd Autryville, NC, 28318 Of the Estate of Sylvia Davis Edwards, Deceased

NOTICE TO CREDITORS

The undersigned, having quali ed as Executor of the Estate of Han S. Ewing deceased, late of Cumberland County, North Carolina, this is to notify all persons, ’rms and corporations having claims against said Estate to present them to the undersigned on or before August 14, 2026, or this notice will be pleaded in bar of their recovery. All persons, ’rms and corporations indebted to said estate will please make immediate payment to the undersigned.

Susy M. Techuk. Executor of the Estate of Han S. Ewing, Deceased c/o Susy M. Techuk, 473 Bristlecone Drive Fayetteville, NC 28311 Publish: Beginning May 14, 2026 – August 14 2026.

NOTICE TO CREDITORS

In The General Court of Justice Superior Court Division Before the Clerk Estate File No. 26E000303-250 STATE OF NORTH CAROLINA CUMBERLAND COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR NOTICE

The undersigned having quali ed as Administrator of the Estate of ERIC ALAN GORE, deceased, late of Cumberland County, North Carolina, this is to notify all persons having claims against said estate to present them to the undersigned on or before the 4th day of September, 2026 (which date is three months after the day of the rst publication of this notice) or this notice will be pleaded in bar of their recovery. All persons indebted to the estate will please make immediate payment to the undersigned.

This the 4th day of June, 2026. Erica Marie Gore Administrator of the Estate of Eric Alan Gore 121 Aviation Way Lebanon, TN 37090 910-920-5856

NOTICE TO CREDITORS

Legal Notice: Estate of Muriel Hogue

Notice is hereby given that on the 19th day of May 2026, Letters Testamentary/Administration were granted to the undersigned by the Cumberland County, North Carolina Probate Court for the Estate of Muriel Hogue, deceased (Estate File/Docket Number: 26E000827250)

All persons having claims against the estate are required to present them to the undersigned at the address below on or before August 28th, 2026, or be forever barred. May 28st, 2026 Deborah Bushway P.O. Box 62 Acworth, NH 03601

NOTICE TO CREDITORS STATE OF NORTH CAROLINA In The General Court Of Justice County of Cumberland Superior Court Division Estate File # 26E000768-250 Administrator’s/Executor’s Notice The undersigned, having quali ed as Executor/ Administrator of the estate of Carol T. Holloway, deceased, late of Cumberland County, hereby noti es all persons, rms, and corporations having claims against said estate to present their claim to the undersigned on or before the 15th day of August, 2026, (which date is three months after the day of the rst publication of this notice) or this notice will be pleaded in bar of their recovery. All Debtors of the decedent are requested to make immediate payment to the undersigned. This 12th day of May, 2026. Lori Holloway Administrator/Executor 4930 High Branch Court Address Stedman, North Carolina 28391 City, State, Zip Of the Estate of Carol T. Holloway, Deceased

NOTICE TO CREDITORS:

All persons, rms, and corporations having claims against the estate of the deceased David Lonnie Jerkins of Fayetteville, North Carolina of Cumberland County are hereby noti ed to present them veri ed to the listed address below on or before 8/28/26, or this notice will be pleaded in bar for their recovery. All persons indebted to the said estate will please make immediate payment to the undersigned. Executor of Estate: David Matthew Jerkins (Executor of Estate of David Lonnie Jerkins) Address: 4565 River Pkwy Atlanta, Ga 30339 Apt E.

NOTICE TO CREDITORS

NORTH CAROLINA

CUMBERLAND COUNTY IN THE GENERAL COURT OF JUSTICE SUPERIOR COURT DIVISION Administrator’s Notice 26E000801-250 The undersigned, having quali ed as Administrator of the Estate of Glenn Kyle Johnson, Jr., deceased late of Cumberland County, this is to notify all persons having claims against said estate to present them to the undersigned on or before the 21st day of August 2026 or this notice will be pleaded in bar of their recovery. All persons indebted to said estate will please make immediate payment to the undersigned. This is the 21st day of May 2026.

Claire Alyce Johnson, Administrator of the Glenn Kyle Johnson, Jr. Estate Haymount Law, PC Attorney for the Estate 1008 Hay Street

Fayetteville, NC 28305

Telephone: (910) 672-4600

Publish: 05/21, 05/28, 06/04, 06/11

NOTICE TO CREDITORS AND DEBTORS

The undersigned, having quali ed as Chasity Johnson of the Estate of Margaret Johnson, deceased, late of Cumberland County, North Carolina, hereby noti es all persons, rms, and corporations having claims against said estate to present their claim to the undersigned on or before August 21st, 2026, (which is the date three months after the day of the rst publication of this notice) or this notice will be pleaded in bar of their recovery. All debtors of the decedent are requested to make immediate payment to the undersigned.

This the 21st day of May, 2026.

Chasity Johnson Administrator / Executor 6277 Lakehaven Drive

Fayetteville, NC 28304 In the Matter of the Estate of Margaret Johnson, Deceased.

NOTICE TO CREDITORS

STATE OF NORTH CAROLINA In The General Court Of Justice County of Cumberland Superior Court Division Estate File # 26E000-250 Administrator’s/Executor’s Notice

The undersigned, having quali ed as Executor of the Estate of Marjorie Petty Johnson, decease, late of Cumberland County, hereby noti es all persons, rms, and corporations having claims against said estate to present their claim to the undersigned on or before the 28th day of August, 2026 (which date is three months after the day of the rst publication of this notice) or this notice will be pleaded in bar of their recovery. All Debtors of the decedent are requested to make immediate payment to the undersigned. This 22nd day of May, 2026. Melissa Johnson Bradley Administrator/Executor 5220 Merriman Road Address Roanoke, VA 24018 City, State, Zip Of the Estate of Marjorie Petty Johnson, Deceased

NOTICE TO CREDITORS

NORTH CAROLINA

CUMBERLAND COUNTY IN THE GENERAL COURT OF JUSTICE

SUPERIOR COURT DIVISION Administrator’s Notice

26E000849-250

The undersigned, having quali ed as Administrator of the Estate of Grace Elizabeth Jones, deceased late of Cumberland County, this is to notify all persons having claims against said estate to present them to the undersigned on or before the 4th 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 is the 4th day of June 2026.

Karla Dunigan, Administrator for Grace Elizabeth Jones Estate Haymount Law Attorneys for the Estate 1008 Hay Street Fayetteville, NC 28305 Telephone: (910) 672-4600 Publish: 06/04, 06/11, 06/18, 06/25

NOTICE TO CREDITORS

STATE OF NORTH CAROLINA

In The General Court of Justice Superior Court Division County of Cumberland

Estate File # 26E000814-250 Administrator’s/Executor’s Notice The undersigned, having quali ed as Administrator of the Estate of Mary Elouise Lambert a/k/a Mary Hudson Lambert , deceased, late of Cumberland County, hereby noti es all persons, rms, and corporations having claims against said estate to present their claim to the undersigned on or before the 28th day of August, 2026, (which is three months after the day of the rst publication of this Notice) or the Notice will be pleaded in bar of their recovery. All Debtors of the decedent are requested to make immediate payment to the undersigned.

This the 28th day of May, 2026.

Stephen B. Lambert Administrator 3910 Stone Street Hope Mills, NC 28348 Of the Estate of Mary Elouise Lambert a/k/a Mary Hudson Lambert, Deceased

NOTICE TO CREDITORS

ESTATE OF DONALD GLENN LEWIS

CUMBERLAND County

25E001064-250

Estate File No.

All persons, rms and corporations having claims against Donald Glenn Lewis, of Cumberland County, North Carolina, are noti ed to present their claims to the Administrator Kelly Lewis, 25 Berkley Pl, Apt 1, Savannah, GA 31405 on or before the 15th day of August, 2026 (which date is three months after the day of the rst publication of this notice), or this notice will be pleaded in bar of their recovery. Debtors of the Decedent are requested to make immediate payment to the Administrator named above.

This the 6th day of May, 2026.

Kelly Lewis Administrator of the Estate of Donald Glenn Lewis

Davis W. Puryear Hutchens Law Firm

Attorneys for the Estate 4317 Ramsey Street Fayetteville, NC 28311 Run dates: May 14, May 21, May 28 and June 4, 2026

NOTICE TO CREDITORS

NORTH CAROLINA

CUMBERLAND COUNTY IN THE GENERAL COURT OF JUSTICE

SUPERIOR COURT DIVISION

Administrator’s Notice 26E000755-250

The

the undersigned on or before the 4th day of September 2026, (which date is three months after the day of the rst publication of this notice) or this notice will be pleaded in bar of their recovery. All Debtors of the decedent are requested to make immediate payment to the undersigned. This 30th day of May, 2026. Carmen Sandoval, 928 Orchard Drive, Fayetteville, NC 28303, Executor of the estate of Jesus Guadalupe Sandoval, deceased June 4, 11, 18, 25, 2026

NOTICE TO CREDITORS

STATE OF NORTH CAROLINA County of Cumberland Estate of Jacqueline Shew In the General Court of Justice Superior Court Division Estate File# 26E000672-250 Administrator’s/Executors’s Notice The undersigned, having quali ed as administrator of the Estate of Jacqueline Shew, deceased, late of Cumberland county, hereby noti es all persons, rms, and corporations having claims against said Estate to present their claim to the undersigned on or before the 15th day of August, 2026, (which date is three months after the day of publication of this notice) or this Notice will be pleaded in bar of their recovery. All Debtors of the decedent are requested to make immediate payment to thr undersigned. This 15th day of May, 2026. James R. Shew 6023 Shearwater Drive, Fayetteville, NC, 28304 Of the Estate of Jacqueline Shew, deceased

NOTICE TO CREDITORS ESTATE OF MARY JEAN STUARD CUMBERLAND County Estate File No. 26E000146-250 All persons, rms and corporations having claims against Mary Jean Stuard, of Cumberland County, North Carolina, are noti ed to present their claims to the Administrator Davis W. Puryear on or before the 5th day of September, 2026 (which date is three months after the day of the rst publication of this notice), or this notice will be pleaded in bar of their recovery.

have been led in the above-entitled action. The nature of the relief being sought is Petition to Partition real property located at 848 Durwood Drive, Fayetteville, Cumberland County, NC, Parcel ID 0429-48-6398 and being further described as follows: BEING all of Lot 78, ROLLINGWOOD, SECTION 2, according to the plat thereof, recorded in Book of Plats 36, Page 23, in the o ce of the Register of Deeds of Cumberland County, North Carolina. You are required to make a defense to such pleading no later than July 7, 2026, which is forty (40) days from the rst date of publication. Upon your failure to do so, the party seeking service against you will apply to the Court for the relief sought. This the 28th day of May, 2026.

By: Eric M. Ditmore,

Esq.

Attorney for Petitioner Haymount Law 1008 Hay Street Fayetteville, NC 28305 (910) 672-4600 Publish: 5/28/2026, 6/4/2026, 6/11/2026 NOTICE TO CREDITORS STATE OF NORTH CAROLINA IN THE GENERAL COURT OF JUSTICE COUNTY OF CUMBERLAND SUPERIOR COURT DIVISION BEFORE THE CLERK Estate File: 26E000746-250

ADMINISTRATOR NOTICE

The undersigned having quali ed as Executor of the Estate of Roy Wayne Walters, deceased,

NOTICE TO CREDITORS

STATE OF NORTH CAROLINA In the General Court of Justice Cumberland County Superior Court Division Estate File # 26E000761-250 Administrator’s/Executor’s Notice The undersigned, having quali ed as ADMINISTRATOR of the Estate of PAULEAN WILLIFORD , deceased, late of Cumberland County, hereby noti es all persons, rms and corporations having clams against said estate to present their claim to the undersigned on or before the 22nd day of AUGUST 2026, (which date is three months after the day of the rst publication of this notice) or this notice will be pleaded in bar of their recovery. All debtors of the deceased are requested to make immediate payment to the undersigned. This 21st of May, 2026 Pauletta Williford Rawlins Administrator/Executor 6570 Cushing Drive Address Fayetteville, NC 28311 City, State, Zip of the Estate of PAULEAN WILLIFORD , deceased.

NOTICE TO CREDITORS IN THE GENERAL COURT OF JUSTICE SUPERIOR COURT DIVISION ESTATE FILE #25E001964-250 STATE OF NORTH CAROLINA COUNTY OF CUMBERLAND

Having quali ed as Executor of the Estate of David K. Wood, late of Cumberland County, North Carolina, the undersigned does hereby notify all persons having claims against the estate of said decedent to present them to the undersigned on or before the 28th day of August, 2026, (which date is three months after the day of the rst publication of this notice) or this notice will be pleaded in bar of their recovery. All persons indebted to the estate will please make immediate payment to the undersigned. Dated this 28th day of May 2026. ADMINISTRATOR OF THE ESTATE OF DAVID K. WOOD: KIM W. EVERITTE 838 EUGENE STREET FAYETTEVILLE, NC 28306 5/28, 6/4, 6/11, 6/18/26

DAVIDSON

NOTICE TO CREDITORS

STATE OF NORTH CAROLINA, COUNTY OF Davidson IN THE MATTER OF THE ESTATE OF ERNEST PERKINS

Having quali ed as Willa Richardson of the Estate of Ernest Perkins, late of Davidson County, North Carolina, the undersigned does hereby notify all persons, rms, and corporations having claims against the estate of said decedent to exhibit them to the undersigned on or before August 21, 2026, or this notice will be pleaded in bar of their recovery. All

NEW HANOVER NOTICE TO CREDITORS

NORTH CAROLINA NEW HANOVER COUNTY NOTICE TO CREDITORS

THE UNDERSIGNED, Je rey R. Baker, having quali ed on the 15th day of May, 2026, as Administrator of the Estate of Iris Faye Baker (26E000610-640), deceased, does hereby notify all persons, rms, and corporations having claims against said Estate that they must present them to the undersigned at DAVID E. ANDERSON, PLLC, 9111 Market Street, Suite A, Wilmington, North Carolina, 28411, on or before the 31st day of August, 2026, or the claims will be forever barred thereafter, and this notice will be pleaded in bar of recovery. All persons, rms, and corporations indebted to said Estate will please make prompt payment to the undersigned at the above address. This 28th day of May 2026. Je rey R. Baker Administrator ESTATE OF IRIS FAYE BAKER

David Anderson Attorney at Law 9111 Market St, Ste A Wilmington, NC 28411

Publish: May 28, 2026 June 4, 2026 June 11, 2026 June 18, 2026

NOTICE TO CREDITORS

STATE OF NORTH CAROLINA COUNTY OF NEW HANOVER NOTICE TO CREDITORS

The undersigned, CHRISTOPHER BULLARD, having quali ed as the Administrator of the Estate of JOANNE HELTON BRYAN, Deceased, hereby noti es all persons, rms or corporations having claims against the Decedent to exhibit same to the said CHRISTOPHER BULLARD, at the address set out below, on or before August 20, 2026, or this notice may be pleaded in bar of any payment or recovery of same. All persons indebted to said Decedent will please make immediate payment to the undersigned at the address set out below. This the 15th day of May, 2026.

CHRISTOPHER BULLARD

Administrator OF ESTATE OF JOANNE HELTON

BRYAN c/o ROBERT H. HOCHULI, JR. 219 RACINE DR., SUITE #A6 Wilmington, NC 28405

NOTICE TO CREDITORS AND DEBTORS

Having quali ed as Personal Representative of the Estate of Dolores H. Carpenter, deceased, late of New Hanover County, North Carolina, the undersigned hereby noti es all persons, rms and corporations having claims against said Estate to present them, duly veri ed, to the undersigned, care of their attorney, on or before August 14, 2026 (which date is at least three (3) months from the rst publication of this notice), or this notice will be pleaded in bar of their recovery. All persons, rms and corporations indebted to said Estate will please make immediate settlement with the undersigned, care of their attorney.

This the 14th day of May, 2026. Joseph Kevin Carpenter, III, Executor of the Estate of Dolores H. Carpenter c/o Randall S. Hoose, Jr. Hoose Law, PLLC 705 Princess Street Wilmington, NC 28401-4146

Please publish 5/14, 5/21, 5/28, 6/4

NOTICE TO CREDITORS

STATE OF NORTH CAROLINA COUNTY OF NEW HANOVER

NOTICE TO CREDITORS

The undersigned, JASMINE GAYNELL COOPER, having quali ed as the Administrator of the Estate of VELMA GAYNELL COOPER, Deceased, hereby noti es all persons, rms or corporations having claims against the Decedent to exhibit same to the said JASMINE GAYNELL COOPER, at the address set out below, on or before August 14, 2026, or this notice may be pleaded in bar of any payment or recovery of same. All persons indebted to said Decedent will please make immediate payment to the undersigned at the address set out below. This the 8th day of May, 2026.

JASMINE GAYNELL COOPER Administrator OF ESTATE OF VELMA GAYNELL COOPER c/o ROBERT H. HOCHULI, JR. 219 RACINE DR., SUITE #A6 Wilmington, NC 28405

NOTICE TO CREDITORS

STATE OF NORTH CAROLINA COUNTY OF NEW HANOVER IN THE GENERAL COURT OF JUSTICE SUPERIOR COURT DIVISION FILE NO. 24CVS000935-640

JAMES LIONELLE, CHRISTIE LIONELLE.and GINA GITTO, Individuals Plainti s, Vs. BONNIE L. GITTO, Absentee Defendant

NOTICE TO CREDITORS STATE OF NORTH CAROLINA COUNTY OF NEW HANOVER NOTICE TO CREDITORS The undersigned, CAROLINE STODDART, having quali ed as the Administrator of the Estate of ANNE CECILIA PRATA, Deceased, hereby noti es all persons, rms or corporations having claims against the Decedent to exhibit same to the said CAROLINE STODDART, at the address set out below, on or before August 20, 2026,

of

of

Chappell aka

North Carolina, this is to notify all persons, rms and corporations having claims against said Estate to present them to the undersigned on or before August 21, 2026 at 677 John Nunnery Road, Stedman, North Carolina 28391, or this notice will be pleaded in bar of their recovery. All persons, rms and corporations indebted to said Estate will please make immediate payment to the undersigned. This the 21st day of May, 2026 Susan Annette Chappell, Executor Estate of Sarah Elizabeth Chappell aka Sarah Sutton Chappell, deceased c/o Gilliam Law Firm, PLLC Post O ce Box 53555 Fayetteville, NC 28305 (910) 485-8899 05/21/2026, 05/28/2026, 06/04/2026 and 06/11/2026

AMENDED NOTICE AND ORDER TO SHOW CAUSE TO: BONNIE L. GITTO AND ALL PERSONS WHO WOULD HAVE AN INTEREST IN THE ESTATE OF BONNIE L. GITTO IF SHE WERE DECEASED: Take notice that Plainti s have led an action under N.C.G.S. Chapter 28A alleging that Defendant BONNIE L. GITTO has been missing from her place of residence since May of 2018 and that her whereabouts remain unknown. Plainti s demand that the Court appoint JAMES LIONELLE as the permanent receiver of Defendant’s property and that the Court ultimately determine whether Defendant has died, and if so, issue a nding that she is dead. The Court has appointed JAMES LIONELLE temporary receiver and he has led the required inventory of Defendant’s property. All persons who claim an interest in Defendant’s property if she were dead shall le a written statement of the nature and extent of the interest claimed in the property with the New Hanover County Clerk of Superior Court, 316 Princess Street, Wilmington, N.C. 28401 not later than June 26, 2026. The Defendant and all such persons shall appear before the Court at the New Hanover County Courthouse, 316 Princess Street, Wilmington, N.C. on July 6, 2026 at 10:00 A.M. and show cause why a permanent receiver should not be appointed to hold and dispose of the property under the provisions of Chapter 28C. This hearing will be held in courtoom 400. THIS the 22nd of May, 2026 5/22/2026 10:35:27 AM Superior Court Judge Ricardo Jensen

IN

COURT OF JUSTICE OF NORTH CAROLINA

COURT DIVISION CABARRUS COUNTY 26SP000227-120 IN THE MATTER OF THE FORECLOSURE OF A DEED OF TRUST EXECUTED BY LISA NANKAFU DATED JUNE 26, 2024 AND RECORDED IN BOOK 16991 AT PAGE

25-121373

IN THE GENERAL COURT OF JUSTICE OF NORTH CAROLINA SUPERIOR COURT DIVISION CABARRUS COUNTY

25SP000361-120

IN THE MATTER OF THE FORECLOSURE OF A DEED OF TRUST EXECUTED BY CARMEN J. PAPE DATED OCTOBER 5, 2021 AND RECORDED IN BOOK 15559 AT PAGE 182 IN THE CABARRUS COUNTY PUBLIC REGISTRY, NORTH CAROLINA NOTICE OF SALE

Under and by virtue of the power and authority contained in the above-referenced deed of trust and because of default in payment of the secured debt and failure to perform the agreements contained therein and, pursuant to demand of the holder of the secured debt, the undersigned will

MAE BAILEY, late of

Wake County, North Carolina (26E001694-910), the undersigned does hereby notify all persons, rms and corporations having claims against the estate of said decedent to exhibit them to the undersigned on or before the 24th day of August, 2026 or this notice will be pleaded in bar of their recovery. All persons, rms and corporations indebted to the said estate will please make immediate payment to the undersigned.

This the 21st day of May 2026. Emilda Denise Betts Rivers

Executor of the Estate of Nettie Mae Bailey

c/o Lisa M. Schreiner

Attorney at Law P.O. Box 446

114 Raleigh Street Fuquay Varina, NC 27526

(For publication: 05/21, 05/28, 06/04, 06/11/2026)

Notice to Creditors

Having quali ed as Administrator of the Estate PHILIP ANDREW

KENNEDY, late of Wake County, North Carolina (26E001826-910), the undersigned does hereby notify all persons, rms and corporations having claims against the estate of said decedent to exhibit them to the undersigned on or before the 7th day of September, 2026 or this notice will be pleaded in bar of their recovery. All persons, rms and corporations indebted to the said estate will please make immediate payment to the undersigned.

This the 4th day of June 2026.

Ti any Evans Kennedy

Administrator of the Estate of Philip Andrew Kennedy

c/o Lisa M. Schreiner

Attorney at Law P.O. Box 446

114 Raleigh Street Fuquay Varina, NC 27526

(For publication: 06/04, 06/11, 06/18, 06/25/2026)

The terms of the said Deed of Trust may be modi ed by other instruments appearing in the public record. Additional identifying information regarding the collateral property is below and is believed to be accurate, but no representation or warranty is intended. Address of property: 1082 Fairway Ridge Road Northwest, Concord, NC 28027

expose for sale at public auction at the usual place of sale at the Cabarrus County courthouse at 11:00AM on June 11, 2026, the following described real estate and any improvements situated thereon, in Cabarrus County, North Carolina, and being more particularly described in that certain Deed of Trust executed Carmen J. Pape, dated October 5, 2021 to secure the original principal amount of $218,000.00, and recorded in Book 15559 at Page 182 of the Cabarrus County Public Registry. The terms of the said Deed of Trust may be modi ed by other instruments appearing in the public record. Additional identifying information regarding the collateral property is below and is believed to be accurate, but no representation or warranty is intended. Address of property: 8629 Saucercup Terrace, Harrisburg, NC 28075 Tax Parcel ID: 55162720060000 Present Record Owners: Carmen J. Pape

of Lisa

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 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 o ered for sale. Any and all responsibilities or liabilities arising out of or in any way relating to any such condition expressly are disclaimed. This sale is subject to all prior liens and encumbrances and unpaid taxes and

Notice to Creditors

Having quali ed as Administrator of the Estate of HAZEL STEPHENS MARKHAM (26E001600-910), late of Wake County, North Carolina, the undersigned does hereby notify all persons, rms and corporations having claims against the estate of said decedent

is greater, is required from the highest bidder and must be tendered in the form of certi ed funds at the time of the sale. Cash will not be accepted. This sale will be held open ten days for upset bids as required by law. After the expiration of the upset period, all remaining amounts

will sell

The nature of the relief being sought is as follows: The Deed of Trust recorded on March 4, 1993, in Book 3922 at Page 0298 in the Cumberland County Registry was drafted and recorded in a manner su cient to give a reasonable title searcher notice of its claim to a lien in the amount of $65,761.00 on the Property located at 206 Eppingdale Drive, Spring Lake, North Carolina 28390.

to the highest bidder for cash the following described property situated in Cumberland County, North Carolina, to wit: ALL THAT CERTAIN LOT OR PARCEL OF LAND SITUATED IN THE CITY OF SPRING LAKE, CUMBERLAND COUNTY, NORTH CAROLINA AND MORE PARTICULARLY DESCRIBED AS FOLLOWS: BEING ALL OF LOT NO. 8 IN A SUBDIVISION KNOWN AS DEERFIELD, SECTION 4, ACCORDING TO THE PLAT OF THE SAME DULY RECORDED IN BOOK OF PLATS 54, PAGE 41, CUMBERLAND COUNTY REGISTRY, NORTH CAROLINA.

Save and except any releases, deeds of release or prior conveyances of record.

Said property is commonly known as 1306 Koinonia Drive, Spring Lake, NC 28390.

A Certi ed Check ONLY (no personal checks) of ve percent (5%) of the purchase price, or Seven Hundred Fifty Dollars ($750.00), whichever is greater, will be required at the time of the sale. Following the expiration of the statutory upset bid period, all the remaining amounts are immediately due and owing. THIRD PARTY

The record owner(s) of the property, according to the records of the Register of Deeds, is/are Carmen J. Pape. 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 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 o ered for sale. Any and all responsibilities or liabilities arising out of or in any way relating to any such condition expressly are disclaimed. This sale is subject to all prior liens and encumbrances and unpaid taxes and assessments including any transfer tax associated with the foreclosure. A deposit of ve percent (5%) of the amount of the bid or seven hundred fty dollars ($750.00), whichever is greater, is required from the highest bidder and must be tendered in the form of certi ed funds at the time of the sale. Cash will not be accepted. This sale will be held open ten days for upset bids as required by law. After the expiration of the upset period, all remaining amounts are IMMEDIATELY DUE AND OWING. Failure to remit funds in a timely manner will result in a Declaration of Default and any deposit will be frozen pending the outcome of any resale. If the sale is set aside for any reason, the Purchaser at the sale shall be entitled only to a return of the deposit paid. The Purchaser

The Deed of Trust recorded in Book 3922 at Page 0298 in the Cumberland County Registry is a valid rst lien on the Property and that its lien is superior to the claims of all other Defendants in this action. Plainti ’s valid, rst position lien or trust on the Property be foreclosed by judicial sale pursuant to the provisions of N.C.G.S. § 1-339.1, et seq., by Jeremy B. Wilkins as Commissioner especially appointed by the Court to serve without bond, with proceeds of the sale applied as follows:

To the cost of this action; To the compensation allowed by the Court for a person holding the sale pursuant to the N.C.G.S. § 1-339.11; To the amount due to the Plainti under the Loan, Note and Deed of Trust, including reasonable fees and costs provided therein; and The surplus, if any, to be paid to the O ce of the Clerk of Superior Court pending a

PURCHASERS MUST PAY THE EXCISE TAX AND THE RECORDING COSTS FOR THEIR DEED.

Said property to be o ered pursuant to this Notice of Sale is being o ered for sale, transfer and conveyance “AS IS WHERE IS.” There are no representations of 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. Substitute Trustee does not have possession of the property and cannot grant access, prior to or after the sale, for purposes of inspection and/ or appraisal. This sale is made subject to all prior liens, unpaid taxes, any unpaid land transfer taxes, special assessments, easements, rights of way, deeds of release, and any other encumbrances or exceptions of record. To the best of the knowledge and belief of the undersigned, the current owner(s) of the property is/are Titio Alexander Council.

determination of those persons entitled thereto.

That the Property shall be sold at a public sale to the highest bidder.

In the alternative, that the Court declares the Borrowers/Mortgagors hold the Property described herein subject to a constructive trust and equitable lien to the bene t of the Plainti , consistent in all regards with the terms and conditions of the Deed of Trust.

That the Court’s Order, shall be duly recorded in the Cumberland County Register of Deeds, and indexed according to those parties named in said Deed of Trust and named herein to establish record notice of this proceeding in the chain of title to the Property.

That upon nal sale, con rmation of sale and conveyance of the Property, the underlying

obligation secured by the Loan, Note and Deed of Trust shall be satis ed; and For such other and further relief as the Court deems just and proper. You are required to make defense to such pleading

An Order for possession of the property may be issued pursuant to 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, 2007, may, after receiving the notice of sale, terminate the rental agreement by providing written notice of termination to the landlord, to be e ective on a date stated in the notice that is at least 10 days, but no more than 90 days, after the sale date contained in the notice of sale, provided that the mortgagor has not cured the default at the time the tenant provides the notice of termination [NCGS § 45-21.16A(b)(2)]. Upon termination of a rental agreement, the tenant is liable for rent due under the rental agreement prorated to the e ective date of the termination.

Pursuant to NCGS §45-21.25A, this sale may be subject to remote bids placed by bidders not

UNC heads to super regional, B3

Hurricanes goalie Frederik Andersen prepares to face the Golden Knights in Game 1 of the

the Thursday SIDELINE REPORT

WORLD CUP

Ream to captain

U.S. national team at World Cup

Fayetteville, Ga.

Tim Ream will captain the U.S. national team at the World Cup. The 38-year-old Charlotte defender was picked by coach Mauricio Pochettino. Ream is set to become the oldest player to appear for the U.S. at soccer’s top tournament. The St. Louis native has 80 international appearances and has captained the U.S. in 17 of 24 games since Pochettino took over in 2024.

NHL Lemieux’s brain being donated to Boston University’s CTE Center, family says Claude Lemieux’s brain is being donated to the Boston University CTE Center to research the long-term e ects of repetitive brain injuries, his family said. Lemieux died of suicide at age 60. Lemieux played nearly 1,500 NHL games from 1983-2009 and was known for his hard-hitting style. The family said it gave the CTE Center permission to publicly share any ndings.

MLB Brewers pitcher Uribe suspended 1 game for actions against Cardinals

Houston Milwaukee reliever Abner Uribe has received a one-game suspension and an undisclosed ne for his inappropriate actions toward the St. Louis dugout. The 2021 Carolina Mudcat is appealing the suspension. Uribe retired Alec Burleson on a called third strike with two outs and runners on rst and second in the eighth. He then made three crotch chops in the style of WWE faction Degeneration X while facing the Cardinals dugout. He later apologized through an interpreter.

Hurricanes take advantage of second chances

Several Carolina players were casto s before helping lead the team to the Stanley Cup nal

By Cory Lavalette North State Journal

RALEIGH — Starting with Tuesday’s Game 1, the Hurricanes will have the franchise’s rst chance in two decades to lift the Stanley Cup. It’s another chance — not just for the team, but for several players.

Coach Rod Brind’Amour has pointed to the additions Carolina has made in recent seasons for the reason the team has inched closer and closer to its ultimate goal.

“We got better this year,” Brind’Amour said after the Hurricanes clinched their berth in the Stanley Cup nal when asked what made this year’s team di erent. “We added some pieces that have made us better to get us to this point.”

A big part of that is Nikolaj Ehlers, the most coveted player on last summer’s free agent market who, after taking time to weigh his decision, signed with Carolina after a decade in Winnipeg.

But going after Ehlers — a player who was tied to the Hurricanes for years — wasn’t an unexpected pursuit.

The addition of K’Andre Miller, however, was met with surprise.

Carolina moved on from aging Brent Burns and Dmit-

ry Orlov, replacing them with prized rookie Alexander Nikishin and Miller — a player who went from future foundational piece for the Rangers to scapegoat for New York’s struggles.

The trade for Miller — the Hurricanes sent New York rst- and second-round picks along with defensive prospect Scott Morrow — also included an eight-year, $60 million extension.

The cost of the trade — both in assets and the price tag of Miller’s new contract — raised eyebrows throughout the hockey world. But Carolina believed Miller would be a t on its blue line, and the 26-year-old thought he’d be joining a perennial contender.

“When I came in, I knew I had a good opportunity to help this team move on to that next level,” Miller said after Carolina’s Game 4 win over the Canadiens in the Eastern Conference nal last Wednesday. “And I’ve just tried to absorb it, take it all in and learn from these other guys’ experience, and just try to do my part.”

Miller’s part has included becoming a rising star this postseason.

“We all dream about these times of year, and it’s really special.”

Frederik Andersen, Hurricanes goalie

Many believed Taylor Hall — a former Hart Trophy winner and rst overall pick who played for four teams after being named league MVP in 2018 before landing in Raleigh last season — was past his days of being a star.

Hall had hit 20 goals once since he scored 39 times and totaled 93 points with the Devils nearly a decade ago. But while all the headlines were about Mikko Rantanen following the blockbuster January 2025 trade that also brought Hall to Raleigh, the Carolina front ofce was quietly optimistic the now-34-year-old had plenty left in the tank.

He’s proved it this postseason. After scoring 18 times with 30 assists in the regular season, Hall — anking Logan

See CANES, page B3

How preseason gamble paid dividends for Stanley Cup-bound Hurricanes

Despite never playing center professionally, Logan Stankoven leads Carolina in playo goals

By Ryan Henkel North State Journal

RALEIGH — Heading into the 2025-26 season, the Carolina Hurricanes knew they needed to nd a better solution for the second line center position. The team had tried a variety of players in that spot over the years, but it was clearly becoming a glaring issue and one that wasn’t going to work with what they had been using. So heading into the o season last year, Carolina coach Rod Brind’Amour made mention to Logan Stankoven in his exit interview to be ready to potentially move back to center, a position he had played all the way through junior hockey but never professionally.

“Rod just brought it up to me and I just said, ‘I’ll play whatever you need,’” Stankoven recalled. “I played center my whole career. I’m comfortable in that position, but it’s about continuing to build on that.”

The preseason came, and it was immediately clear Stankoven looked and felt comfortable back in the middle and after a few games of acclimating, he just continued to get better and better.

“It’s not an easy position, I can tell you that, but from what I’ve seen and how much he’s grown as a centerman, it’s been incredible,” said Hurricanes captain Jordan Staal, who also plays center. “Really impressive.”

The 23-year-old forward had some growing pains, namely a few big scoring droughts of 11, 12 and 14 games at separate times throughout the season.

But even when Stankoven wasn’t scoring, his underly-

ing numbers were through the roof. He was getting chances, he just wasn’t nding any nish.

And as Brind’Amour put it, it was simply the law of averages

in.

THURSDAY 6.4.26

TRENDING

Nicole Woods:

The UNC Wilmington women’s basketball coach says she’s lucky to be alive after being caught in a rip current. Woods lost consciousness trying to rescue her 8-year-old nephew at Wrightsville Beach. A rescue team pulled them to shore, and paramedics revived Woods. She spent 24 hours on a ventilator but recovered without brain injuries.

Evanna Daneen Howell:

The 35-year-old Charlotte resident and senior account manager for Michael Jordan’s 23XI Racing since 2021 was inde nitely suspended by NASCAR after she allegedly drove a golf cart into a 77-year-old man at Charlotte Motor Speedway. Howell was charged with assault at the track. The judge found probable cause that she “unlawfully, willfully, and feloniously did assault” Dennis Manchester.

Kyle Busch:

The 41-year-old NASCAR driver died from hemorrhagic shock and disseminated intravascular coagulation after complications from bacterial pneumonia led to sepsis, his death certi cate says. Busch had pneumonia symptoms for “days to weeks” before sepsis set in. Busch was cremated in Mooresville.

Beyond the box score

POTENT QUOTABLES

“She called me and said, ‘You’re going to Pittsburgh.’”

Former Panthers running back Rico Dowdle on his mother Leslie’s prediction of where he’d go in free agency. Dowdle signed a two-year contract with the Steelers last week.

“I’m not the Ken that Barbie wanted to marry. … I watch bad TV.”

Elliott Avent on spending more time with his wife now that he’s retiring after 30 years as NC State baseball coach.

PRIME NUMBER 57

Police o cers wounded after Paris soccer fans’ celebration of their Champions League win turned violent. Most incidents occurred near the Champs Elysees and Parc des Princes stadium, leading to 780 arrests across France, 480 in Paris, for o enses including assault and vandalism. Most wounded o cers su ered minor injuries.

NASCAR

Denny Hamlin outraced Christopher Bell to win the Cracker Barrel 400 at Nashville Superspeedway. Hamlin won for the second time this year and 62nd time in his career. He got a penalty for jumping the start o the pole, which put him at the back of the eld. Teammates Bell and Chase Briscoe made it three-wide before Hamlin took the lead down the backstretch to win by 0.115 seconds.

Christian Pulisic, 10, ended a ve-month scoring drought with his rst international goal since November 2024, and the United States beat Senegal 3-2 in Bank of America Stadium in its next-to-last World Cup warmup. Pulisic was scoreless in his AC Milan season and eight straight U.S. matches.

Cincinnati Reds starter Rhett Lowder threw 45 pitches in a three-inning simulated game as he recovers from a right shoulder injury. Lowder, of Stanly County and Wake Forest, is scheduled to throw about 70 pitches in a Triple-A game this week. He could return to the Reds’ rotation after that.

Former Duke golfer Celine Boutier won the ShopRite LPGA after rallying with a 66 in the nal round. Boutier was four shots behind but caught up at the turn after three straight birdies. The big moment came on the 13th hole when Boutier made a 30 -foot birdie putt. Boutier won for the rst time on the LPGA since October 2023.

Tar Heels advance to NCAA Super Regional

Carolina will host USC next week

By Asheebo Rojas North State Journal

Regional recap

After the opening weekend of the NCAA Baseball Tournament, there’s only UNC.

The Tar Heels fared well in what many considered was a tough draw, sweeping the Regional for the rst time since 2019.

“These guys do see what’s written and what’s out there,” UNC coach Scott Forbes said.

“And I think they feel like they’re pretty tough and they’re pretty good. So I think their approach was, ‘Yeah it is the toughest Regional, but it’s going to be the toughest for everybody else.’”

UNC punched its ticket to its third straight Super Regional with a 9-3 win over ECU on Sunday.

Center elder Owen Hull logged a team-high three RBIs. With bases loaded and a 5-1 lead in the third inning, he hit a two -RBI single, scoring Rom Kellis V and Jake Scha ner for a 7-1 advantage. First baseman Erik Paulsen, the Chapel Hill Regional’s Most Outstanding player, went 2 for 5, including a double, with two RBIs. His single through the right side of the in eld in the second inning scored Scha ner and Gavin Gallaher for a ve-run lead.

Pitcher Jackson Rose gave up zero hits, zero runs and struck out four batters to keep the Tar Heels ahead in the last four innings.

“I didn’t know what the plan was,” Rose said. “I just went out there and pitched every pitch I could and got out of every inning I could, and if they were going to let me go back out there, I was going to do every-

thing I could to make us win.”

UNC got o to a much slower start against ECU in Saturday’s 7-5 win.

ECU left elder Je Sabater, who went 3 for 4 with four RBIs, batted in two of the Pirates’ rst three runs to help them lead 3-0 going into the fourth inning. In that same four-inning stretch, the Tar Heels only mustered two hits.

Catcher Colin Hynek woke up UNC’s bats with a three-run homer to center eld, tying the game at three in the bottom of the fourth. In the fth inning, Paulsen scored Gallaher on a sac y to ve the Tar Heels their rst lead of the game.

2019

The last time UNC swept the Regional

In UNC’s Regional opener, pitcher Ryan Lynch pitched a seven-inning two-hitter to lead the Tar Heels over VCU 8-0. ECU dominated VCU 10-0 in Saturday’s elimination game.

fense doomed them in a 10-5 season-ending loss. Down in the Auburn Regional, NC State went 0-2 to close out the Elliot Avent era, falling the UCF 9-3 in the regional opener and losing to Auburn 17-13 in a shootout of an elimination game. The Tigers slammed ve home runs to build a 17-7 lead by the sixth inning. The Wolfpack scored six unanswered runs between the sixth and seventh innings but couldn’t keep their rally going.

Super Regional preview

UNC will host USC in the Super Regional this weekend.

The Trojans won the College Station Regional, taking down No. 12 Texas A&M twice (14-3 and 7-1) to make their rst Super Regional appearance since 2005. USC’s bullpen and defense shined in its four Regional games as it gave up no more than six runs the entire weekend and won three games by double digits.

As a team, the Trojans boast a 3.52 ERA, which leads the Tournament’s remaining eld. Mason Edwards’ 1.85 ERA and 164 strikeouts rank rst amongst the remaining pitchers in the postseason, and he’s 8-0 on the year. Grant Covel leads the team in innings pitched and WHIP (0.87), having logged a 2.96 ERA, 13 walks, 69 hits, 92 strikeouts and a 10-2 record.

Pitcher Caden Glauber entered the game with two outs in the bottom of the fourth and kept the Pirates at bay with eight strikeouts, three hits and two earned runs.

Morehead City to host 68th Big Rock Blue Marlin Tournament

The annual competition runs through June 14

By Jesse Deal North State Journal

MOREHEAD CITY — One of the nation’s most prestigious sport shing events is returning to North Carolina this weekend as the 68th annual Big Rock Blue Marlin Tournament brings anglers and spectators to Morehead City.

The tournament set at the Big Rock Landing waterfront ocially opens Friday and continues through June 14, with main tournament shing days scheduled for June 8-13. Lines will be in from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. each day, sending boats o shore in pursuit of the heaviest blue marlin.

The tournament’s o cial registration form lists a projected total purse of nearly $7.8 million, including an estimated $2.9 million payout for the winning sh in Level VI. A world-record payout of $5 million is possible if the winning sh takes Levels I through VI.

Another $1.4 million is rolling over in the Super 20 Division.

Last year, a 517.1-pound blue marlin secured a $2.59 million payday for the crew aboard Big Trouble, a Morehead City-based boat owned by Zeke Konk-

CANES from page B1

Stankoven on a line opposite Jackson Blake — has reached another level in the playo s.

His 16 points lead Carolina this postseason, and he has proven to be a perfect complement to Stankoven and Blake.

“He brings a blend of speed, skill and heaviness that really ts for us,” Hurricanes GM Eric Tulsky said during Monday’s me-

le and captained by Chris Daniels. The 2025 tournament drew 272 boats, carried a $6.3 million purse and produced a record 420 bill sh releases, including 238 blue marlin.

“Often imitated, never duplicated. This tournament has a unique way of blending passion with purpose,” said Madison Struyk, Big Rock executive director. “This wouldn’t be possible without our loyal participants, sponsors, and spectators — it’s the many hands behind the scenes that make this tournament what it is.”

Big Rock has long been one of Morehead City’s signature events, drawing crowds each June for a week that combines sport, philanthropy and coastal tradition. Morehead City is one of several waterfront communities along the state’s Crystal Coast, an 85-mile stretch of beaches running from Emerald Isle to Cape Lookout.

The tournament traces its origins to 1957, when Raleigh angler Jimmy Croy landed a 143-pound blue marlin aboard the Mary Z o the Crystal Coast. What began as a local shing challenge has grown into an international tournament that brings thousands to the waterfront each year.

The week begins with the 29th annual Keli Wagner Lady Angler Tournament on Satur-

dia day. “He has the ability to get pucks into the zone, win pucks along the wall, and he has the vision and creativity and skill to get pucks to the middle and create scoring chances o it.”

Other shrewd additions, such as fourth-liners William Carrier, Eric Robinson and Mark Jankowski, defenseman Sean Walker and waiver wire pickup Brandon Bussi, show how Tulsky, in just his second year

To start the Regional, the Pirates outlasted Tennessee 7-3 in a 14-inning thriller. Catcher Walker Barron’s solo homer sparked a four-run spurt in the top of the nal inning, and ECU’s defense closed the Volunteers out in four batters.

Wake Forest opened the Morgantown Regional with a 6-5 loss to Kentucky due to a crucial late-game mistake. Tied at 5-5 with two outs in the top of the ninth inning, Kentucky’s Jayce Tharnish stole two bases, and a wild pitch from Will Ray sent him home for the lead. The Demon Deacons bounced back with a 12-3 win over Binghamton in the rst elimination game, but a six-run sixth inning by West Virginia and only ve hits from their of-

USC has also been on an offensive heater as of late. The Trojans landed double-digit hits in all ve Regional games, including 19 against Lamar and 17 against Texas A&M Sunday.

UNC, which is also one of the better pitching teams remaining, may nd itself in a defensive battle where timely hits can make the di erence. The Tar Heels need two wins for their second College World Series berth in three seasons.

day from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m., focusing on bill sh release, while also including categories for dolphin, tuna and wahoo.

The women’s tournament is a major part of Big Rock week and helps raise money for cancer research and local charities, donating more than $500,000 to Carteret Health Care for cancer treatment-related care.

“Each year, we are reminded that the Big Rock Family is built on far more than what happens at the scales in June,”Struyk said. “The passion of our participants, sponsors, spectators, sta , and volunteers transforms this tournament into something with real purpose. Their belief in what Big Rock stands for is what allows us to make such meaningful investments in our community, and witnessing that impact rsthand is one of the most rewarding parts of what we do.”

Daily weigh-ins are open to the public at Big Rock Landing. Game sh weigh-ins are expected from 4-7 p.m. each day,

running the team’s hockey operations, has built on the foundation his predecessor, Don Waddell, poured.

But it’s not a one-man operation.

“Our scouting sta does an incredible job,” Tulsky said of the group that tracks pro players in the NHL and beyond.

“Chris Abbott and Mark Craig lead the group, and we’ve really focused on nding people

“This tournament has a unique way of blending passion with purpose.”

Madison Struyk, Big Rock executive director

while blue marlin arrival times will depend on when a sh is boated. On Saturday, game sh weigh-ins are scheduled to begin around 3 p.m.

To qualify for prize money, a blue marlin must weigh at least 400 pounds or measure at least 110 inches. Boats can boat only one blue marlin per day under North Carolina law, according to tournament rules.

Boats are permitted to sh on four of the tournament’s six days. In addition to the grand prize for the heaviest blue marlin, crews will compete for the Fabulous Fisherman’s prize, awarded for the rst blue mar-

who t the way we want to play.

“We ask players to play a very distinctive style, and our scouts have done a great job nding players who can come in and look their best playing the way Rod needs them to play.”

Even Frederik Andersen, in his fth season in Carolina, was a casto of the Maple Leafs, one of several players throughout the years blamed for Toronto’s nearly six-decade Cup drought.

lin brought to the scales weighing more than 500 pounds.

This year also marks the second year of the Big Rock Triple Crown, a three-leg series designed to challenge top boats in competitive sport shing. The series links the KWLA Tournament, the Big Rock Blue Marlin Tournament and the sixth annual Big Rock Kids Tournament, scheduled for July 8-10.

The Triple Crown is a boat-based tournament, with boats entered in any Big Rock tournament eligible to enter the series. Entry in all three tournaments is not required, but boats receive 50 points for each tournament entered, encouraging camaraderie and teamwork among crews. Teams receive an extra 25 points for bill sh released by a Big Rock Kid, de ned as an angler age 16 or younger.

Big Rock TV live coverage is scheduled to begin at 2 p.m. each day on Facebook and YouTube.

Now Andersen is four games away from bringing hockey’s ultimate prize back to North Carolina for the rst time in two decades.

“I’ve been through a lot,” Andersen said during the Eastern Conference nal. “But (I’m) just grateful for being around and being able to play for this long. It’s been really cool. We all dream about these times of year, and it’s really special.”

The Soccer Tournament crowns three champions

Hernandez United, Iowa Demon Hawks and Peluche Hawks won the million-dollar pots

By Shawn Krest North State Journal

BRANDON ESCOTO scored the tournament-winning goal to give Hernandez United the million-dollar prize in The Soccer Tournament. Billed as the world championships of 7-on-7 soccer, and the most electrifying soccer festival in the world, TST packed 160 games into a six day span in Cary’s soccer complex, crowning million-dollar champions in three categories.

The unique rules ensure short games, with each ending on a game-winning goal. The tournament attracts a wide variety of celebrities and retired soccer greats to play for the large pots of prize money.

This year, the eld included Real Athletico, a team that included former NFL players Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie and Chase Edmonds. Former Cincinnati Bengals receiver played for Villareal CF, teaming with former World Cup winning goalie Pepe Reina.

Wrexham, the franchise owned by actors Ryan Reynolds and Rob Mac, sent a team to the mixed division, which also featured teams led by former Team USA goalkeeper Hope Solo and American World Cup legend Landon Donovan.

A total of 48 men’s teams were narrowed in pool play to a single-elimination eld of 32. Based out of Richmond, Virginia, Hernandez United was making its TST debut and featured a number of former professionals from Mexico, as well as North Carolina FC alum Natanel Martinez Agurcia, who contributed a goal in the team’s 8-0 sweep through the group stage and knockout bracket. Hernandez earned a 3-2 win over Pumas de Alabama in the title game. It was the second year in a row that the Pumas nished one goal shy of a title. None of the local or celebrity teams advanced in the men’s bracket.

Big market, small market, same NBA Finals stage

The Knicks and Spurs got to the brink of an NBA title in di erent ways

By Brian Mahoney and Tim Reynolds

The Associated Press

NEW YORK — Getting to the NBA Finals proves that the New York Knicks and San Antonio Spurs have made plenty of smart moves along the way.

You need a star, like a Jalen Brunson or a Victor Wembanyama. They need some help. They need the right coach.

But this nals matchup also shows that there’s no one way to get all those things done. Of the 10 players that the Spurs are most likely to have in the regular rotation for this series, six were drafted by San Antonio. Of the 10 most likely to appear for the Knicks, only one was drafted by New York.

It’s Biggest Market vs. Smaller Market. Shopping vs. Drafting. Knicks vs. Spurs isn’t just a clash for the NBA title, it’s a clash in styles as well — with Knicks President Leon Rose seeming to constantly tinker until nding the right mix, and the Spurs building through the draft instead.

“I’ve said it before, I’ll keep saying it: Leon and his sta have done a freaking fantastic, fantastic job,” Knicks coach Mike Brown said.

STANKOVEN from page B1 that he was bound to break through, and that faith has paid o in a big way.

Stankoven has found another level, with nine goals and 12 points in 13 playo games.

“I think there’s just some times where the puck goes in and sometimes it doesn’t,” Stankoven said. “Growing up, I was kind of a guy that liked to score goals. I knew I kind of had a knack for the net. I practiced my shot all the time in the summertime. I think when you put the reps in and the preparation and you feel good about your game, eventually things will work out for you.”

“It just goes to show how talented he is,” Staal said. “At

Whether it was LeBron James, Kevin Durant or some other megastar, there was always hope that someone would eventually come save the Knicks — who are in the nals for the rst time since 1999. They missed the playo s 16 times in the 27 seasons that followed, including a nine-year stretch where they failed to win a single playo series.

Constructing a championship contender takes good luck — the Spurs know that part well, with a slew of good lottery fortunes including the one that landed them Wembanyama in 2023 — but also good leadership.

“It took a long time for us to get here,” Spurs forward Keldon Johnson said. “It took a village.”

The Knicks can say the same. They just took a di erent route.

Rose was hired in March 2020. He was a longtime agent, and James was one of the players once on his talent roster. Rose’s arrival was right near the end of a typically turbulent season in New York, when the coach (David Fizdale) had been red early in the season, and later the president who red him (Steve Mills) was also ousted.

One of Rose’s rst moves was to hire the coach who would set the organization’s standard and culture — Tom Thibodeau. And Thibodeau won, though evidently didn’t win enough. So, the Knicks turned to Brown this sea-

the start of the season, there were some ups and downs for him, I think he can attest to that, and he was getting a little frustrated. I was telling him he was playing great, it was just that the puck wasn’t going in. He got better and better and better as the season went on.”

Even beyond the individual stats, his line in general has been one of, if not the best, line in hockey this postseason. The trio of Stankoven, Jackson Blake and Taylor Hall are leading the team in ve-on- ve ice time and in that span have outscored opponents 12-4 and are nearly doubling up in chances for versus against.

“I can’t say enough about him and Blaker,” Brind’Amour said.

in the group stage and failed to advance.

Greensboro-based RG10 Football went 1-2 and didn’t advance.

Dark Horse NC United, a team made up of former college players from Campbell, UNC, William Peace, Methodist and Elon, lost all three games in the group round and didn’t advance. Campbell’s Luc Lavielle had one of the team’s two goals. Tobacco Road FC featured players from Duke, Wake Forest, UNC, NC Wesleyan, Mars Hill and UNC Wilmington. Making its third TST appearance, the team lost all three group round games and didn’t advance. UNC’s Dom Jensen had one of the team’s four goals.

North Carolina singer J. Cole backed Dreamville FC, which made its TST debut. The team went 1-2 in the group stage and didn’t advance to the knockout round.

Say Word FC, a four-time participant, featured players from UNC, William Peace, Methodist, Greensboro College, UNC-G and a number of North Carolina clubs. UNC’s Thomas Garner had one of the team’s four goals in the tournament as Say Word went 1-2 and didn’t advance.

Mint Hill FC had players from Pfei er, Mount Olive, UNC-G, Davidson, Queens, Elon and Charlotte. It went 1-2

Real Athletico didn’t advance, going 0-3. Rodgers-Cromartie took three shots, two on goal, without scoring. Edmonds didn’t get o a shot.

Villareal was also bounced after going 0-3. Ochocinco got o one shot on goal but didn’t score.

In the women’s bracket, the Iowa Demon Hawks got an unassisted game-winner from Thais Andrade to beat Simply Futbol FC 2-1 for the title. Making their rst TST appearance, the Demon Hawks had a core of Brazilian pro league veterans.

Simply Futbol was made up of a group of players primarily from Florida and Texas.

Simply Futbol topped the defending two-time champion US

son, another example of the constant tinkering.

The Spurs, meanwhile, embrace continuity. They haven’t had a coaching search in more than three decades; Gregg Popovich named himself coach in 1996 and when he had a stroke in November 2024, Mitch Johnson replaced him on an interim basis. Johnson got the job full-last spring, and it was never a question that the Spurs were going in that direction.

“This team,” Johnson said, “has now been pretty damn consistent for a long time.”

Not the Knicks, who became a league laughingstock.

Hall of Famers such as Isiah Thomas and Phil Jackson were given the keys to the franchise, only to crash it. Je Hornacek lost more than 100 games in two seasons, and Derek Fisher (96) and Fizdale (83) would have if they’d gotten to nish their second.

Free agents such as Joakim Noah opped. High draft picks (Frank Ntilikina, Jordan Hill,

“It’s not an easy position, I can tell you that, but from what I’ve seen and how much he’s grown as a centerman, it’s been incredible.”

Jordan

Staal, Carolina Hurricanes captain

“Those kids are young kids, so there’s a lot of youthful energy and whatnot, and so I think it gets a little bit lost because they work so hard that they’re also super talented. The talent level on those two especially is extremely high. And if they

Women team, which featured members of the national squad, in the semi nals.

The US Women were led by Heather O’Reilly, who had an assist in the tournament. Nine of the team’s 10 goals in the tourney were scored by former UNC players.

Sixteen women’s teams were pared to eight after the group stage.

Playing on their home eld didn’t give the NC Courage an advantage. The team, which included Courage Academy players as well as veterans from NC State, Western Carolina, Elon, Charlotte and Wake, went 1-2 and missed the knockout round.

Hope Solo’s Solo FC women’s team, which featured a number of Wake Forest alums as well as players from UNC and Duke, went 0-3 and didn’t advance.

In the mixed bracket, featuring men’s and women’s players, Peluche Hawks got a game-winner from Vinicius Alexandre, his second on the day, to beat Sneaky FC 4-3. Made up of Kings League men’s veterans and Iowa Demon Hawks women, Peluche scored 19 goals in six games. Sneaky boasted Landon Donovan, who only managed one shot, not on goal, in the tourney.

Hope Solo’s mixed team entry had more success, reaching the semi nals before falling to Peluche.

Wrexham got bounced from the tournament after going winless in the group stage.

Duncan, Tony Parker, Manu Ginobili all retired — and the rebuild started. The ping-pong balls gave them Wembanyama, who made all things possible.

But many other moves, while not as ashy, were savvy.

“Everybody says it’s all Victor, and don’t get me wrong, he’s unbelievable,” former Milwaukee coach Doc Rivers said earlier this season. “But that’s a team they’ve put together. It’s not just Victor. It’s a team.”

Kevin Knox) were busts, and even when the Knicks got something right, such as drafting Kristaps Porzingis, they were so dysfunctional that he wanted out. They were a league-worst 17-65 in 2018-19, throwing lineups on the oor that included the likes of Emmanuel Mudiay, Lance Thomas, Noah Vonleh, Damyean Dotson and Allonzo Trier.

The summer before Rose arrived had been another massive miss in free agency for the Knicks. Durant and Kyrie Irving not only passed but went together to Brooklyn, and suddenly it seemed the Knicks weren’t even the biggest deal in New York. It was similar to 2010, when the Knicks positioned themselves to sign two stars but watched James and Chris Bosh team up with Dwyane Wade in Miami.

The Knicks wanted to be the team playing the Heat in big playo matchups back then. They watched the Spurs play that Heat team twice in the NBA Finals instead.

That Spurs era ended — Tim

didn’t work so hard, all we’d talk about is how skilled they are. But it’s a great combination to have.” The line has been near unstoppable, being held o the scoresheet in only three games this postseason.

“They were our best line to nish the season, and obviously they took o to another level in the playo s,” Staal said. “That line has been unbelievable for us and a main reason why we’re where we’re at.”

While all three players deserve their owers, without Stankoven’s transition to center, there’s no telling how this season may have played out. The Hurricanes have been desperate for an additional scoring line, and the pieces fell into

The Knicks tried other ashy moves, like the 2019 summer where they got Julius Randle in free agency and RJ Barrett with the No. 3 pick in the draft. They eventually got turned into other moves; Barrett and Immanuel Quickley were dealt to Toronto in 2023 for OG Anunoby and Randle was part of the package that brought Karl-Anthony Towns from Minnesota to New York in a blockbuster on the eve of the 2024-25 season.

Along the way, Josh Hart — who had already played for three other teams — was acquired in a 2023 trade in which Rose sent out Cam Reddish, a former top-10 pick who isn’t even in the NBA anymore. For Anunoby, who had been playing in the same division, it was clear that the Knicks were building something.

“De nitely progression,” Anunoby said, adding, “getting better and better each year.”

Rose doesn’t talk about it. Staying out of the spotlight, he hasn’t done interviews with Knicks reporters for ve years and declined comment through a spokesman for this story.

But here the Knicks and Spurs are. The Finals. Di erent paths, same goal.

“I’m glad that this year we’re seeing ourselves start to mature,” Towns said, “and round out what the vision was from Day 1.”

place perfectly as the season went along.

Stankoven leads the team this postseason with three game-winning goals and has the opportunity to become one of three players in franchise history to record double-digit goals in a single playo s as he and the team compete in the Stanley Cup nal.

“It’s what you play for and what you dream of,” Stankoven said. “You want nothing more than to hoist that Cup some day and share it with your teammates and your family and whatnot.

“We still have a lot of work to get done here, but I think that’s what motivates you to play the game and it’s why you love the game.”

sudoku

SOLUTIONS FROM LAST WEEK

Out for a stroll

the BRIEF this week

Trump taps housing regulator Pulte to be acting director of national intelligence

President Donald Trump has tapped Bill Pulte, head of the Federal Housing Finance Agency, to be the acting director of national intelligence — elevating a real estate scion without any clear national security credentials to a key post as the U.S. remains at war with Iran. Trump made the surprise announcement Tuesday on social media that Pulte would be replacing Tulsi Gabbard, the former Hawaii congresswoman who had served as the director of national intelligence. Trump said Pulte will keep his other positions even as he lls in for Gabbard, who resigned last month after revealing her husband’s cancer diagnosis.

Trump signs executive order to vet top AI models for national security risks

President Donald Trump has signed a new executive order on arti cial intelligence. The order establishes a framework for the federal government to vet the national security risks of the most advanced AI systems for up to a month before their public release. The government will be able to work with trusted partners “that will have early access to covered frontier models to promote secure innovation and strengthen the cybersecurity of critical infrastructure,” the order says.

$2.00

Siler City approves updated UDO

The previous ordinance had been in place since 1993

By Ryan Henkel Chatham News & Record

SILER CITY — The Siler City Board of Commissioners has adopted a new UDO. At the board’s June 1 meeting, the nal draft of the updated Uni ed Development Ordinance was presented for a public hearing.

The new UDO was devel-

oped in conjunction with town sta and the UDO steering committee, whose members were appointed by the Board of Commissioners.

“This is a review of the draft language for the entire new UDO that will replace the existing UDO that was adopted in August of 1993,” said Director of Planning and Community Development Tim Garner. “This

project was begun shortly after the adoption of the comprehensive plan and is the natural progression as the comprehensive plan outlines the objectives we’re trying to achieve with this new UDO.”

The new UDO follows a lot of what was laid out in the town’s 2024 Comprehensive Land Plan, which intends to ensure quality development within the town, and also updates the outdated plan to keep it in line with the current state statutes.

Some of those goals include encouraging in ll and redevelopment in commercial corridors and near downtown, updating subdivision requirements, encouraging open space, sidewalks and landscape buffers in all new residential developments, promoting a mix of housing types and updating design standards.

“We think we have a document that will really let us start

Wildlife game camera image, drone used to arrest man in fatal shooting of Virginia

By Kathy McCormack The Associated Press

Kids and adults alike were out and about in Pittsboro for Summerfest 2026 on Sunday. “He had a servant’s heart. He cared for others, he cared for his country, he cared for his family.” Kevin Kemp, Carroll County sheri

INVESTIGATORS in North Carolina used a wildlife game camera image and a drone to

I

nd and arrest a man wanted in connection with the fatal shooting of a Virginia sheri ’s deputy who was conducting a welfare check, authorities said.

The suspect, identi ed as Mi-

The robot handles reminders and daily tasks to help older adults stay independent

By Matt O’Brien The Associated Press

DURHAM, N.H. — After outliving Booker T. Bones, their second service dog, Brenda and Brian Marquis still needed help with some of the more di cult parts of daily life. They found Robbie, a robot that rolls out of a hallway into their living room several times a day. “Do you want to exercise

Brian Marquis

chael Puckett, was found with a gun Sunday night, two days after the shooting, as he was ringing the doorbell of a home less than several miles from the Virginia state line in Surry County. He was arrested and booked without bond, the state’s bureau

now? Please answer yes or no,” the caregiver robot asks 59-year-old Brian Marquis, who has been living with a traumatic brain injury since a 2012 car crash.

“Yes,” he responds. Then he stands up as the robot’s googly-eyed digital screen “face” morphs into an exercise video that guides him through an afternoon workout.

The decades-long quest to build home robots that are both helpful and lifelike — spurred on by ctional machines like The Jetsons’ humanoid maid Rosie — is still mostly a pipe dream. That’s

THURSDAY

Young and unemployed? Remote work, not AI, may be the problem, study nds

Employers

say training junior workers remotely is harder than in-o ce mentoring

By Christopher Rugaber The Associated Press

WASHINGTON, D.C. —

The rise of remote work since the pandemic has made businesses more reluctant to hire young, inexperienced workers and is the key driver of higher unemployment rates for recent college graduates, a study released Monday has found.

The study, by the Federal Reserve Bank of New York, compared occupations that can be done remotely — such as software development — with those that are done in person, such as nursing. The study nds that the unemployment rate among young college graduates in “remotable” jobs rose by about 1 percentage point from 2017-19 to 2022-24.

Yet for older workers in those elds — those aged 29 and over — the jobless rate declined slightly, leading to a notably higher unemployment rate for college graduates 28 or younger in remotable occupations compared with older ones. Yet in nonremotable jobs, there has been little gap in the unemployment rates between older and younger col-

lege grads, the study nds. A similar pattern exists for those without college degrees, the study found.

The study, led by New York Fed research economist Natalia Emanuel, concludes that businesses are reluctant to hire new college grads into remote work because it is harder to train and mentor them if they work outside of the o ce. The authors of the study calculate that remote work is responsible for nearly two-thirds of the rise in the unemployment rate for young college graduates since the pandemic.

“Remote work has weakened incentives to hire young workers by impeding on-thejob training,” the study said. “Employers may not want to hire fresh graduates onto distributed teams because it is more di cult to teach them the requisite skills from afar.”

The study notes that the rise in unemployment among young college grads predates the development of arti cial intelli-

gence tools such as ChatGPT.

And when the authors looked at the exposure di erent occupations had to AI, it found that AI had little impact on youth unemployment.

The unemployment rate for college grads under 29 rose 20% from before the pandemic to 3.7%, on average, in 202225, the New York Fed said. For college grads aged 22 through 27, unemployment reached 5.8% last year, the highest outside the pandemic since 2012.

The study’s ndings are consistent with the low-hire, low- re state of the job market, where layo s are low and the unemployment rate is mostly stable, but those out of work are struggling to nd new jobs.

The New York Fed study also looked at detailed data from an unnamed Fortune 500 tech company and found that its hiring patterns mirrored what they had seen in the broader data.

When the company’s o ces were closed and sta worked remotely, “the rm hired fewer inexperienced workers and more experienced workers, who might need less mentorship to do their jobs well.”

“Once its o ces reopened, the company shifted back to hiring younger workers,” the study said. But even after the reopening, the company favored more experienced workers for teams that included remote work.

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

June 5

Jack the Radio

7 p.m.

Raleigh-based roots-rockers Jack the Radio blend rock, blues, Americana, folk, and country into a swampy Southern-tinged sound. The show is free as part of the Bynum Front Porch Summer Music Series; a hat is passed for the musicians. Food truck on site. No alcohol or pets. Bynum Front Porch 950 Bynum Road Bynum

June 7

Downtown Pittsboro Historical Walking Tour: Transportation Noon

The Chatham County Historical Association leads a 90-minute, roughly one-mile walking tour of downtown Pittsboro exploring how roads, rails and other transit modes shaped the town’s commerce and growth. Tickets are $5 for members, $10 for non-members; capped at 20 participants.

Barcenas-Ordonez, 33, was arrested for felony possession of cocaine, possession of a controlled substance in a state park and possession of drug paraphernalia, and other charges.

• Gerrall Deangelo Johnson, 37, was arrested for assault by strangulation, assault on a female and simple assault, and other charges.

May 27

• Maurico Eugene Long, 42, was arrested for driving while impaired, driving on a revoked license and operating a vehicle without insurance, and other charges.

• Kailah Michele Love, 34, was arrested for driving on a revoked license, resisting a public o cer and possession of drug paraphernalia.

• Zhari Zhane Goins, 31, was arrested for probation revocation.

• Dennis O’Keith Faulkner, 32, was arrested for involuntary manslaughter; allowing animals to roam at large; and dog, cat and ferret vaccination violation.

May 28

• Justin Middleton Cooper, 39, was arrested for possession of a controlled substance on prison or jail premises, communicating threats and injury to personal property, and other charges.

• Trae Bradley McKinney, 34, was arrested for sexual battery, assault on a female and indecent exposure.

• Jessie McKenley Cameron, 39, was arrested for driving while impaired.

• Breana Natyana Wright, 28, was arrested for attempted larceny and solicitation of prostitution.

• Jacob Lee Arnzen, 25, was arrested for assault on a female and misdemeanor crime of domestic violence.

May 29

• John Charles Smith, 52, was arrested for rst-degree sexual exploitation of a minor, indecent liberties with a child and sexual battery, and other charges.

• Tyler Mark Mans eld, 39, was arrested for communicating threats.

• Aaron Luis Perez, 34, was arrested for identity theft, nancial card fraud and possession of stolen goods or property.

• Rebecca Ann Pinnix, 58, was arrested for habitual larceny, assault and battery and possession of drug paraphernalia, and other charges.

May 30

• Aleaha Renne Marr, 32, was arrested for driving while impaired.

Historic Chatham County Courthouse 9 Hillsboro St. Pittsboro

June

12

Beach Music Series: Chairmen of the Board 7 p.m.

The Chairmen of the Board, one of the founding groups of Carolina beach music, headline this free outdoor concert on the MOSAIC event lawn. The series runs through late June.

Philip H. Kohl MOSAIC Family Commons 457 Freedom Parkway Pittsboro Library Prom 6-9 p.m.

Chatham Community Library hosts Library Prom at the Holmes Family Meeting Room. The event is free and open to the public.

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

information or to apply!

Chatham Community Library 197 N.C. Highway 87 N Pittsboro

June 14

Pittsboro Wine Fest 2-4 p.m.

Vino!! Wine Shop hosts its annual wine expo and tasting featuring more than 44 wines from 11 vendors worldwide, food catered by 39 West Catering, live music from Mondo Guitaro and door prizes. Tickets are $60 per person, available at Vino!! Wine Shop.

Forest Hall at Chatham Marketplace 480 Hillsboro St. Pittsboro

Former NC o cer charged in beating caught on video

The victim’s charges for resisting arrest and assault have since been dismissed

The Associated Press

SHELBY — A former North Carolina police o cer caught on a doorbell camera repeatedly punching a woman in the face was charged Monday with assault.

The video of Shelby Ocer Karson Hyder pummeling Cherrie Moore on Friday has circulated widely on social media.

Hyder, 22, turned himself in to the Cleveland County Detention Center on Monday morning and was released on a $10,000 secured bond. Court records do not list an attorney for him, and a phone number associated with his name was out of service.

Hyder, who was suspended Friday and red on Saturday, was responding to a breaking-and-entering call when the scu e ensued.

According to a warrant, Moore, 34, ed the residence on foot and resisted arrest, assaulting Hyder by “grabbing and ripping (his) uniform.”

A separate warrant led Monday alleged Hyder “unlawfully and willfully did assault and strike Cherrie Moore” by

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 from various old and new friends. Our service begins at 10:30 a.m., but we also have Sunday School classes for every member of the family at 9:30 a.m. We would be blessed if you joined us for any and all of these speakers in the coming weeks.

June 7 – Gary McCollough

grabbing Moore “by the arm, pushing her to the ground and striking her in the face with a closed st, thereby in icting serious injury possible broken nose and busted lip.”

The State Bureau of Investigation had announced Saturday it had opened an investigation into Hyder.

Moore was initially charged with breaking and entering, resisting arrest and assault on a public o cer, but the latter two charges have since been dismissed. She was freed on an un-

secured bond. A phone number associated with Moore was disconnected.

Her attorney, Ronald Haynes, told The Associated Press in an email that Moore “is recovering and receiving treatment for her mental health.”

“The heinous actions of former O cer Karson Hyder will forever negatively impact Ms. Cherrie Moore and her family,” Haynes continued. “It’s a small relief that city o cials responded so promptly to terminate and charge Mr. Hyder.”

Experimental pill promises new hope for pancreatic cancer

It uses a molecular glue to target mutations that had eluded treatment for decades

By Lauran Neergaard

The Associated Press

WASHINGTON, D.C. — A novel pill helped people with advanced pancreatic cancer live longer, researchers reported Sunday, raising hopes of long-needed better treatments for one of the deadliest types of cancer.

“While not curing the cancer, it is a very large step forward,” said Dr. Zev Wainberg, of the University of California, Los Angeles, who helped lead the study.

The drug is called daraxonrasib, and it blocks a mutated protein that fuels tumor growth in more than 90% of pancreatic cancer cases — a target that had eluded treatment for decades.

The daily pills nearly doubled survival time, with fewer severe side e ects, in a study that randomly assigned the experimental drug or more chemotherapy to 500 patients whose metastatic, or spreading, cancer had quit responding to prior treatment. The ndings were published in the New England Journal of Medicine and presented Sunday at the American Society for Clinical Oncology meeting in Chicago.

Those taking daraxonrasib lived for a median of 13.2 months compared with 6.7 months for chemotherapy recipients. While that may seem like a small improvement, Wainberg said it marked the rst drug to show a substantial advantage over chemotherapy.

“Having treated pancreatic cancer for 16 years, I actually started crying” when rst seeing the study results, Dr. Rachna Shro of the University of Arizona Cancer Center, who wasn’t involved with the research, said from the ASCO meeting. She was struck by how “patients stayed on this treatment because it was providing durable and meaningful bene t to them.”

The pills’ e ects eventually wane, but recipients used them for signi cantly longer than the comparison group stayed on chemotherapy, reporting less pain and a better quality

of life as their tumors shrank. Many still were using the drug after the data was analyzed, which Wainberg said means the survival gap may widen as researchers continue tracking them.

Dr. Brian Wolpin, of the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, presented the ndings Sunday.

He said the drug should become “a new standard of care” for previously treated metastatic pancreatic cancer, adding that researchers also will explore its use earlier in the disease, including to see if tumor shrinkage might let more patients qualify for surgery.

Side e ects most likely to affect pill usage were a rash that can be severe and mouth sores, he said.

Maker Revolution Medicines funded the study and the Food and Drug Administration plans to expedite review of the drug. Meanwhile, the agency is allowing what’s called “expanded access” to the experimental drug for patients who meet certain criteria. The drug garnered public attention when former U.S. Sen. Ben Sasse described on “60 Minutes” how he’s had less pain while taking it. Oncologists are being ooded with requests as the special access program gets started.

Pancreatic cancer is among the most deadly forms in large part because it’s hard to detect before it starts spreading to other organs. The American Cancer Society estimates about 67,000 new cases will be diagnosed in the U.S. this year and more than 52,000 people will die from the disease. The

ve-year overall survival rate is 13%.

Unlike with other cancers that have bene ted from a variety of chemotherapy alternatives, pancreatic cancer has been harder to tackle.

Cancer specialists not involved in the new research expressed optimism that this may be a turning point in the quest for new options, with dozens of experimental drugs in development.

The new drug targets mutations in the RAS gene family that normally regulates cell growth. So-called KRAS mutations are especially critical in fueling pancreatic cancer. But a structure that made it hard for drugs to stick to the mutated proteins meant this cancer driver was long considered “undruggable.”

Revolution Medicines’ drug uses what’s essentially a molecular glue to bind with multiple KRAS subtypes. Wainberg said researchers next will probe whether the drug worked better in certain of those subtypes.

The drug will change pancreatic cancer treatment, said Dr. Andrew Coveler of the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center, who wasn’t involved in the research.

“This thing works drastically di erently,” he said.

Wainberg said other drugs in development target specific KRAS subtypes. Other approaches in earlier stages of testing include vaccines designed to prevent recurrence after pancreatic cancer surgery by teaching the immune system to recognize the mutated protein.

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.

DRONE from page A1

of investigation said in a news release. Multiple law enforcement agencies took part in the search.

Puckett, 55, appeared for an extradition hearing Monday, where he waived his right to a court-appointed lawyer and awaited transport to Virginia, WXII-TV reported. In Virginia, the Carroll County Sheri ’s O ce said the fatal shooting occurred after law enforcement received a request from a family member to do a welfare check last Friday. A man at the home began shooting, and the two sheri ’s deputies who had responded returned re, the sheri ’s ofce said. Both deputies were hit, and the man ran away. Other people were in the home at the time. They were

ORDINANCE from page A1

to move forward,” said Mayor Donald Matthews. “It’s been way past time to get this done.” The board also approved on-street parking restrictions along East Cardinal Street adjacent to Jordan-Matthews High School. The changes include limiting parking near the corners of multiple intersections of East Cardinal Street (Central Avenue, White Oak Drive, Matthews Street, Jordan-Matthews Drive, Jet Way) in order to improve visibility and overall tra c safety.

not hurt, according to Carroll County Sheri Kevin Kemp. Deputy Logan Utt was killed. The second deputy, who was struck in his ballistic vest, was recovering at home and was in good condition, Kemp said Sunday. There was a massive search for the suspect, who was “spotted on wildlife game camera in Surry County, North Carolina,” north of the city of Mount Airy, on Sunday morning, police said. A drone was used to track his movements. Utt, 31, was a military veteran who joined the department in 2023. A funeral procession was held Monday afternoon from Roanoke, Virginia, to Mount Airy, where Utt was a former re ghter. “He had a servant’s heart. He cared for others, he cared for his country, he cared for his family,” Kemp said.

Finally, the board approved the setting of a public hearing for the potential renaming of Hill Street to McClain Street.

“Mr. Albert McClain recently celebrated his 100th birthday, he’s also been a mainstay in this community all of his life, an Army veteran and the list is really too long to name what he has done for not only his community, but for the town of Siler City,” Matthews said.

The public hearing will be held July 20.

The Siler City Board of Commissioners will next meet June 10.

HEAR GOD’S TRUTH!

Bible study: 1 Thessalonians 1:3-12 Church of Living Water; Pastor: James Mitchell.

I pray for all souls to repent and come to the knowledge of God’s Truth. All sinners can be forgiven! Why do so many reject God’s mercy? Hear God’s truth: “Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.” John 3:5. We thank God always for you, brothers and sisters, who have kept the faith and the love you have for each other. You are still standing strong in patience and faith despite the persecutions and tribulations we endure. God’s got it! It is a righteous thing with God to recompense tribulation to those who trouble His who refuse to humble themselves to repentance. God’s grace and mercy will carry us through vigorously! Keep standing strong in our Lord and receive the blessings. Just take time to think about how blessed we really are compared to those without God. Have we forgotten that mustard seed of faith that will carry us through the battles of this world? News: Rhino Thomas Massie just lost to a true patriot, Ed Gallrein. Rhino Bill Cassidy is voted out! I pray patriot Ken Paxton beats Rhino John Cornyn in Texas next week. Drain the swamp! MAGA patriots are coming after you, anti-America rhinos, and you Democrats who want to transgender our children, allow illegals to vote in our elections, and give away taxpayer dollars that should go to American citizens in need.

THE CONVERSATION

Trip

Ho end, publisher | Frank Hill, senior opinion editor

COLUMN | ANDREW TAYLOR-TROUTMAN

Magical hawks

“Baseball reminds us of all that once was good, and it could be again.”

I WRITE in celebration of this year’s Seaforth baseball team. The Hawks clawed their way to the state championship, and though they lost to the No. 1 seed and last year’s champions, North Lincoln High School, I am proud of them. The program has soared in a short amount of time; Seaforth opened in August 2021.

This year’s team began the playo s as the ninth seed, prompting some media outlets to term their championship run a “Cinderella story.” Head coach Spenser Messmore said they used that term as a motivational tool. The Hawks had played one of the most competitive regular seasons in the state, and while they lost a few close games, Messmore believed they were much better than their 21–11 record might indicate. Some say baseball is a game of inches, but really it’s a game of attitude. Like most sports, baseball rewards speed and power. But the fastest or strongest player on the eld is not always the best. It’s a game about quick wrists and quick thinking. Motivation counts.

Baseball is also a time machine. The late, great James Earl

Lessons

in,

People, places and events come to mind, and I wonder where they all are now.

Jones said it best in “Field of Dreams,” the classic movie: “Baseball reminds us of all that once was good, and it could be again.”

These Hawks reminded me of a few teams that I played on when something clicked at the right time and suddenly the big hit or big pitch happened at just the right time. I remember the feeling of stepping into the batter’s box knowing my team was behind me. We didn’t win a championship either, but for a time, I thought anything was possible.

I’m sorry the ball didn’t bounce their way in the end, but someday, long after they’ve quit playing, these Hawks will watch another team, and what it was like for them the past season will all come back. It will be as real as the smell of a leather glove or crack of the bat. I tell you, it’s magic.

Andrew Taylor-Troutman’s newest book is “This Is the Day.” He serves as pastor of Chapel in the Pines Presbyterian Church as well as a writer, pizza maker, co ee drinker and student of joy.

of life take years to learn

A SIGNIFICANT event came my way this week.

No, it wasn’t the lottery or last house payment or even a note from old girlfriend Katherine (Kitty) Litter saying she nally realized she missed the boat all those years ago.

Instead, it was the annual celebration of some of my mama’s nest work, notably the day she brought me into the world.

I won’t mention the year this event came about or how many years it’s been but simply say it was before Ike came into the White House. I’ll go on record, however, as saying I can’t believe how quickly it got here.

It’s been a while coming and there has been a fair amount of water over the dam and under the bridge. But I’m also glad the water continues owing, and I hope it will for some time. Looking back over those years, it doesn’t seem so long ago. People, places and events come to mind, and I wonder where they all are now.

Our little family came to Pittsboro when I was a wee, handsome — well, at least wee — little lad of 5. My dad had changed careers, and Chatham County was home to him and Mama anyway. Had that not happened, I would have grown up in Apex and never gotten acquainted with Bonlee or Harpers Crossroads or Rufus’ Restaurant and hundreds of wonderful folks.

My school days would have been spent in Wake County instead of the halls of Pittsboro High School, where I managed to get thrown out of school assembly my senior year when I was student body president and fouled out of a junior varsity basketball game during the warmups when I was in the ninth grade.

I think back on those growing up days, remembering who dated who, who had what car, the words to every rock ’n’ roll song WKIX at 850 AM played and many other important pieces of information. However, I could not then — and still cannot now — tell you the words to the French national anthem, how many bones a frog has in its body or how to nd the square root of 147, all of which various teachers deemed essential at the time. Instead, I think of the 30 or so classmates who are now precious memories. Ditto for the class ahead of and behind me.

The same thing happened with my college career, the one where I managed to cram a four-year course of study into seven years. I knew I was going to Chapel Hill to get an education; I just didn’t think it would all be in campus classrooms. And it wasn’t.

These days I remember the guys in my dorm — Chester “Chuck” Conner, who combined brains, books and looks into one great all-around guy; Sam “Froggy” Greathouse, who got us into trouble with the dean because we hung out the secondstory windows making pig-grunt noises at the female students as they walked by and is now one of those aforementioned memories; Ronald and Donald Green, the twins from Carthage who I never could tell apart and still couldn’t a few years ago when I bumped into them at a funeral service I conducted for a family member of a mutual friend; and numerous others whose faces come to mind but don’t bring names with them.

There are other highlights — many, in fact: A career in community journalism which led me to meet my better — much better — half when we worked beside each other in adjoining buildings in Pittsboro one magic summer; the wonderful days of courtship when I stopped running so she could catch me; the years since then with our two 50-somethings who at one time were teenagers who lived at my house and who now have produced their own set of humans, some of whom are teenagers and high school graduates and college students themselves, but for right now are without doubt the most wonderful grandchildren the world has ever seen.

And there are others — a job once that let me work with farmers and rural folks all over the two Carolinas, a seminary course of study that produced a change in careers and the subsequent places of service, and even an opportunity to combine journalism and ministry as a life’s work for several years. At one time, I thought I’d retire; now I know there’s not enough time to do that. And maybe that’s the best lesson that has come from these yearly celebrations. I know I’m not the only person who has such momentous occasions. My hope through the years of turning out these columns is that maybe once in a while (if you’re brave enough to read them) we all share the human condition known as life and that birthdays are another opportunity to get on with living it.

Hope yours is or was happy and prosperous … whenever it is and however many there are.

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

Unraveling a conundrum

“The

trick … is to make much of mere daylight and the skies.”

STRANGELY ENOUGH, I’m diving into Walt Whitman for a much-needed personal reframe. Walt, are you ready? We’re on our way. The subtext is aliveness, my aliveness and yours, dear readers, but we’ll get to that. Promise. Here’s the venerated Walt W.: “The trick … is to make much of mere daylight and the skies.” What’s this “mere” thing? Our Earth’s “daylight and the skies” are mere? Tri ing? Trivial?

To be sni ed at? “It’s morning. Time to raise the shades.” Raising the shades encapsulates, embarrassingly so, my daily experience of our glorious sun bursting over the horizon. Yep (head hanging low). Those Carolina blue skies? “Oh, nice sky today. Hmmm … when’s my rst appointment? Gotta get dressed.” Oy. As I try to unravel this conundrum of “mere,” I’m reclining on my couch, looking out the window at trees and their spreading greenery. Then that pesky adjective, “mere,” once again, rudely butts into my consciousness. If this panoramic view of North Carolina’s nature quali es only as “mere,” what else is diminished in my eyes? My breathing? Having hands? Working at being a good human? How do I imbue my life with aliveness? For

COLUMN | JAMES CARTER AND JACOB CHOE

that exemplar of nature, Mr. Whitman, the appearance of mere daylight and a cloud- lled sky are more than enough to induce his sense of excited aliveness and awe. But, me, sigh … Not so much, for me. It stings to admit this. The magnetic draw of chocolate-covered ginger, sitting on my kitchen counter, seems to dwarf both daylight, and the sky, in warranting my attention. However, I can’t dive into chocolatecovered ginger without leaving the house, driving to the store, paying and coming home. So many steps needed for chocolate-covered ginger to capture my reverent attention. Whereas the sky, daylight and nature can be had by just opening the blinds and looking out the window. A cheap date.

The awe of morning’s light, and the vastness of blue skies, are available for the price of simply opening my eyes. Store runs for chocolatecovered ginger aren’t requisite for my feeling alive. I’m still a work in progress, even after all these years …

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

The U.S. ally that figured out China’s gameplan long before Washington

China is not a trading partner that plays by the rules.

WASHINGTON HAS SPENT decades talking about the U.S.-Japan alliance in military terms. Carrier groups. Missile defense. Deterrence. Those things matter enormously. But the alliance runs far deeper than defense planning, and right now the economic dimension deserves more attention than it is getting.

It runs through factories, ports, semiconductor supply chains, cattle ranches, shipping corridors, food processing systems and business relationships that never make the evening news.

Understanding why that matters requires being honest about something Washington spent too long avoiding: China is not a trading partner that plays by the rules. It is a strategic competitor that uses economic leverage as a weapon, and every supply chain that runs through Beijing is a vulnerability waiting to be exploited.

Japan gured this out before most American policymakers did.

The U.S.-Japan relationship stands out in the current environment precisely because it is built on something China cannot o er: genuine mutual trust developed over decades of transparent commerce, shared democratic values and consistent institutional behavior.

That is not a diplomatic abstraction but rather a practical asset with real economic consequences.

Japan remains badly underestimated by many in Washington. Its food processing and agricultural technology sectors are extraordinarily sophisticated. Precision packaging, cold-chain logistics, sanitation systems and production e ciency are not glamorous topics, but they matter enormously in modern trade.

They reduce waste, improve reliability and create the kind of supply chain stability that China’s record of concealment, manipulation and economic coercion has repeatedly destroyed.

American agricultural producers bene t from the Japanese relationship more than most people realize. Japan is one of the largest overseas markets for U.S. beef, pork, wheat, corn, soybeans, dairy and seafood. Japanese rms invest heavily inside the United States in automotive manufacturing, logistics, advanced materials, food technology and industrial infrastructure. That is far from dependency. It is the kind of reciprocal economic integration that actually works — because both sides follow the same rules and neither uses market access as a political hostage.

China does. And when it wants to remind you of that fact, it does not send a diplomatic note. It cuts o your supply chain.

Ask any American manufacturer who woke up to nd China restricting exports of gallium and germanium — two minerals essential to semiconductors, defense systems and advanced electronics — what Chinese economic partnership actually looks like in practice. Beijing controls nearly 90% of the world’s rare earth processing capacity. It did not acquire that dominance through superior geology. It acquired it through decades of deliberate state subsidization, below-market pricing designed to drive foreign competitors out of business and a patient willingness to operate at a loss until the

BE IN TOUCH

Democrats are in no position to lecture anyone about candidates

DEMOCRATS ARE AGAIN acting like they occupy the high moral ground of American politics. But if 2026 has proven anything, it’s that there’s virtually nothing a left-wing candidate could say or do that would elicit condemnation from Democrats if doing so threatened their power.

Democrats, for example, demand credit for their opposition to Maureen Galindo, the Texas congressional candidate who proposed putting American “Zionists” (wink, wink) into concentration camps and castrating them, lost her Texas primary last week, winning 36% of the vote — not a bad showing for a politician championing mass imprisonment of her political enemies.

The question, though, is whether House Minority Leader Hakeem Je ries or Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez or anyone at Pod Save America or the Bulwark had uttered a word in protest, had Galindo already won her primary before making those comments? All the evidence strongly suggests no.

And by evidence, I mean their explicit support for slightly less o ensive cranks, extremists, bigots and terrorism apologists such as new party power broker Hasan Piker, the socialist Hezbollah fan Abdul el Sayed in Michigan or the Hamas apologist Chris Rabb in Pennsylvania, a guy who suggested the massacre of Jews at Bondi Beach was a “false ag” operation by “Zionists.”

competition disappeared. Once the competition was gone, the leverage arrived. It’s a long con.

Japan understood this dynamic earlier than Washington and has spent years building diversi ed critical mineral supply chains precisely to reduce exposure to Chinese chokepoints. That work is directly relevant to American national security interests right now, and it is one reason the bilateral relationship carries strategic weight beyond what any single trade agreement or defense treaty could capture.

The recent weakness of the yen deserves more attention than it has received. Most commentary treats it as a Japanese problem. That misses half the picture.

A weaker yen lowers costs for American importers, manufacturers and rms purchasing Japanese industrial inputs and specialized technologies. It also encourages additional Japanese investment into the United States at precisely the moment America is trying to rebuild domestic manufacturing capacity and cut dangerous supply chain dependence on China. The yen story is, in part, an American opportunity.

President Donald Trump understood the strategic stakes in the Paci c earlier and more clearly than his critics acknowledged. The emphasis on industrial resilience, supply chain repatriation and confronting Chinese economic aggression directly was not protectionist nostalgia.

It was a recognition that the rules-based trading order China pretends to respect is one it has systematically gamed for 30 years. Japanese policymakers understood this concern even when they disagreed with speci c tari decisions. The underlying diagnosis was correct. Events have kept proving it.

The Paci c is now a theater of economic competition whether Washington wants it to be or not. China has made that choice for everyone.

It has used its position in the South China Sea to intimidate smaller neighbors, backed Russia’s war in Ukraine while lecturing the West about sovereignty, and built rare earth dominance into a strategic weapon aimed directly at American manufacturing and defense capacity. It views American alliances not as facts to be respected but as problems to be dissolved.

That is why the U.S.-Japan alliance matters more right now than at any point in recent memory. Not because it is sentimental or traditional but because it is one of the few economic relationships in the Paci c built on rules both sides actually follow, trust both sides have actually earned and interests both sides have actually aligned. In a region where China has made dependency its primary foreign policy tool, that is a genuine strategic advantage.

Don’t take it for granted.

James Carter is a policy advisor with America’s Economy First. Jacob Choe is an international strategist and a member of the Bretton Woods Committee and a Ben Franklin Fellow.

(Copyright 2026 Daily Caller News Foundation)

Imagine telling someone 20 years ago that a leading congressional candidate in a New Jersey district situated right outside New York City had both volunteered for an al Qaeda front in Europe and spent years being friends with “The Blind Sheikh” Omar Abdel-Rahman, the longtime jihadi preacher who was sentenced for seditious conspiracy after planning a “day of terror” in 1995. Adam Hamawy defended Abdel-Rahman during his trial. And yet not a single notable Democrat has called him out on it.

Many of the same Democrats who expect Republicans to wring their hands over Republican Texas senatorial candidate Ken Paxton, a man tainted by corruption, have o ered a full-throated endorsement of a man who knowingly got and kept a Totenkopf SS Nazi tattoo for 20 years. It’s not just that Graham Platner’s mentally unstable ravings, including saying a Purple Heart recipient didn’t “deserve to live,” that “all cops are bastards,” that white rural Americans were “racist and stupid,” that the Virgin Mary was a “skank,” defending child killers of Hamas or contending that sexual assault victims bring it on themselves. It’s that he still uses unhinged Marxist language right now.

Platner isn’t the rst skeeze to run for major o ce, but he might be the most extreme. Only two elected Democrats, as far as I can tell, have spoken out about Platner’s soft spot for Nazis. One is Sen. John Fetterman, who is under relentless attack from his own party for supporting Israel over Islamists, and Rep. Jake Auchincloss.

Now, if Platner’s opponent in Maine was a raging, corrupt ideologue, independents might be torn between two dangerous candidates. But the Republican in Maine is incumbent Sen. Susan Collins, perhaps the most milquetoast centrist member of the entire chamber.

Some Democrats rationalize their support for a self-described “communist” by noting that control of the Senate is far more important than worrying about the individual ravings of unhinged candidates. Though gutless establishment Democrats did virtually nothing to counter extremists during the primaries, there’s a utilitarian logic to this thinking. But then you’re in no position to lecture Republicans about Paxton or anyone else, for that matter.

The 2026 elections will be held during the second term of an unpopular presidency, so there’s no telling how many Democrats will win. Or, perhaps, the new reality is that proIslamist Marxists are now an in uential part of the contemporary Democratic Party. How popular such a party will be nationally moving forward is yet to be seen.

I am constantly being assured that Democrats are the adults in the room. I’m supposed to believe that self-styled socialists are not only going to uphold norms, decency and democratic institutions but also improve the economic conditions of Americans. That contention clashes with every shred of historical evidence we possess.

Democrats had a chance to be normal. They chose crazy.

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

Letters to the editor may be sent to letters@nsjonline.com or mailed to 1201 Edwards Mill Rd., Suite 300, Raleigh, NC 27607. Letters must be signed; include the writer’s phone number, city and state; and be no longer than 300 words. Letters may be edited for style, length or clarity when necessary. Ideas for op-eds should be sent to opinion@nsjonline.com.

Hazel Marie Newby Horton

Feb. 18, 1944 –May 28, 2026

Hazel Marie Newby Horton, 82, of Siler City, went to her Heavenly home on Thursday, May 28th, 2026, at her home surrounded by family.

Hazel was born in Chatham County on February 18th, 1944, to the late Thomas and Willia Headen Newby.

She is preceded in death by her parents; her husband of 57 years, James Edward Horton; her brothers, Ray Newby and Terry Newby; and her sister, Janice Lee.

Miss Hazel was a wonderful homemaker and a great cook.

She was known for her chicken and dumplings, sausage gravy, and pound cake. She was always positive and encouraging to everyone. She was a devoted wife and mother.

She used to work for Glendale Hosiery, she worked as a CNA, and she worked in the cafeteria at Jordan Matthews High School. She was a member of Wesley Chapel Christian Fellowship Church where she was also the trustee.

Left to cherish Miss Hazel’s memory is her son Chris Horton (Keith Olson) of Portsmouth, VA; her daughter, Angela H. She eld (Gary) of Siler City; her sister, Marsha Newby; her brothers, Milton Newby and Henry Newby; and several nieces, nephews, and friends.

A visitation will be held at Smith & Buckner Funeral Home Chapel on Thursday, June 4th, 2026, from 6-8 pm.

The family requests all cards and owers to be delivered to Smith & Buckner Funeral Home.

Smith & Buckner Funeral Home will be assisting the Horton family. Online condolences can be made at www.smithbucknerfh. com

Larry King, ex-husband of Billie Jean King who helped with growth of women’s pro tennis, dead at 81

He designed colorful courts and revamped scoring to help popularize World TeamTennis

The Associated Press

GRASS VALLEY, Calif. — Larry W. King, the former husband of Billie Jean King who partnered with her on the creation of the WTA Tour and the “Battle of the Sexes” tennis match, died Friday. He was 81. King died at his home of prostate cancer, said his wife, Nancy Bolger King.

Larry King and Billie Jean King met at Cal State-Los Angeles and married in 1965. Billie Jean King credited him as “one of the unsung heroes in the establishment of women’s professional tennis in the early 1970s.”

“Larry’s intelligence, love, commitment and humor helped me navigate my career for more than 20 years,” Billie Jean King added in a statement, saying, “We were married for 22 years and in business together for decades. He was involved behind the scenes when the Original 9 signed our $1 contracts and he and I co-owned several tournaments on the Virginia Slims Tour.”

Together, Larry and Billie Jean King founded World TeamTennis, after Billie Jean was long interested in a team format for the sport. Larry King designed the colorful courts and a revamped scoring system that helped popularize the sport.

He played a major role in a

“Larry King didn’t just champion equality from the sidelines — he embodied male allyship at a de ning moment for sports, culture, and society.”

Valerie Camillo, WTA chair

breakthrough for women’s tennis in 1973. The WTA Tour was formed that year, before King went on to beat Bobby Riggs in the “Battle of the Sexes,” which remains the most-watched tennis match in history.

“Larry King didn’t just champion equality from the sidelines — he embodied male allyship at a de ning moment for sports, culture, and society,” WTA chair Valerie Camillo said. “Standing with Billie Jean and sharing her mission for positive change, his moral advocacy and vital contributions as a lawyer and businessman set the stage for the WTA Tour as we know it.”

Larry and Billie Jean King divorced in 1987. He later married Nancy Bolger King, whom he met on the women’s tour in the late 1980s. They moved a few years later to Grass Valley, where he co-founded Roller Hockey International, a professional roller hockey league played on inline skates; and Bridge Pro Tour, a professional bridge tour. Besides his wife, King is survived by son Sky King and daughter Katie King, and their families.

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

Donald Newhouse, newspaper publisher and former AP board chairman, dead at 96

He quietly shaped American journalism while navigating the digital age

By Scott Mayerowitz The Associated Press

NEW YORK — Donald E.

Newhouse, president of one of the largest family-controlled publishing companies in the nation and a former board chairman of The Associated Press, died Tuesday. He was 96 and died at his home in New Jersey, his family said.

During his career, Newhouse served as president of the Star-Ledger in Newark, New Jersey, and head of Advance Publications’ newspaper group, which he navigated into the internet age.

“You reveled in his company. He lled you with energy and humor when you felt doubtful and weak,” said Anna Wintour, the global editorial director of Vogue and Conde Nast’s chief content o cer.

“He was scrupulous about not interfering in editorial business, but if you turned to him for counsel, he invariably o ered judicious advice,” she said in an obituary released last week by the Newhouse family.

Newhouse, who lived in New York, spent nearly 50 years overseeing the 35 newspapers of Advance Publications, the media business started by his late father, Samuel Irving Newhouse Sr., in 1922. His older brother, S.I. Newhouse Jr., was chairman of the company and oversaw Conde Nast magazines. He died in 2017.

Louis D. Boccardi, retired president and CEO of the AP, said Newhouse was an extraordinary chairman for the cooperative.

“His voice was never the loudest in the room, but it was often the wisest,” Boccardi said. New-

“His voice was never the loudest in the room, but it was often the wisest.”

Louis D. Boccardi, retired Associated Press president and CEO

house was instinctively private, but behind that, Boccardi said, was a generous man, at home anywhere and curious about everything.

“He could come across as self-e acing and deferential, but in Don’s skilled hands those were qualities that made him an enormously strong and effective leader,” Boccardi said.

“You don’t often see the adjective ‘warm’ attached to a titan of industry, but it applied to him.”

A man who didn’t chase the spotlight

Newhouse, born in 1929, was known for staying out of the public eye. A reporter once asked him to list the biggest chances he took in his career. The answer: “Inviting your questions.”

The usually reserved Newhouse did step into the spotlight when he took on the role of chairman of the Newspaper Association of America from 1993 to 1994 and then chairman of the AP board of directors from 1997 to 2002. He had served on the AP board for nine years before becoming its chairman.

“He was a smart and shrewd businessman but as thoughtful and kind a man as you’ll nd. Being in his presence was always a joy,” said Doug Clifton, editor of one of Newhouse’s papers, The Plain Dealer in Cleveland, Ohio, from 1999 to 2007.

Newhouse attended Syracuse University but never graduated, heading into the family’s

newspaper business instead. He would regularly visit his newspapers but left the ultimate authority of running them to his publishers.

“Each of our newspapers operates independently, with publishers who are strong, who set policy for their individual organizations and who have the authority and responsibility of carrying out the policies they set,” he said in 1993 when taking over as chairman of the newspaper association.

Newhouse was known for spending money to make sure that papers got the best stories. Jim Willse, editor of The Star-Ledger in Newark, N.J., from 1995 until 2010, said he would give “us all the resources we needed to make The Ledger really special.” Willse said Newhouse loved newspapers and newspaper people.

“He especially enjoyed it when we’d have a story about some politician caught with his hand in the cookie jar, or a spicy feature about stu ed shirts behaving badly,” Willse said.

Newhouse’s philosophy of spending money to produce quality coverage and a hands- o approach toward his editors led to many successes, including multiple Pulitzers.

Many of those newspapers were able to thrive and remain pro table because they dominated their market, but Newhouse said he was very much aware of what he called the “dramatically changing media landscape” and how people get their news.

“The 15th-century revolution was epitomized by the printing of the Gutenberg Bible; ours by Ted Turner’s cable news network and by web -based news sites — news in real time from anywhere to everywhere,” he said in 2004 at the rededication of a communications school named after his father at Syracuse University.

New Berkshire Hathaway CEO Abel makes rst deal since taking over from legendary Bu ett

The acquisition tests whether Abel will move beyond Bu ett’s hands-o management style

By Josh Funk

The Associated Press

OMAHA, Neb. — Berkshire

Hathaway’s new CEO Greg Abel hinted that he may depart from Warren Bu ett’s longtime hands-o operating model at the conglomerate as he announced a $6.8 billion acquisition of homebuilder Taylor Morrison.

Abel suggested in the deal announcement he plans to consolidate Taylor Morrison with Berkshire’s existing site-built homebuilding operations that are part of its Clayton Homes subsidiary. For six decades under Bu ett, Berkshire promised to largely leave companies alone after it acquired them and allow the executives to keep running the day-to-day operations the same way.

“We are excited to welcome Taylor Morrison into Berkshire’s portfolio, re ecting our long-standing commitment to housing, exempli ed by Clayton Homes and our other building products businesses. Over time, we expect to unify our site-built homebuilding operations into a combined platform enabling us

Begum, a professor of computer science, speaks about the robotics program at the University of New Hampshire, on April 21 in Durham, New Hampshire.

to deliver the dream of homeownership to more Americans,” Abel said in the announcement.

In addition to Clayton, which specializes in manufactured homes but also has a site-built unit, Berkshire also owns several other housing-related businesses, including Benjamin Moore paint and Shaw Floors.

It’s not clear how much consolidating Abel might do among Berkshire’s dozens of companies that include an assortment of major insurers, including Geico, major manufacturers such as Precision Castparts and a bunch of retail and service companies like NetJets, Dairy Queen and Helzberg Diamonds. But Abel is known as a much more active manager than Bu ett ever was.

“Given Greg’s strength as an operator it will be interesting to see if he does consolidate these units to get some greater scale and e ciencies,” said CFRA Research analyst Cathy Seifert.

Abel has been overseeing all of Berkshire’s noninsurance businesses since 2018, and he hasn’t made any major changes in operations, though he has encouraged subsidiaries to cooperate more when it makes sense. Abel became CEO in January, but Bu ett remains chairman and Berkshire’s largest shareholder.

Berkshire shareholders will

likely be excited just to see Abel making deals given that the Omaha-based company is currently sitting on nearly $400 billion cash. This deal by itself isn’t likely to make a meaningful impact on Berkshire’s bottom line because the conglomerate is so big, but dealmaking and investing are the areas of Abel’s resume that investors had the most questions about.

Bu ett praised Abel in an interview with CNBC on Monday morning.

“Greg did that faster than I could have done it, smoother

ROBOT from page A1

despite growing appeal as the oldest baby boomers are turning 80 this year and the United States faces a deepening shortage of home care aides, driven by low wages, high turnover and demanding workloads.

But the machine helping the Marquis family — a robot piloted by a University of New Hampshire laboratory, with funding from the National Institute on Aging — offers a glimpse of the emerging possibilities.

“Stretch” aids dementia patient with range of tasks

The wheeled robot that some have likened to a coat rack was not what Brenda Marquis initially had in mind when she wrote an email to a robotics professor at nearby UNH asking for advice on robotic dogs.

Robbie, the couple’s name for a new robot model o cially called Stretch 4, spends much of the day at a charging station between the kitchen and bedroom. When it comes out, it does important work, like nudging Brian, who has dementia, to eat lunch or drink water.

Brenda Marquis, 59, said she and her husband have physical, cognitive and emotional disabilities that make life complex.

“We’ve been kind of trapped in a problem here in New Hampshire of being able to nd and recruit enough home care support,” Brenda Marquis said in an interview at the couple’s Durham, New Hampshire apartment, where she scoots around in a motorized wheelchair while taking care of her husband. “That was when I started looking into robotics and trying to gure out what to do.” At the other end of Brenda’s

email was Momotaz Begum, a UNH computer science professor who has spent years experimenting with “socially assistive” robots that can aid people with Alzheimer’s or other forms of dementia. Her robotics lab is full of experimental robots, including the four-legged variety.

Begum said the lab asked focus groups of older adults at memory care units what kind of robot they would like as a home companion. Many preferred pet-like robot designs.

“The common feedback that we got about Stretch was, ‘OK, this one looks like a coat hanger,’” she said. “But what we learned over time is that the look doesn’t matter.”

Several makers designing robots for elder companionship

Apart from robotic vacuum cleaners, the closest thing many older adults have to caregiving robots is a speaker powered by an arti cial intelligence voice assistant like Alexa. Some robot makers have expanded that concept into swiveling tabletop machines like ElliQ, designed for elder companionship.

But those aren’t mobile or functional enough for Begum, who said she is “trying to reduce that caregiver burden. And the caregiver actually does way more than social companionship.”

Humanoids, meanwhile, are still far from being useful in most homes and pose physical danger to people with limited mobility if the robot trips and falls.

The founders of Hello Robot, maker of the Stretch robots, said its simplicity is the point.

“Our robot’s very practical, pragmatic. I think it communicates that,” said CEO Aaron Edsinger, a former director of

robotics at Google. “If you show up looking like a humanoid, that expectation’s going to be set so high, it’s going to be very hard to do.”

The typical version of the Stretch 4 includes a telescoping gripper that can retrieve a water bottle and hold it out for a person to drink through a straw. Show it a prescription bottle and it can help read the ne print. The robot pulls together information from its cameras and onboard sensors, together with other sensors installed in a home, to gure out its location and who is in the room.

Manufactured at Hello Robot’s headquarters in Martinez, California, and sold for nearly $30,000, the new model that launched in May is far from being as ubiquitous as a Roomba or an AI-powered speaker. But for its target clientele, it can be a lifeline.

Robbie’s programmed care protocol for Brian is posted on the couple’s wall, and it includes exercise instructions, meal and medicine reminders, evening routine reminders and quick washup prompts that are only triggered after Brian enters the bathroom.

“I was never into technology,” Brian Marquis said. “Then I realized I can’t remember to wash my face and my armpits. So it just really kind of set me free almost.”

Brenda Marquis said it also freed her from hours of daily work and helped her reduce expenses. Fearful of leaving her husband at home too long, she was ordering groceries on Instacart. Now she can leave him with Robbie and go get groceries herself.

“I can go ahead and go to that mahjong game or whatever. Robbie’s gonna take care of him,” she said.

“Greg did that faster than I could have done it, smoother than I could have done it, and I never talked to the CEO. He has launched.”

Warren Bu ett, Berkshire Hathaway chairman

Berkshire agreed to pay Taylor Morrison investors $72.50 per share in the all-cash deal. That represents a 24% premium over the company’s previous closing price of $58.50.

than I could have done it, and I never talked to the CEO. He has launched,” Bu ett told CNBC. Abel has led acquisitions before while leading Berkshire’s massive utility division, but obviously Bu ett would have signed o on those. Now Abel is making the decisions with advice from Bu ett and the rest of the board.

“I think investors will cheer Greg’s foray into M&A as CEO. The purchase price seems rich given the current interest rate/ macro environment,” Seifert said.

Shares of the Scottsdale, Arizona-based homebuilder jumped up near that purchase price on Monday while Berkshire’s shares slipped 1%.

But Raymond James analyst Buck Horne said in a research note that it’s possible Berkshire could face some competition from private equity rms or other potential buyers who might be willing to pay more for Taylor Morrison before its shareholders can vote on whether to accept this o er.

“We would not be shocked if other players and/or private equity began to sharpen their pencils before the ink on this agreement is fully dry,” Horne said.

8 crested ibises released in Japanese town decades after extinction in Japan

Japan’s last native crested ibis died in 2003, but now the species is thriving again

By Mari Yamaguchi

The Associated Press

TOKYO — Eight crested ibises were released into the wild in a north-central Japanese town, decades after the birds went extinct in the country.

The endangered birds took o from each of their wooden cages at a ceremony Sunday in Hakui city in the Noto region, where they were last seen in the wild.

Residents cheered when the birds soared into the sky the moment Crown Prince Akishino, his wife Kiko and other o cials cut a ribbon around the cages.

The eight birds have been raised at a conservation center on Sado Island in the neighboring prefecture of Niigata following a successful captive-breeding program. Ten more birds are waiting to be released.

The white birds, called Toki in Japan, are native to East Asia and admired for their orange-pink hues under their wings and bright red marks around their eyes.

The birds went extinct on the Honshu main island in the 1970s, threatened by over-

KAZUSHI KURIHARA / KYODO NEWS VIA AP

A crested Ibis marked with painted wings ies as it was released.

hunting and environmental degradation. The last remaining Japanese native ibis died in 2003 on Sado Island. But the birds came back to life thanks to China’s support for breeding. In 1999, arti cial breeding by a pair donated from China successfully led to the rst Japanese crested ibis chick born in captivity, according to the Environment Ministry.

The breeding and conservation e orts have since helped the recovery of the birds’ population. In 2008, 10 of the birds raised at the Sado conservation center were released into the wild on the island, where their population has increased to around 500, the ministry says.

The release of the beloved birds on Sunday was also seen as a good omen for the Noto region, which is still recovering from the deadly 2024 earthquake.

CLASSIFIED ADS

REAL ESTATE

LEARN ABOUT LAND - Chatham Land Experts, www.learnaboutland.com - 919-3626999.

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FOR RENT

POWELL SPRINGS APTS. Evergreen Construction introduces its newest independent living community for adults 55 years or older, 1 and 2 bedroom applications now being accepted. O ce hours: Tuesday and Thursday, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Call 919533-6319 for more information, TDD #1800-735-2962, Equal housing opportunity, Handicapped accessible.

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ACCEPTING APPLICATIONS now for onebedroom apartments, adults 55 years or older. Water included, appliances furnished, on-site laundry, elevator, keyless entry. Section 8 accepted. No security deposit. Application fee $25 per adult. Call Braxton Manor, 919-663-1877. Handicap accessible. Equal Housing Opportunity. J14,tfnc

AUCTIONS

RICKY ELLINGTON AUCTIONEERSEquipment, business, liquidation, estates, land, houses, antiques, personal property, coins, furniture, consignments, bene ts, etc., NCAL #7706, 919-548-3684, 919-663-3556. Jy6,tfnc

SERVICES

RAINBOW WATER FILTERED VACUUMS, Alice Cox, Cox’s Distributing - Rainbow - Cell: 919548-4314, Sales, Services, Supplies. Serving public for 35 years. Rada Cutlery is also available. A26,tfnc

JUNK CARS PICKED UP Free of charge. Due to many months of low steel prices and unstable steel markets, we cannot pay for cars at this time. Cars, trucks, and machinery will be transported and environmentally correctly recycled at no charge. 919-5422803. A2,tfnc

LETT’S TREE SERVICE - tree removal, stump grinding, lot clearing. Visa & Master Card accepted. Timber. Free estimates. 919-2583594. N9,tfnc FOR SALE

BEAUTIFUL BABY BUNNIES FOR SALE –Crutch eld X-Rds., Siler City $20/piece – 984-265-0402 2tp

YARD SALE

MULTI-FAMILY YARD SALE – SAT., JUNE 6TH, 8AM – UNTIL 136 MELVIN CLARK RD., SILER CITY, NC 1tp

PORCH SALE – SAT., JUNE 6TH, 9AM – 1PM820 E. RALEIGH ST., SILER CITY VARIETY OF ITEMS 1tp

YARD SALE – SAT., JUNE 6TH, 9AM-12PM –1287 Hadley-Mill Rd., Pittsboro, NC Clothes, Housewares, etc. 1tp

PUBLIC HEARING NOTICE

A public hearing will be held by the Chatham County Board of Commissioners on Monday, June 15, 2026, beginning at 6:00 p.m. The public hearing will be held in the courtroom of the Historic Courthouse in Pittsboro, North Carolina at 9 Hillsboro Street, Pittsboro NC 27312.

Additional information is available at the Chatham County Planning Department o ce. Speakers are requested to sign up at the meeting prior to the hearing. You may also sign up on the county website prior to the meeting at www.chathamcountync.gov by selecting the heading County Government, then Commissioner Meetings, then Public Comment. The public hearing may be continued to another date at the discretion of the Board of Commissioners.

The purpose of the Public Hearing is to receive input, both written and oral, on the issues listed below.

Legislative Request:

1. A legislative rezoning public hearing requested on Parcel 10737, located at 4051 Silk Hope Gum Springs Rd., being approximately 20.736 acres, to rezone from R-1 Residential to Conditional District Regional Business (CD-RB) for grounds and facilities for outdoor sports or games (i.e. cricket elds), Hadley Township.

Testimony is required to be given under oath during the evidentiary hearing for the following item:

Quasi-Judicial Request:

1. A quasi-judicial public hearing requested by Lockley Holdings, LLC for a Special Use Permit for a contractor’s storage yard and staging area on parcel 9390, located at 1656 Campbell Road, Bear Creek, NC, being an area of 3.9 acres out of the 10.02acre tract.

Substantial changes may be made following the public hearing due to verbal or written comments received or based on the Board’s discussions.

Notice to people with special needs: If you have audio or visual impairment, unique accessibility requirements or need language assistance, please call the number listed below prior to the hearing and assistance may be provided.

If you have any questions or comments concerning these issues, please call the Chatham County Planning Department at 919-542-8204, or write to P.O. Box 54, Pittsboro N.C. 27312.

NOTICE OF TAX FORECLOSURE SALE

Under and by virtue of an order of the District Court of Chatham County, North Carolina, made and entered in the action entitled COUNTY OF CHATHAM vs. HUBERT MATTHEWS and spouse, if any, and all possible heirs and assignees of HUBERT MATTHEWS and spouse, if any, or any other person or entity claiming thereunder, DERRY MATTHEWS and spouse, if any, and all possible heirs and assignees of DERRY MATTHEWS and spouse, if any, or any other person or entity claiming thereunder, THOMAS MATTHEWS and spouse, if any, and all possible heirs and assignees of THOMAS MATTHEWS and spouse, if any, or any other person or entity claiming thereunder, WENDELL MATTHEWS A/K/A ANTHONY WENDELL MATTHEWS and spouse, if any, and all possible heirs and assignees of WENDELL MATTHEWS A/K/A ANTHONY WENDELL MATTHEWS and spouse, if any, or any other person or entity claiming thereunder, FRANCES MCCORMICK and spouse, if any, and all possible heirs and assignees of FRANCES MCCORMICK and spouse, if any, or any other person or entity claiming thereunder, RAY MATTHEWS and spouse, if any, and all possible heirs and assignees of RAY MATTHEWS and spouse, if any, or any other person or entity claiming thereunder, FRANK MATTHEWS and spouse, if any, and all possible heirs and assignees of FRANK MATTHEWS and spouse, if any, or any other person or entity claiming thereunder, FREDERICK H. MATTHEWS and spouse, if any, and all possible heirs and assignees of FREDERICK H. MATTHEWS and spouse, if any, or any other person or entity claiming thereunder, DORA LEE MATTHEWS and spouse, if any, and all possible heirs and assignees of DORA LEE MATTHEWS and spouse, if any, or any other person or entity claiming thereunder, THE HEIRS, ASSIGNS AND DEVISEES OF WILLIAM MATTHEWS, JR. and spouse, if any, which may include MICHAEL R. MATTHEWS and spouse, if any, KAREN S. MATTHEWS and spouse, if any, THE HEIRS, ASSIGNS AND DEVISEES OF LORI MATTHEWS and spouse, if any, and THE HEIRS, ASSIGNS AND DEVISEES OF MICHELLE MATTHEWS and spouse, if any, which may include PATRICE L. MATTHEWS and spouse, if any, or any other person or entity claiming thereunder, THE HEIRS, ASSIGNS AND DEVISEES OF JAMES E. MATTHEWS and spouse, if any, which may include MILDRED M. MATTHEWS and spouse, if any, THE HEIRS, ASSIGNS AND DEVISEES OF PAMELA COLE A/K/A PAMELA MATTHEWS and spouse, if any, which may include FREEMAN O. COLE, JR. and spouse, if any, LELAH B. BAKER and spouse, if any, DAPHNE S. BAKER A/K/A DAPHNE BIAGAS and spouse, if any, BRADLEY W. BAKER and spouse, if any, LAURA DENISE MATTHEWS A/K/A LAURA MARSH and spouse, if any, THERL R. MATTHEWS A/K/A THURL R. MATTHEWS and spouse, if any, JAMIE D. MATTHEWS and spouse, if any, JERROLD L. MATTHEWS A/K/A GERROLD L. MATTHEWS and spouse, if any, JONATHAN E. MATTHEWS and spouse, if any, THE HEIRS, ASSIGNS AND DEVISEES OF DONALD MATTHEWS and spouse, if any, which may include DONNA P. MATTHEWS and spouse, if any, THE HEIRS, ASSIGNS AND DEVISEES OF KEVIN TERRELL MATTHEWS A/K/A TERRELL MATTHEWS and spouse, if any, and THE HEIRS, ASSIGNS AND DEVISEES OF EARL B. MATTHEWS and spouse, if any, or any other person or entity claiming thereunder, et al, 19CVD000838-180, the undersigned Commissioner will on the 17th day of June, 2026, o er for sale and sell for cash, to the last and highest bidder at public auction at the courthouse door in Chatham County, North Carolina, Pittsboro, North Carolina at 12:00 o’clock, noon, the following described real property, lying and being in Gulf Township, State and County aforesaid, and more particularly described as follows: All of that certain tract or parcel of land lying and being in Gulf Township, Chatham County, North Carolina, and more described as follows: Being Lot No. 5 of the plat and survey entitled Horton Park as surveyed by R.H. Hancock, Surveyor, on August 26, 1959, and recorded in Chatham County Registry, Plat Book 6, Page 48. and being a portion of the lands heretofore conveyed by Burton C. Jessup and wife, to H.L. Oldham and wife. Subject to restrictive covenants and easements of record. Parcel Identi cation Number: 0010107

The undersigned Commissioner makes no warranties in connection with this property and speci cally disclaims any warranties as to title and habitability. This property is being sold as is, without opinion as to title or any other matter.

This sale will be made subject to all outstanding city and county taxes and all local improvement assessments against the above described property not included in the judgment in the above-entitled cause. A cash deposit of 20 percent of the successful bid will be required. In addition, the successful bidder will be required, at the time the Deed is recorded to pay for recording fees and revenue stamps assessed by the Chatham County Register of Deeds.

This sale is subject to upset bid as set forth in N.C.G.S. Section 1-339.25.

This the 27th day of May, 2026. Mark D. Bardill/Mark B. Bardill, Commissioner P.O. Box 25 Trenton, NC 28585

Publication dates: June 4, 2026 June 11, 2026

PUBLIC HEARING NOTICE

TOWN OF PITTSBORO, NC

On Monday, June 8, 2026 at 6:00 pm, the Pittsboro Board of Commissioners will hold a legislative public hearing for the following requests at the Chatham County Agriculture & Conference Center at 1192 Hwy 64 Business West:

The Town of Pittsboro’s Development Fee Ordinance for FY 2026-2027 has been submitted to the Board of Commissioners, and a copy is available for public inspection in the o ce of the Town Clerk, Town of Pittsboro Town Hall, 287 East Street, Suite 221, Pittsboro, NC.

A legislative public hearing on a voluntary, contiguous annexation petition (A-2026-01/PB-26-150) from Highcroft Investors, LLC, and Chatham Park Investors, LLC. The applicant is requesting to annex 95.795 acres south of Highway 64 Business and east of Chatham Park Way (PID 7310 partial, 70324, 7311 partial, and 75046 partial).

The hearing will be held in person. The public can also watch the hearing live on the Town’s YouTube channel at https://www.youtube.com/@townofpittsboronc/ streams. Members of the public must attend in person if they wish to speak at the hearing. Contact the Town Clerk, Carrie Bailey, by 4 pm on June 8, 2026 with written comments or to sign up to speak at the hearing. You can contact Carrie Bailey at cbailey@pittsboronc.gov, (919) 542-4621 ext. 1104, or PO Box 759, Pittsboro, NC 27312.

PUBLIC NOTICE

The Towers, LLC is proposing to build a 299-foot SelfSupport Telecommunications Tower. Anticipated lighting application is medium intensity dual red/ white strobes. The site location is 371 Silk Hope Liberty Road, Siler City, Chatham County, North Carolina 27344 (35° 46’ 50.48” North, 79° 22’ 29.95” West). The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Antenna Structure Registration (ASR, Form 854) ling number is A1382731. ENVIRONMENTAL EFFECTS – Interested persons may review the application (www.fcc.gov/asr/ applications) by entering the ling number. Environmental concerns may be raised by ling a Request for Environmental Review (www.fcc.gov/ asr/environmentalrequest) within 30 days and online lings are strongly encouraged. You may le on paper if a request to waive the electronic ling requirement is included. The mailing address to le a paper copy is: FCC Requests for Environmental Review, Attn: Ramon Williams, 45 L Street NE, Washington, DC 20554. You may also email, fax, or mail a paper copy to the contact information provided in the application. HISTORIC PROPERTIES EFFECTS Public comments regarding potential e ects on historic properties may be submitted within 30 days from the date of this publication to: Terracon, 2105 Newpoint Place, Suite 600, Lawrenceville, GA 30043; 770-623-0755; atlantapublicnotice@terracon.com.

NOTICE TO CREDITORS

The undersigned, having quali ed as Executor of the Estate of Thomas Earle Tillman, 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 19th of August, 2026, or this notice will be pleaded in bar of their recovery. All persons indebted to the estate will please make immediate payment.

This May 21, 2026. Gillian Tillman, Executor Estate of Thomas Earle Tillman

NOTICE TO CREDITORS

The undersigned, having quali ed as Administrator of the Estate of MARGERY KEASLER, 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 4th day of September, 2026, or this notice will be pleaded in bar of their recovery. All persons indebted to the estate will please make immediate payment.

This 4th day of June, 2026. COLIN DEKEERSGIETER, ADMINISTRATOR ESTATE OF MARGERY KEASLER

NOTICE

ALL PERSONS, rms and corporations holding claims against Charles Albert Lewis, Jr., deceased, of Chatham County, NC are noti ed to exhibit same to the undersigned on or before September 7, 2026, or this notice will be pleaded in bar of recovery. Debtors of the decedent are asked to make immediate payment. This June 4th, 2026. Mark O. Costley, Exec., c/o Clarity Legal Group, PO Box 2207, Chapel Hill, NC 27515.

NOTICE

NORTH CAROLINA

CHATHAM COUNTY

NOTICE TO CREDITORS

The undersigned, having quali ed on the 30th day of April, 2026, as Executor of the Estate of James E. Merkel, deceased, of Chatham County, North Carolina, does hereby notify all persons, rms and corporations having claims against said Estate to exhibit them to the undersigned on or before the 21st day of August, 2026, or this Notice will be pleaded in bar of their recovery. All persons indebted to said Estate, please make immediate payment to the undersigned.

This 21st day of May, 2026. Hugh T. Merkel, Executor of the Estate of James E. Merkel c/o Gwendolyn C. Brooks Kennon Craver, PLLC 4011 University Drive, Suite 300 Durham, North Carolina 27707

THE CHATHAM NEWS: 5/21/2026, 5/28/2026, 6/4/206, and 6/11/2026

NOTICE

CHATHAM COUNTY PUBLIC HEARING NOTICE

The Chatham County Board of Commissioners will conduct a public hearing in accordance with NCGS 158-7.1 on Monday, June 15th, 2026 at 6:00 p.m. in the Historic Courthouse, located at 9 Hillsboro Street, Pittsboro, NC to consider a request for an economic development incentive grant. The anticipated new capital investment for Mosaic Hospitality LLC is $14 million. The Chatham County Board of Commissioners believes that this project will stimulate the local economy and will provide local economic bene ts for the residents of Chatham County through an increase in sales tax revenues and the increased purchases of local goods and services. The public is invited to attend the hearing to express their viewpoints. Persons having questions may contact County Clerk Jenifer Johnson at 919-5428200, jenifer.johnson@chathamcountync.gov Those wishing to speak may sign up on the county website or submit written comments to the Town Clerk Jenifer Johnson at PO Box 1809, Pittsboro, NC 27312 or jenifer.johnson@chathamcountync.gov.

Notice to creditors

NORTH CAROLINA

CHATHAM COUNTY

26E000103-180

Having quali ed as Administrator of the Estate of Mark Beals, deceased, late of Chatham County, North Carolina, this is to notify all persons, rms, and corporations having claims against the Estate of said deceased to present them to the undersigned at the following address on or before August 28, 2026 or this Notice will be pleaded in bar of their recovery. All persons indebted to said Estate will please make immediate payment. This the 18th day of May, 2026.

Ashley Hensley, Administrator Estate of Mark Beals 1761 North Main Street Goldston NC 27252

NOTICE TO CREDITORS STATE OF NORTH CAROLINA CHATHAM COUNTY IN THE GENERAL COURT OF JUSTICE SUPERIOR COURT DIVISION CASE NO 26E000235-180

Having quali ed as Administrator of the Estate of Juan Carlos Gonzalez, late of Chatham County, North Carolina, this is to notify all persons, rms and corporations having claims against the Estate of said Juan Carlos Gonzalez, to present them to the undersigned on or before the 12th day of August, 2026 (this date being 3 months from the rst publication date of this notice) or same will be pleaded in bar of their recovery. All persons indebted to said Estate please make immediate payment. This the 14th day of May, 2026.

Susana Gonzalez Administrator of the Estate of Juan Carlos Gonzalez 2865 1st Street Vero Beach, FL 32968

Attorney’s Address: Stephanie M. LeBlanc, Esq. LeBlanc Law Firm, PLLC 1 Page Avenue, Suite 229 - Grove Arcade Asheville, NC 28801

Publication Dates: May 14, May 21, May 28, June 04, 2026.

NOTICE

NOTICE TO CREDITORS AND DEBTORS OF CARL EUGENE RENZ

TAKE NOTICE: All persons, rms, and corporations having claims against Carl Eugene Renz, deceased, are noti ed to exhibit them to Nancy Jane Donahue, Administrator of the Estate, at the following address: c/o Harvell and Collins, P. A., 1107 Bridges Street, Morehead City, North Carolina 28557 on or before August 28, 2026, or be forever barred from their recovery. Debtors of decedent are asked to make immediate payment to the above-named Administrator. Cecil S. Harvell Harvell and Collins, P.A. Attorney for the Estate of Carl Eugene Renz, Deceased 1107 Bridges Street Morehead City, North Carolina 28557

Publish: Thursday, May 28, 2026; Thursday, June 4, 2026; Thursday, June 11, 2026; and Thursday, June 18, 2026.

NOTICE

NORTH CAROLINA NOTICE TO CREDITORS

CHATHAM COUNTY

HAVING QUALIFIED as Executor of the Estate of Clyde William Jones of Chatham County, North Carolina, this is to notify all persons, rms and corporations having claims against the estate of said deceased to present them to the undersigned on or before the 2nd day of September, 2026, or this notice will be pleaded in bar of their recovery. This the 26th day of May, 2026. Robert Earl Jones, Executor Of the Estate of Clyde William Jones 3183 White Oak Way Staley, North Carolina 27355 MOODY, WILLIAMS, ATWATER & LEE ATTORNEYS AT LAW BOX 629 SILER CITY, NORTH CAROLINA 27344 (919) 663-2850 4tp

NOTICE

Chatham County, North Carolina

NOTICE TO CREDITORS

ESTATE OF PAUL LESLIE SANDERS FILE NO. 26E000278-180

The undersigned, Regina Leigh McCoy, having quali ed as Executor of the Estate of Paul Leslie Sanders, deceased, of Chatham County, North Carolina, does hereby notify all persons, rms, and corporations having claims against said estate to exhibit them to the undersigned at 42 Carson Ct, Pittsboro, NC 27312 on or before the 21st day of August 2026, or this notice will be pleaded in bar of their recovery. All persons indebted to said estate will please make immediate payment. This the 21st day of May 2026. Chatham News & Record May 21, 28, June 4, 11, 2026

NOTICE TO CREDITORS:

Chatham County, North Carolina RE: THE ESTATE OF KENNETH CARO– 26E000190180 Having quali ed as Executor of the Estate of KENNETH CARO, deceased, Chatham County, North Carolina, the undersigned does hereby notify all persons, rms, and corporations having claims against the estate of said deceased to exhibit them to the undersigned on or before the 19th of, August, 2026, or this notice will be pleaded in bar of their recovery. This the 15th day of May, 2026. Nicholas Young, Executor DSR Legal, PLLC PO Box 51596 Durham, NC 27717 5/21, 5/28, 6/4, 6/11, 2026

NOTICE TO CREDITORS

NORTH CAROLINA CHATHAM COUNTY

FILE#26E000194-180 The undersigned SUSAN GILLIAM RAAF, having quali ed on the 8TH Day of APRIL 2026 as EXECUTOR of the Estate of PHILLIP LESLIE GILLIAM, 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 21ST Day OF AUGUST 2026, or this Notice will be pleaded in bar of their recovery. All persons indebted to said Estate will please make immediate payment to the undersigned. This, the 21ST DAY OF MAY 2026. SUSAN GILLIAM RAAF, EXECUTOR 912 FITTS STREET SANFORD, NC 27330 Run dates: M21,28,J4,11p

NOTICE TO CREDITORS

NORTH CAROLINA CHATHAM COUNTY

FILE#26E000275-180 The undersigned, SUSAN E. WELSH-ARDOIN, having quali ed on the 19TH Day of MAY 2026 as EXECUTOR of the Estate of JAMES ROTH CONRAD, 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 28TH Day OF AUGUST 2026, or this Notice will be pleaded in bar of their recovery. All persons indebted to said Estate will please make immediate payment to the undersigned. This, the 28TH DAY OF MAY 2026. SUSAN E. WELSH-ARDOIN, EXECUTOR 5901 WHATSIT LANE RALEIGH, NC 27603 Run dates: M28,J4,11,25p

NOTICE TO CREDITORS

NORTH CAROLINA CHATHAM COUNTY

FILE#26E000292-180 The undersigned, ROBERT DOWLING, having quali ed on the 28TH Day of MAY 2026 as EXECUTOR of the Estate of EILEEN DOWLING, 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 4TH 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 4TH DAY OF JUNE 2026. ROBERT DOWLING, EXECUTOR 1536 PATHWAY DRIVE CARRBORO, NC 27510 Run dates: J4,11,25,Jy2p

NOTICE TO CREDITORS

NORTH CAROLINA CHATHAM COUNTY

FILE#26E000038-180 The undersigned SHARON GUARIGLIA, having quali ed on the 6TH Day of MAY 2026 as ADMINISTRATOR of the Estate of DUNCAN CRUICKSHANK, 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 14TH Day OF AUGUST 2026, or this Notice will be pleaded in bar of their recovery. All persons indebted to said Estate will please make immediate payment to the undersigned. This, the 14TH DAY OF MAY 2026. SHARON GUARIGLIA, ADMINISTRATOR 665 REBECCA LANE SILER CITY, NC 27344 Run dates: M14,21,28,J4p

Notice to Creditors

Estate of Barbara J. Swartz ALL PERSONS, rms and corporations having claims against Barbara J Swartz, deceased, of Chatham County, N.C., are noti ed to exhibit the same to the undersigned on or before 9/4/2026, or this notice will be pleaded in bar of recovery. Debtors of the decedent are asked to make immediate payment. This the 4th day of June, 2026. Arthur H Swartz, Executor 2819 Ferdinand Ct. Fernandina Beach, FL 32034 c/o Hopler, Wilms & Hanna, PLLC 2314 S. Miami Blvd. Suite 151 Durham, NC 27703 6/4,11,18,25, 2026

NOTICE TO CREDITORS

NORTH CAROLINA CHATHAM COUNTY

FILE#26E000236-180 The undersigned LATOYA D. FOX, having quali ed on the 22ND Day of APRIL 2026 as ADMINISTRATOR of the Estate of JUNE TAYLOR ISAAC FOX, deceased, of Chatham County, North Carolina, does hereby notify all persons, rms and corporations having claims against said Estate to exhibit them on or before the 4TH 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 4TH DAY OF JUNE 2026.

LATOYA D. FOX, ADMINISTRATOR 97 RILEY LANE SILER CITY, NC 27344 Run dates: J4,11,18,J25

Treasured memories, people encountered on epic trips abroad

Walt Disney had it right

By Erika Ho man For Chatham News & Record

IT’S FUNNY how memory works. Sometimes what you plan to remember isn’t what you do remember.

I once read a novel about Korea during the Japanese occupation, and there’s a line that stuck with me, something to the e ect that without coincidence there is no story. I nd that true when I travel. I recall the observation, but I’m no longer sure of the title of the book. “Pachinko”? Maybe.

Recently, we traveled to the south of France with a group, mostly from Siler City, on a tour arranged by NC Travel in Siler City. I had not been to Provence for decades. (I won’t say how many. I spent a fall semester abroad in Aix-en-Provence during college.)

Some sights I saw this time were new to me. Some words I learned I’d never heard before. Some French dishes I had never tasted before.

Yet what I remember most from this trip di ers from the brochure descriptions of the excursions we took or the notes I scribbled in a tiny composition book while jostling around on a bus. Because of my illegible penmanship, I’m not sure whether some words I jotted down are French or American.

Of course, I remember certain words: Charolais, torchon, Hotel Dieu, bocage, quenelles, coussins, Barthelasse and Scotch broom.

These are terms and expressions I penned while riding through Provence, where the lavender elds had not yet bloomed. As best I can discern, Charolais refers to the white cattle our guide informed us produce some of the nest beef. A torchon is a dish towel, a prac-

tical souvenir because it’s light in your luggage, which is meticulously weighed at the French airport.

Quenelles are a specialty of Lyon. This ancient city, founded by those ubiquitous Romans, is known as the gastronomic capital of France. I ordered these pu y creations with pike. Maybe crushed pike bones were inside the dough? I saw no recognizable sh. I found the dumplings awful and inedible.

The bowls of soupe à l’oignon and boeuf bourguignon I enjoyed in Paris were far superior to the meals I consumed in Lyon.

“Coussins” is the name of Lyon’s specialty turquoise candy.

Truthfully, I prefer Valrhona chocolates.

A Hotel Dieu is a hospital for the poor. We toured a couple of them, dating from centuries ago, where nuns served as nurses. Barthelasse is an island near Avignon, home to views of the Popes’ Palace and the famous partially ruined bridge celebrated in the children’s song “Sur le Pont d’Avi-

gnon.” A bocage is a type of hedgerow marking property boundaries while helping retain moisture in agricultural elds. Scotch broom is a yellow owering plant growing near Gordes whose stalks were once used to make brooms.

In Lyon, we visited Les Halles, the marketplace where famed chef Paul Bocuse got his start and learned from the renowned female cooks who served French nobility. Our guide shared interesting facts, including that the word “charcuterie” comes from chair cuit, meaning “cooked esh.”

He also explained how the French eat o al and tripe and even consume rosette, which is

Summer

Happens

made from a portion of an animal’s intestine. That bothered me about as much as when he said the French eat donkey. Before I rattle on about the many noteworthy French attractions we toured — material for future columns, perhaps — I’ll circle back to my theory about what you remember after a trip ends.

We ew from RDU to Paris on Air France. My husband sat by the window. I was wedged into the middle seat. A tall man in a ball cap occupied the aisle seat. He and I shared the armrest.

I felt sorry for him because of his long legs. Despite my short stature, I felt cramped. The situation became even less comfortable when the passenger in front of me reclined her seat. The person in front of my seatmate reclined fully for nearly the entire ight.

When I got up to use the lavatory, he kindly stepped into the aisle to let me pass. I lingered near the back of the plane to stretch my legs before returning. When I came back, he was still standing patiently in the aisle waiting for me.

After squeezing back into my seat, I asked whether Paris was his nal destination.

No. He was headed to Cairo for a wedding.

Was he Egyptian?

Yes.

I told him our son-in-law is Egyptian and named Mohamed. His name was Mohamed, too. I asked where he lived.

“Oh, a small place — Bear Creek,” he said.

“I know it well. We used to live in Siler City,” I replied. He then looked at my husband and said he recognized him from years ago at Chatham Medical Center. He had been a patient of Dr. Zeringue.

Later, while telling the story to friends on the trip, Margaret of NC Travel said she had recently been talking with a young woman at a local bank who mentioned her father was traveling to Cairo for a wedding.

It turned out she was Mohamed’s daughter. It’s a small world after all.

on the Green

Easy summer evenings, Saturday treats and weekends spent outdoors – summer at NoVi is all about gathering together. Join us on the NoVi Green for a season of casual community events in Chatham Park. Everyone is welcome!

JUNE

The NoVi Flow

1st & 3rd Saturdays (6/6 & 6/20) I 10:15AM Games on the Green 2nd Thursdays (6/11) I 4PM – 8PM

JULY

Food Truck Friday

1st & 3rd Fridays (7/3 & 7/17) I 5PM – 8PM Saturday Scoops Saturdays I 1PM – 3PM

AUGUST

Barre3 on The Green 8/1 & 8/22 I 8:30AM – 9:30AM

Food Truck Friday 1st & 3rd Fridays (8/7 & 8/21) I 5PM – 8PM

*Events are weather dependent. Check our social channels for updates.

NoVi Vibes & Bites 6/18 I 5:30PM – 7:30PM

Games on the Green 2nd Thursdays (7/9) I 4PM - 8PM

Barre3 on The Green 7/25 I 8:30AM – 9:30AM

Saturday Scoops Saturdays I 1PM – 3PM

Games on the Green 2nd Thursdays (8/13) I 4PM - 8PM

CHATHAM SPORTS

Woods Charter breaks through for rst girls’ soccer title

The Wolves defeated Summit Charter 3-0

By Asheebo Rojas Chatham News & Record

DURHAM — Woods Char -

ter’s girls’ soccer team did many end-of-season “ rsts” at thenal buzzer of the NCHSAA 1A state championship in Durham County Memorial Stadium on May 27. For the rst time, the Wolves threw their hands in the air. Their on- eld players and reserves ran toward each other

for an embrace. Coach Graeme Stewart jumped up and down in the team huddle.

And before leaving the eld, they held a trophy that read “State Champion.”

Woods Charter, making its fourth state championship appearance, defeated Summit Charter 3-0 to claim the school’s rst team title.

“It’s surreal,” Stewart said.

“I’m just so happy for the kids.” Said Stewart, “I’m just so excited that the kids get that moment, and it’s something that nobody can ever take away from them.”

Junior mid elder and captain Lucy Poitras, the championship game MVP, notched a hat trick in seven shots ( ve on goal). She scored her rst goal on a free kick after a handball from over 20 yards out with 11 minutes left in the rst half. Her second score, another long shot from left of the net, put the Wolves up 2-0 three minutes into the second half. With 15 minutes left to play, junior Annabel Unah assisted Poitras on her nal score of the afternoon.

“We actually went in, kind of beforehand, just being aware of that gap between their mid-

Seaforth baseball nishes as Class 5A runner-up

The Hawks fell 2-0 in the championship series against North Lincoln

By Asheebo Rojas Chatham News & Record

BURLINGTON — A historic ight for Seaforth’s baseball team fell just short of its desired peak last week. The Hawks, making their rst state championship appearance their ve-year existence, nished as the NCHSAA 5A runners-up after

“It came together at the right time.” Spenser Messmore

a 2-0 series defeat to defending champions North Lincoln at Burlington Athletic Park. In both games, Seaforth’s bats struggled to land hits and connect with pitches thrown by North Lincoln sophomores Bryson Schmidt and Parker Williams.

eld and defense,” Poitras said.

“Which is what we’ve seen a few times, which we love to see because that just allows me and (Leah Marshall) to rip it from above their back line. It’s hard to take a back line on 1v1, but if our forwards are able to do that, then they leave that gap beneath their mid eld. Then after our forwards take them on, they can pop it back out to us where our attacking mids can shoot it.” Poitras was dealing with a right hamstring injury during the playo s and in the championship game. She had her in-

“It’s something that nobody can ever take away from them.”

Graeme Stewart

jured leg wrapped in gauze and exited the game with nine and a half minutes remaining due to a cramp.

Senior Wesley Oliver, the Wolves’ other captain and defensive leader, also dealt with a back injury, and Marshall was also banged up.

“I think just kind of staying con dent through injury and through that pressure was the hardest piece for me,” Poitras said. Said Stewart, “They just wanted to compete, and they wanted to get over the line.”

The Hawks mustered four hits in each contest. In an 11-1 Game 1 loss on May 27, which ended after six innings, Seaforth repeatedly put the ball in play, but the Knights’ defense was consistently in position to make an out. The Hawks went without a run until the top of the sixth inning. North Lincoln, meanwhile, ripped o 16 hits, including seven doubles, and ve runs in each of the fourth and fth innings. Going into a do-or-die See TITLE, page B4 See YARDBIRDS, page B4

Yardbirds play rst game, host kids’ night at Braxton Field

Chatham County fell to Sanford in its home opener

By Asheebo Rojas Chatham News & Record

SILER CITY — The Chatham County Yardbirds, a new Old North State League team based in Siler City, nally broke in their new home at Braxton Field.

Chatham County played its rst-ever home game Sunday, falling to the Sanford Spinners 16-6. The Spinners smashed four home runs, including two in the top of the sixth inning when they scored ve runs to take a 10-5 lead.

“It feels great to see the eld being used in a good way.”

Sam Glover

or to the Yardbirds’ arrival, the eld was most recently used as a space for soccer and football practices.

“I’m loving it,” Siler City resident Sam Glover, 47, said. “It’s a positive move for the town, and for the eld itself. I played over here whenever I was probably 15, 16 years old. So it feels great to see the eld being used in a good way.”

See SEAFORTH, page B4

Chatham County had a rough night at the plate, mustering ve hits compared to Sanford’s 17. Two of those hits were homers by Gabriel Ferrell and Nick Papciak. The Yardbirds, who picked up their rst win Saturday over the Danville Dairy Daddies 15-7, fell to 1-4 with the loss. More than 100 fans lled in the seating behind home plate and along the foul line fence. The game marked the return of baseball to the historic site where American Legion, youth baseball leagues and other sports once called home. Pri-

The eld is oriented differently than its past version though. Unlike the previous baseball eld where home plate was near the corner of Chestnut Street and South Third Avenue, the current home plate sits closer to the Boys & Girls Clubs of Central Carolina. That makes for a shorter left eld and more opportunities for home runs.

“From the pitcher’s perspective, unique is the way to put it,” Chatham County pitcher Anthony Lopossay, a Chatham Central alum, said. “One little y out, and your heart drops to the oor.”

Lucy Poitras

Woods Charter, girls’ soccer

Woods Charter junior Lucy Poitras earns athlete of the week honors for the week of May 25.

Poitras notched a hat trick in the Wolves’ 3-0 win over Summit Charter in the NCHSAA 1A girls’ soccer state championship. She earned the game’s MVP honors as her e orts helped the Wolves win their rst girls’ soccer state title and the rst team title in school history.

For the majority of the season, Poitras dealt with a hamstring injury. She battled through the pain through the playo s, playing with her leg wrapped. Poitras ended the 2026 season as the Wolves’ scoring leader (42 goals).

The Chargers are sending boys’ and girls’ players to the next level

By Asheebo Rojas Chatham News & Record College commitments

A few Northwood basketball players made their college decisions nal during a signing day ceremony held at the school last week.

Twins Shaylah and Mikaylah Glover will continue to share the court together at Guilford College next winter. This past season, the sister forwards led the Chargers in eld goal percentage (both shot at a 41% clip). Shaylah averaged 10.1 points and a team-best 7.3 rebounds, while Mikaylah averaged 8.1 points, 6.6 rebounds and logged a teamhigh 25 blocks. Both earned multiple all-conference honors.

On the boys’ team, forward Bakari Watkins solidi ed his intent to play at Averett, an NCAA Division III program in Danville, Virginia. Watkins was the Chargers’ second-leading scorer (12 points per game) while leading the team in eld goal percentage (61%), rebounds (seven) and assists (2.8) as a senior. He earned all-conference honors this winter.

Before his lone season at

Playo appearances for Northwood’s boys’ lacrosse program under Randy Cox

Northwood, Watkins played at Carrboro for three years. As a junior, he averaged career-highs of 17.8 points, 7.7 rebounds and 1.4 steals.

Alyia Roberts and Cam Fowler, who had previously announced their commitments, were also celebrated.

Roberts will also head to Averett to join its women’s basketball team. The guard led Northwood in scoring (10.5 points per game) and 3-point percentage (31%) while also logging three rebounds and 2.5 steals per game. She earned all-conference honors for her senior campaign and, alongside the Glover twins, helped the Chargers reach the regional nal for the rst time since 2022.

Fowler, the 2025-26 Four Rivers 3A/4A Conference Boys’ Player of the Year, will continue his career at Davidson-Davie CC. This winter, the guard took a step up from his stellar junior season, averaging a career-high 22.3 points per game. He also recorded 6.8 rebounds, 2.7 assists and 2.1 steals. Against

North Moore on Feb. 6, Fowler set a school scoring record of 51 points while knocking down a school record 11 3s.

Northwood athletes make college decisions, Cox steps down 8

Forward Chad Graves committed to Flight 22 Prep Academy after averaging 9.5 points, 6.8 rebounds and 1.4 blocks per game as a senior. Flight 22, a post-grad program led by coach and founder Nathan Faulk, is based in Wilmington.

Cox steps down

Northwood boys’ lacrosse coach Randy Cox is stepping down from his position with the team. The school announced Cox will remain with the program but will be taking a “lesser role.” He’ll also help with the team’s transition to a new head coach. Cox coached the Chargers for nine seasons (including the shortened 2020 season). Under his leadership, Northwood made eight playo appearances, including a state runner-up nish in 2023.

In his younger days, Cox played lacrosse at UNC from 1981-84, helping the Tar Heels win two national titles in 1981 and 1982. He was a defender on the 1986 Team USA squad that won the International Lacrosse Federation Championship (now known as the World Lacrosse Championship) over host country Canada.

Spring sports all-conference lists

Garrison Clark, Finn Sullivan and others earned pitcher of the year honors

By Asheebo Rojas Chatham News & Record

CENTRAL TAR HEEL 1A

Baseball

Garrison Clark (Pitcher of the Year, Chatham Charter); Ryder Murphy (Chatham Charter); Westin Phillips (Chatham Charter); Brandon Rives (Chatham Charter); Tyner Williams (Chatham Charter); Jace Young (Chatham Charter); Jax Young (Chatham Charter)

Softball

Kynzie Jordan (Chatham Charter); Allie McLeod (Chatham Charter); Makenly Stanley (Chatham Charter)

Girls’ soccer

Graeme Stewart (Coach of the Year, Woods Charter); Lucy Poitras (O ensive Player of the Year, Woods Charter); Wesley Oliver (Defensive Player of the Year); Eve Terrell (Woods Charter); Leah Marshall (Woods Charter); Avery Wesololoski (Woods Charter); Annabel Unah (Woods Charter); Lorelei Cherry (Woods Charter, honorable mention); Jody Shreef (Chatham Charter); Emily Scheidt (Chatham Charter)

Boys’ tennis

Thomas Bjork (Chatham Charter); Miguel Kirkman (Chatham Charter)

Boys’ golf

Channing Jordan (Chatham Charter); Finnley Smith (Chatham Charter)

GREATER TRIAD 1A/2A

Baseball

Brett Phillips (Chatham Central); Westley Brower (Chatham Central); Reid Caviness (Chatham Central); Wyatt Clewis (Chatham Central); Blake Ritter (Chatham Central)

Softball

John Warf (Coach of the Year, Chatham Central); Maddie Kaczmarczyk (Chatham Central); Maeson Smith (Chatham Central); Sallie Oldham (Chatham Central); Chloe Brewer (Chatham Central); Ansley Preslar (Chatham Central); Lillie Poe (Chatham Central); Addison Goldston (Chatham Central)

Track and eld

Boys: Tyler Congrove (Male

Sprinter of the Year, Chatham Central); Quamae’ Brower (Chatham Central)

Boys’ golf

Tyler Measamer (Chatham Central); Gavin Vanderford (Chatham Central); Jesse Eskelund (Chatham Central)

FOUR RIVERS 3A/4A

Baseball

Brent Haynes (Northwood, Coach of the Year); Finn Sullivan (Northwood, Pitcher of the Year); Dylan Perry (Northwood); Riley D’Angelo (Northwood); Zeke Wicker (Northwood); Landon Moser (Jordan-Matthews)

Softball

Logan Thompson (Northwood, Pitcher of the Year); Ruby Parks (Northwood); Kelis Watson (Northwood); Allison Bryant (Northwood); Ella Parks (Jordan-Matthews); Lilli Hicks (Jordan-Matthews)

Girls’ soccer

Ascary Arias (Coach of the Year, Northwood); Gwen Williams (Northwood); Sulema Arias (Northwood); Madilyn

Bolejack (Northwood); Amelia Cherry (Northwood); Annastyn Trogdon (Northwood); Olivia Sturtz (Northwood); Mabel Collins (Northwood); Genesis Granados (Jordan-Matthews); Ariadnne Gomez (Jordan-Matthews)

Track and eld

Boys: Austin Graham (Coach of the Year, Northwood); Ben Altenburg (Field Event Athlete of the Year, Northwood); Jamison Brown (Field Event Athlete of the Year, Northwood); Ezra Roebuck (Runner of the Year, Northwood); Jaxon Green (Northwood); Kaleb Powell (Northwood); Aldo Pelosi (Northwood); Skyler Tillery (Northwood); Tequone Moore (Northwood); Wyatt Webster (Northwood); Juan Sanchez (Northwood); Owen Hearn (Northwood); Owen Becker (Northwood); Jordan Wiley (Northwood); Zaire Ellis (Northwood); Sam Bachelor (Northwood); Liam Patterson (Northwood); Drew Yeli (Northwood); Kamarie Hadley (Jordan-Matthews); Yadiel Zayas (Jordan-Matthews); Markel McSwain (Jordan-Matthews); Jeremiah Alston (Jordan-Matthews); Dylan Leysath (Jordan-Matthews); Elvis Nino-Choy (Jordan-Matthews);

Lennox Mordecai (Jordan-Matthews); Jayden Fisher (Jordan-Matthews) Girls: Laura Sescilla (Coach of the Year, Northwood); Jada Everson (Northwood); Evelyn Becker (Northwood); Chloe Waldstein (Northwood); Synai Palmer (Northwood); Sydney Gray (Northwood); Saniya Baldwin (Northwood); Gabby Ghitta (Northwood); Ti any Monroe (Northwood); Sanai Lee (Northwood); Taylor Perry (Northwood); Hailee Hunt (Northwood); Lely Harrison (Northwood); Ashley Perry (Northwood); Ava Zawada (Northwood); Juanita Perez (Jordan-Matthews); Khamya Woods (Jordan-Matthews); Athena Dispennette (Jordan-Matthews); Makayla Martin (Jordan-Matthews); Zana Hedgepath (Jordan-Matthews); Madelaine Lozano (Jordan-Matthews)

Boys’ tennis

Jensen Mitchell (Jordan-Matthews); Justin Gonzalez Suarez (Jordan-Matthews); Isaac Gilligan (Northwood); Ryan McNaught (Northwood); Michael Beck (Northwood)

Boys’ golf

Ben Porter (Northwood);

Local coaches who earned coach of the year honors

Tanner Gilchrist (Northwood); Ben Buckner (Jordan-Matthews)

BIG SEVEN 4A/5A

Baseball

Jaedyn Rader (Seaforth); Colin Dorney (Seaforth); Bryce Huneycutt (Seaforth)

Softball

Brian Ledford (Coach of the Year, Seaforth); Emma Grace Hill (Pitcher of the Year); Annika Johansson (Seaforth); Alyssa Harris (Seaforth); Blair Hill (Seaforth); Cami Brinkley (Seaforth); Abigail Johnson (Seaforth)

Girls’ soccer

Katie Leonard (Defensive Player of the Year, Seaforth); Sydney Nezos (Seaforth); Regan Willauer (Seaforth); Carsyn Ward (Seaforth); So a Viana (Seaforth); Eva Morrison (All-Conference Sportsmanship, Seaforth)

Track and eld

Boys: Dylan Watkins (Seaforth); Ryan Yoder (Seaforth); Warren Washington (Seaforth); 4x100 team (Ryan Yoder, Noah Minor, Evan Minor, Du y Palmer)

Girls: Tinsley Borland (Seaforth); Amber Brown (Seaforth); Lyla Jacobs (Seaforth)

Boys’ tennis

Joaquin Hernandez Gonzalez (Seaforth); Lukas Olson (Seaforth)

Boys’ golf

Ty Willoughby (Seaforth); Campbell Meador (Seaforth); Alex Ferm (Seaforth); Ryan Powell (Seaforth); James Wright (Seaforth)

Boys’ lacrosse (Seaforth and Northwood only)

Carter Kearney (Seaforth); Oscar Ditter (Seaforth); Tyler Watkins (Seaforth); Ivan Grimes (Seaforth); Jack Petrusa (Seaforth); James Flanagan (Northwood); Grayson Cox (Northwood); Enzo El-Yousef (Northwood)

Girls’ lacrosse (Seaforth and Northwood only)

Natalie Boecke (O ensive Player of the Year); Evie Kamen (Specialist of the Year); Renee Rizvi (Seaforth); Addie Ayers (Seaforth); Rose Costa (Northwood); Andrea Angeles Morales (Northwood)

Boutier rallies from 4 down to win ShopRite LPGA

The Wolves held 53% of the possession and took 18 shots (11 on goal). Junior goalkeeper Grace Wilson recorded six saves, and the Wolves notched their third clean sheet of the playo s.

“We knew that (Victoria Clement) was their best player, and that’s who they were looking for every time,” Oliver said. “So just making sure we were like right on her back every single time, and then also mak-

YARDBIRDS from page B1

During the game, fans could grab concessions items (pizza, chips, candy, popcorn and drinks) that were priced no more than $5. Team merchandise was also sold at the concessions stand where kids’ T-shirts ($20), adult T-shirts ($25), trucker hats ($30) and on- eld hats ($35) could be purchased. Behind the out eld, adults could enjoy the beer garden, a shed serving light beer, IPAs and seltzers for $6 with nearby seating.

It was also “Kids Run the Bases” night during the inaugural home game, and many of the children in attendance participated in mini games featured on the eld during game breaks.

Siler City Parks and Recreation director Treiston Burnette, who also played baseball on the eld in his youth days, described the night as a “great atmosphere.”

“Having baseball out here again and just seeing all the excitement it brought to the town and just a di erent brand of

SEAFORTH from page B1

Game 2 situation the next day, Seaforth’s approach was to “scrap.”

“We just had to be scrappy, had to battle and just ght for everything that we got,” Seaforth senior Jaedyn Rader, who started on the mound in Game 2, said.

Despite the Hawks’ ght through the end of the afternoon, North Lincoln’s speedy baserunning and Williams holding Seaforth to one hit in the rst six innings allowed the Knights to clinch the series with an 8-3 win in Game 2. The Knights out hit Seaforth

ing sure we were just sending it up out wide as much as possible, like, allowing them as few shots as possible.”

Woods Charter ended the season 22-0, nishing undefeated for the rst time in team history. Often, the Wolves won in dominant fashion as they allowed 12 goals all season. During the playo s, they outscored opponents 23-1.

Stewart has coached many talented teams while leading Woods’ soccer program, but what made this team di erent

baseball, a high level of baseball, is always good for people to see,” Burnette said. “Because the kids around this area, they don’t get to see much. You know what I mean. As far as they know, it’s just high school kids, and I know it’s a couple of kids from high school playing here, but getting to see some college kids and their preparation throughout the week and just how they take the eld and warm up, that’s always good for people to see.”

After the game, the kids came by the Yardbirds’ dugout and asked the players for autographs.

“It’s a good feeling,” Jackson Shaner, in elder and Northwood alum, said. “It’s nice to see the smile on their face that we’re making their day.” Said shortstop Aidan Allred, a Chatham Charter alum and brother of The Players League CEO Alec Allred, “It’s kind of a full circle moment. I remember when I was doing that as a kid, so, it’s pretty cool to be the one giving out the autographs now.”

10-4, stole seven bases and struck out four times (six times in the entire series). Up 1-0 after three innings, North Lincoln scored three runs in the top of the fourth inning. After two walks and a single loaded the bases, Caleb Hancock recorded an RBI single to put North Lincoln ahead 2-0. Seaforth pitcher Jaedyn Rader then walked in a run, and UNC Wilmington commit Cason McGinnis (the series MVP) followed with a ground ball RBI to put the Knights ahead by four runs.

“They’re a uniquely strong offense,” Seaforth coach Spenser Messmore said. “It’s not a power o ense. It’s not one of those

The former Duke golfer wins for the seventh time in the LPGA

The Associated Press

GALLOWAY, N.J. — Celine Boutier rallied from a fourshot de cit Sunday, making three birdies around the turn on her way to a 5-under 66 for a one -shot victory over Arpichaya Yubol in the ShopRite LPGA.

Soo Bin Joo, the 22-yearold South Korean going for her rst LPGA Tour title, lost her four-shot lead at the turn and then fell behind for good on the 13th hole, the same hole where earlier Boutier had taken the lead with a 30-foot birdie putt.

Joo missed another fairway to the right into a clumpy lie, pitched back to the fairway, sent her wedge over the green with a front pin, chipped 8 feet by the hole and missed the putt, taking a double bogey to fall three shots behind.

Boutier kept hitting solid shots, rarely getting in trouble. She missed a 4-foot birdie putt on the nal hole to post at 9-under 204, and no one could catch her.

“To have a chance to win today is de nitely something very special,” said Boutier, the 32-year-old French player who won the ShopRite LPGA ve years ago. “I think it’s great tournament, very special for me, so really excited to be able to have another win here.”

Yubol, who was penalized one shot in the second round Saturday for going over her maximum time, birdied the last two holes for a 66. It was her second runner-up nish of the year, having nished four

is how much they wanted it for themselves.

Breaking through the glass that was three straight state runner-up nishes by defeat of Christ the King from 2022-24 started with a players-only meeting set up by Poitras and Oliver, who was there for two of those state championship losses, at the beginning of the season.

“The meeting was discussed over pizza, which really got the morale going,” Poitras said. “We were like, ‘All right guys, if

we focus enough, I think states is a very attainable goal for us.’

And that was just as honest as we can really be.”

Stewart recalled his team being honest with each other when they didn’t perform at the level they expected. He recalled the moments they applied the repeated lessons on mental fortitude in their successes. In re ection of what the past endings looked like on the Wolves’ sideline, Stewart realized the pain that comes

shots behind Nelly Korda in Mexico.

Lauren Walsh (67) nished third, followed by Joo among four players who tied for fourth.

“It was so fun. It was my rst time leading the tournament, and I think I did my best out there as much as I can and I prepared well and I’m very proud of myself,” Joo said. “I was trying to do my best to stay mentally calm, and I think I still got to work on that a little more.”

Chizzy Iwai, who also started four shots behind, had two birdies in three holes, but then closed with 15 straight pars. Boutier nished the front nine with two straight birdies to reach 7 under, and that gave her a share of the lead when Joo made bogey on the par- 4 eighth. Boutier then hit her approach to 4 feet for birdie on 10th. Joo caught her with a birdie on the ninth but couldn’t keep up the rest of the way.

The ShopRite LPGA is one of two 54-hole events on the schedule, and the eld was particularly weak this year — one player from the top 10 — because of timing. The U.S. Women’s Open is next week across the country in Los Angeles, held at Riviera for the rst time. Boutier now has seven career LPGA titles and 12 worldwide. She has struggled to start this year, with a tie for ninth her best nish among 10 tournaments.

“I feel like my game has turned around the last few weeks. I could see it coming together, and I de nitely did not expect it to come together this week and today,” she said. “But I’m super excited to be back in the winner’s circle.”

with the pursuit for greatness is worth feeling the jubilation once it’s achieved.

“I think it obviously is an afrmation that the way you’re going about as a program has got some merit to it,” Stewart said. “Everybody forgets how small this school is. When I rst started, there were people that were like, ‘I mean, you’re only 180 kids. You can’t do this. You can’t have that high expectation. You can’t achieve so and so. But what we’ve proved is you can.”

situations where you’re looking for a single name in their lineup and saying, ‘Don’t let this guy beat you.’ They, one through nine, just make things di cult. They don’t strike out a ton. They don’t swing at pitches outside of the zone.”

No. 9-seeded Seaforth, the lowest seeded team across all NCHSAA baseball championship series, nished its season with a 21-11 record.

During their run to the state nal, the Hawks won four games on the road, including a 4-3 win over No. 1 Hunt in the third round.

“Obviously, getting past that third round against the one

seed was huge for our condence,” Seaforth senior catcher Colin Dorney said. “That was when I was like, ‘Oh, crap. This might be something.’”

The outside noise called Seaforth the “Cinderella,” but the team never felt the shoe t. Seaforth prepared for playo -level competition in the regular season, going toe to toe with teams like Grace Christian (Sanford), the back-to-back-to-back NCISAA 3A champions, and the Wake County Homeschool Warriors, which won the 2026 Homeschool World Series.

“There never really was any point in time during the year where we weren’t con dent in

the ability to make a run in the playo s and get to the state championship,” Messmore said. “It just has to come together, and it came together at the right time. The vibes were strong, the practices were really positive and really good, and it showed on the eld.”

Seaforth will graduate two seniors in Rader and Dorney. Should all its underclassmen return, the team will have 10 seniors in 2027. “I think that moving forward, like this experience with so many guys coming back, is going to be huge,” Dorney said. “I think they have a real chance next year.”

SIDELINE REPORT

NFL

Packers’ Jacobs released from jail as prosecutors weigh ling charges

Green Bay, Wis. Green Bay Packers running back Josh Jacobs was released from a Wisconsin jail while authorities further investigate allegations of domestic abuse. The Brown County prosecutor gave an update. District Attorney David Lasee said it’s too soon to make a formal charging decision. Jacobs was arrested Tuesday in Brown County on allegations of strangulation and other o enses over the weekend. Jacobs’ lawyers said they’re pleased that he’s out of jail.

NBA Rozier hit with new bribery charges in sports gambling sting

Federal prosecutors have indicted ex-Miami Heat guard Terry Rozier on additional charges related to a sports gambling sting. The 32-year- old was charged with bribery in sporting contests and honest services wire fraud conspiracy. Prosecutors allege he took a hefty bribe to exit a game early in March 2023. He has denied participating in the gambling scheme and is ghting to have the case dismissed. His attorneys argue the government’s theory runs afoul of a recent U.S. Supreme Court ruling.

NCAA ATHLETICS

Big 12 becoming rst Power Four conference to have all members agree to CSC participation Frisco, Texas

The Big 12 is the rst Power Four conference to have each of its members sign participation agreements with the College Sports Commission. That is the agency formed last year to police name, image and likeness payments. The agreement requires schools to waive their right to le lawsuits against the enforcement agency and gives it wide latitude to sanction programs for violating rules that outline how players can be paid. All 68 Power Four schools must sign the 11-page document for it to become valid.

NCAA FOOTBALL

Sorsby made thousands of bets totaling at least $90,000, court documents show Lubbock, Texas Texas Tech quarterback Brendan Sorsby made thousands of bets totaling at least $90,000 while in college. Those include at least 40 bets on Indiana football when he was a Hoosiers freshman in 2022, according to court lings in the transfer player’s lawsuit seeking to have the NCAA restore his eligibility. Sorsby transferred to Texas Tech for a reported multimillion- dollar deal after playing for Cincinnati the past two seasons. He was ruled ineligible after he acknowledged wagering on sports.

MLB Mazzilli, Valentine

enshrined in Mets Hall of Fame

New York

Longtime friends and former roommates Lee Mazzilli and Bobby Valentine were inducted into the New York Mets Hall of Fame. Mazzilli, a Brooklyn native, batted .277 with 53 homers, 262 RBIs and 117 stolen bases from 1977 through 1980 while playing for New York. After playing for the team, Valentine made a far bigger impact as the team’s manager from August 1996 through 2002, directing the Mets to the World Series in 2000.

Hart’s highly scrutinzed comeback has arrivex at Stanley Cup nal

The Golden Knights’ goalie was acquitted of sexual assault charges

By Mark Anderson The Associated Press

LAS VEGAS — No strangers to controversy, the Golden Knights know the spotlight is going to shine even brighter now that they are back in the Stanley Cup nal with a particular glare on goaltender Carter Hart.

Hart is a major reason Vegas is playing for the Cup for the third time in their nine years and going after their second championship in four seasons. The rst three opponents in the NHL playo s failed to solve him.

Hart’s very presence in the NHL generated discussions about whether he should even be allowed to suit up. He was one of ve 2018 Canada world junior hockey players acquitted of sexual assault last July. The NHL ruled those players were eligible to sign deals beginning Oct. 15 and to play starting Dec. 1. Hart signed a two-year, $4 million contract with Vegas and hasn’t looked back.

Hart has emerged as a Conn Smythe Trophy candidate for playo MVP. His interviews the past couple of months have been limited, and he avoided talking about his legal troubles before Game 1. Golden Knights fans welcomed him from the beginning, clapping for him when he took the ice for the rst time Dec. 2 against Chicago, some even bringing signs expressing their support. Those cheers have only grown during the club’s Cupnal run; he receives among the loudest ovations when the starting lineup is introduced before home games.

“Everybody here has been so awesome,” Hart said after the Golden Knights swept Colorado in the Western Conference Final. “You see it every day with the fans. They show up at the rink and our practices. The support that we get is unbelievable. They’re just so excited about the Vegas Golden Knights, and I’m so blessed to be here.”

Torts in his corner

Vegas might have been the perfect spot for Hart to land. He is playing for a coach who knows him and strongly defends him as a person and a goalie. John Tortorella coached Hart in Philadelphia in 2023-24, when the league suspended the goalie along with the other four players involved in the scandal.

“I think he’s a strong kid mentally,” Tortorella said. “I certainly watched him when he came into the organization and played in his rst couple of games, and I watched him play in an overtime game where he played really well. He’s dialed in. ... He was growing tremendously in Philly until he had to step out of the league, and he’s right back at it.”

“I loved playing for him in Philly,” Hart said. “Super happy he’s here.”

More women watching NHL’s Stanley Cup playo s

Everything from the Olympics to “Heated Rivalry” gets credit for the increase

By Stephen Whyno The Associated Press

THE FIRST TWO rounds of the NHL’s Stanley Cup playo s are the most-watched in the U.S. in league history.

Women are the primary driver of that growth.

TNT Sports reported female viewership is up 66%, and ESPN reported a 106% increase, with plenty of that audience coming from 18-to-34 -year-olds tuning in to hockey at its most exciting time of year.

“We see the numbers up everywhere,” ESPN VP of production Linda Schulz said.

“[Hockey] is a particular challenge because sports fans tend to follow something that they themselves have participated in, and hockey is one that is not as commonplace for people to have actually strapped on skates. I approach it with, ‘If I get a new fan coming to hockey, what is going to keep them?’”

What’s bringing fans in, Schulz and other executives said, is a result of a handful of factors. The success of the 4 Nations Face-O tournament last year, the Olympics in February when the U.S. men and women won gold, the qual-

ity of play, an in ux of young talent and the viral popularity of the “Heated Rivalry” and “O Campus” hockey romance shows have combined to bring more women to the sport.

“It’s not any one thing,” TNT Sports executive VP and chief content o cer Craig Barry said. “It’s the collective of the planets aligning that has shown dramatic increases in the female audience.”

The NHL says the playo s are averaging 1.4 million viewers, up 63% from last year and up 24% from the previous high set in 2024. Some of the increase can be attributed to a change in how Nielsen is counting viewers, causing bumps across the board, though hockey has been seeing an upward trend in viewership predating that.

That began after the 4 Nations, which NHL commissioner Gary Bettman said caused a viewership increase late in the 2024-25 season and into the playo s. The Olympics built o that, with the Milan Cortina Games drawing huge ratings.

“The Olympics was a cultural moment,” NHL chief operating o cer Stephen McArdle said. “We know that Olympic viewership does appeal to those demographics, to that female demographic, and so I think the Olympic bump that we saw was really in part in uenced by that female Olympic audience.”

How big a role “Heated Rivalry” plays is di cult to measure.

“I think he’s a strong kid mentally.” John Tortorella, Vegas coach

The fact Hart is in Vegas was far from a sure thing last summer. He was one of the junior players charged in 2024 in connection with an incident in London, Ontario, that occurred six years earlier. The judge overseeing the trial said the prosecution did not meet the burden of proof to convict the players and that the allegations lacked the credibility to justify the charges.

The NHL conducted its own investigation in 2022, and after the players were cleared of legal responsibility, the league announced they would be reinstated. With the

league calling the players’ actions “deeply troubling and unacceptable,” there wasn’t a rush by clubs to start signing them. The Hurricanes considered signing Hart and Michael McLeod, but ultimately decided to pass.

Hart read a statement to reporters back then, saying he wanted “to show the community my true character and who I am and what I’m about.”

Hart is 12-4 with a 2.22 GAA and a .924 save percentage in the playo s. He has won six starts in a row.

“I think he’s just been getting more and more con dent each game, each round he’s played,” forward Brett Howden said. “There’s a lot of momentum in these rounds of games. Obviously, it’s going to go back and forth. I feel like he does an unbelievable job of keeping us in the game. He’ll bail us out if we need to be bailed out.”

Schulz, who grew up as a sports fan in the Boston area, said it does not enter her mind, but the networks and the league are well aware of the conversation going around it.

“We know that the ctional series are a gateway to our sport,” McArdle said. “We know that it opens doors to an interest in the sport of hockey, and it’s incumbent upon us to make sure that new audiences that are coming through those doors feel welcomed as they come in, and also that we help them nd their way through the door.”

Schulz said technology helps with that, pointing to aerial sky cams that highlight the speed and physicality of the game, and the addition of a camera person on the ice to capture emotional moments like a player expressing frustration after getting called for a penalty.

“It is incredible how that emotional draw, to me, is the real way to pull in a casual fan,” Schulz said. “It’s that balance

of getting the feel of the ice through something like your aerial coverage and the feel of the player or the emotion of the player.”

McArdle said the NHL has also leaned into TikTok, where many of the top videos were viewed by more women than men. A clip of Carolina’s Jordan Martinook losing a skate blade particularly stood out as something that was popular beyond highlight-reel goals, saves and hits.

Social media has drawn in more young fans, men and women, and promotion of broadcasts on ESPN, ABC, TNT, TruTV and on HBO Max has gotten them to watching live on one platform or another.

“That’s why it’s so important to meet them where they are,” Barry said. “That’s why our kind of strategy is put it everywhere in a simulcast capacity, so regardless of where you are consuming and digesting your content, in this particular case, NHL games, it’s there for you.”

this week in history

Israel attacks Egypt, Battle of Midway ends, Salem witch trials begin

The Associated Press

JUNE 4

1940: Allied forces completed the evacuation of more than 338,000 troops from Dunkirk, France, during World War II.

1940: British Prime Minister Winston Churchill declared to the House of Commons, “We shall ght on the beaches ... we shall never surrender.”

1989: Chinese troops crushed pro-democracy demonstrations centered in Beijing’s Tiananmen Square, killing hundreds, possibly thousands, of protesters.

JUNE 5

1794: Congress passed the Neutrality Act, barring Americans from participating in military actions against nations at peace with the United States.

1967: The Six-Day War began as Israel launched preemptive airstrikes that largely destroyed Egypt’s air force.

1968: Sen. Robert F. Kennedy was shot and mortally wounded at the Ambassador Hotel in Los Angeles.

JUNE 6

1944: Nearly 160,000 Allied troops landed in Normandy, France, on D-Day, launching Operation Overlord to begin the liberation of Western Europe from Nazi occupation.

1966: Civil rights activist James Meredith was shot and wounded by a sniper during his march from Memphis, Tennes -

see, to Jackson, Mississippi.

JUNE 7

1776: Richard Henry Lee of Virginia introduced a resolution to the Continental Congress declaring “that these united colonies are and of right ought to be free and independent States.”

1929: Vatican City formally became a sovereign state as Italy rati ed the Lateran Treaty.

1942: The Battle of Midway ended with a decisive U.S. naval victory over Japan.

1976: New York magazine published an article by journalist Nik Cohn entitled “The Tribal Rites of the New Saturday Night” that inspired the 1977 lm “Saturday Night Fever” and sparked a nationwide disco craze.

JUNE 8

1789: James Madison proposed a series of constitutional amendments to the U.S. House of Representatives that would become the Bill of Rights.

1949: George Orwell’s dystopian novel “1984” was rst published.

1968: U.S. authorities announced the arrest of James Earl Ray, the suspected assassin of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

JUNE 9

1973: Secretariat won the Belmont Stakes by 31 lengths, capturing the Triple Crown and setting a still-standing record of 2:24 for the 1½-mile race.

1732: James Oglethorpe received a charter from King George II to establish the colony of Georgia.

1954: During the Army-McCarthy hearings, Army attorney Joseph N. Welch rebuked Sen. Joseph R. McCarthy, asking, “Have you no sense of decency, sir? At long last, have you left no sense of decency?”

JUNE 10

1692: Bridget Bishop became the rst person executed during the Salem witch trials when she was hanged in Massachusetts.

1854: The U.S. Naval Academy held its rst graduation ceremony.

1940: Italian dictator Benito Mussolini declared war on France and Great Britain, bringing Italy into World War II.

2023: Theodore “Ted” Kaczynski, the Harvard-educated mathematician dubbed the “Unabomber” by the FBI, died in a federal prison in North Carolina at age 81. Before his capture, Kaczynski conducted a 17-year bombing campaign that killed three people and injured 23 others.

Trolls come indoors as Danish recycling artist stages rst museum exhibit

His creations were exhibited at Dix Park in Raleigh

By James Brooks The Associated Press

ISHØJ, Denmark — For

more than a decade, Danish recycling artist Thomas Dambo has scattered wooden troll sculptures around the world. He has created almost 200 in 19 countries.

Now the poet and former hip-hop artist is bringing a collection of fairy tale-inspired creations in from the cold for his rst museum exhibit.

“The Garbage Man,” at the Arken Museum of Contemporary Art on the outskirts of Copenhagen, tells the story of a group of mischievous trolls who secretly move into the museum, take it over and redesign it.

“They build and leave a giant human made of trash … as a lesson for the humans to behave better and don’t put their trash where everybody else lives,” Dambo said at his studio near the Danish capital.

The 46-year-old artist started spreading his trolls back in 2014, when he built two sculptures for a Danish music festival.

Two years later, he hid six giant trolls in wooded areas around Copenhagen. The project went viral, drawing millions of viewers online.

“I was like, if I tell a story that combines them all, then when I’ve done this (for) 10 years, I will probably have made over 100 sculptures and … I have made the world into my stage,” he said.

Twelve years on, Dambo has made almost 200. The artist and his team build about 25 new trolls annually. “Long Leif,” the tallest at 43 feet high, stands in Detroit Lakes, Minnesota.

Usually, Dambo’s work is as much treasure hunt as exhibit. His fairy-tale creations are tucked away in forests, mountains, jungles and grasslands around the world, discoverable using an online “Troll Map.”

There is “Little Lisa” hidden in a German forest, and “Happy Kim” lounging in a South Korean botanical garden.

What to keep eye out for at Tony Awards on Broadway’s biggest night

Three-time Grammy Award Pink will make her debut as host

By Mark Kennedy The Associated Press

NEW YORK — Twenty-four shows on Broadway received Tony Award nominations this season, but not all will walk away with a trophy and the box o ce attention they usually bring.

Here are some key things to know as Broadway’s biggest night approaches, including how to watch, the top nominees, who is poised to make history and what shows secured performance slots.

When are the Tony Awards?

The Tonys will be broadcast to both coasts Sunday from 8 to 11 p.m. Eastern, live from Radio City Music Hall.

How can I watch them?

On CBS and streaming for Paramount+ with Showtime subscribers in the U.S.

What performances will there be?

The seven best new musical and best musical revivals — “The Lost Boys,” “Schmigadoon!,” “Titanique,” “Two Strangers (Carry a Cake Across New York),” “Cats: The Jellicle Ball,” “Ragtime” and “The Rocky Horror Show.”

What are the top nominees?

There are two top nominees: “The Lost Boys” and “Schmigadoon!” each earned a leading 12 Tony Award nominations. “The Lost Boys” is an adaptation of a 1987 teen movie vampire thriller, and “Schmigadoon!” is an adaptation of an Apple TV series that gently mocks Broadway musicals. They’re followed by a revival of “Ragtime,” a big, soaring musical celebrating early 20th-century America, with 11 nominations, and “Death of a Salesman,” Arthur Miller’s masterpiece that looks at the unraveling of the American Dream, starring Nathan Lane, which nabbed nine nods.

Who is vying for best new play and musical?

For new musicals, it’s “The Lost Boys,” “Schmigadoon!,” “Titaníque” and “Two Strangers (Carry a Cake Across New York).”

For new plays, it’s “The Balusters,” “Giant,” “Liberation” and “Little Bear Ridge Road.”

Can history be made?

History has already been made, in a way. June Squibb became the oldest Tony-nominated actor in history at 96 and could become the oldest Tony winner, surpassing Lois Smith. who was 90 when she won in 2021.

Lane is hoping for his fourth Tony, which would make him tied as the most-awarded male performer in Tony history, alongside Boyd Gaines and Frank Langella. If he does win for best lead actor in a play for the revival of “Death of a Salesman,” he’d have Tonys in three separate acting categories, previously winning featured actor in a play for “Angels in America” and lead

Danish recycling artist Thomas Dambo poses for a photograph in his new exhibit “The

at Arken Museum of Contemporary Art in Ishoj, Denmark, on May 14.

Children clamber and adults gasp as they nd the trolls. Dambo estimates about 5 million people visit his works annually.

“The sculptures bring people out to experience things that they would otherwise have been too lazy or maybe not creative enough to go and visit,” he

said. “My trolls, they bring people to all these small, little corners of the world.”

Each of Dambo’s trolls has a unique name and design. In the Arken exhibit, which opens Sunday and will be on show until Nov. 29, his new works are based on friends he had when growing up.

They have “personalities of a late teenage, young 20s type of group of boys that are causing havoc, and the type of gang that would break into a museum and ll it up with trash,” Dambo said.

Trolls often appear in Scandinavian folklore, but Dambo said he chose to work with the mythical creatures as a vehicle to convey messages on waste and recycling.

The recycling artist’s sculptures are made almost entirely from waste and discarded materials, such as wooden pallets, old furniture and whisky barrels.

Dambo hopes museum visitors will leave with an urge to buy less.

“This is not my recycling project; this is my stop buying stu project,” he said.

actor in a musical twice for “A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum” and “The Producers.” And for the first time since 2002, the contenders for best leading actress in a musical are all first-time nominees: Sara Chase (“Schmigadoon!”), Stephanie Hsu (“The Rocky Horror Show”), Caissie Levy (“Ragtime”), Marla Mindelle (“Titanique”) and Christiani Pitts (“Two Strangers (Carry a Cake Across New York”). Broadway’s big season

The 2025-26 Broadway season set a new box o ce record for the second year in a row. Over the 52 weeks of the season, Broadway brought in a combined total of $1.9 billion. In more gloomy news, attendance was actually down — 14,577,322 versus 14,658,531 from last season.

famous birthdays this week

Actor Angelina Jolie turns 51, Mark Wahlberg celebrates 55, Tom Jones hits 86, Dick Vitale is 87

The Associated Press

THESE CELEBRITIES have birthdays this week.

JUNE 4

Actor Bruce Dern is 90. Golf Hall of Famer Sandra Haynie is 83. Singer-actor Michelle Phillips is 82. Actor Keith David is 70. Actor Noah Wyle is 55. Actor Angelina Jolie is 51.

JUNE 5

USA Track & Field Hall of Famer John Carlos is 81. Musician-artist Laurie Anderson is 79. Finance author Suze Orman is 75. Musician Kenny G is 70.

Actor Mark Wahlberg is 55.

JUNE 6

Singer-songwriter Gary U.S. Bonds is 87. Civil rights activist Marian Wright Edelman is 87. Actor Robert Englund is 79. Tennis Hall of Famer Bjorn Borg is 70.

JUNE 7

Filmmaker James Ivory is 98. Singer Tom Jones is 86. Actor Liam Neeson is 74. Author Orhan Pamuk is 74. Rock musician-TV host Dave Navarro is 59. TV personality Bear Grylls is 52. Basketball Hall of Famer Allen Iverson is 51.

JUNE 8

Singer Nancy Sinatra is 86. Musician Boz Scaggs is 82. Pianist Emanuel Ax is 77. Actor Sonia Braga is 76. Actor Grifn Dunne is 71. Actor-director Keenen Ivory Wayans is 68. Musician Nick Rhodes (Duran Duran) is 64. Actor Julianna Margulies is 60.

JUNE 9

Sportscaster Dick Vitale is 87. Film composer James Newton Howard is 75. Author Patricia Cornwell is 70. Actor Michael J. Fox is 65. Writer- lmmaker Aaron Sorkin is 65. Actor Johnny Depp is 63. Actor Natalie Portman is 45.

JUNE 10

Political commentator Je Green eld is 83. Actor Frankie Faison is 77. Football Hall of Famer Dan Fouts is 75. Actor Gina Gershon is 64. Actor-model Elizabeth Hurley is 61. Comedian Bill Burr is 58. R&B singer Faith Evans is 53.

‘Hoppers,’ ‘Love Island,’ albums from Lizzo, Death Cab for Cutie

“O ce Romance” staring Jennifer Lopez hits Net ix

The Associated Press

NEW ALBUMS FROM Lizzo and Death Cab for Cutie and the streaming service debut of animated hit “Hoppers” 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: the new season of “Love Island,” a new rom-com starring Jennifer Lopez and Brett Goldstein, and the quiet puzzle game “Swan Song.”

MOVIES TO STREAM

With strong reviews and good ticket sales, “Hoppers” was one of the better received Pixar originals in recent years. The lm, a zany body-swapping comedy about environmental protection, is streaming now on Disney+. In it, Mabel (Piper Curda) is trying to defend a pristine pond from development by the local mayor (Jon Hamm) when she transforms, or “hops,” into the body of a robotic beaver. In her review, AP lm writer Lindsey Bahr called it a “buoyant, freewheeling adventure.”

“O ce Romance” (Net ix on Friday) pairs Lopez and Goldstein (“Ted Lasso”) in a workplace rom com. Lopez star as a chief executive of an airline who falls for the company’s new lawyer (Goldstein). Goldstein also wrote the movie with “Ted Lasso” co-creator Joe Kelly.

Ahmir “Questlove” Thompson continues his documentary tours through music history with “Earth, Wind & Fire (To Be Celestial vs. That’s the Weight of the World).” Questlove’s tribute to the seminal Chicago group debuts on HBO and HBO Max on Sunday, days after its premiere at the Tribeca Festival.

Harry Lighton’s “Pillion” (HBO Max on Friday) is one of the more memorable love stories in recent years. Harry Melling and Alexander Skarsgård star as an unlikely BDSM couple: one sings barbershop quartet, the other is a gru biker. In my review, I praised “Pillion” as the portrait of a relationship “in the extreme, one that ultimately, like any other, is guided by needs and wants.”

MUSIC TO STREAM

It has been four years since Lizzo last released a full-length project. That was “Special,” lead by the ubiquitous funk-pop “About Damn Time.” This time around, she’s promised “good, clean fun” on her new one, the suggestively titled “B----.” Led by the ’80s ballad “Don’t Make Me Love U,” it’s clear that she’s still in it for the big pop songs. Death Cab for Cutie’s forthcoming studio album, “I Built You A Tower,” has two main inspirations, if they can be called that. It’s the beloved indie rock

band’s rst full-length project since the end of the anniversary tours for their career-de ning albums, 2003’s “Transatlanticism” and 2005’s “Plans,” which reinvigorated their songwriting. It was also written while principal songwriter and frontman Ben Gibbard was going through a separation and eventual divorce. “I was doing a lot of context switching,” Gibbard told the AP. “I started to write a lot about how we contextualize, compartmentalize, speci cally our grief.” Luckily, that kind of humanity is the stu the band excels in.

Of the former members of One Direction, Niall Horan has stayed truest to the boy band’s propulsive pop-rock, but don’t think that means his matured work is derivative. He’s taken those classic tools and aged them. “Dinner Party,” his fourth full-length al-

bum as a soloist, draws inspiration from the place where he met his long-term partner. Damien Rice is a main in uence, and the songs are dreamy and romantic. It began with “Blackberry Marmalade,” Vince Staples’ rst solo song in two years. It was a heavy introduction to his hyper-independent “Cry Baby” album, out Friday — all noise-rock, critical messaging (“Empires build on bloodstained ground,” he opens the rst verse) and a music video styled like a rst-person shooter video game. Then came the even darker “White Flag.” The musician, known for his inventiveness and often surrealist approach to art making, is clearly taking a direct approach here.

SERIES TO STREAM

Some people look forward to the summer months because of the warm weather and because school is out. Others get hyped because of a new season of “Love Island USA” is airing ve nights a week on Peacock. The season is approximately six weeks of scantily clad, single contestants sequestered in a villa in Fiji. They must couple up or they’re sent home. The last couple remaining wins a cash prize. AMC has given the third season of “Anne Rice’s Interview with a Vampire” series a new name. The show is now called “The Vampire Lestat” with Lestat de Lioncourt (Sam Reid) sharing his story. Unhappy with the way he was written in Daniel Molloy’s book, Lestat forms a rock band and goes on the road. Lestat craves attention and admiration, and he’s certain his rock star persona will attract adoring fans. AMC is leaning into Lestat’s music, making it available on music streaming apps. Fun fact: Reid performed his own songs. “The Vampire Lestat” premieres Sunday on AMC and AMC+.

VIDEO GAMES TO PLAY Amid all the noise and chaos of modern culture, sometimes you just want to solve a nice, quiet puzzle. That’s what Belgium’s Business Goose Games is aiming for with “Swan Song.” It’s essentially a music box with two compartments: one contains sheet music, while the other contains a maze. You need to choose the right notes in order to make each maze solvable. The developer’s last mellow brainteaser, “Sizeable,” found an enthusiastic audience, and its new puzzler has a similar vibe. Open the box Thursday

or Mac.

Duplin Journal

the

BRIEF

this week

Warsaw Police investigates shooting into apartment

Warsaw The Warsaw Police Department is investigating a shooting into an occupied apartment at Bermuda Run Apartments reported around 6:54 p.m. on May 27. According to authorities, o cers found Apartment 511 with a broken window consistent with gun re. Police said the case remains under active investigation. No injuries were reported. Anyone with information is asked to contact the Warsaw Police Department at 910-293-7816 or email tips@ townofwarsawnc.com.

Duplin Board of Elections cancels June meeting

Kenansville The Duplin County Board of Elections has canceled its June 11 meeting. According to an announcement from the board, the next regular meeting will be held on Thursday, July 2, at 5:30 p.m. The Board of Elections conducts meetings to address election administration and related business within Duplin County.

Magnolia resident wins $100K

Magnolia

A Magnolia man won a $100,000 top prize on a $30 North Carolina Education Lottery scratch-o ticket.

Avory Cassell purchased the winning Cash Payday ticket at Minuteman Food Mart on Southport Supply Road in Brunswick and claimed the prize at lottery headquarters last week. After required state and federal tax withholdings, he received $72,018.

The game launched in March and features 80 top prizes of $100,000, with 67 still unclaimed, according to the North Carolina Education Lottery.

The North Carolina Education Lottery also noted that Duplin County received a $32.4 million grant in November for renovations at East Duplin High School.

Murphy Family Ventures expands tech services with World Line Networks

A ribbon cutting in Wallace marked the launch of World Line Networks, a new technology provider aimed at serving businesses across southeastern North Carolina. Turn to A3 for the story.

Mount Olive audit shows progress, but nancial concerns remain

By Mark Grady For Duplin Journal

MOUNT OLIVE — In what evolved into a marathon twoand-a-half-hour meeting, the Mount Olive Board of Commis-

sioners discussed and voted on a variety of issues last Monday. The board heard presentations from the accountant who completed the recent audit for the

Duplin considers sewer authority for Calico Bay, East Log Cabin

By Ena Sellers Duplin Journal

KENANSVILLE — Du-

plin County o cials are moving forward with plans to cre-

ate a sewer authority for the Calico Bay and East Log Cabin communities as part of an e ort to secure grant funding for a permanent wastewater system serving residents who currently rely on septic tanks. Kevin Davidson of AgriWaste Technology updated the Duplin County Board of Commissioners on the Calico Bay and East Log Cabin Wastewater Project, at the June 1 meeting. The project seeks to establish a permanent sewer solution for the two communities. Many

residents currently rely on septic systems that require frequent pumping, creating additional costs and maintenance concerns.

In a previous meeting Davidson proposed the creation of a sewer authority to serve the two communities, manage the system and serve as the applicant for grants and nancing. Davidson said support for the project increased from 7 to 14 residents following a recent community meeting.

“The next step of the ... path

A facility operated by a sitting commissioner has drawn scrutiny over lease transparency

By Ena Sellers Duplin Journal

Warsaw and leased to Commissioner Jack Hawes.

At a May meeting, Hawes responded to criticism over permits and regulatory compliance and a complaint led with the state.

“I got my law rm involved,” Hawes told the public. “I’m putting everybody who was involved on notice.”

Discussing the complaint, Hawes said he went through the planning board and funeral board “the correct way” and warned, “I’m gonna nd you ... and I’m gonna take care of you.”

Hawes also defended his business operations, stating that “Warsaw gets 2.75% of every funeral that I do” and that he contributes “$60,000 to $70,000 a year” to $2.00

WARSAW — A complaint led with the North Carolina Board of Funeral Service, questions surrounding a funeral home operating from a Warsaw-owned building — and comments made by a sitting town commissioner during a public meeting — are drawing public attention in Warsaw. At the center of the discussion is Jack A. Hawes Funeral Home & Cremations, LLC, which operates from 115 N. Pershing St., a building owned by the town of

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area churches and children.

The public debate began after Warsaw resident Anece Best led a complaint with the North Carolina Board of Funeral Service seeking an independent review of the funeral home’s regulatory compliance.

She questioned zoning approvals for the government-owned property in a residential district, the appropriateness of the site for funeral operations, and whether the lease involving a sitting elected o cial raised con ict-of-interest concerns under state law.

“Greater transparency and timely production of records would likely have resolved many questions earlier and reduced unnecessary public confusion,” Best told Duplin Journal.

My concerns were not centered on attacking Mr. Hawes’ professional funeral-service license. To my knowledge, he is legally standing under the law regarding his professional licensing status,” she explained. “I believed it was appropriate to ask the appropriate state agencies to independently review and verify compliance.” Given Warsaw’s documented sewer and wastewater challenges, Best raised concerns about whether the business’s discharge could adversely a ect the municipal system.

The property was appraised at $147,000 for the 2026 tax year and is exempt from property taxes because it is owned by the town of Warsaw. The site includes a 4,100-square-foot commercial building with an e ective construction year of 1990 that sits on roughly one-half acre. The county record’s permit section is blank.

A search of North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality records for wastewater or compliance les tied to the address returned no results. Duplin Journal has submitted records requests to both DEQ and the town of Warsaw and is awaiting responses.

2026-27 budget documents

THURSDAY

Duplin County investigates string of home shootings

Police say incidents in Warsaw, Beulaville and Wallace appear targeted as investigation expands

By Mark Grady For Duplin Journal

RURAL AREAS LIKE Duplin County are not often the location of stories involving a series of shootings, which you would normally hear about in a more urban setting. That all changed on May 16 in the early morning hours when shots were red into a residence in Warsaw. In the overnight hours the next day, shots were red into an occupied residence in Beulaville. By May 27, ve occupied homes or apartments in Warsaw, Beulaville and Wallace had been struck by gun re. In an interview with Duplin Journal, Beulaville Police Chief Karl Mobley was asked if he believes the shootings were committed by youth or members of gangs.

“It’s actually a mixture of that,” Mobley said. “Unfortunately, the ones that are tied in with your gangs normally are your youth.”

Mobley agrees this type of activity is more rare in rural areas, but it does happen.

“It’s one of those things that comes and goes,” he said. “You’ll have long spurts with-

show lease income associated with the property at $12,000 annually, an amount that appears consistent with records dating back to 2019.

Hawes’ statement that “Warsaw gets 2.75% of every funeral” does not appear in town nancial documents reviewed by Duplin Journal. The town’s nancial audits and Budget vs. Actual reports do not contain any line item re ecting a 2.75% funeral surcharge or business-speci c revenue-sharing arrangement.

In an interview with Duplin Journal Mayor Wesley Boykin suggested the building’s rental value could be higher than what the town currently receives, although no formal market analysis was presented to the board during the budget planning meeting.

A quick Google search for commercial properties in rural eastern North Carolina provided a range of $6-12 per square foot annually, although actual rental value depends on factors such as condition, location, improvements and specialized use.

Duplin Journal submitted public records requests seeking lease documents and relatednancial information on April 21, April 27, May 22 and May 28.

In response, Town Manager Lea Turner, who was appointed town clerk and nance o cer by Commissioners Hawes, Scotty Smith, Tommy Jones and Cheryl Smith, said sta ng shortages have delayed responses.

“At this time, we are short sta ed and so records requests are taking longer than normal,” Turner wrote in an email.

Duplin Journal contacted Hawes on May 27 and June 1 seeking comment regarding his public statements, the lease arrangement and questions raised by residents. As of press time no response was received.

On April 8, the North Carolina Board of Funeral Service dismissed Best’s complaint, nding insu cient evidence to establish a violation of laws under the board’s authority.

The board noted, however, that its jurisdiction is limited to

“We do believe these are targeted shootings and not random.”

Jimmy Crayton, Wallace Police

out this kind of activity and then, all of a sudden, whether somebody upsets the other side or whatever the case may be, it starts back.”

Mobley added he is condent the person or people behind the shootings will be caught. He said his department, in addition to continuing their investigations in cooperation with other agencies, is increasing saturation patrols in town.

Wallace Police Chief James Crayton told Duplin Journal they do not believe the shootings are just someone out ring at houses.

“We do believe these are targeted shootings and not random,” Crayton said.

In the meantime, he is reluctant to discuss any details of the investigation.

“We are currently keeping a lot of information close to the vest,” he said. “Our biggest request is for people to come forward and provide information.”

In addition to a coordinated e ort between local police departments and the Duplin

statutes governing funeral service.

The agency has declined to release investigative materials related to the complaint.

Catherine Lee, general counsel for the board, informed Duplin Journal that investigative les are con dential under state law and exempt from public disclosure.

A review of available meeting minutes and archived records dating back to 2018 does not provide details of a lease agreement tied to the funeral home or explain how the rental rate was established. Records do show that the town has invested public funds into the building since the funeral home began operating there.

In August 2018, the Board approved a $10,000 budget amendment to replace the building’s HVAC system. In January 2021, the Board approved a $21,000 budget amendment for a roof replacement. Meeting minutes show that the former town manager recommended using rental revenue associated with the property to fund the roof project. Although Hawes recused himself from the vote on the roof replacement, the Board authorized the former town manager and public works director to “oversee the project” for the commissioner’s private business location.

Records reviewed by Duplin Journal do not explain why those capital improvements were funded by the town rather than the commercial tenant, nor do the available public documents clarify how maintenance responsibilities are allocated under the lease.

The records show a direct correlation between complaints led against the funeral home and Hawes’s subsequent policy recommendations regarding town-wide code enforcement.

During a May 26, 2021, budget workshop, former Commissioner Nelson-Pope “voiced concerns of elding numerous complaints during funerals at Hawes funeral home.” In the same meeting, Hawes stated that “people should

County Sheri ’s Department, other agencies have joined the investigation, including the N.C. State Bureau of Investigation (SBI) and the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF). Chad Flowers, public information o cer for the SBI, told Duplin Journal that there could be a drug element to the shootings.

“Throughout the whole state, we see a lot of combinations of drug activity with assaults and shootings,” Flowers said. “It can be a myriad of things, but we do see a lot of shootings surrounding or connected to drug activity.” Flowers agreed with Mobley on the possibility of gang involvement.

“There’s often gang activity and gang connections with drugs and shootings. We see a lot of shootings around that are connected with gang activity,” he said.

Flowers added he was aware there were discussions in process regarding o ering a reward for information in the shootings.

Crayton and Mobley believe those behind the shootings will eventually be caught. In the meantime, they are asking anyone with information on the shootings to contact local police. Information can be submitted anonymously.

be allowed more than 10 days to comply with most violations.”

Following Hawes’s statement, the Board engaged in a discussion “centered around revamping how code enforcement is handled” in Warsaw.

Hawes also made motions to dismiss speci c ordinance violation nes for other citizens, arguing in one instance that the matter had “gone on long enough and everything needed to just be dropped.”

Meeting minutes further show that Hawes publicly acknowledged when town-funded infrastructure projects beneted the funeral home property.

In March 2021, minutes state that “Commissioner Hawes announced that he was pleased with the drainage work on Jordan as it had relieved some of the water from the funeral home and surrounding areas.”

While meeting records and budget documents provide a partial picture of the property’s nancial and operational history, key details about the lease structure, cost allocation, and regulatory oversight have not been fully documented in publicly available records. Those gaps have continued to fuel questions about how the arrangement is structured and how responsibilities are divided between the town and the tenant.

Despite the dismissal of the complaint by the North Carolina Board of Funeral Service, several questions remain unresolved.

Among them are the terms of the Pershing Street lease, how the rental rate was established, whether additional permits or approvals exist beyond those currently available in public records.

Duplin Journal has submitted multiple public records requests seeking lease documents, nancial records, and related materials from the Town of Warsaw, as well as wastewater and environmental compliance records from the North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality. Responses remain pending.

Here’s a

what’s coming up in Duplin County.

June 5-6

Pro Rodeo returns 8 p.m.

Revenge Roughstock and Rodeo Company will host two nights of professional rodeo competition featuring bull riding, bareback riding, barrel racing and other rodeo events. Gates open at 6:30 p.m. Tickets are $15 in advance for adults, $10 for children ages 6-12 and free for children 5 and under. A limited number of tickets will be available at the gate for $25. Tickets are available through Ticketfox.

195 Fairgrounds Drive, Kenansville

June 6

Murder Mystery Dinner Theater

5:30 - 9 p.m.

Duplin’s Murder Mystery Dinner Theater at the Duplin Winery will feature an interactive brain-teasing night of comedy, mystery and live performance with original scripts, quick-witted characters and hilarious twists. After dinner attendees will interact with characters and work in teams to solve the mystery. The team that cracks the case wins a prize and bragging rights.

505 North Sycamore St., Rose Hill

June 13

Beach Brew & Que

The Duplin Events Center will host Beach Brew & Que, a summer kicko event featuring barbecue, live beach music and daylong entertainment. Live music includes performances by I-42 Band, The Embers and Jim Quick & Coastline.

195 Fairgrounds Drive, Kenansville

Small Town Sunday Concert

5 p.m.

Country music act Small Town Sunday performs at the Born Anew Blessing Barn, preceded by a community dinner. The barn serves as a community resource center in Beulaville.

645 North Blizzardtown Road, Beulaville

World Line Networks opens new IT facility in Wallace

Company o cials highlight cybersecurity services and local workforce during ribboncutting ceremony

By Rebecca Whitman Cooke For Duplin Journal

WALLACE — On May 28, a ribbon-cutting ceremony in Wallace marked the opening of World Line Networks, a new IT service provider with a data storage facility serving businesses across the region.

World Line Networks is part of Murphy Family Ventures (MFV), which was established in 2004 by Wendell H. Murphy Jr. to manage and support the Murphy family’s business operations. The company originally served as MFV’s internal IT department as the orga-

nization expanded to support roughly 100 companies across North Carolina, Missouri and the southeastern United States.

In 2013, MFV acquired World Line Networks and expanded it into a full-service technology provider. The company now operates as a standalone IT services division within MFV. All nine full-time employees are MFV sta members, and MFV employs more than 900 people statewide and beyond.

World Line Networks operates from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., with 24-hour technical support available by phone, online and in person. Company representatives said its technicians bring extensive training and experience, including military backgrounds.

During the ceremony, company o cials highlighted their

local presence and focus on customer relationships in Duplin County.

“We strive to build and maintain long-standing relationships built on trust and timely delivery,” the company said. “We pride ourselves on a strong commitment to serving our clients in times of need or emergency as well as on any given day.”

The company added that most employees live in Duplin County, including Wallace, where its main o ce and data center are located.

In addition to network connectivity and device management, World Line Networks offers cybersecurity monitoring.

Company o cials said its cybersecurity expertise has been used to assist the National Guard in cybersecurity audits. Services are o ered in bundled IT pack-

ages tailored to individual business needs, the company said.

O cials added that being part of Murphy Family Ventures allows for cost e ciencies.

“We also treat each customer, no matter the size, as we would a cherished family member,” the company said. “We build strong, dependable relationships based on trust.”

The company also provides equipment and infrastructure support including power cabling, phones, cameras, servers and audiovisual systems.

Cybersecurity has become an increasing concern for businesses, the company said.

“AI has become much more prevalent in the cybersecurity space as both a defense tool and a tool used by threat actors to identify potential vulnerabilities,” the company said. “Awareness is the biggest factor in pro -

tecting yourself.”

Locally, the company said demand is growing for a ordable internet access, security camera systems and low-cost computers. O cials said they expect continued growth as business needs expand in Duplin County and surrounding areas.

Under its service model, World Line Networks provides 24/7 monitoring, incident response, antivirus protection, cloud backups and patch management, the company said. It also o ers managed IT services, including IT director support, help desk access and vendor coordination.

After the ribbon cutting, General Manager Johnny Diggs led attendees on a tour of the on-site data center. The event concluded with light refreshments and conversation among guests.

THE CONVERSATION

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

COLUMN

| DAVID HARSANYI

Democrats are in no position to lecture anyone about candidates

Democrats had a chance to be normal. They chose crazy.

DEMOCRATS ARE AGAIN acting like they occupy the high moral ground of American politics. But if 2026 has proven anything, it’s that there’s virtually nothing a left-wing candidate could say or do that would elicit condemnation from Democrats if doing so threatened their power.

Democrats, for example, demand credit for their opposition to Maureen Galindo, the Texas congressional candidate who proposed putting American “Zionists” (wink, wink) into concentration camps and castrating them, lost her Texas primary last week, winning 36% of the vote — not a bad showing for a politician championing mass imprisonment of her political enemies.

The question, though, is whether House Minority Leader Hakeem Je ries or Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez or anyone at Pod Save America or the Bulwark had uttered a word in protest, had Galindo already won her primary before making those comments? All the evidence strongly suggests no.

And by evidence, I mean their explicit support for slightly less o ensive cranks, extremists, bigots and terrorism apologists such as new party power broker Hasan Piker, the socialist Hezbollah fan Abdul el Sayed in Michigan or the Hamas apologist Chris Rabb in Pennsylvania, a guy who suggested the massacre of Jews at Bondi Beach was a “false ag” operation by “Zionists.”

Imagine telling someone 20 years ago that a leading congressional candidate in a New Jersey district situated right outside New York City had both volunteered for an al Qaeda front in Europe and spent years being friends with “The Blind Sheikh” Omar Abdel-Rahman, the longtime jihadi preacher who was sentenced for seditious conspiracy after planning a “day of terror” in 1995. Adam Hamawy defended Abdel-Rahman during his trial. And yet not a single notable Democrat has called him out on it.

Many of the same Democrats who expect Republicans to wring their hands over Republican Texas senatorial candidate Ken Paxton, a man tainted by corruption, have o ered a full-throated endorsement of a man who knowingly got and kept a Totenkopf SS Nazi tattoo for 20 years.

It’s not just that Graham Platner’s mentally unstable ravings, including saying a Purple Heart recipient didn’t “deserve to live,” that “all cops are bastards,” that white rural Americans were “racist and stupid,” that the Virgin Mary was a “skank,” defending child killers of Hamas or contending that sexual assault victims bring it on themselves. It’s that he still uses unhinged Marxist language right now.

Platner isn’t the rst skeeze to run for major o ce, but he might be the most extreme. Only two elected Democrats, as far as I can tell, have spoken out about Platner’s soft spot for Nazis. One is Sen. John Fetterman, who is under relentless attack from his own party for supporting Israel over Islamists, and Rep. Jake Auchincloss.

Now, if Platner’s opponent in Maine was a raging, corrupt ideologue, independents might be torn between two dangerous candidates. But the Republican in Maine is incumbent Sen. Susan Collins, perhaps the most milquetoast centrist member of the entire chamber.

Some Democrats rationalize their support for a self-described “communist” by noting that control of the Senate is far more important than worrying about the individual ravings of unhinged candidates. Though gutless

establishment Democrats did virtually nothing to counter extremists during the primaries, there’s a utilitarian logic to this thinking. But then you’re in no position to lecture Republicans about Paxton or anyone else, for that matter.

The 2026 elections will be held during the second term of an unpopular presidency, so there’s no telling how many Democrats will win. Or, perhaps, the new reality is that pro-Islamist Marxists are now an in uential part of the contemporary Democratic Party. How popular such a party will be nationally moving forward is yet to be seen.

I am constantly being assured that Democrats are the adults in the room. I’m supposed to believe that self-styled socialists are not only going to uphold norms, decency and democratic institutions but also improve the economic conditions of Americans. That contention clashes with every shred of historical evidence we possess. Democrats had a chance to be normal. They chose crazy.

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

COLUMN

| JAMES CARTER AND JACOB CHOE

The U.S. ally that figured out China’s game plan long before Washington

China is not a trading partner that plays by the rules.

WASHINGTON HAS SPENT decades talking about the U.S.-Japan alliance in military terms. Carrier groups. Missile defense. Deterrence. Those things matter enormously. But the alliance runs far deeper than defense planning, and right now the economic dimension deserves more attention than it is getting.

It runs through factories, ports, semiconductor supply chains, cattle ranches, shipping corridors, food processing systems and business relationships that never make the evening news.

Understanding why that matters requires being honest about something Washington spent too long avoiding: China is not a trading partner that plays by the rules. It is a strategic competitor that uses economic leverage as a weapon, and every supply chain that runs through Beijing is a vulnerability waiting to be exploited.

Japan gured this out before most American policymakers did.

The U.S.-Japan relationship stands out in the current environment precisely because it is built on something China cannot o er: genuine mutual trust developed over decades of transparent commerce, shared democratic values and consistent institutional behavior. That is not a diplomatic abstraction but rather a practical asset with real economic consequences.

Japan remains badly underestimated by many in Washington. Its food processing and agricultural technology sectors are extraordinarily sophisticated. Precision packaging, cold-chain logistics, sanitation systems and production e ciency are not glamorous topics, but they matter enormously in modern trade.

They reduce waste, improve reliability and create the kind of supply chain stability that China’s record of concealment, manipulation and economic coercion has repeatedly destroyed.

American agricultural producers bene t from the Japanese relationship more than most people realize. Japan is one of the largest overseas markets for U.S. beef, pork, wheat, corn, soybeans, dairy and seafood. Japanese rms invest heavily inside the United States in

automotive manufacturing, logistics, advanced materials, food technology and industrial infrastructure. That is far from dependency. It is the kind of reciprocal economic integration that actually works — because both sides follow the same rules and neither uses market access as a political hostage.

China does. And when it wants to remind you of that fact, it does not send a diplomatic note. It cuts o your supply chain.

Ask any American manufacturer who woke up to nd China restricting exports of gallium and germanium — two minerals essential to semiconductors, defense systems and advanced electronics — what Chinese economic partnership actually looks like in practice.

Beijing controls nearly 90% of the world’s rare earth processing capacity. It did not acquire that dominance through superior geology. It acquired it through decades of deliberate state subsidization, below-market pricing designed to drive foreign competitors out of business and a patient willingness to operate at a loss until the competition disappeared. Once the competition was gone, the leverage arrived. It’s a long con.

Japan understood this dynamic earlier than Washington and has spent years building diversi ed critical mineral supply chains precisely to reduce exposure to Chinese chokepoints. That work is directly relevant to American national security interests right now, and it is one reason the bilateral relationship carries strategic weight beyond what any single trade agreement or defense treaty could capture.

The recent weakness of the yen deserves more attention than it has received. Most commentary treats it as a Japanese problem. That misses half the picture.

A weaker yen lowers costs for American importers, manufacturers and rms purchasing Japanese industrial inputs and specialized technologies. It also encourages additional Japanese investment into the United States at precisely the moment America is trying to rebuild domestic manufacturing capacity and cut dangerous supply chain dependence on China. The yen story is, in part, an American opportunity.

President Donald Trump understood the

strategic stakes in the Paci c earlier and more clearly than his critics acknowledged. The emphasis on industrial resilience, supply chain repatriation and confronting Chinese economic aggression directly was not protectionist nostalgia.

It was a recognition that the rules-based trading order China pretends to respect is one it has systematically gamed for 30 years. Japanese policymakers understood this concern even when they disagreed with speci c tari decisions. The underlying diagnosis was correct. Events have kept proving it.

The Paci c is now a theater of economic competition whether Washington wants it to be or not. China has made that choice for everyone.

It has used its position in the South China Sea to intimidate smaller neighbors, backed Russia’s war in Ukraine while lecturing the West about sovereignty, and built rare earth dominance into a strategic weapon aimed directly at American manufacturing and defense capacity. It views American alliances not as facts to be respected but as problems to be dissolved.

That is why the U.S.-Japan alliance matters more right now than at any point in recent memory. Not because it is sentimental or traditional but because it is one of the few economic relationships in the Paci c built on rules both sides actually follow, trust both sides have actually earned and interests both sides have actually aligned. In a region where China has made dependency its primary foreign policy tool, that is a genuine strategic advantage.

Don’t take it for granted.

James Carter is a policy adviser with America’s Economy First. Jacob Choe is an international strategist and a member of the Bretton Woods Committee and a Ben Franklin Fellow. (Copyright 2026 Daily Caller News Foundation)

MARK GRADY FOR DUPLIN

Local nonpro t provides free child care, support for Duplin families

The programs include after-school care, summer day care and structured learning for suspended students

By Mark Grady For Duplin Journal

ANYONE WHO SHOPS at the grocery store, writes a rent check every month, or lls up their car’s gas tank is well aware that it takes a lot of money just to meet basic needs every month these days. Because of this shift in the economy, families that were lucky enough to have a full-time mom or dad at home now nd that it takes both parents in the workforce to pay the bills.

This dynamic puts yet another nancial stress on the family — daycare or after-school care, a place for the children to safely be while their parents are at work. Thanks to the dedication of a Warsaw-based nonprofit, many families in the area are able to receive free summer daycare or after-school care.

The nonpro t is called Diversity Nurtures Achievement Community Youth Center, called DNA for short. Duplin Journal sat down with the founder of the nonpro t, Earlean Rivers, at one of the locations where these services are provided — in this case, Big Zion AME Zion Church near Kenansville. Rivers said the inspiration to begin DNA came while doing some substitute teaching in Warsaw.

“I said I can do more on my own than I can with someone governing me.”

Earlean Rivers

“After subbing for a few days, they told me they had a fulltime teaching position for me,” Rivers said. “I said, ‘Get the curriculum ready for me and I’ll go visit the classroom’ because it wasn’t the room I was subbing in.”

The door to the classroom where she was o ered the position was as far as she got.

“I am looking at them, and it broke my heart,” Rivers said.

“It really hurt me. They did not know who they were.”

Seeing the look on the faces of the children in that classroom bothered her so much that she nished her day of substitute teaching and never went back.

“I said I can do more on my own than I can with someone governing me,” Rivers said.

With that, DNA was born in 2015. She started in a small, older building just outside Warsaw providing after-school care. That has now evolved into an additional site in Warsaw and another at the Big Zion AME Zion Church near Kenansville. The services have also expanded to include what they call “structured learning” for middle and high school students who have been suspended. Those classes are held from

MARRIAGE LICENSES

Anita Marie Savage, Duplin County Register of Deeds issued 19 marriage licenses for the month ending on May 31, 2026.

Mario Mendez Reynoso, Seven Springs, and Eleuteria Lopez Cabrera, Seven Springs;

• Jesse Daniel Stevens, Seven Springs, and Diana Louise Dildy, Kinston;

• Serena Marie Terry, Willard, and Ethan Timothy Bracken, Willard;

• Ivan Jafet Sanchez Bustos, Rose Hill, and Alondra Lizbeth Martinez Gonzalez, Rose Hill;

• Taylor Lynn Rose O’Bryan, Rose Hill, and Johnny Austin Boone, Rose Hill;

• Je rey Ross King, Pink Hill, and Elizabeth Marie Bowed, Pink Hill;

• Addison Javon Hudson, Clinton, and Brittany Magalene Chestnutt, Clinton;

• Jordan Daniel Brugmann, Fort Bragg, and Jasmine Marie Mitchum, Pink Hill;

• Eduardo Gomez Garcia, Warsaw, and

7:30 a.m. until 1:45 p.m. daily. Having those classes end at 1:45 p.m. gives the DNA sta time to prepare for the arrival of buses bringing children for after-school care.

Rivers said many of the students in the structured learning program are teenagers in foster care who have been placed in a juvenile facility. She said even when they are released from the facility, they are not allowed to go straight back to school. Some of the students are on probation. The program gives them the opportunity to still learn during their suspension or probation instead of having nothing to do and no place to go, meaning they are likely to avoid situations that could continue the cycle of getting in trouble.

When the after-school students arrive, they are given a full meal. Afterward, they go into a room with tables where they work on homework or read.

When school is out for the summer, the three DNA locations convert into daycare centers, providing the same services of meals, learning and encouragement o ered during after-school care.

Parents who have children enrolled in the program receive the services at no charge, removing a big nancial burden from the families involved. DNA is funded through a series of grants and donations that Rivers is consistently seeking to keep the program alive.

Julissa Cruz Hernandez, Rose Hill;

• John Russell Beaman, Dudley, and Johnnie Whitman Boyette, Pink Hill;

• Karen Campbell Kennedy, Beulaville, and Michael Glenn Mckeel, Blounts Creek;

• Cheyne Andrew Sciuto, Richlands, and Shelby Carolyne Morgan, Richlands;

• Dakota Hudson Baysden, Pink Hill, and Jordan May Jones, Pink Hill;

• Anthony Lane Silance, Faison, and Kristy Denise Brinson, Faison;

• Michael Allen Glass Jr., Kenansville, and Kelly Michelle Rubio-Vizcarra, Kenansville;

• Brianna Lynn Shabolin, Rose Hill, and Austin Reed Webre, Rose Hill;

• Kayla Rochelle Hicks, Rose Hill, and Spencer Connell Chestnutt, Warsaw;

• Mackenzie Renae Frye, Wallace, and Logan Andrew Harper, Magnolia;

• Aide Chavez Reyes, Leland, and Bernabe Reyes Hernandez, Leland.

forward is to create the sewer authority. And as part of that, the rst piece of creating that is a public notice and a public meeting,” said Davidson.

A statutorily required public hearing is being planned for late July or early to mid-August. The county and the town of Wallace must determine where administrative duties — such as auditing, nancial reporting, and sta ng — will be housed.

County Manager Lisa Hughes said the Town of Wallace is expected to receive wastewater from the system and they have expressed a willingness to take over operations once the infrastructure is in place. Davidson said o cials are also exploring a partnership with the Town of Teachey.

Davidson said the goal is to secure state or federal grants to cover construction and initial connection costs for participating residents.

Residents would still pay a monthly sewer fee estimated between $50 and $70 and would be responsible for maintaining grinder pumps installed on their properties. The pumps are expected to carry ve- to 10-year warranties. Residents who do not join during the grant-funded phase could face the full cost of connection and equipment if they choose to join the system later.

If the authority is created but grant funding is not secured, the authority could be dissolved.

Agri-Waste Technology has drafted initial documents and will work with the county attorney for legal review.

In addition to the wastewater project update, commissioners reviewed a revised proposed budget of $79.5 million, about $2.5 million higher than the FY 2025-26 adopted budget.

The revised appropriated fund balance for FY27 is $6.86 million, about $295,000 lower than the previous recommendation and roughly $868,000 less than the amount appropriated in FY26.

Hughes stated that while $7.7 million was appropriated for FY26, she does not expect to spend any of it by the end of the scal year.

“Based upon where we are today on June 1, I don’t think we’re going to spend one penny of that $7.7 million (fund balance) that was appropriated in this year’s budget. Our revenues are coming good,” said Hughes.

The proposal includes a 2.5% raise for employees earning less than $90,000 annually and a 1% raise for employees earning more than $90,000.

“Based upon where we are today on June 1, I don’t think we’re going to spend one penny of that $7.7 million (fund balance) that was appropriated.”

Lisa Hughes, county manager

Revenue adjustments included higher malt beverage receipts, increased state reimbursements for Social Services and a $30,000 state contribution for Soil and Water. The Health and Human Services Division also requested $97,834 from the restricted Medicaid fund balance for speci c programs.

“There’s an increase in professional services to print the tax bills for the tax o ce,” said Hughes.

Additional spending includes funding for a child support attorney, social services security, an EMS medical director contract, updated employee health insurance costs and increased support for Cabin Lake.

Capital expenditures total $2.61 million and include:

$63,250 for a communications dispatch tower generator upgrade.

$7,734 in E911 expenses not covered by the emergency telephone fund.

A $13,000 EMS adjustment. No members of the public came forward to comment after the proposed budget was presented.

In other business:

The board unanimously approved a memorandum of understanding establishing a new Rural Transportation Planning Organization with Greene, Lenoir and Wayne counties following the county’s withdrawal from the Eastern Carolina Council.

“Approval of this MOU and the formation of our own RPO for the four counties... ensures that our voice will be heard with NCDOT,” said Hughes, who explained that Wayne County will host the new RPO and provide the necessary transportation planner. She also explained that the four participating counties will share the costs of supporting the organization, similar to the previous arrangement with the ECC.

Commissioners then adjourned until June 15 and entered closed session to discuss legal and personnel matters.

Kevin Davidson of Agri-Waste Technology discusses the proposed Calico Bay and East Log Cabin Wastewater Project during the June 1 Duplin County Board of Commissioners meeting.

Share with your community! Send your birth, death, marriage, graduation and other announcements to community@duplinjournal.com

Airport projects advance amid delays, funding adjustments

Work continues on hangars and apron rehabilitation as fuel farm project falls behind schedule

By Rebecca Whitman Cooke For Duplin Journal

KENANSVILLE — The Duplin County Airport Board marked the third anniversary of the death of former Airport Director George H. Futrelle before hearing updates on several ongoing infrastructure projects on May 26.

“It’s hard to believe it’s been three years,” Director Joshua Raynor said. “I just want to acknowledge that we miss him.” The board observed a moment of silence. Raynor then provided updates on capital improvement

town and from the town’s new nance o cer on the highlights of the proposed budget.

Lee Grissom of S. Preston Douglas & Associates, the CPA rm hired to complete the state-required audit, told the board that while Mount Olive’s overall nancial condition is improving, several concerns remain. One of the primary issues identi ed in the audit was the town’s fund balance, which has not yet reached the level recommended by the Local Government Commission (LGC), the state agency responsible for overseeing the nancial practices of local governments.

The LGC recommends that municipalities maintain a fund balance equal to 34% of annual expenditures. According to Grissom, the audit found Mount Olive’s fund balance currently stands at 21%. He said the town would need to increase its fund balance by approximately $600,000 to meet the LGC’s recommended benchmark.

Despite the discrepancy, Grissom praised the town for the progress it has made in that area since its fund balance percentage had reached a low of 4% in 2018.

Grissom pointed out several areas of concern with the audit, beginning with the fact that the audit was late. It was supposed to be completed and submitted to the state on Dec. 31, 2025, but was not completed until April 27 of this year. He said the delay was understandable considering the town had issues with no nance o cer in that position until recently.

In addition, Grissom referenced the ndings from the recent state auditor’s audit on the town that found issues with billings and cuto fees within the town’s water and sewer department, as well as the lack of documentation and control over expenses incurred at the Mount Olive Airport. He said voided water cuto fees had resulted in a revenue loss to the town of $109,000. A problem with the town charging incorrect utility rates had cost the town an additional $65,000 in 2025 alone, Grissom added.

Grissom was most critical of the nancial agreements with

projects, including work on airport hangars and the fuel farm.

The hangar project is expected to begin work on the parking lot by Friday, with crews straightening an uneven section of apron, repouring concrete, polishing interior oors and installing a dehumidi cation system. Raynor said the project is nearing completion and is expected to be nished by mid-June. Renovations to older hangars have already been completed.

The fuel farm project remains behind schedule, ocials said.

“We are on Day 48 of a 90 - day

“We are on Day 48 of a 90-day project. They are behind schedule.”

Joshua Raynor, airport director

project. They are behind schedule,” Raynor said. “We are applying pressure to get it done but expect it to go past the due date,” Hunter Boniface added. Consistent issues with submittals and paperwork were cited as the cause for the delays.

Board members also discussed the use of an additional $150,000 in state funding originally allocated for taxiway upgrades. The airport had to can-

cel the taxiway extension and use the funds for the fuel farm tanks because the funds needed to be spent quickly. Amendments to the fuel farm project will be made to plan for the additional funds used there.

While the airport is delayed on the fuel farm, fuel service for aircraft will not be interrupted.

Director Raynor explained that the AVGAS truck and two fuel tanks will remain available until the project is completed.

Greg VanderMolen gave an update on the apron rehabilitation project. “Financing has been awarded, and we have 120 days to have bids in hand. We will start advertising mid-June to the end of July, and we are likely to go before the County Board in

September for approval,” said VanderMolen.

The entire project is expected to last 150 days in the Spring of 2027, and current hangar tenants may have to nd temporary housing elsewhere when it begins.

Raynor told the board that Shannon Coleman has been named director of forestry services at the airport. The board asked Raynor to invite him to dinner sometime to celebrate. For May, the airport reported 436 operations, 3,146 gallons of avgas sold and approximately 14,000 gallons of jet fuel sold. Raynor also corrected April gures, stating jet fuel sales totaled 20,000 gallons, not 12,000 as previously reported.

Board Chairman Jack Alphin asked about project timelines and work quality, and the board discussed how the tenants were happy with the hangar repairs. The meeting adjourned amid discussion of the state budget and potential future funding opportunities.

the operator of the Mount Olive Airport. “There wasn’t a clear contract in the way the whole thing was operated, sort of backwards in a lot of ways,” Grissom said in reference to aviation fuel purchases at the airport. “We calculated approximately $235,000 where fuel purchases were initiated that were not pre-audited,” meaning the expenditures had not been approved in the town’s budget.

Grissom said the state auditor had discovered there was a verbal agreement with the airport operator that was not on paper. He said that has since been corrected.

The other area that concerned Grissom was delays in reconciling bank statements with the town’s books. He said that is where mistakes and fraud can be detected early.

After Grissom’s presentation, the board heard from recently appointed town nance ocer Joseph Trollinger, who gave a lengthy report on the proposed budget, which calls for a reduction in the town’s property tax from 7.5 cents to 7.2 cents per $100 valuation. He told the board he believed the town could make the tax reduc-

tion and still work toward improving the percentage of fund balance recommended by the LGC.

In other business, the board nally moved forward in resolving a dispute that had been brewing for several months over who would operate the town’s Hurricanes youth football program after program’s two previous operators ended their involvement. Several months ago, the Fellowship of Christian Athletes (FCA) presented a proposal to the board seeking to lease the Dr. Spencer E. Durante Sr. Athletic Complex and continue operating the youth football program there. The board initially seemed receptive to the agreement until Mayor Jerome Newton expressed concern that the FCA was headquartered outside North Carolina.His concerns led to months of uncertainty regarding local nonpro t ALDA, Inc.’s interest in leasing and operating the facility.

Both organizations appeared before the board on Monday night and said they were trying to work together. In the end, the board agreed to approve a 10year lease to FCA for the complex and to advertise the pro -

“There wasn’t a clear contract in the way the whole thing was operated, sort of backwards in a lot of ways.”

Lee Grissom

posed sale of three acres of land near the Carver Cemetery to ALDA, Inc. to build an athletic track on the property.

The board also voted to hold a public referendum on changing the town’s charter to elect commissioners into four-year staggered terms instead of the current two-year terms. Town attorney Carroll Turner said the issue had been approved in time to have the referendum appear on the upcoming November ballot.

Concerns about water quality and testing practices took center stage during closing comments from the commissioners and mayor.

Mayor Pro Tem Delreese Simmons displayed two stacks of papers that he said were two years’ worth of water quality reports he had obtained

from Town Clerk Sherry Davis.

“They test 25 sites in town every month,” Simmons said. “Show me one street in all this paperwork from the southside of town. Years and years go by that they didn’t test the water on our side of town.”

Simmons said residents in his district regularly complain about brown, foul-smelling water. He asked Town Manager Octavious Murphy if this would happen again in future testing of water.

“Absolutely not,” Murphy said. “It shouldn’t have happened the rst time.”

During his closing remarks, Newton addressed numerous complaints from residents who said they have been unable to reach the town’s Housing Authority o ce to report maintenance issues or inquire about vacant properties.

Newton said the Housing Authority falls under the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and that his authority is limited to appointing members of the local housing authority board. He said the regional HUD o ce in Greensboro has been noti ed of the concerns and plans to visit Mount Olive to investigate.

DUPLIN SPORTS

ROXBORO BESTS

NORTH DUPLIN FOR TITLE

Kaylyn Pope didn’t allow ND to ex its o ensive muscles during a 10-2 series-clinching win at Duke University

By Michael Jaenicke Duplin Journal

DURHAM — North Duplin had two obstacles to overcome to win its rst state title since 2015 — its defensive and the pitching of Roxboro’s Kaylyn Pope.

The Rebels’ uncharacteristically decision making aided the Bulldogs’ bats, which scored a run in each of the rst ve innings for a 10-2 win in Game 3 of the 2A softball nals at Duke University’s Smith Family Stadium.

Series MVP Katie Mann had three hits and two walks and scored four times.

Karrie Obie and Lexi Powell combined for three hits and three RBIs and Presley Leonard knocked in two with a solo homer and single as Roxboro, which opened its doors in 2006, won its rst state title in any sport.

“It wasn’t a perfect ending, and it’s not what we wanted, but second place is OK. And we had our chances.”

Lilly Fulghum

Earlier in the day, the Bulldogs (25 - 4) whipped the Rebels 10-6 to force the deciding game. ND (19-4) took the opening game 4-3 in eight innings the previous day.

And while Mann, Leonard, Powell and Obie were key, some media members felt Pope was the di erence maker. Her improvement helped Roxboro take the title after falling in the region nals the previous two seasons. The junior pitched every inning of the nals and hurled more than 300 pitches in the regional win over South Stanly.

And it wasn’t her dominance over

See TITLE, page B2

Ady Spence and Lilly Fulghum, carried the

By Michael Jaenicke Duplin Journal

DURHAM — Freshman Gracie Higginbotham red up the North Duplin bench in the eighth inning by striking out all-state slugger Karrie Obie. ND’s Lilly Fulghum had stayed away from her power by issuing her three walks.

That set the stage for senior moments in the rst game of the Rebels’ best-of-three 2A nal at Duke University on May 24.

Yet Roxboro Community didn’t have the same success with that strategy in the bottom half of the inning by intentionally walking Fulghum, a Division I signee at UNC Charlotte.

Classmate Ady Spence’s single gave the Rebels a 4-3 win.

The Bulldogs would go on to win Game 2 (10-6) and Game 3 (10-2) to claim the title.

But ND (19-4) held the advantage for quite some time, needing just one win to win it all.

Ady Spence’s at-bats got progressively better, tied the game in the sixth with a sacri ce y that knocked in Fulghum, who had tripled to start the frame.

Raegan Herring followed with a pop y that catcher Leah Gri n made a sensational play on. A diving catch by left elder Presley Leonard on a steamer hit by Gizelle Bernal also saved a run.

Roxboro scored the rst run of the game when Leonard was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded.

Lilly Fulghum ripped a two-run homer, bringing in Marissa Bernal, who had singled, to give ND a 2-1 lead.

Roxboro (25-4) tied it in the second via a triple by Kylie Bowers and a sacri ce y by series MVP Katie Mann.

COLUMN

MICHAEL JAENICKE

The ‘little’ school that can continues to be a frontrunner

SOFTBALL IS MORE than a sport at North Duplin.

And the Rebels have captured the attention of the masses at a 2A school that had 10 too many students to qualify for the lowest classi cation — 1A — during the NCHSAA’s recent realignment.

North Duplin is a “big” softball player in any classi cation.

ND’s second state nals appearance in four years came from a trend started in 2015 when the Rebels were 1A champs.

ND went 20-4 that spring after being 13-24 the previous three seasons.

The Rebels have gone 180 - 46 since that season, which includes one season (1-1) that the COVID-19 pandemic all but eliminated and one season (12-1) after it in which schools were allowed to play only conference games until the playo s.

Ricky Edwards, ND’s current AD and a longtime coach in several sports, was the head coach from 2015-21, going 94 -25. His 2016 club lost to 1A champ Princeton in the East Region nals but won 20 games for the second consecutive season.

ND was good in both 2017 (15-3) and 2018 (18-4) and lost to eventual champ Camden County in the rst round in 2021 in a bracket that was drawn from a hat (not seeded).

The last ve seasons under Jaime Higginbotham reignited softball at school that has won at least a share of the conference title for six years running.

Higginbotham, a former coach at Mount Olive University, has guided the Rebels to a 86-21 mark

The cupboard was all but bare of experience when she took over in 2022 and ND was 13-6. But a secondround loss was ND’s fate in 2018 and 2019 before the two pandemic-a ected seasons.

The recovery season of ’22 was led by Higginbotham’s oldest daughter, Addy, who hit over .400 as a freshman at Wingate this season and Reece Outlaw, who is playing for UNC in Chapel Hill.

Lilly Fulghum, soon-tobe three-time all-state player, joined the all-star party the following season.

The next spring ND set a single-season record for wins (23-5).

The Rebels went 17-2 in 2023, falling in the fourth round to 1A runner-up Northside-Pinetown

See JAENICKE, page B4

ATHLETE OF THE WEEK SPONSORED BY BILL CARONE

Marissa Bernal

North Duplin, softball

North Duplin softball coach Jaime Higginbotham says she would like to convince Marissa Bernal to play softball in college, though she’s commited to play volleyball at Louisburg College next fall.

It’s easy to see her rationale as Bernal went 7 of 25 during the playo s, scoring eight times and driving in seven runs.

The senior hit .353 this season with nine doubles, four triples, ve homers, 34 runs and 27 RBIs.

She was also a run-saver in center eld, racing into the gaps, into the shallows of the out eld and to the fence to rob hitters.

Bernal’s star has been shining for three seasons, as she hit .447 and .404 during her junior and sophomore campaigns, respectively.

During the fall she was a rst-team all-Carolina Conference selection for 17-8 ND. She had 57 service aces and a Duplin-high 384 digs.

Her younger sister Gizelle, a freshman starter at third base, has big shoes to ll.

Wells, Brooks succeed by ghting through adversity

Matthew Wells and Will Brooks showed persistence, grit and dedication to become true ’Dawgs

By Michael Jaenicke Duplin Journal

TEACHEY — Matthew

Wells and Will Brooks have a few things in common beyond the graduation gowns while being three-year stars in three sports at Wallace-Rose Hill.

Each battled demons on and o the court to sign letters of intent to continue as athletes in college.

Wells, who starred in basketball, football and track, will shoot 3-pointers at Francis Marion next winter.

He averaged 15.1 points, 7.9 rebounds, 3.1 steals and 1.9 assists for WRH last season to earn all-conference honors in the Swine Valley and rst-team status among his Duplin County peers. WRH got o to a 12-1 start before nishing 18-6. Wells, who played forward and not in the backcourt because it was what the Bulldogs needed, given they did not have a player over 6-foot-1.

Wells played split end and quarterback in football and mixed it up with the big boys despite being just 175 pounds.

“He drowned out all the noise, injuries and negativity and just busted his butt in the weight room,” said WRH football coach Kevin Motsinger. “He just kept getting back up

Matthew Wells, seated left, and his parents, Jack and Wendy Wells, join Will Brooks and his parents, Kenny and Lara Brooks, and WRH head football coach Kevin Motsinger during a college signing for both players in Teachey recently.

and I see him one day as a tremendous father, tremendous husband and a great friend to many. He’s a Timex. He takes all kinds of hits and keeps on ticking.”

Wells came on strong late in the basketball season and was the best player on the oor when WRH was struggling, as he upped his average to 20 points in his last nine games.

“He deservingly got a starting position and then goes about guring out anything in between,” said assistant coach Jaquayle Robinson. “Matt’s taken advantage of every opportunity and played so well, especially since he was so out of position. There’s no doubt in my mind he will surprise a lot of people at the next level.”

Brooks, an all-county linebacker, was a leader on the grid-

iron and the diamond where he hit .328 his nal season, sporting a .303 career mark. He will play football at Wesleyan University, a Division III school in Rocky Mount.

“He shouldn’t have played baseball or football after going to the ECU hospital,” Motsinger said. “I should be speaking about him as a football player, but what he went through goes so much farther than that and into life.”

Wells has no fear on an athletic eld.

“He’s gonna hit you and he’s not scared of anyone,” Motsinger said. “He goes and gets it and will absolutely bite you. He’s a ’Dawg. I thank God I had the chance to watch him and Matt. These two used sports to get opportunities. They didn’t let sports use them.”

via a pair of walks, two hits and a pair of errors.

hitters as she struck out just two Rebels.

“How she battled and fought through was tremendous,” said Bulldog coach Michael Clark. “She’s grown so much. Honestly, I do it for my teammates, family and coaches.”

Her teammates held up their end of the deal by playing superb defense, especially key were gems by shortstop Mann, rst baseman Obie and center elder Kylie Bowers.

Roxboro started its celebration after a 6-4-3 double play. How good and fortunate was Pope?

She gave up 13 hits yet ND mustered up both of its runs in the fth inning, after trailing 7-0.

Obie sacri ced in a run in the rst and Mann, Bowers and Leonard had key hits in the three-run third, which included two walks and Roxboro running around the bases as ND stood in frozen mode.

Karlie Barringer and Obie keyed the two-run fourth, though ND didn’t help its own cause in the eld.

Leonard’s homer in the fth chased away Rebel senior starter Lilly Fulghum, who was relieved by Gracie Higginbotham. The freshman gave up three runs in the sixth

Fulghum and Wyllow Holmes singled and scored via singles by Marissa Bernal and Ady Spence.

But Pope forced a weak pop out from Abigeal Norris with the bases loaded to end the threat.

Gizelle Bernal and Raegan Herring stroked a hit in the sixth and seventh, respectively. But Pope induced three y balls in the sixth and snagged a line drive for thenal out.

ND’s physical and mental elding miscues were the most bothersome to head coach Jaime Higginbotham.

“That’s not Rebel softball and frankly we didn’t play that well, though we had some bright spots,” said Higginbotham, who guided ND to the 1A nal in 2023 before falling to Union Academy.

“We’re a young team and sometimes that inexperience shows,” Fulghum added. “But we had the same energy and same emotion when we got here three years ago.”

“It wasn’t a perfect ending, and it’s not what we wanted, but second place is OK. And we had our chances.”

Roxboro bats came alive for Games 2 and 3.

“We had to make a lot of adjustments because they have two very good pitchers,” Clark

ND will depend on freshman Gracie Higginbotham’s arm and bat in the next three seasons. She was second to senior teammate Lilly Fulghum in most o ensive categories this season.

said. “A player like Lilly (Fulghum) is a competitor, whether she’s in the circle or hitting.” Pope, meanwhile, kept the ball on the outside corner for Fulghum in Game 3 and she chased two pitches to hit long y ball outs to left eld.

“I had to keep it out there,” said Pope of the top hitter in the Duplin Journal-area. “It’s almost like you don’t want to throw her a strike. And even balls on the outside, high or low can be hit by a player like her.” Higginbotham and Spence were the lone Rebels with two hits.

Diamond Notes

Higginbotham (.574, 14 extra-base hits, 38 hits, 38 runs, 16 RBIs) was 16 of 28 in eight playo s games. Fulghum (.607, 21 extras, 17 walks, 41 runs, 39 RBIs) had eight hits, 12 walks and scored 16 times. They are the top two hitters among all Duplin-area players this spring.

After a so-so regular season, Spence (.286, eight extras, 15 runs, 24 RBIs) was 9 of 25 and had 10 postseason RBIs. She hit .396 as a junior and .388 her rst season.

Marissa Bernal (.353,18 extras, 34 runs, 27 RBIs) was 7 of 25, scored eight times and drove in seven runs. The senior was the recipient of the NCHSAA’s Sportsmanship Award.

Next-level: 3 Panthers sign letters of intent

Shawn Davis will continue his football dream at Albany State, while Tavarius Dawson and Branson Norris head to Guilford College

By Michael Jaenicke Duplin Journal

BEULAVILLE — The Albany State football team is known for its ground attack and defense.

It’s a seemingly perfect t for East Duplin’s Shawn Davis, a three-time all-Duplin performer who signed a letter of intent with the Division II school in southwest Georgia.

Davis was a keynote performer on both sides of the ball his senior season because the Panthers needed his ability and presence when the ball was snapped.

The three-year starter at fullback ran for 3,840 yards and 53 TDs during his career. He put up 1,464 and 1,144 in his previous two seasons before getting 1,207 yards and 16 scores as a senior and also making 89 tackles with an expanded role on defense for the ECC-winning Panthers.

Davis made 69 tackles in his rst three seasons. His

biggest game might have been when he had 15 takedowns during a 20-13 win over Clinton.

He heads to the largest HBCU in Georgia after leading ED to a 25-11 mark the past three seasons. The Golden Rams are 443-311-22 and have 23 conference titles.

Two of his teammates will likewise continue their athletic journeys as quarterback Branson Norris and defensive lineman Tavarius Dawson.

Norris hit on 40 of 88 for 628 yards with 12 TDs and was intercepted just once in Battle Holley’s run-orientated Wing T o ense.

He was the MVP of the Field Events for the ECC this spring, winning both hurdles races and landing in third in the high jump. Dawson, who tips the scales just over 300 pounds, had 62 tackles as a rst-team all-Duplin player. That number is twice what the average lineman normally has in a season.

Guilford is a Division III school in Greensboro.

The Quakers were 2-8 last fall and have carved out a 341-641-26 mark since 1893, around the time the rst leather helmets were worn by players.

GIRLS’ SOCCER STATS

G A PTs

Carrly Strickland (ND) 32 11 75

Anamarie Rodriguez (ED) 30 9 69

Tristen Stemmler (ND) 23 3 49

Alayah Wilson (JK) 22 0 44

Bayleen Flores (WRH) 20 4 44

Joselin Mata-Aguilar (ED) 18 7 43

Sosa Hernande-Espino (ED) 9 15 33

Yaneidi Cruz (JK) 10 12 32

Sasha Arguijo (ND) 13 4 30

Roselin Orozco (ND 10 6 26

Gabby Debnam (WRH) 11 3 25

Yaslin Melendez (WRH) 11 3 25

Arley Irula (JK) 4 5 13

Reagan Campbell (ED) 4 4 12

Melanie Reyes (ED) 5 1 11

Brianna Maradiaga (WRH) 4 2 10

Abby Rose (ND) 3 1 7

HITTING

PITCHING

BASEBALL STATS

Hurler Fulghum was all set to get out of a two-out, bases loaded jam in the fourth, before rst baseman Gracie Higginbotham lost a pop y in the sun.

It stayed 3-2 until the Spence worked the count in her favor and made solid contact against hurler Kaylyn Pope.

Fulghum wiggled her way out of trouble in two other innings. In the third she had runners at rst and second with no outs but struck out Leonard and got Gri n and Karsyn Dodson to pop out. Dodson doubled with one out in the fth but was stranded when Fulghum retired the next two hitters.

The eighth was the lone time ND set down Roxboro in order.

Higginbotham got Mann to hit a y ball for the rst out. The second out came when Fulghum stabbed a line drive at shortstop. Her punchout of Obie seemed to build momentum for the Rebel o ense.

Game 2: Bulldogs 10, Rebels 6

Roxboro evened the series the next day by jumping on Higginbotham four runs in the opening inning. Leonard slammed a two-run shot and Lexi Powell doubled in two more. It was 4-1 because of a Marissa Bernal single and RBI triple by cleanup hitter Fulghum.

Fulghum’s sacri ce y in the third trimmed the de cit to 6-2.

Things were totally haywire in the three-run fourth as ND’s defense and decision making and three timely hits pushed the margin to 9-2. Two runs came on a elder’s choice that didn’t produce an out in the books.

The mercy rule looked possible for Roxboro in the fth after and Obie sacri ce y made it 10-2. The run was setup by two walks, an error and a passed ball.

ND made Pope work hard in her nal three frames.

She escaped the fth when third baseman Leonard caught Higginbotham’s line drive seemingly destined for the left eld line.

Pope walked three and Roxboro had three miscues in the two-run sixth.

Spence knocked in Higginbotham, who had singled, in the seventh and Raegan Herring’s y ball to center scored another run to trim the margin to four runs.

The comeback came up short when Roxboro executed a game-ending 6-4-2 double play as ND had the pond lled with ducks.

The two teams combined for at least eight outstanding defensive plays. Gonzalez made a catch back pedaling into the out eld to squeeze a potential hit in the second, the same inning Herring made a solid catch in right eld.

Spence made a clutch out at second in the third and center elder Marissa Bernal had two outstanding catches, including a ball she laid out for in the fth that had hit written all over it.

Roxboro CF Kylie Bowers caught an Ady Spence y ball in the third in the gap that would have scored two runs. Bulldog catcher Gri n also caught Gizelle Bernal attempting to steal second base in the fourth.

Around the classi cation horn

Regional teams of note during the playo s include:

• East Columbus (21-7), which tied ND for the top spot in the Carolina Conference, lost to Bear Grass Charter (24-5) in the 1A nals series.

• Trask (16-6), who beat Midway (21-2) in the fourth round, lost McMichael in the East Region nal in 3A.

• Randleman (25-4), who beat East Duplin (19-4) in the fourth round in 4A, lost to eventual champ Southwestern Randolph (25-4) in the East Region nal. Southwestern Randolph topped West Stanly in two games for the crown.

• West Carteret (22-6) saw its state title hopes vanish after two losses to Enka (25-3) in the 5A nals in Durham.

and were 14-4 the following season after a shocking 12-1 loss to Bear Grass Charter in the third round.

So in one respect, ND’s push to the nals this spring and eventual loss in three games to charter school Roxboro is cause for celebration.

Yet they could not end Duplin County’s all-sports jinx.

The county has not won a state championship in a major team sport since East Duplin took its rst crown home in 2022.

The James Kenan football team knocked on the door last fall before falling to Kinston in the East Region nal.

ND loses Fulghum to UNC Charlotte as well as Ady Spence and Marissa Bernal, a pair of proven stars

Yet Higginbotham is sure to get her 100th win at ND next season behind a cast of returnees that include her youngest daughter Gracie and freshmen upstarts Wyllow Holmes and Gizelle Bernal and rising seniors Norris, a catcher, and shortstop Hannah Gonzalez.

And the Rebels are not small school with a reputation of making long runs in the playo s.

ND can beat teams in any classi cation.

And yet the Rebels win and the presence of Higginbotham, a southpaw pitcher, is enough to ensure ND will be a contender in the next three seasons.

NBA

Rozier hit with new bribery charges in sports gambling sting

Federal prosecutors have indicted ex-Miami Heat guard Terry Rozier on additional charges related to a sports gambling sting. The 32-year- old was charged with bribery in sporting contests and honest services wire fraud conspiracy. Prosecutors allege he took a hefty bribe to exit a game early in March 2023. He has denied participating in the gambling scheme and is ghting to have the case dismissed. His attorneys argue the government’s theory runs afoul of a recent U.S. Supreme Court ruling.

NCAA ATHLETICS

Big 12 becoming rst Power Four conference to have all members agree to CSC participation

Frisco, Texas

The Big 12 is the rst Power Four conference to have each of its members sign participation agreements with the College Sports Commission. That is the agency formed last year to police name, image and likeness payments. The agreement requires schools to waive their right to le lawsuits against the enforcement agency and gives it wide latitude to sanction programs for violating rules that outline how players can be paid. All 68 Power Four schools must sign the 11-page document for it to become valid.

that in softball. When zeros are pasted up on the scoreboard of the opponents, it’s remarkably easier to score enough runs to continue to mercy-rule half of its scheduled games.

ND will recover from the loss of Fulghum, Bernal and Spence like it did when Outlaw, Rylee Pate, Haley Brogden, Callie Thornton, Courtney Brock, Alyssa Santos, Riley Hatch and Rayanna and Makayla Koch departed.

They look unreplaceable at the time and while some are and were, the Softball Gods have consistently delivered more rescue angels from which ND can build its team around.

Yet the Rebels are not a school that can handpick players as noted by Higginbotham after ND’s Game 3 loss to Roxboro Charter.

“In the beginning of the year I would probably have laughed if you said we’d be here (2A nals),” Higginbotham said. “It’s nice to be in the top-2 in the state. But we have three kids that play travel ball, one who never played softball before this season and others who are learning the game.

“We are not a charter or private school and get our players from the middle school. We’re a small town, and they really support us.”

The Rebels have championship pedigree and always seem to be in the hunt to collect more trophies. They are the blueprint of softball success for a small school. JAENICKE from page B1

A really good hurler can do

PUBLIC HEARING

Town Of Teachey Budget Approval for 2026-2027

6/8/26 @ 6:00pm | Town Of Teachey Town Hall Questions call Clerk Morgan Jacobs @ 910-285-7564

TOWN OF WALLACE

TOWN COUNCIL PUBLIC HEARING NOTICE

March 12, 2026, after 6:00 PM NOTICE IS HEARBY GIVEN that the Town Council of theTown of Wallace has called for a Quasi-Judicial Public Hearing on a Special Use Permit Application at the Wallace Women’s Club, located at 216 N. East Railroad Street, Wallace, NC 28466, on Thursday, June 11, 2026, after 6:00 PM for the following: The applicant is seeking to construct multi-family apartments on SE Railroad Street; zoned R-6 (residential, minimum lot size 6,000 sq.ft.), Parcel ID 09-2693. Persons wishing to speak on the issues are invited to attend and be heard at the scheduled public hearing.

Persons having questions may contact Rod Fritz, Planning Director at (910) 285-4136 or rfritz@wallacenc.gov.

TOWN OF WALLACE

TOWN COUNCIL PUBLIC HEARING NOTICE

June 11, 2026, after 6:00 PM NOTICE IS HEARBY GIVEN that the Town Council of theTown of Wallace has called for a Public Hearing at the Wallace Women’s Club, located at 216 N. East Railroad Street, Wallace, NC 28466, on Thursday, June 11, 2026, after 6:00 PM for the following: The applicant is seeking to rezone 2.66 acres, Pin 3314-35-68270000 located at 10771 US Hwy 117 N, from HB (highway business) to R-6C (residential, minimum lot size 6,000 sq.ft., conditional). Persons wishing to speak on the issues are invited to attend and be heard at the scheduled public hearing.

Persons having questions may contact Rod Fritz, Planning Director at (910) 285-4136 or rfritz@wallacenc.gov.

obituaries

Myril Garner

Oct. 5, 1941 – May 29, 2026

Myril Elizabeth Peterson Garner, formerly of Wilmington, passed away on May 29, 2026, at The Gardens of Rose Hill. She was 84 years old. James Roger Garner, her husband of 44 years, preceded her in death in 2007. She was born in Harrells on October 5, 1941, to Carroll James Peterson and Ella Wells Peterson, who preceded her in death. Also preceding her in death are brothers Gerald Dean Peterson and Jimmy Wells Peterson; sisters Hazel Peterson Hall, Vickey Peterson Blackburn and infant Mickey Peterson.

Though she did not have children, she showed great motherly love to her nieces, nephews and their families.

Surviving nieces and nephews are Michael Blackburn of Rose Hill; Dwayne Peterson of Willard; Todd Peterson of Penderlea; Dawn Hall Sikes of Creedmoor; Amanda Hall Bartlet of Ohio; Rebecca Scruggs of South Carolina; and Sandi Bailey of Scotts Hill. Also surviving her are sister-in-law Faye Boney Peterson of Willard and brother-in-law Graham Blackburn of Warsaw.

Oct. 1, 1952 – May 27, 2026

Allen Gurganus, 73, passed away on Wednesday, May 27, 2026.

He is preceded in death by his parents, Johnny & Irene Gurganus, brothers, Morris and Johnny Ray Gurganus and sisters, Pat Mintz and Francis Futrell.

The funeral service is Sunday, May 31, 2026, at 4 p.m. with visitation at 3:00 PM Interment will be private

He is survived by wife Julie Gurganus of Beulaville, NC; daughters April Fike (Stephen) of Beulaville, NC, Renee West, of Cape Carteret, NC, and Megan Smith (Carmi), Lafeyette, Ga.; brothers Travis Gurganus (Janice) of Maysville, NC, and Wilbur Gurganus (Jackie) of Richlands, NC; sisters Gloria Locklear (Mike) of Jacksonville, NC, and Betty Davis (Mickey) of Lyman, NC

In lieu of owers, donations may be made to Community Funeral Home, P.O Box 715, Beulaville, NC 28518.

Milton “Sherille” Sherwood Miller

June 17, 1948 – May 28, 2026

Milton “Sherille” Sherwood Miller, 77, passed away on Thursday, May 28, 2026

He is preceded in death by his parents, Bland & Leona Miller and his wife, Joyce Ann Miller, and daughter Melissa Ann Chase.

A graveside service will be Tuesday, June 2, 2026, at 10 a.m. at Sand Hill Cemetery in Pink Hill, NC

He is survived by son Milton Sherwood Miller Jr. (Tania) of Pink Hill, NC; grandchildren Kristian Chase Long, Donovan Chase, Taylor Miller, Lillie Maegan Miller, Kayleigh Chase, Shane Bryan and Cameron Kennedy; and seven great-grandchildren.

Mrs. Garner was raised in Harrells. She graduated from Wallace Rose Hill High School and Miller-Motte Business College.

During years of marriage, she and Roger lived in Scotts Hill and Wilmington and enjoyed many professional and personal associations within those communities. Ms. Garner was a long-time faithful member of Epworth United Methodist Church. Her Epworth relationships were very important to her. She worked at Carolina Power and Light and later Duke Energy Progress where she retired with over 40 years of service. Upon her retirement, she volunteered at New Hanover Regional Medical Center in its greeter program until she was no longer able to serve due to COVID-19.

Family stories of her childhood, many of which included shenanigans and predicaments of her, her siblings, and her double rst cousins, Vaughn Cile, Grace, Myrtle, Jack, and Douglas, always brought her a quick laugh. She so enjoyed sharing these stories with others and reliving those days of growing up in the Harrells community.

Aunt Myril loved to go to the beauty parlor and nail salon for a bit of pampering. She also enjoyed wearing good-looking clothes with the perfectly appointed accessories, including her pocketbook that was packed full of essentials. She enjoyed traveling and reading. Though she did not enjoy cooking, she indeed mastered the art of pound cake making.

An intimate memorial service for Mrs. Garner will be held at the home of Michael J Blackburn, 248 Ward Rd, Rose Hill, on Sunday, May 31, at 1:00 p.m.

Brenda Kennedy Pierce

Nov. 20, 1956 – May 25, 2026

Brenda Kennedy Pierce, 69, passed gently from her earthly life Monday, May 25, 2026 at Lower Cape Fear LifeCare in Wilmington.

She was born on November 20, 1956, in Pender County, the daughter of Rupert Valentine Kennedy and Margaret Futreal Dixon. In addition to her parents, Brenda was preceded in death by her husband, Franklin Dean Pierce, in 2025.

Brenda is survived by her children, Kirk Johnson (Sonja), Paul Johnson (Michelle), Holly Johnson (Wesley Tyler), and Je ery Johnson (Amber); ten grandchildren; eight great grandchildren; Sisters, Shirley Dawson, Katie Glover (Rickey). Sandra Meeks, Linda Holloman (Bill), and Barbara Romainger (Danny); many nieces, nephews, and friends.

Brenda loved spending time with family and friends. Her grandchildren were true joys in her life and what fun she had with them. Brenda was famous for her special collards and potato salad.

Brenda had a cat named Jo-Jo that she dearly loved. Brenda was tough and a true ghter, demonstrating fortitude and courage throughout her illness.

Brenda loved deeply and will be dearly missed. The memorial service will be at 11:00 a.m. Saturday, May 30, 2026 at Quinn McGowen Funeral Home Burgaw Chapel with Mr. Joey Sadusky and Mr. Bill King conducting the service. The family will receive friends following the service.

With gratitude and special thanks to the “Super Hero Hospice team” – Monica Bass, Sonia Swart, and Chaplain Kenya – for their care, support and uplifting spirit. You created a positive in uence on Brenda’s end of life journey and our family is eternally grateful.

Michael “Mike”

Joseph Russell

March 4, 1956 – May 24, 2026

Michael “Mike” Joseph Russell, age 70, resident of River Landing in Wallace, North Carolina, passed from this life to his eternal rest on Sunday, May 24, 2026.

He was born on March 4, 1956, in Washington, D.C., to the late Joseph Ralph and Ruth Fulmer Russell from District Heights, Maryland.

Mike was a devout Catholic who was an active member of Trans guration of Jesus Catholic Church in Wallace, North Carolina. Mike built his own private investigating company and was very successful for over 40 years in Virginia, Maryland and the DC area. His partners, Rick and Mark will carry on his legacy.

Surviving to cherish his memory is his soul mate and wife of 48 years Carole Brousseau Russell; sister Linda Brown and husband Jimmy of Huntingtown, Maryland; brothers Tom Russell and wife Mary of Fairfax, Virginia and Dave Russell of Waldorf, Maryland; numerous nieces, nephews, extended family and friends that loved Mike dearly. Mike was a loving husband

Timothy “Tom” Houston

May 30, 1942 – May 27, 2026

Timothy “Tom” Houston, 83, passed away on Wednesday, May 27, 2026. at his home.

He is preceded in death by his parents, Joe & Rosella Houston, brothers, Cecil and Alex Houston and sisters, Annette Houston, Yvonnie Futrell and Cathie Jones.

The funeral service is Saturday, May 30, 2026, at 10 a.m. at Community Funeral Home in Beulaville, NC. Visitation will be held from 9 a.m. until 10 a.m.

Interment will be at Oak Ridge Memorial Park in Pink Hill, NC

he is survived by wife Marie Swinson Houston of Pink Hill, NC; son Timothy Houston (Jennifer) of Pink Hill, NC; daughter Tomme Maier (Je rey) of Pink Hill, NC; sisters Ester Sumner, Donnie Sumner (Glenn) and Tynie Sumner, all of Pink Hill, NC, Hope Steppler of Penn; grandchildren Avry, Kaylen (Jude), Becky, Kacie (Donnie), Jenna (Ryan), Grace (Jonathan), Faith (Cody), Joley, Joseph (Zoey), Christian and Allison; and great-grandchildren Cadence, Kaleb, Ayden, Madelyn, Mason, Ryan, Athena, Emily, Wyatt and Avery

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QUINN MCGOWEN FUNERAL HOME

and brother who loved his family with all his heart. He was an avid golfer and a lover of Golden Retrievers. Over the years he and Carole cared for ten golden retrievers, and the most recent is Riley and Rocco. Mike’s passion was helping others. With a heart full of compassion, he took care of everyone. He was a people person who was always looking for a way to make life easier for others. Mike was very good at giving sound advice to those who asked and even to some who didn’t ask. He loved a challenge and could always make the ‘impossible’ become possible. Many of the people Mike met became his extended family. He was fondly called “Uncle Mike” by many who knew him. Near the end of his life, Mike made the statement that he wanted more time here to take care of people. He touched so many lives during his life and will be greatly missed. He was truly a giver and servant of God.

Funeral Mass will be held at 11:00 a.m. on Thursday, June 11, 2026, at Trans guration of Jesus Catholic Church, 510 E. Main Street, Wallace, NC 28466. There will be a reception following the funeral mass at 12:15 p.m. at the River Landing Clubhouse, 120 Clubhouse Dr, Wallace, NC 28466. Casual/ Dinner attire is welcome.

There will also be a celebration of life service for Mike on Sunday, July 12, 2026, from 3:00pm to 7:00 pm at Robin Hill Farms and Vineyards, 15800 Crooms Road, Brandywine, Maryland 20613. Very casual dress. In lieu of owers, donations may be given in memory of Mike to Trans guration of Jesus Catholic Church, PO Box 1601, Wallace, NC 28466, or you may place it in the o ertory basket.

Ben Price

Jan. 3, 1940 – May 28, 2026

Ben Price, age 86 of Kenansville, NC, died Thursday, May 28, 2026 at home. He is preceded in death by his wife Carolyn Price.

A funeral service will be Sunday, May 31, 2026, at 5 p.m. at Serenity Funeral Home in Beulaville.

The graveside service will be private.

Mr. Price is survived by his daughter, Amy P. Rhodes and husband Chris of Beulaville; son, Michael Price and wife Jennifer; sister, Shirley Blackmon of Kenansville; four grandchildren, Courtney Thomas and husband Jeremy, Cody Rhodes and Alyssa, Tyler Price and Rebecca, Lindsey Price; and one great grandchild, Hadley Thomas.

David Glenn Wells

May 1, 1979 – May 24, 2026

David Glenn Wells, 47, passed from his earthly life on Sunday, May 24, 2026. He was born May 1, 1979, in Wilmington, the son of Roger Glenn Wells and Diane Eakins Wells.

In addition to his loving parents, David is survived by his sister, Stephanie W. Long; one niece, Whitney Penny; three nephews, Jeremy, Jamie, and Grey; and one great niece, Laila Penny. David was employed with Hardwood Specialty Products.

David was a loving and caring man and will be greatly missed.

Following David’s request, no services will be held.

Rachel Bell

July 4, 1932 – May 25, 2026

Rachel Eliza James Bell, a beloved mother, grandmother, and matriarch, passed away peacefully on Memorial Day, May 25, 2026, at the age of 93.

Born on the Fourth of July in 1932, Rachel brought a lifetime of light, warmth, and devotion to everyone who knew her.

Rachel was a woman of profound faith and family devotion. She spent 59 beautiful years walking hand in hand through life and ministry alongside her husband, the late Rev. James Lee Bell. Together, they built a legacy of love, service, and community. Rachel took immense pride in upholding a Christian home, centering her days around daily devotions, supporting her local church, and quietly giving back to multiple charities.

Known for her steadfast standards, she was a person who took great pride in keeping a clean, welcoming home. She expressed her love through her exceptional cooking, known for serving up some good southerninspired spaghetti, chicken-npastry and pecan pies. Above all, she was dedicated to teaching sound morals and life practices to her children and grandchildren, ensuring they grew up with a strong foundation of faith and character.

She will be welcomed into heaven by her beloved husband James Bell; her parents, Walter Raleigh James and Lizzie Louvenia Thompson James; her ten brothers and sisters; and her cherished grandson, Samuel Ray Austin Bell.

Rachel’s memory and spirit will live on through her devoted family. She is survived by her two sons and their wives, who were the pride of her life: Jimmy Ray Bell and his wife, Tina, of Florence, SC; and Luther Ervin Bell and his wife, Debbie, of Easley, SC. Also surviving is her loving and devoted sister, Zannie Ruth James Brown of Rocky Point, NC. She was the proud grandmother of ve surviving grandsons and their wives: Timothy Bell (Sara), Phillip Bell (Melissa), Stephen Bell (Kelli), Bryan Bell (Leigh), and Harrison Bell (Chelsea). An added blessing through the marriage of one of her sons is two stepgrandchildren, Kristi Finley and Sean Teaster. A ectionately known as “GG” to the youngest generations of her family, Rachel leaves behind eleven greatgrandchildren, two step greatgrandchildren and a total of seven great-great-grandchildren, all of whom brought immense joy to her later years. A joy throughout her life was the numerous nieces and nephews whom she loved dearly and of whom she counted as extra blessings direct from God. She delighted in being called Aunt Rachel.

Rachel’s life was de ned by her unwavering love for her family, her gentle spirit, and her steadfast grace. She will be deeply missed, but her legacy of love and lessons will forever remain in the hearts of those she held dear.

A graveside service at the James Family Cemetery, Wallace, NC (located between Pin Hook and Cypress Creek on Lightwood Bridge Road), will be held Sunday afternoon, May 31, 2026, at approximately 3:00 pm, with visitation with family and friends beginning at 2:00 pm. Rachel’s grandson, Rev. Dr. Harrison James Bell will o ciate.

Man’s journey from Eastern North Carolina to White House

University of Mount Olive graduate Cirilo Perez helped guide Lumbee recognition legislation

Duplin Journal sta

When President Donald Trump signed legislation granting full federal recognition to the Lumbee Tribe in December 2025, one of the people standing in the Oval O ce had deep roots in eastern North Carolina. For University of Mount Olive graduate Cirilo Perez, the moment represented the culmination of years of policy work, months of research, and a journey that began on a family farm far from the nation’s capital.

For Perez, a rst-generation college graduate, the signing marked the culmination of nearly three years of work on an issue he knew little about when it rst landed on his desk.

Perez, who graduated in 2016 with a degree in criminal justice and criminology, now serves as Senior Professional Sta for U.S. Senator Thom Tillis. In late 2022, he was assigned to help advance legislation seeking federal recognition for the Lumbee Tribe.

Rather than rely on existing assumptions, Perez immersed himself in the issue, studying historical records, congressional testimony, and previous recognition e orts. He worked closely with Lumbee leaders, tribal advocates, academics, and congressional sta to better understand a debate that had stretched across generations.

The e ort focused heavily on educating lawmakers about the tribe’s history and addressing longstanding concerns surrounding federal recognition.

After months of negotiations and years of legislative e orts, the Lumbee Fairness Act was included in the National Defense Authorization Act. The legislation passed Congress in December 2025 and was signed into law by President Donald Trump on Dec. 18. Perez attended the signing ceremony alongside Lumbee Tribal Chairman John Lowery

and other tribal representatives.

“Knowing the history and how long the Lumbee people had waited made it incredibly meaningful,” Perez said.

While the Oval O ce ceremony represented a career milestone, Perez credits much of his path to lessons learned long before Washington. Raised in Johnston County, he says the values instilled by his parents have guided every step of his journey.

He also points to his time at the University of Mount Olive, where classroom discussions, athletics, and faculty mentorship helped prepare him for a career in public service.

Today, Perez views the Lumbee recognition e ort as a reminder of the importance of public service.

“It’s about serving people and honoring their stories,” he said. “That’s a responsibility I carry with me every day.”UMO Alumnus Cirilo Perez has focused his work and commitment to the Lumbee Tribe of North Carolina.

Colorado elections clerk released from prison after governor commutes sentence

Tina Peters served less than a quarter of her nine-year prison sentence

The Associated Press

DENVER — Tina Peters, the former clerk convicted of participating in a scheme to chase election conspiracy theories promulgated by President Donald Trump, was released from prison Monday after the president successfully pressured Colorado’s Democratic governor into commuting her sentence.

Peters’ release was conrmed by the Colorado Department of Corrections. The state agency said it would have no more information about the 70-year- old inmate. Her sentence was shortened by Gov. Jared Polis last month after

Trump waged a lengthy pressure campaign against the governor and his state.

Peters served less than a quarter of her nine-year sentence.

Peters was the rst local election o cial to be charged with breaching security after the 2020 election. She snuck in an outside computer expert a liated with MyPillow Chief Executive Mike Lindell — who himself denied that Trump lost the White House in 2020 — and the person copied the county’s Dominion Voting Systems computer server as it was updated in 2021. Peters then joined Lindell onstage at a “cybersymposium” that promised to reveal proof that the election was rigged. Video and photos of the computer system upgrade, including passwords, were posted

online. The move stoked false claims that voting machines were manipulated to steal the election from Trump.

Peters was convicted in 2024 of attempting to in uence a public servant, conspiracy to commit criminal impersonation, violation of duty and other crimes by jurors in Mesa County, a Republican stronghold that supported Trump. An appeals court upheld her conviction in April but ordered Peters to be resentenced because it said the judge who sent her to prison wrongly punished her for speaking out about election fraud.

Trump had championed Peters’ case, but because she was convicted under state law, he did not have the power to pardon her. Instead, the president pressured Polis to do so, lambasting him on social media

and disinviting him to a White House meeting with other governors. The Trump administration also announced plans to dismantle the National Center for Atmospheric Research in Colorado and relocated the U.S. Space Command to Alabama. Polis commuted Peters’ sentence on May 15. In a letter, he wrote that although Peters was convicted of serious crimes and deserved to spend time in prison, the sentence was “extremely unusual and lengthy” for a rst-time nonviolent o ender. Colorado Secretary of State Jena Griswold, a Democrat, on Monday released a statement warning that the release will “embolden the election denier movement” and adding that, since the clemency announcement, Peters “has continued to spread election falsehoods and conspiracies.”

Stanly NewS Journal

THE STANLY COUNTY EDITION OF NORTH STATE JOURNAL

WHAT’S HAPPENING

Trump taps housing regulator Pulte to be acting director of national intelligence

President Donald Trump has tapped Bill Pulte, head of the Federal Housing Finance Agency, to be the acting director of national intelligence — elevating a real estate scion without any clear national security credentials to a key post as the U.S. remains at war with Iran. Trump made the surprise announcement Tuesday on social media that Pulte would be replacing Tulsi Gabbard, the former Hawaii congresswoman who had served as the director of national intelligence. Trump said Pulte will keep his other positions even as he lls in for Gabbard, who resigned last month after revealing her husband’s cancer diagnosis.

Trump signs executive order to vet top AI models for national security risks

President Donald Trump has signed a new executive order on arti cial intelligence. The order establishes a framework for the federal government to vet the national security risks of the most advanced AI systems for up to a month before their public release. The government will be able to work with trusted partners “that will have early access to covered frontier models to promote secure innovation and strengthen the cybersecurity of critical infrastructure,” the order says.

Canada calls for U.S., Mexico free-trade agreement to be renewed for 16 years

Canada is calling on the United States and Mexico to renew the free trade agreement between the countries for another 16 years just as U.S. President Donald Trump revives talk of making Canada the 51st state. Canada’s minister for U.S. trade sent a letter to United States Trade Representative Jamieson Greer and Mexico’s Secretary of Economy Marcelo Ebrard on Tuesday that conveys Canada’s recommendation. The letter comes ahead of the scheduled July review of the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement, or USMCA, the latest version of free trade agreements among the U.S., Mexico and Canada dating back to the early 1990s that have intertwined the economies of the three North American countries. Trump posted “51st State!” on social media late Monday.

Albemarle city leaders promote upcoming patriotic drone show

O cials discussed details for the event

By Jesse Deal Stanly News Journal

ALBEMARLE — Local o -

cials used Monday night’s Albemarle City Council meeting to highlight the upcoming Lights of Liberty Drone Show, a free patriotic event set for Friday night at City Lake Park. The event, planned for

9 p.m. at 815 Concord Road, will serve as the aftershow for the city’s regular Food Truck Friday gathering and is tied to local America 250 celebrations.

It will mark Stanly County’s rst drone show.

“I hope you’ll join us on this Friday, June 5, at 9 p.m. as we celebrate our nation’s 250th anniversary,” City Manager Darren Rhodes said. “The America 250 NC Stanly County Committee will have a spectacular free drone show at City

Lake Park. This one-of-a-kind show will feature 250 illuminated drones choreographed to narration and music, creating vivid moving images and patriotic scenes across the night sky.” The show is being organized by the America 250 NC Stanly County Committee, with Uwharrie Bank serving as presenting sponsor and Open Sky Drone Light Shows handling drone operations. Before the drone show,

Locust Police Department reports o cer training, advancement gains

The department said the training push re ects a focus on professional development

By Jesse Deal Stanly News Journal

LOCUST — Locust Police Department o cers have logged more than 4,000 combined training hours since 2020 while earning new certications, promotions and educational credentials, according to a recent department news release.

On Friday, the LPD reported a series of o cer training and professional development

accomplishments. Police Chief Je Shew said the department has sought to develop o cers while also supporting a family- rst approach when job duties allow.

“I am incredibly proud of the work each Locust o cer puts in to be more knowledgeable and well-trained in their roles as o cers here,” Shew said in a statement. “Though it betters them as o cers overall, it even more so bene ts our community, our residents, and visitors here in Locust.”

Since 2020, the LPD has reported eight North Carolina Criminal Justice Education

guests are encouraged to arrive early for Food Truck Friday, which will run 5:30 -9 p.m. at City Lake Park. The event will include food trucks, open lawn seating and live music from Heart Breaker, a Mooresville-based classic rock tribute act specializing in the music of Heart and Led Zeppelin. Attendees are encouraged to bring chairs or blankets. Mayor Ronnie Michael also

WEDNESDAY

THURSDAY

FRIDAY

SATURDAY

Former NC o cer charged in beating caught on video

The victim’s charges for resisting arrest and assault have since been dismissed

The Associated Press

SHELBY — A former North Carolina police o cer caught on a doorbell camera repeatedly punching a woman in the face was charged Monday with assault.

The video of Shelby Ocer Karson Hyder pummeling Cherrie Moore on Friday has circulated widely on social media. Hyder, 22, turned himself in to the Cleveland County Detention Center on Monday morning and was released on a $10,000 secured bond. Court records do not list an attorney

for him, and a phone number associated with his name was out of service.

Hyder, who was suspended Friday and red on Saturday, was responding to a breaking-and-entering call when the scu e ensued.

According to a warrant, Moore, 34, ed the residence on foot and resisted arrest, assaulting Hyder by “grabbing and ripping (his) uniform.”

A separate warrant led Monday alleged Hyder “unlawfully and willfully did assault and strike Cherrie Moore” by grabbing Moore “by the arm, pushing her to the ground and striking her in the face with a closed st, thereby in icting serious injury possible broken nose and busted lip.”

The State Bureau of Investigation had announced Satur-

day it had opened an investigation into Hyder.

Moore was initially charged with breaking and entering, resisting arrest and assault on a public o cer, but the latter two charges have since been dismissed. She was freed on an unsecured bond. A phone number associated with Moore was disconnected.

Her attorney, Ronald Haynes, told The Associated Press in an email that Moore “is recovering and receiving treatment for her mental health.”

“The heinous actions of former O cer Karson Hyder will forever negatively impact Ms. Cherrie Moore and her family,” Haynes continued. “It’s a small relief that city o cials responded so promptly to terminate and charge Mr. Hyder.”

Wildlife game camera image, drone used to arrest man in fatal shooting of Virginia deputy

while ringing a doorbell in North Carolina

By Kathy McCormack The Associated Press

INVESTIGATORS in North Carolina used a wildlife game camera image and a drone to nd and arrest a man wanted in connection with the fatal shooting of a Virginia sheri ’s deputy who was conducting a welfare check, authorities said. The suspect, identi ed as Michael Puckett, was found with a gun Sunday night, two days after the shooting, as he was ringing the doorbell of a home less than several miles from the Virginia state line in Surry County. He was arrested and booked without bond, the

state’s bureau of investigation said in a news release. Multiple law enforcement agencies took part in the search.

Puckett, 55, appeared for an extradition hearing Monday, where he waived his right to a court-appointed lawyer and awaited transport to Virginia, WXII-TV reported.

In Virginia, the Carroll County Sheri ’s O ce said the fatal shooting occurred after law enforcement received a request from a family member to do a welfare check last Friday.

A man at the home began shooting, and the two sheri ’s deputies who had responded returned re, the sheri ’s o ce said. Both deputies were hit, and the man ran away. Other people were in the home at the time. They were not hurt, according to Carroll

County Sheri Kevin Kemp. Deputy Logan Utt was killed. The second deputy, who was struck in his ballistic vest, was recovering at home and was in good condition, Kemp said Sunday. There was a massive search for the suspect, who was “spotted on wildlife game camera in Surry County, North Carolina,” north of the city of Mount Airy, on Sunday morning, police said. A drone was used to track his movements.

Utt, 31, was a military veteran who joined the department in 2023. A funeral procession was held Monday afternoon from Roanoke, Virginia, to Mount Airy, where Utt was a former re ghter.

“He had a servant’s heart. He cared for others, he cared for his country, he cared for his family,” Kemp said.

June 4

Thursday’s

The

Through

June 6

Stanly

June 6

Stanly

to 7 p.m.

A day lled with food, beverages, crafts and family-friendly activities. Pet friendly. Admission is $5. 722 S. Oak Ridge Road Oakboro

June 27

Summer Concert Series: The Tams and Special Fireworks Display 7-10 a.m.

Musical guests The Tams with a celebratory reworks display, celebrating America 250. Beverages and food available onsite.

The Backyard 186 Ray Kennedy Drive Locust

THE CONVERSATION

Trip Ho end, publisher | Frank Hill,

senior opinion editor

COLUMN

| DAVID HARSANYI

Democrats are in no position to lecture anyone about candidates

Democrats had a chance to be normal. They chose crazy.

DEMOCRATS ARE AGAIN acting like they occupy the high moral ground of American politics. But if 2026 has proven anything, it’s that there’s virtually nothing a left-wing candidate could say or do that would elicit condemnation from Democrats if doing so threatened their power.

Democrats, for example, demand credit for their opposition to Maureen Galindo, the Texas congressional candidate who proposed putting American “Zionists” (wink, wink) into concentration camps and castrating them, lost her Texas primary last week, winning 36% of the vote — not a bad showing for a politician championing mass imprisonment of her political enemies.

The question, though, is whether House Minority Leader Hakeem Je ries or Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez or anyone at Pod Save America or the Bulwark had uttered a word in protest, had Galindo already won her primary before making those comments? All the evidence strongly suggests no.

And by evidence, I mean their explicit support for slightly less o ensive cranks, extremists, bigots and terrorism apologists such as new party power broker Hasan Piker, the socialist Hezbollah fan Abdul el Sayed in Michigan or the Hamas apologist Chris Rabb in Pennsylvania, a guy who suggested the massacre of Jews at Bondi Beach was a “false ag” operation by “Zionists.”

Imagine telling someone 20 years ago that a leading congressional candidate in a New Jersey district situated right outside New York City had both volunteered for an al Qaeda front in Europe and spent years being friends with “The Blind Sheikh” Omar Abdel-Rahman, the longtime jihadi preacher who was sentenced for seditious conspiracy after planning a “day of terror” in 1995. Adam Hamawy defended Abdel-Rahman during his trial. And yet not a single notable Democrat has called him out on it.

Many of the same Democrats who expect Republicans to wring their hands over Republican Texas senatorial candidate Ken Paxton, a man tainted by corruption, have o ered a full-throated endorsement of a man who knowingly got and kept a Totenkopf SS Nazi tattoo for 20 years.

| JAMES CARTER AND JACOB CHOE

It’s not just that Graham Platner’s mentally unstable ravings, including saying a Purple Heart recipient didn’t “deserve to live,” that “all cops are bastards,” that white rural Americans were “racist and stupid,” that the Virgin Mary was a “skank,” defending child killers of Hamas or contending that sexual assault victims bring it on themselves. It’s that he still uses unhinged Marxist language right now.

Platner isn’t the rst skeeze to run for major o ce, but he might be the most extreme. Only two elected Democrats, as far as I can tell, have spoken out about Platner’s soft spot for Nazis. One is Sen. John Fetterman, who is under relentless attack from his own party for supporting Israel over Islamists, and Rep. Jake Auchincloss.

Now, if Platner’s opponent in Maine was a raging, corrupt ideologue, independents might be torn between two dangerous candidates. But the Republican in Maine is incumbent Sen. Susan Collins, perhaps the most milquetoast centrist member of the entire chamber.

Some Democrats rationalize their support for a self-described “communist” by noting that control of the Senate is far more important than worrying about the individual ravings of unhinged candidates. Though gutless

establishment Democrats did virtually nothing to counter extremists during the primaries, there’s a utilitarian logic to this thinking. But then you’re in no position to lecture Republicans about Paxton or anyone else, for that matter.

The 2026 elections will be held during the second term of an unpopular presidency, so there’s no telling how many Democrats will win. Or, perhaps, the new reality is that pro-Islamist Marxists are now an in uential part of the contemporary Democratic Party. How popular such a party will be nationally moving forward is yet to be seen. I am constantly being assured that Democrats are the adults in the room. I’m supposed to believe that self-styled socialists are not only going to uphold norms, decency and democratic institutions but also improve the economic conditions of Americans. That contention clashes with every shred of historical evidence we possess. Democrats had a chance to be normal. They chose crazy.

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

COLUMN

The U.S. ally that figured out China’s game plan long before Washington

China is not a trading partner that plays by the rules.

WASHINGTON HAS SPENT decades talking about the U.S.-Japan alliance in military terms. Carrier groups. Missile defense. Deterrence. Those things matter enormously. But the alliance runs far deeper than defense planning, and right now the economic dimension deserves more attention than it is getting.

It runs through factories, ports, semiconductor supply chains, cattle ranches, shipping corridors, food processing systems and business relationships that never make the evening news.

Understanding why that matters requires being honest about something Washington spent too long avoiding: China is not a trading partner that plays by the rules. It is a strategic competitor that uses economic leverage as a weapon, and every supply chain that runs through Beijing is a vulnerability waiting to be exploited.

Japan gured this out before most American policymakers did.

The U.S.-Japan relationship stands out in the current environment precisely because it is built on something China cannot o er: genuine mutual trust developed over decades of transparent commerce, shared democratic values and consistent institutional behavior. That is not a diplomatic abstraction but rather a practical asset with real economic consequences.

Japan remains badly underestimated by many in Washington. Its food processing and agricultural technology sectors are extraordinarily sophisticated. Precision packaging, cold-chain logistics, sanitation systems and production e ciency are not glamorous topics, but they matter enormously in modern trade.

They reduce waste, improve reliability and create the kind of supply chain stability that China’s record of concealment, manipulation and economic coercion has repeatedly destroyed.

American agricultural producers bene t from the Japanese relationship more than most people realize. Japan is one of the largest overseas markets for U.S. beef, pork, wheat, corn, soybeans, dairy and seafood. Japanese rms invest heavily inside the United States in

automotive manufacturing, logistics, advanced materials, food technology and industrial infrastructure. That is far from dependency. It is the kind of reciprocal economic integration that actually works — because both sides follow the same rules and neither uses market access as a political hostage.

China does. And when it wants to remind you of that fact, it does not send a diplomatic note. It cuts o your supply chain.

Ask any American manufacturer who woke up to nd China restricting exports of gallium and germanium — two minerals essential to semiconductors, defense systems and advanced electronics — what Chinese economic partnership actually looks like in practice.

Beijing controls nearly 90% of the world’s rare earth processing capacity. It did not acquire that dominance through superior geology. It acquired it through decades of deliberate state subsidization, below-market pricing designed to drive foreign competitors out of business and a patient willingness to operate at a loss until the competition disappeared. Once the competition was gone, the leverage arrived. It’s a long con.

Japan understood this dynamic earlier than Washington and has spent years building diversi ed critical mineral supply chains precisely to reduce exposure to Chinese chokepoints. That work is directly relevant to American national security interests right now, and it is one reason the bilateral relationship carries strategic weight beyond what any single trade agreement or defense treaty could capture.

The recent weakness of the yen deserves more attention than it has received. Most commentary treats it as a Japanese problem. That misses half the picture.

A weaker yen lowers costs for American importers, manufacturers and rms purchasing Japanese industrial inputs and specialized technologies. It also encourages additional Japanese investment into the United States at precisely the moment America is trying to rebuild domestic manufacturing capacity and cut dangerous supply chain dependence on China. The yen story is, in part, an American opportunity.

President Donald Trump understood the

strategic stakes in the Paci c earlier and more clearly than his critics acknowledged. The emphasis on industrial resilience, supply chain repatriation and confronting Chinese economic aggression directly was not protectionist nostalgia.

It was a recognition that the rules-based trading order China pretends to respect is one it has systematically gamed for 30 years. Japanese policymakers understood this concern even when they disagreed with speci c tari decisions. The underlying diagnosis was correct. Events have kept proving it.

The Paci c is now a theater of economic competition whether Washington wants it to be or not. China has made that choice for everyone.

It has used its position in the South China Sea to intimidate smaller neighbors, backed Russia’s war in Ukraine while lecturing the West about sovereignty, and built rare earth dominance into a strategic weapon aimed directly at American manufacturing and defense capacity. It views American alliances not as facts to be respected but as problems to be dissolved.

That is why the U.S.-Japan alliance matters more right now than at any point in recent memory. Not because it is sentimental or traditional but because it is one of the few economic relationships in the Paci c built on rules both sides actually follow, trust both sides have actually earned and interests both sides have actually aligned. In a region where China has made dependency its primary foreign policy tool, that is a genuine strategic advantage.

Don’t take it for granted.

James Carter is a policy advisor with America’s Economy First. Jacob Choe is an international strategist and a member of the Bretton Woods Committee and a Ben Franklin Fellow. (Copyright 2026 Daily Caller News Foundation)

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The robot handles reminders and daily tasks to help older adults stay independent

By Matt O’Brien The Associated Press

DURHAM, N.H. — After outliving Booker T. Bones, their second service dog, Brenda and Brian Marquis still needed help with some of the more di cult parts of daily life.

They found Robbie, a robot that rolls out of a hallway into their living room several times a day.

“Do you want to exercise now? Please answer yes or no,” the caregiver robot asks 59-year-old Brian Marquis, who has been living with a traumatic brain injury since a 2012 car crash.

“Yes,” he responds. Then he stands up as the robot’s googly-eyed digital screen “face” morphs into an exercise video that guides him through an afternoon workout.

The decades-long quest to build home robots that are both helpful and lifelike — spurred on by ctional machines like The Jetsons’ humanoid maid Rosie — is still mostly a pipe dream. That’s despite growing appeal as the oldest baby boomers are turning 80 this year and the United States faces a deepening shortage of home care aides, driven by low wages, high turnover and demanding workloads.

TRAINING from page A1

and Training Standards Commission intermediate certi cations, including four in the past year, along with four advanced certi cations and six master ofcer recognitions. The department also listed promotions and advancements during that span, including promotions to assistant chief and detective sergeant, three detective promotions, three corporal promotions and 11

police o cer II advancements. Six of the PO2 advancements have occurred since 2024. Since 2020, o cers have earned two associate degrees, adding to a department total of ve bachelor’s degrees and ve associate degrees held by current Locust o cers, according to the release. The LPD also reported several training-related accomplishments, including ve o cers completing the Law Enforcement Manage -

But the machine helping the Marquis family — a robot piloted by a University of New Hampshire laboratory, with funding from the National Institute on Aging — offers a glimpse of the emerging possibilities.

“Stretch” aids dementia patient with range of tasks

The wheeled robot that some have likened to a coat rack was not what Brenda Marquis initially had in mind when she wrote an email to a robotics professor at nearby UNH asking for advice on robotic dogs.

Robbie, the couple’s name for a new robot model o cially called Stretch 4, spends much of the day at a charging station between the kitchen and bedroom. When it comes out, it does important work, like nudging Brian, who has dementia, to eat lunch or drink water.

ment Academy, one of them in 2026. Four o cers have completed Crisis Intervention Training since 2020, bringing the department’s total number of CIT-certi ed o cers to seven. Locust o cers have also earned six general instructor certi cations and six specialized instructor certi cations. The department said its specialized instructor certi cations include rearms, driving, Taser, combat casualty care, eld

“I was never into technology. Then I realized I can’t remember to wash my face and my armpits. So it just really kind of set me free almost.”

Brian Marquis

Brenda Marquis, 59, said she and her husband have physical, cognitive and emotional disabilities that make life complex.

“We’ve been kind of trapped in a problem here in New Hampshire of being able to nd and recruit enough home care support,” Brenda Marquis said in an interview at the couple’s Durham, New Hampshire apartment, where she scoots around in a motorized wheelchair while taking care of her husband. “That was when I started looking into robotics and trying to gure out what to do.”

At the other end of Brenda’s email was Momotaz Begum, a UNH computer science professor who has spent years experimenting with “socially assistive” robots that can aid people with Alzheimer’s or other forms of dementia. Her robotics lab is full of experimental robots, including the four-legged variety.

Begum said the lab asked focus groups of older adults at memory care units what kind of robot they would like as a home companion. Many preferred pet-like robot designs.

“The common feedback that we got about Stretch was, ‘OK, this one looks like a coat hanger,’” she said. “But what we learned over time is that the look doesn’t matter.”

Several makers designing robots for elder companionship

Apart from robotic vacuum cleaners, the closest thing many older adults have to caregiving robots is a speaker powered by an arti cial intelligence voice assistant like Alexa. Some robot makers have expanded that concept into swiveling tabletop machines like ElliQ, designed for elder companionship. But those aren’t mobile or functional enough for Be -

training and DARE instruction. Of the training hours reported, excluding mandatory training hours, patrol o cers accounted for 2,800, while the Criminal Investigations Division logged 1,218 hours among two detectives. Highlighted patrol certications included seven Standardized Field Sobriety Testing certi cations, eight Intoxilyzer Certi ed Operator certi cations, 12 radar operator certi cations and

gum, who said she is “trying to reduce that caregiver burden. And the caregiver actually does way more than social companionship.”

Humanoids, meanwhile, are still far from being useful in most homes and pose physical danger to people with limited mobility if the robot trips and falls.

The founders of Hello Robot, maker of the Stretch robots, said its simplicity is the point.

“Our robot’s very practical, pragmatic. I think it communicates that,” said CEO Aaron Edsinger, a former director of robotics at Google. “If you show up looking like a humanoid, that expectation’s going to be set so high, it’s going to be very hard to do.”

The typical version of the Stretch 4 includes a telescoping gripper that can retrieve a water bottle and hold it out for a person to drink through a straw. Show it a prescription bottle and it can help read the ne print. The robot pulls together information from its cameras and onboard sensors, together with other sensors installed in a home, to gure out its location and who is in the room.

Manufactured at Hello Robot’s headquarters in Martinez, California, and sold for nearly $30,000, the new model that launched in May is far from being as ubiquitous as a Roomba or an AI-powered speaker. But for its target clientele, it can be a lifeline.

Robbie’s programmed care protocol for Brian is posted on the couple’s wall, and it includes exercise instructions, meal and medicine reminders, evening routine reminders and quick washup prompts that are only triggered after Brian enters the bathroom.

“I was never into technology,” Brian Marquis said. “Then I realized I can’t remember to wash my face and my armpits. So it just really kind of set me free almost.”

Brenda Marquis said it also freed her from hours of daily work and helped her reduce expenses. Fearful of leaving her husband at home too long, she was ordering groceries on Instacart. Now she can leave him with Robbie and go get groceries herself.

“I can go ahead and go to that mahjong game or whatever. Robbie’s gonna take care of him,” she said.

four Field Training O cer certi cations.

Shew credited Locust’s government and city sta for supporting o cers in daily operations while prioritizing the health of their family units away from the job.

“We thank the Locust community so much for the support you give us and for the opportunity to serve here. We are all beyond blessed to be members of the Locust Police Department.”

Crash kills 5 in Virginia, including family of 4 traveling to wedding; bus driver charged

The family wedding went forward Sunday in South Carolina

By Ed White The Associated Press

A FAMILY OF four from Massachusetts who were killed when a bus crashed into multiple vehicles in Virginia were traveling to a wedding with a carload of homemade desserts for the celebration.

The family wedding went forward Sunday in South Carolina, but it was also a time to mourn the loss of Dmitri and Ecaterina Doncev and their two children, Emily and Mark, a relative said Saturday.

“A son, a father — the whole family — everyone that has been dear to us,” Carolina Bublik said.

The Doncevs were killed when a motorcoach caused a chain-reaction crash with vehicles that had slowed down for a work zone on Interstate 95 in Sta ord County around 2:35 a.m. last Friday, authorities said.

The bus struck a Suburban, which then hit an Acura carrying the Doncev family, police said. Priscilla Mafalda, 25, of Worcester, Massachusetts, was in the Chevrolet SUV and also died.

More people were treated for injuries, including one who was in critical condition, though most were discharged, Mary Washington Healthcare said.

The bus driver, Jing S. Dong, 48, of Staten Island, New York, was charged with two counts of involuntary manslaughter, and additional charges were likely,

Virginia State Police said. The prosecutor’s o ce in Sta ord County said Dong was arrested and would be in custody while he is treated for his injuries at a hospital. Prosecutors said in a statement that Dong’s rst court appearance will not be scheduled until he is discharged, but a magistrate approved holding him without bond until that time. It also said prosecutors saw enough probable cause to believe Dong was “driving in a criminally negligent manner.”

It was unclear whether Dong has an attorney who could speak on his behalf. The case

did not yet appear in the state’s online court records, and a call to the area’s public defender went unanswered at a closed ofce Saturday.

The National Transportation Safety Board is investigating the crash, a monthslong task separate from the work of state police. NTSB board member Tom Chapman revealed few new details but said the bus was moving at a high rate of speed.

“It seems fairly clear that if there was any braking there wasn’t much because of the speed and severity of the collision,” Chapman said.

The bus, which was taking

Colorado elections clerk released from prison after governor commutes sentence

Tina Peters served less than a quarter of her nine-year prison sentence

The Associated Press

DENVER — Tina Peters, the former clerk convicted of participating in a scheme to chase election conspiracy theories promulgated by President Donald Trump, was released from prison Monday after the president successfully pressured Colorado’s Democratic governor into commuting her sentence.

Peters’ release was conrmed by the Colorado Department of Corrections. The state agency said it would have no more information about the 70-year- old inmate. Her

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used the meeting to remind residents that parking at City Lake Park is expected to be limited because of the anticipated crowd. A free shuttle service, courtesy of Friendly Chevrolet, will run continuously 6-11 p.m. from Market Station, located at 501 W. Main St.

“I do want to mention that we expect a large number of cars out there that night, so if you don’t arrive fairly early, you may want to consider parking at Market Station and using the shuttle,” Michael said. “We will not leave you stranded — there’ll be two shuttles running with about a ve to 10 minute turnarounds on each shuttle.”

The rst 800 cars to arrive will receive a free LED light-up American ag, courtesy of the City of Albemarle Electric Division and ElectriCities.

“Events like the Lights of Liberty Drone Show are a powerful way to bring our commu-

sentence was shortened by Gov. Jared Polis last month after Trump waged a lengthy pressure campaign against the governor and his state.

Peters served less than a quarter of her nine-year sentence.

Peters was the rst local election o cial to be charged with breaching security after the 2020 election. She snuck in an outside computer expert a liated with MyPillow Chief Executive Mike Lindell — who himself denied that Trump lost the White House in 2020 — and the person copied the county’s Dominion Voting Systems computer server as it was updated in 2021.

Peters then joined Lindell onstage at a “cybersymposium” that promised to reveal proof

that the election was rigged. Video and photos of the computer system upgrade, including passwords, were posted online. The move stoked false claims that voting machines were manipulated to steal the election from Trump.

Peters was convicted in 2024 of attempting to in uence a public servant, conspiracy to commit criminal impersonation, violation of duty and other crimes by jurors in Mesa County, a Republican stronghold that supported Trump. An appeals court upheld her conviction in April but ordered Peters to be resentenced because it said the judge who sent her to prison wrongly punished her for speaking out about election fraud.

Trump had championed Pe -

nity together while celebrating America’s 250th anniversary,” Bain Jones Jr., America 250 NC Stanly County Committee chairman, said in a statement.

“This is more than entertainment, it’s a shared experience that highlights our nation’s

A fatal crash involving a bus on Interstate 95 near Quantico, Virginia, on Friday killed a family of four heading to a wedding.

people from New York to North Carolina, was operated by E&P Travel Inc., based in Kings Mountain in Cleveland County. Chapman said the driver’s language pro ciency would be part of the NTSB investigation. U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Du y, citing police, said on social media that Dong, a native of China, does not speak English. Dmitri Doncev, 45, was a nurse who worked at Holyoke Medical Center. Ecaterina Doncev, 44, was a hairstylist who spent days making desserts for the family wedding, Bublik said.

They emigrated to the U.S. from Moldova in 2008 and settled in Green eld, Massachusetts, she said. Dmitri and brother Iuri tried to stay together while traveling in separate vehicles to South Carolina.

“At some point they ended up getting separated,” Bublik said. “Dmitri said, ‘You go ahead. I’ll catch up later.’ It was a big shock when Iuri arrived at the house. Dmitri should have arrived around the same time. When his car did not show up, and he wasn’t picking up the phone — that’s when the family started panicking.”

ters’ case, but because she was convicted under state law, he did not have the power to pardon her. Instead, the president pressured Polis to do so, lambasting him on social media and disinviting him to a White House meeting with other governors. The Trump administration also announced plans to dismantle the National Center for Atmospheric Research in Colorado and relocated the U.S. Space Command to Alabama. Polis commuted Peters’ sentence on May 15. In a letter, he

wrote that although Peters was convicted of serious crimes and deserved to spend time in prison, the sentence was “extremely unusual and lengthy” for a rst-time nonviolent o ender.

Colorado Secretary of State Jena Griswold, a Democrat, on Monday released a statement warning that the release will “embolden the election denier movement” and adding that, since the clemency announcement, Peters “has continued to spread election falsehoods and conspiracies.”

OBITUARIES

Audrey Lee Thomas Helms

June 17, 1935 – May 28, 2026

Mrs. Audrey Lee Thomas Helms, 90, died Thursday, May 28, 2026, at Piedmont Crossing in Thomasville. A funeral service will be conducted at 3 p.m. Sunday, May 31, 2026, at Reeds Baptist Church, with Pastor Henry Watterson o ciating. The family will receive friends for one hour prior to the service at the church. She was born on June 17, 1935, in Union County, to the late Hubert and Ruby Baucom Thomas. Mrs. Helms was a devoted Christian and was a member of Garr Memorial Church in Charlotte and attended Reeds Baptist Church in her later years. She enjoyed relishing in God’s Word and loved to help others nd Christ. Mrs. Helms was in senior leadership for Shaklee and her two main goals in life were to help people be nutritionally sound and spiritually sound. She loved the sun and enjoyed outdoor activities, including tennis and taking long walks. Mrs. Helms also loved traveling and enjoyed visiting the Florida beaches. She will be remembered as a sel ess, devoted, and caring wife, mother, sister, and friend to many.

In addition to her parents, she was also preceded in death by her husband, Hal Lucrean Helms; a brother, Eugene Thomas; and a sister, Sue Thomas Ferguson. Survivors include her two sons, Doug Helms (Cindy) and Tony Helms (Annette); a grandson, Jordan Lain Helms (Jena); two greatgrandchildren, Avery Claire Helms and David Henry Helms; a sister-in-law, Margaret Thomas; a brother-in-law, Eugene Ferguson; and several nieces and nephews.

Memorials may be considered for Reeds Baptist Church, 180 Reeds Baptist Church Road, Lexington, NC 27295.

Online condolences may be made at www. davidsonfuneralhome.net.

Patsy “Pat” Jane Harwood Blankenship

May 31, 2026

Patsy “Pat” Jane Harwood Blankenship passed away peacefully at home on May 31, 2026, at the age of 84.

More than 30 years ago, her oldest grandchild, Kasey, gave her the nickname “Beep Beep” because she loved to sit in her car and honk the horn. Over time, the nickname simply became “Beep” and has been used by family, friends, and members of the community ever since.

Beep was known for her big heart and sel ess nature. She loved animals of all kinds, especially dogs, and she always put others before herself. She was a steady and supportive presence to so many in the Millingport community and at Salem Methodist Church. You could often hear her cheering from the sidelines at sporting events, enthusiastically shouting “hey, hey, hey,” especially when her team was winning.

She was a caring and loving mother to Scott and Tommy and kept them laughing with her jokes and dry sense of humor. She was also a wonderful grandmother to Kasey, Bailey, and Kristofer, who spent countless weekends with her riding in wagons, lying in the grass making shapes out of clouds, and enjoying Saturday movie nights together.

Beep will be lovingly remembered by her sister, Peggy Ann Hatley; son, Tommy Lane Blankenship, and daughter-in-law, Kristi Hall Blankenship; her grandchildren, Kasey Blankenship-Knoll (Justin); Bailey Carrothers (Josh); and Kristofer Blankenship (Weslyn); and great-grandson, Micah Carrothers. She was preceded in death by her son, Larry Scott Blankenship; her father, Hugh Pierce Harwood; and her mother, Ina Hatley Harwood.

The family also sends a special thank you to everyone at Tillery Compassionate Care for their care, comfort, and support. The family also wishes to thank everyone for their love and support with cards, gifts, and food. At Beep’s request, no service will be held. In lieu of owers, donations can be made to Tillery Compassionate Care.

Larry S. Hale

March 29, 2026

Larry S. Hale, 74, of Albemarle, NC formally of Orlando, FL, passed away peacefully but unexpectedly, on March 29, 2026. He was proceeded in death by his parents, Henry and Sadie Hale and his brother, Elbert (Bert) Hale. He’s survived by special family members: Andrea Scholl, Heather Johnson (Eden & Eli), Tara Denton (Luke & Lauren), Brock Poniatowski (Landon).

After graduating from high school, he obtained a 2 year degree from a local community college. He retired from Orange County Public School District after 27 years of service.

In 2013 he moved to Albemarle, NC to be closer to his closest family member, Robert Penman Scholl (Sonja). He immediately immersed himself in his new community. He was an avid bowler, volunteered for Special Olympics, participated in Senior Games, and took advantage of several classes o ered at the Senior Center. He became pro cient in Tai Chi and loved to demonstrate his “moves”.

Larry’s interests were diverse. He was a history bu , particularly, everything Civil War. He took pride in the fact that he ran and completed several marathons. He was the ultimate “prepper” amassing enough canned goods (peas and beans) peanut butter, co ee and general supplies to sustain himself for months, if not years. He loved baseball, particularly the Dodgers. He touched so many lives with his huge, infectious smile and his Panthers cap. As his family, we are blessed and grateful to have had him in our lives. He brought so much joy and laughter. He was the family historian. He shared pictures and videos with family and friends who couldn’t be a part of a family celebration.

Rest in Eternal Peace, “Father Earth”, “Larry Orlando”, “Lare Bear”. We love and miss you!

A Celebration of Life in his honor, will be held at a later date.

Celebrate the life of your loved ones. Submit obituaries and death notices to be published in Stanly News Journal at obits@ stanlynewsjournal.com

SHELLEY JO ANN HERRIN

APRIL 23, 1936 – MAY 27, 2026

Shelley Jo Ann Herrin, 90, of Albemarle, passed away on May 27, 2026. A graveside service to celebrate her life will be held at 2 PM on Saturday at Canton Baptist Church Cemetery with Rev. Keith Walters o ciating. The family will greet friends following the graveside service.

Born April 23, 1936, in Stanly County, NC, she was the daughter of the late Walter Samuel Shaver and Dorothy Lee Springer Shaver. Shelley was a woman of deep faith who loved the Lord, her family, and the simple joys of life. She was of the Baptist faith and most recently attended Paul’s Crossing Church in Rich eld.

Shelley attended Rich eld School through the 10th grade before completing her education at Seventh-day Adventist Academy in Asheville. While attending school, she worked on the hospital switchboard to help pay for her stay. After returning home, she began working at Stanly Hospital on the switchboard and later worked in the business o ce before going to work in Dr. Freeman’s o ce.

During her life, Shelley was rst married to George Lee, and together they had two children, Sandy Lee and Chris Lee. Mr. Lee passed away at the age of 42 following heart attacks. She later married Conrad Herrin. The couple lived in Albemarle before moving to South Carolina, where they made their home for twenty years before retiring and returning to Albemarle.

Shelley endured much loss in her life, having been preceded in death by both her son and daughter after returning to Albemarle. Even through hardship, she remained a woman of strong faith and quiet strength. She found great joy in gardening and working with her owers, and her family will remember her as a loving mother, grandmother, and faithful Christian woman.

She is survived by her husband of 48 years, Conrad Herrin; siblings Mary Alice Shaver of Rich eld, Sam Shaver of Rich eld, Paul Shaver of New London, and Vicky Harrison of Rich eld; three step-children, Jimmy Herrin, Randy Herrin, and Kim Brown; two grandchildren, Chris McNeil and Kristen Norris; step-grandchildren Zachary Brown, Natalie Keith, Katlin Helms, Whitney Hesley, Ashley Gagnon, MacKenzie Brown, and Marshall Herrin; great-grandchildren Christopher Silva, Cattleya Silva, Chevy Callahan, Journey Norris, Caleb McNeil, and Hannah McNeil; 10 step-great-grandchildren; along with extended family members and dear friends who will cherish her memory. A brother, Danny Shaver, preceded her in death. The family requests that memorials be made to Tillery Compassionate Care, tillerycompassionatecare.org.

KENNETH “KEN” ARNOLD POTEAT

SEPT. 29, 1932 – MAY 27, 2026

Kenneth Arnold Poteat passed away peacefully at the age of 93 on May 27, 2026, at Novant Presbyterian in Mint Hill with his devoted wife, Evelyn, by his side.

His funeral service will be held at First Baptist Church of Locust, o ciated by Dr. Tommy Ross, Jr. and Pastor Brandon Elkins on Tuesday, June 2nd at 3 PM. The family will receive friends in the sanctuary from 2 PM until 2:45 PM prior to the service. Burial will follow at Carolina Memorial Park.

Ken was born September 29, 1932, and reared in Kannapolis by his parents, Thomas Marvin Poteat and Mildred Gilliland Poteat. He was one of eight children and was preceded in death by his siblings, Norman, Imogene, Clinton, Phyllis, Miriam, and Jerry. He is survived by one younger brother, Keith (Vickie) Poteat.

Ken was educated at J.W. Cannon High School, earning his diploma during his four-year enlistment at Larson Air Force Base (formerly Moses Lake) in Washington. Upon returning home, he entered the dry-cleaning business and enjoyed car sales for the majority of his career, retiring from Fieldcrest Cannon’s shipping and receiving department. His interests included spending many hours at King’s Barn with beloved horses and boating with family at Lake Norman.

Later in life, Ken met Evelyn and was welcomed into her large family. They enjoyed two-step dancing at the Cabarrus County Saddle Club and other senior venues, numerous beach and mountain excursions, all while remaining active at First Baptist Church of Locust. There, they participated in Sunday School, worship, and CD ministry. Each summer, Ken and Evelyn enjoyed a large garden at their Midland home, as well as having livestock, horses, and chickens as long as their health allowed.

Those surviving family members include his wife of 21 years, Evelyn Smith Poteat; daughter, Julie Poteat Nickelson and ancé, Jason; Debbie (John) Fink; Kenny Poteat; Jody (Keith) Johnston; and Tim Poteat. Also surviving are grandchildren Jamie Sartain, Jacob Nickelson, Jeremiah Nickelson, Brad (Hannah) Fink, Katie Poteat, Sara Poteat and Derek Irvin, Connor Poteat and ancée Jill, Holland Poteat, and Chandler (Danielle) Johnston. Other survivors include 10 great-grandchildren and 2 great-great-grandchildren, as well as Evelyn’s children, Allen (Donna) Smith, David (Susan) Smith, Djunna (Greg) Wellman, Jody Smith, and grandchildren Sarah (Dusty) Boyd, Michael Smith, Jamie Talley, Kenny Talley, and ve greatgrandchildren, in addition to many nieces and nephews.

Ken was preceded in death by grandsons Ben Poteat and Adam Fink; great-grandson Kenneth Sartain; granddaughter Caitlin Stokes; and great-granddaughter Raelynn Halladay.

The family is grateful for the loving care shown by Rhiennen Baker of Bayada Assistive Care. “Rhi” became family these last few months. Also, the sta of Novant Mint Hill and Hospice have been invaluable. In lieu of owers, memorials may be directed to the Building Fund of First Baptist Church of Locust, 320 S. Central Ave., Locust, NC 28097, or Novant Palliative Care – Mint Hill, 8201 Healthcare Loop, Charlotte, NC 28215.

TIFFANY MICHELE MAULDIN

AUG. 16, 1991 – MAY 27, 2026

Ti any Michele Mauldin, of Albemarle, North Carolina, passed away on Wednesday, May 27, 2026, at the age of 34.

Born on August 16, 1991, in Stanly County, North Carolina, Ti any was the beloved daughter of Ted Allen Mauldin of Albemarle and Vickie Dianne Lowder Padgett of New London. She was a loving mother, daughter, sister, and friend whose presence brought joy and comfort to those who knew her.

Ti any leaves behind her cherished children: her son, Dallas Burt Vanhoy of Rich eld, and her daughters, Destiny Ann Cook of Georgia and Dayla Vanhoy of Rich eld. She is also survived by her longtime partner, Justin Vanhoy of Rich eld, who shared many years of love and memories with her.

In addition to her parents, Ti any is survived by her stepmother, Ava Mauldin of Albemarle; her brothers, Jonathan Morton of New London, Tommy Mauldin of Albemarle, and Donald Mauldin of Mt. Gilead; her sisters, Amber Mauldin and Stacie Morton, both of Albemarle; her stepsister, Shannon Kendall of Albemarle; and her stepbrother, Dustin Kendall of Albemarle. She also leaves behind numerous extended family members and friends who will forever cherish her memory.

Ti any will be remembered for the love she had for her family, her caring heart, and the special bond she shared with those closest to her. Her memory will continue to live on in the lives of all who knew and loved her.

A Celebration of Life will be held at a later date.

STANLY SPORTS

West Stanly softball nishes as 4A state runner-up

The Colts fell to Southwestern Randolph in the championship series

By Jesse Deal Stanly News Journal

GREENSBORO — West Stanly softball’s championship run ended one step short of another state title Saturday afternoon.

The Colts, the 2026 4A Western Regional champions, were swept by Southwestern Randolph in the NCHSAA 4A softball state championship series at UNC Greensboro Softball Sta-

dium, falling 8-3 on Friday and 11-5 on Saturday.

Southwestern Randolph (25-4) claimed its sixth softball state championship with the two-game sweep over West Stanly (26-8).

“The journey is the reward — what a wonderful journey this 34-game season has been,” West Stanly coach Emily Smith said. “We are so incredibly proud of our team for the ght they have shown this entire season. They overcame every obstacle thrown their way and never gave up on each other. They left it all on the eld and were

the 2026 4A state runner-up.”

In Saturday’s Game 2, Southwestern Randolph seized control early, scoring three runs in the rst inning and four more in the second to build a 7-0 lead that West Stanly could not overcome. The Colts responded with two runs in the bottom of the second but never pulled within fewer than ve runs.

West Stanly senior Payton Watson and junior Jenna Brock led the Colts with two hits apiece in the nale.

Southwestern Randolph opened the series Friday night with an 8-3 win, breaking open a

one-run game with four runs in the bottom of the fourth inning.

West Stanly senior Nevaeh Alexander, freshman Malia Whitley and junior Kennedy Austin each had multihit performances in Game 1.

Across the two games, West Stanly’s pitching sta allowed 25 total hits as the Colts were outscored 19-8.

The championship appearance was West Stanly’s ninth in program history and its fth in seven seasons. The Colts have won six state titles, including four straight championships from 2019 to 2023.

West Stanly entered the series after winning the Rocky River Conference regular-season title and taking two of three games from No. 11 Foard in the regional nals. The Colts, seeded fourth in the 4A West bracket, had gone 5-1 since losing to Mount Pleasant in the conference tourna-

Uwharrie Wampus Cats open Blue Ridge League era with winning start

The team’s fourth season is underway

By Jesse Deal Stanly News Journal

ALBEMARLE — The Uwharrie Wampus Cats have opened a new chapter with a winning start to their fourth summer season. The Albemarle-based college wood-bat team entered June with a 5-2 record after its rst month as a founding member of the Blue Ridge League. The move marks a new era for the organization, which spent its rst three summers competing as an independent club and in the Southern Collegiate Baseball League.

Uwharrie, which plays its home games at Don Montgomery Park, climbed to second place in the BRL standings after the opening stretch, trailing only the rst-place Carolina Disco Turkeys (6-1).

The Wampus Cats began the season May 22 with a 7-2 road loss to the Disco Turkeys in Winston-Salem before responding two days later with a 7-2 home win over the Davie Crocketts (4-4). Uwharrie followed with a 14-2 road win over Davie in Mocksville on May 25, then added a 5-4 road victory over Carolina on May 28. The team closed the month

“We are so incredibly proud of our team for the ght they have shown this entire season.”

Emily Smith, West Stanly coach

ment championship game and had not surrendered more than four runs in a game since late April.

Southwestern Randolph entered Greensboro on a seven-game winning streak after winning the Four Rivers regular-season and tournament titles.

West Stanly’s Makayla Crayton and Southwestern Randolph’s Chloe Eudy earned the Sportsmanship Award, while Southwestern Randolph’s Katelyn West was named series MVP.

with three games in three days, beginning with a 12-4 home loss Friday to the Spartanburg County Peaches (1-2). Uwharrie bounced back Saturday with a 9-2 home win over the Greensboro Yard Goats (1-7) before nishing the weekend with a 15-7 road victory Sunday over the Peaches in Inman, South Carolina.

In Sunday’s win, the Wampus Cats erased a ve-run decit after the third inning and produced a season-high 15 runs. Pitcher Josh Kapp came out of the bullpen and held Spartanburg County to one run over 51⁄3 innings, while Ben Baker added a three-run home run in the ninth inning. Jesse Osborne nished with three hits, Blake McKinney had four and Carter Callicut added two.

Uwharrie will continue its early-season schedule this week with four games in ve days, including three against Davie. The Wampus Cats are set to host the Crocketts on Thursday before traveling to face Davie in a Friday doubleheader.

After the three-game set, Uwharrie will remain on the road Monday for a matchup against the Queen City Corndogs in Charlotte.

The team’s home schedule currently runs through July 25, when Uwharrie will host Davie at Don Montgomery Park. At the conclusion of this year’s regular season, the top two teams in the BRL standings will meet in a best-of-three championship series in late July.

Last summer, Uwharrie nished 13-14-1 before participating in the inaugural Blue Ridge Invitational Tournament.

NFL Packers’ Jacobs released from jail as prosecutors weigh ling charges

Green Bay, Wis. Green Bay Packers running back Josh Jacobs was released from a Wisconsin jail while authorities further investigate allegations of domestic abuse. The Brown County prosecutor gave an update. District Attorney David Lasee said it’s too soon to make a formal charging decision. Jacobs was arrested Tuesday in Brown County on allegations of strangulation and other o enses over the weekend. Jacobs’ lawyers said they’re pleased that he’s out of jail.

NBA Rozier hit with new bribery charges in sports gambling sting

Federal prosecutors have indicted ex-Miami Heat guard Terry Rozier on additional charges related to a sports gambling sting. The 32-year- old was charged with bribery in sporting contests and honest services wire fraud conspiracy. Prosecutors allege he took a hefty bribe to exit a game early in March 2023. He has denied participating in the gambling scheme and is ghting to have the case dismissed. His attorneys argue the government’s theory runs afoul of a recent U.S. Supreme Court ruling.

NCAA ATHLETICS

Big 12 becoming rst Power Four conference to have all members agree to CSC participation

Frisco, Texas

The Big 12 is the rst Power Four conference to have each of its members sign participation agreements with the College Sports Commission. That is the agency formed last year to police name, image and likeness payments. The agreement requires schools to waive their right to le lawsuits against the enforcement agency and gives it wide latitude to sanction programs for violating rules that outline how players can be paid. All 68 Power Four schools must sign the 11-page document for it to become valid.

NCAA FOOTBALL

Sorsby made thousands of bets totaling at least $90,000, court documents show Lubbock, Texas

Texas Tech quarterback Brendan Sorsby made thousands of bets totaling at least $90,000 while in college. Those include at least 40 bets on Indiana football when he was a Hoosiers freshman in 2022, according to court lings in the transfer player’s lawsuit seeking to have the NCAA restore his eligibility. Sorsby transferred to Texas Tech for a reported multimilliondollar deal after playing for Cincinnati the past two seasons. He was ruled ineligible after he acknowledged wagering on sports.

MLB Mazzilli, Valentine enshrined in Mets Hall of Fame

New York

Longtime friends and former roommates Lee Mazzilli and Bobby Valentine were inducted into the New York Mets Hall of Fame. Mazzilli, a Brooklyn native, batted .277 with 53 homers, 262 RBIs and 117 stolen bases from 1977 through 1980 while playing for New York. After playing for the team, Valentine made a far bigger impact as the team’s manager from August 1996 through 2002, directing the Mets to the World Series in 2000.

Share with your community! Send us your births, deaths, marriages, graduations and other announcements: community@stanlynewsjournal.com Weekly deadline is Monday at noon

salute to seniors

West Stanly softball was the last team standing in the county. The Colts nished state runners-up, losing to Southwestern Randolph in the NCHSAA championship series.

That ended West’s season at 26-8 and brought the high school careers of three Colts seniors to a close.

In elder Nevaeh Alexander ranked third in all of NCHSAA in runs scored and 22nd in the state in home runs, second in Class 4A. She also ranked third in 4A in RBIs, rst in runs, fourth in stolen bases and eighth in slugging. Alexander led the Rocky River 4A/5A conference in runs and homers and was in the top three in six batting categories.

Out elder Payton Watson ranked 10th in NC Class 4A in steals, 11th in runs scored and 14th in RBIs.

Out elder Saylor Edwards was 12th in Class 4A in homers and tied Watson for 11th in runs.

Hamlin storms back from a pole-start penalty to win at Nashville Superspeedway 31

By Teresa M. Walker The Associated Press

LEBANON, Tenn. — Denny

Hamlin outraced Christopher Bell over the nal four laps after a nal restart Sunday night to win the Cracker Barrel 400 at Nashville Superspeedway.

Hamlin won for the second time this year and 62nd of his career on a night where he jumped the start o the pole. That penalty put him at the back of the eld.

The 45-year-old Hamlin raced his way to the front for the thrilling win that had his Joe Gibbs Racing teammates Bell and Chase Briscoe making it three-wide before Hamlin took

the lead down the backstretch to win by 0.115 seconds. The race started 80 minutes late after rain delayed NASCAR’s Cup Series for a second straight week. The wait was worth it with a record 31 lead changes and 12 cautions at the 1.33-mile, D-shaped oval that is NASCAR’s largest concrete track.

Bell nished second for a second straight race ahead of Briscoe. Ricky Stenhouse Jr. was fourth, and Chase Elliott rounded out the top ve.

Long time coming Ryan Blaney, trying to repeat as champ at this track, led the restart trying to hold o AJ Allmendinger on a one-lap shootout for the rst stage. Allmendinger took the lead on the backstretch, then held o

Kyle Larson to take stage one for his rst stage victory since 2024.

Stage 2 win

Suarez took the second stage after staying out during a caution and took the lead on the restart on lap 182. Then Corey Heim drove his No. 67 Toyota into the back of Todd Gilliland’s No. 34 Ford, sending him backward into the Turn 1 wall. That brought out the seventh caution with Cole Custer spinning out in the crash.

Lots of rotor woes

Rookie Connor Zilisch had the right rotor explode on his No. 88 Chevrolet sending him into the wall and smashing the right side on Turn 1 of lap 72.

Lead changes in the race, which set a record

Zilisch got the Trackhouse Racing car into the garage with some ames coming out from under the right tire, which was stuck and nearly sideways. He had been running 24th after starting 38th on the last row.

Trackhouse teammate Ross Chastain had his own rotor issue on lap 82, sending him into the wall between Turns 1 and 2. Michael McDowell spun trying to avoid Chastain’s No. 1 Chevrolet. Zilisch called the rotor problems a surprise when

both he and Chastain had been moving up.

“Just unfortunate circumstances,” Zilisch said. “Yeah, we’ll learn from it.”

Van Gisbergen is the third member of Trackhouse Racing. His crew told him not to worry with his No. 97 Chevrolet running a completely di erent brake package. Ryan Preece went to the garage with no water in his No. 60 Ford, and his crew found a piece of rotor broken o into the radiator before he got back on the track.

Then Allmendinger, who was third, had the rotor spark and ame before his No. 16 Chevrolet hit the Turn 1 wall on lap 173 — with 12 laps left in Stage 2.

Chris Buescher was running 17th with 12 laps left when his right rotor went as he entered Turn 3.

Up next

The series will be at Michigan International Speedway next week where Hamlin will be trying to win for a second straight year.

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NOTICES

NOTICE NORTH CAROLINA STANLY COUNTY IN THE GENERAL COURT OF JUSTICE SUPERIOR COURT DIVISION BEFORE THE CLERK FILE NO. 26E000191-830

NOTICE TO CREDITORS

Having quali ed as the Executor of the Estate of DONNA DAVIS FREEMAN, of Chester eld, South Carolina, this is to notify all persons having claims against the Estate of DONNA DAVIS FREEMAN to present them to the undersigned on or before August 27, 2026, or the same will be pleaded in bar of their recovery. All persons indebted to said Estate, please make immediate payment. This is the 27th day of May, 2026. Emsley D. Freeman 994 Carey Freeman Road, Cheraw, SC 29520 Executor of the Estate of Donna Davis Freeman Sweeny, Wingate & Barrow, PA ATTN: David Thomas, esq. 1515 Lady Street, Columbia, SC 29201

NOTICE

City of Albemarle (Owner) 144 North Second Street, Albemarle, NC 28001 Long Creek WWTP Comprehensive Rehabilitation Project No. CS370522-08

ADVERTISEMENT FOR BIDS

Sealed Bids for the construction of the Long Creek WWTP Comprehensive Rehabilitation will be received at the o ce of City of Albemarle Purchasing

Coordinator, Raymond I. Allen Community Room #118, 144 North Second Street, Albemarle NC 28001; or by mail at PO Box 190, Albemarle NC 28002-0190 until 2:30 pm local time on July 14th, 2026 at which time the Bids received will be publicly opened and read aloud.

The Project consists of a major rehabilitation to the 12.0 MGD treatment facility generally consisting of the following: Structural Modi cations to the in uent pump station

Conversion of two aeration basins from oating aerators to ne-bubble di usion

Conversion of two aeration basins to equalization basins

A blower building with three 300 HP blowers

Two 90-ft diameter secondary clari ers

Two 90-ft diameter aerobic digesters

A digester blower building with three 250 HP blowers

A sludge dewatering facility

Various other plant modi cations to accommodate the new treatment system

Signi cant electrical improvements

(0.45) per each One Hundred Dollars ($100.00) or fractional part thereof with a maximum amount of Five Hundred Dollars ($500.00). A deposit of ve percent (5%) of the bid or Seven Hundred Fifty Dollars ($750.00), whichever is greater, will be required at the time of the sale and must be tendered in the form of certi ed funds. Following the expiration of the statutory upset bid period, all the remaining amounts will be immediately due and owing. Said property to be o ered pursuant to this Notice of Sale is being o ered for sale, transfer and conveyance AS IS WHERE IS. There are no representations of 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. This sale is made subject to all prior liens, unpaid taxes, special assessments, land transfer taxes, if any, and encumbrances of record. To the best of the knowledge and belief of the undersigned, the current owner(s) of the property is/are Chad Cleavenger and Kristie Cleavenger. PLEASE TAKE NOTICE: An order for possession of the property may be issued pursuant to North Carolina General Statutes §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, 2007, may, after receiving the notice of sale, terminate the rental agreement by providing written notice of termination to the landlord, to be e ective on a date stated in the notice that is at least 10 days, but no more than 90 days, after the sale date contained in the notice of sale, provided that the mortgagor has not cured the default at the time the tenant provides the notice of termination (North Carolina General Statutes §45-21.16A(b)(2)). Upon termination of a rental agreement, the tenant is liable for rent due under the rental

agreement prorated to the e ective date of termination. 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 Substitute Trustee, in their sole discretion, if they believe 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. Anchor Trustee Services, LLC Substitute Trustee By: David Neill, NCSB #23396 McMichael Taylor Gray, LLC Attorney for Anchor Trustee Services, LLC 3550 Engineering Drive, Suite 260 Peachtree Corners, GA 30092 404-474-7149 (phone) 404-745-8121 (fax) dneill@mtglaw.com 25-004365-02

The Issuing O ce for the Bidding Documents is: LKC Engineering, PLLC, located at 140 Aqua Shed Court, Aberdeen, NC 28315, 910-420-1437. Prospective Bidders may obtain copies of the Bidding Documents from the Issuing O ce as described below. Bidding Documents also may be examined at Carolinas AGC (plans available at www.cagc.org on IBuild), FW Dodge/McGraw Hill Dodge, Minority Economic Development Center: Charlotte, Hispanic Contractors Association of the Carolinas: Charlotte; the o ce of the Albemarle Public Utilities, on Mondays through Fridays between the hours of 9:00 am and 3:30 pm; and the o ce of the Engineer, LKC Engineering, PLLC, located at 140 Aqua Shed Court, Aberdeen NC 28315, on Mondays through Fridays between the hours of 9:00 am and 3:30 pm. Bidding Documents may be obtained from the Issuing O ce during the hours indicated above. Bidding Documents are available on compact disc (as portable document format (PDF) les) for a nonrefundable charge of $250.00, including shipping. Alternatively, printed Bidding Documents may be obtained from the Issuing O ce either via in-person pick-up or via mail, upon Issuing O ce’s receipt of payment for the Bidding Documents. The non-refundable cost of printed Bidding Documents is $250.00 per set, which includes shipping, payable to LKC Engineering. Upon Issuing O ce’s receipt of payment, printed Bidding Documents will be sent to the Bidder. The date that the Bidding Documents are transmitted by the Issuing O ce will be considered the prospective Bidder’s date of receipt of the Bidding Documents. Partial sets of Bidding Documents will not be available from the Issuing O ce. Neither Owner nor Engineer will be responsible for full or partial sets of Bidding Documents, including Addenda if any, obtained from sources other than the Issuing O ce. A pre-bid conference for this project will be held on June 30th, 2026 at 10:00 am in City Hall, Raymond I. Allen Community Room #118, 144 North Second Street, Albemarle NC 28001. Attendance at the pre-bid conference is not mandatory but is recommended. A site visit to the wastewater treatment plant will follow the meeting at City Hall. Bid security shall be furnished in accordance with the Instructions to Bidders. Owner: City of Albemarle By: Linda J. Lewis, CLGPO Title: Purchasing Coordinator Project Design and Construction Management Team

Owner’s Representative: Tom Johnson Public Utilities Director 144 North Second Street Albemarle, NC 28001 Phone: (704) 984-9609

e-mail: tjohnson@albemarlenc.gov

Project Engineer: Adam Kiker, P.E. LKC Engineering, PLLC 140 Aqua Shed Court Aberdeen, NC 28315

Phone: (910) 420-1437

e-mail: adam@LKCengineering.com

For Plans and Speci cations: Tanya Medlin

LKC Engineering, PLLC 140 Aqua Shed Court Aberdeen, NC 28315

Phone: (910) 420-1437

e-mail: tanya@LKCengineering.com

NOTICE

NORTH CAROLINA STANLY COUNTY IN THE GENERAL COURT OF JUSTICE SUPERIOR COURT DIVISION BEFORE THE CLERK FILE NO. 26E000201-830 NOTICE TO CREDITORS Having quali ed as Executor of the estate of Reba Starnes Bowers deceased, of Stanly County, North Carolina, this is to notify all persons having claims against the

NOTICE

‘Hoppers,’ ‘Love Island,’ albums from Lizzo, Death Cab for Cutie

“O ce Romance” staring Jennifer Lopez hits Net ix

The Associated Press

NEW ALBUMS FROM Lizzo and Death Cab for Cutie and the streaming service debut of animated hit “Hoppers” 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: the new season of “Love Island,” a new rom-com starring Jennifer Lopez and Brett Goldstein, and the quiet puzzle game “Swan Song.”

MOVIES TO STREAM

With strong reviews and good ticket sales, “Hoppers” was one of the better received Pixar originals in recent years. The lm, a zany body-swapping comedy about environmental protection, is streaming now on Disney+. In it, Mabel (Piper Curda) is trying to defend a pristine pond from development by the local mayor (Jon Hamm) when she transforms, or “hops,” into the body of a robotic beaver. In her review, AP lm writer Lindsey Bahr called it a “buoyant, freewheeling adventure.”

“O ce Romance” (Net ix on Friday) pairs Lopez and Goldstein (“Ted Lasso”) in a workplace rom com. Lopez star as a chief executive of an airline who falls for the company’s new lawyer (Goldstein). Goldstein also wrote the movie with “Ted Lasso” co-creator Joe Kelly.

Ahmir “Questlove” Thompson continues his documentary tours through music history with “Earth, Wind & Fire (To Be Celestial vs. That’s the Weight of the World).” Questlove’s tribute to the seminal Chicago group debuts on HBO and HBO Max on Sunday, days after its premiere at the Tribeca Festival.

Harry Lighton’s “Pillion” (HBO Max on Friday) is one of the more memorable love stories in recent years. Harry Melling and Alexander Skarsgård star as an unlikely BDSM couple: one sings barbershop quartet, the other is a gru biker. In my review, I praised “Pillion” as the portrait of a relationship “in the extreme, one that ultimately, like any other, is guided by needs and wants.”

MUSIC TO STREAM

It has been four years since Lizzo last released a full-length project. That was “Special,” lead by the ubiquitous funk-pop “About Damn Time.” This time around, she’s promised “good, clean fun” on her new one, the suggestively titled “B----.” Led by the ’80s ballad “Don’t Make Me Love U,” it’s clear that she’s still in it for the big pop songs. Death Cab for Cutie’s forthcoming studio album, “I Built You A Tower,” has two main inspirations, if they can be called that. It’s the beloved indie rock

band’s rst full-length project since the end of the anniversary tours for their career-de ning albums, 2003’s “Transatlanticism” and 2005’s “Plans,” which reinvigorated their songwriting. It was also written while principal songwriter and frontman Ben Gibbard was going through a separation and eventual divorce. “I was doing a lot of context switching,” Gibbard told the AP. “I started to write a lot about how we contextualize, compartmentalize, speci cally our grief.” Luckily, that kind of humanity is the stu the band excels in.

Of the former members of One Direction, Niall Horan has stayed truest to the boy band’s propulsive pop-rock, but don’t think that means his matured work is derivative. He’s taken those classic tools and aged them. “Dinner Party,” his fourth full-length al-

bum as a soloist, draws inspiration from the place where he met his long-term partner. Damien Rice is a main in uence, and the songs are dreamy and romantic. It began with “Blackberry Marmalade,” Vince Staples’ rst solo song in two years. It was a heavy introduction to his hyper-independent “Cry Baby” album, out Friday — all noise-rock, critical messaging (“Empires build on bloodstained ground,” he opens the rst verse) and a music video styled like a rst-person shooter video game. Then came the even darker “White Flag.” The musician, known for his inventiveness and often surrealist approach to art making, is clearly taking a direct approach here.

SERIES TO STREAM

Some people look forward to the summer months because of the warm weather and because school is out. Others get hyped because of a new season of “Love Island USA” is airing ve nights a week on Peacock. The season is approximately six weeks of scantily clad, single contestants sequestered in a villa in Fiji. They must couple up or they’re sent home. The last couple remaining wins a cash prize. AMC has given the third season of “Anne Rice’s Interview with a Vampire” series a new name. The show is now called “The Vampire Lestat” with Lestat de Lioncourt (Sam Reid) sharing his story. Unhappy with the way he was written in Daniel Molloy’s book, Lestat forms a rock band and goes on the road. Lestat craves attention and admiration, and he’s certain his rock star persona will attract adoring fans. AMC is leaning into Lestat’s music, making it available on music streaming apps. Fun fact: Reid performed his own songs. “The Vampire Lestat” premieres Sunday on AMC and AMC+.

VIDEO GAMES TO PLAY Amid all the noise and chaos of modern culture, sometimes you just want to solve a nice, quiet puzzle. That’s what Belgium’s Business Goose Games is aiming for with “Swan Song.” It’s essentially a music box with two compartments: one contains sheet music, while the other contains a maze. You need to choose the right notes in order to make each maze solvable. The developer’s last mellow brainteaser, “Sizeable,” found an enthusiastic audience, and its new puzzler has a similar vibe. Open the box Thursday

or

Snake eyes for Hurricanes in Game 1

Vegas forward Brett Howden scores his playo -leading 11th goal on Hurricanes goalie Frederik

Tuesday in Game 1 of the Stanley Cup nal in Raleigh.

WHAT’S HAPPENING Winston-Salem approves FY 2026-27 budget

Trump taps housing regulator Pulte to be acting director of national intelligence

President Donald Trump has tapped Bill Pulte, head of the Federal Housing Finance Agency, to be the acting director of national intelligence — elevating a real estate scion without any clear national security credentials to a key post as the U.S. remains at war with Iran. Trump made the surprise announcement Tuesday on social media that Pulte would be replacing Tulsi Gabbard, the former Hawaii congresswoman who had served as the director of national intelligence. Trump said Pulte will keep his other positions even as he lls in for Gabbard, who resigned last month after revealing her husband’s cancer diagnosis.

Trump signs executive order to vet top AI models for national security risks

President Donald Trump has signed a new executive order on arti cial intelligence. The order establishes a framework for the federal government to vet the national security risks of the most advanced AI systems for up to a month before their public release. The government will be able to work with trusted partners “that will have early access to covered frontier models to promote secure innovation and strengthen the cybersecurity of critical infrastructure,” the order says.

The property tax will be increasing by 2.2 cents per $100 valuation

By Ryan Henkel Twin City Herald

WINSTON-SALEM — The Winston-Salem City Council approved a lower tax rate than previously recommended for the upcoming scal year. At the council’s June 1 meeting, it was presented with the nalized budget for FY 2026-27, and with that came a decrease in the property tax rate.

The proposed budget initially had a recommended property tax rate of $0.593 per $100 valuation, but the new recommendation was for it to be reduced down to $0.589.

Overall though, this is still a 2.2 cent increase in property tax rates from the previous year.

“Although there is a property tax rate increase recommended, it is not to fund everything that has been requested at this point,” said Budget Director Scott Tesh.

The FY 2026-27 Winston-Salem City Budget is balanced at just under

$703 million and prioritizes maintaining the current levels of services, strategic investments, debt-funded priorities and maintaining compensation and bene ts packages for employees.

Council member Robert Clark also made sure to point out that the city has currently not made designations for nonpro t funding, which just under a million dollars has been set aside for.

“The budget simply has a number in there for the nonpro ts,” Clark said. “A total number. It does not break it out by who’s going to get it. June 9,

Robot helping ailing couple stay in home; could more be coming for aging population?

The robot handles reminders and daily tasks to help older adults stay independent

By Matt O’Brien

The Associated Press DURHAM, N.H. — After outliving Booker T. Bones, their second service dog, Brenda and Brian Marquis still needed help with some of the more di cult parts of daily life. They found Robbie, a robot that rolls out of a hallway into their living room several times a day. “Do you want to exercise

now? Please answer yes or no,” the caregiver robot asks 59-year-old Brian Marquis, who has been living with a traumatic brain injury since a 2012 car crash.

“Yes,” he responds. Then he stands up as the robot’s googly-eyed digital screen “face” morphs into an exercise video that guides him through an afternoon workout.

The decades-long quest to build home robots that are both helpful and lifelike — spurred on by ctional machines like The Jetsons’ humanoid maid Rosie — is still mostly a pipe dream. That’s despite growing appeal as the oldest baby boomers are

“I was never into technology. Then I realized I can’t remember to wash my face and my armpits. So it just really kind of set me free almost.”

Brian Marquis

turning 80 this year and the United States faces a deepening shortage of home care aides, driven by low wages, high turnover and demanding workloads.

the nance committee will continue the discussion that we had from the last committee of the whole meeting talking about which speci c organizations will be funded from that.”

The council also approved an ordinance to standardize the pay adjustment timing for police and re from January and July to be in accordance with the general workforce.

Typically, the general workforce receives merit-based pay increases once a year.

“Each year as part of the budget package, we do bring these necessary amendments to the personnel resolution,” Tesh said.

Finally, the council also approved the demolitions of four properties located at 1135 Argonne Blvd., 1331 Houston St., 2705 Stokes Ave. and 410 Barry St. The Winston-Salem City Council will next meet June 15.

But the machine helping the Marquis family — a robot piloted by a University of New Hampshire laboratory, with funding from the National Institute on Aging — offers a glimpse of the emerging possibilities.

“Stretch” aids dementia patient with range of tasks

The wheeled robot that some have likened to a coat rack was not what Brenda Marquis initially had in mind when she wrote an email to a robotics professor at nearby UNH asking for advice on robotic dogs.

Robbie, the couple’s name for a new robot model ocially called Stretch 4, spends much of the day at a charging station between the kitchen and bedroom. When it comes out, it does important work, like nudging Brian, who has dementia, to eat lunch or drink water.

Former NC o cer charged in beating caught on video

The victim’s charges for resisting arrest and assault have since been dismissed The Associated Press

SHELBY — A former North Carolina police o cer caught on a doorbell camera repeatedly punching a woman in the face was charged Monday with assault.

The video of Shelby Ocer Karson Hyder pummeling Cherrie Moore on Friday has circulated widely on social media.

Hyder, 22, turned himself in to the Cleveland County Detention Center on Monday morning and was released on a $10,000 secured bond. Court records do not list an attorney for him, and a phone number associated with his name was out of service. Hyder, who was suspended Friday and red on Saturday, was responding to a breaking-and-entering call when the scu e ensued.

According to a warrant, Moore, 34, ed the residence on foot and resisted arrest, assaulting Hyder by “grabbing and ripping (his) uniform.”

A separate warrant led Monday alleged Hyder “unlawfully and willfully did assault and strike Cherrie Moore” by grabbing Moore “by the arm, pushing her to the ground and striking her in the face with a closed st, thereby in icting serious injury possible broken nose and busted lip.”

The State Bureau of Investigation had announced Saturday it had opened an investigation into Hyder.

Moore was initially charged with breaking and entering, resisting arrest and assault on a public o cer, but the latter two charges have since been dismissed. She was freed on an unsecured bond. A phone number associated with Moore was disconnected.

Her attorney, Ronald Haynes, told The Associated Press in an email that Moore “is recovering and receiving treatment for her mental health.”

“The heinous actions of former O cer Karson Hyder will forever negatively impact Ms. Cherrie Moore and her family,” Haynes continued. “It’s a small relief that city o cials responded so promptly to terminate and charge Mr. Hyder.”

New Berkshire Hathaway CEO Abel makes rst deal since taking over from legendary Bu ett

The acquisition tests whether Abel will move beyond Bu ett’s handso management style

By Josh Funk The Associated Press

OMAHA, Neb. — Berkshire Hathaway’s new CEO Greg Abel hinted that he may depart from Warren Bu ett’s longtime hands-o operating model at the conglomerate as he announced a $6.8 billion acquisition of homebuilder Taylor Morrison.

Abel suggested in the deal announcement he plans to consolidate Taylor Morrison with Berkshire’s existing sitebuilt homebuilding operations that are part of its Clayton Homes subsidiary. For six decades under Bu ett, Berkshire promised to largely leave companies alone after it acquired them and allow the executives to keep running the day-to-day operations the same way.

“We are excited to welcome Taylor Morrison into Berkshire’s portfolio, re ecting our long-standing commitment to housing, exempli ed by Clayton Homes and our other building products businesses. Over time, we expect to unify our site-built homebuilding operations into a combined platform enabling us to deliver the dream of homeownership to more Americans,” Abel said in the announcement.

In addition to Clayton, which specializes in manufactured homes but also has a site-built unit, Berkshire also owns several other housing-related businesses, including Benjamin Moore paint and Shaw Floors.

It’s not clear how much consolidating Abel might do among Berkshire’s dozens of companies that include an assortment of major insurers, including Geico, major manufacturers such as Precision Castparts and a bunch of retail and service companies like NetJets, Dairy Queen and Hel-

Berkshire Hathaway’s Greg Abel poses for pictures with shareholders while touring the booths Berkshire’s companies set up in May 2024 in Omaha, Nebraska.

zberg Diamonds. But Abel is known as a much more active manager than Bu ett ever was.

“Given Greg’s strength as an operator it will be interesting to see if he does consolidate these units to get some greater scale and e ciencies,” said CFRA Research analyst Cathy Seifert.

Abel has been overseeing all of Berkshire’s noninsurance businesses since 2018, and he hasn’t made any major changes in operations, though he has encouraged subsidiaries to cooperate more when it makes sense. Abel became CEO in January, but Bu ett remains chairman and Berkshire’s largest shareholder.

Berkshire shareholders will likely be excited just to see Abel making deals given that the Omaha-based company is currently sitting on nearly $400 billion cash. This deal by itself isn’t likely to make a meaningful impact on Berkshire’s bottom line because the conglomerate is so big, but dealmaking and investing are the areas of Abel’s resume that investors

“Greg did that faster than I could have done it, smoother than I could have done it, and I never talked to the CEO. He has launched.”

Warren Bu ett, Berkshire Hathaway chairman

had the most questions about. Bu ett praised Abel in an interview with CNBC on Monday morning.

“Greg did that faster than I could have done it, smoother than I could have done it, and I never talked to the CEO. He has launched,” Bu ett told CNBC. Abel has led acquisitions before while leading Berkshire’s massive utility division, but obviously Bu ett would have signed o on those. Now Abel is making the decisions with advice from Bu ett and the rest of the board.

“I think investors will cheer Greg’s foray into M&A as CEO. The purchase price seems rich given the current interest rate/ macro environment,” Seifert said.

Berkshire agreed to pay Taylor Morrison investors $72.50 per share in the all-cash deal. That represents a 24% premium over the company’s previous closing price of $58.50. Shares of the Scottsdale, Arizona-based homebuilder jumped up near that purchase price on Monday while Berkshire’s shares slipped 1%.

But Raymond James analyst Buck Horne said in a research note that it’s possible Berkshire could face some competition from private equity rms or other potential buyers who might be willing to pay more for Taylor Morrison before its shareholders can vote on whether to accept this o er.

“We would not be shocked if other players and/or private equity began to sharpen their pencils before the ink on this agreement is fully dry,” Horne said.

THE CONVERSATION

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

COLUMN

| DAVID HARSANYI

Democrats are in no position to lecture anyone about candidates

Democrats had a chance to be normal. They chose crazy.

DEMOCRATS ARE AGAIN acting like they occupy the high moral ground of American politics. But if 2026 has proven anything, it’s that there’s virtually nothing a left-wing candidate could say or do that would elicit condemnation from Democrats if doing so threatened their power.

Democrats, for example, demand credit for their opposition to Maureen Galindo, the Texas congressional candidate who proposed putting American “Zionists” (wink, wink) into concentration camps and castrating them, lost her Texas primary last week, winning 36% of the vote — not a bad showing for a politician championing mass imprisonment of her political enemies.

The question, though, is whether House Minority Leader Hakeem Je ries or Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez or anyone at Pod Save America or the Bulwark had uttered a word in protest, had Galindo already won her primary before making those comments? All the evidence strongly suggests no.

And by evidence, I mean their explicit support for slightly less o ensive cranks, extremists, bigots and terrorism apologists such as new party power broker Hasan Piker, the socialist Hezbollah fan Abdul el Sayed in Michigan or the Hamas apologist Chris Rabb in Pennsylvania, a guy who suggested the massacre of Jews at Bondi Beach was a “false ag” operation by “Zionists.”

Imagine telling someone 20 years ago that a leading congressional candidate in a New Jersey district situated right outside New York City had both volunteered for an al Qaeda front in Europe and spent years being friends with “The Blind Sheikh” Omar Abdel-Rahman, the longtime jihadi preacher who was sentenced for seditious conspiracy after planning a “day of terror” in 1995. Adam Hamawy defended Abdel-Rahman during his trial. And yet not a single notable Democrat has called him out on it.

Many of the same Democrats who expect Republicans to wring their hands over Republican Texas senatorial candidate Ken Paxton, a man tainted by corruption, have o ered a full-throated endorsement of a man who knowingly got and kept a Totenkopf SS Nazi tattoo for 20 years.

| JAMES CARTER AND JACOB CHOE

It’s not just that Graham Platner’s mentally unstable ravings, including saying a Purple Heart recipient didn’t “deserve to live,” that “all cops are bastards,” that white rural Americans were “racist and stupid,” that the Virgin Mary was a “skank,” defending child killers of Hamas or contending that sexual assault victims bring it on themselves. It’s that he still uses unhinged Marxist language right now.

Platner isn’t the rst skeeze to run for major o ce, but he might be the most extreme. Only two elected Democrats, as far as I can tell, have spoken out about Platner’s soft spot for Nazis. One is Sen. John Fetterman, who is under relentless attack from his own party for supporting Israel over Islamists, and Rep. Jake Auchincloss.

Now, if Platner’s opponent in Maine was a raging, corrupt ideologue, independents might be torn between two dangerous candidates. But the Republican in Maine is incumbent Sen. Susan Collins, perhaps the most milquetoast centrist member of the entire chamber.

Some Democrats rationalize their support for a self-described “communist” by noting that control of the Senate is far more important than worrying about the individual ravings of unhinged candidates. Though gutless

establishment Democrats did virtually nothing to counter extremists during the primaries, there’s a utilitarian logic to this thinking. But then you’re in no position to lecture Republicans about Paxton or anyone else, for that matter.

The 2026 elections will be held during the second term of an unpopular presidency, so there’s no telling how many Democrats will win. Or, perhaps, the new reality is that pro-Islamist Marxists are now an in uential part of the contemporary Democratic Party. How popular such a party will be nationally moving forward is yet to be seen.

I am constantly being assured that Democrats are the adults in the room. I’m supposed to believe that self-styled socialists are not only going to uphold norms, decency and democratic institutions but also improve the economic conditions of Americans. That contention clashes with every shred of historical evidence we possess. Democrats had a chance to be normal. They chose crazy.

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

COLUMN

The U.S. ally that figured out China’s game plan long before Washington

China is not a trading partner that plays by the rules.

WASHINGTON HAS SPENT decades talking about the U.S.-Japan alliance in military terms. Carrier groups. Missile defense. Deterrence. Those things matter enormously. But the alliance runs far deeper than defense planning, and right now the economic dimension deserves more attention than it is getting.

It runs through factories, ports, semiconductor supply chains, cattle ranches, shipping corridors, food processing systems and business relationships that never make the evening news.

Understanding why that matters requires being honest about something Washington spent too long avoiding: China is not a trading partner that plays by the rules. It is a strategic competitor that uses economic leverage as a weapon, and every supply chain that runs through Beijing is a vulnerability waiting to be exploited.

Japan gured this out before most American policymakers did.

The U.S.-Japan relationship stands out in the current environment precisely because it is built on something China cannot o er: genuine mutual trust developed over decades of transparent commerce, shared democratic values and consistent institutional behavior. That is not a diplomatic abstraction but rather a practical asset with real economic consequences.

Japan remains badly underestimated by many in Washington. Its food processing and agricultural technology sectors are extraordinarily sophisticated. Precision packaging, cold-chain logistics, sanitation systems and production e ciency are not glamorous topics, but they matter enormously in modern trade.

They reduce waste, improve reliability and create the kind of supply chain stability that China’s record of concealment, manipulation and economic coercion has repeatedly destroyed.

American agricultural producers bene t from the Japanese relationship more than most people realize. Japan is one of the largest overseas markets for U.S. beef, pork, wheat, corn, soybeans, dairy and seafood. Japanese rms invest heavily inside the United States in

automotive manufacturing, logistics, advanced materials, food technology and industrial infrastructure. That is far from dependency. It is the kind of reciprocal economic integration that actually works — because both sides follow the same rules and neither uses market access as a political hostage.

China does. And when it wants to remind you of that fact, it does not send a diplomatic note. It cuts o your supply chain.

Ask any American manufacturer who woke up to nd China restricting exports of gallium and germanium — two minerals essential to semiconductors, defense systems and advanced electronics — what Chinese economic partnership actually looks like in practice.

Beijing controls nearly 90% of the world’s rare earth processing capacity. It did not acquire that dominance through superior geology. It acquired it through decades of deliberate state subsidization, below-market pricing designed to drive foreign competitors out of business and a patient willingness to operate at a loss until the competition disappeared. Once the competition was gone, the leverage arrived. It’s a long con.

Japan understood this dynamic earlier than Washington and has spent years building diversi ed critical mineral supply chains precisely to reduce exposure to Chinese chokepoints. That work is directly relevant to American national security interests right now, and it is one reason the bilateral relationship carries strategic weight beyond what any single trade agreement or defense treaty could capture.

The recent weakness of the yen deserves more attention than it has received. Most commentary treats it as a Japanese problem. That misses half the picture.

A weaker yen lowers costs for American importers, manufacturers and rms purchasing Japanese industrial inputs and specialized technologies. It also encourages additional Japanese investment into the United States at precisely the moment America is trying to rebuild domestic manufacturing capacity and cut dangerous supply chain dependence on China. The yen story is, in part, an American opportunity.

President Donald Trump understood the

strategic stakes in the Paci c earlier and more clearly than his critics acknowledged. The emphasis on industrial resilience, supply chain repatriation and confronting Chinese economic aggression directly was not protectionist nostalgia.

It was a recognition that the rules-based trading order China pretends to respect is one it has systematically gamed for 30 years. Japanese policymakers understood this concern even when they disagreed with speci c tari decisions. The underlying diagnosis was correct. Events have kept proving it.

The Paci c is now a theater of economic competition whether Washington wants it to be or not. China has made that choice for everyone.

It has used its position in the South China Sea to intimidate smaller neighbors, backed Russia’s war in Ukraine while lecturing the West about sovereignty, and built rare earth dominance into a strategic weapon aimed directly at American manufacturing and defense capacity. It views American alliances not as facts to be respected but as problems to be dissolved.

That is why the U.S.-Japan alliance matters more right now than at any point in recent memory. Not because it is sentimental or traditional but because it is one of the few economic relationships in the Paci c built on rules both sides actually follow, trust both sides have actually earned and interests both sides have actually aligned. In a region where China has made dependency its primary foreign policy tool, that is a genuine strategic advantage.

Don’t take it for granted.

James Carter is a policy advisor with America’s Economy First. Jacob Choe is an international strategist and a member of the Bretton Woods Committee and a Ben Franklin Fellow. (Copyright 2026 Daily Caller News Foundation)

Experimental pill promises new hope for deadly pancreatic cancer

It uses a molecular glue to target mutations that had eluded treatment for decades

By Lauran Neergaard

The Associated Press

WASHINGTON, D.C. — A novel pill helped people with advanced pancreatic cancer live longer, researchers reported Sunday, raising hopes of long-needed better treatments for one of the deadliest types of cancer.

“While not curing the cancer, it is a very large step forward,” said Dr. Zev Wainberg, of the University of California, Los Angeles, who helped lead the study.

The drug is called daraxonrasib, and it blocks a mutated protein that fuels tumor growth in more than 90% of pancreatic cancer cases — a target that had eluded treatment for decades.

The daily pills nearly doubled survival time, with fewer severe side e ects, in a study that randomly assigned the experimental drug or more chemotherapy to 500 patients whose metastatic, or spreading, cancer had quit responding to prior treatment.

The ndings were published in the New England Journal of Medicine and presented Sunday at the American Society for Clinical Oncology meeting in Chicago.

Those taking daraxonrasib lived for a median of 13.2 months compared with 6.7 months for chemotherapy recipients. While that may seem like a small improvement, Wainberg said it marked the rst drug to show a substantial advantage over chemotherapy.

“Having treated pancreatic cancer for 16 years, I actually started crying” when rst seeing the study results, Dr. Rachna Shro of the University of Arizona Cancer Center, who wasn’t involved with the research, said from the ASCO meeting. She was struck by how “patients stayed on this treatment because it was providing durable and meaningful bene t to them.”

The pills’ e ects eventually wane, but recipients used them for signi cantly longer than the comparison group stayed on chemotherapy, reporting less pain and a better quality of life as their tumors shrank. Many still were using the drug after the data was analyzed, which

Wainberg said means the survival gap may widen as researchers continue tracking them.

Dr. Brian Wolpin, of the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, presented the ndings Sunday. He said the drug should become “a new standard of care” for previously treated metastatic pancreatic cancer, adding that researchers also will explore its use earlier in the disease, including to see if tumor shrinkage might let more patients qualify for surgery. Side e ects most likely to affect pill usage were a rash that can be severe and mouth sores, he said.

Maker Revolution Medicines funded the study and the Food

and Drug Administration plans to expedite review of the drug. Meanwhile, the agency is allowing what’s called “expanded access” to the experimental drug for patients who meet certain criteria. The drug garnered public attention when former U.S. Sen. Ben Sasse described on “60 Minutes” how he’s had less pain while taking it. Oncologists are being ooded with requests as the special access program gets started.

Pancreatic cancer is among the most deadly forms in large part because it’s hard to detect before it starts spreading to other organs. The American Cancer Society estimates about 67,000 new cases will be diagnosed in the U.S. this year and more than 52,000 people will die from the disease. The ve-year overall survival rate is 13%.

Unlike with other cancers that have bene ted from a variety of chemotherapy alternatives, pancreatic cancer has been harder to tackle.

Cancer specialists not involved in the new research expressed optimism that this may be a turning point in the quest for new options, with dozens of experimental drugs in development.

Young and unemployed? Remote work, not AI, may be the problem, study nds

Employers say training junior workers remotely is harder than in-o ce mentoring

By Christopher Rugaber

The Associated Press

WASHINGTON, D.C. — The rise of remote work since the pandemic has made businesses more reluctant to hire young, inexperienced workers and is the key driver of higher unemployment rates for recent college graduates, a study released Monday has found.

The study, by the Federal Reserve Bank of New York, compared occupations that can be done remotely — such as software development — with those that are done in person, such as nursing. The study nds that the unemployment rate among young college graduates in “remotable” jobs rose by about 1 percentage point from 2017-19 to 2022-24. Yet for older workers in those

Brenda Marquis, 59, said she and her husband have physical, cognitive and emotional disabilities that make life complex.

“We’ve been kind of trapped in a problem here in New Hampshire of being able to nd and recruit enough home care support,” Brenda Marquis said in an interview at the couple’s Durham, New Hampshire apartment, where she scoots around in a motorized wheelchair while taking care of her husband. “That was when I started looking into robotics and trying to gure out what to do.” At the other end of Brenda’s email was Momotaz Begum, a UNH computer science professor who has spent years experimenting with “socially assistive” robots that can aid people with Alzheimer’s or other forms of dementia. Her robotics lab is full of experimental robots, including the four-legged variety.

Begum said the lab asked focus groups of older adults at memory care units what kind of robot they would like as a home companion. Many preferred pet-like robot designs.

elds — those aged 29 and over — the jobless rate declined slightly, leading to a notably higher unemployment rate for college graduates 28 or younger in remotable occupations compared with older ones.

Yet in nonremotable jobs, there has been little gap in the unemployment rates between older and younger college grads, the study nds. A similar pattern exists for those without college degrees, the study found.

The study, led by New York Fed research economist Natalia Emanuel, concludes that businesses are reluctant to hire new college grads into remote work because it is harder to train and mentor them if they work outside of the o ce. The authors of the study calculate that remote work is responsible for nearly two-thirds of the rise in the unemployment rate for young college graduates since the pandemic.

“Remote work has weakened incentives to hire young work-

ers by impeding on-the-job training,” the study said. “Employers may not want to hire fresh graduates onto distributed teams because it is more difcult to teach them the requisite skills from afar.”

The study notes that the rise in unemployment among young college grads predates the development of arti cial intelligence tools such as ChatGPT.

And when the authors looked at the exposure di erent occu-

“Having treated pancreatic cancer for 16 years, I actually started crying.”

Dr. Rachna

Shro , University of Arizona Cancer Center

The new drug targets mutations in the RAS gene family that normally regulates cell growth. So-called KRAS mutations are especially critical in fueling pancreatic cancer. But a structure that made it hard for drugs to stick to the mutated proteins meant this cancer driver was long considered “undruggable.”

Revolution Medicines’ drug uses what’s essentially a molecular glue to bind with multiple KRAS subtypes. Wainberg said researchers next will probe whether the drug worked better in certain of those subtypes.

The drug will change pancreatic cancer treatment, said Dr. Andrew Coveler of the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center, who wasn’t involved in the research.

“This thing works drastically di erently,” he said.

Wainberg said other drugs in development target specific KRAS subtypes. Other approaches in earlier stages of testing include vaccines designed to prevent recurrence after pancreatic cancer surgery by teaching the immune system to recognize the mutated protein.

pations had to AI, it found that AI had little impact on youth unemployment.

The unemployment rate for college grads under 29 rose 20% from before the pandemic to 3.7%, on average, in 2022-25, the New York Fed said. For college grads aged 22 through 27, unemployment reached 5.8% last year, the highest outside the pandemic since 2012.

The study’s ndings are consistent with the low-hire, low- re state of the job market, where layo s are low and the unemployment rate is mostly stable, but those out of work are struggling to nd new jobs.

The New York Fed study also looked at detailed data from an unnamed Fortune 500 tech company and found that its hiring patterns mirrored what they had seen in the broader data.

When the company’s o ces were closed and sta worked remotely, “the rm hired fewer inexperienced workers and more experienced workers, who might need less mentorship to do their jobs well.”

“Once its o ces reopened, the company shifted back to hiring younger workers,” the study said. But even after the reopening, the company favored more experienced workers for teams that included remote work.

Momotaz Begum, a professor of computer science, speaks about the robotics program at the University of New Hampshire, on April 21 in Durham, New Hampshire.

cameras and onboard sensors, together with other sensors installed in a home, to gure out its location and who is in the room.

Manufactured at Hello Robot’s headquarters in Martinez, California, and sold for nearly $30,000, the new model that launched in May is far from being as ubiquitous as a Roomba or an AI-powered speaker. But for its target clientele, it can be a lifeline.

Robbie’s programmed care protocol for Brian is posted on the couple’s wall, and it includes exercise instructions, meal and medicine reminders, evening routine reminders and quick washup prompts that are only triggered after Brian enters the bathroom.

Several makers designing robots for elder companionship

“The common feedback that we got about Stretch was, ‘OK, this one looks like a coat hanger,’” she said. “But what we learned over time is that the look doesn’t matter.”

But those aren’t mobile or functional enough for Begum, who said she is “trying to reduce that caregiver burden. And the caregiver actually does way more than social companionship.”

Apart from robotic vacuum cleaners, the closest thing many older adults have to caregiving robots is a speaker powered by an arti cial intelligence voice assistant like Alexa. Some robot makers have expanded that concept into swiveling tabletop machines like ElliQ, designed for elder companionship.

Humanoids, meanwhile, are still far from being useful in most homes and pose physical danger to people with limited mobility if the robot trips and falls.

The founders of Hello Robot, maker of the Stretch robots, said its simplicity is the point.

“Our robot’s very practical,

pragmatic. I think it communicates that,” said CEO Aaron Edsinger, a former director of robotics at Google. “If you show up looking like a humanoid, that expectation’s going to be set so high, it’s going to be very hard to do.”

The typical version of the Stretch 4 includes a telescoping gripper that can retrieve a water bottle and hold it out for a person to drink through a straw. Show it a prescription bottle and it can help read the ne print. The robot pulls together information from its

“I was never into technology,” Brian Marquis said. “Then I realized I can’t remember to wash my face and my armpits. So it just really kind of set me free almost.”

Brenda Marquis said it also freed her from hours of daily work and helped her reduce expenses. Fearful of leaving her husband at home too long, she was ordering groceries on Instacart. Now she can leave him with Robbie and go get groceries herself.

“I can go ahead and go to that mahjong game or whatever. Robbie’s gonna take care of him,” she said.

Forsyth SPORTS

Boutier rallies from 4 down to win ShopRite LPGA

The Associated Press

GALLOWAY, N.J. — Celine Boutier rallied from a fourshot de cit Sunday, making three birdies around the turn on her way to a 5-under 66 for a one-shot victory over Arpichaya Yubol in the ShopRite LPGA.

Soo Bin Joo, the 22-year- old South Korean going for her rst LPGA Tour title, lost her four-shot lead at the turn and then fell behind for good on the 13th hole, the same hole where earlier Boutier had taken the lead with a 30-foot birdie putt.

Joo missed another fairway to the right into a clumpy lie, pitched back to the fairway, sent her wedge over the green with a front pin, chipped 8 feet by the hole and missed the putt, taking a double bogey to fall three shots behind.

Boutier kept hitting solid shots, rarely getting in trouble. She missed a 4-foot birdie putt on the nal hole to post at 9-under 204, and no one could catch her.

“To have a chance to win today is de nitely something very special,” said Boutier, the 32-year-old French player who won the ShopRite LPGA ve years ago. “I think it’s great tournament, very special for me, so really excited to be able to have another win here.”

Yubol, who was penalized one shot in the second round Saturday for going over her maximum time, birdied the last two holes for a 66. It was her second runner-up nish of the year, having nished four shots behind Nelly Korda in Mexico.

Lauren Walsh (67) nished third, followed by Joo among

four players who tied for fourth.

“It was so fun. It was my rst time leading the tournament, and I think I did my best out there as much as I can and I prepared well and I’m very proud of myself,” Joo said. “I was trying to do my best to stay mentally calm, and I think I still got to work on that a little more.”

Chizzy Iwai, who also started four shots behind, had two birdies in three holes, but then closed with 15 straight pars.

Boutier nished the front nine with two straight birdies to reach 7 under, and that gave her a share of the lead when Joo made bogey on the par-4 eighth. Boutier then hit her approach to 4 feet for birdie on 10th. Joo caught her with a birdie on the ninth but couldn’t

keep up the rest of the way.

The ShopRite LPGA is one of two 54-hole events on the schedule, and the eld was particularly weak this year — one player from the top 10 — because of timing. The U.S. Women’s Open is next week across the country in Los Angeles, held at Riviera for the rst time.

Boutier now has seven career LPGA titles and 12 worldwide. She has struggled to start this year, with a tie for ninth her best nish among 10 tournaments.

“I feel like my game has turned around the last few weeks. I could see it coming together, and I de nitely did not expect it to come together this week and today,” she said. “But I’m super excited to be back in the winner’s circle.”

ATHLETE OF THE WEEK

Ashley Johnsen

West Forsyth, girls’ soccer

Ashley Johnsen is a senior on the West Forsyth girls’ soccer team. The Titans nished a 13-5-3 season with a second round loss in the NCHSAA Class 8A playo s. It took a 2-0 shutout to keep Johnsen o the board. She had previously strung together goals in four straight games with multiple goals in three of them. Closing down the regular season, she scored West Forsyth’s only goal in a 1-1 tie with R.J. Reynolds, then netted two in a 5-0 win over Reagan, two in a 9-0 win over Parkland, and two with an assist in a 9-0 playo win over Chambers.

For the year, Johnsen ranked second in the Central Piedmont 7A/8A in goals and points, and she was in the top 15 in N.C. Class 8A in both categories.

Hamlin storms back from a pole-start penalty to win at Nashville Superspeedway

A late pass earned the Joe Gibbs Racing driver his second win of the year

By Teresa M. Walker

The Associated Press

LEBANON, Tenn. — Denny Hamlin outraced Christopher Bell over the nal four laps after a nal restart Sunday night to win the Cracker Barrel 400 at Nashville Superspeedway.

Hamlin won for the second time this year and 62nd of his career on a night where he jumped the start o the pole. That penalty put him at the back of the eld.

The 45-year-old Hamlin raced his way to the front for the thrilling win that had his Joe Gibbs Racing teammates Bell and Chase Briscoe making it three-wide before Hamlin took

the lead down the backstretch to win by 0.115 seconds. The race started 80 minutes late after rain delayed NASCAR’s Cup Series for a second straight week. The wait was worth it with a record 31 lead changes and 12 cautions at the 1.33-mile, D-shaped oval that is NASCAR’s largest concrete track. Bell nished second for a second straight race ahead of Briscoe. Ricky Stenhouse Jr. was fourth, and Chase Elliott rounded out the top ve.

Long time coming

Ryan Blaney, trying to repeat as champ at this track, led the restart trying to hold o AJ Allmendinger on a one-lap shootout for the rst stage. Allmendinger took the lead on the backstretch, then held o

Kyle Larson to take stage one for his rst stage victory since 2024.

Stage 2 win

Suarez took the second stage after staying out during a caution and took the lead on the restart on lap 182. Then Corey Heim drove his No. 67 Toyota into the back of Todd Gilliland’s No. 34 Ford, sending him backward into the Turn 1 wall. That brought out the seventh caution with Cole Custer spinning out in the crash.

Lots of rotor woes

Rookie Connor Zilisch had the right rotor explode on his No. 88 Chevrolet sending him into the wall and smashing the right side on Turn 1 of lap 72.

Lead changes in the race, which set a record

Zilisch got the Trackhouse Racing car into the garage with some ames coming out from under the right tire, which was stuck and nearly sideway. He had been running 24th after starting 38th on the last row. Trackhouse teammate Ross Chastain had his own rotor issue on lap 82, sending him into the wall between Turns 1 and 2. Michael McDowell spun trying to avoid Chastain’s No. 1 Chevrolet. Zilisch called the rotor problems a surprise when

both he and Chastain had been moving up.

“Just unfortunate circumstances,” Zilisch said. “Yeah, we’ll learn from it.” Van Gisbergen is the third member of Trackhouse Racing. His crew told him not to worry with his No. 97 Chevrolet running a completely di erent brake package. Ryan Preece went to the garage with no water in his No. 60 Ford, and his crew found a piece of rotor broken o into the radiator before he got back on the track.

Then Allmendinger, who was third, had the rotor spark and ame before his No. 16 Chevrolet hit the Turn 1 wall on lap 173 — with 12 laps left in Stage 2. Chris Buescher was running 17th with 12 laps left when his right rotor went as he entered Turn 3.

Up next

The series will be at Michigan International Speedway next week where Hamlin will be trying to win for a second straight year.

SIDELINE REPORT

NFL

Packers’ Jacobs released from jail as prosecutors weigh ling charges

Green Bay, Wis. Green Bay Packers running back Josh Jacobs was released from a Wisconsin jail while authorities further investigate allegations of domestic abuse. The Brown County prosecutor gave an update. District Attorney David Lasee said it’s too soon to make a formal charging decision. Jacobs was arrested Tuesday in Brown County on allegations of strangulation and other o enses over the weekend. Jacobs’ lawyers said they’re pleased that he’s out of jail.

NBA Rozier hit with new bribery charges in sports gambling sting

Federal prosecutors have indicted ex-Miami Heat guard Terry Rozier on additional charges related to a sports gambling sting. The 32-year- old was charged with bribery in sporting contests and honest services wire fraud conspiracy. Prosecutors allege he took a hefty bribe to exit a game early in March 2023. He has denied participating in the gambling scheme and is ghting to have the case dismissed. His attorneys argue the government’s theory runs afoul of a recent U.S. Supreme Court ruling.

NCAA ATHLETICS

Big 12 becoming rst Power Four conference to have all members agree to CSC participation Frisco, Texas

The Big 12 is the rst Power Four conference to have each of its members sign participation agreements with the College Sports Commission. That is the agency formed last year to police name, image and likeness payments. The agreement requires schools to waive their right to le lawsuits against the enforcement agency and gives it wide latitude to sanction programs for violating rules that outline how players can be paid. All 68 Power Four schools must sign the 11-page document for it to become valid.

NCAA FOOTBALL

Sorsby made thousands of bets totaling at least $90,000, court documents show Lubbock, Texas Texas Tech quarterback Brendan Sorsby made thousands of bets totaling at least $90,000 while in college. Those include at least 40 bets on Indiana football when he was a Hoosiers freshman in 2022, according to court lings in the transfer player’s lawsuit seeking to have the NCAA restore his eligibility. Sorsby transferred to Texas Tech for a reported multimillion- dollar deal after playing for Cincinnati the past two seasons. He was ruled ineligible after he acknowledged wagering on sports.

MLB

Mazzilli, Valentine enshrined in Mets Hall of Fame

New York

Longtime friends and former roommates Lee Mazzilli and Bobby Valentine were inducted into the New York Mets Hall of Fame. Mazzilli, a Brooklyn native, batted .277 with 53 homers, 262 RBIs and 117 stolen bases from 1977 through 1980 while playing for New York. After playing for the team, Valentine made a far bigger impact as the team’s manager from August 1996 through 2002, directing the Mets to the World Series in 2000.

Hart’s highly scrutinzed comeback has arrived at Stanley Cup nal

The Golden Knights’ goalie was acquitted of sexual assault charges

By Mark Anderson The Associated Press

LAS VEGAS — No strangers to controversy, the Golden Knights know the spotlight is going to shine even brighter now that they are back in the Stanley Cup nal with a particular glare on goaltender Carter Hart.

Hart is a major reason Vegas is playing for the Cup for the third time in their nine years and going after their second championship in four seasons. The rst three opponents in the NHL playo s failed to solve him.

Hart’s very presence in the NHL generated discussions about whether he should even be allowed to suit up. He was one of ve 2018 Canada world junior hockey players acquitted of sexual assault last July. The NHL ruled those players were eligible to sign deals beginning Oct. 15 and to play starting Dec. 1. Hart signed a two-year, $4 million contract with Vegas and hasn’t looked back.

Hart has emerged as a Conn Smythe Trophy candidate for playo MVP. His interviews the past couple of months have been limited, and he avoided talking about his legal troubles before Game 1. Golden Knights fans welcomed him from the beginning, clapping for him when he took the ice for the rst time Dec. 2 against Chicago, some even bringing signs expressing their support. Those cheers have only grown during the club’s Cupnal run; he receives among the loudest ovations when the starting lineup is introduced before home games.

“Everybody here has been so awesome,” Hart said after the Golden Knights swept Colorado in the Western Conference Final. “You see it every day with the fans. They show up at the rink and our practices. The support that we get is unbelievable. They’re just so excited about the Vegas Golden Knights, and I’m so blessed to be here.”

Torts in his corner

Vegas might have been the perfect spot for Hart to land. He is playing for a coach who knows him and strongly defends him as a person and a goalie. John Tortorella coached Hart in Philadelphia in 2023-24, when the league suspended the goalie along with the other four players involved in the scandal.

“I think he’s a strong kid mentally,” Tortorella said. “I certainly watched him when he came into the organization and played in his rst couple of games, and I watched him play in an overtime game where he played really well. He’s dialed in. ... He was growing tremendously in Philly until he had to step out of the league, and he’s right back at it.”

“I loved playing for him in Philly,” Hart said. “Super happy he’s here.”

More women watching NHL’s Stanley Cup playo s

Everything from the Olympics to “Heated Rivalry” gets credit for the increase

By Stephen Whyno The Associated Press

THE FIRST TWO rounds of the NHL’s Stanley Cup playo s are the most-watched in the U.S. in league history.

Women are the primary driver of that growth.

TNT Sports reported female viewership is up 66%, and ESPN reported a 106% increase, with plenty of that audience coming from 18-to-34 -year-olds tuning in to hockey at its most exciting time of year.

“We see the numbers up everywhere,” ESPN VP of production Linda Schulz said.

“[Hockey] is a particular challenge because sports fans tend to follow something that they themselves have participated in, and hockey is one that is not as commonplace for people to have actually strapped on skates. I approach it with, ‘If I get a new fan coming to hockey, what is going to keep them?’”

What’s bringing fans in, Schulz and other executives said, is a result of a handful of factors. The success of the 4 Nations Face-O tournament last year, the Olympics in February when the U.S. men and women won gold, the qual-

ity of play, an in ux of young talent and the viral popularity of the “Heated Rivalry” and “O Campus” hockey romance shows have combined to bring more women to the sport.

“It’s not any one thing,” TNT Sports executive VP and chief content o cer Craig Barry said. “It’s the collective of the planets aligning that has shown dramatic increases in the female audience.”

The NHL says the playo s are averaging 1.4 million viewers, up 63% from last year and up 24% from the previous high set in 2024. Some of the increase can be attributed to a change in how Nielsen is counting viewers, causing bumps across the board, though hockey has been seeing an upward trend in viewership predating that.

That began after the 4 Nations, which NHL commissioner Gary Bettman said caused a viewership increase late in the 2024-25 season and into the playo s. The Olympics built o that, with the Milan Cortina Games drawing huge ratings.

“The Olympics was a cultural moment,” NHL chief operating o cer Stephen McArdle said. “We know that Olympic viewership does appeal to those demographics, to that female demographic, and so I think the Olympic bump that we saw was really in part in uenced by that female Olympic audience.”

How big a role “Heated Rivalry” plays is di cult to measure.

“I think he’s a strong kid mentally.”

John Tortorella, Vegas coach

The fact Hart is in Vegas was far from a sure thing last summer. He was one of the junior players charged in 2024 in connection with an incident in London, Ontario, that occurred six years earlier. The judge overseeing the trial said the prosecution did not meet the burden of proof to convict the players and that the allegations lacked the credibility to justify the charges.

The NHL conducted its own investigation in 2022, and after the players were cleared of legal responsibility, the league announced they would be reinstated. With the

league calling the players’ actions “deeply troubling and unacceptable,” there wasn’t a rush by clubs to start signing them. The Hurricanes considered signing Hart and Michael McLeod, but ultimately decided to pass. Hart read a statement to reporters back then, saying he wanted “to show the community my true character and who I am and what I’m about.”

Hart is 12-4 with a 2.22 GAA and a .924 save percentage in the playo s. He has won six starts in a row.

“I think he’s just been getting more and more con dent each game, each round he’s played,” forward Brett Howden said. “There’s a lot of momentum in these rounds of games. Obviously, it’s going to go back and forth. I feel like he does an unbelievable job of keeping us in the game. He’ll bail us out if we need to be bailed out.”

Schulz, who grew up as a sports fan in the Boston area, said it does not enter her mind, but the networks and the league are well aware of the conversation going around it.

“We know that the ctional series are a gateway to our sport,” McArdle said. “We know that it opens doors to an interest in the sport of hockey, and it’s incumbent upon us to make sure that new audiences that are coming through those doors feel welcomed as they come in, and also that we help them nd their way through the door.”

Schulz said technology helps with that, pointing to aerial sky cams that highlight the speed and physicality of the game, and the addition of a camera person on the ice to capture emotional moments like a player expressing frustration after getting called for a penalty.

“It is incredible how that emotional draw, to me, is the real way to pull in a casual fan,” Schulz said. “It’s that balance

of getting the feel of the ice through something like your aerial coverage and the feel of the player or the emotion of the player.”

McArdle said the NHL has also leaned into TikTok, where many of the top videos were viewed by more women than men. A clip of Carolina’s Jordan Martinook losing a skate blade particularly stood out as something that was popular beyond highlight-reel goals, saves and hits.

Social media has drawn in more young fans, men and women, and promotion of broadcasts on ESPN, ABC, TNT, TruTV and on HBO Max has gotten them to watching live on one platform or another.

“That’s why it’s so important to meet them where they are,” Barry said. “That’s why our kind of strategy is put it everywhere in a simulcast capacity, so regardless of where you are consuming and digesting your content, in this particular case, NHL games, it’s there for you.”

the stream

‘Hoppers,’ ‘Love Island,’ albums from Lizzo, Death Cab for Cutie

“O ce Romance” staring Jennifer Lopez hits Net ix

The Associated Press

NEW ALBUMS FROM Lizzo and Death Cab for Cutie and the streaming service debut of animated hit “Hoppers” 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: the new season of “Love Island,” a new rom-com starring Jennifer Lopez and Brett Goldstein, and the quiet puzzle game “Swan Song.”

MOVIES TO STREAM

With strong reviews and good ticket sales, “Hoppers” was one of the better received Pixar originals in recent years. The lm, a zany body-swapping comedy about environmental protection, is streaming now on Disney+. In it, Mabel (Piper Curda) is trying to defend a pristine pond from development by the local mayor (Jon Hamm) when she transforms, or “hops,” into the body of a robotic beaver. In her review, AP lm writer Lindsey Bahr called it a “buoyant, freewheeling adventure.”

“O ce Romance” (Net ix on Friday) pairs Lopez and Goldstein (“Ted Lasso”) in a workplace rom com. Lopez star as a chief executive of an airline who falls for the company’s new lawyer (Goldstein). Goldstein also wrote the movie with “Ted Lasso” co-creator Joe Kelly.

Ahmir “Questlove” Thompson continues his documentary tours through music history with “Earth, Wind & Fire (To Be Celestial vs. That’s the Weight of the World).” Questlove’s tribute to the seminal Chicago group debuts on HBO and HBO Max on Sunday, days after its premiere at the Tribeca Festival.

Harry Lighton’s “Pillion” (HBO Max on Friday) is one of the more memorable love stories in recent years. Harry Melling and Alexander Skarsgård star as an unlikely BDSM couple: one sings barbershop quartet, the other is a gru biker. In my review, I praised “Pillion” as the portrait of a relationship “in the extreme, one that ultimately, like any other, is guided by needs and wants.”

MUSIC TO STREAM

It has been four years since Lizzo last released a full-length project. That was “Special,” lead by the ubiquitous funk-pop “About Damn Time.” This time around, she’s promised “good, clean fun” on her new one, the suggestively titled “B----.” Led by the ’80s ballad “Don’t Make Me Love U,” it’s clear that she’s still in it for the big pop songs. Death Cab for Cutie’s forthcoming studio album, “I Built You A Tower,” has two main inspirations, if they can be called that. It’s the beloved indie rock

band’s rst full-length project since the end of the anniversary tours for their career-de ning albums, 2003’s “Transatlanticism” and 2005’s “Plans,” which reinvigorated their songwriting. It was also written while principal songwriter and frontman Ben Gibbard was going through a separation and eventual divorce. “I was doing a lot of context switching,” Gibbard told the AP. “I started to write a lot about how we contextualize, compartmentalize, speci cally our grief.” Luckily, that kind of humanity is the stu the band excels in.

Of the former members of One Direction, Niall Horan has stayed truest to the boy band’s propulsive pop-rock, but don’t think that means his matured work is derivative. He’s taken those classic tools and aged them. “Dinner Party,” his fourth full-length al-

bum as a soloist, draws inspiration from the place where he met his long-term partner. Damien Rice is a main in uence, and the songs are dreamy and romantic.

It began with “Blackberry Marmalade,” Vince Staples’ rst solo song in two years. It was a heavy introduction to his hyper-independent “Cry Baby” album, out Friday — all noise-rock, critical messaging (“Empires build on bloodstained ground,” he opens the rst verse) and a music video styled like a rst-person shooter video game. Then came the even darker “White Flag.” The musician, known for his inventiveness and often surrealist approach to art making, is clearly taking a direct approach here.

SERIES TO STREAM

Some people look forward to the summer months because of the warm weather and because school is out. Others get hyped because of a new season of “Love Island USA” is airing ve nights a week on Peacock. The season is approximately six weeks of scantily clad, single contestants sequestered in a villa in Fiji. They must couple up or they’re sent home. The last couple remaining wins a cash prize. AMC has given the third season of “Anne Rice’s Interview with a Vampire” series a new name. The show is now called “The Vampire Lestat” with Lestat de Lioncourt (Sam Reid) sharing his story. Unhappy with the way he was written in Daniel Molloy’s book, Lestat forms a rock band and goes on the road. Lestat craves attention and admiration, and he’s certain his rock star persona will attract adoring fans. AMC is leaning into Lestat’s music, making it available on music streaming apps. Fun fact: Reid performed his own songs. “The Vampire Lestat” premieres Sunday on AMC and AMC+.

VIDEO GAMES TO PLAY

Amid all the noise and chaos of modern culture, sometimes you just want to solve a nice, quiet puzzle. That’s what Belgium’s Business Goose Games is aiming for with “Swan Song.” It’s essentially a music box with two compartments: one contains sheet music, while the other contains a maze. You need to choose the right notes in order to make each maze solvable. The developer’s last mellow brainteaser, “Sizeable,” found an enthusiastic audience, and its new puzzler has a similar vibe. Open the box Thursday

or

STATE & NATION

Crash kills 5 in Virginia, including family of 4 traveling to wedding; bus driver charged

The family wedding went forward Sunday in South Carolina

By Ed White The Associated Press

A FAMILY OF four from Massachusetts who were killed when a bus crashed into multiple vehicles in Virginia were traveling to a wedding with a carload of homemade desserts for the celebration.

The family wedding went forward Sunday in South Carolina, but it was also a time to mourn the loss of Dmitri and Ecaterina Doncev and their two children, Emily and Mark, a relative said Saturday.

“A son, a father — the whole family — everyone that has been dear to us,” Carolina Bublik said.

The Doncevs were killed when a motorcoach caused a chain-reaction crash with vehicles that had slowed down for a work zone on Interstate 95 in Sta ord County around 2:35 a.m. last Friday, authorities said.

The bus struck a Suburban, which then hit an Acura carrying the Doncev family, police said. Priscilla Mafalda, 25, of Worcester, Massachusetts, was in the Chevrolet SUV and also died.

More people were treated for injuries, including one who was in critical condition, though most were discharged, Mary Washington Healthcare said.

The bus driver, Jing S. Dong, 48, of Staten Island, New York,

A fatal crash involving a bus on Interstate 95 near Quantico, Virginia, on Friday killed a family of four heading to a wedding.

was charged with two counts of involuntary manslaughter, and additional charges were likely, Virginia State Police said. The prosecutor’s o ce in Sta ord County said Dong was arrested and would be in custody while he is treated for his injuries at a hospital.

Prosecutors said in a statement that Dong’s rst court appearance will not be scheduled until he is discharged, but a magistrate approved holding

him without bond until that time. It also said prosecutors saw enough probable cause to believe Dong was “driving in a criminally negligent manner.”

It was unclear whether Dong has an attorney who could speak on his behalf. The case did not yet appear in the state’s online court records, and a call to the area’s public defender went unanswered at a closed ofce Saturday. The National Transportation

Colorado elections clerk released from prison after governor commutes sentence

Tina Peters served less than a quarter of her nine-year prison sentence

The Associated Press

DENVER — Tina Peters, the former clerk convicted of participating in a scheme to chase election conspiracy theories promulgated by President Donald Trump, was released from prison Monday after the president successfully pressured Colorado’s Democratic governor into commuting her sentence.

Peters’ release was conrmed by the Colorado Department of Corrections. The state agency said it would have no more information about the 70-year- old inmate. Her

sentence was shortened by Gov. Jared Polis last month after Trump waged a lengthy pressure campaign against the governor and his state.

Peters served less than a quarter of her nine-year sentence.

Peters was the rst local election o cial to be charged with breaching security after the 2020 election. She snuck in an outside computer expert a liated with My Pillow Chief Executive Mike Lindell — who himself denied that Trump lost the White House in 2020 — and the person copied the county’s Dominion Voting Systems computer server as it was updated in 2021.

Peters then joined Lindell onstage at a “cybersymposium” that promised to reveal proof

that the election was rigged. Video and photos of the computer system upgrade, including passwords, were posted online. The move stoked false claims that voting machines were manipulated to steal the election from Trump.

Peters was convicted in 2024 of attempting to in uence a public servant, conspiracy to commit criminal impersonation, violation of duty and other crimes by jurors in Mesa County, a Republican stronghold that supported Trump. An appeals court upheld her conviction in April but ordered Peters to be resentenced because it said the judge who sent her to prison wrongly punished her for speaking out about election fraud.

Trump had championed Pe -

Safety Board is investigating the crash, a monthslong task separate from the work of state police. NTSB board member Tom Chapman revealed few new details but said the bus was moving at a high rate of speed.

“It seems fairly clear that if there was any braking there wasn’t much because of the speed and severity of the collision,” Chapman said.

The bus, which was taking people from New York to North

“When his car did not show up, and he wasn’t picking up the phone — that’s when the family started panicking.”

Carolina Bublik, relative

Carolina, was operated by E&P Travel Inc., based in Kings Mountain in Cleveland County. Chapman said the driver’s language pro ciency would be part of the NTSB investigation. U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Du y, citing police, said on social media that Dong, a native of China, does not speak English.

Dmitri Doncev, 45, was a nurse who worked at Holyoke Medical Center. Ecaterina Doncev, 44, was a hairstylist who spent days making desserts for the family wedding, Bublik said. They emigrated to the U.S. from Moldova in 2008 and settled in Green eld, Massachusetts, she said.

Dmitri and brother Iuri tried to stay together while traveling in separate vehicles to South Carolina.

“At some point they ended up getting separated,” Bublik said. “Dmitri said, ‘You go ahead. I’ll catch up later.’ It was a big shock when Iuri arrived at the house. Dmitri should have arrived around the same time. When his car did not show up, and he wasn’t picking up the phone — that’s when the family started panicking.”

ters’ case, but because she was convicted under state law, he did not have the power to pardon her. Instead, the president pressured Polis to do so, lambasting him on social media and disinviting him to a White House meeting with other governors. The Trump administration also announced plans to dismantle the National Center for Atmospheric Research in Colorado and relocated the U.S. Space Command to Alabama.

Polis commuted Peters’ sentence on May 15. In a letter, he

wrote that although Peters was convicted of serious crimes and deserved to spend time in prison, the sentence was “extremely unusual and lengthy” for a rst-time nonviolent o ender.

Colorado Secretary of State Jena Griswold, a Democrat, on Monday released a statement warning that the release will “embolden the election denier movement” and adding that, since the clemency announcement, Peters “has continued to spread election falsehoods and conspiracies.”

Randolph record

Getting hands-on experience

WHAT’S HAPPENING

Trump taps housing regulator Pulte to be acting director of national intelligence

President Donald Trump has tapped Bill Pulte, head of the Federal Housing Finance Agency, to be the acting director of national intelligence — elevating a real estate scion without any clear national security credentials to a key post as the U.S. remains at war with Iran. Trump made the surprise announcement Tuesday on social media that Pulte would be replacing Tulsi Gabbard, the former Hawaii congresswoman who had served as the director of national intelligence. Trump said Pulte will keep his other positions even as he lls in for Gabbard, who resigned last month after revealing her husband’s cancer diagnosis.

Trump signs executive order to vet top AI models for national security risks

President Donald Trump has signed a new executive order on arti cial intelligence. The order establishes a framework for the federal government to vet the national security risks of the most advanced AI systems for up to a month before their public release. The government will be able to work with trusted partners “that will have early access to covered frontier models to promote secure innovation and strengthen the cybersecurity of critical infrastructure,” the order says.

Commissioners approve contract for gas

recovery, utilization

The county could make millions of dollars o of the gas from the Great Oak Land ll

By Ryan Henkel Randolph Record

ASHEBORO — The Randolph County Board of Commissioners are opening a new, potential source of revenue for the county.

At the board’s meeting Monday, the board approved a contract with Waga Energy for the capturing and processing of renewable natural gas at the Great Oak Land ll.

“In 2017, when the county signed up with Waste Management of the Carolinas to run our land ll, we managed to hold onto and retain the rights to the methane gas that is produced within the land ll,” county manager Zeb Holden said. “As that land ll has lled up over the last few years, it’s become ripe and ready to be tapped into and, quite frankly, monetized.”

Holden said eight rms re-

sponded to the county’s RFP, and negotiations with Waga Energy began in October of last year.

Wage Energy, which has constructed 55 similar projects in North America, 35 of which are still in operation, is proposing to construct a true circular economy project.

The facility will capture the natural gas and turn it into local energy, which will be puried, compressed and injected into the Piedmont Natural Gas pipeline infrastructure.

“It is a wonderful project,” said Gray Styers, a Fox Rothschild LLP attorney who was representing the county in negotiations and the drafting of contracts. “We truly believe it is a win-win-win for the county, Waga and waste management.”

According to Waga Energy, the initial target for a commercial operation date would be in the second quarter of 2028.

Styers said certain projections have predicted that the total annual revenues for the county could be as high as $4.8 million from the project.

“I think it is fair to say that

the preservation of the natural gas rights, monetized in this fashion, will result in a considerable cash ow to the county for the next 20, 25, 30 years into the future,” Styers said.

“We’re not only going to be getting payments from Waga, but it is also my understanding that they’ll be a tax payer as well,” commissioner Hope Haywood said. “So they will be paying taxes on what they own that is at the land ll.”

Jail looks to upgrade food services

The board also approved an approximately $850,000 contract with Kellwell Food Management for inmate food services at the Randolph County Detention Center.

Major Ricci D’Angelo said the reason for making the change is due to increased issues with the current vendor.

D’Angelo pointed to complaints from inmates about food service, the amount of calories they’re being served and quality of that food, as well as poor health inspection results

“As that land ll has lled up over the last few years, it’s become ripe and ready to be tapped into and, quite frankly, monetized.”

Zeb Holden, County manager

and a lack of overall communication from the vendor.

“I have a certain expectation for how our kitchens should run,” D’Angelo said. Kellwell, which is a family-run business, works solely in correctional care and currently operates in seven states, including North Carolina.

“They incorporated and have been operating since 1992 and are based out of Kentucky,” D’Angelo said. “Making this change, we will go from serving the inmates 2,400 calories to serving them 2,700 calories.”

The Randolph County Board of Commissioners will next meet July 6.

Forest Service names facility after Cross

The longtime employee spent most of his career dedicated to serving in his home county

Randolph Record sta

ASHEBORO — The North Carolina Forest Service’s Randolph County facilities have been named in memory of Walter Cross.

Cross was the longest-serving active employee of the N.C. Forest Service when he died May 27, 2025, at age 57. He had been with the organization for 36 years and seven months.

The county’s headquarters are located at Old Cox Road in Asheboro. A sign detailing Cross’ career was added to the o ce building.

Cross began with the N.C.

Forest Service in 1988, working in Rockingham and Montgomery counties before spending the rest of his time out of his native Randolph County.

“Walter was a beloved and respected Randolph County ranger who exempli ed sel ess sacrice and commitment to serving others,” N.C. Agriculture Commissioner Steve Troxler said. “As he has faithfully served the citizens of Randolph County and the state, it is tting that the Randolph County headquarters bear his name as an acknowledgement of his dedication.”

Many who attended the dedication ceremony lauded Cross’s passion and knowledge.

“Walter knew every path, old homesite and interesting place in the county,” said Mark Bost, a

Trip

Dan

Seagrove potters to open doors

The annual event is expected to o er views of di erent styles of pottery

Randolph Record sta

SEAGROVE — The annual Seagrove Wood re Weekend is scheduled for Saturday and Sunday to celebrate the role of wood ring in creating ceramics. This is a studio driving tour

held at individual potteries from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. each day in Seagrove. Fourteen pottery shops are participating. Admission is free.

Organizers said that ames have been started for a few weeks as potters prepare their kilns. Demonstrations will be held for visitors to witness.

The potters will represent traditional and contemporary, creating a variety of nished pots.

“Some of us can trace our

High schools set for commencements

Graduation ceremonies in the county will wrap up next week

Randolph Record sta COMMENCEMENT will be held at area high schools across in the coming days.

Asheboro High School is up next with commencement at 7 p.m. Friday at Lee J. Stone

Stadium on campus. It’s open to all unless inclement weather forces the ceremony indoors to the school’s gym, where tickets will be required to enter. Other ceremonies are slated for next week.

Within the Randolph County School System, commencements will be held June 10 on campuses except for Uwharrie Ridge Six-Twelve, which will

family history back hundreds of years to farmers who used the local clay to craft wares from clay here in Seagrove going back eight generations,” said Ben Owen III, a Seagrove potter. “Others have been drawn to the potters area after studying in faraway places like Estonia and Japan and bring unique techniques to the community.”

Maps showing the participating shops will be available in Seagrove.

be held at 6:30 p.m. at Journey Church in Asheboro. The other ceremonies are scheduled for Trinity (6 p.m.), Eastern Randolph (6 p.m.), Southwestern Randolph (7 p.m.), Randleman (7 p.m.), Providence Grove (8 p.m.) and Wheatmore (8 p.m.).

Stephen Gainey, superintendent of RCSS, rotates from year to year in attending commencements and is planning to be at Randleman next week.

Uwharrie Charter Academy held commencement last Friday in Greensboro. Randolph Early College’s commencement was held May 20 at Journey Church.

Randolph Guide

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

June

5

Summer Movie Series: “Zootopia II” 7:45-9:30 p.m.

The lm viewing is a family-friendly and free-admission event. Creekside Park, Greenway and Golf Course 214 Park Drive Archdale

June 6-7

Seagrove Wood Fire Tour

10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

A demonstration of wood re kilns and wares at the studio of Seagrove potter David Stuemp e.

1224 Dover Church Road Seagrove

June 8

Asheboro Zookeepers vs. Martinsville Mustangs

7-9 p.m.

THURSDAY JUNE 4

FRIDAY JUNE 5

SATURDAY JUNE 6

SUNDAY JUNE 7

MONDAY JUNE 8

TUESDAY JUNE 9

Police said the investigation has resulted in more victims identi ed in the case

Randolph Record sta ASHEBORO — More charges have been led against former Asheboro City Schools faculty member Amber Walker. The Asheboro Police De-

CRIME LOG

May 25

• Laura Ashley Mabe, 41, of High Point, was arrested by Randleman PD for second degree trespass.

• John Chester Reed, 37, of Asheboro, was arrested by Asheboro PD for possession of methamphetamine and possession of drug paraphernalia.

May 26

• Douglas Edward Brigman, 43, of Asheboro, was arrested by NCHP for driving while impaired, possession of an open container of alcohol in the passenger area and driving left of center.

• Amanda Lynn Hutchins, 45, of Asheboro, was arrested by Asheboro PD for embezzlement, larceny by employee and obtaining property by false pretense.

• Je rey Eugene Poindexter, 60, of Seagrove, was arrested by Asheboro PD for misdemeanor larceny and possession of stolen goods or property.

• Brett Alexander Varner, 34, of Asheboro, was arrested by NC P&P for assault on a female and misdemeanor crime of domestic violence.

• Dallas Eugene Walker, 49, of Franklinville, was arrested by NCHP for driving while impaired, driving on a revoked license and failure to wear a seat belt.

partment charged Amber Walker, 39, with ve counts of sexual activity with a student, 13 counts of indecent liberties with a student and two counts of accessing a computer to commit fraud. Additional warrants were obtained May 20 following an alleged incident earlier in the month.

Two additional victims have been identi ed for o enses that allegedly occurred at a South Park Street address and other locations. Police said their in-

• Jose Elfego Perez, 33, of Asheboro, was arrested by Asheboro PD for tra cking in fentanyl; possession with intent to manufacture, sell or deliver fentanyl; and possession of drug paraphernalia.

May 27

Kaleel Sha’Quan Boone, 29, of Asheboro, was arrested by NC P&P for cyberstalking.

• Raymond Leon Brown, 43, of Asheboro, was arrested by Asheboro PD for driving while impaired, reckless driving to endanger and driving on a revoked license, and other charges.

• Dustin Travis Cliett, 36, of High Point, was arrested by Asheboro PD for possession of a stolen motor vehicle; driving on a revoked license; and possession of a ctitious or altered title, registration card or tag.

• Brandon Lee Goins, 31, of Denton, was arrested by RCSO for statutory rape of a child age 15 or younger, rst degree statutory sexual o ense and indecent liberties with a child, and other charges.

• Haley Rayann Peak, 22, of Randleman, was arrested by Randleman PD for possession of methamphetamine, possession of marijuana paraphernalia and possession of drug paraphernalia.

vestigation also showed that Waker had accessed a computer database for the purpose of improperly altering student grades. Walker, 39. had been charged May 8 on two felony counts of sex act with an Asheboro High School student. Police said she was on the Asheboro faculty at the time of the arrest. She’s no longer employed in the district, school ofcials said. Walker was a school counselor since February 2018.

• James Alexander Teeter, 39, of Asheboro, was arrested by Asheboro PD for statutory rape of a child age 15 or younger and indecent liberties with a child.

• Matthew Lee Tysinger, 33, of High Point, was arrested by Asheboro PD for identity theft, possession of drug paraphernalia and misdemeanor larceny, and other charges.

• Isaiah Eugene White, 20, of Asheboro, was arrested by Asheboro PD for assault with a deadly weapon in icting serious injury, larceny of a rearm and identity theft, and other charges.

• Samantha Leighann Williams, 33, of High Point, was arrested by Asheboro PD for possession of methamphetamine and possession of drug paraphernalia.

May 28

• Brandon Martez Allen, 34, of Graham, was arrested by Randleman PD for possession of a rearm by a felon.

• Ricardo Bautista, 37, of Denton, was arrested by RCSO for violation of a domestic violence protective order.

• Anna Danielle Crouse, 55, of Asheboro, was arrested by RCSO for felony possession of a controlled substance and possession of drug paraphernalia.

Two North Carolina baseball teams will meet and play at a historic Asheboro park. McCrary Park 138 Southway Road Asheboro

June

13

Caraway Speedway: Ladies’ Night 8-11 p.m.

The race track joined the NASCAR circuit in 1972 and hosts a weekly series. Tickets can be purchased at the gate. Children 11 and under are admitted free. Races feature chargers-mini stocks-UCAR-602 modi eds and Crown Vics-legends and bandos. Ladies 2518 Race Track Road Sophia

June 27

Asheboro Summer Cruise Series: Summer Heat 6-10 p.m.

Vintage car display and parade. Free event. 1128 N. Fayetteville St. Asheboro

FACILITY from page A1

former district forester for District 10. “I get a sick feeling every time I pass Old Cox Road knowing that he’s not there to talk to now.”

Cross’ family members because aware of his impact with the forest service.

“If it was alive in Randolph County, it was cared about and looked after by Walter Cross,” said Ben Cross, Walter’s son and a Rockingham County ranger. “... It means so much to our family for the N.C. Forest Service to honor our dad’s work and remarkable career by dedicating these facilities to him.”

His daughter, Jamey Cross, recalled when Cross missed a 2016 family Thanksgiving gathering because he was in western North Carolina dealing with wild res.

“It was maybe the rst time I was old enough to recognize the sacri ce this job demanded, and Dad’s willingness to make that sacri ce for the good of the public, the land and this state,” she said.

THE CONVERSATION

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

COLUMN

| DAVID HARSANYI

Democrats are in no position to lecture anyone about candidates

Democrats had a chance to be normal. They chose crazy.

DEMOCRATS ARE AGAIN acting like they occupy the high moral ground of American politics. But if 2026 has proven anything, it’s that there’s virtually nothing a left-wing candidate could say or do that would elicit condemnation from Democrats if doing so threatened their power.

Democrats, for example, demand credit for their opposition to Maureen Galindo, the Texas congressional candidate who proposed putting American “Zionists” (wink, wink) into concentration camps and castrating them, lost her Texas primary last week, winning 36% of the vote — not a bad showing for a politician championing mass imprisonment of her political enemies.

The question, though, is whether House Minority Leader Hakeem Je ries or Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez or anyone at Pod Save America or the Bulwark had uttered a word in protest, had Galindo already won her primary before making those comments? All the evidence strongly suggests no.

And by evidence, I mean their explicit support for slightly less o ensive cranks, extremists, bigots and terrorism apologists such as new party power broker Hasan Piker, the socialist Hezbollah fan Abdul el Sayed in Michigan or the Hamas apologist Chris Rabb in Pennsylvania, a guy who suggested the massacre of Jews at Bondi Beach was a “false ag” operation by “Zionists.”

Imagine telling someone 20 years ago that a leading congressional candidate in a New Jersey district situated right outside New York City had both volunteered for an al Qaeda front in Europe and spent years being friends with “The Blind Sheikh” Omar Abdel-Rahman, the longtime jihadi preacher who was sentenced for seditious conspiracy after planning a “day of terror” in 1995. Adam Hamawy defended Abdel-Rahman during his trial. And yet not a single notable Democrat has called him out on it.

Many of the same Democrats who expect Republicans to wring their hands over Republican Texas senatorial candidate Ken Paxton, a man tainted by corruption, have o ered a full-throated endorsement of a man who knowingly got and kept a Totenkopf SS Nazi tattoo for 20 years.

| JAMES CARTER AND JACOB CHOE

It’s not just that Graham Platner’s mentally unstable ravings, including saying a Purple Heart recipient didn’t “deserve to live,” that “all cops are bastards,” that white rural Americans were “racist and stupid,” that the Virgin Mary was a “skank,” defending child killers of Hamas or contending that sexual assault victims bring it on themselves. It’s that he still uses unhinged Marxist language right now.

Platner isn’t the rst skeeze to run for major o ce, but he might be the most extreme. Only two elected Democrats, as far as I can tell, have spoken out about Platner’s soft spot for Nazis. One is Sen. John Fetterman, who is under relentless attack from his own party for supporting Israel over Islamists, and Rep. Jake Auchincloss.

Now, if Platner’s opponent in Maine was a raging, corrupt ideologue, independents might be torn between two dangerous candidates. But the Republican in Maine is incumbent Sen. Susan Collins, perhaps the most milquetoast centrist member of the entire chamber.

Some Democrats rationalize their support for a self-described “communist” by noting that control of the Senate is far more important than worrying about the individual ravings of unhinged candidates. Though gutless

establishment Democrats did virtually nothing to counter extremists during the primaries, there’s a utilitarian logic to this thinking. But then you’re in no position to lecture Republicans about Paxton or anyone else, for that matter.

The 2026 elections will be held during the second term of an unpopular presidency, so there’s no telling how many Democrats will win. Or, perhaps, the new reality is that pro-Islamist Marxists are now an in uential part of the contemporary Democratic Party. How popular such a party will be nationally moving forward is yet to be seen.

I am constantly being assured that Democrats are the adults in the room. I’m supposed to believe that self-styled socialists are not only going to uphold norms, decency and democratic institutions but also improve the economic conditions of Americans. That contention clashes with every shred of historical evidence we possess. Democrats had a chance to be normal. They chose crazy.

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

COLUMN

The U.S. ally that figured out China’s gameplan long before Washington

China is not a trading partner that plays by the rules.

WASHINGTON HAS SPENT decades talking about the U.S.-Japan alliance in military terms. Carrier groups. Missile defense. Deterrence. Those things matter enormously. But the alliance runs far deeper than defense planning, and right now the economic dimension deserves more attention than it is getting.

It runs through factories, ports, semiconductor supply chains, cattle ranches, shipping corridors, food processing systems and business relationships that never make the evening news.

Understanding why that matters requires being honest about something Washington spent too long avoiding: China is not a trading partner that plays by the rules. It is a strategic competitor that uses economic leverage as a weapon, and every supply chain that runs through Beijing is a vulnerability waiting to be exploited.

Japan gured this out before most American policymakers did.

The U.S.-Japan relationship stands out in the current environment precisely because it is built on something China cannot o er: genuine mutual trust developed over decades of transparent commerce, shared democratic values and consistent institutional behavior. That is not a diplomatic abstraction but rather a practical asset with real economic consequences.

Japan remains badly underestimated by many in Washington. Its food processing and agricultural technology sectors are extraordinarily sophisticated. Precision packaging, cold-chain logistics, sanitation systems and production e ciency are not glamorous topics, but they matter enormously in modern trade.

They reduce waste, improve reliability and create the kind of supply chain stability that China’s record of concealment, manipulation and economic coercion has repeatedly destroyed. American agricultural producers bene t from the Japanese relationship more than most people realize. Japan is one of the largest overseas markets for U.S. beef, pork, wheat, corn, soybeans, dairy and seafood. Japanese rms invest heavily inside the United States in

automotive manufacturing, logistics, advanced materials, food technology and industrial infrastructure. That is far from dependency. It is the kind of reciprocal economic integration that actually works — because both sides follow the same rules and neither uses market access as a political hostage.

China does. And when it wants to remind you of that fact, it does not send a diplomatic note. It cuts o your supply chain.

Ask any American manufacturer who woke up to nd China restricting exports of gallium and germanium — two minerals essential to semiconductors, defense systems and advanced electronics — what Chinese economic partnership actually looks like in practice.

Beijing controls nearly 90% of the world’s rare earth processing capacity. It did not acquire that dominance through superior geology. It acquired it through decades of deliberate state subsidization, below-market pricing designed to drive foreign competitors out of business and a patient willingness to operate at a loss until the competition disappeared. Once the competition was gone, the leverage arrived. It’s a long con.

Japan understood this dynamic earlier than Washington and has spent years building diversi ed critical mineral supply chains precisely to reduce exposure to Chinese chokepoints. That work is directly relevant to American national security interests right now, and it is one reason the bilateral relationship carries strategic weight beyond what any single trade agreement or defense treaty could capture.

The recent weakness of the yen deserves more attention than it has received. Most commentary treats it as a Japanese problem. That misses half the picture.

A weaker yen lowers costs for American importers, manufacturers and rms purchasing Japanese industrial inputs and specialized technologies. It also encourages additional Japanese investment into the United States at precisely the moment America is trying to rebuild domestic manufacturing capacity and cut dangerous supply chain dependence on China. The yen story is, in part, an American opportunity.

President Donald Trump understood the

strategic stakes in the Paci c earlier and more clearly than his critics acknowledged. The emphasis on industrial resilience, supply chain repatriation and confronting Chinese economic aggression directly was not protectionist nostalgia.

It was a recognition that the rules-based trading order China pretends to respect is one it has systematically gamed for 30 years. Japanese policymakers understood this concern even when they disagreed with speci c tari decisions. The underlying diagnosis was correct. Events have kept proving it.

The Paci c is now a theater of economic competition whether Washington wants it to be or not. China has made that choice for everyone.

It has used its position in the South China Sea to intimidate smaller neighbors, backed Russia’s war in Ukraine while lecturing the West about sovereignty, and built rare earth dominance into a strategic weapon aimed directly at American manufacturing and defense capacity. It views American alliances not as facts to be respected but as problems to be dissolved.

That is why the U.S.-Japan alliance matters more right now than at any point in recent memory. Not because it is sentimental or traditional but because it is one of the few economic relationships in the Paci c built on rules both sides actually follow, trust both sides have actually earned and interests both sides have actually aligned. In a region where China has made dependency its primary foreign policy tool, that is a genuine strategic advantage.

Don’t take it for granted.

James Carter is a policy advisor with America’s Economy First. Jacob Choe is an international strategist and a member of the Bretton Woods Committee and a Ben Franklin Fellow. (Copyright 2026 Daily Caller News Foundation)

Experimental pill promises new hope for deadly pancreatic cancer

It uses a molecular glue to target mutations that had eluded treatment for decades

By Lauran Neergaard

The Associated Press

WASHINGTON, D.C. — A novel pill helped people with advanced pancreatic cancer live longer, researchers reported Sunday, raising hopes of long-needed better treatments for one of the deadliest types of cancer.

“While not curing the cancer, it is a very large step forward,” said Dr. Zev Wainberg, of the University of California, Los Angeles, who helped lead the study.

The drug is called daraxonrasib, and it blocks a mutated protein that fuels tumor growth in more than 90% of pancreatic cancer cases — a target that had eluded treatment for decades.

The daily pills nearly doubled survival time, with fewer severe side e ects, in a study that randomly assigned the experimental drug or more chemotherapy to 500 patients whose metastatic, or spreading, cancer had quit responding to prior treatment. The ndings were published in the New England Journal of Medicine and presented Sunday at the American Society for Clinical Oncology meeting in Chicago.

Those taking daraxonra-

sib lived for a median of 13.2 months compared with 6.7 months for chemotherapy recipients. While that may seem like a small improvement, Wainberg said it marked the rst drug to show a substantial advantage over chemotherapy.

“Having treated pancreatic cancer for 16 years, I actually started crying” when rst seeing the study results, Dr. Rachna Shro of the University of Arizona Cancer Center, who wasn’t involved with the research, said from the ASCO meeting. She was struck by how “patients stayed on this treatment because it was pro -

viding durable and meaningful bene t to them.”

The pills’ e ects eventually wane, but recipients used them for signi cantly longer than the comparison group stayed on chemotherapy, reporting less pain and a better quality of life as their tumors shrank. Many still were using the drug after the data was analyzed, which Wainberg said means the survival gap may widen as researchers continue tracking them.

Dr. Brian Wolpin, of the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, presented the ndings Sunday. He said the drug should be -

come “a new standard of care” for previously treated metastatic pancreatic cancer, adding that researchers also will explore its use earlier in the disease, including to see if tumor shrinkage might let more patients qualify for surgery.

Side e ects most likely to affect pill usage were a rash that can be severe and mouth sores, he said. Maker Revolution Medicines funded the study and the Food and Drug Administration plans to expedite review of the drug. Meanwhile, the agency is allowing what’s called “expanded access” to the experimental drug for patients who meet certain criteria. The drug garnered public attention when former U.S. Sen. Ben Sasse described on “60 Minutes” how he’s had less pain while taking it. Oncologists are being ooded with requests as the special access program gets started.

Pancreatic cancer is among the most deadly forms in large part because it’s hard to detect before it starts spreading to other organs. The American Cancer Society estimates about 67,000 new cases will be diagnosed in the U.S. this year and more than 52,000 people will die from the disease. The ve-year overall survival rate is 13%.

Unlike with other cancers that have bene ted from a variety of chemotherapy alternatives, pancreatic cancer has been harder to tackle. Cancer specialists not in-

Young and unemployed? Remote work, not AI, may be the problem, study nds

Employers say training junior workers remotely is harder than in-o ce mentoring

By Christopher Rugaber

The Associated Press

WASHINGTON, D.C. — The rise of remote work since the pandemic has made businesses more reluctant to hire young, inexperienced workers and is the key driver of higher unemployment rates for recent college graduates, a study released Monday has found.

The study, by the Federal Reserve Bank of New York, compared occupations that can be done remotely — such as software development — with those that are done in person, such as nursing. The study nds that

the unemployment rate among young college graduates in “remotable” jobs rose by about 1 percentage point from 2017-19 to 2022-24.

Yet for older workers in those elds — those aged 29 and over

— the jobless rate declined slightly, leading to a notably higher unemployment rate for college graduates 28 or younger in remotable occupations compared with older ones.

Yet in nonremotable jobs, there has been little gap in the unemployment rates between older and younger college grads, the study nds. A similar pattern exists for those without college degrees, the study found.

The study, led by New York Fed research economist Natalia Emanuel, concludes that businesses are reluctant to hire new college grads into remote work because it is harder to train and mentor them if they work outside of the o ce. The authors of the study calculate that remote work is responsible for nearly two-thirds of the rise in the

unemployment rate for young college graduates since the pandemic.

“Remote work has weakened incentives to hire young workers by impeding on-the-job training,” the study said. “Employers may not want to hire fresh graduates onto distributed teams because it is more difcult to teach them the requisite skills from afar.”

The study notes that the rise in unemployment among young college grads predates the development of arti cial intelligence tools such as ChatGPT. And when the authors looked at the exposure di erent occupations had to AI, it found that AI had little impact on youth unemployment.

The unemployment rate for college grads under 29 rose 20% from before the pandemic

“Having treated pancreatic cancer for 16 years, I actually started crying.”

Dr. Rachna Shro , University of Arizona Cancer Center

volved in the new research expressed optimism that this may be a turning point in the quest for new options, with dozens of experimental drugs in development.

The new drug targets mutations in the RAS gene family that normally regulates cell growth. So-called KRAS mutations are especially critical in fueling pancreatic cancer. But a structure that made it hard for drugs to stick to the mutated proteins meant this cancer driver was long considered “undruggable.” Revolution Medicines’ drug uses what’s essentially a molecular glue to bind with multiple KRAS subtypes. Wainberg said researchers next will probe whether the drug worked better in certain of those subtypes.

The drug will change pancreatic cancer treatment, said Dr. Andrew Coveler of the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center, who wasn’t involved in the research.

“This thing works drastically di erently,” he said.

Wainberg said other drugs in development target specific KRAS subtypes. Other approaches in earlier stages of testing include vaccines designed to prevent recurrence after pancreatic cancer surgery by teaching the immune system to recognize the mutated protein.

to 3.7%, on average, in 2022-25, the New York Fed said. For college grads aged 22 through 27, unemployment reached 5.8% last year, the highest outside the pandemic since 2012.

The study’s ndings are consistent with the low-hire, low- re state of the job market, where layo s are low and the unemployment rate is mostly stable, but those out of work are struggling to nd new jobs.

The New York Fed study also looked at detailed data from an unnamed Fortune 500 tech company and found that its hiring patterns mirrored what they had seen in the broader data.

When the company’s o ces were closed and sta worked remotely, “the rm hired fewer inexperienced workers and more experienced workers, who might need less mentorship to do their jobs well.”

“Once its o ces reopened, the company shifted back to hiring younger workers,” the study said. But even after the reopening, the company favored more experienced workers for teams that included remote work.

Bernard “Bob” Eugene Joyce

Feb. 15, 1931 – May 22, 2026

Bernard “Bob” Eugene Joyce, 95, of Asheboro, died Friday, May 22, 2026, at Clapp’s Convalescent Nursing Home in Asheboro.

A funeral service will be conducted at 2:00 p.m., Wednesday, May 27, 2026, at Balfour Baptist Church, 1642 N Fayetteville St., Asheboro, with Rev. Mark Wilburn o ciating. A burial will be held at Randolph Memorial Park.

Bob was born on February 15, 1931, in Mt. Airy, NC, the son of the late Eugene Fletcher Joyce and Nellie Inman Joyce. Bob honorably served in the U.S. Army as a corporal in Fort Dix, New Jersey, during the Korean War from 1952 - 1954. He married Lois Hill in 1952. Bob later retired from Sew Special, Inc.

In addition to his parents, Bob was preceded in death by his wife, Lois Hill Joyce who passed on September 2, 2012; and his sister, Virginia Taylor.

He is survived by his daughter, Patricia Gordon and husband Mark of Asheboro; son, Wayne Joyce and wife Danette of Asheboro; brother, Donald Joyce of Randleman; grandchildren, Gregory Park and wife Megan of Asheboro, Brad Joyce and wife Angie of Statesville; greatgrandchildren, Lincoln Park, Jonas Park, Avery Joyce; and very special friend, Betty Scruggs of Asheboro.

The family will receive friends from 12:45 to 1:45 p.m. on Wednesday at Balfour Baptist Church, prior to the service. In lieu of owers, memorials may be made to Balfour Baptist Church, 1642 N. Fayetteville Street, Asheboro, NC 27203; or to Hospice of Randolph, 416 Vision Drive, Asheboro, NC 27203.

The family would like to extend a special thank you to the sta at Clapp’s Convalescent Nursing Home for the care given to Bob.

Michael Patrick “Pat” McGinn

March 12, 1950 –May 29, 2026

Michael Patrick “Pat” McGinn, 76, of Asheboro, North Carolina (NC), passed away on Friday, May 29, 2026, at Moses Cone Hospital in Greensboro, NC. Pat was born on March 12, 1950, in Aurora, Illinois (IL), to the late Warren and Shirley (Nanninga) McGinn. He graduated from West Aurora High School in 1969, where he participated in wrestling and cross-country. Pat spent many years as a conductor with Burlington Northern Railroad, a career he took great pride in. Pat lived life freely. As a young man, he loved riding motorcycles and traveled extensively across much of the country on two wheels, creating memories and friendships wherever the road led. He enjoyed spending time

obituaries

Mary Hill

Sept. 11, 1929 – May 22, 2026

Mary Luke Saunders Hill, age 96, of Asheboro, passed away on May 22, 2026, at the Randolph Hospice House.

Mrs. Hill was born in Randolph County on September 11, 1929, and was a 1947 graduate of Farmer School. Mary was a member of Hopewell Friends Meeting. She was formerly employed in the hosiery industry and at the Belk Thrift Store. Mary’s favorite job was babysitting her only grandson, Jason, from the time he was eight months old until he started kindergarten. That special ‘job’ prepared her to lovingly serve as a teacher for the two-year-olds at Neighbors Grove Wesleyan Church Preschool. Mary loved tending her owers and pulling weeds.

Mary was preceded in death by her mother, Lois S. Shaw; her husband of 77 years, John J. Hill; and her brothers, Harold Shaw and wife Joann and Gene Shaw.

She is survived by her daughter, Vickie Smith (Frank) of Denton; grandson, Jason F. Smith (LeAnn); sisters, Hilda Hester, Judith Surratt, and Shirley Lambeth; sisters-in-law, Margaret H. Hogan (Thurman) and Pat Shaw; and several nieces and nephews.

The family will receive friends on Thursday, May 28, 2026, from 1:00-1:45 pm at Hopewell Friends Meeting. Funeral services will follow on Thursday at 2:00 pm at the church with Rev. Ricky Sessoms o ciating. Entombment will be held in the church cemetery.

The family would like to express a special thank you to Mary’s sitters, Jackson, Shelley, Michelle, Tania, Linda, Jackcine, and Donnie for their loving care and compassion.

Memorials may be made to Hopewell Friends Meeting, 2244 Hopewell Friends Rd., Asheboro, NC 27205 or Hospice of Randolph, 416 Vision Dr., Asheboro, NC 27203.

outdoors, especially shing and hunting with family and friends. He was an animal lover at his core and held a special place in his heart for German Shepherds throughout his life. His love of animals began in childhood when he found and cared for a ying squirrel, he named Scrapper. Faith was a cornerstone of Pat’s life. He was baptized at Grace Lutheran Church in Aurora, and later celebrated the baptisms of his own children at the same church. More recently, Pat was a member of St. John’s Lutheran Church in Asheboro. A devoted Lutheran, Pat loved his Lord and Savior and tried to live his life through the teachings of his Christianity. Above all, Pat was a devoted father, brother, and friend. His children were the pride and joy of his life. Known for his generosity and kindness, Pat’s door was always open to anyone who needed a place to stay, a helping hand, or simply someone to listen. When questioned about his generosity even to those looking to take advantage, Pat explained, “I’m not going to let the bad in them ruin the good in me.” Pat is survived by his son, Kevin McGinn, of Asheboro, NC; his daughter, Siobahin McGinn; his brother, Terry McGinn, of Oswego, IL; and his sister, Kathy Shaw (Randy), of Aurora, IL.

A celebration of life and scattering of ashes will be held at Bliss Woods in Aurora, Illinois, at a date to be determined.

Joseph “Joe” Samuel Edmonds

July 31, 1932 – May 24, 2026

Joseph “Joe” Samuel Edmonds, 93, of Asheboro, passed away Sunday, May 24, 2026, at The Randolph Hospice House in Asheboro.

A graveside service will be conducted at 2:00 p.m., Friday, May 29, 2026, at Randolph Memorial Park, Asheboro, with Rev. Bob Hoover o ciating.

Born on July 31, 1932, in Randolph County, NC, Joe was the son of the late George Wilson Edmonds and Mary Nora Dunn. He taught himself to drive trucks and made that his career. Joe worked hard and provided for his family. In his spare time, Joe enjoyed watching sports, especially golf and NASCAR. He was also a lifelong UNC Tarheel fan. Joe played pool for many years and participated in several tournaments and met several famous pool players throughout his life.

In addition to his parents, Joe was preceded in death by his brothers, Hezekiah Edmonds, Vance Edmonds; and sisters, Florence Morgan, Rena Hemstatler and Georgia Edmonds.

Surviving are his wife of almost 70 years, Peggy Leach Edmonds; daughter, Pamela Ann Edmonds of Asheboro; sons, Joe Lee Edmonds (Laura) of Concord, Gary Thomas Edmonds (Susan) of Asheboro; grandchildren, Brandon Edmonds (Aleah) of Asheboro, Lauren Devilbiss (James) of Riverdale, MD; great grandchildren, Dawson Edmonds, Carter Edmonds, Elsie Edmonds, Farriss Edmonds, and Alice Devilbiss.

The family will receive friends from 1:00 to 1:30 p.m., Friday, May 29, 2026, at Ridge Funeral Home, 908 Albemarle Road, Asheboro.

Memorials may be made to American Heart Association, MAA Memorials, 4217 Park Place Court, Glen Allen, VA 23060.

Mary Lou Overman Allred

May 30, 2026

Mary Lou Overman Allred, of Asheboro, passed away Saturday, May 30, 2026.

A graveside service will be conducted at 2:00 p.m., Thursday, June 4, 2026, at Fairview Cemetery, Liberty, with Pastor Jam Patterson o ciating. Mary was born in Randolph Co., the daughter of the late Jesse Overman, and Kate Collins Overman. She rst graduated from Liberty High School, and then graduated from Elon College to get her start as a stenographer and later graduated from High Point College where she began her new career as a teacher, which she did for many years until later graduating with her

Lee Cornelison

May 17, 1967 – May 28, 2026

Edward Lee Cornelison, age 59 of Carthage, passed away peacefully on Thursday, May 28, 2026, at the UNC Chapel Hill Hospital. Lee was born on May 17, 1967, in Randolph County to Edward and Brenda Hill Cornelison. He went to Southwest Randolph High School and played football and basketball for the Cougars. Lee was the owner/operator of LC Masonry and was known for his attention to detail and top-quality work. Lee instilled a strong work ethic into his children. If you knew Lee, you knew that family meant the most to him. He was so proud of his children and adored his grandchildren. Lee loved traveling to the beach and mountains with his family. When Lee was at home, he was always outdoors doing something. He thoroughly enjoyed working on trucks with his children, taking them hunting and shing, and gardening. Lee was preceded in death by his father, Edward Cornelison.

Lee is survived by his wife of 38 years, Priscilla Foster Cornelison of the home; children, Brandon Lee Cornelison (Lexie Meserve), Heidi Leanne Cornelison, and Justin Ray Cornelison (Reese Burge) all of Carthage; grandchildren, Bryson Lee and Kinsley Leanne; mother, Brenda Hill Cornelison; sister, Amy Donahue (Jim); nephew, Emory; stepbrother, Randall Cornelison; and his faithful canine companion, Buddy.

The family will receive friends on Wednesday, June 03, 2026 from 12:30 PM – 1:50 PM at Center Cross Baptist Church, 1789 Center Cross Church Rd., Asheboro, NC 27205. The funeral service will follow at 2:00 PM with Pastor David Reynolds and Rev. Tony Thomas o ciating. Burial will follow the service in the church cemetery. In lieu of owers, memorials may be made in Lee’s honor to the American Heart Association, 7272 Greenville Ave., Dallas, TX 75231 or at Heart.org.

Master’s from NC A&T and began teaching the academically gifted students of Randolph County until her retirement in 2003.

She will always be remembered by her love of teaching and devotion she had to her students. She had a strong faith, which was re ected by her favorite holiday, Christmas, where she loved to decorate and get into the season. Mary took great pride in her appearance and would dress her best for any occasion. She never knew a stranger and was so gracious to everyone she met. Most importantly, she loved spending time with her family. Mary will be remembered by her strong will and great independence and the legacy that she left, giving others the gift of knowledge.

In addition to her parents, Mary was preceded in death by her 12 siblings. She is survived by her sons, Alan Allred, Mark Allred; and her beloved grandson, Bradley Allred.

The family would like to extend a special thank you to the sta at Clapps Convalescent Nursing Home for the special care given to Mary.

Memorials may be made to American Cancer Society, P.O. Box 1640, Hagerstown, MD 21741; or to the Humane Society of Randolph County, P.O. Box 4384 Asheboro, NC 27204.

Peggy Terry

March 14, 1944 –May 29, 2026

Peggy June Henry Terry, 82, of Asheboro, passed away Friday, May 29, 2026, at her home. There are no services scheduled at this time.

Peggy was born on March 14, 1944, in Lancaster, SC, the daughter of the late William Crawford Henry and Mary Evelyn McGuirt Henry. She loved the outdoors, always looking for an opportunity to go to the mountains, Maggie Valley, or sit back and enjoy the greenery and watch the birds y by. She was a devoted wife, a wonderful mother, and a very wonderful friend to everyone who knew her. Peggy’s name should’ve been “Google”, because she could provide a wealth of knowledge to whoever asked her anything.

In addition to her parents, Peggy was preceded in death by her husband, Henry Terry; sister, Betty Gillikin; and brother, Melvin Henry.

Peggy is survived by her children, Tanya Hepburn (Kirk), Kim Sparks (Steve), Nicole Kutujian (Bruce), Hank Terry (Heather); sister, Candy Henry; grandchildren, Mason (Alliah), Brandi (Joe), Drew, Meagan, Phillip, Emily, Samantha, Kursten, Chace, Felicity; great grandchildren, Melanie, Jacob, Kalani, Karley, Jordan, Jace, Seifer, Silas, and Sienna.

Patsy “Pat” Osolean Cole

Sept. 19, 1946 – May 31, 2026

Patsy “Pat” Osolean Cole, 79, of Asheboro, passed away Sunday, May 31, 2026, at her home.

Pat was born on September 19, 1946, in Bennettsville, SC, the daughter of the late Fred Herndon and Esther Hatcher Peacock. She was a hard worker who retired from Sara Lee. Most of all, she was a dedicated wife, mother, grandmother, and greatgrandmother. Her grandchildren and great-grandchildren were very special to her, and she would have done anything for them. Pat and Jackie loved visiting people and going to the beach. Pat was such a giving person and loved sending owers.

In addition to her parents, Pat was preceded in death by her sisters, Norma Shaw and Callie Hatcher.

Surviving are her husband of almost 60 years, Jackie Cole; daughter, Lisa Sexton of Asheboro; son, Todd Cole; sisters, Edith Wilks (Scott) of Wallace, SC, Ruby Gainey of Wallace, SC, Mae Winstead (Je ) of Cheraw, SC, Faye Sartor (John) of Cheraw, SC; grandchildren, Morgan McNeill (Zach), Mason Sexton (Kelsey), Taylor Cole; great grandchildren, McCoy Sexton, Kynley Grace McNeill; and numerous nieces and nephews.

No services are scheduled at this time.

Memorials may be made to Asheboro Friends Meeting, 230 E. Kivett Street, Asheboro, NC 27203.

The family wants to extend a special thank you to her caregivers, Melissa Edwards, Lily Hathaway, Savannah Avendano, and Debbie Martin.

STATE & NATION

Crash kills 5 in Virginia, including family of 4 traveling to wedding; bus driver charged

The family wedding went forward Sunday in South Carolina

By Ed White The Associated Press

A FAMILY OF four from Massachusetts who were killed when a bus crashed into multiple vehicles in Virginia were traveling to a wedding with a carload of homemade desserts for the celebration.

The family wedding went forward Sunday in South Carolina, but it was also a time to mourn the loss of Dmitri and Ecaterina Doncev and their two children, Emily and Mark, a relative said Saturday.

“A son, a father — the whole family — everyone that has been dear to us,” Carolina Bublik said.

The Doncevs were killed when a motorcoach caused a chain-reaction crash with vehicles that had slowed down for a work zone on Interstate 95 in Sta ord County around 2:35 a.m. last Friday, authorities said.

The bus struck a Suburban, which then hit an Acura carrying the Doncev family, police said. Priscilla Mafalda, 25, of Worcester, Massachusetts, was in the Chevrolet SUV and also died.

More people were treated for injuries, including one who was in critical condition, though most were discharged, Mary Washington Healthcare said.

The bus driver, Jing S. Dong, 48, of Staten Island, New York,

was charged with two counts of involuntary manslaughter, and additional charges were likely, Virginia State Police said. The prosecutor’s o ce in Sta ord County said Dong was arrested and would be in custody while he is treated for his injuries at a hospital.

Prosecutors said in a statement that Dong’s rst court appearance will not be scheduled until he is discharged, but a magistrate approved holding

him without bond until that time. It also said prosecutors saw enough probable cause to believe Dong was “driving in a criminally negligent manner.”

It was unclear whether Dong has an attorney who could speak on his behalf. The case did not yet appear in the state’s online court records, and a call to the area’s public defender went unanswered at a closed ofce Saturday. The National Transportation

Colorado elections clerk

released from prison after governor commutes sentence

Tina Peters served less than a quarter of her nine-year prison sentence

The Associated Press

DENVER — Tina Peters, the former clerk convicted of participating in a scheme to chase election conspiracy theories promulgated by President Donald Trump, was released from prison Monday after the president successfully pressured Colorado’s Democratic governor into commuting her sentence.

Peters’ release was conrmed by the Colorado Department of Corrections. The state agency said it would have no more information about the 70-year- old inmate. Her

sentence was shortened by Gov. Jared Polis last month after Trump waged a lengthy pressure campaign against the governor and his state.

Peters served less than a quarter of her nine-year sentence.

Peters was the rst local election o cial to be charged with breaching security after the 2020 election. She snuck in an outside computer expert a liated with My Pillow Chief Executive Mike Lindell — who himself denied that Trump lost the White House in 2020 — and the person copied the county’s Dominion Voting Systems computer server as it was updated in 2021.

Peters then joined Lindell onstage at a “cybersymposium” that promised to reveal proof

that the election was rigged. Video and photos of the computer system upgrade, including passwords, were posted online. The move stoked false claims that voting machines were manipulated to steal the election from Trump.

Peters was convicted in 2024 of attempting to in uence a public servant, conspiracy to commit criminal impersonation, violation of duty and other crimes by jurors in Mesa County, a Republican stronghold that supported Trump. An appeals court upheld her conviction in April but ordered Peters to be resentenced because it said the judge who sent her to prison wrongly punished her for speaking out about election fraud.

Trump had championed Pe -

Safety Board is investigating the crash, a monthslong task separate from the work of state police. NTSB board member Tom Chapman revealed few new details but said the bus was moving at a high rate of speed.

“It seems fairly clear that if there was any braking there wasn’t much because of the speed and severity of the collision,” Chapman said.

The bus, which was taking people from New York to North

“When his car did not show up, and he wasn’t picking up the phone — that’s when the family started panicking.”

Carolina Bublik, relative

Carolina, was operated by E&P Travel Inc., based in Kings Mountain in Cleveland County. Chapman said the driver’s language pro ciency would be part of the NTSB investigation. U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Du y, citing police, said on social media that Dong, a native of China, does not speak English.

Dmitri Doncev, 45, was a nurse who worked at Holyoke Medical Center. Ecaterina Doncev, 44, was a hairstylist who spent days making desserts for the family wedding, Bublik said. They emigrated to the U.S. from Moldova in 2008 and settled in Green eld, Massachusetts, she said.

Dmitri and brother Iuri tried to stay together while traveling in separate vehicles to South Carolina.

“At some point they ended up getting separated,” Bublik said. “Dmitri said, ‘You go ahead. I’ll catch up later.’ It was a big shock when Iuri arrived at the house. Dmitri should have arrived around the same time. When his car did not show up, and he wasn’t picking up the phone — that’s when the family started panicking.”

ters’ case, but because she was convicted under state law, he did not have the power to pardon her. Instead, the president pressured Polis to do so, lambasting him on social media and disinviting him to a White House meeting with other governors. The Trump administration also announced plans to dismantle the National Center for Atmospheric Research in Colorado and relocated the U.S. Space Command to Alabama. Polis commuted Peters’ sentence on May 15. In a letter, he

wrote that although Peters was convicted of serious crimes and deserved to spend time in prison, the sentence was “extremely unusual and lengthy” for a rst-time nonviolent o ender. Colorado Secretary of State Jena Griswold, a Democrat, on Monday released a statement warning that the release will “embolden the election denier movement” and adding that, since the clemency announcement, Peters “has continued to spread election falsehoods and conspiracies.”

RandolpH SPORTS

COUGARS RISE TO TOP – AGAIN

Southwestern Randolph secured its second softball state title in three years

By Bob Sutton Randolph Record

GREENSBORO — As good as Southwestern Randolph’s softball team looked at times earlier in the season, the Cougars rose several notches in recent weeks.

And then there was the Class 4A state championship series, which produced the best of the Cougars.

Southwestern Randolph swept the best-of-three statenals against West Stanly, capped by Saturday’s 11-5 victory at UNC Greensboro for the program’s second title in three years.

“We took o after spring break,” Southwestern Randolph coach Toby Strider said. “Every year you’re putting a new puzzle together and it took us a little while to get them pieces together. There was eight kids here from the state championship team two years ago (but) not all of them started, then or now. But nobody was in the same position they were in two years ago, so just once we got the puzzle put together then it just took o .” There was joy for the Cougars (25-4) pretty much from the beginning of both games in the championship series. They

scored two rst-inning runs Friday when they topped West Stanly 8-3 in Game 1. They were back for three rst-inning runs Saturday.

“The energy of the day,” pitcher Chloe Eudy said. “It was so fun. I knew the whole time I could trust my team behind me.”

Five seniors were starters and the blend with underclassmen worked well.

“Just playing with my best friends and playing for something we’ve worked hard for all season, for years and for years for, it just was awesome,” senior second baseman Kami Dunn said. “When we got in playo s, we just locked in. Just compete for (the right to have) another game just to play with each other.”

The bonds strengthened and resulted in a season-ending nine-game winning streak.

“Everything was special with this team,” said Jada Freeland, a freshman catcher who doubled twice Saturday. “We came alive together.”

The Most Valuable Player of the championship series was Katelyn West, a transfer from Uwharrie Charter Academy. She pitched a complete game in Game 1 and added three

“They didn’t care who got credit. When you’re not keeping score with who gets credit, good things happen.”

Toby Strider, Southwestern Randolph coach

hits at the plate in each game.

“I’ve played with (this group) since I was little,” West said, referring to youth leagues and travel ball.

Bristol Marine also had three hits in the series opener, while Alyssa Harris drove in two runs and scored two runs.

Eudy pitched the full seven innings in Game 2 without yielding a walk.

About the only glitch came in the bottom of the sixth when center elder Nauttica Parrish was knocked to the ground by shortstop Maddie Strider as they pursued a shallow y ball. Parrish said she blacked out, but she turned out to be ne.

She said the Cougars want to set good examples.

“Why are we so happy?” Parrish said. “It really think it’s the faith we put in for the Lord. It’s an opportunity to tell

someone else about the Lord.”

In Game 2, Dunn scored four runs, Parrish scored three times and Harris drove in two runs. West Stanly nished with a 26-8 record.

Adding to tradition

Southwestern Randolph has won six state titles in 25 seasons (not counting 2000, when the season was cancelled because of the pandemic).

The 2024 and 2026 teams had some of the same personnel, but their championships were achieved in di erent ways.

“The last one I think surprised everybody,” Coach Strider said. “We were supposed to do it this time. Two totally di erent teams.”

The 2024 team was challenged to generate o ense at times. This year, the Cougars

scored eight or more runs in all seven games in the state playo s.

“We hit it extremely well,” Coach Strider said. “I don’t have to tell them nothing. They’ve been hitting it for weeks now.”

Eudy’s role expanded from two years ago. She said it’s part of the process with the Cougars.

“I got to learn from the upperclassmen,” she said.

Yet compared to two years ago, Dunn said the elation felt di erent when Southwestern Randolph team members were showered with congratulations under the sun early Saturday afternoon.

“The rst year it was so exciting, and this year it’s kind of sad because it was my last game,” Dunn said. “Still, a lot of gratitude and thankful that the Lord gave us this opportunity to do this.”

Coach Strider said the right amount of talent and an ideal mindset were what made this Cougars team special.

“The target was on our back. The most talented team I’ve ever had,” he said. “They were sel ess. They didn’t care who got credit. When you’re not keeping score with who gets credit, good things happen.”

Melon Mashers bring new twist for summer ball

The rst-year collegiate-level team will play home games at Providence Grove

By Bob Sutton Randolph Record

CLIMAX — The Mid-State Melon Mashers are in their rst season as a collegiate-level summer baseball team.

The Melon Mashers are the brainchild of Carter Catlett, a middle school coach at Randleman.

The team, operating as an independent without league a liation, will play home games at

Providence Grove High School, with the rst matchup on home turf coming Monday vs. the Lexington Flying Pigs. The team’s name stems from something personal to Catlett.

His wife, Karen, has been diagnosed with breast cancer. So there’s a theme involving breast cancer awareness connected to the team. The o - eld operations for the team have been in the works since late 2025.

“I’m enjoying learning to do it,” Catlett said of putting together a team. “I’ve had people reach out to me.”

The coach of the Melon Mashers is Shane Worth, who’s

also the Providence Grove baseball and boys’ basketball coach.

Worth said upgrades across the past year-plus have been made at the Providence Grove baseball eld, including a resurfaced in eld, new backstop and covered batting cage. He said that should help in providing players with a quality experience.

Catlett said the goal is to play up to three dozen games.

“We’re trying to get a good base of local kids,” Catlett said. “It’s going to be somewhat geared to local kids in Randolph County.”

Some area standouts committed to play early, including

Providence Grove senior Andrew Thomas, a UNC Greensboro signee, and Trinity alum Ethan Willard, who played this year for Pfei er. Former Asheboro pitcher Connor Adams and

ex-Southwestern Randolph inelder Zack Scruggs also are on the roster.

“We’re looking to get as many as we can with local ties,” Worth said. “That’s the key for this this type of thing.”

Worth coached the Randolph Ropin’ Roosters, who were based on Ramseur and competed in the Old North State League last year. That team folded.

Yet Worth’s connection with Catlett formed last summer when his son, Carter Catlett IV, played for the Ropin’ Roosters. The Greensboro College pitcher is on the Melon Mashers’ roster this year.

Chloe Eudy

Southwestern Randolph, softball

Chloe Eudy had a stellar conclusion to her high school career by throwing a complete game in the state nals.

Eudy, a right-handed pitcher, struck out four batters without issuing a walk in the clinching game of the Class 4A championship series against West Stanly on Saturday.

She also was a contributor at the plate throughout the season for the Cougars. That included providing a run batted in when Southwestern Randolph won Game 1 of the title series on Friday.

BOB SUTTON / RANDOLPH RECORD

Eudy has been part of two state championship teams in a three-year span. She’s also a member of the All-Four Rivers Conference rst team.

UCA parts with wrestling coach who faces charges

The former state champ at the school was head coach for two seasons

Randolph Record sta

ASHEBORO — Hayden Waddell, who coached Uwharrie Charter Academy’s wrestling team to two dual team state championships, faces charges after a recent arrest and is no longer with the school.

Waddell, 25, is charged with misdemeanor child abuse and contributing to the delinquency of a juvenile stemming from a May 5 incident when he allegedly stood by and allowed an unspeci ed number of juveniles to restrain and assault another juvenile.

Waddell, a former three-time individual state champion at the school and later a collegiate wrestler for Mount Olive, also was a teacher assistant at the UCA in 2024 and 2025.

Hayden Waddell,

during the state tournament

February, is no longer wrestling coach at Uwharrie Charter Academy.

New-look Post 45 aims for continued success

The American Legion team is in a season of transition

By Bob Sutton Randolph Record

ASHEBORO — When Randolph County Post 45’s season began last week, there were major di erences in terms of in-uniform personnel.

The team hopes to maintain a winning tradition.

Andrew Connor moves from a coaching role to the team’s manager after the retirement of Ronnie Pugh, who was manager for 21 years.

“Getting used to being without Coach Pugh,” Connor said. “I keep trying to talk him into coming back every chance I get. Just trying to continue what we have been doing the last several years.”

Post 45 posted a 24-10 record last year.

After several postponements, Randolph County began its schedule with Saturday’s 16-3 home romp past Wadesboro.

Connor has been with Post 45 for about 15 years. During a chunk of that time, he has been an assistant coach at Southwestern Randolph, returning to that role this year after a several-year hiatus.

Southwestern Randolph had its best postseason in school history in May. Four players, including out elder Brady

“We should be very versatile. A lot of our guys can do a lot of di erent things.”

Andrew Connor, Post 45 manager

Arm eld, from that team are playing for Post 45.

“Same approach, just go up there play hard,” Arm eld said of the transition from the high school season. “Some nights you have a night that’s not great, that’s OK. Just push through the adversity that gets thrown at you. When times are good, roll with them. … Did it in school ball and going to do it out here again. We had a really good run.”

There’s a typical collection of players from various area schools making up the Randolph County roster.

There are a few returning players for Post 45, perhaps most notably shortstop Jake Riddle and rst baseman Tate Andrews. Both former Randleman players also pitch.

“I have the same role I had last year,” Andrews said. Pitcher Sean Jennison and in elder Caleb Coggins, both formerly of Wheatmore, are also back after a season in college programs.

“We should be very versatile. A lot of our guys can do a lot of

di erent things,” Connor said.

“We’ve got a lot of two-way guys and we’ve had that in the past. I think one of the toughest tasks is going to be managing their load throughout the summer to where they’re getting the proper rest to be able to pitch eciently and e ectively. But also keeping the bat in the lineup. I think managing our resources and understanding what our resources are.”

Andrews said there’s plenty of talent on the team. Like a few other players on the team, he’s contemplating his baseball future so playing an American Legion season is an opportunity.

“Try to get noticed,” Andrews said.

Arm eld is a Belmont Abbey signee in his rst American Legion season.

“A lot of the guys here are awesome,” Arm eld said. “I’ve grown up playing with a lot of them. I think that we’re really talented. All nine players on the eld, our whole pitching rotation.”

In the opener

A 12-run rst inning set the tone for Randolph County in the beatdown of Wadesboro.

Arm eld drove in four runs and Riddle, Jackson Hill and Hudson Deel all scored three runs. Deel, who’s from Rockingham County, homered.

Jennison and Kyle Dillow, who’s from Randleman, handled Post 45’s pitching.

New season brings large roster for ZooKeepers

The Coastal Plain League enjoyed a strong start to the schedule

By Bob Sutton Randolph Record

ASHEBORO — A large roster could bring big things for the Asheboro ZooKeepers.

“It’s always good to have too many than not enough,” said Mark Weidemaier, the team’s rst-year manager.

said. “I think we’ve got enough pitching. We’ve still got a couple of guys I’m counting on who aren’t here yet.”

Weidemaier lives in Liberty and he has had a variety of roles with collegiate level and professional teams, including several international assignments. Most recently, Weidermaier spent two seasons with the Bismark Larks of the Northwoods League, which is a collegiate summer league. His 2025 team had an 18-54 record.

“We’ve still got a couple of guys I’m counting on who aren’t here yet.”

Mark Weidemaier, ZooKeepers manager

UCA announced Waddell’s hiring as wrestling coach in August 2024.

He took the coaching reins from his father, Chris Waddell, who’s an assistant principal for the high school at UCA.

UCA superintendent Sharon Castelli released a statement, which in part reads: “Uwharrie Charter Academy is aware of the recent charge involving a former coach previously associated with our athletic program. At this time, this individual is no longer employed by or a liated with UCA in any capacity.”

In-season player attrition has been a hot topic in recent seasons for the ZooKeepers, who play in the Coastal Plain League. Weidemaier said some players who’ll suit up this summer are on board with the expectation that they might be half-season guys.

For now, the dugout looks plenty full.

“I think we’re going to have a competitive team,” Weidemaier

“All in all, I’m excited to be here. I love the game. I’ve been in it for my whole life,” Weidemaier said. “Last year I was a little far from home in North Dakota. It’s nice to be able to manage the team and be close to home.”

Asheboro won 11-1 in its CPL opener last Thursday against the host Boone Bigfoots.

The next night in the home opener at McCrary Park, Dan-

iel Stephens belted a three-run home run in Asheboro’s 7-5 victory against the Forest City Owls. Ben Shepherd pitched ve scoreless innings before Forest City posted a ve-run seventh inning to tighten the margin.

Saturday’s scheduled game against the Florence Flamingos in South Carolina, was nixed because of the weather.

Earlier last week, the ZooKeepers topped Randolph County Post 45 by 15-1 in an exhibition matchup between McCrary Park’s two summer tenants.

Burke, Ward split Caraway features

The speedway held twin features in several divisions

Randolph Record sta

SOPHIA — Trey Burke and Dylan Ward were winners in the twin Limited Late Models features Saturday night at Caraway Speedway.

Burke took the rst of the 40-lappers, aided by Ward relinquishing the lead on a pit stop.

Camden Thomas was the runner-up ahead of Nicholas Bulkeley, Donnie Apple, Jonah Cullen, Ward and Larry Isenhower. Ward bounced back in the second race to nish ahead of Burke, who ended up in the runner-up spot. Cullen, Isenhower, Thomas and Bulkeley. Apple skipped the second feature because of car mechanical issues.

• Brody Duggins had di erent degrees of fortune in Char-

CARAWAY SPEEDWAY PHOTO

Brody Duggins had highs and lows during Saturday’s racing at Caraway Speedway.

gers races, which both were 20 laps. He was rst across the nish line in the rst feature, but he was disquali ed because of a car infraction, leaving Richard Sho ner the winner and Je rey Beck the runner-up.

Duggins xed the problem prior to the second race and moved from last place to the winning spot, while Ty-

ler Bush and Beck were in the next two positions.

• For 602 Modi eds, Gary Young Jr. cruised in the 35-lap event in his rst racing action of the season at the speedway. David Creed and Corey Luetjen held the next two spots.

• Jimmy Cooper won both of the 10-lap races for UCARs. Justin Smith and Tony Price were the runners-up.

Smith and Austin Cooper captured qualifying heats in the division.

• Isaac Wright pulled out a victory in Mini Stocks ahead of Brandon Collins, with Mason Troxler in third place.

• Christian Morris won in the Crown Vic division for the second time in May. Eric Sutton and Corey Wyatt were second and third, respectively.

• Weston Freeman rolled to a victory in the 30-lap Legacy Series race ahead of Kyle Siler. The next regular racing action at the speedway is set for June 13. That will include a 75-lapper for Chargers.

pen & paper pursuits

this week in history

Israel attacks Egypt, Battle of Midway ends, Salem witch trials begin

The Associated Press

JUNE 4

1940: Allied forces completed the evacuation of more than 338,000 troops from Dunkirk, France, during World War II.

1940: British Prime Minister Winston Churchill declared to the House of Commons, “We shall ght on the beaches ... we shall never surrender.”

1989: Chinese troops crushed pro-democracy demonstrations centered in Beijing’s Tiananmen Square, killing hundreds, possibly thousands, of protesters.

JUNE 5

1794: Congress passed the Neutrality Act, barring Americans from participating in military actions against nations at peace with the United States.

1967: The Six-Day War began as Israel launched preemptive airstrikes that largely destroyed Egypt’s air force.

1968: Sen. Robert F. Kennedy was shot and mortally wounded at the Ambassador Hotel in Los Angeles.

JUNE 6

1944: Nearly 160,000 Allied troops landed in Normandy, France, on D-Day, launching Operation Overlord to begin the liberation of Western Europe from Nazi occupation.

1966: Civil rights activist James Meredith was shot

and wounded by a sniper during his march from Memphis, Tennessee, to Jackson, Mississippi.

JUNE 7

1776: Richard Henry Lee of Virginia introduced a resolution to the Continental Congress declaring “that these united colonies are and of right ought to be free and independent States.”

1929: Vatican City formally became a sovereign state as Italy rati ed the Lateran Treaty.

1942: The Battle of Midway ended with a decisive U.S. naval victory over Japan.

1976: New York magazine published an article by journalist Nik Cohn entitled “The Tribal Rites of the New Saturday Night” that inspired the 1977 lm “Saturday Night Fever” and sparked a nationwide disco craze.

JUNE 8

1789: James Madison proposed a series of constitutional amendments to the U.S. House of Representatives that

would become the Bill of Rights.

1949: George Orwell’s dystopian novel “1984” was rst published.

1968: U.S. authorities announced the arrest of James Earl Ray, the suspected assassin of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

JUNE 9

1973: Secretariat won the Belmont Stakes by 31 lengths, capturing the Triple Crown and setting a still-standing record of 2:24 for the 1½-mile race.

1732: James Oglethorpe received a charter from King George II to establish the colony of Georgia.

1954: During the Army-McCarthy hearings, Army attorney Joseph N. Welch rebuked Sen. Joseph R. McCarthy, asking, “Have you no sense of decency, sir? At long last, have you left no sense of decency?”

JUNE 10

1692: Bridget Bishop became the rst person executed during the Salem witch trials when she was hanged in Massachusetts.

1854: The U.S. Naval Academy held its rst graduation ceremony.

1940: Italian dictator Benito Mussolini declared war on France and Great Britain, bringing Italy into World War II.

2023: Theodore “Ted” Kaczynski, the Harvard-educated mathematician dubbed the “Unabomber” by the FBI, died in a federal prison in North Carolina at age 81. Before his capture, Kaczynski conducted a 17-year bombing campaign that killed three people and injured 23 others.

Valli cancels remainder of Four Seasons’ farewell tour, citing health concerns

The 92-year-old singer has toured relentlessly despite his age

By Savannah Peters The Associated Press

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — Frankie Valli, whose legendary falsetto de nes the sound of the 1960s rock group the Four Seasons, has canceled the remainder of the band’s 2026 tour dates, citing health concerns.

“I’m so sorry to disappoint the folks who have purchased tickets to my shows, but I have decided to take the rest of the year o from touring to focus on my health,” the 92-year-old singer wrote on social media Friday.

Valli, the frontman and only original member still performing with the Four Seasons, launched an extended farewell tour billed “The Last Encores” in October 2023. Shows scheduled for April of this year

JORDAN STRAUSS / INVISION / AP PHOTO

Frankie Valli attends a ceremony honoring Frankie Valli and The Four Seasons with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 2024.

were rescheduled to dates in summer and fall. Now, all eight performances remaining for 2026 in cities from Scottsdale, Ariz., to Detroit have been called o entirely.

The Four Seasons found

“I’m looking forward to getting healthy and seeing you all again soon.”

Frankie Valli

fame in the 1960s, but the band’s hits — from “Sherry” to “December 1963 (Oh What a Night)” — span decades. The Four Seasons sold 100 million records worldwide and were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1990. Valli, who also established a successful solo career, received a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award in 2026.

Known for keeping a rigorous touring schedule even as he has aged, Valli appeared to leave the door open for future performances.

“I’m looking forward to getting healthy and seeing you all again soon,” Valli concluded his Friday message.

Trolls come indoors as Danish recycling artist stages rst museum exhibit

His creations were exhibited at Dix Park in Raleigh

By James Brooks

The Associated Press

ISHØJ, Denmark — For more than a decade, Danish recycling artist Thomas Dambo has scattered wooden troll sculptures around the world. He has created almost 200 in 19 countries.

Now the poet and former hip-hop artist is bringing a collection of fairy tale-inspired creations in from the cold for his rst museum exhibit.

“The Garbage Man,” at the Arken Museum of Contemporary Art on the outskirts of Copenhagen, tells the story of a group of mischievous trolls who secretly move into the museum, take it over and redesign it.

“They build and leave a giant human made of trash … as a lesson for the humans to behave better and don’t put their trash where everybody else lives,” Dambo said at his studio near the Danish capital.

The 46-year-old artist started spreading his trolls back in 2014, when he built two sculptures for a Danish music festival.

Two years later, he hid six giant trolls in wooded areas

“My trolls, they bring people to all these small, little corners of the world.”

Thomas Dambo

around Copenhagen. The project went viral, drawing millions of viewers online.

“I was like, if I tell a story that combines them all, then when I’ve done this (for) 10 years, I will probably have made over 100 sculptures and … I have made the world into my stage,” he said.

Twelve years on, Dambo has made almost 200. The artist and his team build about 25 new trolls annually. “Long Leif,” the tallest at 43 feet high, stands in Detroit Lakes, Minnesota.

Usually, Dambo’s work is as much treasure hunt as exhibit. His fairy-tale creations are tucked away in forests, mountains, jungles and grasslands around the world, discoverable using an online “Troll Map.”

There is “Little Lisa” hidden in a German forest, and “Happy Kim” lounging in a South Korean botanical garden. Children clamber and adults gasp as they nd the trolls. Dambo estimates about

5 million people visit his works annually.

“The sculptures bring people out to experience things that they would otherwise have been too lazy or maybe not creative enough to go and visit,” he said. “My trolls, they bring people to all these small, little corners of the world.”

Each of Dambo’s trolls has a unique name and design. In the Arken exhibit, which opens Sunday and will be on show until Nov. 29, his new works are based on friends he had when growing up.

They have “personalities of a late teenage, young 20s type of group of boys that are causing havoc, and the type of gang that would break into a museum and ll it up with trash,” Dambo said.

Trolls often appear in Scandinavian folklore, but Dambo said he chose to work with the mythical creatures as a vehicle to convey messages on waste and recycling.

The recycling artist’s sculptures are made almost entirely from waste and discarded materials, such as wooden pallets, old furniture and whisky barrels.

Dambo hopes museum visitors will leave with an urge to buy less.

“This is not my recycling project; this is my stop buying stu project,” he said.

famous birthdays this week

Actor Angelina Jolie turns 51, Mark Wahlberg celebrates 55, Tom Jones hits 86, Dick Vitale is 87

The Associated Press THESE CELEBRITIES have birthdays this week.

JUNE 4

Actor Bruce Dern is 90. Golf Hall of Famer Sandra Haynie is 83. Singer-actor Michelle Phillips is 82. Actor Keith David is 70. Actor Noah Wyle is 55. Actor Angelina Jolie is 51.

JUNE 5

USA Track & Field Hall of Famer John Carlos is 81. Musician-artist Laurie Anderson is 79. Finance author Suze Orman is 75. Musician Kenny G is 70. Actor Mark Wahlberg is 55.

JUNE 6

Singer-songwriter Gary U.S. Bonds is 87. Civil rights activist Marian Wright Edelman is 87. Actor Robert Englund is 79. Tennis Hall of Famer Bjorn Borg is 70.

JUNE 7

Filmmaker James Ivory is 98. Singer Tom Jones is 86. Actor Liam Neeson is 74. Author Orhan Pamuk is 74. Rock musician-TV host Dave Navarro is 59. TV personality Bear Grylls is 52. Basketball Hall of Famer Allen Iverson is 51.

JUNE 8

Singer Nancy Sinatra is 86. Musician Boz Scaggs is 82. Pianist Emanuel Ax is 77. Actor Sonia Braga is 76. Actor Grifn Dunne is 71. Actor-director Keenen Ivory Wayans is 68. Musician Nick Rhodes (Duran Duran) is 64. Actor Julianna Margulies is 60.

JUNE 9

Sportscaster Dick Vitale is 87. Film composer James Newton Howard is 75. Author Patricia Cornwell is 70. Actor Michael J. Fox is 65. Writer- lmmaker Aaron Sorkin is 65. Actor Johnny Depp is 63.

Actor Elizabeth Hurley turns 61 on Wednesday.

Actor Natalie Portman is 45.

JUNE 10

Political commentator Je Green eld is 83. Actor Frankie Faison is 77. Football Hall of Famer Dan Fouts is 75. Actor Gina Gershon is 64. Actor-model Elizabeth Hurley is 61. Comedian Bill Burr is 58. R&B singer Faith Evans is 53.

the stream

‘Hoppers,’ ‘Love Island,’ albums from Lizzo, Death Cab for Cutie

“O ce Romance” staring Jennifer Lopez hits Net ix

The Associated Press

NEW ALBUMS FROM Lizzo and Death Cab for Cutie and the streaming service debut of animated hit “Hoppers” 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: the new season of “Love Island,” a new rom-com starring Jennifer Lopez and Brett Goldstein, and the quiet puzzle game “Swan Song.”

MOVIES TO STREAM

With strong reviews and good ticket sales, “Hoppers” was one of the better received Pixar originals in recent years. The lm, a zany body-swapping comedy about environmental protection, is streaming now on Disney+. In it, Mabel (Piper Curda) is trying to defend a pristine pond from development by the local mayor (Jon Hamm) when she transforms, or “hops,” into the body of a robotic beaver. In her review, AP lm writer Lindsey Bahr called it a “buoyant, freewheeling adventure.”

“O ce Romance” (Net ix on Friday) pairs Lopez and Goldstein (“Ted Lasso”) in a workplace rom com. Lopez star as a chief executive of an airline who falls for the company’s new lawyer (Goldstein). Goldstein also wrote the movie with “Ted Lasso” co-creator Joe Kelly.

Ahmir “Questlove” Thompson continues his documentary tours through music history with “Earth, Wind & Fire (To Be Celestial vs. That’s the Weight of the World).” Questlove’s tribute to the seminal Chicago group debuts on HBO and HBO Max on Sunday, days after its premiere at the Tribeca Festival.

Harry Lighton’s “Pillion” (HBO Max on Friday) is one of the more memorable love stories in recent years. Harry Melling and Alexander Skarsgård star as an unlikely BDSM couple: one sings barbershop quartet, the other is a gru biker. In my review, I praised “Pillion” as the portrait of a relationship “in the extreme, one that ultimately, like any other, is guided by needs and wants.”

MUSIC TO STREAM

It has been four years since Lizzo last released a full-length project. That was “Special,” lead by the ubiquitous funk-pop “About Damn Time.” This time around, she’s promised “good, clean fun” on her new one, the suggestively titled “B----.” Led by the ’80s ballad “Don’t Make Me Love U,” it’s clear that she’s still in it for the big pop songs. Death Cab for Cutie’s forthcoming studio album, “I Built You A Tower,” has two main inspirations, if they can be called that. It’s the beloved indie rock

band’s rst full-length project since the end of the anniversary tours for their career-de ning albums, 2003’s “Transatlanticism” and 2005’s “Plans,” which reinvigorated their songwriting. It was also written while principal songwriter and frontman Ben Gibbard was going through a separation and eventual divorce. “I was doing a lot of context switching,” Gibbard told the AP. “I started to write a lot about how we contextualize, compartmentalize, speci cally our grief.” Luckily, that kind of humanity is the stu the band excels in.

Of the former members of One Direction, Niall Horan has stayed truest to the boy band’s propulsive pop-rock, but don’t think that means his matured work is derivative. He’s taken those classic tools and aged them. “Dinner Party,” his fourth full-length al-

bum as a soloist, draws inspiration from the place where he met his long-term partner. Damien Rice is a main in uence, and the songs are dreamy and romantic.

It began with “Blackberry Marmalade,” Vince Staples’ rst solo song in two years. It was a heavy introduction to his hyper-independent “Cry Baby” album, out Friday — all noise-rock, critical messaging (“Empires build on bloodstained ground,” he opens the rst verse) and a music video styled like a rst-person shooter video game. Then came the even darker “White Flag.” The musician, known for his inventiveness and often surrealist approach to art making, is clearly taking a direct approach here.

SERIES TO STREAM

Some people look forward to the summer months because of the warm weather and because school is out. Others get hyped because of a new season of “Love Island USA” is airing ve nights a week on Peacock. The season is approximately six weeks of scantily clad, single contestants sequestered in a villa in Fiji. They must couple up or they’re sent home. The last couple remaining wins a cash prize.

AMC has given the third season of “Anne Rice’s Interview with a Vampire” series a new name. The show is now called “The Vampire Lestat” with Lestat de Lioncourt (Sam Reid) sharing his story. Unhappy with the way he was written in Daniel Molloy’s book, Lestat forms a rock band and goes on the road. Lestat craves attention and admiration, and he’s certain his rock star persona will attract adoring fans. AMC is leaning into Lestat’s music, making it available on music streaming apps. Fun fact: Reid performed his own songs. “The Vampire Lestat” premieres Sunday on AMC and AMC+.

VIDEO GAMES TO PLAY

Amid all the noise and chaos of modern culture, sometimes you just want to solve a nice, quiet puzzle. That’s what Belgium’s Business Goose Games is aiming for with “Swan Song.” It’s essentially a music box with two compartments: one contains sheet music, while the other contains a maze. You need to choose the right notes in order to make each maze solvable. The developer’s last mellow brainteaser, “Sizeable,” found an enthusiastic audience, and its new puzzler has a similar vibe. Open the box Thursday

or

HOKE COUNTY

WHAT’S HAPPENING

Trump taps housing regulator Pulte to be acting director of national intelligence

President Donald Trump has tapped Bill Pulte, head of the Federal Housing Finance Agency, to be the acting director of national intelligence — elevating a real estate scion without any clear national security credentials to a key post as the U.S. remains at war with Iran. Trump made the surprise announcement Tuesday on social media that Pulte would be replacing Tulsi Gabbard, the former Hawaii congresswoman who had served as the director of national intelligence. Trump said Pulte will keep his other positions even as he lls in for Gabbard, who resigned last month after revealing her husband’s cancer diagnosis.

Trump signs executive order to vet top AI models for national security risks

President Donald Trump has signed a new executive order on arti cial intelligence. The order establishes a framework for the federal government to vet the national security risks of the most advanced AI systems for up to a month before their public release. The government will be able to work with trusted partners “that will have early access to covered frontier

A garden of remembrance

A

Hoke County Army veteran has a connection to the C-47 Memorial Garden in France

By Elaina J. Martin For North State Journal

ONE OF PRESTON

Thompson’s rst memories was the day the telegram came. His mom was out milking the cow. As she saw a man approaching her, she was

lled with dread at the telegram he held out to her. The telegram was sent to tell of the death of her son, Benjamin Wynn’s, after his plane went down on June 6, 1944, also remembered as D-Day — Operation Overlord. That day, 160,000 Allied troops landed on a 50 -mile stretch of heavily forti ed French coastline to ght Nazi Germany on the beaches of Normandy.

Benjamin Wynn was one of Thompson’s three broth-

ers who served in the United States military. The Douglas C-47 Skytrain, a military transport aircraft derived from the civilian DC-3, played a crucial role during World War II. Preston Thompson served 30 years in the Army, including two tours in Vietnam, and now lives in Hoke County.

He has visited the C-47 Memorial Garden in Picauville, France, in honor of his brother. The garden serves as a place of remembrance, re ection and education. It features 20 trees, one for each serviceman who perished, surrounding the silhouette of the C-47 aircraft.

Memorial services, often held on the anniversary of the crash, bring together families, veterans and community

Hoke County proposing to maintain property tax rate

A public hearing on the proposed budget will be held June 15

By Ryan Henkel North State Journal

RAEFORD — The Hoke County Board of Commissioners was presented with the FY 2026-27 budget at its June 1 regular business meeting.

The recommended budget is balanced at about $84.6 million and includes approximately $8.4 million for Hoke County Schools.

“The proposed budget is one that intends to maintain and support the current levels of service, while operating at the tax rate of 0.73, so no tax increase for the citizens of Hoke County,” said County Manager Letitia Edens.

The board will hold a public hearing on the recommended budget June 15 at 7 p.m.

“This budget was a little tougher than previous budgets,” Edens said. “There were a lot of capital needs and for a lot of our departments and sectors across the county, a lot of our services and vendors went up in cost. So we were really struggling with that.”

The board also held two public hearings, with the rst being for a rezoning request for around 1.4 acres of property located at 7447 Rock sh Road to go from Residential Agricultural to Neighborhood Business.

According to the applicant, Harold Brock, the purpose of the request is to facilitate the sale of property for the expansion of local mental health therapy services.

“It was originally a horse barn that I built for my daughter in 1978,” Brock said. “Right now, I’ve remodeled the front side and what is going to go in there is the expansion of Healing Hearts, a neighborhood

“The proposed budget is one that intends to maintain and support the current levels of service, while operating at the tax rate of 0.73, so no tax increase for the citizens of Hoke County.”

Letitia Edens, county manager

business that operates in Rocksh and that works with small children. They’ve lled up all the facilities they have.”

The second hearing was also for a rezoning request for around 20 acres of property located on Rock sh Road to go from Residential Agricultural (RA-2) to Residential (R-8).

The applicant plans to construct storage buildings on part

“I surely appreciate it. I will cherish this as long as I live.”

Preston Thompson

members to pay their respects.

The memorial garden not only honors those who lost their lives in the C-47 crash but also serves as a testament to the enduring legacy of military service and sacri ce. It provides future generations with a tangible connection to history and a reminder of the risks faced by service members. The space fosters community unity and enables ongoing commemoration of those who served.

of the property, and the other portion will be subdivided for a subdivision.

“What we need to understand is that we’re just looking at a zoning matter,” said Commissioner Tony Hunt. “This board still reserves all the right to accept whatever the owner of the property brings back to us later. It also won’t be for another three or four years, I’ll tell you that right now, because there’s people out there who already have lots ready who don’t have water.”

Following the public hearings, the board approved each request.

The board also approved a reallocation of $115,000 from Hoke County Schools 2025-26 project savings for various capital projects.

“These projects are ones we need to get done before June 30,” said Superintendent Kenneth Spells. “This is money that was already allocated, and so we are just coming back and asking to use savings from other projects.”

Finally, the board approved a renewal of the contract with IMS for inmate medical services at the Hoke County Jail.

The Hoke County Board of Commissioners will next meet June 15.

(USPS 20451) (ISSN 2471-1365)

THURSDAY JUNE 4

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Robot

helping ailing couple stay in home; could more be coming for

The robot handles reminders and daily tasks to help older adults stay independent

By Matt O’Brien The Associated Press

DURHAM, N.H. — After outliving Booker T. Bones, their second service dog, Brenda and Brian Marquis still needed help with some of the more di cult parts of daily life.

They found Robbie, a robot that rolls out of a hallway into their living room several times a day.

“Do you want to exercise now? Please answer yes or no,” the caregiver robot asks 59-year-old Brian Marquis, who has been living with a traumatic brain injury since a 2012 car crash.

“Yes,” he responds. Then he stands up as the robot’s googly-eyed digital screen “face” morphs into an exercise video that guides him through an afternoon workout.

The decades-long quest to build home robots that are both helpful and lifelike — spurred on by ctional machines like The Jetsons’ humanoid maid Rosie — is still mostly a pipe dream. That’s despite growing appeal as the oldest baby boomers are turning 80 this year and the United States faces a deepening shortage of home care aides, driven by low wages, high turnover and demanding workloads.

But the machine helping the Marquis family — a robot piloted by a University of New Hampshire laboratory, with funding from the National Institute on Aging — o ers a glimpse of the emerging possibilities.

“Stretch” aids dementia patient with range of tasks

The wheeled robot that some have likened to a coat rack was not what Brenda Marquis initially had in mind when she wrote an email to a robotics professor at nearby UNH asking for advice on robotic dogs.

Robbie, the couple’s name for a new robot model o cial-

aging population?

ROBERT F. BUKATY / AP PHOTO

Momotaz Begum, a professor of computer science, speaks about the robotics program at the University of New Hampshire, on April 21 in Durham, New Hampshire.

“I was never into technology. Then I realized I can’t remember to wash my face and my armpits. So it just really kind of set me free almost.”

Brian Marquis

ly called Stretch 4, spends much of the day at a charging station between the kitchen and bedroom. When it comes out, it does important work, like nudging Brian, who has dementia, to eat lunch or drink water.

Brenda Marquis, 59, said she and her husband have physical, cognitive and emotional disabilities that make life complex.

“We’ve been kind of trapped in a problem here in New Hampshire of being able to nd and recruit enough home care support,” Brenda Marquis said in an interview at the couple’s Durham, New Hampshire apartment, where she scoots around in a motorized wheelchair while taking care of her husband. “That was when I started looking into robotics and trying to gure out what to do.”

At the other end of Brenda’s email was Momotaz Begum, a UNH computer science profes-

sor who has spent years experimenting with “socially assistive” robots that can aid people with Alzheimer’s or other forms of dementia. Her robotics lab is full of experimental robots, including the four-legged variety.

Begum said the lab asked focus groups of older adults at memory care units what kind of robot they would like as a home companion. Many preferred pet-like robot designs.

“The common feedback that we got about Stretch was, ‘OK, this one looks like a coat hanger,’” she said. “But what we learned over time is that the look doesn’t matter.”

Several makers designing robots for elder companionship

Apart from robotic vacuum cleaners, the closest thing many older adults have to caregiving robots is a speaker powered by an arti cial intelligence voice assistant like Alexa. Some robot makers have expanded that concept into swiveling tabletop machines like ElliQ, designed for elder companionship. But those aren’t mobile or functional enough for Begum, who said she is “trying to reduce that caregiver burden. And the caregiver actually does way more than social companionship.”

Humanoids, meanwhile, are still far from being useful in most homes and pose physical

danger to people with limited mobility if the robot trips and falls.

The founders of Hello Robot, maker of the Stretch robots, said its simplicity is the point.

“Our robot’s very practical, pragmatic. I think it communicates that,” said CEO Aaron Edsinger, a former director of robotics at Google. “If you show up looking like a humanoid, that expectation’s going to be set so high, it’s going to be very hard to do.”

The typical version of the Stretch 4 includes a telescoping gripper that can retrieve a water bottle and hold it out for a person to drink through a straw. Show it a prescription bottle and it can help read the ne print. The robot pulls together information from its cameras and onboard sensors, together with other sensors installed in a home, to gure out its location and who is in the room.

Manufactured at Hello Robot’s headquarters in Martinez, California, and sold for nearly $30,000, the new model that launched in May is far from being as ubiquitous as a Roomba or an AI-powered speaker. But for its target clientele, it can be a lifeline.

Robbie’s programmed care protocol for Brian is posted on the couple’s wall, and it includes exercise instructions, meal and medicine reminders, evening routine reminders and quick washup prompts that are only triggered after Brian enters the bathroom.

“I was never into technology,” Brian Marquis said. “Then I realized I can’t remember to wash my face and my armpits. So it just really kind of set me free almost.”

Brenda Marquis said it also freed her from hours of daily work and helped her reduce expenses. Fearful of leaving her husband at home too long, she was ordering groceries on Instacart. Now she can leave him with Robbie and go get groceries herself.

“I can go ahead and go to that mahjong game or whatever. Robbie’s gonna take care of him,” she said.

THE CONVERSATION

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

COLUMN

| DAVID HARSANYI

Democrats are in no position to lecture anyone about candidates

Democrats had a chance to be normal. They chose crazy.

DEMOCRATS ARE AGAIN acting like they occupy the high moral ground of American politics. But if 2026 has proven anything, it’s that there’s virtually nothing a left-wing candidate could say or do that would elicit condemnation from Democrats if doing so threatened their power.

Democrats, for example, demand credit for their opposition to Maureen Galindo, the Texas congressional candidate who proposed putting American “Zionists” (wink, wink) into concentration camps and castrating them, lost her Texas primary last week, winning 36% of the vote — not a bad showing for a politician championing mass imprisonment of her political enemies.

The question, though, is whether House Minority Leader Hakeem Je ries or Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez or anyone at Pod Save America or the Bulwark had uttered a word in protest, had Galindo already won her primary before making those comments? All the evidence strongly suggests no.

And by evidence, I mean their explicit support for slightly less o ensive cranks, extremists, bigots and terrorism apologists such as new party power broker Hasan Piker, the socialist Hezbollah fan Abdul el Sayed in Michigan or the Hamas apologist Chris Rabb in Pennsylvania, a guy who suggested the massacre of Jews at Bondi Beach was a “false ag” operation by “Zionists.”

Imagine telling someone 20 years ago that a leading congressional candidate in a New Jersey district situated right outside New York City had both volunteered for an al Qaeda front in Europe and spent years being friends with “The Blind Sheikh” Omar Abdel-Rahman, the longtime jihadi preacher who was sentenced for seditious conspiracy after planning a “day of terror” in 1995. Adam Hamawy defended Abdel-Rahman during his trial. And yet not a single notable Democrat has called him out on it.

Many of the same Democrats who expect Republicans to wring their hands over Republican Texas senatorial candidate Ken Paxton, a man tainted by corruption, have o ered a full-throated endorsement of a man who knowingly got and kept a Totenkopf SS Nazi tattoo for 20 years.

| JAMES CARTER AND JACOB CHOE

It’s not just that Graham Platner’s mentally unstable ravings, including saying a Purple Heart recipient didn’t “deserve to live,” that “all cops are bastards,” that white rural Americans were “racist and stupid,” that the Virgin Mary was a “skank,” defending child killers of Hamas or contending that sexual assault victims bring it on themselves. It’s that he still uses unhinged Marxist language right now.

Platner isn’t the rst skeeze to run for major o ce, but he might be the most extreme. Only two elected Democrats, as far as I can tell, have spoken out about Platner’s soft spot for Nazis. One is Sen. John Fetterman, who is under relentless attack from his own party for supporting Israel over Islamists, and Rep. Jake Auchincloss.

Now, if Platner’s opponent in Maine was a raging, corrupt ideologue, independents might be torn between two dangerous candidates. But the Republican in Maine is incumbent Sen. Susan Collins, perhaps the most milquetoast centrist member of the entire chamber.

Some Democrats rationalize their support for a self-described “communist” by noting that control of the Senate is far more important than worrying about the individual ravings of unhinged candidates. Though gutless

establishment Democrats did virtually nothing to counter extremists during the primaries, there’s a utilitarian logic to this thinking. But then you’re in no position to lecture Republicans about Paxton or anyone else, for that matter.

The 2026 elections will be held during the second term of an unpopular presidency, so there’s no telling how many Democrats will win. Or, perhaps, the new reality is that pro-Islamist Marxists are now an in uential part of the contemporary Democratic Party. How popular such a party will be nationally moving forward is yet to be seen.

I am constantly being assured that Democrats are the adults in the room. I’m supposed to believe that self-styled socialists are not only going to uphold norms, decency and democratic institutions but also improve the economic conditions of Americans. That contention clashes with every shred of historical evidence we possess. Democrats had a chance to be normal. They chose crazy.

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

COLUMN

The U.S. ally that figured out China’s game plan long before Washington

China is not a trading partner that plays by the rules.

WASHINGTON HAS SPENT decades talking about the U.S.-Japan alliance in military terms. Carrier groups. Missile defense. Deterrence. Those things matter enormously. But the alliance runs far deeper than defense planning, and right now the economic dimension deserves more attention than it is getting.

It runs through factories, ports, semiconductor supply chains, cattle ranches, shipping corridors, food processing systems and business relationships that never make the evening news.

Understanding why that matters requires being honest about something Washington spent too long avoiding: China is not a trading partner that plays by the rules. It is a strategic competitor that uses economic leverage as a weapon, and every supply chain that runs through Beijing is a vulnerability waiting to be exploited.

Japan gured this out before most American policymakers did.

The U.S.-Japan relationship stands out in the current environment precisely because it is built on something China cannot o er: genuine mutual trust developed over decades of transparent commerce, shared democratic values and consistent institutional behavior. That is not a diplomatic abstraction but rather a practical asset with real economic consequences.

Japan remains badly underestimated by many in Washington. Its food processing and agricultural technology sectors are extraordinarily sophisticated. Precision packaging, cold-chain logistics, sanitation systems and production e ciency are not glamorous topics, but they matter enormously in modern trade.

They reduce waste, improve reliability and create the kind of supply chain stability that China’s record of concealment, manipulation and economic coercion has repeatedly destroyed.

American agricultural producers bene t from the Japanese relationship more than most people realize. Japan is one of the largest overseas markets for U.S. beef, pork, wheat, corn, soybeans, dairy and seafood. Japanese rms invest heavily inside the United States in

automotive manufacturing, logistics, advanced materials, food technology and industrial infrastructure. That is far from dependency. It is the kind of reciprocal economic integration that actually works — because both sides follow the same rules and neither uses market access as a political hostage.

China does. And when it wants to remind you of that fact, it does not send a diplomatic note. It cuts o your supply chain.

Ask any American manufacturer who woke up to nd China restricting exports of gallium and germanium — two minerals essential to semiconductors, defense systems and advanced electronics — what Chinese economic partnership actually looks like in practice.

Beijing controls nearly 90% of the world’s rare earth processing capacity. It did not acquire that dominance through superior geology. It acquired it through decades of deliberate state subsidization, below-market pricing designed to drive foreign competitors out of business and a patient willingness to operate at a loss until the competition disappeared. Once the competition was gone, the leverage arrived. It’s a long con.

Japan understood this dynamic earlier than Washington and has spent years building diversi ed critical mineral supply chains precisely to reduce exposure to Chinese chokepoints. That work is directly relevant to American national security interests right now, and it is one reason the bilateral relationship carries strategic weight beyond what any single trade agreement or defense treaty could capture.

The recent weakness of the yen deserves more attention than it has received. Most commentary treats it as a Japanese problem. That misses half the picture.

A weaker yen lowers costs for American importers, manufacturers and rms purchasing Japanese industrial inputs and specialized technologies. It also encourages additional Japanese investment into the United States at precisely the moment America is trying to rebuild domestic manufacturing capacity and cut dangerous supply chain dependence on China. The yen story is, in part, an American opportunity.

President Donald Trump understood the

strategic stakes in the Paci c earlier and more clearly than his critics acknowledged. The emphasis on industrial resilience, supply chain repatriation and confronting Chinese economic aggression directly was not protectionist nostalgia.

It was a recognition that the rules-based trading order China pretends to respect is one it has systematically gamed for 30 years. Japanese policymakers understood this concern even when they disagreed with speci c tari decisions. The underlying diagnosis was correct. Events have kept proving it.

The Paci c is now a theater of economic competition whether Washington wants it to be or not. China has made that choice for everyone.

It has used its position in the South China Sea to intimidate smaller neighbors, backed Russia’s war in Ukraine while lecturing the West about sovereignty, and built rare earth dominance into a strategic weapon aimed directly at American manufacturing and defense capacity. It views American alliances not as facts to be respected but as problems to be dissolved.

That is why the U.S.-Japan alliance matters more right now than at any point in recent memory. Not because it is sentimental or traditional but because it is one of the few economic relationships in the Paci c built on rules both sides actually follow, trust both sides have actually earned and interests both sides have actually aligned. In a region where China has made dependency its primary foreign policy tool, that is a genuine strategic advantage.

Don’t take it for granted.

James Carter is a policy advisor with America’s Economy First. Jacob Choe is an international strategist and a member of the Bretton Woods Committee and a Ben Franklin Fellow. (Copyright 2026 Daily Caller News Foundation)

Experimental pill promises new hope for deadly pancreatic cancer

It uses a molecular glue to target mutations that had eluded treatment for decades

By Lauran Neergaard

The Associated Press

WASHINGTON, D.C. — A novel pill helped people with advanced pancreatic cancer live longer, researchers reported Sunday, raising hopes of long-needed better treatments for one of the deadliest types of cancer.

“While not curing the cancer, it is a very large step forward,” said Dr. Zev Wainberg, of the University of California, Los Angeles, who helped lead the study.

The drug is called daraxonrasib, and it blocks a mutated protein that fuels tumor growth in more than 90% of pancreatic cancer cases — a target that had eluded treatment for decades.

The daily pills nearly doubled survival time, with fewer severe side e ects, in a study that randomly assigned the experimental drug or more chemotherapy to 500 patients whose metastatic, or spreading, cancer had quit responding to prior treatment. The ndings were published in the New England Journal of Medicine and presented Sunday at the American Society for Clinical Oncology meeting in Chicago.

Those taking daraxonra-

sib lived for a median of 13.2 months compared with 6.7 months for chemotherapy recipients. While that may seem like a small improvement, Wainberg said it marked the rst drug to show a substantial advantage over chemotherapy.

“Having treated pancreatic cancer for 16 years, I actually started crying” when rst seeing the study results, Dr. Rachna Shro of the University of Arizona Cancer Center, who wasn’t involved with the research, said from the ASCO meeting. She was struck by how “patients stayed on this treatment because it was pro -

viding durable and meaningful bene t to them.”

The pills’ e ects eventually wane, but recipients used them for signi cantly longer than the comparison group stayed on chemotherapy, reporting less pain and a better quality of life as their tumors shrank. Many still were using the drug after the data was analyzed, which Wainberg said means the survival gap may widen as researchers continue tracking them.

Dr. Brian Wolpin, of the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, presented the ndings Sunday. He said the drug should be -

come “a new standard of care” for previously treated metastatic pancreatic cancer, adding that researchers also will explore its use earlier in the disease, including to see if tumor shrinkage might let more patients qualify for surgery.

Side e ects most likely to affect pill usage were a rash that can be severe and mouth sores, he said.

Maker Revolution Medicines funded the study and the Food and Drug Administration plans to expedite review of the drug. Meanwhile, the agency is allowing what’s called “expanded access” to the experimental drug for patients who meet certain criteria. The drug garnered public attention when former U.S. Sen. Ben Sasse described on “60 Minutes” how he’s had less pain while taking it. Oncologists are being ooded with requests as the special access program gets started.

Pancreatic cancer is among the most deadly forms in large part because it’s hard to detect before it starts spreading to other organs. The American Cancer Society estimates about 67,000 new cases will be diagnosed in the U.S. this year and more than 52,000 people will die from the disease. The ve-year overall survival rate is 13%.

Unlike with other cancers that have bene ted from a variety of chemotherapy alternatives, pancreatic cancer has been harder to tackle. Cancer specialists not in-

Young and unemployed? Remote work, not AI, may be the problem, study nds

Employers say training junior workers remotely is harder than in-o ce mentoring

By Christopher Rugaber

The Associated Press

WASHINGTON, D.C. — The rise of remote work since the pandemic has made businesses more reluctant to hire young, inexperienced workers and is the key driver of higher unemployment rates for recent college graduates, a study released Monday has found.

The study, by the Federal Reserve Bank of New York, compared occupations that can be done remotely — such as software development — with those that are done in person, such as nursing. The study nds that the unemployment rate among young college graduates in “remotable” jobs rose by about 1 percentage point from 2017-19 to 2022-24.

Yet for older workers in those elds — those aged 29 and over — the jobless rate declined slightly, leading to a notably higher unemployment rate for college graduates 28 or younger in remotable occupations compared with older ones. Yet in nonremotable jobs,

Employee of the Month

Juanita is a compassionate PCA who puts the residents’ needs before her own. She provides professional care and always meets the needs of the residents. Integrity Open Arms wants to thank you!

there has been little gap in the unemployment rates between older and younger college grads, the study nds. A similar pattern exists for those without college degrees, the study found.

The study, led by New York Fed research economist Natalia

Resident of the Month

Helen Preaster

Helen Preaster is always full of joy. Her sweet and kind nature shines through in everything she does.

Robert General has been a resident at Open Arms since August 2021. He was born in South Carolina, relocated to Richmond Virginia and later moved to North Carolina. Robert enjoys BINGO, church and knitting. He is a joy to have here at Open Arms Retirement Center.

Emanuel, concludes that businesses are reluctant to hire new college grads into remote work because it is harder to train and mentor them if they work outside of the o ce. The authors of the study calculate that remote work is responsible for nearly two-thirds of the rise in the unemployment rate for young college graduates since the pandemic.

“Remote work has weakened incentives to hire young workers by impeding on-the-job training,” the study said. “Employers may not want to hire fresh graduates onto distributed teams because it is more difcult to teach them the requisite skills from afar.”

The study notes that the rise in unemployment among young college grads predates the development of articial intelligence tools such as ChatGPT. And when the authors looked at the exposure di erent occupations had to AI, it found that AI had little im-

“Having treated pancreatic cancer for 16 years, I actually started crying.”

Dr. Rachna Shro , University of Arizona Cancer Center

volved in the new research expressed optimism that this may be a turning point in the quest for new options, with dozens of experimental drugs in development.

The new drug targets mutations in the RAS gene family that normally regulates cell growth. So-called KRAS mutations are especially critical in fueling pancreatic cancer. But a structure that made it hard for drugs to stick to the mutated proteins meant this cancer driver was long considered “undruggable.” Revolution Medicines’ drug uses what’s essentially a molecular glue to bind with multiple KRAS subtypes. Wainberg said researchers next will probe whether the drug worked better in certain of those subtypes.

The drug will change pancreatic cancer treatment, said Dr. Andrew Coveler of the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center, who wasn’t involved in the research.

“This thing works drastically di erently,” he said.

Wainberg said other drugs in development target specific KRAS subtypes. Other approaches in earlier stages of testing include vaccines designed to prevent recurrence after pancreatic cancer surgery by teaching the immune system to recognize the mutated protein.

pact on youth unemployment.

The unemployment rate for college grads under 29 rose 20% from before the pandemic to 3.7%, on average, in 2022-25, the New York Fed said. For college grads aged 22 through 27, unemployment reached 5.8% last year, the highest outside the pandemic since 2012.

The study’s ndings are consistent with the low-hire, low- re state of the job market, where layo s are low and the unemployment rate is mostly stable, but those out of work are struggling to nd new jobs.

The New York Fed study also looked at detailed data from an unnamed Fortune 500 tech company and found that its hiring patterns mirrored what they had seen in the broader data.

When the company’s o ces were closed and sta worked remotely, “the rm hired fewer inexperienced workers and more experienced workers, who might need less mentorship to do their jobs well.”

“Once its o ces reopened, the company shifted back to hiring younger workers,” the study said. But even after the reopening, the company favored more experienced workers for teams that included remote work.

Mrs. Florence Herbert has been a resident here since May 2021. She moved to North Carolina from Pennsylvania to escape the bad weather. Florence enjoys word searches, BINGO, watching TV and spending time with her friends on the Special Care Unit at Integrity Open Arms.

Mrs. Betty Purcell is from Raeford, North Carolina. She moved into our assisted living this past June. Besides being the mother of two, she worked for many years at Burlington Mills. Betty enjoys church, watching youtube and doing word searches.

HOKE SPORTS

6 Bucks announce college plans

The athletes will compete in basketball, volleyball, rugby, soccer and cheerleading

North State Journal sta

A HALF-DOZEN Hoke County senior athletes announced their college plans during a ceremony in May.

Karmen Campbell, who starred for the Bucks volleyball and girls’ basketball teams, will play both sports at Fayetteville Technical Community College. In volleyball, she was one of N.C. Class 8A’s top leaders in hitting percentage and blocks. She was one of the top shot blockers and rebounders in the state in basketball.

Savion Kinston will continue his basketball career at Sandhills Community College. He was one of the Bucks’ top shooters and rebounders last season. Jada Jones will play basketball at Louisburg after playing three years with the Lady Bucks. Cheerleader Elijah McClain will cheer at NC A&T. Boys’ soccer player Pedro Ramos is headed to Berkeley College after leading Hoke in assists last season, and rugby player Korie Reese will compete for Life University.

Boutier rallies from 4 down to win ShopRite LPGA

The former Duke golfer wins for the seventh time in the LPGA

The Associated Press

GALLOWAY, N.J. — Celine Boutier rallied from a fourshot de cit Sunday, making three birdies around the turn on her way to a 5-under 66 for a one-shot victory over Arpichaya Yubol in the ShopRite LPGA.

Soo Bin Joo, the 22-year- old South Korean going for her rst LPGA Tour title, lost her four-shot lead at the turn and then fell behind for good on the 13th hole, the same hole where earlier Boutier had taken the lead with a 30-foot birdie putt.

Joo missed another fairway to the right into a clumpy lie, pitched back to the fairway, sent her wedge over the green with a front pin, chipped 8 feet by the hole and missed the putt, taking a double bogey to fall three shots behind.

Boutier kept hitting solid shots, rarely getting in trouble. She missed a 4-foot birdie putt on the nal hole to post at 9-under 204, and no one could catch her.

“To have a chance to win today is de nitely something very special,” said Boutier, the 32-year-old French player who won the ShopRite LPGA ve years ago. “I think it’s great tournament, very special for me, so really excited to be

time leading the tournament, and I think I did my best out there as much as I can and I prepared well and I’m very proud of myself,” Joo said. “I was trying to do my best to stay mentally calm, and I think I still got to work on that a little more.”

Chizzy Iwai, who also started four shots behind, had two birdies in three holes, but then closed with 15 straight pars.

Boutier nished the front nine with two straight birdies to reach 7 under, and that gave her a share of the lead when Joo made bogey on the par-4 eighth. Boutier then hit her approach to 4 feet for birdie on 10th. Joo caught her with a birdie on the ninth but couldn’t keep up the rest of the way.

The ShopRite LPGA is one of two 54-hole events on the schedule, and the eld was particularly weak this year — one player from the top 10 — because of timing. The U.S. Women’s Open is next week across the country in Los Angeles, held at Riviera for the rst time.

able to have another win here.”

Yubol, who was penalized one shot in the second round Saturday for going over her maximum time, birdied the last two holes for a 66. It was her second runner-up nish of the year, having nished four shots behind Nelly Korda in Mexico.

Lauren Walsh (67) nished third, followed by Joo among four players who tied for fourth.

“It was so fun. It was my rst

Boutier now has seven career LPGA titles and 12 worldwide. She has struggled to start this year, with a tie for ninth her best nish among 10 tournaments.

“I feel like my game has turned around the last few weeks. I could see it coming together, and I de nitely did not expect it to come together this week and today,” she said. “But I’m super excited to be back in the winner’s circle.”

ATHLETE OF THE WEEK

Korie Reese

Hoke County girls’ rugby

Korie Reese is a senior on the Hoke County girls’ rugby team.

As one of the pioneers of the sport at Hoke, Reese has been a high-energy player for the Lady Bucks as well as an NCYRU All-Star.

After closing her high school career, Reese announced that she will continue playing at the college level for Life University. Reese earned a scholarship and sponsorship with athleticwear company Undrdog Athletix.

SIDELINE REPORT

NFL

Packers’ Jacobs released from jail as prosecutors weigh ling charges

Green Bay, Wis. Green Bay Packers running back Josh Jacobs was released from a Wisconsin jail while authorities further investigate allegations of domestic abuse.

The Brown County prosecutor gave an update. District Attorney David Lasee said it’s too soon to make a formal charging decision. Jacobs was arrested Tuesday in Brown County on allegations of strangulation and other o enses over the weekend. Jacobs’ lawyers said they’re pleased that he’s out of jail.

NBA Rozier hit with new bribery charges in sports gambling sting

Federal prosecutors have indicted ex-Miami Heat guard Terry Rozier on additional charges related to a sports gambling sting. The 32-year- old was charged with bribery in sporting contests and honest services wire fraud conspiracy. Prosecutors allege he took a hefty bribe to exit a game early in March 2023. He has denied participating in the gambling scheme and is ghting to have the case dismissed. His attorneys argue the government’s theory runs afoul of a recent U.S. Supreme Court ruling.

NCAA ATHLETICS

Big 12 becoming rst Power Four conference to have all members agree to CSC participation Frisco, Texas

The Big 12 is the rst Power Four conference to have each of its members sign participation agreements with the College Sports Commission. That is the agency formed last year to police name, image and likeness payments. The agreement requires schools to waive their right to le lawsuits against the enforcement agency and gives it wide latitude to sanction programs for violating rules that outline how players can be paid. All 68 Power Four schools must sign the 11-page document for it to become valid.

Hart’s highly scrutinzed comeback has arrivex at Stanley Cup nal

The Golden Knights’ goalie was acquitted of sexual assault charges

By Mark Anderson

The Associated Press

LAS VEGAS — No strangers to controversy, the Golden Knights know the spotlight is going to shine even brighter now that they are back in the Stanley Cup nal with a particular glare on goaltender Carter Hart.

Hart is a major reason Vegas is playing for the Cup for the third time in their nine years and going after their second championship in four seasons. The rst three opponents in the NHL playo s failed to solve him.

Hart’s very presence in the NHL generated discussions about whether he should even be allowed to suit up. He was one of ve 2018 Canada world junior hockey players acquitted of sexual assault last July. The NHL ruled those players were eligible to sign deals beginning Oct. 15 and to play starting Dec. 1. Hart signed a two-year, $4 million contract with Vegas and hasn’t looked back.

Hart has emerged as a Conn

Smythe Trophy candidate for playo MVP. His interviews the past couple of months have been limited, and he avoided talking about his legal troubles before Game 1.

Golden Knights fans welcomed him from the beginning, clapping for him when he took the ice for the rst time Dec. 2 against Chicago, some even bringing signs expressing their support. Those cheers have only grown during the club’s Cupnal run; he receives among the loudest ovations when the starting lineup is introduced before home games.

“Everybody here has been so awesome,” Hart said after the Golden Knights swept Colorado in the Western Conference Final. “You see it every day with the fans. They show up at the rink and our practices. The support that we get is unbelievable. They’re just so excited about the Vegas Golden Knights, and I’m so blessed to be here.”

Torts in his corner

Vegas might have been the perfect spot for Hart to land.

He is playing for a coach who knows him and strongly defends him as a person and a goalie. John Tortorella

“I think he’s a strong kid mentally.”

John Tortorella, Vegas coach

coached Hart in Philadelphia in 2023-24, when the league suspended the goalie along with the other four players involved in the scandal.

“I think he’s a strong kid mentally,” Tortorella said. “I certainly watched him when he came into the organization and played in his rst couple of games, and I watched him play in an overtime game where he played really well. He’s dialed in. ... He was growing tremendously in Philly until he had to step out of the league, and he’s right back at it.”

“I loved playing for him in Philly,” Hart said. “Super happy he’s here.” The fact Hart is in Vegas was far from a sure thing last summer.

He was one of the junior players charged in 2024 in connection with an incident in London, Ontario, that occurred six years earlier. The judge overseeing the trial said the prosecution did not meet

the burden of proof to convict the players and that the allegations lacked the credibility to justify the charges.

The NHL conducted its own investigation in 2022, and after the players were cleared of legal responsibility, the league announced they would be reinstated. With the league calling the players’ actions “deeply troubling and unacceptable,” there wasn’t a rush by clubs to start signing them.

The Hurricanes considered signing Hart and Michael McLeod, but ultimately decided to pass.

Hart read a statement to reporters back then, saying he wanted “to show the community my true character and who I am and what I’m about.” Hart is 12-4 with a 2.22 GAA and a .924 save percentage in the playo s. He has won six starts in a row.

“I think he’s just been getting more and more con dent each game, each round he’s played,” forward Brett Howden said. “There’s a lot of momentum in these rounds of games. Obviously, it’s going to go back and forth. I feel like he does an unbelievable job of keeping us in the game. He’ll bail us out if we need to be bailed out.”

Ahmad

Abdur-Raheem

Feb. 13, 1957 – May 26, 2026

Ahmad Abdur-Raheem was born to the late Stella & Johnnie Bratcher, as one of seven children born to this union.

Siblings include Dennis, Aaron (deceased), Shelby, Gwendolyn, Laymond, and Joan (deceased). Ahmad was formally educated in the Hoke County school system but acquired the majority of his vast knowledge through the self study and the teachings of honorable black scholars. During this time he also served in the United States Navy. His memory continues through his two children, Sherrica and Ali, his 11 grandchildren, and a host of cousins, nieces, nephews, aunts and uncles.

Loyal life-long friends include Ronnie Blue, Lisa Brewster, Juanita Loney, and Philip Moore (deceased). Graveside service will be held on Friday, May 29, 2026 at 12:00 PM at McLauchlin Chapel Church Cemetery.

Larry King, ex-husband of Billie Jean King who helped with growth of women’s pro tennis, dead at 81

He designed colorful courts and revamped scoring to help popularize World TeamTennis

The Associated Press

GRASS VALLEY, Calif. —

Larry W. King, the former husband of Billie Jean King who partnered with her on the creation of the WTA Tour and the “Battle of the Sexes” tennis match, died Friday. He was 81. King died at his home of prostate cancer, said his wife, Nancy Bolger King.

Larry King and Billie Jean King met at Cal State-Los Angeles and married in 1965. Billie Jean King credited him as “one of the unsung heroes in the establishment of women’s professional tennis in the early 1970s.”

“Larry’s intelligence, love, commitment and humor helped me navigate my career for more than 20 years,” Billie Jean King added in a statement, saying, “We were married for 22 years and in business together for decades.

“Larry King didn’t just champion equality from the sidelines — he embodied male allyship at a de ning moment for sports, culture, and society.”

Valerie Camillo, WTA chair

He was involved behind the scenes when the Original 9 signed our $1 contracts and he and I co-owned several tournaments on the Virginia Slims Tour.”

Together, Larry and Billie Jean King founded World TeamTennis, after Billie Jean was long interested in a team format for the sport. Larry King designed the colorful courts and a revamped scoring system that helped popularize the sport.

He played a major role in a breakthrough for women’s tennis in 1973. The WTA Tour was formed that year,

before King went on to beat Bobby Riggs in the “Battle of the Sexes,” which remains the most-watched tennis match in history.

“Larry King didn’t just champion equality from the sidelines — he embodied male allyship at a de ning moment for sports, culture, and society,” WTA chair Valerie Camillo said. “Standing with Billie Jean and sharing her mission for positive change, his moral advocacy and vital contributions as a lawyer and businessman set the stage for the WTA Tour as we know it.”

Larry and Billie Jean King divorced in 1987. He later married Nancy Bolger King, whom he met on the women’s tour in the late 1980s. They moved a few years later to Grass Valley, where he co-founded Roller Hockey International, a professional roller hockey league played on inline skates; and Bridge Pro Tour, a professional bridge tour.

Besides his wife, King is survived by son Sky King and daughter Katie King, and their families.

Raymond Berry, Hall of Fame wide receiver and Patriots coach for 6 years, dead at 93

The overlooked draft pick rede ned the standard for what a wide receiver could achieve

By Hillel Italie

The Associated Press

NEW YORK — Raymond Berry, the Hall of Fame wide receiver who teamed with Baltimore quarterback Johnny Unitas for one of the NFL’s greatest passing combinations and helped lead the Colts to victory over the New York Giants in the storied 1958 championship game, has died. He was 93. Berry, who later coached the New England Patriots in Super Bowl XX, died May 25, the Pro Football Hall of Fame said Monday.

His family said in a statement that Berry died peacefully at home in Murfreesboro, Tennessee, surrounded by family, including his wife of 65 years, Sally.

“In NFL history, there are only a handful of players who we can say truly changed the sport. Raymond Berry is one of the few names on that list,” Indianapolis Colts owner Carlie Irsay-Gordon said. “As a player during a historic era of Colts football, Raymond rede ned the standard for what a wide receiver could and should be. ... Simply put, not only was Raymond Berry one of the greatest players in the history of the Colts, but he was one of the most in uential and foundational players of the modern NFL.”

A 20th-round draft pick out of SMU in 1954, the Texas native became a model for the virtues of hard work and determination. He had average speed, legs of di erent length, a bad back, imperfect eyesight and oversized feet that in high school gave him the nickname “Skis.” But he willed himself into a superstar through exhaustive preparation and study, whether using Silly Putty to strengthen his ngers or simulating entire games on the practice eld. He was among the most reliable receivers in league history, rarely dropping a pass and fumbling only twice, according to the Pro Football Reference website. By his own count, he devel-

oped 88 separate routes to get open, his discipline so unyielding that even his coach, Weeb Ewbank, tried to intervene.

“One of his drills was to throw nothing but bad balls to him,” Ewbank told the Los Angeles Times in 1986. “I used to have to run John (Unitas) o — ‘John, you’ve had enough throwing today’ — and he’d say, ‘Yeah, talk to that guy out there.’”

Over 13 seasons, Berry caught a then-record 631 passes (Jerry Rice is now the all-time leader, with 1,549) for 68 touchdowns, led the NFL in receptions three times and played in six Pro Bowls. A mainstay of one of the league’s top o enses, featuring Unitas, running back Lenny Moore and o ensive lineman Jim Parker, Berry played on championship teams in 1958 and 1959 and a runner-up in 1964. Berry was inducted into the NFL Hall of Fame in 1973, and he was voted on to the league’s 50th anniversary and 75th anniversary teams. The Colts retired his uniform number, No. 82. SMU retired his number from college, No. 87.

Performance for the ages

Berry was at his peak during a signature day in NFL history: the 1958 nale against the Giants at Yankee Stadium,

an overtime classic known by many as “The Greatest Game Ever Played.” It was nationally televised and often cited as the starting point for the league’s rise over the following decades.

Playing against the NFL’s toughest defense, Berry caught 12 passes for 178 yards and one touchdown, including three consecutive receptions during the 86-yard drive that tied the game 17-17 in regulation, and two crucial grabs during the 80 -yard drive that gave the Colts a 23-17 win. The league’s rst championship to nish in overtime helped make Unitas a hero and Berry his ideal target.

“We worked and got to know each other and developed timing you just can’t get any other way,” Berry later told the radio program Sports & Torts. “[Unitas] knew I was going to be there when I was supposed to be there, and he knew I was going to catch it.”

A ght for drug testing

After retiring in 1967, Berry was a wide receivers coach for the Dallas Cowboys, Cleveland Browns and New England Patriots, and head coach of the Pats from 1984-89. He nished 48-39 with New England, including an 11-5 season in 1985 and a trip to Super Bowl XX. The Patriots were crushed

46 -10 by the Chicago Bears in that game.

“Raymond Berry holds a special place in Patriots history,” team owner Robert Kraft said. “He led our franchise to its rst Super Bowl appearance following a remarkable playo run, a milestone that was the greatest achievement in team history at the time.”

Kraft said Berry left a lasting impact on the Patriots and the NFL.

Soon after the Super Bowl against the Bears, the Boston Globe revealed that several New England players had drug problems. Berry had been a source for the Globe story and his push for the team to agree to drug testing was forcefully opposed by the NFL players union.

Berry, a deeply religious man who didn’t drink or smoke, had personal reasons for supporting drug treatment. His former Colts teammate, All-Pro defensive tackle Gene “Big Daddy” Lipscomb, had struggled with addiction.

“They didn’t help him, they just cut him,” Berry told The Patriot Ledger in 1986. “Three years later, he was dead.” His Texas roots

Berry married fellow Texan Sally Crook in 1960. They had three children. He was born in Corpus Christi in 1933 and would credit some of his success to his high school coach, his father, Mark Raymond Berry, who taught his son the basics of football even if he didn’t play him much. He attended Schreiner College in Kerrville for a year before transferring to SMU, where during one crucial game he fumbled twice, mistakes he vowed not to commit in the pros.

With the Colts, he caught only 13 passes in his rookie season, but the following year the team signed a free agent quarterback cut by the Pittsburgh Steelers — Unitas. The two soon began practicing together.

“I didn’t know my butt from rst base about how to run pass routes,” Berry told Sports & Torts. “If you saw both of us in training camp in 1956, you may have gone away sobbing. We were two pitiful football players, good grief.”

STATE & NATION

Crash kills 5 in Virginia, including family of 4 traveling to wedding; bus driver charged

The family wedding went forward Sunday in South Carolina

By Ed White The Associated Press

A FAMILY OF four from Massachusetts who were killed when a bus crashed into multiple vehicles in Virginia were traveling to a wedding with a carload of homemade desserts for the celebration.

The family wedding went forward Sunday in South Carolina, but it was also a time to mourn the loss of Dmitri and Ecaterina Doncev and their two children, Emily and Mark, a relative said Saturday.

“A son, a father — the whole family — everyone that has been dear to us,” Carolina Bublik said.

The Doncevs were killed when a motorcoach caused a chain-reaction crash with vehicles that had slowed down for a work zone on Interstate 95 in Sta ord County around 2:35 a.m. last Friday, authorities said.

The bus struck a Suburban, which then hit an Acura carrying the Doncev family, police said. Priscilla Mafalda, 25, of Worcester, Massachusetts, was in the Chevrolet SUV and also died.

More people were treated for injuries, including one who was in critical condition, though most were discharged, Mary Washington Healthcare said.

The bus driver, Jing S. Dong, 48, of Staten Island, New York,

was charged with two counts of involuntary manslaughter, and additional charges were likely, Virginia State Police said. The prosecutor’s o ce in Sta ord County said Dong was arrested and would be in custody while he is treated for his injuries at a hospital.

Prosecutors said in a statement that Dong’s rst court appearance will not be scheduled until he is discharged, but a magistrate approved holding

him without bond until that time. It also said prosecutors saw enough probable cause to believe Dong was “driving in a criminally negligent manner.”

It was unclear whether Dong has an attorney who could speak on his behalf. The case did not yet appear in the state’s online court records, and a call to the area’s public defender went unanswered at a closed ofce Saturday. The National Transportation

Colorado elections clerk released from prison after governor commutes sentence

Tina Peters served less than a quarter of her nine-year prison sentence

The Associated Press

DENVER — Tina Peters, the former clerk convicted of participating in a scheme to chase election conspiracy theories promulgated by President Donald Trump, was released from prison Monday after the president successfully pressured Colorado’s Democratic governor into commuting her sentence.

Peters’ release was conrmed by the Colorado Department of Corrections. The state agency said it would have no more information about the 70-year- old inmate. Her

sentence was shortened by Gov. Jared Polis last month after Trump waged a lengthy pressure campaign against the governor and his state.

Peters served less than a quarter of her nine-year sentence.

Peters was the rst local election o cial to be charged with breaching security after the 2020 election. She snuck in an outside computer expert a liated with My Pillow Chief Executive Mike Lindell — who himself denied that Trump lost the White House in 2020 — and the person copied the county’s Dominion Voting Systems computer server as it was updated in 2021.

Peters then joined Lindell onstage at a “cybersymposium” that promised to reveal proof

that the election was rigged. Video and photos of the computer system upgrade, including passwords, were posted online. The move stoked false claims that voting machines were manipulated to steal the election from Trump.

Peters was convicted in 2024 of attempting to in uence a public servant, conspiracy to commit criminal impersonation, violation of duty and other crimes by jurors in Mesa County, a Republican stronghold that supported Trump. An appeals court upheld her conviction in April but ordered Peters to be resentenced because it said the judge who sent her to prison wrongly punished her for speaking out about election fraud.

Trump had championed Pe -

Safety Board is investigating the crash, a monthslong task separate from the work of state police. NTSB board member Tom Chapman revealed few new details but said the bus was moving at a high rate of speed.

“It seems fairly clear that if there was any braking there wasn’t much because of the speed and severity of the collision,” Chapman said. The bus, which was taking people from New York to North

“When his car did not show up, and he wasn’t picking up the phone — that’s when the family started panicking.”

Carolina Bublik, relative

Carolina, was operated by E&P Travel Inc., based in Kings Mountain in Cleveland County. Chapman said the driver’s language pro ciency would be part of the NTSB investigation. U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Du y, citing police, said on social media that Dong, a native of China, does not speak English.

Dmitri Doncev, 45, was a nurse who worked at Holyoke Medical Center. Ecaterina Doncev, 44, was a hairstylist who spent days making desserts for the family wedding, Bublik said. They emigrated to the U.S. from Moldova in 2008 and settled in Green eld, Massachusetts, she said.

Dmitri and brother Iuri tried to stay together while traveling in separate vehicles to South Carolina.

“At some point they ended up getting separated,” Bublik said. “Dmitri said, ‘You go ahead. I’ll catch up later.’ It was a big shock when Iuri arrived at the house. Dmitri should have arrived around the same time. When his car did not show up, and he wasn’t picking up the phone — that’s when the family started panicking.”

ters’ case, but because she was convicted under state law, he did not have the power to pardon her. Instead, the president pressured Polis to do so, lambasting him on social media and disinviting him to a White House meeting with other governors. The Trump administration also announced plans to dismantle the National Center for Atmospheric Research in Colorado and relocated the U.S. Space Command to Alabama. Polis commuted Peters’ sentence on May 15. In a letter, he

wrote that although Peters was convicted of serious crimes and deserved to spend time in prison, the sentence was “extremely unusual and lengthy” for a rst-time nonviolent o ender. Colorado Secretary of State Jena Griswold, a Democrat, on Monday released a statement warning that the release will “embolden the election denier movement” and adding that, since the clemency announcement, Peters “has continued to spread election falsehoods and conspiracies.”

CHAMPS

WHAT’S HAPPENING

Trump taps housing regulator Pulte to be acting director of national intelligence

President Donald Trump has tapped Bill Pulte, head of the Federal Housing Finance Agency, to be the acting director of national intelligence — elevating a real estate scion without any clear national security credentials to a key post as the U.S. remains at war with Iran. Trump made the surprise announcement Tuesday on social media that Pulte would be replacing Tulsi Gabbard, the former Hawaii congresswoman who had served as the director of national intelligence. Trump said Pulte will keep his other positions even as he lls in for Gabbard, who resigned last month after revealing her husband’s cancer diagnosis.

Trump signs executive order to vet top AI models for national security risks

President Donald Trump has signed a new executive order on arti cial intelligence. The order establishes a framework for the federal government to vet the national security risks of the most advanced AI systems for up to a month before their public release. The government will be able to work with trusted partners “that will have early access to covered frontier models to promote secure innovation and strengthen the cybersecurity of critical infrastructure,” the order says.

Hertl’s late goal lifts Knights to Game 1 win over Hurricanes

Vegas leads the series 1-0 after taking a game in Raleigh

By Cory Lavalette North State Journal

RALEIGH — Neither the Hurricanes nor Golden Knights had ever lost Game 1 of a Stanley Cup nal.

Carolina now has.

Vegas’ Tomas Hertl snuck away from Hurricanes defenseman Shayne Gostisbehere and scored with 3:24 left in regulation to break a tie and give the Golden Knights a 5-4 win Tuesday at Lenovo Center.

“He tried to shoot it, and I took a breather for a second and it went right to their guy, and that’s how quick it could

happen,” Gostisbehere said of the game-winning goal. “That one’s de nitely on me. I just took a breather for a second.”

Mistakes sank the Hurricanes much in the same way they did in their Game 1 loss to the Canadiens in the Eastern Conference nal.

“Those are the mistakes we made tonight that, really, we just don’t make, and we made too many of those,” Hurricanes coach Rod Brind’Amour said.

Vegas appeared to take control early in the third period when Brett Howden scored his NHL-leading 11th goal of the postseason, redirecting a shot-pass from Shea Theodore just 81 seconds into thenal period to give the Golden Knights a 4-3 lead.

“On that play, he wasn’t even

looking at me,” Howden said of Theodore, who nished with a goal and two assists. “But I feel like he knew that I was going there, and he made an unbelievable pass there. I just had to chip it in.”

But after a failed Carolina power play, the Hurricanes evened the score.

Gostisbehere jumped on a loose puck in the left circle and snapped a shot short side past Carter Hart (23 saves) to tie the game 4-4 at 11:19.

After being held without a point in nine of the rst 10 games of the postseason, Gostisbehere has three goals and two assists in the last four games.

“There were some good things we had, and the game’s there,” Hurricanes captain Jordan Staal said.

Robot helping ailing couple stay in home; could more be coming for aging population?

The robot handles reminders and daily tasks to help older adults stay independent

By Matt O’Brien The Associated Press

DURHAM, N.H. — After outliving Booker T. Bones, their second service dog, Brenda and Brian Marquis still needed help with some of the more di cult parts of daily life. They found Robbie, a robot that rolls out of a hallway into their living room several times a day. “Do you want to exercise now? Please answer yes or no,” the caregiver robot asks 59-year-old Brian Marquis,

who has been living with a traumatic brain injury since a 2012 car crash.

“Yes,” he responds. Then he stands up as the robot’s googly-eyed digital screen “face” morphs into an exercise video that guides him through an afternoon workout.

The decades-long quest to build home robots that are both helpful and lifelike — spurred on by ctional machines like The Jetsons’ humanoid maid Rosie — is still mostly a pipe dream. That’s despite growing appeal as the oldest baby boomers are turning 80 this year and the United States faces a deepening shortage of home care aides, driven by low wages, high turnover and demanding workloads.

But the machine helping the Marquis family — a robot piloted by a University of New Hampshire laboratory, with funding from the National Institute on Aging — offers a glimpse of the emerging possibilities.

“Stretch” aids dementia patient with range of tasks

The wheeled robot that some have likened to a coat rack was not what Brenda Marquis initially had in mind when she wrote an email to a robotics professor at nearby UNH asking for advice on robotic dogs.

Robbie, the couple’s name for a new robot model o cially called Stretch 4, spends much of the day at a charging sta-

But Gostisbehere’s mistake on Hertl’s goal was symptomatic of how the Hurricanes struggled to dictate play and avoid errors.

Carolina jumped to a 2-0 lead when Nikolaj Ehlers scored a pair of goals in the rst 12-plus minutes of the game.

After some brief zone time for Vegas on the game’s opening shift, Ehlers poked the puck past Theodore to create a 2-on-1 with Jordan Martinook. Ehlers burned up the left wing, beating Hart low to the glove side for his fth goal of the postseason and a 1-0 lead. Ehlers got his second goal and doubled Carolina’s lead at 12:08 of the opening period. Vegas center Jack Eichel’s

“I was never into technology. Then I realized I can’t remember to wash my face and my armpits. So it just really kind of set me free almost.”

Brian Marquis

tion between the kitchen and bedroom. When it comes out, it does important work, like nudging Brian, who has dementia, to eat lunch or drink water.

Brenda Marquis, 59, said she and her husband have physical, cognitive and emotional disabilities that make life complex.

“We’ve been kind of trapped in a problem here in New Hampshire of being able to nd and recruit enough home care support,” Brenda Marquis said in an interview at the

6.4.26

“Join the conversation”

State Journal (USPS 20451) (ISSN 2471-1365)

Sills,

May 25

• Catherine Louise Huntley, 28, of West End, was arrested by Southern Pines PD for possession with intent to manufacture, sell or deliver a controlled substance; possession of a controlled substance; and possession of marijuana.

• Cody Wayne Parrish, 25, of West End, was arrested by MCSO for misdemeanor stalking.

• David Randall Sta ord, 63, of Aberdeen, was arrested by MCSO for violating a domestic violence protection order.

May 26

• Erick Joshua Bonilla, 25, of Sanford, was arrested by MCSO for carrying a concealed weapon, resisting a public o cer and violation of unsupervised probation.

• Trent Allen Stimmerman, 33, of Aberdeen, was arrested by Aberdeen PD for assault on a female.

May 27

• Heather Lee Blue, 29, of Vass, was arrested by MCSO for communicating threats, misdemeanor stalking and second-degree trespass.

• Lo-Ren Robert Ellis, 47, of Aberdeen, was arrested by MCSO for malicious conduct by a prisoner, felony possession of cocaine and second-degree arson.

• Duncan Samuel Fowler, 40, of Pineblu , was arrested by Aberdeen PD for shoplifting by concealment of goods.

May 28

• Nancy Ann Keith, 54, of Pineblu , was arrested by Pineblu PD for felony possession of cocaine, possession of drug paraphernalia and driving on a revoked license.

May 29

• Adam Richard Bowles, 35, of Carthage, was arrested by MCSO for possession of a controlled substance, injury to real property and possession of drug paraphernalia.

• Dustin Gerard Euston, 37, of Moore, was arrested by Aberdeen PD for larceny by employee and possession of stolen goods.

• Willie Dion Oxendine, 56, of Laurinburg, was arrested by Aberdeen PD for violating a domestic violence protection order.

• Mark Alburn Wall, 52, of Carthage, was arrested by Carthage PD for driving while impaired, possession of a controlled substance and driving on a revoked license.

• Kiersten Amber Wethington, 32, of Sanford, was arrested by MCSO for conspiracy to commit felony larceny and obtaining property by false pretense.

• Kurtis Eugene Wood, 21, of Vass, was arrested by MCSO for obtaining property by false pretense, misdemeanor larceny and injury to personal property.

THURSDAY JUNE 4

FRIDAY JUNE 5

SATURDAY JUNE 6

MONDAY

Former NC o cer charged in beating caught on video

The victim’s charges for resisting arrest and assault have since been dismissed

The Associated Press

SHELBY — A former North Carolina police o cer caught on a doorbell camera repeatedly punching a woman in the face was charged Monday with assault.

The video of Shelby Ocer Karson Hyder pummeling Cherrie Moore on Friday has circulated widely on social media. Hyder, 22, turned himself in to the Cleveland County Detention Center on Monday morning and was released on a $10,000 secured bond. Court records do not list an attorney

CANES from page A1

cross-ice pass was intercepted by Jalen Chat eld, who sent Ehlers on a breakaway. Ehlers pulled the puck to his backhand, opening up Hart and scoring ve-hole to make it 2-0.

Ehlers became the rst player since Calgary defenseman Al MacInnis in 1989 to score twice in the rst period of a Stanley Cup nal Game 1.

“They got a tough matchup,” Brind’Amour said of Ehlers’ line with Staal and Martinook, which totaled three goals. “They did their part, for sure, gave us a chance. What more can you say?”

Theodore made up for his earlier misplay 80 seconds after Ehlers scored his second.

Vegas cycled the puck behind the Carolina net and moved it to the point. Defenseman Brayden McNabb — who had the rst three-assist game of his career — passed across to Theodore, who ripped a shot that de ected o Hurricanes forward Eric Robinson and in to make it 2-1 at 13:28.

ROBOT from page A1

couple’s Durham, New Hampshire apartment, where she scoots around in a motorized wheelchair while taking care of her husband. “That was when I started looking into robotics and trying to gure out what to do.”

At the other end of Brenda’s email was Momotaz Begum, a UNH computer science professor who has spent years experimenting with “socially assistive” robots that can aid people with Alzheimer’s or other forms of dementia. Her robotics lab is full of experimental robots, including the four-legged variety.

Begum said the lab asked focus groups of older adults at memory care units what kind of robot they would like as a home companion. Many preferred pet-like robot designs.

“The common feedback that we got about Stretch was, ‘OK, this one looks like a coat hanger,’” she said. “But what we learned over time is that the look doesn’t matter.”

Several makers designing robots for elder companionship

Apart from robotic vacuum cleaners, the closest thing many older adults have to caregiving robots is a speaker

for him, and a phone number associated with his name was out of service.

Hyder, who was suspended Friday and red on Saturday, was responding to a breaking-and-entering call when the scu e ensued.

According to a warrant, Moore, 34, ed the residence on foot and resisted arrest, assaulting Hyder by “grabbing and ripping (his) uniform.”

A separate warrant led Monday alleged Hyder “unlawfully and willfully did assault and strike Cherrie Moore” by grabbing Moore “by the arm, pushing her to the ground and striking her in the face with a closed st, thereby in icting serious injury possible broken nose and busted lip.”

The State Bureau of Investigation had announced Satur-

The Golden Knights’ quick-strike o ense arrived to start the second period and ipped the score the visitors’ way.

After a failed clear by Jaccob Slavin gave Vegas possession, Eichel set up Ivan Barbashev in the slot. The rugged Russian rattled a shot past Frederik Andersen (18 saves) 30 seconds into the second period.

Just over four minutes later, Mitch Marner set up William Karlsson alone in front of the net, and Karlsson buried it to give Vegas three goals on its rst eight shots and a 3-2 lead at 4:35.

Carolina’s captain evened the score.

Hurricanes defenseman K’Andre Miller kept the puck in at the Vegas blue line and pushed it to Staal in the high slot. Staal let go a shot from the top edge of the left circle and beat Hart stick side for his third goal of the playo s to tie the game 3-3 at 12:42 of the second.

It was Staal’s rst Stanley Cup nal goal since he scored

powered by an arti cial intelligence voice assistant like Alexa. Some robot makers have expanded that concept into swiveling tabletop machines like ElliQ, designed for elder companionship.

But those aren’t mobile or functional enough for Begum, who said she is “trying to reduce that caregiver burden. And the caregiver actually does way more than social companionship.”

Humanoids, meanwhile, are still far from being useful in most homes and pose physical danger to people with limited mobility if the robot trips and falls.

The founders of Hello Robot, maker of the Stretch robots, said its simplicity is the point.

“Our robot’s very practical, pragmatic. I think it communicates that,” said CEO Aaron Edsinger, a former director of robotics at Google. “If you show up looking like a humanoid, that expectation’s going to be set so high, it’s going to be very hard to do.”

The typical version of the Stretch 4 includes a telescoping gripper that can retrieve a water bottle and hold it out for a person to drink through a straw. Show it a prescription bottle and it can help read the ne print. The robot pulls together information from its

day it had opened an investigation into Hyder.

Moore was initially charged with breaking and entering, resisting arrest and assault on a public o cer, but the latter two charges have since been dismissed. She was freed on an unsecured bond. A phone number associated with Moore was disconnected.

Her attorney, Ronald Haynes, told The Associated Press in an email that Moore “is recovering and receiving treatment for her mental health.” “The heinous actions of former O cer Karson Hyder will forever negatively impact Ms. Cherrie Moore and her family,” Haynes continued. “It’s a small relief that city o cials responded so promptly to terminate and charge Mr. Hyder.”

for Pittsburgh on Detroit’s Chris Osgood on June 9, 2009 — 6,202 days earlier. But the back and forth — which included a Hart save with the game tied on Seth Jarvis, who also hit the crossbar on a third period power play — ended with Hertl scoring his fourth of the postseason to give the Golden Knights a Game 1 win.

“It’s a battle and it’s going to be a grind, and we’re expecting that,” Staal said. “It’s a tough loss for sure, but we’ve got to get our game in better shape if we want to beat this team.”

Notes: Barbashev had a game-high eight hits, and Vegas outhit Carolina 35-25. …

Hurricanes center Mark Jankowski was the only Carolina player to not register a shot on goal, and he also took two penalties. … Carolina’s power play was 0 for 2, and Vegas’ was 0 for 3. … Forwards Jesperi Kotkaniemi and Nicolas Deslauriers, defenseman Mike Reilly and goalie Pyotr Kochetkov were healthy scratches for Carolina.

cameras and onboard sensors, together with other sensors installed in a home, to gure out its location and who is in the room.

Manufactured at Hello Robot’s headquarters in Martinez, California, and sold for nearly $30,000, the new model that launched in May is far from being as ubiquitous as a Roomba or an AI-powered speaker. But for its target clientele, it can be a lifeline.

Robbie’s programmed care protocol for Brian is posted on the couple’s wall, and it includes exercise instructions, meal and medicine reminders, evening routine reminders and quick washup prompts that are only triggered after Brian enters the bathroom.

“I was never into technology,” Brian Marquis said. “Then I realized I can’t remember to wash my face and my armpits. So it just really kind of set me free almost.”

Brenda Marquis said it also freed her from hours of daily work and helped her reduce expenses. Fearful of leaving her husband at home too long, she was ordering groceries on Instacart. Now she can leave him with Robbie and go get groceries herself.

“I can go ahead and go to that mahjong game or whatever. Robbie’s gonna take care of him,” she said.

moore happening

Here’s a quick look at what’s coming up in and around Moore County:

June 13

Robbins Food Park Farmers Market and Craft Fair

9 a.m.

The Robbins Food Park opens its 2026 seasonal market series with a combined farmers market and craft fair featuring local vendors. The event runs through 2 p.m.

Robbins Food Park 120 N. Rockingham St. Robbins

Sandhills PRIDEFest 2026 Noon

Sandhills PRIDE presents its fourth annual PRIDEFest, themed “Pride in the Pines,” featuring live music, food trucks, local artists, pop-up retailers and activities for all ages on the grounds of the historic Weymouth Center estate. The event is free and open to the public.

Weymouth Center for the Arts and Humanities 555 E. Connecticut Ave. Southern Pines

June 14

Moore County Historical Association: Postcard History of Southern Pines 2 p.m.

Historian Julia Hans will present the history of the penny postcard and the Moore County Historical Association’s postcard collection, which informed her Arcadia Publishing book “Postcard History Series: Southern Pines.” Autographed copies will be available for $24.99. The program is free and open to the public.

Southern Pines Civic Club 105 S. Ashe St. Southern Pines

June 15

SCC Jazz Band: The Sound of Swing in the Sandhills 6 p.m.

The Sandhills Community College Jazz Band performs the rst concert of its “Swingin’ in Summer” series. Admission is free, but tickets are required.

Owens Auditorium Bradshaw Performing Arts Center 3395 Airport Road Pinehurst

THE CONVERSATION

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

COLUMN

| DAVID HARSANYI

Democrats are in no position to lecture anyone about candidates

Democrats had a chance to be normal. They chose crazy.

DEMOCRATS ARE AGAIN acting like they occupy the high moral ground of American politics. But if 2026 has proven anything, it’s that there’s virtually nothing a left-wing candidate could say or do that would elicit condemnation from Democrats if doing so threatened their power.

Democrats, for example, demand credit for their opposition to Maureen Galindo, the Texas congressional candidate who proposed putting American “Zionists” (wink, wink) into concentration camps and castrating them, lost her Texas primary last week, winning 36% of the vote — not a bad showing for a politician championing mass imprisonment of her political enemies.

The question, though, is whether House Minority Leader Hakeem Je ries or Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez or anyone at Pod Save America or the Bulwark had uttered a word in protest, had Galindo already won her primary before making those comments? All the evidence strongly suggests no.

And by evidence, I mean their explicit support for slightly less o ensive cranks, extremists, bigots and terrorism apologists such as new party power broker Hasan Piker, the socialist Hezbollah fan Abdul el Sayed in Michigan or the Hamas apologist Chris Rabb in Pennsylvania, a guy who suggested the massacre of Jews at Bondi Beach was a “false ag” operation by “Zionists.”

Imagine telling someone 20 years ago that a leading congressional candidate in a New Jersey district situated right outside New York City had both volunteered for an al Qaeda front in Europe and spent years being friends with “The Blind Sheikh” Omar Abdel-Rahman, the longtime jihadi preacher who was sentenced for seditious conspiracy after planning a “day of terror” in 1995. Adam Hamawy defended Abdel-Rahman during his trial. And yet not a single notable Democrat has called him out on it.

Many of the same Democrats who expect Republicans to wring their hands over Republican Texas senatorial candidate Ken Paxton, a man tainted by corruption, have o ered a full-throated endorsement of a man who knowingly got and kept a Totenkopf SS Nazi tattoo for 20 years.

| JAMES CARTER AND JACOB CHOE

It’s not just that Graham Platner’s mentally unstable ravings, including saying a Purple Heart recipient didn’t “deserve to live,” that “all cops are bastards,” that white rural Americans were “racist and stupid,” that the Virgin Mary was a “skank,” defending child killers of Hamas or contending that sexual assault victims bring it on themselves. It’s that he still uses unhinged Marxist language right now.

Platner isn’t the rst skeeze to run for major o ce, but he might be the most extreme. Only two elected Democrats, as far as I can tell, have spoken out about Platner’s soft spot for Nazis. One is Sen. John Fetterman, who is under relentless attack from his own party for supporting Israel over Islamists, and Rep. Jake Auchincloss.

Now, if Platner’s opponent in Maine was a raging, corrupt ideologue, independents might be torn between two dangerous candidates. But the Republican in Maine is incumbent Sen. Susan Collins, perhaps the most milquetoast centrist member of the entire chamber.

Some Democrats rationalize their support for a self-described “communist” by noting that control of the Senate is far more important than worrying about the individual ravings of unhinged candidates. Though gutless

establishment Democrats did virtually nothing to counter extremists during the primaries, there’s a utilitarian logic to this thinking. But then you’re in no position to lecture Republicans about Paxton or anyone else, for that matter.

The 2026 elections will be held during the second term of an unpopular presidency, so there’s no telling how many Democrats will win. Or, perhaps, the new reality is that pro-Islamist Marxists are now an in uential part of the contemporary Democratic Party. How popular such a party will be nationally moving forward is yet to be seen.

I am constantly being assured that Democrats are the adults in the room. I’m supposed to believe that self-styled socialists are not only going to uphold norms, decency and democratic institutions but also improve the economic conditions of Americans. That contention clashes with every shred of historical evidence we possess. Democrats had a chance to be normal. They chose crazy.

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

COLUMN

The U.S. ally that figured out China’s gameplan long before Washington

China is not a trading partner that plays by the rules.

WASHINGTON HAS SPENT decades talking about the U.S.-Japan alliance in military terms. Carrier groups. Missile defense. Deterrence. Those things matter enormously. But the alliance runs far deeper than defense planning, and right now the economic dimension deserves more attention than it is getting.

It runs through factories, ports, semiconductor supply chains, cattle ranches, shipping corridors, food processing systems and business relationships that never make the evening news.

Understanding why that matters requires being honest about something Washington spent too long avoiding: China is not a trading partner that plays by the rules. It is a strategic competitor that uses economic leverage as a weapon, and every supply chain that runs through Beijing is a vulnerability waiting to be exploited.

Japan gured this out before most American policymakers did.

The U.S.-Japan relationship stands out in the current environment precisely because it is built on something China cannot o er: genuine mutual trust developed over decades of transparent commerce, shared democratic values and consistent institutional behavior. That is not a diplomatic abstraction but rather a practical asset with real economic consequences.

Japan remains badly underestimated by many in Washington. Its food processing and agricultural technology sectors are extraordinarily sophisticated. Precision packaging, cold-chain logistics, sanitation systems and production e ciency are not glamorous topics, but they matter enormously in modern trade.

They reduce waste, improve reliability and create the kind of supply chain stability that China’s record of concealment, manipulation and economic coercion has repeatedly destroyed.

American agricultural producers bene t from the Japanese relationship more than most people realize. Japan is one of the largest overseas markets for U.S. beef, pork, wheat, corn, soybeans, dairy and seafood. Japanese rms invest heavily inside the United States in

automotive manufacturing, logistics, advanced materials, food technology and industrial infrastructure. That is far from dependency. It is the kind of reciprocal economic integration that actually works — because both sides follow the same rules and neither uses market access as a political hostage.

China does. And when it wants to remind you of that fact, it does not send a diplomatic note. It cuts o your supply chain.

Ask any American manufacturer who woke up to nd China restricting exports of gallium and germanium — two minerals essential to semiconductors, defense systems and advanced electronics — what Chinese economic partnership actually looks like in practice.

Beijing controls nearly 90% of the world’s rare earth processing capacity. It did not acquire that dominance through superior geology. It acquired it through decades of deliberate state subsidization, below-market pricing designed to drive foreign competitors out of business and a patient willingness to operate at a loss until the competition disappeared. Once the competition was gone, the leverage arrived. It’s a long con.

Japan understood this dynamic earlier than Washington and has spent years building diversi ed critical mineral supply chains precisely to reduce exposure to Chinese chokepoints. That work is directly relevant to American national security interests right now, and it is one reason the bilateral relationship carries strategic weight beyond what any single trade agreement or defense treaty could capture.

The recent weakness of the yen deserves more attention than it has received. Most commentary treats it as a Japanese problem. That misses half the picture.

A weaker yen lowers costs for American importers, manufacturers and rms purchasing Japanese industrial inputs and specialized technologies. It also encourages additional Japanese investment into the United States at precisely the moment America is trying to rebuild domestic manufacturing capacity and cut dangerous supply chain dependence on China. The yen story is, in part, an American opportunity.

President Donald Trump understood the

strategic stakes in the Paci c earlier and more clearly than his critics acknowledged. The emphasis on industrial resilience, supply chain repatriation and confronting Chinese economic aggression directly was not protectionist nostalgia.

It was a recognition that the rules-based trading order China pretends to respect is one it has systematically gamed for 30 years. Japanese policymakers understood this concern even when they disagreed with speci c tari decisions. The underlying diagnosis was correct. Events have kept proving it.

The Paci c is now a theater of economic competition whether Washington wants it to be or not. China has made that choice for everyone.

It has used its position in the South China Sea to intimidate smaller neighbors, backed Russia’s war in Ukraine while lecturing the West about sovereignty, and built rare earth dominance into a strategic weapon aimed directly at American manufacturing and defense capacity. It views American alliances not as facts to be respected but as problems to be dissolved.

That is why the U.S.-Japan alliance matters more right now than at any point in recent memory. Not because it is sentimental or traditional but because it is one of the few economic relationships in the Paci c built on rules both sides actually follow, trust both sides have actually earned and interests both sides have actually aligned. In a region where China has made dependency its primary foreign policy tool, that is a genuine strategic advantage.

Don’t take it for granted.

James Carter is a policy advisor with America’s Economy First. Jacob Choe is an international strategist and a member of the Bretton Woods Committee and a Ben Franklin Fellow. (Copyright 2026 Daily Caller News Foundation)

Experimental pill promises new hope for deadly pancreatic cancer

It uses a molecular glue to target mutations that had eluded treatment for decades

By Lauran Neergaard

The Associated Press

WASHINGTON, D.C. — A novel pill helped people with advanced pancreatic cancer live longer, researchers reported Sunday, raising hopes of long-needed better treatments for one of the deadliest types of cancer.

“While not curing the cancer, it is a very large step forward,” said Dr. Zev Wainberg, of the University of California, Los Angeles, who helped lead the study.

The drug is called daraxonrasib, and it blocks a mutated protein that fuels tumor growth in more than 90% of pancreatic cancer cases — a target that had eluded treatment for decades.

The daily pills nearly doubled survival time, with fewer severe side e ects, in a study that randomly assigned the experimental drug or more chemotherapy to 500 patients whose metastatic, or spreading, cancer had quit responding to prior treatment. The ndings were published in the New England Journal of Medicine and presented Sunday at the American Society for Clinical Oncology meeting in Chicago.

Those taking daraxonra-

sib lived for a median of 13.2 months compared with 6.7 months for chemotherapy recipients. While that may seem like a small improvement, Wainberg said it marked the rst drug to show a substantial advantage over chemotherapy.

“Having treated pancreatic cancer for 16 years, I actually started crying” when rst seeing the study results, Dr. Rachna Shro of the University of Arizona Cancer Center, who wasn’t involved with the research, said from the ASCO meeting. She was struck by how “patients stayed on this treatment because it was pro -

viding durable and meaningful bene t to them.”

The pills’ e ects eventually wane, but recipients used them for signi cantly longer than the comparison group stayed on chemotherapy, reporting less pain and a better quality of life as their tumors shrank. Many still were using the drug after the data was analyzed, which Wainberg said means the survival gap may widen as researchers continue tracking them.

Dr. Brian Wolpin, of the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, presented the ndings Sunday. He said the drug should be -

come “a new standard of care” for previously treated metastatic pancreatic cancer, adding that researchers also will explore its use earlier in the disease, including to see if tumor shrinkage might let more patients qualify for surgery.

Side e ects most likely to affect pill usage were a rash that can be severe and mouth sores, he said. Maker Revolution Medicines funded the study and the Food and Drug Administration plans to expedite review of the drug. Meanwhile, the agency is allowing what’s called “expanded access” to the experimental drug for patients who meet certain criteria. The drug garnered public attention when former U.S. Sen. Ben Sasse described on “60 Minutes” how he’s had less pain while taking it. Oncologists are being ooded with requests as the special access program gets started.

Pancreatic cancer is among the most deadly forms in large part because it’s hard to detect before it starts spreading to other organs. The American Cancer Society estimates about 67,000 new cases will be diagnosed in the U.S. this year and more than 52,000 people will die from the disease. The ve-year overall survival rate is 13%.

Unlike with other cancers that have bene ted from a variety of chemotherapy alternatives, pancreatic cancer has been harder to tackle. Cancer specialists not in-

Young and unemployed? Remote work, not AI, may be the problem, study nds

Employers say training junior workers remotely is harder than in-o ce mentoring

By Christopher Rugaber

The Associated Press

WASHINGTON, D.C. — The rise of remote work since the pandemic has made businesses more reluctant to hire young, inexperienced workers and is the key driver of higher unemployment rates for recent college graduates, a study released Monday has found.

The study, by the Federal Reserve Bank of New York, compared occupations that can be done remotely — such as software development — with those that are done in person, such as nursing. The study nds that

the unemployment rate among young college graduates in “remotable” jobs rose by about 1 percentage point from 2017-19 to 2022-24.

Yet for older workers in those elds — those aged 29 and over

— the jobless rate declined slightly, leading to a notably higher unemployment rate for college graduates 28 or younger in remotable occupations compared with older ones.

Yet in nonremotable jobs, there has been little gap in the unemployment rates between older and younger college grads, the study nds. A similar pattern exists for those without college degrees, the study found.

The study, led by New York Fed research economist Natalia Emanuel, concludes that businesses are reluctant to hire new college grads into remote work because it is harder to train and mentor them if they work outside of the o ce. The authors of the study calculate that remote work is responsible for nearly two-thirds of the rise in the

unemployment rate for young college graduates since the pandemic.

“Remote work has weakened incentives to hire young workers by impeding on-the-job training,” the study said. “Employers may not want to hire fresh graduates onto distributed teams because it is more difcult to teach them the requisite skills from afar.”

The study notes that the rise in unemployment among young college grads predates the development of arti cial intelligence tools such as ChatGPT. And when the authors looked at the exposure di erent occupations had to AI, it found that AI had little impact on youth unemployment.

The unemployment rate for college grads under 29 rose 20% from before the pandemic

“Having treated pancreatic cancer for 16 years, I actually started crying.”

Dr. Rachna Shro , University of Arizona Cancer Center

volved in the new research expressed optimism that this may be a turning point in the quest for new options, with dozens of experimental drugs in development.

The new drug targets mutations in the RAS gene family that normally regulates cell growth. So-called KRAS mutations are especially critical in fueling pancreatic cancer. But a structure that made it hard for drugs to stick to the mutated proteins meant this cancer driver was long considered “undruggable.” Revolution Medicines’ drug uses what’s essentially a molecular glue to bind with multiple KRAS subtypes. Wainberg said researchers next will probe whether the drug worked better in certain of those subtypes.

The drug will change pancreatic cancer treatment, said Dr. Andrew Coveler of the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center, who wasn’t involved in the research.

“This thing works drastically di erently,” he said.

Wainberg said other drugs in development target specific KRAS subtypes. Other approaches in earlier stages of testing include vaccines designed to prevent recurrence after pancreatic cancer surgery by teaching the immune system to recognize the mutated protein.

to 3.7%, on average, in 2022-25, the New York Fed said. For college grads aged 22 through 27, unemployment reached 5.8% last year, the highest outside the pandemic since 2012.

The study’s ndings are consistent with the low-hire, low- re state of the job market, where layo s are low and the unemployment rate is mostly stable, but those out of work are struggling to nd new jobs.

The New York Fed study also looked at detailed data from an unnamed Fortune 500 tech company and found that its hiring patterns mirrored what they had seen in the broader data. When the company’s o ces were closed and sta worked remotely, “the rm hired fewer inexperienced workers and more experienced workers, who might need less mentorship to do their jobs well.”

“Once its o ces reopened, the company shifted back to hiring younger workers,” the study said. But even after the reopening, the company favored more experienced workers for teams that included remote work.

MOORE SPORTS

Union Pines softball falls just short

The Vikings nished one win shy of a state title

North State Journal sta

UNION PINES fell to South Caldwell in the best of three championship series to decide the NCHSAA Class 6A softball championship. The Vikings nished their most successful season for the program with a 28-4 record. The top-seeded Union Pines got a rst-round bye, then beat

No. 17 Western Harnett 11-3, No. 9 South Johnston 12-6 and No. 14 Gray’s Creek 14-3 before taking two of three in the state semi nal series against J.H. Rose.

Union Pines dropped the opener at Duke’s Smith Family Field, falling 5-2 to 2-seed South Caldwell, then evened the series with a 5-4 win. The Vikings fell in a rubber game, 8-0.

Union Pines now bids farewell to the ve members of its senior class: Madison Stein,

Serena McCutchen, Allie Bauer, Kileigh Cameron and Emily Auman. The ve athletes shared co-captain duties. Cameron, the catcher, led the team in batting, homers and RBIs, while Stein, a center elder, scored the most runs and Auman, the rst baseman was top elder. McCutchen, in left eld, led the team in triples, and Bauer, a pitcher, third baseman and right elder, was among team leaders in hitting and pitching categories.

Union Pines senior Emily Auman accepts the NCHSAA sportsmanship award after the Class 6A championship series.

ATHLETE OF THE WEEK

Avery Jessup

Union Pines, softball

Avery Jessup is a junior on the Union Pines softball team. She also plays volleyball for the Vikings. The Vikings nished state runners-up in Class 6A to cap a successful season. Jessup was one of the heroes of the three-game state championship series. In Game 1, she had Union Pines’ only RBI and got a hit in her only time at-bat. In the Game 2 win, she drove in two of the team’s three runs, supplying 75% of the Vikings’ RBIs for the series. She also went 1 for 3. The out elder was third on this year’s team in home runs, slugging and RBIs.

Hamlin storms back from a pole-start penalty to win at Nashville Superspeedway

A late pass earned the Joe Gibbs Racing driver his second win of the year

By Teresa M. Walker

The Associated Press

LEBANON, Tenn. — Denny

Hamlin outraced Christopher Bell over the nal four laps after a nal restart Sunday night to win the Cracker Barrel 400 at Nashville Superspeedway.

Hamlin won for the second time this year and 62nd of his career on a night where he jumped the start o the pole. That penalty put him at the back of the eld.

The 45-year-old Hamlin raced his way to the front for the thrilling win that had his Joe Gibbs Racing teammates Bell and Chase Briscoe making it three-wide before Hamlin took

the lead down the backstretch to win by 0.115 seconds.

The race started 80 minutes late after rain delayed NASCAR’s Cup Series for a second straight week. The wait was worth it with a record 31 lead changes and 12 cautions at the 1.33-mile, D-shaped oval that is NASCAR’s largest concrete track.

Bell nished second for a second straight race ahead of Briscoe. Ricky Stenhouse Jr. was fourth, and Chase Elliott rounded out the top ve.

Long time coming

Ryan Blaney, trying to repeat as champ at this track, led the restart trying to hold o AJ Allmendinger on a one-lap shootout for the rst stage. Allmendinger took the lead on the backstretch, then held o

Kyle Larson to take stage one for his rst stage victory since 2024.

Stage 2 win

Suarez took the second stage after staying out during a caution and took the lead on the restart on lap 182. Then Corey Heim drove his No. 67 Toyota into the back of Todd Gilliland’s No. 34 Ford, sending him backward into the Turn 1 wall. That brought out the seventh caution with Cole Custer spinning out in the crash.

Lots of rotor woes

Rookie Connor Zilisch had the right rotor explode on his No. 88 Chevrolet sending him into the wall and smashing the right side on Turn 1 of lap 72.

31

Lead changes in the race, which set a record

Zilisch got the Trackhouse Racing car into the garage with some ames coming out from under the right tire, which was stuck and nearly sideway.

He had been running 24th after starting 38th on the last row. Trackhouse teammate Ross Chastain had his own rotor issue on lap 82, sending him into the wall between Turns 1 and 2. Michael McDowell spun trying to avoid Chastain’s No. 1 Chevrolet. Zilisch called the rotor problems a surprise when

both he and Chastain had been moving up.

“Just unfortunate circumstances,” Zilisch said. “Yeah, we’ll learn from it.” Van Gisbergen is the third member of Trackhouse Racing. His crew told him not to worry with his No. 97 Chevrolet running a completely di erent brake package. Ryan Preece went to the garage with no water in his No. 60 Ford, and his crew found a piece of rotor broken o into the radiator before he got back on the track.

Then Allmendinger, who was third, had the rotor spark and ame before his No. 16 Chevrolet hit the Turn 1 wall on lap 173 — with 12 laps left in Stage 2.

Chris Buescher was running 17th with 12 laps left when his right rotor went as he entered Turn 3.

Up next

The series will be at Michigan International Speedway next week where Hamlin will be trying to win for a second straight year.

Jan A. Moss

Jan. 12, 1952 – May 21, 2026

Jan A. Moss, born in Akron, Ohio, on January 12, 1952, passed away peacefully on May 21, 2026, after a long battle with dementia. She was the beloved daughter of Stuart D. and Gerry (Bozin) Moss.

Jan was known for her warmth, generosity, and vibrant spirit. She graduated from Barberton High School and was a proud member and majorette of the High School Band. Throughout her life, she explored many careers, but her greatest joy was raising her sons.

She loved traveling to sunny places and had a deep passion for animals, owers, and gardening. Her contagious smile, kind heart, and generous nature will be deeply missed by all who knew her.

She is survived by her sons, Jason Imfeld of Vass, NC, and Christopher Imfeld (Azeen Chamarbagwala) of Santa Clara, CA; her brother, Stuart Eric Moss (Carol) of Seven Lakes, NC; and her nephew, Eric Moss (Laura) of Akron, OH.

Memorials may be made to Caring Hearts for Canines, P.O. Box 1219, Southern Pines, NC 28315. A committal service will be held at a later date.

Dennis Thomas Shanahan

Nov. 28, 1945 – May 22, 2026

Dennis Thomas Shanahan died peacefully in his sleep on May 22, 2026, at the age of 80. He was born in Queens, New York, on November 28, 1945. He was a resident of Belle Meade Retirement Community in Southern Pines, NC.

Dennis was predeceased by his wife, Kathleen Shanahan, and his daughter, Irene Shanahan Sargent.

Dennis was a man of deep faith and a member of the Roman Catholic Church. Those who knew him also knew his passion for golf, reading, the Irish and the Mets. He will be buried in New York next to his beloved wife, Kathleen.

Darlene Patricia Spradling

Oct. 24, 1938 – May 28, 2026

Darlene Patricia Spradling, age 87, of Southern Pines, NC, passed away on May 28, 2026. Darlene was born in Los Angeles, CA, to William Henry Green and Margaret Patricia (Rothert) Green.

Darlene was a devoted follower of Christ as well as a loving wife and mother. She built a successful and ful lling career working as a teacher. Her hobbies included sewing, traveling and especially music. Playing the piano, the organ and the ute, Darlene was a gifted musician. Most of all, she loved spending time talking and laughing with her devoted husband of 65 years, Donald Spradling.

Darlene is survived by her aforementioned husband, Donald E. Spradling; daughters, Sharon Spradling, Melodie (Jonathan) Thomas and Candace (Rick) Young; two grandchildren, Alexander Thomas and Lexington Young; sister, Marilyn Hardy; and brother-in-law, John Hardy. She is at peace and in heaven now and will be remembered fondly for the lasting memories she leaves behind.

A memorial service will be held on Sunday, May 31, 2026, at 2:00 p.m. at the Belle Meade Chapel, 100 Waters Dr., Southern Pines, NC, with Rev. Dr. Greg Lundberg o ciating.

Jessie L. Mason Jr.

Oct. 17, 1946 – May 25, 2026

Jessie L. Mason Jr., 79, of Bennettsville, SC departed this life on May 25, 2026. A funeral service will be held at 2:00 p.m. Saturday, May 30, 2026, at Matthew Chapel AME Zion Church. Interment will follow in the church cemetery. A viewing and visitation will be held one hour prior to the service. Services are entrusted to Purcell Funeral Home & Cremation Services.

Christopher Work Miller

Dec. 14, 1952 – May 25, 2026

Christopher Work Miller, Chris to those who knew him, died on Memorial Day, May 25, 2026, at the age of 73.

Chris grew up in Wilmington, Delaware and died in Wilmington, North Carolina. He proudly served in the U.S. Navy and worked for Boeing in Pennsylvania, Maryland, Texas and ultimately in North Carolina as the Lead Bell-Boeing Field Service Representative MCAS New River. He was a ectionately known as “The Rep Father” by the larger FSR (Field Services Reps) throughout the world.

Chris will be remembered as a mentor by many and as a good and honorable man. His hard work and diligence helped to not only support but bring the V-22 Osprey from an experimental aircraft to an integral part of the U.S. military. His good nature and humor will be deeply missed.

Chris was preceded in death by his parents, Robert and Elizabeth, his older brother, Robert, and by his wife, Teresa. He is survived by his brother, Jon; and by his nephews, niece; and grandnephews and grandnieces.

Graveside services will be held at 1:00 p.m., Friday, June 12, 2026, at Pinelawn Memorial Park mausoleum. The family will receive friends prior to the service from 11:30 a.m. until 12:45 p.m. at Boles Funeral Home in Southern Pines.

Ruby Livingston

Feb. 6, 1932 – May 29, 2026

Ruby Livingston, 94, of Laurinburg departed this life on May 29, 2026. A funeral service will be held at 1:00 p.m. Wednesday, June 3, 2026, at Nazareth Missionary Baptist Church. Interment will follow in the Hillside Memorial Park. A viewing will be held from 1:00 until 5:00 p.m. Tuesday, June 2, 2026, at Purcell Funeral Home.

Ann Damen

July 16, 1938 – May 24, 2026

Ann Damen, 87, of Southern Pines, passed away peacefully in hospice care surrounded by her family on May 24, 2026.

Born Georgia Ann Gulledge on July 16th, 1938, in Wadesboro, NC, Ann was one of nine children of Henry and Florabel Gulledge. While living and working in New York City as a young woman, Ann met and married Robert Gotham. They had three children together and raised them in New Jersey.

As her children grew older, Ann was able to complete her college degree with a BA in Spanish at Georgian Court College in NJ. She joined the Peace Corps while in her 50’s and served in Costa Rica. After her Peace Corps service, she continued to pursue an adventurous life combining her love of travel and nature with her passion for helping others. Ann’s career pursuits took her to such far- ung locations as an orphanage in Peru, a National Park ranger post in Florida, working for Catholic Services in Texas, and a nature preserve in Hawaii. In her later years, she traveled between her three children’s homes around the country to help care for her young grandchildren. Eventually Ann settled down in Rockingham, NC, to be near her siblings and large extended family. Back in North Carolina, Ann continued creating beautiful gardens wherever she went and was very enthusiastic as a caretaker of the natural world.

Survivors include her sisters Jeanette Coble of Rockingham, Esta Berry of Pinehurst, Pat Adams of Chester eld, SC, and Frances Tetlak of Apex; children Walter Gotham of Haverhill, MA, Helen Gotham of Ocean Gate, NJ, and Katharine Gotham of St. Paul, MN; six grandchildren, and two great-grandchildren.

A memorial service for Ann will be held later this year.

John W. Martin

Nov.14, 1953 – May 23, 2026

John W. Martin, 72, of Laurinburg, departed this life on May 23, 2026. A service will be held at a later date. Services are entrusted to Purcell Funeral Home & Cremation Services.

William “Bill” Mans eld Myers

May 1, 1925 – May 29, 2026

William “Bill” Mans eld Myers, age 101, of Southern Pines, passed away peacefully on Friday, May 29, 2026, at the FirstHealth Hospice House.

Born in Pennsylvania, Bill was the son of the late Charles Everett Myers and Olive Spicer Myers. In addition to his parents, he was preceded in death by his beloved wife of many years, Mary Ellen Pro tt Myers, who passed away in 2018; and his four sisters, Olive Walters, Frances Schmetzer, Mary Vitale, and Jane Kee.

A proud veteran of the United States Air Force, Bill served his country as a pilot during World War II. Following his military service, he farmed and for a short time taught junior high math before embarking on a successful career with Honeywell as a computer service engineer. Bill was a man of boundless curiosity and lifelong learning. He enjoyed reading science encyclopedias and had a particular fascination with mathematics, physics, and astronomy. He also found great joy in gardening and farming, nurturing both the land and those around him. Dedicated to serving others, Bill remained an active volunteer with Meals on Wheels well into his nineties, touching countless lives through his generosity and kindness. One of Bill’s greatest joys was traveling with Mary Ellen in their beloved camper, “Lil Rover.” Together they explored much of the country, making numerous trips to Key West and visiting many of America’s treasured national parks. These adventures created cherished memories and re ected their shared love of discovery and the outdoors.

Bill is survived by his two daughters, Jeanie McDaniel (David) of West End and Nancy Wall (Tommy) of Grandville, Michigan; two sons, David Myers (Ruth) of Bailey, NC and Je Myers (Sheila) of Kenly, NC; grandchildren, Kristen Hernandez (Joel), Leah Popoca (Gus), Stefan McDaniel (Heidi), Alyssa Woodworth (Dylan), Cara Smith (Josh), Nolan McDaniel (Jessie), Braden McDaniel (Aliza), Chase McDaniel (Megan), Hope McDaniel, Sandell Wall (Holly), Karen Wall, Travis Wall (Izzie), and Kevin Wall; and 23 beloved great-grandchildren. A private service will be held in Bill’s honor. In lieu of owers, donations may be made to Yates-Thagard Baptist Church, 3820 VassCarthage Road, Carthage, NC 28327.

Ray Lee Barrows

Dec. 29, 1936 – May 22, 2026

Ray Lee Barrows, a devoted husband, father, grandfather, educator, veteran, and Mason, passed away on May 22, 2026, surrounded by the love of his family. Born on December 29, 1936, to Levi and Marie Barrows, Ray lived a life marked by service, dedication, faithfulness, and love for his family and community.

On June 2, 1956, he married the love of his life, Sandra Russell. Together they built a strong and loving family, welcoming their daughters, Robin in May 1957 and Raylene in April 1958. Their marriage was a lasting example of commitment and devotion. Sandra preceded him in death in 2013, and it brings comfort to the family to know she was there to greet him once again.

Ray proudly served his country in the United States Navy, retiring as a Lieutenant in October 1977 after a distinguished military career. During his years of service, he also pursued higher education, earning a Bachelor of Science degree from the Naval Postgraduate School in Monterey, California, in 1972. He later earned a Master of Science degree from Central Missouri State University, where he also taught electronic engineering. Ray continued his passion for education and mentoring students while teaching Biomedical Engineering at Texas State Technical College until his retirement in 1990.

Beyond his military and academic accomplishments, Ray was deeply committed to Freemasonry. He joined St. Francisville Masonic Lodge #588 on May 2, 1958, beginning a lifelong journey of brotherhood and service. In September 2008, he was honored with his 50-Year Master Mason Jewel, and in November 2023, he was presented with his Honors and Masonic Flag. He remained a faithful and devoted member of the Lodge for 68 years.

Ray leaves behind a loving legacy through his family. He is survived by his daughters, Robin and Raylene, his sister, Mert, his brother, Guy; his four granddaughters: Heather (Danny), Heidi (Chris), Sarah, and Rebekah (JD); his greatgrandchildren: Evan, Joey, Savannah, Gregory, Leona, Leah, DJ, Lilly, Sandra, Austin, and Maddy; and his eleven greatgreat-grandchildren: Colby, Anna, Haley, Clara, Henry, Jerry, Jayson, Grayson, Ruby, Willow, and Barrey. Numerous nieces also survive him, nephews, extended family members, and dear friends.

Ray will be remembered for his wisdom, quiet strength, dedication to service, love of learning, unwavering devotion to his family and friends, and especially for his unforgettable bear hugs that made everyone feel loved and welcomed. His life touched many, and his legacy will continue through the generations that follow him.

In place of owers, the family requests donations be made to the American Heart Association.

The family is currently making arrangements to celebrate Ray’s amazing life in both North Carolina and Missouri. Details will be shared with family and friends once nalized.

He will be deeply missed and lovingly remembered by all who knew him.

Margaret Gilchrist

April 30, 1952 – May 31, 2026

Margaret Gilchrist, 74, of Laurinburg departed this life on May 31, 2026. A funeral service will be held Saturday, June 6, 2026, at Spring Branch Missionary Baptist Church. A viewing and visitation will be held from 1:00 until 5:00 p.m. Friday, June 5, 2026, at Purcell Funeral Home.

Anthony Curtis Ingram

Dec. 11, 1969 – May 22, 2026

Anthony Curtis Ingram, 56, passed away on May 22, 2026, leaving behind a family who loved him deeply and memories that will never fade. He was preceded in death by his son, Matthew Curtis Ingram, and his brother, George Ingram Jr.

Born and raised in West End, N.C., he spent his younger years doing simple things that make up a beautiful Southern childhood.

From hunting, shing, camping, and playing the guitar, he always lived life with a free spirit and an adventurous heart. He could be funny, stubborn, kindhearted, and unforgettable all at once.

From a young age, he worked as an electrician, carrying on the tradition his father taught him.

He struggled with addiction, a battle that brought heartbreak, but through it all the love between his siblings and family remained constant, always hoping for healing and brighter days.

His family chooses to remember the good in him- his smile, his heart, and the man God created him to be.

While his passing leaves deep sorrow, the family takes comfort in knowing that God’s mercy is far greater than human brokenness. They hold onto the promise that the Lord is near to the broken-hearted and that peace can nally be found beyond the struggles of this world.

He is survived by his parents, Betty and George Ingram Sr. of West End, N.C.; his siblings, Tammy Ingram Thomas (Mike Thomas) of Aberdeen, N.C, Amy Ingram Garrison (Casey Garrison) of Stuart, Florida; and his granddaughter, Mattilyn Ingram of Robbins, N.C. He is survived by several nieces and nephews who loved him dearly and will forever carry his memory in their hearts.

A graveside service will be held to celebrate his life at Culdee Presbyterian Church at 916 NC Hwy 73, West End, N.C. 27376 on Saturday, May 30, 2026 at 2:00 p.m.

Randal “Randy” Arthur Foster

July 17, 1956 – May 26, 2026

Randal “Randy” Arthur Foster, 69, of Southern Pines, NC, passed away May 26, 2026, at FirstHealth Moore Regional Hospital. He was born in Asheboro, NC, to Albert Curtis Foster Jr. and Virginia Dare Mathews.

Randy was a gentle, patient soul who found great joy in life. He loved Carolina beaches and annual RV trips to Florida with his wife, Robin. They married in 1994 after meeting at Episcopal Day School, where Robin taught kindergarten, and Randy served as Chaplain for the school’s chapel services. Randy also loved music. He played the trumpet, sang in local choral ensembles, and was an avid reader and book collector. He treasured time with his grandchildren, delighted in playing with the family dog, Ivy, and was always ready to share cookies and a Diet Coke with those he loved.

Randy came to the Sandhills in 1990 as Deacon at Emmanuel Episcopal Church and was ordained an Episcopal Priest the following year. He later served as Assistant to the Rector at Saint Mary’s Episcopal Church in High Point; Vicar of All Saints Episcopal Church in Hamlet; and Rector of Church of the Messiah in Rockingham. He also served as Director of the Career and Personal Counseling Center at St. Andrews College in Laurinburg, maintained a private practice in therapy and counseling, and later became Director of the Counseling Center at Sandhills Community College in Pinehurst.

Randy was active in the community. He served on the steering committee for Caring for Moore Incorporated, the Richmond County Task Force on Domestic Violence, and the Board of Directors for Womenfolk Unlimited. He was proud to have led the Blessing of the Pets at Good Shepherd Pet Cemetery in West End and the annual Blessing of the Hounds in Southern Pines.

A lifelong learner, Randy pursued his education with dedication, earning a B.A. in Political Science from UNCGreensboro, a Master of Divinity from Virginia Seminary, a Master of Arts in Counseling from UNC-Pembroke, a Doctor of Ministry in Pastoral Counseling from the Graduate Theological Foundation, and a Ph.D. in Pastoral Psychology from the Graduate Theological Foundation.

Randy is survived by his wife, Robin Adams Foster; his stepchildren, Sarah Knowlton Biddle (Michael) and Matthew Knowlton (Jacque); his grandchildren, Benjamin, Josslyn, Paxton, and Annabelle; his brothers, Gary Foster (Amy) and Rickey Foster (Rhonda); his sisters, Deborah Coe (Darryl) and Judy Floyd; many nieces and nephews, and his caregiver, Alex McAllister. He was preceded in death by his parents, his sister Cynthia Norris, and his nephew Daniel Norris.

A funeral service will be held Saturday, June 13, at 2:00 p.m. at Emmanuel Episcopal Church in Southern Pines. Memorial contributions may be made to the Moore Humane Society in Carthage, or to the Music Ministry at Emmanuel Episcopal Church.

Nancy Shannon

April 27, 1971 – May 28, 2026

Nancy Shannon, of Pinehurst, North Carolina, passed away peacefully at home surrounded by her loving family and beloved dogs on May 28, 2026, at the age of 55.

Born on April 27, 1971, in Red Bud, Illinois, Nancy was the daughter of Stanley and the late Mary Ann Brown. She was a devoted wife, mother, grandmother, sister, and friend whose strength, faith, and love for her family touched everyone who knew her.

Nancy served her country in the United States Army after joining in 1990. During her military career, she was stationed in Germany, Fort Campbell, and nally Fort Bragg, where she retired in 2011 after many years of dedicated service.

Above all else, Nancy loved her family deeply. She treasured time spent with her children and grandchild and looked forward to welcoming another grandchild in June. She also had a special love for animals, especially her dogs, Murphy, Gemma, Joie, and Chloe.

Nancy enjoyed cooking and opening her home to those she loved. The holidays, especially Christmas, were her favorite. She was always happiest when surrounded by family.

A strong Christian woman, Nancy faced challenges with courage and faith, ghting hard until the very end.

She is survived by her loving husband, Rick Shannon; her father, Stanley Brown (Kathy); siblings, Michael Brown, James Brown, and Michelle Sanders (Charlie); her children, Devyn Adams (Anna), Alexander Adams III (Glenda), Dominik Shannon (Ania), and Djaninn McKibben; her granddaughter, Maeby McKibben; one grandchild expected in June; as well as her nieces, nephews, and greatnieces.

Nancy was preceded in death by her mother, Mary Ann Brown. No services are planned at this time.

In lieu of owers, donations can be made to the Humane Society of Moore County.

Kathleen Shuford Black

Feb. 29, 1948 – May 24, 2026

Kathleen Shuford Black of Pinehurst, North Carolina, passed away Sunday, May 24th, 2026, surrounded by the love of her family after a life de ned by strength, resilience, joy, and unwavering love for those closest to her. Kathleen was born in Washington, D.C., and spent her younger years growing up in Bennettsville, SC, until she moved to Moore County in 1974.

She was preceded in death by her parents, Gladys Murrell Shuford and Harry Powe Shuford, and by her son-in-law, Tyler Tolbert. She is survived by her daughter, Erica BlackTolbert; her beloved grandsons, Pierson and Harold, who were the absolute lights of her life; her former husband, Keith Black; and her brothers, Jimmy Shuford and Billy Shuford.

Family meant everything to her. She was immensely proud of her family’s history and heritage, including her ancestral grandfather General Henry William Harrington, who served as a Brigadier General in George Washington’s Army during the Revolutionary War. She was in the process of applying for membership to the Daughters of the American Revolution, something that brought her great pride and excitement.

She loved life fully and ercely. Whether it was sunshine at the beach, afternoons by the pool, beach music playing, or dancing the shag, she found joy in the simple moments and shared that joy e ortlessly with others. She had a rare gift for making people feel special — through thoughtful cards, perfect gifts, kind words, and the warmth she carried everywhere she went. Her laughter, happiness, and love were contagious.

As a mother and grandmother, her devotion knew no bounds.

She spent countless hours driving Erica all over the state for pageants, voice lessons, and every opportunity imaginable, always encouraging dreams and cheering the loudest from the sidelines. Later, she poured that same love into her grandsons, Pierson and Harold, whom she adored beyond measure.

She was truly tough as nails. Throughout her life, she overcame challenges that would have broken many others — surviving two devastating car accidents, courageously beating Stage 4 breast cancer, and enduring numerous health setbacks with determination and grit. Even through hardship, she continued to love ercely, work hard, and care deeply for others.

She dedicated 27 years to the State Employees’ Credit Union, where she served proudly as Head Teller. In the later years of her life, she built a successful cleaning business and became known for her perfectionism, work ethic, and loyal clientele, including managing several Airbnb properties throughout the area. She took immense pride in everything she did.

She also had a deep love for animals, especially her beloved dogs, and supported animal welfare whenever she could.

A service celebrating her life will be held at Culdee Presbyterian Church on Wednesday, May 27, at 11:00 a.m. Burial to follow in the church cemetery. In lieu of owers, memorial donations may be made to the Moore County Humane Society, a cause close to her heart.

She leaves behind a family and community who will forever miss her strength, her spirit, her laughter, and the way she made everyone around her feel loved.

STATE & NATION

Crash kills 5 in Virginia, including family of 4 traveling to wedding; bus driver charged

The family wedding went forward Sunday in South Carolina

By Ed White The Associated Press

A FAMILY OF four from Massachusetts who were killed when a bus crashed into multiple vehicles in Virginia were traveling to a wedding with a carload of homemade desserts for the celebration.

The family wedding went forward Sunday in South Carolina, but it was also a time to mourn the loss of Dmitri and Ecaterina Doncev and their two children, Emily and Mark, a relative said Saturday.

“A son, a father — the whole family — everyone that has been dear to us,” Carolina Bublik said.

The Doncevs were killed when a motorcoach caused a chain-reaction crash with vehicles that had slowed down for a work zone on Interstate 95 in Sta ord County around 2:35 a.m. last Friday, authorities said.

The bus struck a Suburban, which then hit an Acura carrying the Doncev family, police said. Priscilla Mafalda, 25, of Worcester, Massachusetts, was in the Chevrolet SUV and also died.

More people were treated for injuries, including one who was in critical condition, though most were discharged, Mary Washington Healthcare said.

The bus driver, Jing S. Dong, 48, of Staten Island, New York,

was charged with two counts of involuntary manslaughter, and additional charges were likely, Virginia State Police said. The prosecutor’s o ce in Sta ord County said Dong was arrested and would be in custody while he is treated for his injuries at a hospital.

Prosecutors said in a statement that Dong’s rst court appearance will not be scheduled until he is discharged, but a magistrate approved holding

him without bond until that time. It also said prosecutors saw enough probable cause to believe Dong was “driving in a criminally negligent manner.”

It was unclear whether Dong has an attorney who could speak on his behalf. The case did not yet appear in the state’s online court records, and a call to the area’s public defender went unanswered at a closed ofce Saturday. The National Transportation

Colorado elections clerk released from prison after governor commutes sentence

Tina Peters served less than a quarter of her nine-year prison sentence

The Associated Press

DENVER — Tina Peters, the former clerk convicted of participating in a scheme to chase election conspiracy theories promulgated by President Donald Trump, was released from prison Monday after the president successfully pressured Colorado’s Democratic governor into commuting her sentence.

Peters’ release was conrmed by the Colorado Department of Corrections. The state agency said it would have no more information about the 70-year- old inmate. Her

sentence was shortened by Gov. Jared Polis last month after Trump waged a lengthy pressure campaign against the governor and his state.

Peters served less than a quarter of her nine-year sentence.

Peters was the rst local election o cial to be charged with breaching security after the 2020 election. She snuck in an outside computer expert a liated with My Pillow Chief Executive Mike Lindell — who himself denied that Trump lost the White House in 2020 — and the person copied the county’s Dominion Voting Systems computer server as it was updated in 2021.

Peters then joined Lindell onstage at a “cybersymposium” that promised to reveal proof

that the election was rigged. Video and photos of the computer system upgrade, including passwords, were posted online. The move stoked false claims that voting machines were manipulated to steal the election from Trump.

Peters was convicted in 2024 of attempting to in uence a public servant, conspiracy to commit criminal impersonation, violation of duty and other crimes by jurors in Mesa County, a Republican stronghold that supported Trump. An appeals court upheld her conviction in April but ordered Peters to be resentenced because it said the judge who sent her to prison wrongly punished her for speaking out about election fraud.

Trump had championed Pe -

Safety Board is investigating the crash, a monthslong task separate from the work of state police. NTSB board member Tom Chapman revealed few new details but said the bus was moving at a high rate of speed.

“It seems fairly clear that if there was any braking there wasn’t much because of the speed and severity of the collision,” Chapman said. The bus, which was taking people from New York to North

“When his car did not show up, and he wasn’t picking up the phone — that’s when the family started panicking.”

Carolina Bublik, relative

Carolina, was operated by E&P Travel Inc., based in Kings Mountain in Cleveland County. Chapman said the driver’s language pro ciency would be part of the NTSB investigation. U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Du y, citing police, said on social media that Dong, a native of China, does not speak English.

Dmitri Doncev, 45, was a nurse who worked at Holyoke Medical Center. Ecaterina Doncev, 44, was a hairstylist who spent days making desserts for the family wedding, Bublik said. They emigrated to the U.S. from Moldova in 2008 and settled in Green eld, Massachusetts, she said.

Dmitri and brother Iuri tried to stay together while traveling in separate vehicles to South Carolina.

“At some point they ended up getting separated,” Bublik said. “Dmitri said, ‘You go ahead. I’ll catch up later.’ It was a big shock when Iuri arrived at the house. Dmitri should have arrived around the same time. When his car did not show up, and he wasn’t picking up the phone — that’s when the family started panicking.”

ters’ case, but because she was convicted under state law, he did not have the power to pardon her. Instead, the president pressured Polis to do so, lambasting him on social media and disinviting him to a White House meeting with other governors. The Trump administration also announced plans to dismantle the National Center for Atmospheric Research in Colorado and relocated the U.S. Space Command to Alabama. Polis commuted Peters’ sentence on May 15. In a letter, he

wrote that although Peters was convicted of serious crimes and deserved to spend time in prison, the sentence was “extremely unusual and lengthy” for a rst-time nonviolent o ender. Colorado Secretary of State Jena Griswold, a Democrat, on Monday released a statement warning that the release will “embolden the election denier movement” and adding that, since the clemency announcement, Peters “has continued to spread election falsehoods and conspiracies.”