VOLUME 145 ISSUE 52 | WEEKEND EDITION, JULY 5 – JULY 6 | STANLYNEWSJOURNAL.COM
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Stanly NewS Journal THE STANLY COUNTY EDITION OF NORTH STATE JOURNAL
WHAT’S HAPPENING Hurricanes land Nikolaj Ehlers with $51M deal Raleigh The Carolina Hurricanes landed arguably the biggest name on the NHL free agency market, signing winger Nikolaj Ehlers to a six-year, $51 million contract Thursday. Ehlers was drafted by the Jets and played the last decade in Winnipeg, totaling 225 goals and 520 points in 674 regular season games. He had 24 goals and 39 assists for 63 points last season. The 29-year-old Dane, the ninth overall pick in the 2014 NHL Draft, is an eight-time 20-goal scorer and has eclipsed 60 points each of the last two seasons.
Trump expected to sign “Big Beautiful Bill” after House passage Washington, D.C. House Republicans have lifted President Donald Trump’s $4.5 trillion tax breaks and spending cuts bill to final passage, overcoming multiple setbacks to approve his signature second-term policy package before a self-imposed Fourth of July deadline. The tight roll call, 218-214, on Thursday came at a potentially high political cost, with two Republicans joining all Democrats opposed. GOP leaders worked overnight and the president himself leaned on a handful of skeptics to drop their opposition and send the bill to his desk to become law. The outcome delivers a milestone for the president and his party, a longshot effort to compile a lengthy list of GOP priorities into what they called his “one big beautiful bill,” an 800-plus page package. White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters that Trump planned to sign it at 5 p.m. on Friday, July 4th.
U.S. labor market surprises with 147K new jobs last month Washington, D.C. The U.S. job market delivered another upside surprise last month, churning out a betterthan-expected 147,000 jobs. The unemployment rate ticked down unexpectedly, too June hiring was up modestly from May’s 144,000 increase in payrolls and beat the 118,000 jobs economists had forecast for last month. The unemployment rate slipped to 4.1% from 4.2% in May as the ranks of the unemployed fell by 222,000. Forecasters had expected the jobless rate to inch up to 4.3%.
CHARLES CURCIO / STANLY NEWS JOURNAL
Sculptures get makeover
The George Bireline sculptures in front of the main branch of the Stanly County Public Library were recently redone to reflect the original paint schemes when they were first completed.
Sweet summertime treats cruise out on Lake Tillery Make Mia Cake boat marks fourth year bringing desserts to weekend lake-goers By Charles Curcio Stanly News Journal A BRIGHT pink pontoon boat with a 15-foot flagpole has become a familiar sight on Lake Tillery, where the Lani-
er family has spent four years bringing sweet treats directly to boaters. Mia Lanier’s Make Mia Cake boat operates weekends on the lake, offering everything from bundt cakes and cupcakes to Italian ices and keto-friendly options. The business began in 2017 when Lanier made pound cakes for a fundraiser to help a family in need. Someone sug-
gested she sell cakes at the farmers market in Norwood, and the business grew from there. The boat idea came when the family needed to pay for a new boat motor. “Let me sell cakes on the lake, and I will help you pay off the boat motor,” Lanier told her husband, Michael. Initially, their brown and gray pontoon boat blended in
Mia Lanier with other boats on the lake. People would hear about them but couldn’t find them. Pink was Mia’s favorite color, so Michael wrapped their See TREATS, page A8
inside
Uwharrie Players present revival of ‘Once Upon a Mattress’ The classic fairy tale runs July 25-27 and Aug. 1-3
“If there’s anything that takes time away from them, I don’t want to do it. We get to experience this together as a family and spend time working together.”
Local softball players, including North Stanly’s Sammie Lowder, earn NCSCA all-district honors.
with recent revivals starring Sarah Jessica Parker of “Sex and the City” fame. In the story, Princess Winnifred (nicknamed Fred for short) travels to a kingdom where marriage has been banned until the crown’s heir, Prince Dauntless the Drab, takes a bride. The Queen tries to control whom the prince chooses as he is charmed by Fred. Uwharrie’s production is being directed by Ansonville’s Stuart Metcalf, his first production with the company. Metcalf previously directed musicals including “Beauty and the Beast,” “Mamma Mia!,” “Guys and Dolls” and “Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat.”
WE TEST. SO IT WE TEST. RUNS. SO IT RUNS. “We have this fairy tale ideal of what princesses are, and here is this girl. She’s a princess, too, but she’s not like that.”
Stuart Metcalf, director
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By Charles Curcio Stanly News Journal
ALBEMARLE — The summer musical for the Uwharrie Players will feature a princess, a queen and a different slant on a familiar fairy tale. “Once Upon a Mattress” will be July 25-27 and Aug. 1-3 at the Stanly County Agri-Civic Center. The musical comedy is based upon Hans Christian Andersen’s story “The Princess and the Pea,” and it was first performed in 1959 off-Broadway before moving to a Broadway stage. The show is notable for the Broadway debut of comedy legend Carol Burnett,
WE TEST. SO IT RUNS.
Read more on page B1
See MUSICAL, page A6
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