VOLUME 145 ISSUE 97 | WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 10, 2025 | STANLYNEWSJOURNAL.COM
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Stanly NewS Journal THE STANLY COUNTY EDITION OF NORTH STATE JOURNAL
WHAT’S HAPPENING
Badin gets lit The Badin Christmas Tree lit up the night last Wednesday at the town’s tree lighting, complete with kindergarteners singing carols, free milk, cookies and hot cocoa, and a meet-and-greet with Santa so the kids could make sure to get their wish list items straight to Saint Nick himself.
Supreme Court questions limits on political party spending in federal elections Washington, D.C. Conservative Supreme Court justices appeared to back a Republican-led drive, supported by President Donald Trump’s administration, to overturn a quarter-century-old decision and erase limits on how much political parties can spend in coordination with candidates for Congress and president. A day after the justices indicated they would overturn a 90-year-old decision limiting the president’s power to fire independent agency heads, the court on Tuesday took up a 2001 decision that upheld a provision of federal election law that is more than 50 years old. The Republican committees for House and Senate candidates filed the lawsuit in Ohio in 2022. Democrats are calling on the court to uphold the law.
Supreme Court seems likely to back Trump’s power to fire independent agency board members Washington, D.C. The Supreme Court seems likely to expand presidential control over independent federal agencies, signaling support for President Donald Trump’s firing of board members. The court’s conservative majority suggested in arguments Monday it would overturn a 90-year-old decision that has limited when presidents can fire agencies’ board members, or leave it with only its shell intact. Lawyers for the administration are defending Trump’s decision to fire Federal Trade Commission member Rebecca Slaughter without cause and calling on the court to jettison the unanimous 1935 decision. The court already has allowed Slaughter and the board members of other agencies to be ousted from jobs even as their legal challenges continue.
U.S. job openings barely budged in October, coming in around 7.7M Washington, D.C. U.S. job openings barely budged in October, coming in at 7.7 million amid uncertainty over the direction of the American economy. The Labor Department reported Tuesday that employers posted 7.67 million vacancies in October, close to September’s 7.66 million.
COURTESY EMELIA IRELAND
State turns down Stanly Schools on needs-based capital fund grant The school district will reapply in 2026 By Jesse Deal Stanly News Journal ALBEMARLE — Stanly County Schools has released an update regarding an application it submitted in September for the state’s Needs-Based Public School Capital Fund grant. After a competitive review process, SCS was not selected as a recipient for this year’s grant cycle. “While this news is disappointing, we remain proud of the strong application we sub-
The Stanly County Board of Education provided a grant application update at its Dec. 2 meeting. mitted and grateful for the tremendous support shown by our Board of Education, county partners, school leaders and community stakeholders throughout the process,” SCS
said in a statement on Dec. 4. “Although we did not receive funding this year, our commitment to improving school facilities and providing safe, modern learning en- See SCHOOLS, page A5
Albemarle PD chief shares October crime report “We are proud of the progress that we are making, and we are grateful for your continued support.” Ryan Manley, Albemarle police chief
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COURTESY STANLY COUNTY SCHOOLS
Overall crime was down 17% compared to 2024 By Jesse Deal Stanly News Journal ALBEMARLE — Albemarle Police Chief Ryan Manley recently reported a drop in citywide crime for the month of October alongside an uptick in officer patrols aimed at prevention and community safety. In a public report from Dec. 3, Manley said the Albemarle Police Department responded to 2,800 calls for service in October, a 22% rise from 2,300 calls in September. “The increased call volume is due in large part to an em-
phasis on officers conducting preventive patrols,” Manley said. “We’re continuing to see encouraging trends in public safety.” According to department statistics, overall crime declined by 17% — with violent crime down 14% — compared to October 2024. There were no homicides reported during the month; the city has recorded one homicide in 2025 in a case where an arrest was made. In October, officers responded to one robbery, which Manley emphasized was not a random act. The report also listed six cases of aggravated assault, See CRIME, page A5
Now Serving Stanly and Montgomery Counties LOCATIONS
• Albemarle • Biscoe • Locust • North Oakboro/ Red Cross Road • South Oakboro/ Rocky River Road
vironments for our students has not changed. We will continue exploring every available opportunity and funding source to support these important projects, including preparing to reapply for future grant cycles.” According to Robin Whittaker, vice chair of the Stanly school board, the state received 92 applications from 48 counties for this round of funding. The total value of those requests exceeded $2 billion, while the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction had only $399 million available to award.
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inside The North Stanly girls’ basketball team improved to 5-0 with a 48-31 road win over Bradford Prep. For more sports, turn to page B1.