Stanly News Journal Vol. 146, Issue 11

Stanly NewS Journal

Bridge over troubled water

Snow falls over Swift Island Bridge, spanning the Yadkin River between Stanly and Montgomery counties, on the evening of Jan. 31. The winter storm blanketed much of North Carolina last weekend, closing schools and businesses for days.

WHAT’S HAPPENING

U.S. job openings fall to 6.5M, fewest since 2020, as labor market remains sluggish

Washington, D.C.

U.S. job openings fell to the lowest level in more than ve years, another sign that the American labor market remains sluggish. The Labor Department reported Thursday that vacancies fell to 6.5 million in December — from 6.9 million in November and the lowest since September 2020. Layo s rose slightly.

The number of people quitting their jobs — which shows con dence in their prospects — was basically unchanged at 3.2 million.

Chairman of prominent law rm Paul Weiss resigns after release of Epstein emails

The chairman of prestigious law rm Paul Weiss has resigned from that position after emails revealed his exchanges with Je rey Epstein. Brad Karp will remain at the rm where he’s practiced for 40 years and has served as chairman since 2008. He said in a statement from the rm that “recent reporting has created a distraction and has placed a focus on me that is not in the best interests” of Paul Weiss. Emails recently released by the Department of Justice as part of its Epstein investigation show Karp thanking Epstein for hosting an unforgettable evening in 2015. Karp also sought Epstein’s help in 2016 for Karp’s son’s lm career.

Stanly schools, teachers honored by state for academic growth

North Carolina Academic Growth Awards were presented

By Jesse Deal Stanly News Journal

ALBEMARLE — At the Stanly County Board of Education’s meeting on Tuesday night, the board recognized six elementary schools and 28 teachers for meeting or exceeding academic growth expectations during the most recent school year.

The honors were tied to the North Carolina Academic Growth Award, which is issued

by the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction and the State Board of Education.

The award recognizes schools whose students demonstrate academic growth above the state’s expected standard, as measured by EVAAS (Education Value-Added Assessment System).

Badin Elementary School and Stan eld Elementary School met academic growth expectations, while Locust Elementary School, Millingport Elementary School, Oakboro Choice STEM School and Richeld Elementary School exceed-

See SCHOOLS, page A5

Carolina Coyote Classic set for return this month

The 13th annual hunting tournament is approaching

By Jesse Deal Stanly News Journal

ALBEMARLE — Stanly County’s Farm Bureau Livestock Arena will once again host one of the region’s largest hunting events as the 13th Annual Carolina Coyote Classic returns to Albemarle this month.

Organized by 704 Outdoors in conjunction with the Stanly County Convention and Visitors Bureau, the weekend tournament is scheduled for Feb. 20-22 and will bring hunters, vendors and outdoor enthusiasts from across the region to the arena.

The Carolina Coyote Classic — designed to assist with

coyote population control — features competitive coyote hunting alongside recreational vendors, door prizes and outdoor-themed activities.

“Years ago, we decided to organize a local coyote hunting tournament in our backyard to help with predator control, as well as a great event to bring like-minded sportsmen together,” 704 Outdoors said in an event advertisement. “The last 12 years have been a huge success and the 13th annual tournament is even bigger and better. We’re excited for this tournament to top them all with a great location and awesome prizes that have been collected.”

Based in Albemarle, 704 Outdoors is a lifestyle brand and hunting-focused television series that

“We’re excited for this tournament to top them all with a great location and awesome prizes that have been collected.” 704 Outdoors

Meeko James Harris received two consecutive life sentences without parole

Stanly News Journal sta AN ALBEMARLE man was sentenced to two consecutive life terms without the possibility of parole on Feb. 3 for the September 2018 shooting deaths of two people inside a home on Shady Rest Road near New London.

A Stanly County Superior Court jury found Meeko James Harris guilty of two counts of rst-degree murder in the deaths of Cindy Lynn Caple, 38, and James Edward Sturdivant, 56. Harris was also found guilty of attempted rst-degree murder for shooting Michael Shameek Simmons, who

CRIME LOG

Jan. 27

“We hope this outcome o ers a measure of peace to the families of Cindy Lynn Caple and James Edward Sturdivant.”

Sheri Je Crisco

survived after being shot multiple times. He received additional prison time on that charge, to run consecutive to the life sentences.

Superior Court Judge Patrick Nadolski presided over the trial, which began Jan. 20. The judge arrested judgment on a separate assault charge.

Harris had been held in the Stanly County Jail since his ar-

• Christopher Jonathan Campbell, 34, was arrested for resisting a public o cer.

• Christina Ann Colson, 44, was arrested for obtaining property by false pretense.

Jan. 28

• Felicia Estelle Cagle, 41, was arrested for driving while impaired and driving while license revoked.

Jan. 29

• Christopher Allen Hubbs, 27, was

rest on Sept. 10, 2018 — more than seven years.

Harris had a prior conviction for second-degree murder in the 2004 shooting of Mecos Crump, also in Stanly County. Crump died about three weeks after being shot. Harris served 12 years in prison and had been released only months before the 2018 killings.

The state had originally pursued capital charges but led a notice in November 2025 to proceed noncapitally.

“This verdict is the result of tireless work by law enforcement and the dedicated prosecution team,” Sheri Je Crisco said. “We hope this outcome o ers a measure of peace to the families of Cindy Lynn Caple and James Edward Sturdivant.” Harris has led a notice of appeal.

arrested for driving while impaired and reckless driving with wanton disregard.

Feb. 2

• Sommer Nicole McKinney, 22, was arrested for intentional child abuse with serious bodily injury and negligent child abuse with serious physical injury.

• Kevin Demetrius McKinney, 29, was arrested for negligent child abuse with serious physical injury and intentional child abuse with serious physical injury.

Here’s a quick look at what’s coming up in and around Stanly County.

Feb. 11

Chair Yoga

3-3:30 p.m.

A gentle, adult yoga class geared toward those with coordination issues or di culties standing for long periods without support. No experience or mat needed for this free class.

Main Library 133 E. Main St. Albemarle

Feb. 13

Needle Bugs 10:30-11:30 a.m.

A social group speci cally for those who love needlework. Bring your own supplies. Stanly County Public Library 207 Pee Dee Ave. Norwood

Feb. 14

The Rowan Big Band 7 p.m.

Presented by The Stanly County Concert Association. Tickets are $25 for adults, $10 for students.

Stanly County Agri-Civic Center 26032 Newt Road # B Albemarle

Feb. 27

Believe National Talent Competition 3-10 p.m.

The 2026 Regional Tour of the annual dance competition will be in Albemarle for one day only. For more information, call 844-737-3737 or email info@believetalent.com.

Stanley County Agri-Civic Center 26032 Newt Road

THE CONVERSATION

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

VISUAL VOICES

I guess that’s why they call it the blues

California, New York and New Jersey have lost almost 4 million net residents to low-tax states over the past decade

THE DEMOCRATS circa 2026 have almost become tax-and-spend parodies of themselves.

They used to pretend that raising taxes was a last resort. Now the left-wing base regards raising taxes as a badge of honor.

New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani declared last week that he has no other choice but to raise taxes on the rich and corporations because there aren’t enough savings from e ciencies in agency budgets.

New York City spends more money per capita than any other major city in the country, but there’s no way to save money. Uh-huh!

At least Mamdani was honest and campaigned as a socialist.

The Manhattanites are getting exactly what they voted for.

But the two new rising stars of the party, Mikie Sherrill and Abigail Spanberger, the newly elected governors of New Jersey and Virginia, respectively, won what were thought to be tight races by comfortable margins. How? By running as middle- of-the-road centrists. That’s what the voters in both states wanted.

Now these “moderates” are ring o tax increases like pellets from a BB gun on anything that moves.

In just her rst weeks in o ce, Sherrill called for a 4.2-cents-per-gallon increase in the state’s gas tax, a corporate tax to pay for transit, a new millionaire mansion tax, and nicotine and sports betting taxes. And more to come. New Jersey is already one of the ve highest-tax states.

But Sherrill is an anti-tax crusader compared to the Dem party leaders’ new love interest for 2028: Spanberger. The maximum word count on these pages isn’t high enough to list the catalog of “revenue raisers” she has endorsed in her rst weeks in o ce. But here’s a partial list:

• Additional local sales tax in all Virginia counties and cities

• New personal property tax on electric leaf blowers and electric landscaping equipment

• Large employer tax

• Gun and ammunition tax

• New income tax brackets

• Delivery tax, which would hit Amazon, Uber Eats, FedEx and UPS orders in Northern Virginia

• Investment income tax

• Event tax

• Storage facility tax

• Gym membership tax

• Dog walking tax

• Dog grooming tax

• Counseling tax (for those distressed by all the new taxes?)

• Digital personal property tax

• New car taxes and highway use fees

• Increase in the hotel tax in Arlington

• Statewide speed cameras (not a tax, but more nes for drivers)

• Vehicle repair tax

• Home repair tax

• Dry cleaning tax

A dog grooming tax? Really?

The Dems seem to be immune to the reality that Americans are eeing high-tax states and cities. California, New York and New Jersey have lost almost 4 million net residents to low-tax states over the past decade. Most of the winning states, like Texas, Florida, Tennessee and the Carolinas, are cutting taxes, not raising them. Florida has gained $1 trillion in cumulative income from high-tax state refugees. The movers often can pay their mortgage just from the money they save on taxes by exiting blue states.

I’ve long argued that the Democrat states must change or die, and now they seem to be on a Bataan Death March of tax raising. In California, a proposed new wealth tax has already inspired a handful of Silicon Valley billionaires to exit the state. When will Democrats in blue states learn you can’t tax millionaires and billionaires if they live in Palm Beach or Dallas?

Stephen Moore is a former Trump senior economic adviser and the cofounder of Unleash Prosperity, which advocates for education freedom for all children. (Copyright 2026 Creators.com)

ICE and Israel face the same dilemma

If violence gives illegal immigration agitators a de facto veto over federal immigration law, that violence will spread.

WHEN YOU THINK about recent events in the Middle East, it’s easier to understand what’s happening in Minnesota.

There are signi cant parallels between the tactics of Hamas and pro-illegal immigrant agitators. Start with this: Both have no realistic way to achieve their objective through conventional means.

Despite the brutality of the Oct. 7 massacre, Hamas couldn’t defeat Israel militarily. That’s the reason it had to rely on a surprise attack. In response, Israel decimated Hamas’s leadership.

President Donald Trump ran on deporting illegal immigrants, and voters gave him a resounding victory in 2024. Unlike most politicians, Trump is actually keeping his promises. Thanks to the One Big Beautiful Bill, there’s plenty of funding to deport illegal immigrants too.

The proper way to counter this would be for pro-illegal immigrant activists to win an election or two. Then, they could change the law. But the left’s commitment to democracy fades when its opponents are in power.

Outmatched in bullets and ballots, both groups have sought to use political pressure to achieve their aims. Putting their own people in danger is key to these e orts. Hamas hides its military infrastructure in and around hospitals and schools. Israel either avoids attacking legitimate military targets or Hamas rushes out pictures of dead women and children.

Something similar is happening in Minnesota. Agitators are actively stalking U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and then physically trying to prevent federal agents from arresting illegal immigrants. Crowd control should be a job for local cops. But Minnesota politicians have prevented local police from coordinating with ICE. In December, Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O’Hara even told residents to call the cops on ICE.

Federal agents are put in a no-win situation. Either they allow agitators to stop them from arresting a criminal illegal immigrant, or they must use physical force to arrest the agitators. At a minimum, that will produce ugly-looking videos. Twice when an agitator has resisted, things have turned deadly. Illegal immigration activists then promote

out- of- context videos and lob vile accusations at federal agents.

In both situations, there is a disproportionate focus on the actions of one side. Hamas launched a surprise attack on Israel. Hamas brutalized hostages for months or years. Hamas used human shields. Yet the propaganda press, many on the left and even some on the right, obsessively focused on any perceived misdeeds by Israeli forces.

The same is true in Minnesota and around the country. Last year, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz called ICE a “modern- day Gestapo.” Philadelphia District Attorney Larry Krasner recently called ICE agents “wannabe Nazis” and vowed to “hunt you down.” Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker has said ICE’s work would “essentially” turn the country into “Nazi Germany.”

The propaganda press largely ignores incendiary rhetoric like this. They barely even report on the violence committed by illegal immigration sympathizers. In September, an anti-ICE gunman opened re on an ICE eld o ce in Dallas.

Police believe he killed one detainee and injured two others.

Pro -illegal immigration activists recently stormed a St. Paul church, terrifying children and disrupting the service. Recently, an anti-ICE agitator even reportedly bit o the nger of a federal agent.

But the propaganda press o ers frame-by-frame scrutiny of agents who have to make split-second decisions when an agitator resists arrest.

These similarities show why it’d be a mistake for the Trump administration to capitulate in Minnesota. Israel withdrew from the Gaza Strip in 2005. Gaza residents didn’t thank Israel. They gave power to Hamas, setting the stage for the attack on Oct. 7, 2023. If violence gives illegal immigration agitators a de facto veto over federal immigration law, that violence will spread.

Israel learned this lesson the hard way. ICE shouldn’t have to.

Victor Joecks is a columnist for the Las Vegas Review-Journal and host of the “Sharpening Arrows” podcast. Email him at vjoecks@reviewjournal.com or follow @victorjoecks on X. (Copyright 2026 Creators.com)

obituaries

Terry L. “Slick” Misenheimer

Barbara Jean (Taylor) Drye

Oct. 30, 1949 – Jan. 28, 2026

April 17, 1936 ~ January 14, 2023

Barbara Jean Taylor Drye, 86, of Oakboro, passed away Saturday, January 14, 2023 at her home.

Terry L. “Slick” Misenheimer, 76, of Gold Hill, NC, passed away peacefully on Wednesday, January 28, 2026, at the Tucker Hospice House in Kannapolis, NC, after a lingering illness.

Barbara was born April 17, 1936 in North Carolina to the late Robert Lee Taylor and the late Eva Belle Watts Taylor.

Born October 30, 1949, in Stanly County, NC, Terry was the son of the late William F. Misenheimer, Sr. and Rachel Treece Misenheimer.

Dwight Farmer

January 24, 1939 ~ January 15, 2023

Dwight Britten Farmer Sr., 83, of Norwood died Sunday morning, January 15, 2023 at Forrest Oakes.

A lifelong resident of North Carolina, Terry built a life marked by hard work, integrity, and devotion to his family and his community. He worked for many years as a heavy equipment operator and truck driver for Rusty Russell Grading Company, and as a farmer, respected for his skill and dedication. Outside of work, Terry was an avid outdoorsman, enjoying hunting, shing, and working in his garden. He was a member of Paul’s Crossing Baptist Church in Rich eld, NC. Terry is survived by his loving wife, Beth Culp Misenheimer, four grandchildren: Chase, Jamie, Jeannie, and JJ, brothers Ted (Sara) Misenheimer and Jimmie Misenheimer, sisters Judy Misenheimer and Gayle Misenheimer, numerous nieces and nephews, and his beloved dog, Milo.

Former Rep. Lee Hamilton of Indiana, congressional overseer of US foreign a airs, died at 94

The Associated Press

James Roseboro

June 23, 1967 ~ January 10, 2023

James Arthur Roseboro, 55, of Albemarle, passed away Tuesday, January 10, 2023 at Anson Health and Rehab.

INDIANAPOLIS — Former U.S. Rep. Lee Hamilton, a crewcut-wearing Indiana Democrat from southern Indiana who was a leading foreign a airs voice during three decades in Congress and helped oversee investigations of the Sept. 11 attacks, died Tuesday. He was 94.

She was also preceded in death by husband of 61 years, Keith Furr Drye, and brothers, Robert Lee Taylor, Jr. and George Kenneth Taylor. Survivors include children, Debbie (Mike) Williams of Albemarle, Teresa (Tom) Curry of Oakboro, Douglas (Tammy) Drye of Oakboro; grandchildren, Melissa (Don) Parrish of Albemarle, Samantha (Destiny) Smith of Oakboro, Bradley Smith of Oakboro, Jonathan Stover of Peachland, and Jessie Stover of Lylesville; sisterin-law, Beatrice Goodman; many nieces and nephews; and her beloved cats, Bo and Gar eld.

Graveside service will be held 1pm Monday, February 9 at Pauls Crossing Baptist Church Cemetery, 40427 Pauls Crossing Rd., Rich eld NC 28137. Terry’s body will lie in state from 1012noon at Gordon Funeral Home of Mt. Pleasant on Monday, February 9.

Dwight was born January 24, 1939 in Stanly County to the late Walter Virgil and Martha Adkins Farmer. He was a 1957 graduate of Norwood High School and was a United States Army Veteran. He was a member of Cedar Grove United Methodist Church where he had served as church treasurer and choir member. He began his career with the Stanly County Sheri ’s Department moving to the Norwood Police Department and retiring as Chief of Police with the Town of Norwood after many years of service.

Dwight was an avid gardener, bird watcher and Carolina fan.

In addition to his parents, Terry was preceded in death by his two daughters, Jeannie Misenheimer and Terri Chance, sisters Patsy Blackwelder, Brenda Doby, and Elizabeth Stewart, and brothers Robert “Bobby” Misenheimer and William F. “Bill” Misenheimer, Jr. Memorial donations in Terry’s name may be directed to Atrium Health Hospice and Palliative Care of Cabarrus County, 5003 Hospice Lane, Kannapolis, NC 28081.

Mickey Lolich, hero of 1968 World Series for Tigers, dead at 85

Barbara was a member of Oakboro Baptist Church for over 60 years. She worked over 30 years at Stanly Knitting Mills. After just two years of retirement, she began managing the Oakboro Senior Center and did that for 18 years until this past week. Barbara was known for her good cooking and always taking care of others. She also loved going on day long shopping trips - she could out walk and out shop people half her age. She kept her mind and body active through gardening, word searches, and various other hobbies.

The Associated Press

DETROIT — Mickey Lolich, who had three complete-game victories for the Detroit Tigers in the 1968 World Series, the last Major League Baseball pitcher to post the incredible feat, died Wednesday. He was 85.

The Tigers said Lolich’s wife told them that he died after a short stay in hospice care. An exact cause of death was not provided.

Denny McLain was the star of Detroit’s pitching sta in 1968, winning 31 regular-season games. But Lolich was the Most Valuable Player of the Series, with a ERA of 1.67 and a Game 7 road victory over Bob Gibson and the St. Louis Cardinals.

Bill Freehan threw o his catcher’s mask and caught a foul pop-up by Tim McCarver for the nal out. Lolich jumped into Freehan’s arms — an iconic image of Detroit’s championship season.

“It was always somebody else,” Lolich told the Detroit Free Press in 2018, “but my day had nally come.”

He is No. 23 in career strikeouts with 2,832, ahead of many others who, unlike Lolich, are in the Hall of Fame, and fth among all lefties, according to baseball-reference.com.

Lolich was an unlikely hero in 1968. During a reunion of the World Series team, he recalled how manager Mayo Smith had sent him to the bullpen for much of August. He returned to the Tigers’ starting rotation and was 6-1 in the nal weeks.

He is survived by his wife Hilda Whitley Farmer; one son D. Britten Farmer Jr. (Mary) of McLeansville, NC; one daughter Sharon Farmer Lowe (David) of Norwood; one sister Geraldine Dennis of Troy; two grandchildren, Dwight Britten “Dee” Farmer III and Whitley Rose Hui Lowe.

He was preceded in death by his son Alex, brothers, Tommy and Jimmy, sisters, Nancy, Cornelia Annabell, Glennie Mae, and Betty. Memorials may be made to Cedar Grove United Methodist Church, Cemetery or Choir Fund c/o Pam Smith 36071 Rocky River Springs Road, Norwood, NC 28128.

move. “I remember telling him, ‘If we win this thing this year it’s going to be because of me.’ But I was only talking about the season. I wasn’t talking about the World Series.

“I got my revenge back in the World Series,” he said.

Lolich pitched Game 7 after only two days of rest. He gured he would get a Corvette from General Motors for being the Series MVP but had to settle for a Dodge Charger GT because Chrysler was the sponsor in 1968.

“Nothing against Chargers, nothing at all,” Lolich said in his book, “Joy in Tigertown.” “It’s just that I already had two of them in my driveway.”

Since Lolich, only Arizona’s Randy Johnson in 2001 has won three games in a World Series, though Johnson pitched about 10 fewer innings and was a relief pitcher, not a starter, in Game 7.

Lolich had a record of 220 -192, including the postseason, over a 16-year career, all but three with Detroit. He left baseball after playing for the New York Mets in 1976 but returned with San Diego in 1978-79.

Celebrate the life of your loved ones. Submit obituaries and death notices to be published in SCJ at obits@stanlyjournal.com

The left-hander was 25-14 in 1971, striking out 308 batters over 376 innings and nishing second in AL Cy Young award voting. He followed that up with a 22-14 record and 250 strikeouts in 1972.

After his baseball career, Lolich, a native of Portland, Oregon, was in the doughnut business in suburban Detroit, making and selling them for 18 years.

“I was having a few problems, but I had been a starting pitcher ever since 1964,” said Lolich, who was upset about the bullpen

“I doubt any other ballplayer has ever made that transition — from the diamond to doughnuts. But I did,” he wrote in his book.

Mr. Roseboro was born on June 23, 1967 to the late Robert and Delena Shipp Roseboro. He graduated from South Stanly High School and was employed by Triangle Brick. He enjoyed watching football and basketball, especially the Carolina TarHeels and Miami.

Hamilton, a moderate lawmaker respected by Democrats and Republicans alike who also led a congressional probe of the Reagan administration’s Iran-Contra a air, died Tuesday peacefully in his Bloomington, Indiana, home, said his son Doug Hamilton, who did not cite a cause.

In addition to his parents he is preceded in death by his brothers and sisters: Barbara Lee Roseboro, Dorothy Brown, Verna Roseboro, Henrietta Ingram, and Harold Roseboro.

He is survived by his sisters: Helen (James) Roseboro Edwards of Albemarle, Mary Roseboro of Washington DC, and Marion Morrison of Albemarle; brothers: Thomas D. Roseboro of Charlotte, Robert Roseboro (Patricia) of Norwood, and Van Horne; a special friend of over 40 years, Michelle McLendon of the home; special nieces: Nybrea Montague, Knya Little, and Laquanza Crump; special nephews: Robert Jr., Desmond Roseboro, and Marcus Lilly; and God daughter, Daphne Johnson; and special friends, Vetrella Johnson and Ben McLendon.

The elder Hamilton was at the forefront of congressional opposition to the 1991 Persian Gulf War waged by President George H.W. Bush and advocated continued economic sanctions against Iraq before military action over its invasion of Kuwait.

He decided against seeking reelection in 1998 and said after leaving Congress that he believed the U.S. needed to be regarded around the world as more than a leader of military coalitions.

“The United States must be — and must be seen as — an optimistic and benign power,” Hamilton said in 2003. “We must speak and act as a source of optimism, a beacon of freedom, a benign power forging a consensus approach toward a world of peace and growth and freedom. And American power must be accompanied by American generosity.”

Darrick Baldwin

January 7, 1973 ~ January 8, 2023

President Barack Obama presented Hamilton with the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2015, saying during the ceremony that Hamilton was a man “widely admired” on both sides of the aisle, “for his honesty, his wisdom, and consistent commitment to bipartisanship.”

“Indiana mourns the passing of Lee Hamilton, a man whose life embodied integrity, civility, and public service,” Indiana Gov. Mike Braun, a Republican, said in a statement Wednesday.

9/11 investigations

Darrick Vashon Baldwin, age 50, entered eternal rest, Sunday, January 8, 2023, Albemarle, North Carolina. Born January 7, 1973, in Stanly County, North Carolina, Darrick was the son of Eddie James Baldwin Sr. and the late Phyllis Blue Baldwin. Darrick enjoyed life, always kept things lively and enjoyed making others smile. His presence is no longer in our midst, but his memory will forever live in our hearts.

He was educated in the Stanly County public schools and attended Albemarle Senior High School, Albemarle.

Hamilton was a small-town lawyer known for his exploits as a high school basketball star when he rst won election to his southern Indiana congressional seat in 1964 at the age of 33.

He was a great conversationalist and loved meeting people. Darrick never met a stranger and always showed love and compassion for his fellowman. He also loved his dog, Rocky.

With his thick glasses and calm, deliberate manner, Hamilton rose to become chairman of the House Foreign A airs and Intelligence committees and a Democratic leader on international relations before retiring from Congress in 1999.

He is survived by his father, Eddie J. Baldwin Sr.; sisters: Crystal (Eric) Jackson, LaFondra (Stoney) Medley, and Morgan Baldwin; brothers: Eddie Baldwin Jr., Anton Baldwin, and Lamont Baldwin; a host of other relatives and friends. A limb has fallen from our family tree. We will not grieve Darrick’s death; we will celebrate his life. We give thanksgiving for the many shared memories.

His reputation as an evenhanded moderate had Capitol Hill leaders turn to him for some of the most tumultuous matters facing Washington. But he also faced criti-

community where he drove a school bus and worked at the local gas station during his High School years. He graduated from Millingport High in 1954 and entered into service with the US Airforce immediately afterward. Upon return from the service, he and his high school sweetheart Julie were married in 1956. He graduated from Nashville Auto Diesel College later in 1959 and began his career as a diesel mechanic at Mitchell Distributing Company, moving his growing family to Charlotte where they lived until their retirement.

October 11, 1944 - January 10,

Doris Elaine Jones Coleman, 78, went home into God’s presence on January 10 after a sudden illness and 1944, in the mountains of Marion,

World War II. Raymond Jones was so proud to return after the war and meet his little girl! Doris grew up in Durham, NC and graduated from Durham High School. She furthered her studies at Watts Hospital School of Nursing in Durham and graduated as a Registered Nurse in 1966.

cism that he was not aggressive enough in pursuing allegations of wrongdoing by Republican administrations.

When John purchased his rst Model A Ford at the age of 17, he said that he took the car to the community mechanic when he had a small problem.The mechanic told him that if he was going to keep the car, he needed to learn to work on it. This is when John’s passion for Model A Fords began and how he spent his happiest days with his best friends from around the globe for the rest of his life!

Hamilton was tapped in 2002 as vice chairman of the Sept. 11 attacks commission. That group spent 20 months investigating the 2001 attacks, which killed nearly 3,000 people when 19 hijackers ew airliners into New York’s World Trade Center towers, the Pentagon and the Pennsylvania countryside.

Doris married Rev. Dr. Ted Coleman in 1966 and had two daughters Amy and Laura. Doris raised Amy and Laura in North Augusta, SC.

Then-Rep. Dick Cheney, a top Republican on the Iran-Contra committee, called the report a political document that selected only the most damaging evidence against the Reagan administration.

At age 50, after years as a Detroit Diesel Mechanic he and Julie decided to take the plunge and open a full Model A Restoration Shop. They thrived at their shop in Cornelius, NC until their retirement in 1998 when they moved back to Cabarrus County. John once again set up shop in his back yard garage where he attracted a loyal group of friends who visited almost daily. While on the farm in Gold Hill, John also began a lifelong love with Alis Chalmers tractors after he restored his Dad’s tractor and began amassing his collection of tractors as well.

He presented a united front with the panel’s Republican chairman, former New Jersey Gov. Thomas Kean, through clashes with the George W. Bush White House and its lobbying e orts for changes to the U.S. intelligence system.

The commission found that both the Clinton and Bush administrations failed to grasp the gravity of terrorist threats and took actions so feeble that they never even slowed the al-Qaida plotters.

John restored many cars of his own and had the crowning achievement of winning the most prestigious award from MARC, The Henry for a restoration that garnered top points. He was also presented with the Ken Brady Service Awardthe highest award given to members at the national level.

“The fact of the matter is, we just didn’t get it in this country,” Hamilton said when the commission released its report in 2004. “We could not comprehend that people wanted to kill us; they wanted to hijack airplanes and y them into big buildings.”

Iran-Contra committee

This is what John’s Model A Community had to say upon learning of his death: He was an active member of Wesley Chapel Methodist Church where he loved serving as greeter on Sunday mornings. He also belonged to the United Methodist Men.

Hamilton gained national prominence in the mid-1980s with his selection as a co-chairman of the congressional Iran-Contra committee, which investigated the Reagan administration’s diversion of pro ts from Iran arms sales to help Nicaragua’s Contra rebels. The panel’s report found that President Ronald Reagan created an atmosphere at the White House in which subordinates felt free to skirt the law and Constitution.

“There was too much secrecy and deception,” Hamilton said at the time. “Information was withheld from the Congress, other o cials, friends and allies and the American people.”

John is survived by his wife Julie Ussery Kluttz, for 66 years of the home. He is also survived by a son John David Kluttz (Kim) of Oakboro, NC; two daughters, Sally Simerson of Denver, CO and Betsy Tusa (John) of Lafayette, CO; three grandchildren, Bonnie Kluttz Sammons (Ben) of Rich eld, NC John Alexander McKinnon (Sarah) of Asheville, NC and Seth William McKinnon (Amanda) of Germany; ve great-grandchildren, Charlotte, Meredith, Grant, Victoria and Ronan. John is also preceded in death by his parents, J.S. Kluttz and Mary Wyatt Clayton Kluttz; a large and loving group of brothers and sisters, Jack Methias Kluttz, Annie Lou Kluttz Honeycutt, Jake Nelson Kluttz, Julius Kluttz, Mary Patricia Phillips and a grandson, Kevin Fowler Kluttz.

Hamilton was considered as a possible vice presidential running mate both for Michael Dukakis in 1988 and Bill Clinton in 1992, but they decided against picking the nontelegenic congressman from a Republican-leaning state.

Doris was an incredible neonatal intensive care nurse for most of her career, and this was her passion. The Augusta Chronicle did a feature on her in 1985. She was a clinical nurse manager in Augusta, Georgia at University Hospital NICU and worked there for 20 years. During this time, Doris mentored young nurses and assisted in saving the lives of so many babies. She also worked for Pediatrician Dr. William A. Wilkes in Augusta for several years prior to her NICU career. Doris retired from the mother/baby area at Atrium Stanly in 2007 after over 40 years of nursing.

Born April 20, 1931, in Daytona Beach, Florida, Hamilton was the son of a Methodist minister and moved with his family to Evansville, Indiana, as a child.

He went on to college at DePauw University and attended Goethe University in Frankfurt, Germany, before graduating from Indiana University’s law school in 1956.

Former Indiana governor and former vice president Mike Pence, a Republican, said in a statement that while their politics di ered, his respect for Hamilton was “boundless.”

After Congress

Doris was a gentle and sweet spirit and loved her Lord. She never met a stranger, and she always left you feeling uplifted after talking with her. She would often claim that she had “adopted” friends into her immediate family, and honestly, she never made a distinction between the two. Positivity radiated from her like sunlight. She was sel ess, funny, smart, and sentimental. During her lifetime she was an active member of First Baptist Church of Durham, First Baptist Church of Augusta, Most Holy Trinity Catholic Church in Augusta, and Palestine United Methodist Church in Albemarle. She especially loved helping at church with older adults, youth, and children.

She was especially talented at sewing from a young age and made gifts for friends, Christmas ornaments, Halloween Costumes, doll clothes, pageant dresses, prom dresses, coats, tote bags, scarves, out ts for Amy and Laura, and Christening gowns for each of her grandchildren.

After serving in Congress, Hamilton continued with his interests in foreign a airs and congressional reform as director of the Washington-based Woodrow Wilson Center. He also spent time as a faculty member at Indiana University, which in 2018 named its School of Global and International Studies after Hamilton and longtime Republican Sen. Richard Lugar, who died in 2019.

Hamilton’s son said he took his father into his o ce on Monday, the day before he died.

“He believed in doing as much good as he could for as long as he could,” Doug Hamilton said in an interview with The Associated Press.

Hamilton, however, gained little Republican support for the committee’s work.

Doris was preceded in death by her father Arthur Raymond Jones, her mother Mary Ellen Cameron Jones, and her sister Maryanne Jones Brantley. Survivors include her two precious daughters: Amy Cameron Coleman (partner Dr. Edward Neal Chernault) of Albemarle, NC, and Laura Lindahl Coleman Oliverio (husband David) of Cincinnati, Ohio; seven grandchildren: Cameron David Oliverio, Stephanie Jae Dejak, Luca Beatty Oliverio, Coleman John Dejak, Carson Joseph Oliverio, Ryan Nicholas Dejak, and Jadon Richard Oliverio; and numerous in-laws, nieces, nephews, cousins, and loved ones.

Hamilton and his wife were married for 58 years after meeting while students at DePauw. Nancy Hamilton died in 2012. He is survived by three children, ve grandchildren and one great-grandchild.

Most redrawn electoral maps are going forward

By Mark Sherman The Associated Press

WASHINGTON, D.C. — The Supreme Court on Wednesday allowed California to use a new voter-approved congressional map that is favorable to Democrats in this year’s elections, rejecting a last-ditch plea from state Republicans and the Trump administration.

No justices dissented from the brief order denying the appeal without explanation, which is common on the court’s emergency docket.

The justices had previously allowed Texas’ Republican-friendly map to be used in

2026, despite a lower-court ruling that it likely discriminates on the basis of race.

Conservative Justice Samuel Alito wrote in December that it appeared both states had adopted new maps for political advantage, which the high court has previously ruled cannot be a basis for a federal lawsuit.

Republicans, joined by the Trump administration, claimed the California map improperly relied on race as well. But a lower court disagreed by a 2-1 vote.

The Justice Department and White House did not immediately respond to messages seeking comment.

The justices’ unsigned order keeps in place districts that are designed to ip up to ve seats now held by Republicans, part of a tit-for-tat nationwide

redistricting battle spurred by President Donald Trump, with control of Congress on the line in midterm elections.

Last year, at Trump’s behest, Texas Republicans redid the state’s congressional districts with an eye on gaining ve seats.

California Gov. Gavin Newsom, a Democrat who is eyeing a 2028 presidential run, pledged to respond in kind, though he had to win over voters, not just lawmakers, to do so. Newsom celebrated the court’s decision, saying on social media that Trump had

ed expected growth.

“Scores are numbers on a piece of paper, but what they really represent is something much deeper and more important, which is preparing our kids for the future, for the next level and for their studies,” Board Member Bill Sorenson said.

In addition to schoolwide honors, individual teachers were recognized with “Excellence in Exceeding Expected Growth” certi cates, which are awarded when students’ growth outcomes exceed the state’s growth expectations for a teacher’s instructional responsibility. Teachers receiving certificates included Lisa Allen, McKenzie Bowers, Shannon Bullard, Bobbi Craig, Mariah DePetris, Jennifer Drye, Rose Eaglen, Amanda E rd, Emily Emery, Danielle Fair eld, Michelle Fields, Megan Geddings, Johnathan Hatley, Ti any Holbert, Britney Huntley, Jennifer Ingram, Allison Kimrey, Kelly Lambert, Erin Morehead, Emily Morgan, Kimberly Napier, Cheryl Owen, Angel Shepherd,

“started this redistricting war” and would end up losing out in the November midterms, when control of Congress is at stake.

California’s attorney general, Democrat Rob Bonta, said the decision was “good news not only for Californians, but for our democracy.”

The state Republican Party, which brought the case, vowed to keep ghting against the map’s use in future elections.

“We will continue to vigorously argue for Equal Protection under the law for all of California’s voters,” Michael Columbo, counsel for the plainti s, said in a statement.

One longtime party strategist, Jon Fleishman, a former executive director of the California Republican Party, said in a post on X that the decision means “this year’s elections will take place on the new lines shrinking the already very small Republican delegation from California.”

Filing for congressional primaries in California begins on Monday.

Devin Taylor, Ashley Thompson, Brittany Tucker, Jennifer Yow and Tricia Yow.

“I want to congratulate all the teachers that were here,” Board Member Dustin Lisk said. “These are really good schools and really good teachers. Six of our schools met or exceeded growth, which is really awesome.”

“They’re putting in the work day in and day out,” added Board Member Carla Poplin, who also recognized Lynn Plummer, chief academic ocer for Stanly County Schools. “I wish that we could recognize them much more often than we do, because Mr. Plummer and his team give them the tools, but they use those daily. I want to say a huge thank you to them for putting in the hours. Sometimes those are hours at home and at night and after school, tutoring students and to get those numbers to where they want them to be.”

The Stanly County Board of Education’s next regular meeting is scheduled for March 3 at 6:15 p.m. in the Gene McIntyre Meeting Room at Stanly County Commons.

Many cancer screenings were delayed or skipped

By Mike Stobbe

The Associated Press

NEW YORK — During the early years of the COVID-19 pandemic, experts worried that disruptions to cancer diagnosis and treatment would cost lives. A new study suggests they were right.

The federally funded study published Thursday by the medical journal JAMA Oncology is being called the rst to assess the e ects of pandemic-related disruptions on the short-term survival of cancer patients.

Researchers found that people diagnosed with cancer in 2020 and 2021 had worse short-term survival than those diagnosed between 2015 and 2019. That was true across a range of cancers, and whether they were diagnosed at a late or early stage.

Of course, COVID-19 itself was especially dangerous to patients already weakened by cancer, but the researchers worked to lter out deaths mainly attributed to the coronavirus, so they could see if other factors played a role.

The researchers were not able to de nitively show what drove worse survival, said Todd Burus of the University of Kentucky, the study’s lead author.

“But disruptions to the health care system were probably a key contributor,” said Burus,

who specializes in medical data analysis.

COVID-19 forced many people to postpone cancer screenings — colonoscopies, mammograms and lung scans — as the coronavirus overwhelmed doctors and hospitals, especially in 2020.

Earlier research had shown that overall cancer death rates in the U.S. continued to decline throughout the pandemic, and there weren’t huge shifts in late diagnoses.

Recinda Sherman, a researcher on that earlier paper, applauded the new work.

“As this study is the rst to document pandemic-related, cause-speci c survival, I think it is important,” said Sherman, of the North American Association of Central Cancer Registries. “The more we understand about the impact of COVID-19, the better we will be able to prepare for the next one.”

How could overall cancer death rates decline in 2020 and

Pizza Hut closing 250 US stores as parent company considers selling brand

Rival Domino’s is outpacing the longtime pizza chain

By Dee-Ann Durbin

The Associated Press

PIZZA HUT plans to close

250 U.S. restaurants in the rst half of this year as its parent company considers a sale of the chain.

Yum Brands said Wednesday it’s targeting underperforming Pizza Hut restaurants in its system. Pizza Hut has more than 6,000 locations in the U.S. Louisville, Kentucky-based

Yum Brands said in November it was conducting a formal review of options for Pizza Hut, which has struggled with outdated stores and growing competition. The chain’s U.S. same-store sales, or sales at locations open at least a

year, fell 5% last year, Yum said.

Rival Domino’s, the world’s largest pizza company, hasn’t yet released its full-year earnings, but its U.S. same-store sales were up 2.7% in the rst nine months of last year.

Internationally, Pizza Hut’s results have been stronger. International same-store sales were up 1% last year, with growth in Asia, the Middle East and Latin America, Yum said. China is Pizza Hut’s second-largest market outside the U.S., accounting for 19% of sales.

2021, while short-term survival worsen for newly diagnosed patients?

Cancer prevention, diagnosis and treatment measures that for years had been pushing cancer death rates down did not suddenly disappear during the pandemic, Burus noted.

“We didn’t forget how to do those things,” he said. “But disruptions could have changed access, could have changed how quickly people were getting treated.”

Todd Burus, University of Kentucky

Further research will show if any impact was lasting, said Hyuna Sung, senior principal scientist and cancer epidemiologist at the American Cancer Society.

“Transient declines in survival that quickly recover may have little impact on long-term mortality trends,” she said.

The new study tapped national cancer registry data to focus more speci cally on patients who had a rst diagnosis of a malignant cancer in 2020 and 2021. More than 1 million people were diagnosed with cancer in those two years, and about 144,000 died within one year, according to the researchers’ data.

The researchers looked at one-year survival rates for those patients, checking for what stage they were at the time of diagnosis. They calculated that one-year survival was lower for both early- and late-stage diagnoses, for all cancer sites combined. Most worrisome were large di erences seen in colorectal, prostate and pancreatic cancers, they said.

Overall, the researchers found that more than 96% of people who got an early-stage cancer diagnosis in 2020 and 2021 — and more than 74% of those with a late-stage diagnosis — survived more than a year. Those rates were slightly lower than would have been expected based on 2015-19 trends, resulting in about 17,400 more deaths than expected.

Pizza Hut opened nearly 1,200 stores last year, but its global store count still fell by 251 to 19,974.

Yum CEO Chris Turner said Wednesday that the company plans to complete its review of options for Pizza Hut this year. He declined to share further updates on the process. Pizza Hut ended 2025 with 19,974 stores globally, which was 251 fewer than it had the previous year. Pizza Hut opened nearly 1,200 stores across 65 countries last year, but closures outpaced that. Yum said

Wednesday that Pizza Hut plans more global openings in 2026 but it didn’t give details. Pizza Hut was founded in 1958 in Wichita, Kansas. PepsiCo acquired the chain in 1977 but spun o its restaurant division — which became Yum Brands — in 1997. Yum Brands also owns KFC, Taco Bell and Habit Burger & Grill.

Anthropic, OpenAI rivalry spills into new Super Bowl ads as both ght to win over AI users

Chatbot companies are starting to compete for users (and attention)

By Matt O’Brien

The Associated Press

THE TWO ARTIFICIAL intelligence startups behind rival chatbots ChatGPT and Claude are bracing for an existential showdown this year as both need to prove they can grow a business that will make more money than they’re losing.

The ercest competition between the two AI developers, along with bigger companies like Google, is a race to win over corporate leaders looking to adopt AI tools to boost workplace productivity. The rivalry is also spilling into other realms, including the Super Bowl.

Anthropic is airing a pair of TV commercials during Sunday’s game that ridicule OpenAI for the digital advertising it’s beginning to place on free and cheaper versions of ChatGPT. While Anthropic has centered its revenue model on selling Claude to other businesses, OpenAI has opened the doors to ads as a way of making money from the hundreds of millions of consumers who get ChatGPT for free.

Anthropic’s commercials humorously mock the dangers of manipulative chatbots — represented as real people speaking in a stilted and unnaturally e usive tone — that form a relationship with a user before trying to hawk a product. The commercials end with a written message — “Ads are coming to AI. But not to Claude.” — followed by the opening beat and lyrics of the Dr. Dre song “What’s the Di erence.”

In a sign they struck a nerve, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman said in a social media post that he laughed at the “funny” ads but blasted them as dishonest and threw shade at his com-

petitor’s smaller customer base.

“Anthropic serves an expensive product to rich people,” Altman wrote on X. He also boasted that more Texans “use ChatGPT for free” than all the people in the United States who use Claude.

The rivalry has existed ever since a group of OpenAI leaders quit the AI research laboratory and formed Anthropic in 2021, promising a clearer focus on the safety of the better-than-human technology called arti cial general intelligence that both San Francisco rms wanted to build. That was before OpenAI rst released ChatGPT in late 2022, revealing the huge commercial potential of large language models that could help write emails, homework or computer code.

The competition ramped up this week as both companies launched product updates. OpenAI on Thursday launched a new platform called Frontier, designed to be a one-stop shop for businesses adopting a variety of AI tools that can work in tandem, particularly AI agents that work autonomously as “AI co-workers” on someone’s behalf.

“We can be the partner of choice for AI transformation for enterprise. The sky is the limit in terms of revenue we can generate from a platform like that,” Fidji Simo, OpenAI’s CEO of applications, told reporters this week.

Anthropic earlier in the week said it was adding new functionality to its Cowork assistant to help automate legal research and drafting work.

“Both OpenAI and Anthropic are really trying to position themselves as a platform company,” said Gartner analyst Arun Chandrasekaran. “The models are important, but the models aren’t a means to an end.”

The two startups aren’t just competing with each other. They also face competition from Google, which is both a leading developer of a powerful AI model, Gemini, and has its own cloud computing infrastructure backed by revenue from its legacy digital advertising business. They also have complicated relationships with Amazon, which is Anthropic’s primary cloud provider, and Microsoft, which holds a 27% stake in OpenAI.

The rst choice for businesses looking to adopt AI agents is typically cloud computing “hyperscalers” like Microsoft, Google and Amazon, which o er a package of services, while AI model providers like Anthropic and OpenAI “tend to come in second place,” said Nancy Gohring, a senior research director at IDC.

But there’s an opening because none of the players are giving businesses what they want, which are stronger security and compliance assurances to enable the more widespread use of AI agents that can access corporate systems and data.

“Adopting AI and agents is inherently somewhat risky,” Gohring said.

There’s also the AI division of Elon Musk’s newly merged SpaceX and its chatbot, Grok, which is not yet a viable contender for business customers.

Musk has long set his sights on challenging the market dominance of OpenAI, which he co-founded and is now suing in a court case set for trial in April.

SpaceX, OpenAI and Anthropic are among the world’s most valuable privately held rms and Wall Street investors expect any, or all of them, could become publicly traded within the next year or so. But unlike SpaceX, which has its rocket business to fall back on, or established tech giants — like Amazon, Google and Microsoft — both Anthropic and OpenAI must nd a way to make enough from selling AI products to pay for the huge costs in computer chips and data centers to run their energy-hungry AI systems.

It’s not that Anthropic and OpenAI aren’t making money or growing their product lines.

The private rms don’t publicly disclose sales but both have signaled they are making billions of dollars in revenue on their existing products, including paid chatbot subscriptions for individual users.

“The models are important, but the models aren’t a means to an end.”

Arun Chandrasekaran, Gartner analyst

But it costs a lot more money to fund the computing infrastructure needed to build these powerful AI models and respond to the millions of prompts they get each day. OpenAI, in particular, has said it owes more than $1 trillion in nancial obligations to backers — including Oracle, Microsoft and Nvidia — that are essentially fronting the compute costs on the expectation of future payo s.

For some, the wait will likely be worth it.

“Pro tability matters, but not as a near-term decision factor for investors who remain focused on scale, di erentiation and infrastructure leverage,” said Forrester analyst Charlie Dai. “Both companies continue to post heavy losses, yet investors still back them because the frontier-model race demands extraordinary capital intensity.”

Denise Dresser, OpenAI’s newly hired chief revenue ofcer, told reporters this week that the company’s priority is “building the best enterprise platform for all industries, all segments.”

“I don’t think we’re thinking about it from a revenue standpoint, but truly from a customer outcome standpoint,” she said, in part re ecting the “sense of urgency” she’s heard from CEOs who want a smoother way of applying AI.

“There’s a recognition that AI is becoming a core operating advantage,” Dresser said. “They don’t want to be on the wrong side of that shift.”

Hims & Hers launches copy of Wegovy weight loss pill, prompting legal threats from drugmaker Novo Nordisk

GLP-1 could be the largest money maker for drug companies since statins

By Matthew Perrone The Associated Press

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Telehealth company Hims & Hers said Thursday it will launch a cheaper, o -brand version of the weight loss pill Wegovy, just weeks after drugmaker Novo Nordisk launched its highly anticipated reformulation of the blockbuster medication.

The announcement from Hims is the latest example of the company’s e orts to capitalize on the booming popularity of GLP-1 drugs like Wegovy, which have revolutionized weight loss treatment in the U.S.

For years, Hims has sold compounded versions of the weight loss drugs, which were initially only available as injections.

Novo Nordisk’s Wegovy is the rst of the medications to become available in a pill format.

The Danish drugmaker responded to the news Thursday by threatening to sue Hims, calling the new product “an unapproved, inauthentic, and untested knocko ” of semaglutide, the chemical name for Wegovy.

“Novo Nordisk will take legal and regulatory action to protect patients, our intellectual property and the integrity of the U.S. gold-standard drug approval framework,” the company said in a statement.

Despite previous threats and warnings from the Food and Drug Administration, Hims has been able to keep its products on the market due to its status as compounded medications, a class of drugs that are customized and aren’t subject to strict federal regulations. San Francisco-based Hims

said it will launch its compounded pill at $49 for the rst month as part of an introductory o er for new customers followed by $99 per month. That’s well below Novo’s price of $149 per month. In September, the FDA issued a warning letter to Hims over “false and misleading” marketing language which regulators said suggested its compounded products were the same as FDA-approved GLP-1 drugs.

Thursday’s announcement from the company states that its pill contains “the same active ingredient as Wegovy” but also mentions that is it not “approved or evaluated for safety, e ectiveness, or quality by the FDA.”

The FDA permits specialty pharmacies and other companies to make compounded versions of brand name drugs when they are in short supply. And the booming demand for GLP-1 drugs in recent years prompted companies

like Hims to jump into the multibillion-dollar market for the drugs, with many patients willing to pay cash. Beginning in 2024, FDA began announcing that GLP-1 drugs were no longer in a shortage, a step that was expected to put an end to the compounding. But there is an exception: The practice is still permitted when a prescription is customized for the patient.

Hims and other companies say they o er “person-

alized” dosages and formulations of GLP-1 drugs that bene t patients.

“Whether a patient needs a speci c dosage adjustment or prefers a compounded semaglutide pill over an injection, our platform now supports a deeper level of personalization,” said Dr. Craig Primack, who heads weight loss products at Hims, in a statement Thursday.

Shares of Novo Nordisk A/S fell more than 5% in afternoon trading Thursday.

Companies can now claim ‘no arti cial colors’ if they add plant-based color to food

Some advocates warn the change could mislead consumers

By Jonel Aleccia

The Associated Press

THE U.S. FOOD and Drug Administration is relaxing rules that restrict when food companies can claim their products have no articial colors.

The agency announced Thursday that food labels may claim to have “no articial colors” when they are free of petroleum-based dyes, even when they contain dyes derived from natural sources such as plants. In the past, the FDA has allowed companies to make those claims only when products “had no added color whatsoever,” the agency said in a statement.

The move is another step toward the Trump administration’s aim to phase out synthetic dyes from the nation’s food supply.

In a joint statement, Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and FDA Commissioner Marty Makary said the move would encourage companies to switch to natural rather than synthetic colors if they can claim their products contain no arti cial colors.

“We are taking away that hindrance and making it easier for companies to use these colors in the foods our families eat every day,” Makary said in a statement.

Kennedy and Makary have urged U.S. companies to voluntarily remove synthetic dyes from their products — and many food makers, such as PepsiCo and Nestle, have complied. In addition, some states have taken steps to ban articial dyes from school meals.

The move drew praise from Consumer Brands, a trade group for packaged foods, which said “all natural ingre -

EVENT from page A1

also organizes the Carolina Wildlife Classic hunting tournament, the AQUAFest shing showcase, guided wild hog hunts and other outdoor experiences throughout the year.

The Carolina Coyote Classic consists of two separate tournaments: the Coyote Derby and the Fat Dog Contest. Registration for the Fat Dog Contest costs $40 per hunter, while entry for the Coyote Derby is $200 per team.

Interested participants can request a registration form by emailing c3@704outdoors.tv or register online at 704outdoors.tv.

In the Coyote Derby, teams compete to harvest the most coyotes during the event. The

Applications Scientist Anuj Bag mixes coloring with our at Sensient Technologies Corp., a color additive manufacturing company.

dients should continue to follow a rigorous science and risk-based evaluation process.”

“This is a positive example of the FDA taking the lead on ingredient safety and transparency,” Sarah Gallo, the group’s senior vice president, said in a statement.

But the label change could mislead consumers, said Sarah Sorscher, director of regulatory a airs for the Center for Science in the Public Interest, an advocacy group. It would allow a claim of “no arti cial colors” for any color additive that is not a petroleum-based certied color, including potentially harmful additives such as titanium dioxide.

Also on Thursday, the FDA said it had approved a new natural dye, beetroot red, and expanded the use of spirulina extract, a color derived from algae that provides a blue hue in foods. The FDA currently allows roughly three dozen natural dyes in food products. The agency banned a controversial dye known as Red No. 3 last year and has proposed banning a rarely used hue, Orange B.

tournament includes a guaranteed minimum cash payout of $3,000 and operates as a 100% payout event, with total prize money adjusted based on participation levels. Teams in the Coyote Derby are limited to a maximum of three hunters.

The Fat Dog Contest focuses on harvesting the heaviest coyote by weight. Teams in that contest may include up to four hunters. Prize money for the Fat Dog Contest will be distributed with 50% awarded to rst place, 30% to second place and 20% to third place.

The hunt o cially begins at 7:01 a.m. Feb. 20 and concludes at noon Feb. 22. All harvested coyotes must be brought to the weigh-in at the Stanly County Farm Bureau

The agency also recently said it would review the six remaining petroleum-based dyes frequently used in the U.S. food supply: Green No. 3, Red No. 40, Yellow No. 5, Yellow No. 6, Blue No. 1 and Blue No. 2. Health advocates have long called for the removal of arti cial dyes from foods, citing inconclusive studies that found they could cause neurobehavioral problems, including hyperactivity and attention issues in some children. Other health experts have noted that bright synthetic colors are a key component of ultraprocessed foods marketed to children, increasing consumption of added sugar, fat and sodium that can lead to health problems.

Still, the FDA’s website on Thursday continued to acknowledge limited evidence for harms from arti cial colors. “The totality of scientific evidence shows that most children have no adverse effects when consuming foods containing color additives, but some evidence suggests that certain children may be sensitive to them,” the site said.

Livestock Arena by noon on the nal day. Previously held at the Stanly County Fairgrounds, the event’s move to the county’s newer livestock arena allows for expanded vendor participation. Vendors scheduled to attend include Around-Back Taxidermy, Red Barn Farm, RIX Optics and Black Widow Deer Lures, among others.

“With such overwhelming support from Stanly County over the years, we are proud to host the C3 Tournament in our backyard,” 704 Outdoors said. “We are proud of our partnership with the Stanly County Convention and Visitors Bureau and even more pleased to call Stanly County home to the Carolina Coyote Classic.”

STANLY SPORTS

North Stanly boys down Gray Stone for ninth straight win

The Comets are perfect in conference play

By Jesse Deal Stanly News Journal

MISENHEIMER — The North Stanly boys’ basketball team continued its strong 2025-26 campaign with a 62-26 road victory over Gray Stone.

The two Yadkin Valley Conference teams squared o in Misenheimer on Jan. 30, where the Comets improved to 19 -1 overall and 6 - 0 in conference action as the Knights fell to 1-19 and 0 - 6.

Now riding a nine-game winning streak, North Stanly seized control early and carried a 35-15 advantage into halftime before steadily pulling away in the second half. By the nal buzzer, the Comets had stretched their lead to 36 points to secure another lopsided league win.

With the victory, North Stanly remains unbeaten in conference play and continues to sit alone atop the Yadkin Valley standings. The Comets currently lead North Rowan, Albemarle, Union Academy, South Stanly and Gray Stone, in that order.

North Stanly’s only loss of the season came Dec. 30 in a 52-36 home setback to Lexington Senior. The Comets need only three more victories to match last season’s 22-7 record, which

marked the program’s best nish in seven years.

North Stanly returns to action with a pair of home matchups, hosting South Stanly on Monday and Albemarle on Tuesday before closing the regular season Thursday at Union Academy.

Meanwhile, Gray Stone will

wrap up its regular season at Union Academy on Monday and at home versus South Stanly on Tuesday.

Monroe 70, West Stanly 32

With seven losses in their past eight games, the West Stanly Colts (7-12, 2- 6 Rocky

River Conference) were blown out by 38 points in a road contest with the Monroe Redhawks (6 -7, 4 - 4 RRC) on Friday. The Comets, now sixth in the RRC standings, have three games left in their regular season schedule: at Forest Hills on Monday, followed by home contests with Parkwood on

Pfei er tennis teams picked near top in USA South preseason polls

The Falcons will begin conference play in March

By Jesse Deal Stanly News Journal

MISENHEIMER — According to coaches around the league, both of Pfei er’s tennis programs are expected to be among the USA South Athletic Conference’s top contenders again in 2026.

The USA South released its annual men’s and women’s tennis preseason polls this week, with votes cast by

the conference’s head coaches.

Both Pfei er teams, led by coach Justin Fainter, landed near the top of their respective polls.

Pfei er’s men’s team was picked third in the conference, nishing with 18 total points.

The Falcons trailed preseason favorite N.C. Wesleyan (25) and second-place Methodist (20), nishing ahead of Southern Virginia (12), Brevard (nine) and William Peace (six).

N.C. Wesleyan, which received ve of the seven possible rst-place votes, is seeking its 17th straight USA South reg-

1

First-place votes received by Pfei er’s women’s tennis team in the preseason poll

ular-season and tournament championships. The Battling Bishops nished last season with a 6 - 0 conference record, extending their regular-season winning streak against league opponents to 122 matches.

Pfei er’s men’s team posted a 14 - 6 overall record a year ago and nished third in the conference standings with a 4 -2 league mark. The squad will host Virginia Wesleyan at the Knapp Tennis Center on Feb. 14 to open the 2026 season; USA South play begins on March 25 at William Peace.

On the women’s side, Pfei er was picked second with 20 points, trailing only N.C. Wesleyan (23). The Falcons nished ahead of Southern Virginia (18), Methodist (15), Salem (eight) and Meredith (six).

N.C. Wesleyan, the three-time

3

Number of wins

North Stanly needs to match last season’s total

Wednesday and Mount Pleasant on Friday.

Albemarle 45, Union Academy 36

Albemarle (7-11, 4 -2 YVC) retained its third-place spot in the YVC standings after a 45-36 home win over Union Academy (7-13, 2- 4 YVC) on Friday, giving the Bulldogs three victories in their past four matchups. Albemarle now has more wins (seven) than it did in the past two seasons combined ( ve). The team will close out its regular season at home against North Rowan on Monday and at North Stanly on Tuesday.

South Stanly 67, Gray Stone 46

Following a stretch during which South Stanly lost six out of nine games, the Rowdy Rebel Bulls (7-11, 1- 4 YVC) have now won two in a row after defeating the Gray Stone Knights by 21 points in Norwood on Jan. 23. Now 1- 4 in conference play, the Bulls have road matchups with North Stanly (Monday), Gray Stone (Tuesday) and Anson (Thursday) before ending the season at home versus North Rowan on Friday.

defending USA South regular-season and tournament champion, earned four of the six rst-place votes as it looks to capture its sixth conference double championship in the past seven seasons. Pfei er received one rst-place vote to nish second, while Southern Virginia claimed the remaining top nod.

Pfei er’s women’s team nished second in the conference standings last season with a 6 -1 league record after going 14 - 6 overall. The Falcons open the 2026 season on Feb. 19 with a road match at Bridgewater before returning to home for USA South play on March 26 against Meredith.

The 2026 USA South Tennis Tournament will feature the top four men’s and women’s teams and will be held April 24 -25 on the campus of N.C. Wesleyan in Rocky Mount.

would play for the World team.

Duren, Powell, Johnson, Murray, Holmgren, Avdija are rst-time All-Stars

LeBron’s All-Star streak at 22 years 22

By Tim Reynolds

The Associated Press

LEBRON JAMES IS an All-Star again, extending his record streak of selections.

James was a pick for the 22nd consecutive year, one of 14 players who were announced Sunday as reserves for the Feb. 15 midseason showcase that’ll take place at the Los Angeles Clippers’ arena in Inglewood, California.

James is the All-Star record holder in a number of categories. Among them: his still-active streak of consecutive selections, along with 20 All-Star appearances and 434 points in those contests.

The Los Angeles Lakers star

was not chosen as a starter this season in the process that includes voting from fans, media and other players. NBA coaches choose the reserves and, if necessary, Commissioner Adam Silver will select any additional players necessary for the AllStar rosters should someone need to be replaced because of injury.

James did not play in last season’s All-Star event because of injury.

The reserves from the Eastern Conference: Cleveland’s Donovan Mitchell, New York’s Karl-Anthony Towns, Indiana’s Pascal Siakam, Toronto’s Scottie Barnes, Detroit’s Jalen Duren, Miami’s Norman Powell and Atlanta’s Jalen Johnson., a former Duke Blue Devil

And from the Western Conference, along with James: Minnesota’s Anthony Edwards, Denver’s Jamal Murray, Oklaho-

ma City’s Chet Holmgren, Houston’s Kevin Durant, Phoenix’s Devin Booker and Portland’s Deni Avdija. Duren, Powell, Johnson, Murray, Holmgren and Avdija were rst-time selections.

This season’s All-Star Game has a tournament format — U.S. vs. The World, with three teams of at least eight players going head to head in 12-minute games. Each team is guaranteed two games in the round-robin event, with the best two meeting again in a championship game.

Starters previously announced

The players chosen last month as starters: Milwaukee’s Giannis Antetokounmpo, Boston’s Jaylen Brown, Detroit’s Cade Cunningham, Philadelphia’s Tyrese Maxey, New York’s Jalen Brunson, Golden State’s

NASCAR’s Bi e wasn’t ying his plane before crash that killed him, 6 others last month

The NTSB released its report on the incident

By Josh Funk The Associated Press

RETIRED NASCAR DRIVER Greg Bi e was not ying his own jet when it crashed last month, killing him and six others, according to a report from investigators.

The preliminary report from the National Transportation Safety Board also concluded that while an experienced pilot was at the controls, the person sitting in the right seat wasn’t quali ed to be the copilot. Bi e and the retired airline pilot at the controls, Dennis Dutton, and his son Jack, who were all licensed pilots, noticed problems with gauges malfunctioning on the Cessna C550 before it crashed while trying to return to the Statesville Regional Airport.

The plane erupted into a large re when it hit the ground about a third of a mile from the airport’s runway.

The NTSB made clear that Jack Dutton was sitting in the copilot seat. Neither Jack Dutton nor Bi e had the right en-

NELL REDMOND / AP PHOTO

family in Charlotte.

dorsement on their pilot’s licenses to serve as a copilot on that plane, and the younger Dutton had only about 175 hours of ying experience. Aviation safety consultant Je Guzzetti, who used to investigate crashes for both the NTSB and Federal Aviation Administration, said he believes the lack of an experienced copilot may have

been a key factor in the crash.

“This airplane requires two trained pilots, and if things go wrong and you don’t have a trained pilot, then bad things can happen,” Guzzetti said. “The airplane might have been able to be landed safely if there were two quali ed pilots up front.”

The report said that a thrust reverser indicator light wasn’t

Consecutive years that LeBron James has made the All-Star team, a record

Stephen Curry, the Lakers’ Luka Doncic, Oklahoma City’s Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Denver’s Nikola Jokic and San Antonio’s Victor Wembanyama.

Antetokounmpo will miss a few weeks with a calf injury, so it would seem unlikely that he plays. Silver would pick a replacement for Antetokounmpo if he pulls out. Brown, Cunningham, Maxey, Brunson and Curry would gure to be part of the two U.S. teams. Doncic, Gilgeous-Alexander, Jokic and Wembanyama

working before takeo , but after the plane got into the air, the pilot’s altimeter and some other instruments weren’t working on the left side of the cockpit. After that the report said the pilot temporarily transferred control over to the copilot while he tried to troubleshoot the problems.

The cause of the problems with the plane isn’t clear at this stage in the investigation, partly because the cockpit voice recorder cut out at times and NTSB experts have only just begun to dig into what caused the crash.

Over the radio, Jack Dutton announced, “we’re having some problems here” and the cockpit recorder captured part of the conversation between the three pilots about the issues with the plane.

John Cox, who is the CEO of Safety Operating Systems, said he thinks the instrument problems on the plane might have been a bigger factor in the crash than the inexperience of the copilot.

“In the clouds with failing ight instruments is a serious situation,” Cox said.

But the report indicates that the pilots were able to resolve the problems with the gauges before they tried to land back at the airport. The NTSB said that after a few minutes of discussion where Bi e was suggesting possibilities about what was going wrong, the pilot indicated that he had found the problem but didn’t say what it was. At that point, the audio in the cockpit recorder returned to normal, and there was no further discussion of instrument problems before the crash.

The “starter” designation is a bit of a misnomer, since there will be at least 15 players who start for the three teams. By NBA rule, 10 players are chosen as o cial starters and the 14 others will be listed as reserves.

Coaches

Detroit’s J.B. Bickersta will coach one of the All-Star teams. Either San Antonio’s Mitch Johnson or Denver’s David Adelman will coach another — that will be decided by results of games on Sunday — and the NBA has not revealed how the coach of the third team will be decided. Bickersta earned his nod because the Pistons lead the Eastern Conference. Johnson or Adelman will go by having the best record in the Western Conference among eligible coaches; Oklahoma City’s Mark Daigneault coaches the team with the West’s best record, but he cannot coach the All-Star Game this year because he coached at the event last season.

“This airplane requires two trained pilots, and if things go wrong and you don’t have a trained pilot, then bad things can happen.”

Je Guzzetti, aviation safety consultant

It’s not clear why the plane came in so low and slow that it clipped two poles of landing lights before it crashed. Investigators discovered the throttle in the full forward position when they examined the wreckage. Guzzetti said that suggests the pilot may have realized the plane was too low and tried to pull up and maybe even go around.

Bi e’s wife, Cristina, and children Ryder, 5, and Emma, 14, were killed in the crash along with his friend, Craig Wadsworth.

The jet had departed Statesville Regional Airport about 10 minutes before it crashed while trying to return and land. Every indication is that the plane needed to land quickly because of the problems, so it wouldn’t have been a good option to y to Charlotte.

The plane’s speed and altitude uctuated signi cantly during the brief ight. At one point, the plane quickly soared from 1,800 feet up to 4,000 feet before descending again. Just before the crash, it was only a couple of hundred feet o the ground.

Alcaraz becomes youngest man to complete a career Grand Slam;

is calendar Slam next?

The 22-year-old denied Novak Djokovic a 25th Grand Slam title

By John Pye The Associated Press

MELBOURNE, Australia

— Carlos Alcaraz had Novak Djokovic across the net from him and Rafael Nadal watching from above in Rod Laver Arena.

His inspiration, and his idol. Alcaraz had visions of this as a kid — not entirely long ago, in the scheme of things — so there was no better time to show them what he’d learned from watching the two all-time greats, or borrowed from their aura.

He had a comeback, four-set win over Djokovic and walked away from the Australian Open nal Sunday as the youngest man ever to complete a career Grand Slam — that’s winning all four of the tennis majors.

At 22 and 272 days of age, he’s considerably younger than Nadal (24) and Djokovic (29) were when they achieved that milestone, lowering a mark that Don Budge set in 1938 when he was a couple of days shy of his 23rd birthday.

No sooner had he completed the career Slam — adding his rst victory in Australia to his two each at Wimbledon, Roland Garros and the U.S. Open — than the question was posed about a run at the calendar Grand Slam. That’s all four major titles in one season, something no man has achieved since Rod Laver in 1969.

“Those are big words, to be honest,” said Alcaraz, the two-time defending champion at Roland Garros. “You know, I just want it to be one at a time. Right now next one is French Open. I have great memories in that tournament. I feel really special every time that I go there.

“I don’t want to put myself in a really pressure position to have to do it, but you know, it’s going to be great. Right now I will try to be ready ... to play a good tournament in the next Grand Slam.”

A set down after Djokovic’s opening salvo, Alcaraz channeled the legends and changed up his game to upset the rhythm. It worked. He’s now the only man to capture sev-

Cheyenne Bramhall

“Every year that I came here to Australia I was thinking about getting the trophy (but) couldn’t go further than quarter nals.”

Carlos Alcaraz

en major titles before his 23rd birthday.

Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner have dominated the majors since Djokovic won the last of his 24 Grand Slam titles at the 2023 U.S. Open, with one or the other winning the last nine.

Sinner was aiming for a third consecutive title in Australia, but lost in ve sets to 10 -time Australian champion Djokovic in the semi nals.

There were many who questioned the decision when Alcaraz and longtime coach Juan Carlos Ferrero parted ways after the young Spaniard won the last U.S. Open, and who doubted his chances of being ready to win a rst title in Australia.

Samuel Lopez stepped up to head the team, and Alcaraz admitted the pre-season had been “a roller coaster for me emotionally.”

“A lot of people were having doubts about my level in this tournament,” he said. “Every year that I came here to Australia I was thinking about getting

the trophy (but) couldn’t go further than quarter nals.”

In 2026, he said he arrived at Melbourne Park “hungry for more, ambitious for getting the trophy, and being strong mentally enough, not hearing anything or any words” from critics.

“And then just playing good tennis in this tournament means a lot, means the world to me,” he said, “and it is a dream come true for me.”

With his latest bid for an unprecedented 25th Grand Slam singles title stymied, Djokovic could at least joke about the 16-year age gap between himself and Alcaraz.

“Well, rst time I played him, he was, what, 11 or 12 years old?” he said, smiling. “No, he was, I think, 18 or 19. You could already see that he’s destined for great things.

“He has improved physically, mentally, game-wise. I mean, he’s constantly looking to innovate himself and his game, which is exactly the kind of mentality that needs to be nurtured for a champion.”

Asked about the potential for Alcaraz to be ranked among the greats of the sport, Djokovic said the career Grand Slam is “a testament to his already stellar career.”

“Of course, already a legendary tennis player that made already a huge mark in the history books of tennis,” he added. “Everything is possible in his case, no question about it.”

West Stanly, wrestling

Cheyenne Bramhall is a senior on the West Stanly wrestling team. Bramhall has had a dominant senior season. She picked up her 100th career win in December and has strung together rst-place nishes at the Phillip Reed Rumble, the RJ Reynolds Holiday Invitational and the West Stanly Duels (where she also picked up the overall outstanding wrestling award).

Bramhall was named all-conference last week, one of seven West Stanly grapplers to get that honor. She now eyes the regional and state tournaments.

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

Weekly deadline is Monday at noon

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NOTICE NORTH CAROLINA, STANLY COUNTY. IN THE GENERAL COURT OF JUSTICE SUPERIOR COURT DIVISION BEFORE THE CLERK 25SP000172-830

MAZEL JERRILENE BARLEY, EXECUTRIX OF THE ESTATE OF BARBARA ANN WHITLEY, AND MAZEL JERRILENE BARLEY, INDIVIDUALLY Petitioner, Vs. NORTH CAROLINA DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES DIVISION OF HEALTH BENEFITS AND JEWELL WHITLEY BARBEE

Respondents NOTICE OF SALE OF REAL PROPERTY Pursuant to an order of the Honorable Ginger D.F. E rd, Clerk of Superior Court of Stanly County, North Carolina, entered on the 15th day of January, 2026 in the special proceeding entitled Mazel Jerrilene Barley Executrix of the Estate of Barbara Ann Whitley, Petitioner, vs North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services Division of Health Bene ts and Jewell Whitley Barbee, Respondents, 25SP000172-830 who by said Order was appointed Commissioner to sell the lands described in the petition will o er for sale to the highest bidder at public auction on the 19th day of February, 2026 at 10:00 AM at the courthouse door in Albemarle, Stanly County, North Carolina that certain parcel or tract of land lying and being in County of Stanly, State of North Carolina and being more particularly described as follows: BEING all of Lot Three (3), Block 3, Ross Hills Subdivision, as shown on a map thereof recorded in Plat Book 4 at page 9, in the O ce of the Register of Deeds for Stanly County, North Carolina, to which plat reference is hereby made for a more complete description thereof by metes and bounds. This conveyance is made subject to the Restrictive Covenants as set forth in Deed Book 190, at page 371, Stanly County Registry. The foregoing real property has a physical address of 1602 Ross Drive, Albemarle, North Carolina 28001. There is situated on the aforesaid real property a single-family residence having three bedrooms and one bathroom. The sale shall be made subject to all unpaid ad valorem taxes, liens, easements and restrictions of record. The sale will be made to the highest bidder for cash. The high bidder must deposit with the Clerk of Superior Court ve (5) percent of the high bid or $750.00, whichever amount is greater as by law required. The sale shall remain open for ten (10) days for a raised bid as by law required and the nal bid will be subject to the con rmation of the court. Any further announcements shall be made at the sale.

Mazel Jerrilene Barley 4301 Kinview Drive Archdale, NC 27623 James A. Phillips, Jr. Attorney for Mazel Jerrilene Barley Executor of the Estate of Barbara Ann Whitley P.O. Box 1162 117 W. North Street Albemarle, NC 28002

704-983-2709

Publish: February 8, 15, 2026 Posted on: January _____, 2026

NOTICE TO CREDITORS

The undersigned has quali ed as Executor of the Estate of ALVIN MILLER CHAPMAN, deceased, late of Stanly County, North Carolina (Stanly County File Number 26E000012-830). This is to notify all persons, rms and corporations having claims against said decedent or his estate to present the same duly itemized and veri ed to the undersigned Executor or his Attorney on or before the 20th day of April 2026, or this Notice will be pleaded in bar of their recovery. All persons, rms and corporations indebted to the decedent or to his estate are hereby requested to pay the said indebtedness to the undersigned Executor or his attorney. This the 13th day of January 2026.

RUEL HALL CHAPMAN, II Executor ESTATE OF ALVIN MILLER CHAPMAN PO Box 25611 Charlotte, NC 28229 CHARLES P. BROWN BROWN & SENTER, P.L.L.C. PO Box 400 Albemarle, North Carolina 280020400 Telephone: 704 982-2141 Facsimile: 704 982-0902 PUBLISH: January 18, 25, February 1, 8, 2026

NOTICE TO CREDITORS

NORTH CAROLINA STANLY COUNTY In the General Court of Justice Superior Court Clerk Before the Clerk 25E000664-830 Having quali ed as Executor of the Estate of JILL S. TURNER, deceased, late of Stanly County, North Carolina, this is to notify all persons, rms and corporations having claims against the Estate of said deceased to exhibit them to the undersigned on or before May 1, 2026, or this Notice will be pleaded in bar of their recovery. All persons indebted to said Estate please make immediate payment. This the 31st day of January, 2026. MARK T. LOWDER EXECUTOR OF THE ESTATE OF

May 1st, 2026, or this Notice will be pleaded in bar of their recovery. All persons indebted to said Estate please make immediate payment. This the 28th day of January, 2026. MORGAN H. BOWERS ADMINISTRATRIX FOR THE ESTATE OF PHILLIP CURT HOWELL MARK T. LOWDER ATTORNEY AT LAW PO Box 1284 Albemarle, NC 28002 Telephone (704) 982-8558 Publish: February 1, 8, 15, and 22, 2026

NOTICE NORTH CAROLINA, IN THE GENERAL

Vance says Olympic Games ‘one of the few things’ that unites Americans

The opening ceremony was held Friday in Italy

By Michelle L. Price

The Associated Press

MILAN — U.S. Vice President JD Vance arrived in Milan with his family Thursday, telling U.S. athletes competing in the Milan Cortina Winter Games that the competition “is one of the few things that unites the entire country” before taking his family to a hockey game. It’s the rst stop for Vance on a trip combining diplomacy and sports. He is leading U.S. President Donald Trump’s delegation to the 2026 Winter Olympics and later stopping in Armenia and Azerbaijan in a show of support for a peace agreement brokered by the White House last year.

Vance and his family entered part-way through the rst period of the preliminary round game between the U.S. women’s hockey team and the Czech Republic at the Milano Rho Ice Hockey Arena on Thursday. He stood to applaud when Alex Carpenter scored the rst goal of the game for the U.S.

The vice president earlier told athletes the trip is a highlight of his time in o ce. “The whole country — Democrat, Republican, independent — we’re all rooting for you and we’re cheering for you,” Vance said.

The weeklong trip may be one of only a few international trips Vance makes this year. Trump and his Cabinet members are taking a tighter focus on domestic issues — and domestic travel — heading into the November midterm elections, White House Chief of Sta Susie Wiles said last month.

At the opening ceremony for the Games on Friday, the vice president will lead a U.S. delegation that includes his wife, second lady Usha Vance, Secretary of State Marco Rubio and U.S. Ambassador to Italy Tilman Fertitta. Former Olympic gold medalists will also be in the delegation, including hockey player sisters Jocelyne Lamoureux-Davidson and Monique Lamoureux-Morando; speedskater Apolo Ohno and gure skater Evan Lysacek. Vance said his wife “is not

a sports fan” but “obsessively makes us watch the Olympics” every two years, citing that as evidence of the way the competition “really brings the country together. Everybody is rooting for you guys and everybody’s cheering for you.”

Vance is following in the footsteps of former vice presidents Joe Biden who attended the Winter Olympics in Vancouver in 2010 and Mike Pence who traveled to Pyeongchang, Korea, in 2018. Former Vice President Kamala Harris did not attend the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing because the Biden administration did not send any diplomatic o cials as a boycott over human rights concerns.

After the Olympics:

Armenia and Azerbaijan

After Italy, Vance plans to head to Armenia and Azerbaijan, where Trump has tasked him with building on a deal aimed at ending four decades of con ict between the two countries.

The peace agreement boosts the position of the U.S. in the region at a time when Russia’s in uence is declining. The two former Soviet republics, Armenia and Azerbaijan, agreed under the deal to reopen key transportation routes and bolster cooperation with the United States in energy, technology and the economy. The deal also calls for the creation of a major transit corridor dubbed the Trump Route for International Peace and Prosperity. It is expected to connect Azerbai-

NORTH CAROLINA STANLY COUNTY IN THE GENERAL COURT OF JUSTICE SUPERIOR COURT DIVISION BEFORE THE CLERK FILE NO. 26E000018-830 NOTICE TO CREDITORS Having quali ed as EXECUTRIX of the estate of REECE VANCE DEESE, deceased, of Stanly County, North Carolina, This is to notify all persons having claims against the Estate of said REECE VANCE DEESE to present them to the undersigned on or before, May 3, 2026, or the same will be pleaded in bar of their recovery. All persons indebted to said Estate please make immediate payment. This 1st day of February 2026. Teresa D. Piner 600 Beautyberry Lane Wendell, North Carolina 27591 Executrix NOTICE

NORTH CAROLINA, IN THE GENERAL COURT OF JUSTICE STANLY COUNTY SUPERIOR COURT DIVISION BEFORE THE CLERK

25E000362-830 NOTICE TO CREDITORS The undersigned, having duly quali ed as Administrator of the Estate of Craig William Huneycutt, Jr. a/k/a Craig William Huneycutt, deceased, late of Stanly County, North Carolina, is hereby notifying all persons, rms, or corporations having claims against said decedent, or his estate, to present the same to the undersigned Administrator, duly itemized and veri ed on or before the 18th day of April, 2026, or this notice will be pleaded in bar of their recovery. All persons indebted to the said decedent are hereby requested to pay the said indebtedness to the undersigned Administrator. This the 8th day of January, 2026.

Joy T. Huneycutt Administrator of the Estate of Craig William Huneycutt, Jr. a/k/a Craig William Huneycutt 535 Marlbrook Drive Albemarle, NC 28001

PUBLISH: January 18, 25, February 1, 8, 2026

James A. Phillips, Jr.

Attorney for the Estate

P.O. Box 1162 117 W. North Street Albemarle, NC 28002-1162

NOTICE

NORTH CAROLINA STANLY COUNTY IN THE GENERAL COURT OF JUSTICE SUPERIOR COURT DIVISION BEFORE THE CLERK FILE NO. 26E000024-830 NOTICE TO CREDITORS Having quali ed as Executor of the estate of Geraldine Crisco Causby, deceased, of Stanly County, North Carolina, this is to notify all persons having claims against the Estate of said Geraldine Crisco Causby to present them to the undersigned on or before April 26, 2026 or the same will be pleaded in bar of their recovery. All persons indebted to said Estate please make immediate payment.

This the 25th day of January 2026. Jane M. Myers 1407 Northridge Drive Albemarle, NC 28001 Executor

NOTICE

NORTH CAROLINA, STANLY COUNTY

IN THE GENERAL COURT OF JUSTICE SUPERIOR COURT DIVISION BEFORE THE CLERK 26E000005-830 NOTICE TO CREDITORS

The undersigned, having duly quali ed as Executor of the estate of Peggy Harkey Branch, deceased, late of Stanly County, North Carolina, is hereby notifying all persons, rms, or corporations having claims against said decedent, or her estate, to present the same to the undersigned Executor, duly itemized and veri ed on or before the 18th day of April, 2026, or this notice will be pleaded in bar of their recovery. All persons indebted to the said decedent are hereby requested to pay the said indebtedness to the undersigned Executor. This the 13th day of January, 2026.

Troy Bowers Branch Executor of the Estate of Peggy Harkey Branch 427 Eastwood Drive Salisbury, NC 28146

PUBLISH: January 18, 25, February 1, 8, 2026.

James A. Phillips, Jr. Attorney for the Estate P.O. Box 1162 117 W. North Street Albemarle, NC 28002-1162

jan and its autonomous Nakhchivan exclave, which are separated by a 20 -mile-wide patch of Armenian territory.

Vance’s mission on the trip to further the peace e ort is similar to an assignment he took on in October, when he traveled to Israel weeks after a ceasere was negotiated in its war with Hamas in Gaza, reiterating the Trump administra-

“The whole country — Democrat, Republican, independent — we’re all rooting for you and we’re cheering for you.”

Vice President JD Vance

tion’s commitment to the e ort.

In addition to the Israel stop last year, Vance made trips to France, Germany, Greenland, India and the U.K. He twice visited Italy, meeting Pope Francis before his death, and later, his successor Pope Leo XIV.

Vice presidents sometimes take the road less traveled

While presidents focus their foreign travel on meetings with some of the U.S.’s biggest allies, vice presidents often are called on to make trips a little o the beaten path. Biden, for example, went to Mongolia in 2011, where he tried some archery and was gifted a horse. In 2017, Pence visited Estonia, Georgia and Montenegro, where he afrmed support for NATO, along with participating in symbolic diplomacy with the planting of an oak tree.

For vice presidents, foreign trips are partly “a function of what the president likes to do — and not like to do,” said Marc Short, who was chief of sta to Pence during Trump’s rst term.

Sometimes, trips can include unexpected elements, such as Pence’s 2018 trip to the East Asia Summit in Singapore that included an informal meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Short also recalled a 2019 trip to Poland where Pence was called to ll in for the president who stayed home to monitor Hurricane Dorian. That trip involved a meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

“The reality, obviously, is the president has a lot of other responsibilities,” Short said. “So it’s often important that the United States be represented by the highest o cial available. In many cases, that’s just the vice president.”

NORTH CAROLINA, STANLY COUNTY

NOTICE

IN THE GENERAL COURT OF JUSTICE

SUPERIOR COURT DIVISION BEFORE THE CLERK

26E000043-830

NOTICE TO CREDITORS

The undersigned, having duly quali ed as Administrator of the Estate of Bobby Allen E rd, deceased, late of Stanly County, North Carolina, is hereby notifying all persons, rms, or corporations having claims against said decedent, or his estate, to present the same to the undersigned Administrator, duly itemized and veri ed on or before the 8th day of May, 2026, or this notice will be pleaded in bar of their recovery. All persons indebted to the said decedent are hereby requested to pay the said indebtedness to the undersigned Administrator. This the 4th day of February, 2026.

Je rey Richard E rd Administrator of the Estate of Bobby Allen E rd 613 Pope Street Norwood, NC 28128

PUBLISH: February 8, 15, 22, March 1, 2026

James A. Phillips, Jr. Attorney for the Estate P.O. Box 1162 117 W. North Street Albemarle, NC 28002-1162

NOTICE

NORTH CAROLINA, IN THE GENERAL COURT OF JUSTICE STANLY COUNTY SUPERIOR COURT DIVISION BEFORE THE CLERK 26E000016-830 NOTICE TO CREDITORS

The undersigned, having duly quali ed as Executrix of the Estate of Vann L. Perry, deceased, late of Stanly County, North Carolina, is hereby notifying all persons, rms, or corporations having claims against said decedent, or her estate, to present the same to the undersigned Executrix, duly itemized and veri ed on or before the 1st day of May, 2026, or this notice will be pleaded in bar of their recovery. All persons indebted to the said decedent are hereby requested to pay the said indebtedness

famous birthdays this week

John Grisham turns 71, Tina Louise (“Gilligan’s Island”) turns 92, Judy Blume is 88

THESE CELEBRITIES have birthdays this week.

FEB. 8

Composer- conductor John Williams is 94. Broadcast journalist Ted Koppel is 86. Actor Nick Nolte is 85. Comedian Robert Klein is 84. Actor-rock musician Creed Bratton is 83. Actor Mary Steenburgen is 73. Author John Grisham is 71.

FEB. 9

Artist Gerhard Richter is 94. Nobel Prize -winning author J.M. Coetzee is 86. Singer-songwriter Carole King is 84. Actor Joe Pesci is 83. Nobel Prize -winning economist Joseph Stiglitz is 83. Author Alice Walker is 82. Actor Mia Farrow is 81.

FEB. 10

Opera singer Leontyne Price is 99. Actor Robert Wagner is 96. Olympic swimming gold medalist Mark Spitz is 76. Golf Hall of Famer Greg Norman is 71. Basketball Hall of Fame coach John Calipari is 67. Filmmaker Alexander Payne is 65. TV host-political commentator George Stephanopoulos is 65. Actor Laura Dern is 59.

FEB. 11

Actor Tina Louise (“Gilligan’s Island”) is 92. Musician Sergio Mendes is 85. Actor Philip Anglim (“The Thorn Birds”) is 74. Singer Sheryl Crow is 64. Actor Jennifer Aniston is 57.

FEB. 12

Film director Costa- Gavras is 93. Author Judy Blume is 88. Former Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak is 84. Country singer Moe Bandy is 82. Musician Michael McDonald is 74. Actor-talk show host Arsenio Hall is 70. Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh is 61.

FEB. 13

Actor Kim Novak is 93. Actor Stockard Channing is 82. Democratic Sen. Richard Blumenthal of Connecticut is 80. Basketball Hall of Fame coach Mike Krzyzewski is 79. Musician Peter Gabriel is 76. Musician Peter Hook is 70. Singer-writer Henry Rollins is 65.

JOHN LOCHER / AP PHOTO

Monday.

SIMONE QUATTROCIOCCHI VIA WIKIPEDIA Saxophonist Maceo Parker, a Kinston native and longtime member of James Brown’s backing band, the J.B.’s, turns 83 on Saturday.

EVAN AGOSTINI / INVISION / AP PHOTO

Mia Farrow arrives at the 78th Tony Awards on June 8, 2025, at Radio City Music Hall in New York. The actor turns 81 on Monday.

EVAN AGOSTINI / INVISION / AP PHOTO

Michael McDonald, musician and founding member of the Doobie Brothers, turns 74 on Thursday.

FEB. 14

Former New York City mayor and businessman Michael Bloomberg is 84. Saxophonist Maceo Parker is 83. Journalist Carl Bernstein is 82. Magician Teller (Penn and Teller) is 78. Opera singer Renée Fleming is 67. Actor Meg Tilly is 66.

Springsteen sings out against Trump in ‘Streets of Minneapolis’

“The Boss” has been an outspoken voice against the president since his rst term

By Mark Kennedy The Associated Press

BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN is dedicating his new song to the people of Minneapolis, criticizing President Donald Trump’s ongoing immigration enforcement operations in the city.

The lyrics of “Streets of Minneapolis,” released Wednesday, describe how “a city a ame fought re and ice ‘neath an occupier’s boots,” which Springsteen calls “King Trump’s private army.”

Springsteen in a statement said he wrote and recorded the song over the weekend and released it in response to a second deadly shooting by federal immigration agents in Minneapolis.

“It’s dedicated to the people of Minneapolis, our innocent immigrant neighbors and in memory of Alex Pretti and Renee Good,” he wrote, naming the two victims.

Abigail Jackson, a White House spokesperson, respond-

In

‘A Poet,’ Colombian farce of literary failure, stubborn belief

The Spanish-language lm is now in theaters with English subtitles

By Jake Coyle The Associated Press

IN SIMÓN MESA Soto’s “A Poet,” Oscar Restrepo (Ubeimar Rios) is a failed Colombian writer who keeps a photo of the author José Asunción Silva above his mantle. Silva died at age 30, and even Oscar would admit his own career would be a lot better if he had died young, too.

Mid-aged in Medellín, Oscar is unemployed, divorced and living with his mother (Margarita Soto). His case isn’t one of misunderstood genius, either. Oscar is prone to self-made disaster. A more successful friend, Efrain (Guillermo Cardona), calls him “a walking problem.”

“You’re a poem,” Efrain tells him. “A pretty sad one.”

But in the pantheon of sad-sack protagonists, Oscar is a triumph. Rios, a nonprofessional actor who squints behind thick glasses and whose arms hang stubbornly low from his hunched shoulders, creates in Oscar a gure of farcical perfection: a tortured artist, equal parts comedy and tragedy.

There’s little that’s lyrical

or beautiful about Oscar’s life. This is a guy who, on a rare visit to his teenage daughter (Alisson Correa), asks if he can borrow $10. At the same time, Oscar is a stout believer in the grandest ideals of art. Give him a drink, or a microphone, and he’ll soon be rhapsodizing about the power of “poesía.” For someone one step from the gutter, he’s comically high minded. But it’s been decades since he was published. He declares: “I’m a poet.” His sister corrects: “You’re unemployed.” Yet Oscar manages to land a job teaching at a local high school. The students mostly laugh at him, but Oscar believes one, a soft-spoken young woman named Yurlady (Rebeca Andrade), shows tremendous potential.

Yurlady, herself, doesn’t have any real literary ambitions. But Oscar, resolving to mentor her, helps her apply to Poetry Viva, a workshop for young writers run by Efrain, a smooth talker acclaimed for his social issues writing. He’s the central foil to Oscar — a pompous but savvy achiever who urges Yurlady not to submit her simple from-the-heart poems but something about racism or poverty that will win over liberal-minded European judges. In this, Soto’s lm is an iron-

“You’re a poem. A pretty sad one.”

Guillermo Cardona as Efrain

ic allegory about art worlds beyond poetry. “A Poet” premiered at last year’s Cannes Film Festival, winning an award in the Un Certain Regard section. Soto rst broke out in Cannes with a prize-winning short in 2014. In the intervening years, as a Colombian lmmaker, he’s surely encountered some stereotypical expectations. But while “A Poet” might remind you of some other lms — one would be Cord Je erson’s “American Fiction” — it is, like Oscar, steadfastly its own thing. Filmed on grainy 16mm, it’s even rough and dirty around the edges, as if the movie is wearing its protagonist’s clothes. But if Soto’s lm is loose and gritty, its satire is remarkably precise. This is a farce of creative life where the only pure artistic intention is a joke. Success belongs to hypocrites like Efrain. Yurlady’s working class family sees only a chance for money. But Oscar, for all his foolishness, is at least uncompromising. He’s wrong about almost everything, except what really counts.

ed: “The Trump Administration is focused on encouraging state and local Democrats to work with federal law enforcement ofcers on removing dangerous criminal illegal aliens from their communities — not random songs with irrelevant opinions and inaccurate information.”

Springsteen’s slow-burning song builds from just acoustic guitar and voice to a fuller band tune, including a harmonica solo, and ends with chants of “ICE Out!”

“Oh, our Minneapolis, I hear your voice,” The Boss sings. “Singing through the bloody mist/We’ll take our stand for this land/And the stranger in our midst.”

The title echoes Springsteen’s “Streets of Philadelphia,” which served as a title song for the Tom Hanks-led 1993 lm “Philadelphia.” His song comes on the heels of English singer-songwriter Billy Bragg’s own “City of Heroes,” which the protest singer wrote Sunday and released the next day. Bragg said in a statement that the song was inspired by Pretti’s killing and centers “the bravery of the people of Minneapolis.” Springsteen has long been

in October 2025.

“Oh, our Minneapolis, I hear your voice/ singing through the bloody mist/We’ll take our stand for this land/And the stranger in our midst.”

Bruce Springsteen

critical of the president, who in turn has called the rock icon “overrated.” They last publicly clashed last year, when Springsteen on tour in England told his audience that America “is

currently in the hands of a corrupt, incompetent and treasonous administration.” Trump responded by calling Springsteen a “dried out prune of a rocker.” In related news, Minneapolis’

First Avenue venue will host on Friday the bene t “A Concert of Solidarity & Resistance to Defend Minnesota,” featuring Tom Morello, Rise Against, Al Di Meola and Ike Reilly. All proceeds will go to the families of Good and Pretti.

“We are coming to Minneapolis where the people have heroically stood up against ICE, stood up against Trump, stood up against this terrible rising tide of state terror,” Morello said in a statement.

this week in history

Mary, Queen of Scots, beheaded, Beatles on Ed Sullivan, Dresden rebombed

FEB. 8

1587: Mary, Queen of Scots, was beheaded at Fotheringhay Castle in England after being implicated in a plot against her cousin, Queen Elizabeth I.

1693: A charter was granted for the College of William and Mary in Williamsburg in the Virginia Colony.

1910: The Boy Scouts of America was incorporated by William D. Boyce, inspired by the British Boy Scout movement.

FEB. 9

1825: The House of Representatives elected John Quincy Adams president after no candidate won a majority of electoral votes.

1943: The World War II Battle of Guadalcanal in the southwest Paci c ended with an Allied victory over Japanese forces.

1950: In a speech in Wheeling, West Virginia, Republican Sen. Joseph McCarthy of Wisconsin charged that the State Department was riddled with communists.

1964: The Beatles made their rst live American television appearance on “The Ed Sullivan Show,” broadcast from New York on CBS.

FEB. 10

1763: The Treaty of Paris was signed, ending the Seven Years’ War and transferring most of France’s Canadian territory to Great Britain.

1936: Nazi Germany’s Reichstag passed a law granting the Gestapo secret police sweeping authority, exempt from judicial review.

1962: On the Glienicke Bridge, the Soviet Union traded captured U-2 pilot Francis Gary Powers for Soviet spy Rudolf Abel.

FEB. 11

1847: American inventor Thomas Alva Edison was born in Milan, Ohio.

1937: A six-week sit-down strike against Gener-

al Motors ended after the company agreed to recognize and bargain with the United Auto Workers.

1975: Margaret Thatcher was elected leader of Britain’s opposition Conservative Party, setting the stage for her rise to prime minister in 1979.

FEB. 12

1554: Lady Jane Grey, who claimed the English throne for nine days, and her husband, Guildford Dudley, were beheaded after being convicted of high treason.

1809: Abraham Lincoln, the 16th president of the United States, was born in a log cabin at Sinking Spring Farm near Hodgenville, Kentucky.

1909: The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People was founded in New York City.

FEB. 13

1945: Allied forces in World War II began a three-day bombing raid on Dresden, Germany, killing as many as 25,000 people and triggering a restorm that swept through the city center. 1935: A jury in Fleming-

Mary, Queen of Scots, was beheaded by executioner’s ax on Feb. 8, 1587, at in England following her alleged involvement in a plot against Queen Elizabeth I.

ton, New Jersey, found Bruno Richard Hauptmann guilty of rst- degree murder in the kidnap -slaying of Charles A. Lindbergh Jr., the 20 -month-old son of Charles and Anne Morrow Lindbergh. (Hauptmann was executed the following year.)

1965: During the Vietnam War, President Lyndon B. Johnson authorized Operation Rolling Thunder, an extended bombing campaign against the North Vietnamese.

FEB. 14

1779: English explorer James Cook was killed on the island of Hawaii during a confrontation after Cook’s attempt to kidnap Hawaiian monarch Kalaniʻōpuʻu as leverage to recover a boat stolen from one of Cook’s ships.

1876: Inventors Alexander Graham Bell and Elisha Gray applied separately for patents related to the telephone. (The U.S. Supreme Court eventually ruled Bell the rightful inventor.)

1929: The “St. Valentine’s Day Massacre” took place in a Chicago garage as seven rivals of Al Capone’s gang were gunned down.