VOLUME 146 ISSUE 18 | WEDNESDAY, MARCH 4, 2026 | STANLYNEWSJOURNAL.COM
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Stanly NewS Journal THE STANLY COUNTY EDITION OF NORTH STATE JOURNAL
WHAT’S HAPPENING Father who gave gun to Ga. school shooting suspect as gift guilty of 2nd-degree murder A Georgia man who gave his teenage son the gun he’s accused of using to kill two students and two teachers at a high school has been convicted of second-degree murder and involuntary manslaughter. Colin Gray also was found guilty Tuesday of all other charges in the September 2024 shooting at Apalachee High School in Winder, northeast of Atlanta. Gray is one of a number of parents prosecuted after their children were accused in fatal shootings. Prosecutors said he gave his son access to a gun and ammunition despite “sufficient warning that Colt Gray would harm and endanger” other people.
Noem blames “violent protesters” for Minneapolis chaos under tough questioning Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem defended her agency in testimony and under questioning at a Senate Judiciary hearing Tuesday. It was her first congressional hearing since two protesters were killed in Minneapolis by Homeland Security officers in January. Noem’s department sent hundreds of officers to Minnesota. Protesters marched and tracked enforcement activity. An ICE officer shot Renee Good, while Border Protection officers shot Alex Pretti. The deaths led to demands for accountability. At the hearing, Noem blamed “violent protesters” for contributing to the chaos officers encountered.
Supreme Court blocks law against schools outing transgender students The Supreme Court is clearing the way for California schools to tell parents if their children identify as transgender without getting the student’s approval, granting an emergency appeal from a conservative legal group. The Monday order blocks for now a state law that bans automatic parental notification requirements. Religious parents and educators challenged California policies aimed at preventing schools from outing children to their families. The parents say schools misled them and facilitated social transition despite their objections. The state said students have the right to privacy.
Spring will sprung
With clocks moving forward this weekend for daylight saving time, it’s a reminder to get your boats and fishing gear ready for warmer weather. Tuckertown Reservoir, pictured early Monday, won’t look this empty again for quite a while.
Albemarle Fire Department earns Class 2 fire rating Better ISO ratings translate to lower home insurance prices By Jesse Deal Stanly News Journal
COURTESY CITY OF ALBEMARLE
North Carolina State Fire Marshal Brian Taylor presented the Albemarle Fire Department with a new fire district rating Monday night.
ALBEMARLE — The Albemarle Fire Department has earned a new Class 2 insurance rating, placing it among the top 5% of fire departments nationwide. On Monday night, North Carolina State Fire Marshal Brian Taylor presented the designation during the Albemarle City Council meeting, revealing the department’s improved Insurance Services Office rating. See RATING, page A4
Set your weekend plans and see what new movies, TV shows, music and video games are debuting online this week in The Stream on page B5.
“The area that we’re going to repave is pretty significant.”
Stanly County to provide $122,201 match By Jesse Deal Stanly News Journal ALBEMARLE — The Stanly County Board of Commissioners unanimously approved a $122,201 funding match Monday night to move forward with a $1.25 million pavement rehabilitation project at Stanly County Airport. The project calls for improvements to the airport’s apron and taxilane, areas that Airport Director Randy
Shank said are in need of repair due to aging asphalt and vegetation growing through existing cracks. “The area that we’re going to repave is pretty significant,” Shank told commissioners during his agenda presentation, noting that he’s been spraying an herbicide product on the pavement. “It looks pretty bad if the weeds get going on.” The total cost of the project is $1,251,291. Funding will come from three separate grants that See PROJECT, page A5
Now Serving Cabarrus, Stanly & Montgomery Counties LOCATIONS
• Albemarle-West/ Coble Ave. • Albemarle-East/ Anderson Rd. • North Oakboro/ Red Cross Rd. • South Oakboro/ Rocky River Rd. • Mt. Pleasant • Biscoe • Locust
The rating is issued by Verisk’s ISO, which evaluates fire departments and their surrounding communities. Scores are based on fire department performance (50%), water infrastructure (40%) and 911 communications (10%). “I am very proud to be here before you today to announce that the Albemarle Fire Department has now reached the rating of a Class 2,” Taylor told the council. “Class 1 is the best rating. It goes from a 1 to a 10, with 10 being a nonrated fire department. Out of almost 30,000 fire departments across this U.S., there’s only 5% of departments in the U.S. that have a Class 2 rating. Class 1 is only 1% of the fire departments out of those.” Taylor, a former Albemarle fire marshal who later served as senior deputy insurance commissioner for North Carolina, noted that he stood before
Commissioners approve inside airport pavement rehabilitation project
Randy Shank, Stanly County Airport director
$2.00
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