The sun sets over Lake Tillery and the James B. Garrison Bridge, looking southwest from Montgomery County toward Stanly County on March 7. The bridge carries N.C. 24/27/73 across the lake between the two counties.
WHAT’S HAPPENING
Long-serving Democrat
Clyburn of South Carolina to run for 18th term in Congress
Long-serving South Carolina Democrat Jim Clyburn says he’s running for an 18th term in Congress. The 85-year-old Clyburn is one of the oldest Democrats in Washington and the only member of the last Democratic leadership team who’s looking to stick around. He had served as majority whip and assistant Democratic leader. He says he’ll keep going as long as his health holds and his family supports him. He won reelection in 2024 by a wide margin.
Wealthy nations pledge record release of emergency oil reserves in bid to calm prices
The International Energy Agency has agreed to release the largest volume of emergency oil reserves in its history, in a bid to counter the e ects on energy markets of the war in the Middle East. The Paris-based organization said Wednesday that it will make 400 million barrels of oil available from its members’ emergency reserves. It’s a larger stock than the 182.7 million barrels that were released in 2022 by the IEA’s 32 member countries in response to Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine. During a videoconference of G7 leaders Wednesday, French President Emmanuel Macron praised the release, saying it amounts to 20 days of the volume exported through the Strait of Hormuz.
Catalyst grants awarded to 9 downtown Albemarle projects
The grant awards distribute $90,000 in total funding
By Jesse Deal Stanly News Journal
ALBEMARLE — Nine new projects have been selected to receive funding through Albemarle’s Downtown Catalyst Grant Program, a public-private initiative designed to spur redevelopment and investment in the city’s downtown area.
At the Albemarle City Council meeting on March 2, the council revealed the program’s scal year 2025-26 award report containing the latest group of funding recipients.
Established in 2022 through a partnership between Albemarle, Uwharrie Bank and the
Albemarle Downtown Development Corporation, the program serves as an economic development tool aimed at
building rehabilitation and business expansion within the municipal services district.
The FY 2025-26 grant
Tillis to speak at Pfei er University event Friday
Tillis is the featured speaker for the 2026 Eugene I. Earnhardt Speaker Series
By Jesse Deal Stanly News Journal
MISENHEIMER — A United States senator will be visiting Stanly County next week.
Republican U.S. Sen. Thom Tillis will serve as the featured speaker for the 2026 Eugene I. Earnhardt Speaker Series at Pfei er University, the university announced Monday.
The public event is scheduled for Friday from 10-11 a.m. in Pfei er’s Merner Gymnasium at 48380 U.S. Highway 52
N. in Misenheimer. Doors will open at 8 a.m. Large bags and backpacks will not be allowed.
“Pfei er University is honored to welcome Senator Tillis as the 2026 Eugene I. Earnhardt Speaker Series guest,” the university said in a press release. “His experiences in public life and commitment to respectful dialogue promise to inspire meaningful engagement for the campus community and guests.
“Senator Tillis’ long career in public service, bipartisan engagement and leadership on nationally signi cant issues re ects the spirit of the Earnhardt Series, which invites
“Pfei er University is honored to welcome Senator Tillis as the 2026 Eugene I. Earnhardt Speaker Series guest.”
Pfei er University
awards distribute $90,000 in total funding — including $50,000 from the city, $20,000 from Uwharrie Bank and $20,000 from the Albemarle Downtown Development Corporation — and are projected to leverage approximately $560,500 in private investment in downtown Albemarle. Applications for the most recent grant cycle opened this past October, with the seven-member Albemarle Downtown Catalyst Grant Committee meeting on Dec. 1, 2025, to review submissions and determine the funding recipients.
“Out of 13 applicants, we awarded nine grant recipients,” Councilmember Dexter Townsend said. “At this point, eight have actually completed
COURTESY CITY OF ALBEMARLE
The Albemarle City Council unveiled its list of Downtown Catalyst Grant Program award recipients on March 2.
SENIOR
Singing Americans to mark America 250 with free concerts
The Stanly County community choir is now in its 50th year
Stanly News Journal sta
THE SINGING Americans of Stanly County will present “Celebrate 250!,” a pair of free patriotic concerts marking America’s semiquincentennial this summer.
The rst performance is June 21 at 4 p.m. at Grace Baptist Church at 644 Edgemont St. in Albemarle. A second concert follows July 5 at 4 p.m. at Badin Baptist Church at 28 Falls Road in Badin.
The concerts carry a special resonance for the group, which was born out of the na-
tion’s last major birthday celebration. In 1975, as the country prepared for its bicentennial, several Stanly County choral leaders organized singers from area churches to perform a musical called “I Love America.” Close to 100 singers took part in the 1976 performance, and the group kept going — eventually growing to more than 125 members and traveling to perform around the region and in Washington, D.C.
Now in its 50th year, the Singing Americans remain a volunteer community choir directed by Bob Remsburg.
Rehearsals for the 2026 season begin April 13 at 6:30 p.m. at Grace Baptist Church. No auditions are required. Returning members should bring their
music from past performances; new members will receive music at a registration table.
Before rehearsals start, the board will host a meet and greet March 23 at 6:30 p.m. at Grace Baptist Church to review the season’s music selections. New members are always welcome.
Separately, the Stanly County Chorale will also present a patriotic program this spring. Its “America: 250 Years in Song” concerts are April 18 at 7 p.m. at Pfei er University Chapel in Misenheimer and April 19 at 3 p.m. at First Baptist Church in Albemarle. For more information about the Singing Americans, contact Claudette Burris or Remsburg at 704-983-1050.
Here’s a quick look at what’s coming up in and around Stanly County.
March 18
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.
Stanly County Public Library 133 E Main St. Albemarle
March 21
23rd Annual Outdoorsman’s Bonanza
March 2
• Terrell Demond Lewis, 36, was arrested for intentional child abuse in icting serious physical injury, misdemeanor crime of domestic violence and assault on a child under 12.
• Tesha Marie Potter, 38, was arrested for providing ctitious information to an o cer.
• Joshua Millington, 45, was arrested for providing ctitious information to an o cer.
March 3
• Christopher Lamont McRae, 33, was arrested for assault by strangulation, misdemeanor crime of domestic violence and misdemeanor larceny.
March 4
• Marian Denise Hinson, 56, was arrested for exposing a child to a controlled substance and negligent child abuse in icting serious physical injury.
• Joshua Tilton Chabot, 35, was arrested for possession with intent to manufacture, sell or deliver methamphetamine and possession of drug paraphernalia.
March 5
• Joshua Rafael Morales, 35, was arrested for resisting a public o cer, injury to real
property, simple assault and communicating threats.
March 6
• Brandy Sue Tucker, 35, was arrested for possession of a rearm by a felon, conspiracy to tra c in methamphetamine, possession with intent to manufacture, sell or deliver methamphetamine, maintaining a vehicle, dwelling or place for a controlled substance, conspiracy to sell or deliver a controlled substance, felony possession of a controlled substance and possession of drug paraphernalia.
March 7
• Michael Lee Lowder, 55, was arrested for possession with intent to manufacture, sell or deliver a controlled substance and maintaining a vehicle, dwelling or place for a controlled substance.
March 8
• Ronaldo Andres Olivares Hernandez, 31, was arrested for larceny of motor fuel.
• Hunter William Papin, 24, was arrested for felony possession of cocaine, felony possession of a controlled substance, ctitious or altered title, registration card or tag, driving on a revoked license and possession of drug paraphernalia.
Share with your community! Send us your births, deaths, marriages, graduations and other announcements to be published in Stanly News Journal. community@stanlynewsjournal.com Weekly deadline is Monday at noon
10:30 a.m.
An annual outdoor-themed ra e fundraiser with more than $200,000 in prizes including hunting, shing and outdoor gear. Proceeds bene t the Albemarle Downtown Development Corporation, Stanly County Shrine Club and Stanly Health Foundation. Tickets are $100 each; only 4,000 sold.
Farm Bureau Livestock Arena 26130 Newt Road Albemarle Celebration of the ARTS!
9 a.m. to 2 p.m.
The eighth-annual free public arts celebration hosted by the Stanly County Arts Council, featuring a county-wide student art show, live performers, arts organization booths and the presentation of the 2026 Arts Person of the Year award at 1:45 p.m.
Stanly County Agri-Civic Center 26032 Newt Road Albemarle
March 22
82nd Airborne Division All American Band and Choir Concert
4-6 p.m.
The Stanly County Concert Association presents a free performance by the 82nd Airborne Division All American Band and Choir, the o cial touring ensemble of the U.S. Army’s 82nd Airborne Division based at Fort Liberty.
Stanly County Agri-Civic Center 26032 Newt Road Albemarle
THE CONVERSATION
Trip Ho end, publisher | Frank Hill, senior opinion editor
VISUAL VOICES
America has her swagger back
Medieval barbarians humbled the mighty United States and took control of billions of dollars of military equipment.
IN 2020, Chinese President Xi Jinping declared, “The East is rising, and the West is declining.”
It certainly looked that way during former President Joe Biden’s term. In August 2021, Biden surrendered Afghanistan to the Taliban. During the chaotic pullout, a suicide bomber killed 13 U.S. troops. Medieval barbarians humbled the mighty United States and took control of billions of dollars of military equipment.
Russian President Vladimir Putin sure noticed. Just months later, Russia invaded Ukraine. Shortly before the attack, Biden mused that a “minor incursion” would lead to disunity among Ukraine’s Western allies. Not a great deterrence strategy. Through its Belt and Road Initiative, China expanded its global in uence. China talked about reducing future carbon emissions while simultaneously building coal power plants to grow its economy. Under Biden, the United States rejoined the Paris Climate Agreement, one of his many moves undermining domestic energy production. In 2023, Biden let a Chinese spy balloon oat over the country. The precursor chemicals for fentanyl owed from China to Mexico and across the southern border. More than 200,000 Americans died from fentanyl overdoses during Biden’s term. America struggled domestically under Biden. In ation exploded. Schools taught students that America is systemically racist. Hamas supporters took over college campuses with few consequences. Millions of illegal immigrants streamed across the wide-open southern
border. Even blue cities buckled nancially under the weight of the in ux of invaders.
In July 2024, Hamas supporters tore down and burned American ags at Union Station in Washington, D.C. They chanted “Allahu Akbar” and vandalized monuments.
For the vast majority of human history, that alone would have been proof that a nation was conquered and doomed to decline. The ascendancy of the East looked assured.
No longer. Look at what President Donald Trump has done in fewer than 14 months. Under pressure from the Trump administration, the Panamanian government recently took control of the Panama Canal from a company connected to China.
In a daring raid, U.S. forces arrested Venezuelan dictator Nicolas Maduro. U.S. Secretary of the Interior Doug Burgum recently sat down with the acting president, Delcy Rodiguez. She appears willing to work with Trump. That will ensure Venezuela’s plentiful oil and mineral resources bene t America’s interests, not China’s.
Trump has choked o oil to Cuba, much of which used to come from Venezuela. The country’s communist regime appears on the verge of collapse and is ready to strike a deal with Trump.
Trump’s foreign policy wins aren’t limited to the Western Hemisphere. Many of the leaders of the “Death to America” regime in Tehran are dead — along with its path to obtaining a nuclear weapon. Iran’s navy is toast. Iran isn’t mounting an e ective defense. It’s lobbing missiles and suicide drones throughout the
Rubio’s case for a stronger west
Armies do not ght for abstractions.
Armies ght for a people; armies ght for a nation.
Armies ght for a way of life.
SECRETARY OF STATE MARCO RUBIO
delivered a speech at the Munich Security Conference on Feb. 14 that stood out not for its bombast but for its clarity. In a room lled with political gures from across the Atlantic — and from both parties at home — Rubio was unmistakably the adult in the room.
Within the Trump administration, Rubio is easily the most articulate spokesman on foreign policy, and at Munich he demonstrated why. His address o ered a robust defense of the transatlantic alliance while avoiding the sharper edges that have unsettled European audiences in recent years.
That contrast was hard to miss. Last year, Vice President JD Vance traveled to Europe and delivered a speech in Davos that struck many Europeans as a warning shot. The message, intentional or not, was that America might be pulling back — and that Europe should prepare to stand alone. Some of that critique was warranted. Some of it was counterproductive.
Rubio charted a di erent course. He emphasized the depth of America’s ties to Europe, ties measured not in election cycles but in centuries. The United States, he argued, does not seek weaker partners or dependent allies. It seeks strong ones.
“Together we rebuilt a shattered continent in the wake of two devastating world wars,” he said. “When we found ourselves divided once again by the Iron Curtain, the free West linked arms with the courageous dissidents struggling against tyranny in the East to defeat Soviet communism. We have fought against each other, then reconciled, then fought, then reconciled again. And we have bled and died side by side on battle elds from Kapyong to Kandahar.”
Rubio also delivered an unmistakable warning: Alliances only work when all parties carry real weight. The United States cannot inde nitely subsidize sprawling European
welfare states while also underwriting the continent’s security. Strong alliances require strong allies — capable of deterring threats, including a revanchist Russia.
“We do not want our allies to be weak because that makes us weaker,” Rubio said.
He urged Europe to abandon what he described as self-imposed guilt and shame, and instead reclaim con dence in its own culture, heritage and civilization.
That critique extended beyond defense spending. Rubio pointed to policy choices Europe has made — from aggressive green energy mandates to mass migration — often driven by a sense of moral atonement rather than national interest. These choices, he suggested, have left the continent less stable, less cohesive and less capable of defending itself.
At the heart of Rubio’s speech was a deeper question: What, exactly, is the West defending?
“Armies do not ght for abstractions,” he said. “Armies ght for a people; armies ght for a nation. Armies ght for a way of life. And that is what we are defending: a great civilization that has every reason to be proud of its history, con dent of its future, and aims to always be the master of its own economic and political destiny.”
That claim invites debate. Armies have, in fact, fought for abstractions — communism, religious doctrines, ideological visions of the world. Which raises the harder question Rubio implicitly posed but did not fully resolve: What are the ideas of Western civilization that justify defense and sacri ce?
Europe itself is, in many ways, an idea, one forged through con ict as much as cooperation.
From the Roman Empire to Christendom to the nation-state system born after the Peace of Westphalia, Europe has continually rede ned itself, often in opposition to external threats. Christianity, Enlightenment liberalism,
regime. That’s uni ed many Arab nations against Iran.
Imagine telling this to the self-proclaimed experts who warned Trump it was too risky to move the U.S. embassy to Jerusalem during his rst term. Now, many Arab nations are on the same side as Israel — against another Arab nation. Put these moves together. The United States now has signi cant control over how much oil China can buy.
Trump has a massive number of domestic wins. Drug overdose deaths, murders and in ation are down signi cantly. The border is closed. Many Democrats and Republicans have asserted that amnesty is the only way to deal with the tens of millions of illegal immigrants already here. But around 3 million illegal immigrants have left the country under Trump, according to the Department of Homeland Security. That includes more than 2 million self-deportations. Trump will proudly celebrate the country on its 250th birthday, too.
The country still faces major challenges. Installing a U.S.-friendly government in Iran and lowering housing prices are two obvious ones. But Xi’s assertion no longer rings true. China’s global in uence is waning, while America has her swagger back.
Victor Joecks is a columnist for the LasVegasReview-Journal and host of the“Sharpening Arrows” podcast. (Copyright 2026 Creators.com)
scienti c inquiry, market economies and constitutional government all shaped what we now call “the West.”
Those values — rule of law, freedom of speech and religion, property rights, democratic governance and republican self-rule — form the real foundation of the transatlantic alliance. They are also the reason Russia has always existed at Europe’s margins rather than fully within it.
If those values erode, the alliance erodes with them.
“I am here today to leave it clear that America is charting the path for a new century of prosperity, and that once again we want to do it together with you, our cherished allies and our oldest friends,” Rubio said. “We want to do it together with you, with a Europe that is proud of its heritage and of its history; with a Europe that has the spirit of creation of liberty that sent ships out into uncharted seas and birthed our civilization; with a Europe that has the means to defend itself and the will to survive.
“We should be proud of what we achieved together in the last century, but now we must confront and embrace the opportunities of a new one — because yesterday is over, the future is inevitable, and our destiny together awaits.”
This is the right framework for the Trump administration’s foreign policy, and Rubio articulated it with discipline, seriousness and a sense of historical gravity that was sorely missing from recent transatlantic debates.
In Munich, Rubio did more than reassure allies. He reminded them what the alliance is actually for.
Ben Shapiro is a graduate of UCLA and Harvard Law School, host of “The Ben Shapiro Show,” and co-founder of Daily Wire+. (Copyright 2026 Creators.com)
COLUMN | VICTOR JOECKS
COLUMN | BEN SHAPIRO
Barbara Jean (Taylor) Drye
obituaries
Andy Huneycutt (Kayla), Tori Pence (Chase), Carson Bradshaw (Nelson), Lauren E rd (Hunter), William Huneycutt, JVan Burleson, Gracie Crump, and Grant Crump, and a loving great-grandfather to Maddie, Catherine, Avett, William, Bennett, Lenny, Grady, and Sawyer.
He is also survived by his brother, Lynn Huneycutt (Mavis), and sister, Carole Poplin, along with many nieces and nephews.
Matt Snell, only TD scorer in Jets’ Super Bowl upset of Colts, dead at 84
Timothy Franklin Huneycutt Sr.
Dwight Farmer
In addition to his parents, he was preceded in death by his brother, Terry Huneycutt, and his sister-in law, Linda Huneycutt.
James Roseboro
The powerful running back scored the go -ahead touchdown in the 1969 championship
June 23, 1967 ~ January 10, 2023
April 17, 1936 ~ January 14, 2023
Barbara Jean Taylor Drye, 86, of Oakboro, passed away Saturday, January 14, 2023 at her home.
July 3, 1940 – March 9, 2026
Timothy Franklin Huneycutt Sr., 85, of Albemarle, passed away peacefully on Monday, March 9, 2026, at his home, surrounded by his loving family.
Barbara was born April 17, 1936 in North Carolina to the late Robert Lee Taylor and the late Eva Belle Watts Taylor.
She was also preceded in death by husband of 61 years, Keith Furr Drye, and brothers, Robert Lee Taylor, Jr. and George Kenneth Taylor.
A funeral service will be held at 4:00 p.m. on Sunday, March 15, 2026, at Mt. Creek Primitive Baptist Church. Burial will follow in the church cemetery. The family will receive friends from 6:00 p.m. until 8:00 p.m. on Saturday evening, March 14, 2026, at Stanly Funeral and Cremation Care of Albemarle.
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.
Tim was born July 3, 1940, in Stanly County to the late Frank and Mary Huneycutt.
He is lovingly survived by his wife of 13 years, Zoe Huneycutt. He is also survived by his children, Tim Huneycutt, Jr. of New London, Todd W. Huneycutt (Jennifer) of Badin, Tony Huneycutt (Stephanie) of New London, Stephen Burleson (Lindsey) of Albemarle, and Shanna Crump (Eddie) of Albemarle. He was a proud grandfather to Grant Hu man (Lainie), Jake Huneycutt (Amy),
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.
January 24, 1939 ~ January 15, 2023
Dwight Britten Farmer Sr., 83, of Norwood died Sunday morning, January 15, 2023 at Forrest Oakes.
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.
Tim enjoyed watching LA Dodgers baseball and rarely missed a game. He also loved playing golf and was a founding member of the Possum Ridge Golf Association. He loved raising and racing homing pigeons and spending time outdoors. He enjoyed star gazing and all things astronomy. A dedicated educator, Tim spent many years teaching and took great pride in supporting and encouraging others. Above all, he loved his family deeply; especially his boys and his wife and cherished every opportunity to attend his children’s and grandchildren’s ball games. His faith and his church were also an important part of his life.
Dwight was an avid gardener, bird watcher and Carolina fan.
By Dennis Waszak Jr. The Associated Press
James Arthur Roseboro, 55, of Albemarle, passed away Tuesday, January 10, 2023 at Anson Health and Rehab.
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.
MATT SNELL, the powerful running back who scored the go-ahead touchdown in the New York Jets’ Super Bowl win in 1969, has died. He was 84. The Jets announced that Snell died Tuesday morning in New York.
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.
Snell teamed with Emerson Boozer to give Joe Namath and New York a formidable back eld, helping the AFL’s Jets pull o one of sports’ greatest upsets with a 16-7 victory over the NFL’s heavily favored Baltimore Colts in the 1969 Super Bowl.
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.
The family would like to express their sincere gratitude to the sta of Tillery Compassionate Care and his primary care physicians for the kindness, care, and support shown to Tim during his declining health. In lieu of owers, memorials may be made to Mt. Creek Primitive Baptist Church, 40253 Mountain Creek Road, New London, NC 28127.
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.
Stanly Funeral and Cremation Care of Albemarle is honored to serve the Huneycutt family.
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.
Tommy DeCarlo, who became longtime singer of Boston after Myspace tribute, dead at 60
The Home Depot worker’s MySpace tribute led to nearly 20 years with the classic rock band
By Andrew Dalton The Associated Press
TOMMY DECARLO, who became the lead singer of classic rockers Boston for nearly 20 years based on a Myspace tribute to the band’s original singer, has died.
DeCarlo’s children, Annie, Talia and Tommy Jr., said in posts on his Facebook and Instagram pages that their father, who had been struggling for months with brain cancer, died Monday. “He fought with incredible strength and courage right up until the very end,” they said. He was 60.
“It wasn’t like I was trying to sing like Brad, it was just that I loved to sing along with him.” Tommy DeCarlo, Boston lead singer
Delp. He posted that song along with a few Boston covers to his Myspace page and sent the link to the band.
Celebrate the life of your loved ones. Submit obituaries and death notices to be published in SCJ at obits@stanlyjournal.com
Brad Delp, the original singer of the band that was founded in 1975 and had hits including “More Than a Feeling” and “Peace of Mind,” died in 2007.
DeCarlo, then a 43-year- old working at a Home Depot in North Carolina, wrote, sang and recorded a tribute song to
DeCarlo initially got a polite rejection, according to Rolling Stone. But founding guitarist and songwriter Tom Scholz, struck by his voice’s resemblance to Delp, invited DeCarlo to perform at a tribute concert for the late singer. Scholz then asked him to join the band.
“It wasn’t like I was trying to sing like Brad,” DeCarlo said in a bio on the band’s website, “it was just that I loved to sing along with him.”
DeCarlo toured with Boston for nearly 20 years and sang on their 2013 album, “Life, Love and Hope.”
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.
With the game scoreless in the second quarter, Snell went o left tackle for a 4-yard touchdown run that gave the Jets a 7–0 lead — the rst time in three Super Bowls that an AFL team led.
New York used a run-blocking concept it called “19 Straight” — which is engraved on the championship rings of both Snell and Boozer — to perfection against the Colts. Snell nished with a then-Super Bowl-record 121 yards rushing on 30 carries, although Namath was selected the game’s MVP.
“Matt Snell will forever hold a special place in the history of the New York Jets,” Jets owner Woody Johnson said in a statement. “He was the embodiment of toughness, sel essness and belief — traits that de ned our organization’s proudest moments. His performance in Super Bowl III was nothing short of legendary.
Darrick Baldwin
January 7, 1973 ~ January 8, 2023
“Against the odds, Matt set the tone with his physical running, delivering the Jets’ lone touchdown and helping secure one of the most important victories in sports history.”
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.
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.
Snell, who grew up in the Long Island, New York, hamlet of Carle Place, stayed close to home his entire nine-year professional career with the Jets after four standout seasons at Ohio State. He was picked in the fourth round of the 1964 NFL draft by the Giants, the team for which he rooted as a youngster. But he chose to sign with the Jets after they selected him with the No. 3 overall pick in the AFL draft and presented him an opportunity to play right away.
He made an immediate impact for the Jets in his rst season, a year before Namath arrived, winning the AFL Rookie of the Year award after rushing for 945 yards, including a then-franchise record 180-yard performance on 31 carries against the Houston Oilers. Both rushing marks remain Jets rookie records.
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.
Snell made the AFL All- Star team three times and
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!
“Matt Snell will forever hold a special place in the history of the New York Jets.”
Jets owner Woody Johnson
October 11, 1944 - January 10,
Doris Elaine Jones Coleman, 78, January 10 after a sudden illness and 1944, in the mountains of Marion,
World War II.
so
Durham
graduated as a Registered Nurse in
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.
was a rst-team All-AFL selection in 1969, building a reputation as a terri c ball carrier with soft hands as a receiver and for being a punishing pass blocker.
daughters Amy and Laura. Doris raised Amy and Laura in North Augusta, SC. 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.
He revealed in Bob Lederer’s book, “Beyond Broadway Joe: The Super Bowl Team That Changed Football” in 2018 that he held a grudge against the team. Snell claimed the Jets reneged on a promise made by then-part owner Sonny Werblin that Snell would have a place with the team for life if it won the title. Werblin was bought out by his partners, including Leon Hess, before the Super Bowl-winning season.
Snell’s physical approach took its toll, though, as he dealt with several injuries, particularly late in his career. He tore cartilage in a knee in 1967 and missed seven games. Three years later, Snell was limited to three games after tearing an Achilles tendon. He played in only nine games over the next two seasons because of a knee injury in 1971 and a ruptured spleen the following year.
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.
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.
Snell retired after the 1972 season, nishing with 4,285 yards rushing — still fourth on the franchise’s career list — 24 touchdowns, along with 193 receptions for 1,375 yards and seven scores.
After his years on the gridiron, Snell turned his attention to Wall Street, becoming a partner for Defco Securities Inc. He also became a familiar face on TV as the rst pitchman for Miller Lite beer and its “Tastes Great, Less Filling” ad campaign. Snell later created his own construction company in New Jersey and worked there for several years.
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.
He also put his football career far behind him, mostly turning down interviews or having contact with his former team. Snell and Boozer were inducted into the Jets’ Ring of Honor together in 2015, but Snell refused to attend the ceremony.
“It may be that no one in Jets management knew about Sonny’s promises to me, but in 1974, there was a recession and I was in line for a construction job,” Snell said in Lederer’s book. “I asked the Jets for a reference. They told me they didn’t do that for players. They said they couldn’t do it! Can you believe that? I can’t prove it, but I don’t think any of that would have ever happened if Sonny were in charge. That’s why I don’t get along with the organization now.”
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.
Snell was born on Aug. 18, 1941, in Gar eld, Georgia, but moved to New York as a youngster. He became a star at Carle Place High School, where he’s in the school’s athletic hall of fame. He went on to even bigger fame in college at Ohio State, rst as a lead blocker for the likes of Paul War eld and Bob Ferguson and then as a defensive end. He moved into the starting fullback role as a senior and was chosen the Buckeyes’ MVP.
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.
In 2000, Snell was selected to Ohio State’s all-century football team as a defensive end.
He is survived by his wife Sharon, son Beau and daughter Jada, grandson Donte, as well as great-nephew Benny Snell Jr., a former running back for the Pittsburgh Steelers.
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.
Raymond Jones was
proud to return after the war and meet his little girl! Doris grew up in
High School. She furthered
HARRY HARRIS / AP PHOTO
New York Jets coach Weeb Ewbank, right, demonstrates how to work a hand-o to Jets running back Matt Snell during a workout on Nov. 5, 1964, in New York.
all the paperwork to receive the funds, so we still have one that’s pending.”
Among the funded projects is Albemarle Sweet Shop at 310 S. Second St., which will receive $9,250 to support the expansion of wholesale production capacity through the purchase of a commercial dough production machine.
Whatsit Books, located at 114 W. North St., was awarded $9,250 for a comprehensive interior transformation of the bookstore space, including furnishings and equipment upgrades designed to enhance customer experience and retail functionality.
Trent’s Auto at 192 N. Second St. will receive $10,000 to fund full exterior preservation and restoration work along with roof repairs to the historic Wilhelm Esso Station building.
“Out of 13 applicants, we awarded nine grant recipients.”
Councilmember Dexter Townsend
$11,500 to support equipment expansion that will increase production and wholesale operations, helping the business grow its economic footprint downtown.
Melissa Kathleen’s School of Dance at 151 N. First St. was awarded $8,500 for exterior and roof repairs, facade improvements, updated signage and interior upgrades intended to support continued use of the space.
Mayor Ronnie Michael thanked the Albemarle Downtown Catalyst Grant Committee for its work reviewing the applications and selecting the projects.
The historic Texaco Station at 164 E. Main St. was awarded $11,500 for rehabilitation work that includes roof replacement, exterior restoration to its original color scheme, garage door repairs and historically appropriate interior improvements.
Make It Personal, located at 127 N. First St., will receive
Another $10,000 grant was awarded to Livi Bugs at 106 S. Second St. for roof replacement and structural stabilization aimed at addressing critical building maintenance needs and supporting long-term occupancy. Central Lunch at 150 S. Second St. received the largest grant award of $15,000 to help transform the long-standing downtown property into a fully operational restaurant.
“I think you all have made some excellent choices as this money will make a signicant improvement to the appearance of several buildings in our downtown,” Michael said.
The Albemarle City Council will hold its next regular meeting on Monday night at 6:30 p.m. in the City Hall Council Chambers.
As pennies vanish, states are split on how to handle rounding
By Hannah Fingerhut The Associated Press
MONTHS AFTER the last of the United States’ 1-cent coins were pressed, some states are beginning to o er their own 2 cents on the penny problem by setting rounding guidance for cash purchases.
President Donald Trump announced early last year an end to penny production, saying it was wasteful. It cost 3.7 cents to make each 1-cent coin in 2024, according to the U.S. Mint. The move led to a shortage of pennies in cash registers last summer, forcing consumers and businesses to confront a penniless future in which making exact change would be di cult.
The Treasury Department has said it will continue circulating the roughly 114 billion pennies that exist for “as long as possible.” Pennies must still be accepted as payment.
amount still goes to the state. Will consumers pay more with rounding?
“It is to provide safe harbor for private businesses.”
One solution to the penny problem is rounding to the nearest nickel, using a practice called symmetrical rounding. If the nal price, after taxes, ends in one, two, six or seven cents, payment in cash rounds down. For example, $1.91 or $1.92 becomes $1.90. If the price ends in three, four, eight or nine, cash payment rounds up. For $1.98 or $1.99, the consumer pays $2. A bill introduced last year in Congress and passed out of the House nancial services committee would apply symmetrical rounding across the country. U.S. Rep. Lisa McClain (R-Mich.) said in an email the federal law is important to prevent a “confusing patchwork of state policies.”
State Rep. Charlie Baum (R-Tenn.)
Cash isn’t used as ubiquitously since the rise in electronic payment methods. Still, about 8 in 10 U.S. adults said they recently used cash in a 2024 survey conducted by the Federal Reserve. Cash was more often used by older adults and those in lower-income households. The Treasury wrote online that prices would be “rounded down just as often as they will be rounded up, so there should be no overall e ect on consumer prices.”
But researchers at the Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond used a 2023 survey to show prices that didn’t end in zero or ve were especially likely to end in eight or nine. Payment amounts could be di erent when multiple items are purchased or depending on the tax rate, but overall, prices more often being rounded up would lead to millions of dollars gained by businesses and lost by consumers collectively, amounting to a few pennies lost per person.
Do people think it’s fair?
The bill hasn’t been voted on in the House and would still need to move through the U.S. Senate before reaching Trump’s desk.
Some states are looking to what’s next
In the meantime, bills to deal with penniless cash transactions have passed both chambers and await the governor’s signature in Arizona, Florida, Oregon, Tennessee, Virginia and Washington. Some states are proposing to allow businesses to round cash purchases, while others consider requiring it. In Indiana, a bill signed into law this month by Republican Gov. Mike Braun tells businesses they must round cash purchases for all transactions that do not end in a zero or ve. Lawmakers revised that provision in a second bill that makes rounding optional, which would take e ect Sunday if Braun signs it into law.
In both bills, Indiana businesses can choose to always round cash purchases up to the nearest nickel, always round down or round up or down depending on the amount.
In Republican-led Tennessee, legislation makes symmetrical rounding exempt from legal claims under a state consumer protection law but does not require rounding.
“It is to provide safe harbor for private businesses,” said Republican Rep. Charlie Baum, the bill sponsor in Tennessee, during oor debate.
Rounding bills have been introduced in about two dozen states since late last year, according to an Associated Press analysis using the bill-tracking service Plural.
Outside of lawmaking bodies, some state agencies have published guidelines to advise that rounding should happen after tax, and that businesses must make sure the full taxed
As businesses have introduced rounding, some Americans have taken to social media to say they feel scammed, even if it is a penny or two at a time.
Nikki Capozzo-Hennessy, 50, said she tends to pay in cash because it makes her more conscious of her spending. The Trumbull, Connecticut, resident posted her grocery store receipt online when she noticed the rounding adjustment on a purchase of $8.73, with tax. The store chose to round down and she gained three cents.
Capozzo-Hennessy said it might feel taxing if she had to hand over extra pennies every time, but she also thinks it’s practical to stick with one rule. She runs a food truck business and said they’d likely use symmetrical rounding to be consistent.
“At the end of the day it’s three cents, but I can imagine with all the purchases that you make, it can add up,” Capozzo-Hennessy said.
Washington state Rep. April Berg, who introduced a rounding bill there, said she understands people who feel frustrated losing a penny but that the elimination of the hard currency leaves little option.
“We did make sure that everyone is allowed to pay exactly what they owe,” Berg said of her legislation.
What about the nickel?
The Treasury says ceasing penny production will save $56 million annually, but rounding could increase demand for nickels. The 5-cent coins also are costly to make, reaching nearly 14 cents each in 2024, according to the Mint.
The proposed federal legislation currently includes a potential cost-saving solution, allowing the Treasury to adjust the coin’s composition to use cheaper zinc and nickel instead of copper and nickel.
A group of computer scientists linked to six deaths faces
legal charges
By Brian Witte and Holly Ramer The Associated Press
BALTIMORE — A lawyer representing the leader of the cultlike Zizians group that has been linked to six deaths told a judge Thursday that there is reason to believe his client is mentally incompetent to stand trial.
Jack LaSota, a transgender woman who goes by “Ziz,” was supposed to be in federal court for a two-day hearing on whether to suppress evidence collected as a result of her arrest in Frostburg, Maryland, last year. Instead, U.S. District Court Judge James Bredar heard arguments on a motion led late Wednesday seeking a competency evaluation.
“Counsel believes there is reasonable cause to believe that the defendant is presently suffering from a mental disease or defect rendering her mentally incompetent to the extent that she is unable to understand the nature and consequences of the proceedings,” attorney Gary Proctor wrote.
As the hearing got underway, Proctor said LaSota has demonstrated an inability to follow proceedings, equating being a fugitive with being transgender and accusing a judge of being part of an organized crime ring. LaSota told the judge she wants to represent herself.
Authorities have described
By Jennifer Sinco Kelleher
The Associated Press
HONOLULU — The latest lava fountaining episode of an erupting Hawaii volcano reached 1,000 feet high Tuesday, prompting temporary closures at a national park and part of an important highway because of falling glassy volcanic fragments, including ash.
Kilauea, on Hawaii’s Big Island, has been dazzling residents and visitors for more than year with an on-and-o eruption that periodically sends fountains of lava soaring into the sky.
The fountaining that began Tuesday morning marked the eruption’s 43rd episode since
LaSota as the apparent leader of what outsiders call the “Zizians,” a group of young, highly intelligent computer scientists who appear to share radical beliefs about veganism, animal rights, gender identity and arti cial intelligence. Since 2022, members have been tied to the death of one of their own during an attack on a California landlord, the landlord’s subsequent killing, the shooting deaths of one of the member’s parents in Pennsylvania, and a highway shootout in Vermont that left a border agent and another Zizian dead.
LaSota, Michelle Zajko and Daniel Blank were arrested last February after a landowner found them living in box trucks at the end of a snow-covered dirt road. Though they are not charged with causing any of the six deaths, police quickly connected them to the homicide investigations in California, Pennsylvania and Vermont.
Maryland state Trooper Brandon Je ries wrote after their Feb. 16, 2025, arrests that all the “suspects involved are to be questioned regarding other crimes that have occurred across the country and have ties with the Zizians Cult.”
All three face state charges of trespassing and illegal gun and drug possession, while LaSota faces a federal charge of illegal gun possession by a fugitive.
LaSota also is charged with obstructing the investigation into the deaths of Zajko’s parents.
Authorities have called Zajko a person of interest in that case and said they are investigating Blank.
it began in December 2024. A livestream showed two fountains of bright-red lava and smoke. It’s unclear how long the fountaining will last. Some episodes have lasted a few days and others a few hours. Like other times, the molten rock was con ned within Kilauea’s summit crater inside Hawaii Volcanoes National Park and hasn’t threatened homes or buildings. But the lava fountains were creating trouble for neighboring communities and a highway where the volcanic fragments and ash, known as tephra, was falling. The tephra prompted temporary closures at the national park around the summit
“Ms. LaSota eschews the term Zizian and denies any and all allegations that she and her friends have formed a cult,” LaSota’s lawyers
wrote in a recent court ling. Proctor and co-counsel Jennifer Smith argue that police violated LaSota’s Fourth Amendment right to be protected from unreasonable search and seizure and that she was not trespassing because the landowner had given them until the next day to leave. They also argue that police illegally searched the box trucks without a warrant and therefore any evidence recovered should be barred from trial.
In their response, prosecutors countered that police had
probable cause to arrest LaSota and her associates for trespassing, even if they had been given permission to stay another day because the permission didn’t apply retroactively. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jared Beim also argued that police were justied in conducting a protective sweep for weapons for o cer safety and to determine whether anyone was hiding in the trucks. He said o cers reasonably suspected LaSota and the others were potentially violent, based on information from media reports about the group.
and a partial closure of Highway 11, an important route around the island, on either side of the park.
Hawaii County o cials also opened a shelter at a district gymnasium for residents and tourists impacted by the road closure or falling tephra. There were no people using the shelter soon after it opened, said Tom Callis, a county spokesperson.
The National Weather Service issued an ashfall warning.
Volcanic tephra can irritate eyes, skin and the respiratory system, according to county ofcials. Tephra also can clog and cause other problems with water catchment collection systems, which are common in some parts
of the Big Island, o cials said. Ash fell so heavily during a previous fountaining episode that some communities needed help from county civil de-
fense workers to clean up ash that coated their homes, Callis said.
Kilauea is one of the world’s most active volcanoes.
MARK SCOLFORO / AP PHOTO
Jack LaSota, also known as Ziz, is escorted into court for a pretrial hearing on trespassing, gun and drug charges in Cumberland, Maryland, in January.
USGS VIA AP
Lava erupts from Kilauea volcano Tuesday in Hawaii Volcanoes National Park.
Outdated intel likely led US to carry out deadly strike on Iranian elementary school, AP sources say
The school is near an Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps. base
By Aamer Madhani, Julia Frankel, Michael Biesecker and Eric Tucker The Associated Press
WASHINGTON — Outdated intelligence likely led to the United States carrying out a deadly missile strike on an elementary school in Iran that killed over 165 people, many of them children, in the opening hours of the con ict, according to a U.S. o cial and a second person briefed on ndings of a preliminary U.S military investigation into the incident.
The bombing of the school and its casualties involving children has become a focal point of the war, and if ultimately con rmed to be at the hands of the U.S., would also stand among the highest civilian casualty events caused by the American military operations in the last two decades.
President Donald Trump initially blamed Iran for the attack, later said he wasn’t certain who was to blame, and then said he would accept the results of the Pentagon’s investigation. The issue took on added urgency on Wednesday after the New York Times rst reported that a preliminary investigation found that the U.S. was responsible.
U.S. Central Command relied on target coordinates for the strike using outdated data provided by the Defense Intelligence Agency, according to the person familiar with the preliminary nding.
The agency did not respond to a request for comment.
The preliminary nding prompted immediate calls for more information from the Pentagon. White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said that “the investigation is still ongoing.”
Both the U.S. o cial and the person familiar with the matter spoke to The Associated Press on the condition of anonymity to discuss the sensitive matter.
Dozens of Democratic senators demanded answers from the Trump administration on Wednesday as a growing body of evidence suggested that the U.S. was likely responsible for the strike.
The letter from more than 45 senators pressed Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth on whether the U.S. was culpable for the strike and what previous analysis of the building had been done. The senators also raised concerns about the Pentagon hollowing-out a congressionally mandated o ce set up specifically to reduce civilian casualties.
“Under this administration, budgetary and personnel cuts at the Department have robbed military commands of crucial resources to prevent and respond to civilian casualties,”
the senators wrote. Those include cuts at U.S. Central Command, whose forces are leading the military campaign against Iran, and the Civilian Protection Center of Excellence, which was signed into law in 2022 as part of a Pentagon ambition to reduce death tolls from strikes.
The revelation could threaten to erode public support in the U.S. e ort against Iran at a time when Trump, who as a candidate railed against American involvement in “stupid” overseas wars, faces persistent questions about the purpose and of the con ict and what would bring it to an end.
One former Pentagon ofcial said the Feb. 28 strike that hit Shajareh Tayyebeh Elementary School, which is located near a neighboring base for the Iranian Revolutionary Guard, came as a natural result of changes made by the Trump administration to reduce sta to mitigate civilian harm and Hegseth’s emphasis on lethality over legality.
Evidence mounts pointing to U.S. responsibility for strike
There are several indications that the strike on the school may have been avoidable.
It happened Saturday morning, the start of the Iranian school week, when the building was full of young children. Satellite analysis by the AP shows that the school, as well as other targets struck the same day, had characteristics visible from the air that could have identied them as civilian sites before they were struck.
The AP reported last week that satellite images, expert analysis, a U.S. o cial and public information released by the U.S. military all suggested it was likely a U.S. strike. That evidence grew stronger on Monday, as new footage emerged
showing what experts identi ed as a U.S.-made Tomahawk cruise missile slamming into the military compound as smoke was already rising from the area where the school was located.
Publicly available satellite imagery shows the school building was part of the military compound until about 2017, when a new wall was added to separate the two. A watchtower on the property was also removed. Around the same time, the imagery shows the walls surrounding the building were painted with murals in vibrant colors, primarily blue and pink, so bright they’re visible from space
The school was clearly labeled as such in online maps and has an easily-accessible website full of information about students, teachers and administrators. International law governing warfare bars strikes on structures, vehicles and people that are not military objectives and combatants. Civilian homes, schools, medical facilities and
cultural sites are generally o limits for military strikes. The proximity of a school to a valid military target does not change its status as a civilian site, said Elise Baker, a senior sta lawyer at the Atlantic Council, a Washington-based nonpro t think tank.
If the U.S. is found responsible, said Sen. Tim Kaine during a brie ng with journalists on Wednesday: “It’s either we’ve changed our traditional targeting rules or we made a mistake.”
“If we’ve changed our traditional targeting rules and we no longer provide the same level of protection for civilians, that would be tragic,” Kaine said. Some Republicans, too, are sounding alarms.
Sen. Kevin Cramer of North Dakota told reporters that an investigation needs to “get to the bottom of it,” and then “admit if you know whose fault it is.”
If the U.S. was behind it, Cramer said, the military must “do everything you can to eliminate those mistakes going forward.”
“Under this administration, budgetary and personnel cuts at the Department have robbed military commands of crucial resources to prevent and respond to civilian casualties.”
Letter from Democratic senators
He added: “But you also can’t undo it.”
Guardrails to curb civilian deaths have been gutted
Congress directed the Pentagon to create the Civilian Protection Center of Excellence in late 2022 as part of the wide-ranging annual defense authorization bill, which passed both chambers with broad bipartisan support. The bill said the center was to “institutionalize and advance knowledge, practices, and tools for preventing, mitigating, and responding to civilian harm.”
The measure put into law an initiative that had already been started by Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin earlier that year. The 36-step action plan was “ambitious and necessary,” Austin said at the time.
In April 2023, that o ce had a full-time director hired by the Army and an initial core sta of 30 civilians, according to a 2024 Pentagon report that said that the workforce was expected to grow.
Wes Bryant began working there in 2024 as the Branch Chief of Civil Harm Assessments. One of the things the ofce was discussing was updating the “no-strike lists,” lists of protected sites in other countries, such as hospitals, schools, churches and mosques, that the Pentagon keeps. When he was working at the Pentagon, it was well known that the list was out-of-date, he said. But under Hegseth, the o ce’s size was slashed and the work on updating the no-strike lists stopped, he said.
“They have no budget. They’re just sitting there trying to maintain any semblance of the mission,” he said.
Capt. Tim Hawkins, the spokesman for U.S. Central Command, denied reports that the military command only had a single person assigned to the mission but would not o er any further details, citing the ongoing investigation.
This story was rst published on March 11, 2026. It was published again on March 12, 2026, to make clear that no -strike lists are lists of protected sites in other countries, such as hospitals, schools, churches and mosques, that the Pentagon keeps.
PHOTOS BY ABBAS ZAKERI/MEHR NEWS AGENCY VIA AP
Rescue workers and residents search through the rubble in the aftermath of a strike on a girls’ elementary school in Minab, Iran, on Feb. 28.
The arm of a deceased person is seen protruding from the rubble as rescue workers and residents search in the aftermath a strike on a girls’ elementary school in Minab, Iran, on Feb. 28.
Rescue workers and residents search through the rubble in the aftermath of a strike on a girls’ elementary school in Minab, Iran, on Feb. 28.
Trump visa changes squeeze rural schools relying on international teachers
Rural districts often use foreign teachers to ll sta ng gaps
By Michael Melia The Associated Press
LIKE MANY school systems facing teacher shortages, South Carolina’s Allendale County has looked overseas for help. A quarter of the teachers in the rural, high-poverty district come from other countries.
The superintendent praises the international educators — mostly from Jamaica and the Philippines — for their skill and dedication, but she is preparing to lose some of them as the Trump administration reshapes visa programs.
Facing higher visa sponsorship costs and uncertain immigration policies, Superintendent Vallerie Cave said it feels too risky to extend some international teachers whose contracts are up or bring on others.
“Some of my very best teachers are having to return to their countries,” Cave said.
For rural schools especially, President Donald Trump’s immigration crackdown is pinching a pipeline used widely to ll sta ng shortages that worsened during the COVID-19 pandemic. Rural districts can struggle to attract American teachers to remote areas that lack plentiful housing, shopping and services such as health care, especially for lower salaries than some bigger districts o er.
Cave is hoping to hire local teachers to ll the gaps left by several teachers’ impending departures. If she can’t, she may expand the district’s use of online teachers. Elsewhere, districts are considering hiring uncerti ed instructors, combining classes or dropping course o erings.
In September, the White House announced a $100,000 fee on H-1B visas, which allow highly skilled foreign workers to be employed in the U.S. The
speakers who challenge audiences and students to think critically about history, governance and public life.”
Tillis is currently North Carolina’s senior senator and has represented the state in the U.S. Senate since 2015. Prior to his election to the Senate, he served nearly a decade in the North Carolina House of Representatives, including four years as speaker of the House.
The annual Eugene I. Earnhardt Speaker Series was established in 2022 in honor of the late Gene Earnhardt, a professor emeritus of history at Pfei er College who taught
Trump administration argued American employees were being replaced, particularly in highly paid roles at tech companies. Critics have argued the fee will worsen labor shortages outside of tech.
More than 2,300 people with H-1B visas work as educators across 500 school districts, according to an analysis by the National Education Association teachers union. In a December lawsuit challenging the fee, a coalition of 20 states argued that the fees would e ectively prevent school districts from hiring international teachers.
The Trump administration has provided a form to request exemptions on the fee, and educators and advocacy groups have argued it’s in the public’s interest for teachers to be exempted. Teachers also can come to the U.S. on the more common J-1 visa, which allows short-term stays for cultural exchange programs and is not subject to the new fee.
In rural Oregon, the Umatilla School District recruited two teachers from Spain for math and science instruction. The teachers were “phenomenal,” Superintendent Heidi Sipe said, but they returned home in the summer.
“Unfortunately, due to some things at home and then the stress of the unknown, they did choose to go back,” Sipe said.
The district did not look for international candidates to replace them because of the cost and uncertainty, but it was able to advertise early and found local candidates for the openings, Sipe said. Other school leaders are not optimistic they will have the same success.
In Allendale County, the international teachers — on a mix of H-1B and J-1 visas — have taught subjects including math, science and language arts, plus special education. Even before the hike in fees, it would cost between $15,000 to $20,000 to sponsor a single teacher every year, Cave said.
at the institution for 30 years. During his career, Earnhardt arranged for numerous historically signi cant gures to speak on campus.
The series aims to provide students and community members with a real-world connection to history and contemporary public life through guest speakers representing a range of perspectives.
Past speakers in the program have included Carlotta Walls LaNier, the inaugural speaker in 2022 and a member of the Little Rock Nine who helped integrate Central High School in Little Rock, Arkansas, in 1957.
Other speakers have included writer and essay-
School leaders agree hiring in-person, certi ed sta is the best option — teachers who can sit with students to explain a concept and build closer relationships throughout the school day. When that option fails, they weigh tradeo s.
Cave said she will look to introduce more virtual teachers through Fullmind, a company the district already is using to provide three state-certi ed instructors. Students meet in a classroom, and their teacher joins them via video chat. Fullmind announced Thursday it had acquired Elevate K-12 and now provides the remote instruction for more than 225 school systems.
South Carolina lets districts hire non-certi ed teachers to meet sta ng needs, but Cave said she would bring in more online teachers before pursuing that option. Her challenges with teacher shortages, she said, have not let up since the pandemic, when many school districts used federal relief money to post new positions, then had di culty nding enough teachers.
“I can’t really do competitive pay,” she said. “For rural America, impoverished America, it is still a problem recruiting teachers.”
At Halifax County Schools in rural North Carolina, 103 of the 159 teachers are from other countries. For the longer term, the district is pursuing ways to recruit future educators as early as their junior and senior years in high school.
More immediately, the district is hoping to hire international teachers coming from other districts who want to have their J-1 visas changed to H-1B visas, which could allow the school system to avoid the $100,000 fee, said Carolyn Mitchell, the district’s executive director of human resources.
“You have to try to gure out every alternative way when you know that you may need people,” Mitchell said.
ist Pete Candler (2023), who spoke about Southern history and memory in a lecture titled “The Promise of American Guilt”; former U.S. Capitol Police o cer Harry Dunn (2024), who defended the U.S. Capitol during the Jan. 6, 2021, attack and later testi ed before the congressional investigation; and Michele Gillespie (2025), a historian of the American South and provost at Wake Forest University.
The Eugene I. Earnhardt Speaker Series Endowment is funded by a gift from the Earnhardt family and will support future guests. Donations to the endowment can be made at pfei er.edu/give.
TILLIS from page A1
STANLY SPORTS
West Stanly 3-0 to start girls’ soccer season
The Colts were 12-8-1 last season
By Jesse Deal Stanly News Journal
OAKBORO — The West Stanly varsity girls’ soccer team improved to 3-0 Tuesday night with a 2-1 road win over Piedmont, capping o a perfect rst week of the season.
Prior to that victory, the Colts (3-0, 1-0 Rocky River Conference) blew out North Stanly 16-1 at home in their nonconference season opener on March 3 before notching a 3-1 conference home win over CATA two days later.
In West Stanly’s rst road trip of the season, slipping past the Panthers (3-3) in Monroe, the Colts came out on top in their closest game yet. It was a good sign for a Colts team that was winless in two matchups against Piedmont in 2025, falling 8-2 in one contest and tying 0-0 in the other.
West Stanly was 12-8-1 last season with a second-place 8-3-1 record in the RRC standings, trailing only the rst-place Panthers.
The Colts hosted East Rowan on Thursday and began a ve- day break prior to their conference road matchup at Parkwood on Tuesday
Gray Stone 4, Montgomery Central 2
Coming o a 12-8 record in 2025 with a third-place 7-3 tally in the Yadkin Valley Conference, the Gray Stone Knights (1-2) achieved their rst win of the 2026 season on Tuesday as they defeated the Montgomery Central Timberwolves (2-3-1) 4-2 in Misenheimer.
The Knights traveled to face
East Davidson on Thursday and will now host Southwestern Randolph on Monday.
South Stanly 2, Anson 1
The South Stanly Rowdy Rebel Bulls (1-1) also recorded their rst win of the season on Wednesday as they narrowly defeated the Anson Bearcats (2-2).
After going 0-10 last season,
including a sixth-place 0-10 record in the YVC, South Stanly has already surpassed its win total from last year and matched its 2024 total. South Stanly hosted Parkwood in Norwood on Monday.
Anson 3, North Stanly 0
Hoping to bounce back from a 3-14-1 record last season and a fth-place 2-7-1 record in the YVC standings, the North Stanly Comets (0-4-1) came up empty in that attempt on Monday as Anson picked up a 3-0 home win.
The Comets have already played more games than the other four Stanly teams this season, which has also resulted in more losses. They are set to host Gray Stone on Tuesday.
Concord Academy 4, Albemarle 0
With a 4-0 shutout loss to the Concord Academy Eagles (31-1) on Monday, the Albemarle Bulldogs (0-2) join the Comets as the two local teams that have been blanked in their most recent matchups. Last season, Albemarle was 5-8-1 with a fourth-place 3-6 -1 record in the YVC standings. The Bulldogs now have a road-home split with South Davidson on Monday and Wednesday, respectively.
Pfei er’s Mason Mosteller winds back and prepares to throw a pitch.
Pfei er baseball tries to nd consistency as conference play begins in USA South
The Falcons are 5-10 through 15 games
By Jesse Deal Stanly News Journal
MISENHEIMER — Chasing its rst winning season since 2021, the Pfei er baseball team has experienced an up-and-down start through the opening month of the 2026 campaign.
The Falcons (5-10) opened USA South Athletic Conference play Friday with a road matchup against William Peace at the USA Baseball National Training Complex in Cary. The teams are scheduled to complete the series with a doubleheader Saturday.
Pfei er entered conference play coming o a split of two midweek games. The Falcons earned a 13-3 home victory over Johnson & Wales on Tuesday before falling 8-0 on the road Wednesday to Lynchburg.
That swing has been emblematic of Pfei er’s season so far.
After opening the year with
four consecutive losses, the Falcons have stabilized to a degree but have managed to string together two straight wins only once through their rst 15 games. In Tuesday’s win over the Wildcats (1-12) at Joe Ferebee Field, Pfei er collected 15 hits and produced its highest run total of the season. Trailing 2-0 early, the Falcons responded quickly with three runs in the bottom of the rst inning to take the lead for good.
Pfei er added a run in the fourth inning and two more in the sixth before breaking the game open with seven runs in the seventh.
On the mound, the Falcons used four pitchers — freshmen Mason Mosteller, Connor Gri n, Cameron Cooper and senior Sam Safrit — to hold JWU to just three hits and two earned runs across seven innings. At the plate, several Falcons contributed to the o ensive outburst.
Freshman left elder Ben Mecimore nished 3 for 5 with two doubles and an RBI,
while senior shortstop Austin Wood went 3 for 4 with an RBI. Freshman second baseman Ethan Willard added two hits, scored three runs and stole a base, and sophomore center elder Christian Bellantoni had two hits, two runs and an RBI.
The momentum did not carry over to Wednesday’s matchup in Virginia.
Lynchburg (10-3-1) controlled the game early, jumping out to a 3-0 lead in the rst inning before extending the advantage to 5-0 after two innings and 6-0 through three. The Hornets nished with 16 hits and added two insurance runs in the sixth.
Pfei er used seven pitchers in the loss; Falcons starter Trent Lowe took the defeat after allowing ve runs on six hits in 11⁄3 innings.
As conference play continues, Pfei er will look to steady its performance and improve its record. The Falcons nished the 2025 season 14-26 overall and placed sixth in the USA South with a 9-12 conference mark.
The N.C. native had the second-highest point total in a game in league history
By Tim Reynolds The Associated Press
MIAMI — Here is a look inside the numbers from Bam Adebayo’s 83-point game for the Miami Heat last week, the second-highest total in NBA history.
83 points
Start with the obvious one. Only Wilt Chamberlain with his 100-point game is now ahead of Adebayo on the NBA single-game list.
Kobe Bryant — Adebayo’s idol — had the No. 2 spot with 81 points.
“It speaks volumes for his hard work,” Milwaukee Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo said. “I know Bam. He works his butt o every single day. He never cheats the game. Seeing a guy like him doing something like this is incredible.”
The 40-40 club
The N.C. native and former Northside and High Point Christian standout is the rst player in the NBA’s play-by-play era — dating back to the start of the 1996-97 season — to have 40 points in both halves of a game.
He had 43 points in the rst, 40 in the second.
The closest anyone has come to that in the last 30 years is Luka Doncic, who had 41 in the rst and 32 in the second
for Dallas against Atlanta on Jan. 26, 2024. Chamberlain is the only other 40-40 member — barely. He had 41 in the rst half of his 100-point game, then 59 more after halftime.
The free throws
Adebayo made 36 free throws and took 43, both of which are NBA single-game records. Chamberlain made 28 on
the night that he scored 100, March 2, 1962, in Hershey, Pennsylvania, for Philadelphia against New York. Utah’s Adrian Dantley also made 28 free throws, in Las Vegas, against Houston on Jan. 4, 1984.
The record for free throws attempted was 39, done twice, both times by Dwight Howard. He took that many for Orlando against Golden State on Jan. 12, 2012 — then did it again for the Los Angeles Lakers, against
Orlando, on March 12, 2013.
The 3-pointers
Adebayo attempted 22 3-pointers, making him the seventh player in NBA history to try that many in a game. The others with at least that many: James Harden has done it four times and Stephen Curry twice, while Damian Lillard, Marcus Smart, J.R. Smith and Klay Thompson all did it once.
Free throws attempted by Adebayo
Thompson has the record for attempts in a game with 24, done for Golden State on Oct. 29, 2018, against Chicago. Thompson had a record 14 made 3s that night as well.
For perspective, Adebayo averaged — averaged! — 15 3-point attempts per season over his rst seven years in the league.
43 shots
Adebayo’s 43 eld goal attempts wasn’t even a season-high in the NBA. Cade Cunningham took 45 in a game for Detroit on Nov. 10.
Scoring average
In one night, Adebayo’s average went from 18.9 to 20.0 points per game.
Heat records
Among the many Heat regular-season records that Adebayo set on Tuesday night:
• Most points in a quarter (31, previous was LeBron James with 25).
• Most points in a rst half (43, previous was 31 by James, Dwyane Wade and Sherman Douglas).
• Most points in a second half (40, previous was 37 by James).
• Most shots in a game (43, previous was 39 by Wade).
• Most 3-point attempts in a game (22, previous mark was 17, done on six occasions).
COURTESY PFEIFFER ATHLETICS
Iranian
Iran soccer team exits Women’s Asian Cup, faces prospect of return home
It’s unclear if the women’s players will return to Iran
The Associated Press GOLD COAST, Australia — Iran’s soccer team lost its last group match at the Women’s Asian Cup on Sunday and had to contemplate returning home to a country embroiled in war.
The Iranian women’s squad arrived in Australia for the continental championship last month, before the war that began with the U.S. and Israel Feb. 28 strikes on Iran. Teams ousted during the group stage usually leave within days but organizers have not announced details for the departure of the Iran delegation.
Their silence during the anthem before an opening loss to South Korea last Monday was viewed by some as an act of resistance and others as a show of mourning. The team hasn’t clari ed. But the players sang the anthem and saluted during the national anthem ahead of their 4-0 loss to Australia last Thursday and a 2-0 loss to Philippines on Sunday.
Amid concerns for player welfare following reported criticism in the Iranian media, the Australian Iranian Council wrote to Australia’s Home A airs Minister Tony Burke urging the government to protect the squad members while they’re in Australia.
It launched an online petition, which had more than 50,000
electronic signatures before kick-o Sunday, urging Australian authorities to “ensure that no member of Iran’s women’s national football team is to depart Australia while credible fears for their safety remain” and also to provide independent legal advice, support and interpreters. Iran team management and players have mostly declined to comment on the situation at home during more than a week preparing for and playing games on Australia’s Gold Coast, although Iran forward Sara Didar choked back tears in a news conference last Wednesday as she shared their concerns for their families, friends and all Iranians during the con ict.
The Australian Associated Press reported late Sunday that
protestors chanting “let them go” slightly delayed the departure of the Iran squad from the stadium.
Australia’s national news agency quoted Iran’s head coach Marziyeh Jafari saying the squad “want to come back to Iran as soon as we can.”
“I want to be with my country and home ... We are eager to come back,” AAP quoted Jafari as saying.
The Australian Iranian Council’s online petition asked local authorities to ensure any player seeking protection “can do so safely, privately, and without interference” and to “make clear that Australia will uphold its … humanitarian protection obligations in relation to any player at risk of persecution or serious harm.
“Where credible evidence exists that visiting athletes may face persecution, imprisonment, coercion, or worse upon return, silence is not a neutral position,” it said. “The current wartime environment has intensi ed repression, fear, and the risks faced by anyone publicly perceived by the Islamic Republic as disloyal.”
Foreign Minister Penny Wong declined to comment on wheth-
Braves’ Profar suspended for 2026 season following second positive drug test
The punishment leaves a hole at DH for Atlanta
By Rondald Blum
The Associated Press
NEW YORK — Atlanta
Braves out elder Jurickson Profar was suspended for the 2026 season by Major League Baseball on Tuesday following his second positive test for a performance-enhancing drug.
Profar tested positive for exogenous testosterone and its metabolites, the commissioner’s o ce said, which means testosterone that was not produced by his body. Because it was a second o ense, the length of Profar’s suspension was 162 games.
The players’ association led a grievance at Profar’s request to appeal to baseball’s independent arbitrator, Martin F. Scheinman, a person familiar with the process told The Associated Press. The person spoke on condition of anonymity, because no announcement had been made.
An All-Star in 2024, Profar was suspended for 80 games last March 31 following a positive test for Chorionic Gonadotrophin (hCG), a hormone that helps production of testosterone. He issued a statement then saying: “I would never willingly take a banned substance, but I take full responsibility and accept MLB’s decision.”
His agent, Dan Lozano, did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
The Braves released a statement that they “were incredibly disappointed” about the failed drug test.
Atlanta
Jurickson
“Our players are consistently educated about the (MLB Drug Prevention and Treatment) Program and the consequences if they are found to be in violation,” the club said. “The Atlanta Braves fully support the Program.” Profar homered in his return from suspension on July 2 and nished with a .245 average, 14 homers, 43 RBIs and a .787 OPS in 80 games. He batted .280 in 2024, when he set career highs
with 24 homers, 85 RBIs and an .839 OPS. Profar said at the start of spring training that he had sports hernia surgery in November, requiring a six-week recovery time. He has appeared in four spring training games this year, going 3 for 10 with three RBIs.
Under the suspension, he is ineligible for the postseason and the World Baseball Classic. A native of Curaçao, Pro -
far had been set to play for the Netherlands. Profar will lose his $15 million salary for this year as part of a $42 million, three-year contract through 2027. He lost half his $12 million salary in 2025 due to the initial suspension. He became the seventh player suspended 162 games for a second PED infraction after New York Mets pitcher Jenrry Mejia (July 2015), Cleveland out elder Marlon Byrd (June 2016),
er the Australian government had made contact with individuals but told domestic media Australia stood in solidarity with the Iranian women’s team.
“It has been really moving for Australians to see them in Australia, and (Australia’s women’s team) swapping jerseys with them was a very evocative moment,” Wong told the Australian Broadcasting Corp. on Sunday. “We know this regime has brutally oppressed many Iranian women.” Iranian Australian activist Tina Kordrostami, a local government member in Sydney’s Ryde Council, told The Australian newspaper the Iranian players “need an opportunity, a safe space, a chance to actually speak up about what their needs are and what their requirements are.”
“We can’t give them that space without the government helping us,” she said.
The Iranian women’s team needed to beat Philippines to maintain any chance of advancing to the Asian Cup quarternals, which would have extended its stay in Australia for more than another week.
Number of MLB players to receive a 162-game suspension for steroids. Profar is the rst since 2023.
free agent catcher Cody Stanley (July 2016), Houston pitcher Francis Martes (February 2020), Mets second baseman Robinson Canó (November 2020) and Milwaukee pitcher J.C. Mejia (September 2023). Mejia received a lifetime ban in February 2016 after a third positive test, the only player to be given a permanent ban since drug testing with penalties started in 2004.
Four players had been suspended previously this year for positive tests, including free agent out elder Max Kepler for 80 games under the major league program following a positive test for Epitrenbolone. Following the o season signing of left elder Mike Yastrzemski to a $23 million, two -year deal, Profar had been targeted to be the Braves’ primary designated hitter.
When catcher Sean Murphy returns from a hip injury, perhaps in May, 2025 NL Rookie of the Year Drake Baldwin could ll in at DH when not behind the plate. With Yastrzemski, Michael Harris and Ronald Acuña Jr. in the out eld, Eli White could be a DH option. The Braves also are without projected starting shortstop Ha- seong Kim due to a nger injury. Mauricio Dubon, expected to serve a utility role, is scheduled to open the season as the starting shortstop.
The loss of Profar could create an opportunity for Dominic Smith, who signed a minor league deal on Feb. 17.
NICK WASS / AP PHOTO
Braves’
Profar takes a swing during a game last September.
players react during their national anthem ahead of a Women’s Asian Cup soccer match.
Team Venezuela expects WBC to be a celebration, even on American soil
Venezuela’s players and sta are avoiding comments on the U.S. invasion in January
By Tim Reynolds The Associated Press
MIAMI — A Venezuelan ag was stitched on the right side of Omar López’s cap. And an American ag was positioned a few feet to his left.
Baseball, meet politics. Politics, meet baseball. Like it or not, it’s happening.
The World Baseball Classic started pool play in four locations, including Miami. And, to no surprise, Venezuela’s team is a top attraction for the games in Latin-centric South Florida.
Sporting events having geopolitical ties is nothing new, but the situation the Venezuelan team — managed by López — faces in this tournament is unusual. These games come two months after the U.S. executed a military operation in Venezuela to capture deposed leader Nicolás Maduro and bring him to New York to face drug trafcking charges.
“I’m going to be honest with you,” López insisted Thursday. “I’ve been working in baseball for 28 years and I don’t talk about political stu , to be honest. I’m here to talk about our Venezuelan team. I’m not here to talk about anything about political situations around the world, around my country. We are alive, we are here and we want to play for our team to win every single game here.”
When news of Maduro’s capture seeped out in the early morning hours of Jan. 3, many Venezuelans — it’s believed, based on U.S. Census estimates, that about 200,000 people who identify as being from that country live in the Miami-Fort Lauderdale area — took to the streets in celebration. Much of that was centered in the Miami suburb of Doral, which has the largest Venezuelan population in South Florida and also is where President Donald Trump owns a golf resort that will host the G20 Summit later this year.
And based on just the numbers of tickets that are available and their resale prices online,
“I can control what I can control. The rest, God has control of that.”
Venezuela’s four games at loanDepot Park — the home of the Miami Marlins — between Friday and Wednesday will draw large crowds.
“I’m super happy, super happy to be here in my city,” Marlins utilityman Javier Sanoja said. “I love Miami because it’s the closest we have to our country, and seeing it full of Venezuelans lls me with pride.”
That won’t just be the case for Venezuelans, of course. Events like the WBC — not unlike the Olympics, the Ryder Cup and more — are designed to stoke national pride, even in unusual times both in the U.S. and abroad.
The tournament is beginning less than a week after the U.S. and Israel launched joint strikes on Iran to start a new war in the Middle East. At the WBC, the U.S. is playing its pool play games in Houston; Israel has its pool games in Miami. Cuba — a longtime political adversary of the U.S. — is opening in San Juan but could get to Miami if it advances out
South Stanly, softball
Lyric Rucker is a sophomore pitcher for the South Stanly softball team.
The Rowdy Rebel Bulls picked up four wins in eight days to move to 5-0 on the year, and Rucker was the winning pitcher in three of them. She struck out 13 in seven two-hit innings to beat West Davidson, then fanned 10 in seven innings to win against Ardrey Kelly. She nished the week by striking out ve of the six batters she faced in two perfect innings to get the win in a shutout of Richmond.
of pool play. And all of this, plus soccer’s World Cup later this year, is happening amid an immigration crackdown that has some wondering if it’s safe to even try and visit the U.S.
There were no noticeable protests outside the ballpark in Miami on Thursday when teams worked out, and it’s unknown if there will be any sort of politically charged events either inside or outside the stadium when games happen over the next few days.
“To put it mildly, it’s interesting times right now,” Israel manager Brad Ausmus said. “So, I hope there is that kind of unifying joy that all these players, coaches, they’re representing their heritage, but they all have one thing in common and that’s baseball. I hope the fans enjoy it.”
Venezuela’s players all say some version of the same thing, that they’re here to play baseball — even with the country’s deposed leader in a jail cell in New York. The political times, to those players, don’t make the games any more or less signi cant.
“I don’t try to pay attention to that, you know,” Venezuela captain Salvador Perez said. “I understand when fans buy a ticket, they want to see the team win. Win or lose, it’s part of the game. ... I can control what I can control. The rest, God has control of that.”
Send your birth, death, marriage, graduation and other announcements to community@ stanlynewsjournal.com
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CHARLIE RIEDEL / AP PHOTO
Kansas City Royals catcher Salvador Perez talks during spring training baseball practice last month.
Team Venezuela’s Salvador Perez
Venezuela out elder Javier Sanoja gestures at the team after hitting a home run during the World Baseball Classic.
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NOTICE NORTH CAROLINA STANLY COUNTY IN THE GENERAL COURT OF JUSTICE SUPERIOR COURT DIVISION BEFORE THE CLERK 26SP000037-830
MARK T. LOWDER, Public Administrator for the Estate of LUCY ADALENE MAULDIN FAULKNER, Deceased, Petitioner, vs. CAROL ANN RUSSELL, BARBARA JANE FAULKER; and PATRICIA GALE HORTEN, Respondents. NOTICE OF SERVICE PROCESS BY PUBLICATION TO: CAROL ANN RUSSELL, BARBARA JANE FAULKER, and PATRICIA GALE HORTEN. TAKE NOTICE that a pleading seeking relief against you has been led in the above-entitled Special Proceeding. The nature of the relief being sought is as follows: Petition to Sell Real Estate To Create Assets including a Mobile Home and 1.400 acres (Tract 1) located at 18896 Clyde Road, and a 0.500 acre vacant lot located at Vacant Clyde Road (Tract 2), Albemarle, North Carolina to make assets. You are required to make defense to such pleading not later than April 16th, 2026 and upon your failure to do so the party seeking service against you will apply to the court for the relief sought. A hearing shall be held at 11:00 A.M., June 3rd, 2026, before the Clerk of Superior Court, on the third oor in Courtroom #301, of the Stanly County Courthouse, 201 S. Second St., Albemarle, NC 28001. All interested parties should appear. This the 26th day of February, 2026. MARK T. LOWDER M.T. Lowder & Associates P.O. Box 1284 Albemarle, NC 28002 704-982-8558 Publish: March 8, 15, and 22, 2026 NOTICE STATE OF SOUTH CAROLINA IN THE FAMILY COURT OF THE TENTH JUDICIAL CIRCUIT COUNTY OF ANDERSON DOCKET NO.: 2026-DR-04-0028 Notice of Adoption ProceedingS TO THE DEFENDANT: JOHN DOE BIRTH FATHER YOU ARE HEREBY GIVEN THE FOLLOWING NOTICE: 1. That an adoption proceeding was led in the Family Court of Anderson County on January 12, 2026, and in this Complaint, you are alleged to be the father of a Caucasian female child born in Albermarle, North Carolina, on January 2, 2026.2. That the Plainti s in the above captioned Notice are not named for the purpose of con dentiality; however, the Court knows the true identity of the Plainti s and in responding to this notice, you are required to use the caption and the number 2026DR-04-0028.3. That if Notice to Contest, Intervene or otherwise Respond is led by you with the Court within thirty (30) days of the receipt of this Notice of Adoption Proceedings, you will be given an opportunity to appear and be heard on the merits of the adoption. To le notice to Contest, Intervene or otherwise Respond in this action, you must notify the above named Court at Anderson County Courthouse, Clerk of Court Anderson County Family Court, 100 South Main Street, Anderson, South Carolina, 29624, in writing of your intention to Contest, Intervene or otherwise Respond. The above named Court must be informed of your current address and any changes of your address during the adoption proceedings.4. That your failure to respond within thirty (30) days of receipt of this Notice of Adoption Proceedings constitutes your consent to the adoption and forfeiture of all of your rights and obligations to the above identi ed child. It is further alleged that your consent to this adoption is not required under S.C. Code Ann. Section 63-9-310 and that your parental rights should be terminated pursuant to S.C. Code Ann. Section 63-7-2570 (7). This notice is given pursuant to S.C. Code Ann. Section 63-9-730 (E).Lori L. Horst, Esquire (SC Bar #106493) Godwin & Horst, Attorneys at Law PO Box 354. Greenville, SC 29602 PH (864) 241-2883 Anderson, South Carolina FAX: (864) 255-4342 February 24, 2026 ATTORNEY FOR PLAINTIFFS
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NOTICE
Drivers consider whether to go electric as war spikes gas prices
Regulated electricity prices o er EV drivers protection from oil price shocks
By Alexa St. John and Tammy Webber The Associated Press
WHEN KEVIN KETELS
bought an electric 2026 Chevrolet Blazer last year, he wasn’t thinking about the cost of gas. He just thought EVs were better and “wanted to be part of the future.” Now that the Iran war is spiking prices at the pump, the Detroit man is happy he is no longer lling up his 11-year-old gas-powered SUV.
“Electricity can go up, but it won’t go up nearly as much as gas will, and it won’t go up nearly as fast either,” said Ketels, 55, an assistant professor of global supply chain management at Wayne State University.
Experts say prolonged high gas prices may drive some EV interest and sales, especially if drivers assume their electricity prices won’t be a ected by the crises.
But many factors in uence consumer EV purchases — and electricity rates.
Are EV owners truly insulated from price hikes?
Drivers of gas-powered vehicles are much more vulnerable to uctuating prices that result from global con ict than those who charge their cars. The national average for a gallon of regular gas this week was $3.57, up from $2.94 a month ago, according to AAA.
Meanwhile, “residential electricity prices are regulated and are much less volatile than gasoline prices,” said University of California, Davis economics professor Erich Muehlegger. “As a result, EV owners are largely una ected by oil price shocks.”
But experts say electricity prices have been increasing na-
“Electricity can go up, but it won’t go up nearly as much as gas will, and it won’t go up nearly as fast either.”
Kevin Ketels, Wayne State University
tionally for a variety of reasons, including surging power demand from new data centers.
“This is an in ationary event,” Holt Edwards, principal in Bracewell’s Policy Resolution Group, said of the war. “Is this the driver in electricity prices? I think probably not. But it’s certainly a contributing factor.”
To what extent oil and gas con icts could translate to the electricity sector is yet to be seen.
What about how di erent grids are powered?
When it comes to the electricity an EV owner is tapping, much of the cost depends on which sources of electricity are in a local grid’s power mix, experts say.
Because regulators set residential electricity prices annually, most households are sheltered from month-to-month changes in natural gas costs. Though experts say higher natural gas prices can increase the cost of generating electricity, natural gas prices haven’t risen as quickly or as much as oil prices have recently.
Those are just two of many energy sources — including coal, nuclear and renewables — that power the electric grid.
“The energy component varies depending on the energy you’re using and the price of the energy that you’re using to generate electricity,” said Pierpaolo Cazzola, an energy expert at Columbia University’s Center on Global Energy Policy. “What happens is that in the U.S., the variation of the price of the energy component is smaller than it is elsewhere.”
The experts said persistent war could a ect electricity bills in the future. And that is all the more reason for countries to transition to clean power, they said.
“Clean power and electri cation combined is what provides the most security,” said Euan Graham, an analyst at energy think tank Ember.
Google overhauls its Maps app, adding in more AI features to assist people in getting around
Gemini technology powers conversational search and immersive 3D navigation
By Michael Liedtke
The Associated Press
GOOGLE MAPS will depend more heavily on arti cial intelligence to help people gure out where they want to go and the best way to get there as part of a major redesign unveiled on Thursday.
The overhaul driven by Google’s Gemini technology will introduce two AI features into a digital mapping service used by more than 2 billion people
worldwide. One tool called Ask Maps will expand upon conversational abilities that Google brought to the service last November, giving suggestions to users looking for things such as nearby places to charge their devices, cafes with short lines or a detailed itinerary for a road trip involving several stops and excursions.
Gemini’s recommendations will draw upon a database spanning more than 300 million places and reviews from more than 500 million contributors that have been accumulated since Google Maps’ debut more than 20 years ago. Google executives declined to an-
of electri ed vehicles consideration rose sharply then, too.
But whether this means more EV purchases depends on whether buyers expect to save not just now but in the future, experts say.
An electric vehicle charges at a station Wednesday, in Lincolnwood, Illinois.
“Electricity can go up, but it won’t go up nearly as much as gas will and it won’t go up nearly as fast, either.”
Kevin Ketels, Wayne State University
swer a question about whether the company eventually plans to sell ads to boost businesses’ chances of being displayed in Ask Maps’ recommendations. Ask Maps initially will be available on Google Maps’ mo -
Michael B. Klein, a 56-year-old software developer in Evanston, Illinois, has driven EVs for the past eight years to save on fuel costs and because of environmental concerns.
Every time electrical grid efciency improves — especially as renewables are added — “I get that bene t no matter what,” said Klein, who drives a Chevy Bolt. “They can improve the efciency of gas engines, but you have to get a new car in order to reap the bene t of that.”
So will EV demand rise?
Several experts say high gasoline prices are a strong driver of EV sales, particularly if high prices persist. Drivers also consider more gasoline-e cient hybrid vehicles during these times.
Car-shopping resource Edmunds analyzed consumer shopping data for the week starting March 2, after the Iran war had begun. They found that interest in hybrids, plug-in hybrids and battery EVs accounted for 22.4% of all vehicle research activity on their site that week, up from 20.7% the previous week. Analysts also looked back at the last major nationwide fuel price surges in 2022, and they saw that consideration
bile app for iPhones and Android software in the U.S. and India, before expanding to personal computers and other countries.
In what Google executives are billing as the biggest change to the maps’ driving directions, Gemini has also created a new tool dubbed Immersive Navigation that will present a three-dimensional perspective designed to give users a better grasp of where they are at any moment in time. The 3D renderings created by Gemini will include landmarks such as notable buildings, medians in the roads and other aspects of the terrain that drivers are seeing around them as they drive to help them get their bearings more quickly.
Google believes its AI guardrails are now strong enough to prevent the Gemini technology underlying Immersive Navigation from fabricating bogus places to go, a malfunction known within the industry as a “hallucination.”
Immersive Navigation is also
Adding to the complexity: A sudden increase in EV demand could drive up prices, Graham said.
“I think the real step change would be in whether this causes governments to shift tax, tari policies around EVs,” Graham said. Doing so would help reduce fossil fuel dependence, he said. Does driving electric really save money?
Pretty much.
People who buy EVs have a “really substantial” gas savings over the life of their vehicles even without government tax credits, said Peter Zalzal, an attorney with Environmental Defense Fund.
“We’re talking about thousands and thousands of dollars” in savings, Zalzal said. “And as gas prices increase, those savings are only greater. Fuel costs are a big piece of overall vehicle costs, and increases in fuel prices have signi cant impacts on people.”
However, the upfront cost of a new EV is still more than that of a gasoline-powered vehicle; new EVs sold for an average of $55,300 last month, while new vehicles overall sold for an average $49,353, according to auto-buying resource Kelley Blue Book. Some experts also expressed national security concerns with EVs because China dominates signi cant parts of the EV supply chain.
Ketels, the EV owner and professor, said he believes EVs and renewable energy should be a strategic priority for individuals and the U.S. because they could be produced domestically “and we don’t have those uctuations and those worries.”
But because the federal government has withdrawn many incentives for both, “it puts us at a disadvantage globally,” Ketels said. “I think it’s been a terrible mistake to withdraw these incentives and to attack the sustainable energy industry,” and the war “is just making it that much more obvious.”
supposed to help Google Maps more clearly explain the pros and cons of di erent driving routes to the same recommendation, as well as point to the best places to park once a user arrives at a designated destination. The new AI-powered navigation will only be available in the U.S. initially, on Google Maps’ mobile app for the iPhone and Android, as well as cars equipped with options to activate CarPlay and Android Auto. The increased reliance on AI in Google Maps follows the company’s introduction of more Gemini technology to make two of its other most popular products — Gmail and the Chrome web browser — more proactive and helpful to their billions of users. The expansion underscores Google’s con dence in the Gemini 3 model that the Mountain View, California, company released late last year as part of an intensifying battle for AI supremacy with up-andcoming rivals such as OpenAI and Anthropic.
ERIN HOOLEY / AP PHOTO
Styles’ latest, ‘Kiss All the Time. Disco, Occasionally,’ swings, sweats, surprises
The British pop star channels Rick James and ’80s post-punk
By Maria Sherman
The Associated Press
THERE IS ONE experience
Harry Styles will never get to have, though he’s been asked about it ad in nitum: Communing in the crowd at a Harry Styles concert.
On “Kiss All the Time. Disco, Occasionally,” the superstar’s fourth solo album and rst full-length project in four years, Styles aims to soundtrack the anonymous exhilaration of being in the audience. It’s a bold choice, following 2022’s synth-pop “Harry’s House,” which earned him album of the year at the 2023 Grammy Awards, with bolder reference points.
Styles started working on the 12-track album in early 2025 in Berlin, with his longtime producer Kid Harpoon and Tyler Johnson. The location proved to be a source of inspiration for him: Styles’ listening habits became more electronic, in line with the German capital’s reputation. His running playlists featured acts like Four Tet, Floating Points and Jamie xx as well as techno DJs Ben Klock and Fadi Mohem. Repetitive, physical productions — synths that rumble with arpeggios and bass kicks — get very close to meditation. That’s clear on “Kiss All the Time. Disco, Occasionally,” a remarkably consistent album dead-set on evoking mood without sacri cing music.
The rst taste arrived in the form of “Aperture,” a Styles’ opening track if there ever was one, a ve-minute slow burn built of accelerating synths. He said the song was at least partially inspired by seeing LCD Soundsystem live and listening to ‘80s English post-punks The Durutti Column.
And it does, with some restraint. Spirited experimentation carries throughout the al-
“Kiss All The Time Disco Occasionally” is the fourth studio album by Harry Styles.
“Gotta get your feet wet / Respect / Respect your mother!”
Harry Styles
bum, in particular, its stellar back half. The gamble pays o on the funky “Dance No More,” a loose rush of dopamine. (It takes a strong party to press play and not come o wanting to join in the chant, “Gotta get your feet wet / Respect / Respect your mother!” recalling both Rick James’ “Super Freak” and drag culture all in one.)
A familiar Styles, too, emerges in spurts, like in that song’s romance, or the album’s two lyrical references to Simon & Garfunkel on the closer “Carla’s Song” and “Dance No More.” There’s also the late-’60s, early-’70s channeling “Paint By Numbers,” his acoustic guitar, singer-songwriter, “Matilda” moment.
“Oh, what a gift it is to be noticed,” he sings. The simple statement becomes an existential revelation, Styles’ realizing his fame is a conduit for community, not its source: “But it’s nothing to do with me.”
“Kiss All the Time. Disco, Occasionally” takes big swings, but Styles’ approach is often understated — like on “Are You Listening Yet?,” which never really resolves but satiates, or the midtempo “American Girls.”
The freedom Styles appears to have been chasing has built a subversive album, one that doesn’t play into any contemporary pop star rule book. It’ll prove to be divisive for his loyal listeners, or at the very least, unexpected. Still, risk doesn’t mean “Kiss All the Time. Disco, Occasionally” is wholly unrestrained, which may be its central hope. Because at the end of the day, even in the early morning haze of a sweaty nightclub, strangers’ bodies holding strangers’ bodies, he is still Harry Styles.
famous birthdays this week
Judd Hirsch is 91, Queen Latifah turns 56, Bruce Willis is 71, Kathy Ireland turns 63
THESE CELEBRITIES have birthdays this week.
MARCH 15
Actor Judd Hirsch is 91. Singer Mike Love (The Beach Boys) is 85. Filmmaker David Cronenberg is 83. Musician Ry Cooder is 79. Actor Frances Conroy is 73. Rock singer Bret Michaels (Poison) is 63. Singer-TV host Mark McGrath (Sugar Ray) is 58.
MARCH 16
Business executive Sanford Weill is 93. Actor Erik Estrada is 77. Football Hall of Famer Joe DeLamielleure is 75. Rock musician Nancy Wilson (Heart) is 72. Football Hall of Famer Ozzie Newsome is 70. Rapper-actor Flavor Flav is 67. Folk musician Patty Gri n is 62.
MARCH 17
Civil rights activist Myrlie Evers-Williams is 93. Singer-songwriter John Sebastian (The Lovin’ Spoonful) is 82. Actor Kurt Russell is 75. Actor Gary Sinise is 71. NBA executive Danny Ainge is 67. Actor Rob Lowe is 62. Rock musician Billy Corgan (Smashing Pumpkins) is 59.
MARCH 18
Composer John Kander is 99. Actor Brad Dourif is 76. Jazz musician Bill Frisell is 75. Filmmaker Luc Besson is 67. TV personality Mike Rowe is 64. Singer-actor Vanessa L. Williams is 63. Olympic speed skating gold medalist Bonnie Blair is 62. Rapper-actor Queen Latifah is 56.
MARCH 19
Actor Ursula Andress is 90. Singer Ruth Pointer (The Pointer Sisters) is 80. Actor Glenn
Close is 79. Retired actor Bruce Willis is 71. NFL coach Andy Reid is 68. Comedian-podcaster Theo Von is 46.
MARCH 20
Actor Hal Linden is 96. Basketball Hall of Fame coach Pat Riley is 81. Hockey Hall of Famer Bobby Orr is 78. Guitarist Jimmie Vaughan is 75. Film director Spike Lee is 69. Actor Holly Hunter is 68. Model-entrepreneur Kathy Ireland is 63.
MARCH 21
Football Hall of Fame coach Tom Flores is 89. Actor Timothy Dalton is 80. Actor Gary Oldman is 68. Actor Matthew Broderick is 64. Comedian-actor Rosie O’Donnell is 64. Former soccer player Ronaldinho is 46.
J Balvin collaborates on remake of Van Halen’s ‘Jump’ as World Cup anthem
The song also features virtuoso guitarist Steve Vai, Travis Barker and Amber Mark
By Maria Sherman
The Associated Press
NEW YORK — In need of a global superstar for a sports anthem? Colombian singer J Balvin is the right man for the job.
“Our biggest moments in history, of happiness, surround sports,” he says of Colombia. “Of course, music, but sport has this power (to) unite a whole country and vibe in a really positive way. So that’s part of my DNA.”
Balvin is one-fourth of Coca-Cola’s o cial anthem for the FIFA World Cup 2026, a reimagination of Van Halen’s “Jump” that also features drummer Travis Barker, pop/R&B singer Amber Mark and guitarist Steve Vai.
Last year, Joshua Burke, head of global music and culture marketing at The Coca-Cola Company, approached Balvin with the idea. The singer initially felt trepidation.
“I’m really precautious when it comes to songs like this one,” Balvin said. “It’s like touching the Mona Lisa.”
“I have so much respect for anthems like that,” he said. So he had to take “a totally di erent approach” to make it work; he wanted to avoid straightforward comparisons to the original recording.
“It was like a puzzle,” he says.
Mark’s rich, crystalline voice is the rst heard on the track; she sings the song’s original English lyrics. Vai transforms its iconic guitar; Barker ampli es its percussion.
The greatest di erence is found in Balvin’s contributions. He wrote a new verse — in Spanish — atop production courte-
sy his collaborator L.E.X.V.Z, a sound he describes as “Brazilian funk with hard strings, kind of like hip-hop.”
“’Jump’ is not a fútbol song,” he said of the original, using the Spanish word for soccer. “So that’s why I had to put the Latin love and passion for fútbol (in the lyrics).”
“El fútbol es nuestro idioma / Aquí todos somos mi gente,” he raps. In English: “Football is our language / Here, we’re all my people.”
“Fútbol is about bringing everyone together,” he says. It’s a particularly resonant message as sports fans and organizers alike are considering the ways in which President Donald Trump’s immigration crackdown may impact the tournament.
“I wish this administration open their mind and see, like, this is a world event. This is for all of us,” he said. “Let the people really have fun and enjoy and show that the United States can de nitely pull o a World Cup.”
Coca-Cola has been an ocial sponsor for the FIFA World Cup since 1978 and has produced a number of its own anthems for the event, including Jason Derulo’s “Colors” in 2018 and a reimagining of Queen’s “A Kind of Magic” in 2022 featuring Mexican singer Danna Paola, Egyptian rapper Felukah and Saudi Arabian singer TamTam.
“Reimagining a song as iconic as Van Halen’s ‘Jump’ came with a real sense of responsibility,” Burke wrote to The Associated Press in an exclusive statement. “All four artists leaned into the process as if this was their own single. Our goal was to create an anthem that celebrates the full spectrum of emotions of the tournament and feels just as powerful in a stadium as it does blasting from a car with your friends. We were able to do exactly that.”
PHIL MCCARTEN / AP PHOTO Singer Ruth Pointer of the Pointer Sisters turns 80 on Thursday.
MARK J. TERRILL / AP PHOTO Director Spike Lee turns 69 on Friday.
COLUMBIA RECORDS VIA AP
this week in history
“The Godfather” premieres, My Lai massacre in Vietnam, Napoleon returns to Paris
The Associated Press
MARCH 15
44 B.C: Roman dictator Julius Caesar was assassinated in on the “Ides of March” by senators including Brutus and Cassius.
1965: President Lyndon B. Johnson, addressing a joint session of Congress, called for federal legislation guaranteeing every American’s right to vote, leading to passage of the Voting Rights Act of 1965.
1972: “The Godfather,” Francis Ford Coppola’s lm based on the Mario Puzo novel and starring Marlon Brando and Al Pacino, premiered in New York.
MARCH 16
1802: President Thomas Je erson signed legislation authorizing the establishment of the United States Military Academy at West Point, New York.
1935: Adolf Hitler violated the Treaty of Versailles by ordering Germany to rearm and resume military conscription.
1968: During the Vietnam War, U.S. Army troops searching for Viet Cong ghters killed as many as 500 unarmed villagers in the hamlets of Son My village in 1968, in what became known as the My Lai massacre.
MARCH 17
1762: New York held its rst St. Patrick’s Day Parade.
1776: The Revolutionary War Siege of Boston ended as British forces evacuated the city.
1959: The nuclear-powered USS Skate became the rst submarine to break through the ice and surface at the North Pole.
MARCH 18
1922: Mohandas Gandhi was sentenced in India to six years in prison for civil disobedience.
1925: Nearly 700 people were killed in 1925 when the Tri-State Tornado tore through southeastern Missouri, southern Illinois and southwestern Indiana, the deadliest single tornado in U.S. history.
1942: President Franklin D. Roosevelt signed an executive order authorizing the War Relocation Authority, which forced Japanese Americans into internment camps during World War II.
MARCH 19
1931: Nevada Gov. Fred B. Balzar signed a measure making the state the rst to legalize gambling.
1945: During World War II, more than 800 service members were killed when a Japanese dive bomber attacked the aircraft carrier USS Franklin near Japan.
1953: The 25th Academy Awards ceremony became the rst to be televised; “The Greatest Show on Earth” won the Oscar for best picture.
MARCH 20
1815: Napoleon Bonaparte returned to Paris after escaping his exile on Elba, begin-
ning his “Hundred Days” rule.
1852: Harriet Beecher Stowe’s in uential anti-slavery novel “Uncle Tom’s Cabin” was rst published in book form after being serialized in the abolitionist newspaper “The National Era.”
1976: Kidnapped newspaper heiress Patricia Hearst was convicted of armed robbery for her role in a San Francisco bank holdup carried out by the Symbionese Liberation Army.
MARCH 21
1873: The Spanish National Assembly abolished slavery in Puerto Rico, then a Spanish colony.
1933: Germany’s Nazi government established its rst concentration camp in the town of Dachau, ostensibly for political prisoners. More than 200,000 prisoners were held there and more than 40,000 died.
1965: Civil rights demonstrators led by the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. began their third march from Selma to Montgomery, Alabama, escorted by U.S. Army and National Guard troops assigned by President Lyndon B. Johnson.
March 18,
oversaw the internment of
created the War Relocation Authority,
and Japanese
AP PHOTO
Patty Hearst, center, leaves the federal building in San Francisco hours after her sentencing on a bank robbery for which she was convicted on March 20, 1976.
AP PHOTO
On
1942, President Franklin D. Roosevelt
which
about 120,000 Japanese immigrants
Americans in camps across the West during World War II.