Paul faces protective order hearing in Utah after “Bachelorette” cancellation
A Utah judge is expected to hear arguments on a protective order sought by a former partner against Taylor Frankie Paul, star of Hulu’s “The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives.” Paul and Dakota Mortensen were expected to participate remotely Tuesday while their lawyers appear in person. Mortensen is the father of Paul’s 2-year-old son. He is asking the court to extend a protective order. About three weeks ago, ABC opted not to air a new season of “The Bachelorette” with Paul at its center. Production has also been paused on her Hulu series. It often featured Paul and Mortensen’s tumultuous relationship.
Ford recalls more than 422K trucks, SUVs because windshield wipers can fail
Ford Motor Co. is recalling 422,613 vehicles because the windshield wiper arms can break, causing reduced visibility and increasing the risk of a crash. The recall covers 2021-23 Ford Expeditions and Lincoln Navigators and a range of F series Super Duty trucks, model years 2022-2023. Letters notifying owners of the safety risk are expected to be mailed on April 13. Once a remedy is determined, additional letters will be mailed. Dealerships will eventually inspect and replace the wiper arms free of charge.
Former Australian soldier charged with committing 5 war crime murders in Afghanistan
Australia’s most decorated living veteran, Ben Roberts- Smith, faces war crime charges on allegations that he killed ve unarmed Afghans while serving in Afghanistan from 2009 to 2012. Police have not con rmed the name of the 47-year-old former soldier who was arrested on Tuesday. But he was been widely reported in the media as the former Special Air Service Regiment corporal who was awarded both the Victoria Cross and Medal of Gallantry for his service in Afghanistan. Police says he will remain in custody overnight and will make his rst court appearance on Wednesday. Roberts-Smith is only the second Australian veteran of the Afghanistan campaign to be charged with a war crime.
Albemarle outlines development overhaul, ordinance updates
A uni ed development ordinance is expected
By Jesse Deal Stanly News Journal
ALBEMARLE — As the city continues to grow, Albemarle o cials are moving forward with a series of development updates aimed at aligning future growth with the vision outlined in its comprehensive plan.
At Monday night’s Albemarle City Council meeting, the council received an administrative report from Planning and Development Director Alysia Steadman, who presented a department update centered
on ordinance changes and a broader regulatory overhaul.
“What we’re doing is really about aligning the community that we want to see with our toolbox, and how to implement the things that we want to see,” Steadman said. “Many of those things are outlined in our comprehensive plan, which you adopted in December. After extensive community engagement and internal work on that document, we now have a blueprint for how we want to grow and develop.”
Albemarle’s comprehensive land use plan, Envision Albemarle 2045, is designed to
Stanly commissioners approve incentive grant for Michelin plant upgrades
The project is expected to create 30 new jobs
By Jesse Deal Stanly News Journal
ALBEMARLE — An expansion to the Michelin North America aircraft tire plant in Norwood has gained nancial backing from the local county government.
At its meeting Monday night, the Stanly County Board of Commissioners unanimously approved an economic development incentive grant equal to 75% of new taxes generated by the project over a 10-year period.
Operating under the planning name “Project NORRAD,” the company plans to invest $4.4 million in real property improvements and $25.7 million in machinery and equipment, totaling $30.1 million. The project is expected to create 30 new jobs over the next three years with an average annual salary of $50,083.
Elizabeth Kazimir, director of the Stanly County Economic Development Commission, presented the request following a required public hearing that drew no comments.
THE STANLY COUNTY EDITION OF NORTH STATE JOURNAL
The health department is urging vaccination and early testing
Stanly News Journal sta THE STANLY COUNTY
Health Department announced April 3 that cases of whooping cough have been con rmed in the county, urging residents to be aware of the highly contagious respiratory illness.
“This highly contagious respiratory illness poses serious risks, especially to infants and the immunocompromised,” the health department said in a press release.
Whooping cough, also known as pertussis, is a bacterial infection that develops 5 to 21 days after exposure. Early symptoms resemble a common cold, but the cough worsens over time and can persist for weeks. Other symptoms include trouble breathing,
March 30
• Jessica Renee Nesmith, 42, was arrested for possession of methamphetamine and possession of drug paraphernalia.
• Tommy Lopez Chambers, 47, was arrested for assault on a female, misdemeanor crime of domestic violence and interfering with emergency communication.
• Marcus Armondo Allen, 33, was arrested for second-degree trespass.
• Kinard Keshawyn Huggins, 27, was arrested for misdemeanor crime of domestic violence, carrying a concealed gun, possession of a rearm by a felon, possession of marijuana (more than one-half to one and one-half ounces), assault in icting serious injury in the presence of a minor, possession of marijuana paraphernalia and assault on a female.
• Ricky Dean Mullis, 62, was arrested for accessory after the fact.
Stanly County Health Department
vomiting after coughing and extreme tiredness.
The disease spreads easily through respiratory droplets when an infected person talks, coughs or sneezes. Infants are at the highest risk of severe complications, including hospitalization, pneumonia, brain damage or death.
The health department recommends that anyone who is sick or suspected of having whooping cough wash their hands frequently, wear a mask, cover coughs, stay home and avoid close contact with
March 31
• Noah Anthony Crouch, 37, was arrested for misdemeanor stalking.
• Deshawn Anthony Jackson, 31, was arrested for intentional child abuse in icting serious physical injury and felony assault on an individual with a disability.
• Tito Fernando Harris, 31, was arrested for misdemeanor larceny.
April 1
• Deshawndre De’Once Leak, 25, was arrested for simple possession of a Schedule VI controlled substance and driving on a revoked license (not impaired revocation).
• Sean Wesley Kennedy, 33, was arrested for larceny of a motor vehicle, assault by strangulation, misdemeanor crime of domestic violence and assault on a female.
• John Anthony Rowe, 60, was arrested for maintaining a vehicle, dwelling or place for a controlled
infants and pregnant women. Early testing allows for antibiotic treatment, which can reduce the severity and duration of the illness and help prevent further spread.
Whooping cough is vaccine-preventable. The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services recommends a ve-dose vaccination series for infants and children, a booster for youth ages 11–12, a dose during the third trimester of each pregnancy and a booster every 10 years for adults over 18. Unvaccinated individuals who develop symptoms should seek early testing and stay home. Preventive antibiotics may be recommended for close contacts, particularly infants, pregnant women and those with underlying health conditions.
For questions, contact a health care provider or the Stanly County Health Department at 704-982-9171.
substance, possession with intent to sell or deliver cocaine and possession of drug paraphernalia.
• Christina Marie Hernandez, 24, was arrested for simple possession of a Schedule VI controlled substance and loitering.
• Bradley Matthew Olsen, 40, was arrested for assault on a female.
April 2
• Robert Anderson, 22, was arrested for maintaining a vehicle, dwelling or place for a controlled substance and possession with intent to sell or deliver marijuana.
• Jesse Houston Bullock, 39, was arrested for larceny after breaking and entering and misdemeanor larceny.
• Michael Benjamin Stoval, 34, was arrested for being intoxicated and disruptive and possession of an alcoholic beverage.
• Richard Lee Scott Kuchenbrod, 39, was arrested for misdemeanor larceny.
Here’s a quick look at what’s coming up in and around Stanly County:
April 9
Community Kids and STEM Festival
4 p.m.
A free family event featuring hands-on STEM activities, community resource tables, local vendors and information about college programs, geared toward children and families.
Stanly Community College 141 College Drive Albemarle
April 12
Stanly County Concert Association — Salisbury Symphony Brass
4 p.m.
The Salisbury Symphony Brass, a quintet of musicians from the Salisbury Symphony Orchestra, performs “Brass Favorites: from Renaissance to Modern and Pops to Gospel” as part of the Concert Association’s 2025-2026 season. Tickets are $25 for adults, $10 for students. Stanly County Agri-Civic Center 26032 Newt Road Albemarle
THE CONVERSATION
Trip Ho end, publisher | Frank Hill, senior opinion editor
COLUMN | BEN SHAPIRO
In today’s NBA, beliefs can be a firing o ense
THERE ARE PLENTY of things an
NBA player can do and still keep his job.
League history is littered with examples: players involved in o -court scandals, arrests, even allegations of serious violence. Time and again, teams and the league have found ways to look past behavior that, in most professions, would be career-ending.
But there appears to be one line that cannot be crossed — especially during Holy Week.
That line, it seems, is expressing a traditional religious belief.
Enter Jaden Ivey.
The former Purdue standout was the fth overall pick in the 2022 NBA Draft, a rising young guard who averaged 16 points and ve assists as a rookie with the Detroit Pistons. By his third season, he was approaching 18 points per game before an injury derailed his momentum. Eventually, he landed with the Chicago Bulls.
By all accounts, Ivey was a productive player still on the rise.
Then came an Instagram video.
In it, Ivey — now a newly converted Christian — criticized the NBA’s celebration of Pride Month. His comments re ected a conventional religious viewpoint: that pride, as celebrated in this context, con icts with Christian teachings on sin.
“They proclaim Pride Month,” Ivey said. “They say, ‘Come join us ... to celebrate unrighteousness.’”
That was enough.
The Bulls waived him, citing “conduct detrimental to the team.”
The phrase raises an obvious question: What exactly was the conduct?
Ivey did not skip practice. He did not clash with teammates. He did not violate the law. By his own account — and by the absence of any evidence to the contrary
COLUMN | MICHAEL BARONE
— he remained a good teammate and a committed player.
His o ense was speech.
On Instagram Live, Ivey pushed back on the decision.
“How is it conduct detrimental to the team? What did I do to the team?” he asked.
It’s a fair question — and one the Bulls have not clearly answered.
Even head coach Billy Donovan o ered only a muted response, emphasizing “certain standards” while declining to directly address Ivey’s comments. There was no forceful condemnation, no claim of locker room disruption — just a vague appeal to team values.
Contrast that with other professional sports leagues. UFC president Dana White has repeatedly defended ghters’ rights to speak freely, even when he strongly disagrees with them. The principle is simple: Disagreement does not justify punishment.
The NBA appears to be operating under a di erent standard.
If Ivey had expressed support for Pride Month — or made a personal announcement aligning with it — it’s di cult to imagine a similar outcome. More than likely, he would have been celebrated.
Instead, he was dismissed.
This is what makes the situation so striking. The league has tolerated, and at times quietly managed, far more serious controversies. There was even a prolonged debate over whether to host an event tied to a strip club in Atlanta — an issue that required league intervention after weeks of public scrutiny.
Yet a religious objection to Pride Month draws an immediate and decisive response.
That disparity is hard to ignore.
It also raises broader questions about the NBA’s relationship with its audience. Millions of fans — many of them religious — hold views similar to those Ivey expressed. They may not agree with the league’s messaging, but they have continued to watch, support and engage with the sport.
Decisions like this risk sending a di erent message: that certain beliefs are not merely unpopular but unacceptable.
For a league that seeks to expand its reach, that’s a curious strategy.
Timing only adds to the tension. The incident unfolded during Holy Week, one of the most sacred periods on the Christian calendar — a moment when questions of faith and conviction are especially prominent.
None of this requires agreement with Ivey’s views. Reasonable people can and do disagree on these issues.
But there is a di erence between disagreement and exclusion.
If the standard for remaining in the NBA now includes alignment with speci c cultural or ideological positions, then the league is entering new territory — one where speech, not conduct, becomes the deciding factor in a player’s career.
Ivey may yet nd another team willing to give him a second chance.
But the larger issue will remain: In today’s NBA, it’s not just how you play the game that matters — it’s what you’re allowed to say o the court.
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)
The sudden political star of Trump II: Marco Rubio
Rubio, in his two ostensibly nonpolitical jobs, has obviously made a favorable impression on the public.
“WHITE HOUSE DEPLOYS Marco
Rubio to clarify messaging about Iran con ict.” So reads the headline on the front page of the Washington Examiner’s website in the early hours of April 1, the third month of U.S. military operations against Iran, which have been taking place since Feb. 28.
That prominence was overtaken as it was announced that President Donald Trump would address the nation on the war Wednesday night. But it’s still worth noting and could turn out to be more signi cant as the end of the second Trump term comes into view.
Rubio’s video making the case for the Iran o ensive is only two minutes long, straight to the camera, with a dark background relieved only by the red and white stripes of the ag. Succinctly, he made a case for military action now.
“Under no circumstances,” Rubio said, “can a country run by radical Shia clerics with an apocalyptic vision of the future ever possess nuclear weapons, and under no circumstances can they be allowed to hide and protect that program and their ambitions behind a shield of missiles and drones that no one can do anything about.”
At greater length but in a similar fashion, he made the same case that day in a television interview on Al Jazeera, in terms pitched to its audience not just in the United States but also in the Gulf.
Only one other person before has held the o ces of secretary of state and national security adviser: Henry Kissinger, from 1973 to 1975. In that capacity, Kissinger conducted high-level diplomacy in the Middle East and left no distance in his public statements between his views and those of the president he served, although behind the scenes, as later revealed, there were di erences.
Similarly, Rubio obviously speaks carefully to leave no distance between his statements and those of the president he serves, to whom he refers in respectful terms. But he’s able to do this and to
appeal to others, including inveterate Trump haters, all at the same time.
That was apparent in his Feb. 14 speech at the Munich Security Conference where he earned standing applause from his predominantly European audience even as he repeated, diplomatically phrased, the same criticisms of what Donald Rumsfeld called “Old Europe” voiced numerous times by Trump and, at the same conference a year before, to a very di erent reaction, Vice President JD Vance.
There are many di erences between the two men who were secretary of state and national security adviser. Kissinger was a dazzling scholar who impressed everyone at Harvard University. Rubio rst went to college on a football scholarship then earned degrees from the University of Florida and the University of Miami Law School. Kissinger, in his prime, dated movie stars. Rubio is a longtime family man.
Once in America, Kissinger always lived in the Northeast Corridor (Manhattan, Cambridge and Washington, D.C.), Rubio in semitropical Miami and ra sh Las Vegas. Kissinger never ran for public o ce. Rubio was elected to the West Miami Council at 27 and to the term-limited Florida legislature at 29 (winning a primary runo by 64 votes), and he got his colleagues to elect him as speaker six years later.
But the biggest political di erence is that Kissinger, born a citizen of Weimar Germany, was ineligible to run for president. Rubio not only ran for president in 2016 but might conceivably have won in the absence of Trump’s candidacy and the millions spent against him by backers of his former mentor, former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush.
And Rubio might conceivably run and win in 2028, though he says he will support Vance, and Vance says that Rubio is “my closest friend in the administration.” There are obviously some di erences between them on foreign policy: Rubio
plainly favors the Iran attacks. Vance seems dubious.
Despite speculation that MAGA opposes Trump on Iran, Rubio, in his two ostensibly nonpolitical jobs, has obviously made a favorable impression on the public. At the recent Conservative Political Action Conference in Grapevine, Texas, Vance once again won the straw poll for the 2028 Republican presidential nomination. But his 53% was down from 61% last year, while Rubio zoomed up from 3% in 2025 to 35% this year.
CPAC, abounding these days with MAGA-loving young men, has not always been a reliable guide to wider opinion.
But national pollsters, which began 2028 polling two weeks after the 2024 election, cast a wider net. In 17 polls conducted over the rst full year since Trump’s inauguration, Rubio averaged 9%, behind not only Vance at 46% but also his fellow Floridian, Gov. Ron DeSantis, who averaged 10%.
In seven polls taken since Rubio’s Munich speech, Vance was unchanged, averaging 45%, and so was DeSantis, who averaged 8%. But Rubio did signi cantly better, averaging 16%. That’s not the jump he saw at CPAC, but it’s also pretty clear evidence that Rubio is making some impression on a public that usually pays little attention to secretaries of state or national security advisers.
But I do feel sure that Rubio, who showed impressive raw political talent in his rise to one of Florida’s U.S. Senate seats in the rst decade of this century and who made a serious presidential run in the second decade, has now shown impressive skills as a national leader in the third decade. Is there more ahead in the fourth?
Michael Barone is a senior political analyst for the Washington Examiner and longtime co-author of “The Almanac of American Politics.” (Copyright 2026 Creators.com)
His o ense was speech.
CIA deception aided the rescue of two airmen from hostile Iranian territory
By Seung Min Kim, Matthew Lee and Samy Magdy The Associated Press
THE UNITED STATES pulled o a daring rescue of two aviators whose ghter jet was shot down by Iran, plucking the pilot from behind enemy lines before setting o a complicated extraction of the second service member who hid deep in the mountains as Tehran called for Iranians to help capture him.
The CIA looked to throw o Iran’s government before the crew member was found, launching a deception campaign to spread word inside the Islamic Republic that the U.S. had already located him.
Even as President Donald Trump and other U.S. o cials described an almost cinematic mission, rescuers faced major obstacles, including two Black Hawk helicopters coming under re and problems with two transport planes that forced the U.S. military to blow them up.
“This is the rst time in military memory that two U.S. Pilots have been rescued, separately, deep in Enemy Territory,” Trump wrote early Sunday on his Truth Social platform. “WE WILL NEVER LEAVE AN AMERICAN WARFIGHTER BEHIND!”
U.S. o cials stayed silent as operation played out
In a pair of social media posts, Trump said the operation over the weekend required the U.S. to remain completely silent to avoid jeopardizing the e ort, even as the president and top members of his administration continuously monitored the airman’s location.
The White House and the Pentagon refused to publicly discuss details about the downed ghter jet for well over 24 hours after the initial crash, particularly about the rst crew member rescued from the F-15E Strike Eagle — an e ort that Trump later said took seven hours in broad daylight over Iran.
The United States and Iran’s government then were both racing to nd the second crew member, a weapons systems o cer whose location neither side knew.
The CIA spread word in Iran that the U.S. had found him and were moving him by ground to get him out of the country, according to a senior Trump administration o cial who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss details not yet made public.
The confusion allowed the CIA time to uncover the location of the service member, who was hiding in a mountain crevice, the o cial said.
He had climbed 7,000 feet despite being injured, said Sen. Dave McCormick, a Pennsylvania Republican who told
“Fox News Sunday” that he was briefed by a senior administration o cial involved in the operation.
The intelligence agency sent the aviator’s coordinates to the Pentagon and the White House, where Trump ordered a rescue operation.
Iran urged public to look for “enemy pilot”
Meanwhile, an anchor on a channel a liated with Iranian state television had been urging residents in the mountainous region of southwest Iran where the ghter jet went down to hand over any “enemy pilot” to police and promised a reward for anyone who did.
Trump said the American aviator was being “hunted down” by enemies who were “getting closer and closer by the hour.” The United States was monitoring his location continuously, he said.
At the right moment, Trump said, he directed the military to send dozens of heavily armed aircraft to rescue the crew member, who the president said is “seriously wounded” but will recover.
Iranian state media reported that airstrikes in southwestern Iran on Saturday killed at least three people and wounded others, in the same area where the missing American crew member was believed to be.
U.S. rescuers faced obstacles with aircraft during operation
The American rescue mission ran into major challenges behind enemy lines. Iran’s joint military command claimed it struck two U.S. Black Hawk helicopters taking part in the operation.
A person familiar with the situation said the two helicopters were able to navigate to safe airspace, although it’s unclear if they landed or if crew members were injured. The person spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss the sensitive information.
Then, the U.S. military was
forced to bring in additional aircraft to complete the rescue of the second service member due to a technical malfunction, according to a regional intelligence o cial briefed on the mission. The U.S. blew up two transport planes it was forced to leave behind because of the mishap, said the o cial, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss the covert mission.
Iran’s state television on Sunday aired a video showing what it claimed were parts of a U.S. aircraft shot down by Iranian forces, along with a photo of thick, black smoke rising. The broadcaster said Iran had shot down a transport plane and two helicopters that were part of the rescue operation.
Iran’s joint military command said the destroyed aircraft included two C-130 military transport aircraft and two Black Hawk helicopters in the province of Isfahan, where the rescue took place.
“The fact that we were able to pull o both of these operations, without a SINGLE American killed, or even wounded, just proves once again, that we have achieved overwhelming Air Dominance and Superiority over the Iranian skies,” Trump said on social media.
Second U.S. military jet also downed
Trump, however, did not mention that a second military jet also went down the same day as the F-15E. Iranian state media said Friday that a U.S. A-10 attack aircraft crashed after being struck by Iran’s defense forces.
A U.S. o cial, speaking on condition of anonymity to discuss a sensitive military situation, con rmed a second Air Force combat aircraft went down in the Middle East on Friday.
An additional U.S. pilot was rescued, but details were not available given the security concerns, another person familiar with the situation said. Neither provided more information, including whether it was the A-10.
Artemis II breaks Apollo 13’s distance record with daring moon yby that included solar eclipse
The astronauts broke Apollo 13’s distance record during the historic moon yby
By Marcia Dunn
The Associated Press
HOUSTON — After traveling deeper into space than any other humans, the Artemis II astronauts pointed their moonship toward home Monday night, wrapping up a lunar cruise that revealed views of the far side never beheld by eyes until now.
Their yby of the moon — NASA’s rst return since the Apollo era — even included some celestial sightseeing besides yielding rich science. It was a signi cant step toward landing boot prints near the moon’s south pole in just two years.
A total solar eclipse greeted the three Americans and one Canadian as the moon temporarily blocked the sun from their perspective. Mercury, Venus, Mars and Saturn nodded at them from the black void. The landing sites of Apollo 12 and 14 also were visible, poignant reminders of NASA’s rst age of exploration more than half a century ago.
In an especially riveting retro throwback, Artemis II shattered the distance record set by Apollo 13 in 1970. NASA’s Orion capsule reached a maximum distance of 252,756 miles from Earth before hanging a U-turn behind the moon, 4,101 miles farther than Apollo 13.
“It is blowing my mind what you can see with the naked eye from the moon right now. It is just unbelievable,” Canadian astronaut Jeremy Hansen radioed. He challenged “this generation and the next to make sure this record is not long-lived.”
PLANT from page A1
“The grant request is 75% for 10 years for a business that is expanding its operations in the town of Norwood with an additional manufacturing line,” Kazimir said. “This project speci cally will create 30 additional new jobs with salaries above the county average and will result in new taxable investment of an estimated
ALBEMARLE from page A1 guide development, infrastructure and investment decisions over the next two decades.
Steadman said the city is now working to translate that vision into actionable policy.
“I don’t have to tell you all how quickly Albemarle is growing and changing,” she said. “We have a unique opportunity to shape the future of the community. We have voices at the table. People are interested in development and investing in the community.”
The e ort will move forward in two phases.
Artemis II astronauts get Apollo wake-up message
Apollo 13 commander Jim Lovell wished the crew well in a recording made two months before his death last August. Mission Control beamed up his message to commander Reid Wiseman, pilot Victor Glover, Christina Koch and Hansen, before their y-around began.
“Welcome to my old neighborhood,” said Lovell, who also ew on Apollo 8, humanity’s rst lunar visit. “It’s a historic day and I know how busy you’ll be, but don’t forget to enjoy the view.”
The Artemis II astronauts carried up with them the Apollo 8 silk patch that accompanied Lovell to the moon. “It’s just a real honor to have that on board with us,” Wiseman said.
Artemis II is using the same maneuver that Apollo 13 did after its “Houston, we’ve had a problem” oxygen tank explosion wiped out any hope of a moon landing.
$28.164 million in machinery and equipment over the next ve years.”
Vice Chairman Bill Lawhon asked how the projected wages will compare to the county average.
“The current Stanly County average wage for 2026 is $43,248, and for this project, the average salary will be $50,083,” Kazimir said.
Following that item, com-
The rst focuses on addressing immediate needs through a resubmission of Text Amendment 24-03, which includes changes to lot shape consistency, bu er and yard requirements, street tree placement, sidewalks on both sides of residential streets and standards for improvements on paper streets.
Additional updates include establishing a development review schedule, requiring community meetings for rezonings and expanding the radius for public noti cations. The proposed amendment also includes re nements to cluster development standards, an area
Known as a free-return lunar trajectory, this no-stoppingto-land route takes advantage of Earth and the moon’s gravity, reducing the need for fuel. It’s a celestial gure-eight that put the astronauts on course for home once they emerged from behind the moon Monday evening.
Astronauts lock in on lunar observations
Artemis II’s lunar y-around and intense observation period lasted seven hours, by far the highlight of the nearly 10 - day test ight that will end with a splashdown in the Paci c on Friday.
Venturing as close as 4,067 miles to the gray dusty surface, the astronauts zipped through a list of more than two dozen targets, using powerful Nikon cameras as well as their iPhones to zoom in on impact craters and other intriguing lunar features. Before getting started, they
missioners also unanimously approved a resolution supporting the company’s application for a Building Reuse grant through the North Carolina Department of Commerce’s Rural Infrastructure Authority.
“Should you choose to support this resolution and Project NORRAD’s application, the RIA will review this application on April 16 this year,”
that has drawn concerns about consistency and design quality.
City sta plans to bring the revised amendment back to council for potential adoption April 20.
The second phase involves a broader regulatory assessment that could lead to the creation of a uni ed development ordinance (UDO), which would consolidate existing regulations into a single, modernized framework.
The initial assessment is expected to cost about $14,500, with a full UDO projected between $100,000 and $125,000, according to Steadman.
requested permission to name two bright, freshly carved craters. They suggested Integrity, the name of their capsule, and Carroll, commander Wiseman’s wife, who died of cancer in 2020.
Wiseman wept as Hansen put in the request to Mission Control, and all four astronauts embraced in tears.
“Such a majestic view out here,” Wiseman radioed once he regained his composure and started picture-taking. The astronauts called down that they managed to capture the moon and Earth in the same shot, and they provided a running commentary to scientists back in Houston on what they were seeing. At one point, Koch reported an overwhelming sensation of emotion for a second or two while zooming in on the moon.
“Something just drew me in suddenly to the lunar landscape and it became real,” she said.
The Artemis II astronauts made their closest approach to the moon and reached their maximum distance from Earth while they were out of contact. Their speed at closest approach: 3,139 mph. The spacecraft accelerated as it appeared from behind the moon and the planned communications blackout and made tracks for Earth.
An Earthrise came into view showing Asia, Africa and Oceania as Mission Control called out: “We are Earthbound and ready to bring you home.” Flight controllers in Houston ipped their mission patches over to signify the return leg.
President Donald Trump phoned the astronauts following the yby, calling them “modern-day pioneers.”
“Today you’ve made history and made all America really proud, incredibly proud,” the president said, adding that more
Kazimir said. “The Department of Commerce requires a local match for companies to apply for this building reuse program. It’s very common, standard practice for us, and we’ve done several of these in the past.”
As part of the resolution, the county agreed to provide a local cash match of $11,250 to support administration of the project.
Mayor Pro Tem Martha Sue Hall questioned how the additional work would build on the city’s recent investment in its comprehensive plan.
“We’ve spent a lot of time and a lot of money,” Hall said. “A study is a study unless you use it to lead the way. I guess I need to hear if we’re talking about more money and more time, how is this going to work, hand in hand, or completely opposite about what we just spent all this other time and money?”
“Is it going to cost more money? Is it going to take more time? I’ll be honest, yes and yes,”
lunar traveling is coming and ultimately “the whole big trip to Mars.”
Wiseman and his crew spent years studying lunar geography to prepare for the big event, adding solar eclipses to their repertoire during the past few weeks. By launching last Wednesday, they ensured themselves of a total solar eclipse from their vantage point behind the moon, courtesy of the cosmos.
Topping their science target list: Orientale Basin, a sprawling impact basin with three concentric rings, the outermost of which stretches nearly 600 miles across.
Their moon mentor, NASA geologist Kelsey Young, expects thousands of pictures.
Artemis II is NASA’s rst astronaut moonshot since Apollo 17 in 1972. It sets the stage for next year’s Artemis III, which will see another Orion crew practice docking with lunar landers in orbit around Earth. The culminating moon landing by two astronauts near the moon’s south pole will follow on Artemis IV in 2028.
While Artemis II may be taking Apollo 13’s path, it’s most reminiscent of Apollo 8 and humanity’s rst lunar visitors who orbited the moon on Christmas Eve 1968 and read from the Book of Genesis.
Glover said ying to the moon during Christianity’s Holy Week brought home for him “the beauty of creation.” Earth is an oasis amid “a whole bunch of nothing, this thing we call the universe” where humanity exists as one, he observed over the weekend.
“This is an opportunity for us to remember where we are, who we are, and that we are the same thing and that we’ve got to get through this together,” Glover said, clasping hands with his crewmates.
Opened in 1991, Michelin’s Norwood plant manufactures aircraft tires for commercial and military aviation, serving as a key Stanly County employer and a specialized link to the global aerospace industry.
The Stanly County Board of Commissioners will hold its next regular meeting April 20 at 6 p.m. in the Gene McIntyre Meeting Room at Stanly County Commons.
Steadman answered. “However, we’re not starting from scratch. All that engagement and all the work that we did in a comprehensive plan is the foundation. It’s the blueprint.” The assessment process, expected to begin in May and take two to four months, will include a site visit, technical review of existing ordinances and stakeholder interviews. Findings and recommendations will be presented to council and other local partners upon completion.
The Albemarle City Council will hold its next regular meeting April 20 at 6:30 p.m. in the City Hall Council Chambers.
Theodore (Ted) Calvin Hatley
March 31, 1945 –April 4, 2026
Theodore (Ted) Calvin Hatley born 03/31/1945, passed away 04/04/2026 surrounded by his daughters Tonya and Trina. Ted loved camping, shing and hunting.
Ted was preceded in death by his beloved mother, Attie Hatley; his father, Luke Hatley; and his daughter, Tina Hatley Faulkner.
He leaves behind his loving daughters, Tonya Hatley Tuohenmaa (Aki) and Trina Hatley Poc, Grandchildren Jacob Co el (Kristyn), Jared Co el (Zoe) Jennie Dewitt (Teddy) and Nathan Holloman. Great grandchildren Tucker Dewitt and Cole Co el also his fur baby Nick.
Ted will be remembered for the love he gave, the lessons he taught, and the lasting impact he made on those fortunate enough to know him. His memory will live on through the family he loved so deeply.
Services will be Saturday April 11,2026 3:00pm at Cole Baptist Church 12168 Coyle Rd, Stan eld, NC
Frances Carpenter Bailey
July 18, 1943 –March 31, 2026
Frances Carpenter Bailey, 82, of Fair eld, California died on March 31, 2026, after a period of declining health.
Fran was born in Cumberland, North Carolina, on July 18, 1943, to parents Lyndall Rose Love Carpenter and Burns Craig Carpenter. Her mother died when she was nine years old, and with her brothers Larry and Greg Carpenter, she went to live with her maternal grandparents Hugh and Ollie Love. She went to school in Stan eld and then trained and practiced as a beautician for several years. She married James Kennedy in 1962 and initially lived in Locust, later moving to Charlotte. They had two sons, Ashley York Kennedy and Byron Delane Kennedy. They divorced in 1981. She worked for many years at Consolidated Engravers, a textile engraving rm in Charlotte, where she eventually ran the art department, which she loved. After her divorce, she met Douglas Bailey, whom she married in 1996. They lived together in Charlotte and then moved to Fair eld, California in 2013 for Doug’s work and to be closer to her children and grandchildren. She enjoyed cooking, gardening, art, movies, music, animals (especially cats), and celebrating good times with her family and friends. She was preceded in death by her parents and her brother Larry, and survived by her beloved husband Doug, her sons York and Byron and their wives Susie Falk and Sung Makawatsakul, and her grandchildren Pippa, Zoe, Tristan, and Ainsley Kennedy. A graveside service will be held at Love’s Chapel Cemetery on Saturday, April 11 at 11am. Donations can be made to Love’s Chapel Methodist Church.
OBITUARIES
Paula Marie Case
Jan. 27, 1952 – April 1, 2026
Paula Marie Case of Albemarle, NC, was born on January 27, 1952, and peacefully passed away into the arms of her Lord and Savior on April 1, 2026. She is the daughter of the late Douglas D. Case and Mary Frances Gamewell Case formerly of Valley Drive, Albemarle, NC.
Paula was a lifelong member of Badin United Methodist Church.
Ms. Case was a 1970 graduate of North Stanly High School; 1972 graduate of Wingate College A.S. degree; 1974 graduate of UNC-Charlotte B.C.A. in Music; 1982 graduate of Stanly Technical College A.S. degree in Respiratory Therapy; and 1990 graduate of Pfei er College B.A. degree in Early Childhood Education K-6. On August 21, 1971, Ms. Case was crowned Miss Stanly County and participated in the Miss North Carolina Pageant. Paula worked with Eastern Airlines as a Flight Attendant from 1974 - 1979. Paula began her teaching career at Millingport Elementary School in Stanly County in 1990. She moved to Candor Elementary School in Montgomery County 1991-1997.
Ms. Case returned to Stanly County from 1997-2013 to teach at Norwood Elementary School. She retired in 2013. Paula was initiated on November 8, 2018 into Alpha Delta Kappa NC Xi Chapter which is an International Honorary Sorority for Women Educators.
Ms. Case is survived by her son, Air Force Chief Master Sgt. Brian T. Wilson; Kristi Wilson (daughter-in-law); Riley (19) and Kaleb (15) (grandchildren of Yorktown, VA); Pamela Case Shaw (sister; Larry; Rock Hill, SC); Patrice Case Burleson (sister; Je deceased; Rock Hill, SC); Philip D. Case (brother; Albemarle, NC); Jessica Burleson and Sarah Burleson, nieces; Annaleigh Garvin, great niece; Caden Howard, Cole Howard, and Camden Burleson, great nephews.
A Celebration of Life will be held at the Badin United Methodist Church on Saturday, April 11, 2026 at 1 pm for family and friends.
Rev. Wes Judy, Associate Pastor of Congregation Care at Forest United Hill Methodist Church in Concord, NC, and Pastor Evan Hill of Badin United Methodist Church and New London United Methodist Church, will share Paula’s journey to Heaven through scripture and song.
The family will have an Inurnment Service on Monday, April 13, 2026 at 11 am at Grandview Memorial Park at Hollis Lakes Road, Rock Hill, SC 29732. Pastor Roger Brown of Calvary Baptist Church will conduct the service.
In lieu of owers, please give a donation in honor of Paula Marie Case to the Levine Cancer Institute, Albemarle, NC.
Jimmy Rowland Davis
Jan. 16, 1940 – April 3, 2026
Jimmy Rowland Davis of Albemarle, NC, passed away Friday, April 3, 2026, at Atrium Health Main in Charlotte, NC.
A memorial service will be held Tuesday, April 7, 2026, at 2:00 PM at Stanly Funeral and Cremation Care of Albemarle Chapel.
The service will be o ciated by Rev. Ken McRae and Rev. Shad Hicks. The family will receive friends prior to the service from 12:00 PM until 1:45 PM.
In accordance with his wishes, his cremains will be scattered o the coast of Southport, NC. Mr. Davis was born January 16, 1940, in Stanly County to the late William Alexander Davis and Ruth Helms Davis.
Jimmy worked two jobs most of his life. He worked in the well business his father started from the time he was a young boy until about 20 years ago. He also retired from Collins & Aikman after 36 years of service.
He was a faithful member of Pleasant Grove Baptist Church, of Oakboro, NC, and proudly served his country in the Army National Guard in Albemarle.
Jimmy enjoyed the simple pleasures of life and was especially fond of rabbit hunting, crappie shing, and gardening. He will be remembered for his strong work ethic, love for the outdoors, and devotion to his family.
In addition to his parents, he was preceded in death by his beloved wife, Emily Angeline Davis, who passed away on January 15, 2025, and sister, Patsy Speight.
He is survived by two sons, Barry Davis (Darla) of Albemarle, NC, and Eric Davis (Amy) of Myrtle Beach, SC; one brother, Laverne Davis (Ethel) of Oakboro, NC; one sister, Elaine Harris (Larry) of Granite Falls, NC; four grandchildren, Whitney Morton, Nicholas Davis, Michael Lentz, and Marshall Hervey; and six great-grandchildren, Maxton Morton, Adelaide Hervey, Roland Hervey, Beatrice Hervey, Maysie Lentz, and Blakely Lentz.
Memorials may be made to Pleasant Grove Baptist Church, 17236 Frog Pond Road, Oakboro, NC 28129.
Stanly Funeral and Cremation Care of Albemarle is serving the Davis family.
OPAL ROSE
AUG. 19, 1933 – APRIL 1, 2026
Opal Catherine Paynter Rose, 92, of Midland, NC, passed away peacefully on Wednesday, April 1, 2026, surrounded by her loving family.
Opal was born August 19, 1933, in Hanover, West Virginia, to the late Lorenzo Dow Paynter Sr., and the late Martha L. Paynter. She was also preceded in death by her husband, Calvin Corbett Rose; son, Jerry Rose; son-in-law, Maynford Henry; sonin-law, Eddie Morgan; as well as several brothers and sisters. Survivors include son, Corbett Rose of Statesville, NC; daughter, Sharon Henry of Midland, NC; daughter, Rita Morgan of North Spring, WV; grandchildren, Kevin, Wendy, Misty, Heather, Cassie, and Derek; seven great-grandchildren; and two great-great-grandchildren.
A celebration of life will be held on Saturday, April 11, at 11:30 a.m. at The Praising Place Church of God, 5268 N. Sharon Amity Road, Charlotte, NC, o ciated by Rev. Roy Tucker Jr. and Rev. Sean Dees.
In lieu of owers, please consider a memorial donation in Opal’s memory to The Praising Place Church of God, 5268 N. Sharon Amity Rd., Charlotte, NC 28215.
ELVIS QUENTIN SMITH
SEPT. 12, 1975 – APRIL 1, 2026
Elvis Quentin Smith left this earthly home on April 1, 2026, for his heavenly home. He was 50 years old and was a beloved father, brother, son, grandson, nephew, cousin, uncle and friend. He leaves a 17-year-old son, Jordan Kyle Smith (of Albemarle), a half-brother, Westley Thomas Beachum (of Norwood), and 4 step-siblings: Benjamin (Angie) Beachum, Debra Beachum, Joy Beachum, and James Beachum. He also leaves six aunts and two uncles, many cousins, nieces and nephews. Also left is his beloved pet dog “Brody”(his mother’s pet until her passing in 2022). He always said that he loved Brody so much because Brody was a part he had left of his Mom.
He was preceded in death by his mother, Dale Smith Beachum (Dec. 2022), his grandmother, Faye Smith (July 2004), three aunts, and a twin brother who died during childbirth. He was born on September 12, 1975, at (then) Charlotte Memorial Hospital, and was a twin, but his twin brother died during a premature and complicated childbirth.
After high school at South Stanly, he later worked 15 years at Atrium Health Stanly Memorial Hospital in Albemarle beginning in the Dietary Department, and then as an Xray Transporter. His co-workers always commented on how friendly and pleasant he was to work with and how much they loved him. More recently, he worked as an Amazon delivery driver and as a delivery driver for Walmart. He was saved and baptized as a young boy, and was covered by the Blood of Jesus, God’s Love, and God’s Tender Mercy. Elvis’s (Quentin’s) family is grateful for all the thoughts, prayers, phone calls and condolences. Thank you for the care and kindness to his family and friends.
A memorial is planned for a later date and will be announced.
JIMMY ROWLAND DAVIS
JAN. 16, 1940 – APRIL 3, 2026
Jimmy Rowland Davis of Albemarle, NC, passed away Friday, April 3, 2026, at Atrium Health Main in Charlotte, NC.
A memorial service will be held on Tuesday, April 7, 2026, at 2 p.m. at Stanly Funeral and Cremation Care of Albemarle Chapel. The service will be o ciated by Rev. Ken McRae and Rev. Shad Hicks. The family will receive friends prior to the service from noon until 1:45 .p.m. In accordance with his wishes, his cremains will be scattered o the coast of Southport, NC.
Mr. Davis was born January 16, 1940, in Stanly County to the late William Alexander Davis and Ruth Helms Davis. Jimmy worked two jobs most of his life. He worked in the well business his father started from the time he was a young boy until about 20 years ago. He also retired from Collins & Aikman after 36 years of service. He was a faithful member of Pleasant Grove Baptist Church, of Oakboro, NC, and proudly served his country in the Army National Guard in Albemarle.
Jimmy enjoyed the simple pleasures of life and was especially fond of rabbit hunting, crappie shing, and gardening. He will be remembered for his strong work ethic, love for the outdoors, and devotion to his family.
In addition to his parents, he was preceded in death by his beloved wife, Emily Angeline Davis, who passed away on January 15, 2025, and sister, Patsy Speight.
He is survived by two sons, Barry Davis (Darla) of Albemarle, NC, and Eric Davis (Amy) of Myrtle Beach, SC; one brother, Laverne Davis (Ethel) of Oakboro, NC; one sister, Elaine Harris (Larry) of Granite Falls, NC; four grandchildren, Whitney Morton, Nicholas Davis, Michael Lentz, and Marshall Hervey; and six great-grandchildren, Maxton Morton, Adelaide Hervey, Roland Hervey, Beatrice Hervey, Maysie Lentz and Blakely Lentz. Memorials may be made to Pleasant Grove Baptist Church, 17236 Frog Pond Road, Oakboro, NC 28129.
BARBARA JEAN BULLINS
DEC. 20, 1953 – APRIL 3, 2026
Barbara Jean Pickler Bullins, 72, of Albemarle, passed away Friday, April 3, 2026, at her home.
A graveside service will be held on Tuesday, April 7, 2026, at 11 a.m. at Norwood Cemetery. Pastor Gary Cox will o ciate. The family will receive friends on Monday, April 6, 2026, from 6-8 p.m. at Edwards Funeral Home in Norwood.
Barbara was born on December 20, 1953, in Stanly County to the late Clyde Allen Pickler and Alice Talbert Pickler, who survives. In addition to her mother, Alice Pickler, she is survived by her daughters, Linda Lambert and Donna Whitaker; brother: Paul Pickler (Deborah); sisters: Mary Jane Whitaker, Joanne Pro tt, and Betty Pickler; grandchildren: Michael Paul Whitaker, Erik D’Shane Whitaker, Savannah Raine Whitaker, Jordan Allen James Pannell, Jacob Eugene Thompson, Andrew Eugene Thompson; and great-grandchildren: Ezra Thompson, Ivy Thompson, Jace Whitaker, Baby Pannell and Baby Boy Thonpson.
STANLY SPORTS
West Stanly golfer Shaw records hole-in-one
The junior recorded his rst career ace during the Colts’ win over Mount Pleasant
By Jesse Deal Stanly News Journal
LOCUST — West Stanly golfer Carter Shaw recorded the rst hole-in-one of his career during the Colts’ recent win over Mount Pleasant at Red Bridge Golf Club.
The Colts (4-1 Rocky River Conference) defeated the Tigers (3-3 RRC) 166-175 in the March 24 matchup, highlighted by Shaw’s ace on the par-3 ninth hole.
The junior used an 8-iron from 140 yards in challenging conditions, with the wind and pin placement both factoring into the shot.
“It was playing dead into the wind, so I knew I needed to club up,” Shaw said. “The pin was in a tough spot sitting in the front of the green. I wanted to be short of the hill and let it work back to the hole. I just had to be con dent and put a good swing on it. This is something I’ll remember for the rest of my life.”
West Stanly coach Matt Jones and Shaw’s parents were positioned near the green and witnessed the shot rsthand.
“The hole was in the front of the green, and it was playing into the wind, so he had to club up a little bit,” Jones said. “It was a very challenging shot because most of the shots that land short or in a di cult spot on that green end up actually rolling past the hole and o the green. So he threw a shot just to the back of the pin, a little bit right of it, and played the hill to funnel it back down into the back of the hole.”
Shaw also turned in a team-best score of 40 in the match, continuing what Jones described as steady improvement since joining the team last season.
“It was de nitely an incredible experience for not only him but myself as well because in my 12 years of coaching, it’s the rst one I’ve witnessed from one of my own team players,” Jones said.
West Stanly sits in second place in the Rocky River Conference standings midway through league play, trailing Parkwood (6-0 RRC), which handed the Colts their only conference loss this season.
The Mount Pleasant match marked the end of the rst round of conference play, with teams set to face each other again in the second half of the schedule.
The Rocky River Conference tournament is scheduled for April 27 at Stonebridge Golf Club in Monroe.
Lowder delivers 6 scoreless innings in Reds’ win over Texas
The rookie right-hander continues his historic start in Cincinnati
By Jesse Deal Stanly News Journal
ALBEMARLE — Former North Stanly pitcher Rhett Lowder is making an early impression on the mound for the Cincinnati Reds, delivering one of the most dominant starts to a career in both franchise and league history.
On Saturday night, the
24-year-old Albemarle native, who still quali es as a rookie this season, made his second start of the 2026 campaign and the eighth of his major league career.
The right-hander allowed three hits over six scoreless innings on 82 pitches as the Reds defeated the Texas Rangers 2-0, earning his rst win since 2024 after missing the entire 2025 season with a right forearm strain and left oblique strain.
After surrendering back-toback singles with two outs in the rst inning, Lowder set-
“I just want to keep going and keep winning,” Rhett Lowder
tled in and did not allow another Rangers baserunner to reach second base. He nished with four strikeouts and two leado walks.
“Honestly, it was a grind,” Lowder said after the win. “I feel like I never got into a rhythm. It was fun and I’m happy with
it for sure, but it wasn’t easy.” Through his rst eight major league starts, Lowder has posted a 1.30 ERA — the lowest mark by a Reds pitcher at that stage since 1913. The consistency and command displayed by the young right-hander have quickly positioned him as a key piece of Cincinnati’s rotation.
His performance also stands out on a broader historical scale. His career ERA ranks as the fth-lowest by any Major League Baseball pitcher through their rst eight starts since 1961.
In addition to limiting runs, Lowder has proven di cult to score against altogether. He has recorded ve scoreless starts of at least ve innings, tied for the most such outings by any pitcher through their rst eight career starts since 1900. Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Fernando
Valenzuela is the only other player to match that total over that span.
“Oh really? No, I didn’t know that — that’s pretty cool,” Lowder said when informed of the milestone. “I just want to keep going and keep winning.”
Saturday’s outing marked an improvement from his rst start of the season on March 29 against Boston, when he allowed two runs on three hits with two walks and ve strikeouts over ve innings on 86 pitches.
The seventh overall pick out of Wake Forest in the 2023 MLB Draft made his big league debut late in the 2024 season, going 2-2 with a 1.17 ERA in six starts.
Lowder is scheduled to make his next start Thursday afternoon on the road against the Miami Marlins.
West Stanly’s Carter Shaw poses at Red Bridge Golf Club’s ninth hole where he hit a hole-in- one on March 24.
COURTESY WEST STANLY ATHLETICS
Cincinnati Reds starting pitcher Rhett Lowder throws during the rst inning of a game against the Texas Rangers on April 4 in Arlington, Texas.
NHL Islanders re coach Roy after losing 4 straight, name DeBoer as replacement
New York Patrick Roy was red Sunday as coach of the New York Islanders. First-year general manager Mathieu Darche announced the decision after the team lost four in a row and seven of its past 10 games. The Islanders were comfortably in a playo spot until their late-season tailspin put their chances in danger with four games left to play. Peter DeBoer was named as Roy’s replacement and not just on an interim basis. He has taken two teams to the Stanley Cup nal and most recently coached the Dallas Stars.
NBA Rivers, Few, Parker set for Basketball Hall of Fame enshrinement
Phoenix Candace Parker, Elena Delle Donne, Chamique Holdsclaw and the 1996 U.S. Olympic women’s basketball team will be enshrined in the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. The class was unveiled at halftime of the UConn-South Carolina game during the women’s Final Four. Also included were Amar’e Stoudemire and Mike D’Antoni. They will be joined by longtime NBA o cial Joey Crawford, NBA coach Doc Rivers and Gonzaga coach Mark Few. The enshrinement ceremony will take place in August at the Hall of Fame in Spring eld, Massachusetts.
NFL Rams’ Nacua went to rehab before being sued for assault, battery by woman
Los Angeles Los Angeles Rams All-Pro wide receiver Puka Nacua was in rehab before he was sued for assault and battery by a woman who says he made an antisemitic statement and bit her on the shoulder. Nacua issued an apology last December after performing a gesture that plays upon antisemitic tropes while appearing on an internet livestream. Nacua has been one of the most productive receivers in NFL history over his rst three seasons with the Rams, who drafted him in the fth round out of BYU in 2023.
NBA Mavs rookie Flagg scores 51 points, becomes rst teen to reach 50 in NBA game
Dallas Cooper Flagg scored 51 points last Friday to become the rst teenager to reach the 50-point mark in an NBA game. The rookie No. 1 pick of the Dallas Mavericks scored 24 points in the fourth quarter of a 138-127 loss to the Orlando Magic. Flagg’s fourth-quarter urry came after coach Jason Kidd and teammate Naji Marshall were ejected over what they thought was a no - call when Flagg was fouled by Desmond Bane. Flagg’s previous career high was 49.
NHL
Bu alo Sabres clinch playo spot to end longest drought in NHL history
Bu alo, N.Y.
Bring on postseason hockey in Bu alo. The Sabres’ playo drought is nally over. Following an NHL-record 14 seasons of futility during which the team nished no better than 19th in the league standings, the Sabres clinched a berth when the New York Rangers defeated the Detroit Red Wings in regulation. Bu alo’s playo drought was among the four North American sports’ longest active streaks, ranking second behind the NFL’s New York Jets, who last quali ed in 2010.
Share with your community! Send us your births, deaths, marriages, graduations and other announcements: community@stanlynewsjournal.com
Weekly deadline is Monday at noon
The Duke freshman is recovering from fractures around his eye socket
By Aaron Beard
The Associated Press
INDIANAPOLIS — Duke
star freshman and top NBA prospect Cameron Boozer is still healing, both emotionally after the Blue Devils’ devastating March Madness loss to UConn and physically after su ering a facial injury in that game.
The 6-foot-9, 250-pound forward said Sunday he sustained “a couple of fractures” during the Blue Devils’ loss in the Elite Eight.
Boozer, who last Friday became only the fth freshman named as The Associated Press men’s national player of the year, was hurt in the rst half last Sunday when he went up for a shot against 7-foot-1 center Eric Reibe. Reibe’s left elbow struck Boozer near his right eye as Reibe contested the shot, leading to signi cant swelling around and under the eye.
The swelling around his right eye was down Sunday, though the white part was still bright red. Boozer said he opted against having surgery in favor of giving it time to heal.
“I have a couple of fractures, but I’m all good,” Boozer said during Sunday’s award presentation for winning the AP national honor, along with another from the U.S. Basketball Writers Association. “Just going through the healing process.”
Boozer fought through the injury the rest of the way and nished with 27 points, including a tough spinning basket into the paint against tra c with Duke leading by just one in the nal minute. It was one of multiple examples this season of Boozer playing through bumps, blows and hard fouls, such as a late-season win at NC State in which Boozer had gnarly long scratches near his right shoulder after being gouged by a Wolfpack defender.
The Huskies went on to win on Braylon Mullins’ last-second 3-pointer to complete a stunning comeback from 19 down. Boozer’s twin brother, Cayden, received torrents of online abuse after committing Duke’s last turnover before Mullins’ winner.
Cameron pointed out that “that one play isn’t the reason we lost.”
“There’s not really that much I can say to make him feel better,” Boozer said. “We’re all hurting as a team, but we’re going to get through it together. We’re
a super-connected group. “It’s de nitely a hard moment. But he’s a tough guy. We’re all tough, it’s going to make us so much better going forward. It’s something you’ve got to take on the chin and learn and grow from.”
UConn went on to beat Illinois in Saturday’s national semi nal but lost 69-63 in Monday’s national championship game to Michigan. Duke, the NCAA Tournament’s
SOUTH STANLY (8-8, 5-1 IN CONFERENCE)
• Won at North Stanly 5-2
• Lost vs. North Stanly 15-5
• Lost at West Brunswick 13-3
This week’s schedule
• April 7 vs. Southern Nash
WEST STANLY (15-0, 6-0 IN CONFERENCE)
• Won at Parkwood 7-0
• Won vs. Parkwood 12-2
• Won at Randleman 9-3
This week’s schedule
• April 7 vs. East Bladen
NORTH STANLY (10-3, 5-1 IN CONFERENCE)
• Lost vs. South Stanly 5-2
• Won at South Stanly 15-5
Upcoming schedule
• April 7 vs. Wellsville
• April 8 vs. Tyler
• April 9 vs. Chester
• April 10 vs. Sherman
ALBEMARLE (2-7, 1-5 IN CONFERENCE)
• Lost vs. Union Academy 13-1
• Lost at Union Academy 21-0
Upcoming schedule
• April 8 at Phillip O. Berry Academy
• April 9 at Forest Hills
GRAY STONE DAY (5-5, 2-4 IN CONFERENCE)
• Won vs. North Rowan 13-0
• Won at North Rowan 16-4
No games scheduled this week
SOFTBALL
SOUTH STANLY (14-0, 4-0 IN CONFERENCE)
• Won at North Stanly 18-2
• Won vs. North Stanly 11-1
• Won vs. Crest 5-0
This week’s schedule
• April 7 vs. McMichael
• April 8 Beach Diamond Invitational
No. 1 overall seed, was one of three teams to beat Michigan all year. Boozer’s award presentation came on the same stage where UConn and Michigan were holding news conferences ahead of playing Monday for the national title.
“It’s a lot of emotions going into it,” Boozer said of being at Lucas Oil Stadium. “But yeah, it’s de nitely tough being here for sure.”
WEST STANLY (14-2, 9-0 IN CONFERENCE)
• Won vs. Parkwood 4-0
• Lost vs. Piedmont 9-2
• Won vs. East Bladen 10-0
Upcoming schedule
• April 7 Beach Diamond Invitational
• April 8 Beach Diamond Invitational
NORTH STANLY (3-9, 1-4 IN CONFERENCE)
• Lost vs. South Stanly 18-2
• Lost at South Stanly 11-1
Upcoming schedule
• April 7 at Providence Grove
• April 8 vs. High Point Christian Academy
• April 9 at Randleman
ALBEMARLE (0-4, 0-2 IN CONFERENCE)
• Lost at Union Academy 1-0
No games scheduled this week
GRAY STONE DAY (3-7, 0-4 IN CONFERENCE)
• No games last week
No games scheduled this week
GIRLS’ SOCCER
SOUTH STANLY (3-4, 2-2 IN CONFERENCE)
Won at Union Academy 9-0
This week’s schedule
• April 13 vs. Gray Stone Day
WEST STANLY (9-1-1, 6-0 IN CONFERENCE)
• Won vs. Mount Pleasant 3-2
No games scheduled this week
NORTH STANLY (0-11-1, 0-4 IN CONFERENCE)
• Lost vs. North Rowan 1-0
Upcoming schedule
• April 13 at Albemarle
ALBEMARLE (0-8, 0-4 IN CONFERENCE)
• Lost vs. Gray Stone Day 4-0
Upcoming schedule
• April 13 vs. North Stanly
GRAY STONE DAY (5-5, 3-1 IN CONFERENCE)
• Won at Albemarle 4-0
• Lost vs. Mount Pleasant 3-1
Upcoming schedule
• April 13 at South Stanly
JEFF ROBERSON / AP PHOTO
Duke forward Cameron Boozer speaks after winning the Oscar Robertson Player of the Year during the Final Four in Indianapolis.
STEPHANIE SCARBROUGH / AP PHOTO Duke forward Cameron Boozer (12) shoots against UConn during the Elite Eight.
We are eager to welcome individuals who are dedicated to our mission and committed to enhancing our community. Interested candidates are invited to browse our open full and part time positions via the website below to nd out how to apply for one of our job openings at SCC.
FOR SALE
4 piece Solid Cherry Bedroom suite made by YoungHinkle, good condition, $1,200.00 Call 704-438-5132.
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NOTICES
NORTH CAROLINA STANLY COUNTY IN THE GENERAL COURT OF JUSTICE SUPERIOR COURT DIVISION BEFORE THE CLERK FILE NO. 25E000237-830
NOTICE TO CREDITORS
Having quali ed as Administrator of the estate of Kevin Bernard Almond deceased, of Stanly County, North Carolina, this is to notify all persons having claims against the Estate of said Kevin Bernard Almond to present them to the undersigned on or before June 27, 2026 or the same will be pleaded in bar of their recovery. All persons indebted to said Estate please make immediate payment.
This the 25th day of March 2026. John Thomas Almond 24806 Bost Road Albemarle, NC 28001 Administrator
NOTICE TO CREDITORS
STANLY COUNTY NORTH CAROLINA 26E000134-830.
The undersigned, having quali ed as Executor of the estate of SHARON HUNEYCUTT WADE AKA SHARON H WADE, deceased, late of Stanly County, North Carolina, hereby noti es all persons, rms, and corporations having claims against the decedent to present to the undersigned on or before June 30, 2026 or this notice will be pleaded in bar of their recovery. All persons indebted to said estate will please make immediate payment to the undersigned. Jennifer Clemmer aka Jennifer Lynne Wade c/o Paula J. Yost PO Box 1385 Mt. Pleasant NC 28124.
NOTICE
NORTH CAROLINA IN THE GENERAL COURT OF JUSTICE STANLY COUNTY SUPERIOR COURT DIVISION BEFORE THE CLERK FILE NO. 26E000151-830 NOTICE TO CREDITORS Having quali ed as Administrator of the Estate of Ronald Craig Whitley, deceased, of Stanly County, North Carolina this is to notify all persons having claims against the Estate of said Ronald Craig Whitley to present them to the undersigned on or before July 2, 2026, or the same will be pleaded in bar of their recovery. All persons indebted to said Estate please make immediate payment. This the 1st day of April, 2026. Derek Shaun Whitley 1025 Speight Road Albemarle, NC 28001 Administrator Information John W Webster 146 North 4th Street Albemarle, NC 28001 Attorney Information
NOTICE
NORTH CAROLINA STANLY COUNTY IN THE GENERAL COURT OF JUSTICE SUPERIOR COURT DIVISION BEFORE THE CLERK FILE NO. 26E000155-830 NOTICE TO CREDITORS Having
the stream
Sydney Sweeney, ‘Malcolm in the Middle,’ Jonah Hill, ‘Hacks’ nale, Ella Langley
The fth and nal season of “The Boys” lands on Prime Video
The Associated Press
SYDNEY SWEENEY starring as real-life boxing legend Christy Martin in the movie “Christy” and “Hacks” launching its fth and nal season on HBO are some of the new television, lms, music and games headed to a device near you.
Also, among the streaming o erings worth your time this week: Country hitmaker Ella Langley releasing her sophomore album, Nintendo dropping the monster combat game Pokémon Champions and “Malcolm in the Middle” fans getting a four-episode revival with Frankie Muniz, Bryan Cranston and Jane Kaczmarek.
MOVIES TO STREAM
Sweeney stars as real-life boxing legend Christy Martin in David Michôd’s “Christy” (HBO Max, Friday). The lm, which Sweeney also produced, drew some of her best reviews. Her distinctly unglamorous performance spans Martin’s small-town West Virginia beginnings to a professional career shadowed by her abusive manager-turned-husband (Ben Foster). In her review, AP’s Jocelyn Noveck wrote that Sweeney “imbues her no-holds-barred portrayal of Martin with both sweetness and rage, with brio and real vulnerability.”
One of the highlights of last year, Akinola Davies Jr.’s tender father-son drama, “My Father’s Shadow,” begins streaming Friday on MUBI. The lm, penned by Davies and his brother, Wale, is loosely autobiographical. Their father died when they were young. But in “My Father’s Shadow,” two Nigerian boys have unexpected day with their father (Sope Dìrísù) in Lagos at a pivotal time for the country. In her review, AP Film Writer Lindsey Bahr called it “a gem, a deeply felt memory piece and vibrant portrait of Nigeria in 1993.” Jonah Hill made his directorial debut with the coming-of-age skate lm “Mid90s.”
He returns to directing in “Outcome,” a Hollywood satire star-
ring Keanu Reeves as a movie star named Reef Hawk who fears a video could destroy his reputation. Hill, who co-wrote the movie, also co-stars as Reef’s crisis-management lawyer. It debuts Friday on Apple TV.
MUSIC TO STREAM
A chart-topping country hitmaker preps her sophomore album: Langley — known for such radio mainstays as the throwback “You Look Like You Love Me” with Riley Green and the George Strait-referencing No. 1 “Choosin’ Texas,” co-written with Miranda Lambert — will release a new record Friday. If the whole of “Dandelion” is anything like those songs, she’s got a long career ahead of her.
The English disco-pop singer Jessie Ware will release “Superbloom,” also Friday. She’s as ready to soundtrack a late night on the dance oor as she’s ever been — like on the single “Ride,” which interpolates the theme from the 1966 spaghetti Western lm “The Good, the Bad
and the Ugly” and melts into her sequined synths. “Come be my cowboy, baby, come, let’s ride,” she sings, more discotheque than honky-tonk. “You know I want you, I need you tonight, tonight.”
SERIES TO STREAM
“The Boys” launches its fth and nal season on Prime Video. The critically acclaimed series is based on comic books and follows villainous superheroes and the crew trying to thwart them. Series regulars Jack Quaid, Karl Urban, Antony Starr, Erin Moriarty and Jessie T. Usher and Chace Crawford are all returning, as are more recent additions played by Jeffrey Dean Morgan and Jensen Ackles. “Hamilton” star Daveed Diggs also joins the cast.
Hulu’s sequel to “The Handmaid’s Tale,” called “The Testaments,” is streaming now. Ann Dowd reprises her Aunt Lydia character from the original and is now in charge of a school for girls that basically prepares them for adulthood, marriage and babies. These young
women have never known anything other than Gilead. It stars Chase In niti and Lucy Halliday and is also based on a novel by Margaret Atwood. Elizabeth Banks and Matthew Macfadyen lead a new sci- comedy, “The Miniature Wife,” for Peacock. They play a couple working on their marriage when their lives are further complicated after an unusual accident. It premieres Thursday.
Another series launching its fth and nal season is “Hacks” on HBO. The show, debuting Thursday, follows the love-hate relationship between a legendary comedian (Jean Smart) and a talented writer played by Hannah Einbinder. The series has racked up a lot of hardware, including an Emmy for outstanding comedy series. Smart has won four consecutive Emmys for the show, while Einbinder has taken home one.
Do you ever wonder how your favorite former TV stars would fare in the present day? “Malcolm in the Middle” fans are getting their wish. Twenty years after their show went o
“Sweeney imbues her no-holds-barred portrayal of Martin with both sweetness and rage, with brio and real vulnerability.”
Jocelyn Noveck, AP Film Writer
the air, Muniz, Cranston and Kaczmarek return to TV for a revival where Muniz’s character is now a dad to a teenage girl.
The four episodes of “Malcolm in the Middle: Life’s Still Unfair” premiere Friday on both Hulu and Hulu on Disney+.
VIDEO GAMES TO PLAY
Nintendo is pulling out all the stops to celebrate the 30th anniversary of Pokémon. Just a month after releasing the cozy community-builder Pokémon Pokopia, it’s dropping the considerably less comfortable Pokémon Champions. This time it’s all about the combat, as you recruit and train monsters before pushing them into the arena to ght other trainers’ creatures. You can compete in ranked events with players from around the world or enjoy casual or private battles that won’t a ect your ranking. It’s a free-to -start challenge, but you may want to set some cash aside for in-app purchases. The ght club is open on Switch and Switch 2, with iOS and Android versions coming later in 2026.
Annapurna Interactive’s People of Note tells the tale of a pop singer named Cadence who decides she wants to start a band. That means she’ll need to trek across the world of Note, where each city is de ned by its own style of music. In her travels, though, Cadence learns that a Harmonic Convergence is disrupting music itself, and she and her bandmates will have to solve puzzles, explore dungeons and ght tone-deaf villains to stop Note from going silent. Los Angeles-based Iridium Studios promises that “each battle is an interactive musical performance,” and you can pump up the volume on PlayStation
and PC.
5, Xbox X/S
MUBI VIA AP
Godwin Egbo, from left, Sope Dìrísù and Chibuike Marvellous Egbo star in “My Father’s Shadow,” streaming Friday on MUBI.
CHRIS PIZZELLO / AP PHOTO
Hannah Einbinder accepts the award for outstanding supporting actress in a comedy series for “Hacks” at the 77th Primetime Emmy Awards in 2025 at the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles. The nal season premieres Thursday on HBO.
