Stanly News Journal Vol. 146, Issue 36

Stanly NewS Journal

THE STANLY COUNTY EDITION OF NORTH STATE JOURNAL

WHAT’S HAPPENING

Presidential Physical Fitness Award returns as Trump revives annual tness test

President Donald Trump is reviving the Presidential Physical Fitness Award as he reintroduces a competitive physical tness test in America’s schools. The award is part of Trump’s revamped Presidential Fitness Test, which had been a publicschool xture for decades but was phased out under President Barack Obama. The earlier exam tested children on exercises including a 1-mile run and sit-ups. Those scoring above the 85th percentile received the presidential award. Details of the revived test have yet to be released. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said the test is now mandatory in 161 schools on U.S. military installations.

U.S. job openings unchanged at 6.9 million in March; hiring improved

U.S. job openings were essentially unchanged at 6.9 million in March, another sign the American labor market remained sluggish even before the full impact of the Iran war hit the economy. The job market has been up and down so far this year after a dismal 2025. And the Iran war has clouded the outlook. On Tuesday, the Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey showed that layo s rose in March. But hiring improved and more people quit their jobs — a sign of con dence in the economy.

Justice Department seeks names of 2020 election workers in Ga.’s Fulton County

Atlanta

The Justice Department is seeking the names of every person who worked in the 2020 election in Georgia’s Fulton County, a Democratic stronghold Donald Trump has accused of widespread voter fraud he says cost him victory against Joe Biden in the state that year. Lawyers for the county led a motion Monday to quash a grand jury subpoena requesting the information. The action follows the FBI’s January seizure of ballots and documents from the county. The county’s lawyers argue the subpoena is meant to target the Republican president’s political opponents and is overly broad.

Albemarle council reviews proposed 2026-27 budget

The budget will now go into the review process

By Jesse Deal Stanly News Journal

ALBEMARLE — The Albemarle City Council received its rst look on Monday night at the city’s proposed 2026-27 budget that covers the scal year beginning on July 1. Presented by City Manager Darren Rhodes, the proposal will now move into the council’s

Thursdays at the Station kicks o 2026 lineup

The free concert series returns to Market Station

By Jesse Deal Stanly News Journal

ALBEMARLE — An annual summer concert series is returning to Stanly County this week for its 26th season.

Organized by Albemarle Parks and Recreation, the 2026 Thursdays at the Station lineup begins Thursday at Market Station, a renovated former railroad depot at 501 W. Main St. in downtown Albemarle. The free weekly concerts

will be held Thursdays from 7:30 to 9 p.m. from May 7 through June 25, with eight performances scheduled over the two-month series.

“The dates are set for Thursdays at the Station at Market Station in beautiful downtown Albemarle,” the Stanly County Convention and Visitors Bureau said.

“Come to Albemarle Downtown at the restored railroad depot on West Main Street for wonderful evenings of entertainment in May and June. These are free concerts — just bring your bag chair, sit back and enjoy the music.”

The 2026 schedule opens

review process, with a budget workshop scheduled for May 12 in the Ray Allen Community Room at City Hall.

The proposed budget includes a general fund budget of $25 million, an increase of $119,925, or about 0.5%, from the current year’s original budget of $24.9 million. It also includes a 3% operating budget cut for departments and a projected 2% increase in employee health insurance costs.

“I’m pleased to report that the city will again discharge all its nancial obligations for the current budget year, and that we project the city will close the year in good nancial position and with adequate fund balances in all funds,” Rhodes said. “This remains in

Police allege the suspects accessed the family’s bank, Venmo and PayPal accounts in multiple states

By Steve Reed The Associated Press

LESS THAN a month after former NASCAR driver Greg Bi e and his family died in a plane crash last year, investigators say two of their “friends” conspired to break into the empty home and took cash, guns and nancial information in an attempt to steal hundreds of thousands of dollars.

More than 40 search warrants have been issued, authorities in North Carolina say, focusing on a married couple who allegedly knew Bi e and his wife Cristina. The suspects did “a lot of planning in an attempt to make a nancial gain” o their deaths, Iredell County Sheri Darren Campbell said. The Associated Press is not naming the pair because no arrests have been made.

Bi e, his wife and his two children, along with three others, died in the Dec. 18 crash, which remains under investigation by the NTSB. Some survivors of those killed are suing the estates of Bi e and the pilot for millions of dollars.

According to a search warrant a davit, the husband being investigated met Bi e when the former driver used his private helicopter to deliver aid after Hurricane Helene. The woman attended a Christmas party at the Bi es’ home in Mooresville weeks before the crash.

Authorities reported a break-in at the home on Jan. 8, saying $30,000 in cash, two Glock handguns and NASCAR memorabilia were stolen. Search warrants were later executed at two sites, one near the Bi es’ residence and

another in a nearby county.

A person seen on surveillance video, identi ed as a woman, appeared to be familiar with the large home’s layout, including the locations of cameras, closets and a safe room, a detective wrote in a search warrant a davit. The intruder spent nearly six hours inside the house the night of Jan. 7 into the following morning. Evidence showed a cellphone and multiple devices were active on the property during that time, according to the warrant. The only people allowed there would’ve been the administrators of the estate, but they weren’t present.

Authorities say they linked the woman to someone who attended Bi e’s celebration of life and said license plate readers placed her husband’s truck near the home that night.

The warrants also describe alleged nancial crimes. Investigators say that bank, Venmo and PayPal accounts tied to the Bi es were accessed online using personal information, with phone numbers and email addresses changed to gain control of funds. Money was then allegedly trans-

ferred to accounts not belonging to the family and used for purchases, according to the warrant.

At least one fraudulent check tied to Bi e’s business interests was cashed, and other attempts were made to access accounts. The activity occurred across multiple states. The sheri would not say whether the same suspects in the break-in are being investigated for the nancial crimes, saying the department is waiting for more evidence.

Meanwhile, the plane crash sparked lawsuits against the estates of Bi e and the pilot, Dennis Dutton, who was killed along with his son.

On April 17, the estates of Dutton and his son sued Bife’s estate for at least $15 million each, alleging Bi e failed to properly maintain the plane and operated it in a defective condition. The claims include lost income and “pre-death pain and su ering.”

In February, Bi e’s ex-wife, Nicole Bi e, led a notice of claim against Dutton’s estate on behalf of the couple’s 14-year-old daughter’s estate, seeking at least $10 million for wrongful death.

Here’s a quick look

May 7

Friends

The

Five

Stanly

7:30 p.m.

The

May 9

Hundreds

annual Still Runs show, featuring live music from Blue Stones and Slim and the Gems, food trucks, a beer garden, valve cover racing, a pinup contest and an awards presentation. Vehicle registration is $25 cash; spectator admission is free. Downtown Albemarle Main Street at Depot Street Albemarle

THE CONVERSATION

Trip

Ho end, publisher | Frank Hill, senior opinion editor

VISUAL VOICES

When does speech become dangerous?

The central issue is rhetoric that treats political opponents as criminals without proof, assigns monstrous motives without evidence and creates a cultural climate where violence feels justi ed.

AMERICANS LOVE arguing about free speech. We invoke the First Amendment as a kind of political force eld: You can say whatever you want, whenever you want, without consequence.

But the First Amendment only restricts government action. It does not guarantee you a career, a platform or immunity from backlash. The real question is not whether certain speech is legal but rather what kind of speech deserves social consequences — and what kind doesn’t.

And if we’re talking about reckless political speech, we should talk about Jimmy Kimmel. Years ago, he abandoned comedy in favor of applause lines, tearful monologues and the occasional performance of empathy. He’s an unfunny late-night scold who treats half the country as a punchline.

As annoying as that is, being unfunny is not a crime. The bigger issue is when media gures cross the line from tastelessness into rhetoric that creates a permission structure for violence.

To understand the di erence, it helps to break political speech into three categories.

First: illegal speech.

Yes, illegal political speech exists in America.

A classic example: “I want to kill the president.”

That’s not merely commentary. It is an actionable, direct threat.

There is also incitement. Under the Supreme Court’s Brandenburg standard, speech quali es as incitement only if it is intended to and likely to produce imminent lawless action.

“Someone should do something about the president” is protected, though irresponsible, speech. “Go kill the president” crosses into territory the law can punish. It’s speech but also an attempt to trigger violence.

Second: typical in ammatory rhetoric.

American politics is lled with heated language. “Fight like hell.” “We’re going to war with the other party.” That sort of rhetoric can be ugly and excessive, but it is also normal.

We’ve seen how absurd it becomes when people try to treat that as literal incitement. After Gabby Gi ords was shot, some on the left blamed Sarah Palin because a campaign graphic had “targeted” certain districts. That was ridiculous. Using combative imagery is not the same as directing violence.

Third: the permission structure for violence.

A permission structure for violence is created when people repeatedly portray political opponents as monsters.

This is how you create the mental environment where unstable people conclude that violence is justi ed. If the president is a traitor, rapist, pedophile and mastermind behind a corrupt system, then how else could he be stopped?

This kind of rhetoric leads directly to chaos. It is also the kind of rhetoric Kimmel has tra cked in for years.

Recently, Kimmel tastelessly joked that Melania Trump had “the glow of an expectant widow.” It was disgusting, and she has every right to be furious. But it wasn’t a call to violence. It was a cheap, ugly joke suggesting she secretly wants her husband dead.

Kimmel later claimed he rejects violent rhetoric, then immediately pivoted to blaming Donald Trump for rhetoric that supposedly inspires violence. It was the standard modern play: Insult someone, then wrap yourself in moral superiority.

But when it comes to rhetoric that encourages violence, it isn’t the widow joke

that should be the focus; it’s the conspiracism. Kimmel has repeatedly called Trump a pedophile, suggested he is connected to Je rey Epstein and involved in a coverup, called him a rapist and accused him of protecting pedophiles, coming after voting rights, enriching billionaires while harming the poor, and manipulating the system to evade accountability. That is not “normal political speech.” It is speech that turns a political opponent into a movie villain — a gure so corrupt and monstrous that extreme action begins to feel righteous.

This kind of conspiratorial framing has a track record. It fuels ugly episodes of modern political violence: a steady stream of baseless accusations designed to convince audiences that the other side is not merely wrong but evil.

If someone eventually acts on that belief, we shouldn’t pretend it came out of nowhere.

So should Kimmel be red?

Firing him for the Melania joke would be punishing the wrong o ense. A tasteless, bad joke is not the central issue.

The central issue is rhetoric that treats political opponents as criminals without proof, assigns monstrous motives without evidence and creates a cultural climate where violence feels justi ed.

If America wants to lower the temperature, scrutiny should be directed at conspiratorial storytelling that teaches people to hate.

Ben Shapiro is a graduate of UCLA and Harvard Law School, host of “The Ben Shapiro Show,” and co-founder of Daily Wire+. He is a three-time New York Times bestselling author.

(Copyright 2026 Creators.com)

California copied Europe’s insane energy playbook

European governments routinely pile on $3-$4 per gallon in excise duties.

EVEN AS U.S. GASOLINE prices rise again amid ongoing Strait of Hormuz tensions, American drivers are still paying less than half what many Europeans and Asians endure at the pump. The reason is simple: America chose lower taxes and genuine energy security. Europe and California deliberately chose the opposite — and are now reaping the painful, predictable consequences.

Taxes explain most of the gap, as the Wall Street Journal detailed April 22. European governments routinely pile on $3-$4 per gallon in excise duties, VAT and “green” levies. In Germany, prices recently hit the equivalent of $8.75 a gallon, with taxes comprising more than half the total. Most U.S. states charge roughly 20 cents.

This isn’t an accident of geography or culture. Americans built a sprawling, car-dependent economy after World War II and have repeatedly rejected European-style punishment at the pump. Europeans tolerated it, and their politicians weaponized fuel taxes as an easy money grab and to force behaviors preferred by their central planners.

The result is embedded in ation across every sector: Higher costs for trucking food, shipping goods and powering industry. Europeans don’t just pay more to ll their tanks — they pay more for everything that moves on petroleum. Their living standards su er accordingly. Energy security delivers America’s second big advantage. The U.S. produces more than two-thirds of its own oil and imports the rest mostly from Canada and other friendly Western Hemisphere sources. We are largely insulated from Middle East chaos.

Europe, by contrast, lectures the world about “energy transition” while remaining dangerously

dependent on imports even as it sits atop known, undeveloped reserves. The same nations that demonize oil and gas refuse to produce their own, choosing instead to outsource vulnerability rst to Russia, then to OPEC and now to U.S. LNG. This is not prudent policy. It is willful self-sabotage clothed in false virtue.

Nowhere is this failure more glaring than California, which has imported Germany’s disastrous model wholesale and turned itself into America’s premier energy basket case. With an 81-cent state gas tax, 60- to 70-cent cap-and-trade penalty, boutique “California blend” fuel mandates, and layers of environmental rules explicitly designed to punish gasoline and driving, the Golden State routinely posts pump prices $2 above the national average.

In-state production has been strangled. Re neries are closing or idling. The state now imports gasoline from South Korea, the Bahamas and the Middle East, exposing its residents to global shocks while preaching climate alarm orthodoxy.

Gavin Newsom and his bureaucrats want voters to believe it’s all President Donald Trump’s fault, but it isn’t. It is the entirely foreseeable outcome of using tax and regulatory warfare to force a premature energy transition. Instead of transitioning, California is deindustrializing and making its citizens poorer in the process.

The broader lesson is damning. High-tax, high-regulation, import-dependent energy policies do not deliver utopia or planetary salvation. They deliver chronic vulnerability, in ated living costs and economic drag. Europe’s drivers pay double or triple because politicians prioritized revenue and ideology over abundance. California followed suit and became a cautionary

tale for the rest of America.

But most U.S. states reap the rewards of the opposite approach: Reasonable taxation that doesn’t treat fuel as a sin, aggressive domestic production that delivers record output and supply chains resilient enough to weather global crises without collapse. Prices rise during supply shocks, but there are no lines at the pump and no systemic shortages. That is the fruit of policy grounded in reality rather than fantasy.

America’s advantage at the pump is neither accident nor mystery: It is the direct result of rejecting the punitive European model that California eagerly embraced. Policymakers who ignore this lesson are not visionaries: They are ideologues imposing measurable harm on the people they claim to serve.

The current global turmoil should serve as a wake-up call. Punitive taxation and regulatory strangulation of conventional energy produce scarcity, insecurity and higher costs borne by working families.

America’s formula of lower taxes and energy dominance delivers a ordability, resilience and genuine energy security.

Europe — and California — stand as expensive warnings of what happens when nations choose ideology over reality. Americans outside of the Golden State should reject that failing path with zero apology.

David Blackmon is an energy writer and consultant based in Texas. (Copyright 2026 Daily Caller News Foundation)

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Secret Service says suspect opened re on them, was shot near Washington Monument

A minor bystander was shot but not seriously injured during the incident

The Associated Press

WASHINGTON, D.C. — A man spotted carrying a gun in the vicinity of the White House by plainclothes o cers and agents was shot by law enforcement Monday after he opened re on them near the Washington Monument, the Secret Service said.

Secret Service Deputy Director Matt Quinn said plainclothes agents spotted the man around 3:30 p.m. in the area near the White House complex and saw the imprint of the weapon on him. The agents followed him brie y and contacted the uniformed o cers.

The unidenti ed man attempted to ee when uniformed o cers with the Secret Service approached him. Quinn said the man red at the o cers, who returned re.

The alleged gunman was transported to a local hospital. Quinn said he had no information on the suspect’s condition.

Quinn said emergency personnel also transported a minor who was shot but not seriously injured. Quinn said he could not say de nitively that the bystander, who also was taken to a hospital, was struck by shots from the suspect’s gun. “We’ll let the doctors gure that out,” he said, though he noted

that “investigators believe he was struck by the suspect.”

Quinn said the Washington, D.C., police would investigate the o cer-involved shooting.

The Secret Service encouraged people to avoid the area as emergency crews responded to the shooting not far from the White House, where President Donald Trump was holding a small business event.

The White House was briefly locked down as authorities investigated the incident. The Secret Service ushered journalists who were outside into the brie ng room, and Trump continued his event without interruption.

The incident drew a large police presence, coming just over a week after a gunman tried to storm the White House Correspondents’ Association dinner with guns and knives. Cole Tomas Allen has been charged in that incident, in which a Secret Service o cer was shot, although he was wearing body armor and was not seriously injured.

Quinn said it was not known yet whether the Monday incident was related to Trump. “I’m not going to guess on that,” Quinn said. “Whether or not it was directed to the president or not, I don’t know, but we will nd out.”

Prosecutors say arson suspect in Los Angeles’ Palisades

Fire was angry ‘at the world’

The 29-year-old man pleaded not guilty to starting the massive re

By Christopher Weber The Associated Press

BUDGET from page A1 319 PALMER STREET ALBEMARLE, NC 28001

large part due to the scal restraint of the city’s elected ocials and employees, who have endeavored to ensure that city government operates within its means.”

Key capital projects in the proposed budget include $1.3 million for street preservation, $2.5 million for a new ladder truck and $300,000 for an electric Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition upgrade.

Rhodes said the proposed budget was designed to balance current needs with future obligations.

“This is a budget for now and for our future,” Rhodes said. “In building the budget for scal year 26-27, we recognized the need to address long-term commitments that will impact the budget in coming years. This year, departments were directed to cut their operating budgets by 3%. These budget cuts have

LOS ANGELES — The man accused of sparking the deadly Palisades Fire in Los Angeles was upset that he didn’t have plans for New Year’s Eve and ranted about being angry at the world before the initial blaze was sparked, according to court documents led by prosecutors.

Jonathan Rinderknecht, 29, has pleaded not guilty to starting what became one of the most destructive wild res in California history. It began Jan. 7, 2025, in hillside neighborhoods of Paci c Palisades and Malibu and killed 12 people. Prosecutors say Rinderknecht started a re on Jan. 1 that burned undetected deep in root systems before aring back up a week later.

Rinderknecht’s trial is set to begin June 8. His attorneys say he is being used as a scapegoat for the Los Angeles Fire Department’s failure to fully extinguish the earlier blaze.

An outline of the prosecutors’ strategy — with details about the defendant’s alleged state of mind on the night before the rst re began — appears in an April 29 pretrial

“This is a budget for now and for our future.”

Darren Rhodes, city manager

been reinvested into capital needs, something we’ve struggled to fully fund on a consistent basis.”

Police and re expenses account for 54% of the total general fund budget. The two de -

“The o ered motive that my client started a re on NYs Eve because he did not have a date speaks for itself.”

Steve Haney

memo led by the U.S. Attorney’s O ce.

Witnesses reported that Rinderknecht had been driving erratically while on Uber routes around the Palisades on New Year’s Eve, said prosecutors. His passengers described him as “angry, intense, driving erratically, and ranting about being ‘pissed o at the world,’” the memo said.

According to court lings, Rinderknecht ranted to passengers about accused UnitedHealthcare CEO shooter Luigi Mangione, capitalism and vigilantism. In an interview with investigators on Jan. 24, when asked why someone might commit arson in the Palisades, Rinderknecht “responded that it would be out of resentment of the rich enjoying their money as ‘we’re basically being enslaved by them,’” and again referenced Mangione’s alleged crime, the documents said.

In addition, prosecutors said Rinderknecht was distraught over a failed relation-

partments are projected to cost

$13.6 million. The city’s employee health insurance costs are projected to increase by 2%, signi cantly lower than the 30% increase experienced in scal year 2026. With no property tax increase, Albemarle’s property tax rate would remain at 61 cents per $100 valuation. The proposed budget also recommends no increase to water rates, assessment rates or tap fees.

Councilmember Benton

ship and upset about thwarted plans for New Year’s Eve.

“My client maintains his innocence as he has from the beginning and we look forward to clearing his name at trial,” Rinderknecht’s attorney Steve Haney said in an email Sunday. “The o ered motive that my client started a re on NYs Eve because he did not have a date speaks for itself.”

Haney held a news conference in March to call for Rinderknecht’s release from jail in light of evidence he said shows he is not responsible for the blaze. Haney pointed to a deposition in which a re ghter testi ed that he noticed the ground was still smoldering from the re on Jan. 2 and alerted a supervisor that there were hot spots. That testimony was gathered as part of a lawsuit led by re victims against the city.

A battalion chief had testi ed that he walked the perimeter of the burn area four times throughout the day and ensured all hot spots were out.

Fire Department Chief Jaime Moore, who was appointed in October, has said he is concerned about the di erences in the re ghters’ testimonies and commissioned an independent report on how the Jan. 1 re was handled.

Haney has said this evidence was not available to the defense when Rinderknecht was indicted.

Dry praised Rhodes for the presentation.

“You did a very good job of putting it together,” Dry said. “In all the years I’ve been here, I don’t think we’ve had anything broken down like this that’s this easy to read and understand.” A public hearing on the proposed budget is set for June 1. The Albemarle City Council will hold its next regular meeting on May 18 at 6:30 p.m. in the City Hall Council Chambers.

Tennessee Republicans will consider redrawing US House district covering majority-black Memphis

The move follows a Supreme Court ruling that shifted protections for majority-black districts

By Kim Chandler, Travis Loller and David A. Lieb The Associated Press

NASHVILLE, Tenn. — As civil rights advocates protest, Republican lawmakers in several Southern states are seizing on the opportunity a orded by a U.S. Supreme Court ruling to redraw congressional districts ahead of the November midterm elections.

The latest state to jump on the redistricting bandwagon is Tennessee, where a special legislative session is to begin Tuesday, a day after a similar session kicked o in Alabama. In Louisiana, lawmakers are making plans for new U.S. House districts after the Supreme Court last week struck down the state’s current map.

The high court’s ruling said Louisiana relied too heavily on race when creating a second black-majority House district as it attempted to comply with the Voting Rights Act. The ruling signi cantly altered a decades-old understanding of the law and provided grounds for Republicans in various states to try to eliminate majority-black districts that have elected Democrats.

Its impact on congressional representation, speci cally for black Americans, is threatening to undo decades of progress to ensure minority voting rights.

President Donald Trump has been encouraging more states to join in redistricting as Republicans seek to hold on to their narrow House majority in this year’s elections.

Alabama special session draws protests

Several hundred people protested on Monday shortly before Alabama’s special session

Legislators in Tennessee are considering redrawing

began, including some carrying signs declaring “No new map” and “We ght back! Black Voters Matter.”

Opponents of the redistricting session gathered across the street from the historic Alabama Capitol, where the Confederacy was formed in 1861 and where the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. addressed a crowd of thousands after the 1965 Selma-to-Montgomery voting rights march.

“Much blood, sweat and tears was shed in an e ort for us to gain the right to vote,” said Sheyann Webb-Christburg, who as a child participated in the 1965 Bloody Sunday voting rights march in Selma. “In 2026, there are still people who are still not exercising that right to vote, and we are still ghting today, even in an e ort to keep our right to vote.”

Republican Gov. Kay Ivey called legislators into a special session to consider contingency plans for special primary elections in hopes the U.S. Supreme Court will let Alabama switch congressional maps ahead of the November midterms.

A three-judge federal panel previously ordered Alabama to use a court-selected map — with a second district that has a substantial number of black vot-

“This latest attempt at redistricting is not just about lines on a map. It is about misrepresentation. It’s about whether the voices of black people in this state will be heard or hidden.”

Rev. Earle Fisher, Abyssinian Missionary Baptist Church

ers — until a new map is drafted after the 2030 Census. Alabama appealed that decision and has asked the court, in light of the Louisiana ruling, to let it revert to a 2023 map drawn by Republican state lawmakers. That map could give Republicans a better chance of winning at least one of the two seats currently held by black Democratic lawmakers.

“This is the voice of the people,” Alabama House Speaker Nathaniel Ledbetter said while promoting the Republican plan. “We had three judges determine how ve million people were supposed to vote, and I don’t think that’s the way.”

CONCERTS from page A1

Thursday with the Stanly County Concert Band, a community ensemble made up of local musicians, music teachers and Pfei er University faculty and students.

Next up, the Stanly County Chorale, a volunteer-led nonpro t community singing group based in Albemarle, will perform May 14.

The lineup continues May 21 with the Salisbury Swing Band, a 16-piece big band based in Salisbury that specializes in 1940s-style swing music.

Reckless Betty Unplugged will take the stage May 28, bringing an acoustic version

of the party band’s mix of new and classic rock.

The June portion of the series begins June 4 with Southern Express, a bluegrass band that has toured the country since 1978.

The Smith Family Choir will bring a choir-based vocal performance to Market Station on June 11, followed by Cabarrus Station, an up -and-coming bluegrass act, on June 18.

The series closes June 25 with the Mod 60’s, a Harrisburg-based retro tribute group.

Soda, water and popcorn will be available for $1 each during the concerts, with proceeds going to the bands.

At a town hall held by a pro-Democratic group, Doug Jones, a former U.S. senator who is running for governor as a Democrat, said Alabama was “ground zero for voting rights, and we are going to be ground zero to make sure we retain those voting rights.”

Tennessee plan targets Memphis district

Republican Gov. Bill Lee called Tennessee lawmakers into a special session to consider a plan that could break up the state’s lone Democratic-held U.S. House district, centered on the majority-black city of Memphis. The move comes after pressure from Trump.

The candidate qualifying period in Tennessee ended in March, and the primary election is scheduled for Aug. 6. Lee had said.

Clergy members concerned about plans to split Memphis’ congressional district came together Monday to denounce the move.

“This latest attempt at redistricting is not just about lines on a map. It is about misrepresentation,” said the Rev. Earle Fisher, a pastor at the Abyssinian Missionary Baptist Church and the founder of Up the Vote 901, referring to the Memphis area code. “It’s about whether the voices of black people in this state will be heard or hidden.”

Advocates urge Louisiana voters to cast ballots

After last week’s Supreme Court decision, Louisiana moved quickly to delay its May 16 congressional primary to allow time for lawmakers to approve new U.S. House districts.

Louisiana state Sen. Caleb Kleinpeter, a Republican who chairs a Senate committee tasked with redistricting, told The Associated Press that his committee plans to hold a public hearing Friday on congressional redistricting. Kleinpeter

said lawmakers are still weighing their options, including bills that would eliminate one or both of the state’s two majority-black congressional districts Democrats and civil rights groups have led several lawsuits challenging the suspension of the state’s congressional primary, including another led Monday in federal court. They are encouraging people in Louisiana — where early voting already is underway — to go ahead and cast votes in the congressional primaries in case courts later allow them to be counted.

A national redistricting battle expands

Legislative voting districts typically are redrawn only once a decade, after a census, to account for population changes. But Trump urged Texas Republicans last year to redraw U.S. House districts to give the party an advantage. Democrats in California responded by doing the same, and then other states joined in.

Florida became the eighth state to enact new House districts ahead of the midterm elections when Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis announced on Monday he had signed a redrawn map passed by the GOP-controlled Legislature. It could help Republicans win as many as four additional House seats. The new map was immediately challenged in court as a partisan gerrymander that violates a Florida constitutional provision against drawing districts that favor one political party over another.

All told, Republicans think they could gain as many as 13 seats from new congressional districts in ve states, while Democrats think they could pick up as many as 10 seats from new districts adopted in three states. The newly proposed redistricting in Southern states could add to the Republicans’ tally.

Built more than a century ago, Market Station has become one of downtown Albemarle’s historic landmarks and a gathering place for community events.

The depot was built in 1912 as part of the Winston-Salem Southbound Railroad line and has since been repurposed for events, including the Albemarle Downtown Farmers Market and Thursdays at the Station.

The farmers market held its season grand opening Saturday morning, featuring local produce, baked goods, plants, owers and artisan goods. More information about Thursdays at the Station and other local events is available at albemarledowntown.com.

OBITUARIES

Belmer Morton Ingram

Oct. 22, 1931 – May 3, 2026

Belmer Morton Ingram, 94, of Albemarle, passed away peacefully on Sunday, May 3, 2026, at Trinity Place.

A graveside service will be held at 1:00 p.m. on Thursday, May 7, 2026, at Porter Baptist Church Cemetery, o ciated by Pastor Flynn Richardson. There will be no formal visitation.

Belmer was born October 22, 1931, in Stanly County to the late Samuel and Annette Kimrey Morton. She was a devoted mother, grandmother, and greatgrandmother who found joy in caring for her family. She had a love for cooking and gardening, and her home was often a place of warmth and welcome

She was a faithful member of Porter Baptist Church and retired from Wiscassett Mills after many years of dedicated service.

Belmer is lovingly survived by her children, David Dennis (Jeanne), and Catherine Townsend (Bill); grandchildren, Lisa Ward (Tracy) and John Wayne Hardison; greatgrandchildren, Dylan Ward, Haley Ward, Ian Hardison, and Molly Hardison; sisters, Betty Morgan, Ethel Trull, Tinnie Cowles, and Vickie Almond; as well as many nieces and nephews.

In addition to her parents, she was preceded in death by her husbands, James Dennis in 1962 and Everette Ingram in 2010.

The family would like to express their sincere gratitude to the sta of Trinity Place and Tillery Compassionate Care for the kindness, care, and support shown to Belmer during her declining health.

In lieu of owers, memorials may be made to The Gideons International at gideons.org.

Her family will remember her for her gentle spirit, her devotion to those she loved, and the simple joys she found in everyday life.

Verda M. Cavender

May 9, 1937 – April 30, 2026

Verda M. Cavender, 88, of Albemarle, NC, passed away peacefully on April 30, 2026, at her home with family after a brief illness.

Verda was born May 9, 1937, in Epperson, TN, to the late Pearl Harold West and Beatrice Edwards West.

Verda was a woman of great faith and a devoted member of Main Street United Methodist Church in Albemarle, NC. She was an avid quilter, enjoyed paper crafting, and had a deeprooted love of gardening. Verda loved traveling throughout the United States and learning about di erent cultures and lifestyles. Above all, she treasured time with her family, and her happiest moments were spent when everyone was together.

Verda is survived by her two daughters Patti Brigman of Huntersville, NC and Angela Cavender of Oakboro, NC; her son Daniel Cavender (Lori) of Kannapolis, NC; brother R.B. West (Sandra) of Tellico Plains, TN; sisters Cindy Torbett (Don) of Madisonville, TN; Suzy Holliday of Tellico Plains, TN; and her beloved granddaughter Amanda Brigman of Charlotte, NC and many nieces and nephews.

In addition to her parents, Verda was also preceded in death by her loving husband of 63 amazing years, John E. Cavender Jr., and by her brothers, Burkett West, Carson West, Raymond West, Denton West, and David West.

Verda will be remembered for her sweet smile and warm sense of humor, her handmade cards of celebration, support, and encouragement, and her lifelong devotion to serving others. She gave immeasurable love to her family and friends, guided by a deep and abiding faith in God that sustained her through every season of life.

Memorial service will be held at 11:00 a.m. on Wednesday, May 6, 2026, at Main Street United Methodist Church, 1100 West Main Street, Albemarle, NC 28001 o ciated by Rev. Katie Lineberger. Visitation will immediately follow the service. She will be interred at a later date in a private family service at Salisbury National Cemetery.

In lieu of owers, memorial donations may be made in honor of Mrs. Verda Cavender to Main Street United Methodist Church, please designate for the Women in Christ Ministry.

Malcolm Monroe Lowder

Aug. 9, 1932 – April 30, 2026

Malcolm Monroe Lowder, 93, passed away peacefully on Thursday, April 30, 2026.

Born on August 9, 1932, in Albemarle, North Carolina to W.A. and Rosa Lee Lowder. Malcolm was preceded in death by both parents, his brother and his sister.

He is survived by his wife of 72 years, Patty Stillwell Lowder and his two sons, Mark (Suzanne) Lowder of Albemarle, North Carolina, and Dean (Sherry) Lowder of Isle of Palms, South Carolina. He also leaves behind three grandchildren and a greatgrandchild.

The funeral service will be 11:00 am on Wednesday, May 6, 2026, at Central United Methodist Church, 172 N. Second St., Albemarle, NC, o ciated by Rev. Dr. David Blankenburg with burial to follow at Fairview Memorial Park, 1425 E. Main Street, Albemarle, NC.

He was a member of Coach Webb’s historic Albemarle High School football teams and then played tailback at N.C. State University in the early 50’s. He was President of All Star Foods, Inc. and General Manager of All Star Hatcheries, Inc. He was also part-owner of All Star Mills, Inc. and Lowder Farms, Inc. In his later years he enjoyed working with his best friend Taft McCoy at McCoy’s Realty.

Malcolm was a devoted follower of Christ and Treasurer of Central United Methodist Church for over a decade and voted Lay Person of the Year in 1996.

Malcolm’s life was marked by hard work, sense of duty, gentle spirit, and generous heart.

Hartsell Funeral Home of Albemarle is serving the Lowder family.

Online condolences may be made at www.hartsellfh.com

IN MEMORY

MARILYN DRAKE

SEPT. 3, 1958 – APRIL 30, 2026

Marilyn Maxine Gragg Drake, 67, of Stan eld, passed away peacefully at her home on Thursday, April 30, 2026.

A memorial service to celebrate her life will be held at 1:00 p.m. on Saturday, May 23, 2026, at Kinza Memorial Baptist Church, o ciated by Pastor Charles Dunevant. The family will receive friends at the church prior to the service from 12:00 until 12:45 p.m.

Marilyn was born on September 3, 1958, in Stanly County, North Carolina, and was the daughter of the late Earl Taylor and Janet Smith Gragg. A devoted member of Kinza Memorial Baptist Church, she lived a life rooted in faith and service. She retired from the Stanly County School System as a cafeteria worker and worked for many years before that as a screen printer in the textile industry.

Those who knew Marilyn will remember her as a deeply loving and giving woman whose faith guided every aspect of her life. She was tender-hearted, compassionate, and protective of those she loved, often serving as a source of comfort and encouragement to many beyond her own family. Her presence in her church was constant and meaningful, and she found great joy in worship, fellowship, and helping wherever she was needed. Her favorite scripture, John 3:16, re ected the faith she carried in her heart, and “The Old Rugged Cross” was especially dear to her.

Marilyn had a warm and personable spirit and made it a point to stay connected with those she cared about, always checking in and o ering support. She found simple joy in tending to her rose bushes and cherished the companionship of her beloved pets.

She is survived by her husband of 47 years, Timothy James Drake Sr.; her sons, Timothy Drake Jr. and ancée Stacey Bowers of Marshville, and Joseph Heath Drake and wife Jennifer of Rosman, North Carolina; her siblings, Sherry Mason and husband Gene of Albemarle, Karen Mauldin and husband Steve of Waynesville, and Lohman Gragg of Charlotte; her granddaughter, Isabella Lynn Drake; and a special friend, Lamar Smith of Concord.

Marilyn’s life was a testament to quiet strength, enduring faith, and unwavering love. She will be deeply missed by all who knew her.

TERESA WHITLEY

MAY 27, 1950 – APRIL 30, 2026

Teresa Meggs Whitley, 75, of Oakboro, passed away peacefully on April 30, 2026, at Atrium Health Stanly. A celebration of life service will be held at a later date.

Born May 27, 1950, in Stanly County, North Carolina, she was the daughter of the late Joseph Henry Meggs and Peggy Allen Thomas Meggs Carey. Teresa dedicated her life to education, serving as an elementary school teacher in both North Carolina and South Carolina. She approached her work with patience, compassion, and a genuine love for her students.

Teresa will be remembered as a kind and loving woman whose gentle spirit touched all who knew her. She was organized, thoughtful, and carried a joyful sense of humor that brought comfort and laughter to those around her. A lifelong learner, she had a deep appreciation for science and the natural world and found great peace in quiet moments of re ection.

She was an avid walker and reader, with a special love for Motown music. Teresa was also a gifted artist, particularly enjoying pen and ink as well as watercolor. She was a graduate of the University of North Carolina at Charlotte and earned her graduate degree from the University of South Carolina.

Above all, Teresa cherished her family. She was devoted to making life easier for those she loved, always seeking to lighten their burdens. Her daughter fondly remembers her most often spoken words, “I love you,” a simple phrase that perfectly captured the depth of her heart.

She is survived by her daughter, Susan Whitley Harris and husband, George, of Florida; her sisters, Kathy Peek and husband, Bill, of Oakboro, and Linda Hartsell and husband, John, of Locust; along with many beloved nieces and nephews.

Teresa’s legacy of kindness, curiosity, and quiet strength will be treasured by all who knew her.

RUTH BROOKS

APRIL 5, 1921 – MAY 1, 2026

Ruth Furr Brooks, of Midland, transitioned from life to life everlasting on Friday, May 1, 2026, at Brookdale Monroe Square. She recently celebrated her 105th birthday on Easter Sunday.

Mrs. Brooks was born April 5, 1921, in Stanly County to the late John Lee Furr and the late Dora Frances Furr. She was also preceded in death by her husband, James Thomas Brooks, 6 brothers, and 4 sisters.

Mrs. Brooks is survived by her loving and devoted daughter, Jan Brooks, of Midland and several nieces and nephews and extended family.

Services are private. In lieu of owers, memorial donations may be made to Mill Grove Church of Midland, 13644 US-601, Midland, NC 28107.

Gerry Conway, comic book writer who co-created Punisher character in Spider-Man, dead at 73

The proli c writer shaped both Marvel and DC’s most iconic characters

By Claire Rush

The Associated Press

GERRY CONWAY, a re-

nowned comic book writer who helped create characters and stories for Marvel and DC, including the Punisher character in the Spider-Man comics, has died. He was 73. In a Monday statement announcing his death, Marvel described Conway as a legendary comic book writer with a prolific career. He died of pancreatic cancer on Sunday in Thousand

Oaks, California, his wife, Laura Conway, told The Associated Press.

“From Spider-Man to the Avengers, Iron Man to Captain Marvel, Gerry Conway has deftly written almost every character in the Marvel Universe,” Marvel Comics Editor-in-Chief

C.B. Cebulski said. “Gerry Conway’s legacy has made an undeniable and indelible impact on the Super Hero stories we know and love. He will be dearly missed.” Tributes were also shared on social media.

“While many know his Marvel accomplishments ... Gerry’s contributions to DC were equally impactful and signi cant: shaping Batman, Superman,

the Justice League of America, and co-creating Firestorm, Jason Todd and Power Girl and so many more,” Jim Lee, chief creative o cer and president of DC Comics, said in an Instagram post. “Thank you, Gerry, for the worlds imagined and the heroes created.”

Conway was born in Brooklyn on Sept. 10, 1952. A lifelong fan of comic books, he started writing comic book stories as a teenager, and by the age of 19 he landed work on “The Amazing Spider-Man” — which Marvel’s statement described as “the job that would change his life — and the comic book industry at large — forever.”

Conway’s writing featured

“pivotal moments” that redened the series, Marvel said, such as the death of Gwen Stacy, Peter Parker’s girlfriend. He also co-created the Punisher, a vigilante antihero known for the skull logo on his chest.

The skull imagery has been used by law enforcement in recent years, sparking controversy at times. Nearly a decade ago, Conway objected to police departments putting Punisher decals on their vehicles, saying in a social media post that the character was “a complex morally compromised anti-hero, not to be emulated by cops,” as reported by the Syracuse Post-Standard. Conway had a way of imbu-

ing characters with nuance and emotional depth, Marvel said in its statement.

“Gerry Conway brought real stakes to his writing, able to weave together sensational super heroics with the human and relatable, and in doing so created some of the most memorable stories and characters of all time,” Marvel Studios President Kevin Feige said.

Beyond the Spider-Man comics, Conway wrote for several other major Marvel titles, including “Fantastic Four,” “Thor” and “The Incredible Hulk.”

In a 1981 interview with The Comics Journal, Conway noted how comic books can appeal to both younger and older audiences.

“I’m writing for the youthful part of myself, the primitive part of myself,” he told the magazine. “If an adult likes the books it’s because of a nostalgic feeling for that primitive, easy conceptualization of heroic purpose.”

STANLY SPORTS

Stanly teams open NCHSAA baseball, softball playo s

Three teams received the top seeds in their brackets

By Jesse Deal Stanly News Journal

ALBEMARLE — The N.C.

High School Athletic Association state baseball and softball playo s are underway, with nine high school teams from Stanly County receiving bids Monday for this year’s postseason tournaments.

Three local teams earned No. 1 seeds in their respective brackets: West Stanly and North Stanly in baseball, and South Stanly in softball.

First-round games were scheduled for Tuesday, with second-round games set for Friday. The third round is scheduled for May 12, followed by the fourth round on May 15. Regional nals are set for May 19-23, with state championship series scheduled for May 27-30.

In baseball, West Stanly (23 -1) received the top overall seed in the 4A West bracket and a rst-round bye after winning the Rocky River Conference regular-season and tournament championships.

The Colts will host either No. 16 East Gaston (10-11) or

No. 17 West Stokes (9-12) in the second round Friday. North Stanly (22-4) also earned a top overall seed, landing at No. 1 in the 3A West bracket. The Comets, who were Yadkin Val-

ley Conference regular-season co-champions and tournament champions, received a rst-round bye.

North Stanly will host either No. 16 Piedmont Community Charter (12-9) or No. 17 East

Whitley remembered with Stanly Hall of Fame honor

He led Albemarle High School to a state title in 1957

By Jesse Deal Stanly News Journal

ALBEMARLE — The late Roger Whitley built a legacy that stretched from a championship football season at Albemarle High School to training nearly 2,500 law enforcement o cers over his career.

Now, the former Bulldogs star will be posthumously recognized on one of his home county’s biggest stages.

Whitley is one of three inductees in the Stanly County Sports Hall of Fame’s 2026 class, which will be honored

during the 34th annual induction ceremony June 16 at Pfei er University’s Stokes Student Center in Misenheimer.

Whitley played for coach H.T. “Toby” Webb’s Bulldogs from 1955-57, anchoring the tackle position during his rst two varsity seasons before moving to fullback as a senior.

The position change proved pivotal, as Whitley averaged nearly 185 yards and two touchdowns per game during Albemarle’s 1957 Western North Carolina High School Activities Association championship season. The honors soon followed in kind.

He earned All-South Piedmont Conference recognition and received all-state nods

from the Charlotte News, Charlotte Observer and Greensboro Daily News. He was also selected to play in the Shrine Bowl, earning All-American recognition from World Week Magazine and Scholastic Magazine, with honorable mention from Sporting News.

Whitley carried his football career to Ferrum Junior College and Mars Hill College, where he played fullback, defensive end and punter from 1961-65. He earned National Junior College Athletic Association All-American honors at Ferrum in 1960 and 1961, and he was later inducted into both schools’ halls of fame.

He remained tied to the sport for 18 years as a football o cial with the North State

Surry (8-12) in the second round. South Stanly (16-10), the Yadkin Valley Conference regular-season co-champion and tournament runner-up, received the No. 5 seed in the 2A West bracket. The Row-

Football O cials Association. O the eld, Whitley devoted his professional life to public service. After four years with the Greensboro Police Department, he served 13 years as a probation and parole ofcer with the North Carolina Department of Justice, working in courts and correction-

North Stanly’s Nolan Ellington pitches during the Comets’ April 16 home win over Community School of Davidson.

dy Rebel Bulls also earned a rst-round bye and will host either No. 12 Christ the King (9 -13) or No. 21 Avery County (7-14) on Friday.

Two other Stanly County baseball teams opened postseason play Tuesday in the 2A West bracket. No. 16 Gray Stone (9-10) hosted No. 17 Mitchell (11-13), while No. 24 Albemarle (3-16) traveled to Ronda to face No. 9 East Wilkes (15-9).

In softball, West Stanly (21-5) received the No. 4 seed in the 4A West bracket after winning the Rocky River Conference regular-season title and nishing as tournament runner-up. The Colts received a rst-round bye and will host either No. 13 Hibriten (14-9) or No. 20 Brevard (7-14) in the second round.

North Stanly (7-13), the Yadkin Valley Conference tournament runner-up, earned the No. 13 seed in the 3A West bracket and hosted No. 20 CHASE (10-14) in a rst-round matchup Tuesday.

South Stanly (21-2) claimed the top seed in the 2A West bracket after winning both the Yadkin Valley Conference regular-season and tournament championships.

The Bulls received a rst-round bye and will host either No. 16 Bradford Prep (3 -10) or No. 17 Hayesville (2 -15) on Friday.

Gray Stone (5-12) also landed in the 2A West bracket as the No. 15 seed. The Knights hosted No. 18 Langtree Charter Academy (0-17) in Tuesday’s opening round.

18

Years Roger Whitley served as a football o cial

al facilities across the state. He spent his nal 27 professional years as director of the Criminal Justice Academy at Gaston College in Dallas, where he trained and graduated numerous law enforcement o cers before retiring. He was also active in the Cleveland and Gaston county communities, serving as a Lions Club member and as a member and elder at Pisgah Associated Reformed Presbyterian Church in Gastonia. Whitley died Oct. 16, 2025,

SOCCER

Man United beats Liverpool, will return to Champions League after 2-year absence

Manchester, England

Manchester United guaranteed a return to the Champions League next season with a 3-2 win against Liverpool.

Kobbie Mainoo’s rst-time strike from the edge of the area won it. Defending champion Liverpool had fought back from two goals down to level the game. But Mainoo’s goal meant United would be playing in European club soccer’s top competition after a two-year absence. Tottenham also climbed out of the relegation zone with a 2-1 win at Aston Villa.

MLB Reds tie MLB record by walking 7 straight batters in loss to Pirates

Pittsburgh

The Cincinnati Reds issued a Major League Baseball record-tying seven straight walks during the second inning of a 17-7 loss to the Pittsburgh Pirates. It was the third time in major league history that a team had walked that many batters consecutively — the rst in more than four decades.

Starting pitcher Rhett Lowder walked three batters in the second inning and was replaced by Connor Phillips, who walked the next four, each time with the bases loaded. The Pirates scored ve runs in the inning without a hit.

NBA Knicks, ahead by 47 at half, enjoy rout for ages over Hawks in Game 6

Atlanta

The biggest halftime lead in NBA playo history. The most points and most lopsided win in New York Knicks postseason history, too. By any measure, what the Knicks did to the Atlanta Hawks was a historic blowout. The nal score: Knicks 140, Hawks 89 in Game 6 of the teams’ Eastern Conference rst-round series. New York won the series 4-2 after losing Games 2 and 3 by one point — and then winning the next three games by 16, 29 and 51 points, respectively.

TENNIS

Sinner crushes Zverev to win Madrid Open, claim record 5th straight Masters 1000 title

Madrid

Top-ranked Jannik Sinner cruised past Alexander Zverev in the nal of the Madrid Open to become the rst man to triumph in ve consecutive Masters 1000 events. Sinner beat the third-ranked Zverev 6-1, 6-2 for his 23rd straight victory. He had already won in Monte Carlo, Miami and Indian Wells this year, and in Paris last year. Zverev lost to Sinner in the semi nals of each of those tournaments. Zverev won in Madrid in 2018 and 2021, and he was runner-up to Carlos Alcaraz in 2022.

MLB Plane circles Fenway Park for hour towing banner imploring Red Sox ownership to sell team

Boston

A small plane towing a banner imploring Red Sox ownership to sell the team ew over Fenway Park on Friday while Boston and the Houston Astros took batting practice. The plane towed a banner with big red letters reading: “FIRE CRAIG! SELL THE TEAM!” The banner was aimed at Craig Breslow, Boston’s chief baseball o cer, and Red Sox principal owner John Henry. Boston was in last place in the AL East and had already red its manager and ve coaches.

Share with your community! Send us your births, deaths, marriages, graduations and other announcements: community@stanlynewsjournal.com Weekly deadline is Monday at noon

State tournament to start on diamond

BASEBALL

SOUTH STANLY (16-10, 9-1 IN CONFERENCE)

• Won vs. Gray Stone Day

• 11-5

Lost vs. North Stanly 11-0

This week’s schedule

• TBD in NCHSAA playo s

WEST STANLY (23-2, 9-1 IN CONFERENCE)

• Won vs. Parkwood 10-0

• Won vs. Mount Pleasant 5-1

This week’s schedule

• TBD in NCHSAA playo s

NORTH STANLY (22-4, 9-1 IN CONFERENCE)

• Won vs. Union Academy 11-0

• Won vs. South Stanly 11-0

Upcoming schedule

TBD in NCHSAA playo s

ALBEMARLE (3-16, 1-9 IN CONFERENCE)

NORTH STANLY (7-13)

• Won vs. Union Academy 1-0

• Lost vs. South Stanly 9-1

Upcoming schedule

• May 5 vs. CHASE in NCHSAA playo s

ALBEMARLE (0-6)

• Season complete

GRAY STONE DAY (5-12)

• Lost vs. South Stanly 15-0

Upcoming schedule

• May 5 vs. Langtree Charter in NCHSAA playo s

GIRLS’ SOCCER

SOUTH STANLY (5-8, 4-6 IN CONFERENCE)

• Lost at Gray Stone Day 3-1

This week’s schedule

• May 5 at Anson

Both wins have come by holding o Denny Hamlin down the stretch

By Stephen Hawkins The Associated Press

FORT WORTH, Texas — Chase Elliott went low, got a push from his Hendrick Motorsports teammate and held on to become only the second NASCAR Cup driver with multiple wins this season.

Elliott stayed ahead of Denny Hamlin for the closing four laps after a nal restart at Texas on Sunday for his second victory this year. He nished just ahead of Hamlin in both of those wins.

On that nal restart at the 11⁄2-mile Texas track, Elliott took the bottom line and had teammate Alex Bowman behind him. He cleared Hamlin going onto the backstretch and remained in front to the checkered ag.

“I just felt like, man, if I didn’t get clear o of (Turn) 2, I was going to be in a lot of trouble,” Elliott said. “So fortunately Alex gave me a great push. I was able to execute Turns 1 and 2, get clear, and then just kind of manage the last few laps.”

Elliott, voted NASCAR’s most popular driver each of the past eight seasons, got his 23rd career win and his second at Texas, where two years ago he ended a 42-race winless streak. He led ve times Sunday for a race-high 87 laps, nishing

“I was able to execute Turns 1 and 2, get clear, and then just kind of manage the last few laps.”

Chase Elliott

0.407 seconds ahead of Hamlin, closer than the 0.565-second margin when they nished 1-2 at Martinsville in late March.

Bowman, whose spin brought out a caution on lap 93, nished third. Tyler Reddick was fourth after winning ve of the rst 10 races this season for Michael Jordan’s 23XI Racing.

Hamlin said the late push Elliott got from his teammate was the di erence in Texas.

“It was just enough to slow my momentum and pick his momentum up,” Hamlin said.

“Good, decent day, just one (spot) short.”

Elliott, who started 14th, had already taken the white ag when John Hunter Nemechek wrecked in the back of the eld after contact with Kyle Busch.

The caution ag never came out since Nemechek was able to get his car to the apron.

Chris Buescher was fth, his rst top-10 nish in 17 starts at the track less than an hour from his hometown of Prosper.

Carson Hocevar, the polesitter at Texas for the second year in a row, nished seventh a

week after his breakthrough win at Talladega. He also won the Truck Series race in the Lone Star State last Friday night. He nished a spot behind Daniel Suarez, his Spire Motorsports teammate.

Hocevar led the rst 22 laps last year, three more than he did at the start of this 267-lap race, though he did get back in front for 18 more laps later Sunday.

Corey Heim, in only his third start this year for 23XI Racing, led 69 laps, but with 11 laps left brought out the nal caution of the day, the fourth because of a single-car spinout. The 23-year-old Heim was the Truck Series champion last year.

Bell rung out of the race

Christopher Bell, an Oklahoma native who considers Texas his home track, led 22 laps and was still near the front on lap 69 when he got clipped by Todd Gilliland, who spun ahead of him.

Bell bobbled and then slammed hard into the outside wall along the frontstretch, doing signi cant damage to the front right of the No. 20 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota. He nished last in the 38-car eld.

“I thought that I could shoot the gap on the bottom,” said Bell, who had led only six laps total his rst seven starts in Texas. “I thought I did shoot the gap on the bottom but I got clipped.”

• No games scheduled

Upcoming schedule

• May 5 at East Wilkes in NCHSAA state playo s

• TBD

GRAY STONE DAY (9-10, 4-6 IN CONFERENCE)

• Lost at South Stanly 11-5

• Won vs. South Davidson 5-3

Upcoming schedule

• May 5 vs. Mitchell in NCHSAA state playo s

• TBD SOFTBALL

SOUTH STANLY (21-2)

• Won vs. Gray Stone Day 15-0

• Won vs. North Stanly 9-1

This week’s schedule

• TBD in NCHSAA playo s

WEST STANLY (21-5)

• Won vs. Parkwood 15-0

• Lost vs. Mount Pleasant 4-3

Upcoming schedule

• TBD in NCHSAA playo s

WEST STANLY (16-3-2, 10 -1-1 IN CONFERENCE)

• Won at Anson 17-0

• Lost at Union Academy 4-2

• Won at Mount Pleasant 7-0

This week’s schedule

• TBD (postseason)

NORTH STANLY (2-16-1, 2-8 IN CONFERENCE)

• Lost vs. Albemarle 3-2

Upcoming schedule

• TBD (postseason)

ALBEMARLE (3-12, 2-8 IN CONFERENCE)

• Won at North Stanly 3-2

• Won at Anson 3-2

Upcoming schedule

• TBD (postseason)

GRAY STONE DAY (10-9, 8-2 IN CONFERENCE)

• Won vs. South Stanly 3-1

• Lost vs. Uwharrie Charter 9-0

• Lost at Concord 3-0

Upcoming schedule

• TBD (postseason)

Let’s Work Together

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SUPERIOR COURT DIVISION BEFORE THE CLERK FILE NO. 26E000200-830 NOTICE TO CREDITORS Having quali ed as Co-Executor of

Tommy Dewayne Rushing 13526 Brooks Road Stan eld, NC 28163 Co-Executor Tracy Howard Rushing PO Box 1023 Locust, NC 28097 Co-Executor

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the stream

‘The

Robert Pattinson, left, and Zendaya attend the special screening of “The Drama” at Regal Union Square in New

The lm is streaming now on premium on demand.

Drama,’ MUNA, Rachel McAdams, Dan Stevens, ‘The Other Bennet Sister’

Ashley McBryde drops “Lines in the Carpet”

By Mark Kennedy

The Associated Press

“THE DRAMA,” a rom-com that goes bad starring Zendaya and Robert Pattinson and the synth-pop group MUNA releasing their fourth studio album, “Dancing on the Wall,” 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: Sam Raimi’s movie “Send Help” starring Rachel McAdams; a TV series based on the unassuming, oft-forgotten Jane Austen’s sister Mary leads “The Other Bennet Sister”; and country star Ashley McBryde heading into the “Wild” on her latest album.

MOVIES TO STREAM

“The Drama,” starring Zendaya and Pattinson, is available now on premium on demand after a much-talked-about run in theaters. The lm, written and directed by Kristo er Borgli, recently became the fth A24 release to clear $100 million at the box o ce. Pattinson and Zendaya play a couple whose wedding engagement is derailed after a disquieting revelation. In his review, AP’s Mark Kennedy wrote that the lm “wastes two of the planet’s most gorgeous people and will surely get everyone involved in trouble for using a current American tragedy as a plot point.”

In Raimi’s “Send Help,” a woman (McAdams) and her overbearing boss (Dylan O’Brien) are stranded on a deserted island after a plane crash. Raimi’s comic survivalist thriller grows increasingly unhinged as their roles reverse. After a theatrical run earlier this year, it debuts Thursday on Hulu.

The Net ix adaptation “Remarkably Bright Creatures” (streaming Friday) turns Shelby Van Pelt’s bestselling novel into a lm starring Sally Field as a widow working at an aquarium. There, she develops a healing bond with a giant Paci c octopus. Lewis Pullman co-stars.

MUSIC TO STREAM

The synth-pop group MUNA will release their fourth studio album on Friday. “Dancing on the Wall” arrives just in time for the approaching warmth — and hedonistic decision-making — of summer. It’s tank top party-pop for the once-heartbroken, now-victorious crowd (like what is found on “So What” and the familiar sounds of the title track) and whoever is the ob -

ject of a ection on the too-fun “Wannabeher.” Also on Friday: Country star McBryde heads into the “Wild” on her latest album. It is her most personal and most rock ’n’ roll collection yet, embodying McBryde’s ery spirit found on “Lines in the Carpet,” a cutting treatise on domesticity, the heartfelt mission statement of the title track and everywhere in between. The record opens with four barnburners fans will

recognize as staples of her live show — “Rattlesnake Preacher,” “Arkansas Mud,” “Water in the River” and “Creosote” — and diversi es from there. Expect big feelings and a playful, wizened heart.

SERIES TO STREAM

If you’re an Austen devotee who loved “Pride and Prejudice,” you’ll recall that Elizabeth and Jane aren’t the only two daughters in the Bennet family. A new series called “The Other Bennet Sister” follows the introspective and awkward but adorable Mary, played by Ella Bruccoleri. Mary steps out of the shadows of her other siblings and nds romance and independence. The show is already a hit in the UK and on social media. Mary gets her time to shine on BritBox. From the backwoods lakes of the Ozarks to the turquoise waters of the Florida Keys, Bill Dubuque, a co-creator of “Ozark,” has created a new series set against the drug world called “M.I.A.” In this crime drama, a daughter who wants nothing more than to separate herself from her family’s drug-running business is

pulled into a quest for vengeance after it’s destroyed. All nine episodes drop Thursday on Peacock.

Dan Stevens is wrongfully committed to a mental hospital where he must battle both supernatural and psychological demons in “The Terror: Devil in Silver.” This “Terror” is the third season of a horror anthology. Besides Stevens, the series features an impressive cast including CCH Pounder, Judith Light and John Benjamin Hickey. It premieres Thursday on both Shudder and AMC+.

Another classic gets reimagined in the new “Amadeus” limited-series starring Will Sharpe and Paul Bettany. Sharpe plays superstar composer Amadeus Mozart and Bettany is Antonio Salieri, also a successful composer of the time whom history has cast as the lesser talent. Salieri becomes increasingly obsessed with achieving the respect and acclaim that Mozart enjoys. It premieres on Starz on Friday.

VIDEO GAMES TO PLAY

Annapurna Interactive’s Mixtape includes tunes by Siouxsie and the Banshees, the Cure, Smashing Pumpkins, Roxy Music and Devo — the kind of alt-rock you might expect in a movie like “Sixteen Candles” or “Dazed and Confused.” So yes, we’re back in the 1990s with three teenagers seeking adventure on their last night of high school. That means skateboarding, sneaking beers, making out, looking for trouble, running from trouble and, to judge from the trailer, oating through space. You can press play Thursday on PlayStation 5, Xbox X/S, Switch 2 or PC. The soundtrack to Wax Heads is more diverse, but all the bands are completely made up. You’ve landed a job at a gnarly store called Repeater Records, and you get to deal with an assortment of eccentric customers who may or may not know what they want. The result is a kind of puzzle game in which you have to sort through their suggestions to track down the perfect vinyl. Patattie Games, the two-person U.K. studio behind Wax Heads, calls it “cozy-punk.” Drop the needle on PlayStation 5, Xbox X/S,

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