VOLUME 146 ISSUE 38 | WEDNESDAY, MAY 13, 2026 | STANLYNEWSJOURNAL.COM
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Stanly NewS Journal THE STANLY COUNTY EDITION OF NORTH STATE JOURNAL
WHAT’S HAPPENING Iran war hitting home as gas prices fuel inflation surge of 3.8% in U.S. U.S. consumer prices climbed sharply again last month as the 10-week war with Iran pushed energy prices higher. The Labor Department reported Tuesday that its consumer price index rose 3.8% from April 2025. On a month-to-month basis, April prices were up 0.6% from March as gasoline prices rose 5.4%. Excluding volatile food and energy costs, so-called consumer core prices were up 0.4% last month from March and 2.8% from April 2025, relatively modest readings that suggest the energy price burst isn’t yet spilling over much into other prices.
Trump FDA chief leaving after angering pharma CEOs, vaping lobbyists and anti-abortion groups Marty Makary is resigning as President Donald Trump’s Food and Drug Administration head, according to a White House official who was not authorized to speak before an official announcement and insisted on anonymity Tuesday. The surgeon and health researcher’s tenure had drawn complaints from health industry executives, anti-abortion activists and other Trump allies. Makary was an outspoken critic of COVID-19 health measures during the pandemic, but at the FDA, Makary failed to win the staff’s confidence after mass layoffs, leadership changes and a series of controversies.
Mo.’s new U.S. House map goes to court; La., S.C. consider redistricting Missouri’s new congressional districts are facing a key legal challenge while Republican lawmakers in Louisiana and South Carolina consider redistricting. The Missouri Supreme Court heard arguments Tuesday on two cases. One contends the new map backed by President Donald Trump should be tossed because the districts are not compact. The other contends the new districts should have been suspended when opponents submitted petition signatures seeking a referendum. Legislative committees in Louisiana and South Carolina are to consider redistricting plans Tuesday that could help Republicans win additional seats.
MY DIFFERENT PERSPECTIVE PHOTOGRAPHY FOR STANLY NEWS JOURNAL
Show time All kinds of automobiles graced West Main Street at Saturday’s Still Runs Car Show in Albemarle, including a push model “driven” by 2-year-old Madelyn Freeman, albeit with an assist from parents Tamara and Toby.
Stanly budget plan increases funding, keeps tax rate flat The $102.1 million proposal adds school and public safety funding By Jesse Deal Stanly News Journal ALBEMARLE — Stanly County’s recommended $102.1 million budget for fiscal year 2026-27 would keep the property tax rate unchanged while increasing funding for education, public safety and capital
“The department heads did a really good job of putting their budgets together.” Andy Lucas, county manager fuel costs pushed the CPI higher during the past 60 days. The recommended property tax rate remains 51 cents per
LOCATIONS
• Albemarle-East/ Anderson Rd. • North Oakboro/ Red Cross Rd. • South Oakboro/ Rocky River Rd. • Mt. Pleasant • Biscoe • Locust
See BUDGET, page A2
Ted Turner, the legendary television executive and longtime owner of the Atlanta Braves, died last week at 87. For more, see page A6.
“Congratulations to Kristin Owens-White ... on being selected as a 2026-27 Kenan Fellow.”
Kristin Owens-White will study the energy industry through the program By Jesse Deal Stanly News Journal ALBEMARLE — A South Stanly Middle School teacher has been selected for a statewide fellowship designed to connect classroom instruction with hands-on industry experience. Kristin Owens-White has See AWARD, page A4
NANCY MANGIAFICO / ATLANTA JOURNAL-CONSTITUTION VIA AP
COURTESY STANLY COUNTY SCHOOLS
Kristin Owens-White
Now Serving Cabarrus, Stanly & Montgomery Counties • Albemarle-West/ Coble Ave.
$100 valuation, the same as the current rate. “The department heads did a really good job of putting their budgets together,” Lucas said. “Obviously, what they requested is not what we can fund or what I can recommend to fund, and it’s certainly not going to fit inside the 51-cent tax rate, but they do a really good job of explaining their budget requests and trying to work
inside South Stanly Middle School teacher awarded Kenan Fellowship
Stanly County Schools
$2.00
needs. At the Stanly County Board of Commissioners meeting on Monday night, County Manager Andy Lucas presented his operating budget recommendation, outlining a plan that marks a 3.5% increase over the current year’s budget. Lucas said that increase is consistent with the consumer price index over the past year, adding that it likely would have been closer to the upper 2% range before a recent spike in
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