VOLUME 146 ISSUE 40 | WEDNESDAY, MAY 20, 2026 | STANLYNEWSJOURNAL.COM
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Stanly NewS Journal THE STANLY COUNTY EDITION OF NORTH STATE JOURNAL
WHAT’S HAPPENING Trump endorses Paxton in Texas GOP primary, boosting challenge to incumbent Cornyn President Donald Trump has endorsed Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, supercharging his effort to oust incumbent Sen. John Cornyn in a Republican primary runoff. Paxton and Cornyn qualified for the May 26 runoff after a March 3 primary, while Rep. Wesley Hunt finished third and did not advance. Although the four-term Cornyn has backed Trump’s agenda in Washington, Paxton pitched himself as a political warrior for the Make America Great Again movement. Trump’s endorsement Tuesday puts him at odds with his party’s establishment, which is convinced Cornyn is the better candidate for November’s general election.
Jackson says Supreme Court risks being seen as political after voting rights decision Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson said Monday that the Supreme Court risks being seen as political in the wake of a major voting rights decision. She spoke after writing a solo dissent from the court’s decision allowing Louisiana to move quickly to use new maps after the court struck down a majority-black district and weakened the Voting Rights Act. At a time when public confidence in the court is low, she said the court must be careful to avoid being seen as political. Three of her conservative colleagues have said accusations of partisanship aren’t justified and the alternative was to hold an election under maps found to be unconstitutional.
OpenAI avoided costly court loss to Musk, but neither side unscathed Elon Musk lost his case against OpenAI and its top executives in a high-stakes trial that pitted billionaire against billionaire. But neither side emerged as too sympathetic. Americans’ opinion about artificial intelligence is at a low point with worries over job losses and even humanity’s extinction. Online comments and signs outside the courtroom rooted for neither side. Critics say the real losers are people whose lives are being upended by an AI industry controlled by a few out-of-touch billionaires who can’t get along.
Holy hour
United Methodist Church on 2nd Street in Albemarle glows in the golden hour light of sunset on May 9.
Albemarle council honors city’s SkillsUSA medalists Four Albemarle High School students won medals in April
Albemarle Mayor Ronnie Michael, left, stands alongside local SkillsUSA competitors Connor Fink, center, and Matt Quinapallo.
By Jesse Deal Stanly News Journal
COURTESY CITY OF ALBEMARLE
ALBEMARLE — Four Albemarle High School students were recognized this week for earning medals at the 2026 SkillsUSA North Carolina State Leadership and Skills Conference in April. At Monday night’s Albemarle City Council meeting, Mayor Ronnie Michael read and adopted a proclamation honoring the students, who were among 57 Stanly County See SKILLSUSA, page A5
John Krasinski returns as Jack Ryan on Prime Video this week. See everything new to stream inside on page B5.
“Join us for four Saturdays of homegrown music, thoughtful conversation and locally farmed food.”
The first of four festival nights is set for May 30 By Jesse Deal Stanly News Journal NORWOOD — Juneberry Jams will return to Juneberry Ridge this month, launching four dates of live music and guest speakers in Norwood. The sixth-annual summer concert series will be held at the 750-acre regenerative farm and corporate retreat at 40120 Old Cottonville Road. This year’s events are scheduled for May 30, June 13, June 27 and Oct. 10. “Experience the rhythm of the ridge and the bounty of summer at the sixth-annu-
al Juneberry Jams,” Juneberry Ridge announced in a promotional release. “Join us for four Saturdays of homegrown music, thoughtful conversation and locally farmed food.” Each festival date will feature multiple musical acts, along with a fireside chat with authors, teachers and other speakers connected to regenerative farming and related fields. Juneberry Ridge, now North Carolina’s largest residential renewable energy system, features rainwater-harvesting technology, an organic greenhouse and stocked fishing ponds. The series is scheduled to See CONCERT, page A4
Now Serving Cabarrus, Stanly & Montgomery Counties LOCATIONS
• Albemarle-West/ Coble Ave. • Albemarle-East/ Anderson Rd. • North Oakboro/ Red Cross Rd. • South Oakboro/ Rocky River Rd. • Mt. Pleasant • Biscoe • Locust
competitors at the statewide event in Greensboro. As a workforce development organization, SkillsUSA offers competitions in skilled trades, technical fields, leadership and career readiness. Faith Moultrie earned gold at this year’s state competition, marking her third consecutive year medaling at the SkillsUSA state level. Ashley Rodriguez also medaled at the event. Two students from Albemarle’s Fire Tech class, which competes in firefighting-focused SkillsUSA events, also earned recognition. Connor Fink took first place in his state competition, while Matt Quinapallo earned a medal as well. Albemarle Fire Chief Kenny Kendall, who has led the department since 2024, attended the meeting to offer his congratulations.
inside Juneberry Ridge concert series returns for sixth year
Juneberry Ridge
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