Stanly News Journal Vol. 146, Issue 5

Stanly NewS Journal

Golden hour

WHAT’S HAPPENING

3 arrested in Albemarle homicide; victim was a juvenile Albemarle Police have arrested three people in connection with a fatal shooting Wednesday evening that left a juvenile dead. O cers responded to a report of shots red near South Bell Avenue and Inger Street at approximately 6:08 p.m. on Jan. 14. Upon arrival, they found a male victim su ering from a gunshot wound. O cers administered medical aid, but the victim was pronounced dead at the scene. Emmanuel Wilson, 18, was charged with accessory after the fact and received a $20,000 secured bond. Two juveniles were each charged with rst-degree murder and received no bond. The case remains under investigation.

Average 30-year mortgage rate hits lowest point in more than 3 years

The average long-term U.S. mortgage rate is now down to its lowest level in more than three years. Mortgage buyer Freddie Mac said Thursday that the benchmark 30-year xed rate mortgage rate eased to 6.06% this week, down from 6.16% last week. One year ago, the rate averaged 7.04%. Lower mortgage rates boost homebuyers’ purchasing power, good news for home shoppers at a time when the housing market remains in a deep slump after years of soaring prices and elevated mortgage rates have shut out many aspiring homeowners.

Albemarle Fire Department outlines budget, midyear progress

The department’s total budget is $6.6 million

By Jesse Deal Stanly News Journal

ALBEMARLE — The Albemarle Fire Department provided a scal midyear update on Monday, outlining its current budget, sta ng additions, capital improvements and plans for a new re truck.

“Our scal year kicked o in July, so we’re halfway through the year,” AFD Fire Chief Kenny Kendall said. “AFD’s total budget is $6.6 million. In fact, if you combine the re and police departments, the city spends more on public safe-

ty than it brings in through property tax. That’s why sales tax and other revenues are important to keep things running smoothly.”

Kendall said the department has added 10 new re ghters during the current scal year and has equipped them with full turnout gear, including pants, coats, boots, gloves, helmets and masks. He also noted that the department’s apparatus committee is planning a brand-new ladder truck estimated to cost $2.5 million, a purchase aimed at enhancing the city’s re ghting capabilities.

The AFD currently provides

SCC’s teacher preparation program now ranks among fastest growing on campus

The program will have its rst graduates in May

By Jesse Deal Stanly News Journal

ALBEMARLE — The Stanly County Board of Education recently received a presentation outlining the scope and growth of Stanly Community College’s Elementary Education Residency Licensure certi cate program.

This review was delivered at the school board’s Jan. 6 meeting by program head Sue Drake, who is also a member of the college’s K-12 Education Advisory Board.

Structured to be completed in two to three years, the resi-

dency licensure program serves as an alternative pathway for individuals who hold a bachelor’s degree and are employed in a school system to earn a North Carolina elementary education teaching license while working in the classroom.

“There are a lot of teachers that are coming to us who have chosen education as a pathway that is a second degree for them,” Drake said. “It’s a second job, and so they come to us with bachelor’s degrees, but without licensures.”

SCC’s program currently has 26 active students serving Stanly County and six other counties, with its rst graduates expected in May 2026.

“It’s such a vital program, and I hope it just continues to grow.”

Glenda Gibson, Stanly County Board of

Education chair

Greg Bi e’s home burglarized weeks after plane crash, o cials say

The Associated Press

MOORESVILLE — Sher -

i ’s deputies are investigating an alleged break-in and theft last week at the home of retired NASCAR driver Greg Bi e, one of seven people who died in a plane crash last month.

The alleged burglary and forcible entry into the Bife home in Mooresville was reported Jan. 8, according to an incident report from the Iredell County Sheri ’s O ce.

Sheri Darren Campbell said Wednesday that inves -

tigators believe someone entered a safe in the home. In addition to $30,000 in cash and a backpack identi ed in the incident report as stolen, Campbell said some guns and memorabilia also are gone. Campbell said no arrests have been made, and that no one else was in the home at the time of the alleged crimes. The incident report said the home was last known secure the afternoon of Jan. 7.

“We’re working the case. We are waiting on some digital evidence,” Campbell said, adding that interviews also were being conducted.

A business jet carrying Bife, Bi e’s wife and two children and three others crashed Dec. 18 while trying to return

to an airport in Statesville — located about 45 miles north of Charlotte — minutes after taking o from there.

Federal investigators said the Cessna C550 erupted into a large re when it hit the ground short of the runway. Everyone on board died.

No cause of the crash has been released. Bi e was one of three people on board with a pilot’s license. Investigators said during the crash’s immediate aftermath that they didn’t know who was the lead pilot on the ight.

A public memorial service for Bi e, who won 19 NASCAR Cup Series races over his career, and the six others killed is scheduled for Friday morning at a Charlotte arena.

Practical Beekeeping for New and Current Beekeepers

Jan. 26 – March 9, 2026

Every Monday for 7 weeks

6:30 - 9 p.m.

Cost: $35 plus book

Farm Bureau Livestock Arena (next to the Stanly County Agri-Civic Center) 26130 Newt Rd, Albemarle, NC

Sponsored and taught by the Stanly County Beekeeper’s Association

This seven-week class includes basic and advanced training on how to prepare for, acquire, and manage honeybee colonies. A eld day will be held after the nal day of class.

To register or for more information

Call Mark Little 704-985-3383

Jan. 5

• Bryant Oneal Rivers, 38, was arrested for driving while impaired and possession of rearm by felon.

Jan. 7

• Elijoshua Trevon Mason, 30, was arrested for tra cking in opium or heroin.

• Tara Denicka Hartsell, 39, was arrested for misdemeanor larceny and contributing to the delinquency of a juvenile.

Jan. 8

• Heather Lorraine Creel, 37, was arrested for simple possession of schedule III controlled substance and driving while license revoked with impaired revocation.

• William Tracy Allen, 42, was arrested for

maintaining a vehicle/dwelling for controlled substances.

• Trevor James Teal, 23, was arrested for possession with intent to sell and deliver cocaine, possession of drug paraphernalia, simple possession of schedule VI controlled substance, and driving while license revoked.

Jan. 9

• Jailen Rajon Harris, 29, was arrested for misdemeanor domestic violence, assault with a deadly weapon, assault on a female, communicating threats, and injury to personal property.

Jan. 11

• Julian Alvarez, 59, was arrested for driving while impaired and driving while license revoked.

prize, along with honorable mention ribbons given at the judge’s discretion. Admission to the exhibit is free.

Jan. 20

Stanly County Commissioners’ Meeting 6-7 p.m.

The public is encouraged to attend this regular meeting. It will take place in the Gene McIntyre Meeting Room of the Stanly Commons. 1000 N. 1st St. Albemarle

Jan. 21

Chair Yoga 3-3:30 p.m.

A gentle, adult yoga class geared toward those with coordination issues or di culties standing for long periods without support. No experience or mat needed for this free class.

Main Library 133 E. Main St. Albemarle

THE CONVERSATION

Trip Ho end,

publisher | Frank Hill, senior opinion editor

VISUAL VOICES

Shut down CDL mills because lives depend on it

Trucking cannot, and will not, accept those who put pro t ahead of safety.

ACROSS AMERICA, millions of professional truck drivers earn their commercial driver’s licenses (CDLs) the right way, through rigorous training, testing and an unwavering commitment to safety. That license is a promise to everyone sharing the road that the person behind the wheel of an 80,000-pound vehicle is quali ed, competent and accountable.

CDL mills break that promise.

These y-by-night operations masquerade as legitimate training schools but instead sell credentials to fast-track unquali ed individuals into the driver’s seat with insu cient training, inadequate testing and minimal oversight. They undermine the integrity of the entire trucking industry, devaluing the CDL and putting unsafe drivers on public roads.

Put simply, CDL mills strip away safeguards designed to prevent tragedy. Operating a tractor-trailer requires specialized skills and an adherence to high standards of professionalism and safety. Issuing licenses without that preparation is reckless, and the cost is paid in lives. We saw that reality in Florida, where three people were killed by a truck driver who never should have been behind the wheel in the rst place.

The risks only grow when drivers cannot read or understand English well enough to comprehend road signs, safety instructions or emergency communications. When states fail to verify quali cations or allow sham schools to

rubber-stamp licenses, the result is predictable: more crashes, more fatalities and more innocent lives at risk.

Trucking cannot — and will not — accept those who put pro t ahead of safety. That’s why the recent decisive actions taken by the Trump administration matter.

Last month, Transportation Secretary Sean Du y removed nearly 3,000 noncompliant training providers from FMCSA’s Training Provider Registry and placed another 4,500 on notice for failing to meet federal standards — nearly half of all registered programs nationwide. Many were cited for falsifying records, skirting curriculum and instructor requirements, or refusing to cooperate with federal audits.

This historic crackdown followed years of allowing schools to “self-certify,” meaning almost anyone could claim to be a quali ed training provider. Those scammers lingered for years.

Instead of ignoring the problem, the administration recognized that weak enforcement and inconsistent state practices allowed illegitimate operators to slip through the cracks, and it acted. States are held accountable, and bad actors are removed.

The result is simple: stronger compliance, fewer unquali ed drivers and safer roads.

This isn’t about politics. Highway safety is not a partisan issue. Truck drivers, motorists,

The scheme that could help Democrats retake the House

Democrats are seeking to redraw New York City’s 11th Congressional District, encompassing Staten Island and a portion of Brooklyn.

A REDISTRICTING lawsuit currently moving through the New York courts could help Democrats retake the House of Representatives in November — by unseating New York City’s sole Congressional Republican, a vigorous, in uential voice against the socialist policies of New York City’s newly elected Mayor Zohran Mamdani.

Democrats are seeking to redraw New York City’s 11th Congressional District, encompassing Staten Island and a portion of Brooklyn. The move aims to create a Democrat-leaning district where GOP Rep. Nicole Malliotakis would likely be defeated in the coming 2026 midterm election.

With the Republican House majority currently at 218-213, unseating Malliotakis would signi cantly up the Democrats’ chances of retaking control of the House in November.

Malliotakis is a member of the prestigious House Ways and Means Committee. Partly Hispanic — members of her family ed Castro’s Cuba — she is an especially formidable critic of the far-left ideology that has taken hold in the Democratic Party. All of this is why Democrats want her gone. Having previously failed to redistrict her out of o ce, they’re hoping to get their way this time.

The law rm of Democrat lawyer Marc Elias — the former Perkins Coie attorney best known for helping produce the discredited Trump -Russia dossier — is challenging the New York congressional map approved by the Democrat-run New York State legislature and signed into law in 2024. Unfortunately for Democrats, the New York State constitution explicitly forbids partisan gerrymandering — the redrawing of electoral districts to favor a particular party or candidate.

So they’re resorting to their all-too-familiar playbook and playing the race card.

The Elias suit contends that Staten Island’s

growing minority of black and Hispanic voters do not have su cient “in uence” as required by the 2022 New York State Voting Rights Act. Their proposed remedy: replacing the section of Brooklyn included in District 11 — which is home to GOP-leaning whites and Asians — with a section of lower Manhattan. The only problem is that the change would not materially increase the number of black and Hispanic voters. Lower Manhattan voters are predominantly white progressives.

This is where things get interesting. The lawsuit says that the legal remedy being sought is not necessarily redrawing the district to create “a majority of residents of a protected class,” only to increase their “electoral in uence.” That would include “remedies that might allow for minorities to elect their candidates of choice or in uence the outcome of elections without their constituting a majority….” In other words, blacks and Hispanics overwhelmingly vote for Democrats. So District 11 should be redrawn to elect more Democrats.

“Their plan is a political gerrymander masquerading as a voting rights case,” said former New York congressman John Faso, who is familiar with the case.

Even the left-leaning New York Times concedes that the Elias case faces “an uphill battle.” The idea that black and Hispanic voters, who are overwhelmingly Democrats, do not have su cient “in uence” in New York City, the bluest of blue cities in the bluest of blue states is simply laughable.

Ten out of New York City’s 11 Congressional districts are represented by Democrats, including African American Hakeem Je ries, the powerful U.S. House Minority Leader, and the in uential Hispanic American Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. African American Democrats hold high positions throughout New York city and state

families and businesses all bene t when standards are enforced and bad actors are removed from the system. Our industry is encouraged by Du y’s clear understanding that safety is trucking’s North Star. It’s also about fairness. Law-abiding motor carriers invest heavily in training and compliance. CDL mills reward corner- cutting and punish those who follow the rules, threatening the integrity of our industry.

But the work isn’t nished. States should strengthen their veri cation systems, federal regulators need to remain vigilant and Congress can work with industry partners on commonsense legislation to bolster the e orts of this administration.

Truck drivers are professionals, and the public deserves to know every CDL holder has earned that title. Shutting down CDL mills isn’t optional.

Lives depend on it.

Chris Spear is president and CEO of the American Trucking Associations. This column was rst published by Daily Caller News Foundation.

government — from state attorney general to Manhattan district attorney to both Queens and Brooklyn borough presidents, just to name just a few.

Then why do Democrats think they can win? Because this is New York. Presiding over the case before the State Supreme Court in Manhattan is Acting Justice Je rey Pearlman, who was appointed to the bench by Democrat Gov. Kathy Hochul. He previously worked on Hochul’s gubernatorial transition team and served as chief of sta when she was lieutenant governor.

If any New York City voters are “unfairly” deprived of “in uence,” it is the growing number of New Yorkers who are registered or who vote Republican.

The Democrats’ illegal power grab would do more than disenfranchise these voters. The New York Post has pointed out that the new mayor’s election is empowering his allies to take his initiatives statewide. Hochul signaled early on she might block some of Mamdani’s policies. But she needs support from her party’s left ank to win reelection. Observers think she will more likely roll over and enact Mamdani’s attacks on property owners, law enforcement, businesses and charter schools.

Defenders of the current District 11, however, will get another chance to make their case. The court’s decision, due within days, is expected to be appealed regardless of the outcome.

As the New York saying goes, “If you can make it here, you can make it anywhere.” That’s what socialists nationwide are hoping. By removing New York City’s sole congressional critic of Mamdani-ism with a national platform, the Democrats’ craven and illegal power grab would help clear the path for their collectivist dreams to come true.

Elizabeth Ames is an author and producer. This column was rst published by Daily Caller News Foundation.

obituaries

Barbara Jean (Taylor) Drye

Gary Alan Gerber

April 17, 1936 ~ January 14, 2023

and assist. Gary was committed to serving and improving his community throughout his life. He was a regular blood donor with the American Red Cross and an active volunteer with a local chapter of the Coastal Conservation Association for many years. He had a great skill for getting artwork and other items donated for CCA’s annual banquets and silent auctions, and helped raise thousands of dollars for conservation e orts.

Dwight Farmer

January 24, 1939 ~ January 15, 2023

Oct. 18, 1948 – Jan. 10, 2026

Barbara Jean Taylor Drye, 86, of Oakboro, passed away Saturday, January 14, 2023 at her home.

Barbara was born April 17, 1936 in North Carolina to the late Robert Lee Taylor and the late Eva Belle Watts Taylor. She was also preceded in death by husband of 61 years, Keith Furr Drye, and brothers, Robert Lee Taylor, Jr. and George Kenneth Taylor.

Gary Alan Garber, 77, of Palmerville, NC, was peacefully reunited with the Lord on January 10, 2026, after a brief battle with pancreatic cancer. He entered into eternity with his wife and daughter by his side as he passed at home.

Dwight Britten Farmer Sr., 83, of Norwood died Sunday morning, January 15, 2023 at Forrest Oakes.

Dwight was born January 24, 1939 in Stanly County to the late Walter Virgil and Martha Adkins Farmer. He was a 1957 graduate of Norwood High School and was a United States Army Veteran.

Gary was born on October 18, 1948, in Washington, DC, to John and Violet (Kroh) Garber. During his childhood, the family moved to New Orleans, LA and then eventually settled in Burlington, NC, where Gary graduated from Walter M. Williams High School. He continued his education at Wingate University before transferring to UNCChapel Hill and he graduated in 1970 with a degree in Business Administration.

Survivors include children, Debbie (Mike) Williams of Albemarle, Teresa (Tom) Curry of Oakboro, Douglas (Tammy) Drye of Oakboro; grandchildren, Melissa (Don) Parrish of Albemarle, Samantha (Destiny) Smith of Oakboro, Bradley Smith of Oakboro, Jonathan Stover of Peachland, and Jessie Stover of Lylesville; sisterin-law, Beatrice Goodman; many nieces and nephews; and her beloved cats, Bo and Gar eld.

Barbara was a member of Oakboro Baptist Church for over 60 years. She worked over 30 years at Stanly Knitting Mills. After just two years of retirement, she began managing the Oakboro Senior Center and did that for 18 years until this past week. Barbara was known for her good cooking and always taking care of others. She also loved going on day long shopping trips - she could out walk and out shop people half her age. She kept her mind and body active through gardening, word searches, and various other hobbies.

He was a member of Cedar Grove United Methodist Church where he had served as church treasurer and choir member. He began his career with the Stanly County Sheri ’s Department moving to the Norwood Police Department and retiring as Chief of Police with the Town of Norwood after many years of service.

Dwight was an avid gardener, bird watcher and Carolina fan.

He is survived by his wife Hilda Whitley Farmer; one son D. Britten Farmer Jr. (Mary) of McLeansville, NC; one daughter Sharon Farmer Lowe (David) of Norwood; one sister Geraldine Dennis of Troy; two grandchildren, Dwight Britten “Dee” Farmer III and Whitley Rose Hui Lowe.

While at UNC, he was introduced to Martha Ingram on a blind date at the NC State Fair. During their courtship, Gary received #5 in the rst draft for the Vietnam War and after joining the Navy, was sent to San Diego, CA, for duty, while Martha started her career in New York City. Their love survived a cross-country romance, and after dating for two years, they were married on July 22, 1972. During their 53 years of marriage, they experienced four years of active duty, multiple moves across the Southeast, the birth of their daughter, Kathleen, in 1983, career and job changes, and retirement to their beloved house on Badin Lake. They did all of this together and with at least one (if not two) dogs in tow.

He was preceded in death by his son Alex, brothers, Tommy and Jimmy, sisters, Nancy, Cornelia Annabell, Glennie Mae, and Betty. Memorials may be made to Cedar Grove United Methodist Church, Cemetery or Choir Fund c/o Pam Smith 36071 Rocky River Springs Road, Norwood, NC 28128.

After returning to Burlington, NC, in 1986, Gary nished his career in textiles and shifted to a sales and marketing role with Vocational Trades of Alamance County. In this role, he worked with numerous local businesses and manufacturers to source jobs for individuals with mental and developmental disabilities. Even after retiring from VTA in 2005, he often spoke fondly of the “clients” he was able to support

A lifelong sherman, Gary loved hosting family and friends at the lake. He would enthusiastically volunteer to drive the boat for tubing, skiing, and kneeboarding adventures. Sometimes, it was hard to tell who was having more fun, the person being towed or Gary, who would be quietly chuckling to himself and saying “watch this” while he cut back across the wake. From sh fries, late nights on the deck, nightly quests to nd an “action, adventure, and comedy” movie for everyone to watch, to shing lessons, spending time with others at the lake was one of the greatest gifts that Gary shared with others. Gary was predeceased by his parents, great-niece Clarissa Grace Ingram, and multiple family pets: Happy, Charlotte, Shadow, Zipper, Frisky, Scooter, and Bandit. He is survived by his wife Martha Garber of the home; daughter Kathleen Garber of Winston-Salem, NC; his sister Patti (Coleman) Long of Wilmington, NC and numerous nieces and nephews: Ryan (Natalie), Jonathan (Erin), Brighton, AJ, Grady, Kim (Carey) Joey, Jill, Jon, Andrew, Brianna (Jon), Alison, Tyler (Kelly), Travis, Jamie, Jonas, Jack, Kalvin, and Quinn. Services will be held on January 17, 2026, at Stanly Funeral Home in Albemarle, NC. Visitation will be at 10 AM with the service to begin at 11 AM. The family will have a private graveside service immediately after the funeral. In lieu of owers, please consider a donation to CCA North Carolina (https://ccanc.org/ donate/, 4809 Hargrove Rd., Suite 123, Raleigh, NC 27616) or the American Red Cross (https:// redcross.org/donate, PO Box 37839, Boone, IA 50037-0839). Martha and Kathleen would like to express their gratitude to all of the family members and friends who have supported them through this time. Special thanks to the nurses and sta of Tillery Compassionate Care who helped them guide and comfort Gary in his nal days.

Celebrate the life of your loved ones. Submit obituaries and death notices to be published in SCJ at obits@stanlyjournal.com IN MEMORY

James Roseboro

George

John B. Kluttz

Wayne E rd

June 23, 1967 ~ January 10, 2023

April 4, 1944 – Jan. 11, 2026

James Arthur Roseboro, 55, of Albemarle, passed away Tuesday, January 10, 2023 at Anson Health and Rehab.

Mr. Roseboro was born on June 23, 1967 to the late Robert and Delena Shipp Roseboro. He graduated from South Stanly High School and was employed by Triangle Brick. He enjoyed watching football and basketball, especially the Carolina TarHeels and Miami.

Jason Kelley Nickerson

March 23, 1935 - January 9, 2023

George Wayne E rd, 81, of Norwood, passed away peacefully on Sunday, January 11, 2026, at Atrium Health Stanly.

A graveside service will be held at 2:00 p.m. on Sunday, January 18, 2026, at Aquadale Baptist Church Cemetery. There will be no formal visitation.

In addition to his parents he is preceded in death by his brothers and sisters: Barbara Lee Roseboro, Dorothy Brown, Verna Roseboro, Henrietta Ingram, and Harold Roseboro.

Born on April 4, 1944, in Stanly County, George was the son of the late Lester E rd and Stella Poplin E rd. He was preceded in death by his beloved wife, Vicky Poplin E rd, who passed away in 2018.

He is survived by his sisters: Helen (James) Roseboro Edwards of Albemarle, Mary Roseboro of Washington DC, and Marion Morrison of Albemarle; brothers: Thomas D. Roseboro of Charlotte, Robert Roseboro (Patricia) of Norwood, and Van Horne; a special friend of over 40 years, Michelle McLendon of the home; special nieces: Nybrea Montague, Knya Little, and Laquanza Crump; special nephews: Robert Jr., Desmond Roseboro, and Marcus Lilly; and God daughter, Daphne Johnson; and special friends, Vetrella Johnson and Ben McLendon.

Doris Jones Coleman

May 7, 1960 – Jan. 11, 2026

John grew up in the Millingport community where he drove a school bus and worked at the local gas station during his High School years. He graduated from Millingport High in 1954 and entered into service with the US Airforce immediately afterward. Upon return from the service, he and his high school sweetheart Julie were married in 1956. He graduated from Nashville Auto Diesel College later in 1959 and began his career as a diesel mechanic at Mitchell Distributing Company, moving his growing family to Charlotte where they lived until their retirement.

George is lovingly survived by his son, Troy E rd (Tanya) of Norwood; his grandson, Garrett E rd (Kimberly); greatgranddaughters, Kinsley and Kaydence E rd; great stepgrandsons, Micah and Zachary Sherrill; and his sister, Norma Watson.

George enjoyed woodworking, tending to his garden, and spending time outdoors shing and hunting. He was a faithful member of Memorial Baptist Church and took pride in the simple joys of home, family, and hard work.

October 11, 1944 - January 10, 2023

Jason Kelley Nickerson, 65, of Monroe, passed away on January 11, 2026, at the McWhorter Hospice House in Monroe. The family will receive friends on Saturday, January 17, 2026, from 10:00 a.m. until 12:00 noon at Stanly Funeral and Cremation Care of Locust.

When John purchased his rst Model A Ford at the age of 17, he said that he took the car to the community mechanic when he had a small problem.The mechanic told him that if he was going to keep the car, he needed to learn to work on it. This is when John’s passion for Model A Fords began and how he spent his happiest days with his best friends from around the globe for the rest of his life!

In lieu of owers, memorial contributions may be made to the Aquadale Volunteer Fire Department (11578 NC 138 Hwy Norwood, NC 28128) Stanly Funeral and Cremation Care of Albemarle is serving the E rd family.

Darrick Baldwin

January 7, 1973 ~ January 8, 2023

At age 50, after years as a Detroit Diesel Mechanic he and Julie decided to take the plunge and open a full Model A Restoration Shop. They thrived at their shop in Cornelius, NC until their retirement in 1998 when they moved back to Cabarrus County. John once again set up shop in his back yard garage where he attracted a loyal group of friends who visited almost daily. While on the farm in Gold Hill, John also began a lifelong love with Alis Chalmers tractors after he restored his Dad’s tractor and began amassing his collection of tractors as well.

John restored many cars of his own and had the crowning achievement of winning the most prestigious award from MARC, The Henry for a restoration that garnered top points. He was also presented with the Ken Brady Service Awardthe highest award given to members at the national level.

Born May 7, 1960, in Bu alo, New York, Jason was the son of the late James Nickerson and Jane Frink Nickerson. He was a retired computer engineer with Atrium Health, where he dedicated many years of service. Jason will be remembered as a wonderful husband, and devoted father and grandfather with a great sense of humor. He was also very proud of his children Sarah and Derek. He had a deep love for rock and roll music and was especially fond of bands such as Jethro Tull, The Rolling Stones, and AC/DC. He also enjoyed life’s simple pleasures, particularly pizza, chicken wings, and doughnuts. When playing with his grandchildren, Jason would often tease them by telling them he was going to “look at them with his crazy eye,” playfully making his eyes look funny—something they absolutely loved and will always remember. Above all, he cherished the time he spent with his grandchildren, who brought him immense joy. He is survived by his wife, Laurie Nickerson; his children, Sarah Deperi (John) of Lexington, South Carolina, and Derek Nickerson (Elizabeth Ashley) of Woodru , South Carolina; his four grandchildren, Sophia Deperi, Isabella Deperi, Jaxson Nickerson, and Hudson Nickerson; and his sister, Janis Federowicz.

Doris Elaine Jones Coleman, 78, went home into God’s presence on January 10 after a sudden illness and a valiant week-long ght in ICU. Doris was born on October 11, 1944, in the mountains of Marion, NC while her father was away ghting in the US Navy during World War II. Raymond Jones was so proud to return after the war and meet his little girl! Doris grew up in Durham, NC and graduated from Durham High School. She furthered her studies at Watts Hospital School of Nursing in Durham and graduated as a Registered Nurse in 1966.

Doris married Rev. Dr. Ted Coleman in 1966 and had two daughters Amy and Laura. Doris raised Amy and Laura in North Augusta, SC. Doris was an incredible neonatal intensive care nurse for most of her career, and this was her passion. The Augusta Chronicle did a feature on her in 1985. She was a clinical nurse manager in Augusta, Georgia at University Hospital NICU and worked there for 20 years. During this time, Doris mentored young nurses and assisted in saving the lives of so many babies. She also worked for Pediatrician Dr. William A. Wilkes in Augusta for several years prior to her NICU career. Doris retired from the mother/baby area at Atrium Stanly in 2007 after over 40 years of nursing.

In addition to his parents, Jason was preceded in death by his brothers, Joel Nickerson and Je Nickerson. Memorials may be made to Hospice of Union County, 700 W. Roosevelt Blvd., Monroe, NC 28110.

This is what John’s Model A Community had to say upon learning of his death: He was an active member of Wesley Chapel Methodist Church where he loved serving as greeter on Sunday mornings. He also belonged to the United Methodist Men.

CHARLES EDWARD STOKER JR.

NOV. 29, 1946 – JAN. 11, 2026

Darrick Vashon Baldwin, age 50, entered eternal rest, Sunday, January 8, 2023, Albemarle, North Carolina. Born January 7, 1973, in Stanly County, North Carolina, Darrick was the son of Eddie James Baldwin Sr. and the late Phyllis Blue Baldwin. Darrick enjoyed life, always kept things lively and enjoyed making others smile. His presence is no longer in our midst, but his memory will forever live in our hearts.

Doris was a gentle and sweet spirit and loved her Lord. She never met a stranger, and she always left you feeling uplifted after talking with her. She would often claim that she had “adopted” friends into her immediate family, and honestly, she never made a distinction between the two. Positivity radiated from her like sunlight. She was sel ess, funny, smart, and sentimental. During her lifetime she was an active member of First Baptist Church of Durham, First Baptist Church of Augusta, Most Holy Trinity Catholic Church in Augusta, and Palestine United Methodist Church in Albemarle. She especially loved helping at church with older adults, youth, and children.

She was especially talented at sewing from a young age and made gifts for friends, Christmas ornaments, Halloween Costumes, doll clothes, pageant dresses, prom dresses, coats, tote bags, scarves, out ts for Amy and Laura, and Christening gowns for each of her grandchildren.

Charles Edward Stoker Jr., 79, of Albemarle, passed away peacefully on Sunday, January 11, 2026, at Bethany Woods.

He was educated in the Stanly County public schools and attended Albemarle Senior High School, Albemarle.

A funeral service will be held at noon at North Albemarle Baptist Church on Friday, January 16, 2026, with Pastor Jonathan Blaylock o ciating. Burial will follow at Fairview Memorial Park. The family will receive friends at the church on Friday from 11-11:45 a.m., prior to the service.

He was a great conversationalist and loved meeting people. Darrick never met a stranger and always showed love and compassion for his fellowman. He also loved his dog, Rocky.

Born on November 29, 1946, in Stanly County, North Carolina, Charles was the son of the late Charles Edward Stoker Sr., and Nellie Upchurch Stoker. He was a faithful member of North Albemarle Baptist Church and spent his working years employed with Albemarle Spinning Mill, American E rd Mill, and E.J. Snyder.

Those who knew Charles remember him as an honest and happy man, always pleasant and always willing to help others. He truly loved people. It was nearly impossible for him to go anywhere, especially Walmart, without stopping to greet at least a dozen familiar faces. Charles enjoyed being on the go and loved taking trips, particularly to Morrow Mountain and Badin Lake.

For the past two and a half years, Charles was a resident of the Taylor House, where he formed many meaningful friendships and cherished the people who cared for him. With a smile, he often told others that he had been born there-back when the building served as Yadkin Hospital. Music brought him great joy, and he especially loved singing Elvis songs.

Charles is survived by six siblings: Helen Rebecca Mintzer of Stanley, NC; Jane Valentine (Cli ) of Rockledge, FL; Christine Bullock of Albemarle; Michael Stoker (Sheila) of Albemarle; Robert Stoker (Susan) of Albemarle; and Je Stoker (Susan) of Melbourne, FL. He is also survived by many nieces, nephews, great-nieces, and great-nephews who will cherish his memory.

In addition to his parents, he was preceded in death by his special friend, Kay Lowder.

He is survived by his father, Eddie J. Baldwin Sr.; sisters: Crystal (Eric) Jackson, LaFondra (Stoney) Medley, and Morgan Baldwin; brothers: Eddie Baldwin Jr., Anton Baldwin, and Lamont Baldwin; a host of other relatives and friends. A limb has fallen from our family tree. We will not grieve Darrick’s death; we will celebrate his life. We give thanksgiving for the many shared memories.

John is survived by his wife Julie Ussery Kluttz, for 66 years of the home. He is also survived by a son John David Kluttz (Kim) of Oakboro, NC; two daughters, Sally Simerson of Denver, CO and Betsy Tusa (John) of Lafayette, CO; three grandchildren, Bonnie Kluttz Sammons (Ben) of Rich eld, NC John Alexander McKinnon (Sarah) of Asheville, NC and Seth William McKinnon (Amanda) of Germany; ve great-grandchildren, Charlotte, Meredith, Grant, Victoria and Ronan. John is also preceded in death by his parents, J.S. Kluttz and Mary Wyatt Clayton Kluttz; a large and loving group of brothers and sisters, Jack Methias Kluttz, Annie Lou Kluttz Honeycutt, Jake Nelson Kluttz, Julius Kluttz, Mary Patricia Phillips and a grandson, Kevin Fowler Kluttz.

Doris was preceded in death by her father Arthur Raymond Jones, her mother Mary Ellen Cameron Jones, and her sister Maryanne Jones Brantley. Survivors include her two precious daughters: Amy Cameron Coleman (partner Dr. Edward Neal Chernault) of Albemarle, NC, and Laura Lindahl Coleman Oliverio (husband David) of Cincinnati, Ohio; seven grandchildren: Cameron David Oliverio, Stephanie Jae Dejak, Luca Beatty Oliverio, Coleman John Dejak, Carson Joseph Oliverio, Ryan Nicholas Dejak, and Jadon Richard Oliverio; and numerous in-laws, nieces, nephews, cousins, and loved ones.

Michael Reagan, son of President Ronald Reagan, dead at 80

The Associated Press

LOS ANGELES — Michael Reagan, the eldest son of President Ronald Reagan and a conservative commentator, has died. He was 80.

The Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation and Institute announced his death in a post on the social platform X on Tuesday, calling him “a steadfast guardian of his father’s legacy.”

BUDGET from page A1

emergency response services from three stations across the city. Fire Station One is located on the east side at 1610 E. Main St., Fire Station Two serves the west side at 607 Concord Road and Fire Station Three is located on the north side at 209 N.E. Connector.

As part of its capital improvements, Kendall said the department invested nearly $180,000 to replace the roof at Fire Sta-

“Michael Reagan lived a life shaped by conviction, purpose, and an abiding devotion to President Reagan’s ideals,” the foundation said. His cause of death was not immediately announced.

“Michael was called home to be with the Lord on Sunday, January 4th, surrounded by his entire family,” his wife, Colleen Reagan, and two children, Cameron Reagan and Ashley Reagan Dunster, wrote in a statement. “Our hearts are deeply broken as we grieve the loss of a man who meant so much to all who knew and loved him.”

Reagan was a contributor to the conservative Newsmax television network and was known for his talk radio program, “The Michael Reagan Show.”

Born to Irene Flaugher in 1945, Reagan was adopted just hours after his birth by Ronald Reagan and his then-wife, actor Jane Wyman.

The young Reagan followed in his parents’ footsteps.

After attending Arizona State University and Los Angeles Valley College, Reagan took up acting, playing in television shows including “Falcon Crest,” and he spent nearly two decades as a conservative radio talk show host, speaking of politics and culture.

In two autobiographical books titled “On the Outside

tion One and made repairs to Fire Station Two to ensure crews have reliable facilities.

The department has also purchased a new records management system for $20,000, which tracks incidents, inspections and personnel and is designed to help improve response e ciency. In addition, the AFD has dedicated $35,000 to training initiatives, ranging from basic re ghting instruction to life-saving rescue techniques.

“Most importantly, we’ve

invested in our people, with $5.5 million in salaries and bene ts, because they’re the heart of our mission,” Kendall said. “Every tax dollar spent supports the city’s strategic plan goal of safety and security. Thank you for trusting us to protect what matters most.”

The AFD is sta ed by 42 full-time and two part-time employees. Kendall oversees the department’s daily operations, manages its multimillion-dollar budget and plans for

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

Looking in” and “Twice Adopted,” he told of, at times, a di cult childhood, which included coming to terms with his adoption and his journey of faith.

Reagan penned several others, including “Lessons My Father Taught Me” published in 2016, where he detailed lessons learned growing up the son of Ronald Reagan.

Throughout his life, Reagan raised money and worked for charities, using powerboat racing as a means of fundraising for the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation, Cystic Fibrosis Foundation and Statue of Liberty Restoration Fund. Reagan sat on the advisory board for Mixed Roots Foundation, which focuses on the foster care and adoption in the U.S. and globally.

Reagan served as chair of the John Douglas French Alzheimer’s Foundation board for three years, working on the same disease his father succumbed to in 2004.

As president and chair of the Reagan Legacy Foundation, he championed the legacy of his father. The conservative former president was known for trying to scale back government and devoting his presidency to winning the Cold War.

CIA turncoat Aldrich

Ames,

who sold US secrets to Soviets, dies in prison at 84

WASHINGTON, D.C. — CIA turncoat Aldrich Ames, who betrayed Western intelligence assets to the Soviet Union and Russia in one of the most damaging intelligence breaches in U.S. history, has died in a Maryland prison. He was 84. A spokesperson for the Bureau of Prisons con rmed Ames died Monday. Ames, a 31-year CIA veteran, admitted being paid $2.5 million by Moscow for U.S. secrets from 1985 until his arrest in 1994. His disclosures included the identities of 10 Russian o cials and one Eastern European who were spying for the United States or Great Britain, along with spy satellite operations, eavesdropping and general spy procedures. His betrayals are blamed for the executions of Western agents working behind the Iron Curtain and were a major setback to the CIA during the Cold War. He pleaded guilty without a trial to espionage and tax evasion and was sentenced to life in prison without parole. Prosecutors said he deprived the United States of valuable intelligence material for years. He professed “profound shame and guilt” for “this betrayal of trust, done for the basest motives,” money to pay debts. But he downplayed the damage he caused, telling the court he did not believe he had “noticeably damaged” the United States or “noticeably aided” Moscow.

“These spy wars are a sideshow which have had no real impact on our signi cant security interests over the years,” he told the court, questioning

Former CIA agent Aldrich Ames leaves federal court April 28, 1994, in Alexandria, Virginia.

the value that leaders of any country derived from vast networks of human spies around the globe.

In a jailhouse interview with The Washington Post the day before he was sentenced, Ames said he was motivated to spy by “ nancial troubles, immediate and continuing.” Ames was working in the Soviet/Eastern European division at the CIA’s headquarters in Langley, Virginia, when he rst approached the KGB, according to an FBI history of the case. He continued passing secrets to the Soviets while stationed in Rome for the CIA and after returning to Washington. Meanwhile, the U.S. intelligence community was frantically trying to gure out why so many agents were getting discovered by Moscow. Ames’s spying coincided with that of FBI agent Robert Hanssen, who was caught in 2001 and charged with taking $1.4 million in cash and diamonds to sell secrets to Moscow. He died in prison in 2023. Ames’s wife, Rosario, pleaded guilty to lesser espionage charges of assisting his spying and was sentenced to 63 months in prison.

Stanly Early College High School student wins

The annual contest is sponsored by the local DAR chapter

By Melinda Burris Stanly News Journal

ALBEMARLE — The Yadkin River Patriots Chapter of the National Society Daughters of the American Revolution recognized six high school seniors as DAR Good Citizens at a meeting held in late November at Stanly Commons in the Gene McIntyre Room.

Colt Russell Greer of Gray Stone Day School, Jonathan Lacoy of South Stanly High School, Rachel Lothakoun of Stanly Early College High School, Majestic Moultrie of Albemarle High School, Madison Rae Parker of Stanly STEM Early College High School and Peyton Drew Parker of West Stanly High School were each nominated by their respective schools as DAR Good Citizens. Only one student from each school can be selected to participate in the annual competition, and that pupil must be a senior. DAR recognition program contestants are required to produce two letters of recommendation attesting to their tness of character and detailing how they have demonstrated the qualities of a good citizen in four areas: dependability, service, leadership and patriotism.

Good Citizen Recognition Prize

Lothakoun was awarded as the winner of the local DAR chapter’s DAR Good Citizens for 2025. She received a $100 prize in recognition of her good character, academic achievements, extracurricular activities and essay entry, “Our American Heritage and Our Responsibility for Preserving It.”

All students were required to write a composition on this topic, chosen in recognition of the United States’ upcoming 250th birthday on July 4. The other contestants received $25 each.

Pat Bramlett, chairman of the DAR Good Citizen committee, and Jacqueline Sanders, re-

Eighteen entities were designated for laundering money from oil sales

By Fatima Hussein

The Associated Press

WASHINGTON, D.C. — The U.S. is imposing a new round of sanctions against Iranian ocials accused of repressing nationwide protests that challenge Iran’s theocratic government.

Included in Thursday’s sanctions is the secretary of the Supreme Council for National Security, whom the Treasury Department accuses of being one of the rst o cials to call for violence against Iranian protesters.

The Treasury Department’s O ce of Foreign Assets Control also designated 18 people and companies that the U.S. says

have participated in laundering money from sales of Iranian oil to foreign markets as part of a shadow banking network of sanctioned Iranian nancial institutions Bank Melli and Shahr Bank.

Shadow banking refers tonancial activities and institutions that act like banks but operate outside the regulations of the traditional banking system.

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said that the U.S. “stands rmly behind the Iranian people in their call for freedom and justice” and that Treasury “will use every tool to target those behind the regime’s tyrannical oppression of human rights.”

The demonstrations in Iran began Dec. 28 over the collapse of the Iranian rial currency, as the country’s economy has been squeezed by international sanc-

gent of the Yadkin River Patriots Chapter, presented each DAR Good Citizen with a personalized certi cate, a DAR Good Citizen pin and a chart explaining the pin’s signi cance.

Lothakoun recalled being ap -

proached by her school guidance counselor and being told she had received the nomination.

“I was very surprised because she said that all of my teachers voted on a speci c award,” Lothakoun said. “So I was very grateful.”

Next, she had to get two letters of recommendation, which she received from her principal, Kelly E rd Simmon, and Amber Flamer, her English teacher.

Lothakoun composed her competition essay during a strictly timed two-hour session proctored by her guidance counselor. In accordance with the program rules, all students

Report with Bret Baier” on Wednesday, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas

had to write essays of no more than 550 words, using only a dictionary for reference. No student had prior knowledge of the topic before beginning the timed writing block.

She credits her English teachers with preparing her for the challenge and helping her feel at ease.

“The way I went about writing my essay was keeping the thought that everything will be OK, and I just kept an eye on the time limit,” Lothakoun said.

“The Yadkin River Patriots chapter of DAR is very proud of all of these students,” said Bramlett.

Araghchi said the protests began peacefully “and the government engaged with the protesters and with their leaders.” But after the 10th day of demonstrations, Araghchi said, “terrorist elements led from outside” the country appeared and made the protests turn violent.

In February, President Donald Trump reimposed a “maximum pressure” campaign on Iran in an e ort to block its development of nuclear weapons. The campaign included U.S.-led strikes on three critical Iranian enrichment facilities.

The prospect of U.S. retaliation for the deaths of protesters looms over Iran, though Trump, a Republican, has signaled a possible de-escalation, saying the killing appeared to be ending.

Among other things, the sanctions deny the people and rms access to any property or nancial assets held in the U.S. and prevent U.S. companies and citizens from doing business with them. However, they are largely symbolic since many of them do not hold funds with U.S. institutions.

Ailing astronaut returns to Earth early in NASA’s rst medical evacuation

The four spacefarers came home a month early

By Marcia Dunn

The Associated Press

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. —

An ailing astronaut returned to Earth with three others on Thursday, ending their space station mission more than a month early in NASA’s rst medical evacuation.

SpaceX guided the capsule to a middle-of-the-night splashdown in the Paci c near San Diego, less than 11 hours after the astronauts exited the International Space Station. Their rst stop was a hospital for an overnight stay.

“Obviously, we took this action (early return) because it was a serious medical condition,” NASA’s new administrator Jared Isaacman said following splashdown.

“The astronaut in question is ne right now, in good spirits and going through the proper medical checks.”

It was an unexpected nish to a mission that began in August and left the orbiting lab with only one American and two Russians on board. NASA and SpaceX said they would try to move up the launch of a fresh crew of four; lifto is currently targeted for mid-February.

NASA’s Zena Cardman and Mike Fincke were joined on the return by Japan’s Kimiya Yui and Russia’s Oleg Platonov. Ofcials have refused to identify the astronaut who developed the health problem last week or explain what happened, citing medical privacy.

While the astronaut was stable in orbit, NASA wanted them

back on Earth as soon as possible to receive proper care and diagnostic testing. The entry and splashdown required no special changes or accommodations, o cials said, and the recovery ship had its usual allotment of medical experts on board. The astronauts emerged from the capsule, one by one, within an hour of splashdown. They were helped onto reclining cots and then whisked away for standard medical checks, waving to the cameras. Isaacman monitored the action from Mission

Control in Houston, along with the crew’s families.

NASA decided a few days ago to take the entire crew straight to a San Diego-area hospital following splashdown and even practiced helicopter runs there from the recovery ship. The astronaut in question will receive in-depth medical checks before ying with the rest of the crew back to Houston on Friday, assuming everyone is well enough. Platonov’s return to Moscow was unclear.

NASA stressed repeatedly

over the past week that this was not an emergency. The astronaut fell sick or was injured on Jan. 7, prompting NASA to call o the next day’s spacewalk by Cardman and Fincke, and ultimately resulting in the early return. It was the rst time NASA cut short a space ight for medical reasons. The Russians had done so decades ago.

Spacewalk preparations did not lead to the medical situation, Isaacman noted, but for anything else, “it would be very premature to draw any conclu-

“The astronaut in question is ne right now, in good spirits and going through the proper medical checks.”

Jared Isaacman, NASA administrator

sions or close any doors at this point.” It’s unknown whether the same thing could have happened on Earth, he added.

The space station has gotten by with three astronauts before, sometimes even with just two. NASA said it will be unable to perform a spacewalk, even for an emergency, until the arrival of the next crew, which has two Americans, one French and one Russian astronaut.

Isaacman said it’s too soon to know whether the launch of station reinforcements will take priority over the agency’s rst moonshot with astronauts in more than a half-century. The moon rocket moves to the pad this weekend at Florida’s Kennedy Space Center, with a fueling test to be conducted by early next month. Until all that is completed, a launch date cannot be con rmed; the earliest the moon yaround could take o is Feb. 6.

For now, NASA is working in parallel on both missions, with limited overlap of personnel, according to Isaacman.

“If it comes down to a point in time to where we have to deconict between two human spaceight missions, that is a very good problem to have at NASA,” he told reporters.

Federal judges allow California to use new US House map ahead of 2026 election

A number of states will have new maps for 2026

By Trân Nguyen The Associated Press

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — California can use a new voter-approved U.S. House map that is designed to boost Democrats in the 2026 midterms, a federal three-judge panel ruled Wednesday.

In a 2-1 ruling, a three-judge panel in Los Angeles denied requests from state Republicans and the U.S. Justice Department to block the map from being used in future elections. The complaint accused California of violating the Constitution by using race as a factor to favor Hispanic voters when drawing the new district lines.

The map, aimed at giving Democrats a shot at ipping as many as ve House seats next year, was decisively approved by voters through Proposition 50 in November. The effort was pushed by Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom, who is eying a 2028 presidential run, to counter a similar e ort in Texas backed by President Donald Trump to help Republicans win ve House seats. Republicans currently hold nine of California’s 52 congressional seats.

The ruling is a victory for Democrats in the state -by-state mid-decade redistricting battle that could help determine

According to statistics from the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction (NCDPI), 42% of educator preparation program (EPP) enrollment during the 2023-24 school year came through residency licensure, up from just 5% in 2018-19.

Community colleges within the North Carolina Community College System rst began o ering educator preparation programs in fall 2023; SCC was among the original seven institutions approved at that time.

Today, 20 community colleges statewide o er EPPs, all of which meet state requirements for teacher preparation through NCDPI approval. Most community colleges o ering EPPs have experienced steady enrollment, and SCC’s program is no exception.

The program has posted a 115% growth rate since fall 2023.

“Number wise, we just jumped from three to 26, but that growth rate makes us one of the fastest growing programs at Stanly Community College,” Drake said. “We also have speci c scholarships that are available to students, and that includes scholarships that

which party wins control of the U.S. House in 2026. Following the tit-for-tat showdown between the nation’s two most populous states, several Republican-led states including Missouri, North Carolina and Ohio have adopted new district lines that could provide a partisan advantage. Republican-run Utah was ordered by a judge to adopt a map that creates a Democratic-leaning district. The Justice Department has only sued California.

“Republicans’ weak attempt to silence voters failed,” Newsom said in a statement.

Republicans vowed to appeal the decision to the U.S. Supreme Court.

“The well reasoned dissenting opinion better re ects our interpretation of the law and the facts, which we will reassert to the Supreme Court,” Corrin Rankin, chairwoman of the California Republican Party, said in a statement. California Democrats said that the new map was legal because it was drawn for partisan advantage. The U.S. Supreme Court ruled in 2019 that partisan gerrymandering is a political question and not one for the federal courts to decide. The California panel of judges a rmed the state’s characterization, saying there was not strong evidence to support the maps were drawn based on race.

“After reviewing the ev-

idence, we conclude that it was exactly as one would think: it was partisan,” the judges wrote.

In dissent, U.S. District Judge Kenneth Lee, appointed by Trump, said that at least one district was drawn using race as a factor “to curry favor with Latino groups and voters.”

The ruling also comes after the Supreme Court ruled in December to allow Texas to use its new map for the 2026 election because it was drawn with partisan goals. Conservative Justice Samuel Alito wrote in a concurring opinion that the California map was also approved for political advantage, signaling it may also stand.

New U.S. House maps are drawn across the country after the census every 10 years. Some states like California rely on an independent commission to draw maps while others like Texas let politicians draw them. The e ort to create new maps in the middle of the decade is highly unusual.

House Democrats need to gain just a handful of seats next year to take control of the chamber, which could thwart Trump’s agenda for the remainder of his term and open the way for congressional investigations into his administration. Republicans hold a narrow margin of control in the House with 218 seats to Democrats’ 213.

STANLY COUNTY SCHOOLS

COURTESY

are from local organizations.”

Residency licensure candidates must complete all program requirements within three years, including 18 credit hours of coursework, two in-person observations per semester, passing scores on required licensure exams and edTPA assessments.

“We also support the strategic goal plans of Stanly County Schools,” Drake said. “One of those goals is to recruit and retain highly quali ed sta . Our program provides a local, lowcost e ective solution to teacher recruitment and retention.”

Program bene ts include an average cost of about $300 per course, with total curriculum

Sue Drake, program head of Stanly Community College’s Elementary Education Residency Licensure certi cate program, spoke at the Jan. 6 Stanly school board meeting.

costs of $2,000 or less, signicantly lower than UNC System averages. Additional bene ts include one-on-one mentoring, personalized licensure support, fully online coursework and scholarship opportunities.

“It’s such a vital program, and I hope it just continues to grow,” board Chair Glenda Gibson said. “Hopefully, through all of this, we are retaining teachers and helping teachers with their licensure.”

The Stanly County Board of Education’s next regular meeting is scheduled for Feb. 3 at 6:15 p.m. in the Gene McIntyre Meeting Room at Stanly County Commons.

STANLY SPORTS

North Stanly boys win fth straight game

The Comets only have one loss this season

By Jesse Deal Stanly News Journal

NEW LONDON — The North Stanly boys’ basketball team continued its strong 202526 campaign with a 71-57 home victory over West Stanly on Wednesday night, improving to 15-1 overall.

Nearly two months into the season, the Comets (15-1, 3-0 Yadkin Valley Conference) have su ered just one setback, a 5236 home loss to Lexington Senior on Dec. 30. Outside of that result, North Stanly has been perfect and remains unbeaten in league play. Wednesday’s 14-point, nonconference victory marked the Comets’ fth straight win as they defeated the Colts (6-9, 1-4 Rocky River Conference) while continuing to build momentum heading into the heart of its YVC schedule.

North Stanly is currently on pace to match or exceed last season’s 22-7 overall record and 8-3 conference mark, which stood as the program’s best nish in seven years. A Yadkin Valley Conference championship this season would be the Comets’ rst since the 2020-21 campaign.

The Comets returned to league play Friday with a home matchup against North Rowan, the only other YVC team still unbeaten at 3-0 in conference action. North Stanly will then step out of conference Tuesday with a road game at Anson be -

fore returning to Stanly County for a road contest at Albemarle on Friday.

West Stanly will look to snap a four-game losing streak Tuesday with a road game at Mount Pleasant before hosting South Stanly on Thursday.

North Stanly 65, South Stanly 39

Just one day before the Comets generated a double-digit win over the Colts, they did the same with the South Stanly Rowdy Rebel Bulls (4-10, 0-2 YVC) on the road in Norwood.

The Bulls were still looking

5

Years since North Stanly’s last conference title

for their rst conference win of the year as they traveled to Union Academy on Friday; they also hosted South Davidson in a nonconference matchup a day earlier than that. South Stanly will play at West Stanly this coming Thursday before hosting Gray Stone on Friday.

North Rowan 77, Albemarle 51

Following back-to-back wins in early January for their rst consecutive victories of the season, the Albemarle Bulldogs (4 -10, 1-1 YVC) lost by 26 points on the road at North Rowan (7-7, 5-0 YVC) on Tuesday. It was the most points allowed by Albemarle in a game since Dec. 5.

The Bulldogs were set to host Gray Stone on Friday before heading to Christ the King on Wednesday, followed by a home game with North Stanly this coming Friday.

North Stanly’s Maddox Lowder puts up a free throw during the Comets’ road win at South Stanly on Tuesday.

Union Academy 63, Gray Stone 38

The Gray Stone Knights (114, 0-2 YVC) lost in Misenheimer to the Union Academy Cardinals (6-11, 0-2 YVC) on Tuesday, setting up a road contest at Albemarle this past Friday. This coming Tuesday, the Knights will hit the road to Charlotte to play TMASACCC; they are scheduled for road games at Sun Valley on Thursday and South Stanly on Friday. The latter will serve as Gray Stone’s chance to steal a win from a four-win team.

Pfei er women continue success in conference play

The Falcons have won seven of their eight USA South matchups

By Jesse Deal Stanly News Journal

MISENHEIMER — Aiming for its rst winning season since the 2017-18 campaign, the Pfei er women’s basketball team is continuing to chase its goals as USA South Athletic Conference play intensi es.

The Falcons remained rmly in the conference title hunt Wednesday night with a 76-59 home victory over Greensboro

Pride (4-9, 1-5 USA South) in Merner Gym. Pfei er improved to 9-5 overall and 7-1 in league play, putting the program on pace to surpass last season’s 11-13 nish and fth-place 8-8 conference mark. The win also kept Pfei er tied for second place in the USA South standings alongside Brevard (12-3, 7-1 USA South), both trailing rst-place Southern Virginia (10-4, 8-0 USA South). A conference championship would mark the Falcons’ rst since 2007.

Wednesday’s result was the second double-digit victory over Greensboro in less than two months; Pfei er previ-

ously opened its 2025-26 conference slate with an 87-77 road win over the Pride on Nov. 22, a result that sparked a four-game league winning streak and helped establish early momentum. In the rematch, Pfei er controlled the game from start to nish, outscoring Greensboro in all four quarters while spreading the o ense across the lineup. The Falcons featured three players in double gures and saw 11 di erent players score. Graduate forward Nyree Bell led Pfei er with 16 points and four rebounds. Junior guard Miya Horton followed with 13

points, ve rebounds and four assists, while junior guard Lola Cabaniss-Ali contributed six points and a team-high eight rebounds. Sophomore forward Mya Edwards provided a spark o the bench, nishing with 10 points and seven rebounds.

Greensboro was paced by Tatum Bradford’s 18 points, but Pfei er’s defense limited the Pride’s overall e ciency as conference scoring standout Kensly Stewart was held below her season average. Defense has become Pfei er’s calling card as the season has progressed.

The Falcons rank second among the USA South’s 10

teams in scoring defense, allowing just 58.1 points per game. O ensively, Pfei er averages 66.9 points per contest, ranking sixth in the league, with a balanced attack led by Ava Hairston at 14.2 points per game, Horton at 12.4 and Lettie Michael at 11.

On the boards, CabanissAli, Bell and Horton each average more than ve rebounds per game.

Pfei er will now travel to Buena Vista, Virginia, on Saturday afternoon for a key matchup against rst-place Southern Virginia before returning home to host Brevard on Tuesday night in Misenheimer.

Pfei er’s Mya Edwards had 10 points and seven rebounds o the bench in the Falcons’ home win over Greensboro on Wednesday.

‘Team Avalanche’ unites cross-country skiing Olympic hopefuls from small countries

Without established national programs in their home countries, athletes rely on each other for support

By Ken Maguire

The Associated Press

INDIAN SKIER Bhavani

Thekkada’s lower leg was a mess at a race weekend in Finland — think blisters and blood. She turned to “Team Avalanche” on WhatsApp in search of ointments.

“I couldn’t nd anything in the shop, so I just put a message in the group, and there was this guy who said, ‘Hey I’m in Ruka, I have antibiotic ointment with me,’” Thekkada explained. “Then he comes and gives me the medicine. That’s really nice.”

The WhatsApp group with the catchy name is comprised of cross-country skiers who spent the past year or so trying to qualify for the Milan Cortina Winter Olympics. They’re from nontraditional winter sports countries and mostly operate independently, so having a community to lean on can be helpful.

Trinidad and Tobago’s Nick Lau started it as a forum “for random tips and advice” for all the “small nation” athletes he kept meeting at ski races.

“For this sport, some of us, we had absolutely no upbringing in the culture, like a Norwegian would,” Lau said. “Some people have no idea what FIS (the governing body) is, and how does it relate to my being able to ski or not. What is a FIS license? Do I need a license to go to a race?”

It’s evolved into a place where athletes coordinate travel and training plans and join forces to defray costs, like for a waxing technician. There are more than 60 members and more than 40 countries are represented.

They might ask about crashing in a spare bedroom, as Thekkada did for a recent trip to Norway.

“I’m a self-funded athlete. Even ve days of free stay was a lot of money I saved,” she said. “For me it’s like a family, it’s like a team.”

They’re from places including Mexico, Peru, Saudi Arabia,

South Africa — some have quali ed for Milan Cortina, others not.

They’re a smart bunch — working in elds including medicine, architecture, media andnance — and some have enough nancial independence to help make it work. Some are dual nationals, and many are in their 30s.

Regina Martinez of Mexico is an emergency doctor at a Miami hospital. The 45-yearold Lau is a former FIFA executive. Dylan Longridge of Ireland is a geophysicist specializing in the eld of unexploded ordnance detection.

Mexico’s Allan Corona was doing triathlons before taking up skiing, moved to Norway during the COVID-19 pandemic — his wife is Norwegian and drives an ambulance.

What are NFL’s rules about timing, interviews for coaching searches?

Eight job openings have plenty of teams following the strict guidelines

By Josh Dubow

The Associated Press

AS THE 14 playo -bound teams set their sites on a Super Bowl title, the rest of the teams in the NFL are already on to the 2026 season.

With six teams already looking for new coaches, this month will require several top assistants on playo teams to balance in both worlds.

The New York Giants, Tennessee, Las Vegas, Atlanta, Cleveland, Miami, Baltimore and Arizona have already red their head coach, setting o searches for replacements that will include playo -bound assistants.

The NFL has strict rules on when — and how long — those coaches can talk to other teams while their seasons are still alive. Here’s a look at some of the protocols in place for the coaching searches.

When can the interviews begin?

Teams can start interviewing candidates not employed by another organization as

soon as they have an opening. But for coaches employed by other teams, the process is more formal.

Teams were able to start making interview requests for coaches under contract to another team beginning last Monday.

For teams that didn’t make the playo s, their coaches can be interviewed virtually three days after their nal game — last Tuesday for coaches on Tampa Bay, or Wednesday for any other nonplayo team.

The process is di erent for assistants on playo teams. For the two teams with a bye, those virtual interviews can be held this week with Seattle’s assistants available starting last Tuesday and Denver’s on Wednesday. Those interviews can be conducted through wildcard weekend and are limited to three hours in length.

For assistants coaching on wild-card weekend, they can have a virtual interview of up to three hours beginning Jan. 13, except for coaches on Houston and Pittsburgh, who must wait until Jan. 14 because they play Monday night. What comes next?

In-person interviews with as-

“I did not know really what cross-country skiing was previously to moving here,” Corona said. He took up Norway’s beloved sport as a change of pace, participated in a few races, and then got a call from Mexico’s ski federation telling him he’s eligible to compete at the 2023 world championships. Corona described the race as “humbling” but motivating: “I got hooked at that event.”

Corona will compete in the 10-kilometer interval start at the Olympics next month.

Athletes had to satisfy two criteria to reach the Olympics: unlock a quota spot for their country — either the world championship in early 2025 or at a recent series of World Cup races; and maintain a good average score in sanctioned races through

“For this sport, some of us, we had absolutely no upbringing in the culture.”

Nick Lau, Trinidad and Tobago skier

a complicated points system. Lau said he and others in the Avalanche group successfully lobbied to get the World Cup races added as qualifying events — after what he described as limited opportunities in the pandemic-hit previous cycle.

“We escalated this quite a lot,” Lau said.

Costs each season, Corona estimated, include $14,000 worth of skis and poles. Boots cost $1,100 and you need three pairs.

Coaching runs more than $100 per hour in Norway. Traveling to a race will cost $1,000 per weekend for ights and other expenses, he added. Lau, who grew up in Texas, advocates for easing some barriers to Olympic quali cation. Like Thekkada, Lau didn’t qualify for Milan Cortina.

“This is the irony. The IOC and the global sport community and even FIS, they are reaping the bene ts of years of development,” Lau said. “The fact that you have people from the Caribbean, from Africa, from Asia now excited about skiing — you could view that as a success of development activities. But what are we doing now with all that energy?

“I think that’s where we’re a bit stuck and policy now need to be reviewed and strategies need to be adjusted.”

sistants who are under contract with other teams can begin on Jan. 19, unless those teams are still alive for the conference title games. Those coaches must wait until Jan. 26, when either they were eliminated from the playo s or have a bye week before the Super Bowl. Coaches on the Super Bowl teams are allowed to be interviewed through Feb. 1 but are forbidden from talking to other teams after that until Feb. 9, the day after the Super Bowl.

Coaches on the Super Bowl teams are not allowed to interview in person with other teams during the bye week if they hadn’t done an initial virtual interview earlier in January.

No coach can either sign a contract or agree to sign a

Feb. 8

Date for this season’s Super

contract until their season is completed.

What’s the Rooney Rule?

Teams must abide by the Rooney Rule, which was rst implemented in 2003 to boost minority hiring. Before hiring a new head coach, teams are required to conduct in-person interviews with at least two diverse — minority or female — candidates who don’t currently work for the team.

The rules are the same for all coordinator positions and clubs must interview one diverse candidate for any quarterback coach job.

What about GMs?

The rules are a little di erent for interviewing candidates for general manager. Teams could start seeking permission on Monday to interview candidates from other organizations who weren’t the primary decision maker. Teams must conduct in-person interviews of at least two minority or women candidates from outside the organization to satisfy the Rooney Rule. A GM candidate from a team in the playo s can accept the job before their season is over if their current team provides written permission.

Baseball schedules for county schools are released

The rst regular season games will be played on Feb. 25

Stanly News Journal sta

HIGH SCHOOL baseball schedules for the 2026 season have been nalized and released for many teams around the state.

Here are the games on the Stanly County schools’ schedules that have been set:

NORTH STANLY

Feb. 25 at Mooresville

Feb. 27 at East Rowan

Mar. 3 vs. South Point

Mar. 4 at Carson

Mar. 10 at Oak Grove

Mar. 13 vs. West Rowan

Mar. 17 vs. Union Academy

Mar. 20 at Union Academy

Mar. 24 at Albemarle

Mar. 25 vs. Central Davidson

Mar. 27 vs. Albemarle

Mar. 31 vs. South Stanly

Apr. 2 at South Stanly

Apr. 6-9 South Atlantic Bank Invitational

Apr. 15 at Southeast Guilford

Apr. 16 vs. CSD

Apr. 17 vs. Gray Stone Day

Apr. 21 at North Rowan

Apr. 21 at Reagan

Apr. 24 vs. North Rowan

SOUTH STANLY

Feb. 25 vs. Cannon

Feb. 27 vs. West Stanly

Mar. 3 at Uwharrie Charter

Mar. 5 at Southwestern Randolph

Mar. 6 vs. Uwharrie Charter

Mar. 10 vs. East Davidson

Mar. 13 at Parkwood

Mar. 17 at Gray Stone Day

Mar. 18 vs. Charlotte Stampede

Mar. 20 vs. Gray Stone Day

Mar. 24 vs. North Rowan

Mar. 25 vs. Buford

Mar. 27 at North Rowan

Mar. 31 at North Stanly

Apr. 2 vs. North Stanly

Apr. 6 at West Brunswick

Apr. 14 vs. Albemarle

Apr. 15 vs. Mount Pleasant

Apr. 17 at Albemarle

Apr. 21 at Union Academy

Apr. 22 vs. Carson

Apr. 24 vs. Union Academy

WEST STANLY

Feb. 25 vs. Piedmont

Feb. 27 at South Stanly

Mar. 6 at Ballantyne Ridge

Mar. 10 vs. Carson

Mar. 12 at Hickory Ridge

Mar. 17 vs. Anson

Mar. 18 vs. East Rowan

Mar. 20 at Anson

Mar. 21 vs. West Rowan

Mar. 25 vs. Christ the King

Mar. 26 vs. Carmel Christian

Mar. 27 vs. Forest Hills

Mar. 31 at Parkwood

Apr. 2 vs. Parkwood

Apr. 6 at Randleman

Apr. 14 vs. CATA

Apr. 15 vs. Pinecrest

Apr. 17 at CATA

Apr. 21 vs. Mount Pleasant

Apr. 24 at Mount Pleasant

ALBEMARLE

Feb. 26 at Jackson Day

Feb. 27 vs. Bradford prep

Mar. 3 at South Davidson

Mar. 13 vs. Forest Hills

Mar. 17 at North Rowan

Mar. 20 vs. North Rowan

Mar. 24 vs. North Stanly

Mar. 25 vs. South Davidson

Mar. 27 at North Stanly

Mar. 31 vs. Union Academy

Apr. 2 at Union Academy

Apr. 9 at Forest Hills

Apr. 14 at South Stanly

Apr. 17 vs. South Stanly

Apr. 20 vs. North

Mecklenburg

Apr. 21 vs. Gray Stone Day

Apr. 24 at Gray Stone Day

GRAY STONE DAY

Feb. 25 at Forest Hills

Feb. 26 at South Davidson

Mar. 6 vs. South Davidson

Mar. 17 vs. South Stanly

Mar. 19 at CATA

Mar. 20 at South Stanly

Mar. 24 at Union Academy

Apr. 17 at North Stanly

Apr. 21 at Albemarle

Apr. 24 vs. Albemarle

Curry getting his No. 30 jersey retired by Charlotte in March

By Tim Reynolds The Associated Press

DELL CURRY had stopped wondering if the Charlotte Hornets were going to retire his number. He gured that if it was going to happen, it probably would have taken place years ago.

He was very happy to be wrong about that.

The Hornets announced Wednesday that Curry — the father of Stephen and Seth Curry — will get his No. 30 retired in a ceremony on March 19 when the team plays host to the Orlando Magic. He will be the second person whose jersey is retired by Charlotte, joining the late Bobby Phills.

“I never imagined it would happen,” Curry said. “It means so much to me. I do it because it’s what I love to do. The game gave me so much, the fans gave me so much and I want to stay involved just to give back what I can and make this organization what it should be and give the fans, the team and the broad-

Stephen Curry, right, laughs with his father, Dell Curry, prior to a game against the Charlotte Hornets

cast and the show that it’s fun, we’re having a great time and come celebrate, come support. ... Man, it would be an injustice

West Stanly, girls’ basketball

Madi Whitley is a junior on the West Stanly girls’ basketball team. She’s also an all-conference pitcher on the Colts’ softball team.

In a one-point loss to North Stanly last week, Whitley had 16 rebounds, including seven o ensive boards. For the season, Whitley leads West Stanly in rebounds and blocks.

A softball commit to Wingate, Whitley will pick up an honor in that spring sport next week, when the Greater Piedmont Hot Stove League names her pitcher of the year at their annual dinner.

The Hornets were his third team in as many seasons; he started in Utah, then was traded to Cleveland, then got taken by Charlotte in the expansion draft in 1988.

He went on to play for Milwaukee and Toronto, but Charlotte was home and still is home.

“Dell Curry has been a cornerstone of the Charlotte Hornets for more than 25 years — both on and o the court,” Hornets Co-Chairmen Rick Schnall and Gabe Plotkin said in a statement announcing the ceremony. “He exempli es what it means to be a Hornet through his professionalism, work ethic and commitment to excellence.

Dell’s impact on our organization, our fans and our community is undeniable, and he is truly deserving of this honor.”

Curry was the NBA’s Sixth Man of the Year Award winner in 1993-94 for Charlotte and averaged 11.7 points on 40% shooting from 3-point range for his career. The Virginia native is in his 17th season as a broadcaster for the team.

No. 30

Daniels, Nate Darling and, last season, Seth Curry, who wasn’t even asked what number he wanted when he joined the team.

Seth Curry is wearing No. 31 these days. No. 30 isn’t available on his current team; Stephen Curry has worn it for Golden State his entire career, and he and his brother are now Warriors teammates.

to try to put into words what this means.”

He played 16 seasons in the NBA, 10 of them in Charlotte.

The Hornets told Curry of the decision to retire his jersey ahead of time, in a bit of a faux interview to surprise him. It worked. No. 30 had been worn by a few other players in Charlotte over the years — Joe Wolf, Troy

“I still love the game. I love the fans. I love their interaction, not only in the arena, but when I go out to the community, I’m one of them. And they treat me as such, my whole family as such,” Dell Curry said. “They still look at my boys as Charlotte kids. They watched them grow up, play basketball at Davidson and Duke. My daughter played volleyball at Elon. My daughter just moved back to Charlotte. It’s home. And I never want to leave.”

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NOTICES

NOTICE TO CREDITORS

The undersigned, having quali ed as the Executrix of the Estate of Terry L. Harward, late of Stanly County, North Carolina, this is to notify all persons, rms, and corporations having claims against the Estate to present such claims to the undersigned Administratrix on or before the 20th day of April, 2026, or this Notice will be pleaded in bar of their recovery. All persons indebted to the estate will please make immediate payment.

This the 7th day of January, 2026. Danielle Biles Executrix of the Estate of Terry L. Harward 20889 Huneycutt Mill Road Albemarle, NC 28001

David A. Beaver Attorney for the Executrix 160 N. First Street (P.O. Box 1338) Albemarle, NC 28001 (28002) 704-982-4915

Dates of publication: January 18 & 25 and February 1 & 8, 2026

NOTICE

STATE OF NORTH CAROLINA IN THE GENERAL COURT OF JUSTICE COUNTY OF STANLY SUPERIOR COURT DIVISION BEFORE THE CLERK 25 SP 000053-830

SARA E. THORNTON, Petitioner, v. KORBIN A. BATTISTO, Respondent.

AMENDED NOTICE OF SALE OF REAL PROPERTY

Under and by virtue of an Amended Order of the Clerk of Superior Court of Stanly County, North Carolina, entered on the 18th day of November, 2025, made in the above captioned matter, the undersigned, was by said Order appointed Commissioner to sell the land described in the Petition, and will on the 30th day of January, 2026, at 11:00 a.m. at the Stanly County Courthouse, Albemarle, North Carolina, o er for sale to the highest bidder for cash, that certain tract or parcel of land lying and being in Albemarle, Stanly County, North Carolina and being more particularly described as follows: Being all of Lots Nos. 201 and 202 in “WEST END” a suburb of the Town of Albemarle, as shown by a blueprint or map made by E.M. Eutsler Engineering Company, showing subdivision No. 1 of the land contained within the boundaries of a deed of conveyance made by R.L. Lowder and wife, O.B. Lowder, to George D. Troutman, under date May 1, 1920, as recorded in Deed Book 62, Page 225, Stanly County Registry, said map being recorded in Plat Book 1, Page 118, Stanly County Registry. For reference see deed recorded in Book 1654, Page 524, Stanly County Registry. The Address of the property is: 223 Third Avenue, Albemarle NC 28001

The above-described real property will be sold subject to any and all liens or encumbrances, superior mortgages, deeds of trust liens, including, without limitation, easements, conditions, restrictions and matters of record, and any unpaid county and city ad valorem taxes, including those for the year 2025, and city assessments, if any. Subject to any encroachments. An earnest money deposit equal to ve percent (5%) of the bid price, or $750.00, whichever is greater, will be required from the highest bidder at the time of sale as evidence of good faith. This sale will be held open for ten (10) days for upset bids.

This the 8th day of January, 2026

David R. Ford, Commissioner The Ford Firm, PLLC PO Box 714 Albemarle, NC 28002 Telephone: 919-550-2100

NOTICE TO CREDITORS

The undersigned has quali ed as Executor of the Estate of ALVIN MILLER CHAPMAN, deceased, late of Stanly County, North Carolina (Stanly County File Number 26E000012-830). This is to notify all persons, rms and corporations having claims against said decedent or his estate to present the same duly itemized and veri ed to the undersigned Executor or his Attorney on or before the 20th day of April 2026, or this Notice will be pleaded in bar of their recovery. All persons, rms and corporations indebted to the decedent or to his estate are hereby requested to pay the said indebtedness to the undersigned Executor or his attorney.

This the 13th day of January 2026.

RUEL HALL CHAPMAN, II Executor ESTATE OF ALVIN MILLER CHAPMAN PO Box 25611 Charlotte, NC 28229

CHARLES P. BROWN BROWN & SENTER, P.L.L.C. PO Box 400 Albemarle, North Carolina 28002-0400 Telephone: 704 982-2141 Facsimile: 704 982-0902

PUBLISH: January 18, 25, February 1, 8, 2026

NOTICE NORTH CAROLINA STANLY COUNTY IN THE GENERAL COURT OF JUSTICE SUPERIOR COURT DIVISION BEFORE THE CLERK FILE NO. 25E000544-830 NOTICE TO CREDITORS Having quali ed as Executor of the estate of Shirley Hinson E rd, deceased, of

2026, or this notice will be pleaded in bar of their recovery. All persons indebted to the said decedent are hereby requested to pay the said indebtedness to the undersigned Administrator. This the 8th day of January, 2026. Joy T. Huneycutt Administrator of the Estate of Craig William Huneycutt, Jr. a/k/a Craig William Huneycutt 535 Marlbrook Drive Albemarle, NC 28001

PUBLISH: January 18, 25, February 1, 8, 2026 James A. Phillips, Jr. Attorney for the Estate P.O. Box 1162 117 W. North Street Albemarle, NC 28002-1162

NOTICE

NORTH CAROLINA, IN THE GENERAL COURT OF JUSTICE STANLY COUNTY SUPERIOR COURT DIVISION BEFORE THE CLERK 26E000005-830

NOTICE TO CREDITORS The undersigned, having duly quali ed as Executor of the estate of Peggy Harkey Branch, deceased, late of Stanly County, North Carolina, is hereby notifying all persons, rms, or corporations having claims against said decedent, or her estate, to present the same to the undersigned Executor, duly itemized and veri ed on or before the 18th day of April, 2026, or this notice will be pleaded in bar of their recovery. All persons indebted to the said decedent are hereby requested to pay the said indebtedness to the undersigned

Beware online ads with elaborate backstories;

they may not be from a real small

Slick social media posts look “local” but they aren’t

By Mae Anderson

The Associated Press

MELIA & CO appears to be a small family-run business. The sweaters on its website feature a photo of a woman hand-knitting a Christmas design. The caption says that after decades of creating knitwear that tells “quiet stories of care and beauty,” she is closing her little studio and the pieces on o er are her last.

The website of Olivia Westwood Boutique also spotlights a charming backstory.

The “About Us” section states that twin sisters run the shop their mother opened in 1972 and share her commitment to a a business “rooted in family, community and women uplifting women.” Shoppers could take advantage of a sale honoring the boutique’s late founder on what would have been her 95th birthday.

But neither store is what it appears. Both display many of the same Icelandic, Nordic and festive sweaters with identical stock images. Their website domains were registered in China in November, ahead of the holiday shopping season. Negative reviews of both proliferate on consumer review websites such as Trustpilot, where users report receiving shoddy goods that were di cult to return.

Melia & Co. did not return a request for more information about the owners. A close look at a pop-up ad describing Nola Rene, the 72-year-old Swedish knitter who is supposedly hanging up her knitting needles, reveals the word “advertorial” at the top and at the bottom, a disclaimer saying the people in the photos are models. At least three other shopping sites also sell the sweaters “lovingly hand-knitted in small batches.”

Olivia Westwood Boutique responded to an email query about where it was based and who owned the business by saying it was an online boutique

“working with trusted global ful llment partners to serve our customers.”

Online shopping scams are not unusual. About 36% of Americans failed to receive refunds after purchasing an item online that they said never arrived or turned out to be counterfeit, according to a Pew Research Center survey conducted in April 2025 and published in July. Faster and more sophisticated digital tools are only making it even harder for consumers to spot if what they are seeing is too good to be true.

Some vendors and fraudsters have taken advantage of AI-generated images to create websites that have an aura of artisan authenticity or that point to a long history as a trusted small retailer, said Seth Ketron, a marketing professor at The University of St. Thomas in St. Paul, Minnesota.

“It’s getting more and more common,” Ketron said. “If you’re not careful or you’re really paying close attention, or you don’t really even know what to look for or what AI photos look like, it’s easy to kind of just gloss over or miss that it’s probably not real.”

Misleading e-commerce ads often pop up on social media feeds or appear as banners on other kinds of websites. Experts say there are some simple steps shoppers can take to distinguish a legitimate small mer-

chant from a suspicious one before clicking “buy.”

Check for veri able details

Deanna Newman owns C’est La Vie, an online jewelry retailer in Ontario, Canada, and learned about mall-business impersonation scams the hard way. A person claiming to have received low-quality goods from her site left an irate comment on Newman’s Facebook page. Alarmed, she looked but she could not nd a record of the order.

Newman concluded a scammer was using the name of her store for several shopping sitesselling jewelry. When people went online to complain about inferior products, they landed on her site. There were C’est La Vie websites claiming to have brickand-mortar locations in New York, Birmingham, England, Dublin, Ireland, and other cities, which didn’t actually exist.

“Sometimes people were receiving products from China and very low-grade jewelry, and then some people weren’t receiving things at all,” Newman said. She dealt with the complaints, put a warning on her Facebook page and online shop about the misleading C’est la Vie web sites, and posted videos on Instagram and TikTok to demonstrate she was a real person with a real business. Some of the copycat sites were taken down. But an in ux of poor re-

business

“If you’re not careful or you’re really paying close attention, or you don’t really even know what to look for or what AI photos look like, it’s easy to kind of just gloss over or miss that it’s probably not real.”

Seth Ketron, marketing professor

views and complaints nonetheless hurt her sales, she said.

Newman advises shoppers to look for a veri able address or other details that may indicate a site is authentic. When in doubt, reach out to the owner by email, phone or contact form. If they are genuine, they should be happy to reply, she said.

“It’s hard, because the consumer has to do a little bit of research on their side, but I would say, too, that if it looks too good to be true, it probably is,” Newman said.

Beware a sob story

Including fake hardship stories along with ads is one technique online scammers use to draw in potential buyers. Common ploys include announcing a “going-out-of-business” sale or a sale to honor a late son, daughter or grandmother.

Newman said the people who assumed her company’s name employed multiple versions of this gimmick, including having a close family member pass away. A customer who contacted Newman expressed sympathy for the loss of her son.

“I realized that they thought that I was the scam website,” she said. “So I was like, ‘Well, the good news is you haven’t been scammed because I’m sending these products, but the bad news is, you purchased from me thinking you were supporting somebody who’s going through something hard.’”

Check third-party reviews

Murat Kantarcioglu, a computer science professor at Virginia Tech, recommends checking reviews before making any online purchases from smaller businesses. Customer reviews aren’t always legitimate either,

California’s scenic Highway 1 near Big Sur reopens 3 years after damaging landslides

It’s one of America’s most beautiful drives

The Associated Press

BIG SUR, Calif. — A 90-mile section of California’s Highway 1 along the famous Big Sur coast fully reopened Wednesday after three years of closures and repairs following a series of landslides and a roadway collapse that hampered tourism on the scenic route.

The reopening around midday came three months ahead of schedule, and business owners say that should give travelers plenty of time to plan their spring and summer road trips. The highway is famously a must for California visitors traveling between Los Angeles and San Francisco.

“Today is a monumental milestone for us,” said a relieved Colin Twohig, general manager of the Big Sur River Inn. “We’re hitting the light at the end of the tunnel after three long years.”

The rst shutdown came in January 2023 when a series of powerful atmospheric rivers triggered a major landslide. The highway was buried by mud and rocks again the following year during another wet winter, and a lane also collapsed down a cli near the Rocky Creek Bridge.

The tra c stoppage between Carmel and Cambria cut o access to Big Sur, an isolated stretch of the state’s central coast where misty, forested mountains rise up from the ocean. What used to be a short drive between the southern and

northern sections — with tiny Big Sur Village roughly in the middle — became an eight-hour trek inland and then back toward the seashore.

The isolated area, home to fewer than 2,000 residents, is known for its panoramic hiking trails along high cli s and

craggy beaches where seals and sea lions sometimes sprawl out. The late “Tropic of Cancer” author Henry Miller lived there for nearly two decades starting in the 1940s, and there’s now a library devoted to his work.

There were multiple closures at various locations through-

but they can be good to check as part of your research.

Sites like the Better Business Bureau and U.K.-based Trustpilot are two places to look, as well as marketplaces like Amazon and Etsy if the brand has a presence there.

“If the small business claims to be there for 30 years, they should have reviews about them, maybe from at least a couple of years back,” Kantarcioglu said.

Look up the domain

Another quick check is looking up where a website was registered. Kantarcioglu recommends doing a domain name search through the nonpro t Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers. GoDaddy and Whois are other options. If a company claims to be in one country but is registered in another one, that is a red ag. If the site was registered in the past few months but is marketed as belonging to an established small business, that’s another.

Trust your gut

No matter how cautious you are, it is still possible to get scammed. If something seems o , it’s better to hold o making a purchase than to make one you might regret, experts say.

“As (AI) gets better, then scammers or people doing dubious business practices are going to have an easier time duping people, because things are gonna look more and more convincing,” Ketron from The University of St. Thomas said. “So every time tricks like these come out or publicity is generated around them, people that engage in these kinds of practices gure out ways of doing it ... that becomes more challenging” to detect.

“We’re hitting the light at the end of the tunnel after three long years.”

Colin Twohig, Big Sur River Inn

the speedy work in “reviving a vital economic lifeline for local business owners and residents a ected by the closure.”

Caltrans, which has called Highway 1 the jewel of the state highway system, deployed remotely operated bulldozers and excavators to safely remove tons of debris in steep terrain. Then crews drilled 4,600 steel bars into the slopes in a grid to patch layers of the hillside together and reduce the risk of future slides, the department said.

California Assemblymember Dawn Addis, a Democrat whose district includes Big Sur, said the restoration will provide a much-needed scal boost to the region.

“This turning point will help restore revenue, access to our state parks, support jobs, public safety, and economic stability for many of our residents,” Addis said in a statement.

Twohig said he looks forward to seeing tourists in cars and motorhomes back on the road.

out the past three years, and the last stretch that remained shut was a 7-mile span near Lucia, according to the California Department of Transportation, or Caltrans.

Gov. Gavin Newsom announced the opening on social media, thanking Caltrans for

He estimated that his inn, with 22 guest rooms, a large restaurant and a general store, saw a 20% drop in business. He said the road closure directly following COVID-19 restrictions was a one-two punch. The inn spent the down time making improvements and marketing heavily to entice California residents to visit during the oseasons.

“When you have a hospitality business, you really rely on the busy season, and when there is no busy season, it can be a hard pill to swallow,” he said. “Having that lifeline back is huge.”

famous birthdays this week

THESE CELEBRITIES have birthdays this week.

JAN. 18

Actor- lmmaker Kevin Costner is 71. Actor Mark Rylance is 66. Hockey Hall of Famer Mark Messier is 65. Actor Dave Bautista is 57. Actor Jesse L. Martin is 57. Rock singer Jonathan Davis (Korn) is 55. Football Hall of Famer Julius Peppers is 46.

JAN. 19

Actor Tippi Hedren is 96. Actor-singer Michael Crawford is 84. Actor Shelley Fabares (fabRAY’) is 82. Country musician Dolly Parton is 80. Actor Katey Sagal is 72. Comedian Paul Rodriguez is 71. Basketball coach and commentator Je Van Gundy is 64. Actor Shawn Wayans is 55.

JAN.20

Former astronaut Buzz Aldrin is 96. Olympic gure skating gold medalist Carol Heiss Jenkins is 86. Rock musician Paul Stanley (Kiss) is 74. Comedian Bill Maher is 70. Rainn Wilson is 60. Actor Skeet Ulrich is 56. Musician Questlove (The Roots) is 55.

JAN. 21

Golf Hall of Famer Jack Nicklaus is 86. Opera singer Plácido Domingo is 85. Singer-songwriter Billy Ocean is 76. Artist Je Koons is 71. Actor-director Robby Benson is 70. Actor Geena Davis is 70.

JAN. 22

Celebrity chef Graham Kerr (TV: “The Galloping Gourmet”) is 92. Singer Steve Perry is 77. Film director Jim Jarmusch is 73. Actor Linda Blair is 67. Actor Diane Lane is 61. DJ Jazzy Je is 61. Celebrity chef Guy Fieri is 58.

JAN. 23

Football Hall of Famer Jerry Kramer is 90. Jazz musician Gary Burton is 83. Actor Richard Dean Anderson is 76. Retired airline pilot Chesley “Sully” Sullenberger (“Miracle on the Hudson” landing) is 75. Rock singer Robin Zander (Cheap Trick) is 73.

JAN. 24

Cajun musician Doug Ker-

De

Aaron Neville, founding member of the Meters and the Neville Brothers, turns 85 on Saturday.

/

Dolly Parton performs during a 2015 concert in Nashville, Tennessee. The country legend turns 80 on Monday.

SUE OGROCKI / AP

Jack Nicklaus, right, presents Scottie Sche er with the trophy after the Memorial golf tournament in 2025, in Dublin, Ohio. Nicklaus turns 86 on Wednesday.

shaw is 90. Singer-songwriter Ray Stevens is 87. Singer-songwriter Neil Diamond is 85. Singer Aaron Neville is 85. Comedian Yakov Smirno is 75. Actor William Allen Young is 72. Musician Jools Holland is 68.

Los Santos cancels Kennedy Center shows, citing unwelcoming

Additional withdrawals include Asian AF and “Wicked” composer Stephen Schwartz

By Hillel Italie The Associated Press

NEW YORK — Gram-

my-nominated singer-songwriter Sonia De Los Santos is the latest performer to cancel an appearance at the Kennedy Center in Washington. She had been scheduled to give two concerts for young people Feb. 7, followed by a “creative conversation” with the audience.

De Los Santos, a Mexican American whose 2018 release “¡Alegría!” received a Latin Grammy nomination for best children’s album, cited her background as a reason for calling o the shows.

“As an artist, I treasure the freedom to create and share my music, and for many years I have used this privilege to uplift the stories of immigrants in this country,” she wrote on Instagram. “Unfortunately, I do not feel that the current climate at this beloved venue represents a welcoming space for my-

Andrea Bocelli to headline Milan Cortina Winter Olympic opening ceremony

A crowd of 60,000 spectators is expected with millions more watching on television

By Colleen Barry The Associated Press

MILAN — Crossover tenor

Andrea Bocelli will be among the headline performers for the Milan Cortina Winter Olympics opening ceremony on Feb. 6, joining the previously announced pop diva Mariah Carey, organizers said Sunday.

The opening ceremony will be centered in Milan’s landmark San Siro soccer stadium, featuring the Parade of Athletes and entertainment over the course of the three-hour spectacle that is expected to be the most widely viewed moment of the Games.

Re ecting the Milan Cortina Games’ status as the most spread-out Olympics in history, elements of the opening ceremony will also be conducted in three other locations, allowing athletes from all far- ung disciplines to participate. Moments will be beamed to the televised audience from Cortina in the heart of the Dolomite mountains, Livigno in the Italian Alps as well as Predazzo in the autonomous province of Trento.

The ceremony will also include a tribute to the late Italian fashion designer Giorgio Armani, who died in September at the age of 91. Armani has long designed the Italian team’s Olympic uniforms, and his legacy as one of the founders of Italian ready-to-wear is tightly tied to Milan, where he left his mark with the Armani theater, Silos museum and sponsorship of the EA7 Emporio Armani Milano basketball team.

Bocelli, a classically trained singer whose recordings include classical and pop music, has performed for the coronation of King Charles III and for the 75th anniversary of the Italian Constitution in Rome. In a career-spanning release titled “Duets” (30th Anniversary), Bocelli sings in Italian, English, French and Spanish, collaborating with musicians ranging from

Karol G to Chris Stapleton. He will appear at the Olympic ceremony during a break from a world tour, according to his o cial calendar, traveling the next day to perform at the Schottenstein Center in Columbus, Ohio, on Feb. 7, followed by six other U.S. dates.

Bocelli’s performance “will constitute one of the most iconic moments of the event, uniting the spectacle with the essence of Olympic values,’’ organizers said in a statement, adding that Bocelli’s inclusion will “contribute a contemporary and global tone to the narrative.’’ Details about the ceremony, which is being produced by Marco Balich, a veteran of more than a dozen Olympic ceremonies, have been trickling out over recent months.

Carey, the rst international star named to perform at San Siro, adds some American pop-star pedigree to the opening event. The six-time Grammy award winner announced her participation in an Instagram post saying, “Ci vediamo a Milano,’’ Italian for “See you in Milan.” Italian actors Sabrina Impacciatore, who appeared in the second season of HBO’s “The White Lotus,” and Matilde De Angelis, who starred in the Net ix series “The Law According to Lydia Poet,’’ will also participate in the opening ceremony, organizers have announced.

Internationally acclaimed ballet star Roberto Bolle will headline the closing ceremony, which is slated for Verona’s ancient Roman Arena on Feb. 22.

climate

“Refusing to engage with an institution open to everyone is, in fact, a step towards discrimination.”

Roma Daravi, Kennedy Center spokesperson

self, my band, or our audience.”

In an email to The Associated Press, De Los Santos shared her Instagram statement and said she would have no additional comment. Kennedy Center spokesperson Roma Daravi challenged De Los Santos’ citing of immigration policy.

“This country was built on legal immigrants and as a rst generation American, I nd her statement highly o ensive,” Daravi wrote in an email. “Refusing to engage with an institution open to everyone is, in fact, a step towards discrimination.”

Artists ranging from “Hamilton” creator Lin-Manuel Miranda to rock star Peter Wolf have called o events at the Kennedy Center since President Donald Trump ousted the previous leadership ear-

Demonstrators protest a Trump-appointed

name to the John F. Kennedy

Washington, D.C..

ly last year and arranged for himself to head the board of trustees. Trump has highlighted the Kennedy Center in his wide-ranging ght against what he calls “woke” bias at cultural institutions. The board’s decision in December to rebrand the venue the Trump-Kennedy Center, a change that scholars say can only be enacted through Congress, led to a new wave of

cancellations. Jazz musician Chuck Redd called o a planned Christmas Eve show, and the jazz group The Cookers withdrew from their New Year’s Eve concerts. Last week, the Grammy-winning banjo player Bela Fleck announced that he had canceled three scheduled appearances next month with the National Symphony Orchestra, writing on social media that playing at the center had become “charged and political.” Ric Grenell, a diplomat and Trump ally whom the president appointed to lead the center, wrote on X that Fleck had “made it political and caved to the woke mob.” Other recent withdrawals include “Wicked” composer Stephen Schwartz, who had been expected to host an opera gala in the spring, and the variety show Asian AF.

this week in history

Iran releases hostages, Louis XVI beheaded, SCOTUS rules on Roe v. Wade

JAN. 18

1778: English navigator Capt. James Cook reached the present-day Hawaiian Islands, which he named the Sandwich Islands.

1803: President Thomas Je erson, in a con dential message to Congress, requested $2,500 to fund exploration of western lands to the Paci c, an early step toward the Lewis and Clark expedition.

1911: Pilot Eugene B. Ely made the rst successful aircraft landing on a ship, touching down in a Curtiss biplane on the deck of the armored cruiser USS Pennsylvania in San Francisco Bay.

JAN. 19

1937: Howard Hughes set a transcontinental speed record, ying his H-1 Racer aircraft from Los Angeles to Newark, New Jersey, in 7 hours, 28 minutes and 25 seconds.

1942: A German submarine sank the Canadian liner RMS Lady Hawkins o Cape Hatteras, killing 251 people.

1955: President Dwight D. Eisenhower held the rst televised presidential news conference.

JAN. 20

1841: China ceded the island of Hong Kong to Great Britain. It returned to Chinese control in July 1997.

1961: In his inaugural address, President John F. Kennedy urged Americans to “ask not what your country can do for you — ask what you can do for your country.”

1981: Iran released 52 Americans it had held hostage for 444 days, minutes after Ronald Reagan was sworn in as president, succeeding Jimmy Carter.

JAN. 21

1793: During the French Revolution, King Louis XVI, convicted of treason, was executed by guillotine.

President John F. Kennedy, on Jan. 20, 1961, delivers his inaugural address at the U.S. Capitol in Washington as Vice President Lyndon B. Johnson, former Vice President Richard Nixon, Sen. John Sparkman of Alabama and former President Harry Truman look on.

“Ask not what your country can do for you — ask what you can do for your country.”

President John F. Kennedy

1861: Mississippi Sen. Jefferson Davis resigned from the U.S. Senate after his state and others seceded from the Union.

1924: Russian revolutionary and Communist Party founder Vladimir Lenin died at age 53.

1950: Former State Department o cial Alger Hiss was convicted in New York of lying to a grand jury over allegations he was part of a communist spy ring.

JAN. 22

1901: Britain’s Queen Victoria died at age 81 after a reign of more than 63 years; she was succeeded by her eldest son, Edward VII.

1953: Arthur Miller’s drama “The Crucible” opened at the Martin Beck Theatre in New York.

1973: The U.S. Supreme Court ruled in Roe v. Wade that the Constitution protects a nationwide right to abortion.

1973: Former President Lyndon B. Johnson died at his Texas ranch at age 64.

JAN. 23

1368: China’s Ming dynasty began after Zhu Yuanzhang was acclaimed the Hongwu Emperor following the collapse of the Yuan dynasty.

1789: Georgetown University was established in present-day Washington, D.C.

1870: About 200 Piegan Blackfeet tribal members, mostly women, children and older adults, were killed by U.S. Army troops under Maj. Eugene M. Baker in Montana, in what became known as the Baker Massacre.

JAN. 24

1848: James W. Marshall found a gold nugget at Sutter’s Mill in Northern California, sparking the California gold rush.

1945: Associated Press war correspondent Joseph Morton was among captives executed by German soldiers at the Mauthausen-Gusen concentration camp in Austria.

1965: Winston Churchill died in London at age 90.

1989: Confessed serial killer Ted Bundy was executed in Florida’s electric chair.