Stanly News Journal Vol. 146, Issue 7

Stanly NewS Journal

Quiet before the storm

Frost blankets a hillside pasture on the shores of Lake Tillery on Monday morning, just days before wintry weather was expected to sweep through Stanly County.

WHAT’S HAPPENING

Report: Steep declines in homicide rates found around U.S.

A report issued Thursday by the Council on Criminal Justice showed a 21% decrease in the homicide rate from 2024 to 2025, based on data collected from 35 American cities. That’s about 922 fewer homicides last year amid decreases in 31 of the cities studied. Elected o cials at all levels — both Democrats and Republicans — have been claiming credit for the steep declines. But experts say the trends are so widespread that local decisions aren’t likely responsible. Republicans have credited tough- on- crime moves like deploying the National Guard and surging immigration agents. But the data shows that cities with no surges of troops or agents saw similar historic drops in crime.

Smith defends Trump investigations at public hearing: “No one should be above the law”

Former Justice Department special counsel Jack Smith defended his investigations of Donald Trump at a public congressional hearing. Smith insisted Thursday he had acted without regard to politics and had no second thoughts about the criminal charges he brought. Smith’s two criminal investigations shadowed Trump during his 2024 Republican presidential campaign. Smith testi ed behind closed doors last month. The hearing divided along partisan lines between Republican lawmakers looking to undermine Smith and Democrats hoping to elicit new and damaging testimony about Trump’s conduct.

Stanly commissioners again table 911 center funding decision

Board members recently spoke with Motorola representatives

By Jesse Deal Stanly News Journal

ALBEMARLE — For the second time this month, the Stanly County Board of Commissioners has tabled a funding decision tied to the county’s new 911 and Emergency Operations Center.

Commissioners are still seeking additional technical clarity before approving nearly half a million dollars in spending.

As construction of the facility at the Stanly County Airport continues, E-911 Director Kyle Gri n told the board that additional funding is required to ensure reliable microwave radio connectivity to the coun-

ty’s public safety radio system. Gri n rst brought the request to the board Jan. 5, seeking approval for a two-year lease nancing option total-

ing just under $500,000 with Motorola. The funding would cover the remaining balance of a bundled microwave radio network and Multi-Proto -

col Label Switching project. According to Gri n, early engineering reviews suggested a single microwave path from either the Stanly Community College tower or the Stanly County Courthouse to a 100-foot tower at the airport would meet system requirements.

However, a more detailed engineering analysis later found that terrain, vegetation growth and reliability standards prevented either direct path from meeting performance criteria, necessitating multiple microwave hops instead.

“Without this connectivity, our telecommunicators will not be able to make radio contact with our law enforcement o cers, paramedics or reghters,” Gri n said, reiterating that his team has not identi ed a more viable alternative.

Chris Whitley received an honorary plaque from the city

By Jesse Deal Stanly News Journal

ALBEMARLE — The Albemarle City Council has formally recognized the service of former councilmember Chris Whitley, approving a resolution Tuesday night honoring his years of public service to the city.

Albemarle’s mayor and councilmembers acknowledged Whitley’s retirement

during the council’s regular meeting, thanking him for his leadership and contributions during nearly a decade representing District 4.

Whitley, who began serving on Albemarle City Council in 2013, submitted his resignation in August to help care for a family member experiencing health issues. His departure prompted the council to open an application process for District 4 residents interested in lling the vacant seat.

In November, the council appointed Martha Hughes

“Serving

on the Albemarle City Council has been one of the great honors of my life,” Chris

Stanly County Historical Society sponsors special lecture on George Washington

The presentation will be made by Steven Campbell

By Melinda Burris Stanly News Journal

ALBEMARLE — Historian

Steven Campbell will present a special lecture, “Washington the Will to Win and Conquering Adversity 1732-1799” on Thursday, January 29, 2026, at 7 p.m. The event, which is sponsored by the Stanly County Historical Society, will be held at Central United Methodist Church, 172 North Second Street, Albemarle. The event is free to attend, but advance registration is required and can be done online at historicstanly.org. Campbell is recognized as an Ambassador for the George Washington Masonic National Memorial and as a four-term

CRIME LOG

Jan. 12

• Dylan Amer Alnazer, 26, was arrested for driving while impaired, driving while license revoked (impaired revocation) and possession of open container.

• Joseph Michael Preslar, 43, was arrested for assault on a female.

Jan. 13

• Cameron Antonio Verdell, 32, was arrested for misdemeanor larceny.

• David Toomer, 25, was arrested for misdemeanor larceny.

• Randy Williams Carpenter, 60, was arrested for possession with intent to manufacture, sell and deliver methamphetamine and a Schedule II controlled substance, maintaining a vehicle, dwelling or place for controlled substances and possession of drug paraphernalia.

• Yahniece Beth Yisrael Johnson, 23, was arrested for second degree trespass of curtilage.

Grand Historian of the Grand Lodge of North Carolina AF and AM. This presentation is taken from a 28-part series, “The Battle eld and Beyond,” spanning the eighteenth,

nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, that the historian has developed for all educational levels and regularly gives to civil, church and heritage groups, fraternal organizations and leadership courses.

This discussion of Washington’s life and accomplishments will have added emphasis on the formation of the nation as the rst of 10 events planned through September as part of the 2026 Stanly County America 250th Celebration.

Campbell emphasizes the human element and its impact on history in his presentations. He says, “I will debunk myths associated with Washington in this lecture.” One example is the famous tale about Washington chopping down a cherry tree, which was put forth to advance the idea that the rst American president was committed to honesty.

Here’s

Jan. 28

Chair Yoga

3-3:30 p.m.

A

Main

Jan. 29

“Washington: The Will to Win and Conquering Adversity 1732-1799”

Jan. 14

• Michael Dean Smart, 44, was arrested for defrauding a drug or alcohol test.

Jan. 15

• Stacy Lynn Gibson, 58, was arrested for simple assault, domestic violence and resisting a public o cer.

• Emanuel Ali Wilson, 18, was arrested for accessory after the fact.

Jan. 16

• Je rey Wayne Ousley, 30, was arrested for communicating threats and misdemeanor stalking.

• Eric Ryan Rider, 36, was arrested for obtaining property by false pretense and misdemeanor larceny.

Jan. 17

• Erwin Elmer Chavis, 34, was arrested for driving while license revoked (impaired revocation).

• Jshawn Montez Simons Borden, 29, was arrested for possession of

rearm by felon, possession with intent to manufacture, sell and deliver a Schedule II controlled substance, maintaining a vehicle, dwelling or place for controlled substances, driving while license revoked (impaired revocation), carrying a concealed gun and failure to maintain lane.

Jan. 18

• Cody Russell, 29, was arrested for domestic violence, injury to personal property, communicating threats and assault on a female.

• Frank Richardson, 40, was arrested for felony breaking and entering.

• Jeremy Alexander Townsend, 49, was arrested for driving while impaired, reckless driving with wanton disregard and driving while license revoked (impaired revocation).

• Christian Swayde Bair, 24, was arrested for driving while license revoked (not impaired revocation), possession of methamphetamine, driving left of center and possession of drug paraphernalia.

A special lecture given by historian Steven Campbell as part of the Stanly County America 250th celebration. Admission is free, but advance registration is required and can be completed online at historicstanly.org.

Central United Methodist Church Fellowship Hall 172 North Second St. Albemarle

Jan. 30

NeedleBugs

A social group speci cally for those who love needlework. Bring your own supplies. Stanly County Public Library 207 Pee Dee Ave. Norwood

Now through Feb. 7

Stanly Arts Guild Members’ Show

This annual exhibition features the work of Stanly Arts Guild members working in a variety of media and genres. The show awards a rst-, second- and third-place prizes, along with honorable mention ribbons given at the judge’s discretion. Admission to the exhibit is free.

Stanly Arts Guild & Gallery 330 N. 2nd St. Albemarle

THE CONVERSATION

Trip Ho end, publisher | Frank Hill, senior opinion editor

VISUAL VOICES

The midterms: It’s not about “a ordability”

— it’s about Trump hatred

Trump Derangement Syndrome is real. It is deep. And it has metastasized, not just nationally but globally.

NO, THE MIDTERMS will not turn on the issue of “a ordability.” If a ordability truly were decisive, Republicans would easily retain the House and the Senate. Consider the economic backdrop. Gas prices are at a ve-year low, with gas stations in several states selling a gallon of regular for under $2. Several times since Trump’s reelection, the stock market indexes have recorded all-time highs. GDP growth hit 4.3% in the third quarter of 2025. Wage growth is exceeding in ation, but as always, some bene t more than others. In ation itself is under 3% and trending lower. Egg prices have fallen dramatically. Mortgage rates have declined to the lowest level in three years. Trillions of dollars in foreign investment commitments have been announced. The e ects of the One Big Beautiful Bill — no tax on tips, no tax on overtime, tax relief for seniors on Social Security and immediate expensing of business equipment purchases — have barely begun to register. All of this suggests, despite the headlines of despair, that the economy is poised to take o . If voters were focused primarily on a ordability, these conditions would be politically devastating for Democrats.

But that’s not what this election is about.

The midterms will turn on one question only: Is Trump hatred — among Democrats, Hollywood, much of the media and academia — so deeply rooted that President Donald Trump gets credit for nothing?

Look at the record. He closed the southern border in a matter of weeks without new congressional legislation. That’s an incredible

COLUMN | BEN SHAPIRO

accomplishment. More on this later. Trump negotiated the release of Israeli hostages and the return of their remains from Gaza. That’s a big deal. He pressured European allies to shoulder more of the nancial burden for Ukraine’s war against Russia. Another big deal. He signi cantly degraded Iran’s nuclear capacity. He took decisive action against Venezuela’s Maduro regime — something Democrats once loudly demanded. He expanded school choice options that disproportionately bene t black and brown students trapped in failing K-12 urban schools. He forced NATO allies to increase defense spending after years of freeloading. He applied sustained pressure on Iran’s regime at a moment when internal instability has never been higher since the beginning of the “Islamic Republic” in 1979. He pressured universities to better protect Jewish students and to end illegal race-based DEI policies. And all of this in less than a full year. On immigration enforcement, Trump has deported roughly 1.5 million illegal aliens — many with violent criminal records. Deportations under Trump in both terms remain below the 3.5 million deportations carried out under former President Barack Obama.

There have been cases in which U.S. citizens were mistakenly detained or arrested by ICE, sometimes for minutes, hours or a few days. According to ProPublica, the number is “more than 170.” Out of roughly 1.5 million deportations under Trump, that comes to 0.0113%, or just over one-hundredth of 1%. Considering that former President Joe Biden let in an estimated 10 million

The left’s search for a new cause

Democrats appear to have settled on a new cause: illegal immigration.

MONDAY, JAN. 19 marked Martin Luther King Jr. Day, a national holiday honoring a man best remembered for urging Americans to judge one another by the content of their character rather than the color of their skin. It is a legacy rooted in a speci c historical struggle — one that culminated in the Civil Rights Act after years of erce resistance, largely from Southern Democrats, to dismantling Jim Crow. Since that era ended, the Democratic Party has repeatedly searched for what might come next: a successor to the Civil Rights Movement that once de ned its moral authority. Over the decades, a series of causes have been framed in those terms, often with strained comparisons to the racial discrimination of the mid-20th century. First came a movement centered on gender, casting women as victims of a patriarchal system in a way likened to black Americans’ experience under segregation. The analogy never quite t. Later, similar language was applied to issues of sexual orientation and gender identity, with LGBTQ+ advocacy presented as the new front line of civil rights. Now Democrats appear to have settled on a new cause: illegal immigration.

In this framing, enforcing immigration

law is portrayed not merely as a policy disagreement but as an expression of white supremacy itself. Illegal immigrants, the argument goes, must be allowed to remain in the country, and any attempt at enforcement is morally suspect. This is a stretch — one that suggests demand for examples of systemic American racism has outpaced the available supply.

Consider a recent example. On Monday, former Attorney General Eric Holder warned that the Voting Rights Act faces an abiding threat, claiming that the Trump administration is pursuing “unprecedented mid-decade gerrymandering attempts” and engaging in a “concerted e ort to resegregate America.”

Such rhetoric dramatically overshoots reality. There is no serious movement in the United States to reinstate segregated schools, water fountains, restaurants or public accommodations. No credible constituency is calling for a return to Jim Crow, and no sentient observer believes America is on the verge of enforced racial separation. In fact, the post-Jim Crow story of race in America was, for decades, one of steadily improving relations. Polling data shows that until around 2013,

to 15 million aliens, the mass deportation initiated under Trump is required to undo just some of Biden’s intentional policy.

Mistakes during deportation by ICE are inevitable — but in the context of reversing years of mass illegal entry, they are statistically rare. If sanctuary cities and states truly wanted to reduce such errors, they would allow ICE to operate inside jails and prisons rather than forcing arrests to occur in public spaces.

As to Iran, I’m old enough to remember when the political left claimed to care about the oppression and subjugation of women — and rooted openly for their possible liberation.

All of this brings us back to the real issue.

Trump Derangement Syndrome is real. It is deep. And it has metastasized, not just nationally but globally.

Roughly half the country views Trump with the Jimmy Kimmel mindset. Can anyone seriously imagine Kimmel ever saying, “You know, on this issue, Trump deserves some credit,” or “On that issue, maybe I was wrong”?

Of course not. And that’s the point.

The midterms won’t hinge on prices at the pump or at the grocery store. They will hinge on whether millions of voters can acknowledge reality — or whether their animus toward Trump is so absolute that no achievement, no success and no improvement in people’s lives really matter.

That, not “a ordability,” is the question before the country.

Larry Elder is a bestselling author and nationally syndicated radio talk-show host.

large majorities of both black and white Americans believed race relations were getting better and had improved signi cantly since the 1960s. That perception changed during the later Obama years and the rise of the Black Lives Matter movement, which coincided with a sharp decline in public optimism about race relations. But declining optimism is not the same as renewed racial oppression, nor does it suggest that white supremacy now rules the roost.

Yet the search continues. Democrats need a new civil rights struggle to justify claims of moral urgency and political authority. That case has become increasingly di cult to make. The party is now de ned, for many voters, by abortion on demand, an inability to articulate basic distinctions about sex and gender, and a posture approaching open borders. So illegal immigration is being folded into the civil rights narrative. History suggests that this too will fall short.

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

obituaries

Survivors include: his wife of 25 years, Tricia Sink; daughter Debbie Davis Hyland of Punta Gorda Florida, and son Mark Tod Davis of Kannapolis; grandchildren Jeremy (Aimee) Hyland of Mason, Michigan; Chelsea Martin of Narrows, Virginia; Benjamin Davis of Magnolia, Texas; and Anna Hyland of Punta Gorda, Florida; great grandchildren Gabriel Carpenter, Chasten Martin, Aiden Hyland, Mallori Sue Davis, Claire Choken, Deklan Livingston, Luke Choken and Lila Choken.

Barbara Jean (Taylor) Drye

Dwight Farmer

James Roseboro

Harold Whitley Furr

April 17, 1936 ~ January 14, 2023

June 17, 1940 – Jan. 15, 2026

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

Harold Whitley Furr, 85, of Albemarle, passed away Thursday, January 15, 2026, at his home in Albemarle.

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.

Harold was born June 17, 1940, in North Carolina to the late Adam Roosevelt Furr and Thaddeus Whitley Furr.

He was also preceded in death by granddaughter, Brea Jo Furr; sister, Lucille Mauldin, and daughter- in- Law Claudia Furr.

John B. Kluttz

Wade Henry Turner

John Kevin Hill

June 23, 1967 ~ January 10, 2023

January 24, 1939 ~ January 15, 2023

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

Dec. 9, 1937 – Jan. 21, 2026

Wade Henry Turner, 88, of Albemarle, passed away peacefully at his home on Wednesday, January 21, 2026, surrounded by family.

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.

May 19, 1959 – Jan. 19, 2026

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

John Kevin Hill, 66, passed away peacefully on January 19, 2026. He was born on May 19, 1959, in Monroe, North Carolina.

Benjamin Wilburn Davis

March 23, 1935 - January 9, 2023

May 13, 1937 – Jan. 18, 2026

Doris Jones Coleman

October 11, 1944 - January 10, 2023

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.

Harold was a member of the Albemarle Masonic Lodge 703 for 63 years. He was also a member of the Stanly County Shiners club for many years serving as president for six years.

Harold was a loving Husband, Father and Poppy. He retired after 52 years of Long Haul truck driving.

A Celebration of Life will be held at 12pm on January 24, 2026, at Canton Baptist Church in Albemarle, o ciated by Rev. Curtis Williams.

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.

Survivors include wife, Lucy “Lucille” Ramona Furr, son, David Furr of Norwood, NC, daughter, Susan (Brian) Bergquist of Albemarle, NC, granddaughters, Whitney (Thomas) Wechter, Hannah (Zack) Wood, Whitney Blake, and Dava Furr, six greatgrandchildren and sister, Mildred Whitley, of Albemarle and beloved friend Mike Hinson.

The family would like to thank the sta of Tillery Compassionate Care for the exceptional assistance and phenomenal care they provided Harold and the family.

In Lieu of owers memorials may be shared to Stanly County Shiners or to Tillery Compassionate Care. Hartsell Funeral Home of Albemarle is serving the Furr family. Online condolences may be made at www.hartsellfh.com

IN MEMORY

MICHAEL BRUNETTI

JAN. 20, 2026

Michael Brunetti Jr., 76, of Oakboro, NC passed away on January 20, 2026 in his home. He will be buried at a later date in All Saints Cemetery in Waterbury, CT. He is survived by his wife Genevieve Bissett of Oakboro, NC, son Erik Brunetti (Pauline) of Oakville, CT, daughters Tara Van Geons (Robert) of Fayetteville, Laurieanne Kateri of Naugatuck, CT, grandchildren and lifelong friend Bobby Drury.

Wade was born on December 9, 1937, to Ila Hassell Turner and Henry Clyde Turner of New London. Wade attended New London School and was instrumental in creating reunion opportunities to keep his classmates together.

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.

Wade was married for 59 years to Brenda Holt Huneycutt, of New London, NC. During their marriage, Wade worked for BRS, Inc. in various places in both North Carolina and South Carolina building the water and sewer pipelines of the infrastructure we rely on today.

John was a hardworking and caring man who spent many years as a machinist at Stanley Engineered Fastening, where he was known for his strong work ethic, skill, and dependability.

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.

He loved the outdoors and found great enjoyment in riding his Harley-Davidson motorcycle, embracing the freedom of the open road whenever he could.

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.

John was a devoted husband to his wife, Elizabeth Suzanne Parker Rorie, and a proud father and grandfather. He valued family deeply and carried with him the lessons and values instilled by his parents.

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.

A man of deep and unwavering faith, Ben was a member of Friendship Baptist Church in Salisbury, North Carolina for over 35 years—long before the parking lot was paved. His church was truly his second home. He served with humility and dedication as a Deacon, Chairman of the Deacons, Adult Sunday School teacher, and Chairman of the Building and Grounds Committee. His leadership was guided by prayer, wisdom, and a servant’s heart, always seeking to glorify God in all he did.

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.

Wade was a master woodworker, and examples of his craft can be seen in many homes in Stanly County.

John was preceded in death by his parents, Hilda Joan Collins Hill and Frank Hill.

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.

Wade is survived by his wife of 6 years, Loretta Burleson Turner, of the home, son Kelly Turner (Fred) of Matthews, daughter Leslie Eudy (Greg) of North Myrtle Beach, and son David Turner (Sandy) of Albemarle, grandchildren Bradley, Ryan (Regan), Suzie (Daniel), and Caroline, and one great granddaughter Ila, and sister Annette Turner Eads of Bristol, VA.

Wade was preceded in death by his parents Ila Hassell Turner and Henry Clyde Turner, and his loving wife, Brenda Holt Huneycutt Turner.

A Memorial Service will be held at 1 pm on Friday, January 23, 2026, at Stanly Funeral Home Chapel with Pastor David Cochran and Pastor David Franks o ciating. The family will receive friends from 12 pm until 12:45 pm prior to the service. There will be a private burial at a later date.

Special thanks are extended to Lisa Starnes of Tillery Compassionate Care for her excellent care.

Memorials may be sent to Bethany United Methodist Church, 2411 US Hwy 52 North, Albemarle, NC 28001, or Tillery Compassionate Care, 960 North First Street, Albemarle, NC 28001, or to the organization of the donor’s choice.

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

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.

He is survived by two daughters, Emily Moser of Monroe, and Erin Fowler and her husband, Anthony, of Bennettsville, South Carolina; seven grandchildren, Sairah, Sydnee, Austin, Anson, Jackson, Michael, and Ace; his brother, Frank Hill (“Sugi”) of Easley, South Carolina; and his cousin, Randy Allen (Toni) of Shallotte, North Carolina.

His church, At the Cross Fellowship, played a signi cant role in John’s life. During his nal hospital stay, Pastor Tim led John to Christ—an experience that brought him peace and left a lasting impact on his life and those who love him.

Those who knew John will remember him for his steady presence, kind heart, love of the outdoors, and the familiar rumble of his Harley as he headed out for a ride.

A Celebration of Life service will be held at a later date.

Darrick Baldwin

January 7, 1973 ~ January 8, 2023

In lieu of owers, the family requests memorials be made to his church, At the Cross Fellowship, 1924 Old Pageland Monroe Road, Monroe, NC 28112. The link address is https://give. tithe.ly/? Davis Chapel-Stanly Funeral and Cremation Care is serving the Hill family.

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.

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

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.

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.

Benjamin “Ben” “Bennie” Wilburn Davis, age 88, went home to be with his Lord and Savior on January 18, 2026, passing peacefully at his home in Salisbury, North Carolina. Funeral services will be held at Friendship Baptist Church, 100 Porter Road, Salisbury, North Carolina 28146 on Wednesday, January 21, 2026 with visitation beginning at 10:00 a.m. and the funeral service to follow at 11:00 a.m. Interment will follow at Stanly Gardens of Memory, 2001 E Main Street, Albemarle, North Carolina at 2:00 pm. The service will be livestreamed for loved ones unable to attend: YouTube (@FriendshipBaptistSalisburyNC) Facebook (FriendshipBaptistChurchSalisbury) Ben was born on May 13, 1937, in Lochgelly, West Virginia, to the late Sarida Bish Malstrom Davis and Benjamin W. Davis. In addition to his parents, he was predeceased by his wife of 38 years, Anna Sue Ru ner Davis; brothers Thomas Davis and David Davis; and aunts and uncles who were more like brothers and sisters.

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!

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.

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.

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.

Ben spent his professional life as an Industrial Engineer, a career he cherished not for titles or recognition, but for the opportunity to help others. Whether at work, in the church, or in daily life, he lived as a faithful steward, believing that every skill and blessing was a gift from God meant to serve others.

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.

He had a lifelong love of music, particularly Southern Gospel, which brought him great joy and comfort, especially in his nal days.

Ben will be remembered as a man of integrity, strength, generosity and steadfast faith. His life was a living testimony of service, love and devotion to God. Though he will be deeply missed, his family and friends rejoice in the promise of Scripture, knowing that “to be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord.” (2 Corinthians 5:8)

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.

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.

Celebrate the life of your loved ones. Submit obituaries and death notices to be published in Stanly News Journal at obits@ stanlynewsjournal.com

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.

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.

Dilbert comic creator Scott Adams dead from cancer at 68

The author and commentator had been ghting prostate cancer

By Mark Kennedy The Associated Press

SCOTT ADAMS, whose popular comic strip “Dilbert” captured the frustration of beleaguered, white-collar cubicle workers and satirized the ridiculousness of modern o ce culture until he was abruptly dropped from syndication in 2023 for racist remarks, has died. He was 68. His rst ex-wife, Shelly Miles, announced the death last Tuesday on a livestream posted on Adams’ social media accounts. Adams revealed in 2025 that he had prostate cancer that had spread to his bones. Miles had said he was in hospice care in his Northern California home last Monday.

“I had an amazing life,” the statement said in part. “I gave it everything I had.”

At its height, “Dilbert,” with its mouthless, bespectacled hero in a white short-sleeved shirt and a perpetually curled red tie, appeared in 2,000 newspapers worldwide in at least 70 countries and 25 languages.

& 1pm-5pm

Hesitant to approve the additional funding without further explanation, commissioners unanimously voted to table the request, asking that a vendor representative attend a future meeting to provide technical details.

That request was ful lled on Tuesday night, when Gri n introduced two Mobile Communications America employees — area sales manager Jody Johnson and local sales representative Zachary Fallon — who appeared on behalf of Motorola.

Commissioner Billy Mills opened a question-and-answer discussion with the representatives, focusing on whether the issue could be solved with a cheaper solution.

“We’re being told that there’s trees blocking the signal,” Mills said. “We can buy a lot of trees or cut a lot of trees for $500,000, so why can’t we cut the trees down?”

Johnson said the idea was theoretically possible but complicated in practice.

“Without this connectivity, our telecommunicators will not be able to make radio contact with our law enforcement o cers, paramedics or re ghters.” Kyle Gri n, Stanly County E-911 director

“I’m not going to tell you you can’t do that, but I think it’s very cumbersome and complicated with who owns the land,” Johnson said. “There are a lot of what-ifs that could factor into that.”

Vice Chairman Bill Lawhon asked what the county could have done di erently to avoid reaching a point where nearly $500,000 in additional funding was being requested after construc-

tion was already underway.

“As we moved along and became more nal in the design and where you’re putting the building, a lot of things came into factor with that being an airport and the air trafc restriction,” Johnson said. “A lot of it becomes a terrain factor. It’s in a low spot and it’s just di cult to get out with line- of-sight over-the-air microwave.” Following the discussion, Mills suggested that the board seek a second opinion from an independent technical expert without a direct nancial stake in the proposal. Commissioners unanimously agreed to continue tabling the decision. Gri n said he will return with a representative from Mission Critical Partners, an independent consulting and IT support services rm. The board is scheduled to revisit the issue at its next regular meeting on Feb. 2 at 6 p.m. in the Gene McIntyre Meeting Room at Stanly County Commons.

Adams was the 1997 recipient of the National Cartoonist Society’s Reuben Award, considered one of the most prestigious awards for cartoonists. That same year, “Dilbert” became the rst ctional character to make Time magazine’s list of the most in uential Americans.

The collapse of “Dilbert” empire

It all collapsed quickly in 2023 when Adams, who was white, repeatedly referred to black people as members of a “hate group” and said he would no longer “help black Americans.” He later said he was being hyperbolic, yet continued to defend his stance.

Almost immediately, newspapers dropped “Dilbert” and his distributor, Andrews McMeel Universal, severed ties with the cartoonist. The Sun Chronicle in Attleboro, Massachusetts, decided to keep the “Dilbert” space blank for a while “as a reminder of the racism that pervades our society.” A planned book was scrapped.

“He’s not being canceled. He’s experiencing the consequences of expressing his views,” Bill Holbrook, the creator of the strip “On the Fastrack,” told The Associated Press at the time.

“I am in full support with him saying anything he wants to, but then he has to own the consequences of saying them.”

“I had an amazing life. I gave it everything I had.”

Happy 13th Birthday in Heaven to our precious Jace Kinley Thompson

January 15, 2013 – October 5, 2018

Our Jace! We treasure every moment we spent with you and look forward to the time when we are with you again. You will always be our hero. Your words “Can’t Stop Me!” will forever give us strength to continue the fight to raise awareness and

The jury cited “gaps” in the government’s case

By Valerie Gonzalez and Jim Vertuno

The Associated Press

CORPUS

CHRISTI, Texas —

A former Uvalde schools police o cer was acquitted Wednesday of charges that he failed in his duties to confront the gunman at Robb Elementary during the critical rst minutes of one of the deadliest school shootings in U.S. history.

Jurors deliberated for more than seven hours before nding Adrian Gonzales, 52, not guilty in the rst trial over the hesitant law enforcement response to the 2022 attack, in which a teenage gunman killed 19 fourth-graders and two teachers. Had he been convicted, he faced up two years in prison on more than two dozen charges of child abandonment and endangerment.

Gonzales appeared to ght back tears and hugged his lawyers after the verdict was read in a courtroom in Corpus Christi, hundreds of miles from Uvalde, where his legal team said a fair trial would not have been possible.

“Thank you for the jury for considering all the evidence,” Gonzales told reporters. Asked if he wanted to say anything to the families, he declined.

Several family members of the victims sat in silence in the courtroom, some crying or wiping away tears.

“Faith is fractured, but you never lose faith,” said Jesse Rizo, whose 9-year-old niece Jackie Cazares was killed. He said he was frustrated by the verdict and hopes the state will press ahead with the trial of former Uvalde schools Police Chief Pete Arredondo, the only other o cer who has been charged over the police response.

“Those children in the cemetery can’t speak for themselves,” Rizo said.

Jurors declined to speak to reporters while leaving.

Arredondo’s trial has not yet been set. Paul Looney, his attorney, told The Associated Press that he believes the verdict will result in prosecutors dropping the case against his client.

“These people have been vili ed, and it’s horrible what’s been done to them. These guys didn’t do anything wrong,” Looney said.

A rare trial ends in acquittal

The nearly three-week trial was an unusual case in the U.S. of an o cer facing criminal charges on accusations of failing to stop a crime and protect lives.

The proceedings included emotional testimony from teachers who were shot and survived. Prosecutors argued that Gonzales abandoned his training and did nothing to stop or interrupt the teenage gunman before he entered the school.

“We’re expected to act di erently when talking about a child that can’t defend themselves,” special prosecutor Bill Turner said during closing arguments Wednesday. “If you have a duty to act, you can’t stand by while a child is in imminent danger.”

At least 370 law enforcement o cers rushed to the school, where 77 minutes passed before a tactical team nally entered the classroom to confront and kill the gunman. Gonzales was one of just two o cers indicted, angering some victim’s relatives who said they wanted more to be held accountable.

Gonzales was charged with 29 counts of child abandonment and endangerment — each count representing the 19 students who were killed and 10 others who were injured.

Jurors talked about “gaps” in case, lawyer says

During the trial jurors heard a medical examiner describe the fatal wounds to the children, some of whom were shot more than a dozen times. Several parents told of sending their

children to school for an awards ceremony and the panic that ensued as the attack unfolded.

Gonzales’ lawyers said he arrived upon a chaotic scene of ri e shots echoing on school grounds and never saw the gunman before the attacker went inside the school. They also insisted that three other o cers who arrived seconds later had a better chance to stop the gunman.

“He was the lowest man on the totem pole. They thought he was easy pickings,” Nico LaHood, one of Gonzales’ attorneys, said of prosecutors after the acquittal.

LaHood said he brie y polled jurors on their decision after the verdict.

“They talked about gaps. They talked about perspective and what the government didn’t prove about Adrian,” LaHood said.

Families made the long trip to attend trial

Some victims’ families made the long drive to watch Gonzales’ trial. Early on the sister of one of the teachers killed was removed from the courtroom after an angry outburst

following one o cer’s testimony. Gonzales’ trial was tightly focused on his actions in the early moments of the attack, but prosecutors also presented the graphic and emotional testimony as the result of police failures. State and federal reviews of the shooting cited cascading problems in law enforcement training, communication, leadership and technology, and questioned why o cers waited so long.

Looney, Arredondo’s attorney, said he still wants his client to go trial so he can clear his name, saying, “Pete Arredondo deserves and needs a complete airing and public vindication. I hope he gets that chance.” Prosecutors faced a high bar to win a conviction. Juries are often reluctant to convict law enforcement o cers for inaction, as seen after the 2018 school massacre in Parkland, Florida. A sheri ’s deputy was acquitted after being charged with failing to confront the shooter in that attack — the rst such prosecution in the U.S. for an on-campus shooting.

Federal o cials: 3 people involved in Minnesota church protest arrested

Charges against former CNN journalist Don Lemon were rejected by a judge

By Alanna Durkin Richer and Giovanna Dell’orto

The Associated Press

MINNEAPOLIS — A prominent civil rights attorney and at least two other people involved in an anti-immigration enforcement protest that disrupted a service at a Minnesota church have been arrested, Trump administration o cials said Thursday, even as a judge rebu ed related charges against journalist Don Lemon.

Attorney General Pam Bondi announced the arrest of Nekima Levy Armstrong in a post on X. On Sunday, protesters entered the Cities Church in St. Paul, where a local o cial with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement serves as a pastor. Bondi later posted on X that a second person had been arrested, followed by a third arrested announced by FBI Director Kash Patel.

The Justice Department quickly opened a civil rights investigation after the group interrupted services by chanting “ICE out” and “Justice for Renee Good,” referring to the 37-year-old mother of three who was fatally shot by an ICE ocer in Minneapolis earlier this month.

“Listen loud and clear: WE DO NOT TOLERATE ATTACKS ON PLACES OF WORSHIP,” the attorney general wrote on X.

Cities Church belongs to the Southern Baptist Convention and lists one of its pastors as David Easterwood, who leads the local ICE eld o ce. Many Baptist churches have pastors who work at least part-time in other jobs.

Federal o cials posted that the two others arrested were William Kelly, who videoed himself berating churchgoers,

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to serve the remainder of Whitley’s term, which expires Dec. 7. Hughes previously served on the council as an at-large member from December 2013 to November 2022. Following the adoption of the resolution Tuesday, the council presented Whitley with an honorary plaque in recognition of his service.

“Serving on the Albemarle City Council has been one of the great honors of my life,” Whitley said. “Over nearly three terms, I’ve had the privilege of working with dedicated colleagues and sta who genuinely care about the city and its people. The progress we made together belongs to all of you.” Whitley re ected on the

and Chauntyll Louisa Allen.

Both were charged under the Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances Act, which prohibits physically obstructing or using the threat of force to intimidate or interfere with a person seeking reproductive health services or seeking to participate in a service at a house of worship.

Vance threatens protesters with prison terms

Levy Armstrong, a civil rights attorney and prominent local activist, had called for the pastor a liated with ICE to resign, saying his dual role poses a “fundamental moral con ict.”

“You cannot lead a congregation while directing an agency whose actions have cost lives and in icted fear in our communities,” she said Tuesday. “When o cials protect armed agents, repeatedly refuse meaningful investigation into killings like Renée Good’s, and signal they may pursue peaceful protesters and journalists, that is not justice — it is intimidation.”

Prominent leaders of the Southern Baptist Convention have come to the church’s defense, arguing that compassion for migrant families a ected by the crackdown cannot justify violating a sacred space during worship.

Vance, speaking in Toledo ahead of a visit to Minnesota, said the church protesters scared “little kids.”

“Those people are going to be sent to prison so long as we have the power to do so. We’re going to do everything we can to enforce the law,” he said.

Arrests follow a DOJ civil rights investigation

A longtime activist in the Twin Cities metropolitan area, Levy Armstrong has helped lead local protests after the high-prole police-involved killings of Black Americans, including

city’s growth during his tenure, noting visible changes across Albemarle.

“I was riding around the city this morning in downtown and looking at some of the things that are new here from 10 or 12 years ago,” he said. “You should do that sometime. It’s really eye-opening what’s happened.”

During his time with the city council, Whitley served as chairman of the Downtown Catalyst Grant Committee, as a representative to the Rocky River Rural Planning Organization and as an alternate delegate to the Centralina Regional Council of Governments.

A lifelong Stanly County resident and West Stanly High School graduate, Whitley served 32 years in the North Carolina National Guard and spent 38

Homeland Security Investigations agents arrested Chauntyll Louisa Allen for conspiracy to deprive rights on Thursday. Right, a federal agent accompanies Nekima Levy Armstrong after her arrest on federal conspiracy charges.

Paul, Minnesota.

“If you want to turn down the chaos in Minneapolis, stop ghting immigration enforcement and accept that we have to have a border in this country. It’s not that hard.”

Vice President JD Vance

George Floyd, Philando Castile and Jamar Clark. She is a former president of the NAACP’s Minneapolis branch.

Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem posted a photo on X of Levy Armstrong with her arms behind her back next to a person wearing a badge.

Noem said she faces a charge under a statute that bars threatening or intimidating someone exercising a right.

Noem posted a photo of Kelley wearing the same “F--- Trump” hat that he wore in his video inside the church, being held by two masked federal agents next to a police vehicle.

Saint Paul Public Schools, where Allen is a member of the board of education, is aware of her arrest but will not comment on pending legal matters, according to a spokesperson.

The Justice Department has separately opened an investigation into whether Minnesota o cials impeded or obstructed

years in the banking industry, retiring from Wells Fargo in 2016.

He has also remained active in the community through leadership roles with Albemarle Civitan and Kiwanis clubs, United Way and the Stanly County Board of Education.

“Chris, your entire career has basically been in public service,” Councilmember Dexter Townsend said. “From your military career to your years on the Stanly County school board, in the nancial industry and then your years here at the city of Albemarle, I want to personally thank you for making Stanly County and the city of Albemarle a much better place.”

The Albemarle City Council will hold its next regular meeting Feb. 2 at 6:30 p.m. in the City Hall Council Chambers.

federal immigration enforcement though their public statements. Prosecutors this week sent subpoenas to the o ces of Gov. Tim Walz, Attorney General Keith Ellison, Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey, St. Paul Mayor Kaohly Her and o cials in Ramsey and Hennepin counties, according to a person familiar with the matter.

Judge rejects charges against a journalist

A magistrate judge rejected federal prosecutors’ bid to charge journalist Don Lemon related to the church protest, a person familiar with the matter said Thursday.

The person spoke on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to publicly discuss the ongoing investigation.

Lemon was among those on who entered the church. Lemon has said he is not a liated with the protest organizers and was there chronicling as a journalist.

“Once the protest started in the church we did an act of journalism which was report on it and talk to the people involved, including the pastor, members of the church and members of the organization,” Lemon said in a video posted on social media. “That’s it. That’s called journalism.”

It wasn’t immediately clear what the Justice Department

would do after the judge’s decision. Authorities could return to a magistrate judge to again seek a criminal complaint or an indictment against Lemon before a grand jury.

CNN, which red Lemon in 2023, rst reported the ruling. Bovino on the “current climate”

A federal appeals court this week suspended a decision that barred immigration o cers from using tear gas or pepper spray against peaceful protesters in Minnesota. The 8th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals froze the ruling that had barred retaliation, including detaining people who follow agents in cars.

After the court’s stay, U.S. Border Patrol o cial Greg Bovino, who has commanded the administration’s big-city immigration campaign, was seen on video repeatedly warning protesters on a snowy Minneapolis street “Gas is coming!” before tossing a canister that released green smoke into the crowd.

Bovino, speaking Thursday during a news conference, urged better cooperation from local and state o cials in Minnesota, and blamed an “in ux of anarchists” for the anti-ICE sentiment.

“The current climate confronting law enforcement ... is not very favorable right now in Minneapolis,” he said.

Texas leads nation in supplying new residents to fellow states

It also had the largest population growth as people moved out and in

By Mike Schneider The Associated Press

ORLANDO, Fla. — Texas supplied the most new residents of any U.S. state for nine other states despite having the biggest population growth this decade, according to gures released this week by the U.S. Census Bureau.

Texas was the top source of new residents for Alaska, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Illinois, Louisiana, Mississippi, New Mexico and Oklahoma, according to the 2024 state-to-state migration ows, which track where someone lived in the previous year and where they currently live.

With 31 million residents, Texas ranks second in population among U.S. states. Between 2020 and 2024, Texas gained 2.1 million people.

“The obvious and primary answer is size,” said Dudley Poston, professor emeritus of sociology at Texas A&M University. “There’s got to be more people leaving Texas than leaving other states because of the population size of Texas.”

Other large producers of residents who moved to other states included the nation’s other most populous states: California, Florida and New York.

California, the most populous U.S. state with 39 million residents, supplied the most new residents to the western states of Arizona, Hawaii,

“The states with the largest out-migration numbers — California, Florida, Texas and New York — are also the states with the largest populations. That’s not a coincidence.”

Helen You, Texas Demographic Center

Nevada, Oregon, Texas and Washington. But it also was the top supplier of domestic residents to Tennessee, home to Nashville, which has established a pipeline to Southern California’s entertainment industry.

Florida, the third-most populous U.S. state with 23 million residents, dominated the number of new residents in the southeast states of Alabama, Georgia and North Carolina but also Ohio. Florida has gained 1.8 million residents this decade, the second most of any state.

Although the Sunshine State’s size played a primary role, other factors may be involved too, such as Florida’s escalating real estate and homeowners’ insurance prices and the more plentiful job opportunities for recent college graduates in cities like Atlanta and Charlotte, according to Richard Doty, a research demographer at the University of Florida.

“It is no longer as a ordable a relocation/retirement

option as it once was,” Doty said in an email.

New York was the top source of new residents in Connecticut, Florida, Massachusetts and New Jersey, while Illinois provided the most new residents for Midwestern neighbors Indiana, Iowa and Wisconsin.

“The states with the largest out-migration numbers — California, Florida, Texas and New York — are also the states with the largest populations. That’s not a coincidence,” said Helen You, interim director of the Texas Demographic Center. “Large populations naturally generate large volumes of both in-and-out migrants.”

Some migration patterns were no real surprises, such as former Massachusetts residents being the biggest source of new Mainers, New Hampshirites, Rhode Islanders and Vermonters. Former Wisconsinites made up the largest number of new Minnesotans, and former North Carolinians were the biggest source of new South Carolina residents.

In most states in 2024, before the immigration crackdown of the second Trump administration, people arriving from a foreign country were the top source of new residents. Among the exceptions, where international migration wasn’t large compared to people moving from individual U.S. states, were Idaho, Kansas, Montana, New Hampshire, North Dakota, Oklahoma, South Carolina, West Virginia, Wisconsin and Wyoming.

The Census Bureau is releasing new population estimates next week that will show how the U.S. changed in 2025.

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

STANLY SPORTS

West Stanly girls fall short at Mount Pleasant

The Colts are 3-3 in Rocky River Conference play

By Jesse Deal Stanly News Journal

MOUNT PLEASANT —

The West Stanly girls’ basketball team came up short in a key Rocky River Conference road test Tuesday night, falling 53-45 to Mount Pleasant.

The loss marked the Colts’ second straight defeat and their fourth loss in ve games since the start of January. West Stanly dropped to 7-9 overall and 3 -3 in conference play, while Mount Pleasant improved to 8 -9 overall and 4 -2 in the RRC.

Both teams entered the matchup tied in league play, making the outcome signi cant in the RRC standings. With the loss, the Colts slipped to fourth place, trailing rst-place Forest Hills, second-place Monroe and the Tigers.

Junior Raygan Gainey led the Colts with 13 points, while seniors Scarlet Gri n and Kennedy Fox each added nine points; Mount Pleasant’s MacKenzie Clutter led all scorers with 18 points.

The Tigers held a slim 14 -11 advantage after the rst quarter and pushed the margin to double digits before West Stanly trimmed the de cit to 28-19 at halftime. The teams traded baskets throughout the third quarter, but Mount Pleasant carried momentum into the fourth with a 45-32 lead.

West Stanly responded with an 11-point run to cut the decit to two with 4:05 remaining. The Tigers answered with an 8-2 closing run to seal the conference victory.

West Stanly will return home Tuesday to host Parkwood.

West Stanly’s Scarlet Gri n pulls up for a jumper during the Colts’ loss at Mount Pleasant on Tuesday night.

North Stanly 58, Anson 32

Winners of four in a row, the North Stanly Comets (13-3, 4 - 0 Yadkin Valley Conference) turned that into ve on Tuesday as they crushed the Anson Bearcats (1-16, 0 - 6 RRC) by 26 points for a nonconference road win in Wadesboro.

The Comets, who remain the only undefeated team in YVC play, will head to Monroe on Tuesday to challenge second-place Union Academy as the Cardinals aim

to jump in the league standings.

Albemarle 67, Gray Stone 37

Playing on their home court, the Albemarle Bulldogs (8-8, 2-2 YVC) defeated the Gray Stone Knights (2-10, 0 - 4 YVC) in a 30 -point rout on Jan. 16. The victory snapped a three-game losing streak for the Bulldogs, while the Knights dropped their fth straight game.

Albemarle will look to improve its position in the YVC standings when it travels to

Norwood to face South Stanly on Tuesday. Gray Stone will also be on the road, heading to Spencer to take on North Rowan.

Union Academy 62, South Stanly 51

South Stanly’s bid for its rst conference win of the season was foiled again on Tuesday as the Rowdy Rebel Bulls (4-9, 0 - 4 YVC) lost in Monroe to the Union Academy Cardinals (7-10, 3-1 YVC). The Bulls, who are set to host

Consecutive wins for the North Stanly girls

Pfei er hooper named USA South Athlete of the Week 5

Doug Smith recently hit his career high for points in a game

By Jesse Deal Stanly News Journal

MISENHEIMER — The

reigning back-to-back USA

South Athletic Conference Defensive Player of the Year for men’s basketball has added a new dimension to his game in his senior season.

Pfei er’s Doug Smith, a North Stanly graduate, was recently

named a USA South Athlete of the Week following a standout stretch in conference victories over Brevard and Greensboro. The Badin native helped lift Pfei er to a fruitful week as the Falcons improved to 9 -8 overall and 5-2 in league play. Smith averaged 16.5 points and 12.5 rebounds per game during the stretch, adding six blocks and two assists per contest. In an 80 -71 win over the Brevard Tornados, the 6 -foot-8, 210 -pound forward recorded 19 points and 12 rebounds while dishing out four assists

and blocking two shots. He followed that performance with his second career triple-double in an 88-78 road win against the Greensboro Pride, nishing with 14 points, 13 rebounds and 10 blocks.

Smith’s o ensive surge has been building throughout January.

With at least 14 points in 10 consecutive games, he reached a new peak in Pfei er’s 89 -75 home win over the Methodist Monarchs on Tuesday when he poured in a career-high 27 points on 11-of-17 shooting. He

also grabbed 18 rebounds and set a program record with eight blocks as the Falcons claimed their fth straight conference victory.

After starting all 25 games as a junior and averaging 10.8 points and nine rebounds on 59.2% shooting, Smith has elevated his production this season to 16.9 points and 9.6 rebounds per game while shooting 63.7% from the eld.

Those numbers rank him third in the conference in scoring and rst by wide margins in rebounding, blocked

Albemarle next week, opened the season with a 3-3 record but have won just one of their last seven games since then — a 62-21 home victory over South Davidson on Jan. 15.

shots and eld-goal percentage.

All indications point to Smith earning USA South All- Conference First Team honors for a second straight year. It’s been a consistent progression after averaging 3.3 points and 7.9 points during his freshman and sophomore seasons, respectively.

Following the cancellation of Sunday’s home game against Christopher Newport, Pfei er will return to action Jan. 31 by hosting the N.C. Wesleyan Battling Bishops, with the Falcons aiming to extend their winning streak to six games.

Pfei er’s Doug Smith dunks the ball during a home game with Methodist.

Ice dance champ Papadakis says she lost Olympic commentary role for NBC over dispute with ex-partner

Her new book made revelations that started the controversy

By Jerome Pugmire

The Associated Press

PARIS — Olympic ice dance champion Gabriella Papadakis says she lost her commentary role with NBC at the upcoming Winter Olympics because of her former skating partner’s response to revelations in her new book.

In an interview with sports daily L’Équipe on Friday, the retired French skater said the decision was taken after Guillaume Cizeron publicly contested what she wrote in “So as Not to Disappear,” released last week.

Cizeron asked his lawyers last Tuesday to formally put all parties involved on notice to cease the “ dissemination of defamatory statements” about him.

“To my knowledge, in reaction to Guillaume ling a formal notice, which was made public, (NBC) considered that the perception of my neutrality was compromised and that I could not commentate on the Olympic Games,” Papadakis told L’Équipe.

“I’m not dealing with it very well, I’ve cried a lot. I was super disappointed because I was just beginning that career as a commentator.”

The 30 -year-old Papadakis, who retired in December 2024, said: “To lose the opportunity to start a new career is very dicult to take. I understand NBC’s position but, yes, I’m experiencing a feeling of injustice.”

In her book, Papadakis described su ering in a deeply unbalanced relationship with longtime ice dance partner Cizeron, with whom she broke the world record when claiming

gold at the 2022 Beijing Games.

Papadakis wrote that, at a certain point, the idea of nding herself alone with him terri ed her. She wrote about him being a “controlling” and “demanding” partner, and expressed a feeling of “being under his grip” at times.

In Friday’s interview, she expanded further on their relationship.

“As long as I took a backseat role while Guillaume was the leader, everything went well,” she said. “It’s when I wanted to be an equal in this relationship

that things started to become more and more di cult.”

They also won an Olympic silver medal, ve world championships and ve European Championships together, as well as the Grand Prix Final twice.

Last Tuesday, Cizeron said Papadakis was spreading lies about him leading up to the Feb. 6 -22 Milan Cortina Winter Games.

“In the face of the smear campaign targeting me, I want to express my incomprehension and my disagreement with the labels being attributed to me,” Cizeron

said. “These allegations arise at a particularly sensitive time ... thereby raising questions about the underlying intentions behind this campaign.

“I also wish to denounce the content of the book, which contains false information attributing to me, among other things, statements I have never made and which I consider serious.”

Cizeron said he had shown “deep respect” for Papadakis and that their working relationship had seen “moments of success and mutual support.”

Papadakis refuted that the

book’s release was timed to coincide with Cizeron’s participation at next month’s Olympics.

“I can understand this perception from the outside,” Papadakis said. “But the publication date was already planned before the announcement of his return (with his new skating partner Laurence Fournier Beaudry).” Fournier Beaudry previously competed for Canada. She recently gained French citizenship, clearing the path for the pair to compete together at the Olympics, where they will be among the top contenders.

Ukraine’s young skiers practice in bombed-out Olympic training base

Aspiring champions train amidst war and destruction

By Illia Novikov

The Associated Press

CHERNIHIV, Ukraine

— Young athletes in northern Ukraine spend their days cross- country skiing through a scorched forest, focused on their form — until a siren inevitably shatters the silence.

They respond swiftly but without panic, ditching their skis and following coaches to an underground bomb shelter.

It’s an ordinary training session at the complex that produced Ukraine’s rst Olympic medalist.

Sleeping children no longer dream of Olympic glory in the facility’s bombed- out dormitories, and unexploded ordnance has rendered nearby land o limits. But about 350 kids and teens — some of the nation’s best young cross- country skiers and biathletes — still practice in fenced- o areas amid the sporadic buzz of drones passing overhead then explosions as they’re shot down.

“We have adapted so well — even the children — that sometimes we don’t even react,”

Mykola Vorchak, a 67-year- old coach, said. “Although it goes against safety rules, the children have been hardened by the war. Adapting to this has changed them psychologically.”

Sports in the cross re

War has taken a heavy toll on Ukrainian sport. Athletes were displaced or called up to ght. Soccer matches are often interrupted by air raid sirens so attendance is capped by bomb shelter capacity. Elite skaters, skiers and biathletes usually train abroad, with attacks and frequent blackouts shuttering local facilities.

But the government-run Sports Ski Base of the Olympic Reserve is open for cross- coun-

try skiing and biathlon, the event which combines skiing with shooting. The sprawling complex is on the outskirts of Chernihiv, a city two hours north of Kyiv along the path of destruction Russia’s army left in its 2022 attempt to capture the capital. Chernihiv remains a regular target for air attacks aimed at the power grid and civilian infrastructure.

Several temporary structures at the sports center serve as changing rooms, toilets and coaches’ o ces. Athletes train on snowy trails during the winter and, throughout the rest of the year, use roller skis on an asphalt track pocked by blast marks.

Ukraine’s rst Olympic medal

Valentyna Tserbe -Nesina spent her adolescence at the Chernihiv center performing these same drills, and won bronze at the 1994 Winter Games in Lillehammer. It was Ukraine’s rst Olympic medal as an independent country.

“The conditions weren’t great, but we had nothing better. And for us, it was like a family — our own little home,” she said inside her apartment, its shelves and walls lined with medals, trophies and souvenirs from competitions around the world.

Tserbe -Nesina, 56, was shocked when she visited the complex in 2022. Shelling had torn through buildings, re had consumed others. Shattered glass littered the oors of rooms where she and friends once excitedly checked tapedup results sheets.

“I went inside, up to my old room on the second oor. It was gone — no windows, nothing,” she said. “I recorded a video and found the trophies we had left at the base. They were completely burned.”

Tserbe -Nesina has been volunteering to organize funerals for fallen Ukrainian soldiers in her hometown while her hus-

band, a retired military o cer, returned to the front. They see each other about once a year, whenever his unit allows him brief leave.

Act of de ance

One adult who in 2022 completed a tour in a territorial defense unit of Ukraine’s army sometimes trains today alongside the center’s youngsters. Khrystyna Dmytrenko, 26, will represent her country at the Milan Cortina Winter Olympics that start Feb. 6.

“Sports can show that Ukraine is strong,” Dmytrenko said in an interview next to the shooting range. “We represent Ukraine on the international stage, letting other countries, athletes and nations see our unity, strength and determination.”

The International Olympic Committee imposed bans and restrictions on Russian athletes after the invasion of Ukraine, e ectively extending earlier sanctions tied to state-sponsored doping. But a small group of them will participate in the upcoming Winter Games.

After vetting to ensure no military a liation, they must compete without displaying any national symbols — and only in nonteam events. That means Russian and Ukrainian athletes could face one another in some skating and skiing events. Moscow’s appeal at the federation level to allow its biathletes to compete is pending.

That’s why many Ukrainians view training for these events as an act of de ance.

Former Olympic biathlete Nina Lemesh, 52, noted that some young Ukrainians who rst picked up ri es and skis at the Chernihiv ski base during wartime have become international champions in their age groups.

“Fortunately, Ukrainians remain here. They always will,” she said, standing beside the destroyed dormitories. “This is the next generation of Olympians.”

North Stanly, girls’ basketball

Lexie Brown is a senior on the North Stanly girls’ basketball team. The Comets are 13-3 and have won ve straight.

Brown came up big over the last week. She started the run with a game-high 25 points against South Stanly. She then poured in 15 against West Stanly, 14 against North rowan and 12 against Anson, all North Stanly wins.

For the season, Brown leads the team in scoring and is second in the Yadkin Valley 2A/3A conference in scoring.

restaurant equipment auction

Selling All Equipment and Seating from A CRAVE HOT DOGS & BBQ. Also selling New and Scratch & Dent Equipment.

201 S. Central Ave. Locust, NC 28097

NOTICES

NOTICE TO CREDITORS

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201 S. Central Ave. Locust, NC 28097

201 S. Central Ave. Locust, NC 28097

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.

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NOTICES

Huneycutt Evans, 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 Executrix, duly itemized and veri ed on or before the 25th 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 Executrix. This the 20th day of January, 2026. Susan Flowe Executrix of the Estate of Julia Mae Huneycutt Evans 1481 Mt. Vernon Road Wadesboro, NC 28170 PUBLISH: January 25, February 1, 8, 15, 2026 James A. Phillips, Jr. Attorney for the Estate P.O. Box 1162 117 W. North Street Albemarle, NC 28002-1162

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

NOTICE

NORTH CAROLINA STANLY COUNTY IN THE GENERAL COURT OF JUSTICE SUPERIOR COURT DIVISION BEFORE THE CLERK FILE NO. 25E000579-830

NOTICE TO CREDITORS Having quali ed as Co-Administrator’s of the estate of Mary Elizabeth Moses, deceased, of Stanly County, North Carolina, this is to notify all persons having claims against the Estate of said Mary Elizabeth Moses to present them to the undersigned on or before April 26, 2026 or the same will be pleaded in bar of their recovery. All persons indebted to said Estate please make immediate payment. This the 25th day of January 2026. Bernard Kendall 233 Cypress Marsh Road Moncks Corner, SC 29461 Co-Administrator Marcus Isaac 536 Arey Avenue Albemarle, NC 28001 Co-Administrator

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

PUBLIC NOTICE Notice is hereby given that the Town of Oakboro Historic Preservation Commission will hold a public hearing on January 26, 2026 at 6:00 PM at Oakboro Town Hall located at 109 N Main Street, Oakboro, NC 28129. The purpose of this public hearing is to hear comments for, or against the type of installation of a fence at the property PIN# 650301395678; TAX# 26312.

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 Executor. This the 13th day of January, 2026. Troy

Social media addiction’s surprising challenger? Anti-doomscrolling in uencers

Some are making videos reminding people to put their phone down

By Kaitlyn Huamani

The Associated Press

IT’S SIMPLE to accidentally become entranced by an endless loop of videos on Instagram or TikTok. But sometimes, that mindless scroll is interrupted by a reminder that what you thought was a 10 -minute break spent on your phone was closer to 30 minutes.

Olivia Yokubonis, armed with a kind voice and scientific research, often pops up in feeds on social platforms, gently reminding viewers that they might not remember the video they saw two videos before she appeared on the screen.

Yokubonis is a content creator who goes by the name Olivia Unplugged online, making videos to combat overuse or mindless use of social media. For the most part, people who view her videos welcome the disruption from the endless loop of content, treating it as a wake-up call to get o their phones. Other times, they are snarky.

“People will comment and they’ll be like, ’Oh, (it’s) ironic that you’re posting. And I’m like, ‘Where else am I supposed to nd you, Kyle? Outside? You’re not outside. You are here, sitting here,’” she said. “For us to actually be seen, we have to be where people are.”

Yokubonis’ content responds to the feeling many people have, that they spend too much time on social media or apps.

“Most people have no clue how much time they spend on social media,” said O r Turel, a professor of information systems management at the University of Melbourne who has been studying social media use for years. Through his research, Turel found that when he presented people with their screen time information, they were practically “in a state of shock” and many people voluntarily reduced their usage afterward.

Yokubonis is part of a growing group of content creators who make videos encouraging viewers to close out the app they’re on. Some are aggressive in their approach, some more tame; some only occasionally post about social media overuse, and some, like Yokubonis, devote their accounts to it.

She works for Opal, a screen time app designed to help users “reclaim their focus,” she said, but those who engage with her content might not have any idea she is working for the company. Brand logos, constant plugs to download the app and other signs of branding are almost entirely absent from her page.

“People love hearing from people,” she said. Millions of views on her videos point to that being true.

“It’s a ne line and a balance of nding a way to be able to cut through that noise but also not adding to the noise,” she added.

Ian A. Anderson, a postdoctoral scholar at California Institute of Technology, said he nds this kind of content interesting, but is curious whether it’s disruptive enough to prompt action. He also said he wonders whether those with the strongest scrolling habits are “thoughtless about the way (they’re) intaking information.”

“If they’re paying full attention, I feel like it could be an e ective disruption, but I also think there is a degree to which, if you are really a habitual scroller, maybe you aren’t fully engaging with it,” he said. “I can think of all sorts of di erent variables that could change the e ectiveness, but it does sound like an interesting

Rhode Island may ditch Mr. Potato Head license plates after Hasbro’s move to Boston

The plates have raised $60,000 for a local food bank

By Kimberlee Kruesi The Associated Press

PROVIDENCE, R.I. — It’s been no small potatoes that Rhode Islanders have been able to choose the image of Mr. Potato Head as a specialty license plate for decades. Yet with Hasbro’s decision to move its headquarters from the smallest state in the U.S. to Boston, two lawmakers say it’s time to hash out whether Rhode Island should continue promoting one of the company’s most iconic characters.

Under the proposal introduced earlier this month, Rhode Island’s Division of Motor Vehicles would stop providing Mr. Potato Head as an option for a specialty license plate. Currently the plate costs around $40, with half of that amount going to help support the Rhode Island Community Food Bank.

Rep. Brian Newberry, a Republican from North Smitheld, said in an email that he

“There is no reason we should be advertising their products on our license plates.”

Rep. Brian Newberry

led the legislation because Hasbro leaving the state will cause “untold economic harm and loss of tax revenue.”

“There is no reason we should be advertising their products on our license plates,” Newberry said. “It may seem trivial compared to many other things but it’s a matter of self-respect.”

Mr. Potato Head license plates were rst issued in 2002 to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the beloved toy, which notably has appeared in the “Toy Story ” lms. The plates include a small image of Mr. Potato Head holding a sign of the Rhode Island Community Food Bank and “help end hunger” at the bottom of the plate.

“The license plate started at a time when Mr. Potato Head was

way to intervene from the inside.”

With billions of active users across TikTok, Instagram, YouTube and other social media platforms, talk of cutting down on screen time is perennial, as is the idea of addiction to social platforms. But there’s tremendous disagreement over whether social media addiction actually exists.

Is social media “addiction” real?

Researchers, psychologists and other experts agree some people spend too much time on social media, but the agreement tends to stop there. Some researchers question whether addiction is the appropriate term to describe heavy use of social media, arguing that a person must be experiencing identi able symptoms, like strong, sometimes uncontrollable urges and withdrawal, to qualify as addiction. Others, like Turel, acknowledge the term seems to resonate with more people and is often used colloquially. Anderson said he recognized the prevalence of casual mentions of being addicted to phones and was curious to see if that talk was “benign.”

A recent study of his suggests the debate extends further than academic discourse. In a repre-

sentative sample of active Instagram users, Anderson found that people often overestimate whether they are “addicted” to the app. On a self-report scale, 18% of participants agreed that they were at least somewhat addicted to Instagram and 5% indicated substantial agreement, but only 2% of participants were deemed at risk of addiction based on their symptoms. Believing you are addicted also impacts how you address that issue, Anderson said.

“If you perceive yourself as more addicted, it actually hurts your ability to control your use or your perception of that ability and makes you kind of blame yourself more for overuse,” Anderson said. “There are these negative consequences to addiction perception.”

Cutting down on screen time

For those looking to curb their social media habits, Anderson suggests making small, meaningful, changes to stop from opening your social media app of choice. Moving the app’s place on your phone or turning o noti cations are “light touch interventions,” but more involved options, like not bringing your phone into the bedroom or other places where

“Most people have no clue how much time they spend on social media.”

O r Turel, University of Melbourne

you often use it — could also help. Plenty of intervention methods have been o ered to consumers in the form of products or services. But those interventions require self awareness and a desire to cut down on use. Content creators who in ltrate social media feeds with information about the psychology behind why people scroll for hours a day can plant those early seeds.

Cat Goetze, who goes by CatGPT online, makes “non-pretentious, non-patronizing” content about arti cial intelligence, building o her experience in the tech industry. But she’s also been on a lengthy road to cut down her own screen time. She often makes videos about why the platforms are so compelling and why we tend to spend longer than we anticipate on them.

“There’s a whole infrastructure — there’s an army of nerds whose only job is to get you to increase your time spent on that platform,” she said. “There’s a whole machine that’s trying to get you to be that way and it’s not your fault and you’re not going to win this just (through) willpower.”

Goetze also founded the business Physical Phones, which makes Bluetooth landline phones that connect to smartphones, encouraging people to spend less time on their devices. The inside of the packaging reads “o ine is the new luxury.”

She was able to build the business at an accelerated pace thanks to her social media audience. But the early success of Physical Phones also demonstrates the demand for solutions to high screen time, she said.

“Social media will always play a part in our lives. I don’t necessarily think that’s a bad thing. If we can get the average screen time down from, if it’s 10 hours for a person to one hour, or from three hours to 30 minutes, that is going to be a net positive bene t for that individual and for society,” Goetze said. “That being said, I’d love to be the person that they’re watching for those 30 minutes.”

all over the state and was having a moment,” said Kate MacDonald, spokesperson for the food bank, which has received nearly $60,000 over the years due to the plate. “And while it has tapered o over the years, it’s

been a steady way for people to contribute.” An email was sent to Hasbro seeking comment. The toy company announced last year that it would be moving to Boston by the end of 2026 after operat-

ing in Pawtucket, Rhode Island, for nearly 70 years.

Mr. Potato Head has been around since the 1950s, when the original toy didn’t come with a plastic potato. Instead, kids had to supply their own vegetable to poke eyes, a nose or mustache into.

Notably, Mr. Potato Head was the rst toy advertised on television in 1952. A Mrs. Potato Head was launched in 1953, followed by brother Spud, sister Yam, and various pets and accessories, according to the National Museum of Play. Hasbro adopted a plastic spud after new government regulations prevented certain toys from having pointed sharp edges, as well as complaints about children playing with rotting vegetables.

famous birthdays this week

Alicia Keys is 45, Wayne Gretzky turns 65, Oprah Winfrey is 72, Nolan Ryan turns 79

The Associated Press

THESE CELEBRITIES have birthdays this week.

JAN. 25

Football Hall of Famer Carl Eller is 84. Actor Leigh Taylor-Young is 81. Actor Jenifer Lewis is 69. Hockey Hall of Famer Chris Chelios is 64. Actor Ana Ortiz is 55. Actor Mia Kirshner is 51. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is 48. Singer-songwriter Alicia Keys is 45.

JAN. 26

Actor David Strathairn is 77. Football Hall of Famer Jack Youngblood is 76. Singer-songwriter Lucinda Williams is 73. Singer Anita Baker is 68. Hockey Hall of Famer Wayne Gretzky is 65. Basketball Hall of Famer Vince Carter is 49.

JAN. 27

Actor James Cromwell is 86. Rock musician Nick Mason (Pink Floyd) is 82. Ballet

star Mikhail Baryshnikov is 78. U.S. Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts is 71. Political and sports commentator Keith Olbermann is 67. Actor Bridget Fonda is 62.

JAN.28

Actor Alan Alda is 90. Former NBA coach Gregg Popovich is 77. Golf Hall of Famer Nick Price is 69. Film director Frank Darabont is 67. Singer Sarah McLachlan is 58. Rapper Rakim is 58. Humorist Mo Rocca is 57.

JAN. 29

Feminist author Germaine Greer is 87. Actor Katharine Ross is 86. Actor Tom Selleck is 81. R&B singer Charlie Wilson is 73. TV host and media mogul Oprah Winfrey is 72. Olympic diving gold medalist Greg Louganis is 66.

JAN. 30

Actor Vanessa Redgrave is 89. Musician Phil Collins is 75. Actor Charles S. Dutton (“Roc”) is 75. Golf Hall of Famer Curtis Strange is 71. Comedian Brett Butler (“Grace Under Fire”) is 68. Singer Jody Watley is 67. U.S. House Speaker Mike Johnson is 54.

Thursday.

Singer Phil Collins turns 75 on Thursday.

Actor Vanessa Redgrave turns 89 on Friday.

JAN. 31

Composer Philip Glass is 89. Blues singer-musician Charlie Musselwhite is 82. Actor Glynn Turman is 79. Baseball Hall of Famer Nolan Ryan is 79. Actor Jonathan Banks is 79. Rock singer John Lydon is 70. Actor Anthony LaPaglia is 67. Actor Minnie Driver is 56.

Thousands of fans celebrate life of legendary Grateful Dead guitarist Weir in San Francisco

The jam band icon died Jan. 10 at age 78

By Janie Har The Associated Press

SAN FRANCISCO — Thou-

sands of people gathered Saturday at San Francisco’s Civic Center to celebrate the life of Bob Weir, the legendary guitarist and founding member of the Grateful Dead who died last week at age 78.

Musicians Joan Baez and John Mayer spoke on a makeshift stage in front of the Bill Graham Civic Auditorium after four Buddhist monks opened the event with a prayer in Tibetan. Fans carried long-stemmed red roses, placing some at an altar lled with photos and candles. They wrote notes on colored paper, professing their love and thanking him for the journey.

Several asked him to say hello to fellow singer and guitarist Jerry Garcia and bass guitarist Phil Lesh, also founding members who preceded him in death. Garcia died in 1995; Lesh died in 2024.

“I’m here to celebrate Bob Weir,” said Ruthie Garcia, who is no relation to Jerry, a fan since 1989. “Celebrating him and helping him go home.”

Saturday’s celebration

“The show must go on.” Monet Weir

brought plenty of fans with long dreadlocks and wearing tie- dye clothing, some using walkers. But there were also young couples, men in their 20s and a father who brought his 6 -year- old son in order to pass on to the next generation a love of live music and the tight-knit Deadhead community.

The Bay Area native joined the Grateful Dead — originally the Warlocks — in 1965 in San Francisco at just 17 years old. He wrote or co -wrote and sang lead vocals on Dead classics including “Sugar Magnolia,” “One More Saturday Night” and “Mexicali Blues.” He was generally considered less shaggy looking than the other band members, although he adopted a long beard like Garcia’s later in life.

The Dead played music that pulled in blues, jazz, country, folk and psychedelia in long improvisational jams. Their concerts attracted avid Deadheads who followed them on tours. The band played on decades after Garcia’s death, morphing into Dead & Company with John Mayer.

Darla Sagos, who caught an early ight out of Seattle on Saturday morning to make the public mourning, said she suspected something was up when there were no new gigs announced after Dead & Company played three nights in San Francisco last summer. It was unusual, as his calendar often showed where the band would be playing next.

“We were hoping that everything was OK and that we were going to get more music from him,” she said. “But we will continue the music, with all of us and everyone that’s going to be playing it.”

Sagos and her husband, Adam Sagos, have a 1-year-old grandson who will grow up knowing the music.

A statement on Weir’s Instagram account announced his death Jan. 10. It said he beat cancer but succumbed to underlying lung issues. He is survived by his wife and two daughters, who were at Saturday’s event. His death was sudden and unexpected, said daughter Monet Weir, but he had always wished for the music and the legacy of the Dead to outlast him.

American music, he believed, could unite, she said.

“The show must go on,” Monet Weir said.

Domingo, Hemsworth, Schnapp among celebrities to pack Ralph Lauren’s Milan Fashion Week show

The fashion icon opened the season with a star-studded front row and an Olympics tie-in

By Colleen Barry The Associated Press

MILAN — Colman Domingo, Liam Hemsworth and Noah Schnapp were among the celebrities who packed the Ralph Lauren front row during Milan Fashion Week on Friday for the launch of a Milan-centric season that includes dressing Team USA for the upcoming 2026 Winter Olympics.

Domingo was fresh o the Golden Globes red carpet, Hemsworth took a break from the ski slopes, and Schnapp just wrapped the “Stranger Things” nale. Ralph Lauren’s runway collection for next winter was Americana, featuring layered outerwear, Texan suiting and hand-knit ski sweaters.

Hundreds of screaming fans waited outside the brand’s Milan palazzo for K-pop star Mark Lee, rushing his vehicle as he stepped out to give fans a big heart sign. The Canadian-born singer said that K-pop’s massive appeal continues to catch him o guard.

“It surprises me even to this day. I was born in North Amer-

ica, and even then, K-pop wasn’t this big,’’ Lee said from the front row before the show. “I am honored to be able to be a part of this phenomenon. I feel like it’s kind of my responsibility to share the good in uences that I have in K-pop, for the world.’’

During the show, singer Nick

and actor Tom

anked David Lauren, the fashion house’s brand and innovation leader who will be back in Milan as Team USA is tted for the opening and closing ceremony looks for the Feb. 6-22 Games.

After the release of “Stranger Things’” nal season, Schnapp said he is reading scripts and looking perhaps beyond the sciworld.

“I’m pretty proud of what we have done,” the 21-year-old actor said before the show. “I am

“I love Italy, I love the Italian people, and I love this brand.”

Noah

happy to close it out. I think it’s time. I am excited about what’s to come.”

“I love Italy, I love the Italian people, and I love this brand,’’ said Schnapp, wearing a smart double-breasted Navy jacket with golden buttons. The University of Pennsylvania senior said he would be back in Italy in a couple of weeks to watch some Olympic ice hockey games with his Canadian-born parents.

Domingo turned heads at the Golden Globes with a lapel full of Boucheron diamonds. For Ralph Lauren, he wore Boucheron stud earrings to accompany his three-piece suit with a matching overcoat ung jauntily over his shoulders.

Domingo, a darling of the fashion world who won an Emmy for “Euphoria,” said the collection felt “very modern.”

“I think that is the most beautiful expression of Ralph Lauren. You feel the aspirational American values in your clothing,’’ Domingo said.

this week in history

Battle of the Bulge ends, Challenger explodes, Apollo 14 blasts o

JAN. 25

1924: The rst Winter Olympic Games opened in Chamonix, France.

1945: The World War II Battle of the Bulge ended as the German army concluded its nal o ensive on the Western Front; about 19,000 U.S. soldiers were killed during the ve-week campaign.

1961: President John F. Kennedy held the rst live televised presidential news conference.

1971: Charles Manson and three followers were convicted in Los Angeles of murder and conspiracy in the 1969 slayings of seven people, including actor Sharon Tate.

JAN. 26

1887: Groundbreaking began for the Ei el Tower; it was completed just over two years later.

1905: The Cullinan Diamond, the largest diamond ever found at 3,106 carats, was discovered in South Africa.

2020: NBA legend Kobe Bryant, his 13-year- old daughter Gianna and seven others were killed when their helicopter plunged into a steep hillside in dense fog in Southern California; the former Los Angeles Lakers star was 41.

JAN. 27

1756: Composer Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart was born in Salzburg, Austria.

1880: Thomas Edison received a patent for his incandescent electric lamp.

1945: During World War II, Soviet troops liberated the Auschwitz and Birkenau Nazi concentration camps in Poland.

JAN. 28

1547: England’s King Henry VIII died at 55 and was succeeded by his 9 -year- old son, Edward VI.

1813: Jane Austen’s novel “Pride and Prejudice” was

rst published anonymously in London.

1922: Ninety- eight people were killed when the roof of the Knickerbocker Theatre in Washington, D.C., collapsed under the weight of nearly 2 feet of snow.

1956: Elvis Presley made his rst national TV appearance on “Stage Show,” a CBS program hosted by Tommy and Jimmy Dorsey.

1986: The space shuttle Challenger exploded 73 seconds after lifto from Cape Canaveral, Florida, killing all seven crew members, including schoolteacher Christa McAuli e.

JAN. 29

1891: Lili‘uokalani was sworn in as the rst and only queen of the Hawaiian Kingdom following the death of her brother, King Kalākaua.

1936: The rst ve inductees of baseball’s Hall of Fame — Ty Cobb, Babe Ruth, Honus Wagner, Christy Mathewson and Walter Johnson — were elected in Cooperstown, New York.

2002: In his rst State of the Union address, President George W. Bush said terrorists were still threatening America and warned of “an axis of evil”

consisting of North Korea, Iran and Iraq.

JAN. 30

1649: England’s King Charles I was executed for high treason.

1933: Adolf Hitler was named chancellor of Germany.

1948: Indian political and spiritual leader Mohandas K. Gandhi, 78, was shot and killed in New Delhi by a Hindu extremist.

1968: The Tet O ensive began during the Vietnam War as Communist forces launched surprise attacks against South Vietnamese towns and cities.

JAN. 31

1863: During the Civil War, the First South Carolina Volunteers — an all-black Union regiment composed of many who escaped from slavery — was mustered into federal service at Beaufort, South Carolina.

1958: The United States entered the Space Age with its rst successful launch of a satellite, Explorer 1, from Cape Canaveral.

1971: Astronauts Alan Shepard, Edgar Mitchell and Stuart Roosa blasted o aboard Apollo 14 on a mission to the moon.