Friday, April 18, 2025

FRIDAY, APRIL 18, 2025

Good Morning! On this day in 1791, President George Washington stopped in Tarboro during a tour of the southern states. Col. John B. Ashe escorted him into town as a single cannon salute welcomed the procession.

For those of you who celebrate Easter, check out Et Cetera for some southern bake-and-take side dish recipes you can make for dinner on Sunday.

We’re sponsored today by World Concern. If you’re looking for a unique and thoughtful gift idea for Easter, check out their ads in today’s edition.

MS-13 Gang Members Sentenced in Charlotte

Three members of the La Mara Salvatrucha gang, known as MS-13, were sentenced in federal court in Charlotte on Wednesday for violent crimes committed in support of the gang’s racketeering enterprise, including a 2022 murder.

Christian Alejandro Garcia Santa Cruz, 32, of El Salvador, and Aderly Jose Veliz-Ronquillo, 30, of Guatemala, were each sentenced to 35 years in prison for “using a firearm during a crime of violence resulting in death.”

Luis Fernando Guardardo Moreno, 24, of El Salvador, was sentenced to 20 years in prison followed by three years of supervised release for racketeering conspiracy under the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (RICO) Act.

The men were members—some in leadership roles—of the Hollywood Locos Salvatrucha Clique, which operated in and around North Carolina, Virginia, Maryland, Washington D.C., and beyond. Two additional MS-13 members who held leadership positions have pleaded guilty to RICO conspiracy and await sentencing.

House Advances Book Removal Bill

North Carolina House Bill 636, which allows challenged books to be removed from public school libraries, passed 63-46 on Wednesday and is moving on to the Senate.

Titled Promoting Wholesome Content for Students, the bill requires the State Board of Education to create a database of rejected library media and directs local school boards to form a 10-member community advisory committee—half of whom must be parents—to review content and make recommendations to local school boards.

Republicans describe the bill as a way to protect children from vulgar or pornographic material, while Democrats say book rejections will suppress ideas and free speech.

Addressing the opposing Democrats in the chamber, Rep. Neal Jackson, R-Moore, said, “If you want children to look at pornography or inappropriate stuff, order it off of Amazon or go to the public library.”

Griffin Fights to Keep 5K+ Ballots in Dispute

Republican state Supreme Court candidate Jefferson Griffin argued in a new court filing Wednesday that the North Carolina State Board of Elections is defying the most recent court order in his ballot challenge against appointed incumbent Democrat Allison Riggs.

Griffin says 5,700 challenged votes should remain in the dispute, not just the 1,675 the board plans to review. He also objected to the board’s decision to instruct only one county to offer a cure process to affected overseas voters, despite protests being filed in six counties.

In addition, Griffin’s petition stated the board is addressing only 266 “never residents” despite a court order to remove all of them from the count. He also protested the board’s creation of a cure process for never residents despite the court forbidding it.

Griffin has asked the court to issue an order directing the board to “faithfully comply with the mandate.”

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Need a Last-Minute Easter Gift? Look No Further than Goats.

You’ve heard about chocolate bunnies and plastic eggs—but have you ever thought about giving the gift of a goat this Easter? Make a generous gift through World Concern’s Global Gift Guide where the gift of a goat, chickens, clean water, or education can dramatically change a family’s life.

We’ve made a list of items that kids and families in some of the most remote and overlooked parts of the world desperately need. We’re offering the opportunity for you to give an Easter gift that brings new life to those in need just like Jesus did for you and me.

We’re calling it our Global Gift Guide, and you can even give a gift in honor of someone you love and let them know they had a part in changing a life.

Give a Goat

➤ Statewide: Gov. Josh Stein announced a $41 million program to connect 11,816 households and businesses in 17 counties to high-speed internet. (More)

➤ Graham County: The Haoe Lead Fire in Nantahala National Forest had grown to 800 acres and was 0% contained as of Wednesday afternoon. No evacuations or injuries had been reported, but several trails were closed. (See Details)

➤ McDowell County: Meanwhile, the Bee Rock Creek Fire had grown to 300 acres and was 0% contained as of Wednesday afternoon. No structure damage or injuries had been reported, but evacuation orders for Wild Acres Road residents remained in effect. (More)

➤ Durham: Duke University students, staff, and faculty planned a campus march Thursday as part of nationwide protests against Trump administration policies. (More)

➤ Fuquay-Varina: Seventeen-year-old high school student Holden Bierman is the CEO of an online swimwear company called Coastal Cool that sells and ships swimwear made from recycled plastic bottles to customers worldwide. (More)

➤ Bodie Island Lighthouse opens for daily climbing today through Oct. 13. Tickets must be purchased online and on the day of intended climbs. Cape Hatteras Lighthouse is not available for climbing this year due to ongoing restoration efforts. (More)

➤ Duke men’s basketball star freshman Kon Knueppel announced his intention to enter the 2025 NBA draft. He is projected as a top-10 pick. (More)

➤ UNC quarterback Ryan Browne is entering the transfer portal after just one semester in Chapel Hill. (More)

➤ Defending ACC women’s tennis champion UNC pursues a repeat of last year’s success at 12:30 p.m. today in the quarterfinals at Cary Tennis Park as the No. 2 seed against either No. 10 seed Miami or No. 7 seed Stanford. (More)

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➤ Step into comfort with Barestep’s barefoot shoes—now 50% off for a limited time! Designed with orthopedists, these ultra-light, flexible shoes relieve foot pain, improve posture, and boost circulation. Experience natural movement and long-term foot health. Don’t miss this exclusive offer—your feet will thank you!

➤ Duke Health and Novant Health submitted a joint Certificate of Need to build a $225 million hospital in Mebane, setting up competition for Cone Health, which plans to build a $250 million hospital in the Alamance County portion of the city. (More)

➤ North Carolina secured a legal settlement with Cortland Management, LLC, barring the use of AI tools to set rent prices amid concerns they were inflating costs for tenants. (See Details)

➤ A comparison of business-friendliness across 1,300 small cities nationwide ranked Morrisville No. 23, Mooresville No. 25, and Salisbury No. 28. (See Rankings)

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➤ Be prepared for any emergency with the Lone Survivalist Medical Go-Bag! This lightweight, weatherproof kit combines essential medical supplies and survival gear in one portable package. Designed for real-world crises—accidents, disasters, or everyday emergencies—it ensures you’re ready when every second counts. Limited stock—act now!

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Easter reminds us that through Christ, all things are made new—and together, we can bring that renewal to families in desperate need.

You can follow His example today: the Easter Global Gift Guide is filled with opportunities to share His love in tangible, life-changing ways.

Here are some items that can change the whole world for a family in need:

• Goat: Provides nutritious milk and an income from the goat’s offspring to feed the family and send the children to school. Also includes training in animal care and vaccinations.

• Solar Audio Bible: Gives families who can’t read the ability to hear God’s Word in their own language. Recharged in the sun.

• Clean Water: Clean water solutions for families and villages that are at risk because of lack of drinking water.

• More options

➤ A Meredith College poll found that 47% of likely North Carolina voters support allowing concealed handgun carry without a permit, 57% want to limit public restroom use based on someone’s sex, and 68% support a cellphone ban in schools. (More)

➤ The Flat Iron Hotel in Asheville made Travel + Leisure’s list of The 100 Best New Hotels of the Year, thanks in part to its restored 1920s-era grand dame filled with art deco elements, including an original brass letterbox and a 1939 red Steinway piano. (More)

➤ This list of 10 Southern-inspired bake-and-take Easter recipes includes dishes like macaroni corn casserole, new-school pineapple casserole, and party potatoes. (See Recipes)

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➤ Drive Bright™ night driving glasses are engineered to enhance nighttime visibility and reduce glare from oncoming headlights. Featuring polarized lenses with advanced GlareCut™ technology, they filter out harsh light, improving contrast and clarity in low-light conditions. Compatible with prescription glasses, Drive Bright™ provides a practical solution for safer night driving.