My wife and I have been catching up on episodes of “The Mysteries of Laura,” the 2014-2016 NBC series starring Debra Messing. Forget murders and chases. The real reason the show resonates with me is because as Laura Diamond juggles the duties of a single mother and police detective, she’s understandably a slob with her car.

Yes, my poor Altima gets woefully neglected inside and out. It’s a magnet for the abundant tree sap in my yard and the interior is home to an archive of fast-food wrappers, receipts, seasonal changes of clothing, mail I dread taking to the kitchen table, books discarded by the public library, broken CDs, etc. No room for an air freshener “tree,” so I duct-tape a couple of Tic Tac mints to the rearview mirror.

It’s like the mobile version of that legendary school locker that houses everything. I mean, there are definitely science experiments being conducted on the floorboard. And I suspect that if I ever have a collision, instead of the airbag deploying, I’ll be greeted with a voice that advises, “Walk it off, walk it off.”

My conveyance has devolved into the opposite of the trope about new cars. You know, “As soon as you drive it off the dealer lot, it loses half its value.” No, whenever I drive off a parking lot, the real estate value of the lot doubles.

Although my car is a 2010 model, it’s a throwback to the 50s. Back then, lots of cars had FINS, and I wouldn’t bet against there being an aquarium somewhere in all the clutter.

Some guys baby their car because of a midlife crisis. I face more of a midwife crisis. (“I think another mouse is experiencing a breech birth in the trunk!”)

I know. You’re supposed to take pride in your vehicle and display it as a status symbol. Well, here’s my status: I’ve got a life! When sandblasting, vacuuming, waxing and decluttering become The Most Important Thing to Do Today, I’ll buckle down. But after all this time, the National Audubon Society fears I would disrupt the migratory pattern of all North American birds. (“Divebomb!”)

Yes, I could stop at one of those Saturday morning fundraiser carwashes, but I would feel guilty about the copious amount of elbow grease it would require. A carwash should be a fun entrepreneurial enterprise for teens, not a lesson in indentured servitude. I’m not out to proselytize, either – I would hate to force the Methodist Youth Group to send out for an exorcist.

Granted, my situation makes me more cautious about traffic violations. You don’t want to hear “May I please see your license and registration?” when your glove compartment is prone to projectile vomiting.

I struggle not to be jealous of those of you who have the time, money and energy to keep your vehicle immaculate. We all have our troubles. (“Oh, pooh, Biff! I ran over a unicorn and it’s going to take AAA a whole five minutes to get here and clean it up.”)

Sometimes I do get riled up about the “perfect” people and daydream about really telling them off, but then a little voice whispers in my ear, “Buddy, can you let us out of the back seat near that big tent? If we’re late, the ringmaster will hire 12 NEW clowns.”

In 1920, the taverns ran dry. The Eighteenth Amendment, also called the Volstead Act, was passed by the U.S. Congress and the amendment was ratified by three-quarters of the nation’s states, despite a veto from President Woodrow Wilson, (bless his heart). It was never illegal to “consume” alcohol during Prohibition, you just couldn’t make it, sell it or ship it.

Alcohol was condemned as the root of all evil. Many churches required their members to sign an abstinence pledge. Alcohol was the cause of the high crime rate, domestic violence, and child abandonment.

When the 1920s came roaring in, women could vote for the first time, and with that new-found power came freedom. Women bobbed their hair, smoked cigarettes, and danced the Charleston in short fringed skirts. Speakeasies operated in the back rooms of upstanding establishments and, by knowing the correct password or that special knock on the door, one could gain entry into an exciting world where it was considered chic to defy the law.

Due to the increased demand for alcohol, the price skyrocketed. To meet this new demand, bootleggers became major suppliers and distillers. Moonshiners became millionaires. Organized crime, led by Al Capone in Chicago, bribed political leaders as well as entire police departments. Mobsters like Lucky Luciano and Bugsy Siegel became famous, or, rather, infamous. It was not alcohol, but the lack of alcohol, that caused an increase in crime.

Gambling has been around since 1665, when settlers in Jamestown held a lottery to raise funds to support their colony. In 1776, Continental Congress organized a lottery to help finance the Revolutionary War.

In 1876, Wild Bill Hickok was shot while playing poker. He held all aces and eights, which became known as the dead man’s hand. However, gambling was acknowledged as acceptable entertainment in many states. But, in the 1920s, gambling became illegal, along with alcohol, and mobsters quickly expanded their operations to include casinos and gambling halls.

Book banning is nothing new. In 1873, Anthony Comstock (the Comstock Act) prevented pamphlets about contraception from being sent through the mail. In the 1920s, many authors wanted to have their books “banned in Boston” because they knew it would increase sales. Hitler not only banned books, but cosmetics as well. The Aryan ideal was a modestly dressed woman wearing no makeup and no jewelry.

Today, friends meet at their favorite watering hole to watch ”the game.” Forty-five states now offer government-operated lotteries and all but six states have casinos, many tribal. Books that were banned and burned remain on the best-seller list, while the “banners” continue to try to “take away.”

The United States still suffers from a high crime rate, domestic violence, and child abandonment. History tells us that none of these problems were solved by taking away freedoms that people had openly enjoyed since the first colonists arrived in the New World.

In 1933, the 21st Amendment turned the regulation of liquor laws back to the states. Two states (North and South Carolina) rejected the 21st Amendment preferring to remain “dry,” while Mississippi kept its Prohibition laws for another thirty years.

President Franklin D. Roosevelt amended the Volstead Act to allow people to have a beer or two while they waited for the 21st Amendment to be ratified – and the first team of Budweiser Clydesdales rewarded him with a ceremonial case of beer.

There are two kinds of people in the world. The ones who give and the ones who take it away. History has proven that “taking away” rights doesn’t always work out as expected.

WADESBORO — Following an article that appeared in the Richmond Daily Journal and Anson Record updating the case of Anson County’s Jane Doe, found behind the National Guard Armory on May 12, 2022, the ACSO released a statement on the case Friday, April 5th, that reads as follows,

“On Friday, January 19, 2024, dental records confirmed that the unidentified remains found in Anson County are not April Michelle Reid.

On January 19, 2024, Anson County called the Bullhead City Police Department in Arizona, asking to speak with Det. Sharpe and were told he no longer worked there. Bullhead City requested ACSO to contact a supervisor via email. The email was sent on the same day.

On the morning of Monday, January 22, 2024, Anson County confirmed Amber Johnston did not have dental records available via NamUS for comparison. Monday afternoon Anson County spoke with Det. Sharpe who stated we were told in error that he no longer works there. Det. Sharpe stated he would follow up with Sharon Johnston, mother of Amber Johnston, to get dental information. On this same date, ACSO spoke with Sharon Johnston.

Sharon Johnson has been an invaluable resource and has provided the ACSO with the names of every place she thought her daughter had or may have had dental treatment as well as insurance companies that would have covered the treatment. Every provided dental office and health insurance company in several states were contacted by the ASCO. The ACSO was able to obtain the dental records on February 26, 2024, from a dental office in Greensburg, Pennsylvania. The records were sent to NamUs, the North Carolina Human Identification and Forensic Analysis Laboratory, and the Medical Examiner’s Office on the same date, for comparison.

On March 27, 2024, the Anson County Sheriff’s Office was notified by the Medical Examiner’s Office that the unidentified remains located in Anson County on May 12, 2022, were referred to a forensic odontologist with the National Missing and Unidentified Persons System (NamUs) for dental comparison with missing person Amber Johnston. In their expert opinion, there is insufficient information to support any dental exclusion or inclusion of Amber Johnston.

IMAGES

NamUs has been provided the original unaltered photos. None of the photos related to this case are in color, and all colorized photos have been altered.

The ACSO has not applied filters to any of the images but has compared photos taken during the day by the same trail camera, and confirmed what some see as possibly being individuals in the photos is the foliage and vegetation.

THE BACKPACK

An extensive search of the area for the backpack and any other items has been completed, as well as interviewing rabbit hunters from Florida who found the backpack in February of 2022. The hunters cannot recall what the backpack looked like or what area in the woods they saw it. There has been no information from any source indicating the backpack had a large sum of money or any personal items. As stated by Captain Tice in February, this information is not sufficient to determine whether the backpack is related to the unidentified remains.”

Law enforcement would like to remind and assure the public that, “The ACSO cannot disclose all details, and actions taken by ACSO related to this case as this is an ongoing investigation. The ACSO will continue to investigate and follow up all tips and leads in this case.”

April 10:

In 1866, the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals was incorporated.

In 1912, the British liner RMS Titanic set sail from Southampton, England, bound for New York on its ill-fated maiden voyage.

In 1932, German President Paul Von Hindenburg was reelected in a runoff, with Adolf Hitler coming in second.

In 1947, Team President Branch Rickey called Jackie Robinson up to the Brooklyn Dodgers from their minor league affiliate the Montreal Royals. (Less than a week later, Robinson would become the first Black player in Major League Baseball when he took the field for the Dodgers.)

In 1963, the fast-attack nuclear submarine USS Thresher (SSN-593) sank during deep-diving tests east of Cape Cod, Massachusetts, in a disaster that claimed 129 lives.

In 1971, a table tennis team from the United States arrived in China at the invitation of the communist government for a goodwill visit that came to be known as “ping-pong diplomacy.”

In 1972, the United States and the Soviet Union joined some 70 nations in signing an agreement banning biological warfare.

In 1974, Golda Meir announced her resignation as prime minister of Israel.

In 1998, the Northern Ireland peace talks concluded as negotiators reached a landmark settlement to end 30 years of bitter rivalries and bloody attacks.

In 2005, Tiger Woods won his fourth Masters with a spectacular finish of birdies and bogeys.

In 2010, Polish President Lech Kaczynski (lehk kah-CHIN’-skee), 60, was killed in a plane crash in western Russia that also claimed the lives of his wife and top Polish political, military and church officials.

In 2012, Rick Santorum quit the presidential race, clearing the way for Mitt Romney to claim the Republican nomination.

In 2017, Justice Neil Gorsuch took his place as the newest addition on the bench of the Supreme Court, restoring a narrow conservative majority.

In 2018, during five hours of questioning from a U.S. Senate panel, Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg batted away accusations that he had failed to protect the personal information of millions of Americans from Russians intent on upsetting the U.S. election, though he conceded that Facebook needed to work harder to make sure the tools it creates are used in “good and healthy” ways.

In 2019, scientists released the first image ever made of a black hole, revealing a fiery, doughnut-shaped object in a galaxy 53 million light-years from earth.

In 2021, speaking to Republican donors at his new home inside his Mar-a-Lago resort, former President Donald Trump slammed Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell as a “stone-cold loser” and mocked McConnell’s wife, Elaine Chao, who had been Trump’s transportation secretary.

In 2023, a Louisville bank employee shot and killed five co-workers, including a close friend of the governor, and wounded eight others in a livestreamed workplace shooting at a bank branch; the shooter, 25-year-old Connor Sturgeon, was fatally shot by police.

ELLERBE — Bridget Hudson of Ellerbe passed away unexpectedly on her way to work on Friday, March 22, 2024, at the age of 30.

Bridget was born on March 3, 1994, to William T. Hudson and Dianna Culley. She attended Richmond County Schools and later obtained her Bachelor of Science from Garner-Webb. She worked for Novant Health and really and truly loved her job as a lactation consultant.

Bridget had a firecracker personality while being willing to help anyone who needed it. She was a loving mother of four. Along with her children and her fiancee, Deion, Bridget found joy at the beach.

She is preceded in death by her father, her grandparents, Ben and Lib Nuttall, Monnie “Marie” Nuttall, Carl and Ruby Hudson.

She leaves behind her fiancee, Deion Davis, and her children, Aiden, Trinity, Arianna, and Olivia, all of Ellerbe; her mother, Dianna Culley, and her husband, Michael, of Hamlet; her brothers and sisters, William H. Hudson, Jordan Wilson, Makayla Wilson, Jennifer Culley and Matt, Phillip Culley; her grandparents, Donnie Nuttall, Sr. and his wife, Dottie, of Rockingham, James and Louise Culley of Hamlet, Archie and Flo Wilson of Auburn, AL; her great-grandmother, Monnie “Took” McCormick; her uncles, Donnie Nuttall, Jr. and his wife, Shari of Jackson Springs; Robbie Nuttall and his wife, Lisa of Rockingham, Aaron Davis of Mechanicsburg, PA; her mother and father-in-law, Shanta Hicks and Howard Davis; many cousins and friends whom she held very dear.

A memorial service will be held on Saturday, March 30, 2024, at 3:00 pm. The family will receive friends one hour prior to the service. All other times at 190 Clayton Carriker Road in Ellerbe.

Interment will be in Eastside Cemetery in Rockingham following the service.

Care of the family is entrusted to Crumpler Funeral Home-Aberdeen.

RALEIGH — According to a statement released by the N.C. Office of the Chief Medical Examiner, an offender’s death has now been ruled a homicide.

Offender Michael F. Crumbley, 58, was assaulted by fellow offenders while serving a twelve-year sentence for a 2018 conviction in Cleveland County as a habitual felon and for drug possession. Crumbley, who is originally from Bessemer City, was serving out his sentence at the Tyrrell Prison Work Farm at the time of the incident, which took place on June 9, 2023.

Following the assault, Crumbley was airlifted to ECU Health Greenville and admitted into ICU. Crumbley succumbed to his injuries five days after the attack at ECU Health Greenville, on Wednesday, June 14, at 1:33 a.m.

Conducting a lengthy investigation, the N.C. Office of the Chief Medical Examiner has issued its final report on the incident Monday.

The State Bureau of Investigation and the Tyrrell County Sheriff’s Office are continuing to investigate the incident. The Department of Adult Correction has also fully cooperated with the above investigation as well as opened one of their own into the incident.

Crumbley had a projected release date of January 7, 2026 and was a minimum custody offender at the facility in Columbia at the time of his murder.

PEACHLAND — Ignoring the controversy swirling around them, the owners and representatives of the proposed Peachland Flea Market have quietly set about forging a livelihood in the long vacant, tranquil fields of the Burnsville area of Anson County.

With determination and grit, attributes long respected as representative of the ingredients integral to carving out one’s American Dream, the father and son duo, Jose and Tona Diaz, are painstakingly weaving their family legacy into the landscape.

“The middle is going to be for food trucks and parking is going to be out back, ” shares the son of the business team, Tona Diaz. He is proud to display the hard work already taking place at the site.

In addition to parking, an anticipated and widely publicized animal auction will be housed in the back, offering livestock options such as chicken, goats, and rabbits.

The proposed flea market is expected to accommodate upwards of six hundred people, and the Diaz’s are confident their freshly graded parking area will function under the burden of a heavy traffic flow pattern, should the venture take off as the Diaz’s envision.

Previously, a poultry farm operated on the site.

Now, one can hardly tell from the newly constructed joist beams, to the cleared away debris from the former dilapidated buildings, that the place was ever a home for fowl. With the sides of the abandoned barns now removed, sunlight can stream in, its rays lighting on various tools and neatly stacked planks of wood.

Gesturing towards the wide open spaces yawning down the length of neatly swept flooring, Tona Diaz confides, “Eventually these buildings will all be enclosed. We still have to put up a fire wall, I know the fire marshal has already mentioned that.”

The Diaz’s have steadily graded the site, aesthetically seeded areas for grass and peach trees, as well as designed an office operational for part-time hours during the week for the ease of customers desiring to rent booth spaces.

In a nod to their new community, the Diaz’s are planting peach trees around the flea market, good naturedly promising not to charge for any of its fruit.

“Before we open we want to invite our neighbors to come out and visit,” shares the elder Diaz, eager to foster goodwill. He is looking forward to breaking bread with their adopted community and building bonds through shared commonalities.

Diaz adds that, “We hope to one day offer horse or donkey rides here for kids. We really want to be a part of this community, a fun place for the people.”

The flea market plans on having ten restrooms, including handicap accommodations. Regular parking is located in the back, but handicapped parking is marked for the front area of the market.

Aware there are rumors circulating in the community, the Diaz’s want to assure residents that no one will be residing on the grounds of the facility. The flea market plans to operate as does any other standard business in the area.

Knowing that safety is of great concern to area residents, the Diaz’s hope to allay these concerns by confirming that Sheriff Howell will allow for at least two off-duty deputies to patrol the flea market’s perimeter, even granting a patrol car to be present at the facility during hours of operation. Should deputies be hired, the Diaz’s confirm that compensation for their security services will come from the flea market, and will not be passed onto tax-payers.

Hours of operation for the flea market are Saturday and Sunday from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m., though Jose Diaz does apologetically caution, “We have to open exactly one hour early for vendors to come and set up.”

ANSON — Spearheading the search for new Anson County teachers, Dr. Josh McLaurin has faced the good, the bad, and the ugly on his hunt to recruit educators to the district.

While on the trail, McLaurin traveled to four of the state’s largest universities. Regarded as the top two teacher recruiting schools in North Carolina, McLaurin first stopped in at East Carolina and Appalachian State.

“There are 271 graduates coming from East Carolina this Spring,” shares McLaurin, adding that Appalachian State is projected to have about 275 graduates from their teaching program.

East Carolina informed McLaurin that this is the first year the school has had under 400 graduates from their program, while Appalachian State reports that in a normal year they would anticipate 350 graduates.

McLaurin notes that one circumstance from his travels he found interesting was, “There were 115 different school districts that came from nineteen different states to recruit from our two biggest schools in North Carolina. Not only are we in competition with other districts in North and South Carolina, we are now in competition with districts all across the nation,” he laments.

When leaving the recruitment fair, McLaurin had an opportunity to speak with other recruiters on their shared walk back to their cars.

“I asked them, ‘ What makes you want to come to North Carolina? Why would you come from Alaska or Arizona all the way to North Carolina?’ Their simple answer back to me was, ‘We pay enough that we can come in here and grab four or five teachers from these two [schools].’”

Two of the smaller schools pursued by McLaurin are UNC Pembroke and UNC Charlotte, with 36 and 94 seniors graduating respectively from their combined education programs.

“We are projecting that when you figure the state has a little bit under 8% attrition rate, 12% attrition rate for beginning teachers, the state of North Carolina is going to have to fill 8,700 teacher vacancies this year,” comments McLaurin.

McLaurin recalls that by day 40 of the last school year, North Carolina was still short 3,000 educators across the state.

Getting to the ugly, McLaurin reports, “We are projecting that number to be higher this year, and this year is not even the bad year. Next year is the year that is going to be really tough as far as recruiting teachers.”

Recognizing the work of high school Principals Chris Stinson and Carri Decker, Dr. McLaurin chose to save the best for last.

Stinson and Decker are involved in a teacher cadet curriculum, aimed at encouraging Anson County school students to consider a career in education.

“Ms. Decker found where we can offer an Associates of Arts and Teacher Prep so that our students can graduate from the Early College or from Anson High School with an associates degree and have those credits there ready to go,” boasted McLaurin.

Another encouraging prospect announced by McLaurin is a teacher assistant apprenticeship available to students through South Piedmont Community College.

“We finalized everything with Wingate so that we are going to be able to send students to Wingate’s teacher assistant program. With the Gateway Scholarship we will be able to get them back to Anson County with almost zero debt for them,” said McLaurin, proud to find a silver lining.

Fans of Bojangles’ cult-favorite dipping sauce—Bo Sauce, a sweet, tangy and creamy sauce with herbs and spices—have been lamenting the disappearance of their favorite condiment since the flavor left menus in 2022, and they haven’t suffered in silence.

Described by one devoted fan as “the biggest crime of 2022 (#devastated)” and another who said, “Every day is dry without Bo Sauce,” Bojangles has received more than 24,000 pleas on X alone for a Bo Sauce return.

“Back by popular demand, Bo Sauce is now available in restaurants to pair with all your favorite menu items,” said Tom Boland, Chief Marketing Officer at Bojangles. “Bo Sauce has been a fan favorite for years, and we are delighted to bring our signature sauce with a creamy, bold bite.”

Bo Sauce is a great complement to just about anything, but pairs best with Bojangles’ bold, juicy, golden Chicken Supremes and perfectly seasoned fries, which are all available at participating Bojangles restaurants. Guests also can conveniently order through the Bojangles app, Bojangles.com and popular food delivery services.

And for the truly devoted, Bo Sauce will be available by the bottle in 1,500 stores across the Southeast, including Food Lion, Harris Teeter, Ingles, KJ’s, Lowes Foods and Piggly Wiggly retailers, beginning in April. Bojangles is partnering with Sauer Brands to launch the new bottled dipping sauces.

“Bojangles’ dipping sauces hold a special place in our guests’ hearts because the flavors complement our delicious chicken so well,” said Boland. “We’re excited about the partnership with Sauer Brands, making it possible for even more fans to enjoy our most popular sauces in the convenience of their homes.”

In addition to Bo Sauce, the bottled dipping sauce flavors also include Bojangles’ signature Honey Mustard and BBQ. Each 14-oz bottle is sold individually.

WINGATE – Children around the world have adverse experiences that can hinder their development and lead to problems down the road. But are the difficult experiences of children in low-to-middle-income countries different from those in higher-income countries, and, if so, are the outcomes later in life appreciably different?

That’s what Dr. Shanta Dube, director of Wingate University’s Master of Public Health program, and her colleagues from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) set out to explore in a special issue of the international journal Child Abuse and Neglect being released next week.

Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) are well studied, beginning with groundbreaking research by Kaiser and the CDC that Dube worked on in the 1990s. Most of the studies of ACEs, however, have been undertaken in higher-income countries and among adults.

For the special issue of Child Abuse and Neglect, Dube and her fellow guest editors, Dr. Leah Gilbert, of the NIH, and Dr. Francis Annor, of the CDC, solicited submissions from researchers working in low-to-middle-income countries, such as those in sub-Saharan Africa, Central and South America, and Asia. What the research from the special issue shows is that ACEs in these countries – even if some of the experiences and context differ – lead to similar health outcomes and that the outcomes begin in childhood and young adulthood.

“What we’ve seen is that ACEs contribute to similar negative health and behavioral outcomes among youth and young adults to what we’ve seen in studies conducted in developed nations among adults,” Dube says.

In developed countries, ACEs typically include abuse, neglect, and household exposures to growing up with mental illness, domestic abuse, criminality in the home, and parental separation or divorce. In developing countries, children experience much of the same problems but also often deal with greater instances of orphanhood, poor nutrition, food insecurity, unsafe housing, unstable home environments, unhygienic living conditions, and exposure to pathogens and environmental toxins, among other things.

The studies show that ACEs are common and manifest as broadly similar outcomes in developed and developing countries.

“When it comes to childhood development, we are trying to increase awareness of these exposures in different contextual environments,” Dube says. “In these studies, youth and young

adults are at risk of HIV, mental illness, behavioral risk, suicidality – which is similar to what we have observed in developed nations studying ACEs among adults, as was the case with the original ACE Study.”

The editors spent a year and a half soliciting submissions, vetting them for relevance and scientific rigor, and then editing the chosen peer-reviewed studies. The result is a 16-paper issue.

Dube says that the special issue goes a long way toward filling in a research gap and raising awareness about ACEs and how they contribute to health outcomes in other contexts. It could also lead to substantial changes at a governmental level and to better health outcomes.

“Basically, the data are used by developing nations to inform programs and policies to help mitigate the outcomes and prevent future generations from experiencing ACEs,” Dube says. Check the Child Abuse and Neglect website for more information about the special issue.

ANSON — On the morning of May 28, 1900, hundreds flocked to the small town of Wadesboro, eager to glimpse the rare sighting of a total solar eclipse.

In addition to enthusiastic attendees, scientists the world over led scientific expeditions to the tiny southern town that had briefly gained status as a scientific wonder. For on that blistering day in May, Wadesboro lay in the sun’s path of eclipse totality.

Scientific entities present for the rare event included the University of Chicago, the Smithsonian, Princeton University, and the British Astronomical Association, among many others.

Trains brought in hundreds of people to view totality. Much as it does today, capitalization reigned supreme in early 1900 America, and the eclipse was no different. Jumping on the bandwagon, an excursion train from Charlotte barreled into Wadesboro, ferrying those fortunate enough to purchase a ticket on the special train.

Determined to be the best place to view the coming eclipse, the streets of Wadesboro were lined with spectators as effects from the eclipse became visible at 7:30 a.m. Believing a better vantage point might be gained with height, many spectators craned their heads out of windows, or clamored onto the rooftop of the buildings that lined downtown. Electrifying anticipation coursed through the gathered crowd, as viewers stood with their gaze transfixed on the sky.

Totality was reached at 1:54 p.m. and lasted for two minutes and ten seconds.

Mingled in among the crowd of eager eclipse viewers, was a reporter with the Anson Independent, who reported a significant, and welcome, drop in temperature during the eclipse.

According to a paper published on www.nc.gov, two previous attempts by the scientific community to view a solar eclipse during a rare totality event were unsuccessful. The Wadesboro eclipse widely became seen as a shot at redemption by scientists, excited to succeed in photographing the solar corona. Previous scientific expeditions to view a total eclipse occurred in 1896, when weather conditions prevented viewing, and also in 1898 when a plague affecting the area prevented entry.

This rare event will again be visible in North Carolina, though Wadesboro will not be a focal point for enthusiasts or scientists. Anson County will not be in the path of totality this time around, though the eclipse will appear as a partial solar eclipse to those in North Carolina during the Monday, March 8, 2024 eclipse. The eclipse will be visible across North America, passing through Mexico, the United States, and Canada. Texas, where skies are expected to be clear, is widely touted as having the biggest view of this year’s eclipse. Visible effects from the eclipse will be seen in the Anson County area starting at 2 p.m. and ending at 4 p.m. Monday afternoon.

ANSON — Addressing the Board of Education at the Monday, March 25 meeting, Dr. Mary Ratliff announced, “Mr. (Howard) McLean assigned me the task of researching the feasibility of an alternative school versus an alternative program.”

As part of her research, Ratliff toured Montgomery County Alternative School Program and Richmond County Schools, finding that the schools serve grades six through twelve on the same campus. She determined the setup worked for both schools as the sixth and eighth grade students are educated in a different area of the school from upperclassmen.

“They have separate lunches and they do not intermingle during the day,” informed Dr. Ratliff.

Great pains are taken to ensure age segregation, as Ratliff notes that students also remain apart for physical education classes and scheduled recesses.

Both districts explained to Dr. Ratliff that the decision to combine grades is one of safety.

“They felt like if they could address the issue early, they had a good chance of correcting the issue. If you wait until the ninth grade, then kids are already indoctrinated,” counseled Ratliff.

Acknowledging that she had no idea what to expect, Ratliff admitted, “I was really surprised by the atmosphere at both schools. I noticed that most of the students looked like they were very engaged. I did not see any of the behaviors I had expected to see.”

A practice employed by the schools that struck a chord with Ratliff, is hanging brightly colored posters announcing affirmative messages on school walls, gently reminding students passing under the encouraging signage of all that they can be.

In Richmond County, Ratliff discovered a Time Out Room, complete with punching bag for students to release aggression pent up throughout the school day.

Explaining the punching bag to Ratliff, Richmond educators clarified, “When a child gets upset in traditional settings, what you would do is send that child home on suspension. Because this is the last stop, you cannot come to an alternative school and act up. Our goal is to graduate these students.”

According to Richmond’s theory, students can go to the Time Out Room and decompress before returning to the classroom. Providing students with a decompression option allows for them to be present in the classroom for instruction, instead of, for example, home folding laundry or learning virtually, while suspended from school.

“I can tell you, we miss a lot of instructional days due to out of school suspensions. If you miss one day of instruction you get behind. If you miss ten days of school you are returning to school way behind.”

Ratliff went on to comment, “Students that graduate from an alternative school can graduate with 22 credits, while at a traditional school it is 28.”

In the proposal that the Anson County School District is sending to the state, two critical pathways are addressed, discipline and academic learning.

Should the alternative school application be approved by the state, Dr. Ratliff shares that, “We are looking at grades nine through twelve for credit recovery students and elementary grade students will only go based on referrals for discipline.”

According to Ratliff, younger students will attend the alternative school based on referral because parents of small children suspended for extended periods face childcare hardship. Once a referral is issued, a hearing will be called for the student to be attended by their parents, teacher, and relevant faculty members.

“We have had instances where children have been angry, are suspended, and when they finish that suspension, come back still angry. That is not a safe environment for everyone concerned… it is safer not to have that student back,” advised Ratliff.

At the Montgomery and Richmond alternative school or program, students are sat down on day one and asked about who they want to be and goals the student would like to set for themselves. A personal lesson plan is then devised from each student’s individual goals that is revisited throughout the school year to determine the student’s progress.

Touching on financial concerns, Superintendent McLean announced, “We are going to fund this program very similar to how we fund our programs now. If we get one hundred students, the state will pay for a principal. We do not anticipate having one hundred students so the coordinator for the program will need to be funded locally.”

After years of trying to develop what he called a “premium” hamburger, McDonald’s CFO Ian Borden surprised no one the other day by announcing that the company’s new focus is not making burgers better, just a lot bigger.

The move won’t please nutritionists, but it fits perfectly with a growing desire among Americans for super-sized stuff.

Consider ads for the 2024 Chevrolet Suburban boasting that, at 18 feet in length, the vehicle is “impossible to ignore.” Chevy refers to its massive SUV as “a room with a view.”

And what about the 100-year-old Stanley company that found new life when its giant drinking cups became a sensation. Now Stanley is selling a humongous 96-ounce version for $90, “thoughtfully designed to be your personal hydration companion.” When this big baby is filled with water it weighs 8.8 pounds.

In the world of fashion — or at least fashion fads — a recent headline in the New York Times noted “Fashion’s Big Idea: Oversize Everything.” Seems skinny jeans are out and clown pants are in. This month Julianne Hough wore what might have been the biggest pants in Oscar history when she hosted ABC’s red carpet show. “Hough wore a white Alexandre Vauthier couture jumpsuit with a gold and silver metallic bodice,” People Magazine dutifully reported. “The pants were so voluminous, though, that they acted as an optical illusion, making her jumpsuit look like a gown.”

The fascination with over-sized items comes at a time when many folks are troubled by a shift toward deceptively smaller products in categories such as snack foods, the result of what’s known as shrinkflation. “Some companies are trying to pull a fast one by shrinking the products little by little and hoping you won’t notice,” said President Biden last month.

But there’s no such problem when it comes to, say, TV screens. They’ve grown steadily in recent years—from roughly 55 inches, measured diagonally, to 98 inches. Samsung offers a version it calls The Wall, which measures 292 inches, making it the largest TV on the retail market.

Being a golfer I was intrigued by a club I saw on Amazon named the Sooolong, with the “biggest, baddest driver head on the planet.” It’s listed at 750cc’s, which, for the record, is about 60% larger than USGA rules permit.

The rest of the world has long scoffed at the way we Americans favor bigness — from our 10-gallon hats to our Big Gulp sodas.

That brings us back to McDonald’s which recently offered a Double Big Mac sandwich, consisting of one-and-a-half buns surrounding four beef patties. “The opportunity is significant” said Mr. Borden, for a “large, more satiating type burger.”

Satiate is an interesting choice of words to describe the trend. The dictionary defines it as “gorge, overfeed, sicken and nauseate,” which are really big matters, to say the least.

ARIES - Mar 21/Apr 20

Aries, communication with a spouse or a loved one is vital this week; otherwise, you risk arguments for no reason at all. Sit down and have some frank conversations about your needs.

TAURUS - Apr 21/May 21

Taurus, when you face adversity you should rest assured that you can handle anything that is thrown at you. Although, you may need a little help from some close friends or family.

GEMINI - May 22/Jun 21

Gemini, others may not understand who you are and could make assumptions that are inaccurate. They may just need some more information to get a clearer picture.

CANCER - Jun 22/Jul 22

Cancer, many elements of your life are starting to level out this week. That can be a comfort to you because you seemingly have been running around for some time and could use a break.

LEO - Jul 23/Aug 23

Leo, others have nothing but good things to say to you this week. Bask in their kind words and adoration, and use this as motivation for future endeavors.

VIRGO - Aug 24/Sept 22

With no big events on the horizon, you may want to manufacture one to have a reason to party, Virgo. Start planning your guest list and come up with a fun theme to get behind.

LIBRA - Sept 23/Oct 23

Libra, while you should be mindful of your goals, you also can support those around you as they pursue their own. Serve as inspiration to people in your life right now.

SCORPIO - Oct 24/Nov 22

Scorpio, this is a good time to start tackling some projects around the house that have been put off for some time. Redecorating and remodeling can be an inspiration right now.

SAGITTARIUS - Nov 23/Dec 21

Take a step back and reevaluate your approach to a situation because the way you have been doing it just hasn’t yielded the results you expected, Sagittarius. Take suggestions and tips.

CAPRICORN - Dec 22/Jan 20

Capricorn, high energy may have you swinging at the fences every time you try to tackle something. You may want to dial things back and take a more measured approach.

AQUARIUS - Jan 21/Feb 18

Various transitions in your life could temporarily disrupt your daily activities, Aquarius. You’ll find a new groove soon enough that will feel comfortable and provide you with what you need.

PISCES - Feb 19/Mar 20

Don’t take stock of what all the naysayers have been dishing out, Pisces. You know yourself better than others and recognize what you are able to accomplish. Get started on plans.

FAMOUS BIRTHDAYS

MARCH 24

Peyton Manning, Athlete (48)

MARCH 25

Katharine McPhee, Singer (40)

MARCH 26

Jonathan Groff, Actor (39)

MARCH 27

Mariah Carey, Singer (55)

MARCH 28

Vince Vaughn, Actor (54)

MARCH 29

Leah Williamson, Athlete (27)

MARCH 30

Celine Dion, Singer (56)

March 27:

In 1513, Spanish explorer Juan Ponce de Leon sighted present-day Florida.

In 1625, Charles I acceded to the English throne upon the death of James I.

In 1794, Congress approved “An Act to provide a Naval Armament” of six armed ships.

In 1912, first lady Helen Herron Taft and the wife of Japan’s ambassador to the United States, Viscountess Chinda, planted the first two of 3,000 cherry trees given to the U.S. as a gift by the mayor of Tokyo.

In 1945, during World War II, General Dwight D. Eisenhower told reporters in Paris that German defenses on the Western Front had been broken.

In 1964, Alaska was hit by a magnitude 9.2 earthquake (the strongest on record in North America) and tsunamis that together claimed about 130 lives.

In 1968, Soviet cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin (gah-GAH’-rihn), the first man to orbit the Earth in 1961, died when his MiG-15 jet crashed during a routine training flight near Moscow; he was 34.

In 1973, “The Godfather” won the Academy Award for best picture of 1972, but its star, Marlon Brando, refused to accept his Oscar for best actor, and in what would become one of the Oscars’ most famous moments sent in his place actor and activist Sacheen Littlefeather, who spoke out about the depiction of Native Americans in Hollywood. (In 2022, months before her death, the Academy would apologize for the “abuse” Littlefeather received at the time.)

In 1975, construction began on the Trans-Alaska Pipeline, which was completed two years later.

In 1977, in aviation’s worst disaster, 583 people were killed when a KLM Boeing 747, attempting to take off in heavy fog, crashed into a Pan Am 747 on an airport runway on the Canary Island of Tenerife (ten-uh-REEF’).

In 1980, 123 workers died when a North Sea floating oil field platform, the Alexander Kielland, capsized during a storm.

In 2012, award-winning poet Adrienne Rich, died in Santa Cruz, California at age 82, while art critic Hilton Kramer, died in Harpswell, Maine at 83.

In 2018, retired Supreme Court Justice John Paul Stevens, in an essay on The New York Times website, called for the repeal of the Second Amendment to allow for significant gun control legislation.

In 2019, Facebook said it was extending its ban on hate speech to prohibit the promotion and support of white nationalism and white separatism.

In 2022, Will Smith slapped Chris Rock on stage at the Oscar and won best actor just minutes later. (Smith was later expelled from the movie academy and received a 10-year ban from the Oscars.)

ANSON — This week, the North Carolina Sheriffs’ Association hosted sheriffs newly elected or appointed in November, 2022 for the fourth and final week of the Sheriffs’ Leadership Institute in Chapel Hill. Sheriffs from across the state including Anson County Sheriff Scott Howell attended. The Sheriffs’ Leadership Institute is held at the Rizzo Center of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

During the week, sheriffs listened to guest speakers, attended training classes and presentations on a variety of topics to help them improve their skills to be an effective sheriff. Topics covered included leadership strategies, personal resiliency, ethics and professionalism, social media, community engagement, school resource officers, courthouse security, and the Statewide Misdemeanant Confinement Program.

At the conclusion of the week, Sheriff Howell graduated from the Sheriffs’ Leadership Institute and earned a diploma for his achievement.

The Sheriffs’ Leadership Institute is held every four years following the election for the Office of Sheriff in North Carolina and is taught in one-week segments over the course of sixteen months. The North Carolina Sheriffs’ Association has organized the Institute since 2006, and almost every newly elected sheriff in the state since then has attended to receive the valuable training offered by the Association.

Sheriff Howell commented on his experience over the course of the Sheriffs’ Leadership Institute, sharing, “As a new sheriff, I have been grateful for the opportunity to collaborate with and be mentored by experienced sheriffs and learn from experts in the field during each week of the Institute. I look forward to applying the knowledge I gained as I work every day to keep the citizens of Anson County safe.”

Founded in 1922, the North Carolina Sheriffs’ Association is a statewide not-for-profit professional and educational organization of our state’s 100 sheriffs. Through their Association, sheriffs work to strengthen the law enforcement profession and services their offices provide to the people of North Carolina.