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SCOTLAND — Following last Thursday’s sweep at the hand of arch-rival Scotland, the Richmond Senior High School Lady Raiders will face third seed Union Pines in the opening round of the Sandhills Athletic Conference Tournament.

After falling in straight sets 25-14, 25-23 and 25-17, the giving the Scotland Fighting Lady Scots a series sweep, the Lady Raiders will likely face the Union Pines Lady Vikings in the SAC Tournament opener, who also swept the Lady Raiders twice this season.

“The girls could have played better. Offensively, we struggled a bit tonight. All-in-all, they played pretty well. The second set was good,” Richmond coach Ashleigh Larsen said.

After keeping it close in the first set with both teams in a 7-7 stalement, Scotland pulled away after going on a 5-0 run and build a commanding double-digit lead until match point, taking the first of three sets 25-14. In the second, the Lady Raiders came to their senses. Similar to the first set, the Lady Scots began to pull away early, but a kill by outside hitter Ka’Mora Watkins and an errant shot closed the distance 18-14, then a kill and an ace by JNasia Neal, as well as a net violation pulled Richnond within a point, but that’s as close to victory as the Lady Raiders would get as Scotland pulled away while capitlizing on Richmond’s errors in communication. For Scotland coach Adam Romaine, defeating rival Richmond on senior night is special, but with reallignment looming, he worries it will be the final time both teams meet in conference play.

“It’s always good to beat Richmond on senior night. To not know where we’re going to fall at next year with the realignment, this may be the last time we play them as a senior night. We take those two things out (from Thursday) it was kind of big for these girls also,” Romaine said. “I love the coach from Richmond. We always work well together when we do these senior nights. We were at their place last year. I thought it was so cool, so I said take all of the time you want for those seniors. She let us do the same thing tonight, and I was grateful for that also.”

While the first and second set were contentious early, Scotland ran away with the third set, despite a strong effort from Richmond outside hitter Riley McDonald, who kept the Lady Raiders in it early with a kill and an ace. The Lady Scots eventually took the third set 25-17 and will likely face Southern Lee (8-12, 1-11) in the SAC Tournament opener, With the win, Scotland ends the regular season 17-5 and second in the SAC to Pinecrest with a 8-4 record. who the Scots previously defeated 3-0 and 3-1. Richmond ends the regular season 7-13 and sixth in the SAC with a 3-9 record. As for the postseason, despite limited practice due to homecoming, Larsen believes her team will be ready to challenge Union Pines.

We just have to with more intensity, and be ready to roll. We need to bring that intensity from Thursday,” Larsen said.

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LILESVILLE — In a continuing sign of Lilesville’s tourist attraction potential, Whimsical Wings Butterfly Farm will be opening this April, introducing the area to the ins and outs of raising endangered Monarch butterflies.

Buying the expansive land for the farm from Travis Goodwin, owners Donna Pless and Pamela Christian anticipate a spring opening to accommodate area school field trips and the migration cycle of the monarch.

“Our monarch presentation dovetails perfectly with the North Carolina state curriculum on butterflies,” Pless said.

Operating by appointment only, Whimsical Wings Farm primarily caters to educating students and schools are encouraged to book a field trip out to the farm. The farm will offer “Community Days,” where Whimsical Wings will be open to the public to come out and tour the farm.

Pless and Christian, bonding over their shared love of monarchs, farming and working with plants, decided to open a butterfly farm jointly and began searching in earnest for a track of land to support their needs. Running into a land shortage in Union County, the two branched out to Anson County, finally lighting on the sprawling lake-front property located at 120 Whimsical Way in Lilesville. This spring is the pair’s first full year operating Whimsical Wings Farm.

“A lot of research, as well as trial and error, have gone into creating the monarch experience at Whimsical Wings Farm,” Pless said.

Interestingly, the Monarch Butterfly is one of the only known of its species to conduct two-way migrations in the same way as birds. Not able to survive harsh winter temperatures, monarchs rely on environmental cues to know when it is time to head south for the winter. The butterflies have been known to fly as far as 3,000 miles to reach their winter haven. In order to get on the monarch route, Pless and Christian recommend planting plenty of milkweed plants in your area. Milkweed plants are the chosen host plant of the monarch butterfly, though one plant cannot sustain more than two growing caterpillars. When planting additional milkweed plants in order to accommodate more than two caterpillars, they recommended planting them close together, even allowing the leaves to touch.

In an effort to assist the endangered monarch population, butterfly growing kits are available through www.whimsicalwings.com and consist of a milkweed plant, eggs which evolve into caterpillars, then chrysalis, before finally emerging into the world as the dainty, colorful monarch butterfly beloved the world over. The kits not only make excellent gifts, they allow individuals, families, and students to experience the magical metamorphosis of the monarch.

“We encourage kit buyers to plant their milkweed plant after releasing their monarchs in order to encourage seasonal butterfly visits,” Pless said.

Pless and Christian raise their monarchs in netted containers, harvest the butterflies in their chrysalis form and then hatch them in the Flight House, a netted building that provides a safe space for their tiny, winged charges. Inside the Flight House, Pless and Christian have created a habitat of imaginative whimsy filled with plants to attract butterflies, such as butterfly bushes and milkweed. As monarchs feed through a tiny straw-like appendage called a proboscis, hummingbird feeders work as perfectly for them as their petite bird counterparts. The feeders can be filled with a mix of Gatorade and soy sauce to entice and nourish the butterflies.

“Monarchs love fruit, particularly rotted bananas and watermelon,” Christian said.

Beside the butterflies’ Flight House is a greenhouse, where Pless and Christian grow their milkweed plants on site.

“When students tour the farm they can expect to get to dress up like butterflies, learn all about the life cycle and flight paths of the Monarch butterfly and then put it all together when they step inside the magical world of the Flight House,” Pless said.

Gazing around the sanctuary of the Flight Room, Christian said, “It is great to see the light bulb go off when students interact with the butterflies. When you get to touch, feel and learn about the process- you learn to care about it more, the experience becomes more meaningful.”

Appointments can be scheduled through the Whimsical Wings website, by calling (336) 687-1814 or visiting the farm’s Facebook page.

ROCKINGHAM — The Richmond Senior high school Raiders had to go to an emergency goalkeeper Monday night after keepers Cam Williams and Adrian Padron suffered injuries in the second half of Monday’s game 5-0 loss to the Pinecrest Patriots.

The Patriots, who currently top the s”Sandhills Athletic Conference standings with an undefeated 6-0 record, jumped out to a 3-0 lead on the Raiders after finding the net 17 minutes into the first half.

“We’re still learning. We’re still growing. We’re still a young team. Hopefully, we’re taking all of this moving forward with it and taking something out of it ” RSHS coach Chris Larsen said. “We beat Southern Lee the other week 3-1. That was a big confidence boost. That’s what I’ve referenced to them at halftime. I’ve seen it. [They’ve] done it. [They’ve] seen success out of it. It’s just a matter of replicating that success. We didn’t do those things tonight, and like I told them ‘It showed.’ We didn’t have many scoring opportunities. We didn’t get the ball off of our foot. We did not work together and when you don’t do that you don’t create chances.”

Despite giving up three scores, Williams maintained his composure only giving up a goal before a mid-air collision with a teammate while attempting to block a shot prematurely ended William’s night. Padron, who planned to take the night off to rest an injured hamstring, stepped in but re-aggravated the injury. A limping Padron attempted to stay in the game, but game officials eventually sent him to the Raiders’ bench. With Padron and Williams unavailable, Coach Larsen opted to center back Gonzalo Gonzalez, who despite the disadvantage kept the Patriots off the scoreboard through the final minutes.

“We came out a little bit flat, and [Pinecrest] was the more aggressive team. It put us on our heels … We put pressure on ourselves that we normally shouldn’t,” Larsen said. “We played a lot better in the second half. It didn’t show on the scoreboard, but I think we moved the ball a lot better in the second half, until we got banged up here and there and started moving some bodies around. That’s the nature of it sometimes.”

With the win, Pinecrest improved to 10-2 and remains undefeated in SAC play at 6-0. After ending their previous game against Richmond in a 1-0 nail-biter, Pinecrest coach Andrew Bradham said his team had no intentions of undermining the Raiders, who fell to 3-10-2 and 2-4-1 in the SAC. The Raiders return to the pitch Thursday for a road game against Hoke County while the Patriots face Southern Lee, who currently sits second in the SAC standings.

“The guys are really enjoying the brand, the style of play we’re putting out there. There is a really good culture on the team. They are positive with each other and all of that, but they are also demanding excellence in each other, and wanting more in themselves,” said Bradham, who looks forward to facing Southern Lee later this week. “We feel good. We feel confident. Nobody wants to be over confident in this situation, but at the same time we don’t want to go into that game confident, ready to play our game and battle.”

WADESBORO — Stopping by the Ladybug Restaurant while on his Tour Across the State, North Carolina Attorney General and Democrat Gubernatorial Candidate Josh Stein took time to answer questions, define where he stands on issues impacting Anson County citizens and his competitor, Lt. Gov. Mark Robinson’s recent campaign stumbling blocks.

Stein said his campaign focuses on unity and progress while Robinson and the Republican Party seek division, violence, and unjust voting laws.

“From a church pulpit of all places, he [Robinson] detailed, “Some folks need killing. That is not just what he said, it is what he would do. CNN reported a couple weeks ago that he called himself a Nazis. The man is a conspiracy theorist… he denies the holocaust and friends we need to deny him the North Carolina governorship,” Stein said.

Moving on to address the state’s abysmal education ratings following COVID, Stein said it is the Republican Party, who hollowed out the state’s education system. Recent scoring indicates multiple schools across Richmond and Anson counties underperformed in a variety of subjects. He acknowledges while he will strive to get teacher pay in North Carolina in line with the national average, the state has a lot of work to do to accomplish this goal.

“Starting teacher pay funding is 42, the lowest of every state that touches North Carolina,” Stein said. Sharing sad information uncovered by his wife over the summer, Stein described four graduating college students headed into teaching this fall. Each of the North Carolina natives told Stein’s wife they were accepting positions in other states as they could not financially justify accepting positions here. That is disgraceful and we can do better … If we have more money to pay teachers… We need to invest more, expect the best, and we will get the best,” Stein said.

Transitioning next into law enforcement issues plaguing the state, Stein mentioned a proposal he has introduced already to state legislature that would recruit and retain well-trained law enforcement officers. This issue may resonate with Anson County as county deputies recently began patrolling Wadesboro streets due to a hiring shortfall.

“Some of the proposals have been adopted by legislatures, others they have not, such as a hiring focus for new officers to come to North Carolina from other states, for instance from the military or that are new to the profession. We want to strengthen local law enforcement agencies by funding them better so that they can better protect us,” Stein said.

ROCKINGHAM — More than friends family and Richmond Senior High School alumni will be in attendance for Friday’s game as former RSHS coach Bryan Till coming to town with his new team, Union Pines, who remains undefeated in Sandhills Athletic Conference play.

Till announced his departure from RSHS head coach last January, later replaced by current RSHS coach Brad Denson, and will return to the now not-so-friendly confines of Raider Stadium for the first time Friday for a game that may deterimine the SAC champion.

“A year ago, personally, I was sitting in those bleachers and watching games. I still kept up with it, but I was in another occupation. This is where I belong and we have a big one next week. I’ll leave it at that. We have a big one next week,” Coach Denson said.

While Union Pines comes into the game still hot from a 37-23 victory over Richmond rival Scotland, the Raiders come into Friday’s game with a full head of steam after mollywopping the Hoke County Bucks 44-20. The Bucks seemed in control early, after a pass tipped well inside the red zone conveniently landed in the hands of Hoke linebacker Jalyn Willis, who returned it for a 13-yard touchdown. Undettered after throwing the interception, Richmond quarterback Evan Hodges orchestrated a 65-yard drive, capped off by an 8-yard TD rush by running back Javion Smith.

“I still don’t know what happened on that first play. [Hoke County] gambled some. Sometimes (gambling) helps. Sometimes they’ll win and sometimes they’ll lose,” Denson said. “We did a good job of overcoming that and continuing to play … [Receiver Jayden Hamilton] is pretty special. He’s been quiet the past couple of weeks, but he’s a special player and he showed that tonight.”

After the end of the first quarter, it was all Richmond from there thanks in part to a pair of TDs by Raider receiver Jayden Hamilton. Hamilton found paydirt the first time on a 1-yard TD run, then only minutes later returned a punt for a 50-yard TD, giving the Raiders a 22-6 lead late in the second quarter.

“I saw the ball in the air. There were two people coming toward me. I caught it, and made both of them miss. I saw the outside, I went to it and my teammates had the blocks,” Hamilton said.

Hamilton accounted for nearly half of Richomd’s scores while averaging 20 yards per catch with four catches for 88 yards, including a third quarter TD from junior QB Dominic Tillman, which complemented his 74 return yards. Although kept out of the end zone last Friday, running back Chance Crowder’s performance did not go unnotived with Crowder averaging more than 10 yards per carry for a team-leading 76 yards. Undercenter, the Hodges interception marred his QB rating, dropping him 80.4 on the night despite a pair of TD throws while completing 40 percent of his passes for 108 yards. Tillman, who split time with Hodges last Friday, completed 4 of 8 passes for 72 yards and a TD - ending the evening with a 120.8 QRB. Tillman attributed both quarterback’s strong performances last Friday to a connection developed with the receivers during summer workouts.

“We went to the field every day. It was constant. We just throw the ball, and they know where to break,” Tillman said.

Defensively, aside from the pick-6, a touchdown throw late in the second quarter and another score once the game had been decided, the Raiders had another strong night. Defensive tackle Monte Martin, who played a key role in a Richmond safety last Friday, attribute the Raiders success to a mentality of it does not matter who makes the tackle each play. It only matters that the tackle gets made.

“I felt good. I want to make plays, make plays for the team … No O-line can stop us … It’s great. We all communicate. We all got love for each other. We help each other up. We pick each other up when we’re down. We got good team chemistry. I do my job. Everyone does their job. As long as we get the stop, everyone gets credit for it,” Martin said.

As for this week, both the Union Pines Vikings and Raiders come into the contest with an undefeated conference record. Unlike Pinecrest, who faced a slew of teams with losing records before putting their undefeated record to the test against Richmond a few weeks ago, Union Pines enters the contest battle-hardened with victories over multiple successful programs so far. While spurning a coach who left for another program is a motivator, for Tillman, the key to success Friday is having the right attitude.

“We want it real bad. I know the seniors want it bad. We just have to go in with the right mindset and get the win,” Tillman said.

ROCKINGHAM - The Richmond Senior High School Lady Raider Volleyball Team build a bit of steam heading into next Thursday’s regular season finale against rival Scotland with last Thursday’s 5-set victory over Lee County.

The Lady Raiders avenged a sweep at the hands of the Lady Yellow Jackets in a come-from-behind victory last Thursday with Richmond playing with their backs against the wall the entire evening after starting off the match by dropping the first two sets 25-23 and 25-21.

“Really, it was them getting it together. They came in together ready to roll. They had the determination to win. The fans getting involved helped. I tried to tell them that all season. They believed in themselves and they pulled it out,” Richmond coach Ashleigh Larsen said.

Facing an early night with another losing set, libero Kenley Smith gave the Lady Raiders a bit of traction with 4 aces to start the third set. Smith ended the night tied with setter Ava Edmondson for the team lead in aces with 5 each, but her streak in the third set seemed to turn the tide for the Lady Raiders.

“I was just trying to serve really aggressively - hit every seam I could and try to get them to shank it. [Getting a win on senior night] was the goal. I really wanted to pull off a win for my seniors. I’m glad I did because it meant a lot to them. It meant a lot to me,” Smith said.

The Lady Raiders pulled away in the third set with a kill by Smith set up match point, then another kill on the following exchange by JNasia Neal sealed a 25-19 win. While Edmondson only had 4 kills on the evening, as the setter, most of the action went through her Thursday evening. Middle hitter Riley McDonald planted a team-leading 17 kills, followed by Neal with 14, but with all of the action going through Edmondson. Edmondson credited her success to having a good connection with the Lady Raiders’ outside hitters.

“My hitters and I have a really good connection. I mess up, they tell me where to go. I do it, and we solve the problem,” said Edmondson, who ended the night tied for second in team digs with Smith, but well behind Neal’s team-leading 24. “… It’s insane. It’s the best thing to see, especially JNasia. She has the best hangtime I have every seen in my life. She hits line. She hits cross. She’ll do anything.”

Although ending the night with 8 digs, best for fourth on the Lady Raiders, Abby Wellman’s digs came at just the right time. With Lee County spreading the ball with each serve, Wellman said communication on the back line was key to success last Thursday.

“We just had to be ready, be at that in between spot and be ready to hustle and get the ball up … We just needed to bring the energy and keep going,” Wellman said.

Despite winning the third set, the Lady Raiders continued battling, but a pair of net violations gave them the edge in extra sets with a 25-24 victory. Unlike the fourth set, it was all Lady Raiders in the fifth as Richmond pulled away with a 14-9 lead after McDonald kill set up match point, then an errant return sealed the victory for Richmond. With the win, Richmond improves to 7-12 and 3-8 in Sandhills Athletic Conference play. They wrap up the regular season next Thursday on the road against Scotland.

“It’s a good confidence building. Unfortunately, we only have one game next week, and it will feel like an eternity until we play. I think it’s a good feeling leaving with a win and preparing for Scotland next week. It’s never easy going into their gym,” Larsen said.

Senior defensive back A.J. Covington sacks the quarterback last week against Pinecrest. The Raiders defense hopes for another standout performance Friday, when they host Hoke County. Scan the QR code for a story regarding Friday’s game, as well as rebroadcast and photo gallery of the evening’s action.

“Let’s head out for the Drive-in tonight”, was what a lot of people would say back in the day. Now this is not to be confused with a drive through at a fast food restaurant in today’s world, don’t you know.

Now when was the last time any of you have watched a movie at a movie theater or Drive-in? I dare say I can’t recollect the last time I have been in a movie theater lately. For one reason today there are no movie theaters in Richmond Co. and another is the price to watch a movie has skyrocketed.

Back in the day won’t that way, no sir-ree. In Richmond Co. alone there were at least three Drive-in theaters and four walk-ins operating at the same time. This is not to mention theaters in Scotland, Anson, Montgomery, Stanly Counties and others all over the Southeast. You can bet your bottom dollar that you didn’t have to take out a loan just to be able to take your family to see a movie either.

In the fifties, just in downtown Rockingham, why there were three walk-in Movie Houses within a stone’s throw of each other. There was the Richmond, the Strand and the Little Theater; and also one in Hamlet and East Rockingham. For Drive-in theaters there was the Skyview, which was located about where Ollie’s is today. Then there was one on Airport Rd. close to where Maness Tire Service is today and yet a third off Battley Dairy Rd in Hamlet and maybe some more this feeble mind can’t remember.

Friday nights and all day Sat. seemed to be when most people took in a movie. If’n a child could get hold of a quarter it would get him in to see an evening matinee at the movies. By some chance the child could get a whole dollar they could watch movies in Rockingham at all three theaters plus have some extra money for popcorn and a drink the same day.

As it is today, some families would be running low on cash but they still wanted their families to be able to watch a good movie. “Where there is a will there’s a way” is an old time saying that still true today. Why back in the day people would just load all the kids in the trunks of their old cars and head on out to the local Drive-ins. To tell you the truth it was a sight to be sitting in your car with one of them aluminum speakers attached to the driver’s window watching them kids all pile out of their parent’s car trunks. I’ll bet I’ve seen as many as eight or ten kids come piling out of their trunks and sit in front of their car to watch the movie.

The Drive-in management got wind of people bringing other people in their trunks and not paying to get in. About time for the movie to start the manager or someone with the Drive-in would slowly walk through the rows of cars with a dim flashlight trying to spot the non-payers. Like I just said “where there is a will there is a way.” Why them movie going folks would cut a plug out of their backseats so the kids or whoever could crawl from the trunk of their car into whatever was left of the back seats so they wouldn’t be seen and to keep from paying to watch the movie.

Westerns were a big hit back in the day. Roy Rogers, Dale Evans and Gene Autry movies were my favorites. Movies like Gone with the Wind and The Ten Commandants left a never ending picture in my mind. And who didn’t shed a tear when Ol’ Yellar died. Also I remember the old movie of Bonnie and

Clyde and how the promoters of the movie parked the very car that Bonnie and Clyde were killed in by the front of the Richmond Theater. Why I bet I counted every bullet hole in it.

Before the Drive-ins started to play out they were showing a lot of girlie and horror movies. Why I remember just before I got my driving license, an older friend who already had his own car, asked me to go to the Drive-in with him one night. Well not getting out much back then I decided to take him up on the invite. I didn’t even ask him what was playing. Big mistake!!! We rolled into the Drive-in and I looked up on the billboard and the movie Blood Feast was playing. Until this day I don’t like this kind of movie. Well we paid the admittance fee and drove on in. Another mistake!!! Won’t long the movie started and as it went along it got more gory and gory. Why them actors was pulling people’s hearts out and eating them, don’t you know. Well I’ve always had a weak stomach and I had seen all of this here movie I could stand. I told my friend: “Let’s go. I’m getting sicker by the minute.” You know he wouldn’t leave!!!, no-sir-re, so I walked out to the concession stand and called me a taxi to take me home. That was my first and last ride in a taxi and also the last time this Ol’ Boy has been to a movie without knowing the name of it, and a little about it don’t you know.

J.A. Bolton is a member of the N.C. Storytelling Guild, Richmond and Anson Co. Writer’s Club and the Story Spinners in Laurinburg.

HAMLET — Not-for-profit group NC Child held a symposium for area leaders and educators outlining disturbing figures as a result of a comprehensive study.

During the meeting, NC Child Research Director Neil Harrington revealed his findings, indicating numerous socio-economic deficiencies that may have a domino effect across generations of Richmond County families without intervention.

“The collaboration and participation of from key leaders, the businesses and the overall community in Richmond County is going to be relevant and important as we continue to improve the outcome of all of the kids of Richmond County. It is our responsibility in this community to ensure our children thrive and have the resources to do so in their lives,” Richmond County Chamber of Commerce Director Kristi King said.

With Richmond County having the third highest mortality rate in North Carolina, data seems to indicate many area children experience hardship from the moment they are born.

“Richmond’s 2022 child mortality rate was about 140 deaths per 100,000 children. It’s almost double the rate that you see in North Carolina. It’s actually the third highest child mortality rate in the state of North Carolina,” Harrington said.

Despite a growing middle class in Richmond County, financial hardships may also affect the health and well-being of area children. Forty-two percent of Richmond County children live with single mothers, and 41 percent live in poor or low-income homes. Access to childcare or after-school programs for children is especially taxing on area families, considering the state experienced a 90 percent increase in childcare costs. In Richmond County, for instance, infant care facilities can cost families as much as $7,280 per year while toddler care facilities can run as much as $6,890. With an annual median household income in Richmond County $42,354, 19.6 percent of children live in food-insecure homes and 4.8 percent are uninsured.

“[Childcare] represents about 9 percent of the income of a married couple and 43 percent of the income of single moms,” said Harrington, who speculated Richmond County single fathers could spend as much as 25 percent of their incomes for childcare. “… These are median incomes. Half of the people are earning below this and half are earning above it. Parents of young children are much more likely to be earning below that level because they are younger and earlier in their careers. They are not earning as much money, so childcare for young parents is really more expensive.”

One figure startling many in attendance was only 35.8 percent of third graders in Richmond County scored proficient in reading. Harrington believes early childcare could be a factor in that figure. Richmond is also .5 percent higher than the state average in high school graduation rate and .9 percent higher than the state average in citizens with a bachelor’s degree or higher. Along with children in Richmond County being below average in reading proficiency, their challenges morph as they reach high school and middle school. Area kids are 8.7 percent higher than the state average in delinquency and 3 percent higher than the state average for children assessed for abuse or neglect.

“Over the past couple of years, prices have abated some, but too many parents across the state are still struggling to provide food for children. Similar kinds of data from this year show 1 in 4 households with children in North Carolina report their kids are not eating enough due to food affordability. Choosing between providing enough food for your children or paying the light bill or covering rent or paying for healthcare shouldn’t be a choice parents have to make, but in North Carolina, it’s one too many parents have to make,” Harrington said.

Following the meeting, many area leaders expressed their thoughts on the data, and hope to have meetings in the future in order to resolve some of these issues as a community, and not simply as a representative of their governing body of organization.

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Filled the third floor courtroom inside the Richmond County Judicial Center to swear in recently appointed District Attorney Jamie Adams.

The ceremony recognized Adams, as well as retiring Richmond County District Attorney Reece Saunders, who Adams credited for preparing her to take the reigns as Richmond County’s top prosecutor.

“I was able to work closely with [Saunders] for the three years prior, when I got here,” said Adams, who plans to mirror Saunders’ knack for developing the next generation of district attorneys. “That’s all he has been (doing). That’s all he knows, treating people in that way. I’ve always mirrored that from him to, not only in my own background, but stepping into it and seeing someone in practice doing that in the role of district attorney. It meant a lot to me, and who I am as I take this role.”

Earlier this week, Gov. Roy Cooper appointed Adams as District 21 district attorney after Saunders quietly announced his plans for retirement. Before becoming D.A. of District 21, according to a release from Gov. Cooper, Adams serves as the Chief Assistant District Attorney in District 21. Previously, she served as an Assistant District Attorney in both Prosecutorial District 25 and 26. Adams received her Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and her Juris Doctorate from Thomas M. Cooley Law School.

“There are no words for the way I feel right now. It’s a culmination of my life, my career. To see everybody that’s been a part of that that’s been there every step if the way was monumental for me, but I know what I’ve been intrusted with for this community is a huge thing. I’m ready to step forward to do that, and fill the shoes of Reece Saunders. Those are some really big shoes, but I’m prepared to do that, and continue his legacy as well,” Adams said.

Adams said she wanted to become a prosecutor as a way to stop bullies, something she experienced growing up in Detroit. Believing bullying extends beyond the school yard, she sought to defend those who cannot defend themselves beit women, children or the elderly.

“That is the role of a prosecutor. A lot of people don’t realize that. They look at it like we’re just the people that sentence people to prison. No, no, no, we’re here with our law enforcement partners to keep the community safe. That’s our primary goal, and that’s what we will continue to do,” Adams said.

For Adams, providing justice to those who deprive others of their liberties is a personal goal. After moving to the area, and hearing gunshots in her neighborhood, instead of moving to a nicer place Adams asked herself what can she do to improve her surroundings?

“There are people in this community who cannot afford to just pick up and move. I have to consider that in all of my decisions and everything I do to insure the safety of our residents, so that they won’t have to be ducking and jumping under their beds at night when they hear those gunshots. That is definitely something that is in focus. I never worked in a community with the amount of violent crime as this district. I’m aware of that, and we’re going to deal with it accordingly,” Adams said.

ROCKINGHAM — More than 400 athletes put their bodies to the test as part of the 17th annual Hinson Lake 24 Hour Ultra Classic.

As part of the event, competitors attempted to do as many laps as their bodies would allow over a 24-hour period with the winner Zac Godfrey clocking more than 100 miles in one day.

“I have a set point where I would walk for a minute and a half, then run. I would do that twice and have these little marks I would hit to keep me on track. You just kind of zone out. After a while, you just become braindead. That’s the best way to put it … It’s just suffering,” said Godrey, who traveled with his wife and 2-year-old child to compete in the event.

Hinson Lake 24 Hour Utra Classic Organizer said this year’s event set a record in overall attendance with more 430 participants. Lindstand credited a great group of volunteers and support among the running community for making the ultra marathon an annual tradition in Richmond County.

“Many hands make light work. It goes very smoothly because of all of the help I get. If you do any research on this type of event - 24-hour events - they’re geared toward elite runners. They cost $150 to $250 bucks just to get in. We charge $35. They come in, they get a shirt, a coffee mug or glass and they get all the food they can eat while they’re out there. It’s just a great cause and it’s become a family reunion for most people,” Lindstram said.

On the women’s side, Michelle Gray from the Runners from Hell Ultra Team took first place as the only female competitor to clear 100 miles. Gray said she ran the race in honor of Bill Keane, who recently passed away and the Hinson Lake 24 Hour Ultra Marathon was one of his favorite events to compete in each year.

“His whole family is here. It’s all for Bill. This was his favorite race, and he passed away a couple of years ago. It’s my second year (at Hinson Lake) … Jerry is outstanding. Every volunteer is outstanding. The race is outstanding. The course is outstanding. I saw a fox, and a shooting star. I could do without the snakes, but everything else was great,” Gray said.

Altough a tradition since 2007, the events of Hurricane Helene shifted the focus of this year’s run. The weather did not dappen the race. In fact, the hurricane dodged the event entirely. However, with so much suffering taking place in Western North Carolina, event organizers and Richmond County Operation Fix began a supply drive to assist pet owners impacted by the floods.

“They supply a lot of the help. We ask the runners to donate pet supplies … There is going to be over a ton of dog food and litter. What they’re planning on doing is because of the flooding in Western North Carolina they’re going to take all of that food and donate it to the animals,” Lindstrand said.

Jerry Lindstrand

ROCKINGHAM — The Richmond Senior High School Soccer Team picked up its first Sandhills Athletic Conference victory after downing rival Scotland 4-2 Monday night.

Thanks to a pair of goals by senior wing Noah Gil, and a strong performance by goal -keeper Adrian Padron, the R-aiders earned their first win since their August 12 season opener against Piedmont.

The Anson High School Lady Bearcat Volleyball Team managed to fit in a pair of victories before Hurricane Helene’s arrival postponed multiple AHS athletic activities.

Before the impromptu break, the Bearcats picked up a pair of victories over Piedmont and Chesterfield, gathering a bit of momentum in the final week of regular season action.

After wrapping up the previous week with a 3-0 sweep of Forest Hills, the Lady Bearcats got back to work Tuesday with another sweep - this time at the expense of the Piedmont Lady Panthers (5-11). After suffereing a 25-11 blowout in the first set, the Piedmont made a game of it in the second, nearly matching Anson point-for-point until eventually succumbing 25-22. Piedmont did not have the same success in the third, falling 25-17 and dropping their record to 5-10. Anson, meanwhile, improved to 10-4. Anson senior middle blocker Alena Baxter had a team-leading 10 kills, followed by outside hitter Brooklyn Miles and Lauren Lomax, who each had 5. Miles also had a team-leading, followed by libero Hannah Austin’s 3, then Baxter and Lomax, who each had a pair. Defensively, middle blocker Eva Hyatt had three blocks while Austin and Allie Steagall finished the night tied for digs with 14 each.

A day later, the Chesterfield Lady Golden Rams (4-4) gave Anson a bit of a scare - taking the first set in extra sets 27025 - before the Lady Bearcats settled in to take the next three sets 25-21, 25-11 and 25-19. Baxter ended the night with a team-leading 14 kills, followed by Miles with 8 and Steagall with 7. Miles also had a team-leading 6 aces, followed by Steagall (3) and Baxter (2). Defensively, Steagall had a team-leading 22 digs, followd by Miles (17) and Austin (12). Hyatt had a pair of blocks. With the win, the Lady Bearcats improved to 11-4.

The Lady Bearcats return to the hardwood Monday, looking to avenge a five-set loss to Parkwood (11-4), then wrap up the week with road games against Monroe (2-8) and Central Academy (6-11) Wednesday and Thursday respectively.

ROCKINGHAM - With just a few games left in the season, the Richmond High School Lady Raider Volleyball Team hope to build momentum when they head on the road to face Union Pines.

The Lady Raiders look to avenge a sweep at the hand of the Lady Vikings earlier this season and pump themselves up for the last two games of the season against Lee County and Scotland.

“We just have to get better. We still have a young squad and they’re learning. They’re adjusting. We just need to to a little bit better being consistent in the conference,” Richmond coach Ashleigh Larsen said.

Despite opening the week on the wrong end of a sweep Pinecrest, Larsen does not believe her team has anything to hang their heads about. Pinecrest dominated the first and second set, but the Lady Raiders found their footing in the third but ultimately fell in 25-20. Riley McDonald had a team-leading 7 kills. Libero Kenley Smith had a team-leading 9 diggs, followed by setter Ava Edmondson with 5.

“I don’t think they left with their heads hanging. Collectively, I think they know they played [Pinecrest] better than they did the last time. It was a different score than when we played there, especially in the first set. They came out on fire,” Larsen said.

While the Lady Raiders hope to add a few more SAC wins before the conference tournament, the Pinecrest Lady Patriots hope to keep their momentum going in the final stretch of the regular season. Despite ending the night with a sweep, he credited the Lady Raiders for their scrappiness in spite of a lopsided scoreboard.

“I thought we struggled early on with consistency. We came out a little flat … It took them a little while to get going,” said Pinecrest coach Brandon Blackburn, whose team seems to have a target on its back as it sit atop the SAC standings. “We talked about it. We’re halfway through conference. We’re where we want to be, and we know we’re going to get everybody’s best shot. We know they want to beat us. That the pressure we talk about that we earned. A lot of people talk about pressure as a negative thing, but we talk about we’ve earned this pressure. We’ve earned this right.”

The Lady Raiders hoped for a rebound against Hoke County Wednesday, but fell short again in a 3-0 loss. After Union Pines, they will host senior night October 3, then wrap up the regular season on the road against arch rival Scotland.

SOUTHERN PINES - The Richmond Senior High School Raider Football Team is off to its best start in three years after demolishing the Pinecrest Patriots 36-7 to remain undefeated Sandhills Athletic Conference at 2-0.

Despite rescheduling the game in order to avoid Hurricane Helene, pouring rain significantly impacted the game with every throw and toss potentially resulting in a turnover.

“We didn’t execute very well at crucial times. Honestly, it should have been a 7-7 game going into half, then they get a bounce on an interception, and the next thing you know they’re scoing a touchdown to make it 15-0. That was huge,” Pinecrest coach Nicholas Eddins said.

TLast Thursday’s victory seemed a statement game for the Raiders, who came into the contest on a two game win streak with previous victories over Southern Lee and Myers Park. The Patriots came into the contest as the reigning SAC champion and an undefeated record at 4-0. All of that change after a returner Jayden Hamilton set up the Raiders well within Patriot territory. After working down to the goal line, a loose ball luckily fell into the hands of senior Zach Garner, which gave Richmond a lead it would not relinquish.

“I was blocking, and I looked from the other side and saw someone pop the ball out. I saw it in the air, and I tried to get to it as fast as I can and get on it,” Garner said.

That seemed the trend throughout the evening as the Patriots found themselves on the wrong end of turnovers. With rain forecasted through the evening both teams focused on the run, which worked in Richmond’s favor thanks to a strong performance by the Raider linemen.

“I think it went great. We had a really good week of practice. We were paying attention, knowing our assignments in game and executed well,” said Richmond center Lincoln Smith, who navigated the task of snapping a sopping wet ball throughout the evening. Once the weather briefly cleared in the second quarter, the Raiders went to the air with quarterback Evan Hodges finding Keyonta Davis on a 61-yard TD pass.

A successful 2-point conversion run by Hodges made it a three score game with Richmond leading 15-0 going into halftime. Well ahead after the break, the Raiders refocused on the run game, eventually leading to a banner night for running back Chance Crowder, whose 37 yard run set up a 5-yard Crowder TD run, sealing the victory before the fourth quarter.

“I just listened to my coach, put trust in my O-line and stayed patient,” Crowder said.

While the offense found a way to reach the end zone, the defense found a way to stop what until last Friday seemed an unstoppable offense. The Patriots utilized the height of 5-6 senior quarterback Cody Hansen to high their misdirection runs, but with the lineman and linebackers making penetration off of the snap throughout the evening, the Pinecrest did not have time to put the miss in misdirection.

“The coaches were telling us all week - he’s shifty. In the open field, he’s going to juke you. Just keep your hips under you and watch his hips. You’ll be good,” Garner said.

With Garner and crew causing havoc in the backfield, that set up defensive back such as A.J. Covington, who seemed to close out the evening for the varsity with an interception, prompting coaches to begin pulling starters in order to rest up for next week against Hoke County.

“They hadn’t tried me all game. I saw them all run deep, then a saw the last dude do an out-route, and I just jumped it,” Covington said.

With the win, the Raiders improve to 4-2, and next host the 1-4 Hoke County Bucks next Friday. Despite facing a team with a losing record, Coach Brad Denson has no plans to undermine any SAC team.

“I’m extremely happy to get back home. We need those stands full. We need every person in the bleachers and get there early. You have no idea what these kids go through and what they do. Please come out and support them,” Denson said.

ROCKINGHAM - Embattled Republican gubernatorial candidate Mark Robinson dropped by La Cabana in Rockingham for a campaign stop while touring the southeastern portion of the Tar Heel State Friday.

With a myriad of accusations lobbed by the media the past couple of weeks, Robinson felt it necessary to personally reach out to the public to share his story and vision.

“We’re still out on the campaign. We don’t feel like the campaign is that contentious at all. We had some allegations made against us, and we have our attorney working on that right now for us as we continue to campaign,” Robinson said.

While speaking to dozens of attendees, Robinson said the accusations against him are a deflection from the issues plaguing North Carolina. By attacking Robinson’s character, Robinson believes it distracts voters from examining the failures of state government.

“Public safety, public education, healthcare, infrastructure and housing - they won’t talk to you about why the governor of this state is important to those things. The governor appoints the people over those agencies … They don’t want to talk about that or facts of this state when it comes to this economy,” Robinson said. “Prior to 2010, before the Republicans took over the legislature, the Democrats had control of the whole state. Guess who was a part of that legislature. Josh Stein, my opponent, but he never talks about that. When he was in charge, when the Democrats were in charge, we were $6 billion in debt to the federal government. We were furloughing state workers because we could not afford to pay them. Teachers did not get a pay raise for six years.”

An issue Robinson touched upon Friday was the growing epidemic of fentanyl abuse and deaths related to overdoses. Richmond County ranks well above the state average for deaths and overdoses, but Robinson said throwing addict in jail will not solve the problem.

“One of the things we need to do right now is get people in office to give law enforcement the tools to shut off the spigot. We have got to stop in the streets. Suing the drug companies is just fine, but we know these people aren’t getting it from drug companies. They’re getting it from drug dealers on the street,” Robinson said. ” … One of the worst things we’ve done in regards to mental health is this - we allowed our jails, sadly, to be mental healthcare centers. That is not a place where people should get care. We have got to get the talented folks inside the healthcare sphere to bring some inventive ways to get healthcare and mental healthcare to every person in this state. It is desperately needed. It can get done. We just have to put in the work.”