Editor’s note: The Times-News will be featuring area student-athletes, one male and one female each time, for their work on the playing field, the classroom and their communities.
James Newton, 16, is a junior at Western Alamance High School, where he is an All-Conference athlete in football, basketball and track and field and has a 3.9 grade-point average.
On the gridiron, Newton plays running back, wide receiver and cornerback.
“I play all over the field,” Newton said.
On the track, he runs the 100 meters and 200 meters, and the 4x100m and 4x200m relays.
“Basketball was my first sport, but I think that football will help put me in a better spot to go to college and play,” he said.
But Brandon Chrisp, assistant football coach and head track coach at Western, track may be his best sport. Newton has run 10.7 seconds in the 100m and 22.6 in the 200m.
“He’s great on the track. He’s tied for No. 2 in the State for the 100m, and only getting better,” he said. “He means a lot to us. He’s a humble, great kid, with a great family. With him, everything is yes sir, yes ma’am. James is a dependable, great leader, who leads with his actions.”
Newton said the memory of his late grandmother is part of his motivation.
“I do all of this for her,” he said. “My mom, dad and my brother really push me to do better. Plus, I play 7-on-7 football with the Burlington Bulls, and that’s really helped me out. I’ve only been playing football since eighth grade.”
Off the field, Newton is a member of the Black Student Union.
“We help other kids in the community. We talk about what’s going on in society. I really like that. I want to be there and be a mentor for younger kids. As athletes, kids view us like superstars, and we can make a big difference in their lives. That’s really cool,” he said.
In the classroom, Newton said, math is his favorite subject.
“Math just makes sense to me. It comes easily,” he said.
For fun, Newton said that he simply likes to run and hang out with his friends and family.
“Sometimes, I’ll just randomly run sprints around my house,” he said.
As advice for other student-athletes, Newton said, “When it feels like you’re not getting better, put your head down and keep working and pushing. Don’t ever let anyone outwork you, whether it’s in class or in sports.”
Kenna Talhelm, 18, is a senior volleyball and softball player at Walter Williams High School, where she sports a 4.7 grade-point average.
Talhelm has been the captain of both the volleyball and softball teams for the past two years. She has won the conference’s Mike McCauley Sportsmanship Award, Most Improved Award (last year), the Bulldog Award and the Coach’s Award.
“Volleyball is my favorite sport, and I play year-round. I play travel volleyball with the Alamance Aces, and have become really close with all of my teammates. I also play sand volleyball in the summer,” she said.
While for many student-athletes, winning is everything, Talhelm looks at athletics a little differently.
“I think my athletic experience is different from most. I truly am playing to have fun, no matter the score. Of course, I want to be there for my teammates. You can’t play without a catcher, and we only have eight on my travel volleyball team. I show up to help them have fun too,” she said.
Talhelm credits her volleyball coach, Kelly Cook, with helping her in her athletic career.
“She was the coach at Williams and now coaches my travel team. She has always treated me more like a partner than a player,” Talhelm said.
Cook called Talhelm “a coach’s dream.”
“Kenna’s an exceptional leader on and off the court and always gives 100%. She’s a great teammate to everyone and has fun doing it. It’s been my pleasure coaching her. Kenna’s just amazing. I love her,” Cook said.
Outside of athletics, Talhelm has won the Superintendent’s Award for Excellence, was a Park Scholarship finalist, is a member of both the DREAM team and the National Honor Society, served as the vice president of Mu Alpha Theta and treasurer of the Key Club, and was a participant in the International Baccalaureate Programme. She also works at the fitness center at Alamance Country Club and volunteers at Burlington Animal Services.
“I do it all because I want to help out at school and in the community. I get that from my mom and my sister. I grew up watching my mom volunteer and seeing my older sister’s enjoyment from being in various clubs and activities. That all made me want to be more involved. You get to try new things, meet new people and help others. Otherwise, school’s just school,” she said.
For fun, Talhelm said with a smile, “I really like to nap. Also, I have a big extended family, and I love hanging out with them and with my friends. And I play sports for fun.”
“I also play guitar, but just for fun. I don’t play for anyone. I really enjoy music, and was in the orchestra, but I chose calculus over orchestra.”
Talhelm said that she simply loves math and problem-solving.
After graduation, Talhelm plans to attend N.C. State University to study environmental science.
“I might play club or intramural volleyball, and I’m looking in to being a manager on the softball team at State,” Talhelm said.
While she’s looking forward to her future, Talhelm said, “I’m going to miss being around my friends, and will have to make an extra effort to see them and the teachers that I like. Plus, I know I’m going to miss playing sports on a daily basis.”
The Biden administration finalized strict limits Wednesday on certain so-called “forever chemicals” in drinking water that will require utilities to reduce them to the lowest level they can be reliably measured.
More than 300 water systems in North Carolina, including for five Alamance County mobile home parks, exceed the EPA’s new drinking water standards for PFAS, according to new data released Wednesday by the state Department of Environmental Quality, the NC Newsline news service reported.
The rule is the first national drinking water limit on toxic PFAS, or perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances, which are widespread and long lasting in the environment. Exposure to PFAS has been linked to multiple health problems, including thyroid and liver disorders, reproductive and fetal development problems, immune system deficiencies, high cholesterol and cancer, and EPA officials say the new limits will reduce exposure for 100 million people and help prevent thousands of illnesses
Wednesday’s announcement establishes limits for six previously unregulated PFAS chemicals in drinking water — PFOS and PFOA, each at 4 parts per trillion (PPT), and a calculated hazard index for a combination of PFNA, PFHxS, PFBS and HFPO-DA (aka GenX).
DEQ has sampled more than 530 small public water systems over the past two years, including 19 in Alamance County. Of those, the systems for Circle K Park in Saxapahaw, Holly Tree Village in Elon, Park Place in Burlington and Rae McKenzie Mobile Home Park exceeded the limit for at least one of the six chemicals, according to DEQ’s data.
The city of Burlington issued a statement saying that after the EPA issued an advisory in March 2023 with stricter limits, Burlington’s Water Resources Department contracted with consulting firm Hazen and Sawyer to advise on new treatment processes and new technologies.
“Like many water systems in North Carolina and across the country, Burlington will need to undertake major capital projects to install treatment systems capable of removing these chemicals,” the city’s statement said. “The new regulation allows five years for drinking water providers like the City of Burlington to come into compliance with the new standards. Staff estimates that it will take three to four years to complete planning, design, and construction of the multi-million-dollar upgrades that will be necessary to meet these new regulations. “
The city posts data on PFAS levels in drinking water at BurlingtonNC.gov/PFAS.
PFAS chemicals are hazardous because they don’t degrade in the environment.
They’ve been used in everyday products including nonstick pans, firefighting foam and waterproof clothing. Although some of the most common types are phased out in the U.S., others remain. Water providers will now be forced to remove contamination put in the environment by other industries.
“It’s that accumulation that’s the problem,” said Scott Belcher, a North Carolina State University professor who researches PFAS toxicity. “Even tiny, tiny, tiny amounts each time you take a drink of water over your lifetime is going to keep adding up, leading to the health effects.”
Health advocates praised the Environmental Protection Agency for not backing away from tough limits the agency proposed last year. But water utilities took issue with the rule, saying treatment systems will cost tens of billions of dollars each, and the burden will fall hardest on small communities with fewer resources.
The EPA estimates the rule will cost about $1.5 billion to implement each year, but doing so will prevent nearly 10,000 deaths over decades and significantly reduce serious illnesses.
Traditional treatment systems don’t remove PFAS, so utilities must install expensive upgrades or secure alternative water supplies. To help pay for advanced treatment systems or alternate water sources, the Biden administration is allocating $1 billion to assist utilities in meeting the legally enforceable standards.
EPA Administrator Michael Regan said the money will be apportioned based on need.
GRAHAM — Three people were seriously injured, one of them fatally, Thursday morning in a head-on collision south of Graham.
The name of the woman killed has not been released. A name that had been released was incorrect, the Highway Patrol said.
Tommy Lynn Wilson, 42, of Graham was driving a Hyundai Elantra south on N.C. 87 near Boy Wood Road about 6:45 a.m. when he went left of center and collided with a Chevrolet Malibu that was going north, the N.C. State Highway Patrol said.
A front seat passenger in Wilson’s vehicle had serious, life-threatening injuries and was taken to Alamance Regional Medical Center in Burlington, where she died. Wilson and the Malibu’s driver, Nora Spoon Shelley, 86, of Graham, had serious injuries and were taken to UNC Hospital in Chapel Hill.
This collision is still under investigation. Troopers were to meet with the Alamance County District Attorney’s Office regarding charges, the Highway Patrol said.
N.C. 87 near Boy Wood Road was closed for about two hours during the investigation.