🗞️ Fighting back tears, Triad veterans remember fallen friends on Memorial Day

🗞️ Families push back as district considers moving special needs students

🗞️ Gerber and Aho lead the charge as Bishop girls lacrosse celebrates a big playoff win

🗞️ For NCLA soccer team, a season of growth ends with a tough road loss

Hundreds of Triad veterans gathered at the Carolina Field of Honor in Kernersville on Monday afternoon. They came together to honor the sacrifices of military service members and remember the fallen friends and family who never returned home.

The Piedmont Triad is home to more than 150,000 veterans, the largest veteran population in North Carolina. On the 158th national observance of Memorial Day, retired service members, community members, and loved ones of fallen soldiers stood united at Triad Park.

The ceremony featured bagpipe carols and a marching guard presenting the flag. Military personnel shared emotional reflections, and a solemn 21-gun salute honored those who served in every branch of the U.S. armed forces: Army, Air Force, Navy, Marine Corps, and Coast Guard.

As the National Anthem echoed across the rows, many retired service members reflected on the personal losses that Memorial Day represents. Joel Plua, a U.S. Army veteran who served for seven years, fought back tears before the ceremony.

He said he lost four friends. Plua emphasized the importance of recognizing the blood, sweat, and tears that go into fighting for the nation's freedom.

He noted that Memorial Day is about more than barbecues and shopping deals. The holiday also serves as a painful reminder of the challenges veterans face when transitioning from military service back to civilian life.

Plua described this as one of the most difficult battles veterans can endure after returning from war. He said that many veterans end up in jail, prison, or dead because American culture doesn't understand the process of shutting things off.

Award-winning Triad author and Gold Star wife Kris Emmert spoke at the ceremony. She shared her challenges of facing single motherhood after military troops knocked on her door with a folded American flag, delivering the news that her significant other perished while at sea.

David Chase, who served more than 24 years in both the U.S. Marine Corps and Army National Guard, described military service as both a life-changing experience and emotionally complex. He prepared for war at just 18 years old.

Chase recalled being on a helicopter carrier off the coast of Vietnam for 60 to 70 days at a time. He was there when the peace treaty was signed.

He said those were the best years of his life and his personal legacy. Blake Bourne, an Army veteran and CEO of Veterans Bridge, has spearheaded efforts to connect with and advocate for veteran communities across North Carolina and South Carolina.

The organization has served more than 3,500 households across 53 counties, providing over 10,000 services. These include more than 3,800 housing and shelter requests, 1,600 employment support requests, 830 mental and behavioral health needs, and 800 social enrichment needs.

Bourne said the holiday also serves as a call to action for communities to support veterans after they return home. He noted that since the Global War on Terrorism started, about 7,000 military personnel have been lost in combat.

More than 6,000 veterans die by suicide each year. He said communities can welcome them home as effectively as they send them off to fight wars. ¹

Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Schools is hosting a public hearing Tuesday evening to discuss the fate of two schools that serve children with significant developmental needs. The district currently leases buildings for The Special Children's School and The Children's Center.

Officials are thinking about moving students from the first school to a district-owned building as a cost-saving measure. Originally, the school board recommended sending Pre-K students from The Special Children's School to Middle Fork Elementary.

Older students would have moved to The Children's Center, which would stay put under a new long-term lease. But families pushed back hard.

District records show parents raised concerns about transportation to the new location, the loss of a specialized learning environment, and the plan to split up the kids. Now the superintendent is suggesting a different approach.

The new plan would move all students from The Special Children's School to Ward Elementary instead. That school is closer and would keep the children together.

The school board plans to listen to community feedback at the hearing before making a final decision.²

The Bishop McGuinness girls lacrosse team is heading to the regional final after a decisive victory on Friday. The top-seeded Villains dominated fourth-seeded Pine Lake Prep, winning 20 to 7 in the fourth round of the NCHSAA 1A-6A playoffs.

The game was played at Bishop in Kernersville. Grace Gerber led the scoring with seven goals, while Morgan Aho added six more.

The team's offense exploded in the second, third, and early fourth quarters, going on a 14 to 1 run. That stretch included nine unanswered goals, which pushed the halftime lead to 14 to 3.

MK Suire chipped in three goals, and Emery Grunwald scored two. Stella Ropko and Ellie Brown each found the net once.

The win improves Bishop's record to 22 and 2 on the season. Next up, the Villains host the regional final on Wednesday.

They'll face third-seeded Charlotte Catholic, who comes in with a 14 and 7 record.³

The North Carolina Leadership Academy varsity girls' soccer team saw its remarkable season end on Wednesday night with a 4-1 loss to Summit Charter Academy in the Class 1A West regional championship game. Summit Charter, the No.1 seed in the region, hosted the match at their mountain field. NCLA entered as the No. 2 seed with a 19-3-1 record. The game was moved up a day from Thursday to Wednesday because of a forecast for heavy rain that never arrived.

That last-minute change created challenges for the Lady Falcons. Head Coach Paul Boone explained that the team found out about the schedule change on Wednesday.

Since players had testing that day, they couldn't leave school early for the four-hour drive. By the time they arrived, they had to ask referees for extra warm-up time.

The field had no lights, so starting later wasn't an option without risking darkness during overtime or penalty kicks. Summit Charter's home field sits in the mountains, giving them a strong advantage.

NCLA fell behind 3-0 by halftime. The team scored early in the second half to cut the lead, but Summit answered with a fourth goal to seal the win.

Despite the tough ending, Boone praised his team's overall performance this season. He called it the best record in program history for girls' soccer.

Last year, the team struggled to field enough players. This season brought back solid returners and a talented group of freshmen.

Boone said the players genuinely enjoyed being together and worked hard in training. When they hit obstacles, they stayed tough and stuck together.

The team will lose six seniors, including two regular starters. But Boone feels good about next year.

Most of the roster will return, with only one senior on next year's squad. He's eager to see who steps into leadership roles.

The middle school team also had a strong season, winning their conference championship, which means more talent is on the way.⁴