October 7th anniversary: jihad "martyrs" celebrated | Antifa professor takes victory lap | Franklin sheriff sued over Helene relief
No. 145 — Oct. 5-Oct. 11, 2025
Franklin Co. sheriff sued by former county manager over Helene relief
Former Franklin County Manager Kim Denton has filed a lawsuit against Franklin County Sheriff Kevin White in his individual capacity. - Franklin County News Online
Former Franklin County Manager Kim Denton has filed a lawsuit against Franklin County Sheriff Kevin White in his personal capacity for defamation and tortious interference, alleging that White made false statements by accusing her of “stonewalling” the sheriff’s hurricane relief efforts in a Facebook post calling on her to resign.
Denton’s lawsuit claims, without specific evidence, that the relief organized by White was merely an attempt to “ingratiate himself” with then-Lieutenant Governor and gubernatorial candidate Mark Robinson for the purpose of “winning future appointment as department secretary or agency head.”
In response to White’s relief efforts, Denton met with the finance director, assistant county manager, and county attorney to prepare and circulate a memo demanding that any hurricane assistance be pre-approved by her in order to comply with “strict reimbursement guidelines and financial policies” and ensure that the county was reimbursed:
Dear Leadership Team:
I am writing to provide information about Franklin County’s efforts to support Hurricane Helene relief efforts that Franklin County may have provided or be asked to provide in the coming days, weeks and months.
If you receive a request to provide any assistance for Hurricane Helen relief efforts, the County Manager will need to approve the request in advance of deployment. There are strict reimbursement guidelines and financial policies. These policies/formers have to be properly prepared, documented and may be audited for Franklin County to receive reimbursement for our support activities. Franklin County has to ensure that Federal, State, and local guidelines are followed in these efforts. Otherwise, the County may not be reimbursed.
Again, please provide any request to the County Manager and copy Assistant County Manager Ryan Preble, Finance Director Jamie Holtzman and Emergency Management Director Nicholas Thorpe on the request. Please provide a timeline needed for response to your request. Our Franklin County Response Team will evaluate the request and be in touch about next steps.
Thank you for supporting our Counties in distress and for ensuring that Franklin County is properly adhering to the required guidelines for this disaster circumstance.
Thank you,
Kim Denton
County Manager, Franklin County
Five days later, White issued a statement calling out Denton by name among “various bureaucrats attempting to stonewall Hurricane Relief under the vail of ‘doing their job.’”
Through the grace of God and prayerful restraint, I have kept quiet, but this morning, I am speaking out.
Like many of you, I have been highly disturbed by various bureaucrats attempting to stonewall Hurricane Relief under the vail of “doing their job.” I am particularly disturbed by a letter being circulated by Franklin County Manager, Kim Denton.
As elected and government officials, it is our duty to protect the lives of the people we serve. Not make their lives harder or more difficult.
You all are more than aware that our office has been leading a statewide response since the moment the storm subsided. Our deputies have been working day and night to deliver much needed relief and resources to Western North Carolina.
For Mrs. Denton to attempt to add red tape or roadblock these efforts is beyond inappropriate. Bureaucracy often interrupts peoples lives, but it should never cost people their lives.
Mrs. Denton has displayed a grotesque lack of leadership and an obvious lack of understanding for the role of Government. To say I am disappointed would be a tremendous understatement.
I too, like hundreds of other county workers, law enforcement officials, and private citizens have lost the trust I once had for Mrs. Denton in her role as Franklin County Manager. I ask that she do right by the citizens, of not just Franklin County, but North Carolina as a whole, and tender her resignation immediately.
Franklin County and our citizens lead. We do not follow. We deserve a county manager who does the same.
— Sheriff Kevin White (@kevinwhiteforsheriff) October 8, 2024
Denton’s lawsuit alleges that White’s statement was “tantamount to accusing her falsely of killing citizens of western North Carolina” and that White’s statement(s) “intentionally induced” the board of commissioners to terminate her the following month, resulting in damages exceeding $25,000.
Municipal election results
On Tuesday, primary and/or general elections were held for four Triangle municipalities, with the following (unofficial) results:
For the City of Durham, the mayor and three councilmembers were up for reelection in non-partisan primaries, with the top two-votegetters proceeding to the general election next month.
Mayor Leonardo Williams and Councilmember Chelsea Cook won their races by significant margins of 25.57% and 34.4% points respectively. Although the council has previous been divided along factional lines, Williams ally Councilmember Mark-Anthony Middleton and political adversary Councilmember DeDreana Freeman (who has been accused of assaulting Williams) both achieved similar second-place results with 39.50% and 39.19% in their respective races.
In Harnett County, the mayor and three town commissioners of Erwin were reelected while running unopposed.
In Franklin County, Democratic Louisburg mayor Christopher Neal was reelected with 56.09% of the vote. (The legislature recently amended the Louisburg mayoral election process to require a runoff election if no candidate obtained a majority, which Democrats saw as a direct attack on Neal, who only received 36.15% in 2021.)
In Person County, the Roxboro mayor and the five members of the city council were up for non-partisan election. Mayor Pro-Tem Cynthia Petty (D) won the mayoral election with 55.92%, beating out Councilmember Peter Baker (D) and Earl Brooks (R).
Councilmembers Shaina Outlaw (D), Mark Phillips (R), and Tim Chandler (U) won reelection to the city council, being joined by newcomers Dustin Brann (R) and Kendra Coggins (D).
In Vance County, four Henderson aldermen were on the ballot, with incumbents Garry Daeke (D) and Lamont Noel (D) winning reelection, while incumbent Sara Coffey (U) lost decisively to Kenia Gomez-Jimenez (U) with only 10.49% of the vote. The fourth seat will go to a runoff election between Catherine Gill (D) and incumbent Ola Thorpe-Cooper (D), who came in second.
Follow-up
Antifa professor takes victory lap
‘I Will Never Retreat’: UNC Professor Highlights Free Speech, Resolution in Beliefs in Return After Leave - Chapelboro.com
‘I will never retreat.’ UNC professor defends record after reinstatement - N&O
Years-old video prompted UNC professor’s suspension, chancellor tells faculty - N&O
In a press conference after being reinstated, UNC professor Dwayne Dixon held a press conference to accuse the university of violating his first amendment rights by investigating his publicly self-proclaimed adherence to the violent antifa ideology and affirm his continuing commitment to those ideas: “I will never retreat, nor recant my position, and I will use my free speech rights to continue to name and refuse fascism and white supremacy.”
From the News & Observer reporting on the UNC Faculty Council, it appears that Dixon’s weeklong suspension and “threat” investigation was based on the video of Dixon “talking about the need, for confrontation, while loading a semiautomatic weapon and then firing that weapon,” and not the actual assault against a journalist on the UNC campus for which he was charged, and only escaped due to a prosecutorial error.
Previous coverage:
Antifa professor charged with assaulting journalist deemed not a threat by UNC (Interview — Oct. 4, 2025)
Is a violent antifa professor back at UNC? (No. 144 — Oct. 4, 2025)
Protest Watch
Jihad “martyrs” celebrated on anniversary of October 7th attacks
Various pro-Palestine groups in the Triangle were involved in organizing a “Week of Action” for the second anniversary of the October 7th attacks with events such as a “Vigil for Our Martyrs” on the UNC campus, including the following organizations:
NC Palestinian Youth Movement
NCSU Muslim Student Association
UNC Muslim Student Association
NCSU Students for Justice in Palestine
UNC Students for Justice in Palestine
‘Hands off the Middle East’: Raleigh protesters call for end to Gaza war - N&O
The largest of the events appears to have been a protest in Raleigh, with the News & Observer reporting that “hundreds” of demonstrators marched in downtown Raleigh to protest Israel and its American backing in the most recent iteration of the Israeli-Palestinian hostilities. The Palestinian, Arab, leftist, etc. protesters could be seen with various pro-Palestine and anti-Israel slogans as they marched behind two banners reading “We Will Honor All Our Martyrs” and “Stop the Genocide in Gaza.”
In response to a post accusing the “All Day for Palestine” event organized by the MSA and SJP student organizations on the NC State campus of “honoring [] Hamas martyrs” and “celebrat[ing] the slaughter of Americans and Israelis”, the university defended allowing the event on the basis that government institutions cannot engage in viewpoint discrimination:
This event was organized by a registered student org. At NC State, student orgs can host events on campus by following the university’s use of space regulation. NC State is prohibited from canceling an event based on the viewpoint of the speaker.
— NC State University (@NCState) October 8, 2025
The events at NC State and UNC seem to have been poorly attended, with perhaps 25-40 at a “Vigil for Our Martyrs” on the UNC campus as seen in an image and video shared by the Carolina Review, and perhaps no one showing up for a “Tribunal Against Zionists”.
Durham resident detained by Israeli forces while attempting to bring aid into Gaza - WRAL
In a similar but possibly separately organized event promoted by the antifa-affiliated Triangle Radical Events, dozens of demonstrators (including some in black bloc) gathered in Durham to call for the release of Kyle Kaptain, a “Durham-based activist” and participant in the self-described “humanitarian” flotilla detained by Israel while attempting to land in Gaza.
In a video he recorded in anticipation of being “kidnapped” by “Israeli occupation forces,” Kaptain appealed to his “comrades” etc. to intercede with the US government on his behalf.
Kaptain has since been released, according to a follow-up post.
Previous coverage
“Students for Justice in Palestine” interrupt public discourse event at UNC (No. 56 — Jan. 27, 2024)
Durham Police make arrest over stolen Israeli flag at City Council meeting (No. 60 — Feb. 24, 2024)
Durham City Council passes Israeli-Palestine ceasefire resolution (No. 60 — Feb. 24, 2024)
Raleigh Police arrest 26 pro-Palestine demonstrators for blocking downtown traffic (No. 60 — Feb. 24, 2024)
UNC Students for Justice in Palestine hold “encampment” in support of anti-Israel demonstrators at Columbia University (No. 68 — Apr. 20, 2024)
Anti-Israel protesters make 2nd attempt at UNC encampment (No. 69 — Apr. 27, 2024)
UNC Pro-Palestine Encampment Shutdown Timeline (No. 70 — May 4, 2024)
Pro-Palestinian demonstrators begin third encampment at UNC (No. 71 — May 11, 2024)
Pro-Palestine Duke students stage walkout of Jerry Steinfeld’s commencement speech (No. 72 — May 18, 2024)
Memorial Day: Vandals desecrate WWI monument with pro-Palestine graffiti (No. 74 — Jun. 1, 2024)
“Free Palestine” protest at 4th of July fireworks display in Raleigh (No. 79 — Jul. 6, 2024)
Defense of American flag by UNC frat bros celebrated at RNC (No. 81 — Jul. 20, 2024)
Interim UNC-Chapel Hill Chancellor Lee Roberts confirmed to permanent appointment (No. 84 — Aug. 10, 2024)
NC Democrats disavow mockery of pro-Palestine protesters at DNC watch party (No. 86 — Aug. 24, 2024)
Flagstock: was it the vibe? (No. 88 — Sep. 7, 2024)
UNC students commit vandalism spree in support of Palestine (No. 90 — Sep. 21, 2024)
Pro-Palestine leftists celebrate anniversary of October 7th attacks with “Week of Resistance” (No. 93 — Oct. 12, 2024)
Chapel Hill removes “Power of Good Trouble” art display which featured pro-Palestine demonstrator (No. 99 — Nov. 23, 2024)
UNC pro-Palestine encampment arrestees receive pretrial depositions (No. 101 — Dec. 7, 2024)
Durham socialist charged with burning US flag at pro-Palestine DC protest (Original Article — Dec. 11, 2024)
UNC pro-Palestine encampment charges - how they were resolved (No. 103 — Dec. 21, 2024)
Duke students, staff, etc. protest Trump’s anti-DEI executive orders (No. 113 — Mar. 1, 2025)
Anniversary of “Triangle Gaza Solidarity Encampment” on UNC campus (No. 122 — May 3, 2025)
One Year Later: review and analysis of UNC pro-Palestine encampment arrests (Original Article — May 8, 2025)
Raleigh imam defends Mohammed’s pedophilia (No. 124 — May 17, 2025)
Follow-up: Durham socialist sentenced in DC flag burning (No. 124 — May 17, 2025)
Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools faces apparently unrelated same-day student walkouts (No. 126 — May 31, 2025)
Palestine supporters vandalize UNC campus, again (No. 141 — Sep. 13, 2025)