With the election of the new pope, the stamps lose the postal value, but the collectible value goes up.
VATICAN CITY, — Vatican post offices and selected collectors’ shops this week started selling special stamps marking the period between Pope Francis’ death and the election of his successor.
The so-called “sede vacante” stamps include an image used by the Vatican in official documents in periods between popes: two crossed keys but no papal headgear. They went on sale Monday and will only remain valid until a new Holy Father appears at the window of St. Peter’s.
Until then, they can be used to send letters, postcards and packages. “With the election of the new pope, they lose the postal value, but the collectible value goes up,” Francesco Santarossa, who runs a collector’s shop across from St. Peter’s Square, said Tuesday.
The Vatican printed stamps in four face values: at 1.25 euros ($1.42), 1.30 euros, 2.45 euros and 3.20 euros. They carry the words “Citta del Vaticano” — Vatican City — and “Sede Vacante MMXXV” – vacant See 2025.
All bear a reproduction of the same image: three angels holding up a canopy shielding the symbolic papal keys against a background of white clouds.
The last time the Vatican issued stamps for the interregnum between popes was in 2012, when Benedict XVI broke tradition and retired. The issuing of sede vacante stamps dates from 1929.
Starting on May 7, cardinals will gather to elect Francis’ successor. It is not known how long the secret election will last.
The 2013 papal conclave, which elected Pope Francis, lasted just two days. It began on March 12 and ended on March 13, as Francis was elected on the fifth ballot.
Copyright 2025 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
I’m Brian Gordon, tech reporter for The News & Observer, and this is Open Source, a weekly newsletter on business, labor and technology in North Carolina.
The biggest Triangle controversy over the holidays involved a not-quite anonymous Facebook comment from the head of a local business nonprofit.
In late December, Shop Local Raleigh executive director Jennifer Martin responded to an inquiry from a Wake County parent about sports opportunities for their transgender child by denying that child’s identity was real. “There’s no such thing as a transgender son,” she wrote. “Blessing to you, but the sooner you help your son realize this, the more successful he (maybe a she) will be.”
Martin had posted anonymously in a private Facebook networking group for Triangle women, but a group administrator identified her to the online community. Some of Shop Local Raleigh’s more than 900 businesses now question their membership.
“I think the only way that our LGBT and ally community will feel comfortable supporting Shop Local Raleigh is if bigger actions are taken,” said Erica Vogel, who runs a jewelry and leather goods business in Rolesville. “I think [Martin] doesn’t deserve to represent our small business collective.”
A decade since North Carolina’s “bathroom bill” sparked national backlash and boycotts, issues around transgender identity are even more politically charged. Gender-affirming care and youth sports participation bans were driving narratives of the 2024 presidential election and just this week, North Carolina enacted a law to officially recognize only two sexes, male and female.
Another difference between the 2010s and today — and a reason the fallout from Martin’s comment is more important to track, is the growing reach of Shop Local Raleigh and its executive director. The nonprofit officially named the Greater Raleigh Merchants Association was started in 1940 to promote local small business interests. It organized the annual Raleigh Christmas Parade, and its first director served for 50 years.
But by 2009, GRMA sought a rebrand to reverse its dwindling membership. “We needed to find a way to become more relevant,” said Kevin Coggins, then the association’s board president. “The word ‘merchant’ had become super dated.”
Coggins said the group had fewer than 50 members businesses at the time. Martin was hired at its executive director in 2011, and since then, Shop Local Raleigh has grown into a larger civic player, counting more than 900 members (including bar owners, dog walkers and HVAC repairers) and running not just the Christmas Parade, but also the popular Brewgaloo craft beer festival.
Since 2016, the organization has gone from two to six employees, seen its revenue leap, and the board has increased Martin’s salary considerably — from $70,000 to around $190,000 last year, tax records show. Shop Local Raleigh, during this time, went from taking in less than $600,000 a year to more than $1.2 million.
“It does a tremendous amount of good, supporting small independent businesses in the area,” Coggins said. “It does a really good job of advocating for small business in issues involving various governments that business owners have to navigate.”
Martin has yet to respond publicly to questions on her comment. In a Dec. 29 statement, the GRMA board wrote it “is currently addressing the matter. The comment made does not reflect those of the organization. Shop Local Raleigh is dedicated to a culture of diversity, inclusion and respect.”
If the board decides to dismiss Martin, it won’t be due to a lack of growth. The question is whether the coalition can sustain under its current leader.
Thanks for reading and Happy New Year!
This story was originally published January 2, 2026 at 10:18 AM.
Brian Gordon
The News & Observer
Brian Gordon is the Business & Technology reporter for The News & Observer and The Herald-Sun. He writes about jobs, startups and big tech developments unique to the North Carolina Triangle. Brian previously worked as a senior statewide reporter for the USA Today Network. Please contact him via email, phone, or Signal at 919-861-1238.
NEW YORK — Two rookies made their first career starts for the Nets and Cam Thomas provided a scoring lift off the bench with an efficient 21 points, but it wasn’t enough to overcome the absence of key starters in a 120-96 loss to the Houston Rockets on Thursday night at Barclays Center.
Brooklyn opened 2026 with a second straight loss and fell to 10-21, undone by a sluggish start, uneven offense and a Rockets team that continued to pour it on as the night wore on.
Advertisement
That tone was set early.
With three starters out, the Nets leaned further into their youth experiment, starting rookies Drake Powell and Danny Wolf and asking Wolf to set the table. Brooklyn’s start was anything but steady with Kevin Durant back in the building. The Rockets raced out to a 12-2 lead by the 9:14 mark as the Nets’ offense stalled and defensive breakdowns piled up, prompting an early timeout from head coach Jordi Fernández after Houston opened 6-for-6 from the field on a parade of layups.
Brooklyn steadied itself for a bit, ripping off a 16-8 run and flipping the momentum when Alperen Sengun went to the bench. But the response didn’t last long. Rockets head coach Ime Udoka quickly put Sengun back in, and he continued to be a problem. By the end of the first quarter, the Nets trailed 26-20, with Ziaire Williams scoring six points and grabbing two steals and Sengun leading all scorers with 10.
The second quarter is where it started to slip. Brooklyn hung around early, with Day’Ron Sharpe’s interior work briefly cutting the deficit to four, but the Rockets answered every push. Durant settled the game with shot-making, Reed Sheppard buried back-to-back 3s and the Nets’ offense stalled into turnovers and empty trips. Houston closed the half in control, taking a 53-42 lead into the break.
Advertisement
The third quarter is where Houston turned control into separation. It got ugly quickly. While Brooklyn committed just two turnovers in the period, the lack of offensive firepower showed as the Rockets shot 63.6% and saw Jabari Smith Jr., Tari Eason and Amen Thompson all reach double figures in the quarter. Thomas and Nic Claxton tried to keep the Nets within reach, but it wasn’t enough, as Brooklyn fell behind by as many as 26 and went into the fourth trailing 90-67.
It was never closer than 16 points down the stretch.
Rookies Powell, Wolf and Nolan Traore played 25, 29 and 26 minutes, respectively, shooting a combined 8-for-27 from the field. Thompson led six Rockets in double figures with 23 points, four rebounds, three assists, two steals and a block.
Sharpe finished with a career-high seven assists with eight points, eight rebounds and two steals.
The Nets return to action Friday night on the second night of a back-to-back against the Washington Wizards at Capital One Arena.
We asked you to vote for your favorite places and people of Peachtree Corners, and once again, you answered the call.
You can find the full Best of Peachtree Corners 2025 list in our November/December issue. But for online, we’re breaking it up into a series of smaller lists that will run weekly through the beginning of January, showcasing the top vote-getters.
This week, we’re sharing the results for the top-voted sports and fitness options in Peachtree Corners.
Editor’s note: In order to ensure fairness and accuracy for our Best Of 2025 survey, we made every effort to weed out bots and any other activity that would falsely skew the results. Ties for 2nd and 3rd place winners were arrived at when vote totals were within 1–1.5% of each other.
1. Burn Boot Camp is a fitness center offering 45-minute workouts using active warm-up, exercise demos and rotation through strength and conditioning stations, led by friendly, expert trainers.
5450 Peachtree Pkwy.
Peachtree Corners, 30092
470-403-2876; burnbootcamp.com
2. Robert D. Fowler Family YMCA
5600 W. Jones Bridge Road
Peachtree Corners, 30092
770-246-9622; ymcaatlanta.org
3. Life Time Peachtree Corners
6350 Courtside Drive NW
Peachtree Corners, 30092
770-449-6060; lifetime.life
1. CrossFit Peachtree Corners is a local gym offering workouts and varied, functional movement training for people of all ages and fitness levels. Sound nutrition guidance and community accountability are also part of the CrossFit formula.
6760 Jimmy Carter Blvd., Unit 125
Norcross, 30071
404-854-1816; crossfit.com
2. (tied) CrossFit PPG
4505 Peachtree Industrial Blvd.
Norcross, 30092
470-808-4938; crossfitppg.com
2. (tied) Zanshin Fitness
4015 Holcomb Bridge Road
Peachtree Corners, 30092
770-992-9200; zanshin.fit
1. Robert D. Fowler Family YMCA serves the community with programs focused on healthy living, youth development and social responsibility. They offer swimming, group exercise classes, workout rooms and more.
5600 W. Jones Bridge Road
Peachtree Corners, 30092
770-246-9622; ymcaatlanta.org
2. Life Time Peachtree Corners
6350 Courtside Drive NW
Peachtree Corners, 30092
770-449-6060; lifetime.life
3. Planet Fitness
7050 Jimmy Carter Blvd.
Peachtree Corners, 30092
770-696-1605; planetfitness.com
1. Taido Karate offers traditional, family-friendly instruction in the modern Taido style of karate, utilizing dynamic techniques and footwork for the purpose of self-defense.
6470 Spalding Drive
Peachtree Corners, 30092
770-242-6406; taidokarate.com
2. Lozo Karate
5450 Peachtree Pkwy., Suite 8A
Peachtree Corners, 30092
404-333-8808; lozokarate.com
1. Peachtree Corners Football Club has been a part of the PTC community for 50 years, offering youth soccer coaching and team play for kids in U6 through U14 age groups.
4901 E. Jones Bridge Road
Peachtree Corners, 30092
pcfcsoccer.com
2. Norcross Youth Athletic Association
P.O. Box 2484
Norcross, 30091
norcrossathletics.com
3. D1 Training
5250 Triangle Parkway NW
Peachtree Corners, 30092
855-783-7650; d1training.com
1. Club Pilates offers low-impact, Reformer-based, full-body Pilates workouts for all ages and fitness levels, designed to increase mobility, balance and strength.
4880 Peachtree Parkway, Suite 1130
Peachtree Corners, 30092
404-902-2583; clubpilates.com
2. Sunny Street Yoga
6375 Spalding Drive, Suite E
Peachtree Corners, 30092
470-641-3021; sunnystreetyoga.com
3. Sun Dragon Yoga
5600 Spalding Drive Norcross, 30092
313-303-0096; sundragonyoga.com
1. Life Time Peachtree Corners is a world-class racquet and athletic country club offering leagues, programming and instruction. They have 30 indoor and outdoor pickleball courts and 18 indoor and outdoor tennis courts, as well as fitness studios and other amenities.
6350 Courtside Drive NW
Peachtree Corners, 30092
770-449-6060; lifetime.life
2. Ace Pickleball Club
1425 Market Blvd., Suite 200
Roswell, 30076
678-6752; acepickleballclub.com
3. Cauley Creek Park PickleBall Courts
7255 Bell Road
Johns Creek, 30097
678-512-3200; johnscreekga.gov
Next up in the series: Hotels and Event Spaces
Photo: Adobe Stock
It’s a seven-on-seven game with less of the bruising action of regular football. As the sport takes off locally and around the country, a Santa Cruz County team takes on one from Monterey County.
Flag football, an old sport, is now seeing rapid growth across the country. This Sunday, Aptos High hosts a showcase, featuring 34 top high school senior girls competing: the best of Monterey County traveling here to compete against the best in Santa Cruz County.
Aptos High senior Ella Porter, playing on the Santa Cruz County or north team, told Lookout this week she’s been hooked on flag football since she started playing last year. The 18-year-old said the sport provides another opportunity for girls to develop their athletic ability and be part of a team.
“You need one another to either win or lose, and that’s what’s really special about it,” said Porter. “We have the same wins, but we also have these hard losses, and we get to go through it together.”
It’s football, but without the tackling, and the players have four downs to get to the end zone. To stop the offense, players pull a flag from an opponent’s belt. It’s a seven-on-seven game, rather than the 11 per team in regular football. Young people have played flag football for decades, in physical education classes or recreationally, but in recent years, it’s taken on a more competitive form.
About 2.4 million kids under 17 play in organized flag football leagues in the United States, and the number is rapidly growing across the globe, according to the International Federation of American Football. In response to its growing popularity, the sport will be featured in the Olympic Games for the first time in 2028.
Event organizers Reggie Stephens and Joel Domhoff took notice of local girls’ interest in the sport and put together the event to raise awareness of flag football and celebrate the athletes’ skills. Stephens is a youth sports advocate and former NFL player, and Domhoff is a longtime media arts teacher currently at Renaissance High School in La Selva Beach. They both run nonprofit organizations which help fundraise to run the event: the Reggie Stephens Foundation and the Gino Panelli Foundation – which gives the event its longish name, RSF/GPF Central Coast Flag Football All-Star Game. Domhoff directs the all-star game.
Domhoff began noticing girls showing up to football practices to train with high school boys several years ago. One year it was one girl, he said, and the next year two girls: “Then suddenly we had middle school girls. That’s when we realized, okay, this is bigger than we thought.”
He said he thinks the sport has become more appealing because there’s no tackling but the sport still emphasizes athletic ability.
“It doesn’t have the violent aspect that turns a lot of people off to tackle football. It has all the beauty, the athleticism and the grace,” he said. “These girls are competitive, they’re highly skilled, and they absolutely love it.”
Four years ago, he said, there was no such thing as girls’ high school flag football. Now more than 200 California high schools support teams and some colleges are developing women’s flag football programs. Domhoff said the all-star game is part of a growing effort to give girls the same opportunities that boys have had.
“There are only four women coaching flag football in the area — and all four of them will be coaching in this all-star game,” he said. “That’s symbolic, and it’s important for these girls to see women as role models and think, ‘That’s something I could become.’”
Carmel High School senior Ava Staehle, who is playing on the Monterey County or south team, said she started playing at around age 8 because she was inspired by her older brothers who played football.
“Now I get to play competitively too,” she said. “It’s just such a perfect sport, especially for young girls, to start playing.”
Staehle, who plays linebacker and receiver, said the sport has taught her “to keep pushing myself and to always try my best.” She hopes to keep playing, either through a club or recreationally, when she goes to college next year.
Aptos High’s Porter, who plays quarterback and running back, said she also hopes to play when she goes to college. She appreciates that the sport has given girls another opportunity to challenge themselves.
“Football has always been tackle football for men,” she said. “To have something added for women as fast as this was — I’m very thankful and very excited about that.”
The all-star game day starts at noon with skills competitions, including a 40-yard dash and a contest for the longest throw. The game will start at 1 p.m., featuring four 15-minute quarters. The festivities will also feature a live DJ, a raffle and tacos. For those who can’t attend in person, the game will be broadcast live on the National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS) website, air on tape delay on Community Television of Santa Cruz and also be posted on social media.
All-star game details:
When: Sunday, Jan. 4, at noon
Where: Aptos High School, 100 Mariner Way, Aptos, 95003
Cost: $5 general admission; free admission for middle school and high school students with student ID
South Roster
Coaches: Alyssa Dixon, Marina; Kalah Ishimaru, Salinas; Marisol Rasul, Alisal
#22 Bailey Casarez, Rancho San Juan, C
#26 Jaslyne Coronado, Salinas, WR/S
#23 Melony Erazo-Chavez, Rancho San Juan, QB
#5 Alissa Escutia, Salinas, WR
#21 Josie Hanson, Carmel, S/WR/QB
#88 Maya Ibarra, North County, QB/RB/WR/S
#10 Calleigh Panziera, Salinas, WR/LB/S
#11 Mia Rivera, Alisal, WR/S
#13 Dania Rodriguez, King City, WR/S
#33 Gracy Ruiz-Gamino, Marina, RB/DB/P
#9 Jimena Salazar-Camacho, Salinas, LB/DB/RB
#6 Elsie Sargenti, Palma, WR/DB
#3 Ava Staehle, Carmel, S/LB/WR
#0 Esmeralda Torres, Marina, WR/RB/LB
#2 Eva Vicencio, King City, RB/DE
#4 Irie Williams, North Salinas, RB/QB
North Roster
Coaches: Frank Galvan, St. Francis; Denise Russo, Aptos; Andy Morris, Santa Cruz
#24 Haily Bettermann, Soquel, DB/WR
#11 Shelby Chase, Scotts Valley, C
#53 Elenah Esquivel, Aptos, LB
#33 Yareli Garcia, Renaissance, DB
#6 Natalia Lapioli, Scotts Valley, CB
#2 Citlali Lopez, Santa Cruz, DB/WR/P (injured, will not play)
#2 Amaya Moore, SLV, QB/RB/WR/S
#8 Lila Mosley, Scotts Valley, LB/RB
#5 Presley Pastrell, Scotts Valley, LB/WR
#4 Ella Porter, Aptos, RB/WR/S/QB
#10 Sammy Rebert, Scotts Valley, WR/DB
#13 Daisy Rincon, PVHS, DB/RB/WR
#14 Leah Serna, Santa Cruz, WR/LB/P
#17 Ben Sommerville, Santa Cruz, WR/S
#18 Eliza Stevens, Soquel, QB
#0 Marina Tucker, Harbor, WR/DB
#42 Brooklyn Williams, Scotts Valley, WR/DB
#3 Ivory Woodson, Soquel, DE/C
If money is what it will take to resolve the damage done by the substance abuse epidemic in the Mountain State, we are sitting on an enormous opportunity through funds distributed by the West Virginia First Foundation. Just this month nearly $18 million in Momentum Initiative Grants was awarded to tackle the problem.
In this round, there are 76 projects — some statewide, some regional — that will focus on foster care and non-parental caregiver initiatives, youth prevention, recovery housing, behavioral health and workforce development, and reentry and diversion programs.
The statewide projects, totaling more than $3.85 million, all target foster care and non-parental caregivers through Foster RISE (Recruitment, Intervention, Support and Expansion); Pressley Ridge Treatment Kinship Care statewide services; West Virginia CASA Association’s Continuum of Care for children and families impacted by the opioid crisis; and West Virginia Wesleyan College’s capacity-building initiative with CASA.
Hancock and Brooke counties are part of Region 1, although, once again, most of the funds awarded locally appear to be focused for services in the Wheeling area.
The Greater Wheeling Coalition for the Homeless, for example, received $250,000 for day report centers and re-entry programs, while HoH Share Inc. received $125,000 for youth prevention programs. Northwood Health Systems, which has some operations in Weirton, will receive $216,065 for its behavioral health and workforce development programs, and Youth Services System, which also offers some of its programs in our two counties, will receive $125,000 for youth prevention services.
West Liberty University is getting $249,397 for its own day report centers and re-entry programs through the Hilltopper Pathways services.
YWCA Wheeling, meanwhile, is set to receive three grants: $124,744 for youth prevention; $380,000 for recovery housing; and $186,450 for day report centers and re-entry programs.
This is wonderful news for hardworking people in need of support to fulfill a critical mission.
“The Momentum Initiative Grant reflects a new way of responding to the substance use crisis; one grounded in evidence, shaped by local expertise and guided by accountability,” said Jonathan Board, the foundation’s executive director. “We traveled the state, listened to those holding the line in their communities, and answered the call to honor the lives lost by putting these resources into the hands of those ready to create real, lasting impact for West Virginia.”
While we wait, the organizations that have received this round of money are no doubt ready to hold up their end of the bargain.
As that work gets underway, lawmakers and economic development officials must remember it is their job to also be expanding and diversifying our state’s economy and working to improve quality of life for everyone.
Hope is as necessary in this process as is money.
A Newnan-based basketball training program is offering year-round instruction for elementary and middle school students, combining athletic development with family engagement and faith-based mentoring.
The training sessions, led by Derrius Teagle, are open to boys and girls in second through eighth grades and are held at the Royal Baptist Church gym on Mayo Royal Industrial Drive in Newnan.
Maine wraps up Fall Semester with a win in Black Bear Invitational
Ross Brawn to receive Autosport Gold Medal Award at 2026 Autosport Awards, Honouring a Lifetime Shaping Modern F1
Stempien to seek opening for Branch County Circuit Court Judge | WTVB | 1590 AM · 95.5 FM
Nike Signs 10 LSU Athletes to NIL deals
Princeton Area Community Foundation awards more than $1.3 million to 40 local nonprofits ⋆ Princeton, NJ local news %
Kentucky AD explains NIL, JMI partnership and cap rules
Downtown Athletic Club of Hawaiʻi gives $300K to Boost the ’Bows NIL fund
Teesside youth discovers more than a sport
PRI Show revs through Indy, sets tone for 2026 racing season
Young People Are Driving a Surge in Triathlon Sign-Ups
