“This is God’s country. I don’t have a clue.”

[SKIP KILPATRICK]

Okay.....so no suspects or motive have been announced. So ....you know I could be jumping the gun.....but!


https://www.washingtonpost.com/natio...-power-outage/



Gunshots at substations cut electricity to 45,000; police seek motive


Two facilities in central North Carolina were damaged

[COLOR=var(--wpds-colors-gray40)]A person or group appeared to intentionally fire multiple gunshots that damaged two power substations in central North Carolina on Saturday, local law enforcement said at a news conference Sunday.

[COLOR=var(--wpds-colors-gray40)]Federal and state agencies are helping local law enforcement investigate the gun attack, and a state of emergency, along with a curfew from 9 p.m. Sunday to 5 a.m. Monday, has been imposed across Moore County, officials said during the news conference.[/COLOR]

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[COLOR=var(--wpds-colors-gray40)]The attack initially left roughly 45,000 households and businesses without power, Duke Energy said in a statement. Roughly 35,000 remained without power Sunday night. It may take until Thursday to repair the damaged equipment and restore power across Moore County, a spokesperson for Duke Energy said.
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[COLOR=var(--wpds-colors-gray40)]“The person who did this knew what they were doing,” said Moore County Sheriff Ronnie Fields, who described the attack as deliberate. “It appears they were trying to shut down the county.” Officials do not have a motive or suspect.


[COLOR=var(--wpds-colors-gray40)]Electricity went out in tens of thousands of buildings in Moore County shortly after 7 p.m. Saturday. Sunday evening on Twitter, Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm called the outage a “serious incident” and said her department is working with federal partners as the investigation continues.[/COLOR]

[COLOR=var(--wpds-colors-gray40)]Investigators are looking into whether the incident is linked to a drag queen show that took place in the town of Southern Pines that evening, but they have so far not found any connection, Fields said.[/COLOR]


[COLOR=var(--wpds-colors-gray40)]Community members said far-right activists have tried to shut down the event for weeks, the Fayetteville Observer reported Friday.[/COLOR]

[COLOR=var(--wpds-colors-gray40)]“Recently there’s been a shift in our very small community,” Monique Baker, an attendee of the drag show and mother to children from the LGBTQ community, told The Washington Post.

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[COLOR=var(--wpds-colors-gray40)]“It’s kind of scary to think that hate for a drag show could have brought on the attack,” she said. “Especially since the show was so full of love. Hopefully that isn’t the case.”[/COLOR]

[COLOR=var(--wpds-colors-gray40)]Baker and her family have had to move into a friend’s house because their home is without power.[/COLOR]

[COLOR=var(--wpds-colors-gray40)]In partly rural Moore County, cellphone and internet service were largely unavailable. Schools across the county will be closed Monday. Homes with electricity-powered wells had limited water.[/COLOR]


[COLOR=var(--wpds-colors-gray40)]At least one local pharmacy had to store medicine in the refrigerator of a resident with a generator, Andrew Wilkins, a D.C. resident visiting his parents in the county, told The Post.[/COLOR]

[COLOR=var(--wpds-colors-gray40)]Utility workers found evidence that “intentional vandalism” had occurred at two sites, said Fields, the Moore County sheriff. He said the outage is being investigated as criminal in nature.

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[COLOR=var(--wpds-colors-gray40)]Fields declined to elaborate on how many gunshots hit each substation or whether there were security cameras that captured the attacks, citing a need to protect the investigation.[/COLOR]

[COLOR=var(--wpds-colors-gray40)]North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper (D) said that he spoke with state law enforcement and Duke Energy about the power outage and added that the state was providing support.[/COLOR]


[COLOR=var(--wpds-colors-gray40)]“An attack like this on critical infrastructure is a serious, intentional crime and I expect state and federal authorities to thoroughly investigate and bring those responsible to justice,” Cooper said on Twitter.[/COLOR]

[COLOR=var(--wpds-colors-gray40)]At Sunrise Theater in Southern Pines, drag queen Naomi Dix was about to introduce a dance duo when the lights went out. At first, this seemed normal, said Dix, who spoke to The Post on the condition that only her stage name be used because she feared for her safety. The lights were supposed to go dark at that point in the “Downtown Divas” drag show. Then Dix’s assistant told her that the theater had no power.

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[COLOR=var(--wpds-colors-gray40)]Given the hateful messages she received in the run-up to the event and dueling protests outside the venue, Dix said, participants immediately suspected the power outage could be connected to “our opposers.” Dix said her main concern was keeping the crowd calm and upbeat while organizers figured out what was happening.[/COLOR]


[COLOR=var(--wpds-colors-gray40)]So Dix, 31, said she asked the roughly 320-member audience to turn on their cellphones’ flashlights. With the devices illuminating the room, Dix led the crowd in singing “Halo” by Beyoncé.[/COLOR]

[COLOR=var(--wpds-colors-gray40)]“Us continuing with the show, even if it was for 45 minutes, shows that the fight is going to continue, and the fight is getting stronger,” she recalled telling the audience.

Controversy around the “Downtown Divas” show, featuring dancing and lip-syncing, began to pick up steam after a local resident noticed that the flier said student tickets were half-price. Soon, Dix said, Sunrise was flooded with phone calls from people baselessly claiming that the theater was targeting young people for pedophilia. Dix said the theater’s decision to change the event to adults only fueled those claims.

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[COLOR=var(--wpds-colors-gray40)]Representatives of Sunrise did not immediately respond to messages from The Post on Sunday.[/COLOR]

[COLOR=var(--wpds-colors-gray40)]As showtime approached Saturday, construction tape split the road outside the theater, with police officers standing in the middle as security. On one side of the divide, Dix said, were about 40 people reading scripture and calling drag artists sinners. Roughly 80 people wearing pink stood on the other side in support of her and the other performers.[/COLOR]

[COLOR=var(--wpds-colors-gray40)]Still, nothing so far has indicated the attack was linked to the performance, Sheriff Fields stressed. Authorities are still seeking a motive for the incident.[/COLOR]

[COLOR=var(--wpds-colors-gray40)]When asked why the attack occurred in Moore County, the sheriff said: “This is God’s country. I don’t have a clue.”


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[COLOR=var(--wpds-colors-gray40)]Brittany Shammas and Leo Sands contributed to this report.[/COLOR]




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[SKIP KILPATRICK]

So this is the town where my 90 year old mother and my older sister live.

Nice beautiful town! I certainly don't have anything against Christians. My family are all devout Presbyterians and my husband it RC.

What do these dumbasses think goes on at a drag show? If you have seen the movie Birdcage....yep that's it. People dressed in costumes singing...or lip-syncing and telling corny jokes!

[George Jung]

Those 'folks' aren't christians; they've subverted that for their own agenda. Unfortunate we seemingly have to defer to these nutjobs. Unfortunately - tolerance will only encourage them.

[Jimmy W]

I had read about the sub-stations getting shot, but hadn't seen the drag show angle.

Article that i read showed this photo and said gate was torn off it's hinges. The hinges seem to be still attached, but post already rotted at bottom was knocked over.

[SKIP KILPATRICK]

So mom fell and broke her femur on Thanksgiving Day. She is in a rehabilitation center and they are running on back up generators. My sister's house does not have power. My brother drove down yesterday and is staying at mom's house. We but in a whole house generator 2 years ago when dad was on oxygen before he passed away. I will go down when Charlie has to leave and I will stay down there for a while.

I have little hope that the Sheriff will solve this crime.

Looking at him ....I know I shouldn't judge a book by it's cover!

[Figment]

So Dix, 31, said she asked the roughly 320-member audience to turn on their cellphones’ flashlights. With the devices illuminating the room, Dix led the crowd in singing “Halo” by Beyoncé.

Well done.

[SKIP KILPATRICK]

[Osborne Russell]

When asked why the attack occurred in Moore County, the sheriff said: “This is God’s country. I don’t have a clue.”

You could say he's a liar. It was Reds, which is what he means by "God's country". Or it could be something else. Like what, given the context?

[Jimmy W]

The FBI is involved also. Looking at photos of the Sunrise Theater in Google maps, I see that the Ben Miller Band played there in 2017. Rachel Ammons and Smilin' Bob were in the band then.

That was the year that I took this photo of Rachel.

Rachel Ammons 2017 02.jpg

[Tom Montgomery]

What do these dumbasses think goes on at a drag show? If you have seen the movie Birdcage....yep that's it. People dressed in costumes singing...or lip-syncing and telling corny jokes!

And no doubt the hateful morons have viewed Tootsie and Mrs. Doubtfire without an issue.

[Garret]

And no doubt the hateful morons have viewed Tootsie and Mrs. Doubtfire without an issue.

And - they're just fine with blackface.

Sheesh, men playing women has only been a thing for a few thousand years...

[Jimmy W]

Dame Edna Everage

[SKIP KILPATRICK]

Spoke with Mom and her caregiver just a few minutes ago. It’s a real mess down there. No gas stations only one grocery store.

[SKIP KILPATRICK]

The attacks were 13 miles apart.

I have no idea if it was really related to the drag show or not, but that seems to be the word on the street in Pinehurst.

[skuthorp]

The armed insurrection continues with sabotage………………..

[AndanteEd]

A person or group appeared to intentionally fire multiple gunshots that damaged two power substations in central North Carolina on Saturday, local law enforcement said at a news conference Sunday.

“The person who did this knew what they were doing,” said Moore County Sheriff Ronnie Fields, who described the attack as deliberate. “It appears they were trying to shut down the county.”

Investigators are looking into whether the incident is linked to a drag queen show that took place in the town of Southern Pines that evening, but they have so far not found any connection, Fields said.

Community members said far-right activists have tried to shut down the event for weeks, the Fayetteville Observer reported Friday.

I can't help but raise an eyebrow at the parallels:

News 2.jpg

News 1.jpg

[LeeG]

The attacks were 13 miles apart.

I have no idea if it was really related to the drag show or not, but that seems to be the word on the street in Pinehurst.

Sometimes anarchists/terrorists just wanna blow things up.
On a tangent I was wondering how many vulnerable substations are being fitted with cellular surveillance cameras. A few years back in an article about a Carrington type of event zapping the power grid it turns out we don’t have a adequate replacement transformers to restore power for months in some places.

ps, best wishes for you mom.

[Ian McColgin]

They could take a cel from the brilliant Icelandic movie "Woman at War" and at least find a worthy cause.

[hawkeye54]

The last part of the Sheriff 's statement is the absolute truth ! ! !

[Garret]

I'm just so damn proud to be an Ammurrian...

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/ohio-dr...patriot-front/

Bold mine

A drag storytime event in Ohio was canceled Saturday after members of far-right groups gathered near the First Unitarian Universalist Church of Columbus, where the reading was scheduled to be held.

The "Holi-Drag Storytime," which was organized by Red Oak Community School, was set to feature three drag queens reading to children of ages and performing a "few holiday numbers."

According to The Associated Press, 50-70 members of the Ohio chapters of the Proud Boys and the Patriot Front stood along the roads leading up to the church, touting guns, tactical gear, and face masks that obscured their identities. Protesters chanted "life, liberty, victory" and "reclaim America," among other slogans, and some are seen giving a Nazi salute, according to footage recorded by Brendan Gutenschwager.

The groups had previously posted their plans to protest the event to the messaging app, Telegram.

Cheryl Ryan, school manager at Red Oak, delivered a tearful statement from the stage where the event was supposed to have taken place. Ryan said the cancellation occurred due to disagreement "about how this community could be best protected."

[Domesticated_Mr. Know It All]

[Tom Hunter]

If you're going to spread an unsubstantiated rumor, how about pinning it on Russian agents striking back for US support of Ukraine.

I can picture a Russian troll recruiting some poor "patriot" to stop the drag show by hitting the substations.

[LeeG]

If you're going to spread an unsubstantiated rumor, how about pinning it on Russian agents striking back for US support of Ukraine.

I can picture a Russian troll recruiting some poor "patriot" to stop the drag show by hitting the substations.

Wait, are you implying there are people in the US easily led by manipulative people?

[Durnik]

Sometimes anarchists/terrorists just wanna blow things up.
On a tangent I was wondering how many vulnerable substations are being fitted with cellular surveillance cameras. A few years back in an article about a Carrington type of event zapping the power grid it turns out we don’t have a adequate replacement transformers to restore power for months in some places.

ps, best wishes for you mom.

Strange they weren't protected.. directly after and in response to events of Sept 11, 2001, Cheney gave billions of our money to harden/protect esp elec infrastructure. Dems didn't bat an eye as I recall.


This was on the Ultra thread..

rawImage(1).jpg


and a link - "www.fayobserver.com/story/news/crime/2022/12/04/moore-county-power-outage-investigated-as-vandalism/69699328007/"

as said elsewhere, this has feds/fbi investigating, the local sheriff knows what happened (has too, he's a rww), but doesn't want to say.

as I said on the Ultra thread, this is the opening salvo. cwii has commenced, and unlike cwi, it will be terrorist in action.

[Durnik]

added to my above, folks here need to get out more often. A friend just blew thru here last week, on the way to TX to help his family move out of that debacle. His folks were Mormon, he's gay. Did you see where I said 'were Mormon'? To their credit, when he came out (preteen for the curious, he's mid 30's now) and the church attacked him, they all walked. He tells wonderful stories of he (a pre & then young teen) and his mom protesting esp Cheney's war in Austin. Anywho, a street activist and damn aware individual, he concurs.. as does his family.. the war has started. His family - still close knit as Mormons are, ma, pa, grams & sibs - is moving north (MI?) to escape the hate and the climate change. Yes, MI has militias.. but TX.. 0-: Wish Oz were back, I'd love an 'on the scene' Austin review.

and stay safe, peeps.. CPAC just gave y'all a heads up.. forewarned is forearmed & all.

once again -

"The problem with the progressives and liberals right now is that they are still treating this situation like we are in a state of normalcy" - Malcolm Nance.

[SKIP KILPATRICK]

I just spoke with my brother. He had driven up to Sanford the nearest city, he was able to get a cell phone signal that could handle a video conference call. The signals in Pinehurst and Southern Pine are spotty. He was driving back down RT 1 when he was talking to me and it was spotty reception.

He said they still hope to have power restored sometime on Thursday. There is one Food Lion and one Harris-Tetter open. no traffic lights nothing else open.

He doesn't believe that someone would go to that much trouble to disrupt a drag-show. ....I'm not sure he is right.

[skuthorp]

It seems the American civil war is really hotting up again.

[LeeG]

Strange they weren't protected.. directly after and in response to events of Sept 11, 2001, Cheney gave billions of our money to harden/protect esp elec infrastructure. Dems didn't bat an eye as I recall.


This was on the Ultra thread..

rawImage(1).jpg


and a link - "www.fayobserver.com/story/news/crime/2022/12/04/moore-county-power-outage-investigated-as-vandalism/69699328007/"

as said elsewhere, this has feds/fbi investigating, the local sheriff knows what happened (has too, he's a rww), but doesn't want to say.

as I said on the Ultra thread, this is the opening salvo. cwii has commenced, and unlike cwi, it will be terrorist in action.

Don’t think one can really protect infrastructure from vandals/terrists intent on mayhem.

[Canoeyawl]

Don’t think one can really protect infrastructure from vandals/terrists intent on mayhem.

I'm not so sure of that. Does this sort of thing happen in China?
Where the price of execution is the cost of a single bullet.

[LeeG]

I'm not so sure of that. Does this sort of thing happen in China?
Where the price of execution is the cost of a single bullet.

Sure I’m sure. Just as it’s not possible to protect people from an armed nut job intent on mass murder or people who decide to cross the yellow line to pass a car. All we have are social expectations. And a whole buncha folks w “XXXX YOUR FEELINGS” on their bumper.

[SKIP KILPATRICK]

My sister just texted the family that her power has been restored. She lives in Pinehurst. Hopefully the whole county will be back on line today!

[LeeG]

My sister just texted the family that her power has been restored. She lives in Pinehurst. Hopefully the whole county will be back on line today!

Good to hear.

[AlanMc]

police "we're seeking a motive"

the media "we found a drag queen to say it was b/c of a drag show"

interesting

[LeeG]

police "we're seeking a motive"

the media "we found a drag queen to say it was b/c of a drag show"

interesting

Yes, you can fill the space between quotation marks. Good on ya.
My guess is someone as developed as Kyle Rittenhouse with an older friend who used to work for for Duke power and had been to those stations. Beyond that your quotes are as good as mine.

[George Jung]

They had dozens of armed nutjobs protesting the drag show, so yeah - high likelihood it's connected. Despite ol' Al's protestations.

Embrace your bigotry, Al. Don't be shy!