Joseph Navin

Joseph Navin '24 is a staff photographer and staff writer for Elon News Network. Navin is majoring in Journalism and is minoring in Political Science. Navin enjoys taking photographs and reporting on news stories pertaining to the local community, Alamance County and the aerospace industry.

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Recent Articles

NEWS 4/8/24 7:50pm

Partial eclipse passes over Elon

By Joseph Navin

On the afternoon of April 8, a rare total solar eclipse – referred to by some as the “Great North American Eclipse” — traveled over parts of Mexico, the United States and Canada – blanketing parts of North America located in the “path of totality” in a brief period of darkness. While Elon and central North Carolina were not situated in the area for the total eclipse, the region did experience a partial eclipse. The Elon University Physics Department held an eclipse watching event at the Innovation Quad between 2 and 4 p.m., where roughly 500 people showed up at the moment of partial totality.

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NEWS 4/4/24 5:03pm

Alamance County Sheriff's Office announces suspect in 45-year-old murder case

By Joseph Navin

During a press conference held in Graham on April 4, an emotional Terry Johnson — Alamance County sheriff — announced that authorities found the suspect in the 1979 murder of then 20-year-old Tammy Aldridge. The suspect in the case was Gary Lane Laframboise, who died in 2020 in South Carolina. While the Alamance County Sheriff's Office has identified the subject, they do not know if he acted alone. Another individual was originally charged for her murder, but was found not guilty. Relatives of Aldridge attended the event, but declined Elon News Network’s request for comment.

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NEWS 3/20/24 5:52pm

First Lady visits Research Triangle to highlight women’s health

By Joseph Navin

First Lady Jill Biden made a brief stop March 20 at Durham’s Research Triangle Park, as part of an effort by the White House to promote the administration’s initiative on women’s health research. The event held roughly 50 attendees. This comes after President Joe Biden passed an Executive Order on March 18 addressing women’s health as part of this initiative. According to the White House, the order will direct federal agencies and departments, such as the Office of Management and Budget and the National Institutes of Health to prioritize women’s health research. 

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NEWS 3/19/24 9:15pm

NC Court of Appeals rules Graham Confederate monument cannot be removed by Alamance County

By Joseph Navin

The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People was the first in a long line of plaintiffs in a lawsuit against Alamance County and its Board of Commissioners for protecting the Confederate monument located in front of the county courthouse in Graham. The North Carolina Court of Appeals ruled in favor of the county commissioners on March 19, stating that the commissioners lack the authority to move the monument due to North Carolina’s Monument Protection Law. The monument has been the subject of numerous controversies, events and protests — especially at the height of the George Floyd era in 2020.

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NEWS 3/18/24 8:16pm

County Commissioners welcome ABSS interim superintendent

By Joseph Navin

Hours after being sworn in as Interim Superintendent of the Alamance-Burlington School System, Bill Harrison was welcomed into his role by members of the Alamance County Board of Commissioners during their meeting on March 18. He replaced former Superintendent Dain Butler who resigned earlier this month. Harrison is no stranger to Alamance County, he previously served as both interim superintendent and superintendent of the school system between 2014 and 2018. Before that, he served as the chairman for the State Board of Education from 2009 to 2013.

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NEWS 3/14/24 12:51pm

Stein holds campaign event in Burlington

By Joseph Navin

On the heels of winning the Democratic gubernatorial nomination on March 5, North Carolina Attorney General Josh Stein spoke at Persnickety Books in Burlington on March 14 as part of a  “Real Time with Stein” campaign event. This marked Stein’s first campaign visit to Alamance County since winning the primary election. Burlington’s Persnickety Books is no stranger to political events. In 2021, the store hosted an election night watch party for former-Burlington Mayor and Elon University alumnus Ian Baltutis.

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NEWS 3/5/24 8:59pm

NC Democrats, Stein campaign prepare for election results in Raleigh

By Joseph Navin

With just under 2% of ballots cast in, according to the North Carolina State Board of Elections, the Associated Press called the Democratic Gubernatorial race in favor of North Carolina Attorney General Josh Stein. The Republican governor race was also called in favor of Lt. Gov. Mark Robinson. The two will face off in the general election in November. With primary election polls having closed at 7:30 p.m., NC Democrats hosted a watch party at the Maywood Hall & Garden in Raleigh to welcome the Democratic gubernatorial nominee to the general elections ballot.

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NEWS 3/2/24 6:06pm

Trump makes campaign stop in Greensboro

By Joseph Navin

Former President Donald Trump held a campaign rally after 2 p.m. on March 2 inside the Greensboro Coliseum — attracting thousands of supporters. North Carolina Republicans, including Lt. Gov. Mark Robinson, State House Speaker Tim Moore, Sen. Ted Budd and Rep. Virginia Foxx, also used the opportunity to rally supporters to vote next week. Republican primary challenger Nikki Haley, a former United Nations Ambassador and former South Carolina Governor, also made a speech on March 2 in Raleigh. Among the attendees of the event was Alamance County Sheriff Terry Johnson, who showed his support for President Trump.

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NEWS 2/27/24 12:44am

Community voices support for Alamance Virtual School during ABSS meeting

By Joseph Navin

For numerous faculty members and roughly 236 students in Alamance County, the Alamance Virtual School is an integral part of their daily lives. When Superintendent Dain Butler proposed cutting the school amid a budget shortfall of $3.2 million for the Alamance-Burlington School System; it left many community members concerned. The Alamance Virtual School is an online alternative for ABSS students and is designated as its own school in the school district. After a tense public comment period during the board meeting on Feb. 26, numerous members of the Board of Education voiced their support for keeping the virtual school.

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NEWS 2/25/24 11:08pm

Candlelight vigil commemorates Wyatt Outlaw, held behind Graham courthouse

By Avery Sloan and Joseph Navin

Wade Harrison, member of the Alamance County Community Remembrance Coalition, said the lessons of Wyatt Outlaw are as relevant today as they were 154 years ago when he was lynched on Feb. 26, 1870 in Graham. Close to 70 people gathered at sunset on Feb. 25 on the eve of the anniversary of his murder. In 1869, the White Brotherhood, the white supremacist group that lynched Outlaw, made a show of force in Graham which demonstrated their power and disdain for law enforcement. Outlaw interfered with the event by firing shots into the air. One year later, he was lynched by the same group.

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NEWS 2/13/24 8:17pm

Sen. Galey requests investigation into ABSS financial decisions by General Assembly committee

By Joseph Navin and Sophie Rosenthal

The Alamance-Burlington School System discussed a revised financial reduction plan at a work session held Tuesday, Feb. 13, days after State Sen. Amy Galey requested an investigation into the school system’s finances. The investigation request comes after a year of financial hardship for the school system. In summer 2023, ABSS spent nearly $26 million on cleaning up 32 of its 36 schools after a mold outbreak. School board chair Sandy Ellington-Graves declared that the school district was in financial crisis in November 2023. At the end of January, superintendent Dain Butler announced a plan to lay off and reduce hours for over 50 employees.

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NEWS 1/31/24 7:30pm

Body of missing 19-year-old identified north of Elon

By Joseph Navin

Authorities from the Alamance County Sheriff’s Office reported they found human remains near Travis Creek and the Haw River on Jan. 31. The discovery occurred during a missing-person search for 19-year-old Elon resident Antwain McDaniel. The remains were identified to be McDaniel shortly after 6 p.m. McDaniel reportedly went missing after he was last seen exiting a vehicle at roughly 4 a.m. on Jan. 28 near Durham Street Extension and Routh Road. As of 6 p.m. on Jan. 31, Durham Street Extension is closed to public traffic in the area near the Travis Creek Bridge. 

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NEWS 1/30/24 8:37am

Photo Story: An unprecedented New Hampshire primary

By Joseph Navin

The 2024 “first in the nation” presidential primary in New Hampshire marked a deviation from precedent, where both Republicans and Democrats would host their respective primary elections in the Granite State. But this year, the primary for the Democrats officially shifted to South Carolina, while the Republican primary remained in New Hampshire. The 2024 Presidential Primary now shifts to Nevada and South Carolina, with Republicans having their next election in Nevada on Feb. 8 and the Democrats holding their first official primary on Feb. 3. North Carolina will hold both Republican and Democrat primaries on March 5.

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NEWS 12/7/23 6:02pm

Three suspects charged in Carolina Mill fire

By Joseph Navin

The Alamance County Sheriff’s Office announced Dec. 7 that three adult males were arrested and charged on Dec. 6 and 7 for the Carolina Mill fire along Haw River. The mill burned on Nov. 25, with hot spots lingering through the night to Nov. 26. The building was a former cotton mill built in 1869 and was vacant at the time of the fire. While the Carolina Mill and Culp Weaving Mill fires occurred within roughly two weeks of each other, the Alamance County Sheriff’s Office confirmed that these were isolated incidents. The Sheriff’s office said the investigation into the Carolina Mill fire is still ongoing.

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NEWS 12/5/23 7:15pm

Suspects charged in Culp Weaving Mill fire

By Joseph Navin

The Alamance County Sheriff's Office provided an update Dec. 5 on the cause of the Culp Weaving Mill fire at 300 E. Parker St. in Graham, which occurred overnight Nov. 12 to 13. This was the first of two Alamance County mill fires in November, with the Carolina Mill burning on Nov. 25. The Culp Weaving Mill also caught fire in October 2022. Wayland Heath Phillips, a 22-year-old resident of Graham, is charged with two counts of felony burning certain building and two counts of felony breaking and entering for his alleged connection in both the Culp Weaving Mill fire and the Apple Blossom Lane house fires.

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NEWS 12/2/23 8:12pm

PHOTO GALLERY: City of Graham kicks off December with Christmas Parade

By Joseph Navin

Despite forecasts for rain, Graham was able to hold their 62nd annual Christmas parade. The parade route began on North Main Street and continued south toward Court Square and down South Main Street.   

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NEWS 11/30/23 9:05pm

Christopher Newport Dean visits Elon University as second College of Arts and Sciences dean candidate

By Joseph Navin

Elon University faculty members listened to a presentation by Dean Nicole Guajardo from Christopher Newport University inside upstairs Lakeside on Nov. 30. This comes as the university is looking for a new dean to helm Elon College, College of Arts and Sciences starting fall 2024. At the end of this academic year, Dean Gabie Smith will end her two decade-long tenure as the dean of the College of Arts and Sciences. Smith will remain a professor in the Department of Psychology afterwards. Dr. Hilton Kelly will be the third candidate to present at 2:15 p.m. on Monday, Dec. 4 in Lakeside 213.

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NEWS 11/29/23 2:11pm

Elon University announces increase in parking permit price; freshman parking move to Danieley, Francis Centers fall 2024

By Joseph Navin

All Elon University students will see an increase in parking permit rates next academic year. For regular permits, the rates will increase from $160 to $225, except for Global Neighborhood lot permits which will increase from $50 to $100. According to a campus-wide email forwarded by Vice President for Student Life Jon Dooley on Nov. 29, Chief of Campus Police and Safety Joe LeMire will be initiating a parking pilot program in which all freshman parking will be moved to the east side of campus, including at Danieley Center and a new lot being built at the Gerald Francis Center.

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NEWS 11/28/23 11:41pm

PHOTO GALLERY: Elon University celebrates annual Festival of Lights, Luminaries festival

By Joseph Navin

The Festival of Lights and Luminaries Festival was held Nov. 28 and featured numerous stations across campus, highlighting numerous religions and cultural traditions being celebrated this holiday season. 

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NEWS 11/26/23 9:50pm

Graham, Faucette fire crews knock out hotspots after Carolina Mill blaze

By Joseph Navin

A caller reported a fire inside the Carolina Mill at roughly 4:03 a.m. on Nov. 25, and the mill was fully engulfed in flames by the time fire crews were on scene — according to Chief Jimmy Westbrook from the Faucette Township Volunteer Fire Department. Twelve fire departments from across Alamance County, including those from Graham and Burlington, responded to assist crews from the Faucette Township Volunteer Fire Department. Westbrook said at the height of the response, around 75 people were on scene.The Carolina Mill was a former cotton mill which was built in 1869.

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