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Publisher's Pen: The remarkable journey of Joe Thigpen

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Tuesday, 03 February 2026

Written by Bill Bowman

For nearly five decades, the beverage industry in our region has been shaped, strengthened, and elevated by the steady hand and generous spirit of one remarkable man.
This month, it is both an honor and a privilege to celebrate the career and character of someone who has served our community with distinction and earned the admiration of everyone fortunate enough to work alongside him.
Healy Wholesale’s Joe Thigpen is a name that carries weight in Cumberland County—not because he ever sought recognition, but because he lived his career with humility, loyalty, and an unwavering commitment to doing “the right things, for the right reasons.”
It’s a philosophy that resonates deeply with us here at Up & Coming Weekly. From his early days delivering Pepsi Cola in 1977 to his final chapter with Healy Wholesale, Joe has embodied the values that make Fayetteville’s business community strong: honesty, integrity, hard work, and genuine care for people.
On page 14 of this issue, we share Joe’s extraordinary story—a story of perseverance through change, of friendships forged over decades, and of a man who turned competitors into colleagues and customers into lifelong friends.
It is also a story of grace, reflecting how Joe handled both success and setbacks with the same quiet dignity that has defined his entire professional life.
As Joe steps into retirement after 48 years of service, we invite you to join us in honoring his legacy. His impact reaches far beyond the daily duties of beverage sales. It lives in the relationships he built, the trust he earned, and the countless people he encouraged along the way.
On behalf of the entire Up & Coming Weekly team—and a grateful community—we extend our deepest appreciation to Joe Thigpen. May his next chapter be filled with the same joy, friendship, and purpose he has given to all of us. Our city, state, and nation would be a far better place if we had more people like Joe.
Thank you for reading Up & Coming Weekly.
—Bill Bowman, Publisher

Special Note: On Sunday, February 15, from noon to 6 p.m., Gates Four Country Club will host a retirement celebration in Joe’s honor featuring the band RIVERMIST.
The public, friends, and family are invited to this ticketed event. Proceeds support Kidsville News! and its mission to provide reading and educational resources to Cumberland County elementary schools. For ticket information, visit https://bit.ly/46sPvNF, scan the QR code, or call 910‑391‑3859.

(Photo: Joe Thigpen has been a staple of the Fayetteville community for 48 years in the beverage business. This February, he retires after a 48 year career. Photo courtesy of Bill Bowman)

Troy's Perspective: Two party system is inescapable

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Wednesday, 28 January 2026

Written by Troy Williams

A two-party system fundamentally shapes American politics, and while opinions may vary, this reality is inescapable. Recognizing diverse perspectives can foster understanding and respect, which is vital for a healthy political landscape. Most Americans recognize and value this concept; however, a significant number of African Americans have yet to embrace it fully. This gap in understanding deserves attention and dialogue.
During his 2020 campaign as the presumptive Democratic nominee, former President Joe Biden made a significant statement on a morning radio show that resonated with listeners and highlighted his vision for the future.
"If you have a problem figuring out whether you're for me or Trump, then you ain't Black." Although many African Americans expressed concern over the offensive nature of the remarks, the overwhelming majority of those in positions of leadership opted for silence. This silence speaks volumes and raises serious questions about accountability and representation.
Biden claims that genuine authenticity as an African American requires steadfast support for the Democratic Party, a view shared by many Black individuals. Interestingly, African Americans are the only racial group in America that adheres to this singular political party narrative.
The expectation that African Americans will consistently support the Democratic Party is significant, primarily when it is often based on the candidate's race. Former President Barack Obama has criticized African American men who were hesitant to support Kamala Harris simply because she is Black. This suggests that, at times, Democrats may leverage race to their advantage. A year later, President Obama stated that Black voters in Virginia should support the white female gubernatorial candidate, Abigail Spanberger, rather than Winsome Earle-Sears, who was Virginia's first female lieutenant governor and the first woman of color elected statewide in the commonwealth. Earle-Sears is Jamaican American. Ultimately, Spanberger became Virginia's first female governor. It appears that racial identity is significant only for registered Democrats.
Residents of Cumberland County should pay attention to this issue because we are in another crucial election cycle. Democrats are likely to employ the same tactics, such as invoking racial themes, to energize their voter base. This highlights how racial strategies are central to political campaigning and voter mobilization. When both candidates are white, race is viewed differently; the Republican candidate often faces accusations of racism.
If someone thinks that bigotry can be identified simply by examining a voter roll and noticing whether a person's political party registration is marked with a "D" or an "R," then there is little hope for the future of America.
The political landscape has two distinct sides. As Republicans implement their strategies, North Carolina Democrats are facing a unique challenge. For the first time in their history, they are outnumbered by Republicans. This situation will likely lead Democrats to adopt race-focused strategies aimed at mobilizing a multiracial electorate, particularly targeting Black voters who are essential to their base. They find themselves with few alternatives.

The art of discernment

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Wednesday, 28 January 2026

Written by Dan DeBruler

While embarking on my ritual of talking back to the news recently, it struck me: many of the people we celebrate today didn’t do very well in the polls of their own time.
The truth is, we often mislabel conviction as extremism when it confronts our comfort. In their own day, figures like Martin Luther King Jr. and Paul the Apostle were widely misunderstood. They were criticized, resisted—sometimes even feared. Decades or centuries later, we don’t call it disruption anymore. We call it legacy.
In an age when social media makes it effortless to spotlight the best or worst of any moment, we label people, groups, and movements just as easily. What’s harder—and far more necessary—is the quiet work of listening long enough to discover the truth. That gap between reaction and understanding is where discernment either lives—or dies.
Have you ever paused long enough to realize that a buzzword has become so common we’ve forgotten its meaning—or the impact that once gave it buzzword status? Prejudice is one of those words. It didn’t start as a slogan—it started as a description. At its core, prejudice simply means deciding before knowing.
I was in a meeting with policy makers recently, discussing some promising—but difficult—options. At one point, the guy next to me leaned over and whispered, “Your gift of being quiet is really shining on this stuff.”
It was meant as a mild jest, but I took it as a compliment. There were many options, twice as many opinions, and the best path forward could only be found if every perspective was understood first.
One day, we’ll all be gone. Our names forgotten by most—but what we embraced will remain tied to them for those who remember. That’s the idea of legacy: living today for the things that outlive us.
History has a way of judging noisy moments once quiet wisdom becomes visible. The people we honor most weren’t always the loudest voices in the room. More often, they were the ones who listened long enough to understand what truly mattered.
Discernment doesn’t demand immediate conclusions. It calls for patience, humility, and the courage to withhold judgment until truth has time to surface. And more often than not, that quiet work is what becomes legacy.

This, that and the other, January 2026 edition

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Wednesday, 28 January 2026

Written by Margaret Dickson

There is good news and bad news for North Carolina’s public schools.
• The General Assembly’s new law, starting January 1st, banning most cell phone use by students during classroom time, appears to be a positive move. Educators in Charlotte told Governor Stein when he visited earlier this month that even in such a short time, they can already see improved student connections, socialization, and critical thinking. No longer can students whip out cell phones—ie, handheld computers- to find easy answers to teachers’ questions. Now they must ask questions to figure out answers on their own and in discussion with other students and teachers. This process requires connecting with other people, both students and teachers, and requires social skills. A computer does not. And, they actually have to think.
As Bob Dylan and other musicians sing, “it’s all good.”
• In other aspects of public education, things are not so good.
The year has barely begun, and public education supporters are already rallying at the North Carolina General Assembly and rightly so. They want more school funding—North Carolina is close to the bottom in most rankings and at the bottom in at least one, and significant restrictions on funding for charter schools and private institutions. Again, rightly so.
Public Schools First NC has 6 legislative priorities for the coming session, all addressing the downward slide since the General Assembly began its attempts to dismantle public education 15 years ago. Its priorities include getting North Carolina back up to the national average in school funding, stop diverting public money to barely-regulated charter schools and private institutions, including religious ones, attracting more teachers by increasing base pay, promoting student well-being at safety at school to enhance learning, providing universal pre-K and school meals, and reversing policies that negatively and unfairly target public schools.
What’s not to love there? Families all across North Carolina are cheering!
• President Trump, or DJT as he signs himself on social media, does not just love to see his name in lights. He loves to see his name everywhere. He loves it so much, in fact, that he is naming all sorts of things TRUMP at lightning speed. Never mind that most US Presidents from George Washington going forward had their names attached to something only after they met their makers.
President Trump, however, is special. Very special.
The New York Times reports that in just the last year, the American people have been gifted with the DJT and JFK Memorial Center for the Performing Arts, the DJT US Institute of Peace, the Trump-class USS Defiant, the Trump Gold Card, Trump Accounts, a proposed $1 Trump coin, and Trump RX. I can hardly even think about the possibilities of a DJT White House Ballroom or a DJT remodel of Mount Rushmore. (I used initials here as I have a word limit at Up & Coming Weekly.)
All of this is very unusual, actually unprecedented, for a sitting President. Jeffrey Engel, a historian at Southern Methodist University, told the Times, “Throughout Western history, the idea of commemorating and adulating yourself has been considered gauche.”
Clearly, that is neither a problem nor a deterrent for DJT.
None of us, from the most fire-on-hair liberals to the most ardent MAGA cultists, should be surprised by any of this. We have been forewarned numerous times.
Remember Trump University. Trump Vodka. Trump Steaks. Trump Tower. Trump Water. Trump Taj Mahal. Trump Model Management, just to name a few.
This is what one might call high self-esteem.
Very high self-esteem.