Leaders are supposed to make the hard decisions and embrace the mantle of responsibility, or so I learned in my 20 -year Army career. For too long, the current Fayetteville Mayor and City Council have shirked their responsibilities and avoided making the hard choices that come with their positions. This vacuum has resulted in the waste of taxpayer money, destruction of public and private property, a rise in crime and a decrease in morale within our city's police department. My heart breaks for the city that I have made my home and grown to love. In the past few years, this wonderful town took a turn for the worse due to failures at City Hall. I owe it to my children, grandchildren, friends, family and neighbors to turn Fayetteville into a safe and prosperous city for them.

For these reasons, I, Jose Alejandro "Alex" Rodriguez, have decided to become a City Council candidate for Fayetteville District 1. This city is in dire need of leadership, and I am more than capable and willing to provide it. As a retired soldier, a middle-school teacher and police officer, I have served my country and community. I will continue to do so should the citizens of my district bless me with the opportunity to serve them.

For too long, the mindset in City Hall has steered this city in a destructive direction. Excessive spending and the waste of taxpayer funds are plaguing the weak members of the current City Council. Their lack of knowledge and inability to ask the difficult questions has made them ineffectual at being proper custodians of taxpayer dollars. The same weak-willed City Council enabled the burning and looting of our Market House and Downtown District. Those same "leaders" ordered the police to stand down, allowing the rioters to destroy property and failed to protect the livelihoods of residents and business owners alike. As I watched this occur, I was disappointed at the lack of respect that City Hall has for Fayetteville's citizens.

Change is also needed at the very top of the Fayetteville Police Department. The current leadership is failing at serving and protecting the citizens and property of this city. Morale continues to decline because of the toxic climate and failed indecisive leadership within the department. As a result of this command climate, the decline in personnel willing to serve in the department is growing with early retirements and officers leaving for other agencies. The men and women in blue serve to protect this city's citizens; they need leaders that will serve and protect them.

Our city can be better with leadership that is serious, committed and decisive. Leaders willing to make the hard decisions, expose the ugly truths, and have the courage to accept the consequences regardless of the outcome. I need your help and support to help Fayetteville live up to its title as an "All-American City." I am Alex Rodriguez, and I am running for Fayetteville City Council in District 1.

It is not like we did not know this was coming. It is just that now we know how bad it really is. To absolutely no one’s surprise, North Carolina’s public school students have fallen behind during our state, nation and world’s year-long ordeal with COVID-19.

The numbers do not lie. A majority of our state’s high schoolers did not pass end-of-course exams last fall. Younger students are not faring well either. Almost 60% of third-graders scored at the lowest level of the beginning-of-grade reading exam and a full 3/4s of them tested not proficient in reading.

Results vary, of course, among individual students, schools and school systems, and no one is cheering. Said North Carolina’s Superintendent of Public Instruction, Catherine Truitt, “It has been a year of lost learning."

But what did we expect?

Under even the most favorable circumstances, students have been outside classrooms and physically away from teachers and each other for a year. Some are contending with difficult family situations such as job losses, reduced income, food insecurity, illnesses and even death. All are dealing with the reality of a worldwide pandemic unlike any in an entire century. My own Precious Jewels are long out of classrooms, but I spent some time during the spring with two little boys, ages 10 and 7, contending with virtual school. The 10-year-old, a thoughtful boy able to concentrate for more than a few minutes, did his sparse online work, if for no other reason than to have it behind him. The 7-year-old, a live wire with two speeds—full-tilt boogie and asleep - learned nothing except how to operate his iPad, and the mom overseeing all this was stressed to the max herself. That mother and millions of other parents and educators will now admit that virtual learning is not optimal for many students, especially younger ones and those with special needs.

It feels now, though, that we are turning a corner on COVID-19. More vaccine shots are administered daily, and schools are beginning to reopen for in person classes with various precautions. The road ahead nevertheless looks long full of challenges. In a letter to state school superintendents last month, acting assistant U.S. Education Secretary Ian Rosenblum wrote, “To be successful once schools have reopened, we need to understand the impact COVID-19 has had on learning and identify what resources and supports students need … We must also specifically be prepared to address the educational inequities that have been exacerbated by the
pandemic …”

It is hard to find a silver lining in any of this, but there may be some. Having life as we have always known it change in a matter of days a year ago offers lessons not necessarily taught in classrooms. Students may have learned that life brings hardships, and not all of them are under anyone’s control. They may have learned resilience — that when life brings on hardships, do the best you can and keep going. They may have learned to enjoy their own company and that of their family members and friends. Not every moment in life is scheduled like a busy school day, and using time wisely and pleasurably requires thought and effort. They may have learned that not all food comes fully prepared from restaurants. More and more Americans cooked in during the pandemic, with families sitting down to meals together in ways we may not have done in years.

Only a handful of living Americans actually experienced the flu pandemic of 1918, and because they were children, they remember little of it. COVID-19 is fresh for all of us and will be for a long time — the fear, the sadness, the seclusion, the loneliness. We are changed people in so many ways, and we now know to appreciate our lives before COVID and after.

Over 16,000 residents live in the Town of Hope Mills. It's one of the friendliest and fastest-growing communities in North Carolina.

Unfortunately, there are about a dozen residents who find it extremely difficult to get comfortable with the existing and competent Hope Mills leadership and the progress the community has made during the past decade.

These malcontents choose not to speak up in public with innovative ideas or constructive criticism. They prefer to operate subversively by lurking in the shadows and taking guerilla style potshots at the current leadership.

It has been a strategy that has proved flawed and ineffective, forcing them to resort to a more direct and sinister tactic — character assassination via trumped-up conspiracy theories.

A few weeks ago, the U.S. Postal Service delivered a letter to my office without a return address or signature. As many as five of these anonymous letters were circulated in Cumberland County, all of which made false, derogatory and disparaging claims and accusations about unsuspecting citizens in Hope Mills leadership positions. All were without substantiation or merit.

These letters were written purposely to cast aspersions, ruin their reputations, rob them of their livelihoods and embarrass them publicly.

No doubt this Dirty Dozen of mean, ruthless, hateful, self-serving malcontents are extremely desperate to destroy what they can't control.

Well, here's my message to this cabal:

1. We know who you are! Your letters may be anonymous, but you are not. The content and context of each piece of correspondence point directly to its authors, who are the same mean-spirited ugly trolls that dominate the Hope Mills social media scene with fake news.

2. Unsubstantiated and unsigned letters of this nature carry no credibility. Only cowards and criminals use this method of intimidation.

3. Responsible, respectable and ethical people, businesses, organizations and institutions will continue to reject this tactic, exposing it as the ruse it is.

4. This unethical tactic of utilizing anonymous conspiracy letters to defame people has the opposite effect. Someone not willing to sign their name to a document means they cannot own up to its content. This is why we have whistlerblower laws— to protect the innocent from retaliation for coming forward with a truth or injustice.

These hostile and vile anonymous attacks on innocent and unsuspecting citizens can only be viewed as "desperate people, doing desperate things."

They will never, I repeat, never, be in leadership positions because their character will not allow it.

The Town of Hope Mills has excellent leadership, and the town is growing and prospering.

The Dirty Dozen are on the outside looking in, and that's where they will stay.

Thanks for reading Up & Coming Weekly.

I never really understood the story of Rip Van Winkle. Until recently, that is. It seems the more I look around, the less I recognize any more. It's not that progress or change bothers me. In fact, I'm a huge fan of many things new and emerging, but I've come to regret some of the things we choose to abandon. Namely values.

Back to Mr. Van Winkle. When he awakens on a mountain after a 20-year nap, he discovers shocking changes: his musket is rotting and rusty, his beard is a foot long, and his dog is nowhere to be found. He returns to his village, where he recognizes no one. He arrives just after an election, and people ask how he voted. Never having cast a ballot in his life, he proclaims himself a faithful subject of King George III, unaware that the American Revolution has taken place, and nearly gets himself into trouble with the townspeople until one elderly woman recognizes him as the long-lost Rip Van Winkle.

When it comes to music, entertainment and even transportation, I'm completely on board with the changes. I like the new. I like the path we're taking, and can still enjoy the fruits of a harvest gone by without bothering anyone else with my sense of melancholy. Technology? A little different, but I am usually quick to embrace the latest, and keep my eyes peeled for whatever is coming over the horizon. It's just that the devices we used before become more quickly obsolete.

Then we come to values. I can't really discuss values without mentioning how closely aligned they are with the morals I live by. Those morals come from the Bible. Love God. Love others more than you do yourself. Do justice, love mercy and walk humbly. These are not catch phrases to me – they are the basis for the moral code I feel like we've begun to abandon.

One Sunday a couple of years ago, I found myself having insults bounced off me while I was saluted with a single finger more than once by numerous passers-by. The offense? Holding a sign which simply read, “Pray to end abortion.” Four written words. I didn't speak a single one. I didn't confront anyone. I wasn't blocking an entrance or a roadway. Just standing on the public right of way near a closed clinic at which abortions are offered.

This February my wife was at the same spot, with the same four words on a sign and was approached by a young woman who beckoned her to her car. Hesitant at first, she moved closer to the car as the woman said, “I want to show you my miracle.” She said that four years ago she was at the clinic to have an abortion, but stopped to talk with one of the people with a sign, and changed her mind. And that changed her world. The miracle was a child.

After a 20-year career standing in the gap for the defenseless as a soldier, standing in a similar way for the unborn is somewhat natural for me. It's how I pray. It's how I think. It's one way I place value on others more than myself. When I observe our legislators considering whether a human child in the third trimester of gestation is worthy of drawing its first – or second – breath outside the womb, I am grieved at what we've abandoned. Our culture lines up for programs promising a better future for children, while granting legal access to murder of the very children who could have taken part in that future.

As for us, we'll continue to stand. That's our choice. And it's a choice we can all live with.

As a student, do you want a direct link to university representatives? Are you positive that the classes you are taking will 100% transfer into a university within North Carolina? Are you certain you know the correct pre-requisite classes for your professional program?

The process of transferring to a 4-year university after obtaining an associate degree can be confusing, but FTCC’s Office of University Outreach helps provide answers to these questions and provides other assistance.

FTCC’s University Outreach office serves as the central hub at the Fayetteville campus for all transfer needs. Equipped with the knowledge of articulation agreements, University Outreach staffers can provide students with a course evaluation. Students request an appointment for a personal evaluation, which ensures that they take the correct courses at FTCC in order to transfer academic credits to the student’s 4-year college of choice. The evaluation also assists students when specific requirements must be met concerning competitive professional programs. Students may walk in during “Transfer Thursdays” for a transfer evaluation for two qualified university majors. Currently, students also have the option to request an appointment via zoom or telephone.

The University Outreach office sponsors a series of events to provide resources to students including direct access to university representatives who can further answer specific questions. This includes but is not limited to Week of Welcome and College Transfer Day—an event that normally has between 57 and 62 university representatives each fall and spring term. During these events, universities designate specific times for Fayetteville Tech students to meet, greet and receive answers to questions concerning admissions and program requirements, scholarship and internship opportunities, as well as other transfer information.

During the pandemic, the University Outreach office has expanded its offerings to students to make sure that students’ needs are being met. We have done this by providing zoom question-and-answer sessions with various colleges across the state of North Carolina, reorganizing our College Transfer Day event to one that is virtual, and initiating a new program called Ask a University Rep, where students can submit questions to specific college and university representatives on designated days.

FTCC University Outreach has expanded Zoom capabilities by partnering with various North Carolina universities to offer students between 30-45 sessions on a monthly basis. These offerings provide a means of engagement between students and university representatives and cultivate strong rapport during the pandemic.

The process of transferring to a four-year college/university may cause students to feel overwhelmed, unheard and filled with unanswered questions. Staff members from FTCC’s University Outreach office are committed to making the process smooth, well planned and seamless.

Students may schedule an appointment by emailing me at nelsonl@faytechcc.edu or calling 910-678-8205. The University Outreach office is located inside the Horace Sisk Building in Room 610. Hours of operation are 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday-Friday. Personal assistance from the University Outreach office is another reason why FTCC is the smart choice for education.

The Cape Fear Friends of NRA will be hosting their 24th Annual Banquet and Auction on March 18, at 6:00 p.m. at Paradise Acres Event Center. There will be raffles, games, an auction, and of course, great food.

“We are family-friendly,” said Tony Forte, committee chairmen. “We are apolitical. Our issue is putting funds into programs that keep shooting sports safe and renewable.”

Friends of NRA is the fundraising program under the NRA Foundation. Cumberland and Harnett counties provide a grass-roots effort to ensure the future of safe, responsible firearms ownership and participation in shooting sports. The event also helps raise money, in particular, for funding youth safety programs in eastern North Carolina. The organization hosts youth competitions, training and safety courses and provides scholarships to help ensure the future of shooting sports for America’s young people.

“Some of the things that excite me is we have more and more success locally with programs,” said Forte. “Cross Creek Rifle and Pistol club received a grant for competitive youth shooting program. The Eddy Eagle gun safety program teaches that guns are not toys and that kids should “Stop. Don’t touch. Run away and tell an adult.” I am excited to see what the Fayetteville Police Department is doing with Eddie Eagle and Operation Ceasefire. We support those programs. We support 4-H, sharpshooter clubs, the Scouts. You name the group, and if they are eligible to receive a nonprofit grant, we do everything we can to ensure – if they meet the requirements – that we get them something. Last year, we had $750,000 in grant requests. We were able to support $250,000. The demand for education and safety programs is insatiable.”

The Friends of the NRA provides a united front to secure the Second Amendment and raise money for the shooting sports. Across the country, more than 13,000 volunteers work tirelessly to make these events happen with the generous of attendees and donors who support their efforts.

“We are a zero-sum charity,” said Forte. “Everything we bring in goes back as grants. We are all volunteers. The committee tries to limit our overhead to less than 1%.”

There is something for everyone at a Friends of NRA event. From the moment you walk in, the atmosphere is brimming with excitement, and they will make sure you have a good time while meeting great people.
Forte added that the auction items include several firearms, ammunition and other items like luggage, outdoor equipment and artwork.

“If you are serious about youth safety and firearms,” said Forte,“Outside the political arena, there’s one known resource to get that done, and it is the NRA Foundation.”

For tickets or information about their programs, contact Tony Forte at 910-824-4681, Jerry Parsek at 910-309-9755 or Don Talbot at 910-977-7776. There are group discounts available, plus a sponsorship and underwriting program. Donations are always welcomed and are tax deductible.

The 24th Annual Banquet and Auction will be held March 18 at Paradise Acres Event Center located at 1965 John McMillan Road, in Hope Mills

The All American Patriot Association will host its Patriotic and Veterans Day celebration on March 20 at 4480 Doc Bennett Road in Fayetteville. The event will take place from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. with the opening ceremony starting at noon.

There is a $5 entrance fee.

The event was originally scheduled to be held in conjunction with Veterans Day last November, but was postponed due to COVID-10 restrictions.

The outdoor event will offer a variety of food vendors, entertainment from live bands, raffles, a historic Constitution contest, and plenty of activities for the kids. There will be an all veterans jump team drop-in, as well as guest speakers. This will be a fun-filled day showing support for our veterans, active duty military and their families.

The AAPA is a non-profit organization that was founded with a focus on teaching the histories of the American flag, Pledge, National Anthem and the Declaration of Independence. Their goal as an organization is to educate Americans on the importance of history within our country.

AAPA founder Franco Webb said, “History is so in-depth and there is a history in Fayetteville that a lot of people do not know about.” He added that there is a lot of history within the Declaration and the Pledge that some schools do not teach, and his non-profit organization aims to help teach this content to students. The AAPA also provides American flags and teaches proper flag etiquette.

This Patriotic Day Celebration will help the AAPA organization raise money for an upcoming Suicide Prevention and Deployment team. This program was created to help those facing suicidal thoughts or tendencies to reach out to real people and actually have a unit deploy to their location and help them through what it is they are going through. This is made possible through an app that when the number is called it locks in the person’s location using GPS. The number is 844-NEED-YOU.

For more information on the event or more about the All American Patriot Association visit their website at https://aapanc.org/.
For more information on the Patriotic Day Celebration, contact Franco Webb at 910-237-8492.

The Extension Master Gardener Volunteer Association of Cumberland County will host its 2021 Master Gardner Spring Symposium virtually on March 20 from 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.

The purpose of the horticultural event is to help educate local residents in “state and research approved horticultural practices,” and raise money for education. With this event, two $1,500 dollar scholarships will be awarded to FTCC horticulture students, as well as a $500 grant for a horticulture professor teaching hands-on horticulture education.

Participants will not only be helping those students and professors with an educational opportunity, they will also be helping Master Gardeners to go out to provide physical and financial assistance to surrounding area gardens. These area gardens include Cape Fear Botanical Garden, the Wounded Warrior Garden at Fort. Bragg, the Second Harvest Food Bank and Garden, and more.

Guest speakers at this year’s symposium will be Kirk Brown, who is a nationally known horticulturist. His presentation, “A Gardeners Guide to 200 Years of Growing America,” will speak to the importance of “sowing, growing and owning green in our lives.” During the presentation, Brown will be talking about travels in America and how to recognize the design and art within gardening. In a second presentation, “If I had an Apple,” Brown which will discuss what the digital generation knows that older gardeners may have forgotten and how social media, crowdsourcing, etc., can actually work for people who work hard in the dirt for their gardens. This presentation will show different examples of gardens that he calls “American Edens.”

Another guest speaker will be Craig LeHoullier, also known as the North Carolina “Tomato Man.” LeHoullier will discuss how those who garden in the 2020s are the most fortunate and will use history to explain why. He will also talk about how his 15-year-old dwarf tomato breeding project has now landed him with 135 new varieties. LeHoullier will also explain his techniques in producing such a great garden and compare how the different living zones contributed.

Registering for the symposium will allow Master Gardeners to provide assistance to the community as well as educate locals and help them to get their gardens up and blooming this spring/summer season. This event will be include door-prizes, a virtual auction and a virtual tomato sale of LeHoullier’s variety of tomatoes. The registration link, action link and tomato sale link are provided below. This event is one you will not want to miss and provides a “once in a lifetime learning experience” from professional gardeners.

Judy Dewar, chairperson for this event said, “We hope to improve all of our quality of lives by providing educational opportunities for residents to learn how to be good stewards of our environment while also being sustainable. And just because life is short, we hope our participants will have a ‘fun time’ while they are with us.”

Registration for this “one in a gardening lifetime event” can be made on Eventbrite on the following link: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/cumberland-county-master-gardener-virtual-symposium-2021-tickets-13508558

To bid on items in the auction – with items ranging from artwork, handmade quilts to live plants – visit https://www.32auctions.com/CCEMGVA . The tomato sale link is https://www.32auctions.com/Tomatoes. The tomato plants offered for sale are dwarf tomatoes that are part of the “Dwarf Tomato Project.”

Pictured above Craig LeHoullier

Each year many celebrate the month of March as Developmental and Intellectual Disabilities Awareness Month, but Nancy Szymkowiak strives year round to spread awareness and help those in the community living with disabilities.

Kaleo Supports was founded by Szymkowiak and Karen Campbell in August of 2007 to provide services leading to meaningful and real outcomes for those living with disabilities and to help Szymkowiak’s daughter who has disabilities.

“I learned early on that services and information were not easy to obtain, so I became a self-studied advocate,” Szymkowiak said. “I started researching and learning so I could get my daughter what she needed.”

When looking for the right programs for her daughter Lacey, who was then four and was offered the pre-school handicap service, made Szymkowiak realize that Lacey needed to be with her peers without disabilities to learn.

“I didn’t know then that was inclusion, meaning you are included in the world and you’re not just in a segregated community, she said. “And she’s now about to be 31 and she lives in her own place.”

Szymkowiak’s daughter suffered a stroke at birth and currently has a speech impediment, left side paralysis in her leg, and limited use of her left hand.

Our children take us on journeys, she said.

What began as a journey to find her daughter the right programs, tools and support led to her helping other families, getting involved in support groups and workshops, and in 2007 she quit her job and decided to launch Kaleo Supports.

“I started in the corner of my living room, I pulled it together, got credentials to do services through alliance and now we do services with four different managed care organizations,” she said.

Some of the services Kaleo Supports offer are in-home intensive support, residential support, community networking, supported employment, personal care, natural support education and more.

We provide innovations waiver services, which is a North Carolina Medicaid waiver for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities; traumatic brain injury waiver, which is the pilot program through Alliance Health Plan; and vocational rehabilitation services, Szymkowiak said.

Through the NC Division of Vocational Rehabilitation service, Kaleo provides job placement, job training, stabilization and closure to recipients. The team at Kaleo helps clients with daily living by promoting physical wellness and quality of life.

“We don’t just cook a meal, we help them learn to prepare a meal, we teach them to be more independent,” Szymkowiak said. “Then we have people working jobs, we provide support at the job site.”

Currently, Kaleo Supports currently has two licensed facilities. The staff helps clients including Szymkowiak’s daughter to cook breakfast, budget and shop for groceries, laundry and more.

We try to make it as natural as possible and not clinical like home help,” Szymkowiak said.

Currently the company has a staff of about 67 to 74 people serving about 25 different counties in North Carolina.

“My job functions are to make sure that my clients' needs and goals are met, physically, mentally, emotionally and spiritually,” Direct Support Professional for Kaleo, Alisha Kelley, said. “I focus on making sure that the life they live is happy and full of laughter and structure by meeting goals that are laid out and trying to go above and beyond.”

My staff, they think big for them, they want them in the community, want them doing things, Szymkowiak said.

Terri Kane, a family member of a 58-year-old Kaleo Supports client with developmental disabilities said Szymkowiak saved her sister.

“We've been with Kaleo for several years and I truly appreciate Nancy because she walks the walk, it's not just lip service,” Kane said. “She began her company because she has a daughter with certain disabilities so she's the owner of the company, but she's also a parent of someone who needs the types of services she provides.”

We did not realize my sister was going through depression, but Nancy did and once she identified the issue, we took my sister to the doctor and she's much better now, she said.

Helen Black works as a direct support professional for Kaleo Supports as well as uses their services for her 40-year-old son who lives with intellectual disabilities, cerebral palsy and strained speech. He receives community living and networking services.

Through the years as my son has gotten older it has become difficult because he needs total care and it became difficult with other agencies in the past to find male providers to help him but with Kaleo he has had at least two, she said.

“It’s like a unicorn in this field, really really wonderful that he’s been able to have male providers,” Black said. “I believe that Kaleo is extremely dedicated to helping find the right fit for each client and I know personally with my son they have, sometimes it takes a little while, but I know they continuously work on it.”

Black has been an employee with the company since 2019 and currently services two clients and assists them with every day and engaging activities.

“Through the years I have noticed that once you get a client and you work good together, to really keep those same people and expand that so the work involved advances their capabilities more,” she said. “It’s good for them to have some stability.”

Kaleo in Greek means ‘called to a purpose’ and in Hawaiian means, ‘to speak up for,’ both of which are my God called purpose, Szymkowiak said.

“One of the things is when I started my company, with my strong philosophy, I thought we could help everybody but It took me a bit, but I came to realize not everybody wants what we offer, and that's okay,” she said.

Kane said Nancy truly cares about the people she serves and her staff. I have seen her be selfless and creative as she's assisting a family seeking services.

“The people employed here love what we do, and who we work for. Kaleo Supports has not only made a difference in the disabilities community but also in the employees’ life,” Kelley said. “We are happy coming to work, and therefore make our clients' lives happier as well.”

Kaleo Supports hopes to provide more supportive living, independent living and to expand to a community guide which is an advocate for families.

We would like to have a conference room along with some other rooms, where we could get 10 to 12 people, classroom style, have a sensory room to work on sensory issues, an area to work on motor skills, and life skills and such, Szymkowiak said.

It is important that people with an IDD are not secluded and are active participants in the community just like everyone else and they just need a little support to do that, and it’s the right thing to do,
she said.

Organizations like these are important to our community because even though it's behind the scenes, it’s there for a population that otherwise may not be able to have the best quality of life and it makes us a better and more inclusive community, Black said.

“Kaleo takes great pride, we are an outcome-based service,” Szymkowiak said. “I always tell my staff it’s not enough to say we did six hours of service, but at the end of the day, what difference did we make in that person’s life.”

For more information about Kaleo Supports visit http://www.kaleosupports.com or call 910-630-2255.

Fayetteville Technical Community College cybersecurity instructor Chris Herring has been recognized by the International Council of E-Commerce Consultants with its 2020 Academic Instructor Circle of Excellence Award. The organization is also known as the EC-Council.

The Academic Instructor Circle of Excellence award is one of several partner awards given annually by the council to highlight “academic institutions and instructors across the world that excel each year with lasting impacts on their students’ cybersecurity education and local communities.”

Herring, who is department chair of Systems Security & Analysis at FTCC, said he is honored to be selected for the Academic Instructor Circle of Excellence award. Two other instructors from the United States also received the award.

“During our short time working with EC-Council, the partnership has had a major positive impact on our program. The curricula is very popular with our students and our faculty alike,” Herring said. “The support team they provide is exceptional and we truly value our partnership.”

FTCC’s Systems Security & Analysis department is part of the College’s Computer Information Technology programs. It includes the college’s Cyber Education Center, which is a National Center of Academic Excellence in Cyber Defense Two-Year Education. That designation comes from the National Security Agency and the Department of Homeland Security.

The EC-Council says it determines award recipients based on more than seven areas of criteria, including continuous program development, incorporating new technologies and innovative methods of education, specialized initiative engagements, and commitment to educate and make a difference in the cybersecurity workforce.

The council describes itself as the world’s largest cybersecurity technical certification body. It operates in 145 countries and has trained, certified more than 200,000 information security professionals across
the globe.

Pictured: FTCC cybersecurity instructor Chris Herring received the 2020 Academic Instructor Circle of Excellence Award from the International Council of E-Commerce Consultants.

The staff of the Student Learning Center had grown accustomed to seeing Fayetteville Tech’s student-athletes regularly show up in the center, using the space for studying, tutoring and computer access between classes and afternoon
practices.

“I’d usually be in there about four hours,” men’s basketball player JeKael Gay said. “I’d finish up class around 10 a.m. and then be in the Student Learning Center until we had practice or a game. It’s a good way to get your stuff done.”

Then, the COVID-19 pandemic hit, and the athletes, conscious of limiting indoor gatherings, disappeared from the SLC.

That prompted the center staff to get proactive about helping student-athletes. Center Director Kareka Chavis developed the Student Learning Center Intercollegiate Athletics Collaboration, a partnership between the two departments to promote learning opportunities for FTCC’s 130-plus athletes.

“We wanted to partner with Athletics to help any athlete who needs or wants one-on-one assistance,” Chavis said. “Mainly, we’re just trying to be an extra helping hand for them. We don’t want our student-athletes to get left behind or to lose their eligibility.”

As part of the collaboration, each athletic team is paired with a SLC staff member who serves as their team liaison, the main point of contact for helping each athlete navigate the center’s resources.

Athletic Director Dr. Shannon M. Yates said the partnership has provided valuable support for the student-athletes.

“It has been the Athletics Department’s pleasure to work with Kareka Chavis and her outstanding staff as we develop and implement the Student Learning Center Intercollegiate Athletics Collaboration,” Yates said. “This is an excellent resource for FTCC student-athletes as we continue to work through the challenges of COVID. I can not thank Kareka and her team enough for going the extra mile to foster academic success as we work to become champions in the classroom.”

The program kicked off in October, making this spring its first full semester in action.

The center staff went to work early, reaching out to student-athletes through email, phone calls and text messages, making them aware that academic help and support was available.

The center’s offerings run the gamut — from subject-specific tutoring and assistance on assignments to more fundamental skills, like time management and organization.

The SLC has ramped up its virtual assistance to fit the times and the pandemic. In addition to Net Tutor, a third-party virtual tutoring service accessible through Blackboard, the center also offers virtual one-on-one tutoring with FTCC instructors.

Brenda Harris, an athletic team liaison and instructor, said the options help student-athletes get help in a way that works with their schedule.

“The athletes have a lot of demands,” Harris said. “I’ve worked with students who are working, going to school and have athletics and have children. We’re here Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., and it’s nice to know that someone here is available to you at a specific time.”

Through the collaboration, the center staff will maintain contact with student-athletes, checking in on their academic progress and help them navigate their overall FTCC experience.

Gay said the center’s instructors have helped him become a better writer and improve his grades, landing him on the Dean’s List for the fall semester.

“I’ve told my teammates about it, and I’d refer it to anybody, any student,” Gay said. “If you’re struggling, they can really help you out.”

Pictured above: JeKael Gay, FTCC student-athlete

Pictured below left: Kareka Chavis, Student Learning Center Director

Pictured below right: Brenda Harris, SLC instructor and team liaison

Dr. Shannon Yates, the Fayetteville Technical Community College Director of Intercollegiate Athletics, has been selected as a NJCAA Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Region Ambassador.

In a news release, the National Junior College Athletic Association said “Region Ambassadors will set the foundation for Region Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion Committees to make an impact on the regional and national level while placing an intentional focus on educating, empowering, and engaging NJCAA student-athletes, coaches, athletic directors, and administrators.”

“I am very excited and honored to represent FTCC and Region 10 as an NJCAA Ambassador for Equity, Diversity and Inclusion,” she said. “I look forward to working with this group to promote and advance equality for both student-athletes and staff.”

Yates, who is in her first year at FTCC, has served in other capacities focused on equality and inclusion during her athletic administration career. She provided leadership and support for Title IX and gender equity initiatives while at Southeast Missouri and chaired the Gender Equity and Minority Enhancement NCAA Certification committee while at N.C. State.

The NJCAA has selected 39 individuals as Region Ambassadors.

“We’re excited to expand our EDI members who will bring diverse expertise, insight and energy into furthering our mission,” McTiernan said in the release. “The Region Ambassadors are comprised of a dedicated team of leaders committed to promote and advance equity, diversity and inclusion with an intentional focus to educate, empower and engage our student-athletes, coaches and athletic directors.”

The Region Ambassadors will join other NJCAA committee members and staff in a training session with the Ross Initiative in Sports for Equality (RISE), a national nonprofit that educates and empowers the sports community to eliminate racial discrimination, champion social justice and improve race relations.

Pictured: Dr. Shannon Yates is the FTCC Director of Intercollegiate Athletics.

A 38-year-old Fayetteville man is the first person to successfully complete a new job-training and job-placement program at Fayetteville Technical Community College called Project Cumberland Grow.

Eddie Morris’s success in the program led him to a full-time job with Comtech Inc., a supplier of wood trusses. He had interned with Comtech while participating in Project Cumberland Grow.

The FTCC-led program began last fall with $296,535 in funding from the Golden LEAF Foundation through its Golden LEAF Opportunities for Work initiative. The funding provided job training and job placement assistance for individuals considered hard to employ, including people who had been previously incarcerated for non-violent crimes, those who had experienced long-term unemployment and young adults aging out of foster care.

Morris was one of five graduates of the program’s inaugural job-training class. Four students entered the next phase – internships. In December, Morris completed his internship with Comtech, thus completing the program. He was offered a full-time job with Comtech in January.

“I liked the hands-on part of the training instead of being in a classroom all day,” Morris recalled. “This [program] helped me stabilize myself and become more structured.”

Prior to joining the program, Morris experienced personal losses. His youngest son died in infancy and his father died last year from complications of COVID-19. Morris turned to alcohol for solace and accrued multiple driving under the influence charges.

As a student in Project Cumberland Grow, Morris completed required counseling treatment as part of his probation. He said he has made a conscious decision to stay sober for himself, his fiancée and his children. FTCC Success Coach

Marvin Price Jr., who mentored Morris throughout the program, said Morris saw Project Cumberland Grow as an opportunity to create a new future for his loved ones.

“He told me, ‘I will not let you down, sir,’” Price said. “Through it all, Mr. Morris demonstrated perseverance, character and a commitment to prove not only to himself, but to those who have supported him along the way, that he was going to finish what he had started. He continued to look onward and upward.”

In Project Cumberland Grow, FTCC partners with local agencies, employers and nonprofits to identify prospective trainees. Participants work with a success coach and receive ongoing counseling during the program’s 15 weeks. They also take basic courses in electrical, HVAC, plumbing and carpentry trades. Morris earned a certificate for completing more than 300 hours of basic building construction training, a card indicating completion of OSHA 10-hour safety training course and the National Center for Construction Education and Research’s (NCCER) Core Credential.

“Jobs provide hope, opportunity, and dignity,” said Scott T. Hamilton, Golden LEAF President and Chief Executive Officer. “This initiative is a key component in building a skilled workforce to meet the needs of local employers.”

Seven students are currently enrolled in the program’s second cohort, which began Jan. 25. The Golden LEAF funding will support the program for two years and, FTCC plans to sustain the program in the future depending on its outcomes.

Fayetteville Technical Community College was established in 1961 and serves over 36,000 students annually with over 280 occupational, technical, general education, college transfer and continuing education programs.
The nonprofit Golden LEAF Foundation uses funding from the 1998 settlement with cigarette manufacturers to support economic and workforce development in North Carolina’s rural and tobacco-dependent communities.

Fayetteville Technical Community College has been named a Top Ten Military Friendly School in the 2021-22 national rankings by Viqtory, an independent media firm that connects the military community to civilian employment, educational and entrepreneurial opportunities. FTCC ranked ninth among large community colleges.

More than 1,200 institutions participated in Viqtory’s annual survey to determine its 2021-22 list of Military Friendly Schools. Of the participants, 747 schools earned the Military Friendly designation.

Viqtory also determines the top ten schools in categories such as large community colleges and awards gold status both to the top ten and to other institutions within 10 percent of the tenth-ranked school. FTCC has been among the top ten in its category for several years.

“We are delighted to be recognized again as one of the nation's top Military Friendly institutions,” said FTCC President Dr. Larry Keen. “Fayetteville Technical Community College has a longstanding commitment to helping members of the military and their families. We continually appreciate the safety and security that they provide for each of us in this country. We’re pleased to be able to provide them with exceptional educational opportunities that are also affordable and convenient.”

The methodology, criteria and weightings for the annual Military Friendly list were determined by Viqtory with input from an advisory council of independent leaders in higher education and the military recruitment community.

Final ratings were determined by combining the institution’s survey response set and public data from government and agency sources, within a logic-based scoring assessment. Institutions are measured on their ability to meet thresholds for student retention, graduation, job placement, loan repayment, persistence (degree advancement or transfer) and loan default rates for all students and, specifically, for student veterans.

The 2021-22 Military Friendly Schools list will be included in the May issue of G.I. Jobs magazine, which is published by Viqtory. The list is also available at militaryfriendly.com.

FTCC has a wide range of classes and programs are available in a variety of settings, including on FTCC’s campuses, at Fort Bragg and online. FTCC awards appropriate credit for prior military learning and follows up with comprehensive services to meet the special educational needs of military personnel and their families.

FTCC’s All American Veterans Center, on its Fayetteville campus, provides educational assistance and support to veterans. The College’s Transition Tech program provides industry-focused training for military members who are preparing for civilian life.

To learn more about FTCC’s programs for the military and veterans, visit https://www.faytechcc.edu/military-veterans/

Amanda Parra dreamed of becoming a physician but figured it was an idea that was well beyond reach.

She was a married stepmom of two teenagers. She had no experience working in healthcare. And she suspected the education she’d need would be too expensive.

So Parra explored healthcare careers that seemed affordable and attainable, as well as professionally satisfying, and she enrolled in the radiography program at Fayetteville Technical Community College.

At FTCC, she earned an associate degree in radiography that helped her land a good job. She also gained the confidence to act on her dream of medical school.

Parra remembers the moment she started believing in her dream. She was chatting with Anita McKnight, the chair of FTCC’s radiography program.

“I said, ‘It popped into my head that I want to go to medical school,’” Parra recalled.

She waited for McKnight to look doubtful. Instead, the instructor smiled. “Yes,” she told Parra, “that’s possible.”

And Parra suddenly believed that it was.

“That was kind of the catalyst that helped me get to where I am now,” said Parra, who’s in her second year at Ross University School of Medicine. She hopes to specialize in emergency medicine. “That would dovetail with my X-ray experience,” she said.

Parra, who is 32, worked at various jobs in retail and banking early on but was bored by them. When her husband was reassigned to Fort Bragg, she decided she wanted to work in healthcare. “I was, ‘I want to do better,’” she said. “‘I want to help people.’”

She researched educational options and liked what she learned about FTCC’s health programs – “they had a good reputation, it was all accredited” – and the cost fit her budget.

Med school was not on her radar then. “I thought that was for rich kids and kids who are 24 or 25 whose parents can pay for stuff,” she said. “Not for me as a married stepmom.”

Parra loved FTCC’s radiography program. She said the faculty set high standards and demanded excellence but were also helpful and encouraging.

“They were just always so supportive,” she said. “They were always so warm and welcoming. It’s not the coddling kind of warmth. They’re always very honest.”

After graduating from FTCC in 2017, Parra worked full-time as a radiologic technologist at Moore Regional Hospital. At the same time, she also took a full load of classes at Campbell University. With full credit for her associate degree from FTCC, she earned her bachelor’s degree in health science in just over a year’s time. She then started applying to medical schools.

Parra started at Ross University School of Medicine in January of 2020 but had to take all of her first-year courses online because of the COVID-19 pandemic. This year, the school, which is located on the Caribbean island of Barbados, is open for face-to-face instruction. Parra flew there last month, but had to start her classes online while she waited out a required two-week quarantine.

Still, she was excited to be there – for the education, not the tropical paradise. Via a Zoom call, she said she expects to see some of Barbados in coming months. But she said most of her waking hours will be spent in class or studying.

“You have to set your standards,” she said. “Do I want to get Cs or do I want to get As?”

Parra wants As. She wants to become an excellent physician.

While at school, Parra is separated from her family. Her stepsons serve in the Navy now – a source of pride – so they’re no longer at home, needing her day-to-day attention. But her husband is still stationed at Fort Bragg and the couple miss each other. But, Parra said, the separation won’t be forever. “He’s been a huge supportive factor,” she said.

Meanwhile, throughout the years, she has remained in touch with McKnight and Michelle Walden, FTCC’s Dean of Health Technologies and she expects to continue to do so.

“I see them as my mentors and my friends,” Parra said. “I never in a million years would be here pursuing a medical career without them and all of the lovely professors and teachers at FTCC. I wouldn’t be here at all without FTCC.”

Five years after House Bill 2 put North Carolina at the center of national controversy, cities in the state’s liberal enclaves are once again discussing discrimination and the LGBT community.

Six cities and counties in North Carolina have passed ordinances that designate sexual orientation and gender identity as protected classes, and LGBT advocates are now pushing two dozen more to follow suit.

But the new ordinances studiously avoid the flashpoint of 2016 — bathroom policy for transgender people. Both LGBT advocates and the General Assembly appear hesitant to wade back in to that debate.

The six new ordinances are nearly identical and largely symbolic. They prohibit businesses from denying services or employment based on sexual orientation or gender identity, as well as federally protected classes like race, religion, sex and disability. Several also include prohibitions against discrimination based on hairstyles “commonly associated with race or national origin.”

Under most of the new ordinances, violators can be charged with a misdemeanor and fined $500 per day. These moves renew a debate that began in 2016, when the city of Charlotte passed a sweeping nondiscrimination ordinance that protected gender identity, gender expression and sexual orientation. More controversially, Charlotte’s ordinance also allowed people to use the bathroom of the gender with which they identify, a measure aimed at making transgender people more comfortable.

Opponents feared that people would abuse the ordinance to illicitly use women’s bathrooms and changing facilities. Legal experts also said Charlotte’s ordinance essentially outlawed separate men’s and women’s restrooms.

In response, the General Assembly passed and then-Gov. Pat McCrory signed House Bill 2, a measure that undid Charlotte’s ordinance and required people to use the bathroom of their biological sex in public buildings. The law touched off a national firestorm. The NBA moved its All-Star Game planned for Charlotte out of state, businesses canceled expansions and entertainers canceled performances as a form of protest.

Gov. Roy Cooper campaigned for office on repealing H.B. 2, and did so in March 2017.

The repeal bill included a provision that cities could not pass nondiscrimination ordinances, a provision with a sunset in December 2020.

Hillsborough became the first N.C. city to pass a nondiscrimination ordinance since the sunset, on Jan. 11. Carrboro, Chapel Hill, Durham, Greensboro, and Orange County quickly followed suit.

Mecklenburg County has passed a resolution professing support for the LGBT community but has not yet considered an ordinance.

Organizations like the N.C. Family Policy Council and the N.C. Values Coalition have lined up against the new ordinances, saying they violate women’s privacy and could harm religious institutions and faith-based businesses. For example, churches or mosques would not be able to take sexual orientation or gender identity into account when hiring even if their religious doctrine spoke to the matter.

General Assembly leaders have been relatively quiet on the new ordinances but have indicated they will not act unless these potential problems become widespread.

A spokesman for Senate President Pro Tem Phil Berger, R-Rockingham, declined to comment. In an interview with Spectrum News, Berger said that any next steps would come from private legal actions if small business owners felt their religious liberty in jeopardy — not a new law.

“The courts are probably the appropriate forum for us to look at,” he said.

An audit released by State Auditor Beth Wood’s office Feb. 18, found the state Department of Health and Human Services did a poor job of gatekeeping the Medicaid Provider Enrollment process.

The auditor’s office says HHS didn’t properly ensure that only qualified providers were approved to provide services to Medicaid beneficiaries and to get payments from the state’s Medicaid program. HHS didn’t identify those providers who had professional licenses suspended or terminated so they could remove them from the program, the audit said.

Furthermore, the audit found that HHS didn’t ensure its contractor General Dynamics Information Technology verified all professional credentials and provider ownership information during the enrollment re-verification process. Auditors sampled 191 approved applications and found that 185 of them never had their professional credentials verified.

“The Department of Health and Human Services does not check any credentials during this reverification process. None,” Wood said in a video accompanying the audit.

Examiners discovered that of 66 Medicaid providers disciplined by their licensing board in fiscal 2019, 26 had their license suspended or terminated. HHS only removed eight of the 26 from the Medicaid program.

The reasons for the suspended or terminated licenses ranged from substance abuse to sexual misconduct to a felony conviction related to health-care fraud.

These errors increased the risk that ill-equipped providers could receive millions of dollars in improper payments, the audit said. Such neglect is a big deal across the country: The Government Accountability Office reported that non-compliance with provider screening and enrollment requirements among the states contributed to more than a third of the $36.3 billion in estimated improper payments in 2018.

States are required to screen and enroll Medicaid providers in accordance with standards set by the U.S. Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services to help combat waste, fraud, and abuse of the system. It’s also a matter of safety, as Wood’s office said that some providers on the Medicaid rolls lost their licenses due to patient deaths.

The audit said that unlicensed providers received $1.64 million in Medicaid payments in North Carolina during fiscal 2020. Providers lacking proper credentials got $11.2 in funds that year.

Dr. Mandy Cohen, secretary of HHS, said in a response included with the audit that she agrees with the findings, and the department has removed ineligible providers and is working to recoup improper payments.

“Ensuring that we enroll and maintain only qualified providers to care for the beneficiaries is a fundability responsibility of the Medicaid program,” she wrote. “I have directed our Medicaid program leadership to make the issues identified in the report a top priority.”

Legislation introduced by Republican lawmakers would mandate recipients of unemployment benefits actively search for work, a requirement that hasn’t been in place since the pandemic began in March.

Traditionally, unemployment benefits have been linked to a job-search requirement. But in a March 10 executive order, Gov. Roy Cooper waived that requirement due to the economic crisis brought on by the pandemic.

Now that the economy is improving and rates of infection, hospitalization, and death in North Carolina are steadily declining, lawmakers believe it’s time for the job-search requirement to make a comeback.

North Carolina’s unemployment rate peaked at 12.9% in April before declining to 6.2% by December, the most recent month for which data are available.

Due to the state’s improving employment situation, North Carolina no longer meets the federal government’s threshold for paying extended unemployment benefits up to 24 weeks after traditional unemployment benefits run out. Those extended benefits ended Feb. 20.

The bills introduced in the state House and Senate would only apply the work-search requirement to those who lost unemployment for non-COVID-related reasons.

The N.C. Division of Employment Security has the option of waiving the requirements, even without legislative authorization.

At a legislative meeting Feb. 17, DES assistant secretary Pryor Gibson signaled to lawmakers that his office would reintroduce the work requirement “within days, certainly within weeks.” That directive would apply to all recipients of unemployment benefits, not just those who lost work due for reasons unrelated to COVID-19.

“It makes sense for DES and legislators to reinstate job-search requirements for people who are unemployed for reasons unrelated to COVID-19,” said Joseph Coletti, senior fellow for fiscal studies with the John Locke Foundation.“Even people who lost their job because of the pandemic have found new jobs.

“As parts of the economy strengthen, businesses need to fill those roles. Since the governor waived the job-search requirement nearly a year ago, workers and businesses have learned how to take precautions to limit risk. This is a reasonable step in the process of restarting.”

All told, North Carolina has paid more than $10 billion in unemployment claims since the pandemic began in March.

With new U.S. Census data not expected until September, the State Board of Elections is recommending moving all of this year’s municipal elections to 2022.

Executive Director Karen Brinson Bell also told the elections board Feb. 23 she recommends delaying the 2022 primary elections from March until May.

The changes would need to be passed by the General Assembly. Bell said she would present these recommendations to a House committee on Feb. 24.

Sixty-two municipalities, including North Carolina’s largest city of Charlotte, use districts or wards to elect council members. These districts are reapportioned every decade with data provided in the U.S. Census.

This data traditionally is finished by the end of March of the following year, and redistricting is completed by the summer. But the U.S. Census Bureau said results this year would be delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Numbers won’t be delivered to the states until Sept. 30.

This poses a problem for the 2021 municipal elections. Filing is currently set to begin in July. Holding elections under previous census data could pose constitutional and other legal issues for those 62 municipalities.

The delayed census results could also create a tight turnaround for the 2022 primary elections, which are scheduled for March. North Carolina could be in line for an additional seat in Congress due to population growth.

Once redistricting is complete, it takes about two months for the State Board of Elections to finish coding and preparing ballots for the new districts.

Thus, Bell recommended moving the primary to May. This election will include several high-profile contests, most notably the party primaries for the U.S. Senate. U.S. Sen. Richard Burr is expected to retire at the end of this term, making it an open seat.

The recommendations were met with little comment by the State Board of Elections members. One member said he was hesitant to endorse the changes.

“It causes me some heartburn to talk about making such a sweeping change,” board member Stacy Eggers said. Chairman Damon Circosta said he trusted the General Assembly would make the right decision.

Off-year elections tend to have significantly lower turnout than even-year federal election cycles. Moving municipal elections to 2022 could pose problems for Republicans in urban areas, which have trended Democratic in recent years.

Cape Fear Valley Health’s COVID-19 vaccination clinics are now open to “frontline essential workers”, which includes all of Group 3.

The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services define "frontline essential workers" as people who must be in-person at their place of work and work in one of the eight essential sectors including: education, critical manufacturing, essential goods, food and agriculture, government and community services, health care and public health, public safety and transportation. Any frontline essential workers ages 18 and older are now eligible as part of Group 3 to receive their first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine, in addition to individuals in Groups 1 and 2 — healthcare and long-term care workers and anyone aged 65 and older.

“This is a very broad category that includes most workers, if they are working in-person with others or the public,” said Chris Tart, PharmD, Vice President of Professional Services at Cape Fear Valley Health. “If you’re not sure whether your job fits in this category, we encourage you to go online to www.capefearvalley.com/covid19 to schedule your vaccination and find what group you fit in.”

All first-dose visits for those in Group 3 require an appointment, but appointments are not required for second doses. Patients should return to the site of their first vaccination shot at the appropriate time to receive their second shot. Appointment times open on Fridays each week by 5 p.m. A full list of vaccine clinic hours for March 2–5 are below.

Cape Fear Valley Rehabilitation Center Auditorium in Fayetteville: (This clinic offers the Pfizer Vaccine.)

First doses: Tuesday through Friday, 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. in 1-hour appointment blocks.

Second doses: May walk in (no appointment required) Tuesday through Friday, 7 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Address: 1638 Owen Drive. Individuals should arrive to the building from the corner of Melrose and John Carlisle Lane and look for the "Event Parking" sign for the designated parking lot.

Health Pavilion North ExpressCare in North Fayetteville: (This clinic offers the Pfizer Vaccine.)

First doses: Tuesday through Friday, 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. in 1-hour appointment blocks.

Second doses: May walk in (no appointment required) Tuesday through Friday, 7 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Address: 6387 Ramsey Street. Individuals will pull in the main entrance, and be directed to check in, where they will receive instructions. Individuals will wait in their vehicles until they are called in to the building to receive their vaccine.

Cumberland County, the City of Fayetteville and Sustainable Sandhills have launched an anti-litter campaign called “5 for Friday.” The goal is to encourage businesses, schools, community groups and individuals to reduce litter by having people pick up five pieces of trash and recyclable materials every Friday. “If 5,000 people picked up five pieces of litter every week, Cumberland County would reduce its litter footprint by 1.3 million pieces of litter,” said Cumberland County Solid Waste Management Director Amanda Bader. Litter pickup along roadways is managed by NCDOT. There are 2,900 travel lane miles countywide. “The more residents and businesses help, the cleaner our community will be; we are all in this together,” said Fayetteville Assistant Public Services Director Daniel Edwards.

All Fayetteville Area System of Transit routes have resumed full service following several weeks of reduced bus routes because of COVID-19. Contact tracing continues after several employees tested positive for the coronavirus. The safety of employees and passengers is priority according to Transit Director Randy Hume. Lines on buses now mark a ‘no standing zone’ to encourage six feet of physical distance between the driver seat and passengers who must enter and exit the rear doors.

Additionally, FAST crews have increased the frequency of cleaning of buses and FAST facilities. Bus roof hatches are opened to increase airflow when weather permits. “Each FAST employee plays a vital role in providing transportation throughout Fayetteville. Our employees are truly the heart of our department and kept our community moving,” Hume said. All FAST employees, passengers and visitors are required to wear masks on board buses and at FAST facilities.

Protesters-turned-rioters who massed at the Capitol on Jan. 6 carried with them pro-Trump signs, American flags and an array of political banners. Some waved Marine Corps flags; some sported military and tactical material. More than two dozen people who were later charged in crimes stemming from the attack on the Capitol had military ties. One veteran was accused of being the leader of the far-right, anti-government extremist group Oath Keepers. For decades, the U.S. military has sought out extremists such as militia groups, white supremacists, skin heads and others who advocate violence against the government. But the Defense Department has no method of tracking allegations of extremism.

The concerns were evident long before the attack on the Capitol. 25 years ago, then-Army Secretary Togo West ordered an army-wide investigation of subversives by a special task force he appointed. A two-month inquiry found only isolated cases of extremism in the ranks. West convened the task force following the 1995 murders by 82nd Airborne Division paratroopers of a black couple in Fayetteville. Police concluded the three white soldiers who were charged in the killings were skin heads with racial motives. The task force said many soldiers reported "an undercurrent of subtle racism" which focused on racial, ethnic and cultural differences.