Normally at this time of year, fall sports coaches would be working with their athletes to get them in condition for the official start of practice on Aug. 1.

But the COVID-19 pandemic has put everyone into a holding pattern as news about the spread of the disease changes daily. Instead of firm dates, coaches for schools in the North Carolina High School Athletic Association have had to deal with multiple changes in when fall sports will resume, if at all. Most recently, they learned the earliest they will be allowed to begin fall practice will be Sept. 1.

Jesse Autry, who is beginning his 29th season as cross country coach at South View, voiced the situation best for all of his fellow coaches.
Autry talked at length about being separated from his athletes for much of the summer until coaches were given permission to contact them via computer.

“We communicate at least once a week by way of Zoom or Google Meeting or something like that,’’ Autry said. He talks with his athletes online and invites their parents to join in.

The first time he did it, Autry said things got a little emotional. “For all of them to see each other’s faces on the screen I was really surprised,’’ he said. “I’m worried about the long-term impact of this, social isolation, kids seeing each other. Not being able to play team sports, to learn from camaraderie and friendship that comes from getting in the trenches together.’’

Autry said he knows COVID-19 is a serious matter and he supports the decisions of his superiors, but he’s hopeful there will be some kind of return to sports soon.

“I want us to compete,’’ he said. “I want us to be able to practice. I can see on my kids faces and hear in their voices what they are going through.’’

Todd Edge, golf coach at Cape Fear, saw the same thing when it came to his athletes being separated. “When we were finishing up our schooling on Google Classroom, when we stopped the teaching and recording part of it, the kids wanted to stay online and talk to the teacher and their peers because they aren’t seeing anyone,’’ he said. “They’re not socializing with one another.’’

Jack Britt football coach Brian Randolph said the key issue remains the safety of the athletes, athletic trainers, coaches and all the sideline personnel involved in his sport.

“I don’t think we can create the bubble as the NBA and other higher level sports are doing,’’ Randolph said. “The first thing we have to worry about is the school aspect and getting kids back into school safely.’’

Terry Sanford tennis coach Susan Brady is confident most coaches would be willing to accept any form of abbreviated schedule just to be able to have competition this fall. Her main concern, which is shared by other coaches, is how much time the athletes need to get in competition shape.

For tennis, she thinks two or three weeks of practice while doing some cardio conditioning on the side would be enough to get in condition for matches. “The nice thing about tennis is when you’re on the court playing it’s constant movement,’’ she said.

Gray’s Creek volleyball coach Jalesty Washington feels that if people can go out and shop and interact in other ways in public, there has to be a way to figure out a safe method to return to athletic competition. “I feel like everybody is going out and doing normal stuff,’’ she said. “I don’t know what’s different with the school and getting in the gym.’’

Pine Forest soccer coach Isaac Rancour is trying to stay as positive as possible and not focus on the frustration of repeated delays and no definite word on when or if the fall season will begin.

“I’m just kind of going with the flow and passing information along as I get it,’’ Rancour said. “I don’t think it does any good to get frustrated about it.’’

He knows his players have worked hard and the seniors are worried if they will get the chance to play this year.

Whatever is done, Rancour wants it to be safe for everyone. “We are going to need more time to make sure we are able to social distance the kids and get everything checked before we get everything started,’’ he said. “If we have everyone doing their part it should all work out.’’

President Donald Trump says he might veto a congressional bill to change the names of military bases in the South named after Confederate generals.

“I don’t care what the military says. I’m supposed to make the decision,” Trump told Fox News about plans to change the names of bases that have stood for decades. “Fort Bragg is a big deal. We won two world wars — nobody even knows General Bragg. We won two World Wars,” Trump said in a contentious interview with Chris Wallace.

Trump mocked Wallace, asking him what he was going to rename Fort Bragg. “Are you going to name it after the Rev. Al Sharpton?” arbitrarily suggesting the name of the Black civil rights leader. “There’s a whole thing here. We won two World Wars, two World Wars, beautiful World Wars that were vicious and horrible, and we won them out of Fort Bragg,” Trump declared.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has recommended that people wear cloth face coverings in public settings where social distancing measures are difficult to maintain. Even as the world begins to unpause, wearing masks seems likely to continue.

According to Penni Watts, Ph.D., RN, an assistant professor of nursing at the University of Alabama at Birmingham School of Nursing, masks are designed not to prevent the wearer from getting ill, but to protect other people from getting the virus. Masks protect others from your germs when you cough or sneeze. They're also an effective way to help people to avoid touching their faces.

Masks are exposed to the elements and germs each time they are worn, meaning they will require cleaning. Even though Harvard Health suggests COVID-19 may live more readily on hard surfaces than fabric, the CDC urges people to give cloth face masks the same level of care as regular laundry. Masks should be washed and dried often. The CDC offers these tips on how to clean most cloth and fabric masks.

Fabric face masks should be washed depending on the frequency of use. More frequent use necessitates more frequent washing.

A washing machine should be adequate for properly washing a face covering. Choose a warm setting for water temperature. Place masks in the dryer afterward.

More delicate, hand-sewn masks may be washed by hand, suggests The Good Housekeeping Institute Cleaning Lab. Lather masks with soap and scrub them for at least 20 seconds with warm or hot water before placing in the dryer.

For additional sanitation, iron masks on the cotton or linen setting for a few minutes to kill remaining germs.

If masks are fortified with a filter, such as a coffee or HVAC filter, keep in mind that these filters are designed for single use. Paper filters should be replaced after each use. HVAC filters are washable, but manufacturers warn that their effectiveness decreases with each wash. Medium weight nonwoven interface used as filter material is typically washable.

Various health agencies do not condone using steam or microwaves to clean cloth face masks, as these sanitizing techniques are not as effective as regular laundering. Also, never microwave non-fabric dust or N95 respirator masks if you are using them. They can catch fire or be rendered useless.

Cloth face masks can help safeguard against germs like the novel coronavirus. However, they need to be cleaned regularly to remain sanitary.

The potential for growth in the area near the recently-opened Golfview Greenway in Hope Mills is drawing a lot of attention, some of it not for good reasons.

That’s especially true for residents of Crampton Road, a quiet neighborhood street near Golfview that dead ends into the old golf course that is now the new Greenway.

What’s causing concern is the old golf course area is currently shared by three different groups. The town of Hope Mills controls about 90 acres, while two developers have plots of 30 acres and 20 acres respectively.

One of the developers has put forward plans to build some housing on his share of the land, with access to the property coming from a road that would connect through what is now the dead end on Crampton.

Not surprisingly, many people in the neighborhood are not excited about the prospect of a dramatic increase in both population and
traffic.

“Most of the people have lived there 40 years or more,’’ Hope Mills Mayor Jackie Warner said of the residents of Crampton Road.

The town had two chances in 2019 to have more of a direct voice in the future of the area when the YMCA approached the town about purchasing or developing the 20 acres of land it owned. A committee was formed to look into the possibility of developing the land and maybe constructing a swimming facility there. But the committee was disbanded by the Board of Commissioners after one meeting, and the town declined to discuss purchasing the land from the YMCA.

When the YMCA eventually found a buyer, it made one final offer to the town to purchase it first, but the board again said no.

So the YMCA sold the land, and now with three different groups in the mix, Warner is trying to put together a plan to get everyone involved at the same table so a plan can be put together that will take into account everything going on in the Golfview Greenway area so both the future growth of the town and the concerns of the residents of Crampton Road will be respected while the town looks ahead to future growth.
Representing the town on the committee will be Warner, Chancer McLaughlin of the town’s Development and Planning office and town manager Melissa Adams.

Also on the committee will be the developers of the other two pieces of property, a representative from the Department of Transportation, and former Hope Mills commissioner Eddie Maynor, who was added to the committee at last week’s meeting of the Board of Commissioners.
Warner said it was important to get the Department of Transportation involved because they already have plans in the works for developing the area around Golfview Greenway since it’s in proximity to the future addition of the Interstate 295 bypass that will be eventually built near the outskirts of Hope Mills.

“We know we need to get DOT on board so we don’t have to redo anything,’’ Warner said. “If they’ve got a plan we can start working on that plan sooner.’’

The other key for the committee, Warner said, is to have face-to-face meetings with the two developers and hopefully get them to coordinate their plans with both the needs of the families that already live on Crampton Road and in the rest of the area, while at the same time getting everyone on the same page with whatever DOT has in the works.

Warner thinks an ideal solution would be for the town and the two other property owners in the Golfview area to come to a mutual agreement on a shared entry way into the Golfview property so that the residents on Crampton Road can continue to enjoy the privacy of their neighborhood without a dramatic influx of traffic and neighbors.

“We want to have a way of coming up with an entrance off of Golfview that would be safe,’’ Warner said, “whether you have a pedestrian crosswalk, signal lights, whatever is needed. There would be one entrance to the main road and not go through the neighborhood. “By setting up this committee, we know everybody is on board.’’

Warner said the good news so far is that a decision on what is going to happen in the Golfview area has been deferred until after the committee meets and hopefully is able to come to a workable consensus.

Once Maynor’s addition to the committee was approved by the Board of Commissioners, Warner was hopeful the committee would have held its first meeting sometime last week.

Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, the public will not be able to attend the committee meetings, but Warner said the town will likely share the committee meetings on its Facebook page and the town website, both live and via tape delay for those unable to watch the meetings while they are in progress.

“We are trying to have a vision for what it (the Golfview area) will look like 10 years from now when there will be even more reasons for people to be there and visit Hope Mills.’’

The Cumberland County Board of Education accepted the recommendation of Dr. Marvin Connelly Jr., superintendent of Cumberland County Schools and voted unanimously to start the school year with classes meeting online. The traditional school year is scheduled to begin Aug. 17. Under the plan approved by the school board, classes will operate remotely through at least Sept. 25.

Connelly said he had discussed local COVID-19 trends with county health director Jennifer Green. “The number of COVID-19 cases is trending upward at an alarming rate in North Carolina, including Cumberland County and surrounding areas,” he said.

A highly contagious coronavirus causes the disease. Forty-seven people have died in Cumberland County. The plan approved by the school board calls for the schools to transition to a blended learning environment beginning Sept. 28 if conditions locally have improved.

In case you haven’t noticed, it is a bit warm outside. Not just a wee bit toasty. We are talking second circle of hell toasty. Have you been wondering why the heat? Are you tired of saying, “It’s not the heat. It’s the humidity.” Go ahead, say it again. It won’t cool the temperature, but it will make you sound wise to whomever you are trapped inside with during Corona time. Trigger warning: Be careful how often you say it, as you may irritate your housemates into murdering you in your sleep. As only about five people read this column, the loss of even one of my gentle readers would cut my audience by 20%. Please say it sparingly.

If you have gotten this far without throwing up a little bit in your mouth or falling asleep, stick around. The reason for the unseasonably seasonable heat will be laid beneath your feet like a cloak across a mud puddle placed by a gentleman for his lady love. You may have seen the pictures of the sun from NASA’s Parker Solar Probe. The images are spectacular. Kindly absorb some facts: The Solar Probe was launched way back in 2018 B.C. — Before Corona. It is flying at 430,000 miles an hour, which is faster than someone grabbing the last piece of bacon at a Weight Watchers breakfast buffet. The Solar Probe will fly within 4 million miles of the sun. This is the closest a satellite has photographed the sun. The Solar Probe sling shots around Venus and the sun 21 times while getting closer with each orbit. The Solar Probe will fly into the sun’s corona to take a gander at the solar wind and find out what is doing inside the corona.

The reason the sun is so hot is that it is on fire. Fire is hot. The sun is a flaming gasbag of fire, not to be confused with Mitch McConnell speaking in the Senate. The sun is 109 times bigger than the earth. That is enough heat to cook a whole passel of s’mores if you could get close enough. Mr. Science says the sun has been hanging around about 4.6 billion years. It is used to being alone. The sun is getting up in years. Sol is cranky like an old man yelling at the kids, “Get off my lawn!” The Solar Probe is now messing with the sun’s corona.

Some readers may remember the old ad in which Mother Nature is fooled into thinking that Chiffon margarine is actually butter. When Mother Nature finds out it is margarine, she becomes wrathful. She brings on a violent storm yelling, “It’s not nice to fool Mother Nature!” Same thing applies to the sun. Unhappy at having his solar corona disturbed by the Solar Probe, old Sol sent the coronavirus to Earth to smite us mere mortals with COVID and excessive heat. It is not an accident. The ancient Egyptians foretold this eventuality with their story of the sun god Ra.
Give me that old-time religion. Ra showed up in the 25th century B.C. as the King of the Egyptian gods. He created humans from his sweat and tears. Egyptians viewed the sky as a giant celestial cow, calling themselves the cattle of Ra. The celestial cow was not a carnation-contented cow. Ra crossed the sky each day on the morning boat the Mandjet and then left at night on the good ship Meseket to travel through the Underworld, only to pop up in the East the next morning. Each night, a giant snake named Apophis would try and fail to stop Ra from showing up the following day. As usual, humankind tried to overthrow Ra. You would not like Ra when he is angry. Feeling betrayed, Ra sent his psychotic daughter Sekhmet in the form of a lion to clamp down on man’s rebellion. Similar to the storm troopers in Portland putting down protesters.

Sekhmet was really good at killing humans. Like eating peanuts, it was hard to stop once she got going. She was the COVID-19 of the 25th century B.C. She was so good at wiping out humankind that Ra became concerned that she might do in all of humanity. Ra was confronted with the existential question, “What good is being a god if all of your worshippers are dead?” This was a conundrum. Ra was upset that man had strayed from his straight and narrow. But it would be pretty boring being a God if there is no one to kiss your feet and offer up a human sacrifice to make sure the Nile flooded on time and the sun came up tomorrow.

What to do?

Ra concluded he didn’t want all of humanity wiped out. So Ra ordered all the beer in Egypt to turn red. Ra had the red beer poured out all over Egypt. Sekhmet, in her killing rage, thought the red beer was blood. She tried to drink it all. She drank so much red beer she got drunk and passed out. The killing stopped. The Egyptians lived happily ever after, at least until the Arab Israeli war of 1967.

So what have we learned today? NASA has its version of the sun’s story. The ancient Egyptians have their version. Teach the controversy. Wear a mask. Wash your hands. Ra is watching. He may have sent the coronavirus with his vengeful daughter Sekhmet to get us.

In 2014, I had the pleasure of interviewing Civil Rights icon Congressman John R. Lewis. I remember having a busy day at work, and on my way home, my cellphone rang. On the other end of the phone was the former chancellor of Fayetteville State University, James A. Anderson. He told me that Lewis was visiting FSU and asked if I would like to interview him on my TV show, “Let’s Talk with Shanessa Fenner.” I immediately agreed and hung up the phone, thinking about the carefully constructed questions I would ask him. I wanted to have an informative interview that would serve as a rich history lesson for everyone to learn and reflect upon. I knew that I wanted to discuss the tragic events surrounding the demonstration known as “Bloody Sunday,” as well as the plight of the Black male, the Civil Rights movement and the reason why the Black race has always been disliked.

The day of the interview, I was a bit nervous. I arrived at the TV studio to prepare and got my emotions together. He walked into the studio and introduced himself. We began to talk a little before the interview. I immediately took notice that he was a very humble man with a forgiving spirit. His mere presence was captivating, and during the 30-minute interview, I was in awe the entire time. I looked in his eyes as he talked and hung on to every word. When he talked, he took you back to the time and the place of the event, and it made you feel like you were there experiencing it with him.

When the interview was over, I felt like I had been sitting in a history class because he shared many things that had happened to him, including the many times he was beaten nearly to death. He spent his entire life fighting for equality.

I feel this is the perfect time for the interview to circulate, during this time of tragic events in our country. One disheartening thing is that our younger generation does not know who John Lewis is, so we have to do a better job of educating them about this great man and his powerful journey — even though they have the ability to conduct research on their own. They need to know about these historical events because history has a way of repeating itself, and it sets the tone for the path to move forward. My favorite quote from him is, “There comes a time when you have to say something. You have to make a little noise. You have to move your feet. This is the time.”

I have had people tell me that after they watched the interview, they cried. They shared their experiences of racism and the utter disdain of being mistreated because of the color of their skin.

Some shared that the interview made them ask themselves if are they doing all that they can to make a difference in the lives of others.
I am elated that I was given the honor of a lifetime to interview a Civil Rights icon on my TV show.

My thoughts and prayers are with the Lewis Family. You are blessed to have had a strong icon in your family. He is a rich part of history. We will continue to ensure his legacy lives on. May he rest in peace.

Search “Let’s Talk with Shanessa Fenner” episode 7 on Youtube to see the interview.

The Heritage Square Historical Society presents its annual “Christmas in July” event Thursday, July 30 –Saturday, Aug. 1, from 10 a.m.-6 p.m., at 225 Dick St.

“This is an annual event, and we normally don’t have it until October or November,” said Elaine Kennebeck, president of Heritage Square Historical Society. “However, having to postpone or cancel all of our wedding rentals and events, we have not been able to have any kind of fundraiser.”

Kennebeck added that the organization is running dangerously low on money to pay monthly expenses. The members are committed to keeping the doors open, which is why they pushed the Christmas event up to July. The purpose of the event is to help maintain a historical property and also to allow people to tour the houses to make the public aware they are open for business.

The event takes place in The Sandford House, which is one of three houses the organization owns. The other two houses are The Oval Ballroom and The Baker-Haigh-Nimocks House.

“One of our longtime members, Judy Dorman, passed away,” said Kennebeck. “Her family decided to donate all of her Christmas decorations to Heritage Square because she loved Heritage Square so much. They have brought decorations by the carload, and it’s been unbelievable because it is thousands and thousands of things.”

“It is going to be quite a big sale, and everything is priced from 25 cents and up,” Kennebeck added.

“People love this event, and I think this year it is going to be more uplifting because we have all been caged in our homes looking for something to do and places to go.”

Kennebeck noted the sale consists of about 24 huge tables that are packed with everything Christmas and that it is beautifully displayed. “We have everything on display — if it is animated, makes noise or moves, we plug it up and show you that it’s going.”

The decorations include figurines, Christmas tree ornaments, candle holders, candlesticks, animated collectibles from the ‘70s, unique one-of-a-kind items and so much more. Christmas music will play as customers enjoy this fun experience.

“We accept donations and Christmas decorations for our Christmas Bazaar and Silent Auction throughout the year,” said Kennebeck. “This event is a favorite of a lot of people in Fayetteville, and this year, it’s going to be even bigger and better.”

Admission is free. If you would like to attend the event the day before for a sneak peak, the cost is $10. For more information about this event, call 910-483-6009.

Let me start by saying I really, really do not like wearing a mask.

It is more difficult to breathe. I get lipstick on the inside. It is hot and sticky, especially during the heat wave we have just experienced. I have trouble recognizing masked friends and neighbors. As Dr. Seuss said in “The Cat and the Hat,” “No, I do not like it! Not one little bit.” More than once, I have wondered how medical professionals, construction workers and others wear the darn things all day, every day.

Whining aside, I have a variety of masks — the first handmade by a dear friend, and others I have purchased. I keep masks in my pocketbook, in my car, in my waistband when I walk the new puppy by myself, and on my face if someone is walking with me. As uncomfortable as I find wearing them, I do so both for my own health and for the health of my family and close friends and the people I come into contact with but will never actually know. It is the very least I can do for my larger community during the worst pandemic in a century.

The New York Times reported last week on mask-wearing throughout our nation, complete with a map colored darker to show where masks are commonly worn and lighter where they are worn less often. As we might expect, the darker colors are in higher population areas along the east and west coasts and the Gulf of Mexico. The lightest concentrations are in our nation’s midsection with its vast plains and fewer people and in the South where several states have attempted — an apparently failed at — widespread re-openings.

Social scientists tell the Times that other factors beyond population density are at work. Elizabeth Dorrance, an assistant professor of communications at Michigan State University, says mask-wearing responds to peer pressure. If our family and friends regularly wear masks and value that behavior, we probably will as well, and vice versa. And while the goal is 100% masking, that is unrealistic. Harvard Medical School’s Julia Marcus notes that not everyone buckles a seatbelt, wears a bike helmet, gets vaccinated, has stopped smoking or practices safe sex — no matter what the law says or how often they hear admonitions.

All of that said, it will probably not surprise you to learn that political partisanship is the major predictor of masking or not masking. Generally speaking, more Democrats wear masks and cite protecting others as a reason, and more Republicans go barefaced, citing a right to individual decisions. Shana Gadarian of Syracuse University is blunt. “The big takeaway of all the data is partisanship is the big determinant of all the behavior. It is not age. It is not where you live.”

Really?

Tension between community wellbeing and individual rights has been with us since the birth of our nation. Our Founding Fathers argued — and never resolved — federalism versus states’ rights, and we struggle with those same issues today. I get that regarding political issues and am grateful that North Carolina and the other 49 make our own decisions about public education, voting issues and other important aspects of life in a democratic republic.

But when it comes to public health?

Viruses, including COVID-19, are neither Democrats or Republicans, nor do they care whether they infect members of one or both parties. Sick is sick and dead is dead, no matter what one’s party affliction. Various versions of this saying exist, and it often attributed to U.S. Supreme Court Justice Oliver Wendell Holmes. “The right to swing my fist ends where the other man’s nose begins.” It means that, yes, I am free to make my own decisions, but I am not free to hurt you or to infringe on your rights.

In other words, I am not free to spew my germs on you just because I do not like wearing a mask, and neither are you.

For the health of our nation, Democrats, Republicans and everyone else should just put on a darn mask and quit whining about it.

Some North Carolina old-timers still talk about the disastrous 1943 train wreck south of Fayetteville. It killed 74 people, including the father of one of the central characters of beloved author Jill McCorkle’s new novel, “Hieroglyphics.”

McCorkle, who grew up in nearby Lumberton, says she remembers her dad talking about visiting the site right after the crash and seeing all the scattered debris.

The late Joe Oxendine, who was featured in my recent column dealing with Indian sports nicknames, told me that he and other boys from Pembroke drove over to see the wreck and collect some of the stunning remnants scattered over the site.

McCorkle lived in Boston for a number of years. There, she heard about a 1942 nightclub fire that took more than 492 lives, including the mother of another character in “Hieroglyphics.”

When Lil, whose mother died in the fire, and Frank, whose father died in the train wreck, first met, they discovered their common bond, a bond that held them through 60 years of marriage.

As the story begins, they have retired to Southern Pines, which, coincidently, is not far from the site of the tragic train wreck. Close by the wreck site is the modest home where Frank lived for several years after his dad’s death.

Frank and Lil have driven to the old house, now occupied by Shelley, a single mother, and her young son, Harvey.

Shelley has seen Frank driving by before and is nervous. “It doesn’t help that that old man rides by so often now, his green Toyota slowing in front of the house and then circling the block.”

When Shelley meets Frank at the door, he explains, “I grew up here. I would love to see inside if convenient. My wife, too.”

Shelley resists, but at the end of the book Frank is in the backyard of the old house finding some closure.

In the 300 pages between its opening and closing at the old house, McCorkle takes us deep into the lives of the characters we met on the first pages: Frank, Lil, Shelley and Harvey.

Frank carries the consequences of the train wreck throughout his life. Both his father and mother were on the train, coming from Florida to their home in Massachusetts, where Frank and his grandmother waited for them. Frank’s seriously injured mother remained in North Carolina to recuperate. She was sure she heard Frank’s father calling, “Don’t leave me.” So she stayed and ultimately married a local man.

She and Frank lived in his house, and Frank grew up there. Ultimately, he went to college and graduate school, married Lil and became a college professor specializing in ancient history and archeological relics. Along the railroad tracks he collected relics from the wreck, including a toy decoder that he imagined his parents were bringing him for Christmas.

Lil cannot get over the loss of her mother, a ballroom dance instructor, who had not told her husband and Lil that she was going to the nightclub. The questions of who her mother was with and why still haunted her as an adult. She is also a collector. McCorkle uses Lil’s collected newspaper clippings and copious notes to help tell a story that include her agonizing experience of Frank’s misadventures with a younger academic.

Shelley is a court reporter in a Robeson County courtroom during the trial of a brutal doctor who murdered one of his many girlfriends, not unlike a similar murdering doctor in McCorkle’s previous novel, “Life After Life.”

Shelley’s son, Harvey, is a collector of horror stories about the Beast of Bladenboro, the Glencoe Munchkins and other scary tales that kept him awake at night and he used to frighten his schoolmates.

That McCorkle builds these complex characters together into a complex, layered, and gripping novel is just another example of her great storytelling genius.

The grandson of retired Cumberland County Schools Superintendent John Griffin drowned earlier this month while swimming at the Lake Pines Swim Club. Fayetteville Police identified the victim as Taylin Mack, 20, of Fayetteville. He was found underwater near a diving board. CPR was performed until emergency personnel arrived. He was pronounced dead on arrival at Cape Fear Valley Medical Center. Police said Mack had been swimming at the lake with friends.

“I will be conducting a thorough investigation into the events of this case,” said swim club owner Frank Lay on Facebook.

For inveterate optimists, the past several months have been excruciating. A global pandemic has produced great suffering and death. A protest movement that began with righteous anger about the death of George Floyd has devolved in all too many locations into vandalism, looting and violence. Reeling from these blows, economies sank into recession as businesses bled money, shed jobs and, in some cases, shut down for good. Families struggled. Social ties frayed. Partisan divides widened.

To be an inveterate optimist, however, is to reject despair as unhelpful and, in the end, unrealistic. You champion context. You look for unforeseen opportunities. You counsel patience. And you spotlight outcomes that aren’t as bad as worse-case scenarios had predicted.
Consider the latest economic and fiscal trends here in North Carolina. After a combination of consumer behavior and government mandates shoved the state into recession, tens of thousands of North Carolinians lost their jobs in March, followed by hundreds of thousands in April.
Something comparable happened across our region, as well. But during the month of May, most labor markets in the Southeast rebounded more strongly than North Carolina’s did. Indeed, our state’s headline unemployment rate barely changed from April (12.9%) to May (12.8%).
In June, though, North Carolina began to catch up. Employers added back some 173,000 jobs last month — one of the largest monthly gains in employment in state history. Sectors with notably large increases included accommodation and food service (56,000), retail trade (18,000), entertainment and recreation (13,000), health care (11,000) and local government (26,000, including employees of summer camps and other local offerings).

Does Gov. Roy Cooper’s slower approach to phased reopening explain these events? Surely to some extent. In many cases, jobs that other state economies recovered in May, North Carolina’s recovered in June.

But that’s not the whole story. Individuals are also making their own decisions, quite apart from what public officials are doing. In a study just posted by the National Bureau of Economic Research, two University of Notre Dame economists found that the relative importance of the two factors — government regulation and private choice — differ by type and sector. Using GPS tracking, they discovered that stay-at-home orders had a surprisingly small effect on overall mobility, for example, while restrictions on restaurants and retail matter a great deal.

To be sure, one good monthly jobs report does not a recovery make. North Carolina has still lost a net 377,000 jobs since the beginning of the crisis. And while our headline jobless rate for June (7.6%) now compares more favorably with our regional peers, some of the decline in measured unemployment occurred not because jobless North Carolinians found jobs but because they stopped looking. Our labor-force participation rate was 57.4% in June, compared to 61.6% in February. Among the 12 Southeastern states, only Kentucky has experienced a worse decline.

Still, as more North Carolinians manage to get and stay employed, our immediate economic future becomes less gloomy. The same could be said for the fiscal outlook of state and local government.

Another piece of relative good news, to my mind, was that state government’s General Fund revenue for the first 11 months of the 2019-20 fiscal year came in $973 million below what was originally projected. Given the economic devastation of March, April and May, I had expected a larger revenue hit. If the positive economic momentum of June can be sustained into the fall, state and local budget deficits will become more manageable.

The headwinds are daunting, admittedly. People continue to be worried, understandably, about daily reports of COVID-19 cases and deaths. And Cooper’s decision to limit access to public schools, and subsequent decisions by many districts to deliver only online education this semester, will put a substantial strain on parents — potentially forcing some to cut back hours or exit their jobs entirely to care for their children.
North Carolinians will need all their resilience and inventiveness to get through this. As an inveterate optimist, I wouldn’t bet against them.

Defense Secretary Mark Esper has issued guidance for flags allowed on military installations. It does not explicitly ban the Confederate battle flag but provides criteria for allowable flags.

“Flags are powerful symbols, particularly in the military community for whom flags embody common mission, common histories, and the special, timeless bond of warriors,” Esper wrote in a memo, adding “The flags we fly must accord with the military imperatives of good order and discipline, treating all our people with dignity and respect, and rejecting divisive symbols.”

Esper’s guidance narrows down the types of flags that can be displayed. They include flags or banners of U.S. states, territories and the District of Columbia, flags of the military services, as well as those of generals or admirals and civilian political appointees, plus flags representing the positions of Senior Executive Service employees, the Prisoner of War/Missing in Action flag, flags of countries that are allies or partners of the United States — but only when displayed for official purposes — flags of organizations the U.S. belongs to, including NATO, the United Nations and ceremonial flags representing units or branches.

This week, our publisher, Bill Bowman, yields his space to Congressman Richard Hudson.

Friends,
As Fort Bragg’s Congressman, it’s an honor to represent so many active-duty soldiers, their families and our veterans. We owe a debt to everyone who has served in our nation’s military, as well as their families, for the sacrifices they have made to protect our country. We also owe it to them to make sure they have all the available tools and resources they deserve.

Congress returned this week to pass the latest National Defense Authorization Act. This annual defense bill lays out all of the priorities to keep our military strong and support military families and veterans. This year, I was proud to work with my colleagues to include a record-setting number of provisions in the bill.

These provisions included a 10% increase in hazardous duty pay for those serving in eligible locations. This increase will support our warfighters who put their lives on the line and is in addition to an overall 11% pay raise for our troops since President Trump entered office.
For members of the Special Operations Community, I secured improvements to the Preservation of the Force and Family program established to create a holistic approach to address pressures on the force and increased stress on operator’s families.

Military families make sacrifices for our country, too. That’s why I secured language in the bill that will help improve future Impact Aid funding for schools in military communities. I also secured improvements to strengthen the Exceptional Family Member Program that supports special needs education for military families.

Finally, for veterans, I worked across the aisle to ensure the Department of Veterans Affairs burn pit registry is expanded to include veterans who served in Syria. Our community has one of the fastest growing veteran populations in the country and we owe it to these heroes to take care of them both during and after they have served our country. After years of fighting in the Middle East, many of our servicemembers were exposed to toxic chemicals through the use of burn pits which have been linked to serious health conditions, including cancer.

Together, these provisions in the NDAA will further support our troops, their families and our veterans.

Also, as part of my commitment to our military, earlier this year I helped secure a President Unit Citation for the 30th Infantry Division for its service in World War II.

Made up in part of National Guard soldiers from North Carolina and nicknamed the “Old Hickory Division” after President Andrew Jackson, the division landed on the beaches of Normandy on D-Day and became a vital part of the Allied effort to defeat Nazi Germany.

Among their accomplishments, the division of 13,000 soldiers held off an advance of 80,000 German troops at Mortain, France in August 1944. Historical records indicate that general, and later president, Dwight D. Eisenhower intended for the 30th Infantry Division to be recognized with the Presidential Unit Citation. However, the designation went overlooked for nearly 70 years.

Former Congressman Larry Kissell fought for the 30th Infantry Division’s recognition and when I came into office, he asked me to carry on the fight. I worked for more than seven years throughout the Obama and Trump administrations to have the 30th recognized. Finally, nearly 75 years after their heroic stand at Mortain, in March President Donald Trump directed the U.S. Army to award the Presidential Unit Citation and ensure these veterans get the credit they deserve.

This week, the citation was presented to the 30th Infantry Division at a ceremony at the North Carolina National Guard. This ceremony was a culmination of years of hard work and I have been proud to work with so many veterans, the North Carolina National Guard and President Trump to make it happen.

You can rest assured that as long as I am your Congressman, I will continue to do everything I can to support our troops, their families and our veterans.

Richard Hudson

Member of Congress

City Council may be eager to reform policing in Fayetteville. Still, the head of the Police Accountability Community Task Force, Shaun McMillan, said consideration “might be messy and uncomfortable” for council members. The group is proposing the creation of a Civilian Police Oversight Authority. Demands to increase the power of police oversight has gained traction as protests in North Carolina against police brutality continue since the death of George Floyd, a Black man, at the hands of Minneapolis police. The Raleigh City Council voted unanimously this month to ask the state to grant more power to that city’s new police advisory board, which was formed in February. Fayetteville City Council has agreed to establish a police advisory board, but the Fay PACT wants a Civilian Police Oversight Authority to have jurisdiction over the review board.

“I need to see (current) data,” Councilman Johnny Dawkins said. “It’s disappointing to me, you come in here with demands.” Dawkins has been outspoken in his criticism of anything more than a review board.

The Cumberland County area, particularly Fayetteville, has seen its fair share of torrential storms. Every hurricane season, we glue our eyes to the TVs for a week or two and listen intently to our radios to hear predictions of strong wind gusts and heavy rains. With hurricane season in full swing now, and being that it occurs every year, now is a perfect time to make sure you, your family and your property are prepared for a coming storm.

Although hurricanes hit the coast hardest, many locals can still recall the effects of Hurricane Hazel in 1954, Hurricane Fran in September 1996 and, in more recent years, Hurricane Florence and Hurricane Matthew, to name a few. Aside from the damage done by the storms, being close to the Cape Fear River has been a concern in the past because of flooding. When Florence hit, many people were evacuated from their neighborhoods, and the Person Street Bridge had to close temporarily for the first time ever because the waters rose so dangerously high.

Hurricane season started June 1 and continues through early September. Rather than living in fear of a potential storm, citizens can find peace in knowing that there are simple precautions that can keep them and their property safe in the event of a natural disaster.

Firstly, it’s important to establish a communication plan. If a storm hit Fayetteville hard and your family was separated from each other, a contact out of town would be crucial. It is not uncommon for family members to be separated during natural disasters. Plan a spot to meet with loved ones in a more dire instance. Although it would be ideal to keep accessibility in mind, a hurricane can quickly change the convenience of travel, and having a central meeting place might be all you can count on.

Having that spot to meet will not mean much without a plan of how to evacuate and get there. While a GPS device on a cellphone might be helpful usually, in the case that there is no cell coverage, consider keeping an updated map on hand. Don’t wait until there is a crisis to practice your plan. When you have your map and a route in mind, consider driving it and coming up with backup plans for traveling to your designated evacuation location, in case the roads you initially planned on are inaccessible. You’ll also want to make sure your gas tank is full before the storm hits.

Having an escape plan will help keep you and your family safe and together, but don’t forget to take precautions in bracing your home for strong winds and heavy rains.

Check to see if your roof needs repairs. If shingles are damaged or loose, you’re going to be more at risk for property damage. Check your shingles and unclog gutters and downspouts.

Trimming greenery in the areas surrounding structure on the property is a must, and if there are any loose items in the front or backyard, pick them up.

Make sure you and everyone dwelling at your residence know how to turn off the electricity, water and gas.

When possible, secure breakable and heavy objects in cabinets and drawers; additionally secure water heaters and other major appliances.
Installing a smoke detector on each floor of your house is a good precaution year-round — also keep a fire extinguisher on hand.
In addition to the safeguards for your home, here are some tips for a survival kit.

Many people are familiar, when any bad weather sweeps in, with the rush at the grocery store to stock up on bottled water. When the water is cleared from the shelves, the search can feel desperate. One way to accomplish this, even if you have an unsuccessful trip to the store, is to fill up reusable water bottles, tupperware containers or zipper storage bags that are on hand before the storm moves further inland. It’s a good idea to keep a gallon of water per person in the household for three-seven days. Nonperishable foods, including canned goods, snacks, special foods for infants or the elderly and utensils and a can opener are all critical for a survival kit. Although it is better to be overprepared than underprepared, remember that many stores will have to throw out bottled water and food if you buy more than what you’ll need and try to return it after the threat has passed.

A first-aid kit might sound like a no-brainer to some, but be sure to include prescription medications in your supply. Having all medical supplies in the same, easy-to-access place might save you trouble later.

For your furry friends — or nonhuman family members — include food, medications, a leash, cage, a tag with their ID, etc. in the survival kit.
Other items like toiletries, clothing items, blankets and pillows are helpful. Think about what you would use in a typical day or week. Of those items, what would you need most? And, in the case of emergency, which items would you want that you might not need daily? A phone and charger, cash/cards, keys for vehicles/buildings/safety deposit boxes, insurance policies, a driver’s license, Social Security cards and tools might come to mind. Secure paperwork in a waterproof container. A flashlight and radio aside from what is in your car or phone may come in handy.

To keep up with what’s happening locally before, during and after storms, and to find helpful resources, visit https://www.fayettevillenc.gov/city-services/corporate-communications/public-information/storm-information-center for the City of Fayetteville’s storm information center, https://www.co.cumberland.nc.us/emergencyservices/hurricane-florence-information for Cumberland County’s resources and https://www.faypwc.com/storm-central/ for Fayetteville’s Public Works Commission’s resources.

As I helped a man load lumber onto his truck, I couldn't help but wonder what he was going to build and if he had help lined up to build it. He appeared to be several years older than me, and somewhat frail. If he were to place any one of the massive 4x4s on the other end of a seesaw, I'm fairly certain he'd be stuck in the air until help arrived. He was grumbling a bit about how it took me so long to get there, obviously unaware that I was a passing customer and not a store employee. I just smiled and asked if he wanted a flag for the wood extending beyond the tailgate of his truck.

As I moved on to the load I was buying for my own project, I was a little saddened by what had transpired. Not for the grumbling, not for the lifting and loading, but for the realization that in the era we both live in, we take too much for granted.

The man had been waiting for assistance the store offered, and yet was struggling to load it himself when I happened to walk out the door with a huge load of wood, easily twice the length of the bed of my truck. Several men, younger and stronger looking than me had passed him by as they were coming or going, yet none stopped to offer assistance. Maybe, like the man himself, they thought a store employee would be along soon.

Whatever the case, the only right thing to do was help. The only choice for me was to do good. In Galatians 6:9 it says, "And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up." In other words, what goes around comes around. Be kind, be patient and do good in the world. God will make sure you are rewarded.

The words of the Apostle Paul in that Bible passage aren't meant to reduce doing good to the cause and effect of karma, but rather to encourage and remind us that God sees us. He knows our thoughts and actions and promises he will take care of us beyond any of the good we do.

Here's some truth for your day: Things won't always fall into place. Every kindness will not be returned. Even so, the attitude we develop as we persevere on the worst of days will buoy us well above the water line on all the others. As we learn to live and love the way we were meant to, we easily begin to recognize the good in others, and respond with the best of ourselves.

Publisher’s note: The turmoil gripping downtownFayetteville is infuriating as well as heartbreaking. This edition of U&CW is a nod to those frustrated by a lack of resolve from city leaders in recent weeks and a lack of respect from those who chose to deface and destroy our downtown, damaging personal property and ruining the lives and businesses of so many. We could write pages about it. Instead, we’ve chosen to let the community members speak for themselves. The pages that follow include just a few of the letters and postings about recent events, as well as uplifting photos and a chilling piece of history dating back to1963 and taken directly from the Congressional record. It is a 1963 prediction on how the Socialists and Communists will take control of America. It is a shocking reality of a 21st century America. The Communist/Socialist plan to take over America, conceived in the 1950s and ‘60s, is definitely working. See for yourself on page 15.  Unfortunately, law-abiding citizens who believe in the Constitution and the Bill of Rights are the only ones who can save Fayetteville and our country.  Caving in, being silent, ignoring the situation and not wanting to get involved has only gotten us where we are today. Below are just a few who choose to not be silent.

The U.S. military’s top commander has described Confederate leaders as traitors and said he is taking a “hard look” at renaming 10 Army installations that honor them, despite President Trump’s opposition. “The Confederacy was an act of treason at the time, against the Union, against the Stars and Stripes, against the U.S. Constitution and those officers turned their backs on their oath,” the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Gen. Mark Milley, told members of the House Armed Services Committee. 

“For the young soldiers that go onto a base — a Fort Hood or Fort Bragg... or a fort wherever named after a Confederate general — they can be reminded that that general fought for the institution of slavery that may have enslaved their ancestors,” he said. 

The pandemic has taught us the importance of maintaining our skills and learning new technologies, processes and software. Fayetteville Technical Community College is the perfect place to help you stay connected to something positive while pursuing your dreams through education.

The North Carolina High School Athletic Association will delay the start of the fall sports season until at least Sept. 1.

The first five days of the 2020-21 student school year will be a dead period for all sports. Phase One of the NCHSAA’s summer conditioning and workouts will continue until further notice.

“For now, we believe these steps provide hope for our student athletes and the possibility for playing fall sports,’’ said NCHSAA commissioner Que Tucker. “We know that many decisions are being made relative to the reopening plan your schools will follow.’’

Tucker said the NCHSAA will conduct a survey of its members to determine what is possible as far as sports this fall is concerned, adding the current delay is not in cement and could be changed.

Tucker said the NCHSAA’s Sports Medicine Advisory Committee believes sports can and should be offered, at least in a modified format.

“In the coming weeks, we will continue working with the SMAC as we plan our next steps for the fall,’’ Tucker said.

Gov. Roy Cooper has created a statewide task force to address racial issues in North Carolina’s criminal justice system. It is cochaired by Supreme Court Associate Justice Anita Earls and Attorney General Josh Stein. Fayetteville Mayor Mitch Colvin was selected as a representative of locally elected officials. Colvin was elected in 2017 and previously served on the Fayetteville City Council. Colvin was instrumental in assisting former Mayor Nat Robertson in bringing a minor league baseball team to the city and authorizing the construction of Segra Stadium. Colvin also serves on the governor’s Crime Commission. 

If you were to inherit a large sum of money, what would you do with it?