On Saturday, Sept. 10 at 8:30 a.m., Segra Stadium will host its fourth annual 9/11 Stair Climb to honor the courageous men and women who gave their lives in service on that day.

The events of September 11, 2001, are etched firmly in the memory of many Americans. Even those not old enough to remember the fear and horror of that fateful Tuesday morning understand the magnitude of those four hijacked planes and how they forever changed the face of this country.

A coordinated series of attacks against the World Trade Center, the Pentagon and an unsuccessful attempt against the U.S. Capitol, resulted in the loss of nearly 3,000 lives. Of the 2,997 confirmed casualties on 9/11, 415 were emergency workers, which included 343 firefighters.

Segra Stadium, in partnership with the National Fallen Firefighters Foundation, hosts the fundraiser each year to honor the fallen firefighters of 9/11 and provide additional financial support to their families.
The stair climb can be held in any state. Until four years ago, Charlotte was the only city in North Carolina that participated in the yearly event. Under the direction of Rachel Smith, senior manager of events and guest services for the Woodpeckers, the event has become a community staple — drawing over 500 participants for the twentieth anniversary of 9/11
last year.

Having worked the climb at a host site in Pennsylvania, Smith felt strongly about bringing the event to Cumberland County.

“I think it's such a special event that pays tribute to the fallen and their families,” she said. “It's so important their sacrifice isn't forgotten. Also, some of these funds go to fallen firefighters local to our communities. Through this event, we can not only honor those we lost twenty years ago but the ones here at home as well.”

The free event is open to spectators, and the community is encouraged to come to pay their respects. However, it's important to remember that this is an event of remembrance, not celebration. A bell will sound at 8:47 a.m., the same time the North Tower was struck, to begin the climb. At 9:03 a.m., a second bell will chime, symbolizing the attack on the World Trade Center's South Tower. As participants make their way around the stadium, radio calls from that day will sound from the speakers as teams of firefighters and other first responders complete six circuits, totaling about 2200 stairs- representing the 110 flight ascent of the FDNY on September 11.

Participation is open to all, not just first responders. The registration fee of $35 includes participation in the climb, a T-shirt, and an honor badge with the name of one of the fallen.

The impact of 9/11, the deadliest terror attack on record, will never be eased or erased. It's an event that will burn within the pages of history forever. Still, gatherings like Segra's 9/11 Stair Climb ensure the names, faces and sacrifices of true heroes will not be buried under the rubble of time.

When tragedy unites us, forgetting is never an option; what counts is how we choose to remember.

The new, state-of-the-art community murals located at the intersection of I-295 and north Ramsey Street in Fayetteville’s Northside corridor are now complete. The murals entitled “We Are Fayetteville: Legacy and Future” are a beautifully vibrant and innovative scenic design that adds enormous value to the cultural, aesthetic and economic vitality of the community.

The concrete bridge support structures were transformed into a wondrous work of art that depicts symbolic scenes and vibrant colors reflective of the community's lifestyle and history.
This interpretation creates a sense of place reflective of the city’s inclusive, yet diverse, community expressed through green and gold images of agricultural and recreational scenes that symbolize its thriving neighborhoods and businesses.

Through a nation-wide search, a Mural Advisory Committee created by the Arts Council of Fayetteville|Cumberland County selected Fuquay-Varina's mixed media artist and muralist, Jermaine “JP” Powell, through a blind jury competition process.

After engaging with local residents and learning of their interpretations of life in their community, Powell’s final visionary design for the murals was approved by the Fayetteville Public Arts Commission and City Council capturing a visually compelling rendition of life in the Northside that represents the community's strong sense of pride, family, unity, and growth... all the things that make Fayetteville a desirable place to live, work and play.

The power of art continues to inspire thoughts, emotions and joy as onlookers see a representation of themselves and the rich history, heritage and legacy of Fayetteville reflected through the mural.

“Sometimes art isn't about the work, it's about the process of telling your story of the sacrifices and efforts you put in every day to make this city a great place,” says Jermaine “JP” Powell, muralist. “I want this mural to be an international landmark, a place where people from all over the world will come to see and learn the story of what Fayetteville is... a welcoming community.”

The grant request to the National Endowment for the Arts in 2018 was based on the concept of turning ‘gateways’ into ‘great ways’ to enter the city of Fayetteville.

Completion of the mural spurs the possibility for future public art and beautification projects across Fayetteville that would make our roadways and public spaces brighter.

“The images created by Powell capture the rich sense of community so evident in the lives of the residents on the north side,” says Bob Pinson, interim president of the Arts Council. “We hope to use public art in many forms throughout our community to continue to provide opportunities for conversation and learn from one another. Together, we can move into a brighter future for all.”

Project planning was made public in February 2020 as part of Fayetteville’s Corridor Revitalization Project, a collaboration between Fayetteville|Cumberland Parks and Recreation and the Arts Council.
Fayetteville's Northside community mural project was a partnership with the Arts Council, Fayetteville|Cumberland Parks and Recreation, City of Fayetteville Government, Cumberland County Government, the North Carolina Department of Transportation and supported by a grant from the National Endowment for the Arts.

Visit the City of Fayetteville NC Government Flickr page to view promotional videos and photos of the murals or log onto WeAreTheARTS.com/295mural for artist bio.

City and County leaders ask drivers to prioritize safety and follow regular traffic flow at the murals.

Up & Coming Weekly received seven North Carolina Press Association awards in a ceremony Aug. 25 in Raleigh. Publications throughout North Carolina were honored during the 149th NCPA convention for excellence in news and advertising coverage.

“I am extremely proud of our newspaper's standings as determined by this year’s NCPA annual competition,” said Bill Bowman, publisher of Up & Coming Weekly. “We have a talented staff who understand the purpose and mission of local community newspapers to be the stalwart for relevant and trusted local news, views and information.”

NCPA’s advertising and editorial contest is one of the largest in the nation, with over 4,000 entries submitted by more than 125 newspapers and news organizations.
Up & Coming Weekly competes in Division B, which represents community newspapers with a circulation between 3,500 to 10,000. Entries are judged by newspaper professionals from another state to ensure impartiality and avoid conflicts of interest.

“Receiving recognition for our publication is wonderful encouragement,” said April Olsen, the managing editor of Up & Coming Weekly. “We are a small business doing our best to provide a quality product that is useful to our readers and helpful to the community. The NCPA awards, and others we’ve received this year, are an indication that we are on the right path.”

Staff Writer Kathleen Ramsey took home first place for Arts and Entertainment Reporting for her article, “A Tale of Two Nutcrackers.”
The article details the two dance studios that perform “The Nutcracker” in December in Fayetteville. Those shows are performed by dancers from the Charlotte Blume School of Dance and Leslie’s Dance Academy.

Ramsey began writing for Up & Coming in the fall of 2021, but is no stranger to local storytelling. A graduate of NC State’s creative writing program, Ramsey was an intern at the Fayetteville Observer and later worked there.

Ramsey’s article was cited by a judge as a “beautifully written story on the dance school and the Nutcracker. Great lede, drew me right in and the second paragraph kept me going.”

The story can be found online at www.upandcomingweekly.com/arts/8163-a-tale-of-two-nutcrackers.
Former Art Director Dylan Hooker received six awards total in advertising. He received two first- place wins in Newspaper Promotion and Use of Color. Those awards were our “Contributing Writers” ad and the “Gates

Four Groovy New Year’s Eve Party” ad.

Hooker received three second-place wins in Advertising Campaign, Entertainment Ad and Newspaper Promotion.
His third-place award was in the Retail Ad category.
Hooker, a former soldier and Fayetteville Technical Community College graduate, began at Up & Coming Weekly in 2020 as a graphic designer and became the Art Director within a year.

“With words and design, Hooker and Ramsey have demonstrated the importance of telling a community’s story,” Bowman said. “Up & Coming Weekly is proud of their achievements and proud to have been serving the Fayetteville and Cumberland County community for over 26 years.”

For a full list of NCPA award winners, visit www.ncpress.com.

On March 7, 1914, at an intrasquad game at the Fayetteville Fair Grounds, George Herman Ruth Jr., better known now as “Babe,” took the plate. Ruth was a new player for the Baltimore Orioles, back when it was only in the minor leagues. Fayetteville was just a stop for training at the time.

As Babe took the plate in the seventh inning, Ruth hit the first homer of his career and earned Fayetteville a small part of baseball history. This year, Cumberland County Fair will return with a homage to the love of baseball and the role it’s played in Fayetteville and agriculture.

“Baseball did impact agriculture in this area,” said Madeleine Eversole, the marketing director for the Crown Complex. “It’ll be tied in.”

The fair will be hosted at the Crown Complex from Sept. 2 to 11. The title of this year’s fair is “Take Me Out … To the Fair!”

“One of the really cool things is that the Cumberland County Cooperative Extension will have a display area that focuses on that educational, agricultural part of the fair. They are going to have some really fun baseball tie-ins.”

Along with these displays, the fair will host a step and dance show, beauty pageant, ribbon cutting ceremony and about 20 different food vendors. The vendors will include everything from seafood to barbecue and snow cones to breakfast foods. And, of course, it will provide fair staples like corn dogs, cotton candy and probably a deep-fried item or two.

There will also be standard rides available like a ferris wheel.

As to be expected in an agricultural community, the fair members will host livestock and a petting zoo.

The most exciting part for Eversole, however, is the ability to gather again.

“There are no restrictions on things. A lot of those have been lifted. We can all enjoy getting together again,” she said. “We are still being really cautious but it’s more of a focus on fun.”

And fun has been the focus of the county members since they began planning the fair last October — only getting about a month break between the fair that had just happened and the beginning of the next one that would take place.

Eversole says a lot goes into the preparation for the event with 50 to 100 people getting the area ready and hundreds working shifts during its operation.

“We are not a year round fair ground. It’s a huge undertaking … You have to make sure you have power for all those vendors. It’s a ton of thinking about what really needs to go into making this happen,” she said.

As with every year, people within the community can enter into the various contests like those for livestock, vegetables, pickling, canning, jams, crafts and much more.

This year, Eversole said, they anticipate for the attendance to be really strong.

“First and foremost, the fair is a great experience for the community because everyone gets to bring the family out and enjoy spending time together,” Eversole said. “There’s something for everyone at the fair.”

For kids, Eversole says, there will be a lot of educational opportunities. Kids can come and learn about livestock and that “food doesn’t just come from the grocery store.”

In the future, she says that the members of the county are hoping to increase rural involvement and bring more livestock to the fair.

“Really we want to do anything we can to increase awareness of the agricultural community. That’s what sets us apart from simply being a carnival,” she said. “That added educational aspect of the fair is the true focal point of this event.”

Eversole and the other members of the Crown Complex invite everyone to grab some loved ones and take them out to the fair and maybe, learn a little about agriculture and baseball.

I wish to go on record as having a strong disagreement for the comments of Senator Clark in the 8/17-23/2022 edition of Up & Coming Weekly. Not only are they one sided but the photo displayed is lacking most of the folks he would be speaking on behalf of.

Senator Clark in his commentary of 8/17-23/2022 is obviously playing the crowd with his references to all the good things the Democrats have done for us. Must be an election year?

Where is his mention of the Democrats who robbed our social security savings? He did not mention that most of the retired folks over 62 have paid into the program 50 or more years and it is NOT an entitlement to us as the Democratic Party likes to proclaim? We earned it, and some of us have worked since age 12 paying into the program and take offense to the Democrats destroying this country and running it into the ground.

Democrats are giving away our social security benefits to illegal immigrants who have not paid into the system. I feel for the immigrants' plight but they did not come into the country legally and [have not] paid a dime into the system but are taking benefits taxpayers have earned. If they come here the legal way and obey our laws and pay taxes like the rest it would not be a problem.

Why would anyone in their right mind vote for these flawed Democrat policies?

Both parties have their respective faults, don’t get me wrong, but the U.S. was self sufficient under GOP leadership before Biden and the Democrats closed the pipeline and started giving away our heritage.
Does he mention, too, about the billions in military equipment that was given to the Taliban by Biden and the Democrats? These are people who are trying to kill us, why would Democrats and especially any military or veteran in the 9th District be expected to keep voting for him or any other Democrat that follows these seriously flawed policies?

We were prosperous and thriving before the last election and the party that destroyed our prosperity is the Democrats.

Senator Clark seems to be beating a dead horse in order to join the other misguided millionaires in Congress.

That is my 2¢ but I speak on behalf of many of my friends who share similar views.

—Timothy Cannon, Fayetteville

Editor's note: The referenced article by Sen. Ben Clark can be found at https://www.upandcomingweekly.com/views/8944-why-democrats-should-win-every-election
Sen. Ben Clark has served since 2013 in the NC Senate representing Cumberland and Hoke counties. He is now running for the NC 9th Congressional District, which consists of all of Chatham, Hoke, Lee, Moore, Randolph and Scotland and parts of Cumberland, Harnett and Richmond counties. The 9th is also home to Fort Bragg.

The question of affordable and accessible healthcare has long been a source of national contention. Whether for or opposed to universal healthcare and the diverse opinions in between, the fact remains that many citizens don’t have a clear answer when the question of medical care and where to get it is asked.

A trip to the doctor’s office for a cold that won’t go away or to refill a much-needed prescription can be as easy as making an appointment and forking over the $15 for a co-pay. For those without insurance, the options become much more fraught. The average uninsured doctor’s visit can run a patient anywhere from hundreds to thousands of dollars, depending on what’s needed. Labs, x-rays and prescriptions can quickly add up. Many Americans struggle to afford the care they need or forego it altogether.

Reliable health insurance and access to quality medical care go beyond the convenience of drive-through pharmacies and telehealth appointments. The ability to treat chronic illness, get sick and then get better in a timely fashion also contributes to an overall better quality of life.
According to the 2019 U.S. Census on health insurance, 11.3% of North Carolina residents were uninsured, which hovered just above the national average. With over one million residents without health care coverage, North Carolina — the ninth largest state by population — is ranked as the tenth highest in the country for its uninsured rate.

While some resources are available across the state for those without a safety net, in Cumberland County and surrounding areas, one major source of help comes from the Care Clinic and the services it provides to people below the poverty line. The Care Clinic opened its doors in 1993 and has operated under one mission throughout its twenty-eight years of service: “to provide free, quality healthcare to the low-income, uninsured adults of Cumberland and bordering counties.”

Relying primarily on volunteers, the Care Clinic provides basic primary care, dental extractions, specialty services, diabetic care, orthopedics, physical therapy, nutrition, and an in-house pharmacy. The clinic is open on Tuesday and Thursday evenings and every second and fourth Wednesday. Clients are seen by appointment only, on a space available basis.

All medical staff on duty tend to their patients out of a sense of duty and a belief that all people, no matter their socioeconomic status, deserve access to quality healthcare. However, access does come at a cost, and events like the Charity Golf Tournament are tremendously helpful in covering that cost.

The Care Clinic will host its 28th Annual Charity Golf Tournament at Gates Four Golf & Country Club on Friday, Sept. 9.
After 27 years, The Tournament is an event locals look forward to every year. A tradition began with the clinic’s opening in 1993; the friendly competition never fails to draw a crowd of enthusiastic golfers and avid supporters of the Care Clinic’s altruism.

“We have a lot of dedicated fans who look forward to it every year,” Tara Martin, Director of Development and Marketing for the Care Clinic, shared with Up & Coming Weekly. “[People] who want to support our mission and have some fun. It’s great to get people who love golf and spread the word about the clinic — mixing fun with business and charity.”

The tournament is set up as Captain’s Choice, with check-in at 9:30 a.m., and a shotgun start at 11. Players can also participate in the Hole-In-One Contest, Closest to The Hole, a putting contest, and a unique spin on poker that could potentially put a little cash in the player’s pockets. Each player will also receive $100 of “Gates Four Bucks” to spend in the Pro-Shop.

Participation in the tournament is open to everyone and designed for single players and groups. Registration is $300 for a single player and $1000 for groups of four.
Those who want to participate but don’t necessarily want to golf are welcome to sponsor a Fort Bragg soldier for the single player registration fee or sponsor a group of four at the group rate.

After the tournament, participants will be treated to dinner and awards under the pavilion. Though the words “charity event” might trigger alarm bells of boredom, Martin credits the event’s popularity with its relaxed, positive attitude.

“I think this is an opportunity [for people] to get outside the office and interact with people they’ve known for years and meet some fresh new faces,” she explained. “We always want to connect with the community, so it’s nice to see people come every year and get to know each other and do something fun and relaxing outside.”

Though it’s a fun event with a long history and lots of community love, Martin wants to keep the clinic’s mission and the community it serves firmly at the forefront of the day’s festivities. It’s important to Martin that people understand a single job transition can lead to the uncertainty their clientele feel daily.

“There’s such a huge need,” she said. “The people we serve could be your neighbors; a single change in jobs can lead to a hard time, and you could lose your insurance. It’s scary not to rely on your medical outlets; we want to be a source of comfort and care for people who need that extra hand.”

Gates Four Golf & Country Club is located at 6775 Irongate Drive in Fayetteville.

For information on registration and sponsorship packages, visit https://the-care-clinic-annual-golf-charity.square.site/.

For more information about The Care Clinic, visit www.thecareclinic.org/ or call 910-485-0555.

We are all socially driven and have compared ourselves to others for centuries. Society has taken an advanced role with the availability of platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Reels and apps that target improvement in our lives.

It is important to understand that what you see exemplifies the highlight in someone’s life without the mention of what they may not be good at.

Healthy looks different for everybody and is not a bottled cookie cutter look we often see in print, commercials and on social media.

Info commercials may be the worst touting a new you in six weeks. Seeing continued perfection can lead us to feel that we can never obtain the look that we want.

That person running next to you on the treadmill may have incredible legs. The person next to them may have remarkable stamina. Your friend may be able to eat everything they want and never gain a pound while you feel you gain weight simply by looking at food.

Two people that are the same age, weight, height and sex will respond differently to exercise and diet. It is easy to compare yourself to someone else when you are working towards a goal and do not see your progress advancing as quickly as theirs.

It can be easy to compare the worst that we know of ourselves to something better in someone else. What we do not see is the duration or natural ability in their progression.

Teaching group fitness classes is an insight into performance in others. For example, I have a participant who can do a baby doll split and place her chest on the floor with little effort. I applaud her for her ability.

There are all different levels of fitness, stamina, flexibility, and endurance in class. It can be easy to look around and compare yourself to their levels. It is important to remember that no one runs a marathon on the first day. Well-being is gained from the joy of your accomplishments without a timeline.

Comparison can be a good catalyst for change when it comes to health and lifestyle. If you see yourself as not active as your friends, it may be a good time to think about your movement and mobility.

There are five stages of change:
Precontemplation — You know the risk involved with your present health and begin thinking about your activity level.
Contemplation — You want to get involved in some sort of activity and you begin to ask questions and advice for different types of exercises and ways to begin a healthier lifestyle.
Preparation — You begin to be active and look for the opportunity and do not listen to excuses. You begin to feel good about what you are doing and begin to see some progress.
Action — You begin regular activity and begin to adjust to a schedule suitable for you.
Maintenance — Maintain your activity, enjoy what you are doing, try something new and adjust for any lapses.

My mother always told me., "You may be prettier, smarter or more talented than someone but the next person may be prettier, smarter and more talented than you.”

Those words of wisdom have always been important when I thought about comparing myself to other people.

Being happy with yourself is important in the way you feel about yourself, and others see you. Once you begin to feel the progression in your abilities your confidence begins to grow and the need to compare begins to diminish.

Live, love life and like what you see in the mirror.

Mothers working for the Police Department in Fayetteville will now have three locations to pump and store milk for their babies safely.

It is a federal law for workplaces to provide a safe and clean place for mothers to express milk during the workday. However, the idea of bringing up the topic can be uncomfortable and embarrassing for many women, especially those that work in a male-dominated field. It can often lead many women to pump and dump in a bathroom.

Chief Gina Hawkins tells Up & Coming Weekly that when she had her first child, she was 23 years old. She felt uncomfortable telling anyone she had to pump milk for her baby. She felt like she needed to be tough, especially as a young female cop. By being tough, you don’t ask for favors or accommodations.

“Instead, I went into nasty bathrooms in order to make sure my baby had milk. And then I had to hide what I was doing and hide how I was freezing those items. That's a lot of pressure for someone,” Hawkins said.

“When I had my second child, it was ten years later and I was still trying to keep it a secret. And I was a supervisor, and I had an office. I had to figure out how to freeze it until I got home. I knew the law, and I still didn’t want to ask for accommodations.”

Breast milk needs to be refrigerated within four hours of being expressed. Otherwise, it goes bad. Outside of just needing to feed their child, mothers who can’t safely express milk can experience mastitis - an inflammation of breast tissue that sometimes involves an infection. This inflammation can be extremely painful.

Making sure that employees are taken care of is a top priority for Hawkins. Having a clean and accessible place for mothers to pump is part of employee wellbeing. To retain and recruit new employees, Hawkins looked into innovative ways of how the FPD could help lessen the stress.

“How do you recruit people to come into this profession? You need to make sure you’re thinking about them and thinking about ways that they don’t have to stress out to come into this work environment,” Hawkins said.

A $30,000 grant has provided FPD with the funds to buy two lactation pods. These pods are secure, freestanding areas where moms can go inside and pump. It is 16 square feet and is compact.
The inside of the pod looks like an airplane seat. In front is a fold-down tray that allows parents to work on their laptops or eat a meal. To the parent's left is a shelf with an outlet that you can use to plug in a pump or your phone. There is also a coat hook, lighting and a mirror.

The pod can be locked so no one can interrupt the mom while she is expressing milk. Outside the pods are mini-refrigerators that are dedicated to storing breast milk. This ensures the milk will not be inadvertently thrown away — something that happens with community fridges in break rooms or kitchens.

The pods are placed in a discreet location, so moms don’t have to worry about who will see them entering or leaving the pod.
The two pods will be located at the Cross Creek District Police Station and the Campbellton Police Station.

The pod at Cross Creek is currently operational.
The other location where moms at the FPD can pump is in the wellness center at the headquarters in downtown Fayetteville. This room has been available to moms for the past two years.

Mark your calendars for Sept. 4 and take a day trip to Elizabethtown’s Cape Fear Vineyard & Winery for a summer concert with country music star Terri Clark, along with a couple of North Carolina groups.

Already known for their food and wine offerings, event spaces and lodging, Cape Fear Vineyard & Winery is adding music festivals.

Derrick Rice, the events director with Cape Fear Vineyard and Winery discussed the excitement of the concerts.

“It’s phenomenal. It feels like a mini-festival,” Rice said. “People come in to hang out and are tuned into the main act.”

Terri Clark has been in the country music business for over 25 years, with over five million albums sold and critically acclaimed international tours under her belt.

“I grew up listening to country music because my grandparents were musicians in the Canadian music scene,” Clark said. “My mother also played guitar and sang a lot of folk music and 60s and 70s folk rock. She taught me my first 3 chords when I was nine years old and the rest is history.”

Clark said her music career has been influenced by the “Barbara Mandrell & the Mandrell Sisters” show, Reba McEntire, The Judds and Ricky Skaggs.

Originally from Medicine Hat, Alberta, Canada, Clark started at iconic Tootie's Orchid Lounge in Nashville. Her hits include “Better Things To Do,” “Poor Poor Pitiful Me” and “Girls Lie Too.” Clark has been awarded three JUNO Awards, a prestigious recognition given to Canadian artists. She was inducted into the Canadian Country Music Hall of Fame in 2018.

No stranger to the Carolinas, Clark said it seems she has been performing in North Carolina more than ever this year.

“The audiences have been amazing,” she said.

Guests attending the show at Cape Fear Vineyard and Winery can expect “lots of energy, fun and all the hits,” Clark said. “And the hat too.”

The gates open at 6 p.m., and opening acts begin at 7:30 p.m.

“The Generations” is one of the groups that will perform at the concert. They hail from Bladen County, performing music infused with Americana and North Carolina blues and soul.

Also scheduled to appear is Ryleigh Madison & Dustin Chapman, an uncle and niece duo from Tabor City, North Carolina. The duo made it through “American Idol” auditions and to Hollywood. They did not win the competition but did not let it stop the family of musicians from entertaining audiences. They have a song out titled “Family Thing.”

Tickets for the concert start at $29. For more information, call 910-645-4291 or visit https://www.capefearwinery.com/.

Mayor Mitch Colvin is a District 3 resident and served as a district representative for two terms before being elected as Mayor in 2017. This will now be his third consecutive term as Mayor. Next year will mark ten years since he was first elected to the City Council.

Over that time, his focus in the past has been primarily about collaboration with the county, the state and neighboring entities.
However, 2020 brought along the COVID-19 pandemic and race relations came to the forefront of the entire country. Projects were paused, delayed and even canceled. Colvin believes 2022 has been a turning point for the city of Fayetteville.

“So now that we have turned a corner on those two things, now the focus continues to [be] the people in the community,” Colvin said.

When asked about the rising violent crime trend seen in Fayetteville, Colvin says that you have to put it into perspective.

“I think today we have some of the problems that a lot of communities our size have, but certainly it has room for improvement for sure. I accept that, but I think we have to debunk and put this in perspective as to where we are, is relative to the size. We're a community of 250,000 plus in the area and greater surrounding area,” Colvin said.

Fayetteville Police Chief Gina Hawkins told City Council last week that violent crime has increased from January to June.
Domestic assault reports are up nearly 17%, and aggravated assault reports rose by 14%.

However, the overall crime rate has decreased since 2016.
Colvin says that a carrot stick approach has to be used for the crime problem. He says the first thing the city needs to do is make sure law enforcement officers are doing their jobs. Making sure the law is being enforced.
The second part of the problem is to address underlying problems like mental health. He says 10% of the budget of the Fayetteville Police Department ends up going toward mental health.

“The quality of life is embedded in this community with mental health. If you go right down the street, you see people who are obviously in need of services. And so I want to work with the hospital, with the county and see how we can be a better partner to help address that,” Colvin said.

An idea that he wants to work more on in the upcoming term is to make sure Fayetteville residents are work-ready. He says there is a great workforce in the community, but he wants to invest in workforce training to help people get certified in different fields.

“We've had great success and [added] jobs to the economy, which is the number one priority that I had as well. And so we want to continue to build on those successes, but to bring the higher-end wage jobs and the only way I think you can do that is to invest in the workforce training, which I have some initiatives for next generation job creation,” Colvin told Up & Coming Weekly.

“I want to do a pilot program to encourage young people, particularly high school graduates or people who are changing careers, to pay for a nine month course in cyber certification and with the expectation that they will get at least a $50,000 to $60,000 job opportunity at the end of that. And that can be a game changer for a lot of people.”

Another priority for Colvin is housing. There is a 20,000 housing shortage in Fayetteville, and while a bond package has been approved to be put to voters in November to help pay for some of that, Colvin has other ideas as well — specifically around the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 and the Department of Energy.

“There could be additional dollars in there to leverage our housing ARPA funds if we make [houses] energy efficient and we encourage sustainability as we build that,” Colvin said. “So the goal is to learn about the programs that are coming.”

Last week he voted against putting the Vote Yes Fayetteville referendum on the ballot.

The Vote Yes Initiative would change the way City Council would be structured. Instead of all nine members being elected by district, four members would be elected at large, and five would be elected from districts.
City Council voted against putting the referendum on the ballot because there were concerns over the validity of the referendum's petition.
Colvin told Up & Coming Weekly he is against the initiative.

“Personally, I don't think a council structure change is necessary and the case really hasn't been made as to why this is something that is needed at this time. As a former district representative for four years and mayor, for now, three terms, I know the importance of having the point of view of a district,” Colvin said.

The goal now for Colvin is to continue representing the entire city and improve the quality of life for everyone.

Briana Smith is excited.

On Monday, she will greet her students at Ferguson-Easley Elementary School on Seabrook Road. It will be the first time she’ll see them without masks since the start of the pandemic. She’s looking forward to a traditional school year that includes social interactions with her students and colleagues for the first time in years.

Ferguson-Easely has 352 students enrolled in kindergarten through fifth grade.

“I always have the first-day jitters,’’ Smith said Friday as she cut out letters to put on her bulletin board. “But I’m not as overwhelmed as in previous years. Maybe it’s because of my experience.”

Smith teaches fifth-grade math, and only math, to what Principal Eric McLaurin calls blocked classes.
In a nearby classroom, Danielle Wynter was also putting last-minute touches on her room displays. Like Smith, Wynter is readying her room for the 19 third-graders scheduled to be in her room on Monday. But that number is growing, she said. Wynter teaches all subjects in her classroom.

And like Smith, Wynter also is looking forward to more normal settings: children interacting with each other and parents once again inside the building being a part of their children’s learning experience.

But on Monday, Wynter said, the morning will start with building a relationship with her new charges.

“I’ll have a smile on my face,” she said, emphasizing her goal to make learning fun and to get the most out of her students.

Smith and Wynter are what McLaurin calls “Gold Star teachers.’’

“They are teachers who come in this building and display exemplary leadership,” he said.

McLaurin said they are teachers who are available both inside and outside of the school for their students.

“We look at their data showing growth among their students, and their relationships with parents, students and peers, and with their knowledge of the curriculum,” McLaurin said.

Currently, six teachers are designated as Gold Star teachers. “Six right now and three more working on becoming Gold Star teachers,” he said.
The school building also appeared ready for Monday, when students on the traditional school calendar return to the classroom. Its floors are newly waxed and shiny, and hallways and classrooms are colorfully decorated with teaching materials.

McLaurin is quick to point out the school has some innovative aspects. The media center houses a broadcast booth used for daily school announcements.

The broadcast delivers news events about the school, and students operate the cameras and handle on-camera duties. But for the first few weeks, McLaurin said he would make the daily announcements.

The school also set up several outdoor classrooms with tables, chairs and benches. McLaurin said instead of talking about the weather, students sit outside and learn about weather or other outdoor learning activities.

“The building doesn’t matter. People with compassion for kids is what counts,” Smith said. “I’m just excited to be here,” she added.

Both teachers have taught at Ferguson-Easely for the past three years. Smith started her teaching career 12 years ago, and Wynter was last year’s Teacher of the Year at Ferguson-Easely.

McLaurin also came to the school as its principal three years ago. He started as a teaching assistant in 2004, became a teacher in 2009, an assistant principal in 2016, and principal in 2020.

All three are in a profession they love, and a profession that is seeing a diminishing number of educators, both on a national and local level. Cumberland County Schools earlier this week announced it had 200 vacancies in its certified classroom teachers and classroom staff, of which 117 are instructors.
McLaurin said he also fears losing good teachers through attrition. His library/media specialist is a military spouse whose husband is scheduled for reassignment elsewhere.

Wynter is a native of Jamaica here on a five-year work visa. She must return to Jamaica in two years and stay for an extended period of time before she can return to the United States.

“I love teaching and the joys it brings me,’’ Wynter said. “To help a child read or even spell their name, it’s what drives me to be here every morning at 7 a.m. and be on station at 7:15.”

Cumberland County Schools has more than 200 vacancies in its certified classroom teachers and classified staff — a number that includes 117 instructors — as the district heads into the new school year, a committee was told Aug. 25.

The school system, like others across the country, is struggling with recruiting certified teachers and other pertinent staff. The uncertified classified positions include clerical, custodial, substitutes and bus drivers.

On Thursday, the Personnel Committee of the Cumberland County Board of Education voted to approve a presentation on the state of its staff. The entire board will broach the personnel discussion at its regular monthly meeting on Sept. 13.
Ruben Reyes, the school system's associate superintendent for Human Resources, told board members that his presentation involved "the standard personnel list for this time of year. Specifically,” he said, “just teachers and classified staff, substitutes, child nutrition and bus drivers.”

Chairman Greg West asked Reyes if he could provide an overall update regarding the district’s personnel.
When it comes to overall vacancies, Reyes responded, “Certified teachers – we are at 117 teachers in pre-K-12, including exceptional children. Classified staff we’re at 101 vacancies in that. That includes clerical, custodial, and teacher's assistants. All the classified staff. And 56 unstaffed bus routes."

Board member Susan Williams said there are teacher assistants on the list trying to get certified to drive a bus, and they can’t.

“There is a waiting list,” she repeated, “and they can’t get trained, and they want to work.”

“You’re correct,” Reyes said. “There is a backlog. I know the transportation department has been working with the Department of Motor Vehicles. They have to provide trainers. We can’t go out and hire our own trainers. We looked into that. We wanted to hire as many as 10. They have to be (approved) and work for the DOT.

“We increased our allotment, but not to the extent that we would like to,” he said. “There is a training backlog. They’re working as diligently as they can …”

Board member Donna Vann wondered if the school system could propose to the DMV that it find the people and that the district would pay for them.

“Already done that,” Superintendent Marvin Connelly Jr. quipped to her laughter.

Reyes said DMV is struggling to fill those positions, as well.
Reyes also shared information about vacancies statewide.

“The latest report I saw just this morning, in terms of statewide numbers, there’s about 11,000 vacancies in public education currently,’’ he said “This is not all the districts reporting. This is based on a superintendent’s report that we participated in. And there’s about 3,700 teacher vacancies in the state of North Carolina and 11,000 total vacancies across the state.”

As far as classroom teachers, Cumberland County Schools has about 117 vacancies in pre-kindergarten through fifth grade, according to Reyes. The numbers change on a daily basis, he added.

“When we did the superintendent’s report,” he noted, “there were about 87 teacher vacancies. Classroom teachers. Exceptional children (instructors) were part of that. When we talk about teachers, we count counselors and social workers in that number. So the number I’m giving you is all our certified staff.”

“Some of our PASE (program) schools are fully staffed, and we have some that are not,” he said. “As we discussed earlier, PASE schools – you have more improvement challenges than our other schools. We're trying to track your highly qualified teachers in the schools this year, but just from an available capital standpoint, we’re struggling just like everyone across the nation.”

PASE stands for Performance, Accountability, Support and Empowerment. Those are the district's Tier 1 schools, which are dedicated as low performing by the N.C. General Assembly.

The last number he said he looked at, probably at the beginning of August, the system had hired about 330 new staff members this year. That, he added, is just part of the realities of public education.

“We’ll continue to roll up our sleeves,” Reyes said, “and work and hire the most qualified candidates.”

In response to a question from board member Carrie Sutton, he said the system has been looking at the enrollment numbers of the schools and consolidated some classes.

“Because they were really under projection,” he said.

Over the next 10 days, he said, the school system will be evaluating fall numbers. At that point, school officials will determine if they need to adjust allocations.

“But we won’t know until we return in the fall,” he said.

Students on the traditional calendar return to school on Monday, Aug. 29.

Elaina Ball is stepping down as CEO and general manager of the Fayetteville Public Works Commission effective Sept. 2, the utility announced Friday, Aug. 26.

Ball, who was the PWC’s first female CEO and general manager, will be taking a position in her home state of Texas, the utility said in a release. She joined PWC from El Paso Electric in December 2020.

Mick Noland, the utility’s chief operations officer for water resources, has been named interim CEO and general manager. He has overseen PWC’s Water Resources Division since 1993, the release said.

Ball said it has been “an honor and privilege to lead PWC.’’ She said the decision to leave was difficult because of the ties she has developed to Fayetteville and Cumberland County.

“I am making this decision for my family and for a role that … affords an opportunity to return to our home state of Texas,’’ she said in the release. “This is a terrific community that I have enjoyed being a part of and I will continue to be a strong supporter and advocate of both PWC and Fayetteville/Cumberland County.”

Ball was named CEO and general manager in October 2020 and joined the utility on Dec. 1, 2020.

“Her engagement was an immediate exercise of ‘boots on the ground’,” said Evelyn Shaw, chairwoman of the PWC board.

“It is always difficult to say goodbye to people who come into our sphere and make themselves a voluntary part of our family,” Shaw said in the release.

PWC said it has achieved several significant accomplishments during Ball’s tenure. They include:
Securing a historic low interest rate when financing $94.7 million of revenue bonds.
Maintaining base electric rates through fiscal 2023 and introducing new optional electric rates that will incentivize the adoption of electric vehicles and rooftop solar.
Finalizing PWC’s community partnership with Metronet, which is investing in $70 million of fiber optic infrastructure in Fayetteville, as well as assisting with significant other economic development projects.
Guiding PWC as it took successful legal action to improve response/responsibility for industrial polluters in the Cape Fear River.
Announcing plans for a first-of-its-kind renewable energy project that will use multiple bio-gas sources.
Expanding PWC’s battery/energy storage capacity to two MW to continue efforts to lower PWC power costs.

Shaw said the utility made great strides under Ball’s tenure.

“Ms. Ball's leadership was challenged by an international health pandemic, yet she nimbly and adroitly encouraged the PWC team toward an innovative and cutting-edge trajectory in alternative energy sources, reasonable rates for customers, respect for the environment and clean, reliable water sources for all,” Shaw said.

Two men were charged with attempted murder after a shooting in the parking lot of Cross Creek Mall on Aug. 25, according to the Fayetteville Police Department.

Police said the 22-year-old man was a targeted victim.

Police received multiple reports of shots fired about 7 p.m. Thursday at the mall on Morganton Road, according to a news release.

Witnesses at the scene told officers that two men suspected in the shooting were trying to flee in a silver Volkswagen Golf vehicle, the release said. Officers stopped the vehicle in the parking lot and detained Jahrehl Malloy, 21, and Nyhgil Kirk, 24, while members of the Aggravated Assault Unit investigated.
Investigators said that as the victim was leaving the food court at the mall, one of the suspects approached him on foot as the second hid behind a vehicle in the parking lot, the report said.

When the victim tried to evade the man who was approaching him, both suspects began shooting at him, police said.
Malloy and Kirk were each charged with attempted first-degree murder; felony conspiracy; and five counts of property damage, the report said. Each was held under a $1 million secured bond at the Cumberland County Detention Center.

The man’s name is not being released for his safety, police said.
Anyone with information about the shooting is asked to contact Detective M. O’Hara at 910-605-6393 or CrimeStoppers at 910-483-TIPS (8477).

Many philanthropists prefer to remain anonymous.
Murray Duggins wants to be an example.

“I feel that a lot of people that I know will give based on other people’s gifts,” said Duggins. “I hope this starts a trend here in Fayetteville — not that I’m a trendsetter or some cool guy.”

Duggins and his wife, Nancy, have donated $2 million to the Cumberland Community Foundation to create the Murray and Nancy Duggins Family Charitable Fund, the foundation said in a news release.

“The gift represents only the third time a gift of this size has been received from a living donor,” said Mary Holmes, president and CEO of the Cumberland Community Foundation.

Murray Duggins, who is 77 and a self-described Army brat born in the small South Carolina town of Blackville, said he has been thinking about making the donation for years.

“I want to see Fayetteville grow, and things happening here indicate that,” he said. “I hope I’m a big-picture person.”

He hopes others will follow suit.

“I do think that many people I know who have money and don’t give – I hope it will make a difference,” he said.

The Dugginses have been supporting the community foundation since 2000, Holmes said, adding that the couple also give to many other local causes. This marks the second fund that they have created at the foundation, with the first being the Murray and Nancy Duggins Endowment for Cape Fear Regional Theatre.

“It’s just wonderful to see a family that has worked so hard sharing what they earned and giving back to the local community,” Holmes said in an interview on Thursday. “We appreciate when people have worked so hard and want to share in the community. I’m glad they focused on Cumberland County.”
Murray Duggins said he has been involved in planning his estate for some time and was trying to think of the best way to give back. That’s why he decided to donate to the Cumberland Community Foundation.

“It takes a little pressure off the individual to have to meet with different people and decide which is the most appropriate,” he said. “They’re pros at it. They’re pros at where to put the money and who’s doing the best job. Mary Holmes, I think, is top-drawer.”

Overall, Duggins estimated, he has given close to $3 million to philanthropic causes. Especially close to his heart are Methodist University, his alma mater; the Fayetteville Police Foundation; Snyder Memorial Baptist Church; and Cape Fear Valley Cancer Center.
Cumberland Community Foundation manages more than 600 donor funds with a total of $120 million in assets, the release said.

Some are designated for a specific charity, some are scholarship funds, and some are unrestricted, Holmes said in the release.

“This fund is a family-advised fund, meaning that Nancy and Murray will actively recommend the distributions and then pass that responsibility on to the next generation in their family. Advised funds help affluent families organize their philanthropy — like a private foundation without all the headaches,” she said in the release.

Holmes said the Dugginses’ gift is the second-largest made to the foundation by a living donor.

“It’s so nice when couples are living and decide to give back,” she said.

Holmes said she was Duggins’ banker 30 years ago.

“I can tell you, he’s a hard-working man,” she said.

Duggins, a developer of affordable housing, said he got involved in the construction industry in the early 1980s when he started developing tax-credit projects.

“I’ve been at it for 50 years,” he said. “Nancy was a dental hygienist for years. She’s been retired for 20 years, at least. Nancy has meant a lot. She was active in the Cape Fear Valley Hospital for years.”

While her husband grew up the son of an Army sergeant, Nancy Duggins, who also is 77, was the daughter of a mill worker in Hope Mills.
Murray Duggins said he has “a great love for Fayetteville — all it has meant for me and my family.”

“I want to give back to Fayetteville,” he said. “I just feel inclined to do it. I think it makes Fayetteville a stronger place. …

“I’ve done well," he said, "and I think I can make a difference. Nancy feels very strongly, too, and my family is all here, and they’ve done well. Hopefully, they’ll see the idea I’ve got. It’s easier to give and worthwhile. At my age, I see money differently than I did a few years ago. I can make a difference.”

A Cumberland County man who prosecutors said ran a drug operation from a home daycare and other locations has been sentenced to 40 years in federal prison, the U.S attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina said during a news conference Friday in Fayetteville.

Authorities said Reshod Everett, 36, led a heavily armed drug trafficking operation out of a daycare center on Ronald Reagan Drive in Fayetteville along with other locations, including an Addison Ridge apartment and a storage facility.
Drugs, multiple firearms and cash were seized from the state-licensed daycare center, Tori’s Playhouse, where children were present during the day.

“There was a deadly and potentially dangerous mix of drugs, guns and cash in the same house where children were cared for,’’ U.S. Attorney Mike Easley said. “This drug trafficker put countless lives at risk with his operation.”

Easley said the investigation began in 2018 when a gang unit of the Fayetteville Police Department was tipped to a network that was allegedly trafficking hundreds of pounds of marijuana.

“As the investigation would reveal, this case went far beyond marijuana,’’ Easley said. “Everett was a serious supplier of drugs in the Fayetteville area.”
Everett, his partner Alvin Davis and his wife, Victoria Everett, were arrested in 2018 after police found more than 100 pounds of marijuana, 346 grams of cocaine, nine firearms, drug packaging items and over $70,000 in their personal vehicles, the apartment, the storage facility and the in-home daycare, the U.S. Attorney’s Office said. Victoria Everett was the owner and operator of Tori’s Playhouse.

Guns found at the daycare included handguns and loaded high-powered rifles. One of the guns had its safety set to the fire position, the U.S. Attorney’s Office said.

“Just a small amount of pressure on that trigger would have caused that gun to fire in the same house that parents trusted as a daycare to look after their children,” Easley said.

Easley said that as the investigation continued, the U.S. Attorney’s Office — in partnership with the Fayetteville Police Department, the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the IRS — gathered evidence and built cases against other defendants whom Everett supplied with drugs in order to obtain cooperation.

Witness testimony established that large quantities of drugs were being trafficked, including more than 56 kilos of cocaine and more than 17 kilos of marijuana dating back to 2016. Law enforcement searched cell phone records to determine locations and drug trafficking activities.
Easley said they also conducted a tax and financial investigation showing that Everett lied about his income.

“Everett lived a lavish lifestyle,’’ said Easley, who added that Everett did not report income for 2018. “He had a 3,000-square-foot house, three late-model vehicles, he took his family on vacations in California and the Caribbean. But his reported income for 2017 was negative $29,544.”

“His lavish lifestyle was not earned, it was bought and paid for by the young men he roped into his drug trafficking conspiracy and by the ill he forced upon the Fayetteville community.”

Easley said that while state charges were pending, Everett used social media and the news media to attack the Fayetteville Police Department and the Cumberland County District Attorney’s Office claiming that he was framed by police and that evidence was planted. These claims were internally investigated and proved to be false, Easley said.

He also said Everett tried to bribe and threaten witnesses and took to social media to present a deceitful campaign against law enforcement.

“I want to commend the Fayetteville Police Department and Chief Gina Hawkins and her leadership and their work to disrupt and dismantle drug traffickers in Cumberland County,’’ Easley said. “Those who bring poison and violence to our communities. Even in the face of false accusations and character attacks, your officers remained committed.”

Hawkins said perseverance is the word of the day.

“It has been a long time for our officers, our agency and our community to find out the truth,’’ Hawkins said. “We are ecstatic to get these guns off the street. Those drugs out of our community. And to show you we are in it for the long game.’’

ATF Special Agent in Charge Brian Mims said his agency worked closely with the Police Department and the U.S. Attorney’s Office to bring the case to a close.

“The threat that this subject posed to the community cannot be understated,’’ Mims said. “Large quantities of drugs and firearms, which were loaded and ready to be fired, were found inside a business that served parents and children. This was a tragedy waiting to happen.”

Mims said the partnership between agencies was instrumental in the criminal convictions.

In May, a jury found Everett guilty of six felony drug trafficking and firearm-related offenses. Along with the 40-year prison sentence, Everett was also ordered to pay $4 million of proceeds from his illegal operation.

His partner, Davis, was previously sentenced to 11 years in federal prison. Victoria Everett was not charged in federal court, authorities said.

A man has been charged in a hit-and-run crash that sent six people to the hospital on Friday night, Aug. 26, Fayetteville police said.

Cyrus E. Hayes, 24, is charged with felony hit and run, possession of an open container and a red light violation, police said in a release Saturday afternoon. He is being held at the Cumberland County Detention Center under a $20,000 secure bond.

The vehicle crash happened at approximately 11:30 p.m. at Stoney Point and Gillis Hill roads, the Fayetteville Police Department said. The inbound lane of the intersection was temporarily closed while the Traffic Unit investigated.

Six people were taken to Cape Fear Valley Medical Center and were in stable condition Saturday morning, police said

A man is in stable condition after being shot in the neck early Tuesday, Aug. 24, the Fayetteville Police Department said.

Officers responded to a report of a shooting at 1 a.m. in the area of the 700 block of Italy Street, the department said in a release.

Officers found a man with a gunshot wound to the neck. He was taken to Cape Fear Valley Medical Center and is in stable condition, the release said.

The shooting remains under investigation.

Anyone with information about this case is asked to contact Detective J. Frashure at 910-303-8967 or Crimestoppers at 910-483-TIPS (8477).

A husband and wife are both dead after a domestic disturbance on Shiloh Court on Monday night, Aug. 23, according to the Fayetteville Police Department.
Officers were sent to a home in the 1900 block of Shiloh Court about 8:30 p.m. Monday, a news release said. Tanisha Donnette Raeford, 47, had been stabbed and was pronounced dead at the scene.

A man identified as a suspect in the stabbing was seen leaving the scene, the release said.
About 9 p.m., the Cumberland County Sheriff’s Office sent deputies to investigate a vehicle crash that was reported in the area of A B Carter Road and John B. Carter Road. They found John Lee Douglas, 53, dead at the scene, the release said.

A police spokesperson said Tuesday that Raeford and Douglas were married.
Investigators said the stabbing and vehicle crash are related and followed a domestic disturbance involving Raeford and Douglas.

Douglas is the suspect in the stabbing of Raeford, the news release said.
The Police Department’s Homicide Unit is investigating the case.
Anyone with information about the case is asked to contact Detective J. Olsen at 910-709-1958 or CrimeStoppers at 910-483-TIPS (8477) or http://fay-nccrimestoppers.org.

A Bladen County jailer driving a vehicle equipped with police lights and sirens is charged with trying to stop a woman driver Tuesday at Skibo Road and Swain Street, according to the Fayetteville Police Department.

Stephon Singleton, 51, is charged with using blue lights to stop or yield a driver and impersonating a law enforcement officer, a news release said. Singleton is a jailer at the Bladen County Detention Center.

Singleton was driving a silver Hyundai Sonata about 2 p.m. Tuesday when he tried to pull over a woman driving a Toyota Scion at Skibo Road and Swain Street, the release said. Singleton’s vehicle was equipped with law enforcement lights and sirens. He had an armor vest with “sheriff” emblazoned on it in the rear window and a ball cap with “sheriff” in the front windshield, the release said.

When Singleton got out of his vehicle, the woman driving the Scion realized he was not a police officer based on his clothing, she told investigators. The woman then drove away. She got behind Singleton’s Sonata and called 911, the release said.
Dispatchers sent a message to Fayetteville police officers telling them to be on the lookout for the suspect vehicle. It was spotted at Hay and Robeson streets, the release said.

Singleton was arrested and taken to the Cumberland County Detention Center, where he was held on a secured bond.
Investigators said anyone who may have been stopped by the driver of a Hyundai Sonata should contact CrimeStoppers at 910-483-TIPS (8477) or http://fay-nccrimestoppers.org.

After delaying action at two previous meetings on a plan to restructure city elections, the Fayetteville City Council voted 6-4 Monday night against calling a referendum on the Vote Yes Fayetteville initiative.

Voting against the restructuring of the way City Council are elected were Mayor Mitch Colvin and council members Shakeyla Ingram, Mario Benavente, D.J. Haire, Derrick Thompson and Courtney Banks-McLaughlin.

Those in favor of a referendum on the plan were Deno Hondros, Brenda McNair, Kathy Jensen and Johnny Dawkins.

The Vote Yes initiative would restructure the election process for City Council members. Instead of electing all nine members by district, four members would be elected at large and five would be elected from districts. The mayor would continue to be elected citywide.

"I was real disappointed in tonight's vote," said Bobby Hurst, one of the organizers of the Vote Yes Fayetteville initiative.

During Monday’s meeting, City Attorney Karen McDonald said questions persist about the validity of a petition calling for the referendum that was submitted by the Vote Yes Fayetteville advocacy group. McDonald said the council had directed her to contact the Cumberland County Board of Elections to inquire about whether petition organizers had followed the rules.

“I did that on Aug. 9,” McDonald said. “I did receive a response from the interim director for the Board of Elections on Aug. 16. And to this point, there appears to be — based on the response — that there remains a question regarding the validity of the petition that was submitted to the City Council for consideration.”

Angie Amaro is interim director of the county Board of Elections.

Newly elected Councilman Mario Benavente then made a motion that the City Council not proceed to put the referendum on the November ballot.
Thompson, another newcomer to the council, seconded the motion.

Mayor pro tem Dawkins then questioned McDonald, saying it appears that the letter confirming the petition is valid. He asked if she had any comment on the letter from the elections board.

“The letter said, in response to my letter — what she said specifically — my question was pursuant to (state) Statute 163-218,” McDonald said. “That statute requires a notice of circulation and the date of registration. The Board of Elections and Miss Amaro confirmed that no such registration or notice of circulation was submitted.
“Given the statute, as previously stated, the statute says that is required, so therefore there remains a question as to the validity of the petition.”

Dawkins asked McDonald if there was any case law on a state statute that deals with city charter amendments.

“I don’t think there is any case law on that,” she said. “When we talked about case law, the discussion was about the case law as it relates to 163-218 and whether it applies to these types of petitions.”

Dawkins replied: “So, we don’t know if the statute applies to the petition. Is that your guidance?”

McDonald said, “No, my guidance is that when you look at 163-218, it says a notice of circulation of a petition calling for any election or referendum shall be registered with the county Board of Elections in which the petition is to be filed. And the date of registration of the notice shall be the date of issuance and commission of circulation of the petition.

“And because we have not received that,” she added, “because the council has not received that, it appears to me to be a legitimate question as to the validity of the petition.”

Dawkins asked about her correspondence with Cumberland County Attorney Rick Moorefield.
McDonald said she had not received any correspondence from Moorefield but had a conversation with him in which he told her that there was no notice of circulation.

Dawkins said his concern is that “it appears that the petition was valid, and there also appears to be a problem with the petition itself.”

“Chances are, there will probably be litigation either way,” he said. “I wanted to let the people decide and let the people vote. But I understand the concern the council has.”

Hondros said all the council members had campaigned in the July 26 election on transparency and accountability. He said he campaigned on being the voice of the people.

“The referendum is the voice of the people,” Hondros said. “Now they should decide.”

The council then voted on the motion to reject putting the referendum on the November ballot, with the ensuing 6-4 vote.
Hurst said Fayetteville lawyer Neil Yarborough had told his committee that the notice of circulation procedure does not apply to the Vote Yes petition. He said the group could not get a clarification on the issue from the lawyer for the N.C. State Board of Elections or from Moorefield.

“Everything was done right by the rules," Hurst said.

The issue was removed from the council's agenda at a June 27 work session and its Aug. 8 meeting after questions were raised about whether the advocacy group promoting the change had filed all the necessary paperwork to put the referendum on the ballot.
CityView TODAY publisher Tony Chavonne is among the organizers of the Vote Yes initiative.

The Spring Lake Board of Aldermen on Monday night, Aug. 22, approved the Spring Lake Land Use Plan, which will be used to guide growth in the town over the next several years.

Addie Corder, a planner with the Cumberland County Planning Department, presented the plan. The plan helps create a vision for the town and its municipal area of influence area, which includes unincorporated areas toward North Fayetteville and is bounded by Harnett County and Fort Bragg.

“This area plan services 12,500 acres and serves a little over 12,000 residents,’’ Corder said. “It is also unique in that it is landlocked by Harnett County and Fort Bragg.”

Corder presented the overall vision of the plan, which included the theme “A destination not a drive-through” and a mission statement, which outlined a thriving Main Street, high-quality housing, economic opportunity, activities for families and residents and a sense of community.

Five categories were broken down for goals to include downtown, housing, quality of life, economic development and public services.
She pointed out demographics, which included a younger, more diverse community, and a large number of renters in the town.

“Something that makes Spring Lake unique from other areas in the county is that the area is very renter driven. Seventy-nine percent of units are renter occupied,” said Corder who added that the county average was 48% renter occupied.

Corder said 41% of residents were in the armed forces.
She also outlined the process for the Spring Lake Land Use Plan, which began in May 2021 and included several community engagement activities and online outreach efforts.

One of the engagement activities took place at the community kickoff meeting last October, where more than 100 residents participated. The planning staff conducted a SWOT analysis of strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats at the meeting, which helped identify feedback.

“To highlight some of the feedback we got, for a strength, people noted that there was significant potential in this plan area with vacant buildings and vacant land to be developed and redeveloped,’’ she said. “Some threats that people identified were high taxes, high water bills and road connectivity issues.”

Corder said that after the community kickoff meeting, more residents, economic development professionals and business owners participated in stakeholder meetings and plan review sessions. The website, which was a new addition to the county planning process, received more than 5,000 visits for a range of engagements, including gathering information on land use and background, answering values surveys and submitting other feedback to planning staff on the draft plan.

Other key elements included future land use maps and classifications and an overview of the new flex areas, which are a new land use classification for Spring Lake and Cumberland County. Flex areas allow for a wider variety of zoning districts in areas that are undeveloped or underdeveloped and allow for areas to be more “flexible” when looking at development. Planners would still consider the use of conditional zoning to ensure the new use is in harmony with the existing and surrounding uses.

Planner Anastasia Nelson said the plan concentrated more on increasing density and infill than the last plan in 2002.
Alderman Marvin Lackman thanked residents who provided input for the plan and attended the various sessions throughout the past year.

“There are a lot of recommendations that were taken from the citizens’ concerns, their voices,’’ he said. “For the citizens out there, your voices were heard.”

The adopted plan will influence zoning decisions in Spring Lake for the next several years. It also included recommendations and policies the town can use to help shape development and redevelopment and a list of grant resources that can possibly be used to fund various projects within the plan.

No one spoke in favor or against the land use plan during a public hearing, and the motion to approve passed unanimously by the board. For more information on the land use plan, visit Spring Lake Area Land Use Plan (arcgis.com).

In other business, the board appointed Patricia Hickmon as the interim town clerk. Hickmon, who has been employed by the town since 2003, serves as the inspections clerk and executive assistant in the Inspections Department.

Hickmon also updated the board on pending site and building plans and the 28 businesses that have opened in Spring Lake since July 2021. Two businesses that have submitted site plans include the coffee shop 7 Brew for the former Biscuit Kitchen site on Bragg Boulevard and Dunkin’ Donuts, also on Bragg Boulevard.

Interim Town Manager Joe Durham and Hickmon serve as administrative officers who can approve town site plans, subdivision plans and other non-residential site plans in compliance with Chapter 160D of the N.C. General Statutes and the Chapter 42 zoning ordinance for the town.
The board met in closed session under the N.C. General Statutes for personnel at 5 p.m. and voted to come out of the closed session with no action taken right before the regularly scheduled meeting started.

Fayetteville police officers bought school supplies to contribute to a back-to-school giveaway Aug. 20 at the Fort Bragg Harley Davidson dealership on Sycamore Dairy Road, according to a news release.

Several officers donated the supplies to children headed back to class next week, the Fayetteville Police Department release said.
They purchased seven boxes of pencils, 28 packs of college-ruled notebook paper, 22 packs of crayons, nine packs of erasers, 16 folders, 13 notebooks, four packs of glue sticks, and 10 bottles of hand sanitizer, the release said.

The officers stopped by the giveaway during their work shifts to talk with the schoolchildren and their families and deliver the donations.
Meanwhile, another group of children was scheduled to get a helping hand from the Carolina Panthers football team and a local family ministry.
That giveaway was planned from 6 to 8 p.m. Monday at Balm in Gilead Family Counseling Ministries, 3110 Doc Bennett Road, according to a Cumberland County Schools news release.

During the drive-thru giveaway, students in need were scheduled to receive free backpacks, school supplies and hot meals while they last, the news release said.
The Carolina Panthers donated 5,000 bookbags and school supplies for CCS students, the release said.

A woman was stabbed to death Monday night, Aug. 22, on Shiloh Court, according to the Fayetteville Police Department.

The report of a stabbing was reported about 8:30 p.m. Monday in the 1900 block of Shiloh Drive, a news release from the Police Department said.
The woman was pronounced dead at the scene, the release said. Her identity was withheld pending notification of her family.

Homicide detectives are investigating the stabbing. A suspect was seen leaving the scene.
Anyone with information about the stabbing is asked to contact Detective J. Olson at 910-709-1958 or Crimestoppers at 910-483-TIPS (8477). Crimestoppers information can also be submitted at http://fay-nccrimestoppers.org.