Fayetteville police are investigating after a man was found dead behind a dumpster on Raeford Road Saturday morning, Sept. 3.

Officers were dispatched to the 7700 block of Raeford Road at 9 a.m. in reference to a deceased man behind a dumpster, the department said in a release.

Officers and emergency medical personnel found the man when they arrived. In the release, police said the body was in “advanced stages of decomposition.’’

On Saturday night, police identified the man as 58-year-old Roger Eugene Johns, who was homeless.

“This does not appear to be a random act,” police said in the release.

The department’s Homicide Unit is investigating.

Anyone with information regarding this investigation is asked to contact Detective D. Arnett at 910-929-2565 or Crimestoppers at 910-483-TIPS (8477).

Cumberland County Superior Court Judge Jim Ammons ruled Thursday, Sept. 1, that a referendum on the Vote Yes election plan be placed on the November ballot to allow voters to decide if they want to change the way the City Council is structured.

“I’m ordering that this measure be put on the ballot,” Ammons said. “This is important.”

He then told Cumberland County Attorney Rick Moorefield to “get the order done today.”
Attorney Edwin Speas, who represented the city of Fayetteville and the county Board of Elections in the civil case, said the city will work with the Board of Elections to have the proper wording completed in time to print the ballots.

The Fayetteville City Council has called an emergency meeting for 9 a.m. Friday to discuss the litigation, according to a notice sent by the city Clerk’s Office.

On Aug. 22, the City Council voted against putting the proposal on the ballot after some council members raised questions about whether Vote Yes Fayetteville followed the rules on circulating a petition.

Members of the advocacy group filed a lawsuit Tuesday against the city and the county Board of Elections asking that the referendum be put before voters on the Nov. 8 ballot.

The Vote Yes Fayetteville initiative calls for changing the way City Council members are elected.
Currently, the mayor is elected citywide, and all nine council members are elected by district. If passed by voters, Vote Yes would change the makeup to five single-district seats and four members elected at large. The mayor would still be elected at large.

Proponents of the plan say it will give voters more representation on the City Council because each voter would help choose the mayor, four at-large council members, and a district representative.
CityView TODAY publisher Tony Chavonne, a former mayor, is among the supporters of the initiative.

Those who oppose the initiative — including Mayor Mitch Colvin and five other members of the current council — say it would dilute representation by increasing the size of the districts. Opponents also say it creates hardships for minority candidates who would have to run their campaigns citywide rather than by district at a higher cost to them.

“I’m real happy for the people to have a chance to vote,” Bobby Hurst, a leader of Vote Yes Fayetteville, said after the hearing Thursday.

Fayetteville attorney Lonnie Player Jr., who represented Vote Yes in the case, said he was pleased with the outcome.

“(Judge Ammons) read the statutes clearly and correctly and arrived at the proper result,” Player said.

Player said there is little case law on the issue.
Player represented the three plaintiffs who filed the lawsuit: Hurst, Karl Merritt and Suzanne Pennink, who were asking for a temporary restraining order and preliminary injunction.

Speas, on his way out of the courtroom, declined to comment on the decision.
Moorefield and Karen McDonald, the attorney for the city, said they had no comment.
Earlier, Ammons questioned why some city officials opposed putting the issue to the voters.

“I’m wondering why the city is fighting this, to tell you the truth,” he said in court. “I wonder why they are incessant to delay the people to decide this issue that apparently — due to the plaintiffs — has been properly done.”

Moorefield responded: “I think the City Council is interested in complying with the law. If the City Council — if it receives a valid petition — will clearly put it on the ballot.”

Robert Hunter, who represented the plaintiffs challenging the City Council’s decision, told Ammons that federal and state constitutions both guarantee a right to petition.

“Both constitutions have a provision as part of due process,... and the state constitution has a right to vote and a right to petition for the address of grievances,” Hunter said. “In addition to that right to petition and right to grievances, the N.C. legislature codifies specific statutes — which your honor has said he has read — which allow citizens and municipal corporations to place a ballot measure on the ballot to change the structure of the election.
"In this particular case, over 5,000 citizens of Cumberland County were led by the group Vote Yes Fayetteville, who began to gather signatures in March of 2021,” Hunter continued. “They went to the Board of Elections here to receive guidance and, in doing so, they were informed they had to form a political committee, and they were not given any other forms (that were) necessary to begin a petition drive."

The City Council received verification of the petition signatures from the county Board of Elections, Hunter said, but it delayed action “for reasons that haven't been explained, from our viewpoint."

Hunter told Ammons that with the petition signatures verified, city officials had no discretion to refuse to call a referendum.
Speas argued that state law must be applied as written.

“We would like for this petition to be dismissed,” Speas said, adding that the petitioners could begin the process again since it had been more than a year since the first petition was initially circulated.

But Ammons said the petition process was completed within a year's time in compliance with state law.
In delaying action to call a referendum, some city officials had argued that Vote Yes Fayetteville failed to file a “notice of circulation.” But Moorefield said in court Thursday that the Board of Elections has no such notice required to circulate petitions.
Ammons said the City Council’s decision "appears to me to be self-serving."

“The City Council has failed to call for a special election, which is required by the statute," Ammons said. “That the plaintiffs had the clear right to this action that would comply with the statutes.... There's no legitimate right for the City Council to object to putting this measure before the people. …
"This measure needs to be included on the ballot," he added.

Cumberland County Schools administrators on Thursday heralded the news that 15 schools in the district were removed from the state’s list of low-performing schools based on end-of-grade and end-of-course test results.

The report on school performance for the 2021-22 school year was released Thursday by the N.C. Department of Public Instruction.
The report said that the district’s student achievement results are beginning to bounce back to pre-pandemic levels.

The results are based on an analysis of end-of-grade (EOG) and end-of-course (EOC) tests, which are used to assess proficiency in English language arts and reading and mathematics and the science.

At a news conference to discuss the test results, Superintendent Marvin Connelly Jr. was joined by Kim Nash, executive director of data and accountability; Jane Fields, associate superintendent for school support; Stacey Wilson-Norman, chief academic officer; and John McMillian, principal of Lewis Chapel Middle School.

Lewis Chapel was among the middle schools with the greatest composite gains.
The state’s accountability report includes performance and growth data for schools and districts across North Carolina. Nash defined growth as the actual performance of a student versus the predictions of how well a student will perform based on a number of factors, including tests.

In his opening remarks, Connelly said the district has overcome incredible challenges, from the disruption caused by the pandemic to teacher shortages. And, because of COVID-19, the accountability report is the first since the 2018-19 school year to include all the state’s accountability framework.

“Test results are only one of many ways that we measure the progress we are making in our district,” Connelly said.

But, he added, the accountability results demonstrate the “incredible work” happening in Cumberland County Schools.
Nash highlighted the major results of the report. In reading, English, math and science, various grades in the district had an increase in proficiency over last year but did not surpass proficiency levels reported in 2018-19.

For example, in 2018-19 — before the pandemic — the district’s performance composite was 54.7% in grades three through 12. In 2019-20, the scores dropped to 36.8%. In 2021-22, those scores rose to 47.3%.

In grade-level proficiency for grades three through five, the composite reading proficiency (combined grades) rose from 36.6% to 43.1%. In 2018-19, the composite reading proficiency was at 55.3%. For math, the composite proficiency scores were 45.1% in 2021-22 compared with 28.9% the previous year.

The math composite score was 54% in 2018-19.

Fifth-grade science proficiency scores were 73.3% in 2018-19, 45.9% in 2020-21, and 62.2% in 2021-22.
The trend continued for middle schools. Grade-level reading proficiency scores in grades six through eight were 47.1%, up from 42.6% in 2020-21. The 2018-19 score was 53.9%.

The composite math score for middle schools was 46.8% in 2018-19, 28.9% in 2020-21, and 36.8% for 2021-22.
The grade-level proficiency rating in high school grades nine through 12 includes biology, English 2, and Math 1 and 3. For years 2018-19, 2020-21, and 2021-22, the composite scores were 58.5%, 36.7% and 50.8%, respectively. For English ll, the scores were 56.9%, 53.9%, and 55.7%, respectively. For Math 1, the scores were 41.6%, 19.2%, and 35%. And for Math 3, the respective scores were 43.2%, 29.6%, and 50.9%.

High school ACT scores for 2021-22 were lower than in both previous years. Nash said the University of North Carolina system raised the standard from 17 to 19, resulting in a lower percentage of students reaching the new benchmarks. Also, graduation rates decreased during the past three years. The district’s 2021-22 four-year graduation rate dropped to 82.8%, compared with 84.2% in 2020-21.

Schools that showed the greatest composite score gains include:
Elementary schools: Warrenwood, Ponderosa and Mary McArthur.

Middle schools: Reid Ross Classical, Lewis Chapel and Luther “Nick” Jeralds.
High schools: Cape Fear, Pine Forest and Douglas Byrd.

“While we have much more work to do, we need to pause and celebrate the accomplishments of teachers and students,” Connelly said.

On Thursday, the U.S. Department of Education reported that reading and math performance saw the steepest decline in decades. The report cited the pandemic, classroom disruptions and violence, and a shortage of teachers as the causes.

The Vote Yes Fayetteville advocacy group is suing the city and the Cumberland County Board of Elections seeking to have its plan to reshape City Council elections put before voters in a Nov. 8 referendum.

The civil lawsuit, which asks for a temporary restraining order and preliminary injunction, was filed Tuesday, Aug. 30 in Cumberland County Superior Court.
Superior Court Judge Jim Ammons is expected to hear the case and rule on it at 10 a.m. Thursday.
A leader of the group said city officials and the Board of Elections are both aware of the suit.

“The issue of protecting citizens' right to vote (is) too important not to pursue,” said Bobby Hurst, one of the Vote Yes organizers. “City Council’s actions are just an example of why the state’s general statutes give voice, through the petition process, to protect citizens' rights when their government refuses to listen to them.”

The Vote Yes Fayetteville initiative calls for changing the way City Council members are elected.
Currently, the mayor is elected citywide and all nine council members are elected by district. Vote Yes would change the makeup to five single-district seats and four members elected at large. The mayor would still be elected at large.

“I would say our attorneys are pretty confident that citizens will be able to vote on this this November,” Hurst said. “The goal is to have this done quickly and have it on the ballot in November. We think we can have this wrapped up and get it on the 2022 ballot.”

Fayetteville lawyer Lonnie Player Jr. will represent Vote Yes in the courtroom.
The three plaintiffs in the lawsuit are Hurst, Karl Merritt and Suzanne Pennink, all residents of the city.

“The Vote Yes Fayetteville committee believes that there is a good-faith basis to prevail and request to have the referendum placed on the ballot in November,” Player said.

Tony Chavonne, publisher of CityView TODAY, is one of several former council members who started the Vote Yes drive.
Proponents of the plan say it will give voters more representation on the City Council because each voter would help choose the mayor, four at-large council members, and a district representative.
Those who oppose the initiative, including Mayor Mitch Colvin, say it would dilute representation by increasing the size of the districts.

“As you know, I'm limited as to what I can say,” Colvin said Wednesday. “I'm looking forward to getting to the bottom of this.”

In the introduction comments, the lawsuit against the city and county Board of Election says it was filed on behalf of the Vote Yes committee and city residents who signed the Vote Yes petition “for violation of plaintiffs' federal and state constitutional and statutory rights to petition and to vote."

The lawsuit says: “Plaintiffs are citizens and electors of Fayetteville who have successfully petitioned the City Council in accordance with North Carolina law for a ballot referendum posing the question whether certain members of the City Council of Fayetteville be elected at-large rather than from separate districts as is currently the practice."

The lawsuit adds that “the legal requirements for a petition were satisfied and the Cumberland County Board of Elections certified plaintiffs' request.”
After delaying action on the issue at two previous meetings, the City Council voted 6-4 on Aug. 22 against calling a referendum on the Vote Yes Fayetteville initiative.

During that regular meeting of the council, City Attorney Karen McDonald said questions persist about the validity of the petition calling for the referendum that was submitted by Vote Yes. McDonald said the council had directed her to contact the county Board of Elections to inquire about whether petition organizers followed the rules.

“I did that on Aug. 9,” McDonald told council members that night. “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.”

The Cumberland County Sheriff’s Office is investigating after a man died following a shooting in a neighborhood near Hope Mills early Wednesday, Aug. 31.

Deputies responded to a shooting near the 400 block of Scipio Court around 1:15 a.m., the Sheriff’s Office said in a release. Scipio Court is off Spinnaker Drive, not far from Legion Road.

A man with a gunshot wound was taken to Cape Fear Valley Medical Center before deputies arrived, the release said.

The Sheriff’s Office later Wednesday identified the man as 24-year-old Jaquon Jamario McCoy of Hope Mills. He was pronounced dead at the hospital, the Sheriff’s Office said.

“The preliminary investigation revealed that this shooting was not a random incident, as all parties involved are known to one another,’’ the Sheriff’s Office said in the release.

The Sheriff's Office Homicide Unit is investigating.

Anyone with information about this shooting is asked to contact Senior Sgt. C. Zwan at 910-677-5503 or Crimestoppers at 910-483-TIPS (8477).

City and county government offices will be closed Monday, Sept. 5 in observance of the Labor Day holiday.
The city of Fayetteville released this schedule for government offices and services:

Police Department: The main lobby and records until will be closed Monday. Many police reports are available online at faypd.com.

Solid Waste Division: Monday’s garbage and yard waste will be collected on Wednesday; Monday’s recycling will be collected on Sept. 5.

Fayetteville Regional Airport: Administrative offices will be closed Monday, but all other operations will be on the regular schedule. Airline contact information is available at Visit flyfay.com.

Fayetteville Area System of Transit (FAST): Buses and other transit services will operate from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday.

Fayetteville-Cumberland Parks & Recreation: Pools and splash pads will be open on Monday, the last day of the season for pools. Splash pads will remain open through September. All other public recreation facilities will be closed Monday, but parks, trails and green spaces will remain accessible.

Cumberland County government offices and the court system will be closed Monday for Labor Day, a county news release said. That includes Animal Services, the Ann Street landfill, the Wilkes Road yard debris site and all Solid Waste container.
All branches of the Cumberland County Library System will be closed Saturday through Monday in observance of Labor Day.

The Cumberland County Sheriff’s Office is investigating the theft of 84 street signs from 42 intersections earlier this month.

The signs were taken on Aug. 12 and Aug. 13, the Sheriff’s Office said in a release.

The signs were removed from intersections in the Eastover area to the Wade-Stedman area, the Sheriff’s Office said. The Sheriff’s Office was alerted when it responded to a larceny call at the Cumberland County Sign Shop on Aug. 16, the release said.

It cost an estimated $20,000 to replace the signs, the release said.

“The sign shop worked diligently and swiftly to replace all the stolen signs from the reported locations,’’ the Sheriff’s Office said in the release.

The Sheriff’s Office is asking people who live in the area where the signs were taken to check their surveillance and doorbell cameras to see if they may have information about the signs.

Anyone with information is asked to contact Detective R. Tyndall at 910-677-5499 or Crimestoppers at 910-483-TIPS (8477).

The Sheriff’s Office said signs were taken at the following intersections:

1. Magnolia Church Road at Maxwell Road
2. Pooh Avenue at Wade-Stedman Road
3. Tobacco Road at Baywood Road
4. Hayfield Road at Maxwell Road
5. Roebud Road at Jake Road
6. Morning Glory Drive at Wade-Stedman Road
7. Collier Road at S. River School Road
8. Boyces Landing Road at S. River School Road
9. Oak Grove Church Road at Bainbridge Road
10. Saddleback at Wade-Stedman Road
11. Mary Mccall Road at Bainbridge Road
12. Bridle Ridge Lane at Kennel Road
13. Kennel Road at Wade-Stedman Road
14. Kennel Road at S. River School Road
15. Stone Crossing Lane at S. River School Road
16. Bun Brady Road at Murphy Road
17. Irrigation Drive at Draughon Road
18. Travis Road at Draughon Road
19. Landover Drive at Draughon Road
20. Produce Lane at Draughon Road
21. Hollowman Drive at Murphy Road
22. Lake Gordon Drive at Murphy Road
23. Glamorgan Road at Murphy Road
24. Gobbler Lane at Baywood Road
25. Mistletoe Court at Baywood Road
26. Wolvey Road at Baywood Road
27. Autry Road at Clinton Road
28. Stallion Drive at Clinton Road
29. Harvestgrain Drive at Mary Mccall Road
30. Mccall Drive at Oak Grove Church Road
31. Wishing Lane at Huckleberry Road
32. Piglet Place at Tigger Trail
33. Pooh Avenue at Piglet Place
34. Ping Court at Bobby Jones Drive
35. Titleist Drive at Bobby Jones Drive
36. Maxwell Road at Murphy Road
37. Cherrybark Drive at Deerview Drive
38. Eastfield Avenue at Deerview Drive
39. Altitude Drive at Final Approach Drive
40. Final Approach Drive at Baywood Road
41. Sandy Acres Loop at Baywood Road
42. Creek Bottom Trail at Murphy Road

The city is moving forward with plans to build a $9.4 million fire station on Bragg Boulevard.

The new Fayetteville Fire Department Station 4 will replace the one on Stamper Road that opened in 1960, according to a news release from the city.
City officials and firefighters broke ground for the new station Tuesday morning, the release said.

The state-of-the-art station, located at 4210 Bragg Blvd., will be centrally located to improve response in high-demand areas, according to the release. Officials expect it to become the busiest fire station in the city because it will be readily accessible to several major roads and have three bays for firetrucks.

The 18,433-square-foot facility will include storage space for fire equipment, spare vehicles and office supplies. It will accommodate as many as 10 firefighters on duty with 10 bedrooms and five restrooms, the release said.

Fire Chief Mike Hill thanked members of the City Council for approving the new station.

“The investment in this long-awaited project illustrates the council’s commitment to the community and to the staff of the Fayetteville Fire Department,” Hill said. “It also has the potential to facilitate one of the greatest service enhancements I have witnessed in my career.”

Construction is estimated to be complete within 18 months, the release said.
The new station will have decontamination equipment to remove exhaust from the air as well as washers designed to reduce contaminants on uniforms, according to the news release. A space to store turnout gear will be a first for Fayetteville, giving firefighters room to store pants, boots, coats and gloves separate from living and working areas.

A community room will be available for Neighborhood Watch meetings and public-safety classes, the release said.
Plans for more fire station renovations and expansions are part of a $60 million public-safety infrastructure bond package that will be on the ballot in November.

Central Baptist Church in Dunn wants to celebrate Labor Day with neighbors near and far. All are invited for the semi-annual Food Truck Fest Sunday, Sept. 4 from 5 to 7 p.m.

The line-up includes Catering by Alex & Family, Sisters II Ice Cream, TAL Dreams and Big B’s Southern Kitchen – all at reasonable prices.
Catering by Alex & Family will serve a choice of taco plate, fajita plate or BBQ plate with sides. TAL Dreams serves a variety of burgers, hot dogs and sausages. Big B’s Southern Kitchen boasts a “gourmet on the go” menu of seafood and soul food, most famously known for its “Meatloaf Melt.” And of course, Sisters II Ice Cream will bring the sweets with plenty of sundaes and shakes.

Bring your friends, families and neighbors to enjoy the beautiful weather and delicious food. Find the event on Facebook to receive updates and detailed menus. Be sure to bring a lawn chair to sit, eat and relax with friends new and old.
Central Baptist Church is located 4 miles south of Dunn on Highway 421 at 6050 Plain View Highway, (exit 73 off I-95). For more information call 910-892-7914 or visit www.cbcdunn.com.

Well, last week was not a good week for me. Actually, the past thirty days have been pretty much of a disaster for the entire Fayetteville-Cumberland County community. They say bad news comes in three, well the recent actions, decisions and events add validity to that adage.

First, the City Council fails to approve the resolution to put the Vote Yes Fayetteville initiative before city voters. This issue is not dead yet, only severely wounded. It appears the courts will have to intervene.
However, it's a near-perfect example of how our city leadership disregards its citizens and restricts voting participation and involvement in local government.

Currently, citizens of Fayetteville are allowed only two votes in a city election where nine district representatives and the mayor are elected. Approval of the Vote Yes proposal would add four at-large districts giving every citizen six votes to decide the leadership in our municipality. Six votes versus two. What's not to like?

On Aug. 22 it was voted down and rejected 6-4 by the mayor and five inexperienced council members who put fear and personal agendas ahead of the welfare of the citizens of Fayetteville.
Then secondly, came the stunning announcement from the Arts Council that there will be a rebranding of a successful Fayetteville tradition that brought over 25,000 citizens to historic downtown Fayetteville to celebrate the Christmas holidays and launch the holiday shopping season. A Dickens Holiday is no more.

I strongly doubt that the idea to dismantle one of Fayetteville’s most successful events came from the Arts Council board and staff. Those of us that worked the Dickens Holiday over the years know how much time and effort they put into making this community event diverse, accessible and inclusive. This was decades before Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, became “a thing.”
It's laughable that any so-called “internal review” would or could find otherwise. And since the city of Fayetteville and Cumberland County provide funding to the Arts Council many know where the mandate originated, and where the resistance has come from.

It appears to be racially motivated. Fayetteville is a very diverse community but not a racially divided community, as those in our city and county government would like to have us think. The leadership of city and county governments has mastered the game of playing the race card to amass personal power and prestige without regard for their constituents and without responsibility or concern for the consequences that result.

This kind of behavior in government will continue until all citizens, Black and white, who love this community stand up and say "enough is enough!” This tendency to create divisiveness by encouraging and promoting division and making false accusations of non-inclusion will only continue to deteriorate the foundation of our community.

As I write this editorial, my storefront has been trashed, people have defecated in my parking lot, and the unhoused are meandering through downtown streets heading to their encampments in our city center while officials ignore this blatant situation, and the citizens of the community sit by in darkness, silent and afraid to speak up for fear of being canceled.
Many are leaving this community to live elsewhere. Those who remain, sitting on the sidelines, no longer get involved or contribute their time, talent and resources. Fayetteville and Cumberland County are in a bad place with a severe leadership crisis at all levels which takes me to the third hapless development last week.

We lost one of the most intelligent, hard-working and dedicated CEOs since former Chamber President John Swope. Her departure should serve as a resounding wake-up call to anyone who loves and cares about this community. Public Works Commission executive Elaina Ball came here because she wanted to make a difference. She was aggressive, methodical and not afraid to take on the major challenges facing Fayetteville and Cumberland County. She steered us away from the Bernhard Capital Partners ruse, took on the Texfi contamination situation that would have turned Fayetteville into a toxic wasteland in 20 years. In addition, she was dealing with the Chemours problem, working to bring clean water back to the Gray’s Creek community.

Anyone who is close to Ball or works with her knows that her biggest frustration came from local government processes moving slowly and with little sense of priority or sense of urgency. Communications between local agencies were often extremely poor if not nonexistent.

Ball is a dedicated CEO who helps those that help themselves. She has moved on to bigger and better opportunities and we are pleased that she has left her mark here and a community better off than it was. We wish her the best.
In the meantime, it is my hope these situations over the past few weeks provide a wake-up call to our local leadership.

The clock is ticking and our time is running out to make Fayetteville a viable community we can be proud of.
Thank you for reading Up & Coming Weekly.

The 6th Annual African World Peace Festival will bring culture, fun, education and awareness to downtown Fayetteville from Friday, Sept. 9 to Sunday, Sept. 11. Organized by the Culture and Heritage Alliance and partly sponsored by the Arts Council of Fayetteville, the festival will be a family-friendly fundraiser celebrating art, music and diversity.

After two years of COVID restrictions, the three-day event is back and better than ever, with an exciting lineup of entertainment and activities for people of all ages and backgrounds. In alignment with CHA's mission to “promote the works of emerging artists while fostering cultural diversity and education for the promotion of peace,” the festival will display a vibrant mix of cultures coming together in love and appreciation of one another.

The first festival launched in 2014 based on a need Dr. Isabella Effon, co-founder and president of CHA, saw in the community to have more representation for a population of African immigrants making their way into Fort Bragg.

“The idea of the festival came along when I moved here in 2001," she explained. "I realized our population was growing as African immigrants, we were starting families, and we wanted our culture to be part of this community.”

From there, the festival has grown over the past eight years to include an impressive array of activities over a well-organized schedule. Whether checking out the festival for just one day or all three, there's no shortage of things to see and do.

Beginning at 5 p.m. on Friday, the AWPF will kick off with a prayer. Guests will spend the rest of the weekend dancing, drumming and singing along with an array of musical acts and dance groups. Friday and Saturday will welcome the African Highlife Band, Kongo Jazz, Aya Drum & Dance, and African Children Beats, to name a few. A gospel concert will begin on Sunday at 10 a.m., followed by a non-denominational service. The festival will end Sunday evening in the echoes of a drum beat.

In addition to an exciting musical lineup, the festival, organized into zones, will offer ample opportunity for its guests to explore different aspects of African culture.
The Arts & Crafts Zone will allow guests to learn a new trade, such as pottery, painting, papercraft, and much more. Various workshops within the zone will demonstrate craft-making from different regions of Africa, and artists from around the world will also use this area to display and sell their work.

Although music and activities are integral to any celebration, a festival is only as good as its food. With that in mind, AWPF's Food & Beverage Zone will be packed with a tasty variety of cuisines from around the world, drinks and desserts for purchase.

Lastly, The Kid Zone is a place where the festival's youngest visitors are free to learn, play and discover. Face painting, arts & crafts, games, and tons of activities will ensure a great time for kids and parents alike. Kids can also look forward to exercising their problem-solving skills with puzzle boxes supplied by Xscape Factor, a climbing wall provided by The Climbing Place, and a real-life excavation dig complete with remote-controlled digging equipment.

Of all the activities and offerings scheduled, Dr. Effon is most excited to share Africa's rich cultural diversity through its music and food with the people attending the festival.

“I'm most excited to share the music, the concerts and the food,” she laughed. “If you look at all the footprints Africa has left worldwide, this festival is a celebration of those influences. When you look at it, we really all eat the same things. So much of our food and music comes from Africa, and that's why we celebrate this as an 'African World' festival.”

Fun, games, art, music and food are important aspects of the festival, but there's more to AWPF than simply serving the spirit; the festival is dedicated to serving the body. Throughout Saturday and Sunday, guests can sign up for free health screenings beginning at 7 a.m.

Saturday is also race day. Those who register can participate in the festival's 5k/10k walk/run sponsored by Foxhole Consulting. Each participant who completes the race will receive a T-shirt and medal. A 1st, 2nd and 3rd place prize will be awarded to males and females with the best time.

Walkers and runners under 16 will pay $30 for early registration, while those over 16 will pay $35. All participants must sign in between 6 and 6:30 a.m. to receive their participation T-shirt and race number; the race will begin at 8 a.m.

With over 8,500 guests in attendance pre-COVID, organizers expect an even larger turnout this year. This year's festival is later in the summer than any previously scheduled, which means it's the first AWPF to take place in concurrence with college classes. A later start date also ensures that the temperature readout is a bit kinder.

For Effon, this is an important year for the festival. After a two-year hiatus, she is excited to come back together to heal and share.

“Humanity doesn't stop, life doesn't stop, but things have changed,” she said of the COVID-19 pandemic. “It's given us a template to follow, and we now know that things can change anytime. We're adjusting to our new normal, but we shouldn't be afraid to come out and celebrate one another. It's important for us to come back and exchange that peace and love.”

In addition to the African World Peace Festival, the CHA organizes events throughout the year that speak to the same intention of social connectedness. Dance lessons, film festivals, demonstrations and workshops are all planned to bring people together to learn from one another.

Africa is a continent containing over 54 countries, 3,000 tribes, and over 2,000 different languages and dialects. It is a place with a fascinating history, diverse people and a wealth of cultural information to share. Events like the AWPF create an awareness of the world that can be transformative.

“Every time we do this,” Effon explained, “I want people to understand that we are all one. We all have different cultures, beliefs and languages, but one thing that brings us together is food and music. No matter the language we speak or what part of the world we're in — we don't have to understand each other to move together.”

The AWPF is a free and public event. However, food, beverages, vendor items and race participation require payment.

To register for the 5k/10k visit https://africanworldpeacefestival.org/5k-10k-run/.
To volunteer or sponsor, visit https://africanworldpeacefestival.org/for-volunteers/ and https://africanworldpeacefestival.org/be-a-sponsor/.

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.