With more than 6 million Americans and 180,000 North Carolinians living with Alzheimer's disease today, researchers are working tirelessly to advance science that will lead to earlier detection, preventions and additional new treatments for Alzheimer’s and all dementia.

In early August, more than 10,000 researchers attended the Alzheimer’s Association International Conference® 2022 both in person and virtually to share the latest in Alzheimer’s and dementia science. Highlights included:

Another reason to move your body.  Results are in from the longest-ever clinical trial of exercise in older adults with mild memory problems. After 12 months of regular physical activity — aerobic exercise or stretching — study participants experienced no significant cognitive decline.

Junk food might be hurting our brains.  Researchers studied more than 10,000 people over eight years and found that high consumption of ultra-processed foods led to a 28% faster decline in cognitive function.

Racism’s impact on memory.  In a study of nearly 1,000 adults, exposure to interpersonal and institutional racism was associated with lower memory scores, especially among Black individuals.

More long-term impacts of COVID-19.  Researchers found that loss of smell due to COVID-19 infection may be a better predictor of long-term cognitive and functional impairment than severity of the illness.

Earning less money may increase dementia risk. Compared with workers earning higher wages, sustained low-wage earners experienced faster memory decline in older age.

“There is great progress in Alzheimer’s and dementia research,” said Lisa Roberts, executive director for the Alzheimer’s Association – Eastern North Carolina Chapter, who attended the conference as virtual participant.

“This year at AAIC, we heard new ideas about what makes us at risk, as well as a diverse array of treatments and prevention methods for Alzheimer’s disease and all dementia. The work of the scientific community holds great promise for the future worldwide, and in our own back yard here in North Carolina.”

More than 80 scientific presentations from the conference were from N.C.-based researchers and investigators including: Duke University, East Carolina University, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, UNC Greensboro, Wake Forest University and other research centers.

To learn more about the studies presented at the 2022 Alzheimer’s Association International Conference, go to alz.org/aaic.

The Alzheimer's Association is available with information and support for families as they navigate the disease and related research.

For more information on the Alzheimer’s Association – Eastern North Carolina Chapter, visit the alz.org/nc or call the 24/7 Helpline at 800.272.3900.

Students can get backpacks, school supplies and a hot meal during a drive-thru back-to-school event Monday, Aug. 22.

Balm in Gilead, in partnership with Cumberland County Schools and the Carolina Panthers, will distribute the items to students in need during an event Monday from 6 to 8 p.m., the school system said in a release.

The giveaway will be at Balm in Gilead, 3110 Doc Bennett Road.

Staff with Balm in Gilead and volunteers from the school system and other organizations will be at the site helping with the distribution.

The Carolina Panthers donated 5,000 bookbags with school supplies for Cumberland County Schools students, the release said.

The Fayetteville City Council on Monday night. Aug. 22, is expected to consider a resolution that would allow voters to decide whether to change the way council members are elected.

The Vote Yes initiative would restructure the way City Council members are elected. Instead of all nine members being elected by district, four members would be elected at large and five would be elected from districts. The mayor would still be elected citywide.

In other business Monday, Fayetteville Police Chief Gina Hawkins is scheduled to give a second-quarter report on her department.
With the Vote Yes initiative, the council is expected to consider a resolution that would put the issue before voters on Nov. 8.
If the issue is to go before voters this fall, the council needs to take action soon. In an email last week to CityView Today, Cumberland County Board of Elections member Linda Devore said “time is of the essence’’ because absentee ballots are expected to go out on Sept. 9 and the state has already started the ballot printing process for some counties.

The issue was removed from the council's agenda at a June 27 work session and its Aug. 8 regular meeting, when questions were raised about whether the advocacy group promoting the change, Vote Yes Fayetteville, had filed all the paperwork needed to get the referendum on the ballot.
The council directed City Attorney Karen McDonald to request a copy of the notice of circulation and the date of registration from the county Board of Elections. She made the request in a letter on Aug. 9.

Angie Amaro, the interim director of the county Board of Elections, responded to McDonald in a letter on Aug. 16.
Amaro said in her letter that the N.C. State Board of Elections maintains information and guidance on filing petitions on its website. She said the only petition form on the website is a North Carolina Petition Request.

“Neither the state board’s website nor the petition request form mentions a notice of circulation,’’ Amaro wrote in the letter. “I am not aware that any such form exists. Neither a document identified as a notice of circulation nor a North Carolina petition request was filed in my office for this petition.’’

On Saturday, Mayor Mitch Colvin said he didn't see where much has changed since the city first questioned the legal validity of the petition two weeks ago.

"I'm sure the conversation will come up on Monday," he said. " It boils down to the Article 19 of that particular statute and how if those criteria have been met are outlined. I've heard a lot of double-talk about how it didn't apply, but I haven't seen anything that talks about inclusion, also. Pretty much the position of the city attorney had was that 'It didn't appear to be valid.' "

Colvin said the city has requested copies of all the necessary documents, including the N.C. Petition Request, from the Board of Elections several times but it is his understanding that the document doesn't exist in the file.

"And they don't have anything they can provide," he added.

He said he doesn’t know what to anticipate Monday night.

"We'll see where the discussion goes when it comes up," he said when asked if he expects the council to take action on the proposed resolution.

"At the end of the day," the mayor said, "it's not like it's a never-ending thing. If it doesn't happen in November, to me — I'm just thinking we just need to follow the law in accordance with it. It's an important issue, so it will be challenged, probably either way, so we want to make sure that the city is not taking an additional risk, skipping a step or looking at the other way."

Bobby Hurst, one of the organizers of the Vote Yes Fayetteville initiative, said Saturday that the group has done everything it is supposed to do. Amaro verified the signatures on the petition submitted by the Vote Yes group.

“Everything is in order," Hurst said when asked about having all of the appropriate documentation available for the city to address.

He said changing the way the council is elected is something for residents to decide.

“What do the citizens prefer?’’ Hurst said. “It's really up to them, not council. Do you want more representation — six instead of two votes — and you'd have four people instead of (the) mayor looking at the big picture or what's been for Fayetteville as a whole rather than small districts? Those district representatives — their size of City Council would increase from about 23,(000) or 24(,000) to about 41,000 people. So if they're doing a good job, they would love to have a bigger territory.’’

Hurst said he thinks the council should take action on the issue Monday.

"Because as Linda Devore had mentioned, the time is short," he said.

Hurst has previously said that Fayetteville lawyer Neil Yarborough told the committee that the "notice of circulation" procedure does not apply to the Vote Yes petition.
In a memo to the City Council in the agenda materials, McDonald says that upon receipt of a valid petition, the council is obligated by state law to call for a special election.

The memo says the council has three options: adopt the resolution to call for a special election, don’t adopt the resolution or provide additional direction to staff.
The staff recommends that the council vote on whether to adopt the resolution for a special election.
The Cumberland County Board of Elections needs roughly 90 days from the Nov. 8 Election Day to establish proper working and printing for the general-election ballots, including this referendum and the three bond issues from the city of Fayetteville, according to Hurst.
Supporters of the Vote Yes initiative say the plan would strengthen the council, provide better representation for all voters and result in the election of more “big-picture” council members. CityView Today publisher Tony Chavonne is among those who organized the Vote Yes petition drive.
But some opponents say the change would dilute minority voting strength and make it more expensive for candidates who would have to run citywide campaigns rather than district campaigns.

Second quarter crime report

The council also is expected to receive the second-quarter crime statistics from Hawkins on Monday night.
In May, when she delivered first-quarter statistics to the council, Hawkins reported that assault, domestic violence and vehicle theft cases had risen while homicides and rapes decreased. Though crime has been trending downward over the last six years, Hawkins said in May, crime was going up in some areas compared to the first quarter of 2021.
The City Council meeting is scheduled to begin at 7 p.m. at City Hall.

One driver was killed and another was injured in a head-on collision Tuesday night, Aug. 16, near the intersection of Braddy Road and Stoney Point Road, the Fayetteville Police Department said.

Officers were dispatched to the two-vehicle collision around 8:20 p.m., the department said in a release.

One driver was pronounced dead at the scene, and the other driver was taken to an area hospital with non-life threatening injuries, the release said.

The intersection of Braddy Road at Stoney Point Road was temporarily closed while members of the department’s Traffic Unit investigate, the release said.

The cause of the crash remains under investigation.

Anyone with information regarding this investigation is asked to contact Officer C. Biggerstaff at 910-751-1382 or Crimestoppers at 910-483-TIPS (8477).

A Fayetteville man was arrested on drug charges after narcotics agents searched a Fayetteville home Tuesday morning, Aug. 16 and found cocaine and marijuana, the Cumberland County Sheriff’s Office said.

The Sheriff’s Office executed a search warrant just after 6:30 a.m. at 214 Nimocks Ave. During the search, narcotics agents found 4.38 grams of cocaine, 19.99 grams of marijuana and drug paraphernalia, the Sheriff’s Office said in a release.

Echols M. Howell, 46, was charged with possession with intent to sell cocaine, manufacturing cocaine, possession with intent to sell marijuana, manufacturing marijuana, maintaining a dwelling for a controlled substance, and possession of drug paraphernalia, the release said.

Howell was released on a $15,000 unsecured bond. His first appearance is scheduled for 2:30 p.m. Wednesday at the Cumberland County Detention Center, the release said.
Anyone with information regarding this investigation is asked to contact the Sheriff's Office Narcotics Unit at 910-677-5525 or Fayetteville-Cumberland County CrimeStoppers at 910-483-TIPS (8477).

Mostley Crue, the tribute band for 80s hard rockers of (mostly) the same name, is set to play the Gates Four Summer Concert Series on Aug. 26. This show was originally scheduled for June. Weather postponed the date, but not the excitement.

The band has been together for 15 years and has played hundreds of shows as Motley Crue. The current lineup and their alter egos are Gabriel Pettit as lead vocalist Vince Neil, Darius Rose as drummer Tommy Lee, Keith Baumbaugh as guitarist Mick Mars and Miller Barefoot as bassist Nikki Sixx.

Pettit is the only original member of the band. He was in another band creating his own music when he was asked to join Mostly Crue as Vince Neil.

Pettit is known for his uncanny ability to sound like Neil by duplicating his range and tone. He credits this to spending years as a karaoke DJ, where he would imitate other musicians. The Motley Crue singer happened to be one of them. And, like most people, he liked to sing on road trips.

“I used to sing in the car all the time, and I would adapt my voice to whatever the singer happened to be on my playlist at the time,” he said. “I just listened to an absolute ton of Motley Crue for a fairly extended period of time, over a few months.”

A Mostly Crue concert might not have the theatrics of an original performance, like elaborate pyrotechnics or Tommy Lee’s rollercoaster drum set. Still, they like to get the audience involved in the show.

“I firmly believe in getting audience interaction back and forth. I like to include them, especially [when] we do a song called ‘Ten Seconds to Love,’ which is a classic Motley Crue song,” Pettit said. “It’s one that Crue has done in the past to do some audience participation. So, we kind of adopted that song and a similar style of how they included people.”

Pettit and the band members knew the music of Motley Crue from growing up in the 1980s. Most rock bands of that era were known for living a lifestyle of sex, drugs and rock and roll and indulging in the excess of that decade, but Pettit thinks the music should not be overlooked.

“The music was about the fun,” he said. “In the ‘big hair’ era, you had players who could really play; they didn’t have Auto-Tune. They could really sing.”

Attendees can expect all the Motley Crue hits, but the band does play earlier songs and B-sides or songs that may not have made it onto an album. But they should not expect the band to come out rocking the glam look popular in the 80s.

“Our look is more of a hybrid [of] their later look, post-glam,” he said. “Obviously, none of us look good in spandex anymore.”

Fans can expect to hear the hit ballad “Home Sweet Home,” which is a song they dedicate to active and retired military.

“It’s something we’ve done for 15 years. We’ll continue to do it as long as we continue to play, for as long as I’m the singer,” he said. “It’s something I firmly believe in because I believe that those people sacrifice so much for our rights and for our way of life that I think they deserve our appreciation.”

Pettit and the band enjoy meeting fans after the show and encourage them to come to talk to them after their set.

“We are humbled by everyone’s appreciation of us, and we love to hear and speak to those people who come to see us. We’ll take pictures with fans,” he said.

“This is about enjoying the music and enjoying the process of playing it. Don’t be scared to come up and talk to us. We’re here to have fun, too.”

The band was playing up to 40 shows a year in previous years, but have scaled back a maximum of two shows a month because they have day jobs and families.

“[Now], we get there, we get to pretend we’re rock stars for a few hours and then walk away back to our normal lives, and it’s a great escape for us,” Pettit said.

Also on tap for the concert is special guest band Autumn Tyde, a rhythm and blues band created by legendary musician and Fayetteville Music Hall of Famer Doyle Wood.

“This is a great band with such great musicians,” Wood said of the group. “We have four lead singers in the band — it’s not a one-man show at all, and I just really enjoy doing it.”

Playing a mix of rock, R & B, original music and the beach music suggested by the band’s name, Wood is keen to share a little something for everyone. Concert-goers can expect to hear some Prince, James Brown, Joe Bonamassa and a little Poco.

“It’ll be a fun show,” he assured. “We’ve got a different setup than most, and I think the crowd will really enjoy it. At the end of the night, I hope they enjoyed our original music and noted the musicianship and professionalism of the band. These guys are good; if not, I wouldn’t be doing it.”

The Gates Four Summer Concert Series is held at Gates Four Golf and Country Club Pavilion.

The series kicked off April 1 and will run through September. The May show featuring Heart Breaker was also rescheduled due to weather and is now set for Oct. 7.

The Summer Concert Series is free for outdoor lawn seating, and attendees are welcome to bring chairs and blankets. For those looking for a little “extra,” VIP tickets are for $38 and $68 and include pavilion seating, food and beverages. Tables of eight can also be reserved at discounted rates. For more information visit www.fayettevilledinnertheatrre.com/tickets.

Cumberland County Schools is offering a $2,000 sign-on bonus for eligible new teachers and instructional support staff, according to a news release from the school system.

The district has immediate openings for licensed teachers in elementary education; secondary mathematics; English and language arts; science; career and technical education; and special education.

CCS also is hiring school counselors, social workers and psychologists, the release said.
The starting pay for all classified positions is $15 per hour, the release said.

The school system has other openings for before- and after-school program staff, nutrition services staff, instructional assistants and bus drivers.
Current job opportunities and information on hiring incentives are listed at www.hr.ccs.k12.nc.us.

The Cumberland County Board of Commissioners on Monday, Aug. 15 accepted the county health director’s recommendation on how to spend the first installment of opioid lawsuit settlement money.

The unanimous vote came during a meeting that lasted well over three hours. Cumberland County’s share for spring and summer totals about $1.79 million.
Dr. Jennifer Green, director of the county Department of Public Health, recommended that the money be used for four initiatives:

As much as $800,000 to fund multiyear pilot projects that adhere to a list of state-approved strategies to combat opioid abuse.
Allocate between $10,000 to $70,000 buy Narcan, a prescription medication to treat opioid overdoses, and to fund a syringe service program.

Establish a $200,000 multiyear pilot project to support medication assisted treatment at the Cumberland County Detention Center.
Explore building or leasing space for a residential substance-use facility, a community recovery center and transitional housing.
In July 2021, N.C. Attorney General Josh Stein announced a $26 billion agreement with pharmaceutical companies to help communities affected by the opioid epidemic. An agreement between the state and local governments directs how opioid settlement funds are distributed. Cumberland County is set to get $16,989,930 over the next 18 years, and the city of Fayetteville is set to get $1,994,964 during the same period.

The $800,000 will be used to fund state-recommended strategies that include early-intervention programs; addiction treatment for uninsured and underinsured addicts; programming to support opioid addicts in treatment and recovery; and criminal justice diversion programs.
Vital Strategies, a global public health organization that helps strengthen public health services, is providing money and technical assistance to North Carolina counties for the next five years that choose these strategies to distribute Narcan and provide a syringe service program.

Vital Strategies will match spending ranging from $10,000 to $70,000 for counties that invest in these initiatives for as long as three years. In turn, Cumberland County would commit to continued funding of at least 75% of the initial investment using the opioid settlement funding.

The board opted to fund that recommendation at the full $70,000.
Implementing a $200,000 multiyear pilot project to support medication assisted treatment at the Detention Center was a third recommendation by Green. The treatment is not currently available at the jail. It uses three medications — methadone, buprenorphine and or naltrexone — that are approved by the Food and Drug Administration to treat opioid addiction.

The program combines counseling and behavioral therapies. For example, according to Green, funding could support maintenance of the treatment for detainees taking prescribed medications for opioid use disorder before they were jailed.

The first three options would support just over $1 million in projects. The remaining $718,000 could be used for other programs such as exploring the feasibility to build or lease space for a residential substance abuse facility and transitional housing. Green said that coming out of a treatment program and returning to the same environment does not produce successful results in treating addiction.

The recommendations presented to the board by Green are based on feedback from a series of community meetings hosted by the Health Department in May and June, as well as a community survey.

American Rescue Plan

In other action, the board voted unanimously to accept the recommendations of the American Rescue Plan Committee’s funding list of 29 small businesses.
Tye Vaught, the county chief of staff, said the 29 businesses completed multiple steps of the Small Business Economic Assistance Program application process, making them eligible to receive coronavirus recovery funding totaling just over $1 million.

According to Vaught, the funding is contingent on the businesses’ successful execution of a contract with the county. He said county employees have visited each business and ensured that their paperwork with the N.C. Secretary of State’s Office is current.
The commissioners also were given a briefing by incoming Fort Bragg Garrison Commander Col. John Wilcox.

“It’s a great honor and privilege to be invited to speak to the Cumberland County Board of Commissioners and to be welcomed into this great community,” said Wilcox. “I look forward to developing a strong working relationship between Fort Bragg and Cumberland County and strengthening our friendship and camaraderie throughout the community.”

He said the people living on Fort Bragg are neighbors and friends of county residents whose children play together. He noted that during the Fort Bragg’s July 4th celebrations, more than 65,000 service members and their guests attended and not a single incident of criminal activity was reported.

He also said the plan to change the name of Fort Bragg to Fort Liberty resonates throughout the local military community and noted that the word “liberty” is in the lyrics of the 82nd Airborne Division song and in the Special Forces motto.

The Hope Mills Board of Commissioners held a special work session Monday night, Aug. 15 to discuss the development of an overlay zoning district that will help guide development in the town.
After the work session, the board met for its regular meeting. Chancer McLaughlin, the town's planning and economic development director, led the work session, explaining to the board what it can expect in the coming months as a policy is developed.

Overlay zoning is a regulatory tool that creates a special zoning district over existing zoning. It can include additional or different regulations that apply within the district.

On July 18, the board adopted a temporary moratorium on certain businesses while town staff works to create an overlay district. The moratorium gives the board six months to study the idea and implement the district.
The moratorium also gives the town the authority to halt business licenses that “could negatively impact the character, use and overall harmony of existing and future development areas,” according to McLaughlin’s presentation.

McLaughlin told the board there will be two more sessions, one in September and one in October. According to McLaughlin's presentation, the proposed overlay district will be considered by the Cumberland County Joint Planning Board in November. The proposal will likely go before the town Board of Commissioners for consideration in December after input and recommendations from the staff.
In addition to outlining the steps needed to implement an overlay district, Mclaughlin also explained the town’s options and what type of overlays were possible.

McLaughlin told board members that it would be important to include input from the town. The first phase of creating an overlay district policy would be gathering input from the town. He said he plans to begin asking the public for its input as early as Friday.
McLaughlin said he will use mailers, fliers, social media and the town’s website to gather input from the town.
According to Mclaughlin’s presentation, gathering data also includes asking stakeholders such as the town’s businesses what they want to see in an overlay policy.

The next work session is scheduled for September, but a date and time have not been set.
During its regular meeting, the board heard an update on the Public Safety Building from its architect, Scott Garner.

Garner told the board the heating and air were nearing completion as well as the carpet and tile. The doors have been hung and hardware has been put on. Garner said he was told the building would be completed by mid-September, but he said he felt that was a bit optimistic though everything was going well and on target.
Garner said once the building is occupied, the plan is to demolish the old fire station.

“The fire chief wants to use the demolition of the old fire station for training purposes,” Garner told the board.

The board unanimously approved everything on the consent agenda. This included:
Authorizing the town manager to sign an annual storm drain cleaning contract in the amount of $100,000 with Intragrade. The amount is included in the current budget.

Accepting state funding for stormwater projects and approving a related budget amendment. The town originally asked for $300,000 but was granted $600,000 in American Rescue Plan Act funds through the state.
Approving a site plan for a proposed Sheetz gas station on the southeast corner of Chickenfoot Road and U.S. 301.

A Fayetteville man has been arrested on 39 felony charges, including kidnapping, assault and various sex offenses, the Police Department said in a release.

Sean Westley Mills, 33, of the 7000 block of Jarmon Court, was arrested Monday by detectives with the Police Department’s Violent Criminal Apprehension Team, the release said.

Mills is charged with one count each of first-degree kidnapping, second-degree forcible sex offense and assault by strangulation; two counts of second-degree forcible rape; six counts of crimes against nature; 12 counts of sexual battery and other offenses, the Police Department said.

This case was investigated by the Fayetteville Police Department’s Special Victim’s Unit

Mills was processed at the Cumberland County Detention Center, where he received a $387,500 secured bond.

Typically falling in mid-summer is the relatively unfamiliar 24-hour Jewish fast day of Tisha B’Av. I often call this commemoration the Jewish Memorial Day, as it memorializes the tragedies and martyrs of the Jewish people from antiquity until the present.

Many ethnic and faith communities dedicate days to remembering their peoples’ past tragedies. It is difficult to relate to such events when far removed by time and space. On Tisha B’Av my faith community recalls and mourns millennia of suffering and martyrdom, while paradigmatically highlighting the destructions of the First and Second Temples in Jerusalem, and the loss of Jewish national independence, to the Babylonians over 2600 years ago and to the Romans some 600 years later.

Although the destruction of the Second Temple and commonwealth was at the hands of the Roman Empire, Jewish tradition teaches that its root cause was senseless, internal hatred. America is not yet at that point, but I fear the internal divisions which were intense enough to lead to the storming of our capitol building last year.

The following re-imagines the destruction of the First Jewish Temple and commonwealth through an anachronistic American lens. Maybe it can help us better appreciate an ancient tragedy as well as recognize potential risks for our nation if we cannot find a way to begin coming together. We should also recognize that there are those around the world, like in Ukraine, who live with similar destruction today.

Imagine a foreign enemy, aided by internal, domestic divisions, attacked the United States and made its way to our nation's capital, leaving mass destruction and death in its wake. Imagine they isolated the city and waited until garbage, sickness, fear, starvation, psychological disturbance and the implosion of civil society progressively deepened. They then breached our defenses and systematically wreaked havoc, fighting building by building, until they destroyed our national monuments, treasures and federal buildings, save for an outer casement wall of the capitol complex destined to become a shrine to later generations.

Imagine they transferred our political, economic and intellectual leadership to their own country while leaving the bulk of the working population. Without both blue collar workers and those possessing advanced educational expertise and experience in administration and governance our flourishing society was crippled.
Imagine sophisticated technology and communications were eradicated, leaving a more primitive life bereft of the ability to contact loved ones; unable to learn what befell them or to share mutual love, consolation and support. Meanwhile, this foe left their own military and administrators to rule over our decimated land.

Imagine that accompanying the destruction of physical institutions, America lost its shared communal commitment, built upon the essential words of its foundational documents. This civil and spiritual center was obliterated alongside its functionaries and scholars who served, taught and exemplified the American tradition and values.

Such a massive devastation and tragedy would be an unimaginable calamity of incalculable proportions. And such was the destruction of the Jewish nation, its people, and its temple — twice in antiquity.
Perhaps Tisha B’Av can serve not only as a Jewish memorial day, but also as a warning for our nation to begin making conscious efforts to move in another, more healing direction. America always thrives behind healthy diversity; culturally and intellectually. We are most at risk when the value of American unity begins to ebb.

What can we do to ensure that our nation never approaches my dystopian images? It will take each of us deciding to struggle for the whole that is greater than the sum of any individual parts to answer that question.

Fitness is not always about what we eat, maintaining a healthy lifestyle or how much we exercise. It is also about things that we love that bring joy. Happiness is a large contributor to our health and leads to many positive behaviors.

Many things in life make us happy. I particularly like sunflowers; their large heads follow the sun from sunrise to sunset. They derived their name from the Greek word Helianthus, Heli means son and Anthus means flower. Some Ancient cultures were known to worship them. There is a mythical story about the Sunflower and a couple called Clytie and Apollo. Apollo did not love Clytie, but she became a sunflower to offer hope, happiness and renewal, and she followed the sun each day spreading warmth and sunshine.

There are more than 70 varieties of sunflowers and an annual plant that comes in a wide variety of sizes and colors. They are native to North America and one of the easiest plants to grow. The rarest sunflower for North and South Carolina is a perennial wildflower. Its common name is Schweitz’s sunflower, one of the rarest species of sunflowers in the U.S.

The tallest sunflower was grown in Germany and reached over thirty-one feet. Sunflowers rotate during the day to pivot their faces towards the sun and can rotate as much as 180 degrees. Once the flower reaches maturity the flower faces east to gather the warmth of the morning sun providing a source for pollinating bees.

Sunflowers have been used for aesthetic, medicinal and aesthetic purposes through the centuries. They are a popular choice for weddings and floral decorations and have been used in many ways. The Cherokee Nation used the leaves to treat kidney problems and the Dakota for pulmonary and chest pains. The oils from the seeds were used as an oil to paint the body. They were used for dermatology, appetite stimulants, sand painting ceremonies and used as suave. They have a rich history as a food plan and are still eaten raw, cooked, ground, dried and used as oil.

Purple and black dywes were extracted by soaking them in water to make color for baskets and body paint. They were worn in the hair for ceremonies and carved wooden discs have been found in prehistoric sites in Arizona. It has been found that they have been used for fuel, food for poultry and livestock. The Chinese have used fibers in the manufacturing of fabrics.

The consumption of sunflower seeds has been linked to lower rates of cholesterol, high blood pressure and cardiovascular disease. They are the source of vitamins that help to support your immune system and are high in zinc, selenium and boost your energy.

Sunflowers for arrangements are an excellent choice adding a bold and rich color to a striking presence. Proper care can keep your arrangements lasting longer. Hydration is an important step in maintaining the life of your sunflowers. Water is essential in the first step of cutting for immersion and cutting the stems again to have continued water flow to the heads for extended shelf life. Using a preservative can also help with maintaining freshness. Sunflowers cut from the garden should be picked a few hours after dawn for hydration. Sunflowers picked during mid-day may result in the flowers drooping. Place in containers where the heads can be supported and remove all the leaves below the surface to prevent bacteria from growing. Pair your flowers with greenery and flowers with a variety of shapes or a simple cluster.

Live, love life and sunflowers.

On the hunt for pulled pork and live music? Look no further than the Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 670, located at 3928 Doc Bennett Road at 5 p.m. on Aug. 21.

Post 670 is hosting this event as a fundraiser for its “core programs.” Core programs include “Teacher of the Year,” “Voice of Democracy,” “Patriot’s Pen,” “Scout of the Year” and safety awards.

“Each post has core programs, [and] each VFW has to do these things,” said Post 670 Commander Mike Baker, retired USMC.

The “Voice of Democracy” and “Patriot’s Pen” are VFW youth programs that provide $3 million in awards and incentives to students and families each year, per the VFW’s website.

“Patriot’s Pen” is for junior high and middle school students and requires them to write a 300-400-word essay on a “new patriotic theme each year.” Entrants of “Patriot’s Pen” will first compete at the Post level, followed by state and national levels. The “Patriot’s Pen” offers a $5,000 national and $500 state-level prize.

“Voice of Democracy” is designed for high school age students. It is a three-to-five-minute long written and spoken essay. Winners receive prizes and incentives at the post, district and department levels, as well as the national level. The prize for national first place is $35,000. Winners will be awarded during the event.

According to the VFW, “Some of [its] earliest ties to the community involve youth groups and perhaps none are stronger and more lasting than the relationship between the VFW and America’s Scouting organizations.” Top area Boy and Girl Scouts will be announced during the event.
Once a year, the VFW chooses local emergency medical, law enforcement and firefighter personnel to be presented with the VFW’s “Public Servant Award.” Winners will be announced during the event.

“The Veterans of Foreign Wars of the United States is a nonprofit veteran service organization comprised of eligible veterans and military service members from the active, Guard and Reserve forces,” according to the VFW’s mission statement. There are 5,883 worldwide VFW Posts and 1.5 million VFW and Auxiliary members.

The “VFW Auxiliary” is made up of “members from all walks of life with a common connection: All are relatives of those who served overseas in a conflict of foreign origin,” VFWAuxiliary.org explains. There are nearly 470,000 members at 3,600 auxiliaries across the country.

Doc Bennett Road runs by the Fayetteville Airport. Coming from 301, take Airport Road for less than a mile to Doc Bennett Road. Keep in mind that if you travel over the I-95 bridge, you’ve gone too far. Coming from I-87 to Doc Bennett Road, Post 670 is just over the bridge on the left, Baker said.

To enjoy the food with music will cost $25. To enjoy the food in silence will cost $12.

Live music will be provided by “Reflections II,” a widely regarded local cover band who plays a variety of 80s and 90s rock ‘n’ roll hits.
If you are interested in more information about the VFW, if you would like to make a donation or if you are an eligible veteran or family member, please visit VFW.org or VFWAuxiliary.org.

United Way of Cumberland County will be holding their second annual meal packing event Aug. 25 at Snyder Baptist Memorial Church. During the event, volunteers will be packing 35,000 meal packets which will then be donated to Fayetteville Urban Ministries and Catholic Charities USA, both local organizations that help homeless and needy people in Cumberland County.

Melissa Reid, director of resource development with United Way Cumberland County, said she is excited about the event.

“In the past when we’ve had a campaign kick off, it was a sit-down type of event. Last year when we were able to get back to it after COVID, we decided we needed to do something different,” she said. “Instead of everyone sitting there listing to people talk, we wanted to do something hands on because that’s what we are about, helping the community.”

United Way’s mission is to “improve the quality of lives in Cumberland County by addressing critical human needs,” according to their website. The meal packing event is one of the ways Reid hopes to be able to carry out that mission.

Last year was the first time United Way held a meal packing event. In the two hours they had allotted for volunteers, they packed 26,000 meal packets. The meal packets were then distributed to Fayetteville Urban Ministries.

“I reached out to Johnny at Urban Ministries a few months ago and I said, ‘did you all use the packets we gave to you last year?’ And he said yes … It took about two months, all the meal packets were gone by the end of October. That tells you right there the need,” Reid said.

This year, she was able to secure a grant for funds for even more meal packets. Reid hopes to pack up 35,000 packets with the more than 200 volunteers needed for the event. Those interested in volunteering for the event can sign up at https://www.unitedway-cc.org/.

“PWC signed up for 25 individuals,” said Reid. “The town of Hope Mills weren’t a part of it last year, but I spoke to the mayor, Jackie Warner, and she said the town was going to be involved this year. It’s a great team building event, that is what Kelly Wallace with Beasley told me last year.”

Athletes from Fayetteville Technical Community College volunteered their time last year and are planning on coming back again.

“Last year, the diversity in the room was amazing. Different races, different financial backgrounds. We had some CEOS and stay-at-home moms, youths. Firemen, policemen. The city of Fayetteville really showed up last year, it was really heart warming.”

Reid also said she likes to make the event fun with hand clappers, beach balls and pom poms.

“Last year, I tried to start the wave,” she joked.

The meal packing event will take place at Snyder Memorial Baptist Church from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Those interested in volunteering should visit the United Way website. Reid said for those who can’t volunteer but would still like to help, there is a “donate” button on the website.
“Be the change,” she said, echoing the 2022-23 campaign slogan. “Come in here and help your community.”

Downtown Fayetteville will host its 4th Friday event Aug. 26 between 6 and 9 p.m. at Anderson Street, just off of Hay Street.

“Anybody can find something they love on the 4th Friday,” said Lauren Falls, Cool Springs Downtown District marketing director.

The 4th Friday is being presented by the Cool Springs Downtown District. The .55 square-mile Cool Springs Downtown District is “Fayetteville’s growing destination for art and entertainment.”
The 4th Friday is where Fayetteville “lines the streets with food carts, vendors, musicians, artists, performers and attractions,” Falls said.
Anderson Street will be where this month’s featured DJ, N.C.-based DJ Tommy Gee Mixx, will be holding down the tunes.

“I’m an old head with new moves,” according to Tommy Gee Mixx. “I spin whateva, wheneva.”

Being a street festival, there is no stage at a 4th Friday event. You can interact with musicians and artists selling their work up close, and you can interact with local downtown businesses, she added.
There will be a “food truck rodeo” at the Arts Council of Fayetteville parking lot, located at 301 Hay Street.

“The Arts Council of Fayetteville [and] Cumberland County supports individual creativity, cultural preservation, economic development and lifelong learning through the arts,” the Arts Council spokesperson said.

The Arts Council of Fayetteville was founded in 1973 and has served as the link between artists, the arts and culture ever since.

“In the year 2020-21, the Arts Council distributed $1.1 million in grant funds and allocations to Cumberland County arts and culture nonprofit organizations, artists, and municipalities,” according to the Arts Council of Fayetteville website.

“Downtown Fayetteville has successfully reversed its image with a multitude of downtown revitalization projects that began in the early [1990s] and continue today,” according to VisitFayetteville.com.

Over the years, additions such as the Airborne and Special Operations Museum, N.C. Veterans Park, Fayetteville Area Transportation Museum, as well as Festival and Linear Parks, “have all contributed to the changing face of the downtown area,” VisitFayetteville.com says.

The 4th Friday events are a way to celebrate downtown Fayetteville and its diversity. These events are also the perfect way to welcome people to the city who might not otherwise venture
downtown.

The Cool Springs Downtown District hosts over 100 businesses and award-winning restaurants, nationally-renowned museums, a growing residential population, over $150 million in public and private investment over the course of two years and is being considered for the region’s newest performing arts center, a likely investment of over $40 million, according to the Cool Springs Downtown District’s website.

Typically, from March to October, the Cool Springs Downtown District hosts 4th Friday events to draw locals and visitors to the downtown area.
If you’re new to the area, or if you’re considering making your way down to this 4th Friday festival, Aug. 26 between 6 and 9 p.m., bear in mind that by this point in the summer season, the evenings are generally warm but not overbearing.

If you have questions, please check out Cool Springs Downtown District’s website at www.VisitDowntownFayetteville.com.

“Let it be known that he who wears the military order of the Purple Heart has given of his blood in the defense of his homeland and shall forever be revered by his fellow countrymen.”

With these words, George Washington created the order that established the Badge of Military Merit. Today, Americans know this prestigious honor as the Purple Heart.

The Purple Heart is the oldest military award still given today. It is an honor bestowed upon brave men and women who are wounded or killed in action by an enemy of the United States, including acts of terrorism. Over 1.8 million Purple Hearts have been awarded since the medal’s inception under Washington in 1782.

An estimated 476 Purple Heart recipients live in or around Fayetteville and Fort Bragg. On Aug. 20 they will be honored for their bravery in service at the 2022 Sandhills Purple Heart Dinner. The formal dinner will take place at the Crown Coliseum Expo Center beginning at 5 p.m.

As the only one of its kind in Cumberland County, the Sandhills Purple Heart Dinner is meant to publicly honor the sacrifice of Purple Heart recipients and their families. Also honored will be Gold Star Mothers, mothers whose active-duty children have been killed in action, as well as families of service members who’ve been killed in combat. Considering the large military population in Cumberland County, the dinner honors nearly 90 Purple Heart recipients at the event annually.

Fort Bragg has the unique distinction of being not only the largest military base in the United States but in the world. Home to over 50,000 active-duty troops, Fort Bragg, established as Camp Bragg in 1918, is a city with a rich history and even more heart. Perhaps more impressive than Fort Bragg’s remarkable size and formidable military presence is its large veteran population. While nationwide, veterans represent a little over 7% of the population, around 17% of adults in the Fayetteville area have a military background.

Up & Coming Weekly spoke with Andrea Tebbe and Chris Pearce, chairperson, and vice-chair of the Sandhills Purple Heart Dinner. Tebbe is a veteran, and a military spouse. She and Pearce, whose husband is a two-time Purple Heart recipient, both feel their involvement with the event is an opportunity to give back to a community that is often underserved.

“My father and father-in-law are Purple Heart recipients,” Tebbe shared. “I became involved so I could honor those before me; men and women who are true heroes in every sense of the word.”

Pearce sees the dinner as an opportunity to educate civilians about the Purple Heart and what a prestigious honor it is. After canceling the dinner in 2020, and a small turnout due to
COVID precautions last year, Tebbe hopes this year’s event will be “bigger and better” than ever.

“Interest varies a little from year to year, but the pandemic hurt our momentum. I’ve seen a slight decrease, but I’m hoping attendance picks back up,” she said.

The dinner is open to all Purple Heart recipients and their families and civilians who wish to come and pay their respect to the brave men and women the event will honor. Pearce and Tebbe see the inclusion of civilians as an important component of the dinner as so many older veterans, those who served in WWII, Korea and Vietnam, are dying. Stories of their brave service to their country could be lost with their passing.

“It’s an important event to be a part of,” Tebbe expressed. “We’re losing so many of our veterans every day, especially Vietnam vets. For many, this is the first welcome home that they’ve had. So many of our Vietnam vets were not honored when they returned, and this is our way of saying thank you to them for their sacrifice and their service. People should come and engage with this community.”

Pearce shared an equal sentiment: “I think this is an important event so people can recognize our veterans and their work. They so often don’t get the recognition they deserve.”

With that in mind, the Sandhills Purple Heart Dinner is designed so its honorees are kept firmly in place as the center of attention during the three-hour event. During the ceremony, there will be no guest speakers to ensure every moment is filled with those present, those remembered and those forgotten.

Local high school JROTC will hold their sabers aloft as Purple Heart recipients pass through during an honor walk. The Missing Man table, a symbolic gesture of remembrance those affiliated with the military know all too well, will also be present to pay silent tribute to the unknown fate of those missing in action.

Though it is a solemn event, it’s also a time of celebration. Each Purple Heart recipient and Gold Star Mother will receive a surprise gift as a token of appreciation to be presented by Francis Figueroa, Department Commander of the Military Order of Purple Heart and fellow Purple Heart recipient. Also, the Cross Creek Chordsmen, a local acapella group, will be in attendance to lead the crowd in boisterous military songs.

During the dinner, Purple Heart recipients will be seated with civilians. Hence, they have an opportunity to share their stories with a new audience — a practice Tebbe would like to see more.

“I think anytime you’re in contact with a veteran, there should be a thank you,” she said candidly. “I think people need to recognize and be grateful for all that veterans have done.”

Tebbe would also like to see that gratitude paired with action, particularly concerning volunteering for events like this. The planning for an event of this size and visibility takes place over the course of months, beginning in January for the August dinner.

“We’re always looking for more people to volunteer,” she said. “We could use help with planning and definitely on the day of. For me, it’s my way of giving back and saying thank you.”

All Purple Heart recipients and Gold Star Mothers are entitled to a complimentary ticket for themselves and one guest. Additionally, the organization will give one ticket to a guest representing an individual killed in action.

Tickets for all other attendees are $25 a person.

The Crown Coliseum Expo Center is located at 1960 Coliseum Drive in Fayetteville.
For tickets, information or to volunteer visit https://www.sandhillsphdinner.com/ or reach out to Andrea Tebbe at 910-286-6068.

As summer events trickle from the family calendar and Cumberland County trudges toward another school year, Sweet Valley Ranch has just the thing to send families out in style.
Just a “hop, skip and a jump from city limits,” Sweet Valley Ranch is the place to be Saturday, Aug. 20, for their Music at the Farm Concert Series. The venue’s second concert this summer season will feature Tim Hair with Indian Outlaw, followed by Jim Quick and the Coastline Band.

The sprawling 300-acre farm, owned and operated by Fred and Anita Surgeon, is already home to a number of fascinating attractions such as Dinosaur World, an immersive animatronic dinosaur sight-seeing adventure, and a premiere destination for agro-tourism enthusiasts. Inspired by the long days of summer, the Surgeons felt the farm with its beautiful views and peaceful scenery would be the perfect background for some good music.

The event’s organizer, local musician Greg Adair, feels the farm’s rustic charm and wealth of activities make it an ideal place for families to come together and have a little fun before the summer ends. In June, the series’ first concert featured local favorite Rivermist and 80s cover band Kids in America. Oct. 15 will mark the concert series’ final show with performances by Hell is Here and Mostley Crue.

Guests are encouraged to bring their blankets to lay out or their camping chairs to set up during the concert. No outside food or drink is permitted, but a food and beverage truck will be on-site to sell refreshments. Adult guests can grab a drink from the beer garden sponsored by Healy Wholesale, and kids can check out the bounce houses nearby.

“It’s a really cool venue and a great place to walk around,” Adair said. “It’s a special place to take the whole family and see a show. The kids can get some food, adults can get some refreshments — there’s just so much to do, and people should expect some great music.”

Dinosaur World, a popular attraction at the ranch, will be open for its final weekend of the season on Aug. 20 and 21. As part of a farewell bundle, guests can purchase a Dinosaur World Supreme Concert package which includes general admission to the theme park and the concert. Individual general admission tickets cost $15.

Tim Hair & Indian Outlaw will take the stage at 7 p.m., and the band’s lead singer, Tim Hair, is excited to bring the band’s energy to Sweet Valley Ranch. Hair, a former Vegas entertainer and Tim McGraw impersonator, has been in the entertainment business for over 20 years and confessed that it never gets old.

The seven-piece country cover band primarily performs a large selection of Tim McGraw’s greatest hits but likes to throw in a wild card or two during their high-energy performance. For Hair, bringing joy to people through his music is what it’s all about.

“I just love making people happy and making sure people have a good time. As long as I can make people smile, then that’s good for me,” he said.

At 8:15 p.m., Carolina Music Awards Entertainer of the Year Jim Quick and his band Coastline will rock the stage with the soulful blues and smooth rhythm and blues sound they’ve perfected over the past 25 years. Performing over 250 shows across the southeast a year, Jim Quick is a seasoned performer with a deep knowledge of his craft and a love of performing. His quirky persona and comedic flair are sure to be a treat for the Sweet Valley Ranch audience.

The concert series is one event in a summer that’s been packed with things to do. From the full return of Fay After 5, a concert series at Gates Four Golf & Country Club, and one of the largest Juneteenth celebrations in the country, it seems that Cumberland County is ready to celebrate the good times once again. After two years of COVID restrictions, cancellations and halted plans, Adair sees the series and similar events in the area as being much-needed and long overdue.

“I think [events like this are] super important,” Adair said candidly. “People need to get back out and live — 2020 taught us that. People should take advantage of these events when they’re in the area. There’s less and less to do as the weather changes, so now’s the time to get out there and have fun.”

Fun is clearly a top priority for Fred and Anita Surgeon, when it comes to operations at Sweet Valley Ranch, “where nature meets adventure.” Dedicated to bringing a holistic agricultural experience to the people of Cumberland County, the farm serves several functions, from production to entertainment.
In addition to Dinosaur World, the ranch hosts several seasonal attractions throughout the year. Those visiting during the spooky season can explore Backwoods Terror Ranch and its three horrifying attractions. Visitors can drive through the farm during the holiday season and experience the magic of over a million twinkling lights, holiday music and exotic livestock.

The farm also features over 350 animals representing five continents, Go-Karts, ATV trails, fishing ponds, and enough inflatables to make any kid feel right at home. Sweet Valley Ranch also produces pecans and other items for sale. With every aspect of the ranch curated to create maximum enjoyment for its guests, Sweet Valley Ranch more than lives up to its promise to “promote freedom of spirit, personal growth, appreciation for family, and giving back to the community.”

The picturesque ranch strives to be a place of peace, replenishment and rejuvenation for all who enter. The Sweet Valley Ranch Music at the Farm event is sure to be great fun for the whole family with good intentions paired with great local music, food, beer and dinosaurs.

Sweet Valley Ranch is located at 2990 Sunnyside School Road in the Cedar Creek area of Fayetteville.
To purchase tickets, visit, https://www.etix.com/ticket/e/1025578.

The fourth annual Lanning’s Lemonade and Colton’s Cookies fund-raiser is gearing up to be the biggest and best yet for the two youngsters whose mission in life is to help other children.
The two young entrepreneurs will hold their annual Lanning’s Lemonade and Colton’s Cookies fundraiser on Saturday, Aug. 20 from 11 a.m.
until 3 p.m. at the entrance to VanStory Hills.

Brothers Colton Walters, 8, and Lanning Kistler, 9, are raising money for their favorite charity: the Child Advocacy Center of Fayetteville. The Center provides counseling and support services for abused children.
Money raised before went to Missions of Hope International, which builds schools in Africa, and to the Boys & Girls Home of North Carolina.

Lanning started the fundraiser five years ago with a lemonade stand in his front yard. He decided to raise money for a good cause, and dad was all for it. Colton and his chewy M&M cookies joined the cause when the Kistlers became a blended family.

In the last several years, the boys decided to make the Child Advocacy Center the charity of their choice. Although COVID-19 halted the event in 2020, the boys in 2021 raised $2,575 for the Child Advocacy Center.

This year, the boys — with the help of mom and dad — went full throttle. They acquired sponsorships to raise even more money. Sponsors include Firehouse Subs, City Center Gallery and Books, The UPS Store, Maiden and Monsters Professional Face-Painting Services, Meraki Creative Services, and Sen. Kirk deViere and his wife, Jenny. More sponsors may be on the horizon.

The savvy fundraisers also used social media to earn more. They opened an online donation portal on Facebook, and as of mid-August earned $285.
It doesn't stop there.

“I came up with the idea to sell some of our original artwork during the fundraiser,” Colton said. “I love to draw. So, hopefully, we can make more money for the Child Advocacy Center.”

And Lanning also turned up the heat. He added a special ingredient to his lemonade.

“We decided to change our recipe a little bit this year, and it’s going to taste great,” Lanning said. “I can’t give out the secrets, though.”

But the highlight of this year’s event — other than Lanning’s lemonade and Colton’s cookies — will be a cornhole tournament that starts at 1 p.m. Teams consist of two people, and there’s a $75 registration fee. First place winners get $200, second place earns $100.

John Kistler said they researched fundraising. They learned most of the money from such activities usually comes from sponsorships.

“In the past, we have relied solely on individual community support and sales on the day of the event. We think this will really help to increase the amount of money that can be raised,” John Kistler said in an email to Up & Coming Weekly.

Kistler said the annual fundraising event is a way to get the boys involved in their community.
And, according to mom Jennifer, all the activities and preparations surrounding the event “brought us together as a blended family.”

“We will stay up really late on Friday night to make the lemonade and cookies,” said Colton.

“I hope a lot of people will come out on Saturday,” Lanning added.

Second Harvest Food Bank of Southeast North Carolina will be hosting three upcoming drive-thru food distribution events. Two of these events will be held in Cumberland County while the other one is set to take place in Harnett County.

The first distribution will be on Aug. 20 from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. at the Second Harvest Food Bank located at 406 Deep Creek Road, which is a few minutes from downtown Fayetteville. The second event will be at Alger B. Wilkins High School, 1429 Skibo Road on Aug. 24 from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. The final drive-thru food distribution taking place near Fayetteville will be in Spring Lake at the Anderson Creek Community Church, 2085 Ray Road on Aug. 27 from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m.

For each of these events, there is a maximum of two households served per vehicle. Anyone belonging to a family can participate and it's first come, first serve.
Since 1964, Action Pathway has been part of a national network of community action programs whose promise is to change people’s lives, embody the spirit of hope and improve communities. According to the Community Action Partnership, an initiative that is a part of the 1964 Economic Opportunity Act, the service areas of Community Action Agencies are independently operated, private human service non-profit organizations. Currently, more than 34 million residents in the United States rely on CAAs to be the primary direct-support agency to keep them on their feet.

The Second Harvest Food Bank was founded in 1982 as a program of Action Pathways. This non-profit organization provides food for people at risk of hunger in seven counties. Volunteers and employees serve a network of more than 260 partner agencies such as soup kitchens, food pantries, shelters and programs for children and adults through distribution centers in Bladen, Cumberland, Duplin, Harnett, Hoke, Robeson and Sampson counties. Currently, the Food Bank secures, stores and distributes more than 16 million pounds of food annually.

The food that Second Harvest Food Bank provides for the community is donated by major retailers, local wholesalers and warehouses, other food banks, as well as through food drives held by individuals, businesses, schools and civic organizations. Additional food, including fresh produce from small, local farms, is purchased for their programs. If available, the Second Harvest Food Bank also hands out dairy products like milk and yogurt.

The Feeding America network is the “boss” of the Second Harvest Food Bank of Southeast North Carolina. The contracted relationship these two companies share assures both financial and operational excellence. It also provides accountability through network training, site monitoring and the maintenance of substantial records conformity to established Federal and State safe food handling standards.

The Food Bank is consistently looking for volunteers who are all about helping others. They are currently looking for volunteers who can work on weekdays. School groups, offices or families can sign up for a day of giving back. To volunteer and to find out more information about Second Harvest Food Bank of Southeast North Carolina, visit www.hungercantwait.org.

On a recent Monday morning, about 50 people gathered at the Rogers & Breece Funeral Home Chapel on Ramsey Street. Many were some of Cumberland County's most well-known politicians. Regardless of political affiliations, they co-mingled, fist bumped, back slapped and spoke in hushed, amiable tones.

The gathering at the Chapel was not the traditional celebration of life that Rogers & Breece Funeral Home normally hosts. Instead, it was a celebration of the faithful service that Rogers & Breece Funeral Home has and still provides to the community.

Rogers & Breece Funeral Home is a family-owned business that has served families at their most vulnerable times for 124 years. They also contribute to many community charities.
The man behind the event was Larry Chason, a funeral assistant at Rogers & Breece Funeral Home. Chason said he “woke up one morning and thought we need to do something.”

“I just felt something needed to be done [to recognize them],” he said. “They have done an exceptional job serving this community. They've brought it up to another level.”

That something was to publicly recognize the Breece family for their dedicated service. He started by writing a letter to state Rep. Diane Wheatley, telling her of the funeral home's history and service to the community.
He also surprised the family by having a recognition program. He convinced them they needed to have a staff meeting that morning. It wasn't until they each arrived and saw the gathering that they realized something was happening.

History

In 1898, the United States fought a 112-day war with Spain, annexed Puerto Rico, and J.M. Rogers established and operated the Fayetteville funeral home. In 1926, Oscar P. Breece bought into the business. Rogers died in 1932 and his partner Breece bought the remaining business from Roger's widow, Florence.

In 1950, Robert W. “Bobby” Breece, Sr. graduated from college and joined the business. After his passing in December 2006, sons Corey and Robert took over. Corey is president, Robert is vice president, and sister Sharman Breece Craven serves as the company's secretary.

A Passion For Serving

Among the speakers at the appreciation ceremony was Fayetteville Mayor Mitch Colvin, who also owns a family-operated funeral home. He said his family has been in the funeral home business only about half the time compared to Rogers & Breece. Colvin said the Breece family “truly must have a passion” to serve their community and has been in business for 124 years.

Cumberland County Board of Commissioners Chairman Glenn Adams represented the county. But he said he also came as a friend. “I grew up with Corey Breece, we played sports against each other,” Adams said.
Adams said the 124 years Rogers & Breece has provided funeral services is a testament to the family's hard work ethic. Like Colvin, Adams presented a proclamation honoring the family.
Wheatley referred to the Breece family as friends. She gave the most emotional testimony.

“You helped me bury my mother, and you helped me bury my father. You helped me through the death of my daughter. You have been there for me. You made it easier. You made it truly a bearable situation,” she said.

Wheatley presented Robert and Corey each with a North Carolina State flag that had flown over the state legislative building. “It's a little thing I can do for you on behalf of the delegation,” she said.
Sen. Kirk deViere was among the local legislative delegation attending the program.

Others attending included Sheriff Ennis Wright and his chief deputy, Sheriff's Office Attorney Ronnie Mitchell, Councilwoman Kathy Jensen, Chief Superior Court Judge Jim Ammons, Register of Deeds Lee Warren, and local civic leader and former state representative George Breece. Breece's father Wilbur Breece was a partner and worked at Rogers & Breece for 50 years.

There Was Never Any Doubt

There was never any doubt that Corey Breece Sr. would follow his father and grandfather into the funeral business.

“I never had any other thoughts. I worked there when I was 14 and 15 years old, mowing grass and digging graves,” Corey Breece said.

When he turned 16 and got his driver's license, Corey said his father would have him drive the limousine. Then he attended Fayetteville Technical Community College and got his funeral director's license.
Corey said to be successful in the business, you have to be willing to work. He works 26 days a month, 12 on and two off.

“It takes someone willing to work all the time, this is a 365-day a year business,” he said. “I've missed birthdays and [sons’] ballgames.” But he loves his profession. “I want to leave a successful legacy business for my family,” he said.

The funeral home employs about 20 people, including Corey's two sons: David and Corey Jr.
David is the general manager, responsible for most operations conducted by the funeral home. Corey Jr. handles outside maintenance, making sure the facilities are in good order and the Rogers & Breece Funeral Home landscaping looks immaculate.

As vice president, brother Robert Breece is the Senior Funeral Director. He works with family members who have lost a loved one, something Corey says he does very well.
But Robert wasn't sure about joining the family business right away after graduating from Central Carolina Community College. Robert said he loved sports, anything sports. He wanted to be a coach, a sports announcer, or even a recruiter.

But as family members operating the business got older, Robert felt the family needed him a little more.

“My family means more to me than anything,” he said.

He earned his funeral license at FTCC and followed his brother into the family business. He believes whole-heartedly in the family’s business motto: “Our family serving your family.”

“I tell everyone on our staff, it ain’t about us, it’s all about the family [of the deceased],” he said. “We are blessed with a very good staff.”

Robert believes everyone can become better; by providing more services to families at their most vulnerable time.
To become better, and take the business to another level, there must be changes and everyone must be on board. “Everybody on the same page with the same mission.”

Robert's son, Will, is also involved. His job takes him to the family-owned cemetery — Fayetteville Memorial Cemetery — on US 301.
His son and his nephews are the fourth generation who will lead the business in the future.

“We need the young heads, but they’ll need us old heads too. They can learn from us,” he said.

Cumberland County

Traditional Cumberland County Schools will start the school year on Monday, Aug. 29.
This school year has no uniform dress code due to supply chain and uniform availability issues. However, all students will be expected to wear school-appropriate attire, even if they opt not to wear school uniforms.

Waivers for universal free lunches are ending. Cumberland County Schools has opened the Free & Reduced Meal Application for the school year. Parents and guardians are urged to apply online by visiting www.LunchApplication.com. While all students throughout the district can still receive breakfast at no cost, students at non-Community Eligibility Provision schools must pay for meals or qualify for free lunch for the upcoming school year.

Families can visit the Cumberland County Schools Child Nutrition website to find more information about CEP schools, meal prices
and the Free & Reduced Meal Application.

Per state law, the parent/guardian enrolling a student for the first time in a North Carolina school must present proof of immunization and a current NC Health Assessment Transmittal Form within 30 days of the first day of school attendance. Students have until Sept. 27 to present required documentation.

There will be three immunization clinics on school campuses. They will be offering COVID vaccines as well as the required vaccines for those in Kidnergarten, seventh grade and seniors. The first will be on Sept. 6 at Mac Williams Middle School from 4 to 7 p.m. The second clinic will be at Douglas Byrd Middle School on Sept. 8 from 4 to 7 p.m. The final clinic is on Sept. 15 at Lewis Chapel Middle School from 4 to 7 p.m.

If students test positive for COVID-19, they must stay home for five days. Then, when they return to school, they will be required to wear a mask on days six through ten. Other than that, masking will be voluntary.
For students using school bus transportation, parents can download the app, Here Comes The Bus. The new system will allow parents to help get their children to the bus stop in a safe and timely manner and will enable them to see delays in real-time.

Fort Bragg

Students who attend schools on Fort Bragg will start on Monday, Aug. 22. Kindergarten students will begin on Tuesday, Aug. 23, and Pre-K students will start on Tuesday, Sept. 6.

The Department of Defense Education Activity will allow individual schools to determine if parents can enter the school and attend in-person open houses. DoDEA has also lifted the three- and six-foot physical distancing requirement. That means Physical Education classes will resume in the gym.

Supply lists are currently out for elementary schools at Fort Bragg. Those lists are available at https://www.dodea.edu/Americas/midAtlantic/FortBragg/supplies.cfm.
The free meals initiative funding expired in June. Therefore, students will pay for school meals this school year. Applications to apply for free or reduced-price meals are available at https://family.titank12.com/.

City Council member Mario Benavente may be new to City Council but is not new to local politics. Benavente has been active in Fayetteville’s issues since he returned to his hometown in 2018.

The 32-year-old was a founding member and former chairman of the Fayetteville Millennial Advisory Commission. He has also been a community activist championing for police reform. Benavente was selected to participate in the Department of Justice’s City-SPIRIT program to identify ways to repurpose the Market House earlier this year.

District 3 includes parts of Fort Bragg and the neighborhoods of Cottonade, Country Club North, Hillendale, Hillendale West, Kornbow, North Hills, Tiffany Pines, University Estates, University Hills and parts of Ponderosa.

The election for Benavente was close. He won only by six votes, and after a recount – requested by incumbent Antonio Jones — Benavente still came out on top.

“I think it went exactly according to plan, the landslide victory. I am, you know, just really grateful for all the friends and supporters who came out and put in hundreds of hours of work and knocked on thousands of doors over all this time,” he said.

The new council member plans to represent District 3’s residents like how a lawyer represents his clients. This makes sense regarding Benavente’s law background. When it comes to contentious topics, Benavente plans to listen to his residents. He says District 3 is diverse but also has a lot of older residents. Residents who have been promised development in the past but have been left ignored.

“I'm here to be their attorney now in city hall, being the most zealous advocate I can be for all of our priorities to become realized,” Benavente said. “They need someone who has the energy and the time and the dedication to finally bring all these things together because they're such a committed, dedicated group of voters that it's easy to take advantage of or take for granted because they're never going to be so frustrated that they don't come to vote. They're never going to give up on the city. They're always going to be involved.”

One big topic Benavente plans to focus on is finding the right candidate for the next police chief. Fayetteville Police Chief Gina Hawkins will step down in January. The city manager with city council's approval will appoint the next chief.

“The biggest qualities I'm looking for in a police chief are they demonstrate able success in the community that they're coming from. If they're from outside of the community or if they're here, demonstrable success [in] things that they've tried to implement locally. It's not just your paper resume. I want to see your extracurriculars. I want to see what clubs you were involved in, what groups you were involved in,” Benavente said.

Benavente also wants to propose an independent civilian oversight committee in regards to the FPD. The current Community Police Advisory Board cannot subpoena records or interviews and can only recommend suggested changes to city council. The authority of the board is advisory only.

“The advisory board can tell the city council, ‘hey, maybe think about this’ and the council can ignore it essentially. And they've done that before with other boards. I've seen them do it,” Benavente said. “It was a mistake just to go with an advisory board because you don't want to placate this issue with the community that has real concerns about ensuring equal justice in Fayetteville.”

When considering which committees Benavente would like to work on, he tells Up & Coming Weekly that the Appointments Committee interests him
the most.

“That's the one that basically reviews all the applications that come in from citizens who want to volunteer to serve on these boards,” Benavente said. “I'm very much interested in being a part of that to make sure that fairness and equity happens on the Appointments Committee so that citizens would want to get involved in the city government and know that they're going to be... getting a fair shot to serve in a role because those boards and commissions are so crucial.”

The committees that council members are assigned to are decided by the mayor.

Outside of city council, Benavente hopes he can work as a community advocate by attending community watch meetings and working with organizations to bring much-needed resources to the area.

“When I go to the community watch meetings, they give us a list of what the majority of the calls were about that month. And in one community, there was a lot of domestic violence. And at that point, the police really can't do anything until something horrible happens. Why should we be waiting for that to happen before we as a community take action?”

Benavente says not everything needs a governmental solution, but rather have the community come together to solve a problem. In response to the domestic violence uptick in one of the neighborhoods, Benavente says there could be a block party where resources and organizations are available to anyone who may need it.

Other District 3 issues Benavente says he wants to tackle include finishing sidewalk projects, installing stoplights and finding a solution for the predatory realtor calls that are taking advantage of older citizens.

“We know development and investments are coming to this area, but we have to make sure that our communities are truly benefiting from it and not being ran out right here on the five-yard line, that they're losing their homes [and] are not be able to benefit,” Benavente said.

The next Fayetteville City Council meeting is scheduled for Monday, Aug. 22 at 7 p.m.

Winter is coming. I know it’s hard to fathom amid a hot, humid North Carolina summer, but it is. Across from our beautiful beaches, The Economist predicts “Europe’s Winter of Discontent.”
Disastrous public policies that increase dependence on unreliable energy sources and hostile foreign regimes have put the free world, including all of us here in North Carolina, in a perilous position. The Wall Street Journal warns, “People even in affluent countries are learning they can no longer take reliable electric power for granted.” If you live in Texas or California, you’ve seen it firsthand.

Not long ago, I worked in the energy policy space in Colorado, ground zero for some of the most absurd public policy surrounding energy. Climate alarmism has been a trendy accessory of the wealthy Aspen-Boulder-

Telluride après ski circuit for decades. Their money and influence changed the pragmatic political climate from purple to progressive green. In North Carolina, it would be the equivalent of having Asheville and Chapel Hill run the state.

The change in Colorado gave rise to Democrats like state Rep. Max Tyler, who successfully championed the doubling and tripling of the state’s original 10% renewable energy mandate. Tyler’s response to critics: “The sun will always shine for free, the winds will always blow for free, and our energy production will be cleaner. Renewable energy, green jobs, and a cleaner future — what’s not to like?”
Colorado ditched its 30% mandate a while ago in favor of 100% renewables by 2040. As a result, electric rates have skyrocketed. It’s an effective way to keep out the peasants.

What Tyler and other renewable zealots don’t tell you is that converting those sources to electricity is wildly expensive. In terms of reliability, the cost is even higher. It also puts us in a subservient position to China, which controls roughly 90% of the global market of rare earth elements needed to manufacture solar panels and wind turbines. To answer Max Tyler’s question — “what’s not to like?” A lot.

Gov. Roy Cooper and the environmental left want a similar path for North Carolina. They want zero carbon dioxide emissions from electricity generation, and they want to use industrial wind and utility-scale solar and batteries to meet that goal. Meanwhile, most ratepayers want affordable, reliable, abundant electricity to power their homes, businesses, hospitals, schools — their entire way of life.

Those objectives aren’t compatible. Anyone who tells you they are is lying.
In the words of energy analyst Mitch Rolling, “You can’t have a clean grid without hydro and nuclear. It’s never been done. You can have a clean grid without wind and solar.”

In its recently released scenarios to achieve zero carbon dioxide emissions, Duke Energy is attempting the impossible. The four different scenarios are heavy on wind, including offshore, along with solar, batteries, and eventually hydrogen.
Our latest report from the Center for Food, Power, and Life analyzed each scenario and found the cost will be $140 billion to $160 billion, more than $1,000 per year for residential customers. That’s the decision the Cooper-appointed North Carolina Utilities Commission will make soon on behalf of millions of Tar Heel ratepayers.

Because Duke is a regulated monopoly utility, North Carolinians will assume all the risk by paying hundreds of billions of dollars to build out unproven and unreliable technology. The NCUC sets a rate of return, usually around 9-10%, and Duke is allowed to privatize all the profit. Cooper will be out of office in 2024, long before the pain is fully felt.

Consider yourselves warned; winter is coming. We won’t be able to keep ourselves warm in January unless we insist to the NCUC and Duke to rely upon nuclear to achieve the General Assembly’s policy goal of zero carbon dioxide emissions by 2050.

Standing between North Carolinians and reliable power from nuclear are organizations like the Sierra Club and the Natural Resources Defense Council, the mega-churches of leftist environmentalism. They intentionally conflate clean, reliable nuclear power with nuclear weapons. They’ve filed their own plan heavy on unreliable wind and solar.

There is good news. Ratepayers have state law on their side. Last year’s H.B. 951 directed Duke to comply with a least-cost principle and maintain or improve upon the existing grid reliability when building out the utility’s zero-carbon generation plans. Our analysis shows that none of the regulated monopoly’s four plans maintains the spirit of the law.

It’s likely the same legislators who passed H.B. 951 will have to get involved again to ensure the NCUC and Duke comply with their wishes so ratepayers can expect reliable power at an affordable price.
No one can afford a nasty winter.

Every major program that has improved the lives of Americans over the past 100 years has been created by Democrats.

Read that sentence again. I know it’s a lot to take in, but it’s a fact.

Every major program that families like yours and mine have relied on to improve our health, education, and economic outcomes was proposed, planned, and passed by Democrats.
Social Security (1935)
GI Bill and VA Loans (1944)
Medicare and Medicaid (1965)
Pell Grants (1972)
Affordable Care Act (2010)
American Rescue Plan (2021)

Here’s another fact: not a single person reading this can raise their hand and say, “neither I nor my family has benefited from any of these.” If your family is like mine, you’ve likely benefited from many,
if not all, these programs.

Those monthly payments that started the month after your 62nd or 65th birthday, the ones that never miss a month, whether the economy is in expansion, recession or depression — Democrats instituted those after the Great Depression, so that seniors would be able to retire and enjoy that time of life, rather than working until the day they drop dead, which is how it used to be.
Those grants for low-and moderate-income families to send their kids to college were dreamed up by then-Democratic U.S. Senator Claiborne Pell, in response to the soaring cost of college and a realization that a college degree is a gateway to the middle class. Since its inception, 80 million Americans have received Pell grants.

Lyndon Johnson signed the Medicare and Medicaid Act into law as part of Democrats’ war on poverty and what a difference it’s made! Currently 145 million Americans are on Medicare or Medicaid - that’s 44% of the country! Nearly five million of those great Americans live right here in NC.

Since the Affordable Care Act passed in 2010, the rate of uninsured in the U.S. has fallen to its lowest level in history. A full 92% of Americans now have health insurance, due to Democrats’ vision for a nation where people could - gasp! - go to the doctor when they need to, instead of staying home, getting sicker, and dying earlier than they have to. Incredibly, that number would be even higher but for the 12 Republican-led states, including NC, that refuse to expand Medicaid benefits to their working poor.

On Aug. 7, the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 passed the U.S. Senate. It’s headed to the U.S. House next, where the Democrat so many people love to hate, Speaker Nancy Pelosi, will drag it across the finish line (likely without any Republican votes) and deliver it to President Joe Biden’s desk.
Once it goes into effect, it will cap the out-of-pocket costs for those on Medicare to $2,000 per year or $166 per month. That’s it. That’s all anyone on Medicare will pay out of pocket each year, no matter how much the medical bills actually are!

The original bill also included a $35 per month cap on insulin for the seven million Americans who need it and purchase it each month. Republicans in the US Senate (including NC’s Thom Tillis and Richard Burr) objected to that and voted it out of the bill. Now, even if the IRA becomes law, those on employer-sponsored insurance plans or who have private insurance will continue to pay between $350 and $1,000 each month for insulin. Remember, it could have been $35!

Friend, there has only been one party in this country, that, during the past 100 years, has looked at the national landscape and decided that the people’s government should work better for the people.

Only one party has seen the sick, the poor, the uneducated, and the elderly being left out or left behind and said, not on our watch.

Only one party has held fast to the novel yet noble idea, that hardworking taxpayers should see the real, material impact of those tax dollars on their quality of life. That has been the Democrats! And Republicans have opposed this progress every step of the way.

Despite the near-constant media narrative that the country is terribly polarized, with Democrats and Republicans split down the middle, I’d say that many if not most Americans favor Democratic values by a wide margin.

Don’t believe me? Let’s take a litmus test.

If you rely on a monthly social security payment, that’s an endorsement of Democratic policies. If you or your child are one of the more than six million Americans using a Pell grant to help fund your college education this year, then you actually like Democratic principles. If your 25-year-old remains on your health insurance, so that even though they’re unemployed they don’t have to be uninsured, then you probably feel really grateful for Obamacare. If you were able to purchase your home with a VA loan, then you too, are a champion of Democratic values.

In November, each voter has an important choice. There are many ways to frame that choice but at its root it comes down to a single decision — elect Democrats or elect Republicans.

The choice is yours, of course, but before I’d go into the ballot booth and elect a Republican, I’d thank my lucky stars that the voters who came before me didn’t do the same. If they had, many of the very programs we rely on for our healthcare, our children’s education, and our economic mobility wouldn’t exist today.

Editor's note: Sen. Ben Clark has served since 2013 in the NC Senate representing Cumberland and Hoke counties. He is 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.