Editor’s note:This story has been updated. A spokeswoman for the U.S. Army Special Operations Command is double-checking the location where the incident occurred.

A soldier assigned to the U.S. Army John F. Kennedy Special Warfare Center and School died Sunday after being struck by a vehicle on an interstate in Duplin County, the U.S. Army Special Operations Command said in a release.

The soldier, whose name was not released, was participating in a training exercise when he was identified as needing medical treatment, the release said.

Womack Army Medical Center, which had limited beds, made arrangements to send the soldier to the Naval Hospital at Camp Lejeune, the release said.

While en route to Camp Lejeune, the soldier exited the vehicle and was struck by oncoming traffic, the release said. He was pronounced dead at the scene.

The incident remains under investigation.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency on Wednesday released national drinking water health advisories for four PFAS chemicals including GenX, which has plagued private well water supplies near the Chemours plant off N.C. 87 at the Bladen and Cumberland County line.

The EPA release includes interim health advisories for PFOA and PFOS and final health advisories for GenX and PFBS.

The EPA lists the health advisory level for GenX chemicals of 10 parts per trillion, and for PFBS at 2,000 parts per trillion.

The EPA drinking water health advisory released Wednesday for GenX replaces the 2018 North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services provisional drinking water health goal of 140 parts per trillion.

GenX is the trade name for a chemical component of a larger collection of man-made chemicals known as per- and polyflouroalkyl substances or PFAS. Manufacturers use GenX, a replacement for some PFAS, to produce nonstick coatings, pizza boxes and a number of other consumer goods. GenX also can be a byproduct of some manufacturing processes.

For years, Chemours has discharged GenX into the Cape Fear River and the air. Groundwater and well testing revealed that Genx has contaminated the drinking water supply for much of Cumberland County’s Gray’s Creek community. Well contamination also has been discovered 25 miles from the Chemours plant, in an area between the towns of Falcon and Wade.

 The North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality obtained a consent order that requires Chemours to test private wells for PFAS if they are located within a certain distance of the plant or the Cape Fear River.

The order requires Chemours to provide whole-house filtration for private drinking water wells that contain concentrations of GenX greater than the recommended levels in the newly released health advisories. The N.C. Department of Environmental Quality also requires Chemours to keep affected residents informed about all of the available options for testing and filtration.
The DEQ estimates that more than 1,700 additional private well users are now eligible for whole house filtration systems or connection to a safe public water supply.

GenX and other PFAS have been associated with several types of cancer, liver disease, high cholesterol, low birth weight, immune system disorders and other diseases

The Cumberland County Board of Commissioners on Monday is scheduled to get the latest update on the EPA results as part of its regular monthly meeting. The county administration is keeping the affected population informed about the presence of GenX and any other compounds produced by Chemours that have leached into the Cape Fear River and nearby drinking water wells.

The board meets at 6:45 p.m. in Room 118 of the Judge E. Maurice Braswell Cumberland County Courthouse.

The board recently hired an engineering firm to complete an engineering report for extending water lines in the Gray’s Creek Water and Sewer District. The project is among the board’s top priorities and is funded in the fiscal 2023 budget. The county is working on extending water to two elementary schools and homeowners with contaminated drinking water wells and has unsuccessfully sought the Fayetteville Public Works Commission's inclusion in the project. PWC did participate in paying for the engineering study.

The EPA also invited states and U.S. territories to apply for $1 billion in Bipartisan Infrastructure Law grant money to fix PFAS and other drinking water contaminants. The $1 billion would be the first of $5 billion available in grant funding, specifically for small or disadvantaged communities.

A news release from the Southern Environmental Law Center said the EPA drinking water health advisories for GenX and other PFAS show the need for EPA and state agencies to enforce existing laws against polluters.

The inaugural Juneteenth Jubilee was a big success over the weekend for the city and its co-sponsor, the Cool Spring Downtown District, according to organizers of the celebration.
The jubilee was a first for Fayetteville tie-in to the federal holiday that commemorates the abolishment of slavery in the United States. It also was observed as a city holiday for the first time on Monday.
Bianca Shoneman, president and CEO of Cool Spring Downtown District, called the festival “absolutely” successful. She said feedback was overwhelmingly positive.

“We had two full days (with) … three different events,” she said.

“Many of the vendors that attended the Saturday event (reported) strong sales,” Shoneman said. “(They were) pleased with management and communication from the managing partner and in general had a good experience. Enjoyed the diversity of the music. Enjoyed the day as a whole, the spirit of it overall.”

An estimated 7,000 to 8,000 people attended Saturday’s part of the two-day jubilee at Festival Park. The entertainment included saxophonist Reggie Codrington of Fayetteville; the musically diverse Diwali Cissokho and Kaira Ba; the funk-based Fatback Band of Fayetteville; Americana singer-songwriter Amethyst Kiah; and hip-hop artist Morray, another native son who is perhaps best known for the song Quicksand from 2020.
Cumulus Media of Fayetteville oversaw Sunday’s Praise Party in the Park, which concluded with a performance by acclaimed gospel singer and minister Donnie McClurkin.

Early Monday afternoon, Shoneman said she had not yet spoken with a representative of the radio group.
Phone messages left Monday with Cumulus were not returned, but Fayetteville Mayor Mitch Colvin and City Councilman D.J. Haire both said they were told that a crowd of about 15,000 filled Festival Park for the Sunday proceedings.

“It was full,” Colvin said. “That’s what I was told.”

Last week, Shoneman had said she hoped Juneteenth Jubilee would draw about 10,000 people.

“I didn’t attend all of the events,” Colvin said Monday. “What I did attend, I was very impressed. It looked like people were enjoying themselves, and I think that was the intent of the council. I really went to Praise in the Park. It was very good.”

The mayor said he has no complaints.

“It really showed that the city of Fayetteville is diverse, and it also showed that entertainment is desired,” Colvin said. “I’m not aware of any major incidents down there. I think that was groundbreaking to show that we can have a lot of people in a space without any issues from different types of music.

“They had a really diverse selection of entertainment, from gospel to hip-hop to other,” he said. “And it was really enjoyed. They’re only scratching the surface. At the end of the day, it’s about bringing people downtown to spend money and have a good time.”

Like Colvin and Haire, Shoneman reported “zero” problems, including no arrests.

Haire, who attended the first day of the jubilee with his wife, said he thought the earlier part of Saturday's activities was “beautiful.”

“I think that Sunday was probably the best,” he said. “Sunday had a theme of history, so it kind of took you from one part of culture to another. For our first go-around, I think we did pretty good."

Haire said he received phone calls on Monday morning from people saying they thought the celebration was great.

“People from Moore County, just various folk from all over the city. We really enjoyed it,” said Haire. “Many people thought it was like integrating Juneteenth and Father’s Day. I think it was nice. Nothing but a plus.”
Shoneman said organizers encountered some production challenges throughout the day Saturday. Kiah, the Americana artist, appeared upset on stage as her band warmed up for its set. She was having problems with

sound and her amplified acoustic guitar. At one point, she could be heard saying to someone onstage, “Let’s just get it done.”

“It was the intent of the festival to hire locally owned, Black-owned businesses across the board,” Shoneman said. “Not only on stage was it Black-led talent, but there certainly was diversity onstage. We engaged a Black-owned production business, and we were very proud of that. If there was folly, it was to support the spirit of Juneteenth.”

The local celebration was put together in a matter of months by the downtown district staff members after the City Council requested that they come up with ideas for a Juneteenth celebration.
In early March, the council approved $141,000 for the roughly $160,000 festival.

On Jan. 10, the City Council voted to make Juneteenth a city holiday.

“One of the things I’ve been working on and I’m continuing to work on are quality-of-life things,” said Colvin. “What determines to make the community fun and enjoyable is always connected to entertainment. … This weekend was successful. I think we’ll continue to do that. That’s what makes communities. I talk to a lot of people – a lot of younger people – and they say they spend time in Raleigh and other places because they have things to do. We have a beautiful city.”

HOPE MILLS — The Hope Mills Board of Commissioners on Monday night voted to hold a public hearing in July on a temporary moratorium on some types of businesses while the town staff researches a proposed zoning overlay district.

Chancer F. McLaughlin, the town’s Planning and Economic Development director, appeared before the board to ask for the moratorium.

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.

McLaughlin said he wants to do more research into overlay districts, which are a way to help guide development. For the past 10 years, there have been some business uses the town has no interest in, McLaughlin said.

“A moratorium is a temporary halt by a government on business permits,” McLaughlin said, reading from a prepared statement.

”Why do we need one?” he asked. “Over the last year, staff have noticed a particular trend in businesses that can create an issue in saturation from economic development.”

“Without these types of checks and balances, citizens and towns are left open to transitions that are detrimental to the town’s growth,” McLaughlin said.

McLaughlin told the board he had received several calls from concerned businesses. Some board members said they also had been contacted.

Some new businesses expressed concerns that a moratorium would halt their planning. McLaughlin said a moratorium or an overlay district would not affect businesses that already have been approved. McLaughlin said a moratorium would only affect new establishments.

McLaughlin said he has started the research and discovered the town needs to have a public hearing in order to implement a moratorium.

The board decided to move its workshop scheduled for July 18 to Aug. 1 and voted to hold a public hearing on a proposed moratorium on July 18.
In a memo to the board that was included in the agenda packet, McLaughlin said the staff wants a six-month moratorium while they work to develop an overlay district.

The uses that staff would like included in the proposed moratorium include:
● Motor vehicle parts and accessory sales.
● Motor vehicle repair and/or body work.
● Motor vehicle rentals.
● Motor vehicle sales, new and used.
● Retail establishments that are primarily tied to smoke shops and vape establishments.

In other business, the board heard an update on the new public safety building from its architect, Scott Garner. Garner said the building has 40% of the interior painting done, 80% of the tile done and 90% of the plumbing done.

“We just need to set the fixtures,” he said.

Garner said the project is on track, and the building is expected to be occupied by October.

Garner also asked the board to approve the eighth change order for the building. The money would come from the contingency fund.

The biggest item on the list was $66,102 for the building's BDA system, Garner said. The BDA, or Bi-Directional Amplifier, enhances frequencies and gives a signal boost within the building allowing the police and fire personnel to use their required radios, phones and WiFi in the building, Garner told the board.

Commissioner Jerry Legge, who has builder experience, asked Garner why the project wasn’t turn-key.

Garner said there was no way to accommodate or plan for that type of expense using blueprints until the building got to that stage. Garner said this was needed and expected.

Also included in the change order was $9,775 for the removal of a modular trailer.

The trailer initially was going to be used later by the town, but town staff decided it was of no use and needed to be removed, Town Manager Scott Meszaros said. Several people told the staff they would haul it off but those plans fell through, he said.

The trailer has since been hauled away. Meszaros said the funding in the change order was a formality.

Commissioner Joanne Scarola said she would have liked more time to find a use for the trailer.

“We’re not going to use it, and now we have to pay to have it hauled off,” Scarola said.

The board voted 4-1 to approve the change order. Commissioners Bryan Marley, Kenjuana McCray, Grilley Mitchell and Scarola voted in favor of the change order. Legge voted in opposition.

When asked why he voted against the change order Legge said, “I’m tired of change orders. A contingency fund is good to have in case of an emergency. But when we do this over and over, someone didn’t do their homework.”

The Fayetteville Police Department is investigating a shooting Sunday morning on Danish Drive that left one man dead.

Police were dispatched at 11:38 a.m. to a reported shooting on the 800 block of Danish Drive.

Officers found a man who had been shot and performed CPR, but he was pronounced dead at the scene. Police on Sunday night identified the man as 32-year-old Marshall Parks of the 800 block of Danish Drive.

“The preliminary investigation revealed the shooting was the result of some type of disturbance between a male and female on scene that are known to each other,’’ police said in the release. “The shooting was not a random act of violence.’’

Police said a suspect is in custody, but no other information has been released.

Anyone with information regarding this case is asked to contact Detective J. Nevitt at 910-703-3499 or Crimestoppers at 910-483-TIPS (8477).

The Cumberland County Board of Commissioners agreed Monday night to approve a $510,000 incentives package for a national home construction company that says it plans to build a manufacturing plant in Fayetteville.

The move follows the Fayetteville City Council’s approval last week of a $317,000 incentives package for the same company.
Robert Van Geons, CEO and president of the Fayetteville-Cumberland Economic Development Corp., said the industry recruitment effort is code-named “Project Dogwood.” He said the proposed site for the 130,000-square-foot manufacturing plant is on Dunn Road, on vacant property across from the former MJ Soffe garment and apparel factory.

Van Geons said developing that site may cause a ripple effect and open the area to other industrial investments.
The county’s incentives will be paid over five years.

“To receive the incentives, they must produce jobs,” Van Geons said. “We don’t front anything in these agreements.”

The company would pay taxes and adhere to agreements that include creating 189 jobs by 2027, he said. The average annual wage would be $45,079, and the annual payroll would exceed $8.5 million. The unnamed manufacturer also would be required to invest $25 million in real-estate improvements.

Van Geons estimated the company will pay $210,000 in county taxes annually and $134,000 in city taxes.
No one spoke for or against the project during a public hearing held just before the board took action.
Commissioner Charles Evans made the motion to approve the incentives, and it was seconded by board Vice Chairwoman Toni Stewart. The vote was unanimous with Evans, Stewart, Jeannette Council and Chairman

Glenn Adams voting in favor of the project. Commissioners Larry Lancaster, Michael Boose and Jimmy Keefe were not present.

In other action:

The commissioners voted to incorporate the town of Spring Lake into the county’s recreation district. The town, which has its own recreation department, asked to be included.
Only one person spoke during a public hearing before the vote. Former Spring Lake Alderwoman Fredricka Sutherland asked the board to ensure Spring Lake would “have a seat at the table and a voice” on recreation issues. She expressed concern that low-income youths would not have easy access to recreation programs because fees have not been discussed.

Adams assured Sutherland that “at the end of the day,” Spring Lake residents would have more recreation programs and services without added taxes.

Also, the commissioners voted to use a portion of the county’s American Rescue Plan funds to pay incentives to help retain county employees.
The fiscal 2023 budget includes a 4% pay raise for county employees, but an 8.5% inflation rate has made it difficult to retain employees, according to Brian Haney, assistant county manager and interim human resources director.

Haney told the commissioners that private-sector employers and other government agencies with higher wage plans are constantly recruiting employees away from the county.

The county management staff recommended giving each employee $4,000 in incentives in fiscal 2023, which starts on July 1. Qualified employees would get $1,500 in the July 22 payroll, another $1,000 in December, and a final $1,500 in July 2023. Part-time employees would get a pro-rated share, Haney said.

Haney estimates the maximum cost would total roughly $8.176 million and includes retirement.
The county manager, county attorney and board clerk are not eligible for the incentive payments.

Stewart made a motion to approve the use of ARP funds for the first incentive in the July 22 payroll. The vote was unanimous.

Some people are asking if North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper might be the Democrats’ best presidential candidate in 2024.

Not likely, you say, Joe Biden is president. And every first-term Democratic president in modern times has run for reelection.

There have been no serious challenges for Democratic incumbents seeking their party nomination, with one exception. In 1980 Ted Kennedy challenged Jimmy Carter. Although Biden has not announced his candidacy, it would be fair to assume that he will run and will be the Democratic nominee. Even so, people are talking about other possibilities.

In an article titled “There Has to Be a Backup Plan” in the June 5 edition of New York magazine, Gabriel Debenedetti wrote about a gathering of the national Democratic Establishment held in North Carolina at Pinehurst in April. He called the attendees an “unsettled cross section of the Democratic Establishment.”

Debenedetti explained, “The lobbyists, donors, staffers and elected officials were gathering for the spring policy meeting of the Democratic Governors Association, and the scheduled sessions concerned such topics as health care and diversity in governance.”

But there was also talk about politics, including worried conversations about the midterm elections in November.
Conversations shifted from “grim-the midterms-to grimmer.” The grim refers to the prospects for this fall’s elections. The “grimmer” for them was “the state of the party's planning for 2024, when Biden will stand for reelection on the eve of his 82nd birthday.”

Although there was no serious question raised about Biden’s intention to be a candidate for reelection in 2024, some of those gathered in Pinehurst were “calculating contingencies: If Biden's health turned, or if his polling truly collapsed, which of the party's governors might step up and save them from electoral ruin-and the nightmare of a Trump comeback?”

“Roy Cooper — the conference's host, who had twice won North Carolina in the same years the swing state was carried by Donald Trump — was the most frequent topic of shadow-campaign chatter,” wrote Debenedetti.

Other governors were mentioned, too: Phil Murphy, from New Jersey; J. B. Pritzker, Illinois; Jared Polis, Colorado: Gavin Newsom, California; and Gretchen Whitmer, Michigan.
Bernie Sanders sent word that he also might be available for another run. And there are plenty more including Vice President Kamala Harris, Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg, Senators Amy Klobuchar, Corey Booker, Elizabeth Warren and California Rep. Ro Khanna. Many more are in the wings.

But Cooper has something the other possible contenders lack. He is a Southerner. And Democrats will remember that beginning with Harry Truman, and until Barack Obama, every winning Democratic presidential candidate, except John Kennedy, had a Southern connection: Harry Truman (1948), Lyndon Johnson (1964), Jimmy Carter (1976), and Bill Clinton (1992). Include Al Gore if you count his popular vote victory in 2000.

How do you explain their success? First, they learned to respond to the challenges in their states with pragmatic rather than doctrinaire solutions that did not frighten conservatives. Second, they learned to gain the support of Black voters and open doors with opportunities for them.

Democratic governors of southern states are a vanishing breed.

Two other Southern governors, John Bel Edwards of Louisiana and Andrew Beshear of Kentucky join Cooper in this small group. Like Cooper, they must work with Republican dominated legislatures. Edwards, has a progressive record, but because he signed a very restrictive abortion law he probably would lose the support of many Democrats.

Andy Beshear is up for a tough reelection battle in Kentucky in 2023, one that will almost certainly preclude his preparing for a presidential run.

Thus, if Biden is not a candidate for reelection in 2024 and the Democrats want to try their winning Southern governor formula again, they have one choice. Roy Cooper.

Solve the fictional mystery of Miss Veronica Falcone’s disappearance during the first event of the Sunset Series on Friday, June 17, at the Cape Fear Botanical Garden.

On August 26, 1947, Miss Falcone’s motorcycle was found crashed at the bottom of the river. Police found that a brake cable was deliberately cut, rendering the brakes useless.

There are five suspects who may be responsible for her death. Guests are invited to crack the cold case — and they can bring their dogs to help sniff out the killer.

The fictitious murder occurred in 1947, but attendees can use modern technology to gather clues and investigate the case.
The guest detectives will be able to scan a QR code to submit their findings online and receive instructions for the next phase of the investigation.

Prerecorded witness statements will be available for guests to view and use in solving the case.

The 1940s-themed event features music from the era playing throughout the garden. Guests should dress to impress because there will be a contest for the best throwback styles from that period in fashion.
Local dance instructor Molly Hamelin will teach guests how to get down with the lindy hop and jitterbug during swing dance lessons.

“We also got our hands on a 1949 Ford that will be a selfie spot, parked in the garden for visitors to take pictures with,” said Meghan Woolbright, Cape Fear Botanical Garden marketing coordinator.

To keep guest detectives from getting hungry on the job, the Jaz-N-Soul food truck will be on-site. Other vendors will be announced closer to the event.
This marks the third year for the Sunset Series, a public event and fundraiser for the garden.

Additional murder mystery events will be held on July 15 and August 19 from 5:30 to 9 p.m.
Dogs are allowed for the June 17 event only, but must be on a non-retractable leash. Guests should plan to pick up after their pets.

The event is free for Cape Fear Botanical Garden members and $10 plus tax for non-members. Masks are not required this year.
Visit www.capefearbg.org/event/the-sunset-series to learn more.

It will be a night of drinks, laughter, fun and PRIDE in downtown Fayetteville on Saturday, June 25.

Cool Spring Downtown District will host its inaugural Heyyy Gurl Hay Comedy Trolley featuring the comedic stylings of three fabulous North Carolina Queens: Amanda LaRouxx, Michelle Michaels and Aida Stratton.

Immediately following PRIDE in the Park, the comedy trolley will depart from Blue Moon Cafe at 7 p.m. Drinks will be permitted on board as the trolley makes its way through downtown.
Cool Spring Downtown’s Director of Marketing and Events, Lauren Falls, is excited about this event and notes that it speaks to the heart of Cool Spring’s mission to bring diversity and inclusivity to its events.

“The Cool Spring Downtown District’s mission is to not only create an arts and entertainment district but to promote an inclusive environment for our diverse community,” she explained. “Our downtown community will display their PRIDE flags, and next to the Cool Spring Downtown District’s office is a PRIDE photo station for all to enjoy.”
Up & Coming Weekly also spoke with Amanda LaRouxx and Michelle Michaels, and both shared their excitement for the upcoming event and their thoughts on the importance of LGBTQ visibility.

“We’ve been told to go all out,” joked current Miss NC PRIDE, Michelle Michaels. “I would definitely say this is an adults-only event.”

“Everyone and anyone who likes to have a good time should jump on the trolley,” echoed Amanda LaRouxx. “I want people to go home with sore abs from laughing so hard.”

With over 35 titles and over 30 years of performing experience between them, LaRouxx and Michaels shared their love of drag and the stage.

“I have been performing in drag for eight years,” LaRouxx said. “The one thing I love about drag is the transformation and the art form.”

Michaels, whose been performing as that character for nearly 25 years, shares a similar sentiment, saying, “The artistry is beautiful; nothing like seeing a dedicated performance and having it move you. I love the audience interaction and the emotional ties I can have with them.”

In its modern interpretation, PRIDE originated from riots (most notably, Stonewall) as people in the gay community fought for their rights and fair treatment from the government and police throughout the 1970s.

In keeping with the tradition of strength, pride and resilience, PRIDE marches turned into the global parades and celebrations more well-known today.

It is precisely due to the bitter roots and violent history of PRIDE that LaRouxx and Michaels feel empowered and responsible for holding up a legacy of visibility.

“Visibility is everything,” Michaels explained. “It’s PRIDE month, and we’re not celebrating who we sleep with. We celebrate our community becoming fuller than those before us. We celebrate the lowering of fear walking down a street, not being harassed or beaten up just by living. I celebrate the struggles and hard work of the generations before us who fought to make it a little freer.”

LaRouxx agrees, saying, “LGBTQ visibility is so important, to be able to show the diverse, inclusive community we have built. We want to let those who feel invisible know they are seen and heard.”
Ultimately, both performers want people to come out and have some laughs and a good time with one another.

Tickets for the event are $30 and include one adult beverage. This event is restricted to those 21 and older.
Blue Moon Care is located at 310 Hay St. in downtown Fayetteville.
Tickets can be purchased at www.eventbrite.com/e/heyyy-gurl-hay-comedy-trolley-tickets-346149461357.

For those who want to help celebrate Father’s Day at another level, look no further than The Dragon’s Lair. The local comic bookstore wants to highlight dads and celebrate them and their families.

“We’re going to have local artists, we’re going to have live entertainment and, of course, we’re going to have sales on comics and stuff that we have in the store,” Beatrice Jackson, the store manager, told Up & Coming Weekly. “We’ll have raffles, and there’s a Cool Dad T-shirt contest. So, there’s going to be quite a bit going on.”

The sales include 15% off bags, boards and the Spider-Man and Batman walls. Back issues will be buy-two-get-one-free, while kids’ comics will be buy-one-get-one-free.

There will also be grab bags, specifically for fathers who come to the event. Inside those bags will be free comics and items from the vendors at the event.

There will be live music throughout the event. Jammin' Jon Kiebon will kick off at 11:15 a.m. Richard Dixon Peacock takes the stage at 12:15 p.m. Mike Pennino will begin a performance at 1:15 p.m. The Kevin Regan Band will take over at 2:15 p.m. Finally, Fear State will close out the festival with its debut performance starting at 3:15 p.m.

In addition to the fun, the comic bookstore will be collecting donations for the Karen Chandler Trust, a local nonprofit. The Karen Chandler Trust helps support local cancer patients who are undergoing treatment. That support ranges from helping with car rides to treatments and doctor’s appointments to paying off utility bills, car payments, mortgages and rents. All proceeds from vendor fees will go toward the nonprofit.

“We kind of want to bring dads together on the day before Father’s Day and just have a really awesome time, but also raise money for the Karen Chandler Trust, which is a local organization that helps local cancer patients.

So, we’ll have a good time while also raising money for a really great cause,” Jackson said.

But of course, dads will still be the number one focus for the event. The Dragon’s Lair plans to do a “Best Dad Award” where people can submit nominations ahead of the event. Those details on how to submit have not been made public yet but will be available on the Dragon’s Lair Facebook page at www.facebook.com/Dragonslairfayetteville.

Dragon’s Lair Comics has been a part of the Fayetteville community for over 40 years and has often given back to local nonprofits and causes at many of their events.

The Father's Day Fest will take place on June 18, beginning at 10 a.m. and will end around 5 p.m. The comic bookstore is located at 6243 Yadkin Road.

Dinosaurs will be taking over the Crown Complex from June 17 through 19. Jurassic Quest, the “biggest and best dinosaur show in the land,” comes to Fayetteville with a full range of prehistoric creatures for all ages.
Jurassic Quest’s website states they have full-sized dinosaurs throughout the exhibit, including a tyrannosaurus rex, a 50-foot megalodon and a spinosaurus. Guests can also interact with several juvenile dinosaurs running around the tour.

Kids can ride triceratops, play in one of the many inflatables or create crafts. A dino dig is set up for those wishing to try their hand at being a paleontologist. Baby dinosaurs are also a popular attraction, according to the Jurassic Quest website. Guests can hold the baby dinos and take photos with them.

Jurassic Quest is a self-guided, interactive tour. According to the website, it takes one to two hours to fully enjoy the whole experience. There are two types of tickets for kids. The standard ticket includes exploring the exhibit, arts and crafts and a walking dinosaur show. All rides and bouncy houses would require additional purchases of activity tickets. An unlimited ticket gives children access to all the rides and attractions within the exhibit without any extra cost. Adult tickets only come in standard, as many of the rides are built for kids only. Kids’ tickets are for ages 2 to 12.

Tickets cost $25.50 for a kids’ standard and $40.50 for a kids’ unlimited. Adult tickets are $25.50. Military, police and first responders can get a discount on their tickets. Tickets are available for Friday, Saturday and Sunday, and time slots have to be reserved. Tickets may be sold at the door, but the website recommends purchasing in advance and booking a time slot online.

Attendees can also add on quest packs as part of the Jurassic Quest experience. The quest packs range from the more basic Explorer Quest Pack to the more filled Trainer Quest Pack. These packs are purchased with tickets and include dinosaur-themed souvenirs and arts and crafts. Each pack contains dinosaur surprises. Visitors to the event can pick up their Quest Packs when they check-in for their tour.

For more information about Jurassic Quest, visit https://www.jurassicquest.com/. For tickets and more information about the Crown Complex, visit https://www.crowncomplexnc.com/events/detail/jurassic-quest-2.

The Fayetteville History Museum in downtown Fayetteville is offering walking tours every third Monday of the month, beginning at 1 p.m.

The walking tours meander through downtown Fayetteville and the Cool Spring area, with a historian from the museum talking about the historical places the tour encounters along the way. They are free for all to attend.
The Fayetteville History Museum, like most other museums in the area, is closed on Mondays. Historic Properties Supervisor for the museum, Heidi Bleazey, enjoys the opportunity to offer something to the community on those days the museum is closed.

“We’re here working on Mondays, and sometimes we see folks come to the doors, peek in. This is going to be something to offer those folks and gives Mondays a chance for us to come alive,” she said.
The tours start right in front of the museum, with a discussion of the architecture of the building. The Romanesque Revival-style building was built in 1890 and was formally the Cape Fear and Yadkin Valley Railroad depot. The tour then continues through one of the various archways found in downtown Fayetteville and onto Hay Street.

“We are able to highlight things from all time periods and talk about some of the people who have been a part of our downtown story,” Bleazey said. “We walk by Capitol Encore Academy and talk about Jacob Stein coming here in the early days of the 20th century. He was a Jewish merchant and formed that very famous and wonderful department store, the Capitol, in our downtown.”

Tour attendees can step into the shoes of a fictional character, John Warwick from Charles Chesnutt’s “House Behind the Cedars,” as they walk through the streets of downtown Fayetteville. The tour focuses on the State House and Market House before continuing to Liberty Point. A stop is made at the LaFayette statue at Cross Creek Park, which is right next to First Presbyterian Church.

“Sometimes we lollygag so that the 2 p.m bells are going off as we are there,” Bleazey said.
Occasionally, the tour will go down Maiden Lane, by the Cumberland County Public Library and Segra Stadium, where the guide discusses the history of baseball in Fayetteville.

“If we are bold and daring and the sun isn’t too scorching, we can head to Cool Springs Tavern on North Cool Springs Street,” said Bleazey.
The next tour will take place on June 20, and that, Bleazey said, is a very special day in Fayetteville history.

“June 20 falls on a very historic day in our community’s history. The Cumberland Association, or the Liberty Point Resolve, is a document that 55 patriots signed here near the acute intersection of Bow and Person Streets,” she said. “In 1755, there was a tavern there, and 55 patriots signed a document pledging their lives and honor in defense of liberty. That document, then known as the Cumberland Association, now known as the Liberty Point Resolves, was an early document of independence in our city’s history, our state’s history and our nation’s history.”

Those interested in attending the tours don’t have to pre-register, although Bleazey said the museum does like a head’s up for larger groups coming together. If rain is in the forecast, the museum staff still tries to provide something for those who wish to learn more about history in the area. If it’s light rain, the tour will continue. On very rainy days in the past, the staff has set up a power point and given a virtual walking tour. Bleazey suggests bringing a hat, sunscreen and umbrella for the tour.

The museum plans to continue offering tours throughout the fall and may even conduct them during the winter months.

“We are happy and excited to share and answer questions, point out things that even local residents, long-time residents, who haven’t put two and two together, may have driven past a bajillion times and not really put connections together,” said Bleazey. “I think it’s an exciting thing downtown; I’m glad we can offer it for free and have something on a day when normally we have been closed to the public.”

For more information about the Fayetteville History Museum, visit https://www.fcpr.us/facilities/museums/fayetteville-area-transportation-and-local-history-museum.

As prices soar across the country, tips on cutting costs when and wherever possible have become valuable information.

With that in mind, Fayetteville's Public Works Commission is hosting its Power and Water Conservation Expo at Skyview on Hay, Friday, June 24.

The Expo is a symposium dedicated to giving citizens "the power to save" through helpful tips, demonstrations, a panel of experts and giveaways.
Though this is the Expo's eighth year, it is the first in-person meeting since 2019 due to COVID-19 precautions. The event coincides with downtown Fayetteville's 4th Friday event to take advantage of the built-in audience and capitalize on an opportunity to reach as many people as possible.

Open from 10 a.m. until 9 p.m. to ensure everyone, no matter their schedule, can come to learn about the many ways to conserve energy and save money — the Expo speaks to the service provider's desire to educate and empower their customers.

"We wanted to create an event that could highlight our services as well as give information and tools designed to help people save," said Carolyn Justice-Hinson, PWC's communications and community relations officer.

"We have so many helpful programs that people just don't know about."
Stating that most people don't think about their utilities until the bill comes in the mail, she sees the Expo as an essential educational tool. She hopes it offers some perspective on what it takes to run a reliable utility service.

For nearly 12 hours, the Expo will offer no shortage of opportunities for people to ask questions and learn the ins and outs of services necessary for day-to-day life.
The Expo will feature PWC linemen there to discuss power outages, customer service reps will be available to answer billing questions, and specialists will offer demonstrations on new features of the service, such as the Online Energy Resource Center tool.

Those in attendance can look forward to a few giveaways with prizes that stay on message. Spray nozzles and washers that help conserve water inside their water hoses to LED lightbulbs are just a few goodies people can expect.

Whether a customer of PWC or some other utility provider, Justice-Hinson feels the importance of energy conservation and how to save money is something from which everyone can benefit and therefore encourages everyone to stop by and learn what they can.

"We hope as many customers come as possible, but utility usage is universal, and conservation is valuable for everybody."
And as for the best way to save on those utility bills, Justice-Hinson told Up & Coming Weekly that it doesn't take much.

"These days, saving everywhere you can is so important. You don't have to make huge adjustments to save money. That's what's great about this Expo; you can pick up practical tips to manage the cost of electricity and water. We hope people will take the time to come out and learn and ultimately save."

This event is free and open to the public. Skyview is located at 121 Hay St. in downtown Fayetteville.

For more information, visit https://fb.me/e/2xiTfdyzQ.

Fayetteville Area Habitat For Humanity will host its Framing the Future event at Sweet Valley Ranch on Sunday, June 26, from 4 to 7 p.m.

The "Kool in Khaki" themed event will feature live musical performances by the Throwback Collaboration Band, a barbecue chicken dinner provided by Mountaire Farms, and door prizes from local businesses.
While the event's primary goal is to raise funds for ongoing and future Fayetteville Area Habitat for Humanity projects, current CEO Ron Gunter very much sees it as a celebration. A celebration of all things accomplished and the accomplishments yet to come.

Gunter also sees this event as an opportunity to say goodbye before his retirement at the end of June.

Gunter, who came out of retirement to act as CEO in 2019, reflects fondly on his time with the organization and is very excited about things to come.

"I love what we do here, our mission, and what we're about," he told Up & Coming Weekly. "We have a great, passionate staff and we're very team-oriented. Together we've built over 55 homes, completed over 100 repairs, and we're excited about what we've done and the possibilities of the future."

Gunter takes his exit at a time of tremendous transition within the organization. Brandon Price, current advocacy and compliance officer and recent law school graduate, is poised to take over as CEO starting July 1.

Additionally, Fayetteville Area Habitat for Humanity's geographic service area has expanded to include Cumberland, Robeson, Columbus, Sampson and Bladen Counties, making it the largest land mass affiliate in North Carolina. Gunter is especially thrilled with the inclusion of Robeson and Columbus counties as neither has had the support of a Habitat for Humanity Affiliate before.

In addition to recognizing the exciting new developments on the horizon, Framing the Future will reflect on one of the organization's most significant accomplishments, the completion of Oakridge Estates.

Oakridge Estates, located off Old Bunce Road in Fayetteville, comprises 47 homes, nine of which have veteran homeowners, and 15 will house those displaced by hurricanes. The project, which broke ground in the summer of 2019, is expected to be completed by the end of June. Currently, every home in the subdivision is occupied, except for four still under construction.

For Gunter, the immense pride he has for the project and the people who made it happen is immeasurable.

"We did this in a remarkable amount of time. Prior to 2019, with hurricanes Sandy and Matthew, almost all of our work was repair work. We've built three homes in Cumberland, Sampson and Bladen County in the last three years — no other new homes were built during that time. To turn that around and build 55 homes in three years, we're very excited to keep that pace and build more homes for families in need."

To that end, Gunter spoke of a need for more community outreach as the need for safe and affordable housing becomes greater.

"Single-family housing is our specialty," he explained. "The City of Fayetteville has been a wonderful partner, and we work with churches, several panhellenic organizations and service groups."

Despite high visibility on a global scale, consistently reliable help is still sometimes difficult to come by and is vital in completing these projects, according to Gunter.

"We want people to know and realize Habitat is here and involved, and it cannot do what it does alone. We need the community to volunteer, donate and understand that building a whole house takes a lot of time," he explained. "As a brand, we're very well known, but we still need help to create change and affect change in the lives of people in the community. We need more people that will come work alongside us — lots of people are necessary to help make the changes we need to make, and together we can make a difference."

The Framing the Future event is free and open to the public. Still, April De Leon, Director of Marketing for Fayetteville Area Habitat For Humanity, hopes to attract people who want to get involved with the organization.

"We're hoping to see county leaders and create potential volunteer partnerships. All of our staff will be there to answer questions about donations, volunteering, and all the ways available to get involved," she said.

Gunter also hopes the fundraiser will bring awareness to what exactly Habitat for Humanity is and what it isn't.

"There is a lot of Habitat for Humanity misinformation out there," he said. "We don't just give homes away. Our homeowners have a mortgage, and we're the underwriters, the builders and the mortgage-holders. Habitat homeowners put 300 hours of sweat equity into their homes. Most are first-time homeowners, so 50 of those hours are spent in classes on budget building, property tax, insurance and the ins and outs of owning a home. Most people only see the front side, us building the homes, but we do all we can on the backside to keep the families in that home. Our goal is to help build generational wealth by putting them in a safe, high-energy-efficient home and will last their lifetime — something to leave their children."

For those interested in donating, there are several ways to do so outlined on the event's website. People can donate items to the silent auction, sponsor a table or become a FAHFH partner.

From Friday, June 24, until Sunday, June 26, a portion of all sales at Sweet Valley Farm will be donated to Fayetteville Area Habitat For Humanity.

Another way to support the organization's efforts is shopping at the Fayetteville Area Habitat for Humanity ReStore. Proceeds from all sales go toward underwriting new homes.

Framing the Future is an opportunity for people to come out, eat good food, listen to good music and enter a conversation about what it means to be a good neighbor.

Sweet Valley Ranch is located at 2990 Sunnyside School Road in Fayetteville.

This event is free and open to the public, but an RSVP is required. To RSVP, visit the FAHFH website at www.fayettevillenchabitat.org/.

Following the attacks of September 11, 2001, a 12-man team of U.S. Army Green Berets inserted deep in northern Afghanistan to aid local partisans in their unconventional war against the Taliban.

Working with officers from the CIA, the Special Forces soldiers helped raise an army of some 5,000 Afghans, in a campaign across some of the most inhospitable terrain in the world.
Over a course of two months, the Green Berets advised Afghan commanders and directed a massive air campaign to rout the Taliban from power. It was the most successful unconventional warfare campaign in modern history.

The Americans were dubbed “The Horse Soldiers” by western media reporting on their triumphs. The team’s exploits have been portrayed in the Hollywood movie “12 Strong,” the Emmy-nominated documentary “Legion of Brothers” and various books and monographs.

A monument to their honor, “America’s Response Monument,” was erected at Ground Zero in New York City, where it is viewed by thousands daily.
The newly published book, “Swords of Lightning,” is their story, told from their point of view for the first time, with never-before revealed details and insights of the campaign, their struggles, and how close they came to failure and death.

This story, as written by the Horse Soldiers, has never been told directly by the men who shared the experience first-hand. It has been dubbed a must read for all interested in history and war.

On June 15, from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. the public is invited to hear their story and enjoy a Horse Soldier® Bourbon tasting and specialty cocktails at a fundraising event hosted by the Airborne & Special Operations Museum Foundation at the U.S. Army Airborne and Special Operations Museum. Admission to this special event includes a presentation by Operational Detachment Alpha-595 team members Mark Nutsch and Bob Pennington, along with author Jim DeFelice, and a signed copy of “Swords of Lightning.”

Mark Nutsch, a former U.S. Army Special Forces Major, is a Kansas native. Nutsch served for 24 years in the Army, as an infantry, 75th Ranger Regiment and Special Forces officer with unique combat and leadership experiences. As America’s response to the attacks of 9/11, then-Capt. Nutsch led one of the first “Task Force Dagger” combined teams of CIA, Special Forces A-team (ODA-595), and Combat Controllers into northern Afghanistan.

Advising the armed resistance leadership against the Taliban and al Qaeda they spearheaded unprecedented Unconventional Warfare operations, while mounted horseback. The “Campaign for Mazar-e Sharif” resulted in the liberation of six northern Afghanistan provinces within weeks. Recognized as the catalyst for the collapse of the Taliban regime and expanded pursuit of al Qaeda terrorists. He is currently involved in efforts to evacuate American citizens and his team’s Afghan allies, aiding their resettlement.

Featured in various books, museums and as a guest speaker. Nutsch, his wife, and the ODA-595 team are featured in the Emmy-nominated documentary film “Legion of Brothers.” Nutsch is portrayed by actor Chris Hemsworth in the feature film by Jerry Bruckheimer Studios entitled “12 Strong.”

Bob Pennington, a retired senior warrant officer, served in the Army for thirty-plus years and is a Georgia native. Pennington commanded Green Berets in combat and trained candidates attending the Special Forces Qualification Course.

Pennington has written military doctrine, as well as lectured and consulted on film, books and military monographs. He was recently inducted as a Distinguished Member of the Special Forces Regiment and the Georgia Military Veterans’ Hall of Fame. He is the recipient of many combat and peacetime awards, to include the Legion of Merit, Bronze Star Medal with Valor Device and two oak leaf clusters. Pennington is a recipient of the 2018 MG Shachnow Award (special recognition for combat actions), and the 2014 Bronze Order of Saint Philip Neri (20 plus years outstanding achievement in Special Forces). He also received a Special Commendation from the Governor of Georgia and honored through a State Resolution by the Georgia House of Representatives for his military service. He is a lifelong member of the distinguished Office of Strategic Services Society.
Pennington, Nutsch and their business partners operate a nationally growing, whiskey distillery brand, Horse Soldier Bourbon at American Freedom Distillery, featuring their double gold award-winning Horse Soldier Bourbons.

Jim DeFelice is author or co-author of 16 New York Times bestselling books, including “American Sniper” and “Everyman a Hero.” He has written over 50 fiction and non-fiction books. Among his recent nonfiction works are “Every Man a Hero”, a memoir based on the World War II service of combat medic Ray Lambert. The book won the 2019 Army Historical Foundation Distinguished Writing Award. An international blockbuster with over 5 million sales, “American Sniper” (2012) detailed the life and service of Navy SEAL Chris Kyle. Made into a record-breaking blockbuster movie of the same name in 2015 starring Bradley Cooper and directed by Clint Eastwood. “Sniper” was followed by two more New York Times best-selling nonfiction works, and a limited television series movie based on “American Wife” (2015) with Taya Kyle is under development in Hollywood with DeFelice as a consulting producer. His work in video games includes “Afro Samurai: Revenge of Kuma” and “Ace Combat: Assault Horizon,” the number one selling air-combat franchise in the world. A winner of the Army Historical Foundation Award for his writing, he lives in the Hudson Valley.

Tickets to the fundraiser are $75 per person/ $125 couple, and include a bourbon tasting, appetizers, presentation by members of ODA-595 and a signed copy of “Swords of Lightning,” while supplies last. The first 10 who reserve a spot will also receive a custom Horse Soldier® Bourbon glass.

For event and ticket information, contact the Airborne & Special Operations Museum Foundation office at 910-643-2778 or visit the event website at https://shop.asomf.org/whiskey-and-war-stories.

On Friday, June 17, the Public Works Commission will host its 17th Annual Public Works Art Exhibition. The event will be held from 6 to 9 p.m.

The self-proclaimed "biggest local art show" will be on display at The Arts Council of Fayetteville and will be an evening filled with much to see.
To celebrate 100 years of service, PWC teamed up with The Arts Council of Fayetteville|Cumberland County and became an official sponsor of their annual art show. This event, previously titled Public Exposure, was a part of the community before PWC's involvement in 2005. With a name change to Public Works, the event has become one of PWC's most valued endeavors.

The Public Arts Exhibition is the Arts Council's largest attended show each year, with as many as 200 pieces of art on display. According to PWC Communications and Community Relations Officer Carolyn Justice-Hinson, for PWC, each year continues to get bigger and better.

While some might question the pairing of a utility service and local art, Justice-Hinson feels it makes perfect sense.

"This event is a great celebration of art in our community because it's open to everyone — just like us," she explained. "We take the opportunity to be there on opening night, and we'll have information available on conservation, and we exhibit a few of our trucks and equipment. For us, it's a good tool for community outreach and education about some of our services.

Like so many other major events around the city, this summer is the first Public Works Art Exhibition since 2019 due to COVID-19 restrictions. The event, held downtown during the Juneteenth weekend, will feature art and artists of all ages, backgrounds and skill levels.

Justice-Hinson is excited to see new art and artists back up on the wall and is excited for them to share their work with the public.

"I love opening night," shared Justice-Hinson. "It's open to so many people, there are a lot of first-time artists, and that's my favorite part of it — to see the artist and their friends and families, standing by their work and sharing their inspirations. It's really gratifying."

The art on display is for sale at the artist's discretion and can at times cause a bit of a frenzy. Justice-Hinson recalls the entrepreneurial spirit of one young artist and his desire to sell his picture of a giraffe, drawn in crayon, for $35 to donate to his Boy Scout Troop. A bidding war ensued, and the little artist walked away with a hefty donation. In short, the PWC Art Exhibition is a place where anything can happen.

This year, the People's Choice Award for favorite art pieces will be online on the Arts Council of Fayetteville|Cumberland County website. Voting will stay open until July 23.
Justice-Hinson feels the show is for everyone, even those not normally inclined to think much about it.

"We have fabulous artists in this community who submit year after year, and you never know what to expect, but you always know it's going to be great. Even if you aren't really into art, people can find something with which to identify in this show. There will always be something that speaks to the times."

The PWC Art Exhibition opens Friday, June 17, and will run until Sunday, Aug. 20.

The Arts Council of Fayetteville|Cumberland County is located at 301 Hay Street in downtown Fayetteville. For more information, visit www.facebook.com/events/403683081667234 or www.wearethearts.com/exhibits.

City elections are coming up, and the Greater Fayetteville Chamber wants to make sure people are informed before voting.

Tonette Johnson, the events coordinator for the Chamber, says the forum was the idea of the Chamber's Government Relations Committee Chair Eva Houston-Henderson, Chamber member George Breece and the Chamber Board's Chairwoman Tammy Thurman. Johnson said the three partnered together to build this forum and help get the information out to the community about the candidates.

"It was just a seamless decision because we're so already heavily involved in what's going on in the community," Johnson said.

The Chamber has invited all the candidates for Mayor and the nine city council seats to the forum.

The Mayoral Candidates are Mitch Colvin and Freddie de la Cruz. The city council candidates up for election include Kathy Jensen, Alex Rodriquez, Shakeyla Ingram, Tyrone Williams, Antonio Jones, Mario Benavente, D.J. Haire, Thomas Greene, Derrick Thompson, Peter Pappas, Larry Wright, Brenda McNair, Yvonne Kinston, Deno Hondros, Johnny Dawkins, Frederick LaChance III, Courtney Banks-McLaughlin and Michael Pinkston.

Candidates will not take questions from the audience at the event. Instead, questions have been submitted ahead of time by Chamber members, business owners and community members and will be vetted before being asked.

"We're not playing any games. We want to get to know the candidates. We want to know their agenda, what their plans are for the community," Johnson said. "We wanted to make sure that the topics that needed to be touched on, that needed to be heard, and it is a wide range of topics. However, we just kept it to our community's growth and development."

Johnson said most of the questions would be directed at all the candidates, but some will be explicitly directed toward the mayoral candidates.

Gary Rogers from Beasley Media Group will be the Master of Ceremonies during the forum. Rogers is a board officer with the Chamber and is an Ambassador for the Greater Fayetteville Chamber of Commerce. He will direct questions to the candidates and keep people on topic.

The forum will not be live streamed. However, it will be recorded and broadcast at a later date.

Other media outlets will be present, including Up & Coming Weekly, CityView Today and The Fayetteville Observer.

The forum will take place at the Crown Coliseum Thursday, June 30.
Attendees are asked to enter the Crown Coliseum through the West VIP Entrance to get to the event venue.

The free event will also have a continental breakfast.

Reservations are not required to attend. Instead, it will be first-come, first-serve for seating and food. The event starts at 8 a.m. and is expected to end around 11 a.m.

Up & Coming Weekly has been recognized as one of the Best of the Best in the Association of Community Publishers for our entertainment columns, our front pages, best ad series and self-promotion.

The Association of Community Publishers announced on Wednesday, June 8, the winners of the 2022 Best of the Best awards.

Up & Coming Weekly column writer, Pitt Dickey, won second place for Best Original Column that entertains the reader.

Up & Coming Weekly’s former Art Director, Dylan Hooker, was key in the publication receiving 3rd Place for Best Front Page, 3rd Place for Self-Promotion, and an honorable mention for Best Ad Series.

"Winning National Newspaper Awards for local journalism, design, and proficient writing and reporting has always been an honor. It's our annual
barometer on how Up & Coming Weekly community newspaper stacks up against other national top-ranking community newspapers. It is also an opportunity for our local writers, editors, and designers to get the national recognition they deserve," Publisher Bill Bowman said.

The Association of Community Publishers represents community publications from coast to coast, reaching millions of homes on a weekly, biweekly or monthly basis.

These publications are united in providing the best advertising coverage to their clients and valuable advertising information to their strong and loyal readership base.

The former Spring Lake Finance Director was arrested, June 10, on charges of Embezzlement, Bank Fraud and Aggravated Identity Theft.

The federal indictment alleges that 63-year-old Gay Cameron Tucker embezzled more than $560,000 from the Town of Spring Lake during her tenure as finance director and accounting technician for the town. The indictment further alleges that Tucker carried out the embezzlement through fraudulent checks containing forged signatures of the mayor and town manager.

“City government officials are entrusted to spend taxpayer funds on public needs – not their own,” United States Attorney Michael Easley stated in the press release. “Our prosecutors and law enforcement partners are committed to vigorously investigating all allegations of public corruption.”

This arrest comes after the Office of the State Auditor released its final report into allegations of the misuse of funds in Spring Lake.

According to the indictment, approximately $148,000 in checks were made payable to “Gay C Tucker” or “Gay Tucker,” and roughly $177,000 in checks were made payable to “Heritage Place,” “Heritage House” or “Heritage.”

The audit report states that Heritage House was the nursing care home where Tucker’s husband was living. The report states that these checks were used to pay her husband’s monthly resident bills.
Approximately $240,000 in checks were made payable to “Bragg Mutual Federal Credit Union” or “BMFCU.” These checks were deposited to an account belonging to Tucker.

The indictment states that after receiving the town’s money into her bank account, Tucker used the funds for her interests. Those interests included rent, personal living expenses, cash withdrawals and money transfers to individuals.

Tucker has been released without bail.

She is being charged with one count of embezzlement from a Local Government Receiving Federal Funds, four counts of Bank Fraud, and two counts of Aggravated Identity Theft.

The maximum punishment for embezzlement is 10 years in prison. The maximum punishment for Bank Fraud is 30 years in prison. The maximum punishment for Aggravated Identity Theft is not less than, nor more than, two years in prison consecutive to any other sentence imposed.

The Fayetteville Police Department went to Puerto Rico for several days to recruit 25 new officers — costing the city more than $20,000.

The FPD, as well as many police agencies nearby, have several vacancies. This makes the job of current officers more difficult. Several incentives have been added to help attract potential recruits, including higher wages, signing bonuses, education incentives and relocation reimbursements.

The agency is also looking at other police departments to see if experienced officers would like a job with them. One place that is becoming a popular site for police recruitment is Puerto Rico. The FPD isn’t the only police agency to find recruits in Puerto Rico. The North Charleston Police Department in South Carolina has recently sworn in three out of ten incoming officers from the island as part of a partnership with the University of Puerto Rico.

According to Fayetteville Police Chief Gina Hawkins, the U.S. island territory’s pension system for its police officers does not compare with the retirement and benefits provided by the FPD. Last year, officers went on strike to demand a better public pension plan. The Puerto Rico Police Officers do not receive Social Security or health insurance upon retirement, obtaining only 30% to 40% of their salary.

Seven people from FPD flew to Puerto Rico on April 3. Those in attendance included Hawkins, Police Major Roberto Bryan Jr., Sgt. Gerald Poland Serrano, Sgt. Kendra Faire, Detective Brandy Bohannon, Detective Stephanie Berrios-Rivera, and Officer Asbel Torres. They left on April 7.

For FPD to travel to Puerto Rico, the tickets cost FPD $4,584.70. This cost did not include the $176.47 for the Main Cabin Extra seating, which is $25.21 for each person flying.
The recruiting event took place at Embassy Suites by Hilton San Juan Hotel & Casino. The FPD spent $5,352 for two conference rooms on April 4, April 5 and April 6. The hotel also charged FPD $4,084.80 for four rooms and $169.52 for parking.

$4,989.63 was spent at Publi-Inversiones Puerto Rico, the owner of the daily newspaper, El Vocero. It is a free Puerto Rican newspaper that is published in San Juan. FPD ran several advertisements from March 16 to April 5 in the El Vocero. The ad on Facebook received 537 reactions, 476 shares and 160 comments.

Other costs include a $258.04 visit to Walmart, an $86.73 visit to a grocery store, $75 to park at Raleigh-Durham International Airport, $130 in baggage receipts, and $620 in passenger receipts.

On April 4, there were three separate time slots for orientation. On April 5, there were two time-slots for the written and physical exams. On April 6, there were the interviews.

Applicants had to be at least 20.5 years of age, have a driver’s license, have an acceptable driving record, have a high school diploma, and be fluent in English. Those that passed the exams will have to travel to North Carolina to take the Police Officer Physical Abilities Test, the Computer Voice Stress Analyzer, the Medical and Psychological Testing and pass an interview with Hawkins.

Sixty people applied during the recruiting event. Hawkins told Up & Coming Weekly that 25 of those applicants passed the entry test. That means that the FPD, and the city, spent $825.07 to recruit one applicant from Puerto Rico.

However, Hawkins told Up & Coming Weekly that the recruiting event was worth it.

“What’s the cost of going without an officer?” she asked. “How much money is spent on overtime when we are short 50 officers?”

Up & Coming Weekly reached out to FPD about the price totals and when the recruits will be expected to start but have not received a reply at the time of publication.

Put on your walking shoes. Today we shall enjoy yet another stroll down the pot-holed-pocked Memory Lane.

It’s time to look at our old friend, the year 1972, who just turned 50 in January 2022. A decade here, a decade there, pretty soon, it adds up to some real time. Join Mr. Peabody and his boy Sherman in the Way Back Machine to see what was happening just one short half-century ago.

At least one of my readers will be able to recall 1972 from personal experience. If the other reader can stay awake for the rest of the column, some vague memories may be stirred and some historical factoids blurbed.
January 1972 saw the return to civilization for Japanese soldier Sargeant Shoichi Yokoi who had been hiding in the jungles of Guam since the end of World War II. Shoichi was not a quitter. He had been hiding out in a jungle cave for almost 28 years. Two local men bumped into Shoichi, who promptly attacked them, fearing for his life. Shoichi knew the war had ended in 1952, but he did not want to surrender due to his training.

Once back in Japan, he said, “It is with much embarrassment that I return. We Japanese soldiers were told to prefer death to the disgrace of getting captured alive.” You have to admire his perseverance despite its overtones of insanity.

Once back in 1972, he may have wished he had stayed in the jungle.

Like the Overlook Hotel in “The Shining,” many things happened in 1972, and not all of them were good.
The friendly skies were not so friendly in 1972. There were at least 16 airplane hijackings that year. The Vietnam War was winding down but was not over. Palestinian terrorists attacked the Munich Olympics, killing 11 Israeli athletes.

The troubles of 1972 were part of Earth’s Manifest Destiny for craziness. Not to be outdone by 1972, the year of our Lord 2022, brags, “Hey, watch this!”
In March, the U.S. Congress passed the Equal Rights Amendment sending it on to the states for ratification, where it died a death of old age.
June 1972 saw the birth of Popeye’s Louisiana Kitchen franchise in Arabi, Louisiana. This led to a proliferation of Popeye’s restaurants across the breadth and width of the fruited plain. The invention of its new chicken sandwich ultimately led to the Popeye’s Fried Chicken Sandwich Riots in 2019, when the restaurants could not keep up with demand for that culinary delight.

June also brought America’s most famous third-rate burglary. Nixon’s version of the Beagle Boys got caught in the Watergate, breaking into the Democratic National Headquarters to bug the joint. This caper eventually led to Nixon resigning in disgrace. However, that is a story for another time. But Happy 50th Birthday anyway to the Watergate scandal.

July saw the World Chess Championship in Iceland between American Bobby Fischer and defending World Chess Champion Boris Spassky the Russki. It may be hard to believe, but in the summer of 1972, America caught chess fever. People cared about chess. They were excited about chess. That is a sentence I never expected to write. It was the Americans versus the evil Commies. Bobby was a chess genius and nutty as a fruitcake. Boris was the epitome of Commie chess Grandmaster — big-haired, boring and relentless. Bobby complained about everything, driving the tournament officials up the wall and unsettling Boris. Bobby came out the winner 12.5 to 8.5 games. America rejoiced, then promptly forgot about chess when a new diversion appeared in November.

Atari produced Pong, the first commercially successful video game. Pong was extremely simple and highly addicting. The video game progeny of Pong have lived long and prospered. They now live on your smartphone.

In October, an Uruguayan plane carrying a rugby team crashed high in the Andes mountains. The passengers were not rescued for 72 days. Twenty-nine passengers survived the crash, but by the time they were rescued, only 16 were still living. The passengers had to resort to cannibalism to survive. Two passengers climbed a 15,000-foot mountain without equipment and then hiked for 10 days until they found help. It was an amazing story of self-reliance and courage.

On a final celestial note, on 13 December 1972, the Apollo 17 space mission touched down on the moon. Astronaut Eugene Cernan got out and took a stroll. Eugene’s lunar walkabout was the last time any human touched the moon. Fifty years have now passed, with the moon remaining a human-free zone. Time flies when you are Earthbound.

So, what have we learned today? As usual, not very much. But if you think 2022 is the worst of all times, kindly think again — 1972 wasn’t a peach. History moves on. Remember what Led Zeppelin once sang, “Good times, bad times/ You know I’ve had my share.”

It rains on the just and the unjust. Keep washing your hands. Keep moving. It’s the key to life.

A couple of months ago, the University of North Carolina Board of Governors voted to keep the system’s admissions process “test optional” through the fall of 2024.

University leaders said that to do otherwise in the aftermath of COVID-19 would be unfair to students and harmful to UNC’s constituent campuses.

If you squint really hard, you may detect some validity to this claim. But I recommend going into the next two years with eyes wide open.
Political activists have been trying for decades to get rid of standardized testing as a major factor in college admissions. They will pressure UNC to make what is now a four-year suspension of the test-score requirement into a permanent abolition.

Critics of requiring SAT or ACT scores from prospective students have long made two arguments. First, they argue that standardized tests are biased against non-white and low-income students. Second, they argue that test scores aren’t necessary to make good admissions decisions because grade-point average is the best predictor of college success.

The first argument is incorrect. There are significant gaps in average scores between low-income test-takers and other students, and among various racial and ethnic groups. But these gaps are not by themselves evidence that the tests are biased. By high school, there are very real differences in academic preparation across these categories. For the most part, standardized tests are reporting these differences, not causing them.

That’s what the preponderance of the empirical evidence shows. It’s also a logical conclusion to draw from the fact that students of Asian descent, for example, tend to have significantly higher average test scores than white students do. Are the SAT and ACT culturally biased in favor of Asians, including many who are first- or second-generation Americans? Of course not.

There’s stronger support for the second argument against standardized tests, that GPAs are better at predicting performance in college.
Research findings differ, but generally speaking the correlation between GPAs and college success is a bit stronger than the one between test scores and college success. That may well be because GPAs reflect years of study, writing and test-taking while an ACT or SAT score reflects student performance at a single (often stressful) point in time.

Still, if the goal is accurately to predict how high school students will fare in college, there’s a better option than just relying on GPAs, which may in some cases be skewed by school location or grade inflation.
What’s that option? Combining GPAs and test scores together, as admissions offices have been doing for decades.

Consider the findings of a 2019 study in the American Educational Research Journal. The authors concluded that grades were a good predictor because they signified forms of self-discipline likely to boost student success in both high school and college. “Affirmation of the relevance of teacher-assigned grades, however, is not an indictment of standardized admissions tests,” they stated. “In our investigation, test scores added unique predictive power, over and above grades and demographic characteristics, for college graduation.”

A 2021 study published in the journal Educational Assessment also found that “institutions could better predict undergraduate academic performance when using [GPA] and standardized test scores together than when using [GPA] alone.

As American Enterprise Institute scholar Rick Hess points out, the elimination of test scores from the admissions process is unlikely to result in a laser-like focus on grades, anyway.
What would happen instead is a rise in the importance of other factors — essays, letters of recommendations and lists of extracurricular activities — that can be difficult to compare fairly and that may even work to the advantage of well-off students with comparatively poor study habits.

COVID-19 certainly did disrupt both schooling and test preparation for many young North Carolinians. So I can understand why university leaders proposed the original suspension of test-score requirements in 2020, and why some think the suspension should last until 2024.

But setting the precedent was itself risky. The rigor of the UNC system merits defense.

Fayetteville’s May 2022 City Council primary election was historic in voter turnout compared to the past 20 plus years of city council primaries. Two obvious reasons drove this turnout.

Fayetteville’s primary was paired with Cumberland County and state-wide primary elections, and for the first time in recent memory, eight of the 10 city council seats actually had a primary election.

Media personalities and reporters often regurgitate initial voter participation numbers over several weeks after an election without actually analyzing the complexity of the City of Fayetteville electorate.

Being polite, most media personalities and reporters don’t know the nuances of Fayetteville’s ever-changing voter rolls. Specifically, active voters within Fayetteville corporate limits. Not their fault, as most media personalities and reporters don’t have time to interpret Fayetteville registered voter data before they report voter participation data.

Fayetteville’s City Council electorate is unique for a couple of reasons.

I provide a different approach within this opinion piece, identifying which Fayetteville voters actually showed up and pulled a ballot for the City of Fayetteville primary election.

Thanks to publicly available state online voter records and our Cumberland County Board of Elections Office, I have a by-name list of everyone that voted and active voters choosing not to vote during Fayetteville’s May 2022 primary. Two things to remember.

1. Council Districts 1, 3 and 8 include portions of Fort Bragg (Manchester voter precinct). Over the past ten years, less than 100 people on Fort Bragg have voted in Fayetteville City Council elections across the three districts. They usually show up for the presidential elections. Not Fayetteville City Council elections.

2. “Active Voters & Inactive Voters” are contained within Cumberland County’s voter database, just like the State of North Carolina voter database. Inactive voters across Cumberland County skew actual voter participation numbers and lower the perceived voter participation rate. Very few inactive voters are ever reactivated for municipal-level elections like in Fayetteville. Several are reactivated for presidential elections.

I removed all inactive voters and eliminated the Manchester voting precinct from the equation in my analysis. I found there were just under 101,000 “active voters” on the Fayetteville City Council 2022 primary election rolls that resided within the non-Fort Bragg portion of Fayetteville’s corporate limits.

Hopefully, this simple chart explains active voter participation numbers across all nine Fayetteville City Council districts during the May 2022 primary.
In the upcoming July city council general election, all 10 seats are contested, and voters will be able to vote for the mayoral position and their assigned city council district.

Since there is no truly contested mayoral race I predict Fayetteville’s final/general election in July will have much less voter turnout compared to the May 2022 primary election.

Just my personal prediction based on past voter turnout results. We will know in about seven weeks.

Municipal employees would be paid a minimum of $15 an hour as a result of additions to the proposed 2022-23 budget approved by the Fayetteville City Council on Thursday night.

The eight additions would increase the budget by a total of $899,000.

In its third budget work session, the council spent much of the time discussing specific items that members want to see incorporated into the budget.

The additions would be the only changes to the $248.25 million budget recommended by City Manager Doug Hewett. The property tax rate would remain at 49.95 cents per $100 valuation.

“It will not change,” said Kelly Olivera, the budget and evaluation director for the city.

A public hearing on the budget will be held during the council’s next meeting at 7 p.m. Monday at City Hall.

“They’re not extensive by any search of the imagination. They’re reasonable,” Olivera said of the additional expenditures.

Most will be paid for from the fund balance, a kind of savings account.

The items that were added by a consensus vote of the council include:
● $15 an hour pay for all city employees, including seasonal part-time workers. That will add an outlay of $484,000.
● A multipurpose indoor sports facility in partnership with an existing facility.
● Resurfacing the walking trail at Lake Rim Park for $35,000.
● Outdoor basketball courts that have already been funded.
● $100,000 for a “next generation” workforce initiative. The city will pursue partnerships with schools and businesses to provide training and job opportunities for students and others to learn skills for jobs in demand.
● An additional $200,000 for micro-grants for at-risk youth programs, doubling that allocation. The grants would range from $1,000 to $5,000. Community groups will be able to submit ideas to the city for funding. The increase is meant to allow for bigger initiatives.
● $30,000 for neighborhood signage, a project added to a community beautification initiative that had already been allocated $20,000.
● $50,000 for a concierge program intended to add security to the downtown area.

Mayor Mitch Colvin said the concierge program is important for downtown.

“That environment is not good,” Colvin said. “We have a bad environment down there.... It is bad down there after the (baseball) games.”

He said visitors to downtown are being solicited for money by homeless people and others, which puts a blight on the city.

Left off the list of consensus budget items were gunshot detection technology, a $260,000 outlay that will be covered by money from the American Rescue Plan; financing a makerspace and the Sherwood Road recreation center; a beautification plan for the Bonnie Doone neighborhood; and homelessness and affordable-housing programs that also will be funded by the American Rescue Plan.