February is an extraordinary month. I planned to write for you today to celebrate the 61st anniversary of the day where three friends and I boldly went and sat at the Woolworth counter in Greensboro, NC. As Black men, we didn't know how we would be leaving that restaurant. Some of us feared we would be beaten or even killed. That sit-in sparked similar sit-ins across the nation leading to significant social change in the United States.

Sadly, while the anniversary day should have been a day to celebrate how far we've come, we see firsthand how the liberal news media is viciously attacking independent thinking Black men.

Last week WRAL published a political cartoon that depicted my good friend, Mark Robinson, as a Klansman simply because he refuses to rubber-stamp the leftist agenda promoted by their liberal organization. Amazingly, this is only a few days after the Democrat-controlled school board scheduled a meeting that they knew Lt. Governor Robinson could not attend. It's heartbreaking how, even after 61 years, we're still having to fight to have a Black man protect his seat at the table.

As we celebrate Black History Month, we should be promoting, not silencing, voices like Mark Robinson's, our state's first Black Lieutenant Governor!

Like Mark, I will not be silenced! I plan to continue the fight. Through our efforts with the NC Faith and Freedom Coalition and the Frederick Douglass Foundation to educate and engage conservative-minded minorities, we will work even harder to combat these disgraceful attacks from the left. Will you stand with us? Let's send a message that we will not let them intimidate us! That's the best way to celebrate Black History and making history.

Pictured above: On the second day of the 1960 Greensboro sit-in, Clarence Henderson (far right) joins (front left to right) Joseph A. McNeil, Franklin E. McCain and William Smith at the Woolworth lunch counter.
(Courtesy of Greensboro News and Record)

Editor's Note: In a press conference, Lt. Gov. Robinson reacted to the cartoon: "On the second day of Black History Month, the first Black lieutenant governor of North Carolina has been portrayed as [racist]," he said. "That you would portray a Black man, just because he's in the GOP, as a Klansman... the hypocrisy is mind-numbing, folks."
In a statement from Capitol Broadcasting Company, Opinion Editor Seth Effron said: “Editorial cartoons are creative and provocative, using hyperbole and satire. No one believes Republicans on the State Board of Education are members of the Ku Klux Klan. The editorial cartoon by Dennis Draughon is meant to point out that these members of the State Board are trying to wipe out from the social studies curriculum the record of racism which includes the Klan and the segregationist practices that were imposed in our state and nation’s history.”

Clarence Henderson was a student at N.C. A&T State University when he sat down at the lunch counter at the Greensboro, Woolworth in the winter of 1960. The purpose was to protest racial segregation. He was 18 years of age. He wanted to change the system then, and now 61 years later, he is still working hard to change the system. This Black History Month and every month, we want to honor men like Mr. Henderson for their dedication and perseverance to obtaining fair and equal rights for all. Thank you for all your contributions. — Bill Bowman, Publisher

The Cumberland County Department of Public Health will be hosting three COVID-19 vaccination clinics this week for people in Groups 1 and 2, which includes healthcare workers with direct patient contact, long-term care facility staff and residents and individuals ages 65 and older.

The County does not have a timeline for when the state will move to Group 3 – frontline essential workers.

Drive-thru clinics are scheduled at the Crown Complex from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on the following days. Appointment blocks run from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. After 3 p.m., vaccinations are given on a standby basis for people in the eligible groups.
Tuesday, Feb. 9 – second doses only of both Pfizer and Moderna available.
Wednesday, Feb. 10 - first doses of the Moderna vaccine and second doses of Pfizer and Moderna. Due to the supply, no first doses of Pfizer will be issued.
Friday, Feb. 12 – first doses of Moderna and second doses of Pfizer and Moderna.

Receiving Your Second Dose
There is no clinic scheduled on Saturday. The vaccination record individuals received for their first dose indicates the earliest date to receive the second dose. It is not an appointment card.
The second dose should be administered as close to the recommended interval as possible (three weeks after the first dose for Pfizer or one month for Moderna). The second dose of Pfizer and Moderna vaccines may be scheduled for administration up to six weeks (42 days) after the first dose.

There are two ways to receive your second dose:
• Use the first-come, first-served line. We encourage you to do this on Tuesdays, during our second dose only clinics; however, this option is also available on Wednesdays and Fridays. Though afternoons are designated for first-come, first-served, we can accommodate first-come, first-served in the mornings depending on turnout.
• Schedule an appointment using the appointment request form. You will receive an email confirmation with your second dose appointment.

Visit the County’s vaccine website for information on how to request an appointment block.

Find a Ride
The public can request transportation assistance when making an online appointment for the COVID-19 Vaccination Clinics. Individuals who select the option for assistance with transportation to the vaccination site will be contacted by the Cumberland County Community Transportation Program after their appointment has been scheduled.

Same-day transportation appointments cannot be accommodated.

Visit the County’s vaccination page at co.cumberland.nc.us/covid19vaccine for information or to complete the appointment block request form or call 910-678-7657 weekdays from 8 a.m. – 5 p.m.

Inauguration Day has come and gone, and democracy has prevailed, though not without national pain. A week after a violent, bloody and deadly insurrection at our United States Capitol, our new President and Vice President were sworn in on the steps of that same sacred building before a sprinkling of spectators in a city on near-total lockdown.

It is both reassuring and horrifying that at least some on the podium, including President Biden and Vice President Harris and their spouses, were reportedly wearing body armor and other protective clothing.

This unprecedented American inauguration begs the question, “how on God’s green earth did the people of the United States find ourselves in an uncivil war with each other?”
Social scientists and historians will debate this long after we are gone, and there are surely many factors. Our immediate past President, an active combatant in the uncivil war certainly stoked its fires by both his policies and incendiary language. He did not, however, invent our differences, many of which go back to the earliest days of our nation. He did make it acceptable to voice opinions not acceptable in the past, and that has shoved many Americans into hard and fast positions we find difficult to change.

Another, harder to pin down, factor is a gift from expanding technologies, social media. This general category includes Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Snapchat, Tik Tok and others used by millions around the world but which digital immigrants like this writer may not know even exist, much less use. As best I understand the technologies, they are powered by algorithms, which allow social media platforms to tell us what they think we want to hear, based on choices we make online.

A simple example of this phenomenon is if I search for “blue sweater, size M,” it will not be long before ads for blue sweaters, size M pop up on my computer screen. No harm done, and I just might order one.

More ominous, though, is information fed to us that a is less fact-based and more opinion-based. "The Social Dilemma," a Netflix documentary, explores how the choices we make online, such as “likes,” create our “digital tattoo.” This tattoo identifies us in certain ways and affects how we are perceived both by people who read our posts and also by the technologies that power them. For example, if one person searches for and/or “likes” mainly conservative information or posts, and another person searches for and/or “likes” mainly liberal information or posts, both will find themselves in echo chambers, getting more and more of the same and less and less of the other. This means that if a skeptic and a believer both search for “climate change,” they will get different answers based on their past search behavior. Both answers will be tailored to the user, and neither may be factually accurate.

Think of it this way. Unless you search for a hard fact such as “how many quarts in a galloon,” the answer you get is going to be based more on how you are perceived generated by algorithms created just for you.

It is like we have siloed ourselves in two separate Towers of Babel. Those in one shout at those of us in the other, but we do not understand what those in the other tower are saying. In 2021 reality, MSNBC viewers cannot understand Fox News and vice versa.

Calls for social media regulation are increasing, and rightly so given their worldwide influence and inability to regulate themselves. Congress is expected to take up the issue this session. At the end of the day, though, it is we the American people who must reach out to each other from our separate Towers of Babel and seek common ground.

Let the healing begin.

If you're reading this, congratulations – you made it! You're almost a month into a brand new year. A year that came pre-loaded with its challenges and thoughts of what victories lie ahead,and the memories of time gone by. Over the past year many of us celebrated the joy and excitement of new life, some experienced the sadness of loss, and, if we're at all alike, we've done our best to be a friend offering encouragement in the wake of both the best and worst of times.

If nothing else, 2020 gave me opportunity once again to acknowledge the fact we're all just passing through. We get, we give, we have and we hold, but in the end we arrive at the same humbling conclusion – everything on this earth is temporary. While we build mighty castles to wall us in or monuments to all we consider great, the only true legacy we leave will be found in how we loved. Over time I've learned to loosen my grip on the things I think I control, lest they begin to control me in return. And I am reminded there is a time and season for everything, and a marvelous Creator who steadies and stills us though it all.

I don't want to beat a depressingly melancholy drum too long, so let's peer down the road from these first days of 2021 with the knowledge we have choices. We can each choose to see a winding road strewn with rocks, slopes, and unknown peril around each bend, or look a little further to the beauty of the horizon, with the realization the road itself is a journey worth taking. Each step brings us closer to something new, and often leads us away from things familiar.

In either case we take those steps both challenged and comforted by an immensely wise Creator who seems to say, "Be prepared to let go of anything I take from you, but never let go of My hand!"

You may have entered 2021 without making a resolution or a promise, but there is plenty of positive change you can work on this year. Start by simply being grateful. Take stock in all you've already been given. More than food, a decent car, a home or stuff to fill it, count the blessings of family, friends, and life itself. At WCLN, our daily charge is to bring relationships alive and deliver music filled with the good news that God loves you. The two greatest things we he hope to inspire in you is to love Him back, and love others more than yourself. That's what makes Christian 105.7 different, and it will work for you, too.

Enjoy your family and friends today. Give extra hugs and words of love just because you can. Make the world a happier place by doing some extra act of kindness. Smile a little bit longer. Most importantly, be grateful for the life you've been given.

The Gilbert Theater’s newest production “Rope” is set to open Jan. 29 and has already sold-out opening day.

The thrilling drama centered around a murder, once used as the basis of the Alfred Hitchcock film “Rope,” will play every weekend until
Feb. 14.”

Tickets are $16 per person, and $14 with senior (55+) and military discount are available for purchase on the theater’s website, or by calling 910-678-7186.

“’Rope’ is basically the opposite of ‘who done it?’ because you already know who’s done the murder and now it’s all about are they going to get away with it,” Matt Gore, director of the play, said. “It's darkly humorous where these two guys kill this 19-year-old young man, stuff him in a chest and decide to have a dinner party around his corpse.”

It’s mostly just a study in tension, and the building of tension and suspense, said Lawrence Carlisle, artistic director at the Gilbert Theater.

Beyond picking the play for the season, Carlisle will be acting in the play in the role of an acquaintance of the two murderers who invite him to the dinner party to flaunt the crime.

My character slowly starts to have some suspicions, he said.

Carlisle said he had not acted in a production for a while and thought it would be exciting to audition and act again.

“I just like the experience of it and having fun with the other performers and learning things from the director to use when I direct things,”
he said.

Carlisle picked “Rope” written by Patrick Hamilton, to include in this year’s season because he liked the story, a thriller, and he didn’t think those are seen often enough in theaters.

“It’s been a little bit of a challenge, you know, I still have to deal with the day-to-day and making sure that things are running smoothly on an administrative level while also learning a whole bunch of lines, worrying about costumes, stuff I usually don't have to worry about,” he said.

“Rope” is loosely based on the “Leopold and Loeb” murder in the 1920s. Guests can look forward to a night of suspense and thrill.

“The practices have been super smooth, I like working here and they have some very dedicated people working here behind the scenes, in the offices,” Gore said.

Things are going fairly well, all things considered, Carlisle said.

The production will be about two hours long with a ten-minute intermission.

Theater staff will conduct temperature checks at the door and offer socially distant seating with only up to 25 people per show. Masks will be required, and the staff will be sanitizing everything between each show.

“I hope people want to come see it, I know things are bad right now in the world, but what I have been trying to do since the start of this pandemic is hopefully have a place where people can come and forget about that even if they do have to wear their masks and socially distance, and not speak to the actors afterwards but some sacrifices have to be made,” Carlisle said.

For more information about the theater, production and tickets, visit https://www.gilberttheater.com

The new exhibit at Gallery 208, “Monument to Strangers: Photographs of Johanna Warwick”, opens Feb. 2 5:30 p.m. Visitors to the exhibition will see a body of work by an artist who utilizes a minimalist approach to comment on cultural history and how obsolete processes can inform and continue to shape perceptions about Americana.

British born but raised in Canada, Warwick works and lives in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. “Monument to Strangers” is the result of Warwick researching and recontextualized daily printed newspapers photographs from the 1880s to the 1960s. Visitors to the gallery will see large scale portraits which have been “recontextualized” to reveal Warwick’s truth, “images affect our understanding of cultural history.”

“Monuments to Strangers” also includes smaller works inspired by the process of image making during an early period in the history of commercial photography and printing. Warwick noted, “it was the first time in history, images of reality could be reproduced on presses reaching the public, rather than an image interpreted and altered by hand.”

We are fortunate in the area to be able to see works by a contemporary photographer who does not live in our region and an artist whose approach is conceptual. As with many conceptual works of art, visitors do not need to know the artist’s intent, but knowing the intent most often enhances a different type of experience than not knowing the meaning or purpose of the work. (For that reason, Gallery 208 always posts artist’s statements throughout the exhibit.)

A prelude to visiting the gallery is best said by Warwick: “In this work, I utilize news images and materially re-contextualize them to emphasize the limitations of photography as an emotionally and factually accurate record of the time. I combine analogue and digital processes to underscore the ways in which news photographs have been produced and how that production affects our understanding of cultural history. The photographs look at the selective representation of the individual within printed daily newspapers from the 1880s to the 1960s.”

Seeing the overly large portraits, 24” x 36,” viewers should be aware Warwick has been inspired by anonymity and through this body of work wanted to “ highlight how women and minorities were vastly underrepresented.” In creating this body of work the artist is “re-presenting these images in hopes to reveal and question our flawed history. The figures in the blocks are unknown, but they were at one point important, or significant enough, to have their image produced in this way. The images reveal how versions of history were presented publicly… I don’t seek to make a document as they were used before, but to photograph them as visual monuments. During this period in history, Men are photographed abundantly; women are few and far between.”

The exhibit also includes exquisite traditional still-lifes, created by using the outdated blocks of commercial printing as a subject. In these small works the artist is showing us an antiquated process while using new technology. Warwick noted:

“I am photographing them to present this historic process and lost imagery in a new way, using the technologies that made them obsolete. In re-photographing these images, my photographs are several iterations of light sensitive materials being exposed: the original photograph, the rephotographed negative, the photomechanical produced block, and my exposure. Each image thus goes from a positive, to a negative, recorded once again as a negative, then inverted to a positive. It is in this long chain of events, which traverses over decades, that the glow of light and color occurs. Together I strive for the photographs to describe the history of representation in American daily newspapers, as well as the history of photography.”

Warwick’s minimalist approach and the medium of photography itself often seems to lend itself to hurrying us hurries through an exhibit, we move too quickly, without contemplation. Due to the elusive nature of photography, the opposite needs to take place. The illusive nature of photography is combining the complexity of a contemporary art in the form of photography with its lingering history, everyone has a camera on their cell phone, and the ever-present hierarchical judgment of photography against other traditional disciplines.

The unfounded hierarchy and the fact the everyone have a camera on their cell phone only strengthens my revered respect for artists, like Warwick, who create remarkable photographic images equal to works of carved marble. The argument against the hierarchy in the arts is based on two facts. The hierarchical position has been outdated for some and each discipline is innately different and brings a particular way of seeing, ideating, and set of skills.

An earlier series by Warwick titled “Between the Ground & Sky” supports the above argument. In this body of Warwick wanted to capture the changing landscape of the Danby Marble Quarry in Dorset Mountain, Vermont. (The Danby Quarry, used since the 18th century, is the largest underground marble quarry in the world.)

She began photographing the marble because she was “curious about its use but eventually became charmed by the physical history carved into the space.” She states: “The heavy unyielding material takes a geometric form inside a huge organic landscape. I am fascinated by the constant metamorphosis of the space . . . Each method of removal has left an indelible impression on the mountain by destroying its natural state and creating a geometric and ordered new landscape. These are the qualities that I find both interesting and intriguing. I am fascinated by its now formal beauty.”

The conceptualization and dexterity by Warwick to create her photographs should not be compared to the idea and carving of figure in stone. Each medium brings is own innate qualities and challenges. If anything, the history of photography is far more interesting than representational figure carving that has been repeated and practiced in western art for centuries. Or, as John Berger, in “Ways of Seeing,” summarizes: “unlike any other visual image, a photograph is not a rendering, an imitation or an interpretation of its subject, but actually a trace of it. No painting or drawing, however naturalist, belongs to its subject in the way that a photograph does.”

Johanna Warwick graduated from Massachusetts College of Art and Design with an MFA in Photography in 2010, and from Ryerson University with a BFA in Photography in 2006. She has been an Assistant Professor of Art & Photography at Louisiana State University since 2015 and exhibited in New York, Toronto and other major cities across North America. She was exhibited in Fresh at Klompching Gallery in Brooklyn, NY, and was a selected artist by Lesley A. Martin as part of her Guest Room curating for Der Greif magazine.

In all types of disciplines art has the potential to bring a truth to the viewer and “Monument to Strangers: Photographs of Johanna Warwick,” meets this criterion. “Monuments to Strangers” opens Feb. 2 at 5:30 p.m. and will remain up until April. The gallery is located at 208 Rowan Street in Fayetteville and is open Monday – Thursday from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. For information call 910-484-6200.

Hey, what's going on? Where? Here in Fayetteville? Raleigh? Washington D.C.? Portland, Seattle? "What's going on?" used to be a friendly, inquisitive and common query? Now, this once innocuous inquiry is met all too often with the flippant response: "How the hell should I know!" That's because they don't know. No one knows. How could they? The news media has gone off course and lost its sense of responsibility along with its journalistic integrity.

Hey, what's going on? Who the hell knows, but, you will surely know what this generation of inept news media posers want you to know. If it's news that doesn't suit or endorse the narrative of their political agenda or their employers' or advertisers' political agenda, then generally speaking, "it isn't news!"

As you read the next few hundred words, try to read them through the lens of being an American. Not a white, Black, brown, Democratic, Republican, Liberal, Conservative or vegetarian American, just an American. Think about how great it is. Do we not live in the most fabulous county in the world? And, regardless of race, religion or political affiliation, what do we all have in common? Our freedom. So many freedoms. Why would we want to give them up or put them in jeopardy? We wouldn't. At least, not intentionally. This is why the First Amendment of our Constitution is so vital to our existence as a free nation.

Without free speech and the free press, we have no idea what our government leadership is doing. And, nothing good has ever come from that. Traditionally, the news media has been the formidable guardian of truth and the ardent enemy of tyranny. Unfortunately, today the media has acquiesced to political and commercial pressures. Now, the tech giants like Apple, Amazon, Facebook and Google are closing in on Americans by censoring free speech and picking and choosing what news and information we are entitled to receive. (Sound a little Third Reich?) This is a bold and blatant example of extinguishing American freedoms. It doesn't make any difference what color, race or political persuasion you are, in the end, if this continues, you are going to lose your rights and liberties along with the rest of America.

Let's put all this on a local perspective and be honest with each other. The next time someone says to you, "Hey, what's going on in Fayetteville?" Admit it! You have NO IDEA! How could you? We are a community of over 300,000, and we have no local TV station, an inept failing daily newspaper, and no media outlets willing to report on local issues and news. Local taxpaying citizens have no idea what is taking place at Fayetteville's City Hall, the County Courthouse, the CC school board meetings, or any other government meetings. We don't know our law enforcement status, what our crime rate is or how our tax dollars are being spent. We have little knowledge of how well our Mayor and fellow council members are performing, and we very, very seldom hear from our City Manager. In other words, Fayetteville and Cumberland County need local news media to keep residents informed on how our community is functioning. This is the responsibility of the local press and what residents expect. The Fayetteville community has a great deal of growth and economic potential. Citizens need to communicate with their local officials and monitor their performance, ensuring they have the community's priorities in proper order and are spending their tax dollars prudently.

Most people who know me know I'm not a fan of social media. I think it has a few good attributes, but mostly it causes more harm than good by disseminating false and misleading information. Besides, I don't believe in "aiding and abetting" the enemy. Using or providing support, financial or otherwise, to Google, Amazon, Apple, or Facebook only empowers them with more authority to restrict information and impede our First Amendment rights. So, knowing as a local community newspaper, I cannot affect or influence these mega tech companies' sinister actions, I will continue to focus my media concerns locally on Fayetteville and Cumberland County. The Up & Coming Weekly newspaper will continue to work within the journalism industry's basic guidelines and ethics. And, with the help and support of the community, we are working hard to prevent the Fayetteville/Cumberland County community from becoming the next North Carolina "news media desert."

We desperately need to know what is going on at City Hall, in the County Commissioners' chambers, and at the meetings of the school board and other public gatherings. More importantly, we need honest and factual information to hold our local government officials accountable - information required to celebrate their achievements and congratulate their accomplishments, as well as admonish incompetence and neglect when it exists. It's all about LOCAL. It's all about transparency, and it's all about accountability. It all starts with free speech and the FREE PRESS. Thank you for reading Up & Coming Weekly.

Cape Fear Regional Theatre began its studio classes Jan. 25 for children between the ages of 4 to 19.

The theatre is currently offering classes lasting seven weeks in musical theatre, acting, mini studio meant for 4 through 6-year-olds, and two new additions being the musical theatre dance and improv classes, Marc de la Concha, director of education for CFRT, said.

“The classes are half process based and half product based,” de la Concha said. “It’s not just getting together and rehearsing a couple of songs for the end show, we try to teach the kids a lot of skills for working in the theatre that will help them when they join us for a summer camp or when they audition for a show on a main stage.”

We try to give kids those skills which I believe add into their everyday lives like speaking in front of people, working as a team, reading skills and such, it’s a skill building and some product-based stuff meaning singing and dancing so you can show what you learnt throughout the class, he said.

The mini studios meant for younger kids focus on skills like standing in one place for more than a couple minutes, speak loud enough, be heard from the stage and are taught by me, Ashley Owen, marketing director and instructor for CFRT, said.

“This semester I am using Dr. Seuss books to teach them those skills and prepping them to go on to higher level classes,” she said.

During the spring break the kids will do their spring break bootcamp, where we will have them in small groups and do a version of the “Wizard of Oz,” it’s for the kids and won’t be open to the public, he said.

Owens said classes are once a week for an hour and half and cost $150 with the exception of the mini studio classes which are an hour long and cost $100.

The theatre offers military, sibling and multi-class discounts. Class size ranges from 10 to 15 kids in each class.

The class sizes are pretty small, so the kids get one-on-one instruction, and we keep it safe during the pandemic, de la Concha said.

“Lots of hand sanitizers and everyone’s got a mask on all the time,” Owen said.

Owens said it's been a tough year but they are lucky to have had great leadership at the theatre who put in the time to figure out things so kids could attend the summer camp program and these classes.

“Performing arts are important, you know, because we are learning in a different way than in school, learning empathy, learning about other people’s experiences, different cultures in a different way and I think it's important for kids to learn those skills,” de la Concha said. “And some learn these skills better this way than sitting in a school setting, it helps with team building and getting away from a screen and having actual interpersonal interactions.”

It’s been such a saving grace for me personally, I love the kids, getting to work with them, Owens said.

“It's just been so nice to see appreciate being together in a way that they or people didn't before the pandemic,” she said.

We are very excited for this year and anxiously waiting to be fully back in the theatre for education and for our mainstage season as well and hopefully we will be at the other end of this very soon, de la Concha said.

For more information on the classes and times, visit https://www.cfrt.org/education/#studio-classes

The city of Fayetteville has matched a record set several years ago in the number of homicides recorded this past year.

Police spokesman Sgt. Jeremy Glass says 33 homicides in 2020 include the shooting death of a 7-year-old child and two manslaughter cases. On average, Fayetteville homicides number in the mid-twenties annually.

Glass said authorities are waiting on the state’s chief medical examiner’s findings in two other cases.

The detective division is compiling an annual report which will include the identities of murder victims, the alleged perpetrators, causes of death and arrests in every homicide.

A formal report will be issued in February according to Glass.

The reality is that big tech has now jumped right into the arena of the war on censorship. After last week's rally in D.C., Facebook cut user's live feeds. Later, Twitter and Facebook deleted President Trump's account and many others.

Let's be honest: for years, Google, YouTube, Twitter and Facebook have all been picking and choosing what's seen and not seen on social media platforms. This summer, we watched day and night riots, cities burning, stores looted, police assaulted and thugs were indiscriminately beating the crap out of people. We watched uncensored social media accounts of these coordinated riots and attacks from all across the county.

I understand that these "big tech" companies have the right to do as they wish. I get it. But, now, it's their way or the highway. In a world of competition, a new company immerged called Parler. If you are not familiar with Parler, it has pitched itself as "Twitter without restrictions." Twitter and Facebook are both free apps, and the president nor anyone else owns them. In exchange for this free service, they use our information and our keystrokes then sell that data to other companies. So last week, the president jumped on Parler. But no-no, without warning, Google pulled Parler from the Google Play Store, and Apple's App Store followed suit. Amazon hosts Parler on their Amazon Web Services and has also threatened to pull Parler. If AWS pulls Parler, they will more than likely be finished. All of this under the pretense that Trump supporters used Parler to call for violence at the Capitol. Really?

I protest a lot, not in force and not at a demonstration. I quietly resist. I usually protest by not purchasing or using a company's products or services. If you have an Apple phone, Apple requires you to go through their App Store to load apps.

Google does the same. Amazon owns one of the most extensive web hosting services in the world. When we hear the word cloud, that is part of it. Your information and the company's platforms are stored on their servers.

Who made these "high-tech" companies responsible for national security? Isn't that law enforcement's job? If there were plots to overthrow the country beforehand, why didn't they report them to the FBI or Homeland Security? When these companies unilaterally or collectively decide to target private citizens, businesses and organizations, that is a conspiracy known as racketeering. Now is the time for Attorney Generals and the FBI to do their jobs and start opening and investigating some cases.

Why is this happening? Imagine, what if the 78 million people who voted for Donald Trump decided to close their Facebook account and move to Parler? Their revenue would drop, and their stock would nosedive. And, what if 78 million people decided to no longer use Amazon for their shopping and decide to go back to shopping at their local stores?

Although these actions are not state-run communist propaganda machines, the effects are the same. These high-tech companies are essentially suppressing American's freedom of speech and restricting our First Amendment rights.

Today, everything revolves around the internet. For years, we were told to stop killing trees, protect the environment and save the planet. This made it easy to move toward the internet and social media. Even if you are frustrated and fed up with all of this, we find ourselves with very few alternatives because we cannot disconnect. Almost everything in our daily lives is connected to the internet. Payroll is electronic with no option to pay in cash. We do taxes via the internet. Our televisions, watches and Amazon Alexas all are collecting data 24/7. Our modern vehicles track every place we go and continually sends out data with no option to turn off the transmitters.

Can we go back to old school dial-up telephones, manual typewriters and Post Office mail? Can we demand we get paid via a paper check or real cash? How about we quit debating about election fraud and decide to dump electronic voting machines and return to in-person voting on paper ballots. While we are at it, let's get back on the gold standard. Here, in less than 800 words, I laid out how we can fix some issues in America pretty quickly. By the way, does anyone know how to train carrier pigeons?

The Cumberland County Department of Public Health formally moved into Phase 1b, Group 1 of the COVID-19 Vaccination Plan on Jan. 8 administering the coronavirus vaccine to anyone 75 years of age and older, regardless of health conditions.

More than 500 people received the vaccine at the clinic held at the Crown Complex. Within the first three hours, 200 vaccines were given to individuals in Phase 1a and Phase 1b, Group 1. Individuals who received their first dose of the vaccine are eligible to get their final dose as early as Jan. 29.

“This was our first mass vaccination clinic for the public, and we are pleased that things ran smoothly,” said Health Director Dr. Jennifer Green. “We will continue to fine-tune our operations as we expand our capacity moving forward into the other phases.”

The Health Department has already been vaccinating individuals in Phase 1a in a closed point of distribution center at the facility.

The Health Department coordinated with Cape Fear Valley Health to assist with overflow from the medical center’s limited supply clinic held the
same day.

Among those receiving a vaccination at Cape Fear Valley Health was Fayetteville Mayor Mitch Colvin. Although he is not 75 years old, as a licensed funeral director, Colvin falls within the criteria for front-line workers to receive the vaccine.

He wanted to publicly receive the vaccine, Colvin said, to encourage all residents to receive it when they get the
opportunity.

As a funeral director, Colvin said he has seen first-hand how COVID-19 has affected this community.

“This virus is real, it is to be taken seriously,” Colvin said. “But the light at the end of the tunnel is this vaccine … this vaccine is safe, it’s needed and it’s necessary.”

The next vaccination clinics at the Crown Expo Center for individuals in Phase 1a and Phase 1b, Group 1 are scheduled for Jan. 12, 13, 15 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. each day, while supplies last.

Individuals who are not part of Phase 1a or Phase 1b, Group 1, are not eligible to be vaccinated at this time. Phase 1a is for health care workers at high risk for exposure and staff and residents at long-term care facilities. Phase 1b, Group 1 is for people 75 years of age or older.

The COVID-19 vaccine is still limited and will be available on a first-come, first-served basis at the clinics. No appointments are necessary.

Anyone seeking the vaccine will be screened prior to entering the vaccination area. Vaccinations will be available in a drive-thru setting at the Crown Complex at the West VIP parking lot. A walk-in option will be available at the front of the building.

Visitors should expect long lines and come prepared to wait. Visit the County’s vaccine website https://co.cumberland.nc.us/departments/public-health-group/public-health/covid-19-vaccine for additional instructions.

Learn more about the COVID-19 vaccination phases on the County’s vaccination page at co.cumberland.nc.us/covid19vaccine or call 910-433-3770.

Cape Fear Valley Health will begin online appointment scheduling for vaccines starting Jan. 13 for its hospital campuses including the Cape Fear Valley Medical Center in Fayetteville and Cape Fear Valley hospitals in Hoke and Bladen counties.

Following the prioritization schedule from the NC Department of Health and Human Services, vaccines will go to those in Phases 1b, group 1, as well as continuing vaccinating first and second doses for healthcare workers in Phase 1a.

Individuals in the current phases may schedule an appointment online at www.capefearvalley.com/covid19 by choosing a time block. Time blocks for the Medical Center in Fayetteville will be 7-10 a.m.; 10 a.m. – 1 p.m.; 1-4 p.m. Tuesday through Friday. Vaccine supply is limited and space is limited for each block.

At the Cape Fear Valley Medical Center in Fayetteville, the vaccine clinic will continue in the Rehabilitation Center Auditorium.

Individuals should arrive to the building from the corner of Melrose and John Carlisle Lane and look for the “Event Parking” sign for the designated parking lot. Do not arrive more than 30 minutes prior to your scheduled
appointment block.

Visit www.capefearvalley.com/covid19 to schedule an appointment and check for additional COVID-19 updates.

There is also an automated message line, 910-615-9000, which will be updated throughout the vaccine process with the phase currently being vaccinated.

Dr. Robert A. Clinton Jr. is a Fayetteville physician at Haymount Urgent Care on Owen Drive. He says he has been averaging 800 patients a day since March because he provides free rapid testing for COVID-19.

Until two months ago, his customers lined up in his parking lot. When the overflow started affecting nearby business traffic, Dr. Clinton told Up & Coming Weekly he requested police assistance, but eventually decided to lease a location to better accommodate those interested in being tested.

Since November, 30 of Dr. Clinton’s physician assistants, technicians and other employees have been working at the location of the former K&W cafeteria on Village Drive which was torn down several months ago. Hundreds of cars drive through four lanes for people to receive coronavirus testing. Mondays are the busiest, Dr. Clinton said, because testing is not done on weekends.

“I’ve been spending $30,000 a day to make test kits available which provide immediate results.” He said he has run up a debt of a million dollars, much of which he hopes will be reimbursed.

The tests are free, but many patients have insurance policies. Antigen tests are not only rapid. They are considered the most sensitive for detecting active infections, and the results are highly accurate. Health care providers collect mucus from the nose or throat using specialized swabs. Turnaround time of rapid tests is much quicker than PCR tests. Antigen testing works the same way as molecular PCR testing. But, instead of waiting days for the results, antigen rapid tests produce results in an hour or less, according to the Food and Drug Administration.

Dr. Clinton says he has worked out an arrangement with a lab in Raleigh to speed up PCR testing so those results can also be available the same day.

There are some other free test locations in Cumberland County. The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services website has a listing of testing places. Some Walmart stores and eight CVS Pharmacies in Cumberland County are providing testing. There are two CVS testing sites in Hope Mills. Appointments are required.

The Cumberland County Department of Public Health announced last week that it is suspending its COVID-19 testing sites until further notice so that the department can scale up vaccination efforts. The department had been conducting free COVID-19 testing twice a week at Manna Church Cliffdale Road campus and Second Missionary Baptist Church.

“There are many other test locations in Cumberland County that are free and are open to the public,” said Cumberland County Public Health Director Dr. Jennifer Green. “The suspension of the testing sites will allow us to shift our staff to vaccination sites.”

The NCDHHS continues free testing sites at Manna Dream Center on Wednesdays and New Life Bible Church on Mondays, Wednesdays and Thursdays. The department is working to get a vendor through NCDHHS to get three additional testing sites in the county.

Cumberland County currently has more than 20 COVID-19 testing locations. To find one near you, visit co.cumberland.nc.us/covid19. You can also visit the NCDHHS website at https://covid19.ncdhhs.gov/about-covid-19/testing/find-my-testing-place to find a free testing place near you.

As of Jan. 10, Cumberland County has a total of 14,671 COVID-19 cases and 140 deaths.

The county’s case positivity rate is at 15.4%. The target rate recommended by the World Health Organization is 5%.

Case Prioritization
Because of the rising number of positive tests, case investigations and contact tracing will be prioritized. Most recently reported cases, cases linked to a cluster/outbreak and cases known to be living in a congregate or healthcare setting, including hospitalizations will be prioritized first. All cases of COVID-19 must still be reported to the local health department or the NCDHHS.

The health department will deprioritize cases after 10 days from the date the specimen has been collected.

“The last lab result that comes in will be investigated first,” said Dr. Green. “The goal of prioritization is to maximize COVID-19 prevention success by focusing health department resources on investigating and tracing the close contacts of cases most at risk of large-scale transmission events.”

Case Notifications
NCDHHS issued updated case investigation and contact tracing guidance to help prioritize cases. All residents who have provided a cell phone or email address will receive an automatic text or email message to connect people to follow-up resources and supports.

People receiving a text or email will be directed to a secure website that provides additional information about how to protect themselves and their loved ones, how to get support if needed to safely isolate, and how to contact someone immediately for additional information.

Vaccination Rollout Plan
A tested, safe and effective vaccine will be available to all who want it, the County said, but initial supplies are limited. The health department received more than 3,500 doses of Pfizer and Moderna. Currently, Cumberland County is in Phase 1a of the vaccination plan. This phase vaccinates public health and health care workers fighting COVID-19 and long-term care staff and residents.

Phase 1b was expected to begin Jan. 11 and will be given in the following order:
•Group 1: Anyone 75 years and older
•Group 2: Health care workers (not vaccinated in Phase 1a) and frontline essential workers 50 years and older (estimated to begin late January)
•Group 3: Health care workers (not vaccinated in Phase 1a) and frontline essential workers (as defined above) of any age (estimated to begin in early February)
Final dates and times are still to be determined. Visit co.cumberland.nc.us/covid19/covid-19-vaccine for the most recent information.

Phase 2 will begin shortly after phase 1b in the following order:
Group 1: Anyone 65-75 years old
Group 2: Anyone aged 16 to 64 years with one or more high-risk medical conditions, as defined by CDC
Group 3: Anyone who is incarcerated or living in other congregate settings who is not already vaccinated due to age, medical condition or job function
Group 4: Essential workers who have not yet been vaccinated in Phase 1b

Staying Updated
Cumberland County urges all to stay updated on the latest information about COVID-19. You can visit the webpage at www.co.cumberland.nc.us//covid19 for a list of COVID-19-related closures and service changes.
The county is also sharing information on its Facebook, Twitter and Instagram accounts.

To broaden access to the COVID-19 vaccine, Cape Fear Valley Health has added an additional vaccine clinic at its Health Pavilion North location within the ExpressCare clinic location at 6387 Ramsey St. Going forward, the clinic will be open Tuesday through Friday, 7 a.m. to 4 p.m.

The HPN ExpressCare at this location is temporarily closed due to staff joining the COVID-19 vaccination efforts. ExpressCare at Highsmith Rainey Specialty Hospital will remain open, and an additional provider has been added to the clinic to care for patients seeking walk-in ExpressCare visits. All HPN ExpressCare calls will be forwarded to Highsmith Rainey ExpressCare. The other HPN clinics, including the Cancer Center, physical and occupational therapy, the Health Pavilion North Family Care, laboratory and radiology, as well as the outpatient pharmacy will remain open.

Cape Fear is currently offering vaccinations to healthcare workers and members of the public who are age 65 and older. Appointments may be scheduled for those that live in Cumberland or Bladen County. There is also a limited supply of doses for walk-ins available for individuals who do not live in one of those counties.

On Jan. 26, Hoke Hospital’s COVID-19 vaccine clinic converted to a walk-in only clinic that will allow individuals to stay in their vehicles until their group is called.

Cape Fear’s current vaccination clinic hours (for both employees and the public) are as follows:
-Cape Fear Valley Rehabilitation Center Auditorium: Tuesday through Friday, 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. Those who schedule appointments at www.capefearvalley.com/COVID19 will be given priority here, but walk-ins are welcome, as supply allows.
-Cape Fear Valley Health Pavilion North (HPN) at ExpressCare: Tuesday through Friday, 7 a.m. to 4 p.m.
-Bladen County Hospital: Tuesday through Friday, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Those who schedule appointments at www.capefearvalley.com/COVID19 will be given priority here, but walk-ins are welcome, as our supply allows.
-Hoke Hospital: Tuesday through Friday, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Starting Jan. 26, the Hoke clinic will be a walk-in clinic only, which allows individuals to remain in their vehicles until called.

Much of 2020 has been dominated by newsmaking events that have made the year one few people will soon forget.

Unprecedented and stressful circumstances can contribute to spirited debates and uncertainty about the future. Complicated situations can affect people in many ways, but the public may be wise to take some cues on how to navigate challenging situations from the professionals who routinely find themselves confronting adversity.

Law enforcement officers who don the uniform each and every day routinely put others first in the name of public safety.

According to the National Law Enforcement Memorial Fund, there are now more than 800,000 sworn law enforcement officers serving in the United States, which is the highest figure ever.

Officers often step up to serve despite the risks associated with working in law enforcement. A total of 1,627 law enforcement officers died in the line of duty over the past 10 years. There were 135 law enforcement officers killed in the line of duty in 2019 alone.

Law enforcement personnel serve many important roles in the communities they serve. Here’s a closer look at the integral roles of police and other law enforcement personnel.

-Maintain law and order: The police force is made up of many different departments with the collective goal of maintaining law and order. Traffic police are responsible for enforcing the rules of the road and minimizing the chance of accidents. Other departments canvas the streets ensuring that residents’ civil liberties are not being compromised.

-Save lives: Whether they’re preventing a life-threatening crime or administering emergency medical care at a car accident until an ambulance can arrive, law enforcement officers save lives every day.

-Assist in adverse situations and provide crisis support: Police officers often fill the role of counselor or friend to people who find themselves in difficult situations. An officer can play a part in helping people make better life choices in the future. Training in situational de-escalation also means police officers are capable of defusing difficult situations before they snowball into serious, potentially life-threatening confrontations.

-Investigate crimes: Police are the first people to respond when crimes have been committed. These individuals investigate the situation and find the perpetrator.

-Foster strong communities: Law enforcement officers share a unique solidarity with other officers, peers, community leaders, and even medical professionals, which helps to create a strong fabric for a community. Officers frequently have each other’s backs as well as the respect and support of the public for putting their lives on the line.

Law enforcement is an essential component of orderly, safe and supportive communities. Recognizing and respecting the important role law enforcement officials play is a great way to show them how much their efforts and sacrifices are appreciated.

Christmas is an odd time for me. I love to give gifts, but I don't really care to “add to the collection” of unwanted gifts. In my home, we often talk about trusting God to meet our needs. That doesn't mean we stand on the shore and watch for our ship to come in. We work hard to make sure we've done all we can to provide for our family and others, but still we trust God. Sometimes I'll pray and ask for specific things — you know, a particular amount of money, favorable diagnosis of a car problem — and I suspect you do too. Nothing wrong with that, but there's truly more to having your needs met than having stuff go your way. It may be as simple as being content with where you are and what you have.

My wife and I must be on the same wavelength concerning contentment. We have a little chalkboard in our kitchen where we'll write a recipe or date night idea, but recently I walked into the kitchen and saw these words: “What if God has already provided?”

That stopped me. And the thought has haunted me for weeks. What if, in my quest for more and better, I've overlooked what I
already have?

It's caused me to take stock of my time, talents and resources. It's even changed the way I pray and how I look at pretty much
everything.

Discontentment runs rampant in our culture, and today I want to offer you three choices you can make in your life that can lead you to genuine, biblical, lasting contentment.

1. Seek contentment as a lifestyle. Choose it. Acknowledge that you would not be happier if you had more. You wouldn’t be — you’d likely be more miserable. God’s Word contains clear warnings for us: “It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the kingdom of God.” (Mark 10:25)

2. Learn to say, “I have enough.” Let those words reign in your home. Push back from the table and say, “I’ve had enough.” When money comes your way — a surprise bonus from work, an inheritance from your great-uncle, even finding $50 in your coat pocket — resist the cravings for more.

3. Settle it. Here’s a challenge — choose a lifestyle; don’t let your income dictate your lifestyle. Choose a comfortable level of living that meets your needs, and don't compromise that with more spending when more income arrives. If you don’t choose a lifestyle, this culture will choose one for you, and by default it will be the lifestyle of living beyond your means. Be counter-cultural. Be radical. Be others-oriented.

Let enough be enough. Learn from the examples of those around you (both the contented and the covetous). You'll save yourself some heartache and know the joy of a truly contented attitude. More does not equal happier. I promise.

And remember this from Philippians 4:19 – “And this same God who takes care of me will supply all your needs from his glorious riches, which have been given to us in Christ Jesus.” (New Living Translation)

The FTCC Financial Aid Department has important news for student loan borrowers. Our office is committed to providing financial literacy and student loan repayment information to our students and the community.

Student loan repayment relief began on March 20 when the Secretary of Education announced that all federal student loans should have a 0% interest rate for the following 60 days, that collections activity on defaulted loans should cease, and that monthly payments on loans should not be required.

The Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES Act), which was enacted on March 27, extended these student loan assistance provisions from March 13 to Sept. 30.
Currently, these three relief benefits are scheduled to end on Dec. 31 after they were extended by President Donald Trump on Aug. 8.

Student loan borrowers may receive another extension on these relief provisions, but they should be prepared to resume payments in January 2021, as the COVID-19 forbearance will expire at the end of 2020, as of the time of the writing of this article.

What do these relief provisions mean for borrowers? While monthly payments have not been required and interest has not accrued on federal student loans, borrowers are still able to make voluntary payments. This time period is a wonderful opportunity to reduce the principle owed on student loans. If a borrower is participating in an income-based repayment plan and working toward making the number of requirement payments for student loan forgiveness, the suspended payments are included in the total payments needed. This benefit from the CARES Act enables borrowers to continue to make progress toward loan forgiveness during the time of payment suspension.

Those borrowers who should have renewed their income information for an income-based repayment plan between March 13 and Dec. 31 will not be required to recertify income information during this timeframe and will receive correspondence from their servicer about income recertification at some point after the COVID-19 forbearance has ended.

For borrowers with defaulted student loans in collections, this has been a time of relief from collections activity. However, if the student loan repayment provisions expire, collections activity will resume.

Borrowers with defaulted federal student loans should reach out to their guarantor or the Department of Education’s Default Resolution Group at 1-800-621-3115 in order to begin student loan rehabilitation to bring the loans back into good standing.

As a reminder, the Department of Education and federal student loan servicers will never charge a fee for repayment counseling or to receive these relief benefits from the CARES Act. Any organization that attempts to offer loan repayment assistance for a fee is likely to be promoting a scam. Please reach out to your federal student loan servicer for free assistance.

If you are unsure of the name of your federal loan servicer or how to contact them, visit https://studentaid.gov and log in to view your repayment information. FTCC reminds you to be an informed borrower and make the most of the student loan repayment relief during this challenging time.

Spring classes begin on Jan. 11. Start the new year moving forward and remaining connected to something positive — Fayetteville Technical Community College.

Dr. Sheri Michel, a professor in the Doctor of Occupational Therapy Program at Methodist University, has received the Meritorious Civilian Service Medal, one of the U.S. Army’s highest civilian honors.

As our times often dictate, Michel was honored by the Army in a virtual ceremony with her physical honors (medal and proclamation) coming later.

“Without a doubt, it truly is an honor,” said Michel, who is now a part of MU’s ground-breaking program, the first entry-level OTD program in the state of North Carolina. “It is quite humbling and exciting to know that others saw my accomplishments as distinguished enough to warrant an award of this caliber.”

Prior to joining MU’s OTD program in August 2020, Michel worked as the Chief of Rehabilitation Services of the Soldier Recovery Unit (formerly Warrior Transition Battalion) at Brooke Army Medical Center at Fort Sam Houston in San Antonio, Texas. Her work with the Army dates back to 2008.

During the ceremony, former colleagues discussed Michel’s accomplishments, which include managing a team of more than 20 personnel, both military and civilian, and completing deployments to the Republics of Georgia and the Ukraine. She was nominated for the award by Lt. Col. Edward Bridges, M.D., who served alongside her as a battalion surgeon.

“I consider her to be a pioneer in the area of developing rehabilitative care and comprehensive recovery for soldiers who have experienced trauma, as well as soldiers who have just gone through difficult times over the history of their career,” Bridges said.

After returning from her deployments, Michel was ready to step aside to allow another professional to grow and mature as a leader in the newly reformed Soldier Recovery Unit.

“I was intrigued by the fact the OTD program at Methodist was new and developing and I was drawn to the challenge of being on the forefront of change,” said Michel.

For Dr. Meredith Gronski, director of the OTD program at Methodist, Michel’s unique background is a strong point. Professors with extensive backgrounds in unique settings have a special knowledge and expertise to offer future occupational therapists.

“We were immediately impressed with Dr. Michel’s prestigious career with the U.S. Army that highlighted her skills as a leader and trailblazer,” said Gronski. “Her successful development of rehabilitation programs and staff reflects exactly what we have done here at the MU OTD program as the first entry-level OTD program in the state.”

Michel hopes to simply “be a good professor” who instills her love of occupational therapy within her students. She looks forward to challenging future leaders of occupational therapy in hopes of advancing the practice beyond its traditional settings. These hopes are common amongst the faculty in the OTD program. According to Gronski, applicants and students quickly develop strong connections to the program’s faculty.

“A genuine care for students is a disposition that you cannot teach, and we have successfully built a team that embodies this as an essential value,” she said. “We knew Dr. Michel would be a good fit on our team to fulfill our mission to develop exceptional practitioners who will advance the profession through innovative, authentic practice.”

Pictured: Dr. Sheri Michel, a professor in the Doctor of Occupational Therapy Program at Methodist University, on the MU campus showing her Meritorious Civilian Service Medal.

A two-year College Readiness Program from the National Math and Science Initiative is launching at Terry Sanford High School, a military-connected school near Fort Bragg. The U.S. Department of Defense funds the program.

After one year in NMSI's CRP, students at military-impacted schools average a 45% increase in mastery of college-level concepts in math and science — compared to the national average increase of 5.6%. That increase is 81.5% for Black students, 34% for Latinos and 38.4% for females.

Students with family members serving in the military move an average of six to nine times while they're in elementary and secondary school. NMSI's CRP leverages the College Board's proven Advanced Placement framework, preserving local control and creating consistent learning across all schools. That means students are on pace from their first day in a new school — making all those moves a little easier.

More than 13,000 students enrolled in the Cumberland County School system are military/federally-connected. As one of the founding members of the Military Compact and Military Child Educational Coalition, the district has built a support system for the military child.

“At Cumberland County Schools, we are proud to serve the third largest concentration of military-connected students in the world,” said CCS Superintendent Dr. Marvin Connelly, Jr. “We remain committed to providing all students with high-quality resources and crucial support to help them be successful. The partnership with NMSI will encourage STEM learning and help our students prepare for college and life.”

The DOD STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) program seeks to attract, inspire and develop exceptional STEM talent across the education continuum and advance the current DoD STEM workforce to meet future defense technological challenges.

"Cutting-edge educational opportunities for our DoD students is a combat-multiplier for Fort Bragg," said Col. Scott Pence, Fort Bragg Garrison Commander. "Programs that enrich education for military families support the CSA's Army People Strategy. When we take care of our families, we will have a stronger and more committed Army. We appreciate our local school districts, NMSI and DoD STEM for providing this educational initiative to our military families."

As a nonprofit whose mission is to advance STEM education so all students, especially those furthest from opportunity, can reach their highest potential, NMSI has served more than 250 U.S. schools that have significant enrollment among military-connected students. Based in Dallas, NMSI has a presence in 40 states, serving more than 1,300 high schools to improve student access and achievement through teacher training, collaboration with campus leaders and student-focused resources. Schools that participate in the nonprofit’s CRP see rapid and dramatic increases in the number of students taking AP exams and earning qualified scores

NMSI is a member of the Defense STEM Education Consortium, which is committed to helping improve access for all students to pursue STEM careers and to consider Defense laboratories as places of employment.

Pictured left to right: Howard Lattimore, CCS Military Family & Youth Liaison; Gerhard Guevarra, Fort Bragg School Liaison Officer; Dr. Shevelle Godwin, Fort Bragg School Liaison Officer; Tom Hatch, Principal of Terry Sanford High School