Like everyone else who considers themselves a fan of high school football, Trey Edge is trying to stay optimistic that the powers that be making decisions about whether the sport will be played this fall in North Carolina are looking into all the options possible for safely returning coaches and athletes to the practice and playing fields.

But at the same time, the radio voice of Terry Sanford High School football broadcasts is realistic enough to know the COVID-19 pandemic presents an array of challenges to everyone involved that is difficult to sort through.

“The kids’ health comes first,’’ said Edge, who was a quarterback himself during his high school days at his alma mater Terry Sanford. “It’s also an issue of how do you test everybody. It’s a money thing.’’

He added that’s the big difference between football at the professional, college and high school levels. Both the NFL and college football have deeper pockets to afford the expensive testing that COVID-19 requires. High schools don’t have that luxury, without considerable outside assistance that’s not readily available.

That’s ironic because high school football is the major source of revenue for schools to support the entire athletic program. “The fear is we don’t get to play this fall,’’ Edge said. “The bigger fear is that these kids are okay. It’s a lot of responsibility for the county and the coaches.’’

As a former player, Edge has memories of what a high school locker room is like. He agrees with Pine Forest football coach Bill Sochovka, who recently compared working with a football team like the environment of a petri dish where bacteria is grown and studied for experiments.

“It sounds barbaric to talk about it but it’s sweat and it’s dirt,’’ Edge said of the atmosphere in a locker room after both a practice and
a game.

“Preventing that spread from even starting is a big problem. I think you have to go into it with wide eyes and know someone, somewhere is going to test positive. Then what happens when they do?’’

Edge said a bubble like the NBA, WNBA and NHL are using is out of the question for high school sports, adding that coaches and athletic directors will have to be especially creative in finding a solution to the problem.
As a starting point, he said it’s critical everyone continues what’s being done: masks, social distancing and washing of hands.

While some coaches have pushed for a return to practice, saying we need to accept the disease for what it is and just be as safe as we can in spite of it, Edge said the safety of the athletes has to remain the top concern.

“I can understand the desperation,’’ Edge said. “It’s a moving target. We miss football, but can you find a way to do it?’’

Pictured: Trey Edge

My wife and I share a date with one of America's most memorable and celebrated events.

On the 20th of July in 1969, America claimed its place in history as the Apollo Lunar Module Eagle landed and the first human walked on the face of the moon. We heard those famous words, “one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind” as they were first spoken and television news large and small worked tirelessly to deliver even the most minute detail of the historic event to a waiting world.

Just 10 years later, on July 20, 1979, Dorothy Aafedt said, “I do” in a remarkably unremarkable ceremony. Unlike the NASA mission, there were no television crews, no microphones or calculated illustrations — just a pair of kids surrounded by a couple of friends and family in a courtroom in southern Arizona. At the time, it seemed like a small step, but it has proven to be a giant leap as we've continued to mark time since that date. We recently celebrated our 41st wedding anniversary, and it's given me cause to reflect on all that's transpired since our historic first steps.

Time has allowed us several years in Europe with our three children and a home on both the east and west coasts of the United States. The small, quiet union of two youngsters from Kansas gave way to an eventual family of 18 — counting grandchildren and spouses. All but one now call North Carolina home.

As a military family, we share memories of being diverted en route — never once landing at our intended destination at the point of our departure. We've relocated to Germany as our belongings relocated to Okinawa and have lived in hotels and motels on two continents, while making new friends time and again.

Over the course of the last four decades, one thing has become evident: there is nothing more important in a marriage than the relationship between husband and wife. When other things became more important, such as careers, children, and personal pursuits, trouble isn't far behind. Though I've failed miserably at this on occasion, the facts show that when we make the relationship our top priority, the marriage
flourishes.

Just like any other married couple, we've had our share of trials. From the lack of to the abundance of money to devastating loss and health crises, we've navigated a lot of territory in the past four decades. And honestly, I don't know how we would have fared had we not put our faith in Christ early in the game.

God has proven trustworthy. When we faced struggles, we've been able to lean on the promise that there is more to this life than living and dying or meeting and missing bills. Even death has stared us in the face, but with God in our corner, though our knees have gotten weak at times, we never blinked.

Harmony at Hope Mills, a local senior living center, is a community-oriented environment that has been in operation since February 2019. It offers assisted living and secured assisted living services to seniors and has met and exceeded the needs of those who benefit from their services.

The company was founded in 2005 by Jim Smith. Under the guidance of Smith and William Holmes, executive vice president of development and construction for Smith Packett Med-Com, it expanded the occupancy and operated The Village at Pheasant Ridge. Through this experience, Smith saw the opportunity to create Harmony Senior Services and seized it, laying the groundwork for what would become the Harmony Communities.

Harmony at Hope Mills came into existence through Smith-Packett contracting a purchase of an existing 80-bed Certificate of Need license and another existing 20-bed CON in 2016.

“SP also commenced construction of the community in July of 2017 and obtained a Certificate of Occupancy in September of 2018. Shortly thereafter, Harmony Senior Services opened the community as the operator,” said Holmes.

The benefits of living at Harmony are numerous. The parent company of the organization decided to put a location in the Cumberland County area because, according to a demographic study, the location is close to seniors or relatives of seniors and it’s a highly desirable location.

Harmony at Hope Mills stands out from other assisted living centers partly by making it easier for the residents to adjust from living on their own to living at Harmony. Even though this can be difficult for some, Armstrong says, “when they tour our community, they experience how bright it is — and clean. Also, all the living spaces in the assisted living neighborhood are apartments ranging from studio to 2-bedroom. It feels very much like independent living.”

There are many benefits to to assisted living in comparison to nursing homes. Many of the residents no longer live at home, and the residence helps meet the needs of the residents that would go unfulfilled if they stayed alone. According to Melannie Armstrong, the director of sales and marketing at Harmony at Hope Mills, some of the residents who come to the center were likely not taking meds properly, eating right, having visitors and bathing properly. In addition to helping with these necessities, this retirement community provides memory care services.

In assisted living, residents have more freedom to do activities that they are interested in than they might if they lived in a nursing home or if they lived alone as some activities are less accessible. From afternoons filled with artistic fun to wine and cheese with friends, Harmony offers life’s little luxuries for its residents. Additionally, the convenient location of the facility makes favorite locations among locals, like Cape Fear Regional Theatre and Cape Fear Botanical Garden, just a hop, skip and a jump away.

One of the activities at Harmony at Hope Mills that differentiates it from the other retirement communities is the community roundtables they host.

“Until the COVID-19 pandemic, Harmony partnered with the town of Hope Mills and Up & Coming Weekly to host a series of community roundtables at the Harmony complex,” Bill Bowman, the organizer of the roundtable discussion, said.

“This event allowed the community to meet with local Hope Mills officials to discuss the important issues of the community while showcasing Harmony’s complex and the amenities it offered the community,” he explained. “Harmony has definitely established itself as a dedicated supporting business and a refreshing home away from home for many Hope Mills residents.”

The benefits of doing these events are that they are great for networking and allow seniors to be immersed in the culture of Hope Mills.

“It’s important that our community create alliances and relationships with the businesses and officials of the city,” said Armstrong.

According to a 2018 report from the United States Census Bureau, there will be more seniors than children by the year 2035. As America grays, the need for facilities that will deliver on their promises and properly care for seniors, especially those in need of more assistance, is evident. This community does just that.

Harmony at Hope Mills has been in operation since its establishment and continues to serve and cater to the needs of every senior that lives in the assisted living facility within their local community. This retirement community has met and exceeded the needs of those that are benefiting from their services by ensuring that they are comfortable with where they are living along with providing transportation to their medical appointments. This is a community that cares about its residents and has adapted its services to meet its residents’ needs. Harmony is a choice that, locally and nationwide, is tried and true.

Benjamin Franklin is famously quoted as saying, “By failing to prepare, you are preparing to fail.” The United States has long prepared for pandemics, such as the one we are facing with the coronavirus right now, through programs established in the aftermath of the anthrax attacks of the early 2000s. These vital programs give the United States the necessary infrastructure to respond to both natural disease outbreaks and biological and chemical warfare.

I worked on improving these bipartisan programs in 2018 and 2019 with President Donald Trump signing the reauthorization bill into law last June. We made numerous improvements, incorporating lessons learned from the Zika and Ebola outbreaks earlier in the decade. Unfortunately, the coronavirus is a sophisticated virus unlike any the world has seen before.

As we continue to address the coronavirus, I am committed to getting our country the resources we need so that we can reopen and rebuild our economy.

My colleagues and I immediately began assessing the weak links in our defenses and crafting solutions to improve the programs we rely on for pandemic preparedness. Since early March, we have been working with the Trump administration to identify what solutions are necessary to better equip our country to respond to outbreaks like the coronavirus.

That’s why my colleagues and I introduced the Strengthening America’s Strategic National Stockpile Act, a bipartisan package of measures to reduce America’s dependence on foreign sources of critical medical supplies needed to fight COVID-19. We must boost domestic manufacturing so American workers can make those supplies here at home. We also must make much-needed improvements and updates to America’s Strategic National Stockpile (SNS). The COVID-19 pandemic has reinforced the importance of personal protective equipment and the Strategic National Stockpile and this legislation will deliver critical investments in our ability to respond to and prepare for public health crises like coronavirus.

Building on this legislation, this week I will be introducing a bipartisan bill to establish a commission to study the drug supply chain. This commission will provide recommendations to Congress on two fronts. The first is solutions to increase drug manufacturing capacity in the United States. Second is actions necessary to ensure domestic manufacturing is able to maintain a sufficient supply of drugs in the event of a public health emergency such as the coronavirus outbreak.

This builds on the incredible and groundbreaking work President Trump is doing through Operation Warp Speed. This project aims to deliver 300 million doses of a safe and effective vaccine for coronavirus by January 2021. The president has invested in building manufacturing capacity for several vaccine candidates, which have shown promise in safety and efficacy trials. One of these candidates, manufactured by Moderna Therapeutics, is already enterting phase 3 of clinical trials—the last phase before final FDA Approval. It is important to note that while this groundbreaking program has accelerated development of vaccines at an unprecedented rate never seen before, it has not compromised the safety or standards needed for a drug to come to market.

Coronavirus has taken a heavy toll on the United States and the rest of the world, but it has not dampened our fighting spirit or drive for innovation. I am proud of the bipartisan work we are doing in Congress, working with the Administration to beat coronavirus and improve our ability to respond to future outbreaks. By working together, I am confident that we can protect public health and get our economy back on track to set new records for jobs and prosperity in our community.

Eighteen local nonprofit organizations are recipients of Arts Council of Fayetteville/Cumberland County grants, totaling $571,500, for 2020-2021. Three large nonprofit agencies in Cumberland County, Cape Fear Regional Theatre, Fayetteville Symphony Orchestra and the Cape Fear Botanical Garden received substantial financial awards. Cape Fear Regional Theatre — $225,000; Fayetteville Symphony Orchestra — $121,500; Cape Fear Botanical Garden — $90,000.

“As we all navigate through this pandemic, it’s imperative that we lessen the economic fallout many organizations and nonprofits are currently experiencing,” said Bob Pinson, interim president of the Arts Council. “Now more than ever, the Arts Council will continue to support the arts community through our various granting programs as we adapt to our new environment.”

Grant funding is received from the city of Fayetteville, Cumberland County and the Cumberland County Occupancy Tax. State funds are provided through a grant from the Grassroots Arts Program of the North Carolina Arts Council. Additional funds are provided through the support of individual donors.

A gubernatorial executive order that prohibited utility companies from charging late fees or disconnecting service for people who have not paid their bills expired at the end of July. Fayetteville’s Public Works Commission will automatically enroll customers with unpaid balances in six-month payment plans, starting with their August bills. Nearly 20 percent of PWC’s customers have past due balances. PWC estimates that it is carrying approximately $10 million of unpaid accounts. Gov. Cooper has emphasized that customers’ bills are not being forgiven under his executive orders.

“COVID-19 has impacted the Fayetteville area in ways we never imagined, and we appreciate those customers who have remained current or made partial payments over the past few months,” said PWC CEO David Trego.

Customers can visit Faypwc.com for more information about managing past due balances and how six-month payment plans are being applied. For specific account information, customers can log in to the PWC online account manager at faypwc.com or contact customer service at 910-483-1382.

It’s unfortunate but true: During this period of economic uncertainty, one of the busiest “industries” has been financial scamming. It goes on even during normal times, so you’ll want to know what to look for and how to defend yourself.

For starters, just how widespread is financial fraud? Consider this: In 2019, more than 3.2 million fraud cases were reported to the Federal Trade Commission, with identity theft being the most common type of fraud, accounting for about one-fifth of the overall cases. And fraudulent new accounts — mortgages, student loans, car loans and credit cards — amounted to about $3.4 billion in 2018, according to a study by Javelin Strategy & Research.

To prevent yourself from being victimized, consider the following suggestions. They are certainly not exhaustive, but they should prove useful.

• Watch out for unsecure websites. Make sure a website is secure before entering any payment or personal information. Look for sites that start with HTTPS, rather than those with just HTTP, which are not secure and can be hacked. But even a site with HTTPS can still be used by scammers, so, if you don’t recognize the name of the company or group that’s requesting your information, do some research to make sure it’s legitimate.

• Review your credit reports. As mentioned above, the fraudulent opening of new accounts is a big source of financial scams. To be sure nobody has opened new accounts under your name, try to review your credit reports at least once a year. You can get them for free at AnnualCreditReport.com.

• Follow up on fraud. If you’ve already been victimized by having new accounts opened in your name, contact one of the three major credit reporting agencies (Experian, Equifax or TransUnion) and place a 90-day fraud alert on your credit file.

One morning in late March, I drove from my home in Southern Wake County to my office in North Raleigh to pick up some files so I could work from home. As I exited the Beltline onto Six Forks Road, I noticed a deer lying beneath the overpass, the apparent victim of a high-speed impact.

It’s a familiar sight on the side of the road, in urban or rural areas, and I thought little about it at the time. I assumed it would be cleaned up by the next time I drove to my office.

But it wasn’t. I saw it again and again. By mid-April, it occurred to me that with so many folks sheltering at home or otherwise distracted by the COVID-19 crisis, dead animals in public rights-of-way were probably going unreported. So I perused the city’s website, phoned the number I found, and then spent a frustrating half an hour trying to get to the right person after multiple transfers and a couple of dropped calls.

I finally succeeded. I assumed the deer would be gone within days. It wasn’t. Several weeks later, I called the city again, got cut off again, and after some insistence was given the opportunity to report the dead animal a second time.

As of Friday, July 24, the badly decomposed deer was still beneath the overpass, at one of the most-traveled intersections in North Carolina’s capital city, its skull twisted at an extreme angle into what looks like a mocking smile.

At this point, it would be very easy to launch into an extended rant about government inefficiency. It shouldn’t take multiple calls and the navigational skills of Ferdinand Magellan to reach the requisite public employee during a workday. There ought to be some other way to produce a work order. Then it should be acted on.

But as I’ve watched that carcass rot, throughout the spring and into the middle of summer, it has come to represent more than just garden-variety bureaucratic inertia.

Why haven’t I just carried it off myself? I don’t own a pickup truck but I know plenty of friends who do. Alas, private initiative isn’t an option here. The overpass in question is too dangerous, with high-speed traffic during the day and limited visibility at night. Even taking a snapshot of the carcass, as I did Friday morning, proved to be a harrowing experience. At least the right lane of this public highway needs to be blocked off by those duly authorized to exercise public authority, so that what’s left of the deer can be safely removed.

That neither city nor state workers have yet performed this straightforward task is emblematic, it seems to me, of a deeper issue. We are experiencing both a public-health crisis and an economic recession. Hundreds of thousands are out of work. In several of our cities, including Raleigh, heartfelt protests have devolved into destructive riots. North Carolinians feel divided, anxious and, in some cases, desperate.

Handling just one of these problems would be challenging. Facing them all at once, interrelated and seemingly intractable, surely feels overwhelming. But we cannot let them overwhelm us — overwhelm our leaders, our governments, our private institutions, our communities, our families.

Becoming distracted, distraught, or distrustful will help no one. We all have critical roles to play and jobs to do. We must be resilient and resolute, giving each other the benefit of the doubt when it comes to motives while also holding each other responsible for results.

I wouldn’t go as far as to say that our governments and other social institutions are rotten. They haven’t languished long enough on the metaphorical side of the metaphorical road to reach that condition. But can you truly say you aren’t worried about their future soundness and vitality?

I can’t. And there is a now-putrefied deer in North Carolina’s state capital, at the intersection of Six Forks Road and the Beltline, that reminds me of those worries on a regular basis.

The Cumberland County Board of Elections is in urgent need of poll workers for the Nov. 3 general election and the early voting period in October. The Board of Elections will follow state guidelines to protect the health and safety of election workers and voters. Social distancing measures and routine cleanings will be put in place and poll workers will be provided appropriate personal protective equipment. Poll workers’ duties include staffing polling places during early voting and on Election Day, setting up and closing voting enclosures, checking in voters, issuing ballots and assisting voters upon request. Interested individuals must be U.S. citizens, registered voters in Cumberland County and available to attend required training. Poll workers are compensated for attending training and for working during early voting and on Election Day. Interested registered voters can complete the online application by going to electionready.net.

For more than 20 years UNC TV's "North Carolina Bookwatch" has broadcast great conversations with North Carolina-connected authors.

An important part of the program's makeup has always been the warm and open spirit that authors bring into the television studio. Through the magic of broadcast television, their informative and entertaining conversations have made their ways into the living rooms and dens of many North Carolinians. It is one of the longest running locally produced UNC-TV programs.

At the beginning of this year, plans were under way to produce some programs at bookstores and college campuses, similar to the successful production of three programs at Isothermal Community College late last year. "Bookwatch" was also lining up authors and UNC-TV studio times for production of a new series.

Then came the virus. Bookstores closed. So did college campuses. UNC-TV's studios and offices shut down completely, leaving its enormous facility an empty cavern.

It looked like a lost season for "Bookwatch." Then the program’s producer, Katy Loebrich, suggested a trial of the distance-connecting program Zoom to see if it could be suitable for regular broadcast. David Zucchino, author of “Wilmington’s Lie,” agreed to be a guinea pig. From her home, Katy connected to me in my house and to David in his den.

The result was not perfect, a little patchy, but encouraging. Then, thanks to Katy's editing, the program was more than a successful experiment. It passed muster and was aired last month. That success let us to try Zoom with Sue Monk Kidd, author of “The Book of Longings.” That program will be broadcast next month.

We found that we were able to produce the program without being in face-to-face direct contact with our guests. Subsequently, we have produced programs with author Lee Smith, who was spending the summer in Maine.

One of our prospective authors, Devi Lascar, author of “The Atlas of Reds and Blues,” grew up in Chapel Hill but now lives in California. With the new distance capability, we were able to interview her from her home thousands of miles away, an interview that might not have happened otherwise.

From her home in Cornelius, former Charlotte Observer reporter Pam Kelly talked about her book “Money Rock: A Family’s Story of Cocaine, Race, and Ambition in the New South.”

Other authors who might have been too busy to make their way to the UNC-TV studios have given us interviews because they did not have to leave their homes or travel to the studio.

For instance, William Darity Jr. and his wife Kirsten Mullen, authors of “From Here to Equality: Reparations for Black Americans in the Twenty-First Century,” sat down in their living room and talked to us about their recent work on reparations.

We are planning interviews with Kathy Reichs, who will be talking to us from Charlotte about “A Conspiracy of Bones.” Daniel Pierce, author of “Tar Heel Lightnin’: How Secret Stills and Fast Cars Made North Carolina the Moonshine Capital of the World,” will be able to save a seven-hour round trip from his home in Asheville by doing his interview with Zoom or Skype.

Some authors, such as Allan Gurganus, Jodi Magness and Jill McCorkle, came to specially adapted, newly reopened studios after being assured that they would be in a separate room from the host, reducing the risk that might have been involved in communication across the same table.

As bad as the coronavirus is, by adapting to it, "North Carolina Bookwatch" has made improvements that will be a permanent benefit for viewers and the authors who are the stars of the program.

Fort Bragg paratrooper Spc. Enrique Roman-Martinez, 21, disappeared May 22 while camping with friends at Cape Lookout National Seashore along the North Carolina Coast. His friends reported him missing the next day. During Memorial Day weekend, a body washed ashore on Shackleford Banks Island. An investigation revealed it was the remains of Roman-Martinez.

“I’ve personally spoken with his family to assure them that we will not stop in our pursuit to bring those responsible to justice, said Maj. Gen. Christopher Donahue, 82nd Airborne Division commanding officer. “We are doing everything we can to support his family and find justice for Enrique.”

The U.S. Army Criminal Investigation Division is probing the soldier’s death as a homicide and is offering a $25,000 reward to individuals with information leading to the arrest and conviction of those responsible. Roman-Martinez, of Chino, California, was a human resource specialist in the 82nd Airborne Division’s Headquarters Company, 37th Brigade Engineer Battalion, 2nd Brigade Combat Team.

Pictured: Spc. Enrique Roman-Martinez

The local artist community has no greater advocates than the Fayetteville Public Works Commission and the Arts Council of Fayetteville/Cumberland County. Each year, the organizations celebrate artists of all mediums, ages and levels of expertise with the “Public Works” exhibition. This year marks the 15th Annual “Public Works” exhibition. Usually beginning on Fourth Friday in May, this year’s event runs Aug. 28-Oct. 17, due to the COVID-19 outbreak.

In the past, the event opening coincided with Fourth Friday and included of live music by local bands, a variety of vendors in front of the Arts Council downtown and more. The gallery inside the Arts Council was also open on the occasions.

“We have an immensely talented city,” said Metoya Scott, public relations manager at the Arts Council, “(including) active galleries that display the talent of our neighbors.” She listed local businesses and studios like Greg’s Pottery, Cape Fear Studios, Winterbloom Tea, The Sweet Palette and City Center Gallery & Books, all of which stayed open for the in-person Fourth Friday night events.

Each community member can vote for his or her favorite piece — or shop, as some submissions will be for sale,” said Public Works Commission representative Carolyn Justice-Hinson. “People can publish their public vote online, and that will be another way we can hear how the word is traveling.”

Every submission has a chance to win. During the “Public Works” exhibit, the community is invited to submit votes on their favorite works of art for a “People’s Choice.” There will also be an online app for virtual voting.

A variety of mediums is accepted. “It can be any kind of artistic expression that you want to exhibit, including photographs, paintings, drawings and more,” said Hinson. “One lady even had a wedding dress made from toilet paper.”

Residents from Bladen, Cumberland, Harnett, Hoke, Lee, Montgomery, Moore, Richmond, Robeson, Sampson and Scotland counties, as well as Fort Bragg or Pope Field can submit art. Bring artwork submissions to The Arts Council at 301 Hay St. between 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Friday, Aug. 14,  or Saturday, Aug. 15, between noon and 4 p.m. To find out how and when to enter, visit https://www.theartscouncil.com/opportunity/call-art-public-works-exhibition

For updated information regarding the Arts Council’s exhibitions, visit Facebook at www.facebook.com/artscouncilFAY.

Normally at this time of year, fall sports coaches would be working with their athletes to get them in condition for the official start of practice on Aug. 1.

But the COVID-19 pandemic has put everyone into a holding pattern as news about the spread of the disease changes daily. Instead of firm dates, coaches for schools in the North Carolina High School Athletic Association have had to deal with multiple changes in when fall sports will resume, if at all. Most recently, they learned the earliest they will be allowed to begin fall practice will be Sept. 1.

Jesse Autry, who is beginning his 29th season as cross country coach at South View, voiced the situation best for all of his fellow coaches.
Autry talked at length about being separated from his athletes for much of the summer until coaches were given permission to contact them via computer.

“We communicate at least once a week by way of Zoom or Google Meeting or something like that,’’ Autry said. He talks with his athletes online and invites their parents to join in.

The first time he did it, Autry said things got a little emotional. “For all of them to see each other’s faces on the screen I was really surprised,’’ he said. “I’m worried about the long-term impact of this, social isolation, kids seeing each other. Not being able to play team sports, to learn from camaraderie and friendship that comes from getting in the trenches together.’’

Autry said he knows COVID-19 is a serious matter and he supports the decisions of his superiors, but he’s hopeful there will be some kind of return to sports soon.

“I want us to compete,’’ he said. “I want us to be able to practice. I can see on my kids faces and hear in their voices what they are going through.’’

Todd Edge, golf coach at Cape Fear, saw the same thing when it came to his athletes being separated. “When we were finishing up our schooling on Google Classroom, when we stopped the teaching and recording part of it, the kids wanted to stay online and talk to the teacher and their peers because they aren’t seeing anyone,’’ he said. “They’re not socializing with one another.’’

Jack Britt football coach Brian Randolph said the key issue remains the safety of the athletes, athletic trainers, coaches and all the sideline personnel involved in his sport.

“I don’t think we can create the bubble as the NBA and other higher level sports are doing,’’ Randolph said. “The first thing we have to worry about is the school aspect and getting kids back into school safely.’’

Terry Sanford tennis coach Susan Brady is confident most coaches would be willing to accept any form of abbreviated schedule just to be able to have competition this fall. Her main concern, which is shared by other coaches, is how much time the athletes need to get in competition shape.

For tennis, she thinks two or three weeks of practice while doing some cardio conditioning on the side would be enough to get in condition for matches. “The nice thing about tennis is when you’re on the court playing it’s constant movement,’’ she said.

Gray’s Creek volleyball coach Jalesty Washington feels that if people can go out and shop and interact in other ways in public, there has to be a way to figure out a safe method to return to athletic competition. “I feel like everybody is going out and doing normal stuff,’’ she said. “I don’t know what’s different with the school and getting in the gym.’’

Pine Forest soccer coach Isaac Rancour is trying to stay as positive as possible and not focus on the frustration of repeated delays and no definite word on when or if the fall season will begin.

“I’m just kind of going with the flow and passing information along as I get it,’’ Rancour said. “I don’t think it does any good to get frustrated about it.’’

He knows his players have worked hard and the seniors are worried if they will get the chance to play this year.

Whatever is done, Rancour wants it to be safe for everyone. “We are going to need more time to make sure we are able to social distance the kids and get everything checked before we get everything started,’’ he said. “If we have everyone doing their part it should all work out.’’

President Donald Trump says he might veto a congressional bill to change the names of military bases in the South named after Confederate generals.

“I don’t care what the military says. I’m supposed to make the decision,” Trump told Fox News about plans to change the names of bases that have stood for decades. “Fort Bragg is a big deal. We won two world wars — nobody even knows General Bragg. We won two World Wars,” Trump said in a contentious interview with Chris Wallace.

Trump mocked Wallace, asking him what he was going to rename Fort Bragg. “Are you going to name it after the Rev. Al Sharpton?” arbitrarily suggesting the name of the Black civil rights leader. “There’s a whole thing here. We won two World Wars, two World Wars, beautiful World Wars that were vicious and horrible, and we won them out of Fort Bragg,” Trump declared.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has recommended that people wear cloth face coverings in public settings where social distancing measures are difficult to maintain. Even as the world begins to unpause, wearing masks seems likely to continue.

According to Penni Watts, Ph.D., RN, an assistant professor of nursing at the University of Alabama at Birmingham School of Nursing, masks are designed not to prevent the wearer from getting ill, but to protect other people from getting the virus. Masks protect others from your germs when you cough or sneeze. They're also an effective way to help people to avoid touching their faces.

Masks are exposed to the elements and germs each time they are worn, meaning they will require cleaning. Even though Harvard Health suggests COVID-19 may live more readily on hard surfaces than fabric, the CDC urges people to give cloth face masks the same level of care as regular laundry. Masks should be washed and dried often. The CDC offers these tips on how to clean most cloth and fabric masks.

Fabric face masks should be washed depending on the frequency of use. More frequent use necessitates more frequent washing.

A washing machine should be adequate for properly washing a face covering. Choose a warm setting for water temperature. Place masks in the dryer afterward.

More delicate, hand-sewn masks may be washed by hand, suggests The Good Housekeeping Institute Cleaning Lab. Lather masks with soap and scrub them for at least 20 seconds with warm or hot water before placing in the dryer.

For additional sanitation, iron masks on the cotton or linen setting for a few minutes to kill remaining germs.

If masks are fortified with a filter, such as a coffee or HVAC filter, keep in mind that these filters are designed for single use. Paper filters should be replaced after each use. HVAC filters are washable, but manufacturers warn that their effectiveness decreases with each wash. Medium weight nonwoven interface used as filter material is typically washable.

Various health agencies do not condone using steam or microwaves to clean cloth face masks, as these sanitizing techniques are not as effective as regular laundering. Also, never microwave non-fabric dust or N95 respirator masks if you are using them. They can catch fire or be rendered useless.

Cloth face masks can help safeguard against germs like the novel coronavirus. However, they need to be cleaned regularly to remain sanitary.

The potential for growth in the area near the recently-opened Golfview Greenway in Hope Mills is drawing a lot of attention, some of it not for good reasons.

That’s especially true for residents of Crampton Road, a quiet neighborhood street near Golfview that dead ends into the old golf course that is now the new Greenway.

What’s causing concern is the old golf course area is currently shared by three different groups. The town of Hope Mills controls about 90 acres, while two developers have plots of 30 acres and 20 acres respectively.

One of the developers has put forward plans to build some housing on his share of the land, with access to the property coming from a road that would connect through what is now the dead end on Crampton.

Not surprisingly, many people in the neighborhood are not excited about the prospect of a dramatic increase in both population and
traffic.

“Most of the people have lived there 40 years or more,’’ Hope Mills Mayor Jackie Warner said of the residents of Crampton Road.

The town had two chances in 2019 to have more of a direct voice in the future of the area when the YMCA approached the town about purchasing or developing the 20 acres of land it owned. A committee was formed to look into the possibility of developing the land and maybe constructing a swimming facility there. But the committee was disbanded by the Board of Commissioners after one meeting, and the town declined to discuss purchasing the land from the YMCA.

When the YMCA eventually found a buyer, it made one final offer to the town to purchase it first, but the board again said no.

So the YMCA sold the land, and now with three different groups in the mix, Warner is trying to put together a plan to get everyone involved at the same table so a plan can be put together that will take into account everything going on in the Golfview Greenway area so both the future growth of the town and the concerns of the residents of Crampton Road will be respected while the town looks ahead to future growth.
Representing the town on the committee will be Warner, Chancer McLaughlin of the town’s Development and Planning office and town manager Melissa Adams.

Also on the committee will be the developers of the other two pieces of property, a representative from the Department of Transportation, and former Hope Mills commissioner Eddie Maynor, who was added to the committee at last week’s meeting of the Board of Commissioners.
Warner said it was important to get the Department of Transportation involved because they already have plans in the works for developing the area around Golfview Greenway since it’s in proximity to the future addition of the Interstate 295 bypass that will be eventually built near the outskirts of Hope Mills.

“We know we need to get DOT on board so we don’t have to redo anything,’’ Warner said. “If they’ve got a plan we can start working on that plan sooner.’’

The other key for the committee, Warner said, is to have face-to-face meetings with the two developers and hopefully get them to coordinate their plans with both the needs of the families that already live on Crampton Road and in the rest of the area, while at the same time getting everyone on the same page with whatever DOT has in the works.

Warner thinks an ideal solution would be for the town and the two other property owners in the Golfview area to come to a mutual agreement on a shared entry way into the Golfview property so that the residents on Crampton Road can continue to enjoy the privacy of their neighborhood without a dramatic influx of traffic and neighbors.

“We want to have a way of coming up with an entrance off of Golfview that would be safe,’’ Warner said, “whether you have a pedestrian crosswalk, signal lights, whatever is needed. There would be one entrance to the main road and not go through the neighborhood. “By setting up this committee, we know everybody is on board.’’

Warner said the good news so far is that a decision on what is going to happen in the Golfview area has been deferred until after the committee meets and hopefully is able to come to a workable consensus.

Once Maynor’s addition to the committee was approved by the Board of Commissioners, Warner was hopeful the committee would have held its first meeting sometime last week.

Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, the public will not be able to attend the committee meetings, but Warner said the town will likely share the committee meetings on its Facebook page and the town website, both live and via tape delay for those unable to watch the meetings while they are in progress.

“We are trying to have a vision for what it (the Golfview area) will look like 10 years from now when there will be even more reasons for people to be there and visit Hope Mills.’’

The Cumberland County Board of Education accepted the recommendation of Dr. Marvin Connelly Jr., superintendent of Cumberland County Schools and voted unanimously to start the school year with classes meeting online. The traditional school year is scheduled to begin Aug. 17. Under the plan approved by the school board, classes will operate remotely through at least Sept. 25.

Connelly said he had discussed local COVID-19 trends with county health director Jennifer Green. “The number of COVID-19 cases is trending upward at an alarming rate in North Carolina, including Cumberland County and surrounding areas,” he said.

A highly contagious coronavirus causes the disease. Forty-seven people have died in Cumberland County. The plan approved by the school board calls for the schools to transition to a blended learning environment beginning Sept. 28 if conditions locally have improved.

In case you haven’t noticed, it is a bit warm outside. Not just a wee bit toasty. We are talking second circle of hell toasty. Have you been wondering why the heat? Are you tired of saying, “It’s not the heat. It’s the humidity.” Go ahead, say it again. It won’t cool the temperature, but it will make you sound wise to whomever you are trapped inside with during Corona time. Trigger warning: Be careful how often you say it, as you may irritate your housemates into murdering you in your sleep. As only about five people read this column, the loss of even one of my gentle readers would cut my audience by 20%. Please say it sparingly.

If you have gotten this far without throwing up a little bit in your mouth or falling asleep, stick around. The reason for the unseasonably seasonable heat will be laid beneath your feet like a cloak across a mud puddle placed by a gentleman for his lady love. You may have seen the pictures of the sun from NASA’s Parker Solar Probe. The images are spectacular. Kindly absorb some facts: The Solar Probe was launched way back in 2018 B.C. — Before Corona. It is flying at 430,000 miles an hour, which is faster than someone grabbing the last piece of bacon at a Weight Watchers breakfast buffet. The Solar Probe will fly within 4 million miles of the sun. This is the closest a satellite has photographed the sun. The Solar Probe sling shots around Venus and the sun 21 times while getting closer with each orbit. The Solar Probe will fly into the sun’s corona to take a gander at the solar wind and find out what is doing inside the corona.

The reason the sun is so hot is that it is on fire. Fire is hot. The sun is a flaming gasbag of fire, not to be confused with Mitch McConnell speaking in the Senate. The sun is 109 times bigger than the earth. That is enough heat to cook a whole passel of s’mores if you could get close enough. Mr. Science says the sun has been hanging around about 4.6 billion years. It is used to being alone. The sun is getting up in years. Sol is cranky like an old man yelling at the kids, “Get off my lawn!” The Solar Probe is now messing with the sun’s corona.

Some readers may remember the old ad in which Mother Nature is fooled into thinking that Chiffon margarine is actually butter. When Mother Nature finds out it is margarine, she becomes wrathful. She brings on a violent storm yelling, “It’s not nice to fool Mother Nature!” Same thing applies to the sun. Unhappy at having his solar corona disturbed by the Solar Probe, old Sol sent the coronavirus to Earth to smite us mere mortals with COVID and excessive heat. It is not an accident. The ancient Egyptians foretold this eventuality with their story of the sun god Ra.
Give me that old-time religion. Ra showed up in the 25th century B.C. as the King of the Egyptian gods. He created humans from his sweat and tears. Egyptians viewed the sky as a giant celestial cow, calling themselves the cattle of Ra. The celestial cow was not a carnation-contented cow. Ra crossed the sky each day on the morning boat the Mandjet and then left at night on the good ship Meseket to travel through the Underworld, only to pop up in the East the next morning. Each night, a giant snake named Apophis would try and fail to stop Ra from showing up the following day. As usual, humankind tried to overthrow Ra. You would not like Ra when he is angry. Feeling betrayed, Ra sent his psychotic daughter Sekhmet in the form of a lion to clamp down on man’s rebellion. Similar to the storm troopers in Portland putting down protesters.

Sekhmet was really good at killing humans. Like eating peanuts, it was hard to stop once she got going. She was the COVID-19 of the 25th century B.C. She was so good at wiping out humankind that Ra became concerned that she might do in all of humanity. Ra was confronted with the existential question, “What good is being a god if all of your worshippers are dead?” This was a conundrum. Ra was upset that man had strayed from his straight and narrow. But it would be pretty boring being a God if there is no one to kiss your feet and offer up a human sacrifice to make sure the Nile flooded on time and the sun came up tomorrow.

What to do?

Ra concluded he didn’t want all of humanity wiped out. So Ra ordered all the beer in Egypt to turn red. Ra had the red beer poured out all over Egypt. Sekhmet, in her killing rage, thought the red beer was blood. She tried to drink it all. She drank so much red beer she got drunk and passed out. The killing stopped. The Egyptians lived happily ever after, at least until the Arab Israeli war of 1967.

So what have we learned today? NASA has its version of the sun’s story. The ancient Egyptians have their version. Teach the controversy. Wear a mask. Wash your hands. Ra is watching. He may have sent the coronavirus with his vengeful daughter Sekhmet to get us.

In 2014, I had the pleasure of interviewing Civil Rights icon Congressman John R. Lewis. I remember having a busy day at work, and on my way home, my cellphone rang. On the other end of the phone was the former chancellor of Fayetteville State University, James A. Anderson. He told me that Lewis was visiting FSU and asked if I would like to interview him on my TV show, “Let’s Talk with Shanessa Fenner.” I immediately agreed and hung up the phone, thinking about the carefully constructed questions I would ask him. I wanted to have an informative interview that would serve as a rich history lesson for everyone to learn and reflect upon. I knew that I wanted to discuss the tragic events surrounding the demonstration known as “Bloody Sunday,” as well as the plight of the Black male, the Civil Rights movement and the reason why the Black race has always been disliked.

The day of the interview, I was a bit nervous. I arrived at the TV studio to prepare and got my emotions together. He walked into the studio and introduced himself. We began to talk a little before the interview. I immediately took notice that he was a very humble man with a forgiving spirit. His mere presence was captivating, and during the 30-minute interview, I was in awe the entire time. I looked in his eyes as he talked and hung on to every word. When he talked, he took you back to the time and the place of the event, and it made you feel like you were there experiencing it with him.

When the interview was over, I felt like I had been sitting in a history class because he shared many things that had happened to him, including the many times he was beaten nearly to death. He spent his entire life fighting for equality.

I feel this is the perfect time for the interview to circulate, during this time of tragic events in our country. One disheartening thing is that our younger generation does not know who John Lewis is, so we have to do a better job of educating them about this great man and his powerful journey — even though they have the ability to conduct research on their own. They need to know about these historical events because history has a way of repeating itself, and it sets the tone for the path to move forward. My favorite quote from him is, “There comes a time when you have to say something. You have to make a little noise. You have to move your feet. This is the time.”

I have had people tell me that after they watched the interview, they cried. They shared their experiences of racism and the utter disdain of being mistreated because of the color of their skin.

Some shared that the interview made them ask themselves if are they doing all that they can to make a difference in the lives of others.
I am elated that I was given the honor of a lifetime to interview a Civil Rights icon on my TV show.

My thoughts and prayers are with the Lewis Family. You are blessed to have had a strong icon in your family. He is a rich part of history. We will continue to ensure his legacy lives on. May he rest in peace.

Search “Let’s Talk with Shanessa Fenner” episode 7 on Youtube to see the interview.

The Heritage Square Historical Society presents its annual “Christmas in July” event Thursday, July 30 –Saturday, Aug. 1, from 10 a.m.-6 p.m., at 225 Dick St.

“This is an annual event, and we normally don’t have it until October or November,” said Elaine Kennebeck, president of Heritage Square Historical Society. “However, having to postpone or cancel all of our wedding rentals and events, we have not been able to have any kind of fundraiser.”

Kennebeck added that the organization is running dangerously low on money to pay monthly expenses. The members are committed to keeping the doors open, which is why they pushed the Christmas event up to July. The purpose of the event is to help maintain a historical property and also to allow people to tour the houses to make the public aware they are open for business.

The event takes place in The Sandford House, which is one of three houses the organization owns. The other two houses are The Oval Ballroom and The Baker-Haigh-Nimocks House.

“One of our longtime members, Judy Dorman, passed away,” said Kennebeck. “Her family decided to donate all of her Christmas decorations to Heritage Square because she loved Heritage Square so much. They have brought decorations by the carload, and it’s been unbelievable because it is thousands and thousands of things.”

“It is going to be quite a big sale, and everything is priced from 25 cents and up,” Kennebeck added.

“People love this event, and I think this year it is going to be more uplifting because we have all been caged in our homes looking for something to do and places to go.”

Kennebeck noted the sale consists of about 24 huge tables that are packed with everything Christmas and that it is beautifully displayed. “We have everything on display — if it is animated, makes noise or moves, we plug it up and show you that it’s going.”

The decorations include figurines, Christmas tree ornaments, candle holders, candlesticks, animated collectibles from the ‘70s, unique one-of-a-kind items and so much more. Christmas music will play as customers enjoy this fun experience.

“We accept donations and Christmas decorations for our Christmas Bazaar and Silent Auction throughout the year,” said Kennebeck. “This event is a favorite of a lot of people in Fayetteville, and this year, it’s going to be even bigger and better.”

Admission is free. If you would like to attend the event the day before for a sneak peak, the cost is $10. For more information about this event, call 910-483-6009.

Let me start by saying I really, really do not like wearing a mask.

It is more difficult to breathe. I get lipstick on the inside. It is hot and sticky, especially during the heat wave we have just experienced. I have trouble recognizing masked friends and neighbors. As Dr. Seuss said in “The Cat and the Hat,” “No, I do not like it! Not one little bit.” More than once, I have wondered how medical professionals, construction workers and others wear the darn things all day, every day.

Whining aside, I have a variety of masks — the first handmade by a dear friend, and others I have purchased. I keep masks in my pocketbook, in my car, in my waistband when I walk the new puppy by myself, and on my face if someone is walking with me. As uncomfortable as I find wearing them, I do so both for my own health and for the health of my family and close friends and the people I come into contact with but will never actually know. It is the very least I can do for my larger community during the worst pandemic in a century.

The New York Times reported last week on mask-wearing throughout our nation, complete with a map colored darker to show where masks are commonly worn and lighter where they are worn less often. As we might expect, the darker colors are in higher population areas along the east and west coasts and the Gulf of Mexico. The lightest concentrations are in our nation’s midsection with its vast plains and fewer people and in the South where several states have attempted — an apparently failed at — widespread re-openings.

Social scientists tell the Times that other factors beyond population density are at work. Elizabeth Dorrance, an assistant professor of communications at Michigan State University, says mask-wearing responds to peer pressure. If our family and friends regularly wear masks and value that behavior, we probably will as well, and vice versa. And while the goal is 100% masking, that is unrealistic. Harvard Medical School’s Julia Marcus notes that not everyone buckles a seatbelt, wears a bike helmet, gets vaccinated, has stopped smoking or practices safe sex — no matter what the law says or how often they hear admonitions.

All of that said, it will probably not surprise you to learn that political partisanship is the major predictor of masking or not masking. Generally speaking, more Democrats wear masks and cite protecting others as a reason, and more Republicans go barefaced, citing a right to individual decisions. Shana Gadarian of Syracuse University is blunt. “The big takeaway of all the data is partisanship is the big determinant of all the behavior. It is not age. It is not where you live.”

Really?

Tension between community wellbeing and individual rights has been with us since the birth of our nation. Our Founding Fathers argued — and never resolved — federalism versus states’ rights, and we struggle with those same issues today. I get that regarding political issues and am grateful that North Carolina and the other 49 make our own decisions about public education, voting issues and other important aspects of life in a democratic republic.

But when it comes to public health?

Viruses, including COVID-19, are neither Democrats or Republicans, nor do they care whether they infect members of one or both parties. Sick is sick and dead is dead, no matter what one’s party affliction. Various versions of this saying exist, and it often attributed to U.S. Supreme Court Justice Oliver Wendell Holmes. “The right to swing my fist ends where the other man’s nose begins.” It means that, yes, I am free to make my own decisions, but I am not free to hurt you or to infringe on your rights.

In other words, I am not free to spew my germs on you just because I do not like wearing a mask, and neither are you.

For the health of our nation, Democrats, Republicans and everyone else should just put on a darn mask and quit whining about it.

Some North Carolina old-timers still talk about the disastrous 1943 train wreck south of Fayetteville. It killed 74 people, including the father of one of the central characters of beloved author Jill McCorkle’s new novel, “Hieroglyphics.”

McCorkle, who grew up in nearby Lumberton, says she remembers her dad talking about visiting the site right after the crash and seeing all the scattered debris.

The late Joe Oxendine, who was featured in my recent column dealing with Indian sports nicknames, told me that he and other boys from Pembroke drove over to see the wreck and collect some of the stunning remnants scattered over the site.

McCorkle lived in Boston for a number of years. There, she heard about a 1942 nightclub fire that took more than 492 lives, including the mother of another character in “Hieroglyphics.”

When Lil, whose mother died in the fire, and Frank, whose father died in the train wreck, first met, they discovered their common bond, a bond that held them through 60 years of marriage.

As the story begins, they have retired to Southern Pines, which, coincidently, is not far from the site of the tragic train wreck. Close by the wreck site is the modest home where Frank lived for several years after his dad’s death.

Frank and Lil have driven to the old house, now occupied by Shelley, a single mother, and her young son, Harvey.

Shelley has seen Frank driving by before and is nervous. “It doesn’t help that that old man rides by so often now, his green Toyota slowing in front of the house and then circling the block.”

When Shelley meets Frank at the door, he explains, “I grew up here. I would love to see inside if convenient. My wife, too.”

Shelley resists, but at the end of the book Frank is in the backyard of the old house finding some closure.

In the 300 pages between its opening and closing at the old house, McCorkle takes us deep into the lives of the characters we met on the first pages: Frank, Lil, Shelley and Harvey.

Frank carries the consequences of the train wreck throughout his life. Both his father and mother were on the train, coming from Florida to their home in Massachusetts, where Frank and his grandmother waited for them. Frank’s seriously injured mother remained in North Carolina to recuperate. She was sure she heard Frank’s father calling, “Don’t leave me.” So she stayed and ultimately married a local man.

She and Frank lived in his house, and Frank grew up there. Ultimately, he went to college and graduate school, married Lil and became a college professor specializing in ancient history and archeological relics. Along the railroad tracks he collected relics from the wreck, including a toy decoder that he imagined his parents were bringing him for Christmas.

Lil cannot get over the loss of her mother, a ballroom dance instructor, who had not told her husband and Lil that she was going to the nightclub. The questions of who her mother was with and why still haunted her as an adult. She is also a collector. McCorkle uses Lil’s collected newspaper clippings and copious notes to help tell a story that include her agonizing experience of Frank’s misadventures with a younger academic.

Shelley is a court reporter in a Robeson County courtroom during the trial of a brutal doctor who murdered one of his many girlfriends, not unlike a similar murdering doctor in McCorkle’s previous novel, “Life After Life.”

Shelley’s son, Harvey, is a collector of horror stories about the Beast of Bladenboro, the Glencoe Munchkins and other scary tales that kept him awake at night and he used to frighten his schoolmates.

That McCorkle builds these complex characters together into a complex, layered, and gripping novel is just another example of her great storytelling genius.

The grandson of retired Cumberland County Schools Superintendent John Griffin drowned earlier this month while swimming at the Lake Pines Swim Club. Fayetteville Police identified the victim as Taylin Mack, 20, of Fayetteville. He was found underwater near a diving board. CPR was performed until emergency personnel arrived. He was pronounced dead on arrival at Cape Fear Valley Medical Center. Police said Mack had been swimming at the lake with friends.

“I will be conducting a thorough investigation into the events of this case,” said swim club owner Frank Lay on Facebook.

For inveterate optimists, the past several months have been excruciating. A global pandemic has produced great suffering and death. A protest movement that began with righteous anger about the death of George Floyd has devolved in all too many locations into vandalism, looting and violence. Reeling from these blows, economies sank into recession as businesses bled money, shed jobs and, in some cases, shut down for good. Families struggled. Social ties frayed. Partisan divides widened.

To be an inveterate optimist, however, is to reject despair as unhelpful and, in the end, unrealistic. You champion context. You look for unforeseen opportunities. You counsel patience. And you spotlight outcomes that aren’t as bad as worse-case scenarios had predicted.
Consider the latest economic and fiscal trends here in North Carolina. After a combination of consumer behavior and government mandates shoved the state into recession, tens of thousands of North Carolinians lost their jobs in March, followed by hundreds of thousands in April.
Something comparable happened across our region, as well. But during the month of May, most labor markets in the Southeast rebounded more strongly than North Carolina’s did. Indeed, our state’s headline unemployment rate barely changed from April (12.9%) to May (12.8%).
In June, though, North Carolina began to catch up. Employers added back some 173,000 jobs last month — one of the largest monthly gains in employment in state history. Sectors with notably large increases included accommodation and food service (56,000), retail trade (18,000), entertainment and recreation (13,000), health care (11,000) and local government (26,000, including employees of summer camps and other local offerings).

Does Gov. Roy Cooper’s slower approach to phased reopening explain these events? Surely to some extent. In many cases, jobs that other state economies recovered in May, North Carolina’s recovered in June.

But that’s not the whole story. Individuals are also making their own decisions, quite apart from what public officials are doing. In a study just posted by the National Bureau of Economic Research, two University of Notre Dame economists found that the relative importance of the two factors — government regulation and private choice — differ by type and sector. Using GPS tracking, they discovered that stay-at-home orders had a surprisingly small effect on overall mobility, for example, while restrictions on restaurants and retail matter a great deal.

To be sure, one good monthly jobs report does not a recovery make. North Carolina has still lost a net 377,000 jobs since the beginning of the crisis. And while our headline jobless rate for June (7.6%) now compares more favorably with our regional peers, some of the decline in measured unemployment occurred not because jobless North Carolinians found jobs but because they stopped looking. Our labor-force participation rate was 57.4% in June, compared to 61.6% in February. Among the 12 Southeastern states, only Kentucky has experienced a worse decline.

Still, as more North Carolinians manage to get and stay employed, our immediate economic future becomes less gloomy. The same could be said for the fiscal outlook of state and local government.

Another piece of relative good news, to my mind, was that state government’s General Fund revenue for the first 11 months of the 2019-20 fiscal year came in $973 million below what was originally projected. Given the economic devastation of March, April and May, I had expected a larger revenue hit. If the positive economic momentum of June can be sustained into the fall, state and local budget deficits will become more manageable.

The headwinds are daunting, admittedly. People continue to be worried, understandably, about daily reports of COVID-19 cases and deaths. And Cooper’s decision to limit access to public schools, and subsequent decisions by many districts to deliver only online education this semester, will put a substantial strain on parents — potentially forcing some to cut back hours or exit their jobs entirely to care for their children.
North Carolinians will need all their resilience and inventiveness to get through this. As an inveterate optimist, I wouldn’t bet against them.