A shortage of blood is nothing new at Fayetteville’s Blood Donor Center. About 900 donors provide blood supplies for Cape Fear Valley Health System in a good month.
“We transfuse 1,100 units of blood a month,” said Marketing and Outreach Coordinator Lindsey Graham. “The past year has been one of the most critical years ever.”

For the first time in Graham’s 12 years at the blood donor center, Cape Fear Valley hospitals have had to cancel elective surgery because of the blood shortage. Graham said the COVID-19 pandemic has contributed to the shortage.

The Cape Fear Valley Blood Donor Center is a community program that serves the needs of patients at the health system’s hospitals in Cumberland, Hoke and Bladen counties through blood donations by individual donors, community organizations and businesses. With public school out for an indeterminant period, there will be even fewer donations.

“High school students provide half the blood supply,” Graham said. They are the most reliable providers in our community, she added. Graham is at a loss to understand why, in a major military community, there isn’t more donor enthusiasm because, Graham said, “The need is great.”

O negative is the most common blood type used for transfusions when a patient’s blood type is unknown, making it the universal blood type. And, it is the safest blood for transfusions for immune-deficient newborn babies. Because of its versatility for transfusions, it is in high demand.  In an emergency, it is the blood product of choice. O negative is the first blood supply to run out during a shortage, and that is the case locally, according to Graham.

Since the community requires a continuous, safe blood supply, the Blood Donor Center encourages donors to give on a regular basis. Donors are eligible to donate whole blood every eight weeks. “Each donation can save up to three lives,” Graham noted.

Blood is a living tissue circulating throughout the human body and is comprised of red blood cells, white blood cells, platelets and plasma. It is most often collected as whole blood and separated into major components before transfusions. In the U.S., the collection, testing, preparation, storage and transportation of blood and blood components is governed by Food and Drug Administration regulations.

The Cape Fear Valley Blood Donor Center is located at 3357 Village Dr. It is always open for donations Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., and the third Saturday of each month from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. As members of the Blood Assurance Plan, donors can build blood credits. Each donation equals one blood credit that may be kept by the donor or transferred to a family member or friend in need. Blood credits may be used to replace blood or platelet unit charges for patients of the Cape Fear Valley Health System. 

Bloodmobile drives are scheduled for Saturday, April 18, 1-4 p.m., at Bright Light Brewing Company at 444 W. Russell St.; Wednesday, April 22, 10 a.m.-1 p.m., at Chick-fil-A, 4611 Ramsey St.; and Saturday, April 25, 11 a.m.-1 p.m., at Fort Wagg Pet Supplies, 2672 Highway 24-87 in Cameron.

Enough gloom and doom. The COVID-19 crisis has come to pass. And pass, it will.

The individual days of the past few weeks have all blended together for so many of us. We've each claimed a share of the thoughts, emotion and uncertainty as we watched schools close, events cancel, and businesses either shutter their doors or repurpose their operation to adapt to a situation that changed daily. All the while, though, hope has been looming before us, beckoning us forward.

Your first reaction to this crisis might have been much like mine: sheer disbelief. I mean, we're Americans, right? We tend toward a heady resilience that that automatically rejects the notion that any calamity of grand proportion will ever find us. Then the tornadoes. Or the hurricane. Or the second hurricane right behind it. Or this... a  pandemic we are more accustomed to reading about in some distant or third world country. Not in Idaho. Or Kansas. Or Raleigh.

As a person of strong faith, I try to be keenly aware of the needs around me. Situations like this health-driven economic disaster are where we're to shine, and unfortunately there's plenty of seeming darkness to illuminate. But offering a light of hope isn't limited to the faithful, so let's get to shining!

Just as we've all had a share of the disaster to call our own, we as a community can all participate in providing our share of light to the shadowy situation around us. As the government-provided economic stimulus has begun to appear for some and promises to for the rest of us, we need to consider how we'll put that to use to the benefit of our community. There are hundreds of small, locally owned businesses operating in some capacity which need your help to survive. They're your neighbors. They're your friends. Their employees have kids in school and on the ball team with yours. Many are offering touchless delivery to your door or curbside pickup. You can shop locally, and you can shop safely.

For those businesses you frequent in better times — even those temporarily closed — you can help in other ways:

Buy gift cards today.

Use those gift cards when they reopen and restock.

Spread the word on social media about your favorite locally owned businesses.

Tip generously for delivery or curbside services.

Please don't overlook the nonprofits and churches supporting our community in so many ways. Whether it's time, money or other resources, your donations and support mean more now than ever before.

To the people of faith, commit to prayer. Pray that God will use this unexpected downtime for good. The place we're all standing is level ground. Let's pray we see reconciliation and quick resolve to painful situations more often than not as we move forward from this as a acommunity, a country and as citizens of the world population.

Like ministers across the country, Pastor Wesley Holmes of the Hope Mills Church of God has been making major adjustments in how he relates to his congregation as everyone copes with the challenges presented by the COVID-19 quarantine. But in  many ways, Holmes thinks the situation has pulled church members even closer and helped increase the sharing of the message of the faith.

Once it became clear that traditional church operations were going to have to be drastically curtailed, Holmes divided up the names in his church’s directory and shared them with a handful of families in the congregation. Each family was asked to stay in regular contact with the members on the list they were given.

The church also has a phone tree, typical with many congregations, that allows Holmes to spread messages with everyone. Holmes said the leaders of his denomination have stressed since the start of the pandemic, the more contact with the membership, the better.

Before the quarantine was put in place, Holmes had been using things like Facebook and YouTube to share video presentations with his church.

Initially, Holmes was doing his Sunday worship service live on Facebook, but he soon encountered a problem. The internet speed his church was using was not adequate enough for the task. Too many people were trying to log into the live feed and Holmes and his videocast kept getting bumped offline.

Since then, he’s decided to tape his services in advance. He does a weekly Bible study on Wednesdays that he uploads the same day as the study. The Sunday morning worship service is normally uploaded on Saturday night.

Facebook controls allow him to schedule the time on Sunday morning when the worship service will become available for public viewing.

He’s kept the services fairly simple, usually doing them from the sanctuary at the church. He takes care of the majority of the service, with his wife Heather contributing the children’s message. His teen-age son Isaiah is off camera handling the music and sound for the broadcasts each week.

“It is a challenge,’’ Holmes said. “Talking with other ministers, they are having to step out of their comfort zones.’’

Some churches don’t have the live streaming capability that Holmes does, so he’s heard of other congregations that are doing drive-in church in the parking lot, keeping their members sequestered in their cars with windows rolled up, which the minister broadcasts the sound of the outdoor service over their FM radios in the car.

Holmes said there have been positives to the live streaming church sessions. “They can share it with their families that don’t go to church,’’ Holmes said. “We’re getting a lot of people we don’t minister to regularly on a Sunday morning.’’

People are also able to watch the Sunday service over and over during the week when it’s posted on Facebook. The only major downside Holmes sees to the video services is people might have distractions in the home setting versus the typical peaceful scene Sunday morning in the sanctuary.

Like many pastors, Holmes said his sermons in the initial days of quarantine have focused on positive, uplifting themes trying to help people deal with the situation. But he plans to move forward from that in the coming days and share more about the major themes of the Gospel message.

“I truly believe we can still get the message across, even though we are not gathered in the sanctuary,’’ he said. “We have to continue getting the message out.’’

There have been isolated reports of ministers in some congregations refusing to honor the quarantine and holding large meetings of their members. Holmes doesn’t agree with that practice, especially because of the number of elderly members in his congregation. “We don’t want to do anything that may cause them to get sick,’’ he said. “I want to be part of the solution and not part of the problem.

“I’d rather scale back and not have services for several weeks than to try and have services, say we are going to do it no matter what, and some people get sick.’’

In some ways, Holmes feels what is happening now is a return to the church as depicted in the second chapter of the book of Acts. 

“A lot of people were having to do church at home,’’ he said of the stories from Acts. “I think it’s brought the church back to its roots.’’

Like every other life experience, we are all going through our quarantines differently.  Some of us are alone and feeling isolated, while others are reading, live-streaming, doing yard work or keeping quarantine journals. Still, others are with our families in varying degrees of harmony. Some are dealing with young children with pent-up energy and school work, and others have responsibilities for elderly relatives.  Some are quarantined with friends, and some are on the front lines in medical arenas fighting the virus. And, for some of us deemed essential workers, life is much the same in service industries — except there are fewer clients and customers, and people are now wearing masks.

I am old enough to know that almost everything has an end, and I believe that quarantine will end at some point, though it is far from clear when that might be. Researchers will eventually develop a vaccine against COVID-19, and most of us will take it.  National and international politicians and policymakers will reinstate actions to anticipate and combat future pandemics.  Those of us who suffered the virus will try to rebuild our health, and those of us who lost dear ones will mourn as we move forward.

Post quarantine, life will be different. As much as we may yearn for life as we knew it before the pandemic, we are experiencing massive change not only in public health but in our global economy. Some of it may be long-lasting, even permanent.

We are going to be much more careful about physical contact, including shaking hands. We will keep more distance than we have done in the past, and hand sanitizer will be on our shopping lists for the foreseeable future. Some of us will have lost our livelihoods, through job loss or the demise of our industries. The future of smaller, local restaurants is worrisome as they are less likely to have long-term resources to tide them over than larger regional and national chain operations. Daily newspapers are gasping for breath as well. Television and various other media are excellent at covering breaking news and keeping us up to date on pandemic coverage. Newspapers give us backstories, deeper and fuller explanations of what is happening, and differing perspectives on why. It is something that is increasingly difficult to find in our current world of niche media, most of which are busily preaching to their own choirs. During this difficult time, a number of daily papers that routinely have firewalls against nonsubscribers have made pandemic coverage available to everyone along with pleas for more subscribers or even simple contributions to support their efforts. The internet and emerging media have ended the days when daily newspapers were licenses to print money and may yet kill them.

It is possible as well that we will see a renewed appreciation and revival of our communities and our relationships with the people who live around us. In the same way we know where and with whom we were on 9/11, we will know where we endured the pandemic and who was with us and whom we missed. As frustrated as we might be in quarantine, most of us will emerge at some point, grateful to those who helped us that we survived this bizarre and frightening time in world history.

The New York Times, a newspaper with a storied history and one that remains a force in national life, is hopeful about what post-pandemic America will look like. COVID-19 has pulled back the curtain on inequities in our society — income, educational and health disparities in particular, and The Times is initiating a project aimed at building a nation that is “stronger, fairer, and more free.” Wrote the editorial page editor, James Bennett, “This pandemic offers the same opportunity that Americans have seized in past crises: to set aside petty differences, recognize national priorities and set to work again on creating a more perfect union.”

Hear! Hear!

Column Gist: It seems that in America, we have created an atmosphere where productive discourse, supported by logical thought, hardly ever happens. Sadly, very few Americans seem to recognize the threat to our very existence that is posed by this condition.

I find it extremely difficult to identify individuals who disagree with my views but can still have a civil and equally respectful discussion of issues on which we disagree. In my writing, I come back to this topic very often. That is because I see an extremely troubled future for our nation if this condition is allowed to continue.

Coming to grips with this inability of our nation to get anywhere near correcting this ruinous atmosphere affects me in many ways. My father died in 2012 and, for many reasons, I miss him terribly. One of those reasons is that he and I were able to, despite our differing views, have civil, respectful and productive discussions about divisive issues on which we disagreed.

Daddy lived in Albany, Georgia, and I was in Fayetteville, North Carolina. Over the last 10 or so years of his life, we talked by phone at least once a week. If I did not call him, he would call me. Anytime he had to call me, I felt sad and guilty because, having been blessed with a wonderful father, he should not have had to initiate the weekly call. Sometimes he would get our voicemail. I still have some of his messages. He would always open with, “Hello, this is Daddy.”

I feel safe in describing my father as fiscally conservative, but socially liberal. For all of the years we had those weekly conversations, I was, and still am, conservative across the board. In those phone conversations, and in person on occasion, we addressed difficult topics. Even though his life was one of individual struggle from sharecropper to highly accomplished teacher, builder, preacher and pastor, Daddy was far more supportive of governmental assistance programs than I was or ever expect to be.

These differences in our thinking, and some were miles apart, did not make productive dialogue impossible. By “productive dialogue” I mean where each person is heard and prompted to serious thought regarding the issue and the parties work together toward actions that are fair, supported by reasonable consideration of facts and advance resolution of the issue at hand.

The great obstacle to this productive discussion process is that people set an agenda based on all the wrong motives, and then, in their discussions, the agenda rules. Because the discussions and interactions are driven by an agenda based on wrong motives, productive discussion is impossible.

Daddy did not have this problem. His motivation was an all-consuming desire to, as God directed, help people be the best they could be; his motivation was righteous. He focused on loving others, dealing fairly with all people and, above all, working an agenda that he felt called to by God. This approach made it possible for — even dictated that — Daddy to be civil, respectful and thoughtful even in discussions where others disagreed with him. This was my experience with Milton Wayne Merritt, Sr. I miss him.

Let me give a bit more attention to the danger posed by destructive agendas prompted by unrighteous motives. In our time, the examples abound, but, with me, give some thought to just one. We are in the midst of this devastating coronavirus. Still, reports are coming out indicating there is a move, primarily by Democrats, to start preparations to investigate the Trump administration’s response to this crisis. Consider the following segments from an article by Carol E. Lee, Courtney Kube and Leigh Ann Caldwell titled, “Informal discussions begin on 9/11-style commission on coronavirus response”:

“Informal discussions have begun on Capitol Hill about the possibility of creating a panel to scrutinize the Trump administration’s response to the coronavirus pandemic that would be modeled on the commission that investigated the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, according to four people familiar with the discussions.

“They described the discussions as ‘very preliminary’ and involving mostly congressional Democrats.

“The review would focus on lessons learned about the government’s preparedness and what the administration could have handled better, they said, adding that the goal would be to come up with a better plan to handle a pandemic in the future.

“House Intelligence Committee Chairman Adam Schiff says he is working on a draft of a bill to form a commission.

“’I don’t know that you would get administration buy-in for something like that,’ a senior administration official said. ‘Then, if the Democrats do one, it’s all one-sided.’”

“The bipartisan 9/11 Commission was created by legislation signed into law by President George W. Bush to review the government’s preparedness for and response to the 2001 terrorist attacks. It was formed a year after the attacks and two years before Bush was up for reelection.”

Trump is correct when he says that the coronavirus has put America in the midst of a war. After failing to destroy Trump through an extended and financially expensive Mueller investigation, a disruptive, foundationless, failed impeachment coupled with repeated obstruction of his every action on behalf of Americans, now Democrats want to start another investigation in the middle of a war that is raging within our borders.

I contend this conduct clearly illustrates the danger posed by destructive agendas prompted by unrighteous motives. The totality of Democratic actions, including this move toward an investigation, is motivated by an anything-goes quest for power that has resulted in a one-item agenda. That one item is to not only remove Trump from the presidency, but to destroy him. The result is a total lack of productive dialogue between Democrats and Republicans regarding any of the pressing issues facing our nation. This makes for a grim-looking future. The grimness of our future is compounded by the destructive tension among elected officials having spread to the general American population.

I contend, as a nation, we have far too little of what was key to Daddy’s productive dialogue with people who disagreed with him, and he with them. Whether spoken or not, he was always able to keep the shared values, interests, beliefs and experiences of discussion participants at the forefront. When he and I talked about issues on which we disagreed, he did not have to remind me of all that we shared: faith, desire to answer God’s call in our life, love of others and love of America. Because all of this, and even more, important positive shared stuff was present — the atmosphere for productive dialogue was set.

Based on my experiences with Daddy, I recommend that America’s leaders, and all of us, focus on all the important positive stuff that we share. Then, while remembering it, address the difficult issues that we face. My hope is that I can, in my challenging discussions, do a better job of practicing what Daddy demonstrated so well in our conversations. I hope and pray that others will join me.

Writing this column stirred some hope in me, but I still miss Daddy.

Ravyn Rozier

Gray’s Creek • Bowling • Junior

Rozier has a grade point average of 4.25. She is a member of the National Honor Society, the Thespian Honor Society, Future Farmers of America, 4-H, Girl Scouts, musical theater, chamber choir and the journalism and yearbook staffs.

Savannah Lindsey

Gray’s Creek • Basketball • Junior

Lindsey has a grade point average of 4.0. She is in the Thunder Hooves 4-H Club, the Volunteer Youth Leaders County Council, Future Farmers of American and National Honor Society.

While we must grudgingly accept the new normal here in our community for at least the next few weeks, we are determined to make the best of it. So, please be aware that everyone here at Up & Coming Weekly, Kidsville News! and Women’s View Magazine maintains our commitment to providing our readers in Fayetteville, Fort Bragg and Cumberland County with local news, views, arts and helpful, uplifting information that celebrates and defines the community while informing and entertaining our readers. Attitude is everything, and we want to provide local content that gets you joyfully through the week.

We plan to continue our normal publishing and distribution schedule for all publications. We even added a new dimension by partnering with and supporting local restaurants and eateries. See page 22. These businesses are providing U&CW newspapers with their takeout orders and including it with their delivery orders. It is the perfect solution for those who want the publication but are not out and about. We are advertising and promoting the participating businesses free of charge and allowing them to insert their menus into the publications. It’s a win-win for both the businesses and the community. So, if you have interesting news or stories about what’s going on in your neighborhood, keep us posted. We want to know what is happening in your world. Send your information to editor@upandcomingweekly.com or HopeMills@upandcomingweekly.com. 

Truth, honesty and knowledge are power for us all, and as we spend less time in face-to-face dialogue and interaction with each other, free weekly newspapers like Up & Coming Weekly help maintain that sense of community we all seek.

No doubt about it, we need to share the good news with each other so that while we are honestly aware of the challenges everyone is facing, we can still uplift each other and share our joys, successes and accomplishments.

Accuracy matters more than ever.

Because the COVID-19 phenomenon is the biggest crisis — and the most talked-about event of our time — it is also the least accurately talked-about event of our time. We encourage you to vet all your news sources and go to and trust only firsthand primary sources of information like these:

For Cumberland County information, visit co.cumberland.nc.us/COVID-19 and https://coronavirus-response-cumberlandgis.hub.arcgis.com/.

For details about COVID-19 — symptoms, preventative measures and recommendations — go to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website at CDC.gov.

For worldwide and national statistics on the numbers of cases and fatalities, visit www.worldometers.info/coronavirus/, which aggregates data and links directly to its primary sources in each country.

A final word — tomorrow will belong to those who make the best use of their time today. Change, even unwelcome change, brings new and exciting opportunities. New ways of doing things will always present themselves. Those who use this stress-laden and uncomfortable time to observe the changes, resist panicking and prepare for their future will be far more likely to survive and find prosperity when this crisis is over.

On behalf of everyone here at Up & Coming Weekly, stay healthy, stay vigilant, and never allow yourself to become complacent. Continue to market and promote your products, services and organizations, for they will be desperately needed very soon. And, for heaven’s sake, don’t believe everything you see online. Stick with sources you know and trust.

We wish good health to all our readers and advertisers, and we look forward to the day we can shake hands again and begin to seize the new opportunities that await us on the other side of this crazy crisis.

Thank you for reading Up & Coming Weekly!

Scammers come out of the woodwork when people are most vulnerable, and they are certainly crawling out now with this pandemic. What we know about COVID-19 and its repercussions is changing exponentially day by day. With that uncertainty comes fear and vulnerability. We need to be cautious, vigilant and careful of those who would take advantage, seeking to victimize us or our loved ones.

With the uncertainties surrounding COVID-19, scammers have already adjusted to prey on public fear and vulnerability. Recently the North Carolina attorney general’s office reported a new scam where the caller claims to be from the federal government and asks for bank account information so the stimulus check coming your way can be directly deposited into your account. There have also been scammers selling fake test kits, cures or treatments for COVID-19 and callers declaring you tested positive and offering resources while asking for credit card information. Malicious websites and apps that claim to share vital information about COVID-19 have also been popping up on phones and computers to gain access to your devices — and then lock them up until payment is received. Be wary of emails that claim to come from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) or World Health Organization (WHO) with attachments that will infect your computer, gaining access to your personal information.

Note: Federal or state agencies will not call or text you with products or information about COVID-19 — hang up on anyone who asks for your bank account information or credit card. Delete strange texts. Delete suspicious emails, and do not click on links or attachments or open apps that you have not researched independently first.

In the end, keep a few simple rules in mind to prevent yourself from getting scammed:

1) Be cautious. When something sounds too good to be true, it probably is.

2) Be vigilant. Your “sixth sense” is there for a reason, listen to it. Trust that your “gut feeling” is right most, if not all, of the time.

3) Be careful. If you find yourself getting convinced by someone to give your bank account information or credit card number or wire money or purchase gift cards to pay for some service related to COVID-19 — stop and hang up. If you are unsure, call a family member or a friend or contact the North Carolina attorney general’s consumer hotline at 1-877-5-NO-SCAM or 919-716-6000.

In a typical year, many people would plan to put on their Sunday best and head to church tomorrow for an Easter service. Of course, this year isn’t like most years due to the practice of social distancing. But in a time that is so hectic and stressful in so many ways, churches throughout Cumberland County are being creative in how they offer Easter services  to their congregations in hopes that their efforts will provide hope and peace during a troublesome time. 

Many churches are putting information on their Facebook pages and websites to let their congregations and other people in the community know about changes in Easter plans. Here are ways that  just a few of the churches in the area are celebrating differently this year. 

The Village Baptist Church will livestream their Easter services at 7 a.m, 9:30 a.m. and 11 a.m. on April 12. Visit https://www.facebook.com/officialvillagebaptistchurch/ to see the service. You can also catch broadcasts of the services on the radio. Carolina Country 100.1 WFAY and The River 106.5 WMRV will both air the 11 a.m. service. The Village Kids Easter service will be available at https://www.facebook.com/villagekidsnc/ and will start at 9 a.m. 

Epicenter Church normally has a popular event called Hop in the Park, but due to the cancellation of the event, the Church is finding other ways to reach out. The church made “Hop at Home” kits available, which included Easter eggs, crayons, coloring pages and candy that were available through April 9. Epicenter is also taking this opportunity to support local causes. They have given a financial contribution to Southern Coals, which has been providing food to local students who aren’t able to get food at school. They have also made financial contributions to Operation Blessing and Fayetteville Urban Ministry. Visit their Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/yourepicenter/ for a variety of links, including a Youtube channel, a sign-up page for life groups, and a page for kids. 

Manna Church is hosting Easter services online at 8:15 a.m., 9:30 a.m. and 11 a.m., as well as on My RDC TV at 10 a.m. Visit https://fayftbragg.manna.church/updates/easter-with-manna?fbclid=IwAR3LTb9itlXrwVIwMIa5JqY_i0DPLcscwSnxgeoPPbwulgNrDZFhGQNb1ps for more information. 

Northwood Temple Church, located at 4250 Ramsey Street, is having drive-in church, rain or shine. Live worship music will begin at 9:30 a.m. The church will provide pre-packaged communion for those in attendance. Other people who wish to tune in can turn to The River 106.5 WMRV from 10-11 a.m. 

Southview Baptist Church is having drive-in services tomorrow morning as well. Located in Hope Mills at 4089 Elk Road, the services will be at 9:30 and 11:30 a.m. Visit the Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/SouthviewBC/ to watch the services online. 

You contribute to an IRA and 401(k) to help build the financial resources you’ll need to enjoy a comfortable retirement. But despite these funds being set aside for retirement, many investors use them before they retire. More than half of Americans tap into their retirement savings early, according to a survey from Magnify Money, a website focusing on financial topics. How can you avoid this problem?

It’s obviously important to leave your retirement savings untouched, as much as possible, until retirement. You could spend two or three decades as a retiree, so you’ll need a lot of financial resources. Of course, it’s understandable why some people touch their retirement accounts early: According to the Magnify Money survey, about 23% did so to pay off debts, 17% to make down payments on a home, 11% to pay for college and the rest for other reasons.

While you also might consider these needs for taking an early withdrawal or loan from your retirement account, you’ve got good reasons for not touching your IRA or 401(k) before you retire. First, you may face tax penalties if you withdraw money from your IRA and 401(k) before 59 ½, though there are exceptions. Also, if your withdrawals from your retirement accounts are large enough, they could push you into a higher tax bracket. Plus, the longer you leave your money intact, the more you’ll probably have when you need it in retirement.

Let’s use the survey results to look at some additional points you might evaluate before using funds from your retirement accounts for other purposes:

Paying off debts — You could consider using a 401(k) loan to pay down some high-interest rate debt, but this move assumes two things — one, you don’t plan on taking on additional high interest rate debt, and two, you plan on repaying the loan from your 401(k) within five years. If you don’t, you could face penalties.

Making a down payment on a home — The IRS allows first-time home buyers to make a penalty-free withdrawal of $10,000 from an IRA to make a down payment on a home; however, taxes could still be owed. You might be better off by delaying the purchase of a home, giving you time to build up additional savings, held outside your retirement accounts, that could be used for the down payment.

Paying for college — If you haven’t saved enough for a child approaching college, you might consider withdrawing from your retirement accounts to do so. If the funds are used for qualified education expenses, you may be able to withdraw from you IRA without paying a penalty, but again, taxes could be owed on the withdrawn funds. Alternatively, if you have more time, you could consider opening tax-advantaged 529 accounts for younger children to help pay for their education.

As the name suggests, a retirement account is designed for retirement, so do whatever you can to protect it. You may want to consult with a financial professional for guidance on meeting the other needs people cite in tapping into their retirement accounts early. The more you know, the better prepared you’ll be to make the best decisions you can for your situation.

Call me Ishmael. Nope, call me Pollyanna. Or maybe call me a taxi. OK, you’re a taxi. Thanks, I needed that. But I digress. The lesson for today is going to focus on good things that are happening. As you may have noticed, there has been a certain C-word that has dominated the news and your ability to go to the grocery store without feeling you are risking your life to buy milk. If you need more mind-numbing statistics or spooky news of the day, kindly go somewhere else. Today we will look at the good stuff that is happening despite the existence of the C-word cooties.

You have to look around a bit, but there are reasons for optimism. If you are truly bored, you can follow me on Facebook wherein I have undertaken to posting a daily notice of Today’s Good News. Accordingly, I am going to plagiarize myself and steal some of my earlier pieces of fluff, in case you missed them.

For example, the Creature from the Black Lagoon is immune to Coronavirus. This is good news for fans of 1950s black-and-white horror movies. The Creature is alive and well in the Amazon. The Gill Man continues to lurk, waiting for beauteous maidens to venture near his lagoon, which is much less murky now since oil demand dropped.

While everyone was hunkered down sheltering in place, a significant political event occurred that passed unnoticed among the clutter of C-word news. An actual very extremely stable genius announced his dark horse candidacy for president of the United States. Mr. Ed, the Talking Horse announced from his stall that he is running for president. He named Wilbur Post as his vice-presidential choice. For those readers who are not chronologically gifted, I recommend a visit to YouTube, which will acquaint you with Mr. Ed. For older readers, please recall that “A horse is horse/ Of course, of course/ And no one can talk to his horse of course/ That is of course unless the horse is the famous Mr. Ed/ Go right to the source and ask the horse/ He’ll give you the answer that you’ll endorse/ He’s always on a steady course/ Talk to Mr. Ed.” See if you can get that song out of your head before the quarantine ends. I bet you can’t.

Another double plus good thing to be grateful for is that Boy Wonder Jared Kushner is not twins. As Jared seems to be in charge of everything and nothing in the White House, the fact that he is not twins cuts his ability in half to screw things up. Imagine the damage Jared could do if he were twins. It would be a soap opera miracle in that both Jared twins would be the evil twin. Consider the impact of the Winklevoss twins, increase that level exponentially and you would have Jared as twins. The mind boggles.

On a celestial level of good news, two major events stand out. As a result of the C-word Cooties, Mars has called off its attack on Earth. It’s one thing for Martians to brave the music of Slim Whitman, but no self-respecting Martian is willing to subject itself to the C-word, despite their spacesuits and other personal protective equipment.

President Trump is safe from having to tell the Martians: “Why be enemies? Think of how strong we could be — Earth and Mars together. There is nothing we could not accomplish. Think about it. Little people, why can’t we all just get along?” That talk didn’t work out so well for President Jack Nicholson and might not work for our current Dear Leader.

The other cosmic good news comes from 2.37 billion light-years away from our old nemesis, the Andromeda Galaxy. According to Earth’s madcap astrophysicists, the Andromeda Galaxy is scheduled to collide with our very own Milky Way Galaxy a short 4.5 billion years from now. This collision would leave a path of death and destruction on Earth, resulting in the permanent cancellation of all NBA seasons. Fortunately, the Dark Matter in charge of cosmic galactic migration wants no part of the C virus. The Andromeda Galaxy has changed course and is moving away from us. Herein give a big shoutout to Dark Matter.

Finally, last but not least, to keep up the morale of America despite the endless series of talking heads telling us nightmare scenarios as a result of the C-word, the Federal Communications Commission has stepped into the breach. If you watch too much cable news, you will plunge into John Bunyon’s slough of despond in his cheery book “The Pilgrim’s Progress.” For America to stay out of the slough and avoid a Great Psychological Depression, the FCC is going to require all cable systems to carry the Test Pattern Channel. This channel will show the Indian Test Pattern 24hours a day, seven days a week. If you need comfort, switch off the news and watch the Test Pattern channel. You can then party like it’s after midnight in 1958.

Now, don’t you feel better already? Can you say Test Pattern? I knew you could.

Today’s globalized economy is filled with all kinds of competition — from small businesses to large corporations. Members of today’s workforce must be competitive, interactive and diverse to compete and succeed in today’s global economy.  Employees will be required to meet these global challenges with the skill sets needed to keep their companies successful and profitable in an ever-changing economic environment. Are you ready for the challenge?

At Fayetteville Technical Community College, our business programs prepare students for a successful career in a wide range of business platforms with a variety of academic program choices to meet career and educational goals.  FTCC’s business programs prepare students for employment in a competitive marketplace or guide students to a bachelor’s degree at a four-year college. FTCC also has numerous articulation agreements with four-year universities, allowing students to complete additional upper-level courses with the value of FTCC’s affordable tuition.

Business program students seeking employment in today’s competitive, diverse, global marketplace upon graduation often pursue a business administration degree. The business administration degree curriculum is designed to introduce students to the various aspects of the free enterprise system.  Students are provided with a fundamental knowledge of business functions and processes and an understanding of business organizations in today’s challenging global economy.

Course work includes business concepts, such as accounting, business law, economics, human resources, entrepreneurship, management and supervision, and marketing.  Skills related to the application of these concepts are developed through the study of effective communications, critical thinking, collaboration, leadership, team-building, decision-making and computer applications.  Through these skills, students will have a sound business education foundation which leads to lifelong learning and career growth opportunities. Graduates are prepared for employment opportunities in entrepreneurship, management, marketing, retail, sales and finance, with large or small businesses or industries.

The faculty at FTCC bring real-world expertise and ideas into the classroom learning environment, regardless if the class is face to face, online or blended educational formats. FTCC has instructors who owned and operated their own businesses, worked in the industry and managed organizational resources, finances, programs, processes and personnel. At FTCC, students are not just learning from a textbook; students learn from proven business professionals, each prepared to deliver their practical experiences in real-time relevance. FTCC’s business programs instructors are skilled academic advisors who want to help students succeed. They’ll also celebrate and proudly stand by students at their graduation ceremonies. 

For students interested in pursuing an exciting career in the business industry, FTCC is a wise choice for pursuing education.  As long as the economic environment has businesses, there will always be a high demand for students who graduate with business administration degrees.

First Session Summer classes at FTCC begin May 26. Tuition expenses are considerably lower at FTCC than at four-year colleges, yet the quality of education is high. Visit www.faytechcc.edu to apply now. Many classes and programs are completely online.  You can email me at bellfloj@faytechcc.edu for help or questions about programs of study available in business administration.  FTCC is proud to open its doors to all who seek a quality education.  Learn more about the smart choice for your education — Fayetteville Technical Community College! 

While many high school coaches and athletes in North Carolina deal with the frustrating routine of not being able to play their chosen sports during the COVID-19 pandemic, Vernon Aldridge and other athletic leaders around the state are holding conversations and looking ahead to the time when everyone will be able to return to the fields and courts to resume competition.

Aldridge is the Student Activities Director for the Cumberland County Schools, but he also wears important hats at the state level.

He is one of the leaders of the North Carolina Athletic Directors Association, a role that also landed him a spot on the North Carolina High School Athletic Association Board of Directors.

In recent days, Aldridge has been involved in video conferences with other athletic directors and also with high school principals, partly as a wellness check, but also to see how everyone is dealing with the current situation and looking ahead to a time when play will resume.

“The biggest thing with the pandemic is things are fluid,’’ Aldridge said. “Things are changing hour by hour. It’s the hope of everyone that at some point we are able to come back and play in the spring.’’

The NCHSAA has suspended all play and practice for its member schools until May 18. Cumberland County’s school year is currently scheduled to end on May 22 unless county or state officials decide to extend it.

Aldridge said the fate of athletics hinges on whether or not Cumberland County and the rest of the state returns to school first. “It’s going to be hard to justify playing athletics if the kids aren’t in school,’’ he said.

Even if they are, students won’t be thrown onto the athletic field or court immediately when school reopens. They’ll have to be given a few days, maybe more, to practice.
Que Tucker, commissioner of the NCHSAA, has already said the NCHSAA will not extend the spring athletic season into the summer months. If athletics resumes on May 18, Aldridge isn’t sure how much of a spring season Cumberland County could play, especially schools in the nine-team Patriot Athletic Conference.

The dates for state championships in boys golf, track and field, boys tennis and lacrosse will have already passed.

The only championship dates left would be girls’ soccer on May 30 and baseball and softball June 5-6.

“A conference season would be difficult,’’ Aldridge said. “I’d love to see us be able to to play a couple of games so we could have senior nights and acknowledge our seniors the way they should be acknowledged.’’

A growing worry is the pandemic could continue and extend to football season. Football gate receipts pay the way for the total athletic program. Losing all or part of it would be a huge hit to local schools.

Aldridge said when sports do resume, it’s critical that fans support the program. “Come out and support teams, get involved with booster clubs at the schools, get involved with what we are doing,’’ he said.

For now he hopes coaches are checking in on their athletes and offering emotional support.

“The bigger picture is the health and safety of people,’’ he said. “It’s more important than what we’ve got going on on the field.’’

When God closes a door, he opens a window. And, he does this by utilizing his people. Why? Simply put, for their good and his glory. It’s been a tradition each year that many churches in the Fayetteville and Cumberland County area join together for a city and countywide Easter sunrise service. This traditional service is a celebration of love, hope, unity and faith. This year, the grand event, which was planned by several area churches, was to be held at Segra Stadium in downtown Fayetteville. However, because of the COVID-19 situation, and in keeping with the North Carolina and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s health and safety precautions designed to limit the transmission of the virus, organizers had to cancel the event.

Rev. Robert James of Fayetteville’s First Baptist Church on Anderson Street in downtown Fayetteville was one of the coordinators of the event. He was looking forward to filling Segra Stadium on Easter Sunday morning with a congregation of all faiths for a service that would be a demonstration of unity, God’s love and encouragement as they celebrate the holy day amid the ongoing challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic.

“I was so excited that our churches would be bringing the Annual Easter Sunrise Service to Segra Stadium this year,” said James. “It was a dream that each of the other pastors and I had been pursuing for months.  We saw it as a wonderful opportunity to bring our churches and our community together.  We hoped that by holding the event at the new stadium that even more churches and more of our neighbors would want to join us in celebrating Easter.  Having to cancel this service has been a grieving process for me, and I am sure it has been for each of my colleagues.”

James and the other event organizers will replace the service with another very special event that will also inspire the community and express a collective sense of hope, love, unity and faith: The Easter Ringing of the Bells. A communitywide church bell ringing event. On Easter Sunday, April 12, at sunrise — 6:47 a.m. — participating Fayetteville, Fort Bragg and Cumberland County churches are invited to ring their church bells and chimes continuously for five minutes as a symbolic gesture of ringing out assurances of hope, love, unity and faith during this time of crisis, social distancing and isolation. All churches are invited to participate. This will be especially meaningful for some congregations because some churches do not ring their bells during the entire Lenten Season — until Easter. This Sunday, they can ring out joyfully, celebrating the greatest Christian event since the beginning of time — the resurrection of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ!

Regardless of the weather, the bells will ring, and the prayers for humanity will rise from the hearts of those within their sound.

For some Christians, these circumstances may not seem so unusual because they believe, as I do, that God sometimes uses events to remind us that when life and things around us seem to careen out of control, his son is the “Christ of the crisis.”

Even though we may be curfewed, hunkered down, sheltered in place and practicing social distancing, we are still bound together by God’s love. As that old song says, “We’ll be one in the Spirit, one in the Lord, and we pray that all unity will one day be restored.”

Basil Hume once said, “The greatest gift of Easter is hope.” Well, these are desperate and challenging times in which we live. Dark clouds of uncertainty continue to form on the horizon and threaten our way of life — and possibly our existence. It is during these times that we need chimes and bells, lots of bells, ringing out loud and clear as a gallant call to arms, invoking prayer, hope, love, unity and a firm proclamation of faith. This world may never be the same. The COVID-19 crisis could prove to be a game-changer for all humanity. Only God knows the future. In the meantime, may the ringing of church bells this Easter Sunday morning restore your hope and faith in humanity, dispelling any fears that may be lingering in your heart. Inspiration and hope come from the very one for whom Easter is celebrated, the one who proclaims, “Fear not, for I am with you, for I am your God, I will strengthen you. I will hold you up with my victorious hand.”

“In a time of so much fear and uncertainty, it brings me hope and joy to imagine church bells all over our community ringing out in unison our faith in God’s resurrection power,” said James.

Let those bells toll on Easter Sunday morning, not only in Fayetteville and Cumberland County but across America and around the world. Christ has risen and he has risen for all of us, abolishing fear and death and spreading the message that we, too, shall live and become more than conquerors. And that includes the coronavirus pandemic.

Listen up. The bells will ring for you and your family. I am thankful to live in a community that places such high values on love, hope, faith, unity and humankind. Happy Easter!

Pictured: Rev. Rob James ringing the church bell at First Baptist Church, Anderson Street. 
Photo credit:  Ryann McKay

Families are a big deal in a small town like Hope Mills, and it was family ties that were behind the recent display of a sign at Hope Mills Lake aimed at boosting town morale.
Valerie Reed who, with her husband Matthew, operates a sign business called Sign Gypsies, was behind the actual posting of the sign near the lake that featured the words "HOPE MILLS STRONG."

Reed said the inspiration for the sign came from her in-laws, Cylinda and Jerry Hair, both longtime residents deeply involved in the town.

Reed said the Hairs contacted her about putting up some kind of greeting that would offer an inspirational message to the town’s citizens.

It was right in line with the kind of work Reed, who primarily works as an occupational therapist in the public schools, is geared to do. She and her husband bought the local franchise for Sign Gypsies last November. Since then, they’ve done a variety of signs for various occasions, including birthdays, anniversaries, retirements, welcome home, baby greetings and sports accomplishments.

Reed and her husband, both South View High School graduates, moved back to the town six years ago feel and feel a strong attachment to it.

“We have tons of friends who are small business owners,’’ she said. “We understand what a detriment  (COVID-19) can be, and we wanted to do something to brighten everyone’s spirits.’’

Even though Hope Mills is much bigger than it was during Reed’s South View days, she said there is still a lot of camaraderie and hometown spirit in the community. “We know people here have faced hard times before,’’ she said. “We hope (the sign) will provide strength and make people think we are in this together.’’

Reed said she first reached out to Hope Mills mayor, Jackie Warner, with the idea of putting the sign at Hope Mills Lake, an idea Warner was readily supportive of doing.
“It’s just something to show support and let people know we can get through this,’’ Warner said.

When Warner first thought of where to put the sign, she was thinking of a long-term location. But Reed’s signs are designed to be 24-hour rentals under normal circumstances. Since it was going to be in a central location at the lake, it was decided to take it down after dark to avoid someone coming back after hours and removing some of the letters or other decorative parts of the display.

Reed said she would be willing to put the sign back up from time to time since Warner said the response to it first being displayed was so tremendously popular.

In addition to the sign, the town has decided to temporarily turn on the lighted star that’s on the far bank of the lake and is normally only used during the Christmas season.
Warner said the star is on a timer, and will come on at dusk each day and shut off at dawn.

Warner compared it to the lights being used to illuminate the interior of the Thomas Campbell Oakman Memorial Chapel on South Main Street.

Warner feels the lights at the church and the light of the star help illustrate the town is pulling together for the good of everyone. She feels both are signs of hope and love.
“There’s life there,’’ she said. “They are all ways of showing we’re committed, we care and we’re tied together.

“They work together for the good of all.’’

As young parents, my husband and I taught our children that while family is the most important thing in life, it is not the only thing. Careers, personal goals, friendships and countless other aspects of life are critical to happiness and satisfaction. Full and rich lives grow in many different ways and depend on various components that change over time.

The same is true during this frightening and bizarre COVID-19 pandemic. The illness — how it is affecting us as individuals, families, communities and economies — is paramount in the minds of everyone but the most foolish among us. At the same time, other issues need our attention, and here are several that should concern all of us.

The United States Constitution requires a census — a count of the people who live in our nation — every decade, and 2020 is one of those years. An accurate count is critical to the allocation of tax dollars and other resources for the decade to come. Think infrastructures like roads, schools and hospitals. Think elected representation in the United States House of Representatives and 50 state legislatures. Inaccurate counts mean that some communities and states will receive greater or lesser resources and elected representation than they are due — and that the inequities will continue for 10 years. That is why we all see pleas on television and social media to complete census forms and why we should do so. For me, it took less than 10 minutes online, and I know I have done what I can to make sure my community gets its due.

The last several decades have witnessed a dramatic escalation in partisan rancor between Democrats and Republicans at all levels from local governments to the office of the president. Gerrymandering, the practice of drawing elective district boundaries to benefit or punish one party or the other, has reached new lows. Most congressional and legislative seats in our country are now safely in the hands of one party or the other, meaning that the individuals holding the seats may change, but the party in control will not. This has led to damaging public cynicism and suspicion of the voting process itself. Many observers believe our democracy is at stake. While some states have taken steps to limit gerrymandering, others — including North Carolina, have not. Our state and nation cannot afford to allow redistricting reform to get swamped in the pandemic atmosphere.

No matter what happens with gerrymandering issues, the United States is scheduled to have a major election this fall. The presidency is at stake. In North Carolina, both a U.S. Senate seat and the Governor’s Mansion will be filled by Tar Heel voters. Members of Congress will be chosen with several open seats to be filled by a new face, and 120 legislative seats will be on the ballot. While down-ballot races do not draw the voter interest, even excitement, of a presidential contest, they are critically important. Many political observers and historians contend that state legislatures have far more impact on the daily lives of Americans than does a partisanly paralyzed Congress.

All Americans are going to be affected by COVID-19, whether we or people we love suffer from it or whether we or people we love lose livelihoods in COVID-19’s disastrous economic wake. This time is going to define the first part of the 21st century throughout the world just as the Spanish flu did for the 20th century. Ridiculous declarations of willingness to die for the U.S. economy will do nothing to change the course of the pandemic. Only mature self-discipline regarding social distancing can do that, and even the effectiveness of that remains to be seen.

The end, however, will come eventually, and we will pick up the pieces and go forward to face the important issues that will still be there awaiting our attention.

As of the end of March, Cumberland County had 24 positive COVID-19 cases, according to Health Director Dr. Jennifer Green. That is the fewest of North Carolina’s largest metropolitan areas. Mecklenburg County had the most reported cases in the state, with 420. Wake County had 186, and Durham County reported 122. The Cumberland County Department of Public Health is conducting contact investigations and will notify contacts who fall under the guidelines for additional monitoring and testing.

Meanwhile, Fayetteville Mayor Mitch Colvin has imposed a 9 p.m. to 6 a.m. daily curfew in the city. Police officials say they are prepared to enforce the curfew but urge voluntary compliance.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention defines a “close contact” as being within 6 feet for 10 minutes or more. Avoiding close contact with sick individuals requires frequently washing hands with soap and water; not touching the eyes, nose or mouth with unwashed hands; and practicing good respiratory hygiene. These are preventive measures but there is no vaccine. The health department has suspended a drive-thru testing pilot program.  The department is following CDCP and North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services guidance that most people do not need a test.

The Health Department is prioritizing testing for symptomatic patients in high-risk settings like nursing homes or long-term care facilities, health care workers and first responders such as EMS, law enforcement and firefighters on a case by case basis. Individuals in these categories should call 910-433-3655 for assessment and screening.
“In general, patients in noncongregate settings who have mild symptoms that are not worsening do not need testing for COVID-19 and should stay home,” Green said. “When you leave your home to get tested, you could expose yourself to COVID-19 if you do not already have it.”

There is no treatment for COVID-19. Health care providers recommend getting enough fluids. Water is fine. So are fruit juices and electrolyte beverages. You may want to stay way away from caffeinated drinks, because caffeine is a diuretic. Herbal tea with honey can soothe a sore throat. And yes, chicken soup has value. Mild symptoms are defined as fever and cough. If one suffers from shortness of breath, difficulty breathing, chest discomfort, confusion or blue lips, he or she should call the doctor or 911 right away and tell them about your symptoms and any potential exposure to COVID-19.

North Carolina had at least 1,512 reported coronavirus cases as of March 31, and eight people have died. Researchers at the University of Washington’s Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation are predicting that 1,721 people could die of COVID-19 in North Carolina before the outbreak subsides and that the need for hospital beds statewide should be sufficient in the coming weeks.

“This is a great example that if you implement social distancing, you will see the impact,” said Dr. Ali Mokdad, a professor at Washington’s Institute. The pandemic’s peak is still weeks away in North Carolina. University of Washington’s latest model predicts the North Carolina peak will be April 22.