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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

History

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

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

A Passion For Serving

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

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

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

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

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

There Was Never Any Doubt

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Cumberland County

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

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

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

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

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

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

Fort Bragg

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Editor's note: Sen. Ben Clark has served since 2013 in the NC Senate representing Cumberland and Hoke counties. He is running for the NC 9th Congressional District, which consists of all of Chatham, Hoke, Lee, Moore, Randolph and Scotland and parts of Cumberland, Harnett and Richmond counties. The 9th is also home to Fort Bragg.

For more than a decade now, advocates of the Affordable Care Act have pressed the North Carolina General Assembly to implement the federal law’s most expansive and expensive element: expanding Medicaid to virtually all low-income adults. Every year, advocates have left the legislature disappointed.

They left disappointed at the end of the 2022 legislative session, too. I wish it was because most lawmakers resolutely rejected Medicaid expansion. I’m no fan of the policy, which would add hundreds of thousands of North Carolinians to the public dole and widen the federal government’s already massive budget deficit.

But lawmakers who once expressed similar concerns, including House Speaker Tim Moore and Senate leader Phil Berger, have switched their positions. Medicaid expansion now enjoys bipartisan support in both chambers, however much I might wish otherwise. (Of course, if I thought wishes could alter reality, I wouldn’t be a conservative.)
So why didn’t expansion happen this summer? Gov. Roy Cooper hit the nail on the head last week when he blamed the intransigence of North Carolina’s hospital executives, whom he urged to “step up and compromise with the state legislature.”

Their lobbying arm, the North Carolina Healthcare Association, quickly responded with letters to Cooper, Moore and Berger as well as full-page ads in many of the state’s largest newspapers that shifted the blame back on lawmakers. Hospital execs “are not elected to office, and therefore we are not the ones standing in the way of passing legislation,” wrote the president of the association, Steve Lawler. “That burden, and opportunity, lies with your branches of government.”

The dispute isn’t really about Medicaid expansion anymore. It’s about an archaic regulatory system called certificate of need, or CON. North Carolina requires hospitals, physician practices and other providers to get a permission slip from the state to add a new location, expand an existing one or make other major investments in equipment or services.

When CON was concocted decades ago, its proponents believed such a regulatory apparatus would keep prices down by discouraging the overutilization of services. Then reality intruded. By limiting competition, CON created monopolies and cartels that tended to drive prices up and quality down, just as they do in most other sectors of the economy.

I’ve written many times about the adverse effects of this wrongheaded policy. During the pandemic, for example, jurisdictions with strict CON laws had a harder time meeting the demand for hospital beds and medical care. Some states, including North Carolina, enacted temporary respites from the regulations — a decision that, according to a study published earlier this year in the Journal of Risk and Financial Management, led to a “reduction in mortality resulting from COVID-19, septicemia, diabetes, chronic lower respiratory disease, influenza or pneumonia, and Alzheimer’s Disease.”

In the version of Medicaid expansion passed by the North Carolina Senate, this temporary relaxation would be replaced with permanent decontrol. The House version left out CON reform, though it appears that lawmakers in both chambers would be inclined to work something out in the absence of heavy pressure from hospitals loath to give up their CON-protected fiefdoms.

This is what Cooper is talking about. As a Democratic governor facing a Republican-controlled legislature, he has been unable to get much of his policy agenda enacted into law. His administration has been largely one of executive orders and vetoes, not signing ceremonies.

Still, Medicaid expansion has been a top goal for six years — and now Berger and Moore have walked very far in his direction. With a deal so tantalizingly close, Cooper’s frustration is both unmistakable and understandable. “When pretty much everybody agrees that we ought to expand Medicaid in our state,” he said, “it’s important to go ahead and get it done.”

I don’t agree, but I’m just a lowly scribbler. Steve Lawler and his members could make expansion happen this year if they budge on CON. Or perhaps lawmakers will defy this powerful interest group. I admit it — I’m not sure which side to root for.

The Cumberland County Board of Commissioners’ Crown Event Center Committee on Tuesday, Aug. 16 is scheduled to review proposed “guiding principles” that are to be incorporated into the construction of a new multi-function event center.

The proposed facility will replace the aging theater and arena at the Crown Coliseum Complex on U.S. 301 Business. The two facilities are scheduled to close in 2025.
The Crown Event Center Committee consists of Commissioners Jeannette Council, Jimmy Keefe and board Chairman Glenn Adams. Council chairs the committee, which will meet at 1 p.m. on the fifth floor of the Judge E. Maurice Braswell Cumberland County Courthouse.

The proposed guiding principles call for:
· A local and regional asset that builds upon existing economic development infrastructure and is a catalyst for existing and new businesses to flourish.
· A venue that enhances and elevates the community as a premier destination for entertainment, events and gatherings.
· A quality, evolving and efficient venue that provides a first-class experience with a lasting impression.
· A premier welcoming and accessible experience available to all patrons.
· A flexible and functional venue with multiple spaces to accommodate a variety of programming.

At a May 16 meeting, the committee instructed contractors and county staff to engage nonprofit organizations and a more diverse representation of the community in getting recommendations and suggestions about the proposed facility.
Also at that meeting, the committee voted to accept the proposed guiding principles. However, the committee tweaked some of the wording and set the conditions for the community engagement workshops.

The committee also gave direction to review all previous plans and studies as it compiles available information on potential sites and brings that information back to the committee for further discussion.

The community engagement workshops were held on July 15 and July 16. Participants in the workshops included various groups in the community, including the Cool Spring Downtown District, the Arts Council, Cumberland County Schools and Fayetteville Technical Community College.

The Fayetteville Cumberland Economic Development Corp., the city of Fayetteville, the Greater Fayetteville Chamber and the Fayetteville Area Convention and Visitors Bureau also provided input and suggestions.
County staff on Tuesday is expected to ask the Crown Event Center Committee to review the comments on the guiding principles from the community engagement workshops, select the recommended guiding principles and send them to the full Board of Commissioners for approval.

The Hope Mills Board of Commissioners on Monday night, Aug. 15 will discuss zoning overlay districts as a way to guide growth in the town.
The board has a special meeting at 6 p.m. to discuss business overlay districts. The regular board meeting begins at 7 p.m. at Town Hall.
In July, the board placed a temporary moratorium on certain businesses while town staff works to create an overlay district.

The temporary moratorium, which is in effect until January, allows the town to restrict and even temporarily hold business licenses until an overlay district can be put into place.

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

During the regular board meeting, the board will hold a public hearing on the proposed rezoning of 1.19 acres from C1(P) Planned Local Business to R5 Single Family, or a more restrictive zoning district. The property is at 4092 Professional Drive and the request was submitted by Longleaf Properties on behalf of the Cumberland County Hospital System Inc., which owns the property, according to materials in the agenda package.

The board also is scheduled to receive an update from architect Scott Garner on the Public Safety Building. Garner last reported to the board that the project is moving along and on time.

As the building reaches its final stages, the town has fine-tuned plans to address the needs of the employees who will make use of the facilities. Garner in recent meetings has asked the board to approve items that were paid for from the project’s contingency fund. Monday’s meeting does not include such a request, according to the agenda.

The building is scheduled to be occupied this fall.

In other business, the board has several items on its consent agenda. Items on the consent agenda are generally passed with little or no discussion by the board.
One of the items is the consideration of a Sheetz gas station on the southeast corner of Chickenfoot Road and the U.S. 301 service road. The station would be on 10.6 acres that are part of a 92-acre plot that is currently vacant, according to materials in the agenda package.

The developer plans to build a 6,879-square-foot Sheetz that will accommodate six double-sided gas pumps for regular cars and eight double-sided gas pumps for diesels. The site would include 45 parking spaces with an additional 39 overnight parking spaces for tractor-trailers. The development also would include a 1,649-square-foot car wash and truck scale, according to a report from Chancer McLaughlin, the development services director, to Town Manager Scott Meszaros.

Town staff recommends approval of the request.

Also on the consent agenda, the board will consider authorizing the town manager to sign an annual storm drain cleaning contract for 2022-23. The $100,000 contract is with Intragrade and is included in the current budget.

In a memo to Meszaros, stormwater administrator Elisabeth Brown wrote: “Storm drain maintenance is a very important part of the drainage systems’ functional ability to carry rainwater from the streets during peak rain events.

“Many of the systems in Town are older and have small-sized piping. During heavy rain events, drains can become clogged with yard debris and sediment washing from private property. For the last three years, the cleaning contract proved to be very beneficial during flash flooding events.’’

Also on the consent agenda, the town will consider accepting state funding for stormwater projects and approval of a related resolution and budget amendment. The town had asked for $300,000 for stormwater projects and is receiving $600,000 in American Rescue Plan Act Funds through the state, according to materials in the agenda package.

An effort to restructure how Fayetteville City Council members are elected hit a snag this week when the council delayed action on whether to put the issue before voters in November.

The City Council is facing an Aug. 22 deadline to decide whether to put the question on the ballot in a Nov. 8 referendum.

The issue was removed from the council's agenda at a June 27 work session and its Aug. 8 regular meeting, when questions were raised about whether the advocacy group promoting the change, Vote Yes Fayetteville, had filed all the paperwork needed to get the referendum on the ballot.

Mayor Mitch Colvin and others say there’s still enough time to make a decision on a referendum, whether at the council’s Aug. 22 meeting or at a called meeting before that date.

Colvin said Friday that he opposes the Vote Yes plan, which would require that four of the nine City Council members be elected by citywide voting rather than voting by district.

“I just don't think it's what's needed at this time, and I'm suspicious as to why this has come up now,” Colvin said. “I think, one, it dilutes the vote. So, do I get better representation from the president because he represents everyone in the United States, or do I still need a Congress person that helps my district? I think dilution of it — taking your representation and spreading it across the city — gives me less access to my representative, not more. They don't have the same focus that a district representative would have about my specific concerns.

“Fundamentally, I don't believe in the concept of it,” Colvin said. “Two, I did again question the timing of it as to why it’s an issue. And, basically, the people who support it are former council members who basically operated within a district system, and you didn’t really hear an issue with it. And so, it’s suspicious on the timing. Third, again, it makes it tougher to run a citywide race. That, in and of itself, is going to narrow the people who are able to participate in the election process.”

Asked if she thinks some council members want to delay action so that they do not meet the Aug. 22 deadline to put the referendum on the Nov. 8 ballot, Councilwoman Shakeyla Ingram replied, “Probably so.”

“I think you would have to ask the mayor that,” Ingram said this week. “He is the one who pushed to have it delayed. And all the council members who voted, probably didn’t state why they were not supporting it to go forward.”
On Wednesday, Mayor Colvin said, “Certainly not,” when asked if he is trying to delay action on the issue.

“We were prepared and had it on the agenda to do what we’re required to do," Colvin said. "And when we asked if all the requirements were met, it was revealed that they weren’t. I think that’s prudent leadership by the City Council to make sure that we’re compliant with the law. I think, legislatively, it’s in there for a reason. I think it’s upon the Vote Yes people to explain why it is they were able to or felt that they could circumvent the process.

“I’ve said before,” Colvin said. “Whether it’s a special meeting or in that (Aug. 22 regular monthly) meeting, the City Council is prepared to place a valid petition on the ballot.”

There's still time, he said.

Patrick Gannon, a spokesman for the N.C. State Board of Elections, said Friday it is up to the City Council to determine the validity of the Vote Yes petition.

The petition issue never made the council's final agenda at its meeting Monday night, city staff members have said, after questions were raised about whether the advocacy group promoting the change, Vote Yes Fayetteville, had filed all the paperwork needed to get the referendum on the ballot.

Change vs. status quo

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

Supporters say the plan would strengthen the council, provide better representation for all voters and result in the election of more “big-picture” council members. CityView Today publisher Tony Chavonne is among those who organized the Vote Yes petition drive.

But some opponents agree with the mayor that the change would dilute minority voting strength and make it more expensive for candidates who would have to run citywide campaigns rather than district campaigns.

Jimmy Buxton, president of the Fayetteville branch of the NAACP, says the restructuring is designed to undercut Black voters’ influence.

Buxton said his organization is firmly opposed to the initiative.

“We have a ‘Vote No’ committee,” Buxton said. “Our political action committee has come up with a video and some talking points to vote ‘no’ on that.”
Buxton said the NAACP has opposed such initiatives since taking on a plan to restructure City Council elections in 2007. At that time, the NAACP took the matter to the U.S. Justice Department, which overturned the voters’ approval of a plan to add at-large seats on the grounds that at-large seats diluted Black voters’ ability to elect the candidate of their choice.

Angie Amaro, interim director of the Cumberland County Board of Elections, said Wednesday that she was consulting with the county attorney on the matter. She declined to say whether the petition calling for the referendum has been certified as having enough signatures from city residents.

Amaro, who a staff member said was out of the office on Friday, did not respond to phone messages seeking comment on the status of the consultation.

In a news release in June, the Vote Yes group said: “We have been officially notified that the Cumberland County Board of Elections has authenticated the necessary 5,000 registered voter signatures and that the Vote Yes Fayetteville referendum will be presented to the Fayetteville City Council for inclusion on an upcoming city-wide ballot.’’

State law says that petitions for city charter amendments must be signed by 10% of registered voters in that city or by 5,000 voters, whichever is fewer. When a petition is submitted with enough signatures, the governing body of that city must set a special election on the proposed change.

If a majority votes for the change, state law says, city leaders must amend the charter.

Paperwork questions

Bobby Hurst, one of the organizers of Vote Yes Fayetteville and a former member of the City Council, said Cumberland County Attorney Rick Moorefield has said that everything seems to be in order on the referendum petition.

Moorefield could not be reached for comment on Friday.

Hurst said Mayor Colvin's attorney, Jonathan Charleston, suggested that the Vote Yes group may not have followed the “notice of circulation” procedure to get signatures on its petition.

State Statute Chapter 163, Article 19, says, “Notice of circulation of a petition calling for any election or referendum shall be registered with the county board of elections with which the petition is to be filed, and the date of registration of the notice shall be the date of issuance and commencement of circulation of the petition.”

The mayor said the council has not received the information it requested from the county Board of Elections, which is whether a notice of circulation was filed.

“So we’ve asked for it,” he said Wednesday. “… It’s my understanding from the lawyers of the board it doesn’t exist. They didn’t do it, so we don’t know where they are. The city is ready to do what is statutorily required to do, but only with a valid petition.”

According to Hurst, Fayetteville lawyer Neil Yarborough told the committee that the "notice of circulation" procedure does not apply to the Vote Yes petition.

On Friday, Yarborough said he had been asked by a committee member “to write a letter complaining about (the petition item) being removed from their consent meeting, and I did that.”

“I had a conversation with a member of the Vote Yes committee right before the City Council meeting on Monday in which I was informed about the possible issue with the scheduling of the referendum election,” he said. “I have not been asked to issue a formal opinion about this issue, and I have not issued a formal opinion.”

At Monday night’s meeting, Councilwoman Ingram made a motion to move forward with the referendum contingent on the council receiving all necessary documents from the county Board of Elections, Colvin said Friday.

Ingram's motion failed, 6-4, with Colvin, Wright, Courtney Banks-McLaughlin, Yvonne Kinston, D.J. Haire and Antonio Jones voting against it.

Haire made a second motion to direct City Attorney Karen McDonald to take the referendum off the agenda.

Haire's motion passed on an 8-2 vote, with Kinston and Banks-McLaughlin in opposition.

Colvin said Friday the council is still waiting to hear from the Board of Elections and had not seen the petition request.

“They're not returning calls,” he said.

Ingram said Wednesday she has an opinion about Vote Yes Fayetteville but does not want to say what it is “right now.”

“I think both sides — the Vote Yes and the Vote No — should do justice to make sure they are connected to their constituents,” she said. “Any opportunity that I have, I want to make sure that the residents get a full understanding on both sides — what it could mean for Fayetteville.”

Vote Yes organizer Hurst said Wednesday that the City Council should move forward on scheduling the referendum.

"I submitted 5,000-plus names on March 18. We met it by a few days having the numbers needed,” Hurst said. “As far as I know, we had it turned in within a year. And everything was good. …

“As far as I know, we're good to go, and it's up to the City Council to move forward with that ballot,” Hurst added.

As far as possible racist motives being behind the initiative, Hurst said, "Absolutely not.... Why would you say it's racist and in Fayetteville? Fayetteville has more Blacks registered to vote and more Blacks in the population. And looking at Blacks who have been elected at-large — Marshall Pitts, Charles Evans, even others. So, I don't think it's racist at all. I feel it's just for better government.

"My focus was a decision made for what's better for the city as a whole," Hurst said. "My focus was what was better for the city."

Michael Futch covers Fayetteville and education for CityView TODAY. He can be re

A pedestrian is in critical condition after being hit by a vehicle Saturday morning on Owen Drive, the Fayetteville Police Department said.

Just after 6 a.m., officers were dispatched to a pedestrian-involved traffic accident on the 2800 block of Owen Drive. The pedestrian was taken to Cape Fear Valley Medical Center before officers arrived, police said in a news release. The pedestrian is in critical condition, the release said.

The driver remained on the scene, police said. The names of those involved are being withheld while the investigation continues, police said.

The preliminary investigation indicates the pedestrian stepped onto the roadway into oncoming traffic and was struck, the release said. Owen Drive from Camden Road toward Eastern Boulevard was temporarily closed while the Traffic Unit investigated. The road reopened around 8:30 a.m.

Anyone with information regarding this investigation is asked to contact Officer J. Smith at 910-987-4510 or Crimestoppers at 910-483-TIPS (8477).

Back-to-school immunizations will be available for students in Cumberland County Schools at several upcoming clinics.

The school system is partnering with the Cumberland County Department of Public Health to offer immunization clinics for students entering kindergarten, seventh grade and 12th grade, according to a news release from the school system.

COVID-19 vaccines also are available at the clinics for schoolchildren and teenagers in kindergarten through 12th grade.
Walk-ins will be accepted each day until the clinic reaches capacity, the release said. Walk-ins will not be accepted after 6:30 p.m. Insurance information will be collected, but vaccines are free for children younger than 18.

State law requires every child attending a North Carolina school to receive vaccines for diphtheria, measles, mumps and whooping cough. The full vaccine schedule for children is at immunize.nc.gov/family/immnz_children.htm.

Clinics for students entering grades seven and 12 are scheduled for:

4-7 p.m. Sept. 6, Mac Williams Middle School, 4644 Clinton Road.

4-7 p.m. Sept. 8, Douglas Byrd Middle School, 1616 Ireland Drive.

4-7 p.m. Sept. 15, Lewis Chapel Middle School, 2150 Skibo Road.

A clinic for students entering kindergarten and grades seven and 12 is scheduled for 8 a.m.-7 p.m. Sept. 13 at the Cumberland County Health Department, 1235 Ramsey St.

At each clinic in September, the first 50 students who are immunized will receive a $10 gift card, according to the release. A parent or guardian over age 18 must accept the card on behalf of the student.

Students who are immunized also may receive free backpacks and hygiene kits. Funding for the immunization clinics is provided by the Cornelia “Neill” Bullock Wilkins Charitable Endowment.
For more information about immunizations, go to btsg.ccs.k12.nc.us.

A teenager wanted in a fatal shooting Thursday night, Aug. 11 has been arrested in Maryland, the Fayetteville Police Department said.

Karon Peair Streets, 19, was taken into custody by the Baltimore County Police Department’s Fugitive Unit and will be extradited back to North Carolina, Fayetteville police said in a release Saturday afternoon.

Streets is charged with first-degree murder in the death of 33-year-old Cesar Ivan Viera-Medina of Fayetteville, the department said.

At approximately 8:13 p.m. Thursday, officers were dispatched to the 200 block of North Windsor Drive in reference to a robbery where a firearm was taken. Eight minutes later, officers were dispatched to the 200 block of South Windsor Drive where shots were fired and Viera-Medina was struck in the arm and chest, the release said.

Viera-Medina was taken to a nearby hospital where he later died, police said.

“The preliminary investigation has revealed the suspect robbed a family member of a handgun from the 200 block of N. Windsor Drive fled on foot and opened fire on a residence in the 200 block of S. Windsor Drive,’’ the release said.

The Fayetteville Police Department has made an arrest in a fatal shooting that happened early Friday, Aug.12 on Poplar Drive.

Damian Christopher Jones, 20, has been charged with first-degree murder in the death of Artis Lee Windsor, police said in a release Saturday. Jones is being held at the Cumberland County Detention Center.

Windsor, 32, was found at approximately 1:44 a.m. Friday when officers responded to a home on the 2000 block of Poplar Drive in reference to a death investigation.
When officers and emergency medical personnel arrived, they found Windsor unresponsive. He was pronounced dead at the scene, the Police Department said in a release.

The investigation revealed that Windsor was in a dispute with Jones, who was an acquaintance, the release said.

“During the dispute, Jones fired a weapon at Windsor striking and killing him.,’’ police said in the release. “This was not a random act and there is no threat to the public.’’
Anyone with information about this investigation is asked to contact Detective R. Vernon at 910-729-2525 or Crimestoppers at 910-483-TIPS (8477).

The Cumberland County Board of Commissioners on Monday, Aug. 15 is scheduled to consider staff-recommended options for how to spend opioid settlement money.

The commissioners will consider four proposals presented by Dr. Jenifer Green, the county health director.
The meeting is scheduled for 6:45 p.m. in Room 118 of the Judge E. Maurice Braswell Cumberland County Courthouse.

The county’s opioid money is part of a $26 billion agreement that is supposed to help communities harmed by the opioid epidemic. The money came from opioid manufacturers. In July 2021, N.C. Attorney General Josh Stein unveiled a memorandum of agreement between the state and local government as to how opioid settlement money is distributed and used.

Before spending any of the money, local governments that were given a portion of the settlement must first select which opioid mitigation strategies they plan to fund.
Cumberland County is supposed to get nearly $17 million in increments over the next 18 years. The city of Fayetteville’s 18-year total is nearly $2 million.

The county’s amount for spring and summer 2022 totaled nearly $1.8 million. During June and July, Cumberland County Department of Public Health staff held four community meetings, key stakeholder meetings and conducted a community survey to get public comments on how these funds should be used.

The memorandum of agreement between the state and local governments offers local governments two options:

Option A: A local government may fund one or more strategies from a shorter list of evidence-based, high-impact strategies to address the epidemic. Collaborative strategic planning is included.

Option B: A local government may fund one or more strategies from a longer list of strategies after engaging in a collaborative strategic planning process involving a diverse array of stakeholders.

In a memo to commissioners, Green recommends the following:

1. Use up to $800,000 in the spring and summer 2022 allotment to fund multi-year pilot projects that align with Option A strategies.

2. Allocate $10,000 to $70,000 in funding for the purchase of Narcan and syringe service programs.

3. Establish a $200,000 multi-year pilot project to support medication-assisted treatment in the Cumberland County Detention Center.

4. Explore options to build or lease space for a residential substance use facility, a recovery community center and transitional housing.
Stakeholder meetings came up with the following priorities: recovery support, housing and early intervention coupled with addiction treatment. Also, some meetings identified Narcan as a life-saving and critical resource.

In other business, Fort Bragg Garrison Commander Col. John Wilcox is scheduled to brief the board on issues on Fort Bragg. Wilcox assumed command of the garrison in June. The board also is scheduled to hold public hearings for seven rezoning applications.

The board also is scheduled to hold a closed session to discuss economic development, real property acquisition and personnel matters.

This Tuesday, Aug. 16, marks the 82nd anniversary of the first official paratroop jump. The first man to jump was Lt. William T. Ryder.

As part of National Airborne Day and the Airborne and Special Operations Foundation’s 22nd birthday, the Airborne and Special Operations Museum will honor Ryder on Aug. 16.

Ryder’s wife, Muriel, went to ASOM a few years ago to buy a paver in honor of her husband.

The two met when Ryder was in the Pacific while Muriel served in the Red Cross. After he retired as a Brigadier General in 1966, he and Muriel moved to Pinehurst. Ryder passed away in 1992 and was buried at Arlington National Cemetery.

Muriel was working with ASOM on the paver design when she passed away earlier this year.

Their son, Guy, who lives in New York, will come to ASOM on National Airborne Day to help honor his father.

Jumps onto the Field of Remembrance, food trucks and big military events have previously marked National Airborne Day as a day not to miss at ASOM. This year, the museum is keeping things scaled down.

“It's been more elaborate because we were working with the Garrison, but with COVID and the deployment of the Corps, it's not going to be elaborate like it has been in the past,” said Jim Bartlinski, Museum Director.

However, there will be a 22% discount in the museum’s gift store and a free present to all guests who visit on Aug. 16. The main celebration and the honoree ceremony will start at 9 a.m. before the museum opens for the day.

The celebration will continue on Aug. 20 when the food truck Sunset Slush will be at the museum from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. All guests will receive a small item to celebrate the ASOM's birthday.

A special mini-exhibit is also out this month at the ASOM, honoring the first female to ever parachute from an airplane. Georgia Ann Thompson, a North Carolina resident, jumped out of an airplane on June 20, 1913.

“She actually demonstrated for the U.S. Army how she was doing it,” Bartlinski said.

In 1976, she was made an honorary member of 82nd Airborne Division. Her parachute is on display in the mini-exhibit.

The museum's future will be dedicated to looking at the recent past. Museum Foundation members look forward to updating the timeline of the permanent exhibit. The museum plans to add the new history of the war in Afghanistan coming to an end with the massive pull-out in Kabul and the takeover by the Taliban.

“We just came out of 20 years of war, and as you go through the gallery, we don't have space dedicated to the 20 years of the last war. But, it doesn’t really tell the whole story,” Kris Johnson, the Foundation’s Development Coordinator, said. “So we are active in a fundraising campaign to raise the funds to renovate the gallery.”

The 82nd Airborne Division played a critical role in the American withdrawal from Afghanistan. Maj. Gen.l Chris Donahue, the commanding general of the 82nd Airborne Division at the time, was among the last American troops to leave Afghanistan.

Johnson told Up & Coming Weekly that the total cost to renovate the museum with the new section could cost roughly 8 to 10 million dollars.

For more information about the U.S. Army Airborne and Special Operations Museum, go to https://www.asomf.org/.

Political newcomer Mario Benavente’s win over incumbent Antonio Jones was verified Thursday, Aug. 11 in a Cumberland County Board of Elections recount of the vote for the District 3 Fayetteville City Council seat.
The result proved to be the same as the count from the Aug. 5 canvass, with Benavente maintaining his six-vote edge to defeat Jones, 1,016 votes to 1,010.

“Zero votes changed for either candidate. It was exactly the same as the canvass,” said Bill Helms, the technology officer for the Board of Elections.

“We're glad to finally be at a point where we can move forward and start serving the community as the next City Council member for District 3,” Benavente said Thursday.

Benavente, 32, had said he was "very much" confident that the election result would stand.
This marks his first run for public office. Jones, 48, did not respond to phone messages left Thursday.
With Benavente’s victory confirmed, the City Council will have four new members. Along with Benavente, the newcomers are Derrick Thompson, Brenda McNair and Deno Hondros. The mayor and City Council members were scheduled to be sworn in later Thursday in an inauguration at Seabrook Auditorium on the campus of Fayetteville State University.

The ceremony was set to begin at 6 p.m. The recount process took about 90 minutes, and neither Jones nor Benavente were at the elections office. Only elections board members were there, officials said.
Jones, who was appointed to the City Council in 2021, had requested a recount after the July 26 election. He was eligible to ask for a recount because of how close the tally was.

Each candidate picked up four votes apiece in the canvass.

For a nonstatewide vote in North Carolina, a candidate has the right to request a recount if the difference between the tally is not more than 1% of the total votes cast, according to the state recount law.
Benavente is a community organizer and legal professional who recently earned his law degree at N.C. Central University.
Jones is a pastor and real estate agent.

On Aug. 5, the elections board certified the overall 14,910 ballots that were cast in the election. That included 198 absentee ballots added during the canvass. A total of 24 provisional ballots were added the day before the canvass.
In all, 10,551 voters cast ballots on Election Day. An overall 4,137 ballots were cast during early voting.

Four new members of the Fayetteville City Council were among those sworn in to office Thursday night, Aug. 11.

The ceremony was held at Seabrook Auditorium on the campus of Fayetteville State University.
The political newcomers on the nine-member council are Mario Benavente, Deno Hondros, Brenda McNair and Derrick Thompson. They join incumbents Courtney Banks-McLaughlin, Johnny Dawkins, D.J. Haire, Shakeyla Ingram and Kathy Jensen on the council.

Mayor Mitch Colvin also was sworn-in for his third consecutive term.
Emcee and broadcast newsman Gilbert Baez drew some laughs from the audience when he quipped early on, “This is not a City Council meeting. We won’t be here until 11 o’clock.”

The newly sworn-in council members cast their first votes when deciding on a new mayor pro tem. Councilman Dawkins will succeed Jensen in that post after a 6-4 vote.

Voting in favor of Dawkins were Colvin, Dawkins, Haire, Hondros, Jensen and Thompson. Voting in opposition were Banks-McLaughlin, Benavente, Ingram and McNair.

Banks-McLaughlin, who pitched herself for the job during her swearing-in speech, said she wanted to nominate herself. That could have led to Banks-McLaughlin and Dawkins sharing the position. But Haire, the longest-serving current council member, said that would go against protocol and was something that had never happened in his 21 years on the council.

Banks-McLaughlin's request was dismissed, and Dawkins was selected as mayor pro tem.
Colvin expressed appreciation for being reelected as mayor.

“First and foremost, let me say, thank God for allowing this opportunity to me to serve the people of the city again,” Colvin said. “Regardless of the outcome, regardless of the candidate who was chosen, elections are very important to the operation of our government and the nation. … Thanks to the voters of our great city.

“And tonight, I stand for you humble and excited because together, we’ve made history. Because of you, I am now officially the longest-serving African American man in the city of Fayetteville.”

The audience erupted with applause.

“Because of you, voters, we have seen a tremendous expansion in diversity in this city,” Colvin said.

Like others who followed him to be sworn in, Colvin spoke of the late Bill Crisp, who he called “a mentor and father figure.” Crisp, who died at age 81 in July 2021, represented District 6 on the City Council.
Colvin also spoke at length on the issue of public health.

“We have a mental health problem here in our community,” he said. “We can no longer look away."

Colvin said he hopes that mental health will become an area of focus for not only the City Council but also all locally elected officials.

“Our first order of business, I’ll be asking council to institute a mental health full-response team in our Police Department,” he said. “We all have an obligation to do it.”

He wrapped up his speech by saying, “I believe wholeheartedly in the future of this city.”
After her inauguration, Jensen said the council has gone through a tough period since she joined five terms ago. The council has governed through two hurricanes, the COVID-19 pandemic and a rough spell of social unrest.

Jensen cited some of the accomplishments of the council in recent years, noting that the city will be working more closely with Fort Bragg on initiatives, including a collaboration on a sports complex.
She cited public safety, economic development and quality of life as ongoing concerns.
Ingram, who is in her second term, told the crowd that she is “a true born-and-raised District 2 young woman.”

“I lead with heart,” she said.

Newcomer Benavente received perhaps the biggest applause of the night when he noted that he is a graduate of E.E. Smith High School. His father, Miguel Benavente, held a family Bible for his son to take the oath of office.
Haire said he is starting his 11th term on the council.

“You haven’t given up on me, though I have heard through this campaign, ‘You have been there too long. You have served too long,’” he said, while holding his wife’s hand. “But it’s because of the constituents. It’s because of the residents. It’s because you’re building relationships and you’re building trust that we continue to come back because they are supporting us.”

Dawkins referenced the men of his family, saying his grandfather started “all this” in 1948 when he won a seat in the N.C. House. He also cited the influence of his father, the late J.L. Dawkins, who was the longest-serving mayor in Fayetteville’s history.

“Although I think this mayor here might break that record if he wanted to,” Dawkins said, referring to Colvin. “Goodness gracias’ I said, I don’t want that job.”
Colvin laughed from his seat onstage.

Dawkins got more laughs when he recalled his father saying, “You’ve been born with two ears and a mouth. Use them proportionately.”
Thompson, who referred to himself as a “newby on the City Council,” became emotional and paused briefly when referring to his father during his acceptance speech.

Earlier Thursday, in a recount by the Cumberland County Board of Elections in the District 3 race, Benavente’s six-vote victory over Antonio Jones was confirmed with a tally of 1,016 votes to 1,010.

Summer graduates of Cumberland County Schools received their diplomas Thursday, Aug. 11 in a ceremony at Jack Britt High School.
A total of 57 students graduated, according to a news release from the school system.
Students, faculty and staff members from 13 district high schools and their guests attended the ceremony.
Cumberland County District Court Judge Cheri Siler-Mack delivered the commencement address, the release said.

“Tell yourself, ‘While many started out with me, some fell by the wayside. However, I decided that I was going to push until I got to the finish line,’” she told the graduates. “You should be proud of yourselves today because although you were thrown a curve, you kept going.”

The ceremony included the presentation of colors by the Jack Britt JROTC Color Guard, the playing of “The Star Spangled Banner” by the U.S. Army Band, and a solo performance by Rachel Townsend of the Rascal Flatts song “My Wish.”

Applications for free and reduced-price meals for students who attend schools that are not eligible for a federal assistance program are due Aug. 22, according to a Cumberland County Schools news release.

The federal Community Eligibility Provision of the U.S. Department of Agriculture applies to schools located in low-income areas. In Cumberland County, 62 public schools qualify, according to the school system’s website.

In the district’s other 24 schools, parents must file an application for free or reduced-price meals.
A list of eligible schools is online at the Child Nutrition CEP webpage.

Applications can take as long as 10 days to process. Online applications are available at www.LunchApplication.com.
Universal free lunch has ended, but students across the district can still receive breakfast at no cost, the release said. Students at schools that don’t qualify for the federal aid program must pay for meals unless an application is approved for the upcoming school year.

In June, the Cumberland County Board of Education approved the first meal price increase since 2017. The cost rose by 50 cents for students who pay full price.

Students who qualify for reduced prices will pay 40 cents for lunch.
For elementary students who pay full price, the cost for lunch this year is $2.65.

For middle and high school students who pay full price, the cost is $2.75.

The second of two finalists who hope to become the next president of Fayetteville Technical Community College spent 90 minutes answering questions from students and faculty on Wednesday, Aug.10.

Pamela Senegal’s Q&A mirrored a similar session with Mark Sorrells, who is currently FTCC’s vice president for academic and student services. Sorrells answered questions for an hour last Thursday.

FTCC live-streamed the Q&A programs on its YouTube channel. About 50 faculty and staff members attended Wednesday’s session.
Larry Keen, who has been FTCC president since 2007, plans to retire in January. The college’s board of trustees plans to name his successor by the end of this month. The recommendation must then go before the North Carolina Board of Community Colleges.

Senegal is currently president of Piedmont Community College in Roxboro. She had been scheduled to be at FTCC last week, but a bout with COVID-19 required her to postpone her visit to Wednesday.

When she was introduced, some in the audience cheered. Debra Jordan, an FTCC admissions counselor, said it would be a historical move “when we have our first woman” with a diverse background as president.

Asked what new direction she would work toward, Senegal said FTCC is a great institution already doing good things. She said her role initially would be to bring “a set of fresh eyes” to how the school operates. She said one way is to aggregate all the data FTCC now collects on student retention and other important measures and to re-examine that information.

Responding to a question about the “brick and mortar” growth of community colleges, Senegal said that the COVID pandemic had brought about changes in how classes are taught. She said for decades, growth in programs meant growth in square footage and construction.

“COVID taught us to grow smarter, to double down on online programs,” she said.

Currently, FTCC leads the state in online community-college courses. It is ranked fourth in online courses when rated with four-year colleges.
However, Senegal cautioned that offering online programs requires a commitment to invest in hardened, sustainable infrastructure, including immersion technology.

She gave an example of students who can virtually step inside a human heart to see cell walls, compared to sitting in a room and viewing a small image of a heart on an overhead projection screen. She also suggested that online learning could be provided on a subscription-based approach.
Senegal referred to herself as an Army brat who has lived in 30 countries, 20 of them with her parents.

“I can appreciate what the military goes through,” she said.

She says members of the military should get academic credit for what they've learned while in the service.
If appointed FTCC president, Senegal said, she plans to meet with Fort Bragg leaders and others to form partnerships to help soldiers become FTCC students.

Senegal fielded a variety of diverse and at times esoteric questions on topics from mental health curriculum and mental health services for students and faculty to issues of faculty and staff equity and morale. Topics also included child care, paid maternity leave, students with learning disabilities, and communicating with all faculty, staff members and students.

Finally, asked why she wants to be president of FTCC when she already is president of another community college, she responded, “It’s a good place, and I want to be part of a good place on a larger scale.”

Fayetteville’s public utility and city government want to do business locally.
The Public Works Commission and city officials are reaching out to area businesses through the Industry Day Business Networking forum scheduled Thursday, Aug. 11.

The event is scheduled from 4 to 6:30 p.m. at the PWC Operations Center campus, 955 Old Wilmington Road.
According to PWC, Industry Day will give representatives of local businesses the chance to meet with representatives of the PWC and city purchasing departments and officials from other city agencies. It’s part of ongoing efforts to engage with local companies on how to do business with PWC and the city.
Elaina Ball, CEO and general manager of PWC, said during Wednesday’s commission meeting that all local suppliers are invited.

The goal is to promote opportunities for local businesses to help boost the local economy.
Specific areas of need include electric and water system construction and repair; building construction and repair; and fleet vehicles, PWC said in a news release.

Admission is free. Preregistration is encouraged by not required.
The forum is open to suppliers, professional service providers, prime contractors, and subcontractors. Businesses will be able to become a registered supplier for PWC and the city, the news release said.

Representatives of the Small Business Technology Development Center, which is a partner for the forum, will attend to support suppliers with management counseling and educational opportunities to help build their businesses, the release said.
In other business at Wednesday’s meeting, PWC members received an update on the results of a Gallup employee survey.

It was presented by Bobby Russell, human resources officer for PWC, and Patrick Mieritz, a workplace consultant for Gallup.
Gallup is a Washington-based analytics organization known for its public-opinion polls.
Mieritz said Gallup survey results for PWC indicate that “the majority of people in this organization are engaged.”
Engagement, he noted, improves business outcomes.

A second Gallup survey, Russell said, was conducted for PWC in late June and early July. All managers and officers at the utility have those results and will be developing job-evaluation objectives in coming months.

“We’re confident that you’re going to see the engagement in this organization increase over time,” Mieritz added.

Gallup is scheduled to do another employee survey in February or March, Russell said.

The North Carolina Department of Transportation has awarded a $283 million contract to widen an eight-mile stretch of Interstate 95 in northern Robeson County.

Webber LLC of The Woodlands, Texas, will widen the interstate from four to eight lanes between mile markers 29 and 37, the DOT said in a release.
The contractor also will reconstruct exits 31 and 33 and replace several overpasses with bridges that are higher, longer and wider, the release said. They are: Great Marsh Church Road, East McRainey Road, and East Parkton Tobermory Road.

The department said the project is needed to reduce congestion, plan for anticipated growth in traffic volumes and improve safety.
Work is expected to start this fall by adding temporary pavement to the shoulder and installing concrete barriers to create a safe work zone. The contractor will not reduce lanes, except at night, for the duration of the project, the DOT said.

The demolition of bridges or the installation of new bridge girders over the highway will require brief interstate closures at night, the release said.
The contractor has until the end of 2026 to complete the improvements.

This is one of four construction contracts underway to widen I-95 between Lumberton and Benson.