According to the latest estimate from fiscal analysts at the North Carolina General Assembly, our state government will take in about $6.2 billion more in General Fund revenue over the 2021-23 budget biennium than was originally projected last year.

That’s a huge number. It represents nearly a quarter of the entire General Fund budget for the current fiscal year. And it’s not even the full amount of funds available. As of April 30, there’s $8.2 billion in unspent and undesignated money sitting in the General Fund.

Now that state legislators have returned to Raleigh for their 2022 short session, we are about to hear a spirited debate about how to spend the revenue bonanza.
Democrats are insisting that the General Assembly fully fund a court-ordered settlement on education funding.

Republicans are looking at infrastructure needs and tax relief.

Both parties are telegraphing a desire to increase compensation for public employees.
I favor some of these ideas. But may I offer a few words of caution?

Our broader economy is in trouble. America’s real GDP shrank by an annualized rate of 1.4% during the first three months of this year. And in an attempt to bring down rampant inflation, the Federal Reserve is raising interest rates.

That’s the right response, to be sure, but everyone needs to be mindful of the probable tradeoffs.

Eight of the past nine periods of monetary tightening by the Fed were followed by recessions. Although a “soft landing” is theoretically possible, then, there’s a very real possibility that the GDP will contract sometime over the next year. If the contraction happens in the second quarter, that would constitute a recession by the standard definition.

I know North Carolina’s economic fundamentals look pretty strong right now. Our labor markets improved markedly in April, with the headline unemployment rate falling to 3.4% (down from 5.1% a year ago) and our labor-force participation rate topping 60% for the first time since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Other states in our region posted good jobs numbers last month, too (in fact, North Carolina’s unemployment rate is the highest in our neighborhood, though it’s low by historical standards).

Still, it doesn’t require Eeyore-level pessimism to worry about a possible recession and its effects on state revenues and expenditures. It only requires realism.
It also requires looking more closely at that surplus-revenue figure of $6.2 billion cited earlier. Most of it, $4.2 billion, is occurring during the first year of biennium, and involves one-time shifts in the timing of reported income. The pandemic produced some rather weird financial patterns in both the public and private sectors. It would be a mistake to assume these patterns will continue into future years.
If even a modest recession follows the Fed’s actions on interest rates, that will both reduce revenue collections and increase state expenditures on Medicaid and other forms of public assistance. The projected surplus would shrink. It might even become a deficit.

Thanks to years of conservative budgeting, North Carolina has accumulated a large rainy-day fund and other reserves. Unlike some states, we wouldn’t have to close a fiscal gap by raising taxes, canceling contracts or laying off employees. Indeed, the state could actually play a countercyclical role by giving teachers and state employees a pay bump.
That argues for a balance between addressing immediate needs and hedging against future risks — which is precisely what I think House Speaker Tim Moore, Senate President Pro Tem Phil Berger, and other legislative leaders are likely to do during the short session.

They know that if a recession occurs, they can’t (and shouldn’t) rely on another round of massive federal borrowing to paper over state and local deficits. They also know that their steady and disciplined approach to state budgeting is a big reason why North Carolinians have become increasingly comfortable with GOP majorities in the General Assembly.

We should all hope the Fed can engineer a soft landing. But hoping is not governing.

Fayetteville Police Chief Gina Hawkins will tell you upfront that crime is inevitable. Yet, she will also point to recent data showing that Fayetteville’s overall crime has been down for the past six years.

Hawkins earlier this week presented her department’s first-quarter crime report of 2022 to the Fayetteville City Council. The report primarily compared data from January through March 2021 to data from January through March 2022. However, for three major crime categories — crimes against persons, combined person and property crime and property crime — the comparison data covered six years.
Hawkins showed that in a six-year period, combined persons and property crimes were down. In 2016, the department reported 19,345 crimes against persons and property. In 2021 that amount dipped to 14,699.
However, when comparing the first quarter of 2021 to 2022, aggravated assaults rose 27.6% from 225 to 287. Burglary rose 8.5%, from 236 to 256; larceny 32%, from 441 to 582; motor vehicle theft 75.6%, from 86 to 151; and robbery 38%, from 50 to 69. Domestic violence rose 27.3%, from 33 to 42.

On the plus side, homicides dropped by 8.3%. In the first quarter, Fayetteville saw one less homicide compared to last year’s 12. Suicides and overdoses also dropped significantly. Suicides dropped from nine to five, a 44.4% reduction, and overdoses declined from 19 to 16, a 15.8% drop.

During a recent one-on-one interview with Up & Coming Weekly, Hawkins said crimes against individuals or persons are lower now than six years ago.

In 2016, there were 4,769 reported incidents of crimes against persons. In 2021, there were 4,039 reported incidents. Only in 2019 was the number of reported incidents lower, at 3,889.

Aggravated assault had one of the most significant increases compared to the 2021 first quarter. Hawkins said that category has a unique reporting system. One act of assault can result in more than one reported aggravated assault charge. For example, if someone shoots into a home yet no one is injured by the bullet, the law still counts the number of aggravated assaults based on the number of people occupying the house. The same rule applies to shooting into an occupied vehicle. Shoot into a car with four people, and you are charged with four counts of aggravated assault.

“We’ll never be at zero in crime. That’s the first education the public has to have. We know that crime is going to happen. We know people are going to do things; people are going to commit crimes. Our objective is to determine how we can use as many tools and resources to minimize that happening in our community. And that is not the responsibility of one entity at all,” she said.

Hawkins said the community bears some responsibility for deterring crime, especially for crimes involving illegal weapons, which are often stolen from homes and vehicles.

“We know people break into cars. And people leave all kinds of things in their cars, and they also leave their weapons in the car, which is absolutely crazy,” she said. “In 2021, there were 267 weapons stolen out of vehicles. Why would you leave your weapons in vehicles,” she said.

For example, in 2021, there were 1106 motor vehicle break-ins, of which 69% or 762 vehicles were left unlocked. That year, 218 handguns, 23 rifles, nine shotguns, and ammunition were taken from motor vehicles. Only 58 were stolen from homes and two from businesses.

So far in the first three months of 2022, there have been 307 motor vehicle break-ins, of which 64% or 198 were from unsecured vehicles. The result is 67 illegally owned handguns, and three rifles are on the street, probably used in criminal activities.

Hawkins said the department’s narcotics unit, during its investigations alone, seized 45 guns in 2021 and seven during the first three months of 2022. Department-wide, the police seized 212 guns in the first quarter of 2021 and 215 guns in the first quarter of this year.

“We as a community have a responsibility and are capable of preventing weapons from getting into the hands of people doing illegal activities,” she said. “We as a community are going to have to say: What are we doing to prevent guns getting into the hands of people doing illegal activities?”

“Criminals know people don’t lock their cars. They don’t break windows; they just pull the door handles,” she said.
Crime-fighting has become more sophisticated than ever. From analyzing what makes someone a repeat victim to what makes someone a repeat offender, Hawkins credits her officers with using technology as a key resource in fighting crime.

The department uses 118 city-owned surveillance cameras and another 289 contract cameras in a citywide network. The cameras are along major thoroughfares like Skibo Road, Owen Drive and the All-American Expressway, and in the Bonnie Doone and downtown area, among others. The contracted cameras are mounted on city buildings, she said.

“We have a camera system that captures people (doing illegal activities) quickly. We have LPR (license plate reader) cameras,” she said. “We have 52 new ones deployed throughout the city now,” she said. The new

LPR cameras come with an AI element (artificial intelligence) that can provide additional information about a vehicle, not just the license plate numbers.

The goal is to see who comes into the city and who leaves the city after committing a crime.

Another area that plays a significant role in deterring crime in Fayetteville is the need for a full complement of officers. Despite a significant number of retirements or simply resignations to follow other pursuits, the department later this summer expects to have about 50 recruits in two separate academies, one conducted in July and the other in August.

Hawkins said the department has been actively recruiting for both lateral entries (experienced officers from other departments) and new cadets. The department recently sent recruiters to Puerto Rico. The U.S. island territory’s pension system for its police officers does not compare with the retirement and benefits provided by the Fayetteville Police Department.

During the recruiting drive earlier this year in Puerto Rico, the department received 60 applications on-site, of which 25 passed the test given to everyone who wants to be a police officer, Hawkins said.

Most are lateral entries. Hawkins called them “heavy hitters who are everything you want in an officer.”
There was a recent criticism on social media for sending a delegation to Puerto Rico and spending $18,000. Hawkins said she is unaware of any opposition to the department’s recruiting efforts. She said even rounding up the alleged amount to $20,000 would still have been worth it.

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

The reality that Fayetteville and the state of North Carolina will soon have a world-class history education facility nestled atop the city’s historic Arsenal Avenue is becoming more concrete as the civic organization behind the effort will hold its third and final ground-breaking ceremony on June 2.

A panel of Civil War & Reconstruction History Center Board members assembled on May 24 at Fayetteville Technical Community College’s Tony Rand Center to speak with members of the media about the Civil War & Reconstruction History Center, its purpose and curriculum and the upcoming ground-breaking.

Mac Healy, chairman of the Civil War & Reconstruction History Center committee, was flanked by Vice-Chairwoman Mary Lynn Bryan, a noted Fayetteville philanthropist who since 2006 has advocated for the center; Board Member and former Fayetteville State University Chancellor James Anderson, and Board Member Demetrius Haddock, a life-long educator, retired math teacher and education advocate.

The panel had much to say about the format and purpose of the center, which will serve not only the local community but the state. The center, while located in Fayetteville, will be a state-run facility. The representatives repeatedly spoke to the power of story and the importance of creating a dialogue centering around the difficult subjects of the civil war, enslavement and the post-civil war reconstruction.

Haddock, who was initially skeptical of the center’s curriculum, has since become a member of the board and assists in planning for the center. He has been focused on supporting the educational components, specifically concerning students in the 4th, 8th, and 11th grades studying North Carolina history under the state’s school curriculum. He explained at a recent meeting focused on curriculum at the University of North Carolina, Wilmington that many teachers were unaware of and cautious about how to present much of the difficult content that the center will focus on.

“Those concepts, especially enslavement and just the idea of people owning human beings and you know how do you have a conversation with students about that, and there are so many dimensions around that time period that people just kind of stay away from, especially the Reconstruction or afterwards," said Haddock.

Despite the committee’s efforts raising private funds, securing state and local money for the project, and, more importantly, educating the public about the project, there has been concern the center will be a museum honoring the Confederacy.
Anderson reiterated that the center would focus on the history before the Civil War and the Reconstruction era, which was often a difficult period for formerly enslaved people.
Anderson explained that the board of advisors and the board of directors working to build the center and its curriculum are both “replete with scholars.”

“The History Center is not a museum. I want to make that clear,” Anderson said. “It will use the power of storytelling and interactive technology to educate youth about that specific time in history,” he said. “Those who constantly demonize the proposed project are ignorant of the facts.”

Bryan invited anyone concerned about the center’s purpose to engage with the committee.

“Every time we have been challenged, if the people who challenge us will meet us, we are willing to sit down and talk about our plan and what we have in mind and why it is significant not just for our community but for our state,” Bryan said.

“The story we have to tell about this very, very difficult period in our history is a true story. It’s a story based on fact developed by a group of scholars known worldwide. They want to present an accurate picture, and so do we,” she said.

Bryan reiterated the museum’s purpose and asserted the center would not focus solely on the story of the Confederacy.

“It’s very disconcerting when we hear, for example, that we are going to develop a Confederate museum, which we have no intention whatsoever of doing. The flags that will fly, if flags fly in our history center, will be the state flag and the U.S Flag. We will have no statues or monuments.”

Bryan noted that an organization offered the committee money in the center’s early planning stages if it agreed to house all statewide Confederate statues at the center.

“We said no. We will get the money a different way,” Bryan said.

Healy explained the center would feature cutting-edge interactive storytelling, and Anderson elaborated on that concept focusing on the power of those stories.

“This is a history center. We are not going to be a collecting museum. We will have several artifacts in there, but only if they continue further telling the story,” Healy said.

“The history center will allow us not only to be interactive, as Mac [Healy] says but to tell a story; to use the power of stories that come from people who have a generational contact with all of this,” Anderson said. “The history center will allow us to make people feel emotionally connected.”

Anderson went on to relay an anecdote about seeing a Ku Klux Klan robe at the Civil Rights Museum in Greensboro.

“Wouldn’t it be nice if there were a story attached to this that people could really understand what the power of the Klan robe is?” Anderson said.

The narratives in the center’s curriculum will represent and belong to everyone in the state.

“The critical issue is this is going to tell the story of everybody located in the state of North Carolina during a certain designated period,” Bryan said.

The center’s goal is to collect 100 stories from each of 100 counties; while they have not yet achieved this, they are still actively collecting and vetting stories from North Carolinians.
According to Healy, the public does not want to go to a museum and read storyboards anymore. They want interactive museums.

“This is going to be that,” he said.

The “touch and feel” aspect of the center contributes to the overall costs of the project, explained Healy. In addition to the cutting-edge technology and content, nationwide increases in materials and supply chain issues have contributed to increasing costs.

Initially, the cost to build the center was estimated at approximately $65 million, but since has been estimated at about $80 million. Last year, the North Carolina General Assembly appropriated $60 million for the project. Before that, the committee raised money from private contributors and secured a commitment from the City of Fayetteville City Council and the Cumberland County Board of Commissioners for $7.5 million each.
According to Anderson, the center will help make Fayetteville a destination city.

Ralph Huff, a local philanthropist and former owner of H&H builders, a residential construction company, attended the news conference and echoed Anderson’s remark. Huff said Fayetteville could become a weekend destination where visitors spend several days walking from one venue to another. Huff referred to visitors walking to the proposed downtown Arts & Entertainment Center, Segra Stadium, the Airborne and Special Operations Museum, and, finally, atop Haymount Hill to the proposed History Center.

The committee expects the center to be an economic boon for Cumberland County. A study predating the building of Segra Stadium projects that the center will have an $18 million annual economic impact and secure about 200 jobs. Healy explained that this positive impact might be even higher with added amenities such as Segra Stadium, increasing the draw for visitors to downtown Fayetteville.
Healy described the center as a ”world-class one-of-its-kind history center located in Fayetteville for the state of North Carolina.”

Among those scheduled to participate in the third ground-breaking ceremony is Spencer Crew, Ph. D., emeritus director of the National Museum of African American History and Culture. Crew is among a half dozen history scholars that Anderson noted are associated with the center. The scholars are writing and designing a curriculum covering the years 1835 through the early 1900s for the history center.

Healy said the 11 a.m. ground-breaking ceremony marks the start of construction for the center’s main building. For additional information on the Civil War & Reconstruction History Center, its curriculum or the ground-breaking, visit www.nccivilwarcenter.org.

Several community Memorial Day events are scheduled through Monday. Here are a few:

Friday
Spring Lake: A Memorial Day ceremony is scheduled for 10 a.m. at Veterans Park on Ruth Street.

Saturday
Concert: The Southeastern Gospel Music Association will present a Memorial Day weekend concert at 6 p.m. at Mt. Gilead Baptist Church, 6248 Cliffdale Road. Admission is free. The concert will feature the Port City Quartet and G. Vern Adams Jr. The master of ceremonies will be Larry Chason. Seating is on a first-come, first-served basis.

Monday
Fayetteville: The Fayetteville area will honor Cumberland County veterans who died in wartime during a ceremony at 10 a.m. at Freedom Memorial Park at Hay Street and Bragg Boulevard. There is limited bleacher seating. Attendees may bring a lawn chair. Parking is available at the Airborne & Special Operations Museum or at the Medical Arts Building. The keynote speaker is Col. Scott Pence, garrison commander at Fort Bragg.

Hope Mills: The town’s ceremony is scheduled for 4 p.m. at Veterans Memorial Park, 5766 Rockfish Road. The guest speaker will be Charles Lee, deputy director for Veterans Affairs with the North Carolina Department of Military and Veterans Affairs. Light refreshments will be served after the ceremony.

Cumberland County Manager Amy Cannon on Thursday, May 26, presented the county's fiscal 2023 recommended budget to the Board of Commissioners during a special called meeting.

The county's tax rate remains unchanged at 79.9 cents per $100 of assessed property value. Each penny on the tax rate produces $2,427,268. The budget is balanced, as required by the North Carolina Local Government Commission, Cannon told commissioners.

The budget takes into account the board's priorities established in fiscal 2021, which include the Crown Event Center to replace the Crown Theatre and Crown Arena, public water access for Gray's Creek and mitigating homelessness.

The recommended budget calls for $552,930,111 in total expenditures across all county funds, and a General Fund of $362,177,033.

In her budget message to the commissioners, Cannon outlined the issues facing the county government in the upcoming budget cycle. First among those is what she termed "the new normal," a COVID-19, pandemic-induced altered work environment. The pandemic resulted in new organizational structures where employees were forced to work from home and adapt to new technology.

"The uncertainty remains. Remote work still remains," she said. The new normal also includes providing services electronically, erratic economic recovery, and the potential of a new COVID-19 variant that can affect the delivery of services.

The budget also takes into account the prevailing economic uncertainty. Cannon said another important factor affecting county operations is inflation, currently at 8.5% and eroding the spending power of county residents and county government. Along with inflation, the county must adjust to ever-increasing fuel prices and supply chain issues.

Cannon projected General Fund revenues from ad valorem taxes at $170,695,791, a $2 million increase over fiscal 2022. Motor vehicle tax revenues are budgeted at $23,242,940, a $1 million increase over 2022.

She said the ad valorem taxes are the largest revenue source at 55% of the total budget revenue. These taxes are based on the combined values of real property, personal property, and motor vehicles of about $194 million. Real and personal property taxes are budgeted at $170.7 million, an increase of $2 million over last year.

Some of the county's major spending highlights include:
● Unfunded mandates, including increased health insurance rates, increased employer contributions to the retirement system, increased property and cyber security insurance, and funding an N.C. Department of Public Safety plan to align the county share of youth detention facility costs with operating costs.
● Additional commission priorities identified in fiscal 2021 about mental health and public health.
● A pilot program that develops a proactive prevention program addressing the social detriments of health.
● Another pilot program for patient transportation for public health clinics using either Uber of Lift.
● A volunteer coordinator for the Animal Services Department.
● An assistant manager for the Emergency Services Department.
● Replacing 19 Sheriff's Office vehicles and two detention center vehicles.
● A public health educator and a public health office assistant
● A Social Services program manager and an in-home case management and care coordination pilot program with 16 employees, and two vehicles.
● A child support quality assurance program training specialist.

The recommended budget also includes $84.3 million for Cumberland County Schools, an increase of $1.3 million from fiscal 2022. There is also an additional $3.9 million for the school system for school health nurses, school resource officers and crossing guards.

Cannon ended her hour-long budget message talking about the great resignation, a national phenomenon whereby workers are leaving their jobs in droves. Cannon said employees are leaving for better pay because they are mentally exhausted, want a flexible work schedule and a better work-life balance. She said Cumberland County government is not immune from that.

The commissioners will digest the recommended budget and begin their work session on June 1 at 5:30 p.m. in Room 564 in the Judge E. Maurice Braswell Cumberland County Courthouse. The public hearing on the budget is scheduled for June 6 at 7 p.m. Thereafter, the commissioners will have three more work sessions.

The recommended budget is available on the county website at cumberlandcountync.gov.

The Fayetteville City Council on Thursday, May 26, held the first of three scheduled budget work sessions. The meeting focused on city salaries and an update on American Rescue Plan Act funding.

The council must finalize the city budget by June 30. The fiscal 2022-23 budget year begins July 1.

City Manager Doug Hewett has proposed a budget with no significant increases in taxes or fees. The total budget is $248.25 million, which represents a 3.3% increase, city officials said.

The tax rate would remain at 49.95 cents per $100 property valuation.

The city is struggling to hire new people in a highly competitive job market, said Mark Holcombe with Evergreen Solutions. The company was hired to conduct a salary survey for the city. The City Council talked about an allocation of $6 million to make salaries more competitive.

“You are trailing the market but not by much,’’ Holcombe said.

The council also talked about paying people $15 an hour, including seasonal and temporary employees. That includes eight positions with Fayetteville-Cumberland Parks & Recreation.

“A lot of what we are talking about tonight is investing in our employees,’’ said Jerry Clipp, the human resources development director for the city.

Mayor Mitch Colvin said it is important that all city employees make at least $15 an hour.

Councilman Chris Davis concurred.

“The labor market is incredibly tough. It means a lot that we remain employee of choice,’’ Hewett said.

The city plans to leverage its ARPA money to fill in the gap on capital projects as well as take care of some community needs.

“We’re talking about workforce development, which is traditionally not a city function per se, but we are going to have to find partners to help us like the child care assistance grants,’’ Hewett said. “We don’t do the childcare, but under the ARPA rules, we believe we can go out and work with children’s centers that help them provide better programming by helping them with their staffing.’’

Hewett said the city has six years to expense the money.

Hewett said he hopes the early briefing on the budget pays dividends.

“We look forward to guidance from council as we prepare the budget for public hearing on June 13,’’ he said.

The next meeting will cover capital and transportation projects.

“We put that together in January and February, and so we have those projects and will go back over them with council to show them how we use the federal funding (ARPA) to cover those projects,’’ Hewett said.

The next budget work session is scheduled for 5 p.m. on June 2.

Hewett said,“You have done the heavy lifting, you’ve done that. … We thought we captured exactly what you wanted. Now that we have it, we have to come up with details.’’

Volatility in the energy market and the lingering economic pressures of the COVID-19 pandemic will mandate continued fiscal caution, leaders of Fayetteville’s public utility were told Wednesday, May 25.

Rhonda Gaskins, the chief financial officer of the Fayetteville Public Works Commission, delivered a first-quarter financial recap to the board at its monthly meeting.

Before presenting her report, Gaskins reminded the commissioners that a water and wastewater rate increase would take effect July 1.

“So we’ll see increases in revenue on that end for the water and wastewater side,” Haskins told the commissioners. “We also had a bond issuance that closed in November – actually, $95 million.”

And as the pandemic has eased, PWC has ended a temporary waiver of late fees for customers struggling through the economic downturn, she said.

“Almost back to full operation there,” she said.

Bad weather could also affect the utility’s economic picture, she noted.

PWC spokeswoman Carolyn Justice-Hinson said after the meeting that the report was “kind of a snapshot in time.”

“There are some positives there. The economy and the industry are getting volatile with fuel costs and other things. There are a lot of factors we’re watching very closely,” Justice-Hinson said.

“The next report could look very different,” she added. “It’s presented every quarter for the commission to get a financial look and to see what the trends are.”

Power-supply costs are down to $100.6 million in the first quarter of this year from $104.7 million in the first three months last year, Haskins said.

According to the report, the cost of a megawatt hour of electricity is down 2% from a year ago, from $63.27 to $62.03.

"Power cost is our overall biggest expense, so this is good," Justice-Hinson said. “But as I mentioned, the economy and changes coming from our wholesale provider, Duke Energy, indicate this can change very quickly.

This is the importance of maintaining our reserves and rate stabilization funds that we can draw from them during these extreme fluctuations instead of having to raise rates to cover the cost."

Fayetteville PWC has budgeted $64 million for electric and water capital projects in this budget year. But nine months into the budget, the utility has been able to complete only $30 million worth of those projects, Justice-Hinson said.

The demand for contractors and the availability of materials are affecting the utility's ability to get the work done, she said.

In other business, PWC CEO and General Manager Elaina Ball gave her second presentation on the 2022-23 operating budget and capital improvement plan in advance of a public hearing on Wednesday.

No one spoke during the public hearing.

As first presented on May 11, the budget calls for an overall outlay of about $397.5 million, which would be a 10.9% reduction from 2022 spending.

The cost of electricity would not change next year, but water rates would increase, according to the recommended budget. In 2020, the commission voted to delay water rate increases because of the financial effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. Those higher rates will take effect for 2023, Ball has said.

Justice-Hinson has said the new water rates will vary because they depend on the customer’s location and water usage.

The budget supports the financial health of PWC, keeps borrowing costs low and affords a bigger slice of revenue for the city of Fayetteville. The city would receive roughly $24 million from PWC in cash and services.

Payments in lieu of taxes would increase to $12.4 million in cash – more than $1 million a month, she said.

That rounds out to a 4.7% increase for the city.

A second person has been charged in connection with a fatal shooting May 7 on Gordon Way.

Sierra Harper, 22, was shot multiple times and later died at the hospital, Fayetteville police said.

Micaiah Henderson-Palmer, 23, was arrested Wednesday morning, May 25, outside her home on the 600 block of Volunteer Drive, the Fayetteville Police Department said. She is charged with accessory after the fact.

Jaylin Sadiq McLaughlin Jr., 22, of the 3600 block of Pickerel Street, is charged with first-degree murder and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, the Police Department said.

He was arrested May 10 by members of the U.S. Marshals Service.

Henderson-Palmer was arrested without incident and remains in the Cumberland County Detention Center under a $25,000 secured bond, police said.

She is accused of helping McLaughlin escape detection after the shooting, according to an arrest warrant. Henderson-Palmer knew McLaughlin had been involved in the shooting, picked him up after he left his vehicle and helped him escape detection, according to the warrant.

Harper was found on the afternoon of May 7 when officers responded to reports of a shooting on the 2900 block of Gordon way.

Police have said the homicide was not a random act. Harper and McLaughlin were known to each other, and there was a disturbance prior to the shooting, police said previously.

The case remains under investigation.

Anyone with information about the shooting is asked to contact Detective M. Waters at 910-635-4978 or Crimestoppers at 910-483-TIPS (8477).

Fort Bragg, home of the airborne, may soon become Fort Liberty if Congress approves the recommendations of the Naming Commission tasked with remaining military installations bearing names of Confederate generals.

The Naming Commission on Tuesday, May 24, held a virtual news conference where it announced the recommended names it will forward to Congress. After Congress approves the names, they will be forwarded to Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III, who will have the ultimate authority to rename the installations.

The Naming Commission also recommended new names for eight other Army posts. Fort Bragg is the only one that would not be renamed after a person. Instead, the recommendation is to rename Fort Bragg in honor of the American value of liberty, according to retired Brig. Gen. Ty Seidule, the commission’s vice chairman.

Seidule said he served in the 82nd Airborne Division at Fort Bragg and recalled the lyrics of the 82nd Airborne song: “We’re All-American and proud to be, for we’re the soldiers of liberty.”

Fort Bragg is named for Braxton Bragg, a North Carolina native who served as a general in the Confederate Army.

It is home to the airborne and special operations forces and has more than 53,000 troops.

The other eight recommendations call for:
• Fort Benning, Georgia, to become Fort Moore, named after Lt. Gen. Hal and Julia Moore. Hal Moore commanded the 1st Battalion, 7th Cavalry Regiment at the Battle of Ia Drang Valley in 1965 in Vietnam. His wife, Julia, was behind the Army's revamping death notices to family members.
• Fort Gordon, Georgia, to become Fort Eisenhower, named after Dwight Eisenhower, the Army general and president. The U.S. Army medical center at Fort Gordon already bears his name.
• Fort A.P. Hill, Virginia, to become Fort Walker, named after Dr. Mary Edwards Walker, the first female Army surgeon and only woman awarded the Medal of Honor.
• Fort Hood, Texas, to become Fort Cavazos, named after Gen. Richard Cavazos, the first Latino promoted in 1982 to four-star general.
• Fort Lee, Virginia, to become Fort Gregg-Adams, named after Lt. Gen. Arthur Gregg and Lt. Col. Charity Adams, the first African-American female officer in the Women’s Army Auxiliary Corps.
• Fort Picket, Virginia, to become Fort Barfoot, named after Tech. Sgt. Van T. Barfoot, a WWII Medal of Honor recipient.
• Fort Polk, Louisiana, to become Fort Johnson, named after World War l hero Sgt. William Henry Johnson.
• Fort Rucker, Alabama, to become Fort Novosel, named after Chief Warrant Officer 4 Michael J. Novosel Sr. who received the Medal of Honor for his service as a helicopter rescue pilot during the Vietnam War.

The Naming Commission is also looking at more than 750 Department of Defense assets, including street, school and building names. Other items include Navy vessels, monuments or military items that it deems to commemorate the Confederacy.

Congress last year enacted legislation creating the Naming Commission and gave it the task to rename military installations by 2023.

Austin, who previously commanded units of the 82nd Airborne Division, released a statement saying, "I am pleased to see the Naming Commission's progress as mandated by Congress in the FY 2021 National Defense Authorization Act."

“Today’s announcement highlights the commission’s efforts to propose nine new installation names that reflect the courage, values, sacrifices and diversity of our military men and women,” the statement said. “I thank the members of the commission for their important, collaborative work with base commanders, local community leaders, soldiers and military families. And I look forward to seeing their complete report later this year.”

Seidule, who led Tuesday’s virtual news conference, reiterated several times that the commission took into account "local sensitivities" when arriving at a proposed name.

In a release, the commission said it visited the installations last year for listening sessions with military commanders and community leaders to get feedback on the process and to hear preferences for new names.

Seidule said post commanders determined the stakeholders, post and community leaders, and others involved in the renaming process. He said the sessions were not open to the media because the commission wanted "unvarnished opinions" from the participants.

The commission said it received more than 34,000 submissions related to naming activities, including 3,670 unique names of individuals, locations, values and more.

The Naming Commission developed a short-list of potential names for the nine installations before reconnecting with the community groups through virtual listening sessions and gathering more input.

The commission said it met earlier this month and came up with its recommendations.

“This was an exhaustive process that entailed hundreds of hours of research, community engagement and internal deliberations,” retired Navy Adm. Michelle Howard, the chairwoman of the Naming Commission, said in a release. “This recommendation list includes American heroes whose stories deserve to be told and remembered; people who fought and sacrificed greatly on behalf of our nation.”

Assault, domestic violence and vehicle theft cases rose in the first quarter, but homicides and rapes decreased, according to Fayetteville Police Chief Gina Hawkins.

Hawkins presented a report on crime to the City Council on Monday night, May 23, comparing figures for January through March with those from the same period last year.

Hawkins noted that the city has seen a decrease in overall personal and property crimes reported over the past six years.

“The department crime trend is going downward,” she told the City Council during its regular monthly meeting at City Hall. “This is a reminder of where we’re at over the last six years.”

But in the first quarter of 2022, she said, crime is increasing in some areas compared with the first quarter of 2021.

Reports of personal crime increased from 941 in the first quarter of 2021 to 971 in the same period of 2022. Property crime was up from 2,458 reports in 2021 to 2,864 in 2022, according to Hawkins’ presentation.

Felony crimes also were up from 348 reports in 2021 to 357 in 2022.

“We saw a larger increase, especially in January and February, in motor vehicle thefts,” Hawkins said. “We spent a lot of resources doing that.”

Citywide arrests climbed slightly from 1,043 in 2021 to 1,099 in 2022. That’s an increase of 5.4%, according to her figures.

From January through March, the number of homicides dropped from 12 to 11 over the same period a year ago. The number of rapes reported decreased also, from 27 to 19, Hawkins said.

But aggravated assault reports rose 27.6%, from 225 to 287, she said.

Overall, death investigations were up 38.6%, from 101 in 2021 to 140 this year, according to Hawkins.

Domestic violence also saw a big increase, she noted. Though misdemeanors dropped from 23 to 22, felonies doubled from 10 to 20. Overall, domestic violence assaults were up by 27.3%, from a total of 33 to 42.

Drug cases involving cocaine, methamphetamine and fentanyl rose. Police made 28 arrests on drug charges, an increase of 20.

Hawkins said drug dealers are lacing a lot of drugs with fentanyl.

In terms of staffing, the Police Department has 383 officer positions filled, Hawkins said. The department is budgeted for 431 officers.

“We’re up this year in hiring,” Hawkins said. “Up 13 from the previous last year, but down in nonsworn (officers).”

The council voted unanimously to accept the report from Hawkins.

Pictured above: Fayetteville Police Chief Gina Hawkins.

There is little we can do to prepare for some of life’s best moments, yet everything we’ve ever done has prepared us for the next.

Graduation season is upon us here in North Carolina. Emotions run the gamut as young men and women everywhere experience that final trip through the doors of their school as students.
Most will reflect fondly on the days they spent preparing to launch into the world and begin writing their own story. And like every generation before them, both friendships and rivalries they swore would last forever will start to fade as others grow.

Of one thing they can be certain: relationships with fellow students, educators and even their families will all change in some way as they continue their journey through life.

Of all the things which could possibly cause me anxiety, concern for future generations is somewhere near the top of the list. Partly because of their expectations and partly because of the condition of the world we’re leaving them. Not the physical world we leave them, but the condition of mankind in general.

Somewhere along the line, we seem to have taught young people in America that winning is more important than character.

The very people who we need to be able to look up to are failing and falling around us, and we are too quick to condemn and step around them to notice and avoid the brokenness that led them there in the first place.
So can we change the course? Can we raise up a generation of leaders with the intestinal fortitude to right the many wrongs we’ve left them to deal with?

As a person of faith, I believe we can, and it’s really a matter of moral integrity stemming from deep convictions and an acknowledgment of a creator to whom we’re all accountable.
Some will disagree and stop reading right here, so if you’re still with me, maybe we agree — if only a little.

Our real problems begin at home. There’s growing indifference to patterns of behavior eroding families. From what we allow to enter through screens in hand or on the wall to our relationships with our children’s friends and their families, indifference is creeping in.

Everyone knows the phrase “it takes a village,” but when the village steps in with advice, it’s too often taken as a personal affront. Someone stomps away only to return with a posse willing to prove how wrong the offender is and how we can destroy them and their way of thinking.

We can do better. And for the sake of the next generation we’re launching into the world beyond their family home this graduation season, I pray we’ll start soon.

I love smoothies in the summer, and I often make them with what I have picked from the garden or what I have in the refrigerator.
Smoothies are popular because they are versatile, nutritious, portable and delicious. They often become a morning meal, afternoon snack and a great way to make a healthy meal.

Fitness centers are carving out specialty smoothie areas and availability in grocery stores, cafes and restaurants are on the rise.
Smoothies are thick and creamy beverages blended with fruit, fruit juice, coconut water, almond milk, vegetables, yogurt, seeds, nuts or dairy products. They are often blended with frozen fruit or ice, giving the consistency of a milkshake.

Homemade smoothies can be a combo of fruit such as berries, bananas, peaches, mango, pineapple, strawberries and blueberries.

Vegetables may include spinach, avocado, cucumbers and carrots. Nuts and seeds are popular additions and may include peanut butter, almond butter, chia seeds, pecans and almonds.

Many extras can consist of herbs, spices, protein powder and powdered vitamins — the addition of nontraditional sweeteners may be maple syrup, raw sugar, sorbet and honey.

Proteins are another requested addition and are often paired with yogurt and vegetables. Smoothies can be a great way to increase your fiber intake, including nuts, vegetables, and whole grains.

A smoothie can be beneficial for health reasons, but it can also have a downside with ingredients packed with sugar. Just because you are drinking a smoothie does not always mean healthy!

Commercial ingredients tend to be higher in added sugar. Reading the label of a ready-made product will help you identify ingredients to look for: granulated sugar, ice cream and sherbet.

It can be a misconception that they are low in calories because some can pack more than 1,000 calories depending on the size and ingredients.

Establishments that sell smoothies may have a summary of ingredients and calorie counts. Smoothies can be used as an apparent weight loss tool if the intake does not increase your daily caloric needs.
They can be as filling as solid food, and drinking your calories rather than eating them can be just as satisfying but not for all your meals.

Begin experimenting with what you like, and the best way is to select your base, which will be juice, water or dairy. The most nutritious combine fruit, veggies, yogurt and healthy fats.

The superfoods rich in antioxidants are berries, and veggies will give you an extra power boost.
Making your smoothie is the first step in a combo that you will look forward to having each day with a recommended one serving.

If you are interested in making it a meal, include at least 25 grams of protein and 10 grams of protein for a snack. The pairing of ingredients is just as crucial as a well-planned meal.
Research what is beneficial for your dietary needs and ingredients, and be mindful of calories.

You can find many recipes online, and when you begin making them, you will quickly find your favorites.

There are a variety of blenders in all price ranges. Select one with a blade in the bottom with a container, good processing speed, and a cap for refrigeration in two container sizes.
Live, love life and have a smoothie.

Fayetteville native and spoken word artist Lawrence "Law" Bullock II is preparing to share his fifth book of poetry through a reading at The Sweet Palette on Friday, June 3 at 7 p.m. "Abstract Intoxication: A Poetry Reading" is Bullock's first one-man show, and he's excited to bring his art to the people of a city he loves so much.

"I'm nervous, but being nervous is a good thing. It means you care about what you're about to do or say," Bullock explained to Up & Coming Weekly.

A lifelong writer, the thirty-one-year-old poet, will share his most personal writing to date in the pages of "Abstract Intoxication," a title he feels aptly expresses the subject matter therein.

"The title came about because I wanted something to catch your attention and make you think. I don't want to be direct in my work — I love art that makes you see more than what's there. Intoxication comes from a love for your craft that's so strong it intoxicates you."

Bullock's work in this series touches on many topics, some dark, but all true to the poet himself. According to Bullock, addiction, reflection and a heavy emphasis on mental health make this work daring but necessary.

"For this particular show, I want to break mental health stigma and start an important conversation," Bullock said. "This book is the most intimate in terms of my backstory. Sometimes I don't remember everything that's happened to me; it comes and goes in flashes. This book is my attempt to hold on to those flashes."

The book and its message offer comfort and hope to those struggling with mental health. "We all go through the battles, but we're not alone," Bullock explained. "Mental health is a universal issue. Just because you're down or struggling doesn't mean there's something wrong with you."

Bullock was awarded a mini-grant by The Arts Council of Fayetteville to cover printing costs and art fees to bring Abstract Intoxication and its message to life.

The support for poets and other artists in the Fayetteville area is something Bullock would love to see more of from the community. He hopes readings like this bring more exposure to those wanting to share more of their craft.

"I want people to leave with a better sense and love of poetry. Just as with mental health, there's a stigma around poetry as well. So many people misunderstand it. I've been a vendor at a lot of events this year, and you can tell the people who are interested in poetry but don't know where or how to start. We need more people to come and support this awesome community."

Bullock is especially excited to share his work at The Sweet Palette, a premier bakery and art gallery in downtown Fayetteville.

"We've done a lot of shows at The Sweet Palette," Bullock said. "It has done so much for us poets in general and is the perfect place for this series — I'll have artwork behind me. Anyone who wants to have a good time on a Friday night should come to check it out."

The show will be about forty minutes long with plenty of breaks so people can enjoy delicious desserts and check out the work adorning the exposed brick walls.
Bullock invites "anyone seeking to understand spoken word poetry" and those who want a more intimate take on mental health.

As for himself and his work, Bullock is grateful for the opportunity to share his art with others.

"You can't be afraid to let people know what you have going on," he said of the show. "We're given gifts that we're not meant to hold on to —someone needs it."
The Sweet Palette is located at 101 Person St. For more information, visit www.facebook.com/events/529058305375168. To find more information on poetry and poets in Fayettville, visit www.facebook.com/groups/poetryinfayetteville.

Tri-State Underground and the DaVille Skate Shop are hosting a concert May 28 at 8 p.m. in the skate shop at Rowan Skate Park. The concert will showcase three bands, two local and one from New York, who will play until midnight.

“I think it’s going to be a really good time,” said Timothy Day, co-founder of Tri-State Underground. “I book bands I want to see live, and as a result, I’m hyped about every show we put together. Hopefully, everyone else enjoys it.”

Machinegun Earl, out of Raleigh, Second Class Citizen from New Bern, and Like Minded Criminals from Long Island, New York, will all be playing throughout the night.

“I had a large list of local bands I was able to choose from. I haven’t seen the two local bands in person yet, but the recorded stuff they have sent me in their submissions is pretty fantastic. I’m definitely looking forward to seeing them live at a Tri-State show,” Day said.

“(Like Minded Criminals) have done a ton of shows for me over the years. Anyone who comes out to the show will very much enjoy these guys. They have to be one of the best on-site bands I’ve ever worked with.”

Tri-State Underground began in the Wilmington, Delaware, area about five years ago. The purpose of the group was to bring together lesser-known bands with more well-established bands, but as Tri-State Underground evolved, they began to find another purpose: to help out communities through their shows. Currently, several of the group members live in North Carolina and have been working to bring shows to the area.

They ask concertgoers to bring non-perishable food items, which are donated to local food banks. Proceeds from the sales of their T-shirts and sweatshirts are donated to local charities and food shelters. Rainbow Records contributed used vinyl albums to Tri-State Underground, which they raffle off at every show. The proceeds of the raffle are also donated.

Admission to the concert is $15, paid at the door. Part of the proceeds are paid to the bands, but the rest will be given to Friends of the Skateparks Foundation.

“When I was a kid, I loved skateboarding. It’s cool to go back and live that era again in a sense by putting together a show at a skate park. Since I started Tri-State, there have been a few things that I have wanted to do and have been interested in doing that haven’t come to fruition yet. One of those things was putting together a show at a skate park,” Day said.

Day says he hopes to continue to work with Terry Grimble, president and founder of the DaVille Skate Shop.

“We are hoping that eventually, either in conjunction with Tri-State or just with Terry and other people he works with, we might be able to do full-on festivals outside at the skate park,” said Day. “The goal for him, and I hope I get to be a part of this, would be to utilize the outdoor pavilion and host music events outside as well. It’s a great spot; the scenery, the halfpipe, the bowl is there, the little creek with the walk-over bridge, the scenery at the park is just spectacular.”

The Half Pipe Dream concert will be held on May 28 at the DaVille Skate Shop and Rowan Skate Center. For more information about the show, visit https://stayhappening.com/e/half-pipe-dream-E2ISUARIOBI. For more information about the Rowan Skate Park, including summer camps and taking lessons, visit www.rowanskatepark.com/.

Mostley Crue, the tribute band for 80s hard rockers of (mostly) the same name, is set to play the Gates Four Summer Concert Series on June 3.

The band has been together for 15 years and has played hundreds of shows as Motley Crue. The current lineup and their alter egos are Gabriel Pettit as lead vocalist Vince Neil, Darius Rose as drummer Tommy Lee, Keith Baumbaugh as guitarist Mick Mars and Miller Barefoot as bassist Nikki Sixx.

Pettit is the only original member of the band. He was in another band creating his own music when he was asked to join Mostly Crue as Vince Neil, but he had his doubts.

“I was thinking to myself that I’m not sure I could pull off an hour or two of Motley Crue. It’s got that really upper-end screamy range. And, you know, it’s a lot of hard work, but I decided to. Why not? (It) sounds like fun,” he said. “I got the part, and years later, here we are.”

Pettit is known for his uncanny ability to sound like Neil by duplicating his range and tone. He credits this to spending years as a karaoke DJ, where he would imitate other musicians. The Motley Crue singer happened to be one of them. And, like most people, he liked to sing on road trips.

“I used to sing in the car all the time, and I would adapt my voice to whatever the singer happened to be on my playlist at the time,” he said. “I just listened to an absolute ton of Motley Crue for a fairly extended period of time, over a few months.”

A Mostly Crue concert might not have the theatrics of an original performance, like elaborate pyrotechnics or Tommy Lee’s rollercoaster drum set. Still, they like to get the audience involved in the show.

“I firmly believe in getting audience interaction back and forth. I like to include them, especially (when) we do a song called ‘Ten Seconds to Love,’ which is a classic Motley Crue song,” Pettit said. “It’s one that Crue has done in the past to do some audience participation. So, we kind of adopted that song and a similar style of how they included people.”

He also likes to play pranks on unsuspecting audience members when he can.

“I like to go out in the audience, though and pick out somebody to get them and their friends to specifically help. And sometimes it’ll be somebody who’s not paying any attention at all, which is all the more fun because you get somebody who’s sitting there texting somebody on their phone,” he said. “(I) come up behind them, and there’s a thousand people around, and they’re all staring, and they’re oblivious until they turn around and realize (and have) this deer in the headlight look.”

Pettit and the band members knew the music of Motley Crue from growing up in the 1980s. Most rock bands of that era were known for living a lifestyle of sex, drugs and rock and roll and indulging in the excess of that decade, but Pettit thinks the music should not be overlooked.

“The music was about the fun,” he said. “In the ‘big hair’ era, you had players who could really play; they didn’t have Auto-Tune. They could really sing.”

“I like unique vocal styles, you know, you had Klaus (Meine) from the Scorpions, Tom Keifer from Cinderella, and all of them could perform live. They sounded just as good live as they did on the album.”
Attendees can expect all the Motley Crue hits, but the band does play earlier songs and B-sides or songs that may not have made it onto an album. But they should not expect the band to come out rocking the glam look popular in the 80s.

“Our look is more of a hybrid (of) their later look, post-glam,” he said. “Obviously, none of us look good in spandex anymore.”
Fans can expect to hear the hit ballad “Home Sweet Home,” which is a song they dedicate to active and retired military.

“It’s something we’ve done for 15 years. We’ll continue to do it as long as we continue to play, for as long as I’m the singer,” he said. “It’s something I firmly believe in because I believe that those people sacrifice so much for our rights and for our way of life that I think they deserve our appreciation.”
Pettit and the band enjoy meeting fans after the show and encourage them to come to talk to them after their set.

“We are humbled by everyone’s appreciation of us, and we love to hear and speak to those people who come to see us. We’ll take pictures with fans,” he said. “This is about enjoying the music and enjoying the process of playing it. Don’t be scared to come up and talk to us. We’re here to have fun, too.”
The band was playing up to 40 shows a year in previous years, but have scaled back a maximum of two shows a month because they have day jobs and families.

“In our twenties, the idea of being on the road and playing all the time for a living was an ideal thing because you’re not rooted down, you don’t have your families, you don’t have a mortgage necessarily,” Pettit said.

“(Now), we get there, we get to pretend we’re rock stars for a few hours and then walk away back to our normal lives, and it’s a great escape for us.”
The Gates Four Summer Concert Series is held at Gates Four Golf and Country Club Pavilion. The series kicked off April 1 and will run through September with six local bands. Attendees are welcome to bring chairs and blankets. The event is free. VIP tickets are available at www.fayettevilledinnertheatrre.com/tickets.

Multi-platinum selling country rock group Alabama is performing at Crown Coliseum Saturday, June 2, with special guest Exile.

Alabama’s roots run deep in their home state, but the band got its official start in nearby South Carolina, not in the Heart of Dixie.
Cousins Jeff Cook, Teddy Gentry and Randy Owen, spent the summer of 1973 playing covers of Lynyrd Skynyrd and Merle Haggard at the legendary Myrtle Beach bar, The Bowery. The bar considered Alabama their house band until 1980.

One of their first original songs, aptly named “My Home’s in Alabama,” got the attention of listeners and music producers. They were invited to record a single, “Tennessee River,” which shot to number one on the Billboard country charts.

Fast forward to 2022, and the former bar band has had more than 40 number one hits on the country charts. They have released 26 studio albums from 1976 to 2015.

Alabama is considered one of the most recognized names in country music and is billed as one of the biggest multi-platinum selling groups. They were inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 2005.

With hits like “Song of the South” and “If You’re Gonna Play in Texas,” the band embodies the southern culture rooted in classic country music, but critics have noted they were one of the first country bands to bring a rock ‘n roll edge to the genre. They took cues from country, rock and pop, which was largely unheard of when they got their start.

They were a big influence on the bands that came after them, opening the door to mixing genres and bringing a new sound to standards of country music.

In 2002, Alabama played a farewell tour, citing exhaustion from years of being on the road. In 2011, after a series of tornados hit their home state, they played a benefit concert to raise money for the victims. The fundraiser rekindled their desire to tour again.

In 2013, they celebrated their 40th anniversary with a tour named “Back to the Bowery,” a reference to the bar in South Carolina where they first got their start.

They have continued to tour over the last few years and released their last studio album in 2015. With a 50-year career, they will have no shortage of songs to play on the year’s tour, and they will probably run out of stage time before they can get through all 40 of their number one hits.

Another popular genre-bending band, Exile, is opening for Alabama. Known for their pop hit “Kiss You All Over,” the band started focusing on country music in the early 1980s, but their music still spans all genres. They have toured with legendary rock bands like Aerosmith and Fleetwood Mac and stayed closer to their country origins on tours with George Jones and Merle Haggard.

The show starts at 7 p.m. Tickets are on sale at www.crowncomplexnc.com

GloCity Event will be hosting a day of family fun and delicious local food on June 4 from 1 p.m. to 7 p.m.

The first annual Taste the Fayettenam event will take place on King’s Field in Fayetteville. It will serve as an opportunity for local food vendors to speak to the people of the community through their food.

“We created this event because we want to help local food vendors and food trucks around here become more well-known,” said Genevieve Hyman, owner of GloCity Event.

“The nickname Fayettenam has so much flavor, and there are so many opportunities for good food right here. Instead of people chasing down trucks all over the city, we wanted to bring them together in one place. We want these vendors to let their food be their voice.”

GloCity Event was established around two years ago. Since then, their chief objective has been to “provide events and activities for the community to do outside of the home.”

Tired of hearing complaints about the lack of activities in Fayetteville, Hyman wanted to create a business that filled an entertainment void for the people of her community.

“We started with sip and paint events and it kind of exploded from there,” Hyman explained. “At the end of our events, we have a suggestion box to get ideas from the community on the types of events they’d like to have here. “

From those suggestions sprang the idea for Taste the Fayettenam.

The family-friendly event will feature between 10 to 15 food trucks and games, live music, bounce houses and face painting. Hyman hopes the event serves as an opportunity for local and small businesses to get their deserved exposure.

“We’re all trying to uplift our small businesses and feed our families,” Hyman told Up & Coming Weekly. “Events like this keep revenue circling in our community.”

Through Taste the Fayettenam, Hyman hopes to show people just how much the city has to offer.

“We want to end the idea that there’s nothing to do here. Fayetteville is growing every single day; we don’t have to go outside the city to have fun,” she said.

Hyman loves creating memorable events for the people of Fayetteville and their families; she admits the message is bigger than simply having a good time, and a lot goes on behind the scenes to make events like Taste of Fayettenam possible while also keeping them free.

“We are also raising money through donations to continue giving back to the community,” Hyman said.

“In partnership with the Love Laugh Leyai Foundation, we give out free Thanksgiving turkeys and offer free lunches and meals at the local recreation centers. We come to the table and think of ways to keep funding within our community. Especially amid this inflation, we find ways to help families who need it.”

Ultimately, Hyman hopes people come out and enjoy the day and the delicious food on offer.

“We’ll be out there supporting food trucks, trying to give them a day to be celebrated and rewarded for all their hard work.”
King Field is located at 127 S. King St. in Fayetteville.

The event is free and open to the public. For more information, visit www.facebook.com/glocityevent.

The 29-year-old Clayton man who was the suspect in a double murder in Fayetteville committed suicide Tuesday morning, May 17, according to authorities.

Officer Jeremy Strickland, a spokesman for the Fayetteville Police Department, said Rhaim Mosies Santiago killed himself in Smithfield in Johnston County after a manhunt that lasted more than 24 hours.

“He is deceased from what appeared to be a self-inflicted gunshot wound,” Strickland said early Tuesday afternoon.

Santiago was wanted on two counts of first-degree murder in the deaths of a man and a woman on Monday, May 16; one count of second-degree kidnapping; and one count of attempted robbery with a dangerous weapon.

Strickland said the charges are all in connection with the deaths of Marchellous Braddy, 33, of Rushmore Drive in Raeford, and Nakeea Brooks, 27, of Bartons Landing Place in Fayetteville.

The murders were reported at 12:14 p.m. Monday, May 16 in the 5700 block of Aftonshire Drive in western Fayetteville.
Officers with the Fayetteville Police Department were sent to investigate a report that a dead person was found inside the residence. The homeowner arrived home and discovered an unresponsive man lying in the home, a news release said. The man was pronounced dead at the scene. Officers then found a second victim in the yard, and she was pronounced dead as well.

Santiago went missing Monday after being charged.

Strickland referred questions about the manhunt and investigation in Johnston County to the Smithfield Police Department.
Smithfield police Capt. Ryan Shepphard was in a meeting on Tuesday afternoon and was not immediately available for comment.

Santiago and the two victims apparently knew each other, Strickland said.

“We can’t go into detail on how they were known to each other, but we think prior to the incident they knew each other,” he said.
He said investigators are still trying to determine how the crimes occurred. Police have not said what the motive was.

“The forensic unit has been on the scene more than 12 hours,” said Strickland. “The homicide unit continues to investigate to see if anyone else was involved with the homicide itself. They continue to interview witnesses.

“Just because he’s dead doesn’t mean the case is closed,” Strickland said.

The Cumberland County Board of Commissioners on Monday, May 16 unanimously approved renaming part of Old Plank Road as Glenn Road after a brief public hearing.

The name was changed because the N.C. Department of Transportation’s construction of Interstate 295 severed Old Plank Road into two sections. The county’s 911 emergency communications system cannot function properly when two roads have the same name, according to Assistant Fire Chief Freddy Johnson Jr. of Stoney Point Fire Department. The department is responsible for fire and emergency response in that area of the county.

The Stoney Point department asked the county to continue the Glenn Road name from Robeson County over I-295 through Black Bridge Road. The change affects the 6400 through 6800 blocks of what is now Old Plank Road and the newly constructed portion that goes over I-295 to Black Bridge Road.

The county sent 40 notices about the name change to area residents, and 15 responded. Of those, nine responses favored the name change and six opposed it. Only two people spoke at the public hearing. Johnson spoke in favor of the plan, and John Pavlikianidis spoke against it.

Pavlikianidis, of 6456 Old Plank Road, said his family operates Carolina Stables on about 40 acres adjacent to the road. Changing the name would be an “undue hardship,” he said. It would require the family to change the address on legal documents associated with the property, said Pavlikianidis. Also, the Old Plank Road name has a historical context related to Fayetteville, he said.

The board also voted to allow naming an unnamed private street off Chicken Foot Road. The owner, Craven Gaddy, said in his application that people have problems finding his home off Chicken Foot Road. The proposed name is Gaddy Lane. No one spoke on a public hearing on the request.

After the vote, Commissioner Charles Evans asked if the county has a standard for road name changes. Members of the county staff said name changes are covered in county ordinances. Evans suggested the board review in detail the process of name changes, from roads to facilities.

In other action Monday, the board voted to renew a lease with the Vision Resource Center for property known as the Alphin House at 2736 Cedar Creek Road. The three-year lease renewal is for $2,400 a year. Commissioner Jimmy Keefe objected to the lease because he said the property is not suitable for the Vision Resource Center. The property is adjacent to an industrial park and is in a remote part of the county that does not have public transportation, Keefe said.

“It’s not the best use of the property. We’re losing money,” he said.

Keefe said he is willing to find a more suitable location, but the other commissioners disagreed. The motion to renew the lease passed on a 5-2 vote, with Keefe and Michael Boose voting against the renewal.
The agency serves the blind and visually impaired.

Commissioner Toni Stewart said she spoke to the Vision Resource Center director and was assured she likes the location despite being in a remote area lacking public transit. “I have a problem with uprooting them,” Stewart said.

Commissioner Evans suggested the board again look into the possibility of establishing countywide public transit.

“I’m a Tar Heel born, and a Tar Heel bred, and when I die, I’m a Tar Heel dead.”

Those fight song lyrics have been sung by generations of students at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, fiercely fought athletic contests, pep rallies and parties and quietly in their own hearts.
Increasingly, though, we are not a state of “born and bred” North Carolinians, much less of individuals who attended UNC-CH.

According to researchers at UNC-CH, 44% of us are not North Carolina natives, and that percentage is growing. North Carolina is what demographers term “in migration” over the last decade, nearly 10%. And North Carolina is now the ninth largest state in the nation, with an additional seat in Congress to show the strength of our growth.

Those of us who are “born and bred” take pride in and love to share our Tar Heel culture with newcomers — our barbecue with its competing eastern and western factions, our music encompassing both James Taylor and Nina Simone and why we are a “vale of humility between two mountains of conceit.” (A modest and independent colony and early state between the wealthy and aristocratic cultures of Virginia and South Carolina.)

Sadly, we also have aspects of 21st-century culture that are far less attractive and appealing and have embarrassed us before the rest of the country and beyond.

Think the so-called “bathroom bill” passed by homophobic legislators in Raleigh and ridiculed on late-night talk shows. Think the more than a decade of extreme gerrymandering that guarantees legislative and

Congressional seats to the party in power. Think the war on public schools that has seen teachers fleeing classrooms across the state. Think the racism and venom aimed at “the other” that stained us in conflagrations over “Black Lives Matter” and improper law enforcement actions.

A recent opinion piece in The News & Observer caught my attention. Sara Pequeno is apparently North Carolina “born and bred” but writes that she once wanted to leave our state, considering it “boring” and “backwoods.” Instead, she attended UNC-CH and decided to stay in North Carolina as a journalist. She sees our growth and its potential, and she also sees our warts and scars, many stemming from the past and rarely addressed because they are so entrenched and so painful.

Couple our past as a “vale of humility” with our current reality of highly educated and booming metropolitan areas and less educated and economically challenged rural areas.

The resentment of folks who feel left behind is clear and understandable. There is an element of “how ya keep ‘em down on the farm after they’ve seen Paree?” at work here. Families and communities want their young people to stay where they grew up, but career opportunities and cultural amenities draw them elsewhere. North Carolina now falls squarely into the narrative of “the rich get richer, and the poor get poorer,” both as individuals and as communities.

That said, we are an original state with an old, rich and deep culture with strong traditions, families who have been here for generations and enthusiastic newcomers, and an economy that is strong and growing in certain sectors. In other words, North Carolina has a lot going for her and us.

Sara Pequeno put it this way: “North Carolina is home to people who want this state to be better, who have been fighting the good fight for decades. It’s home to people who love this state, in spite of its flaws, because they see the place it could be. We’ve been working on our own to make this state better for decades, even though there is still work to be done.”

The privilege to vote is one of our most precious rights as Americans. Yet, we fail to take advantage of this essential aspect of living in a free democracy. In Fayetteville/Cumberland County, our voting record is much worse than in other communities, and there are substantial reasons for this disturbing and frightening situation. For those of you who read this newspaper regularly, I will apologize in advance because for over 25 years, I have commented and opined on this very subject dozens of times. I have articulated my concerns, and even though they have been acknowledged by prominent state and local public servants, all have failed to stimulate even the slightest attempt to solve or resolve the problem. So, once again, I will outline the sources of our low and apathetic voting turnout. These are the same reasons that inhibit our community from showcasing its assets and touting our quality of life.

Part of the issue is that we have no local television station. Over two decades ago, Fayetteville and Cumberland County leadership failed to acknowledge the importance of having a local TV station. First, city and county elected officials preferred operating government in the shadows, away from the observing eyes of the public. Secondly, our local daily newspaper, the Fayetteville Observer, was enjoying a monopolistic heyday, parsing out and re-shaping the local news. They garnered the majority of local advertising dollars spent by businesses and organizations. So, it didn't take long for them to realize the benefits they would enjoy from the demise of our only TV station, Channel 40.

Unfortunately, the rest is history. All the major networks (ABC, NBC & CBS) jumped at the opportunity to corral this market of over 300,000 with a bonus of Fort Bragg. Other cities saw the benefits and potential of this growing market, while our leadership chose to ignore it. Why is this significant? Because as a media source, a local TV station is a hub from which all other media communications radiate into the community. Residents, visitors and guests rely on local network television for information, education and awareness.

Without it, citizens have no collective way to effectively understand or know the people, issues and circumstances that affect their daily lives. So, you may ask, what does this have to do with our inherently low voter turnout? Everything. Especially when only 16% of Cumberland County registered voters turn out at the polls, as was the case with the primary election.

Local citizens do not know about the people running or the community's problems. They do not know the candidates who are running for elected office. With this being the situation, why would they come out to vote? It's not apathy on their part. They don't have trustworthy news and information that local television provides on a city and country-wide basis. Without TV, it dilutes the effectiveness of other media resources: newspapers, radio and billboards, because there is nothing there to stimulate local interest and help "connect the dots." This lack of visibility makes it difficult, if not impossible, to assess or vet political candidates. Low voter turnout is only one of the ill effects. This media void encourages a lack of transparency and invites corruption and misdeeds at all levels leaving a community vulnerable to disaster. Look no further than the Town of Spring Lake for the near-perfect example of what happens when a community is without a TV station or legitimate form of media. Jason Brady wrote a comprehensive report on the Spring Lake situation in last week's Up & Coming Weekly edition. Read it. News coverage discourages voter fraud and exposes ill-qualified candidates and, in some cases, those who are corrupt or have criminal intent.
Executive, Legislative and Judicial Branches make up the state of our government. The Fourth Estate (the media) is what is supposed to keep them in check by reporting their actions to the American people. Without media, you invite tyranny.

At Up & Coming Weekly, we continue to fill the media void to serve our community readers with news and information and to keep this from becoming a media desert. With your help and the grateful support of our partners and advertisers, Up & Coming Weekly will remain free on the newsstand and free to online subscribers. We also will remain a consistent resource for what to do, where to go and how to enjoy the amenities offered here in Fayetteville/Cumberland County. You can depend on us.

With ongoing partnerships with the Carolina Journal, the Carolina Public Press and CityView Today, we are able to provide news and insights on important local, regional and state issues affecting our readers. These three organizations, along with our own writers, reporters and editor, serve as the local media to keep you informed with honest, up-to-date news you can use and trust. Together we are proud to be a community vanguard against government waste and tyranny. Subscribe, write us, call us, support local and original stories, help support media and good journalism, but, most importantly, make an effort to seek out the truth. Think local, read local, support local.

Thank you for reading Up & Coming Weekly.

The North Carolina primary election is over. Here are the unofficial results of those races according to the State Board of Elections:

CITY AND COUNTY SEATS
FAYETTEVILLE MAYOR
This July, Mitch Colvin, the incumbent candidate, will be facing Freddie Delacruz for the mayoral seat. Colvin left the primary election with 64.5% of the vote while Delacruz left with 13.9% of the vote.

CITY COUNCIL DISTRICT 1
In July, Kathy Jensen, the incumbent candidate, will be running against Jose Alex Rodriguez. Jensen left the primary election with 47.15% of the vote while Rodriquez left with 29.8% of the vote. Rodriguez surpassed third finisher William Milbourne by only 131 votes.

CITY COUNCIL DISTRICT 2
Shakeyla Ingram, the incumbent candidate, will be running against former councilmember Tyrone Williams. The race was separated only by 1.8%, or 41 votes. Ingram lead with 26.29 %, while Williams was second with 24.48%.

CITY COUNCIL DISTRICT 3
In July, Antonio Jones, the incumbent candidate recently appointed to the city council seat in December, will be running against Mario Benavente. Jones had 38.61% of the vote, while Benavente had 23%.

CITY COUNCIL DISTRICT 4
D.J. Haire, the incumbent candidate, will be running against Thomas C. Greene. Haire had 76% of the vote, while Greene left the primary with 16%.

CITY COUNCIL DISTRICT 6
This open contested seat will be decided in July. The two candidates facing off will be Derrick Thompson, who won 46.5% of the vote, and Peter Pappas, who had 33.5%.

CITY COUNCIL DISTRICT 7
Councilmember Larry Wright had a tight race in the primary and may have a tighter one in July against Brenda McNair. The race, the closest of the city council races, was separated only by 0.14%, or 3 votes. Wright came out on top with 44.37% with McNair right behind at 44.23%.

CITY COUNCIL DISTRICT 9
Yvonne Kinston, the incumbent candidate, will be running against Deno Hondros. Kinston had 36.8% of the vote, while Hondros left the primary with 34.8%.

COUNTY COMMISSIONERS AT-LARGE
There are two at-large commissioner seats open for the Cumberland County Board of Commissioners.
For the Democratic Ballot, there were six candidates running for the seats. The two that will face Republicans State Rep. John Szoka and Ron Ross will be Veronica B. Jones and former Commissioner Marshall Faircloth. The incumbent, Commissioner Larry Lancaster came in third in the primary election at 16.5%.

COUNTY SHERIFF
Ennis Wright, the incumbent sheriff, will be facing Republican candidate LaRue Windham in the general election in November. Wright won the primary with 77.7% of the vote.

N.C. HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
DISTRICT 42
Democratic incumbent Rep. Marvin Lucas will run against Republican candidate Gloria Carrasco in the general election in November. Lucas won the primary with 55.8%.

DISTRICT 43
Incumbent Rep. Diane Wheatley will be facing former State Rep. Elmer Floyd in November. Wheatley won the Republican nomination with 51.3% of the vote while Floyd won the Democratic nomination with 59% of the vote.

DISTRICT 44
Democrat Charles Smith won the seat for District 44 with no Republican filing for the seat this election cycle. Smith bested Terry Johnson in the primary election by 1,381 votes.

DISTRICT 45
Frances Jackson won the Democrat candidacy with 52.3%, beating Fayetteville City Councilmember Chris Davis. Jackson will be running against Republican candidate Susan Chapman in November.

STATE SENATE
DISTRICT 19
On the Democratic ballot, former Fayetteville City Councilwoman Val Applewhite bested the incumbent, State Sen. Kirk deViere. DeViere conceded the race shortly before all precincts were reported Tuesday night.
“The voters have spoken and I fully respect their decision but I am disappointed. I called Val early tonight and offered my congratulations. I intend to do my best in this upcoming short session to represent the people of my community, as I always have, and continue in my work as a Senator. Campaigns too often are about people viewed as winners and losers but when that happens, what gets lost are ideas and values. There is too much at stake in our community, state, and nation to let that happen here,” deViere said. “I plan to spend some much needed time with my family after this challenging primary race and the long session in Raleigh. Jenny and I are grateful for all the support during this race and will continue working to make this community and state better for everyone.”
Applewhite will be facing Republican candidate, former State Sen. Wesley Meredith in November.

U.S. CONGRESS
CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT 7
Charles Graham has won the Democrat nomination and will be facing U.S. Rep. David Rouzer in November. Graham beat Cumberland County Commissioner Charles Evans by 758 votes. Rouzer won the Republican nomination by 79%.

CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT 9
U.S. Rep. Richard Hudson has won the Republican nomination and will be facing Democrat candidate State Sen. Ben Clark in the general election in November. Hudson won the nomination with 81% of the vote.

U.S. SENATE
Cheri Beasley swept the Democratic primary field with 80.93% of votes. The closest competitor, Marcus Williams, carried only 3.89% of the vote. Beasley will face Republican Ted Budd in the general election. Budd pulled in 63.05% of votes. His closest competitor, former North Carolina governor Pat McCrory, received only 22.41%

The next few weeks I bet you will be attending a graduation ceremony —yours or a friend's or a family member's. In an earlier column I shared my thoughts about the speeches given at those times. With a few changes, here is what I wrote.

Can you remember anything said at your graduation? I mean anything other than your own name as you crossed the stage to get your diploma, shake the hand of a school official, flip your tassel, and head back to your seat thinking, "It's over. It's over. I'm all done with this."

Come to think of it, how many speeches of any kind can you remember? If you are like me, not many. Can you even remember your minister’s sermon last Sunday? Can you remember the newspaper article or column that you read just before you got to this one?

Be honest. And know that recalling what we hear and read does not come easy for any of us.

It makes you wonder about those of us who like to give speeches and write newspaper columns. I guess we are arrogant enough to think we are different — and that people will remember what we say or write. In my mind I know that few will read these words, fewer still (if any at all) will remember, but my heart says, "Keep talking, keep writing, somebody will hear you say something that will be helpful to them."

That must be what most graduation speakers think, too. And that is why there are so many long graduation speeches each spring. Fortunately, some speakers are different.
For instance, former Greensboro mayor and president of the Joseph Bryan Foundation, Jim Melvin. Inspired perhaps by a similar one given by Winston Churchill, he once gave this speech at a Greensboro College graduation event.

Never give up. Never, never, never give up.

That was it. The entire speech.
Too short?

Maybe, but everybody who heard it will remember it. Is the message too simple? Maybe, but it is a strong message. Better to be too short than too long.
There is a graduation speech that most people in my hometown remember — even though it was given 60 years ago. Dabney Stuart, 1960 Salutatorian at Davidson College, gave the following commencement address:

Much has been written,
And much said,
And those who wrote, or spoke,
Are dying, or dead.
Jesus said, before he died,
“Love one another.”
I have nothing significant to add.

Some in the crowd were stunned. They thought the short talk was disrespectful because it broke so radically from the norm. But today, looking back, that message seems right on point and memorable.
Short speeches are hard to write.

So are short columns. But short ones are better ones.

Someone once asked President Woodrow Wilson how long it took him to prepare an hour-long speech. He said that it took about five minutes to prepare. Then he was asked how long it takes to prepare a five-minute speech?

"That takes hours and hours," the president said.

It does take longer to figure out how to say something important or complicated in a few words. But those of us who want people to remember what we say or write had better learn how to do it.
Wait. I know what you are thinking. "This guy has made his point. Why doesn't he stop? Why doesn't he follow his own advice and keep his column short?"

You're right. I'm done.