The Cumberland County Sheriff's Office has identified the deputy involved in the shooting death of 37-year-old Jason Walker.

The deputy, Lt. Jeffrey Hash, has been placed on administrative leave pending an internal investigation. According to the Cumberland County Sheriff's Office, Hash has been with CCS since 2005 and is currently assigned as a Lieutenant in the Civil Section. The Civil Office of the Cumberland County Sheriff’s Office is responsible for the service of civil papers in Cumberland County.

“Our sincere condolences go out to Jason Walker’s family,” the Cumberland County Sheriff’s Office said in their press release.

Fayetteville Police Chief Gina Hawkins gave a press conference on Jan. 9 where she stated Hash was taken into custody following the shooting on Jan. 8, and his firearm was collected as evidence, but he was not arrested.

The North Carolina State Bureau of Investigations is currently in charge of the investigation. The SBI told Up & Coming Weekly that anyone who witnessed the incident, knows of anyone who witnessed the incident or has video of the incident before, during or after, should contact the SBI Southeastern District office at 910-778-5724 during business hours or call 1-800-334-3000 after business hours.

The third homicide of the year occurred last Saturday, Jan. 8 and involved an off-duty Cumberland County Sheriff's Deputy.

According to initial reports from the Fayetteville Police Department, 37-year-old Jason Walker allegedly ran into traffic along Bingham Drive and jumped on a moving vehicle. FPD states that the driver, the off-duty deputy, shot Walker and then called 911.

Other accounts of the incident state that the car hit Walker, and Walker was shot at least twice in the back.

Because the individual who shot Walker is a sheriff's deputy, FPD has turned over the investigation to the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigations.

On Sunday, Jan. 9, protestors walked up Hay Street and around the Market House and stopped in front of the Cumberland County Sheriff's Office and the Fayetteville Police Department. The protesters demanded justice in Walker's death.

Elizabeth Ricks, who was in the vehicle behind the truck involved in the shooting, says she rendered first aid to Walker and no officers offered medical assistance when they arrived at the scene. Ricks says that she didn't see Walker jump onto the vehicle.

"[Walker] was hit. He was trying to go home. He was trying to go across the street to his family," Ricks said at the rally. "You can't tell me anything else. I saw what I saw."

Fayetteville Police Chief Gina Hawkins and District Attorney Billy West held a press conference also on Sunday night. Hawkins stated the truck's black box did not record any impact with "any person or thing." Hawkins also clarified that the shots did not go through the windshield. However, they found one of the truck's windshield wipers was ripped off, and the truck's windshield had sustained damage in multiple places.

"We currently have no witnesses who claim that anyone was hit by this truck. We went back and reviewed body-worn camera footage, and individuals at the scene indicated they did not witness the incident," Hawkins said. "The only witness available to us now tells us the exact opposite. Again, today we ask for any additional eyewitnesses to please contact SBI."

The off-duty deputy was taken into custody, their statement was taken, and they have not been arrested at this time. According to FPD, because the off-duty officer is a member of law enforcement, their identity is being withheld following state regulations.

Up & Coming Weekly has reached out to the SBI for comment and received the following statement:

 "What we need from the public at this point - Anyone who witnessed the incident, knows of anyone who witnessed the incident or has video of the incident before, during or after, should contact the SBI Southeastern District office at 910-778-5724 during business hours or call 1-800-334-3000 after business hours."

The SBI did clarify that the firearm used had been seized. They said that other information will be revealed after the medical examiner releases their report/autopsy.

The SBI does not have incident reports and told Up & Coming Weekly that we would have to go through FPD. Up & Coming Weekly has requested that incident report.

The Fayetteville Police Department has arrested a 26-year-old man for the first-degree murder of a 2-year-old boy.

Police state that on New Year's Eve, a two-year-old was transported to Cape Fear Valley Medical Center after police responded to a call saying that the boy was unresponsive. The boy died at the hospital. At the time of the incident, the toddler was in the custody of Keshawn Ayers, the mother's boyfriend.

Foul play was not suspected until the Medical Examiner's autopsy determined that the manner of death was homicide.

Ayers was arrested on Jan. 7 and is being charged with first-degree murder as well as felony child abuse inflicting serious physical injury. He is currently at the Cumberland County jail with no bond. His next pre-trial hearing is on Jan. 10.

This was the 48th homicide in Fayetteville in 2021.

A zoning meeting has been scheduled to discuss the future of Rowan Park. Rowan Park is located at 725 West Rowan St. It is a mixed green space spread across a little over 12 acres near downtown Fayetteville. A $1 million skate park was recently completed on-site, with a ribbon-cutting being held on August 28, 2020. The park also houses a playground, a disused tennis court, and a large covered picnic pavilion area used as a stage and for yoga classes, animal sculptures and a building associated with the Lions Club of Fayetteville, Inc., built-in 1956.

Rowan Park is currently zoned Mixed-Residential 5 (MR-5). Defined by the city, MR-5 allows for a wide variety of residential housing at moderate to high densities. Also allowed are places of worship, post offices, police substations, daycare facilities and limited small-scale neighborhood-oriented convenience retail. The proposed rezoning would shift the green space to a Community Commercial (CC) zoning district. The city defines CC as allowing for medium to high-intensity retail, service and office use with higher density residential use on the upper floors of nonresidential establishments or as stand-alone buildings.

The public hearing is scheduled for Jan. 11 at 6 p.m. in the Festival Park Plaza Training & Development Center at 225 Ray St, Suite 122. Citizens are invited to submit comments in advance and up to 24-hours after the meeting. The hearing will then be continued until a date after the comment period has ended. Written comments or evidence may be submitted to jenniferbaptiste@fayettevillenc.gov. Those wishing to speak at the hearing should call 910-433-1612 before 5 p.m. on the hearing date to sign up.

Citizens can obtain additional information by calling the Planning Division at 910-433-1612. Individuals can attend the meeting via Zoom. The meeting link is https://fayettevillenc.zoom.us/j/86087712996?pwd=aVk4M1B2T09yZytkdDFxNUJIRTF3dz09. Password: 56103.

The Annual Grinding of the Greens Christmas Tree Recycling program, a Fayetteville holiday tradition for 28 years, encourages Fayetteville residents to recycle their live Christmas trees. Recycling the trees prevents them from ending up in landfills.

The Cumberland-Fayetteville Parks and Recreation will collect the trees from Fayetteville city residents in a special tree pickup beginning Monday, Jan. 10. These pickups are separate from yard waste, trash or recycle pickups. City residents should put their trees out for curbside collection by the morning of Jan. 10. All lights, stands and trimmings should be removed from the tree before placing them on the curb.

Residents who live outside the City or miss the pickup may drop off trees at the Fayetteville Community Garden, located at the corner of Van Story and Mann Street just off Old Wilmington Road, anytime before Jan. 15.

Public Works Commission and Department of Environmental Protection volunteers will grind the trees into mulch at the Community Garden on Jan. 15. This mulch will be used for the Fayetteville Community Garden and other local parks.

The holidays are over, but that doesn’t mean the season of giving ends. The Fayetteville Woodpeckers, the Military Luggage Company, the Rick Herrema Foundation and Off-Road Outreach have joined forces to help homeless veterans and low-income military families.

The Woodpeckers Foundation and Community Leaders Program have raised $7,480 and used it to purchase 187 backpacks from the Military Luggage Company, which discounted each bag by 50%. Donations collected to fill the bags include coats, shoes, hats, gloves, cold medicine and first aid kits. Off-Road Outreach will distribute the backpacks to homeless veterans and low-income military families on Jan. 10 at Operation Inasmuch, a local nonprofit. Off-road Outreach, ServiceSource and the Woodpeckers will be serving a free lunch at the event. They will also provide free haircuts and additional resources to people who need them.

Kristen Nett, community and media relations manager for the Fayetteville Woodpeckers, hopes this inaugural event will persist, becoming an annual opportunity to give back.

“We have not done this event in the past,” Nett said. “I hope to make this an annual event to support homeless veterans and low-income military families in our community.”

People can still donate hygiene items, coats, blankets, shoes, hats and gloves at Operations Inasmuch at 531 Hillsboro St. To register for the event or volunteer, visit www.rhfnow.org.

Methodist University will be delaying the opening of campus for the Spring Semester after a spike in the Omicron variant of COVID-19.

Faculty and staff will return to campus on Jan. 10 while undergraduate students will return on Jan. 18. Graduate programs will begin on Jan. 10 and online programs will begin on their original start date.

"I am certain we will have cases on our campus this spring, but as promised all along, we are working daily to remain as open as possible while also being as safe as possible," President Stanley Wearden said in a university announcement. "Delaying the full opening of campus by a week affords us multiple opportunities to mitigate risk."

Faculty and staff are expected to be tested anytime before Jan. 10, preferably 72 hours before returning to campus. Students who will be on campus must show proof of full vaccination and will need to be tested for COVID-19 before Jan. 18.

Students who live in residence halls will be asked to return to campus in four phases, beginning Jan. 13.

At Fayetteville State University, classes have been delayed and will now begin on Jan. 19 to allow time to conduct re-entry testing for students, faculty, and staff. COVID-19 testing is required for all employees and students. They must complete a COVID-19 test within 72-hours of returning to work on campus in January. This is for vaccinated and unvaccinated employees. Unvaccinated students must participate in mandatory testing twice a week.

Between Jan. 4 through Jan. 18, staff are required to check-in at the re-entry testing site at Seabrook Auditorium prior to reporting to workstations. From Jan. 10 through Jan. 18, all residential students are required to complete a re-entry health screening and COVID testing in the Student Center.

Commuter students and faculty members are required to check in anytime between Jan. 10 through Jan. 19. Faculty will test in Seabrook Auditorium. Commuter students will test in the Student Health Center.

At Fayetteville Technical Community College, all faculty and staff must undergo a COVID-19 test on or after Jan. 5. This policy applies to all faculty and staff, regardless of vaccination status. All fully vaccinated faculty and staff will be required to wear masks until they can produce a negative test.

In our first whole week of the new year, I have to admit how little I remembered about the last one, 2021 is a blur.

To be more accurate, how difficult it was for me to distinguish memories of 2021 from those of 2020. It's been a weird run, to say the least.

It seems forever ago, but 2021 lays claim to the disruption of global trade.

A massive cargo ship got lodged in the Suez Canal, a first-time event, leading to a six-day effort involving a dozen tugboats, under the watchful eye of worldwide media outlets. On the bright side, millions of people around the globe learned the Suez Canal is in Egypt as it became one of the most-searched items on Google last March.

And while the story had a happy ending, it wasn't any easier to explain than the bottled water and toilet paper shortage that took place a year earlier.

A little later in the year, that search was outpaced by a considerable uptick in searches for how to say "I love you" in sign language as BTS and many other K-pop stars began incorporating sign language into their choreography.

According to Google, the world searched "love you in sign language" more than ever in 2021.

Additionally, the world was abuzz with concerns over extreme weather, from widespread fires to floods in the U.S. and abroad.

Throw in a solid dose of the turbulent social and political arenas, that we found ourselves in over the past year, and maybe your memory will get a little fuzzy, too.

One thing I can say for sure, though: none of this has caught the God of this universe by surprise.

We just celebrated Christmas, a recalling of a world-changing event which took place more than 2,000 years ago.

The world was steeped in chaos at the time.

Thousands of people in dozens of nations were living under oppressive regimes.

These people were forced to pay taxes to their oppressors while trying to outrun imprisonment, enslavement, cruelly harsh punishment and even sometimes ordered to surrender their children to be slaughtered by evil and corrupt regional leaders.

So, if you're inclined to look back and think, 'this is the worse it's ever been,' you may want to count your many blessings before saying it aloud.

During 2021, most (at least in America) had enough to eat that we could share some with those who didn't have enough.

Most of us had a place to call home, the opportunity for a job to pay for it and more than enough to wear as the weather threw us its curve balls throughout the year.

Let's enter 2022 consciously aware of all we have to be thankful for. Maybe, just maybe, we'll look up to see it's actually the best it's ever been.

"It has been three years since the last indoor football game," General Manager of the Carolina Predators, Benjamin Pippen, said at the Carolina Predators press conference last week. "We are now bringing in a new arena football team, the Carolina Predators."

One of three Predators team owners, Ralph Byrd, is thankful to have a permanent home for the Carolina Predators to play in and feels the team will help unify the community.

"For three years, we were a travel team up and down East Coast," Byrd said. Fayetteville is a great place, a great city, for football. Wins and losses. We are not just about winning the football game. Some of the coaches have played and coached here when there was an arena team years ago. It is not just about football games; it is about bringing everyone together."

Byrd, an athletic trainer, is not just an owner; he is now a general manager for the Carolina Predators.

"I took care of these guys, and now I am going to take care of them on another level. I appreciate Fayetteville for having us – that's the big thing."

Byrd says he bought the team and brought it to Fayetteville to allow another generation the opportunity to play.

"Playing has done great things for us. We couldn't play anymore. It was something we decided to do. We wanted to give the younger guys the ability to play football. It was reaching out to different arenas in various cities, and Fayetteville had a very warm and inviting arena. The atmosphere brought us here," he said.

The team has big plans for their first game and hopes the events will be accessible and affordable.

"We will have a tailgate, especially for the first game," Byrd said. "A formal meet & greet with coaches, players and staff. Tickets will be $10 to $15. We are not here to make money. We want to provide a family-friendly atmosphere in which kids can meet professional football players."

The Head Coach, Charles Givens, saw this announcement as a great belated Christmas gift, announcing the Predators are coming not just to Fayetteville but specifically back at the Crown Coliseum.

"When I walked in, I felt chills. I've played here. I have coached here. I played for the Cape Fear Wildcats in 2001," he said.

Givens explained that he is bringing "a championship coaching staff and championship football team" to support the Predators.

This championship staff includes Jon Hall, who has been coaching since 2015. Hall won Offensive Coach of the Year in 2016 and has called Fayetteville home since 2012. In the past, he also played for the Wildcats. Offensive Coordinator, Shawn Wood, is also happy to be here at the Crown.

"Thanks for allowing us to be a part of Cumberland County. We bring exciting football here and an electric offense. You are going to see a lot of fireworks from this team," Wood told attendees at the press conference.

Team tryouts will be held at an undecided location on Jan. 15.

These men, who are bringing the Carolina Predators to Fayetteville, are long-time teammates and colleagues. They have played and coached together at different times in their lives. They plan to utilize that long-standing team dynamic to bring quality and skilled sports entertainment to the Fayetteville community.

Spectators and athletes can find up-to-date information about tryouts and the team's upcoming schedule on the team's Facebook page, Carolina Predators Arena Football Team. The first game will be on March 26, in Mississippi. The first home game will be on April 10.

A 32-year-old man was found dead in front of an apartment building on Christmas morning, according to the Fayetteville Police Department.

As the New Year begins, we have much to reflect on and look forward to. Fayetteville and Cumberland County have much potential and many opportunities, but only if our civic and political leaders relent and start communicating and cooperating. Until that happens, Fayetteville's image, reputation and potential growth will suffer under the burden of stubborn, belligerent and failed local leadership. One of the biggest obstacles our community faces is a lack of local media coverage. We are the fifth-largest municipality in North Carolina, yet we are without a viable daily newspaper and void of a local television station. The absence of media coverage puts our community at an insurmountable disadvantage. Truth and knowledge are power; lacking news and information makes our citizens and community vulnerable. The media, free speech and a free press, support American freedoms by keeping our leaders honest and accountable. We appreciate people, businesses and organizations that understand and respect these tenants. Through their and our actions, we have rallied to support our community's free and honest flow of information. Notably, we applaud the efforts of Tony Chavonne of City View Magazine and Marty Cayton of the Greater Fayetteville Business Journal for stepping up to fill the media void left by the decline of our daily newspaper. Likewise, here at Up & Coming Weekly, we utilize all our available resources to provide hyper-local news, views and insights. Our goal is to support the residents, businesses and organizations that endorse and embrace these constitutional tenets of democracy. We are committed and will continue to reach out to all nine Cumberland County municipalities to promote their communities, businesses, activities, events and achievements.

Thanks to the encouragement and support of our readers, and the confidence of our local advertisers, we have begun an expansion of newsroom operations to provide much-requested and much-needed transparency into local government. To this end, we have invested in a professional, young, talented and energetic editorial and production staff. They strive to focus on Fayetteville and Cumberland County's future and quality of life. These gifted reporters and writers are committed to accuracy, fairness and transparency and will be engaging in more in-depth investigative reporting on local government officials, issues and policies. They will report on and explain the policies and procedures of significant matters in city and county government and the relationships of those involved. In other words, we want to help our readers "connect the dots." Help them understand the details of the policies that impact their families and businesses. Up & Coming Weekly will ask the hard questions that are now conveniently ignored.

There will be no change in our newspaper's mission or mandates. We will continue nearly three decades of policy that includes supporting Fort Bragg and showcasing the people businesses and organizations of Fayetteville and Cumberland County. Those that make our community distinctively unique. Our local charm, southern hospitality and cultural character defined by our music, art, and theater assets are too often overshadowed and minimalized by the unsavory parts of our community. Local newspapers and news media can provide the defining balance. Local is the keyword here.

In 2022, you can expect the best from us. We are committed to Fayetteville, Cumberland County and Fort Bragg. Up & Coming Weekly will continue to offer a free, unbiased and open public forum for local citizens regardless of race, religion or political affiliation. We want these voices heard. Nationally, local community newspapers thrive while the daily papers struggle with relevance. We are Fayetteville's local media resource, and local is what we do best. You can depend on it.

Happy New Year, and thank you for reading the Up & Coming Weekly community newspaper.

Human trafficking is one of the fastest-growing criminal industries in the world. During 2021, the Child Advocacy Center received 959 cases of reported child abuse which is a 9.5% increase from the previous year. 514 forensic interviews were conducted at the center which is a 4% increase from the previous year. 568 families received victim family advocate services providing direct aid as well as assisting them in accessing much-needed resources.

“Every year January is known as Human Trafficking Awareness Month and every year we do something around the topic,” said Faith Boehmer, prevention and volunteer coordinator of the Child Advocacy Center. “We have designed two community cafes that will take place in January where we will have individuals come in, have some dialogue around the tables to discuss the issue, and talk about what is going on in our community.”

Boehmer added they are also doing a Speaker Series focusing on the impact of human trafficking. One speaker is Dr. Dean Duncan, UNC Chapel Hill Research Professor and his topic is “Demand Reduction.” Courtney Dunkerton from the North Carolina Coalition Against Sexual Assault will speak about “What You Need To Know About Human Trafficking In North Carolina.”

This year the Child Advocacy Center had an 11-year-old female come to the center twice. The child was communicating with a male stranger through messaging on a social media app. The stranger paid for a lift to take her to a motel. The girl was reported missing. Law enforcement found her in the motel with the older male stranger. Children do not divulge information so it is hard to prove human trafficking because children will not talk about it for a variety of reasons.

“Most tweens and teenagers who have been seen at the Child Advocacy Center are in the age range of 11-years-old to 16-years-old,” said Boehmer. “They are meeting older men online through social media messaging apps as well as dating apps such as Badoo, Instagram, Tik-Tok, and Snapchat.”

She added, “They connect online, arrange to meet, and the older man provides the transportation for them to meet at the hotel.”

This writer asks, Parents, please talk to your children about the dangers of talking to strangers in person and online using social media apps. I am an elementary principal and my Friday afternoon announcements entail telling my elementary babies to be aware of “Stranger Danger.” I tell them they should not talk to strangers or take any money, food, candy, or help strangers look for their pets. They are taught that if a stranger approaches them online, they are to run and tell their parents immediately. We have got to protect our babies and young teens from the dangers of human trafficking. Sit down tonight and have that conversation with your child.

“We have created a prayer guide that we are going to be sending out to the faith community that will bring more awareness about human trafficking,” said Boehmer.

For more information visit www.CACFayNC.org or call (910) 486-9700.

The New Year celebration is a time-honored tradition that brings resolutions at each annual reset. New Year's resolutions are usually made with good intentions but fade as time passes. About 60% of us make resolutions, but only about 8% follow them through. The top New Year's resolutions include weight loss, exercise, saving money, learning a new skill, quitting smoking, reading more, finding another job, drinking less, drinking more water, getting organized and spending more time with family and friends. Nothing on the list mentions anything about personal me time and pampering yourself.

As a fitness trainer, I advocate for healthy eating, exercise and lifestyle. Lifestyle, however, also has to do with taking time for ourselves and personal indulgence. The holidays especially are a go, go, go, do, do, do. The holiday season is satisfying with the grand celebrations, charitable events, parties, family gatherings, fabulous meals and decorating. Still, the time spent on all of this may have left you feeling tired. Me-time is an essential part of well-being, and there is nothing wrong with feeling the need to crank it down a bit and do something for yourself without feeling guilty. Mental health is just as important as physical. A friend of mine has a one-liner; she often says, "Everyone has the same twenty-four hours in a day, and you cannot add to that period." It took a long time for me not to feel guilty about doing something for myself and to say no. It is usual for us to volunteer, be on committees, spend time with friends and it is easy for schedules to fill. It can be hard to say no to an increasingly busy schedule and find time to squeeze in one more thing. Saying no is better with a straightforward approach; don't make excuses. It can seem that one more thing will lead to an avalanche of responsibility to the point that you feel overwhelmed. It is unfair to you and those involved because quality is better than quantity when you overextend yourself. How often have you said, I do not know why I am doing this because I do not have the time. This year take your time to think about the commitment involved and ask questions.

We all need time for ourselves, and while what everyone likes to do varies, everyone's preferences are equally important. Your me-time may be a hobby, activity, going to lunch or shopping with friends. My indulgences are occasional spa visits. For me, there is nothing like a great facial, massage or pedicure. The personal time, relaxation, music and attentive pampering throw me in the ultimate state of relaxation with no thoughts of the outside world for an hour.

Make your resolutions — create a healthier you. Set small attainable goals and reward yourself when you reach them. Be involved with organizations, committees, fundraisers but don't feel you have to be involved in all of them. Remember to take me-time and make sure you set that time aside. It helps to have a schedule in front of you when making your decisions. Good decisions create less stress for you. Learn the art of saying no without feeling bad about it. You are not letting someone down if something is not a good fit, and you do not have to make excuses.

Live, love life, keep moving and remember you cannot squeeze more than twenty-four hours into a day.

Let’s be honest—2021 was a long and dreadful year with COVID-19 in its various iterations and toxic political divisions that separate family and friends and threaten our very democracy. We continue to face uncertainty at every turn, and we feel beleaguered. So, while we may have celebrated, at least sort of, the arrival of 2022, nothing has changed.

Shortly before the New Year arrived, the quintessentially American author and journalist, Joan Didion, died at 87. Her long and storied career taught us about ourselves in stressful periods of American history. She also knew a thing or two about loss and killing sadness and wrote about that as well, work that earned her a National Book Award. Before deep personal trials beset her early in her career, Didion wrote a 1961 essay for VOGUE entitled “Self-Respect: Its Source, Its Power.” Her essay has been widely referenced and reprinted since her death, and it seems newly powerful as we slide into a new year saddled with the angst of the unknown.

Here is some of what Didion, then 27, says about those with self-respect and the strength that comes with it, you can find the full essay at www.vogue.com/article/joan-didion-self-respect-essay-1961

“… people with self-respect have the courage of their mistakes. They know the price of things. If they choose to commit adultery, they do not then go running, in an access of bad consciences, to receive absolution from the wronged parties; nor do they complain of the unfairness, the undeserved embarrassment, of being named correspondent….

“In brief, people with self-respect exhibit a certain toughness, a kind of moral nerve; they display what was once called character, a quality which, although approved in the abstract, sometimes loses ground to other, more instantly negotiable virtues. The measure of its slipping prestige is that one tends to think of it only in connection with homely children and with United States senators who have been defeated, preferably in the primary, for re-election. Nonetheless, character—the willingness to accept responsibility for one’s own life—is the source from which self-respect springs.

“Self-respect is something that our grandparents, whether or not they had it, knew all about. They had instilled in them, young, a certain discipline, the sense that one lives by doing things one does not particularly want to do, by putting fears and doubts to one side, by weighing immediate comforts against the possibility of larger, even intangible, comforts….

“That kind of self-respect is a discipline, a habit of mind that can never be faked but can be developed, trained, coaxed forth….

“To have that sense of one’s intrinsic worth which, for better or for worse, constitutes self-respect, is potentially to have everything: the ability to discriminate, to love and to remain indifferent. To lack it is to be locked within oneself, paradoxically incapable of either love or indifference.

“…to free us from the expectations of others, to give us back to ourselves—there lies the great, singular power of self-respect. Without it, one eventually discovers the final turn of the screw: one runs away to find oneself, and finds no one at home.”

Didion’s words from six decades ago do not address COVID-19 or our endangered nation, but they do guide us. She tells us to know ourselves and be responsible for ourselves, not to be led blindly by others—social media come to mind here with politics and pandemics. She suggests not to take the immediate comfort—think no mask or social distancing, but to head for the longer-term goal of a healthy community.

None of us knows what 2022 will bring, but going with the flow in both politics and healthy living is rarely the answer.

Wishing you and those you love a healthy and happy 2022.

When Kiara Hines speaks of Dorothy Gale, she practically glows. She bounces in her seat, her hands elegantly floating about and collapsing to her chest as she talks almost reverently of the little girl from Kansas — the hero who defeated the Wicked Witch of the West, exposed the major corruption happening in the Emerald City and who so desperately wanted to return home. Hines's infectious energy is apparent even before she steps into her blue and white gingham dress and ruby red slippers. And for Hines, Dorothy has returned her home.

Hines grew up in the area and now lives in New York City. But in one week, she will step onto the stage at Cape Fear Regional Theatre, as Dorothy, Toto in hand and alongside her three lovable companions — the Lion, the Scarecrow and the Tin Man — in search of home, truth and of course a heart, brains and courage. Hines's parents, who still live in the area, will be eagerly watching in the audience. For her, playing this iconic character from one of her favorite movies growing up is an honor. When she speaks of Dorothy, it's as if she is real.

"Dorothy is someone who is not afraid to say what she wants, and she is not afraid to tell the adults that you need to love me better. She's not afraid to tell the people in her life you've got to do better 'cause I'm a kid here, and I'm going with what you are giving me. There is so much bravery and courage in that … to say what you feel. It means so much to me. I'm learning so much from Dorothy," she said.

Hines auditioned for this same role many years ago, here, in Hope Mills as a teenager attending Jack Britt High School. Back then, things didn't go exactly according to plan.

"I did not get Dorothy because I was a shy girl back then," Hines laughs.

Her statement also sparks a laugh from her courage-seeking companion, Nick Pearson, who will play the Lion in this production. Pearson's personality is robust and seems to lack any timidness, a far cry from his character's humble beginnings. He sits confidently and dawns a hefty beard that Pearson says he has been growing since the summer when he heard he'd be playing the Lion. Pearson previously starred in a touring production of "The Wizard of Oz."

"For the first year of the tour, I was a munchkin. I took over as the Lion during the second year of the tour," Pearson said.

This time, Pearson read lines for the Tin Man, explaining the character has a clean slate and can evolve in many ways. But as luck would have it, he was given the role of the Lion.

"The lion will always have my heart," he said.

This "The Wizard of Oz" production was initially slated for the 2020-2021 CFRT season, just before COVID-19 shut the country down. For the administrative workers at Cape Fear Regional Theatre, this has been two years in the making.

"We always knew we wanted to do it," said Ashley Owen, marketing director at CFRT. "It'll be our first main stage show since March of 2020. Really, it's our first big musical since 'Shrek.'"

Hines, Pearson and their director Tiffany Green were all members of the "Shrek" production in January 2020. The three live in New York City and seem like the oldest of friends, a kinship that must have developed during that first production.

The friendship, kindness and laughter shared between them are fitting for the story they are telling — that of Dorothy Gale and her journey with the oddest of characters who become the dearest of friends.

"For us, this is like getting the gang back together in a way. These are incredible humans, incredible talents," said Green.

Green knew the performers she needed once she was named director. She wanted to bring back Hines to play Dorothy.

Hines played Gingy in "Shrek," and Green notes the "light and energy" she brings to a production. Playing the role was also a no-brainer for Hines, having auditioned for it during high school and Dorothy being a character she idolized.

Hines grew up memorizing the lines to The Wizard of Oz.

This time not only was she Dorothy, but she was Dorothy in a way she had never seen growing up.

"I'm a Black girl and being able to play a character who is iconically white. It's a dream come true, and it's going to brighten the hearts of so many Brown and Black girls. I'm really excited to represent them," Hines said.

The production will have 32 actors performing at each show, pyrotechnics, tons of technology and LED lighting systems and their very own Toto. Rolo, an energetic Morkie, will be playing the role of Toto. The "pint-sized" dog is full of personality. For the actors, this has brought a lot of joy, laughs and challenges, in the best way they say.

Pearson laughs as he demonstrates and recounts his favorite portion of the play, where the Lion has to explain Scarecrow's plan to Toto. Pearson's thick beard protrudes from his profile as he pretends to hold up a dog to his face. He laughs again and then returns back to his seated position.

"You just never know what a dog is going to do on stage. I cannot wait to get him in the scenes. It's going to be the cutest thing ever," he said.

On the other hand, Hines says her favorite part of the production is one of the last lines of the play. She will be saying goodbye to all the friends she made along her journey, and then she comes to the Scarecrow.

"I think I'll miss you most of all," Hines recites her line and then pulls her arms into her chest. "I know the final performance we'll all be boohoo-ing."

This sentiment is the real heart of the show according to the actors. It is the story and the message that lies underneath it all.

The lines that are "so beautifully written," as Hines recounts several times, — that people make a place a home.

"That last line — there's no place like home. I think home is where you put your heart. Within this show, there is a lot of heart. I think having that message in a time like this is so pertinent and important. I couldn't be happier to be one little element of it all," Pearson said.

When they interact, the performers also know that the real home is each other, and there's just no place quite like it.

The Cumberland County Board of Education met Tuesday morning to discuss possible virtual instruction for students this week, however, after looking over the numbers of staff and teachers who can work, they decided that school should resume as normal.

District officials considered one of three options in the meeting. Transition to virtual instruction, make a change to the calendar or move forward with in-person instruction. A survey went out to staff on Monday and Tuesday asking them if they were unable to work due to currently experiencing COVID-19 symptoms, being diagnosed with COVID-19, quarantine due to close contact, or needing to be home with a child who has been diagnosed or exposed to COVID-19. Out of 4,959 respondents, 406 said they would not be able to work this week. That is 8 percent. 280 of those respondents were teachers or teacher assistants.

Superintendent Dr. Marvin Connelly, Jr. recommended moving forward with in-person learning on Jan. 5 through Jan. 7, as planned. However, due to the increase of COVID-19 cases in the county and the state, the school district will implement new COVID protocols, including temporarily limiting visitors at school facilities, reducing capacity at athletic events to 50 percent and expanding COVID-19 testing options to students and staff.

“In light of the COVID-19 metrics in our county and understanding that many of our staff, students, and their families may have been exposed to COVID-19 over the break, we felt obligated to explore all possible options upon our return from winter break,” said Connelly said in a press release. “We also wanted to ensure we had adequate staff to move forward with in-person learning, since some staff may miss work because of COVID protocols.”

The School Board did not vote or take any action since the recommendation was to move forward with in-person learning as planned. Chairman Greg West closed the meeting shortly after the recommendation was made and no public comment was allowed.

Holly Autry, a mother of a senior at Cape Fear High School, said she was happy with the decision the school district made.

"Speaking on my daughter's behalf, she has pretty much all honors classes, and although she is a good student and could get her work done virtually, face-to-face learning and being able to raise her hand and a teacher actually being able to walk to her desk and explain something if she has a question is so much better than sending an email and waiting for lord knows how long to get a response," Autry told Up & Coming Weekly.

Autry wasn't the only one happy with the decision. Work-from-home mom Susan Brown said that if the school district went virtual, it would have been stressful for her whole family. Her 7-year-old son is autistic and in IEP classes. She says that special education students are some of the most negatively impacted by many of the COVID policies.

"In honesty, I would have attempted my son to do what they asked but I have two other children and I work from home," Brown said. "It would have been a stressful mess and he would surely lose learning time. I’d have to log him on and off twice during the school day to drop off and pick up my other kids."

Althea Thompkins, a mother of a kindergartener, said that she was hoping the school district would offer a virtual option, however, the Board of Education did not consider virtual for those who may want to opt-in for it.

"I became furious because I’m immune-compromised and 30 weeks pregnant. We as a household just got over COVID and I don’t plan to catch it again," Thompkins said. "Also, I am appalled that some parents are saying they would rather their children catch COVID than to prevent it. Just because some parents are healthy and can afford to not be so precautious does not mean others are. I am strongly leaning towards doing homeschooling or virtual for the rest of the year because some of these parents I can not trust."

Thompkins said that the new protocols the district will implement are a must along with face masks.

"People who demand continuing to live our lives like there’s not a virus still out, need to realize that there are just as many immune-compromised and vulnerable people and children in this city," Thompkins said.

Autry on the other hand said she had mixed feelings about the new protocols.

"Being a frontline healthcare worker in a Primary Care office we see it all from minor symptoms to major concerning symptoms, from Covid vaccinated to non-vaccinated," Autry said. "My honest opinion in athletic games - what is the point in limiting the amount of people allowed to watch the game or match when the athletes playing are constantly coming in contact with each other while sweating and breathing heavy, there’s just no way around it! As for the testing in school I’m definitely against. I can’t speak for everybody else but I’m not letting my daughter get tested at school."

The Cumberland County Board of Education is holding a special meeting on Tuesday, Jan. 4, to consider a delay in in-person learning. Students were initially scheduled to return to school on Wednesday, Jan. 5. However, the school board will soon decide if Jan. 5 through Jan. 7 will be entirely virtual for students and staff.

If the board decides to vote for virtual learning, principals at each school will share information with families about device pick-up opportunities for those students who did not bring their school-issued laptops and devices home over winter break.

Teachers and staff have been instructed to work from home on Monday, Jan. 3, and Tuesday, Jan. 4.

The meeting will be open to the public via live-streaming on their YouTube channel. There will also be capacity-limited seating available to members of the public, who will be required to maintain masking and observe all COVID-19 related protocols. There will be no public comment period during the special meeting.

Editor's Note: If you have a letter to the editor about the decision the board will make on Tuesday, send it to editor@upandcomingweekly.com.

The Fort Bragg Family of the Year is a unique title given to just one family every year who exemplifies the spirit of military families.

This year, the Fort Bragg Army Community Service chose the Vona family to represent Fort Bragg families.

Capt. Sam Vona, his wife Kristen, and their two daughters, Presley and Kathryn, have been through a lot in 2021. Vona, part of the 2nd Battalion, 501st Parachute Infantry Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division, was alerted that he would deploy to Iraq on New Year's Eve. Vona had two hours to get his things ready to go, say goodbye to his family and then head out.

Then in August, Vona was called again to deploy last-minute to Afghanistan to help with the withdrawal of troops. Despite it being stressful for his family, Capt. Vona said that he was glad to have gone.

"I'm glad I was a part of it," Capt. Vona said. "With the unit that I have, and the unit that I'm with, I'm happy to be part of history."

The Vonas have been married for seven years and met while both were serving in the Army. Since they married, they have been stationed together in Germany and Capt. Vona has deployed several times. When their daughter, Kathryn, was born last year, Kristen Vona became a stay-at-home mom.

"Overall, it's been a wonderful experience. Things are difficult sometimes for sure, especially on the family," Kristen Vona said. "But I really enjoy being home now with the girls to kind of give them some stability. So, we are enjoying the dynamic that we have now."

For the past two years, Vona herself has been part of her husband's battalion through her role as the Family Readiness Group (FRG) leader.

The battalion commander typically selects a family for nomination for Family of the Year; then, the family needs the brigade commander's endorsement. The family nominated then must fill out a packet and interview with senior leaders at Fort Bragg.

One of the questions the Vona Family was asked was to pick a word that describes their family.

Their word was "teamwork."

"One thing I think that we do really well in our marriage is work together for like everything. So, Sam is very involved with our family, and I'm very involved in his unit and what he has going on. I would like to say that we're very interchangeable at home, and I'm really thankful for that," Kristen Vona said. "I just think we work really, really well together. And people have commented on that like friends and like within the military community, people have commented on how much we're on the same page and really work together well."

Fort Bragg announced the Family of the Year at the annual Tree Lighting on the installation, Dec. 3. Capt. Vona said that he expected to be in the top five families, but not the family of the year.

"They announced the top five guys going from five, four, three, two. And I was kind of surprised that we weren't in the top five. I figured that's where we would be," Capt. Vona said. "So, I was a little surprised when they announced number two, and I was like, OK, well, I guess we didn't make the top five tough competition out here. And then they announced us, and we were totally shocked."

They said their five-year-old daughter, Presley, loved the applause they received.

"They handed her the trophy, and she held it up in the air for a picture," Kristen Vona laughed as she told the story.

For the family, the entire experience has been humbling.

"It was a really big honor. It's been a long time of putting in a lot of hard work towards the unit, not even just the one we're in now, but previous units we've been in, and so it's just really awesome to be recognized for the work we have put in," Kristen Vona said. "We're just super honored to be selected. So, it was very humbling."

Cumberland County Board of Elections Director Terri Robertson is retiring at the end of December after serving as director since 2001. Robertson, who first joined the department in 1994, has worked through 48 total elections — five being presidential elections.

“It was only going to be a couple of weeks, but I’m still here,” Robertson said. “I’ve just enjoyed working for Cumberland County Government.”

The Board of Elections appointed Administrative Coordinator Angie Amaro as the interim director effective Jan. 1, 2022.

The director position is open and people can apply. The position is posted under the Jobs tab on the County’s website at cumberlandcountync.gov.

The Town of Hope Mills has established a partnership with the YMCA of the Sandhills for an indoor aquatic center in the town. The board of commissioners voted unanimously Dec. 20 in favor of the facility following an address by YMCA CEO Rick Houp.

The town board also received good news from architect Scott Garner on the development of the John Hodges Public Safety Center. Garner said the facility is about 60% completed. He said construction is on schedule and within the budget. The public safety center will house Hope Mills fire and police departments. It is named for the town’s longtime police chief John Hodges who served as chief for 23 years. He died last year at the age of 84.

A new police chief will soon step up in Hope Mills. Stephen Dollinger, Chief of the St. Pauls Police Department, will succeed Joel Acciardo. The Hope Mills Police Department has 42 sworn officers, more than twice the size of the agency Dollinger is leaving.

A new 24,000-square-foot building at Fayetteville Technical Community College is closer to being finished. The new state-of-the-art FTCC-Cumberland County Regional Fire and Rescue Training Center will house classrooms, offices and simulation labs which will serve as a state-of-the-art training for local and regional firefighters.

The North Carolina General Assembly recognized the project’s significance in its most recent session, allocating $20 million over two years for its next phase.

Besides the classroom and office building, the project’s first phase will include a four-story training tower and a three-story burn building where live burning exercises can be conducted. State and county officials and other dignitaries signed their names to a steel beam, then watched as the beam was hoisted and installed in a building that will anchor the FTCC-Cumberland County Regional Fire & Rescue Training Center.

The steel beam that was signed as part of a traditional “Topping Out” ceremony earlier this month was the last beam to be installed in this building. Several local and state officials came to sign the beam. Those officials included N.C. Insurance Commissioner Mike Causey, N.C. Sen. Kirk deViere, N.C. Rep. John Szoka, Cumberland County Commissioners Glenn Adams, Jimmy Keefe and Michael Boose, and N.C. Community College System President Thomas Stith, as well as fire chiefs from several local departments.

“This center will provide hands-on specialized training in a wide variety of emergency situations,” FTCC President Dr. Larry Keen said. “Firefighters and first responders will be able to do their jobs more effectively and safely and their training will pay dividends to the people they are able to help.”