Local News

Be FAST: Knowing symptoms of stroke can save time

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Tuesday, 02 June 2026

Written by Lia Tremblay

Last October, Gladys Kirkland began experiencing some strange symptoms. It started with a cold, tingly sensation in her right arm. Later that week, there was a slight slur in her speech.
“I just figured I was tired,” she said. “I wasn’t too worried about it.”
Shortly after that, in the pickup line outside her granddaughter’s elementary school, Kirkland opened a book to pass the time until the bell rang. When she had trouble focusing on the story, she sensed something was really wrong.
“So, I called my daughter to tell her I was going to the urgent care,” she said. “And she told me, ‘No, you need to go to Cape Fear Valley.’”
As soon as she arrived at the emergency department, Kirkland said, there was a flurry of activity around her. By this time, there was a noticeable droop to her right eye.
“I had a CT scan,” she said. “And after that, they told me, ‘You’ve had a stroke.’”
It was a hemorrhagic stroke, meaning that a blood vessel in her brain had begun to leak and put dangerous pressure on the surrounding brain cells. It’s one of two main types of stroke and accounts for only about 15 percent of cases.
“The other main type is an ischemic stroke,” said Christian Bacheler, MD, a board-certified neurologist who serves as Medical Director of the Stroke Program at Cape Fear Valley. “That means there’s a blockage, so the blood flow and oxygen to the brain are restricted.”
Dr. Bacheler said it’s not unusual for stroke symptoms to appear subtly and gradually, as Kirkland’s did.
“Every stroke is different,” he said, “and it doesn’t always feel like an emergency. Sometimes the symptoms are very mild, and sometimes they come and go.”
It helps to know the possible signs of a stroke, so you can spot them even when they aren’t obvious. Dr. Bacheler recommends an acronym known as BE FAST:
Balance: Watch for a sudden loss of balance or coordination or feeling dizzy.
Eyes: Be aware of sudden vision changes, such as blurry vision, double vision or loss of vision in one or both eyes.
Face: You might have an uneven smile, facial drooping or numbness on one side of the face.
Arms: Notice if there is weakness, numbness or drifting in one arm (or leg) when raised.
Speech: Don’t ignore slurred speech, confusion or difficulty understanding others.
Time: If any of these signs are present, call 911 immediately.
“Time is especially important,” said Dr. Bacheler, “because the faster you get treated, the more brain you’re saving.”
This year, Cape Fear Valley Medical Center is poised to save even more of that precious time by becoming a thrombectomy-capable stroke center. This means it will be equipped to remove blood clots after an ischemic stroke, quickly restoring blood flow to the brain. It’s a level of care that was previously only seen at larger hospitals elsewhere in the state.
“Instead of giving a clot-busting medication and then transferring the patient to other facilities, we will be offering a mechanical thrombectomy here at home,” said Mena M. Samaan, MD, Director of Neurointerventional Services. “This can make a big difference in terms of recovery, and the family does not have to go miles out of town because we can do this here at home.”[LT1.1]
Kirkland feels fortunate that her stroke was relatively mild and caused no lasting damage. After three days in the hospital, she was discharged with new awareness about its potential causes: A pharmacy mishap had caused her to go a week without her blood pressure medication, and persistent knee pain had her relying heavily on aspirin and ibuprofen to get through the day. Together, it all heightened her risk of stroke.
“I’m being very careful with all of that now,” she said. “I don’t want to end up in the hospital again.”
Although it’s not an experience she wants to repeat, Kirkland has high praise for the hospital staff who kept her calm during a frightening time. She recalls receiving a thorough, reassuring explanation of her condition from Melissa Stamates, MD, and a particular ED nurse who kept her anxiety at bay.
“Her name was Andrea,” she said. “She was really on top of things, and she made little jokes to keep me from worrying too much. And everyone on 4 South was awesome.”
Thinking back on that day in the school pickup line, Kirkland is also grateful that her daughter encouraged her to go to Cape Fear Valley.
“I hate to think what would have happened if I’d picked up my granddaughter, gone home and gotten worse,” she said. “I have to say God was really watching us that day.”

(Photo courtesy of Cape Fear Valley Health)

Brian Pearce named president of CFV Harnett Healthcare

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Tuesday, 02 June 2026

Written by Staff Report

Cape Fear Valley Health has named Brian Pearce as President of Cape Fear Valley Harnett Healthcare, marking a new chapter of leadership for the healthcare organization serving Harnett County and surrounding communities.
Pearce succeeds Michael Tart, who recently transitioned into the role of Chief Operating Officer for the Cape Fear Valley Health System. In his new position, Pearce will lead Cape Fear Valley Harnett Healthcare, which includes Betsy Johnson Hospital and Central Harnett Hospital.
Pearce brings 25 years of experience with Cape Fear Valley Health and a long history of leading projects that have expanded healthcare access and strengthened services across southeastern North Carolina. Known for his collaborative leadership style and focus on community-centered care, Pearce has played a key role in some of the organization’s most transformative growth initiatives.
Most recently serving as Vice President of Operations and Development, Pearce helped establish the health system’s community paramedic program and air medical program, expanded cancer treatment services into Harnett County, and led the growth of imaging services throughout the region.
He also oversaw several major construction and expansion projects, including the 100-bed vertical expansion at Cape Fear Valley Medical Center, the Medical Office Building at Central Harnett Hospital, the Methodist University Cape Fear Valley Health School of Medicine, and the new Dorothea Dix Adolescent Behavioral Hospital in Lillington.
Among his most significant accomplishments was helping lead the development of the Center for Medical Education and Neuroscience, a landmark investment for both Cape Fear Valley Health and the region. The state-of-the-art facility represented a major step forward in expanding advanced neurological care, physician education and workforce development in southeastern North Carolina. The project strengthened the health system’s ability to attract and train future healthcare professionals while bringing specialized neuroscience services closer to home for local patients and families. Leaders across the organization viewed the project as a transformational milestone for the community and the future of healthcare in the region.
In his new role, Pearce will oversee operations and strategic growth for Cape Fear Valley Harnett Healthcare. He will also continue executive oversight of Cape Fear Valley Health’s Corporate Engineering and Public Safety departments.
For Pearce, the appointment is both professional and personal.
“I am honored and humbled to serve as President of Cape Fear Valley Harnett Healthcare,” Pearce said. “Throughout my career, I have been passionate about strengthening healthcare services, investing in our communities, and supporting the teams who make exceptional patient care possible every day. I look forward to working alongside our physicians, employees and community partners to build on Harnett Health’s strong foundation and continue expanding access, innovation and high-quality care for the patients and families we serve.”
Pearce earned an Engineering degree from North Carolina State University and an MBA from Fayetteville State University. He is a Fellow of both the American College of Healthcare Executives and the American College of Paramedic Executives.
The leadership announcement comes at an important time for Cape Fear Valley Harnett Healthcare as the region continues to experience rapid population growth and increasing demand for healthcare services.

Fayetteville renews school police contract after clash over transparency

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Tuesday, 02 June 2026

Written by Rachel Heimann Mercader, CityView Today

The Fayetteville City Council voted to renew its contract for putting 18 police officers in public schools after a tense debate Tuesday over transparency, data, and the long-running role of officers in schools.
The contract continues the city’s school resource officer program with Cumberland County Schools, with a revised term structure and the inclusion of the city’s Office of Community Safety.
A motion by Councilmember Shaun McMillan to send the item back to a work session for deeper review failed 8–2, with only McMillan and Councilmember Stephon Ferguson voting in favor.
City Manager Doug Hewett told council members the renewal, first signed in 2024, largely keeps the existing agreement in place but changes the term from 1‑year renewals to a 1‑year contract with two additional 1‑year options, effectively creating a possible three‑year term. The new contract begins July 1.
The council also approved a contract with the school district to provide 66 crossing guards, called traffic control officers in the agreement, in a program administered by the police department.
Cumberland County Schools reimburses the city for the cost of the SROs and TCOs, making the programs “largely of no cost to the city,” Hewett said. The contracts do not include the cost of either program, and the city was not able to immediately provide the figures on Wednesday. A school board committee is scheduled to consider the contracts on Thursday.
The SRO contract provides officers to nine high schools, six middle schools, and three elementary schools. The TCO contract provides 66 crossing guards assigned to seven high schools, seven middle schools, and 23 elementary schools. Hewett said the SRO contract formalizes collaboration with the city’s Office of Community Safety, which did not exist when the city started providing SROs.
A Push to Slow Down
McMillan moved to remove the SRO contract from the consent agenda, the bundle of items passed together without debate or separate review. He argued that the council was moving too quickly on an issue with serious implications for students, particularly in light of historic racial and disciplinary disparities.
“We have to get this right,” he said. “This is more serious than something that should be on a consent agenda.” McMillan added that he was “disappointed that it would come to the council and to the public without serious examination.”
He brought up past findings about disparate discipline and SRO involvement discussed by Cumberland County Schools, the NAACP, and the Southern Coalition for Social Justice.
In 2024, the Southern Coalition for Social Justice urged the city council to avoid placing police in schools and instead invest in counselors and mental‑health staff.
It argued that SROs don’t improve safety, contribute to racial disparities—citing five years of reporting shows that Black students make up a disproportionate number of the juvenile complaints from the school district—and often lack adequate training.
If the city proceeded with an SRO agreement, the group recommended a tightly written memorandum of understanding (MOU) with limited SRO roles, strong data reporting, oversight, training requirements, and annual evaluation.
McMillan warned that approving the agreement without a data‑driven review ignores concerns about a school‑to‑prison pipeline.
“Rubber stamping something like this denies the existence of, and the complications of, the school to prison pipeline,” he said.
He urged the council to review the contract during a work session and demand figures from Cumberland County Schools and the police department on how the SRO program has performed since it was launched under the current structure.
“There’s an analysis that has not been done,” McMillan said. “It’s piss poor leadership to zoom past that and rubber stamp approval of a program that you have not taken an analytic look at in terms of the efficacy and the safety.”
McMillan said the council was missing an opportunity to build “systems of accountability and transparency.”
Mayor Mitch Colvin strongly pushed back on the call for a work session, arguing the program has been in place for decades and has not produced the harms being suggested.
He recounted that in 2024, the sheriff’s office withdrew deputies serving as SROs due to personnel issues. Municipalities— including Fayetteville, Hope Mills, and Spring Lake—then stepped in, using city police officers to fill those positions on short notice.
“We had about 60 to 90 days to ramp that up… to make sure that these kids had protection at schools,” Colvin said.
Colvin said SROs “are not new” in the community and challenged what he described as a pattern of framing any police‑involved program as inherently problematic.
“There’s a theory called the self‑fulfilling prophecy, right?” Colvin said. “If we do something that involves the police, that means it’s bad.”
“We say we want to build better relationships, but you can’t build better relationships by implying that things are bad with the officers,” the mayor added.
He said councilmembers need to be “mindful of our words” and the message they send to students.
“Our kids need positive reinforcement, and to know they may want to grow up one day and be a police officer,” he said.
Later in the meeting, Colvin dismissed McMillan’s appeals for more data and safeguards as lacking specifics.
“Words sound good. No depth to it,” Colvin said. “So it’s good to say transparency and accountability. You don’t have anything specific that’s not transparent, because we’re discussing it now… you’ve got to do more than give word salads; you’ve got to have something that goes along with that.”
The council then voted to renew the SRO contract under the updated three‑year structure, along with the TCO agreement.
The vote was 8-2 with McMillan and Ferguson in opposition.
Request for More Data
Earlier this year, police Chief Roberto Bryan Jr. presented the department’s 2025 year‑end report. At that meeting, Colvin told council members that the rise in juvenile incident reports—from 1,111 in 2024 to 1,275 in 2025—was partly the result of having more officers stationed in schools.
On Tuesday, Bryan, who took command of the police department in July, updated the council on what those officers are handling. Between August 2025 and March 2026, SROs responded to 1,091 calls for service and filed 334 incident reports, he said.
During the question portion of his presentation, McMillan asked Bryan to provide data including racial and disability breakdowns, links between police contact and school discipline, MOU compliance, and school climate/perception surveys, rather than relying on occasional anecdotes.
Bryan told McMillan that he was willing to provide the council with that data.
“There’s no reason that we shouldn’t be able to provide some type of data,” he said.

New to the Neighborhood: May 2026

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Tuesday, 26 May 2026

Written by Staff Report

It’s thrilling to witness Fayetteville and its surrounding communities thrive with the opening of new businesses, providing residents with fresh opportunities to shop, dine, and connect. Be sure to explore what’s new in the neighborhood!

Rice, Roots & Rolls-An Asian Kitchen
1006 N Bragg Blvd., Unit A, Spring Lake
910-600-5016
https://www.facebook.com/fareastfoodie
Officially opening in early 2026, Rice, Roots & Rolls is the newest addition to the N. Bragg Blvd. shopping center, home to other local favorites like Sawaddee Thai & Chinese Restaurant.
People will find that their menu departs from standard takeout, as it focuses on authentic Cambodian flavor. Their blend of traditional Southeast Asian flavors with a focus on fresh ingredients offers a unique culinary profile for the region. This family-friendly establishment offers mainly lunch set up for quick service or takeout and has extended hours for dinner on Thursdays and Fridays.

Haraz Coffee House
8614 Fayetteville Rd., Raeford
https://tinyurl.com/3hd86rzy
Haraz Coffee House, a Michigan-based franchise, officially opened its doors in April, offering a unique Yemeni coffee experience. This experience is characterized by ancient traditions, distinctive spice blends, and a social ritual that stands in stark contrast to Western coffee culture.
Unlike Italian or American coffee, which emphasizes roast and milk texture, Yemeni coffee is typically infused with aromatic spices. It is often prepared in a cezve, a small, long-handled pot, or brewed "Mufawar" style, where coffee and spices are boiled together with milk or cream to create a rich, frothy, and intensely flavorful drink. This delightful beverage is usually served in small, handleless cups.
The coffee beans themselves are unique, grown on high-altitude mountain terraces, such as those in the Haraz region, and are typically dry-processed. This method allows the fruit to dry on the bean, resulting in a complex, earthy, and often fruity flavor profile that pairs beautifully with the heavy spices.
At Haraz Coffee House, patrons can immerse themselves in this rich tradition, savoring a cup of coffee that tells a story of culture and craftsmanship.

Amaranthine Fitness
150 Francam #122
910-261-3954
https://tinyurl.com/msaa5aet
Amaranthine Fitness is a community-focused gym dedicated to promoting long-lasting health through functional fitness and a supportive environment. Unlike traditional big-box gyms, Amaranthine Fitness aims to provide a more welcoming experience for gym-goers.
The gym's philosophy centers on meeting members at their current fitness levels, offering adaptable workouts that can be tailored to everyone, from beginners to seasoned athletes. For those seeking more personalized attention, Amaranthine Fitness also provides semi-private personal training sessions with a maximum of four participants, as well as one-on-one training options.

Zippy Post
107 Gillespie St.
910-701-8600
https://zippy-post.com/
Zippy Post is a shipping hub, designed to be a one-stop shop for professional, creative, and logistical needs. A centralized hub that offers all the major carriers, they offer shipping, professional packing, and a drop-off location for pre-labeled packages. Rent a private mailbox, use the on-site notary, or use their scanning and copying facilities. They also offer printing, creative services, and packing supplies.

Burn Boot Camp
3103 N Main St., Hope Mills
910-302-6444
https://tinyurl.com/39jbny7w
Burn Boot Camp celebrated its grand opening and ribbon-cutting ceremony on May 7. Renowned for its signature high-intensity, community-driven gym model, the facility focuses on 45-minute "Camps" that blend strength and cardio training. To accommodate busy parents, Burn Boot Camp provides free childcare, along with personalized coaching and one-on-one focus meetings to assist members with nutrition and goal-setting.

NOVA Restaurant & Sports Bar
5900 Yadkin Rd.
910-868-5559
https://www.facebook.com/NovaRSB/
NOVA celebrated opening its doors on May 2, taking over the former home of the Big Apple Restaurant & Sports Bar. They combine a traditional American sports pub environment with an extensive Thai and Asian-inspired menu. It also features pool tables, live DJs, and multiple screens for sports viewing. The venue offers a family-friendly dining experience during the day and a lively lounge and sports bar experience at night.

Keep an eye out for…..

The Keys Business Center
1047 Murchison Rd.
This center is a key part of the revitalization efforts near Fayetteville State University. Once open, it will be an entrepreneurship and business hub along the Murchison Road corridor, inside Bronco Square. It will offer small business support, specifically for minority and veteran-owned businesses, and a collaborative workspace. As of now, no opening date has been announced.

Raising Cane’s
1812 Skibo Rd.
The Louisiana-based chain is set to take over the restaurant formerly known as Ruby Tuesday. As of now, the project is moving through city approvals and permitting. Construction is expected to begin shortly after. Once opened, people can expect their never-frozen premium chicken tenders, tangy "Cane's Sauce", crinkle-cut fries, and more.

The Blush Room
5044 Yadkin Rd.
The Blush Room, an upscale lounge, is set to open its doors on June 13. This exciting new venue aims to create an experience-driven atmosphere that seamlessly blends the welcoming vibe of a neighborhood bar with the sophistication of a high-end lounge. Guests can look forward to a carefully curated selection of wines and spirits. The venue is also looking to have a full lineup of themed events throughout the week.

(Photo courtesy of NOVA Restaurant and Bar's Facebook page)