Local News

ASOM, Cool Spring District partner for 18th annual Field of Honor, flags now for sale

8aThe Cool Spring Downtown District is proud to partner with the Airborne & Special Operations Museum Foundation for the 18th Annual Field of Honor®. Since its inception in 2007, the Field of Honor® has been an annual tradition in Downtown Fayetteville.
Hundreds of flags will fly on the parade grounds of the U.S. Army Airborne & Special Operations Museum.
Each flag comes with its own story and displays a tag identifying both the person who sponsored the flag and the flag honoree. This living display of heroism serves as a patriotic tribute to the strength and unity of our military. It serves to honor all who are currently serving, those who have served, and those who have made the ultimate sacrifice for our nation’s freedom.
Proceeds from the 18th Annual Field of Honor® will benefit the Airborne & Special Operations Museum Foundation and the Cool Spring Downtown District. If you are interested in learning more about the 18th Annual Field of Honor® or sponsoring the Field of Honor®, please contact the Interim President & CEO, Ashanti Bennett at Ashanti@coolspringfay.org or call 910-223-1089.
Purchase your Field of Honor Flag here: https://shop.asomf.org/field-of-honor-2025/

About the Cool Spring Downtown District: The Cool Spring Downtown District is a charitable nonprofit formed in 2017 to create and sustain an arts and entertainment district emanating from the Downtown core of Fayetteville, North Carolina, with the mission to grow Downtown Fayetteville as a dynamic hub where creativity, culture, and commerce thrive.

About the Airborne & Special Operations Museum Foundation: The Airborne & Special Operations Museum Foundation is a 501 (c)(3) nonprofit organization which provides community outreach and conducts private and public fundraising to sustain the Museum’s mission, ongoing programs and future innovative exhibit development.
Located in downtown Fayetteville, the U.S. Army Airborne & Special Operations Museum is part of the Army Museum Enterprise and is managed by the U.S. Army Center of Military History.

Health & Wellness: Easy steps: Patient doubles down after knee surgery

Knee pain is no fun for anybody, and bone-on-bone knee pain is about as excruciating as it gets. Bettye Marable vividly remembers experiencing it in 2023.
“Oh, it interfered with everything,” she said. “Just getting across the room was painful.”
It had started with just occasional, mild discomfort. Marable powered through as best she could until the pain was getting hard to ignore. She went to Cape Fear Orthopedics & Sports Medicine, where she learned that the cushion of cartilage in her knee joint was slowly wearing away. She was relieved to find that a cortisone shot took care of the pain—at least for a while. 
“And then three months later, when I had to take my next one, it didn't help at all,” she said. “That's when I knew it was getting really bad.”
7That cushion of cartilage was now completely worn away, leaving the bones of her knee to grind painfully against each other with every step. She felt it all day at work in her transportation job, climbing in and out of a van to get her customers from one appointment to another, and continued to suffer at home. 
“I love to walk, so when I would get home from work, I always liked to take the dogs out,” she said. “But I couldn’t do that anymore.”
Marable knew the next step was surgery: a total knee replacement. She was ready to get it done, and her conversations at work brought up a surgeon whose name she was already familiar with from her visits to Cape Fear Orthopedics & Sports Medicine. 
“I used to do a lot of pickups with people who had surgery, and they always would say Dr. Flanagan was good,” she said. “His name came up a lot, and I could see those people were doing better. So I said OK, I'm going to go ahead and go with him.”
James P. Flanagan, MD, is a board-certified orthopedic surgeon who has spent two decades treating injuries and conditions of the ankle, elbow, foot, hip, knee and shoulder. He said he was drawn to this specialty back in his teens.
“We have a family friend who is an orthopedic surgeon,” he said, “and going into high school I knew that’s what I wanted to be. It’s a very hands-on, immediately rewarding specialty because you get to fix things and make people feel better almost instantly.” 
Dr. Flanagan said the typical patient for a knee replacement goes through the same things Marable was experiencing: pain that increases over time and eventually is not eased by the usual methods. When that bone-on-bone pain has set in, the conversation turns to surgery.
“They are always nervous,” he said, “but we try to encourage them that the outcome will be worth the surgery.”
Marable said her nerves were outweighed by an eagerness to get back to her old self. The procedure went smoothly, and after a brief stay in the hospital, she was recovering at home. 
“The recovery was not as bad as I was expecting,” she said. “I was really kind of impressed because my pain was gone. Just completely gone.”
Over the next days and weeks, Marable kept up with her physical therapy appointments to gradually bring her new knee up to speed. With practice, she regained her range of motion in that leg as it healed. That diligence with physical therapy is crucial, according to Dr. Flanagan. 
“It probably is the most important part of the surgical recovery,” he said. “Good outcomes are directly related to physical therapy compliance.”
Marable was so pleased with her outcome that nine months later, when increasing pain was becoming a problem in her other knee, she went back to Dr. Flanagan for a second knee replacement. Now she’s walking around on two new knees and feeling better than she has in years. She recommends Dr. Flanagan to anyone going through a similar experience. 
“I really liked him,” she said. “The whole office just really felt very welcoming, and I felt like they understood what I needed. I was just fighting through pain for so long, and I’m glad I don’t have to fight with it anymore.”

To make an appointment with Cape Fear Orthopedics & Sports Medicine, call 910-484-2171

(Photo courtesy of Cape Fear Orthopedics)

FTCC’s Business Administration Program: A path to success

Are you unsure about your major but considering a career in business? If so, Fayetteville Technical Community College is the perfect place for you! Business administration is one of the most popular and in-demand degrees today, and for good reason. Nearly every industry needs professionals with strong business and management skills, making it a top choice for students who want to thrive in the business world. Plus, the rewards are substantial—entry-level positions in business often start at $50,000 or more!
19Whether you're looking to enter the workforce immediately or plan to continue your education at a four-year university, FTCC has you covered. With numerous articulation agreements with top universities, our programs allow you to seamlessly transfer and complete upper-level courses, all while benefiting from FTCC’s affordable tuition.
Our business administration degree is designed to equip students with the essential skills needed in today’s competitive, diverse, and global marketplace. The curriculum will provide you with a solid foundation in business functions and processes. You’ll learn how business organizations thrive in today’s dynamic economy, positioning you as a valuable contributor and an asset to any company.
The coursework at FTCC covers a broad range of business concepts, including accounting, law, economics, human resources, entrepreneurship, management, supervision, and marketing. You will also develop key skills in communication, critical thinking, leadership, teamwork, data analytics, decision-making, and computer applications. These skills will provide you with the foundation you need for lifelong learning and career growth. Graduates of our business programs are well-prepared for opportunities in entrepreneurship, management, marketing, retail, sales, and finance, whether in large corporations or
small businesses.
What sets FTCC apart is our faculty. Our faculty members have owned and operated their own businesses, worked in and managed businesses in a variety of industries in functional areas of finance, operations, and personnel management. At FTCC, you won’t just learn from textbooks—you’ll gain insights from proven business professionals who are eager to share their experiences with you.
FTCC graduate Keithy McNeill began the journey at FTCC by enrolling in only a few courses, but soon decided to pursue an associate degree in Operations Management and Leadership Studies. “I am forever thankful for the opportunity to learn and further my career. I graduated from FTCC in May, and I recently started a new career. I truly credit FTCC for making this opportunity possible.”
Are you ready to take the next step? Visit www.faytechcc.edu to apply today. Many of our classes and programs are available online, making it easier than ever to get started. For more information or if you have questions about our business administration programs, please email me at bellfloj@faytechcc.edu.

Reid's Journey playground: Play for every child

The Liberty Swing recently opened in Reid’s Journey, an inclusive playground in Hope Mills, on May 6. The Reid’s Journey playground is located at 5766 Rockfish Road. Reid’s Journey is open Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays, 10 a.m. to 7 p.m., and Wednesdays, noon to 7 p.m. For more information, contact Lamarco Morrison, director of Hope Mills Parks and Recreation, at 910-426-4109.
Play is a critical component in a child’s learning and development, according to the National Association of Young Children. Play is a vital process that supports cognitive, language, social-emotional and physical development. Play is essential for all children from birth through age eight. Play develops critical thinking skills and creativity.
Play is essential for children experiencing disabilities. The additional benefits are the development of fine and gross motor skills, language, cognitive abilities and self-regulation of emotions. Inclusive playgrounds and play allow social integration. Children experiencing disabilities and children without disabilities can interact and create friendships. Children experiencing disabilities can experience the options of choice, independence, being in control, critical thinking skills and sensory development.
10The Liberty Swing is a feature of Reid’s Journey. The Liberty Swing is a specialized swing designed for individuals experiencing mobility impairments and children who use wheelchairs. Wayne Devine designed the Liberty Swing in 1988, after he noticed children experiencing disabilities were excluded from traditional swings. The key features of the Liberty Swing are a ramp for wheelchair access, a locking mechanism for the wheelchair wheels, a fold-down seat, and a safety harness. Liberty Swings are designed and manufactured in Sidney, Australia. The Liberty Swing is designed to be accessible for the child who uses a wheelchair to experience the joy of play, according to the Liberty Swing website.
Inclusive playgrounds such as Reid’s Journey have the impact of fostering social inclusion and promoting physical activity. Seeing children of different abilities play together reduces the stigma associated with being differently abled, creates an inclusive community and promotes acceptance.
“The inspiration for Reid’s Journey came from parents Mike and Dena Seals to honor their son. Reid Seals was born on August 14, 2013. Reid lived for eleven days after his birth, passing peacefully at home on August 25, 2013. His parents made a promise that they would not let him be forgotten. They registered Reid’s Journey as a charity and began to help others,” said Morrison. “Their goal was to find a permanent way to remember Reid. Their thoughts turned to building a playground for children like Reid, who were differently abled, to play alongside other children. The Seals presented the idea to the Board of Commissioners and received unanimous support with seed money of $16,000 from the Cumberland County Foundation and $340,000 in appropriations from the State of North Carolina. The funding was available for the inclusive playground at the Municipal Park, known as Reid’s Journey. The vision of Hope Mills Park and Recreation was to provide a place where children with all levels of mobility and capabilities could all play together in lieu of being separated and labeled special needs.”
The steps from a visionary concept to a built environment followed the industry standard for planning and development, Morrison said, and the town entered into a contract with the engineering firm McAdams and went through a design process that involved the whole community.
“We feel the achievement of this vision by the feature of the Liberty Swing. The Liberty Swing is an added bonus because children using wheelchairs can have the same experience of a swing. This play apparatus was intentionally designed adjacent to the other swings so that all children can swing together,” said Morrison.
“The park impacts the quality of life of the families and children of Hope Mills by providing a local amenity not offered in Cumberland County. As a result, we tracked people who use the playground from all over Cumberland, Hoke, and Robeson counties. It has improved life because it allows families to enjoy leisure together in an enclosed and safe environment. The next level of services is not just limiting amenities to Reid’s Journey Inclusive Play Complex; there are current plans to build other inclusive playgrounds in other parts of Hope Mills. Our goal is to make all our park facilities inclusive and ADA compliant, including our programs and athletics.”
“The economic impact has been positive; concession sales at the adjacent concession stands have more than doubled,” Morrison said. “Families have reserved the playground area and shelters for birthdays and other celebratory occasions, which increases Parks and Recreation revenues. We have had patrons visit the department to find out what other amenities Hope Mills offers, and have registered for reservations, programs, and athletics.”
All children should be afforded opportunities to play regardless of their racial group, socioeconomic class, and disability, if diagnosed and experiencing a disability. Although play has been positioned as a privilege, it must be repositioned as a right, as outlined by the United Nations Convention on the Rights of a Child, Article 31, 785.

(Photo: The Liberty Swing at the Reid's Journey playground in Hope Mills gives those in wheelchairs the ability to enjoy swinging at the park. Photo courtesy of Hope Mills Parks and Recreation)

Government Watch: Cumberland County, City of Fayetteville updates

Cumberland County
On June 4, the Cumberland County Board of Commissioners voted 5-2 to discontinue the downtown Crown Event Center and terminate all contracts associated with the project. The board moved to have staff draft a Request for Quotation to renovate and modernize the existing Crown Arena and Theater at 1960 Coliseum Drive.
“This decision was not made lightly,” said Board of Commissioners Chairman Kirk deViere. “But it reflects our commitment to fiscal responsibility, transparent governance, and practical solutions that serve the long-term interests of our residents.”
7The proposed 3000-seat Crown Event Center had been approved by the board to be built downtown in 2022. Construction started shortly after a groundbreaking ceremony was held in October 2024. It was budgeted at $144.5 million and scheduled to open Spring 2027.
However, in March, the board voted to suspend all work on the facility for 30 days to review and investigate the scope, schedule, and budget for the project. The status assessment of the project included an “additional architect’s fee” of $1.9 million from EwingCole, which had been flagged for concern, according to the board.
In the last few weeks, the board worked through hours of meetings to go over research including a 1000 page investigative report from attorney J. Scott Flowers of Hutchens Law Firm in Fayetteville who had served as neutral counsel and other reports including a Crown Theater Modernization and New Facility Comparison, a Multi-Purpose Event Center Parking Assessment, an Evaluation to Modernize the Crown Arena and more. These reports can be found on the Cumberland County website.
At the meeting on June 4, County Manager Clarence Grier said that the new price for the Crown Event Center would be $152 million, which was an increase of $7.7 million from its original estimated cost of $144 million. The timeline had also changed its opening from April 2027 to February 2028.
Grier also presented the board with Guaranteed Maximum Price3, the third and final cost estimate provided by the contractor, which the board ultimately rejected.
The board ultimately determined that the estimated cost of the Crown Event Center was too high and that looking at the renovation of the current 4,500-seat Crown Arena at $71.9 million and the 2,400-seat Crown Theater, which varied from $24.7 million (just for renovation) to $118 million depending on modernization and expansion would be more prudent for the community. The total costs for both facilities ranged from $96.5 million to $192.2 million.
Commissioners voting to discontinue the downtown Crown Event Center Project and terminate all contracts, reject the GMP3 amendment and direct the County Manager to develop an RFQ for development framework for the renovation of the Crown Arena and Theater within 30 days and bring it back to the board, included Chair Kirk deViere and Commissioners Jeannette Council, Pavan Patel, Henry Tyson and Marshall Faircloth. Voting to continue the project with the increased price tag were Commissioner Glenn Adams and Vice Chair Veronica Jones.
Adams, deViere and Tyson have businesses in downtown Fayetteville and the entire board voiced continued support for the downtown revitalization.

City of Fayetteville
Roberto E. Bryan, Jr., has been named the next chief of the Fayetteville Police Department. Bryan, a 30-year law-enforcement veteran and current Associate Vice Chancellor and Chief of Police at Fayetteville State University, will assume command on July 7. Bryan succeeds Chief Kemberle Braden, who retired after nearly three decades of service to the City of Fayetteville.
Residents are invited to attend a community conversation for site development at Blount and Gillespie Streets on Wednesday, June 11 from 6 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. at the J.S. Spivey Recreation Center at 500 Fisher Street. This effort is part of a broader initiative to ensure that land development strategies align with community needs, economic opportunity, and long-term impact. During the meeting, attendees will receive background on the ongoing site study, learn about the planning process, and can weigh in on what they would like to see developed.

About the Greater Fayetteville Chamber
Advocacy is a cornerstone of the Greater Fayetteville Chamber. Every week, the Chamber dedicates staff to attend City of Fayetteville and Cumberland County meetings as well as monitoring updates on the state and federal levels. We monitor legislation locally, statewide and federally to protect our community’s business interests. With 91% of U.S. adults recognizing a Chamber of Commerce's impact on growth, membership ensures a strong voice shaping policies, driving economic success, and building a thriving business community—together. To learn more, visit www.faybiz.com or email jmclaughlin@faybiz.com.

(Photo: The Cumberland County Commissioners held a meeting, June 4, to decide the fate of the downtown Crown Event Center. Photo courtesy of Jami McLaughlin)

Subcategories

Latest Articles

  • Democrats will soon fall to third place
  • LibSpeak: The soap opera of American politics
  • Government Watch: County elects new sheriff; City Council votes on rezoning request
  • Cumberland County Schools: 10 things parents should know about sending kids back-to-school
  • Field of Honor returns to honor service, sacrifice
  • Paint the Park Purple with Alzheimer's Association, Woodpeckers
Up & Coming Weekly Calendar
  

Login/Subscribe