Local News

Unlock benefits of early FAFSA completion

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Tuesday, 25 March 2025

Written by Regina Mahoney, Director of Financial Aid, FTCC

The Free Application for Federal Student Aid is an essential step for students seeking financial assistance for college. As you consider institutions like Fayetteville Technical Community College for your higher education journey, it’s crucial to submit your FAFSA early to avoid delays in paying for educational expenses such as tuition, books, and supplies. Here are four reasons why you should submit your FAFSA as soon as possible and on a yearly basis:
1. Access to more Financial Aid
Many, but not all, financial aid programs at FTCC including federal, state, and institutional aid operate on a first-come, first-served basis. Some types of aid, such as Federal Work-Study, Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant, state grants and scholarships, may have limited funding and are exhausted quickly. Submitting your FAFSA early increases your chances of securing the best financial aid package available and the type of aid you receive.
2. More time to compare and plan
Filing the FAFSA early gives students and families more time to compare financial aid packages from different colleges and universities. This allows for a well-informed decision about which school is the most affordable and offers the best financial support overall. Understanding your aid package early can also help you plan for other expenses, such as housing and transportation.
3. Less stress and fewer errors
Waiting until the last minute to complete the FAFSA can lead to rushed decisions and mistakes on the FAFSA. Errors can delay financial aid processing and may result in a lower aid package. Completing the FAFSA early at https://studentaid.gov/ allows both you and/or the school time to review and correct any mistakes before the school’s priority deadlines.
4. Quicker Financial Aid notifications
By submitting the FAFSA early, students can receive their financial aid packages sooner, giving them a clearer picture of their financial situation before deadlines. If loans are needed and offered at your desired college or university, knowing your options in advance will help you make informed borrowing decisions, potentially reducing student loan debt overall.
Completing the FAFSA early is one of the smartest financial moves a student can make when preparing for college. FTCC would love to help you complete your FAFSA. Come visit us in the Tony Rand Student Center, Room 3, at the Fayetteville campus, email finaid@faytechcc.edu, or call us at 910-678-8242 for more information.
Finally, we invite you to join with financial aid advisors to explore valuable educational resources and scholarship information from CFNC, MyFutureNC, and Cumberland Community Foundation. Discover the keys to funding your college education and securing a bright future, and let us at FTCC help you enrich your life and reimagine your future through education!

Up & Coming Weekly Dining Guide

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Tuesday, 25 March 2025

Written by Staff Report

This month, in honor of Women’s History Month, we are spotlighting women-owned restaurants in the area. 

Cumberland County Library has more than just books

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Tuesday, 25 March 2025

Written by Sheila D. Barker

The local library is a treasure trove of resources beyond its vast collection of books. They provide numerous enriching programs and services for community members of all ages to explore and enjoy. Throughout the next couple of weeks, we will be highlighting some of these great programs, starting with Cumberland County Public Library’s newest addition.
Free Experience Passes For Local Attractions
The Cumberland County Public Library's new Experience Passes offer residents an incredible opportunity to visit the Cape Fear Botanical Garden and Fascinate-U Children's Museum for free. Thanks to a $852 grant from the Friends of the Cumberland County Public Library, Inc., these passes allow for unlimited visits to these attractions over a seven-day period.
This initiative is designed to make cultural and educational experiences more accessible to everyone in the community. Whether you're a nature enthusiast or a parent looking for interactive learning for your children, the Experience Pass provides a cost-free way to explore and enjoy these local treasures.
The Cape Fear Botanical Garden, located at 536 Eastern Blvd., is a 77-acre haven of natural beauty, offering a serene escape from the hustle and bustle of daily life. With the Experience Pass, you can stroll through meticulously curated gardens, explore walking trails, and enjoy seasonal displays that showcase the region's flora.
The garden also features educational programs and workshops that cater to all ages, making it a perfect destination for both relaxation and learning. Whether you're interested in horticulture or simply looking for a peaceful outing, the Cape Fear Botanical Garden has something for everyone.
Fascinate-U Children's Museum is located at 116 Green street, and is a hands-on, interactive museum designed to engage young minds and spark curiosity. With the Experience Pass, children can explore various exhibits that cover topics ranging from science and technology to arts and culture.
The museum offers a dynamic learning environment where kids can participate in activities such as role-playing in a mock city, building structures, and experimenting with different scientific principles. It's an ideal place for family fun and educational enrichment.
Obtaining an Experience Pass is simple and straightforward. Residents with a Cumberland County Public Library card can check out passes on a first-come, first-served basis at the Headquarters Library located at 300 Maiden Lane, Fayetteville. The passes are valid for seven days and offer unlimited visits to both attractions during this period.
If you don't have a library card, you can easily register for one at any branch or online at cumberlandcountync.gov/library. For more information, you can call the library at 910-483-7727.
Local residents have already started to take advantage of the Experience Passes and have shared their positive experiences.
Amanda Dekker, the Headquarters Library Branch Manager, expressed her excitement about the program, saying, 'We are thrilled to offer this fantastic opportunity for our residents to experience the wonders of our community's top attractions without worrying about the cost.'
Many families have found the passes to be a great way to explore local attractions without the financial burden.
“It's wonderful to have access to these amazing places for free,” said one resident. “My kids loved the children's museum, and we can't wait to visit the botanical garden next!”

Josephus Daniels in Christensen’s new book

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Tuesday, 18 March 2025

Written by D.G. Martin

Rob Christensen’s new book, “Southern News, Southern Politics: How a Newspaper Defined a State for a Century,” comes out March 4. It could be two separate books.
The first might be titled, “Josephus Daniels and his family from 1865 to the present.”
The second, “The Rise and Fall of The Raleigh News and Observer (N&O), 1865 to the present”
These two possible books are brought into one by Christensen, who knows both topics well. First, as a long serving and trusted reporter for the N&O, he worked during much of the paper’s most successful times and learned about its history from those who had earlier lived it.
At the same time, he got to know members of the Daniels family, most of whom treasured their connections to the newspaper.
First, Christensen concentrates on Josephus Daniels who, after owning several smaller papers and working in Washington, D.C., bought the N&O in 1894.
Christensen writes, “It is hard to overstate Daniels’s political influence.”
He became the state's Democratic National Committeeman and was a pivotal figure for the out-of-power party that had no governor or U.S. senator. “It is hard to decide whether Daniels was a newspaper man heavily involved in politics or politician who owned a newspaper.”
Christensen explains Daniel’s racist views. “Just as crucial as Democratic loyalty was Daniels’s segregationist world-view. Daniels, who had been born during the waning days of slavery, raised in the cotton culture of the coastal plain, and spoon-fed tales of the Lost Cause and who had interacted with a partially illiterate Black population still emerging from generations of shackles, had views that firmly were rooted by the time he reached adulthood.”
Thus, Christensen writes, “Daniels left little doubt how he would use his newly acquired N&O. He immediately launched white supremacy campaigns that covered six years and reshaped North Carolina politics, resulting in the rise of a rigid Jim Crow system of segregation and sixty years of one-party Democratic control of the state.”
The N&O used two main devices to stir racial prejudice. In August 1898, it began running powerful racist cartoons on the front page and beginning in September it also ran front page stories highlighted with black borders outlining some purported “outrage” by African Americans.
Newspaper readers were told that Black people were preparing for a race war against whites and were planning to turn North Carolina into an independent territory for African Americans, and that Blacks were engaged in a black-on-white crimes--none of which was true.
Daniels used the 1898 Wilmington events “as one of several examples of the dangers of Black political agency.”
In the meantime, Daniels was establishing himself as a player in national politics. Christensen writes that “Daniels was an influential adviser in five of the next six democratic presidential campaigns--from 1896 to 1916.”
In the 1896 presidential campaign Daniels supported the Democrat, William Jennings Bryan, who lost to William McKinley. But Daniels did not think so.
“For the rest of his life, Daniels believed that Bryan had won and contended that the election was ‘stolen from him by padding registration, buying election officers and every method known to political chicanery.’”
Donald Trump would understand Daniels’s refusal to accept disappointing election results.
More about Daniels and the N&O in an upcoming column.