Local News

A completely different life: One woman’s health transformed, twice, by bariatric surgery

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Tuesday, 10 March 2026

Written by Lia Tremblay

One night in January of 2023, Ginny Capiot found herself tossing and turning.
“I was just so excited,” she said. “Not nervous at all, but definitely feeling some butterflies.”
It wasn’t a new job, a wedding or a dream vacation that had her so giddy with anticipation, but it was something she’d been planning for a long time. The next morning, she’d be undergoing bariatric surgery.
Bariatric surgery alters the function of the digestive system to cause significant weight loss. It is for patients who have exhausted all other options for reaching a healthy weight and whose excess pounds are expected to lead to serious health consequences — if they haven't already.
For Capiot, serious health problems had already become apparent. After being diagnosed with diabetes about 20 years earlier, she was beginning to experience complications that come from reduced blood flow in some diabetes patients: eye problems that led to worsening vision and nerve damage that caused a growing numbness in her feet.
“It was then that I started to think, OK, this is getting out of control,” she said. “I needed to do something.”
Capiot had tried many times to lose weight before, but the efforts seemed increasingly futile.
“I had dieted and dieted, for many years,” she said. “And I had periods where I would work out religiously and maybe lose 20 pounds. I just couldn’t seem to get the kind of results that would really make a difference.”
Her primary care doctor referred her to Ovie Appresai, MD, a surgeon who has specialized in weight loss surgery for the past six years. After the first consultation, Capiot knew she was on a good path.
“He was very reassuring,” she said. “He felt confident that this was going to go well and that I would have the tools I needed to make it successful.”
But Capiot still had to clear some hurdles with her insurance company. She had to commit to a strict, six-month fitness program and to learn more about how surgery would forever change her eating habits.
After about nine months (and that night of tossing and turning), she was wheeled into the operating room.
“The surgery went fine, and I went right home with no problems,” she said. “I took some time off of work, but I was back up and at it by about three weeks after surgery.”
That is when Capiot put all she’d learned about her post-surgical eating habits into action. Starting with broth and soft food like eggs and cheese, she was then able to move on to ground beef and a broader variety of foods. She can now eat most of the things she used to enjoy, but in very small servings and with special attention to protein intake.
As the numbers on the scale began to slowly dwindle, Capiot enjoyed a more immediate reward for her efforts: a complete remission of the diabetes that had caused her so many problems.
“The first time I went to my endocrinologist after the surgery, my A1C had gone down for the first time in my adult life,” Capiot said. “I cried happy tears when I saw that.”
Less than a year after the surgery, it saved Capiot’s life in a way she hadn’t expected. She discovered a strange lump near her hip and had it checked out. She learned it was a growing cancer in her lymph node.
“I don’t think I would have found that lump as early as I did if I hadn’t lost the weight,” she said. “I was able to see and feel so much more of my body and say, ‘Well, here’s something that’s not usually here.’”
A few weeks later, on the first anniversary of her bariatric surgery, Capiot returned to Dr. Appresai to have that lymph node removed. She spent most of the rest of 2024 in treatment to keep cancer at bay, with multiple rounds of radiation and chemotherapy.
Almost three years after her bariatric surgery, with cancer in her rear-view mirror, Capiot is 95 pounds lighter and feeling better than ever.
“I no longer need medication for blood pressure,” she said. “I don’t take any medication for diabetes anymore. In fact, after years of high blood sugar, now I have to be careful that my blood sugar doesn’t drop too low. I have more energy throughout the day, and I can walk a lot farther without my knees hurting. It’s just a completely different life.”
Although the benefits are clearly more than cosmetic, Capiot said she can’t deny that she’s pleased with her reflection in the mirror.
“I used to hate shopping for clothes,” she said, “but it’s a lot more fun now. The first time I put on a pair of jeans that were not plus-size, I was so happy.”
Capiot said her only regret about her bariatric surgery is that she waited so long to do it. She had worried for years about the expense, the recovery and the lifestyle changes—all of which turned out to be much more manageable than she was expecting.
“If you’re considering this surgery, it’s definitely worth asking your doctor about it and getting answers to those questions,” she said. “If I had known what my life would be like now, I would have had this surgery 10 years earlier.”

(Photo courtesy of Cape Fear Valley Health)

Women’s Giving Circle releases community scorecard, surpasses $1 million in grants to community

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Tuesday, 10 March 2026

Written by Staff Report

The Women’s Giving Circle of Cumberland County, a program of Cumberland Community Foundation, gathered community leaders, giving circle members, elected officials, and nonprofit partners at its 8th Community Awareness Scorecard Breakfast on March 6th at Highland Presbyterian Church to celebrate the release of its 2024–2025 Community Awareness Scorecard and to highlight a significant milestone: more than $1 million in total grantmaking since its founding.
The biennial scorecard provides a comprehensive overview of the focus areas supported by the Circle’s grantmaking, including health, child abuse, housing insecurity, childcare insecurity, foster care, food insecurity, human trafficking, adult literacy, and child literacy. The data provides a snapshot of how issues affecting women and children in Cumberland County compare to statewide statistics and is intended to inform collaborative solutions and strategic investment.
Since its inception, the Women’s Giving Circle has published these scorecards to inform decision-making in its grants process. The commitment to research and data has been central to the Circle’s mission from the beginning.
“As we began thinking about making grants back then, we knew that we needed to keep our members informed about critical areas of need in our community impacting women and children so we could set up the first funding areas of focus,” said Patty Collie, one of the founding members of the Women’s Giving Circle.
This year, the WGCCC is celebrating a cumulative $1 million in grants to the community since inception in 2008. These investments support programs that address critical needs and create pathways for long-term stability and opportunity for women and children in Cumberland County. During the event, attendees heard highlights from the scorecard and reflected on the tangible difference WGC grants have made in the community. Presenters outlined funding priorities, community needs addressed, and the measurable progress achieved through partnerships with local nonprofit organizations.
“It is an honor to gather with our community to celebrate such an exciting milestone. The work of the giving circle would not be possible without the commitment from each member,” expressed Women’s Giving Circle Chair, Debbie Best.
The Women’s Giving Circle operates through a collective giving model, where members pool their contributions to make strategic, high-impact grants. By combining resources and engaging members in the grantmaking process, WGC strengthens both women’s philanthropy and leadership within the community.
The 2024–2025 Scorecard is available to view online at www.cumberlandcf.org.
For more information about becoming a member of the Women’s Giving Circle, please contact Cumberland Community Foundation at 910-483-4449 or womensgivingcircle@gmail.com, or visit www.cumberlandcf.org.

About the Women’s Giving Circle
The Women’s Giving Circle is a collective philanthropy initiative of the Cumberland Community Foundation that brings women together to create lasting impact in the community through intentional charitable giving, leadership, and strategic grantmaking for programs benefiting women and children in Cumberland County.

PWC begins water changeover, adopts electric rate adjustments; City seeking community partners

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Tuesday, 03 March 2026

Written by Staff Report

PWC begins annual water treatment changeover
The Fayetteville Public Works Commission will begin its annual water treatment disinfectant changeover on Sunday, March 1. This temporary, month-long change is an annual requirement by the North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality for all public water systems that normally use chloramines for disinfection.
Throughout March, PWC will shift from its standard chloramine disinfectant to free chlorine. Customers may notice a slight chlorine smell or experience temporary changes in water taste or appearance. These effects are normal and are not harmful.
This annual changeover includes all PWC customers: residential, commercial, and wholesale consumers- including those in Fort Bragg, the Town of Spring Lake, Hoke County, and the Town of Stedman. PWC will continuously monitor disinfectant levels to ensure safety and reliability.
PWC will return to using chloramines on April 1, 2026. Customers who normally pre-treat their water to remove chloramines (including manufacturers, dialysis providers, and aquatic pet owners) should continue pre-treatment during the month of March.
Hydrant flushing may occur during this period, which can cause temporary low pressure or mild discoloration. These conditions are cosmetic only and go away as the system is flushed.
More information about PWC’s water quality and testing practices is available in the Annual Water Quality Report, published online at: FayPWC.com/Water-Quality-Report/.

PWC adopts electric rate adjustments
At the February 25, Fayetteville Public Works Commission meeting, a public hearing was held regarding adjusting electric rates and PWC fees. Following public comment, the Board voted to adopt new rates and fees over a two-year period. The updated rates will apply to bills sent on or after May 1, while adjusted fees will be effective immediately.
The rates are anticipated to increase PWC’s overall revenue by 5.5% in each of the next two years to cover the actual cost of providing utility services. PWC rates and fees are set as low as possible while still covering actual costs.
According to J.D. Power, average utility prices have risen 34% since 2020. PWC electric rates, including the May 1 increase, have risen 16.5% since then, about half of the national average, as a result of continuing to cut costs whenever possible before raising rates.
PWC’s cost of delivering safe and reliable electric services has increased, which requires rate and fee adjustments to keep pace. Projected increases include:
• $16 million annual increase in Purchased Power from Duke Energy
• $6 million in debt service costs for Capital Projects
• $4 million in electrical systems & operating expenses
“Our priority at PWC is to continue delivering safe, reliable, and affordable electric, water, and wastewater services to all of our customers” said Timothy Bryant, P.E. CEO/General Manager of Fayetteville PWC. “Before PWC considered any rate increase, staff was intentional about spending and implemented significant cost saving measures across the business. Unfortunately, uncontrollable cost increases are out-pacing cost savings exponentially.”
PWC revenue has remained relatively flat, increasing only 3.26% over the last 7 years. Over the past four years, PWC has reduced costs below its budget on average by $15.8 million per year in operations and maintenance costs in addition to another $7.6 million per year in project deferments and job scope reclassifications.
A residential customer using 1000 kWh per month may see increases of $8.02 in May 2026 and $8.59 in May 2027. Even with the approved rate changes, PWC residential customers continue to pay less than the state average and less than all other electric providers in Cumberland County. Additionally, PWC reliability, measured in minutes of outage time, continues to be the best among all Cumberland County electric utilities and among the best in North Carolina.
The approved rates include a new non-residential rate designed to support economic development for large power users requiring more than 5 megawatts of capacity.
The proposed adjustments follow an independent, third-party cost-of-service study conducted every two years to ensure rates fairly reflect the actual cost of providing reliable electric service. The temporary Power Supply Adjustment (PSA) that has been in place since August 2025 will end in August 2026. The PSA is approximately $5.41 per 1000 kWh.
For additional information about the rate adjustments, visit FayPWC.com.

City seeks community partners for Safe Spaces Activation initiative
The City’s Office of Community Safety is seeking to partner with community-based organizations to lead trauma-informed, community-led events to support youth, young adults and families, prioritizing communities identified for violence prevention, resource connection and strengthening community trust.
Qualified organizations are encouraged to apply to the Safe Spaces Activation request for proposal.
Safe Space Activations are intended to activate public and community spaces to support community engagement, resource coordination and community violence intervention strategies. The total funding available under this RFP is $100,000. The City will award up to four contracts, each for $25,000.
Proposals are due by Friday, March 12 at 2 p.m.
"Our goal is to partner with local organizations to build a network of support so we can provide safe events for all young residents and families,” says OCS Director John Jones.

Government Watch: No parking zones rejected; County begins annual budget

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Tuesday, 03 March 2026

Written by Jami McLaughlin

On Feb. 23, the Fayetteville City Council rejected a proposal 9-1 that would have allowed residents to petition for “no parking” zones in residential multi-use lanes after residents said that the change could negatively impact property values. The proposed plan required a 70% neighbor approval threshold to ban parking on designated residential blocks.
Police Chief Roberto Bryan Jr. presented the 2025 Fourth Quarter Review. While overall crime dropped and property crime saw a 9% decrease (including a 12% dip in motor vehicle thefts), the report highlighted a troubling rise in youth-related violent crime, specifically assaults and robberies involving juveniles.
The city also announced the awarding of $115,500 in micro-grants to 22 community-led organizations aimed at preventing crime and violence through the Empowering Community Safety Microgrant Program.
In other news, the Office of Community Safety is looking for local, community-based organizations to partner with for activities and events. The Safe Space Activations initiative is currently accepting proposals due March 12 to fund community events designed to foster trust and reduce cycles of violence.
Safe Space Activations are intended to activate public and community spaces to support community engagement, resource coordination and community violence intervention strategies. The total funding available under this RFP is $100,000. The City will award up to four contracts, each for $25,000.
For more information and to find out more via a virtual information session on Wednesday, Feb. 25, from 5 p.m. to 6 p.m., visit fayettevillenc.gov/OCS.
If you would like to sign up for public comment at the Fayetteville City Council meetings, the public forum will be held on the first Monday of every month at 6:15 a.m., following announcements and recognitions, according to City staff.
It has also been changed from 30 minutes to one hour to accommodate more citizen speakers. Sign-ups may be completed in person with the City Clerk at City Hall, 433 Hay Street, by phone at (910) 433-1992, by email at PublicComments@fayettevillenc.gov or by using the online form at FayettevilleNC.gov/Clerk.

Cumberland County
The Cumberland County Board of Commissioners held a Fiscal Year 2027 Budget Workshop on Thursday, Feb. 26, marking the start of the county's formal budget planning cycle.
Commissioners met to discuss revenue strategies for the upcoming fiscal year. Discussions focused on property tax rate adjustments, potential new fees and evaluating the fund balance and reserve targets.
According to staff, the Board provided direction on key initiatives, including:

• Water and sewer infrastructure expansion
• School construction and operations
• Unhoused Support Center
• Crown Complex redevelopment
• Regional Aquatic Center
• Mental Health Diversion Center
• 911 consolidation
• Parks and recreation
• County facilities and parking
• Future planning opportunities for the Gillespie Street lot
The board will receive the manager’s recommended budget in May and budget workshops and public hearing dates will be announced.
The process will include additional budget workshops and public engagement opportunities. All Budget Workshops will be also livestreamed on the County’s website at cumberlandcountync.gov and on YouTube.

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: Cumberland County Commissioners chat during a budget workshop held on Feb. 26. The meeting marked the start of the County's formal budget planning cycle. Photo courtesy of Cumberland County NC Government's Facebook page)