Local News

Government Watch: National Civics Bee to be hosted in Fayetteville

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Tuesday, 28 October 2025

Written by Jami McLaughlin

If your child is in 6th, 7th or 8th grades, you need to read this! The National Civics Bee®, a nationwide initiative led by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation, will allow middle school students to participate for the first time in North Carolina this year and Fayetteville through the Greater Fayetteville Chamber was chosen as a regional site (that’s a big deal!).
The Civics Bee invites middle school students to demonstrate their understanding of civics through a competitive, engaging format that begins with a written essay and culminates in a live regional bee.
Finalists will advance to a live, game-show style event hosted by the Greater Fayetteville Chamber in Spring 2026, where they will compete for prizes and the chance to represent Fayetteville at the state and national levels. Winners of each regional competition will receive $500 for first place, $250 for second place, and $125 for third place. Winners will also advance to compete in the North Carolina State Civics Bee.
Applications for students officially are open and students have until Feb. 3, 2026. For more information about the program including educator resources and how to participate in the 2026 competition, visit www.faybiz.com/civicsbee.
Cumberland County
At their regularly scheduled meeting on Tuesday, Oct. 20, the Cumberland County Board of Commissioners voted to adopt the Northeast Cumberland Land Use Plan, which encompasses 33,000 acres and includes the Towns of Wade, Godwin and Falcon. The land use plan is a strategy guide for managing growth and development in those areas and directs decision-making for zoning and land use, through set policies.
The board also appointed county residents to various committees such as local emergency planning, human relations, the Farm Advisory Board and parks and recreations.
In an emergency effort to respond to the government lapse of appropriations, the Cumberland County Board of Commissioners coordinated a meeting on Friday, Oct. 22 with county officials and community partners to address potential disruptions to critical services such as food assistance, mental health support, transportation and shelter resources. Residents are encouraged to visit cumberlandcountync.gov/resources for up-to-date information and a list of resources.
In other news, your visits to the Judge E. Maurice Braswell Cumberland County Courthouse whether it be to pay a tax bill, make a court date or attend a board meeting are now a bit easier to navigate when it comes to free parking downtown.
The Board of Commissioners approved three free parking options, outside of paid on-street options, including:
• First Presbyterian Church parking lot, accessible via the 200 block of Person St.
• Designated ADA accessible spaces in the rear courthouse lot facing Cool Spring St., with close proximity to the rear entrance of the courthouse
• Gravel lots at 334 Person St. and 125 S. Kennedy St.
The City of Fayetteville
The official primary election is on Tuesday, Nov. 4.
Running for mayor will be current Mayor Mitch Colvin, who is seeking a fifth term, and Mayor Pro Tem Kathy Keefe Jensen, who has served on the council since 2015.
Candidates for the nine districts are as follows: District 1 - Stephon Ferguson and James L. Thomas III, District 2 - Malik Davis and Gail Morfesis, District 3 - Antonio Jones and Jeremy Wright, District 4 - DJ Haire and Stuart A. Collick, District 6 - Derrick Thompson and Kenneth E. Odegard II, District 7 - Brenda McNair and Kathy A. Greggs, District 8 - Rodney E. Garvin and Shaun McMillan and District 9 - Deno Hondros and Joe McGee.
Current Councilwoman Lynne Bissette Greene is running unopposed for District 5.
For more information about candidates running for office this year, visit https://sites.google.com/faybiz.com/gfccandidatesforum2025/home.
At their regularly scheduled meeting on Oct. 13, the City Council approved a first quarter performance update for their strategic priorities including public safety, economic growth, revitalization and housing needs, transportation and parks and recreation. An ordinance was adopted to comply with a new state law requiring criminal history checks for applicants working with children. The council also authorized agreements with Methodist University and the Fayetteville Soccer Club and approved the sale of surplus property on Wright Street.
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.

Get out and vote, Cumberland County!

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Tuesday, 28 October 2025

Written by Aly Hansen

Election season in Cumberland County is drawing to a close. Early voting began Oct. 16 and will end on Nov. 1. Election Day itself will be held Tuesday, Nov. 4. All polling stations on Election Day will be open from 6:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. For a full list of voting locations, visit http://bit.ly/4oCRE07
It is at these local elections that the city and county can elect local officials who can help enact policies and changes. Federal elections see more intensity throughout the years, but the biggest impact on most people’s lives comes from local elections and who we decide to put in charge of our cities and towns. Cumberland County had 61.64 percent show up to vote in the 2024 General Election. So far, the numbers for 2025 are much lower, with 10.84 percent of registered voters casting ballots in the Fayetteville Primary.
Our job at Up & Coming Weekly isn’t to tell our readers who to vote for, but rather to encourage all who can to vote! In Cumberland County, voter registration applications must be postmarked 25 days before the general election.
On Election Day, don’t forget to bring a photo ID. Voters who have disabilities or who are elderly have the ability to curbside vote at their polling locations. For a full election guide for Cumberland County, including what to expect during voting, campaign finance spending reports, and voter machine information, visit
http://bit.ly/3WSG1pO
U&CW released an election guide in September. This guide can be found at http://bit.ly/4hnEEsR
The full list of candidates for Cumberland County:
City of Fayetteville
• Mayor: Mitch Colvin; Kathy Jensen
• City Council District 1: Stephon Ferguson; James Thomas
• City Council District 2: Malik Davis; Gail Morfesis
• City Council District 3: Antonio Jones; Jeremy Wright
• City Council District 4: Stuart Collick; D.J. Haire
• City Council District 5: Lynne Greene
• City Council District 6: Kenneth E. Odegard II; Derrick Thompson
• City Council District 7: Kathy A. Greggs; Brenda McNair
• City Council District 8: Rodney E. Garvin; Shaun McMillan
• City Council District 9: Deno Hondros; Joe McGee
Town of Hope Mills
• Mayor: Jessie Bellflowers; Todd Henderson
• Town of Hope Mills Commissioners: Cynthia Hamilton; Mark Hess; Bryan A. Marley: Grilley J. Mitchell; Hope Page; Karen Smith Saracen; Elysce Craver; Joanne Scarola; Ronald Starling; Lisa F. Tremmel
Town of Spring Lake
• Mayor: Kia Anthony: Robyn Chadwick
• Town of Spring Lake Commissioners: Ryan C. Anderson; Stachia Arnold; Katrina Bell Bratcher; Tony Burgess; Sona L. Cooper; Jackie Lee Jackson; Mary C. Jackson; Dedra Parker; Tyrone Short; Fredericka Sutherland; Adrian Jones Thompson
Eastover Sanitary District
• Board Members: Helen Crumpler; Liz Reeser
Town of Eastover
• Mayor: Charles G. McLaurin
• Town Council: Wayne Beard, Jr.; Kimberly F. McPhail; Bruce Sykes
Town of Falcon
• Mayor: James Danny Nelson, Jr.; Clifton L. Turpin, Jr.
• Commissioners: Sue Brigman; R. Dwayne Dunning; Dylan H. Ivey; Chip Lucas; Chris Stone; Phillip J. Walters
Godwin
• Mayor: Willie Burnette
• Commissioners: George Cooper, Jr.; Scarlet McIntyre Hall; Ronald McNeill; Dennis C. Smith, Sr.; Joseph Smith
Town of Linden
• Mayor: Frances Collier
• Commissioners: Jonathan Collier; Barbara C. Denning; Michael Hough; Ronnie S. Maness
Town of Stedman
• Mayor: Martin (Mardy) Jones
• Commissioners: Harvey L. Cain, Jr.; Wilbert Hairr; Michael R. Hall; Melinda B. Murray; Bradley Roberts; Justine Whie; Louis Wood
Town of Wade
• Mayor: Johnny Lanthorn
• Commissioners: Kevin Herring; Beth Ritchie; Johnny B. Sawyer; George. E. Strater; Jennifer Dixon Weaver

Letter to the Editor: King’s Grant approach to overwhelming Halloween traffic

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Tuesday, 28 October 2025

Written by Stephon Ferguson

The King’s Grant Community, the largest in the city of Fayetteville, attracts hundreds of Trick-or Treaters each year.
Last year, we had an estimated 800-1,000 trick or treaters. Shawcroft Road was so backed up, it took residents 30-40 minutes to get home after turning onto Shawcroft from Ramsey – which normally takes me 2-4 minutes depending on where you live in the community.
To help resolve the issue, the Kings Grant Homeowners Association this year has hired off-duty police officers and is asking resident volunteers to help with traffic control.
Cedar Falls Baptist Church next to the entrance to the community is allowing parking space and our Community Park on Burnside will be another parking area. The gated community in the rear is allowing the gates to be open for traffic flow out of the community.
We want to make surrounding communities who travel to our community to be aware of the problem and help us with smooth traffic flow. I am sure other neighborhoods are experiencing similar issues, but none to the degree of Kings Grant.
Thank you for your consideration in helping us get the word out – that could also serve as a model for other communities dealing with similar issues.
I was asked by the KG HOA to take the lead on getting the word out as I previously served as the Association’s Communications Director.

—Stephon Ferguson, Resident 910-988-0433
—Kasi Turner, Secretary - ktuner9744@gmail.com

Unveiling the Mayor Beth Finch Monument: Fayetteville’s First female mayor

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Tuesday, 21 October 2025

Written by Dr. Shanessa Fenner

Fayetteville recently unveiled a monument to the first female mayor of our city, Beth Finch. The unveiling of the Mayor Beth Finch Monument took place on Wednesday, Sept. 24 at 10 a.m. at the Mayor Beth Finch Park on Green Street. In March 2021, the City Council unanimously approved the renaming of Cross Creek Park to the Mayor Beth Finch Park.
“The city has a naming policy that has to be adhered to, and somebody makes a motion that goes to the city council,” said Michael Gibson, director of Fayetteville Cumberland Parks & Recreation. “In this case, Mayor Pro Tem Kathy Jensen made the motion a few years ago that we should have some dedication of a park to our first female mayor of Fayetteville.”
He added, “It is mainly for people who are deceased right now, and there are some instances where that has been changed. For the most part, that is the criterion, and there has to be some significance.”
The commemorative structure is comprised of shiny black marble and exudes the sophistication and elegance of Beth Finch.
“We designed it. It was a playoff of our former mayor, J. L. Dawkins, so we wanted to do the same kind of black marble monument for Mayor Finch with her bust on the front, the name of the park and a brief history of her major accomplishments on the back of the black marble monument,” said Gibson. “The monumental event for the unveiling included dignitaries, Finch’s family members and others.”
Gibson added, “The mayor, mayor pro tem, and Finch’s family members made some good remarks, and then we did the unveiling.”
Sarah Beth Dail Finch was born on November 13, 1921, in Dunn, North Carolina. She attended school in Dunn and graduated from preparatory school at Blackstone College in Blackstone, VA, and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. After graduating from UNC, Finch became a news reporter for the Dunn Dispatch and later, the Fayetteville Observer.
Finch served as Mayor of Fayetteville from 1975 to 1981. She won by a 6-1 margin over Larry Buie in one of more than 400 municipal elections held across the state. Ten years before her win, Finch stated that “no woman would have had a chance at being elected mayor in any North Carolina city.”
She attributed her victory to “being in this place at this time with the necessary experience” and that Fayetteville voters are very “modern and not afraid of change.”
She was passionate about supporting young people, education, having a strong city of economic growth and development, equality and building ties. Under her leadership, the city strengthened ties with Fort Bragg and Pope Air Force Base.
In the early 1960s, Finch became actively involved in politics. She served as co-chairman of the campaign headquarters for gubernatorial candidate Terry Sanford, and after his election, she served on the State Democratic Executive Committee. She served as the first female president of the NC League of Municipalities, the first woman on the Board of Trustees for FTI (now FTCC), and the first woman on the Board of Trustees for Pembroke State College (now University of North Carolina Pembroke).
She served two terms on the Fayetteville City Council. Other civic duties include the Governor’s Crime Commission, Fayetteville Regional Airport Commission, Women’s Club, the Book Club, the Art Guild, Museum of Art, Boy Scouts, United Way, the Salvation Army Advisory Board and other groups. Some of her accomplishments include the Distinguished Citizen’s Award from Methodist College.
She married Tom Finch, and they had one son, Hank Finch. She was preceded in death by her husband of 64 years. She never wavered from her marital promise to her husband that she would fix his breakfast every morning at 5:30 a.m. In her private time, she was an avid reader, golfer, UNC sports fan and old-fashioned Southern cook. She was a devout member of Snyder Memorial Baptist Church, where she taught Sunday School for several years. After politics, she took an active role in the family business, Finch Oil Company.
Finch, who was known for her persistence, had a paramount concern for those less fortunate and never spoke unkind words about others. She was a mentor and role model for generations of women. She passed away peacefully at the age of 91 in December 2012. Her legacy will be remembered as one of courage, persistence, and the positive changes that she enforced to make a difference in the lives of the people in the Fayetteville community.