Last week, I had a refreshing and long-overdue conversation with Jesse Bellflowers, the Mayor of the Town of Hope Mills. He and I go back decades to his early days at Fayetteville Technical Community College, where he continues to serve as FTCC’s Chair of the General Business Administration.
However, on this day, I’ve never seen him so excited, proud, and enthusiastic about the growth and positive dynamics taking place in the Town of Hope Mills. Hope Mills is one of the fastest-growing municipalities in North Carolina, with a population rapidly nearing 20,000. Bellflowers and his Board of Town Commissioners have the monumental task of managing the town’s breakneck growth in residential population and the influx of much-needed economic development. Maintaining a healthy balance of progress with Hope Mills’s rich history, heritage, traditions, and charm is even more challenging.
I saw and heard Jesse’s excitement as he articulated the progress and achievements he and the town staff have accomplished since he took office. Without a doubt, Jesse loves and is dedicated to Hope Mills.
Quality of life and the support for locally owned businesses and incoming industries remain his highest priorities but are also the most significant challenges. The realization is one cannot stop progress. The 295 extension is nearing completion and Exit 41 is being developed and expanded. With more and more families seeking homes in communities with small-town charm and abundant amenities, Hope Mills is the premium destination.
Bellflower’s perseverance and fortitude are impressive. However, despite the many accomplishments now enjoyed by a prosperous Hope Mills, Bellflowers and the town continue to feel the wrath of about a dozen resident malcontents who are adamantly against any growth or progress to the community.
They would prefer to freeze Hope Mills in a nineteen-sixties Time Warp. In past Up & Coming Weekly articles, I identified these vocal and disgruntled antagonists as Social Media Trolls since they prefer social media as their communication weapon of choice.
Social media allows them anonymity to lie, slander, and criticize the municipal programs, policies, elected officials, and town staff that they disagree with. These unhappy few are always causing problems and never providing solutions or constructive criticism.
However, they have the loudest voice via social media and the internet. And, while Mayor Bellflowers believes in open government, transparency, and public input, Hope Mills finds itself defenseless against this corps of discontents. The truth be known, without effective media communication vehicles (TV, Radio, local newspapers) to convey accurate Hope Mills town news, municipal updates on projects, introduce new programs, promote upcoming events, or tout Hope Mills celebrations and achievements, it isn’t easy to communicate Hope Mills progress to its residents.
Without local media, Hope Mills businesses and organizations become collateral damage because they cannot advertise, market, or promote their products and services to Hope Mills residents. Hope Mills would benefit significantly from a positive campaign like SHOP LOCAL-SHOP HOPE MILLS! The good news is Mayor Bellflowers realizes this and is working hard to make Hope Mills all it can be by meeting with residents and businesses and establishing higher expectations.
I appreciate Jesse Bellflowers coming by to share his vision and leadership strategy for the future of Hope Mills with me. I’ve always been a Hope Mills fan. It’s a beautiful community full of history, heritage, arts, culture, recreation, and gracious Southern Hospitality.
We hope the Mayor and town leadership rediscover the proper voice (media) to broadcast and tout Hope Mills’s amenities, successes, progress, and contributions to its residents. They had it once in 2018. And it worked! For 28 years, we have been Cumberland County’s hyper-local community newspaper for ALL municipalities. It’s what we do. Cumberland County can never have enough “good news!”
Thank you for reading Up & Coming Weekly.

(Photo: Bill Bowman, left, publisher of Up & Coming Weekly community newspaper, and Hope Mills Mayor Jesse Bellflowers, right, discuss the growth, achievements, and vision for the Hope Mills community. Photo by Linda McAlister)