So, barring any last-minute filings, it looks like the city will have seven candidates running for mayor in the Oct. 7 primary — Mayor Pro Tem Kathy Keefe Jensen, Fayetteville City Council member Mario Benavente, Freddie de la Cruz trying for the mayoral gavel a third time, political newcomer Nahlee Iris Smith and former City Council member Paul Williams. The two leading primary candidates will vie for mayor in the Nov. 4 general election to succeed Mayor Mitch Colvin, who announced in June that he will not seek a fifth term. Keep in mind that being a mayor is not about entitlements, know-it-all attitudes and grudges. It’s about responsible leadership and governance. If you are not satisfied with the mayoral candidates, you have until noon today to file for the office at the Cumberland County Board of Elections at 227 Fountainhead Lane, Suite 101.
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Roberto E. Bryan Jr. is scheduled today to become the city’s 26th police chief, when the 56-year-old Bryan takes his oath at 2 p.m. in Seabrook Auditorium on the Fayetteville State University campus. Bryan succeeds Kem Braden, who retired March 31 after a 29-year career with the Fayetteville Police Department. Bryan is a former member of the FPD. He served as police chief at FSU until July 7.
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“One of the greatest honors this man asked me is to take his place in the Sheriff’s Office,” Maj. Jonathan Morgan said Monday night at a retirement ceremony for Cumberland County Sheriff Ennis Wright, who has requested that the Cumberland Board of County Commissioners appoint Morgan as his successor. “I want to continue on with what he has done.” Commissioners are accepting applications from candidates and will announce on Aug. 11 Wright’s successor.
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Firefighters across the county are remembering Owen Harris, the longtime Cotton Fire Rescue chief for 42 of his 70 firefighting years in Cumberland County. He was the soft-spoken chief who became a mentor to young firefighters along his way. Owen Henry Harris died at age 94 on July 10.
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Imagine running into the prettiest girl in Lucille Barrett’s second-grade class of 1955-56 at Seventy-First Elementary School. “Hey, Bill, do you remember me?” Anne Auman Loyd was saying Wednesday evening. Indeed, I did … and she’s still the prettiest girl in our second-grade class of so long ago.
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“FTCC and the Carolina Cyber Network are proud to collaborate with NCDIT to provide student interns who will work in concert with NCDIT staff to help strengthen the state’s cybersecurity posture,” Fayetteville Technical Community College President Mark Sorrells says in a news release about the college joining with the N.C. Department of Information Technology and the Carolina Cyber Network to provide students with cybersecurity experience. “The initiative will also serve to expand the talent pool available to our public and private employers to further safeguard critical information and resources essential to our national defense. Through this learn-and-earn opportunity, students will gain valuable work experience to prepare them for careers in cybersecurity.”
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The Fayetteville SC/Villareal Force Academy U-15 boys’ team is competing for the national championship cup this weekend in Denver, Colorado, according to Ruben Reyes, after Coach Todd Abbey’s team recently won the 2025 US Club Soccer Southeast Regional Championship in Winston-Salem with a 4-1 victory over Chesapeake United SC, Virginia. ”A huge honor for these hardworking young athletes and for the Fayetteville area,” Reyes writes in an email. Wishing these young athletes good luck.
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Dorothy Strahley, Dr. Casey Benander, Ebony Warfield-Graham, Ellen Cooper and Kevin Elmore have been elected to the Arts Council of Fayetteville Cumberland County board of trustees for three-year terms. “The Arts Council’s board of trustees plays a critical role in stewarding our vision and values,” Bob Pinson, president and chief executive officer for the Arts Council, says in a news release. “We are thrilled to welcome these new members, grateful for those who are continuing in service and confident that their leadership will help guide our work in the months and years ahead.” Strahley is assistant general manager at the Crown Complex. Benander is a physical therapist and owner of The Haymount Body Mechanic. Warfield-Graham is manager of parking operations for the City of Fayetteville. Cooper is strategic relationship manager for FirstHealth of the Carolinas. Elmore is a multimedia artist and student at Fayetteville Technical Community College and will serve a one-year term as student representative on the board.
Coming Sunday: “An honor and privilege,” says retiring assistant county manager
Bill Kirby Jr. can be reached at billkirby49@gmail.com or 910-624-1961.
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