Editor’s Note: A previous version of this column incorrectly stated Spring Lake Mayor Kia Anthony could seek reelection in 2027. She is eligible to seek reelection in 2029. A previous version of this column also incorrectly stated that Mayor Pro Tem Kathy Keefe Jensen and Fayetteville City Council Members Mario Benavente and Courtney Banks-McLaughlin had all withdrawn their registration to attend the 2025 National League of Cities City Summit. Jensen says she never registered to attend the summit. Benavente and Banks-McLaughlin will attend the summit. CityView apologizes for these errors.
George Breece is the longtime community politico who can dissect politics better than anyone in Cumberland County, and he describes the Fayetteville mayoral race between Mayor Mitch Colvin and Mayor Pro Tem Kathy Keefe Jensen as a “landslide” victory for Colvin. “Period, lights out, close the door.” Colvin, 52, won his fifth term with 12,515 unofficial votes or 60.04%, according to the Cumberland County Board of Elections, while Jensen had 7,905 unofficial votes or 37.94%. “Mayor Colvin now finds himself being called by many, after this landslide victory, Fayetteville’s ‘Mayor for Life,’” Breece said. “Should Mayor Colvin decide to run again in 2027, anyone giving any thought to running must remember that he defeated an outstanding and faithful public servant in Kathy Jensen, the mayor pro tem, who was also well financed.” Of all the municipal races in Cumberland County, Breece says, Hope Mills had the most drama leading up to this election. “Longtime Commissioner Elyse Craver was censured by the Hope Mills Board of Commissioners and lost her seat, coming in a close sixth with five commissioners being elected,” he said. “One incumbent, Bryan Marley, was reelected and there are four new members of the board with one of them, Grilley Mitchell, returning to the board, finishing second in this election. The mayor’s race was the talk of the night in Hope Mills. With all twelve precincts reporting, Mayor Jessie Bellflowers held an 18-vote lead, and a recount cannot be called because the difference was less than or equal to 1% of the total votes cast. Mayor Bellflowers and the top three finishers, Hope Page, Grilley Mitchell and Bryan Marley will have a four-year term ending in 2029, and the fourth and fifth finishers, Cynthia Hamilton and Lisa Tremmel, will both have two-year terms ending up in 2027.” And then there was Spring Lake, where the mayoral race between Mayor Kia Anthony and Commissioner Robyn Chadwick was a difference of 42 votes, according to unofficial returns. “Spring Lake Mayor Kia Anthony won reelection in a much closer race than many had predicted,” Breece said. “It was her closest race in her political career so far. Mayor Anthony has successfully navigated some tough Town of Spring Lake issues and always lands on her feet. The real question being asked by some political observers is whether Mayor Anthony will make another run for reelection in 2029 or seek another office in the future.”
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Major Pro Tem Kathy Keefe Jenson says she never registered to attend the 2025 National League of Cities City Summit, which is scheduled from Nov. 19-22 at the Salt Palace Convention Center in Salt Lake City, Utah. She says it was a clerical error on the part of the city. Fayetteville City Council members Mario Benavente and Courtney Banks-McLaughlin, both defeated in the Oct. 7 primary for mayor and will depart their respective District 3 and District 8 seats on Dec. 1, will attend the summit, according to Jennifer Ayre, the city clerk. Other council members attending the the summit are Malik Davis, Derrick Thompson, Brenda McNair, and Dennis Hondros.
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“I believe I am sent back to still bring that steady mind and to help restore hope over time to our residents as it relates to their trust in city governance and the ability to move things forward on a consistent basis,” says Antonio Jones, 51, who will return to his former District 3 Fayetteville City Council seat after narrowly losing it by six votes in 2022 to challenger Mario Benavente. “I don’t remember a time when it has been this slow for some people, but part of my assignment is to help rebuild that, one project at a time, one item at a time.” Jones was a councilman when he served and thought before he spoke and voted, and Jones likely will not change when he takes his oath on Dec. 1.
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Fayetteville City Councilman Derrick Thompson, who decidedly won a third term for his District 6 seat, according to unofficial election returns, tells our CityView city government reporter, Rachel Heimann Mercader, he doesn’t comment to the media. Then, councilman, perhaps you might try another line of work.
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While Todd Henderson narrowly lost his bid for Hope Mills mayor, the 45-year-old Army veteran has high hopes for the town with the election of three new faces on the town board. “I believe our town is seeking leadership that truly respects its people,” he says. “I’m confident Lisa Tremmel, Hope Page, and Cynthia Hamilton will bring that kind of leadership to the table.”
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“I’m very excited about winning a seat on the board,” says Lisa Tremmel, the 68-year-old retired banker who will be one of four new Hope Mills commissioners after Tuesday, edging out incumbent Elyse Craver by 25 unofficial votes, according to the Cumberland County Board of Elections. “I’m looking forward to working with the new commissioners to restore Hope Mills. Our common ground is the citizens’ voices. If we set aside our differences, we can work together to better our beautiful little town.”
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Fayetteville police responded to a reported shooting just after 5 p.m. on Nov. 3 along the 300 block of Waterdown Drive, where a 58-year-old man was found suffering from a fatal gunshot wound, according to a news release. The victim was transported to a local hospital, where he died. It is, according to the Fayetteville Police Department, the 35th city homicide of 2025.
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“As a veteran, I know firsthand the importance of recognizing and supporting those who have served,” Kirk deViere, chairman of the Cumberland Board of County Commissioners, says in a news release about Operation Green Light for Veterans, a national initiative where county buildings will glow green through Veterans Day. “With Fort Bragg in our backyard, Cumberland County shares an unmatched bond with our military, and Operation Green Light is a simple but powerful way for us to show our appreciation to veterans and their families.”
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Ann Provencher will be the keynote speaker for the Blue Star Memorial Veterans Day ceremony, which is scheduled for 11 a.m. on Nov. 11 at Freedom Memorial Park downtown, according to Sybil West with the sponsoring Cross Creek-Briarwood Garden Club. Once known as Armistice Day, the ceremony honors all branches of those present and past who have served in military uniform. Should it rain, the ceremony will be held at N.C. Veterans Park.
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“Bill, the article was wonderful,” Linda Lockamy writes in an email about my Oct. 29 column on the 100th anniversary of Massey Hill High School. “The walk down memory lane was beautifully written. Thank you for continuing to be the #1 journalist for our age group. I feel safe in saying those of us 70 years and older consider you ‘our’ journalist.” Sharing the memories with our CityView subscribers and readers, Mrs. Lockamy, of those who have walked the hallways of the old school along Southern Avenue for the past century and longer, was a joy.
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Artistic Director Mary Catherine Burke has outdone herself as director of the Little Shop of Horrors production at the Cape Fear Regional Theatre (circa 1962), and the musical includes a gifted cast of Deon Releford-Lee, the powerful singing voices of Emily Norah Samuelson, Hannah-Kathryn Wall as the blood-thirsty singing plant, theatre favorite Marc De La Concha and Kirk Osgood as the demented and narcissistic dentist. The musical, which includes songbirds Livia Robin, Briah Pack and Jasmine Simpkins, runs through Nov. 16 at the old Holiday Inn Bordeaux Convention Center at 1707 Owen Drive, and it’s marvelous. You’ll love the dentist, too.
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With the end of daylight saving time on Nov. 2, the Fayetteville Fire Department is urging residents to test smoke alarms and change batteries. “Nearly 60% of home fire deaths occur in homes without functioning smoke alarms,” Chief Kevin Dove says in a news release. “Early alerting is key to surviving a fire in your home and minimizing damage.” The FFD will install smoke alarms with the most up-to-date technology in the homes of residents at no cost. Visit Fayettevillenc.gov/Fire to request a home safety survey and free smoke alarm.
Coming Sunday: FTCC Dental Hygiene Class of 1975 together again
Bill Kirby Jr. can be reached at billkirby49@gmail.com or 910-624-1961.
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