Good morning. Fayetteville’s communications office is under fire after a botched press release raised questions about transparency and oversight.
A local advocacy group and several council members say the incident eroded public trust and revealed how easily official information can be reshaped without safeguards.
City spokesperson Loren Bymer admitted to CityView that the mistake was entirely his fault, saying his confusion during the meeting led him to issue the correction without consulting other staff. More in our lead story.
Welcome to CityView Today. In today’s newsletter, a federal judge says President Donald Trump must restore a FEMA program that allocated $18 million to Fayetteville and Cumberland County. Plus, the UNC System is considering requiring syllabi for all courses at state-funded universities be made available to the public.
Thanks for reading,
Rachel Heimann Mercader
CityView‘s Government Reporter
Council and Activists Press City Manager After Spokesperson’s Botched Press Release
They say the city manager must take action after a city spokesperson released inaccurate information.
More from CityView
Judge Orders Trump Administration to Release $18M in Flood Prevention Money to Fayetteville
Trump’s FEMA tried to unilaterally cancel funding in a national program that Trump and Congress created in 2018.
UNC System Weighs Requiring Course Syllabi to be Public
Some campuses reached different conclusions this fall about whether syllabi should be considered public records. Now, following similar moves in Florida and Georgia, the UNC System wants to dictate that they are.
Events
ART EXHIBIT: FRAMING FORM
- Where: Arts Council Galleries at Campbell House, 482 E. Connecticut Ave., Southern Pines
- When: 10 a.m.-5 p.m. today
- What: This show will feature photos by members of the Sandhills Photography Club and pottery by Beth E. Roy.
TAI CHI IN THE GARDEN
- Where: Cape Fear Botanical Garden, 536 N. Eastern Blvd., Fayetteville
- When: 10-11:30 a.m. today
- What: A Chinese martial art and system of calisthenics with very slow, controlled movements taught by Rich Martin.
CHRISTMAS IN THE PARK
- Where: Arnette Park, 2165 Wilmington Highway, Fayetteville
- When: 6-9 p.m. today
- What: Remain comfortably in your vehicle and drive through the park while taking in the sights and sounds of the Christmas season.
Obituaries
Shirley Carter Stevens
Shirley Carter Stevens passed away on Saturday, December 6.
Renate (Swiniarski) Varleta
Renate Varleta, 85, passed away on Monday, December 8.
Eric Wesley Miller
Dr. Eric W. Miller passed away on Saturday, December 6.
Until tomorrow!
📓 A Cumberland County Schools program collected more than 7,000 items to support the Fayetteville Veterans Administration (VA) Medical Center. Student2Student (S2S) is a peer support program to help students, especially those connected to the military, transition and navigate their schools and community.
