Kemberle Braden, who takes over as the city’s new police chief on Jan. 18, says addressing violent crime will be among his initial strategies in the coming year, and those are some welcome words for many of us in this community.
“We’ll start conversations and develop strategic plans that align our departmental strengths with the needs of our community,” Braden was saying Dec. 28, when City Manager Doug Hewett announced that the 49-year-old veteran officer will succeed Chief Gina Hawkins, who retires after 51/2 years on Jan.17. “There will be many conversations concerning recruitment, retention and strategies to address violent crime.”
Shootings and homicides have become far too common in the city, and it is good to hear the new chief has violent crimes and homicides high on his radar.
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While James Nolette, the assistant police chief, narrowly missed out on becoming head of the Fayetteville Police Department, the 47-year-old veteran policeman says he will be right there working in support of Braden.
“He’ll do a good job,” Nolette says about Braden. “It’s all good, and I am still committed to the Fayetteville Police Department.”
Nolette is a class cop and a class individual who knows how to deal with people when it comes to being a lawman, and Nolette and Braden hold a mutual respect for one another.
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“Bill, I have always appreciated your remembrance of those good citizens that Fayetteville has lost during the year,” David Callahan, a former Fayetteville resident now living in Chapel Hill, writes in an email about our Dec. 28 and 30 yearend columns of local residents who died in 2022. “Your comments are kind and appropriate. Ocie Murray died on Memorial Day of this year. His service was held in the Williamsburg, Virginia, area where he was born. Ocie was a long-term friend of mine, and our children were close in age. He was also my personal and business attorney for over 30 years. He was a very private person, however, those of us that had the privilege of knowing and working with him had personal knowledge of his character, integrity and competence as an attorney and individual. His plans were to retire in the Williamsburg area. He had resided in Fayetteville since the early ‘70s. I was not certain if he was to be included in your Dec. 30 column, however, I wanted to make you aware of his death.” Fortunately, Mr. Callahan, CityView is a digital publication. His passing is now listed in the Dec. 28 publication.
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“Bill, thank you for your Christ centered piece for Christmas day,” Ellis Felton writes in an email about our Dec. 25 column on the true meaning of Christmas — the birth of Jesus.
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“Absolutely wonderful article about the true meaning of Christmas,” Carol Quigg writes in an email about our Christmas Day column. “I loved every single word. You hit this one out of the park. Thank you, Bill.”
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“Good words from all who were interviewed and great way to start this sacred day,” Bob Cogswell writes in an email about our Christmas Day column that featured the Rev. John Hedgepeth, senior pastor at Northwood Temple Church; the Rev. Fredrick Culbreth, senior pastor at First Baptist Church on Moore Street in downtown Fayetteville; the Rev. Chip Stapleton, senior pastor at Highland Presbyterian Church in Haymount; the Rev. Selvyn A. Lindo, senior minister at Evans Metropolitan AME Zion Church downtown; and the Rev. Blake Benge, senior pastor at Snyder Memorial Baptist Church on Westmont Drive. “Read a devotional recently that called to light the first picture in scripture of Jesus was that he was wrapped in a cloth and one of the last was the cloth in the open tomb.”
Cogswell also weighs in with his disliking about other columns to include the Market House not being decorated for Christmas and a concern about the Judge E. Maurice Braswell Cumberland County Courthouse parking lot as the site for the $85 million multipurpose event center.
“Hope the parking issue,” Cogswell writes, “will not become the Achilles heel of the performing arts center.”
You are right, Mr. Cogswell, on all counts.
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“Hi Bill, I just wanted to say thank you for your excellent reporting,” Jean Pennell writes in an email about our CityView newsletter now being sent to 54,000 people each day. “I get more local news from the daily email you folks send. Just wanted to say thanks again.”
We are pleased to have you as one of our many readers, Mrs. Pennell, and thank you.
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If you have procrastinated and haven’t paid your 2022 property taxes for real estate and personal property, you have until Thursday. After that date, you’ll be delinquent, according to the Cumberland County Tax Administration office. And that means interest accrual to your property tax cost and possibly enforced collections such as a bank levy, wage/rent garnishments and potential foreclosure. You may pay in person by cash, money order, check or debit and credit card at the Tax Administration office beginning Tuesday in Room 530 on the fifth floor of the Judge E. Maurice Braswell Cumberland County Courthouse at 117 Dick St. If paying by check, you may use the drop box outside Room 530 near the customer service entrance of the Tax Administration office. Payments are collected from the drop box three times every business day — in the morning, at midday and at the end of the business day. Residents also can pay their taxes online, by mail or by phone. Go to cumberlandcountync.gov/tax to pay online with an electronic check, debit card or major credit card. A service fee of $3.80 will apply to all payments processed using a Visa or Mastercard consumer debit card. All other consumer debit and credit cards will be charged a convenience fee of 2.50% of the amount paid or minimum of $2, whichever is greater. Business cards, purchasing cards, American Express or other High Rewards cards will be charged a convenience fee of 3.25%. To pay by phone, call 1-866-441-6614. The address to pay taxes by mail is Cumberland County Tax Collector, P.O. Box 449, Fayetteville, N.C. 28302-0449. Mailed payments must be made with a check or money order payable to Cumberland County Tax Collector. If you have questions before paying your bill, email them to taxweb@cumberlandcountync.gov or call 910-678-7507.
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Bill Kirby Jr. can be reached at billkirby49@gmail.com or 910-624-1961.
