Monday was that long-awaited day when 64 medical students began orientation toward healthcare careers at the Methodist University Cape Fear Valley Health School of Medicine behind Cape Fear Valley Medical Center along Village Drive.
“I felt extraordinarily happy for our entire city, county and region,” said Hershey Bell, 68, who is founding dean of the school. “I reflected on the tens of thousands of hours of preparation that went into making today a reality. I reflected on the faith that Methodist University and Cape Fear Valley Health had in our team to deliver an excellent product. And I felt gratitude that 64 students walked through our doors with excitement on their faces eager to begin their journey to becoming a physician.”
It also was a red-letter day for Rakesh Gupta, 71, the retired gastroenterologist who currently is a trustee for Methodist University and Cape Fear Valley Health. Gupta played a leading role in bringing the school to this community. “The real journey now begins with hope and excitement,” Gupta said. “What was a dream is now a reality. My wife, Vinita, and I are very happy to see the medical school come to fruition.” The Guptas on July 11 gifted $500,000 toward merit scholarships in support of the first-year students. Let the teaching and learning begin for these students, and welcome to Fayetteville.
Social media scuttlebutt that Highsmith-Rainey Specialty Hospital on Robeson Street is closing is little more than scuttlebutt. “Highsmith is not closing,” Dan Weatherly, chief executive officer for Cape Fear Valley Health, said Wednesday. “We are not continuing with the ExpressCare there,” effective July 31. Patients seeking treatment for minor illnesses and injuries are encouraged to visit one of the following locations: SameDay Medical at 6201 Raeford Road or Health Pavilion North ExpressCare at 6387 Ramsey St. “Highsmith-Rainey Specialty Hospital remains open to provide inpatient care and to serve those patients with complex medical issues and need long term acute care,” said Sabrina Brooks, vice president of philanthropy and marketing for the health system. “This inpatient care is not impacted by the closing of the ExpressCare.”
Robb Twaddell’s idea of incorporating the Gray’s Creek Township didn’t draw much traction from residents last week at Paradise Acres, and longtime resident Dennis Walters is one of them. He said two people raised their hands in favor. “They asked how many were opposed,” Walters said Wednesday, “and everybody raised their hands.” Should Gray’s Creek ever find itself incorporated, Dennis Walters would be a great mayor and his wife, Susan Walters, a perfect first lady.
Sarah Busman has been promoted to vice president following five years of leadership at the Arts Council of Fayetteville | Cumberland County. “Sarah’s leadership, institutional knowledge and commitment to our mission have helped shape many of the Arts Council’s most successful initiatives over the past five years,” Kennon Jackson Jr., new president and chief executive officer for the Arts Council, said in a news release. “She will play a critical role in helping guide the organization’s next chapter.” Busman has been with the Arts Council for five years and most recently was community engagement director. Other promotions are Michael Houck as artistic communities director and Josh Murray as community grants and development director.
Fayetteville Police Chief Roberto Bryan Jr. is encouraging city neighborhoods to participate in National Night Out, which is August 4. “National Night Out is all about bringing neighbors, community, law enforcement, our public safety personnel all together in a relaxed setting,” Bryan said in a video shared on social media. “Across Fayetteville, neighborhoods will be hosting cookouts, games, music and family-friendly gatherings.” The city has additional details online as well as a list of National Night Out events.
Plenty of Cumberland County residents with beach homes in Wrightsville Beach, Carolina Beach, Kure Beach, and Bald Head Island use N.C. 87 south for their weekend get-a-ways, and the intersection at N.C. 11 in Columbus County long has been a place of concern for motorists. Safety improvements have been underway for some time and the N.C. Department of Transportation said this week that beginning July 29, all N.C. 11 traffic will be shifted to a new bridge over N.C. 87. That’s welcome news for motorists.
Sybil West says a final tally on funds raised in support of local and state nonprofits in April at the “Eloise Jenkins Roundtable Mission Banquet” at Snyder Memorial Baptist Church was $30,000, which is $10,000 more than anticipated. Quite a way forWest to end her years as the longtime chair of the fundraiser.
Lisa Troutman was an educator for Cumberland County Schools with a passion for bringing out the best in students and teachers alike. “Her legacy,” Troutman’s obituary read, “lives in the thousands of children whose lives she touched, the educators she mentored, the military families she encouraged, and the countless friends who experienced her kindness, optimism and generous heart.” Dementia is a cruel disease without a conscience. Lisa Lynn Dorman Troutman was 63 when she died July 13.
“Bill, I loved your story about Chanda Walker,” Kim Usher wrote in an email about the July 12 column on the 39-year-old woman, who is a recovering alcoholic and drug user. Now, Walker is helping others with addictions at the Myrover-Reese Recovery Homes on Wilkes Road. “I hope it will encourage someone to reach out and get help. Thank you for writing such an inspiring piece.”
“It is wonderful,” Margaret Hedgecoe writes about the July 19 column on the life of Carolyn Strickland, the last living founder of Northwood Temple Church in north Fayetteville. “I had to quit reading because of tears clouding my vision. I would expect no less from you. I will finish it soon. I knew so many of those people.” Carolyn Riddle Strickland died at age 94 on July 4.
Wildlife seems to have a hankering for me. First, it was those menacing raccoons climbing on my roof, including the one who found his way into my attic to the tune of more $2,000 in damage. Now, lo and behold, the Canada geese from the nearby Village Green neighborhood have found their way to Arlington Avenue. I can live with the Canada geese, but the raccoons are another story.
Brian Adam Kline is the artistic director in charge of the CAMEO Collective at the Cameo Art House Theatre downtown, and he’s singing praises of the Arts Council of Fayetteville | Cumberland County, the theater’s nearby neighbor, for awarding a $10,000 Grassroots Art Project Grant for the 2026-2027 season. “This generous investment from the Arts Council allows us to continue preserving the shared experience of classic cinema while making these timeless films accessible to audiences throughout Cumberland County,” Kline said in a news release. “Classic films are more than entertainment. They are art and an important part of our cultural history. This grant helps ensure that our community can continue gathering to experience these iconic films on the big screen, where they were meant to be seen.” You can’t go wrong with film classics of yesteryear.
Coming Sunday: Terry Sanford High School golfers bring home a national title in a banner season.
Bill Kirby Jr. can be reached at billkirby49@gmail.com or 910-624-1961.
