Former Hope Mills Commissioner Jerry Legge was remembered Monday at the town’s board meeting as an elected leader who cared deeply about the old mill town he called home.
“Jerry was more than just a coach and more than just a board member,” Mayor Jessie Bellflowers said in calling for a moment of silence in memory of Legge, who died at age 82 on Sunday. “Jerry Legg was a friend to everybody that lived in Hope Mills… He cared deeply about the betterment of our community.”
Others remembering Legge were Mayor Pro Tem Hope Page, Commissioner Grilley Mitchell, and former commissioner Meg Larson.
“I am grateful for the opportunity to have worked alongside Commissioner Jerry Legge and even more thankful for the friendship we had,” Larson told CityView. “He was a true community pillar with a passion for Hope Mills. He not only loved our town, but his unwavering support for the youth and his contribution to the development of our young population were unmatched. He truly was a great man and one of a kind. I will miss him dearly.”
Legge served as a town commissioner from 2023 until December 2, 2025.
“We’re not just a town,” he said on his final day as a commissioner. “We’re a place where people want to live, and we’ve got to keep it that way.”
Town Hall will close at noon today for employees to attend Legge’s service, which is scheduled for 1 p.m. at Reeves Funeral Home in Hope Mills.
Fayetteville Mayor Mitch Colvin, state Rep. Mike Colvin, and Fayetteville Police Chief Roberto Bryan Jr. on Thursday joined with Mark Ezzell, director of the Governor’s Highway Safety Program, at the Airborne & Special Operations Museum to announce the 2026 “Labor Day Booze It & Lose It” campaign. They urged motorists about the dangers of getting behind the wheel while under the influence of drugs and alcohol. The statewide campaign, according to a news release, will be enforced from August 31 to September 13.
The Cool Spring Downtown District is recipient of a $55,000 Mission-Based Grant from the Arts Council of Fayetteville | Cumberland County in support of the annual slate of cultural arts programming in the downtown district. “With this support, we will be able to expand our work with local artists, expand our public art offerings, as well as our other cultural events and programs through the year” Ashanti Bennett, president and chief executive officer, for the nonprofit, said in a news release. The funds, according to the release, will support 4th Friday, the District Vibe, Art Alley, Love Local Valentine’s , Irish You Would, the St. Patrick’s Day bar crawl, Hoppin’ Around Downtown, The Nerd Market, the District NYE Spectacular, the Juneteenth Jubilee, Trick or Treat, Field of Honor, District Winterscapes, Holly Jolly Singalong, Letters to Santa, the District Holiday Tree, and Light Up the City.
Cape Fear Valley Health (CFVH) received a $1.6 million grant from The Duke Endowment to participate in the Maternal Infant Health Carolinas initiative, which is a multiyear effort focused on improving maternal and infant health outcomes across the Carolinas, strengthening care coordination, and advancing health equity.
“In Cumberland County, maternal health isn’t just a medical issue—it is a community crisis, with persistent racial disparities and preterm birth rates holding at a staggering 11.9%, the highest rate in the state,” Kathy Gavazzi, CFVH’s corporate director of Women and Children’s Services, said in a news release. “This grant will allow us to move beyond the clinic walls and address root causes such as housing, nutrition and mental health, because every mother in our county deserves a safe pregnancy and a healthy start for her baby.” The initiative supports Healing, Equity, Advocacy and Respect 4 Mamas and Babies, according to the release, which is a text- and phone-based screening and referral program developed by the Medical University of South Carolina.
Isaac Newton Farris Jr., the nephew of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., is scheduled as keynote speaker for the Unity Banquet, which is set for 7 p.m. tonight at New Life Bible Church, 1420 Hope Loop Road. The banquet, according to organizers, is in commemoration of the 63rd anniversary of the March on Washington. King delivered his “I Have a Dream” speech at the event in 1963, which drew 250,000 people to the National Mall in Washington, D.C. Farris is the senior fellow and former chief executive officer of the King Center in Atlanta. Banquet tickets are $50.
If you are feeling particularly patriotic on Sunday, you may want to consider attending Voices of Freedom 250th, which is scheduled for 6 p.m. at the Crown Coliseum. It features the Voices of Freedom Community Choir, which is a volunteer ensemble representing multiple churches and denominations throughout the community. All are welcome at no charge.
Coming Sunday: A farewell request from the Dolly, the “Book Lad.”
Bill Kirby Jr. can be reached at billkirby49@gmail.com or 910-624-1961.
