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Good morning. Fort Bragg’s over 50,000 active-duty military personnel, and their families, are gaining an additional local support system.

Blue Star Families, a national nonprofit military family support network, is launching the Fayetteville Greater Region Chapter to serve seven counties — Cumberland, Bladen, Harnett, Hoke, Moore, Robeson and Sampson. The group’s evidence-based programming aims to help veterans, service members and their families through employment services, counseling and community-based activities like museum tours.

This is the nonprofit’s thirteenth chapter and first in North Carolina. The chapter is celebrating the launch today from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. at Studio 215 on Williams Street. For more details, read our lead story.

Welcome to CityView Today. In today’s newsletter: Community members say they want the next Cumberland County Schools superintendent to be transparent and have experience as a teacher and administrator in a school system with similar enrollment. Elected officials and administrators butted heads at a joint city-county meeting Tuesday over the future of SRO coverage. And from The Assembly, a Venezuelan asylum seeker living in North Carolina legally was deported.

Thanks for reading,
Sarah Nagem
Border Belt Independent Editor

A Black mother in a U.S. Army uniform adjusts her son's hat, which is one of her uniform hats. Her son is also wearing her dog tag and one of her uniform jackets.
Credit: Sgt. Hubert Delany III / DVIDS

Blue Star Families expands its military support network with new Fayetteville area chapter

The nonprofit is launching the Fayetteville Greater Region Chapter to help the families of service members build community.

Continue reading.

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Meeting of local government officials yields few answers as renewal date for SRO contract looms

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The disappearance of Julio Zambrano

The Venezuelan asylum seeker was living in North Carolina legally. He has no criminal record, and there’s no evidence he was a gang member. So why did the Trump administration send him to a brutal prison in El Salvador?

Events

LADIES’ NIGHT OUT 2025

  • Where: The Carolina Barn, 7765 McCormick Bridge Road, Spring Lake
  • When: 4-9 p.m., Thursday, April 10
  • What: Cape Fear Valley Health presents CityView’s 5th Annual Ladies’ Night Out!

YOGA AT THE GARDEN

  • Where: Cape Fear Botanical Garden, 536 N. Eastern Blvd., Fayetteville
  • When: 6-7 p.m. today
  • What: Practice this calm eastern exercise taught by instructor, Ashley Clayton. All levels welcome!

ADULT WORKSHOP: INTRO TO PROPAGATION

  • Where: Cape Fear Botanical Garden, 536 N. Eastern Blvd., Fayetteville
  • When: 6-7:30 p.m. today
  • What: Join Horticulture Manager Chad Shelby for an introduction to plant propagation. Whether you’re looking to expand your garden or share plants with friends, this hands-on workshop will teach you the basics of propagating plants from cuttings, seeds, and more.

Find more events here.

Obituaries

Vivian “Peggy” Wilkins Burnett

Vivian “Peggy” Wilkins Burnett, 99, of Hope Mills, passed away on Friday, April 4.

David Leroy Howard

David Leroy Howard, 67, of Fayetteville, passed away on Monday, March 31.

Richard “Rick” Preston Thornton Jr.

Richard “Rick” Preston Thornton Jr., 66, of Fayetteville, passed away on April 3, 2025.

Find complete listings here.

Until tomorrow!

💃 Here with one last plug for CityView‘s signature spring event, Ladies’ Night Out. Come out to the Carolina Barn at McCormick Farms today from 4-9 p.m. for an evening of fun, dancing and supporting local businesses! Tickets are available online or at the door.

~ Maydha