Good morning. Twenty-six fifth-grade girls at W.H. Owen Elementary School are receiving free lessons on empowerment thanks to their school counselor Tanisha Dumas. Dumas, a five-year school counselor at the elementary school, was selected as one of 10 recipients of the national Dr. Patty Diversity Fellowship from Ruling Our eXperiences (ROX) — an evidence-based program that helps female students build confidence.
Dumas believes the training can give her fifth-graders the tools they need before sending them to middle school.
“We have the opportunity to give them a firm foundation,” she said. Learn about the program in today’s lead story.
Welcome to CityView Today. While the Cumberland Community Foundation’s campaign runs until 5 p.m. tomorrow, today is nationally recognized as GivingTuesday! Check out our previous coverage to get caught up on the global fundraising movement. Also, newly elected Cumberland County commissioners were sworn in last night — read that update below.
Thanks for reading,
Maydha Devarajan
Interim Editor-in-Chief
A girl’s girl: Cumberland County Schools counselor empowers female students to find self-love
W.H. Owen Elementary School school counselor Tanisha Dumas received a national Dr. Patty Diversity Fellowship. For the next two years, fellowship and Title I dollars will fund a female empowerment training for the elementary school’s fifth-grade girls.
Commissioners sworn in Monday
Newly elected Cumberland County Commissioners Kirk deViere, Pavan Patel and Henry Tyson were sworn in during a ceremony Monday night at the Crown Ballroom at the Crown Complex.
And in a 4-3 vote, the board elected deViere to be the chair. He was selected over Commissioner Marshall Faircloth.
The votes for deViere: deViere, Patel, Tyson and Commissioner Veronica Jones, who nominated him.
The votes for Faircloth: Faircloth, Commissioner Glenn Adams (the previous chair), and Commissioner Jeannette Council, who nominated Faircloth.
The board unanimously voted for Jones to be the vice chair.
“We’ve got some big decisions to make in the next few years,” deViere said in a speech Monday. “Our county’s growing, and how we handle that growth matters. We need to get it right as our children and our community deserve nothing less.”
Priorities include clean water across the county, deViere said, investment in public schools, affordable housing, affordable childcare for the workforce, and working better with Cumberland County’s municipalities.
DeViere, Patel and Tyson replaced former commissioners Toni Stewart (who lost her reelection effort), Jimmy Keefe and Michael Boose (who both chose not to seek reelection this year).
~ Paul Woolverton
More from CityView
50 years down the road, rock’s Kansas continues to carry on
The band performs Dec. 5 at the Crown Theatre as one of the final stops on its 50th anniversary tour.
GivingTuesday: Four ways to give in Cumberland County this holiday season
In case you missed it, here’s a look at a few of the Cumberland County nonprofits participating in the 2024–2025 GivingTuesday campaign.
GivingTuesday: Strengthening Cumberland County through local generosity
Wondering what GivingTuesday is? Cumberland Community Foundation continues annual tradition of community philanthropy to uplift local organizations.
Events
RCC UNIVERSITY TRANSFER FAIR
- Where: Robeson Community College, 5160 Fayetteville Road, Lumberton
- When: 8:45-10:30 a.m. today
- What: Get information about transferring to universities around the state.
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.
MUSIC BINGO TUESDAY
- Where: Big Harry’s Tavern, 3030 Fort Bragg Road, Fayetteville
- When: 8 p.m. today
- What: Join this exciting game of music bingo!
Obituaries
Deloise A. Lucy
Deloise A. Lucy, 74, of Elizabethtown, passed away on Tuesday, Nov. 26.
Ruth Ledford Ruppe
Ruth Ledford Ruppe, 93, of Fayetteville, passed away on Monday, Nov. 25.
Dorothy Margaret LaRock
Dorothy Margaret LaRock, 82, of White Oak, passed away on Tuesday, Nov. 26.
Until tomorrow!
🌴 I’m in Florida this week for a journalism training program. Excited to come back with fresh ideas for 2025.
~ Maydha
