Fifty-four days since retired Special Forces soldier Clint Bonnell has been missing from his Gray’s Creek home, according to the Cumberland County Sheriff’s Office, when the 50-year-old failed to show up on Jan. 28 for classes in the Physician Assistant studies program at Methodist University. A deceased body discovered in a pond on Feb. 25 along Gainey Road, not far from Bonnell’s home on Butler Nursery Road, has been sent to the North Carolina Office of the Chief Medical Examiner in Raleigh for identification, according to the Sheriff’s Office. And a deceased body was discovered March 19 in the Cape Fear River near the Person Street bridge, according to published reports, and also has been sent to the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner’s Office for identification. There likely will be speculation over whether either of the bodies found in the pond or the river could be Clint Bonnell, but speculation is only speculation and not evidence. Meanwhile, this story of the missing retired Green Beret soldier remains an ongoing mystery.
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If you are the owner of a Dodge, Hyundai or Kia vehicle, the Fayetteville Police Department is warning to be extra vigilant about protecting your vehicles from thieves. “With the rise in thefts and attempted thefts of Dodge vehicles, along with the ongoing trend of Hyundai and Kia thefts, we want to remind citizens to secure their vehicles and consider using steering wheel locking mechanisms or alarm systems,” Capt. Leonard Honeycutt says in a news release. Never leave your vehicle running and unattended, the FPD cautions, even when pumping gas, going into a store or warming up your vehicle. Lock your doors and roll up your windows, even when parked in your driveway or garage. Park in well-lit areas and avoid isolated or secluded locations. Use a visible anti-theft device such as a steering wheel lock or alarm system. If you observe suspicious activity around a vehicle, call 911 and police immediately. In fact, that goes for all vehicles.
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Well, Fayetteville Police Chief Kem Braden made bail. “We are saddened by the news of Chief Braden’s departure as he has always been a great supporter of our charitable efforts,” Melissa Reid, executive director of the Fayetteville Police Foundation, says in a news release about Braden’s Jail N’ Bail participation on March 14 at city hall to raise funds for the foundation. “Working with Chief Braden has been an absolute pleasure. Raising funds to support our officers through events like this makes it all worthwhile. Recently, we were able to purchase 12 new handheld lighted stop signs, which will help traffic control officers keep children safe as they head to school in the early morning hours.” Braden is retiring March 31.
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So, the good news is that contractors are scheduled to replace a seven-foot-wide culvert along Raeford Road toward Haymount on March 31, according to a news release from the N.C. Department of Transportation. The new culvert will replace the old culvert built in the 1940s and improve drainage for the roadway. The not-so-good news for motorists is that the road will be closed in both directions until the $1 million project is scheduled for completion in November. Just follow the detour signs.
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Longtime community journalist Gilbert Baez is off and running as the new host of “Good Morning, Fayetteville!” the 6 a.m.-9 a.m. radiocast on WFNC 690 A.M. radio, and part of his new format is “Where Are They Now?” His guest Monday was Sue Byrd, the retired founder and director of Fayetteville Area Operation Inasmuch (circa 2007). Byrd cracked many an egg, fried a lot of bacon and buttered many slices of toast before sunup in her compassion for helping the homeless along Hillsboro Street in downtown Fayetteville. You got it right, Mr. Baez, with Sue Byrd.
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You just can’t say it better than Faith Phillips says about Miller’s Brew at Café West, which celebrated its grand opening March 12 at the West Regional Library at 7469 Century Circle in Fayetteville. “Miller’s Brew at Café West is not just a coffee shop—it’s an opportunity for young people with special needs to experience meaningful work in a warm, nurturing environment,” Phillips, the assistant county manager and library director, says in a news release. “Together, we’re not just serving coffee—we’re serving a brighter future for all. Here’s to many successful brews and lasting connections in this transformative space.” The Café West location is the second Fayetteville site for the nonprofit coffee shop, which connects, trains and employs young adults with developmental disabilities. Karl and Kim Molnar opened the original Miller’s Brew Coffee Shop in February 2023 at 1401 Morganton Road in Fayetteville. Miller’s Brew at Café West is open Tuesday through Friday from 7:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
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Draining the swamp is one thing, Mr. President, but draining my retirement savings is another.
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You can see the azalea buds, and spring is in the air.
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Chip Haigh was one of the good guys who grew up in Fayetteville, and always with congenial, pleasant and welcoming ways for all who came to know him. A graduate of old Fayetteville High School, he followed in his late father’s footsteps as a certified public accountant after graduation from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. He really was one of the good guys. Philip “Chip” Wiley Haigh III died at age 78 on March 9 in Holden Beach.
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Gail Fleck was the pretty young woman with the radiant smile and was crowned 1971 Miss Fayetteville. Along with her smile, she was blessed with a beautiful singing voice as a student at Terry Sanford High School and in the choir at the old Christ United Methodist Church. She wore her Miss Fayetteville crown with grace. Gail Fleck Harrington died at age 72 on March 14 at her home in Greenville.
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“I wanted to let you know how much I enjoyed and appreciated your recent article on my father,” Frank Lewis writes in an email about our March 9 CityView column on Richard “Dick” Lewis, who died at age 90 on Feb. 22. “I thought you summed things up well and your delivery was perfect. He was a great father and friend and will be missed. I am grateful for your time and effort to have written such a nice tribute to him. I also recall the article you wrote on my mother (Linda Lewis, 1941-2018) after her passing. It was another very well-done piece.” May we all be blessed with parents like Dick and Linda Lewis. I am sure, Mr. Lewis, your father and mother are at Rainbow Bridge with all the animals they cared for and loved throughout their lives.
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“Wonderful article on Kathy Armstrong,” Jimmy Townsend writes in an email about our March 16 column on the 55-year-old VanStory Hills woman who underwent a Dec. 18, 2024, heart transplant at Duke University Medical Center. “Well done, as usual. You have used your God-given talent wonderfully.”
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“Such great stories on Kathy Armstrong and Dick Lewis,” Joe Aboid of Lynchburg, Va., writes in an email about our CityView columns about Kathy Armstrong and Richard “Dick” Lewis. “I honestly felt I was in the room for both.”
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Chris Lucas, a consultant for academically and intellectually gifted students at Cape Fear and Westover high schools, has been recognized as the 2025 North Carolina Association for the Gifted and Talented Outstanding Teacher of the Gifted. “The award is a representation of the amazing level of support both schools and our district’s gifted department have provided,” Lucas says in a news release. “That support has allowed for vital growth in access to advanced coursework, academic development and personalized learning to match our young scholars’ unique interests and abilities.” Lucas was recognized at the 50th Annual NCAGT Conference awards ceremony in Concord.
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Felicia Brown is a substitute bus driver for Cumberland County Schools with her eyes on the roadways and her eyes on the students she transports to and from school. “Professionals like Ms. Brown provide parents with peace of mind that our children are well cared for, knowing that they are able to travel to school and have a safe and positive bus experience,” Karlotta Richards, a parent at Stoney Point Elementary School, says in a news release about Brown, who came to the aid of a dehydrated student on her bus. Brown is the school system’s Extra Mile Award recipient for March.
Coming Sunday: Behind the Event Center moratorium
Bill Kirby Jr. can be reached at billkirby49@gmail.com or 910-624-1961
We’re in our third year of CityView Today, and so many of you have been with us from day one in our efforts to bring the news of the city, county, community and Cape Fear region each day. We’re here with a purpose — to deliver the news that matters to you.
