CityView is pleased to announce the addition of two new journalists to the newsroom.
Rachel Heimann Mercader is CityView‘s Fayetteville government reporter. Just prior to joining CityView, she earned her master’s degree from Northwestern University and served as a reporter for the Illinois Answers Project, a nonprofit investigative newsroom dedicated to watchdog journalism across the state.
Heimann Mercader has reported in Memphis, the Bay Area (California), Naples (Florida), and Chicago, covering a wide range of stories that center community impact and institutional oversight. Her previous investigative reporting has exposed corruption within local governments and unmasked sexual abuse scandals in a public school district, holding powerful institutions to account and amplifying the voices of those impacted.
“I see journalism as public service—the watchdog that keeps government honest,” Heimann Mercader said. “I’m eager to build on that mission by investigating how decisions are made, where public dollars go, and whose voices are heard.”
Outside the newsroom, she can often be found chasing after her 1-year-old daughter and discovering new spots around Fayetteville with her family.
Dasia Williams is CityView’s K-12 education reporter, covering Cumberland County Schools and the broader education landscape within the county. She graduated from North Carolina A&T State University in May 2024 with a degree in multimedia journalism.
Before joining CityView, she investigated historically Black colleges and universities at Open Campus Media and produced accountability reporting at The Charlotte Observer that held music venue owners in NoDa’s arts district responsible for safety and community concerns. She also worked as a digital content producer at the Chattanooga Times Free Press.
“I’m excited to join the CityView team and look forward to reporting on education in Cumberland County, helping our community better understand the challenges and successes happening in our schools,” Williams said.
Off the clock, she can be found cafe-hopping and reviewing coffee shops across Fayetteville.
Rachel Heimann Mercader, who started Oct. 6, can be reached at rheimann@cityviewnc.com. Dasia Williams, who started Oct. 9, can be reached at dwilliams@cityviewnc.com.
