Black leadership has expanded, but with growing pains
Troy Williams
The racial and gender composition of the Cumberland County Board of Commissioners, the Fayetteville City Council and the Hope Mills Board of Commissioners look a lot different today than they did a few decades ago.
The political landscape has changed considerably. Eight out of ten Fayetteville City Council members are African American, and six are female. Mitch Colvin, an African American, is in his second term as mayor. Several years ago, the city elected attorney Marshall Pitts Jr. as Fayetteville’s first Black mayor. He served two terms as well.
A new fiber-optic internet, television and phone service company is coming to Fayetteville, the Fayetteville-Cumberland County Economic Development Corp. announced Tuesday.
MetroNet and the city of Fayetteville are bringing the service to the region, making it MetroNet’s first expansion in North Carolina, officials said.
The Indiana-based company will spend more than $70 million on the project, which will serve Fayetteville, the towns of Hope Mills, Linden, Wade, Stedman, Godwin, Eastover, Falcon, Spring Lake, Vander, much of unincorporated Cumberland County and portions of Hoke County to include Raeford and Rockfish, officials said.
MetroNet President John Cinelli said projects of similar size usually take about two years.
FAYETTEVILLE – An Indiana company is going to invest more than $70 million to build a fiber-optic network in Fayeteville and provide broadband internet as well as other services across much of Cumberland County. Portions pf Hoke County will be included as well.
MetroNet, which is based in Evansville, is making its first investment in North Carolina.
The decision was announced Tuesday afternoon.
Spectrum and CenturyLink already offer broadband services in the area.
Prices for gigabit-speed internet are around $60. Multiple speed plans at different, lower prices also are available, according to the firm’s website.
“This tremendous investment brings unprecedented capabilities to existing businesses and gives Fayetteville the infrastructure and competitive edge needed to attract new business and grow jobs,” said City of Fayetteville Mayor Mitch Colvin in the announcement. “Beyond television and telephone services to residents and businesses, this ultrafast internet will al
Covering a mural around the Market House that said in part that “Black Lives Do Matter” on Monday was “incredibly bad timing,” the mayor of Fayetteville said.
Mayor Mitch Colvin made the comment at the beginning of a City Council meeting Monday. The meeting was shown on the city’s YouTube channel.
Colvin apologized and said he took ownership of the mistake. He said a contractor covering the words might not have considered the sensitive nature of doing the work after the events in Washington, D.C., last week.
On Wednesday, rioters incited by President Donald Trump took over the U.S. Capitol while Congress was finalizing President-elect Joe Biden’s victory. Members of Congress were taken to secure locations or hid during the insurrection.
Last week, a violent mob of Trump supporters invaded the U.S. Capitol in Washington. The rioters tried to intimidate Congress into letting Trump steal the November election he lost to President-elect Joe Biden.
In one disturbing image, a man carried a large Confederate battle flag through the hallowed halls of a building meant to represent all of us. Such a flag did not even appear in the Capitol during the Civil War.
Other protesters wore pro-Nazi shirts. A noose and scaffolding were erected across from the Capitol building.
If ever there is a time where we need peace and justice to prevail, it is now to counter those symbols we saw of racism and rebellion last Wednesday.