Lenora Wiseman leaves an indelible mark on this community as the compassionate and caring matriarch of Wiseman Mortuary, circa 1970, along Cumberland Street in downtown Fayetteville. “Mrs. Wiseman has been a staple in this community a long time,” said Glenn Adams, chairman of the Cumberland Board of County Commissioners. “A cornerstone of the community. Every church and every pastor knew her. It didn’t matter who you were, she treated bereaved families with integrity and compassion. She did my mother’s funeral, and I know how she treated my family. She was a strong woman, too … When adversity came and burned the funeral home, she built it back. She was the face of Wiseman, and everybody knew her.” Lenora Thompson Wiseman was 89 when she died Dec. 29. Mrs. Wiseman’s service is scheduled for noon Monday at Simon Temple A.M.E. Zion Church, with interment at Fayetteville Memorial Cemetery.
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There were 49 city homicides in 2023, Police Chief Kemberle Braden says, with two more deaths awaiting results from the state Medical Examiner’s office in Raleigh. “It could be 51,” Braden said Tuesday. The 49 homicides are the most in city history. “There’s nothing we can do until we say, ‘Life is sacred,’” the police chief said. We’ve wasted no time into 2024, with the homicide of a 36-year-old man, according to the Fayetteville Police Department, found deceased in the backyard of a home on Harris Street near Murchison Road.
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“There is no Black and there is no white,” the Rev. Archie Barringer told the Fayetteville City Council on Nov. 13 in calling for removal of the “Black Lives Do Matter” inscription that encircles the controversial Market House. A retired chaplain, the 73-year-old Barringer plans to return to the scheduled City Council meeting on Jan. 8 to again plead for removal of the painted inscription that, Barringer believes, has served its purpose. “God sees us all the same,” Barringer said at that Nov. 13 council meeting.
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Those long, arduous and overdone presentations are coming to an end at Fayetteville City Council meetings, according to Mayor Pro Tem Kathy Keefe Jensen. One more is scheduled, and then those recognitions will be done once a month, and not at council meetings. The presentations will be available via the city website.
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If you are looking for a good report card, look no further than Daniel Edwards, director of the city's Solid Waste Division, and who told the Fayetteville City Council on Tuesday that customer satisfaction from residents is at 99%. Count me among the 99%.
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“I am excited and humbled to be working alongside such a dedicated and talented team of professionals in Division 6,” Lee Jernigan said in a news release about being selected as the acting Division 6 engineer for the N.C. Dept. of Transportation. “I have already seen how these employees take pride in serving the public, improving the transportation network and delivering projects that people need and want.” Jernigan, according to the release, returned to the NCDOT in May 2023 to serve as the Division 6 deputy engineer after an 11-year career with the city of Fayetteville as traffic engineer, interim director for engineering and infrastructure and assistant director of public services. He worked previously for 17 years with the NCDOT Division 6 headquartered in Fayetteville that is responsible for Bladen, Columbus, Cumberland, Robeson and Harnett counties. Jernigan is a graduate of N.C. State University with a degree in civil engineering. Division 6 has a pro in Lee Jernigan at the helm.
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A big night is coming at the end of the month for the Greater Fayetteville Chamber when the chamber is scheduled to announce winners at its 125th anniversary of honors recognizing the prestigious Realtor’s Cup, Business of the Year, Small Business of the Year, Outstanding Educator of the Year and Nonprofit of the Year, among other accolades. I have two nominees on my list — Terminix, owned by David Nimocks, for the business honor; and Northside Tire, owned by Frank Moulden in north Fayetteville, for the small business award. If you are looking for sound and well-operated businesses, look no further than Terminix and Northside Tire. And, if you are looking for an educator, look no further than Steven Barbour, the dedicated AP World History teacher at Terry Sanford High School. The awards ceremony is scheduled for 6 p.m. on Jan. 30 at The Carolina Barn at 7765 McCormick Bridge Road in Spring Lake.
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Give me the summer heat. These cold nights of winter bring out white flags for me, too, and heating oil for the furnace doesn’t come cheap.
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“Enjoyed reading about your self-improvement plans,” the Rev. Keith Smith wrote in an email about our Jan. 2 column on my plans to clean out my closets and donate the used, but well-conditioned, oversize clothes to Goodwill. “We all need this."
"I have a better solution for disposal," writes Rev. Smith, who suggested making donations to the Orphans thrift stores located across Cumberland County. The thrift stores support efforts of the Orphans of Kenya project.
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James Christian was a former member of the Spring Lake Board of Alderman, and he was dedicated when it came to serving the town adjacent to neighboring Fort Liberty. He didn’t polish his alderman’s badge for residents to see. He simply offered a receptive ear to any resident’s concerns, and then he worked to address those concerns. A retired soldier, he had a heart for others. A big heart for others. James Christian was 62 when he died Dec. 30. A committal service is scheduled for 2 p.m. on Jan. 9 at Sandhills State Veterans Cemetery.
Bill Kirby Jr. can be reached at billkirby49@gmail.com or 910-624-1961.
