Community Corner
🌱 Which familiar Fayetteville names just joined Cumberland County’s 2026 ballots?
And check out Fayetteville Bingo with Blue Cross NC on the Fayetteville Patch calendar
Good day Fayetteville! We're here again with what you need to know today. Grab a cup of coffee and read on. ☀️
In today's newsletter:
- Which familiar Fayetteville names just joined Cumberland County’s 2026 ballots?
- How one Fayetteville detective is reshaping missing person investigations
- Why a judge ended Fayetteville’s decade-long fight over burst neighborhood dams
Today's riddle: What did one magnet say to the other magnet? 🤔 (Answer below!)
Find out what's happening in Fort Braggfor free with the latest updates from Patch.
- Tuesday: Pleasant with some sun, with a high of 62 and low of 48 degrees.
- Wednesday: Plenty of sunshine, temps: high: 68, low: 43.
- Thursday: Partly sunny and very warm, with a high of 73 and low of 52 degrees.
📰 News we're reading
1. Get the list of candidates on Cumberland County ballots in 2026 elections (fayobserver.com) — Cumberland County voters, including those in Fayetteville, now have a full look at who’s running in the 2026 primaries and general election, from U.S. Senate down to sheriff and county commissioners. Familiar Fayetteville names like Mario Benavente and Larry Wright are jumping into key county races that will shape local leadership for years. 
Find out what's happening in Fort Braggfor free with the latest updates from Patch.
2. Homicide detective to oversee Fayetteville missing person cases (fayobserver.com) — Fayetteville residents should know a new homicide detective role now oversees all missing person cases for the city, including those that turn into homicides. Detective Holly Vernon, a Jack Britt High graduate and longtime Fayetteville officer, is reviewing every active case back to 1964 while handling about one new missing person report a day and supporting other homicide investigations.
3. Judge Rules Fayetteville Not Required To Pay For Four Burst Dams (cityviewnc.com) — Fayetteville homeowners learned this week that a Superior Court judge dismissed their nearly decade-long lawsuit seeking to force the city to help pay for repairing four private dams destroyed during Hurricane Matthew. The ruling, issued just before the case went to a jury, leaves neighborhoods like Arran Lake and Devonwood still without restored lakes and raises unresolved questions about the city’s responsibility for stormwater flowing through private properties.
4. Friends, family, fellow soldiers mourn Fort Bragg paratrooper who died in Fayetteville crash days from Christmas (cbs17.com) — Fayetteville police and Fort Bragg soldiers are grieving a 20-year-old paratrooper killed Friday in a motorcycle crash on Yadkin Road near Cimarron Drive. Friends have created a roadside memorial while investigators release few new details. His death marks the second fatal Fayetteville motorcycle wreck involving a Fort Bragg soldier in less than a month, heightening concern about local road safety.
5. Warrenwood's Kaitlyn Shepard Shines as a USA TODAY Amazing Teacher (fayobserver.com) — A first-year Warrenwood Elementary teacher in Cumberland County is being celebrated as a Smith Douglas Homes Amazing Teacher through a program run with The Fayetteville Observer. Kaitlyn Shepard’s engaging, relationship-focused style has boosted her first-graders’ enthusiasm and test scores, earning her local recognition and a shot at national USA TODAY teacher awards. Residents can also nominate other outstanding Fayetteville and Cumberland County educators online.
📸 Around Fayetteville
Show off your photography skills and the sights around town! Click here to submit your Photo of the Day to Patch AM!
📣 Fayetteville Shout Outs!
Want to say something great about someone in town? Click here to submit your Shout Out to Patch AM! It's free!
🗓 Events Nearby
- Fayetteville Bingo with Blue Cross NC
1800 Owen Dr , Fayetteville
4:00 pm - Bingo Game Night!
2860 Hope Mills Rd , Fayetteville
5:00 pm - Karaoke with DJ Gino
Lillington Area Chamber of Commerce , 432 E Cornelius Harnett Blvd , Lillington
7:30 pm - James Creek Cider House: Live Music from Mary Stone
James Creek Cider House , 172 U.S. Rte 1 , Cameron
2:00 pm - Complimentary Wine Tasting
Lillington Area Chamber of Commerce , 432 E Cornelius Harnett Blvd , Lillington
5:00 pm - Wayward Blues & Co. Live!
Dirty Whiskey Craft Cocktail Bar , 5431 Corporation Dr , Hope Mills
8:30 pm - KB Home Open House: 3 Great Communities, One great location!
Matthews Ridge , 51 Norman Ave. , Lillington
10:00 am - Elyse Meadows Open House this weekend
KB Sales Office , 1075 McDougald Rd. , Lillington
12:00 pm - James Creek Cider House: Live Music from David Brown
James Creek Cider House , 172 U.S. Rte 1 , Cameron
2:00 pm - Wonderland of Lights 2025
Aloha Safari Park , 159 Mini Ln , Cameron
6:00 pm - Sunday Funday
Parkton Animal Oasis , 1585 Armory Rd , Parkton
1:00 pm - Youth Camp - Cape Fear River Adventures
Cape Fear River Adventures Youth Adventure Summer Camp , 100 South Main Street , Lillington
Tuesday December 23
Wednesday December 24
Friday December 26
Saturday December 27
Sunday December 28
Monday December 29
Have we missed something on our calendar? Add an event yourself! As always, before attending confirm event details to ensure accuracy.
💬 Chatter
What your neighbors are talking about on social media
- "Run when you can,
walk if you have to, crawl if you must; just never give up" (Nextdoor Mosswood Ln) - Good morning 4 days until Christmas!
Today is the day of rest so everyone take 15-30 mins out for yourself to meditate or pray and give God the thanks he deserves. It’s a busy season… (Nextdoor Huntington Park)
- FAYETTEVILLE NC Dec 21 Climate: High: 66 Low: 28 Precip:" Snow: Missing... (X: iembot_rah)
- Thank you to everyone who joined us for our Fayetteville Labor on the Road event! Commissioner @LukeFarleyNC and the NC Department of Labor are... (X: NCDOL)
- Planet Fitness, Inc. posted a job opening for Day/Overnight Custodian in Fayetteville. Apply here.
- Burger King posted a job opening for Team Member in Fayetteville. Apply here. You can search for other jobs near Fayetteville here.
Ok Fayetteville! So now you're in the loop about what's happening today. Thanks for reading, and see you in your inbox next time! Oh -- and if you like what you're reading, invite a friend to Patch AM!
-- The Patch AM Team
P.S. The answer to today's riddle: I find you very attractive!
Got a good riddle for PatchAM? Send it to us!
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