Up and Coming Weekly

1 month ago | upandcomingweekly.com | Kathleen Ramsey

“Oh, it's just a couple of steps," Breon Arzell says, laughing. "Dance is how we tell stories. That's how stories are told within our community. There's a fair bit of movement."Arzell is both the director and choreographer for Cape Fear Regional Theatre's upcoming production, Once On This Island. Arzell is outspoken and full of laughs. He jokes around with the actors beside him and always seems to be smiling. Arzell has done many productions before, but usually as the choreographer.

1 month ago | upandcomingweekly.com | John Hood

Roy Cooper will reportedly make some headlines next month. I have no idea whether he’ll announce a run for the U.S. Senate in 2026. If he does, the former governor will present a formidable challenge to incumbent Sen. Thom Tillis. If he doesn’t run, it will be at least partly because Cooper believes he’ll win — and the prospect of spending the next six years in Washington may fill him with more dread than delight. There’s one thing I know for certain, however.

1 month ago | upandcomingweekly.com | John Hood

You’ve heard it as often as I have: “we don’t make things here anymore.” It reflects the widespread belief that domestic manufacturing and other goods-producing industries have cratered since the implementation of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) in the mid-1990s and China’s entry into the World Trade Organization in 2001. It’s a myth. The output of American manufacturing is higher than ever, even after adjusting for inflation.

1 month ago | upandcomingweekly.com | Evey Weisblat

A provision in the North Carolina Senate-approved budget plan could eliminate millions of dollars Fayetteville receives each year for street maintenance and repairs through the Powell Bill. The Powell Bill provides municipalities with funds to pay for a range of street improvements and repairs, and it has done so since 1951, according to the N.C. Department of Transportation. It provided $185 million to municipalities last year for road maintenance, NCDOT reported.

1 month ago | upandcomingweekly.com | John Hood

The United States is celebrating its semiquincentennial — Americans launched their rebellion against British rule 250 years ago this month at Lexington and Concord. Today’s subject doesn’t fall precisely within the chronology. It does fit the broader theme, however: how North Carolinians have helped our country establish and honor its commitment to liberty. Some did so with words, others with deeds. John Swanson Jacobs did both.