News Episodes

Welcome back to the Carolina Cabinet, Cumberland County's smartest hour of talk radio. Peter Pappas and Laura Mussler broadcast live on Election Night from the Cumberland County GOP headquarters at 1707 Owen Drive in Fayetteville, bringing you the races, the returns as they came in, and the people behind the ballot. Through the night, the candidates, party leaders and volunteers who filtered into a packed headquarters sat down with us: Cumberland County GOP Chairman Bob Laverick on party unity; ...

Welcome back to another lively edition of the Carolina Cabinet, recorded live from the former Holiday Inn Bordeaux—now GOP headquarters—on Owen Drive. This episode captures the energy of an upcoming live election watch party, delves into behind-the-scenes technical preparations, and offers a spirited discussion on critical local issues facing Cumberland County. The conversation unpacks recent changes to zoning and regulation around data centers, the ongoing debate and developments surrounding ho...

Welcome back to the Carolina Cabinet, Cumberland County's smartest hour of talk radio. Peter Pappas sits down with Brooks Fuller, policy director at Common Cause North Carolina, about the State Board of Elections' September rule on absentee ballots: if the inner envelope comes back unsealed, the ballot is spoiled and the voter has to vote a new one or go in person. A federal judge declined to block it, and Common Cause is one of the groups that says it goes too far. Peter presses him on the judg...

Welcome back to the Carolina Cabinet, Cumberland County's smartest hour of talk radio. Peter Pappas and Laura Mussler take on the final week of early voting. Fayetteville City Council split 6–4 twice on data centers, and Peter explains why the city hasn't banned or paused anything while the county's own moratorium runs to December 15. Then the early-vote numbers: Cumberland County's opening day ran 53% ahead of 2022. Peter and Laura walk through all three constitutional amendments on your ballot...

Welcome to the Carolina Cabinet, Cumberland County's smartest hour of talk radio. Peter Pappas sits down with Cumberland County Commissioners Henry Tyson and Pavan Patel, both elected in 2024, to talk about getting out the vote and what's at stake in this year's at-large commission races. They walk through same-day registration during early voting, why they say county government should fund its core jobs first, the new water districts and the push for long-term drinking-water capacity after the ...

Welcome back to the Carolina Cabinet, Cumberland County's smartest hour of talk radio. In this episode, host Peter Pappas sits down with Rob Hasty, Republican candidate for Superior Court Judge in Judicial District 14A. A lifelong county resident, seasoned attorney with over 25 years of experience, and former certified mediator, Hasty shares insights into his legal career, the distinctions between Superior and District court, and his perspectives on judicial impartiality and local court operatio...

Welcome to a special edition of the Carolina Cabinet. This week, host Peter Pappas sits down with LaRue Windham, Republican nominee for Cumberland County Sheriff, for an in-depth conversation spanning his decades-long career in law enforcement, his family's legacy of service, and his vision for the future of the sheriff's office. From reminiscing about his first patrol car and favorite cop shows to outlining concrete plans for improving staff retention, pay, and public transparency, LaRue Windha...

Welcome back to another edition of the Carolina Cabinet, broadcast live from Cumberland County—your go-to hour for the smartest talk radio in the region. Join host Peter Pappas and co-host Laura Mussler as they deliver a rapid-fire, tightly packed episode exploring everything from early voting turnout, the shifting strategies and participation among Republicans, Democrats, and unaffiliated voters, to the big debates surrounding new data centers and their impact on local communities. Dive into a ...

Welcome back to the Carolina Cabinet, Cumberland County's smartest hour of talk radio. In this special session, host Peter Pappas sits down with State Sen. Tom McInnis, the Republican who represents North Carolina Senate District 21: all of Moore County and part of Cumberland County. McInnis grew up in Richmond County, built Iron Horse Auction Company, was first elected in 2014, and chairs the Senate Finance and Regulatory Reform committees. This November he faces Democrat Paul Taylor of Spring ...

Recorded April 27, 2026, after the March primary, in which Windham had no Republican opponent. Published as it aired; some of the news discussed has moved since. Welcome to the Carolina Cabinet, Cumberland County's smartest hour of talk radio. Peter Pappas and Laura Mussler are joined in studio for the full hour by LaRue Windham, the Republican candidate for Cumberland County Sheriff. The table opens on the gunfire at the White House Correspondents' Dinner and the question of where political vi...

Welcome back to the Carolina Cabinet. Host Peter Pappas sits down with Ron Ross, a Gray's Creek resident who spent 56 years with the Boys and Girls Clubs and the Republican candidate in a four-way race for two at-large seats on the Cumberland County Board of Commissioners. Ross says running a nonprofit taught him not to waste a dollar, and he points to the canceled downtown event center as the waste he's running against. He lives with PFAS-contaminated well water and argues Chemours should pay t...

Welcome back to the Carolina Cabinet. Host Peter Pappas sits down with Johnathaun Lee, an Army veteran and 15-year home health care business owner, and one of 16 candidates for three at-large seats on the Cumberland County Board of Education. Lee says his 2024 District 2 run taught him that a passion to serve isn't the same as the knowledge to serve. He explains why vouchers aren't the school board's call, and why he agreed with closing schools: the board has to manage buildings as facilities, n...

Welcome back to the Carolina Cabinet, Cumberland County's smartest hour of talk radio. Peter Pappas and Laura Mussler open the live show with two Cumberland County parents, Michelle Cazarez and Michel Santana, who pushed back when the district moved to end E.E. Miller Elementary's year-round calendar and Spanish immersion. They describe learning about the change from a February voicemail, why principals were left out of the loop, what a year-round calendar means for military families, and how pa...

Welcome to the Carolina Cabinet, Cumberland County's smartest hour of talk radio. Host Peter Pappas and co-host Laura Mussler are joined by Miles McKeller-Smith, Director of Public Relations for the Arts Council of Fayetteville|Cumberland County, and Tanner Port of the VFW Department of North Carolina. Miles previews the 48th annual International Folk Festival — opening on a Friday for the first time, with El Centro Hispano performances on Hay Street Friday night, the Parade of Nations Saturday...

Welcome to another lively edition of the Carolina Cabinet, recorded live and delivering Cumberland County's smartest hour of talk radio. Host Peter Pappas and co-host Laura Mussler are joined by Commissioner Glenn Adams for a wide-ranging discussion on the issues shaping Fayetteville, Fort Bragg, and beyond. The conversation kicks off with a Greek Festival recap before diving into Cumberland County's $161.5 million PFAS settlement with Chemours and what it means for local residents. The panel t...

On this episode of Carolina Cabinet, host Peter Pappas and co-host Laura Mussler welcome special guest Lia Hasapis for an energetic and wide-ranging conversation spotlighting Fayetteville's 36th annual Greek Festival. Lia Hasapis gives us an inside look at organizing this beloved cultural event, sharing what to expect in food, music, and community when the festivities kick off this weekend. But the Cabinet crew doesn't stop there—frank reflections on the 25th anniversary of 9/11 set a serious t...

Welcome back to another edition of The Carolina Cabinet, Cumberland County’s smartest hour of talk radio, hosted by Peter Pappas alongside the ever-engaging Laura Mussler and joined tonight by guest Paul Taylor. In this live episode, your hosts dive into the Fayetteville Police Department’s newly released crime report, scrutinize the implications of rising local utility rates and downtown parking fees, and dissect the latest developments and controversies swirling around the Board of Elections. ...

Welcome back to the Carolina Cabinet, Cumberland County’s smartest hour of talk radio! In this episode, Peter Pappas and co-host Laura Mussler sit down with Tom Hatch, a veteran educator with 32 years of experience in Cumberland County Schools—and now a candidate for an at-large seat on the school board. Together, they dig into the pressing challenges facing local education: declining public school enrollment, the unique struggles of middle schoolers, and the evolving landscape of choice program...

Welcome to another lively edition of the Carolina Cabinet, Cumberland County's smartest hour of talk radio, where we dive headfirst into the pressing issues shaping our region. This week, hosts Peter Pappas and Laura Mussler are joined by guest Broxy Pone for a spirited discussion about local politics, community activism, and the controversies swirling around Fayetteville's proposed data centers. You'll hear first-hand accounts from city council meetings marked by tension, passionate public com...

Welcome to another enlightening episode of "Carolina Cabinet" on WFAY 100.1 and WMRV 106.5. Today's episode features our dynamic panel, including Peter Pappas, M. Semone Pemberton, Carrie Jackson, and special co-host Bryan Moore. Join us as a Special Guest, Yenis Parton, describes her upcoming "Festival Latino" and all the events and opportunities available to the Hispanic and Latinx communities of Cumberland County and surrounding areas. We'll also discuss community events like the Dic...