FAYETTEVILLE, N.C. — The state Court of Appeals gave Fayetteville the green light to go through with its biggest annexation in history.

The city was supposed to annex 26 square miles and more than 42,000 residents of Cumberland County on Wednesday. However, opponents of the annexation plan got the state Court of Appeals to issue a temporary stay.

After the court's decision, City Manager Roger Stancil contacted the police, fire, and sanitation directors and ordered them to provide services as soon as possible.

The city of Fayetteville will pick up garbage only on those routes that are scheduled for pickup Thursday. Residents in the annexation area were given a schedule several weeks ago stating when their household and yard waste collection days were scheduled.

City leaders said they spent nearly $4 million preparing for annexation, but they lost some of the money when plans for annexation were put on hold.