Up and Coming Weekly is a weekly publication in Fayetteville, NC and Fort Bragg, NC area offering local news, views, arts, entertainment and community event and business information.
Issue link: http://www.epageflip.net/i/1293178
WWW.UPANDCOMINGWEEKLY.COM SEPTEMBER 30-OCTOBER 6, 2020 UCW 9 Fayetteville Technical Community College has been chosen for a project aimed at better preparing early childhood education teachers to meet the needs of children in their communi- ties. e project focuses on helping instructors with associate degrees to be better prepared to assist young children, including those with di- verse cultures, languages and abilities, and their families. It's guided by the Frank Porter Graham Child Development Institute at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and supported by a $750,000 grant from the U.S. Department of Educa- tion. Beginning next spring a team from FTCC will work with the FPG Child Development Institute to enhance the department's courses to ensure they provide practical experiences, diversity and inclusion for all students. Instructor Karly Walker will lead FTCC's team. "We are overjoyed in being selected to participate," said Dr. Rondell Bennett, chair of the Early Childhood Education Depart- ment at Fayetteville Tech. "is opportunity will further enhance what we are already doing." FTCC is one of three North Carolina community colleges selected for participation in the employee devel- opment plan. Commissioners Amend Incentives Agree- ment, Approve Contracts During its regular board meeting on Sept. 21, the Cumberland County Board of Commissioners amended an economic development incentives agreement with Campbell Soup Supply Company and approved contracts for Workforce Develop- ment Services and Sheriff 's Office uniforms. Commissioners approved extending the dead- line by one year to Dec. 31, 2020, for the company to add at least 100 new employees. e company requested the extension because construction on its new distribution facility in the Cedar Creek Business Center was significantly delayed by hur- ricanes. e company projects it will have hired 112 employees by the deadline. e board also approved an associated budget amendment for $248,000 for the economic incentive payment due in March 2021 based on the contract terms of re- imbursing the company 75% of the county tax. e board also approved contracts for workforce development services for fiscal year 2021. Two Hawk Workforce Services, LLC, a North Caro- lina limited liability company headquartered in Lumberton, was selected by the Workforce Devel- opment Board to be the provider of both program delivery and one stop operator services. Each of these contracts commences October 1, 2020, for a term ending June 30, 2021, with an option for two one-year extensions. Improved Fayetteville fire protection e Fayetteville Fire Department has been awarded a $2.8 million grant from the U.S. De- partment of Homeland Security. e grant will fund all salary and benefit costs for 18 additional firefighters for three years, after which the city will be responsible for funding the employees. "We currently staff a minimum of three fire fighters on all fire engines and ladder trucks," Fire Chief Mike Hill said. Five of the department's 15 fire stations house single units — stations 2, 12, 16, 15 and 19. e new positions will be assigned to these sta- tions so they will have a minimum of four firefight- ers on their respective engines. "is ensures that we provide a minimum of four firefighters on the initial arriving response force," Hill said. "is is much safer for the firefighters and more efficient as they initiate critical tasking elements" prior to the arrival of additional engines. Hill told Up & Coming Weekly he hopes to have the new positions on board for training in December and available for assignment by July 2021. I-95 improvements for Robeson County e N.C. Department of Transportation is seek- ing public feedback on plans to widen a 9-mile section of Interstate 95 in Robeson County. DOT proposes to increase the number of travel lanes to four in each direction from Exit 13 to just south of Exit 22 in Lumberton. ree interchanges (Exits 17, 19 and 20) will be significantly upgraded, and bridges that cross the Lumber River and CSX rail line will be replaced. A presentation of what the improvements should look like was given during a recent virtual meeting. People will find videos and other project information on DOT's project webpage. Questions or comments on the project may be submitted by Oct. 15. e project has an estimated $418 million construction cost, and the department is scheduled to award a design-build contract next summer. Colorful art display coming to Fayetteville An internationally celebrated exhibit of 25, 6-foot tall, pivoting prisms will be staged in some outdoor areas of downtown Fayetteville as a part of an effort to draw visitors downtown to play, shop and dine. e unusual displays will be posted during October. e Cool Spring Downtown District is partnering with Fayetteville's Public Works Commission to present "Prismatica." e Toronto-based, architectural firm RAW Design is responsible for the conception and execution of this art project, in collaboration with ATOMIC3. Prismatica made its debut in 2014 at the Place des Festivals in Montreal, where 50 pivoting prisms transformed the outdoor space into a giant kalei- doscope. Since then, "Prismatica" has been on a world tour, lighting up 26 cities in five countries, to include Fayetteville, Houston, Jerusalem, Israel, London, Lugano and New York City. FTCC selected for early childhood education project by JEFF THOMPSON NEWS DIGEST JEFF THOMPSON, Reporter. COMMENTS? Editor@upandcom- ingweekly.com. 910-484-6200.