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/1295188
8 UCW OCTOBER 7-13, 2020 WWW.UPANDCOMINGWEEKLY.COM e coronavirus pandemic has created many chal- lenges for every part of our daily lives. If you're a parent like me, you're probably well aware of the difficulties with remote learning. Unfortunately, these difficulties have impacted some families more than others. Last month, I heard from parents and school adminis- trators in our community about their concerns that spe- cial needs children were not able to access caregiving services during remote learning. is was due to a loop- hole that restricts families with special needs children from having respite care during the school day. is is an appropriate safeguard during normal times when students are able to attend school. But in a pandemic when children may be kept at home, these safeguards would not allow the program's intended purposes to work to provide care for children and relief for parents. As soon as I heard about this issue, I got to work. I immediately urged the Trump Administration to take action to rectify this situation and get support for special needs children in our community. After directly appeal- ing to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services Administrator Seema Verma, I am thrilled to report that last week, CMS granted a waiver for North Carolina to provide home and community-based services for these at-risk children. is would not have happened without parents reaching out to my office and is just part of my job to work on behalf of everyone in our community to solve problems. While the COVID-19 pandemic has created many challenges, families with special needs children deserve the peace-of-mind that they can continue to ac- cess caregiving services during this time. As we continue to address the coronavirus, I am committed to getting our community the resources we need so that ALL children can succeed. In addition to supporting students at this time, I also remain focused on rebuilding our economy. Also last week, I was proud to announce a $13.1 million Consolidated Rail Infrastructure and Safety Improve- ments Grant award from the U.S. Department of Trans- portation for the Aberdeen Carolina & Western Railway. I have had the pleasure of touring the ACWR rail operations based in Montgomery County. A lifeline throughout our entire region, the ACWR is critical to transporting goods and supporting jobs across the 8th District and our state. Last week's announced grant will enable many growth opportunities, particularly in rural areas, between Moore, Montgomery, Stanly, Cabarrus and Mecklenburg Counties. e funding will greatly improve ACWR's infrastructure and freight opera- tions and will attract new industry and jobs into this service area. It was a thrill to call ACWR Railway President Julie White to tell her the grant was awarded. Julie told me this grant was a "game changer" that will allow critical improvements to the rail line that will benefit farms and other businesses throughout our region. I am also excited about the impact this will have on bringing new jobs to our community. As your Congressman, I will continue to fight for common sense solutions to rebuild our economy, re- new the American dream for all Americans and restore our way of life. You can count on me to keep coming to work every day on your behalf, staying focused on public health, and doing whatever it takes to emerge from this time stronger than ever. Congressman focuses on students, rebuilding the economy by REP. RICHARD HUDSON OPINION REP. RICHARD HUDSON, R-N.C. COMMENTS? Editor@ upandcomingweekly.com. 910-484-6200. Owned & Operated by TWO BROTHERS Catering I n t i m on y a t T h e V i n e P riva te • R o m a n tic • A f f o rd ab le C u st o m C a teri n g by T w o B r o t h ers Intimony at THE VINE Event Venue Wedding Packages Meeting & Party Facilities CALL 910-584-9892 to host your event CALL 910-584-9892 eVineNC.com or TwoBrothersCateringNC.com 806 Katie Street Fayetteville NC (Of f Owen Drive behind O-Reilly's) M areena & J a m es ENJOYING A NEW SHOWER IS EASIER THAN YOU THINK *Oer valid only while supplies last. Limit one per household. Must be first time purchase. Minimum spend amount applies. Financing subject to third party credit approval. Some financing options cannot be combined with other oers and may require minimum monthly payments. All oers subject to change prior to purchase. See AmericanStandardShowers.com for other restrictions and for licensing, warranty, and company information. CSLB B982796; Suolk NY: 55431H;NYC:HIC 2022748-DCA. Safety Tubs Co. LLC does not sell in Nassau NY, Westchester NY, Putnam NY, Rockland NY. NEW SHOWER DESIGN ENJOYING A FREE IN-HOME DESIGN CONSULTATION CALL TODAY 150 YEARS OF EXCELLENCE newshowerdeal.com/up | 877-545-2439 A loophole prevented families with special needs stu- dents from accessing caregiver services during remote learning. After appealing to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, North Carolina was granted a waiver.