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/1354891
WWW.UPANDCOMINGWEEKLY.COM MARCH 24-30, 2021 UCW 9 According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics' cur- rent population survey, North Carolina's unemploy- ment rate fell 0.2 percentage points in January 2021 to 5.9 percent. Fayetteville's unemployment rate of 7.94 percent was the highest of the state's ten largest cities. e unemployment rate in North Carolina peaked in April 2020 at 13.5%. e state's January 5.9% seasonally adjusted rate compares to 6.1% for December, the state Commerce Department said in a news release. e U.S. unemployment rate was 6.3% in January. e state rate peaked during the pandemic at 13.5%, recorded for both last April and May. e Occupational Employment Statistics program is a federal-state cooperative effort be- tween the North Carolina Department of Commerce and the U.S. Department of Labor's Bureau of Labor Statistics. Opioids cause more accidental deaths than car accidents Poisoning, including accidental drug overdose, is the leading cause of unintentional death in the United States, surpassing motor vehicle crashes, according to the Centers for Disease Control. Most unintentional deaths by poisoning are caused by the abuse and misuse of drugs, the CDC says. With many families spending more time at home during the COVID-19 pandemic, this is an important time to remove unwanted drugs from the home. Danger- ous prescription pills and medications can not only hurt loved ones but wind up in our water system if not disposed of properly. An average of four people die daily from overdoses in North Carolina with 79% of the deaths involving some type of opioid. e Fayetteville Police Department and Cumberland County Sheriff 's office have drug drop off bins in their lobbies. Some hospitals and pharmacies also have drop off kiosks. Canines are special in the U.S. Army A Military Working Dog is a canine that has been trained to protect humans in dangerous situa- tions. MWDs provide an extra layer of security that modern technology cannot replicate. A dog's nose has up to 300 million olfactory receptors to detect airborne odors. A canine can detect a single drop of a dangerous substance in more than 20 Olym- pic-size swimming pools. Earlier this month K-9 Veterans Day saluted these special members of the military family. WMDs have been honored locally with a statue at the Airborne and Special Operations Museum. Last month, retired military working dog Bogi traveled more than 4,000 miles from Japan to Hawaii to be reunited with her former handler, Marine Sgt. Angela Cardone. It was a reunion that deserves to be replicated every time an MWD retires from ser- vice. e 2016 National Defense Authorization Act mandated that handlers of working dogs be given first rights of adoption upon retirement. e law also stipulates that MWDs retire on American soil. Bridge construction continues on US 701 e U.S. 701 bridge spanning the Cape Fear River in neighboring Bladen County is temporarily oper- ating in a one-lane pattern so workers can safely put down more pavement needed for the construction of the new bridge. e two-lane bridge, which now carries northbound and southbound traffic, has been reduced to one lane. Drivers from each direc- tion take turns crossing the bridge under the guid- ance of workers displaying flags and stop signs. e new bridge is being constructed adjacent to the existing one. It's being built in phases, allowing bridge traffic over the river during construction. e project is scheduled to be completed with all four lanes opened by May 2024. Civic leader remembered e Fayetteville community was shocked to learn recently that long-time civic leader and orthodon- tist Dr. Frank Stout died earlier this month. He was 77. He practiced orthodontics from 1970–1998, when he retired. Dr. Stout and his father developed the Bordeaux Motor Inn and Convention Center, the Bordeaux Recreation Center, and the high-rise Apartel off Bragg Blvd. In 1998, he and his wife, Carolyn, made a major gift to Methodist University where he was Trustee/Emeritus. e donation led to the construction of Joe W. Stout Hall in memoriam to his father. e building houses the university's admissions office. Stout died on March 6. He is survived by wife Carolyn, son, Cam, and daughter- in-law Kelly Craver Stout. He was preceded in death by his older son, Frank Stout Jr. Easter Monday used to be a holiday in the Tar Heel State Easter 2021 will be observed this year on Sunday, April 4! e date changes every year and is related to the first full Moon of spring. In the United States, Good Friday is not a federal government holiday; but some states observe the holiday. Peculiarly, the Monday after Easter, rather than Good Friday as in every other state, was a legal holiday in North Carolina for 52 years. e bill establishing the holi- day was introduced by Senator Paul Davis Grady of Johnston County and was ratified on 19 Apr. 1935. Although no written documents support the claim, oral tradition has long maintained that the reason North Carolina celebrated Easter Monday was to afford fans a greater opportunity to attend the North Carolina State-Wake Forest baseball game, which for many years was played the Monday after Easter. State law was amended in 1987 to observe the holiday on Good Friday rather than Easter Monday. Fayetteville's unemployed numbers surpass other cities by JEFF THOMPSON NEWS DIGEST JEFF THOMPSON, Reporter. COMMENTS? Editor@upandcom- ingweekly.com. 910-484-6200. Dr. Frank Stout