Up & Coming Weekly

November 09, 2021

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.

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WWW.UPANDCOMINGWEEKLY.COM NOVEMBER 10-16, 2021 UCW 9 e Cumberland County Board of Com- missioners and Fayetteville City Council have agreed to award up to $1.25 million each to help with costs related to a distribu- tion center planned for Fayetteville. Robert Van Geons, President and CEO of the Fayetteville Cumberland Economic Development Corporation has confirmed that a U.S.-based company is considering Fayetteville for a large distribution center. Official documents indicate that Amazon is the firm involved, but that has not been confirmed by officials. e planned distribution center, in the Military Business Park off Santa Fe Dr. will span more than 1 million square feet. For the company to receive the grants it must commit to investing $100 million in real es- tate and equipment in Cumberland County over the next five years and hire more than five-hundred full-time workers with an aver- age annual wage of about $33,000. Local soccer fields now have lights A $2 million investment has been made to Fayetteville's Jordan Soccer Com- plex adjacent to Methodist University, including the addition of new lights. e money comes from the 2016 voter-approved Parks and Recreation Bond Referendum. Operating hours will expand now that the fields are lighted. e soccer complex includes eight fields, public parking and access to the Cape Fear River Trail. e complex is located at 445 Treetop Drive off Ramsey Street "is is a game changer for Fayetteville," Fayetteville-Cumberland Parks and Rec- reation Director Michael Gibson said. "Our residents deserve world-class 21st century Parks and Recreation facilities." e city of Fayetteville operates the Jor- dan Soccer Complex through a partner- ship and lease with Methodist University. Cumberland County Schools cel- ebrate American Indian Heritage Month e Cumberland County Schools Office of Indian Education is celebrating Ameri- can Indian Heritage Month by posting daily videos of American Indians from across the country representing their respective tribes. Each video will be shared on the school district's Facebook page. Members of the Lumbee Tribe Ambas- sadors and the Cumberland County Cul- ture Class also visited E.E. Miller Elemen- tary School to share their culture through dance on Nov. 1 to kick of the month. "Native Americans are still here," said Rodney Jackson, coordinator of Cumberland County Schools' Office of Indian Education. "We still exist and we are more than just a mascot. We are a culture."1.47% of students who attend Cumberland County Schools are Native American. at's ap- proximately 747 students. Loose leaf season begins soon Vacuum trucks will soon begin collect- ing curbside leaves and pine straw by zip code. Collections will begin at house- holds in the 28314 zip-code area on Nov. 22. Leaves and pine needles should be placed at the curb not in the street on the first day of the assigned pickup period. Piles should contain leaves and pine straw only. No tree limbs or other yard debris. Visit fayettevillenc.gov/leafseason for details on the loose-leaf collection dates. Residents can contact the Fayetteville call center at 910-433-1329 if they have questions. Methodist University receives $14 million gift Methodist University has received a record-setting gift of $14 million. More than $12 million will go directly to student scholarships while $1.5 million will go towards to the nursing program's new fa- cility. e money was given to the university by Robert J. Chaffin's estate. Chaffin served on the Administrative Board and the Board of Trustees for Camp Ground Methodist Church in Fayetteville. He died earlier this year at the age of 93. "Mr. Chaffin clearly was not looking for attention to his generosity during his life- time. Quietly, very much behind the scenes, he was working on building a highly suc- cessful financial portfolio for the purpose of one day making a transformative gift to the university," said MU President Stanley Wearden. "While we knew he had established a bequest for the university, Mr. Chaffin never shared the full extent with us nor asked for any thanks in return." Blood donation shortage affecting local hospitals Phil Harris, the executive director of the Sandhills Chapter of the American Red Cross, says that they are trying to make the general public aware of the constant need hospitals are facing right now with a blood shortage. "e supply has been challenged and the need has not stopped. So we have continued to appeal to the general public since you can't manufacture blood," Phil Harris said. e local chapter has several promotions going on this month to help incentivize people to come and donate. One of the incentives is an Amazon Prime raffle that allows people to enter for a free trip to Hawaii. at incentive ends on Nov. 12. After that promotion, people are being offered a $10 Amazon gift card by email if they donate blood until Nov. 23.To volunteer or to make an appointment to donate blood, go to www. redcrossblood.org and look for a blood drive near your zip code. Amazon distribution center likely to come to Fayetteville by JEFF THOMPSON and HANNAH LEE NEWS DIGEST

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