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/1437252
WWW.UPANDCOMINGWEEKLY.COM DECEMBER 15-21, 2021 UCW 9 The North Carolina Supreme Court decided last week to suspend candidate filing for all offices for the 2022 primary election that was originally scheduled for March. The primary election will now happen on May 17, 2022. Any candidate whose filing has been ac- cepted will beincluded in the May prima- ry, subject to any court rulings that would impact that candidate's eligibility, accord- ing to the Supreme Court order. Dates for a new filing period have not been set. Locally, four people have filed for the Fayetteville Mayor seat. Sixteen people have filed for the nine Fayetteville City Council seats. The delay in the primaries are due to lawsuits over redistricting maps for con- gressional and state legislative districts. The lawsuits claim that the Republican- drawn district maps were unlawfully gerrymandered. "This order is a transparent assist to Democrats who benefit from electoral uncertainty and false narratives at the direct expense of the North Carolina people," the North Carolina GOP state- ment said shortly after the Supreme Court announced their decision. North Carolina Democratic Party Chair Bobbie Richardson said she was grateful for the pause. "Halting candidate filing and delaying the primary election are important steps towards ensuring North Carolina voters have the freedom to elect their represen- tatives. Voters don't need help from leg- islators to decide who represents them," Richardson's statement said. County Government leadership changes Veteran Cumberland County Commis- sioner Glenn Adams is the new chairman of the board. He succeeds Charles Evans. Both gentlemen face challenges in 2022. Adams' four-year term expires in the coming year, and Evans will be spending a lot of his time campaigning for election to Congress. He is running as a democrat for the newly created 4th Congressional District. Adams was first elected to the board of commissioners in 2014 and served once before as chairman. Commissioner Toni Stewart has been selected as vice-chair for 2022. Adams represents District 1 while Stewart represents District 2. Raeford Road construction project A $35.8 million project that will make driving and walking safer along a con- gested stretch of Raeford Road in west Fayetteville begins in February. A 2.1- mile section of the busy highway between Bunce and Old Raeford Roads will receive raised medians, additional turn lanes and a new storm drainage system. Sidewalks will be constructed on both sides in that locality. Intersections with no traffic sig- nals will redirect cross-street traffic into right turns only. "This will be a big safety enhancement and a major investment in one of the city's busiest corridors," said Drew Cox, a DOT engineer. The construction contractor, Highland Paving Co. of Fayetteville, will be required to keep a minimum of four lanes open between 6 a.m. and 7 p.m. when traffic volumes are higher. The project is sched- uled for completion by the fall of 2024. Fayetteville State University named Purple Heart University The Military Order of the Purple Heart has designated Fayetteville State Univer- sity a Purple Heart University, making FSU the first university in the University of North Carolina System to receive the honor. "FSU has a long legacy of educating those who serve in the Armed Forces. At FSU, we lead HBCU's in military-connect- ed student enrollment, and this honor demonstrates our deep appreciation to our military students. Our university sits right in the same city with the largest U.S. Army base in the country, and it makes us proud that our students reflect that and support that as well." Siobhan Nor- ris, Associate Vice Chancellor for Military Affairs, said. Fire department is professionally recognized, again The Fayetteville Fire Department has been re-accredited by the Commission on Fire Accreditation International. On Nov. 16, Fayetteville Fire Department mem- bers appeared before the commission, and the agency has been recognized for a third consecutive time as an accred- ited organization. Accredited institutions protect only 12% of the U.S. population. Fayetteville is one of only twenty-three ac- credited fire departments in North Caro- lina. "As a result of this process, over three cycles of accreditation, we have identified the need for and procured additional staff, apparatus, equipment, and fire stations," said Battalion Chief John Bowen, FFD's accreditation manager. The CFAI program is a comprehensive self-assessment and evaluation model that enables fire and emergency service organizations to examine service levels/ performance. "The citizens of Fayetteville are receiv- ing faster, more efficient service as a result of our lessons learned from the accredita- tion process, and for us, that alone makes it worth the effort," Bowen added. Accreditation assures colleagues and the public that the department has defi- nite goals and objectives appropriate for the jurisdiction served. Local, State primary elections pushed back by two months by JEFF THOMPSON NEWS DIGEST JEFF THOMPSON, Reporter. COMMENTS? Editor@upandcom- ingweekly.com. 910-484-6200.