Up & Coming Weekly

February 01, 2022

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 FEBRUARY 2 - 8, 2022 UCW 9 Soldiers at Fort Bragg have been placed on alert for a possible deployment to Eastern Europe . "[ese] units include elements of the 82nd Airborne Division, based at Fort Bragg — which regularly main- tains high readiness — as well as elements of the 18th Airborne Corps, also based at Fort Bragg; and some elements from Fort Campbell, Kentucky," Pentagon Press Secretary John Kirby said. "Additionally, from Fort Campbell, elements of the 100th First Airborne Division; and from Fort Carson, Colorado, elements of the Fourth Infantry Division have also been placed on increased readiness." Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin III announced early last week that 8,500 troops were put on heightened alert, so they will be prepared to deploy if needed to reassure NATO allies in the face of ongoing Russian aggression on the border of Ukraine. If the NATO force is activated, Austin's order will allow the United States to rapidly deploy additional brigade combat teams, along with units specializing in logistics, medical, aviation, intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance, transportation and more. "e vast majority of the troops the secretary put on 'prepare to deploy,' are in fact, dedicated to the NATO Response Force," Kirby said. e 82nd Airborne Division at Fort Bragg is an Im- mediate Response Force, meaning they are available to deploy at any given moment. "e Immediate Response Force is always prepared to go anywhere," Lt. Col. Brett Lea, a spokesperson for the 82nd Airborne Division told Up & Coming Weekly last week. "We are always on standby." Passes and leave for service members on standby have been revoked. e latest information on this story can be found on our website at UpAndComingWeekly.com. History Museum opens new exhibit e Fayetteville History Museum will be opening a new exhibit: "African Americans on the River." is exhibit honors Black History Month and will be- come a semi-permanent feature in the Museum. is exhibit highlights numerous free and enslaved African Americans who were integral to the story of the Cape Fear River and the region, including revered Steam- boat Pilot Daniel Buxton. Visit this exhibit to explore the relationship of our area's African Americans and the Cape Fear River. Admission is free to the Museum and galleries are open Tuesday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Annexation paves way for new housing With a shortage of new housing construction inflating home prices across North Carolina in recent months, one community took steps Monday that could alleviate that trend for local would-be home buyers. Up to 250 houses could be built in far northeast Fayetteville after the City Council unanimously approved an annexation request, allowing the land for the potential development to receive city utilities. Located just under 2 miles northeast of city limits on Ramsey Street and south of the Tractor Road, the 117- acre, noncontiguous plot is now zoned for single-family residential housing. e developer intends to use the land for a low-density, single-family residential subdivision. "We love to grow the tax base; we need homes," Mayor Mitch Colvin said. e annexation is effective immediately. Increased supply lowers costs In 2021, the median sales price of a single-family home in Cumberland County was $185,000, up from $156,000, an increase of over 18%, according to listing data from Longleaf Pine Realtors. For new construction, like that approved by the council Monday, the median price was more than $284,000 in 2021, increasing by more than 9% from the previous year. Increased home prices are part of a nationwide trend seen throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. A study by government-backed lender Freddie Mac last year found that nationwide, the housing market faces a shortage of 3.8 million units. Much like other markets, the low supply drives up costs. e study credited the shortage to rising demand for homes during the pandemic and a long-term decline in new construction of single-family houses. With 250 homes set to be built in the newly annexed land, that would amount to nearly half of the 575 new single-family homes listed in 2021 in Cumberland County, according to Longleaf Pine Realtors. e year before, 609 new homes were listed. Of the 575 new houses listed last year, 454 closed before year's end. at's down more than 27% from the 623 homes that closed in Cumberland County in 2020. How- ever, the difference doesn't come from a drop in demand, but a substantial decrease in new home construction last year. e annexed property stands to potentially reverse that construction trend in early 2022. Like the rest of North Carolina and the entire country, demand for housing is increasing in Cumberland County. In 2021, Cumberland buyers closed on over 5,760 exist- ing single-family homes, an increase of nearly 17% from 2020. Local Arts Administrator selected for Emerging Leaders of Color Program e Arts Council of Fayetteville/Cumberland County Director of Operations, Antonio Renteria, has been selected as an Emerging Leaders of Color (ELC). e ELC is a free professional leadership development program and team-building workshop for early to midcareer arts and cultural administrators of color. Eighteen individuals from each of South Arts' nine-state region were selected for the second Southern cohort of the program. Renteria will participate in professional development and leadership training offered in partnership with South Arts and the Western States Arts Federation. e ELC Program provides tools, continued learning opportunities, and networks to arts administrators of color who seek to build their capacity as leaders in the arts and culture sector. Staff, faculty, and alumni affiliated with the ELC Pro- gram selected Renteria because he exemplifies qualities in arts leadership and has the capacity to be a leader at his organization and in the broader community. "I am committed to building relationships with local artists, nonprofit organizations, and other community partners who make Fayetteville a vibrant and welcoming community for artists and other creatives," Renteria said in a press release. Spring Lake Board of Alderman discuss Mayoral voting power e Spring Lake's Board of Alderman met on Jan. 24. Among the topics discussed was a resolution supporting the stormwater program, which was approved, allowing the mayor to have voting authority, staggered terms, and confirming the meeting scheduled for Feb. 14. e Board also entered a closed session for just under an hour due to an N.C. General statute for personnel. e discussion on the mayor's ability to vote met op- position from Mayor Pro Tem Robyn Chadwick with con- cerns for abuse of power and Alderman Marvin Lackman, who felt there were more pressing matters for Spring Lake. "With everything going on in the town, I think we should concentrate on the issues at hand rather than a vote for you," Alderman said to Mayor Kia Anthony. Alderwoman Sona Cooper expressed her desire to see the community have a say. "Take it to the people and see how they feel about it and take it from there, " Cooper said. Spring Lake Town Attorney Jonathan Charleston said that referendum was possible on the mayor's voting power, and Anthony asked Charleston to research options to present at a future meeting. e meeting was adjourned immediately following the closed session. Fort Bragg soldiers on alert for deployment by STAFF REPORT, CAROLINA PUBLIC PRESS NEWS DIGEST

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