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/1449252
WWW.UPANDCOMINGWEEKLY.COM FEBRUARY 9 - 15, 2022 UCW 9 Last week, 2,000 soldiers from Fort Bragg were sent to Europe to respond to the current security environment and reinforce the deterrent and de- fensive posture on NATO's eastern flank as Russia threatens to invade Ukraine. 1,700 soldiers are from the 82nd Airborne Divi- sion infantry brigade, who went to Poland. e other 300 are with the 18th Airborne Corps and will go to Germany to form a joint task force- capable headquarters. e soldiers started to leave last ursday and started to land in Europe Friday morning. U.S. officials say no American forces will be sent to Ukraine itself and this is not a combat- mission. ese troops are separate from the 8,500 troops who were placed on alert in January for a possible deployment to Europe with the NATO Response Force. New Amazon facility in Cumberland County to open next year Amazon has confirmed they are building a 1.3 million-square-foot fulfillment facility at the Military Business Park. According to a press re- lease, this new facility will create more than 500 full-time jobs with hundreds of additional part- time opportunities. "Amazon is excited to expand operations in Cumberland County, North Carolina, investing in a new fulfillment center in Fayetteville," said Amazon Spokesperson Nikki Forman. "We are committed to providing efficient delivery for cus- tomers and creating hundreds of jobs." is is the second building Amazon has under construction in Cumberland County. In May of 2021, Amazon announced a new facility. at facility is currently under construction at 1005 Dunn Road. "I welcome the significant positive impact that Amazon will make here. e fact that Amazon has twice selected to invest in our area sends a strong signal to other potential employers about the many wonderful benefits this region has to offer, from our central location to the thriv- ing workforce, and excellent business climate," Fayetteville Mayor Mitch Colvin said in the press release. e City of Fayetteville and Cumberland County each approved up to $1.25 million to help assist with infrastructure improvements. For Amazon to receive the grants it must commit to investing $100 million in real estate and equip- ment in Cumberland County over the next five years and hire more than 500 full-time workers with an average annual wage of about $33,000. "is Amazon facility in the Military Business Park means hundreds of new jobs for our County, as well as economic growth and advancement. is transformative investment is a major win for our community," said County Commission Chair- man Glenn Adams. "A sincere thanks goes out to Amazon's representatives as well as Cloteen Jasmin, Senior Vice President of Development at Ryan Companies, who have been collaborat- ing with FCEDC on the project since April. is project has an incredibly aggressive timeline, and we cannot wait to celebrate its opening in 2023. anks to all those who collaborated to make this a success." e new warehouse facility at the Military Busi- ness Park is expected to open in 2023. City to decide on Market House fate in early Spring e Department of Justice has held two meet- ings with the Fayetteville-Cumberland Human Relations Commission over the future of the Market House. ese private meetings are part of the Justice Department's City-SPRIT program, bringing together diverse community stake- holders such as community groups, faithâbased organizations, civil rights organizations, and law enforcement. ey wish to develop collaborative solutions to reduce conflict, improve commu- nication, and minimize the potential for future conflict. e Department of Justice will be compiling a report summarizing the results of the two meet- ings from October and January. According to city officials, that report will be presented to the Fayetteville City Council in March or April. Previously city council members have heard about the costs of possibly relocating the Market House to Lamon Park, Arsenal Park, or the Cape Fear River Park site. However, relocation would cost the city more than 2 million dollars. Other options presented to City Council last year included making art exhibits in the Market House highlighting the history, having a monthly market with an emphasis for people of color ven- dors, having themed events for the educational community, and making a structural modifica- tion to the building. All moves to repurpose the Market House from the city were put on hold by the council until after the City-SPIRIT meetings. FSU announces two new scholarship programs for FTCC, military students Fayetteville State University announced last week two significant scholarships for students at Fayetteville Technical Community College and for those who are military-affiliated. e new FTCC Keen Scholarship, named after FTCC President Dr. Larry Keen, will provide two years of free tuition at FSU to students who earn an Associate's degree at FTCC and meet other crite- ria, beginning Fall 2022. Students who apply should have a minimum GPA of at least 3.0 and meet all requirements for admissions to FSU. High-demand workforce majors such as nursing, business analyt- ics, intelligence studies, and cybersecurity will be given priority. e other is a new Military Tuition Scholarship, which will provide free tuition to all military- connected students beginning Fall 2022. Military- connect students include any active-duty member of the military, anyone who is retired military, any military spouse and anyone whose mother or father served. ey can attend FSU for free. 2,000 Fort Bragg soldiers deploy to Europe by HANNAH LEE NEWS DIGEST HANNAH LEE, Assistant Editor. COMMENTS? Editor@upandcomingweekly.com. 910-484-6200.