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/606684
NOVEMBER 25 - DECEMBER 1, 2015 UCW 9 WWW.UPANDCOMINGWEEKLY.COM More and more gift giving this Christ- mas will begin with a home computer much to the chagrin of brick and mortar stores. Many people count on the postal service and delivery services to get packages to their destinations on time, safely. To make sure holiday gifts are received joyfully, FedEx and UPS shared tips on how to keep packages safe this season. People can manage the deliveries by customizing shipments to their home. They can change the time and location of delivery, or even divert shipments elsewhere. Many apartment complexes, for example, will hold your shipments if a tenant has them sent to the office rather than their apartment. It's also possible to have packages sent to a fam- ily member, friend or neighbor. Actual doorstep package thefts may be a problem during the holidays. Some people have deliveries sent to the post office or nearest FedEx or UPS office lo- cation for pick-up. Request a signature. If you're shipping something of high value — or to just be sure items aren't left unattended on the front porch — require a signature for packages. If a package does get stolen, check your credit card. Some issuers offer theft protection. File a police report immediately and send it to the credit card company. They'll refund the purchase, up to $500 or $1,000, depending on the credit card company's policies. As for shopping at the mall, you've heard it all before, but it bears repeating: when you leave home, leave the lights on. Keep presents out of sight, which may mean putting up the Christmas tree somewhere other than the living room window. If your home doesn't have a secu- rity system, this would be a good time to consider one. Cameras and alarms are relatively inexpensive if you're a do-it-yourselfer. Or, get a more sophisticated system from a local security company. Police advise that while shopping, it's best to pair up with a family member or friend. Be sure to park in a well- lighted area of the mall. Lock the car doors and set the alarm. Be aware of your surroundings as you walk from the car to the store entrance. Thieves know you may have cash. When you return to your car, make sure you have the car keys in your hand and waste no time getting in the car. Put your purchases in the trunk or cover them in the rear of your vehicle. NEWS Don't let the Grinch Steal Your Christmas. Make arrange- ments for securing packages delivered to your home dur- ing the Christmas season. Don't Let the Grinch Steal Christmas by JEFF THOMPSON Poultry Plant Moves Forward in Robeson County by JEFF THOMPSON LUMBERTON — A poultry processing plant that was twice rejected and then ac- cepted by Cumberland County is locating instead in neighboring Robeson County. Sanderson Farms Inc., a Laurel, Mississippi-based business, is building a process- ing plant and hatchery near St. Pauls and Lumberton, respectively. The facilities are expected to create about 1,100 jobs over the next three years. Sanderson has said it expects to invest about $139 million in the complex, including upgrades to its Kinston feed mill. "When a strong, successful company brings 1,100 new jobs to North Carolina, especially a rural community, it is a game changer," Gov. Pat McCrory said in a news release. The plant will be built in a 600-acre industrial park owned by the town of St. Pauls, which is located about four miles west of the town. Sanderson Farms originally courted Cumberland County, where commission- ers rejected a $2.5 million incentives package amid concerns about environmen- tal issues and resident complaints. Later, they approved the incentives but by that time, Sanderson had turned its attention elsewhere. Robeson County also approved incentives for a then-unnamed company, with Sanderson receiving a $1 million state grant that was contingent on local funds, including tax refunds over a four-year period. So, where do things stand now? Sanderson Farms has already had a run-in with the State Department of Environment and Natural Resources, now the N.C. Depart- ment of Environmental Quality. The company was accused of beginning construc- tion of its plant without receiving a permit. During a Sept. 17 hearing, about 50 people showed up with a dozen or so speaking against the plant, citing the impact it might have on the area's groundwater. The processing plant and its wastewater treatment facility is located near I-95 about 20 miles south of the Cumberland County line. The hatchery is planned for Lumberton. At full capacity, the poultry complex will have the capacity to process and sell about 500 million pounds of dressed poultry meat annually. Despite the opposition, Sanderson Farms gained favor with state and lo- cal governments. Chairman and CEO Joe Sanderson Jr., a Republican, made a personal appeal for support to North Carolina Republican Governor Pat Mc- Crory. The St. Pauls town board approved an incentive package that includes providing 50 percent property tax rebates for 10 years, or about $300,000 a year. Robeson County Commissioners also approved an incentives package to Sanderson Farms, based on the company's projections for capital investment and job creation. Local and regional environmental groups are keeping an eye on things. Kath- leen Sullivan of the Southern Environmental Law Center said her organization is monitoring developments as is The Winyah Rivers Foundation, an environmental organization headquartered in South Carolina. The foundation hosts the Waccamaw Riverkeeper, housed at Coastal Carolina University, in efforts to protect the Wacca- maw River watershed. The Winyah Foundation's primary interest locally is the 133-mile-long Lumber River. The river extends downstream from the Scotland-Hoke County line through Robeson County to the North Carolina-South Carolina border. Soon after crossing into South Carolina, the Lumber River flows into the Little Pee Dee River, which flows into the Great Pee Dee River. Finally, the combined waters flow into Winyah Bay and the Atlantic Ocean. In 1989, the river was designated as a "Natural and Scenic River" by the North Carolina General Assembly. It is also the only black water river in North Carolina designated as a National Wild and Scenic River by the Department of the Interior.