Up & Coming Weekly

September 05, 2017

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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SEPTEMBER 6 - 12, 2017 UCW 13 WWW.UPANDCOMINGWEEKLY.COM The city of Fayetteville and county of Cumberland are at an impasse as members hash out differences about day-to-day operational con- trol of the proposed $30 million joint 911 center. Up & Coming Weekly obtained a copy of a secret email distributed only to city council members during a closed meeting. In the memo, Deputy City Manager Kristoff Bauer said that "the city has dem- onstrated its ability to operate an effective PSAP. The County has not." A PSAP is a Public Safety Answering Point re- sponsible for receiving emergency 911 calls for po- lice, fire and ambulance services. Bauer noted that county commissioners, if granted control, have not agreed to operate the PSAP at city standards, which are higher than county 911 standards. Fayetteville's emergency communications division, managed by the police department, is nationally accredited. Fayetteville City Council Committee members Bill Crisp and Jim Arp insist, therefore, that the city should run the facility. Up & Coming Weekly reached out to County Com- missioner Jimmy Keefe but did not hear back from him. He has been outspoken in support of county control of the 911 center. Fayetteville's 15th 2017 Murder Four homicides occurred in Fayetteville during a two-and-a-half-week period between Aug. 10 and 26. In the most recent instance, officers responded to a report of a shooting in the parking lot of Carlie C's Supermarket at 690 South Reilly Road. They found a man and a woman had been shot. The male victim has been identified as Nisier Nuriddin, 20. He was dead on arrival at Cape Fear Valley Medical Center. The female victim is Ton- taria Lunsford, 20. She suffered injuries that were not life-threatening. Detectives with the Fayetteville Police Depart- ment's homicide unit are actively investigating the homicide. No one has been arrested. Police noted that the number of homicides is fewer than at this time last year. What they didn't say is that 31 mur- ders in 2016 was a record high. New Local Baseball Website Fayettevil- leOnDeck.com is a new web portal sponsored by the Greater Fayetteville Chamber to serve as a resource for information on development in Downtown Fayetteville. The site is designed to locate informa- tion on bids, requests for proposals, construction, road closures and all things relating to the new ballpark, Prince Charles redevelopment and other important projects downtown. "We wanted to help our members, residents and local businesses find real-time information on the redevelopment efforts downtown," said Christine Michaels, Chamber president and CEO. Website features include a video walkthrough and f lyover of the stadium, renderings of the stadium's appear- ance, minutes from the city baseball committee meetings, press releases, a construction timeline and other pertinent information. Contributors to the site include the Houston As- tros, the city of Fayetteville, Prince Charles Holdings and general contractor Barton Malow. Inquiries can be directed to FayettevilleOnDeck@gmail.com. Happy Birthday, Fort Bragg Fort Bragg has launched a year- long campaign in recognition of its 100th anni- versary. During the celebration, each month will be designated to recognize differ- ent decades and the founding of Special Forces and the 555th Parachute Infantry Battalion, the only all African-American World War II parachute regiment. During September, the post is focusing on Fort Bragg's early years from 1918 to 1919. Birthday shout-outs will be posted to Fort Bragg's social media platforms and webpage each month. The USO, local media, the community relations team, the Greater Fayetteville Chamber and Fort Bragg's protocol office are helping to spread the word to celebrities, sports teams, business leaders, elected officials, retired commanders, veterans and family members. American Red Cross Aid From the Department of Homeland Security: "The compassion and generosity of the American people are never more evident than during and after a disaster. It is individuals, nonprofits, faith- and com- munity-based organizations, private sector partners, and governmental agencies working together that will most effectively and efficiently help survivors cope with the impacts of Tropical Storm Harvey." The American Red Cross has mounted a massive relief effort to aid victims of the most devastating rainfall and f looding event in U.S. history. Thou- sands of people are spending nights in more than 50 Red Cross shelters across the Gulf Coast. "This is the time for folks to come together to sup- port one another," said Brad Kieserman, vice presi- dent of Disaster Services Operations and Logistics for the Red Cross. The Red Cross has mobilized hundreds of trained disaster relief workers, truck- loads of kitchen supplies and tens of thousands of ready-to-eat meals. Trailers full of shelter supplies including cots and blankets — enough to support more than 20,000 people — are in Texas. The Red Cross is working in close collaboration with gov- ernment officials and community partners in Texas and Louisiana to coordinate response efforts. The Red Cross depends on financial donations to provide disaster relief. Help people affected by Hurricane Harvey by visiting redcross.org, calling 1-800-RED CROSS or texting the word HARVEY to 90999 to make a $10 donation. NC Highway Patrol on Alert The State Highway Patrol is focusing on safety in and around school zones. Motorists should be aware of an increase in school traffic and familiarize themselves with school bus stop locations. There will be more teen drivers on the road as some will be driving to and from school for the first time. And motorists should also expect an increase in pedes- trian traffic in and around school zones. "Ensuring the safety of students as they travel to and from school is a responsibility shared by ev- eryone," said Col. Glenn McNeill Jr., commander of the State Highway Patrol. Troopers are monitoring school bus routes to ensure that motorists stop for school buses as they pick up and release students. NOTE: Regarding the downtown baseball sta- dium, Up & Coming Weekly reported last week that "Deputy City Manager Kristoff Bauer noted the rear of the property has to be elevated because it's in a f lood plain. It's the general area where two railroad lines form an inverted V ... contractors will have to raise the rear section of the former Sears parking lot, which locals may remember from decades ago." Bauer has clarified that the furthermost area near the railroad tracks will remain a deep water collec- tion area for rain and storm runoff. The zone in front of that collection area will be elevated a few feet to provide depth and level ground for the stadium. City/County 911 Operations Planning at a Standstill by JEFF THOMPSON NEWS DIGEST

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