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/919568
DECEMBER 27, 2017 - JANUARY 2, 2018 UCW 9 WWW.UPANDCOMINGWEEKLY.COM NEWS DIGEST e North Carolina Department of Transportation this month awarded a nearly $130 million contract for construction of a six-mile segment of the Outer Loop between Camden Road and Interstate 95 in Robeson County. DOT selected Balfour Beatty Infrastructure, Inc., Branch Civil and STV Group, Inc., to design and build the project. ey will begin final- izing design plans in January with land acquisition and construction to follow. Construction is expected to be completed by July 2021. e 39-mile freeway is being built in phases in Cumberland and Robeson counties. e Outer Loop is open between I-95 north of Fayetteville and the All American Freeway in Fayetteville. When com- plete, it will be known as Interstate 295. A segment from the All Ameri- can Freeway to Cliffdale Road now under construction is expected to open in October 2018. Army NCO died a hero in Niger Army Sgt. La David T. Johnson died in a hail of gunfire after fleeing militants who had just killed three comrades in an October ambush in Niger, e Associated Press has learned. Johnson wore a maroon beret but was not stationed at Fort Bragg, according to an 82nd Airborne Division spokesman. A military investigation concluded that Johnson, 25, of Miami Gardens, Florida, was killed by enemy rifle and machine-gun fire from mem- bers of an Islamic State offshoot. e Oct. 4 ambush took place about 120 miles north of Niamey, the African nation's capital. Johnson's body was recovered two days later. U.S. officials familiar with the findings spoke to the AP on condi- tion of anonymity to describe de- tails of an investigation that has not been finalized or publicly released. A 12-member Army special forces unit from Fort Bragg was accompa- nying 30 Nigerien forces when they were attacked in a densely wooded area by as many as 50 militants traveling by vehicle and carrying small arms and rocket-propelled grenade launchers. Johnson was struck as many as 18 times from a distance by a volley of machine-gun fire, according to the U.S. officials, who said he was firing back as he and two Nigerien soldiers tried to escape. All told, four U.S. soldiers and four Nigerien troops were killed in the ambush. Two U.S. and eight Nigerien troops were wounded. Revitalized computers for less fortunate students Cumberland Count y Schools' Fift h A nnual Computer Refurbish- ment Day is being hailed a huge success. Cumberland Count y Schools Executive Director of Technolog y Kev in Coleman said 156 students from t he Academies of Information Technolog y at Gray's Creek and Pine Forest High Schools refurbished nearly 500 computers for families of stu- dents who can't afford t hem. The information technolog y students worked alongside technolog y staffers. Using 1,000 discarded computers, half of t hem were can- nibalized for parts to refurbish t he ot hers. "This effort truly demon- strates t he dedication of CCS' staff and students to help t hose less fortunate in our communit y," said Cumberland Count y School In- terim Superintendent Tim K inlaw. According to organizers, plans are already in t he works for next year's computer refurbishment event. Construction of I-295 continues by JEFF THOMPSON Army Sgt. La David T. Johnson 24th 24th 11 a.m. - 2 p.m. The Crown Expo Center Mr. & Mrs. Lee Warren Mr. & Mrs. Billy West and The Ed Grannis Family Cordially invite you and your family to join us for a New Year's Day Dinner of Black-Eyed Peas, Collard Greens, Sweet Potatoes and Barbecue. Monday January 1, 2018