Fayetteville OutFront                       

The City of Fayetteville is holding another OutFront community meeting Tuesday, March 8 at 6 p.m. at Northwood Temple Church on Ramsey St.  Residents will have the opportunity to ask questions and provide feedback about city services. The city’s senior management team led by Senior Deputy City Manager Kristoff Bauer will be there. He’ll be joined by Assistant City Manager Jay Reinstein, Police Chief Harold Medlock, Fire Chief Ben Major and other department directors.  And Fayetteville Public Works Commission General Manager David Trego will also be in attendance. The idea is to “provide residents an opportunity to talk directly with city leadership,” said spokesman Kevin Arata. 

For those who are unable to attend the meeting, they can log onto the city’s website and submit their questions online. 

PWC Water Treatment Begins

Beginning Tuesday, March 1, 2016, the Fayetteville Public Works Commission temporarily stopped adding ammonia to its water treatment disinfection process. The North Carolina Department of Environment and Natural Resources requires all water systems that add ammonia to their drinking water to discontinue its use for a one-month period annually.  PWC will resume adding ammonia to the water treatment disinfection process on Friday, April 1.

During March,  fire hydrants on the PWC water distribution system will be opened frequently to flush the water distribution system.  As a result of the change, chlorine may be more noticeable and some customers may  experience discolored water as a result of the system flushing. 

Water customers should be aware that during this time, traces of ammonia could remain in the water.  PWC recommends that water customers who pre-treat should continue to follow procedures to remove chloramines.

Information about the water treatment process is available at the PWC website, www.faypwc.com. 

He’s Going to Survive!

A couple of weeks ago a Cumberland County deputy sheriff shot a family pet after responding to a disturbance call at a home on Marsh Road off NC 87, south of Fayetteville. Since then, Sheriff’s Office Chief Deputy Ennis Wright and Legal Advisor Ronnie Mitchell issued a lengthy joint news release through Sheriff Moose Butler’s spokesman, Sgt. Sean Swain.

According to Swain, 911 call takers received a call from a woman who reported a disturbance on her property. Two officers were sent to the woman’s home. The deputies knocked several times and received no answer. The officers knocked twice more, and according to Swain, the woman reluctantly cracked the door open a few inches and then closed it. The deputies knocked again and Abraham opened the door narrowly again as the officers announced their presence. It was at that point, according to the news release, that the woman opened the door. And it was then that her German Shepard bolted out of the house and “advanced on one of the deputies. As the deputy was retreating, he discharged his firearm one time,” added the spokesman.

The bullet struck the dog on the bridge of his nose and exited behind an ear, according to County Animal Control Director Dr. John Lauby. The dog, Astro, was taken to an emergency veterinarian. Swain says he “was treated and is doing well.” Animal Control officers took the dog to the Cumberland County Animal Control facility and later to the Grays Creek Animal Hospital for follow-up treatment and recuperation. Dr. Lauby did not concur that Astro was “doing well” describing the exit wound as “horrible,” but saying that he will survive. 

Lauby indicated that if the woman is unable to pay for Astro’s care, the expense would be covered using funds from Animal Control’s Injured Animal Stabilization Fund. Swain said the Sheriff’s Office was informed that a non-profit organization had said it would pay for Astro’s emergency treatment. Animal Control records indicate Astro has a history of being dangerously aggressive. He once bit a little girl on the leg. The wound apparently was not serious. The dog was quarantined for 10 days.