Getting settled
Utilities: Four companies provide electricity to different parts of Cumberland County: the Public Works Commission, 483-1382 or www.faypwc.com; Progress Energy, (800) 452-2777, or www.progress-energy.com; Lumbee River Electric Membership Corp., (910) 843-4131 or www.lumbeeriver.com; and South River Electric Membership Corp., (910) 892-8071 or www.sremc.com. Natural gas service is provided by Piedmont Natural Gas, (800) 752-7504 or www.piedmontng.com.
Phone service: It's available through Embarq, 864-9011; Time Warner Cable, (800) 892-2253; and a slew of wireless-service companies.
Driver's license and registration: There are two driver's license offices in Cumberland County - 2439 Gillespie St., Fayetteville, 486-1353, and Eutaw Village Shopping Center, 841 Elm St., Fayetteville, 484-6249 - and three vehicle registration offices - 815 Elm St., Fayetteville, 485-1590; 316C Spring Lake Plaza, Spring Lake, 497-3707; and Hope Mills Shopping Plaza, N.C. 59, Hope Mills, 424-2500. For more info, check www.ncdot.org/dmv
Voter registration: You can register to vote at the county's Board of Elections office, through the mail, at a driver's license office if you're conducting official DMV business there and at state agencies where you may be applying for benefits. For more information, check www.co.cumberland. nc.us/brdelec or call 678-7733.
Local post offices
Fayetteville: 301 Green St. (main post office); 106 Oakridge Ave.; 816 Elm St.; 2800 Raeford Road; 1200 Murchison Road; 806 Cedar Creek Road; 2812 Ramsey St.; 5400 Ramsey St.; 2503 Southern Ave.; 164 Westwood Shopping Center; 907 Brighton Road; 2304 Wingate Road; 5701 Yadkin Road; 6380 Cliffdale Road.
Fort Bragg: 1605 Reilly Road
Godwin: 8817 Main St.
Hope Mills: 3512 N. Main St.
Linden: 4764 Main St.
Pope Air Force Base: 508 Virgin St., Building 371
Spring Lake: 225 N. Main St.
Stedman: 7519 Clinton Road
Wade: 6927 Wade-Stedman Road
Schools: Wonder which school district you live in? Whether your child can attend a school outside your district? Whether uniforms will be an issue? What sort of documentation you'll need to enroll your student in school? Touch base with the county school system: www.ccs.k12.nc.us or 678-2300.
There are a number of private schools in the area. You can see a list and find out more about them through the N.C. Division of Non-Public Education: www.ncdnpe.org or (919) 733-4276.
If you want to home-school your child, you can get information about the state's requirements and other issues trhough the aforementioned Division of Non-Public Education.
You might also check with North Carolinians for Home Education, a statewide support network for home-schoolers, www.nche.com or (919) 790-1100; and HOME, a local support group for home-schoolers, www.homepatriots.com.
Day care: You can get information on local day-care providers from at least a couple of sources - Child Care Solutions, a nonprofit child-care resource and referral agency in Cumberland County, www.ccpfc.org or 867-9700; and the N.C. Division of Child Development, ncchildcare.dhhs.state.nc.us/ or (800) 859-0829.
At the division's Web site, you can search for providers by name, facility type, permit type and location - city, county or ZIP code. You also can search for facilities that accept children of certain ages and for facilities that do and don't accept subsidies for child care.
The site also will tell you a provider's most recent sanitation score and its license rating. North Carolina has a five-star rating system for licensed child-care providers. Facilities are graded on adherence to state program standards, staff educational levels and compliance with basic safety regulations.
Pet rules and resources: You can get loads of information on what's required and desired for your pet from the county's Animal Services office - www.co.cumberland.nc.us/animal_ control.aspx or 321-6852.
Note: If your dog or cat is 4 months or older, it must be vaccinated against rabies.
The Animal Control department impounds stray dogs and cats. Untagged animals are kept for three days before they're put up for adoption or euthanized. Tagged animals are kept for 14 days.
If you're looking for a pet to adopt, there's also a no-kill shelter in Fayetteville - the Fayetteville Animal Protection Society at 3927 Bragg Blvd. For more information, check www.fapspet.org or call 864-9040 or 864-2077.
Marriage licenses and birth certificates: Available at the Register of Deeds office in your county. In Cumberland County, that office is in the courthouse at 117 Dick St. Check www.ccrod.org or call 678-7775 for information.
Passports: There's a passport facility at Fayetteville's main post office at 301 Green St. Hours are by appointment. Call 486-2464. Find other passport facilities at iafdb.travel.state.gov.