State Wants Public Feedback on Planned Upgrades for Downtown Lumberton Street
The N.C. Department of Public Transportation plans to make Second Street safer for pedestrians.
RECENT STORIES
Scotland and Richmond Counties Consider Building a Regional Jail
The detention centers in Scotland and Richmond counties are overcrowded. A new facility would serve both counties.
Bladen County School Board Votes to Close Elementary School
Parents and community members pleaded with the board to save the school, which opened a century ago to serve Black students during segregation.
Advocates Say N.C.’s System for CAFO Complaints Is Falling Short
The state has only 14 inspectors for thousands of hog, poultry, and cattle farms, making it impossible to evaluate every complaint.
Data Point: Two Border Belt Counties See Increases in Voter Turnout
More voters turned out for Tuesday’s primary in Columbus and Scotland counties than in 2022. But Bladen and Robeson counties saw decreases.
Columbus County Sheriff Wins Primary; Longtime County Commissioner Out
Here are the results for Columbus County’s 2026 primaries. This page will update regularly after polls close.
Butler Wins Republican Primary for Scotland County Sheriff; Rematch for N.C. House Seat
Voters cast ballots in federal, state, and local races during the primary election. Check out the results.
Two Bladen County School Board Members Are Out; Longtime Sheriff Wins Primary
Voters cast ballots in federal, state, and local races during the primary election. Check out the results.
Robeson County Commissioner Loses Primary, Two Others Win
Unofficial results for Robeson County’s 2026 primaries are in.
Politics / Government
Old Wounds Reopen as Columbus County Prepares to Elect a Sheriff
Four Republicans are running in the primary in the first election since former sheriff Jody Greene stepped down.
State Elections Board Denies Appeal in Red Springs Mayoral Protest
Candidate Duron Burney, who lost by two votes in November, could ask the Wake County Superior Court to take the case.
Some School Board Elections in the Border Belt Are Now Partisan
North Carolina lawmakers have made more school board elections partisan, including those in Columbus and Scotland counties where voters have shifted to supporting conservative candidates.
Judges Clear Way for Trial in Cumberland County’s Contaminated Water Lawsuit
County wants Chemours, DuPont to pay damages for allowing PFAS forever chemicals into drinking water and fund water infrastructure in affected areas.
Education
Bladen County School With Long History of Educating Black Students Could Close
The school board is considering a plan to shutter East Arcadia School, which was founded as a Rosenwald School in the 1920s.
Owner of St. Andrews University Campus Files for Bankruptcy
The move stopped a pending foreclosure and land auction filed by one of the creditors of the now-shuttered school in Scotland County.
Proposal To Close Bladen County School Rattles Parents
Enrollment at East Arcadia School has been declining for years. Now school officials might close the school as part of a consolidation.
ScoutReach Program in Columbus County Hopes to Expand Access
The Scouting America Cape Fear Council launched a free after-school program at Chadbourn Elementary School.
Health
Regulators Nix $1.2 Billion Proposal to Dredge Wilmington Harbor
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers failed to explain how it would mitigate environmental harms, including PFAS contamination.
Healing Rural N.C., One Doctor At a Time
There aren’t enough physicians to treat the nearly 3 million people who live in rural communities. Can this program help?
Michael Nagowski, Longtime Cape Fear Valley Health CEO, Announces Retirement
The health system’s CEO since 2008, he is credited with transforming and expanding the health system while deepening its ties to Fayetteville.
Are Border Belt Schools at Risk of a Measles Outbreak?
A 95% vaccination threshold is necessary to protect against the highly contagious disease, according to the CDC.