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New Whiteville councilman brings youthful energy to aging county

By Ben Rappaport benrappaport@borderbelt.org  The average age of the Whiteville City Council is set to decrease in December with the swearing-in of 31-year-old Joshua Harris. He was one of three candidates in Whiteville District 1 who were under 32 years old. The former Columbus County sheriff’s deputy and Whiteville police officer was the top vote-getter in this year’s Whiteville municipal elections, garnering 223 votes. Second …Read more Continue reading New Whiteville councilman brings youthful energy to aging county

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NC county still reeling from sheriff’s racist comments is dealt another blow 

By Ben Rappaport benrappaport@borderbelt.org A school board member in rural North Carolina who was convicted of assaulting a Black town employee during an encounter in which she was also accused of using a racial slur said Monday she will remain on the board but step down as chairperson.   Kandle Rogers, who has served on the Whiteville City Schools Board of Education for years, was found …Read more Continue reading NC county still reeling from sheriff’s racist comments is dealt another blow 

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Jobs are scarce – but hope isn’t – in this Robeson County town

By Ben Rappaport benrappaport@borderbelt.org  Calling Aiesha Wilkinson’s move to Robeson County a struggle would be an understatement. She’s lived in the county for just five months, and she’s already gone through three jobs. Wilkinson said she was recently fired from her job at a manufacturing facility because she couldn’t reliably get to work on time due to transportation issues. She doesn’t own a car, and …Read more Continue reading Jobs are scarce – but hope isn’t – in this Robeson County town

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Border Belt People: Q&A with Nancy Fields, director of the Museum of the Southeast American Indian

By Kerria Weaver kerriaweaver@borderbelt.org Nancy Strickland Fields serves as director and curator of the Museum of the Southeast American Indian located on UNC Pembroke’s campus, working for the museum since 2017. As director and curator, Fields, 50, makes sure the public is made aware of the history, art, and culture of Native Americans in their own communities. The Border Belt Independent asked Fields about her …Read more Continue reading Border Belt People: Q&A with Nancy Fields, director of the Museum of the Southeast American Indian

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Tar Heel Bus Tour makes stop at The News Reporter, Border Belt Independent

By Justin Smith Publisher, The News Reporter A Carolina blue bus filled with more than three dozen faculty members and senior administrators from UNC Chapel Hill stopped at The News Reporter Wednesday to learn about community journalism. The group, joined by Chancellor Kevin Guskiewicz, was part of the multi-day Tar Heel Bus Tour, which sends one bus on a westward route from Chapel Hill and …Read more Continue reading Tar Heel Bus Tour makes stop at The News Reporter, Border Belt Independent

Ed Tatum stands in red shirt and holds up an old photograph of himself receiving a military badge in uniform Sticky post

Border Belt People: A Q&A with former Tomb of the Unknown Soldier guard Edward Tatum

By Kerria Weaver kerriaweaver@borderbelt.org Edward Tatum of Elizabethtown served in one of the nation’s most prestigious military units, the Old Guard, as a sentinel at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in Arlington, Va. The Old Guard assists with funerals at Arlington National Cemetery and guards the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. It is the oldest active-duty unit in the Army, founded in 1784. Its …Read more Continue reading Border Belt People: A Q&A with former Tomb of the Unknown Soldier guard Edward Tatum

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Columbus County school board adopts local Parents’ Bill of Rights

By Ben Rappaport benrappaport@borderbelt.org  The Columbus County school board on Monday adopted a localized version of the so-called Parents’ Bill of Rights that limits instruction about the LGBTQ+ community and requires teachers to notify parents when students want to change pronouns.  The move, which had unanimous support from the school board, follows the passage of Senate Bill 49, a controversial measure that became law when …Read more Continue reading Columbus County school board adopts local Parents’ Bill of Rights

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NC charter school group tweaks controversial hair policy. Parents say it’s not enough

By Ivey Schofield iveyschofield@borderbelt.org A charter school group in southeastern North Carolina agreed Thursday to tweak its controversial hair policy for boys, but parents say the change is not enough.   Classical Charter Schools of America, which enrolls 2,500 students in grades K-8 at schools in Leland, Southport, Wilmington and Whiteville, has faced pushback since administrators told families in March that boys must cut their long …Read more Continue reading NC charter school group tweaks controversial hair policy. Parents say it’s not enough

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Inflation pinches this Columbus crab shack

By Ivey Schofield iveyschofield@borderbelt.org At 18, De’Maya Berry started selling seafood from home to earn money before pursuing graduate school. At 26, she has expanded, turning her dream into a restaurant in southeastern North Carolina.  Maya’s Crab Shack, located in the eastern Columbus County community of Riegelwood, serves crab legs, shrimp and grits, lobster tails and more – offerings that locals say aren’t available within …Read more Continue reading Inflation pinches this Columbus crab shack

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Journalists hear that people want better access to local news and more stories that focus on solutions

A group of Border Belt-area residents and UNC Pembroke students told journalists Thursday evening that reliable news is hard to come by. Organizers say the forum helped them understand how people get their news, what the barriers are, and what types of stories people want. “To extend better service to communities, news organizations first need to spend time listening to people, understanding their habits, and …Read more Continue reading Journalists hear that people want better access to local news and more stories that focus on solutions

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North Carolina’s Border Belt lags behind in COVID booster shots. Here’s what to know 

Counties in North Carolina’s Border Belt have among the lowest rates in the state for COVID-19 booster shots, which health officials say are crucial in combating the virus.  In Robeson County, 19% of the population has received a vaccine booster or additional shot, according to the N.C. Department of Health and Human Services. That’s the second lowest percentage in the state, behind neighboring Hoke County.  …Read more Continue reading North Carolina’s Border Belt lags behind in COVID booster shots. Here’s what to know 

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Subscribe to our free newsletter and never miss a story

By Les High Publisher There’s a line from the Apple TV series Ted Lasso in which Ted is told: “The truth will set you free, but first, it will really piss you off.”  The truth, however, is hard to come by today. That’s one of the reasons why we founded the Border Belt Independent in May, and why we need your continued support. Newsrooms like …Read more Continue reading Subscribe to our free newsletter and never miss a story

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Coalition hopes to coordinate efforts to combat opioid crisis in Columbus County 

By Henry Hawthorne IV While overdoses underscore the opioid crisis in Columbus County, county leaders still have a long way to go to understand the core causes and provide effective prevention programs, says Lauren Cole. “The first two weeks of April we had 14 overdoses at Columbus Regional,” Cole said. “One mother overdosed and left three preschool children sitting in the emergency room. No one …Read more Continue reading Coalition hopes to coordinate efforts to combat opioid crisis in Columbus County 

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Abuse, neglect of children often goes hand-in-hand with parents’ drug use

Editor’s note: This is the sixth in a multi-part series where the Border Belt Independent looks at what has changed since The News Reporter’s six-part series in 2017 that reported on the opioid crisis and associated mental health issues. Today, Reporter Ivey Schofield looks at how children are impacted by parents’ drug use and how schools, social services, Boys and Girls Homes and other agencies …Read more Continue reading Abuse, neglect of children often goes hand-in-hand with parents’ drug use

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Drug treatment program leads to sobriety, sisterhood

Editor’s note: This is the fourth in a multi-part series where the Border Belt Independent looks at what has changed since The News Reporter’s six-part series in 2017 that reported on the opioid crisis and associated mental health issues. Today, Reporter Ivey Schofield looks at how women at the Rose House in Whiteville work to overcome addiction. By Ivey SchofieldBBI Writer Eleven women gather in …Read more Continue reading Drug treatment program leads to sobriety, sisterhood

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Hospital, EMS seeing ‘a lot more’ overdose deaths

Publisher’s note: This is the third in a multi-part series where the Border Belt Independent looks at what has changed since The News Reporter’s six-part series in 2017 that reported on the opioid crisis and associated mental health issues. Today, Publisher Les High looks at the increase in overdose deaths, particularly during the pandemic, and how overdoses and mental crises strain the resources of the …Read more Continue reading Hospital, EMS seeing ‘a lot more’ overdose deaths

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Sheriff: Columbus drug crime is a ‘bad situation’

  Editor’s note: This is the second in a multi-part series where the Border Belt Independent looks at what has changed since The News Reporter’s six-part 2017 series on the opioid crisis and associated mental health issues. Today, Reporter Ivey Schofield looks at how law enforcement officials, an attorney and local support agencies view drugs through the lens of crime. Ivey SchofieldBBI Writer Drugs in …Read more Continue reading Sheriff: Columbus drug crime is a ‘bad situation’

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Don’t let your guard down as COVID cases drop in southeastern NC, health experts say

By Sarah Nagem sarahnagem@borderbelt.org COVID-19 cases are falling across southeastern North Carolina, and fewer people are hospitalized with the virus. But now is not the time to stop taking precautions, health officials say. “I don’t believe for a minute we can let our guard down,” said Renae Taylor, vice president and chief nurse executive at UNC Health Southeastern in Robeson County. “The last thing I …Read more Continue reading Don’t let your guard down as COVID cases drop in southeastern NC, health experts say