A Family’s Fight for Education Spans Generations
Long before the Leandro case began in 1994, Angus Thompson’s ancestors advocated for equality in Robeson County public schools.
RECENT STORIES
St. Pauls’ Fight Against Flooding
The Robeson County town has gotten millions of dollars from the state for flood mitigation projects. But there’s more work to do.
N.C. Could Have a Below-Average Hurricane Season, Some Researchers Predict
A report from Colorado State University anticipates that 13 named storms will develop in the Atlantic Ocean between June 1 and November 30.
Behavioral Health Urgent Care Set to Open in Robeson County
The facility will be open 24 hours a day to help patients who are experiencing a mental health or substance misuse crisis.
Bladen County Schools Might Cut Jobs to Reduce Costs
The superintendent is recommending the elimination of several positions, a move he says would save the district more than $2 million.
Proposed State Rules Won’t Curb Pollution in Cape Fear River, Environmentalists Say
At a meeting in Fayetteville, 13 people urged state environmental officials to set clear limits on discharges of PFAS and other chemicals.
UNC Wilmington Wants to Start a Medical School
The school, which would take at least seven years to get off the ground, would be the latest boon to health education in the state.
Small Airports in Rural Southeastern N.C. Are Expanding
The Laurinburg-Maxton Airport plans to open a new terminal to keep up with demand and potentially attract aviation businesses.
Will Federal Recognition for the Lumbee ‘Transform’ Southeastern North Carolina?
Members of the Lumbee tribe, which won full federal recognition last December, can soon access more federal programs and may open a casino.
Politics / Government
St. Andrews University Rape Case Ends With Settlement
Webber International University reached an out-of-court agreement with a former St. Andrews student, but few details are publicly available.
Scotland County Homeowners Experience Sticker Shock After Property Revaluation
County commissioners could lower the property tax rate, which is the highest in the state, to ease the financial burden.
‘The Citizens Voted’: N.C. Mayor Takes Office More Than Two Years After Election
Allen Dial was sworn in as mayor of Pembroke following a lengthy legal battle over the 2023 election.
Robeson County Sheriff Asks SBI to Investigate Alleged High School Hazing
The reported incident involved members of the Fairmont High School baseball team on a school bus, investigators said.
Education
Why Border Belt Counties Lag Behind Wealthier Communities in School Funding
The gap between the richest and poorest schools continues to widen, even as low-wealth counties tax themselves more heavily, a report shows.
N.C. Supreme Court Reverses 2022 Ruling on Leandro School Funding Plan
Leandro v. North Carolina began in 1994, when five low-wealth counties sued the state over what they contended was inadequate funding.
The Next Treatment for Alzheimer’s Disease Could Come Out of UNC Pembroke
Ben Bahr leads the university’s Alzheimer’s Disease Research Lab, which is working to develop a low-cost treatment for the brain disorder.
Data Point: Border Belt Schools See Drops in Reported Crime Rates
Public Schools of Robeson County remained slightly above the statewide average with an incident rate of 7.8 per 1,000 students.
Health
State Approves Plans for Two Hospitals Near Brunswick-Columbus County Line
N.C. regulators gave the preliminary go-ahead to Columbus Regional Healthcare System and Novant Health to build hospitals seven miles apart.
Cape Fear Valley Health Names Daniel Weatherly as New CEO
After a five-week search, the Cape Fear Valley Health System Board of Trustees named Daniel Weatherly as its new chief executive officer on Wednesday.
Scotland County Improves Vaccination Rates Against Measles
As neighboring South Carolina deals with an outbreak, local health officials are working to get more children vaccinated.
New SNAP Requirements Could Stress County Budgets
The One Big Beautiful Bill Act shifts a greater share of the food program’s administrative costs to North Carolina and the state’s counties.