Border Belt Counties Push Back Against Proposed Changes to Property Taxes
Local leaders say counties should determine property revaluations and tax rates, not the North Carolina legislature.
RECENT STORIES
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.
Scotland County Considers How to Tackle Litter
With only two enforcement officers, it can be tough for the local health department to keep up with illegal dump sites.
Thousands of Teachers to Rally in Raleigh Friday
At least 13 districts across the state have canceled classes due to the high number of teacher leave requests.
Community Colleges Want in on UNC System’s Push for 3-Year Degrees
Two community college presidents wrote to their system leader expressing concern about a proposal to create accelerated degree programs.
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.
Politics / Government
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.
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.
Education
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.