By Heidi Perez-Moreno Sonya Hillburn used three decades of retirement and personal savings to open Above & Beyond Wellness & Medical Spa in Elizabethtown in 2021. Local banks refused to give her a business loan, she said, since she could not prove the business would make money. It took two years for Hillburn, a nurse […]
Heidi Perez-Moreno
Heidi Perez-Moreno covers education and more at the Border Belt Independent. She is a graduate of UNC-Chapel Hill and previously worked at The Washington Post.
Posted inPolitics & Government
North Carolina Democratic Party Tries to Organize Rural Voters
The party is hosting listening sessions in rural North Carolina counties in an effort to rally voters ahead of the 2026 midterm election.
Posted inEnvironment
FEMA cancels $11 million for flood mitigation projects in Columbus and Robeson counties
The Federal Emergency Management Agency canceled more than $200 million, including nearly $11 million in Columbus and Robeson counties. State Attorney General Jackson is suing.
Posted inHealth
Behavioral Health Urgent Care Hopes to Fill Critical Need in Robeson County
Southeastern Integrated Care will operate the center, which is funded by Trillium and is expected to open by the end of 2025.
Posted inNews
Alligator ‘incident’ reignites safety concerns in Lake Waccamaw
A 12-year-old girl was injured by an alligator in the Columbus County lake in June. But Wildlife officials say alligators encounters are rare.
Posted inNews
America’s founding documents are coming to Bladen County
By Heidi Perez-Moreno Life-size replicas of the United States’ founding documents are coming to Bladen County. Copies of the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution and the Bill of Rights will be permanently displayed outside the Bladen County government office in Elizabethtown. The Civil Rights Amendments will also be on display. Bladen County officials collaborated with […]
Posted inEducation
Some charter schools in the Border Belt are whiter and wealthier than public schools
Two charter schools in the Border Belt enroll a significantly higher percentage of white and wealthier students than the public school districts where they are located, according to a report from Public Schools First NC.
Posted inPolitics & Government
Domestic violence organizations in the Border Belt brace for federal cuts
Families First and the Southeastern Family Violence Center say they are already hurting from funding cuts. More could be on the way.
Posted inHealth
Inclusive Playground in Scotland County Set to Unveil by End of This Year
A wave of inclusive playground construction across rural southeastern North Carolina looks to make recreation available to all.
Posted inHealth
Possible Federal Cuts to HIV Program Worry Patients and Medical Providers in N.C.
Potential federal cuts to the Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program could affect patients in North Carolina, especially amid Medicaid uncertainty.