By Sarah Nagem sarahnagem@borderbelt.org When Matthew Oxendine used drugs or had too much to drink, he would sometimes call 911 or the local sheriff’s office and say he was going to kill himself.  He began making the calls years ago, long before he spent about a week in a psychiatric unit in 2016, said his brother, Greg Oxendine. Doctors diagnosed him with depression.  So when …Read more Continue reading Family calls for change after deputies shoot NC man struggling with mental illness, drugs

Laura Dial left Robeson County decades ago in search of new job opportunities.  But Dial, 72, travels nearly 250 miles each year to attend Lumbee Homecoming, a celebration of family, food and Native American traditions that draws thousands of people to southeastern North Carolina.  “This is always home,” said Dial, who now lives in Anderson, S.C.  Some say this year’s event, which wrapped up Saturday …Read more Continue reading At Lumbee Homecoming, a celebration of culture and a look at a community in need