Author: Sarah Nagem

Sarah Nagem is the editor of the Border Belt Independent. She graduated from the journalism school at West Virginia University and previously worked for The News & Observer in Raleigh.
Public Safety, Robeson County

Suspect pleads guilty six years after 13-year-old girl’s murder in Robeson County

By Sarah Nagem sarahnagem@borderbelt.org The man accused of kidnapping and killing a 13-year-old Hania Aguilar in Robeson County in 2018 pleaded guilty on Friday, according to local District Attorney Matt Scott and Lumberton police.   Michael McLellan, 40, was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole after pleading guilty to first-degree murder, the Lumberton Police Department sadi in a news release. Superior …Read more Continue reading Suspect pleads guilty six years after 13-year-old girl’s murder in Robeson County

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Bladen County, Columbus County, Elections, Politics / Government, Robeson County, Scotland County

Incumbents in NC’s Border Belt keep seats in NC General Assembly 

By Sarah Nagem sarahnagem@borderbelt.org Voters in Bladen, Columbus, Robeson and Scotland counties elected their representatives in the North Carolina General Assembly to new terms. Every state legislature incumbent in the four-county region who was up for re-election won on Tuesday, according to unofficial results from the state Board of Elections.  To keep up with more election news, sign up for our free newsletter. None of the …Read more Continue reading Incumbents in NC’s Border Belt keep seats in NC General Assembly 

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Elections, Politics / Government, Robeson County

Robeson County, home to Lumbee tribe, sees small voter turnout but big support for Trump

By Sarah Nagem sarahnagem@borderbelt.org The campaigns for Donald Trump and Kamala Harris courted Lumbee voters ahead of the election, with both pledging support for full federal recognition for the Native American tribe.  As polls closed Tuesday night, tribal members in Robeson County had spoken: Trump, a Republican, won 63.3% of the vote in the county, where the Lumbee tribe has its headquarters, according to unofficial …Read more Continue reading Robeson County, home to Lumbee tribe, sees small voter turnout but big support for Trump

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Columbus County, Politics / Government, Robeson County, Scotland County

Why some Black men are hesitant to vote for Harris, according to rural NC activists

By Sarah Nagem sarahnagem@borderbelt.org Marlando Pridgen, who is running for North Carolina’s 7th Congressional district, has a theory about why fewer Black voters are casting early ballots and missing out on the opportunity to support presidential candidate Kamala Harris ahead of Election Day. “In the churches,” he said, “there is this mindset of women not having a meaningful place in leadership.”  About 44,500 fewer Black …Read more Continue reading Why some Black men are hesitant to vote for Harris, according to rural NC activists

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Bladen County, Columbus County, Politics / Government, Robeson County, Scotland County

Election officials step up security in rural southeastern North Carolina

By Sarah Nagem sarahnagem@borderbelt.org Wanda Monroe, the elections director in Bladen County, wasn’t expecting any security threats at the polls this year. But she wanted to be proactive.  “We did have a meeting with all the law enforcement agencies in our county and emergency management teams to discuss safety issues that could arise,” Monroe said. Chief judges responsible for the county’s voting precincts underwent “extensive …Read more Continue reading Election officials step up security in rural southeastern North Carolina

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Politics / Government, Scotland County

Garland Pierce, a lone Democrat in a swath of red, wants to keep his NC House seat

By Sarah Nagem sarahnagem@borderbelt.org Garland Pierce might feel a little lonely these days.  Pierce, a 20-year political veteran, is the only Democrat in the state legislature representing any county in the 200-mile stretch between Charlotte and Wilmington along North Carolina’s southern border. Once a textile and manufacturing hub, the area was a sure thing for Democrats for decades until more rural voters shifted to the …Read more Continue reading Garland Pierce, a lone Democrat in a swath of red, wants to keep his NC House seat

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Bladen County, Columbus County, Education, Robeson County, Scotland County

Schools in NC’s Border Belt see post-pandemic academic gains

By Sarah Nagem sarahnagem@borderbelt.org Schools in North Carolina’s Border Belt saw small academic gains last school year as districts continue to recover from the COVID-19 pandemic.  Districts in Bladen, Columbus, Robeson and Columbus counties all saw an increase in the percentage of students who tested at or above grade level during the 2023-24 school year.  The improved performance mirrors statewide results of exams meant to …Read more Continue reading Schools in NC’s Border Belt see post-pandemic academic gains

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Bladen County, Columbus County, Education, News, Robeson County, Scotland County

Public, private, home schools: Student enrollment by the numbers in NC’s Border Belt

By Sarah Nagem sarahnagem@borderbelt.org Teachers at Scotland High School last week put final touches on their classroom decorations, set up lessons on their smart boards and walked the halls with excitement for a new school year. Across the highway, Cross Pointe Christian Academy served as a new option for students in kindergarten through 12th grade in Scotland County. Rural southeastern North Carolina matters. That’s why …Read more Continue reading Public, private, home schools: Student enrollment by the numbers in NC’s Border Belt

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Politics / Government, Robeson County

For the Tuscarora, recognition has been a 40-year fight

By Sarah Nagem sarahnagem@borderbelt.org This story is published in partnership with The Assembly. Brandy Locklear Alvarez took her 8-year-old twins to a newly unearthed burial site in Carteret County to pray. They were awed by their ancestors’ bones poking out of the dirt, a reminder that Indigenous people inhabited the coastal community for thousands of years before colonizers–and later, bulldozers–arrived. Dressed in a traditional ribbon …Read more Continue reading For the Tuscarora, recognition has been a 40-year fight

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Judge's gavel on a desk. Sticky post
Education, Public Safety, Scotland County

Former St. Andrews student serving more than 23 years for on-campus sexual assaults

By Sarah Nagem sarahnagem@borderbelt.org A former St. Andrews University student-athlete accused of sexually assaulting three women on campus in 2022 and 2023 was sentenced to serve more than 23 years in prison.  Mison Mickle, 24, pleaded guilty in March to four felony counts of sex offenses and failure to register as a sex offender. The Border Belt Independent recently learned of Mickle’s conviction and sentencing …Read more Continue reading Former St. Andrews student serving more than 23 years for on-campus sexual assaults

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