Jarrod Lowery, a Republican who has represented Robeson County in the N.C. House since 2022, said he is leaving the state legislature next month to take a job in Washington, D.C.
Sarah Nagem
Sarah Nagem is editor of the Border Belt Independent. She previously worked for The News & Observer and currently attends graduate school at Duke University.
Posted inPolitics & Government
After Trump Directive, Feds Send Lumbee Back to Congress for Recognition
An executive order asking the Department of the Interior to determine a path forward for the tribe seems to have led to the same answer the tribe has gotten for years.
Posted inCulture
Talking to North Carolina’s latest Pulitzer Prize winner
UNC-Chapel Hill historian Kathleen DuVal won a Pulitzer Prize for her book Native Nations: A Millennium in North America. We talked to her about keeping history alive and overcoming misconceptions.
Posted inPolitics & Government
For the Tuscarora, tradition and politics clash in quest for state recognition
The Tuscarora created a unified government. The only problem? Many longtime leaders aren’t on board with the plan.
Posted inCourts & Justice
NC Supreme Court hears case of injured Robeson County sheriff’s deputy
A case before the NC Supreme Court could provide clarity about who is responsible for a law enforcement officer working off-duty.
Posted inNews, Environment
Lumbee tribe celebrates donation of 1,400 acres in Robeson County
The Lumbee will protect nearly 1,400 acres of wetlands and forest in Robeson County through a first-of-its-kind large land donation to the tribe.
Posted inNews, Courts & Justice
Robeson County saw fewer murders in 2024, unofficial tally shows
Robeson County saw a significant drop in reported murders in 2024 after experiencing what might have been a record high the prior year.
Posted inCourts & Justice
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 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 […]
Posted inElections
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 […]
Posted inElections
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, […]