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One of North Carolina’s poorest cities wants to crack down on panhandling

By Sarah Nagem sarahnagem@borderbelt.org Holt Moore, the attorney for Lumberton, said City Hall gets phone calls almost daily from residents complaining about panhandlers in street medians and parking lots.  In one incident, Moore said, someone asking for money tried to open a driver’s door.  Now Lumberton, the largest municipality in Robeson County and one of the poorest cities in North Carolina, wants to strengthen its …Read more Continue reading One of North Carolina’s poorest cities wants to crack down on panhandling

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Southeastern North Carolina counties will be the last to transition to eCourts

By Rachel Baldauf rachelbaldauf@borderbelt.org Counties in southeastern North Carolina will not transition to the eCourts digital record management system until 2025, according to the state Administrative Office of the Courts. Harnett, Johnston, Lee, Mecklenburg and Wake counties transitioned last year to the $100 million eCourts system. The state has announced plans to expand the program to 44 more counties within the next year. But nearly …Read more Continue reading Southeastern North Carolina counties will be the last to transition to eCourts

A white concrete building with red shutters has a roof that is collapsing. Sticky post

Homeowners in NC’s Border Belt would pay much more for insurance under new proposal

By Ben Rappaport benrappaport@borderbelt.org Homeowners in southeastern North Carolina would have to pay substantially more for insurance under a new proposal. The North Carolina Rate Bureau last week proposed an average statewide increase of 42.2% for homeowners’ insurance. In Bladen, Columbus and Robeson counties, the proposed increase is higher. Get the Border Belt Independent’s weekly newsletter. Columbus County would see the highest increase at 63%, …Read more Continue reading Homeowners in NC’s Border Belt would pay much more for insurance under new proposal

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Construction firm must pay after off-duty deputy injured in Robeson County, court rules

By Rachel Baldauf rachelbaldauf@borderbelt.org Robeson County sheriff’s deputy Stephen Matthew Lassiter was off duty but directing traffic at a construction site on Interstate 95 north of St. Pauls just after midnight on March 28, 2019, when he was hit by a pick-up truck.  A month later, when Lassiter filed for workers’ compensation benefits, the Robeson County Sheriff’s Office and Truesdell, the construction company managing the …Read more Continue reading Construction firm must pay after off-duty deputy injured in Robeson County, court rules

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Clouds over Columbus County

By Carli Brosseau and Sarah Nagem This story is co-published by The Assembly and the Border Belt Independent. Not three months after Bill Rogers accepted an appointment as Columbus County sheriff, he received a subpoena to testify before a federal grand jury in Raleigh.  At the center of the investigation was his predecessor as the county’s top law enforcement officer, Jody Greene. Rogers had known …Read more Continue reading Clouds over Columbus County

Donate to the Border Belt Independent; contributions matched until Dec. 31

By Les High Since founding the Border Belt Independent in the spring of 2021, we’ve produced in-depth coverage of the issues that impact the livesof people in Bladen, Columbus, Robeson and Scotland counties. And we know that journalism like ours is more important than ever. As a nonprofit newsroom, we can’t do this critical work without your help. All of our content is free and …Read more Continue reading Donate to the Border Belt Independent; contributions matched until Dec. 31

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NC county still reeling from sheriff’s racist comments is dealt another blow 

By Ben Rappaport benrappaport@borderbelt.org A school board member in rural North Carolina who was convicted of assaulting a Black town employee during an encounter in which she was also accused of using a racial slur said Monday she will remain on the board but step down as chairperson.   Kandle Rogers, who has served on the Whiteville City Schools Board of Education for years, was found …Read more Continue reading NC county still reeling from sheriff’s racist comments is dealt another blow 

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Tar Heel Bus Tour makes stop at The News Reporter, Border Belt Independent

By Justin Smith Publisher, The News Reporter A Carolina blue bus filled with more than three dozen faculty members and senior administrators from UNC Chapel Hill stopped at The News Reporter Wednesday to learn about community journalism. The group, joined by Chancellor Kevin Guskiewicz, was part of the multi-day Tar Heel Bus Tour, which sends one bus on a westward route from Chapel Hill and …Read more Continue reading Tar Heel Bus Tour makes stop at The News Reporter, Border Belt Independent