Category: Profile

Bladen County, Columbus County, Culture, Profile

Q&A with Terry Mann: Jewish synagogue donation honors close relationship with communities

By Kerria Weaver kerriaweaver@borderbelt.org Terry Mann believes in giving back to the community while also making sure the Jewish community is recognized and remembered.  Mann and other Jewish families who were members of the Beth Israel Synagogue came together earlier this year to donate $200,000 to the Southeastern Community College Foundation and Bladen Community College.  Mann, 71, currently serves as the mayor of Whiteville. For …Read more Continue reading Q&A with Terry Mann: Jewish synagogue donation honors close relationship with communities

Kerria Weaver
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Profile

Q&A with Carol Caldwell: ‘My story is told for a lifetime, not just February’

By Kerria Weaver kerriaweaver@borderbelt.org Carol Caldwell knows the importance of recognizing Black voices in her Columbus County community. So she and some other residents created a committee that focuses on the preservation of African American culture.  The Border Belt Independent spoke with Caldwell about her efforts. Q. When did the Columbus County Committee for the Preservation of African American Culture start? It actually started as …Read more Continue reading Q&A with Carol Caldwell: ‘My story is told for a lifetime, not just February’

Kerria Weaver
Bladen County, Elizabethtown, Cape Fear Winery and Distillery Sticky post
Bladen County, Politics / Government, Profile

Border Belt People: Greg Martin retires after 25 years as Bladen manager

By Kerria Weaver kerriaweaver@borderbelt.org Bladen County Manager Greg Martin, who has been working in local government for almost 30 years, is retiring. He first worked in local government starting in early 1996.  The Border Belt Independent spoke with Martin about his time in the position and his decision to retire. Q. What was your upbringing and journey to being county manager of Bladen County? Are …Read more Continue reading Border Belt People: Greg Martin retires after 25 years as Bladen manager

Kerria Weaver
Dr. Melba McCallum, Partners in Ministry, Laurinburg, United Methodist Church Sticky post
Profile

Partners in Ministry helps kids become ‘change agents’ in their communities

By Rachel Baldauf rachelbaldauf@borderbelt.org The hallways of Partners in Ministry’s building in Laurinburg are covered in inspirational sayings: “Put first things first.” “Begin with the end in mind.” When Executive Director Melba McCallum first dreamed the idea for the nonprofit in 2003, she couldn’t have known all that it would grow to become. Today, the group runs an afterschool program for about 300 students, provides …Read more Continue reading Partners in Ministry helps kids become ‘change agents’ in their communities

Rachel Baldauf
Greg Bacot, UNC Pembroke, Alan Cummings, scholarship Sticky post
Education, Profile

Border Belt People Q&A with Greg Bacot: ‘So many opportunities in the world’

By Kerria Weaver kerriaweaver@borderbelt.org Greg Bacot, a 1985 graduate of UNC Pembroke, established the Lacy and Alice Bacot Higher Education Scholarship at the university to honor his parents in 2018. On Oct. 20, Bacot, 62, announced a $1.2 million planned gift that would enhance the scholarship. The Border Belt Independent spoke with Bacot about his time spent at UNCP and his reasoning behind establishing the …Read more Continue reading Border Belt People Q&A with Greg Bacot: ‘So many opportunities in the world’

Kerria Weaver
Larrell Murchison, Los Angeles Rams, testicular cancer awareness, East Bladen High School, Elizabethtown, NC, NFL Sticky post
Bladen County, Health, Profile

Border Belt People Q&A: Murchison’s cleats honor twin brother’s bout with cancer

By Kerria Weaver kerriaweaver@borderbelt.org  Larrell Murchison, 26, was born and raised in Elizabethtown playing football from a very young age alongside his twin brother, Farrell. Today, Larrell plays defensive end for the NFL’s Los Angeles Rams. On Dec. 3, Murchison wore customized cleats for the Rams’ matchup against the Cleveland Browns to raise awareness and represent the Testicular Cancer Awareness Foundation. The Border Belt Independent …Read more Continue reading Border Belt People Q&A: Murchison’s cleats honor twin brother’s bout with cancer

Kerria Weaver
Lumbee Tribe, UNC Pembroke, Indians, Robeson, Native American Sticky post
Culture, Profile, Robeson County

Border Belt People: Q&A with Nancy Fields, director of the Museum of the Southeast American Indian

By Kerria Weaver kerriaweaver@borderbelt.org Nancy Strickland Fields serves as director and curator of the Museum of the Southeast American Indian located on UNC Pembroke’s campus, working for the museum since 2017. As director and curator, Fields, 50, makes sure the public is made aware of the history, art, and culture of Native Americans in their own communities. The Border Belt Independent asked Fields about her …Read more Continue reading Border Belt People: Q&A with Nancy Fields, director of the Museum of the Southeast American Indian

Kerria Weaver
Ed Tatum stands in red shirt and holds up an old photograph of himself receiving a military badge in uniform Sticky post
Bladen County, Profile

Border Belt People: A Q&A with former Tomb of the Unknown Soldier guard Edward Tatum

By Kerria Weaver kerriaweaver@borderbelt.org Edward Tatum of Elizabethtown served in one of the nation’s most prestigious military units, the Old Guard, as a sentinel at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in Arlington, Va. The Old Guard assists with funerals at Arlington National Cemetery and guards the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. It is the oldest active-duty unit in the Army, founded in 1784. Its …Read more Continue reading Border Belt People: A Q&A with former Tomb of the Unknown Soldier guard Edward Tatum

Kerria Weaver