Category: Scotland County

Bladen County, Columbus County, Public Safety, Robeson County, Scotland County

At least 37 homicides recorded in NC’s Border Belt in first six months of 2024

By Rachel Baldauf rachelbaldauf@borderbelt.org  At least 37 people, including four children, have died in homicides in Bladen, Columbus, Robeson and Scotland counties so far this year, according to an analysis by the Border Belt Independent. Robeson County has seen at least 25 homicides since Jan. 1. Scotland County has reported at least 8 homicides this year, and Columbus and Bladen counties have both reported at …Read more Continue reading At least 37 homicides recorded in NC’s Border Belt in first six months of 2024

Rachel Baldauf
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

Sarah NagemSarah Nagem
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Health, Scotland County

Fighting back against prostate cancer in Scotland County

By Ben Rappaport benrappaport@borderbelt.org  Greg McMillan’s barber shop in the northeast corner of Scotland County is more than a place to get a fresh lineup and a clean shave. It’s a community space where people share everything from tall tales to heart-to-hearts. McMillan’s shop in Wagram, Next Cuts, hosted Cuts and Conversations on Saturday in partnership with the Prostate Cancer Coalition of North Carolina. The …Read more Continue reading Fighting back against prostate cancer in Scotland County

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Education, Profile, Scotland County

Get to know three Laurinburg artists

By Kerria Weaver kerriaweaver@borderbelt.org How would you define art? Can it really be defined? The Border Belt Independent spoke with three artists from Laurinburg who show that there is an art to everything we do and how you can make a career out of it in the process. Keith Stephens, 42, is an art teacher at Scotland High School. Stephens has always been interested in …Read more Continue reading Get to know three Laurinburg artists

Kerria Weaver
Bladen County, Columbus County, News, Robeson County, Scotland County

Already-strained child care centers in NC’s Border Belt fear loss of state funding

By Rachel Baldauf rachelbaldauf@borderbelt.org Cynthia Mitchell, who has been the director of Beverly’s Day Care in Columbus County for 36 years, has always had a tough job. But it’s gotten even harder since 2020, when the COVID-19 pandemic caused a drop in enrollment and a spike in supply costs.  Funding from North Carolina’s Child Care Stabilization Grants helped Mitchell stay afloat. Since 2021, the pandemic …Read more Continue reading Already-strained child care centers in NC’s Border Belt fear loss of state funding

Rachel Baldauf
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News, Robeson County, Scotland County

Robeson and Scotland counties are growing, slowly, for the first time in years

By Ben Rappaport benrappaport@borderbelt.org  Robeson and Scotland counties grew between 2020 and 2023, mirroring population increases across much of rural North Carolina during the COVID-19 pandemic.  Robeson County grew by 0.91% during the three-year span, accounting for an increase of 1,056 people, according to a new report from the North Carolina Rural Center. Neighboring Scotland County grew by 0.25%, an increase of 86 people. While …Read more Continue reading Robeson and Scotland counties are growing, slowly, for the first time in years

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

Schools in NC’s Border Belt say they need more county money to replace COVID funding

By Ben Rappaport benrappaport@borderbelt.org  School boards in rural southeastern North Carolina are asking for increases in local funding to increase employees’ pay and fill gaps left by the loss of federal COVID-19 relief money. School leaders in Bladen, Columbus, Robeson and Scotland counties have asked county commissioners to bump up funding for the fiscal year that begins July 1.  In North Carolina, the General Assembly …Read more Continue reading Schools in NC’s Border Belt say they need more county money to replace COVID funding

Avatar photoBen Rappaport
A sign for Scotland Correctional Institution in North Carolina. Sticky post
Public Safety, Scotland County

Stabbings bring renewed scrutiny to Scotland Correctional Institution

By Rachel Baldauf rachelbaldauf@borderbelt.org Two stabbings in less than a month at Scotland Correctional Institution in Laurinburg have brought renewed scrutiny to the prison that has been plagued with reports of mistreatment, unsafe conditions and overcrowding.  The most recent incident, on April 30, resulted in the death of 39-year-old Christopher Michael Edwards, who was found in a common area with multiple stab wounds. He died …Read more Continue reading Stabbings bring renewed scrutiny to Scotland Correctional Institution

Rachel Baldauf
Education, Scotland County

SparkNC brings a new way of learning to Scotland High School

By Ben Rappaport benrappaport@borderbelt.org While his peers spend their mornings in math or English class, Trevon Wall connects wires to circuit boards for the robotic car he’s building and coding from scratch. Wall, a senior at Scotland High School, is one of the first in the state to experience SparkNC, a new curriculum aimed at teaching high-tech skills.  “I like to be hands-on,” Wall said. …Read more Continue reading SparkNC brings a new way of learning to Scotland High School

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

Low pay, lack of resources lead to burnout in southeastern NC schools, teachers say

By Ben Rappaport benrappaport@borderbelt.org  It’s an epic vocal trio of Aaron Burr, Thomas Jefferson and James Madison. Tensions are rising within George Washington’s presidential cabinet. Jefferson can’t take it anymore. “If there’s a fire you’re trying to douse,” Jefferson raps in the hit Broadway musical “Hamilton,” “you can’t put it out from inside the house.” Those lyrics hit Kaylan Ganus like a brick. It was …Read more Continue reading Low pay, lack of resources lead to burnout in southeastern NC schools, teachers say

Avatar photoBen Rappaport