- Bladen County spat could hinder progress at thriving industrial park
By Ben Rappaport benrappaport@borderbelt.org Bladen County and Elizabethtown have worked together for years to spur economic development with help from a local nonprofit aimed at bringing jobs and increasing the local tax base. But new plans for a mixed-use development of homes and businesses have strained the three-way partnership, raising questions about the project and future collaborations at the Elizabethtown Industrial Park. Bladen County gave …Read more - How young entrepreneurs and town leaders are revitalizing downtown Fairmont
By Ben Rappaport benrappaport@borderbelt.org Hip-hop music blared from speakers on a humid August Saturday night. People were sweating from dancing, and the lights pulsed to the beat of the music. It’s been a long time since downtown Fairmont has seen this kind of energy. The Robeson County town, where more than half of the 2,500 residents are Black, has struggled since the loss of the …Read more - Two flood-prone NC towns rebuilt downtown districts on higher ground. Did it work?
By Rachel Baldauf rachelbaldauf@borderbelt.org After Hurricane Florence pummeled Bladen County in 2018, Amanda West had to start over. West, the owner of Over Yonder Coffee, Teas, & Creamery in Bladenboro, said flood waters were 3 feet deep inside her store. The cooler and refrigerator were destroyed, along with 42 tubs of ice cream. “We lost everything,” she said. “So we just took everything out and …Read more - ‘Red Whiteville and Blue’ film follows fight for income equality in Columbus County
By Rachel Baldauf rachelbaldauf@borderbelt.org Patriotic Millionaires, a political advocacy group run by a group of wealthy Americans who want higher taxes for the rich, went to the N.C. Pecan Harvest Festival in Whiteville in November 2022 to ask fairgoers a question: What do you think about the economy? The group was in the midst of launching a pilot program aimed at engaging local voters in …Read more - Here are some economic development projects to watch for in NC’s Border Belt
By Ben Rappaport benrappaport@borderbelt.org From a glass company to an IT service firm, the past two years have brought several major economic development announcements in rural southeastern North Carolina. There’s more on the way, local officials say. The Border Belt region — Bladen, Columbus, Robeson and Scotland counties — has announced more than $255 million in economic investment totaling 1,115 jobs since 2022, according to …Read more