- ‘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 moreRead 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 moreRead more - Jobs are scarce – but hope isn’t – in this Robeson County town
By Ben Rappaport benrappaport@borderbelt.org Calling Aiesha Wilkinson’s move to Robeson County a struggle would be an understatement. She’s lived in the county for just five months, and she’s already gone through three jobs. Wilkinson said she was recently fired from her job at a manufacturing facility because she couldn’t reliably get to work on time due to transportation issues. She doesn’t own a car, and … Read moreRead more - Business is booming along future I-74 in NC’s Border Belt. What’s next for upgrades?
Economic development officials say good things are happening along the future I-74 corridor in southern North Carolina. Read more - Bladen County engineer worked his way up the ranks at NCDOT. Other teens can, too
NCDOT is launching new training programs for people without college degrees in an effort to fill hundreds of vacant jobs. Read more
