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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
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In this Robeson County town, high school seniors say they don’t plan to vote
By Ben Rappaport benrappaport@borderbelt.org Samere Yates sees plenty of problems in his hometown of Fairmont, a town of 2,500 residents in the southern end of Robeson County. “Everyone here winds up shot, dead or in jail,” said Yates, 18. “There’s just nothing here. It’s terrible.” But Yates, who will graduate this month from Fairmont High School, doesn’t see any solutions to his community’s woes coming …Read more Continue reading In this Robeson County town, high school seniors say they don’t plan to vote
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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
Elizabethtown needs to prevent flooding. But with little cash, options are limited
By Ben Rappaport benrappaport@borderbelt.org Stephen Duffy feels like he is constantly playing a game of Whac-A-Mole. The Elizabethtown public services director is stuck in a stormwater doom loop: filling potholes and sealing broken pipes as needed but never attacking the root cause of the damage caused by stormwater. That’s because the Bladen County town, like most municipalities across rural southeastern North Carolina, lacks any budget …Read more Continue reading Elizabethtown needs to prevent flooding. But with little cash, options are limited
Q&A with Stacie Kinlaw: ‘ROARing’ for years to come in Robeson County
By Kerria Weaver kerriaweaver@borderbelt.org Stacie Kinlaw of Bladen County has worked for various nonprofits in southeastern North Carolina. She is currently the community engagement assistant director for the Robeson County Partnership for Children. Kinlaw works to grow awareness of adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) and resilience. She hopes the prevention of ACEs will also lead to other positive outcomes, such as lower violence and crime and …Read more Continue reading Q&A with Stacie Kinlaw: ‘ROARing’ for years to come in Robeson County
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Horace Locklear, a Lumbee trailblazer in North Carolina law and politics, dies
By Sarah Nagem sarahnagem@borderbelt.org Horace Locklear saw the injustices of the segregated South while growing up in Robeson County, where schools, the local hospital and water fountains were separated into thirds — white, Black and Native American. The prejudices he endured as a Lumbee ignited in Locklear a commitment to serve his community and advocate for tribal rights. He became the first Native American licensed attorney …Read more Continue reading Horace Locklear, a Lumbee trailblazer in North Carolina law and politics, dies
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Red Springs company’s request for $1.1m in state funds would not ‘survive an audit’
By Lisa Sorg This story was originally published by NC Newsline. No payroll. No receipts. No bills or invoices. Lacking any supporting documentation, James Freeman, president of the Emerging Technology Institute, nonetheless asked the Town of Red Springs to reimburse him $1.1 million in state taxpayer funds for “service, salaries and goods” related to his military training center and STEM education venture, public records show. But the …Read more Continue reading Red Springs company’s request for $1.1m in state funds would not ‘survive an audit’
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
Columbus County magistrate suspended, accused of ethical violations
By Ben Rappaport benrappaport@borderbelt.org Robert A. Worley was suspended from his duties as a Columbus County magistrate on Wednesday after being accused of using private court records for personal use and criticizing the Whiteville Police Department in Facebook posts. Six members of the Whiteville Police Department, including Chief Douglas Ipock, said in affidavits that Worley used records from the North Carolina Administrative Office of the …Read more Continue reading Columbus County magistrate suspended, accused of ethical violations
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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