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One of North Carolina’s poorest cities wants to crack down on panhandling

By Sarah Nagem sarahnagem@borderbelt.org Holt Moore, the attorney for Lumberton, said City Hall gets phone calls almost daily from residents complaining about panhandlers in street medians and parking lots.  In one incident, Moore said, someone asking for money tried to open a driver’s door.  Now Lumberton, the largest municipality in Robeson County and one of the poorest cities in North Carolina, wants to strengthen its …Read more Continue reading One of North Carolina’s poorest cities wants to crack down on panhandling

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Southeastern North Carolina counties will be the last to transition to eCourts

By Rachel Baldauf rachelbaldauf@borderbelt.org Counties in southeastern North Carolina will not transition to the eCourts digital record management system until 2025, according to the state Administrative Office of the Courts. Harnett, Johnston, Lee, Mecklenburg and Wake counties transitioned last year to the $100 million eCourts system. The state has announced plans to expand the program to 44 more counties within the next year. But nearly …Read more Continue reading Southeastern North Carolina counties will be the last to transition to eCourts

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Homeowners in NC’s Border Belt would pay much more for insurance under new proposal

By Ben Rappaport benrappaport@borderbelt.org Homeowners in southeastern North Carolina would have to pay substantially more for insurance under a new proposal. The North Carolina Rate Bureau last week proposed an average statewide increase of 42.2% for homeowners’ insurance. In Bladen, Columbus and Robeson counties, the proposed increase is higher. Get the Border Belt Independent’s weekly newsletter. Columbus County would see the highest increase at 63%, …Read more Continue reading Homeowners in NC’s Border Belt would pay much more for insurance under new proposal

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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

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What the Trillium merger means for Medicaid recipients in NC’s Border Belt

By Ben Rappaport benrappaport@borderbelt.org  Mental health services for people enrolled in Medicaid in much of southeastern North Carolina will soon be consolidated following a merger approved by the state.  Trillium Health Resources will manage mental health care, substance misuse treatment and disability services for many low-income residents in 46 counties — including Bladen, Columbus, Robeson and Scotland — when it merges with Eastpointe and Sandhills …Read more Continue reading What the Trillium merger means for Medicaid recipients in NC’s Border Belt

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

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

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Construction firm must pay after off-duty deputy injured in Robeson County, court rules

By Rachel Baldauf rachelbaldauf@borderbelt.org Robeson County sheriff’s deputy Stephen Matthew Lassiter was off duty but directing traffic at a construction site on Interstate 95 north of St. Pauls just after midnight on March 28, 2019, when he was hit by a pick-up truck.  A month later, when Lassiter filed for workers’ compensation benefits, the Robeson County Sheriff’s Office and Truesdell, the construction company managing the …Read more Continue reading Construction firm must pay after off-duty deputy injured in Robeson County, court rules

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Robeson County schools join lawsuit against social media giants

By Ben Rappaport benrappaport@borderbelt.org The Robeson County school district has joined a lawsuit against social media giants, claiming the companies are intentionally addictive and negatively impact students’ mental health. Public Schools of Robeson County is one of 12 districts in North Carolina and 200 across the country to join the lawsuit against Meta, Google, ByteDance, and Snap Inc., which owns Snapchat. Other N.C. districts include …Read more Continue reading Robeson County schools join lawsuit against social media giants