Bladen Community College to Host Child Care Academies to Train Future Teachers
North Carolina awarded grants to 15 colleges to offer free training to child care specialists to address the statewide shortage.
RECENT STORIES
After Decades of Fighting, Congress Recognizes the Lumbee
President Trump signed the National Defense Authorization Act, which includes Lumbee recognition, into law.
Scientists Say This Chemical Could Cause Irreversible Harm. It’s Everywhere in Eastern N.C.
The discovery of TFA in blood and water samples raises questions about Chemours’ role in adding to the pollution burden.
Philanthropist MacKenzie Scott Donates Millions to Community Colleges in Border Belt
The philanthropist gave Robeson Community College $24 million and Bladen Community College $12 million.
UNC System Weighs Requiring Course Syllabi to be Public
Campuses have reached different conclusions about whether syllabi are public records. Now the UNC System wants to dictate that they are.
Who’s Running in Bladen County Elections in 2026?
Voters will cast ballots in national, state, and local elections in a March primary and November general election.
Who’s Running in Scotland County Elections in 2026?
Voters will cast ballots in national, state, and local elections in a March primary and November general election.
Who’s Running in Robeson County Elections in 2026?
The filing period ends December 19 for next year’s election, when voters will cast ballots in national, state, and local elections.
Congress Includes Lumbee Recognition in Defense Spending Bill
The North Carolina tribe has been seeking full federal recognition for more than a century. The latest effort comes after President Trump began pushing for Lumbee recognition.
Politics / Government
Who’s Running in Columbus County Elections in 2026?
Several local races are on the ballot, including sheriff, district attorney, and county commissioners.
How Can the Lumbee Tribal Chairman Also Serve in the N.C. House?
Lumbee Tribal Chairman John Lowery filed to run for the N.C. House seat he was appointed to fill in October.
Residents Urge State to Deny Wake County Town’s Request to Pull Water From the Cape Fear River
Fuquay-Varina wants to extract up to 6.17 million gallons per day and put the treated wastewater in the Neuse River basin.
Red Springs Election Protest Centers on Disability Rights
Duron Burney, who lost the Red Springs mayoral race by two votes, is challenging ballots cast by residents of an assisted-living facility.
Education
Head Start Closures Leave Robeson County Families Scrambling for Child Care
Southeastern Community Action Partnership closed three Head Start sites in Robeson County because of the government shutdown.
Robeson County School District is Almost Off the State’s Low-Performing List
Robeson County schools came close to getting off the state’s low-performing list last school year, a sign of academic improvement for the district.
State Schools Superintendent Mo Green Stops in Robeson County to Tout Success Plan
Achieving Educational Excellence is a five-year strategy that aims to make North Carolina’s public schools the best in the nation by 2030.
Summer Camps Help Robeson County Students Improve Their Reading Skills
The Summer Literacy Initiative from The Duke Endowment added two more sites in Robeson County this year to help more kids with reading.
Health
How Trump’s ‘Big Beautiful Bill’ Is Shaking Up Health Care in N.C.
Some on the private market are already seeing higher premiums for 2026, and others who rely on Medicaid could lose coverage.
How Rural N.C. Lowered Overdose Deaths—But Will Struggle to Keep Pace
After years of fighting rising rates of overdoses, communities have been reversing the trend.
Border Belt Sees Drop in Fatal Drug Overdoses
Bladen, Columbus, Robeson, and Scotland counties saw significant decreases in the number of fatal drug overdoses in 2024.
How Are Border Belt Counties Spending Opioid Settlement Money?
Bladen, Columbus, Robeson, and Scotland counties will get millions of dollars through 2038 from national legal settlements with drugmakers.
