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Border Belt Independent @BeltBorder

Going in depth into the stories that touch the lives of people in Bladen, Columbus, Robeson and Scotland counties in southeastern North Carolina. borderbelt.org

Joined April 2021
  • Tweets 531
  • Following 137
  • Followers 403
14 Photos and videos
Crowded N.C. Jails Grapple with Iryna’s Law ift.tt/vYCtIuy

Crowded N.C. Jails Grapple with Iryna’s Law

Some N.C. law enforcement officials and district attorneys say the law has put strain on local jails without providing more resources.

borderbelt.org
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Data Point: Border Belt’s Biggest Cities See Population Losses ift.tt/pLdSGFY

Data Point: Border Belt’s Biggest Cities See Population Losses

Meanwhile, some smaller towns grew or held steady between 2020 and 2025, Census figures show.

borderbelt.org
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Bladenboro Gets $1.6 Million to Prevent Flooding ift.tt/69524T8

Bladenboro Gets $1.6 Million to Prevent Flooding

The project, funded by the N.C. Department of Environmental Quality, aims to improve drainage and keep water away from downtown.

borderbelt.org
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Bladen County Board of Commissioners Remains Intact ift.tt/XR09oUA

Bladen County Board of Commissioners Remains Intact

Bladen County Commissioners dropped a proposal to decrease its number of representatives after criticism from residents and advocacy organizations.

borderbelt.org
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UNC Health Southeastern Partners with Local Nonprofit to Improve Care ift.tt/ij85G4h

UNC Health Southeastern Partners with Local Nonprofit to Improve Care

The director of the Robeson County Church and Community Center director called the partnership “revolutionary” for health care access in rural areas.

borderbelt.org
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UNC Pembroke Wants To Train More STEM Teachers ift.tt/HcPmTjK

UNC Pembroke Wants To Train More STEM Teachers

A new program will offer free tuition to students who pledge to teach math and science in several districts in the Sandhills.

borderbelt.org
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Should Bladen County Have Fewer Commissioners? ift.tt/bEM8oKn

Should Bladen County Have Fewer Commissioners?

The county’s governing board is larger than most in N.C. But some skeptics fear shrinking it could diminish Black voters’ power.

borderbelt.org
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Affordable Care Act Enrollment Dropped in Every N.C. County This Year ift.tt/WuNOo39
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North Carolina’s Medical School Boom ift.tt/46wkJWQ

North Carolina’s Medical School Boom

New medical schools from Methodist University and Wake Forest University could help ease the North Carolina's doctor shortage.

borderbelt.org
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Bladen County School Closure Puts Summer Camp at Risk   ift.tt/FVZzjkG

Bladen County School Closure Puts Summer Camp at Risk  

Men and Women United for Youth and Families hosts a 10-week program at East Arcadia School, which will close in August.

borderbelt.org
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In Wide-Ranging New Exhibition of Native American Artists, Ancestral Knowledge Animates the Stories of Today ift.tt/JuNFDZT

In Wide-Ranging New Exhibition of Native American Artists, Ancestral Knowledge Animates the Stories...

'Stories Told By Breath: Native American Voices in North Carolina' is on display at the Gregg Museum of Art & Design through September 26.

borderbelt.org
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Data Point: How Many Border Belt Students Get Private School Vouchers? ift.tt/ItpPmSx

Data Point: How Many Border Belt Students Get Private School Vouchers?

More students in Bladen, Columbus, Robeson, and Scotland counties received taxpayer-funded private school vouchers this year.

borderbelt.org
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Columbus County Agrees to Pay Lawyer Fees In Our Public Records Case ift.tt/6uOt8BN

Columbus County Agrees to Pay Lawyer Fees In Our Public Records Case

A judge ordered the county to cover partial costs of lawyers who have represented The Assembly and Border Belt Independent in the case.

borderbelt.org
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Thom Tillis to the Lumbee Tribe: ‘Make Me Proud’  ift.tt/ljYZUE3

Thom Tillis to the Lumbee Tribe: ‘Make Me Proud’ 

Tribal members gathered to celebrate federal recognition–and to honor their ancestors and lawmakers who helped along the way.

borderbelt.org
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Drought, Rising Fuel Costs Strain North Carolina Farmers ift.tt/Io7txQy

Drought, Rising Fuel Costs Strain North Carolina Farmers

Despite recent rainfall, NC is experiencing the worst drought in nearly two decades. Meanwhile, the war with Iran is spiking fuel costs.

borderbelt.org
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Border Belt Schools Say They Need More Local Money to Fill Budget Gaps ift.tt/K6T2Y5J

Border Belt Schools Say They Need More Local Money to Fill Budget Gaps

As schools ask counties for money, some commissioners say they are also struggling to keep up with rising costs for services.

borderbelt.org
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These UNC System Schools Want to Create Three-Year Degrees ift.tt/VMGlsm3

These UNC System Schools Want to Create Three-Year Degrees

Eleven of the system’s 16 universities proposed new reduced-credit undergraduate programs, which are gaining popularity across the country.

borderbelt.org
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Border Belt Counties Push Back Against Proposed Changes to Property Taxes ift.tt/mfNZAbY

Border Belt Counties Push Back Against Proposed Changes to Property Taxes

Local leaders say counties should determine property revaluations and tax rates, not the North Carolina legislature.

borderbelt.org
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What the Medicaid Deal Means for the Border Belt ift.tt/De7Vjhc

What the Medicaid Deal Means for the Border Belt

The legislature approved $319 million to keep the program afloat for more than 3 million recipients across North Carolina.

borderbelt.org
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Robeson County Residents Want Commissioner to Resign Over Post Calling Obama ‘Racist’ ift.tt/dwW7lLF

Robeson County Residents Want Commissioner to Resign Over Post Calling Obama 'Racist'

Board Chairman David Edge said he posted a meme about the former president because he wanted to hear other people's opinions on it.

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