Ben Rappaport

We dug deep into the closure of St. Andrews University, and what remains in Laurinburg now that it’s gone. College closures are always full of heartbreak and questions about the future. In Scotland County, the now-empty campus is forcing the community to reckon with the school’s complicated legacy.

What remains of St. Andrews Following the sudden closure of St. Andrews University, Laurinburg grapples with the fallout and the now-empty campus property.

One final piece for Border Belt Independent that encapsulates a lot of what makes the Border Belt special: trials of rural communities, resilience in the face of hardship and a deep desire to see opportunity amid the struggle. (W/ @eringretzinger.bsky.social)

borderbelt.org/laurinburg-n...

What Remains of St. Andrews Following the sudden closure of St. Andrews University, Laurinburg grapples with the fallout and a now-empty campus.

I'm quoted in this great piece diving into the closure of St. Andrews University in North Carolina and what it means for the local community. The Assembly is one of the best local sources for higher ed coverage in the country.

www.theassemblync.com/education/hi...

When St. Andrews suddenly closed in May, it left behind a lot of questions.

When would employees get their paychecks? What would become of the university’s land? And what does the closure mean for Laurinburg, a rural town of 15,000?

me & @brappaport.bsky.social tracked down the answers.

I have loved the stories and the people of rural southeastern North Carolina. I’m forever grateful for the time and trust you all placed in me to bring vital news and information to this region. There is such rich community in the Border Belt, and I’ll carry it with me wherever I go.

After two years at the Border Belt Independent, my time has come to an end. Today is my last day with BBI, and this fall I’ll be headed to New York City for a graduate journalism program through the @newmarkjplus.bsky.social at CUNY. It’s bittersweet.

Downtown Lumberton, gritty and historic, looks for new life Lumberton is seeing downtown revitalization. But there are roadblocks to progress in the Robeson County town.

For the first time in a long time, business owners and town officials say, Lumberton is on the precipice of becoming a true destination. But as the town attempts a rebirth, those who have been in Lumberton for decades know progress never comes easily. #ncpol

borderbelt.org/downtown-lum...

Despite threats, Merry Oaks community persists - The Chatham News + Record In Merry Oaks, the past is part of the present. Few places in the rural South still exist where you can find a preacher whose grandfather grew up a quarter mile from the church. A place where one of t...

Talking with the congregation at Merry Oaks was one of the first big projects I did as a professional journalist that made me feel like I could tell big stories. I am thinking of Merry Oaks today, may its memory be a blessing.
chathamnewsrecord.com/stories/desp...

Despite threats, Merry Oaks community persists - The Chatham News + Record In Merry Oaks, the past is part of the present. Few places in the rural South still exist where you can find a preacher whose grandfather grew up a quarter mile from the church. A place where one of t...

The congregation advocated for change and kept praying. But not all stories have a happy ending.

On Monday, 2.5 years after reporting on Merry Oaks, the church was demolished. It's heartbreaking to see a community lose one of its last remaining pillars.

In the fall and winter of 2022, I spent significant time reporting on Merry Oaks Baptist Church near Moncure. The church had stood since 1888. Back then, the church was under threat of destruction by NCDOT to make way for VinFast, a Vietnamese automaker with plans for a factory near the church 🧵

PFAS concerns plague the Robeson County Landfill. But the dump keeps getting bigger Robeson County commissioners voted to delay a decision on a potential landfill expansion amid concerns about PFAS.

The Robeson County landfill has some of the highest PFAS levels in the state. The county wants to keep growing it. On Monday, local residents voiced concerns about the adverse effects of the landfill and its persistent issues with toxic chemicals.

borderbelt.org/robeson-coun...

Saying goodbye to St. Andrews University St. Andrews University, which announced its closure last month, had its final graduation ceremony in Laurinburg.

I've always wondered what it looks like when an entire university goes out of business. @brappaport.bsky.social has the answers in this story about St. Andrew's University in Laurinburg: borderbelt.org/students-alu...

Saying goodbye to St. Andrews University St. Andrews University, which announced its closure last month, had its final graduation ceremony in Laurinburg.

St. Andrew’s and Laurinburg have a sort of quirky magic.

Its final days were full of personal stories, tears and mourning for the now-closed institution that shaped the minds of so many in the community. #nced #ncpol

borderbelt.org/students-alu...

St. Andrew's Unversity in N.C. to Close Amid Financial Struggles Following decades of struggles for the small private school in Laurinburg, officials said it will cease operations in less than two weeks.

BREAKING: St. Andrews University will close May 5. @brappaport.bsky.social and I have the story for
@theassemblync.bsky.social and Border Belt Independent, including details about what President Tarun Malik told faculty in a meeting this morning.

www.theassemblync.com/education/hi...

St. Andrews University to close on May 5 The small private school in Laurinburg has faced the threat of closure for decades. On Friday, school officials told faculty the university will cease operations in less than two weeks.

BREAKING: St. Andrews University announced it will close in two weeks. The private liberal arts college in Laurinburg, which has been in rural southeastern North Carolina since 1958, has long faced an uphill battle to survive.
borderbelt.org/st-andrews-u...

Trump's presidential library at UNC Pembroke? NC House bill would set aside money for it A new bill in the state House would set aside money for a presidential library in honor of Donald Trump at UNC Pembroke.

A Trump presidential library at UNC-Pembroke in Robeson County?
Rep. Jarrod Lowery of RobCo filed a bill seeking $10M for this idea.

Ben Rappaport of the Border Belt Independent has the story:
borderbelt.org/nc-bill-call...

#ncga #ncpol

Trump's presidential library at UNC Pembroke? NC House bill would set aside money for it A new bill in the state House would set aside money for a presidential library in honor of Donald Trump at UNC Pembroke.

A new bill in the state House of Representatives would set aside money for a presidential library in honor of Donald Trump at UNC-Pembroke.

“This was an opportunity to put a shot out there,” Jarrod Lowery said. “Why not UNC Pembroke?” #ncpol
borderbelt.org/nc-bill-call...

Youth violence rattles Scotland County as leaders call for unity The Scotland County Stop the Violence Community Coalition hosted a forum to address youth violence following a fatal shooting.

Youth violence has become an epidemic in Scotland County. Educators say kids there are constantly in “survival mode.” Now, community leaders are coming together to tackle the issue. Can they make a change? #ncpol

borderbelt.org/youth-violen...

Rural schools in NC's Border Belt brace for federal funding cuts Federal funding is especially crucial for low-income schools like those in rural southeastern North Carolina.

As President Donald Trump moves toward dismantling the U.S. Department of Education, school officials in Bladen, Columbus, Robeson and Scotland counties say they anticipate their districts’ federal funds will be slashed by up to 30% in the coming fiscal year.
borderbelt.org/federal-cuts...

Rumors Spread as N.C. Immigrants Brace for ICE Deportations Calls to a Durham hotline spiked, and schools and churches scrambled to communicate with families about how they would react if ICE arrived.

Trump’s initiatives to increase deportations of undocumented immigrants have prompted a spike in calls to an advocacy hotline and a scramble among school districts to tell families how they would handle law enforcement showing up on campuses.

www.theassemblync.com/politics/nor...

ReBuild NC promised to help hurricane victims. Over five years later, the program is on "pause" North Carolina Office of Recovery and Resiliency admitted in the fall that it had overrun its budget and was out of money for ReBuild NC, a program to repair and rebuild homes damaged by hurricanes Ma...

An important read on RebuildNC and the recovery efforts in Eastern NC. Important lessons for those of us who care about WNC building back better. www.wunc.org/2025-02-11/r...

Plain Clothes ICE Agent at Wake County Justice Center Tells Attorneys to Take Their Immigration Conversation Elsewhere A plain clothes ICE agent at Wake County Justice Center tells attorneys to take their immigration conversation elsewhere.

“We as the judicial leadership for the district have urged ICE that it is counter-productive for them to increase enforcement activities within the courthouse,” Wake DA Lorrin Freeman told Jane Porter. #ncpol

indyweek.com/news/wake/pl...

It’s official! We are now part of The Assembly network. It’s a win for our readers, a win for our reporters and a win for North Carolina journalism. #ncpol

Announcing a New Partnership with the Border Belt Independent The addition to The Assembly's network will expand and elevate coverage from Bladen, Columbus, Robeson, and Scotland counties.

Border Belt Independent is officially joining The Assembly’s network of newsrooms across the state.

BBI covers Bladen, Columbus, Robeson, and Scotland counties in southeastern North Carolina.

theassemblync.com/internal/bor...

Who gets to be Native in America A campaign promise kept by Donald Trump is renewing centuries old questions about who gets to be Native in America.

The Lumbee Tribe have been pursuing full federal recognition for over 130 years. Donald Trump's campaign promise has given them hope.

But as we talk about on The Broadside this week, it’s also renewed centuries-old questions about who gets to be Native in America.

www.wunc.org/podcast/the-...

Robeson County leads North Carolina in solar farms. How many are too many? While Robeson leaders have long touted solar farms as a boon for the economically distressed county, they are now reconsidering their stance.

Robeson County has more solar farms than any other NC county, but now it's considering a moratorium, @brappaport.bsky.social reports.

borderbelt.org/robeson-coun...

What We’ve Learned About the Federal Probe in Columbus County Federal investigators have demanded extensive information about finances and use of force at the Columbus County Sheriff's Office.

Sarah Nagem and I have been following the corruption investigations in Columbus County, NC, for years now. In our latest piece, we break down a previously unreported federal subpoena. #ncpol www.theassemblync.com/politics/law...

Greene’s critics pinned their hopes for accountability on federal prosecutors who subpoenaed dozens of people to testify before a grand jury as part of their own probe into Greene’s tenure as sheriff. Some people are growing concerned the case might not survive into the Trump administration #ncpol

What we've learned about the federal probe in Columbus County Federal investigators demanded that the Columbus County Sheriff’s Office turn over extensive information about its finances and use of force.

Federal investigators asked for information about 51 "relevant parties," including some deputies and prominent business owners related to former Columbus County Sheriff Jody Greene. Here's what the Border Belt and @theassemblync.bsky.social have learned so far:
#ncpol
borderbelt.org/columbus-cou...

How Republicans gained ground in rural North Carolina Republicans, including Donald Trump, gained more support in rural North Carolina in the 2024 election even with low voter turnout.

Rural counties like those in the Border Belt region shifted further to the right, despite Democrats’ efforts to re-engage working-class voters. Residents say they are frustrated by the lack of economic opportunity and believe Republicans are better equipped to make their lives easier. #ncpol