Also among the grant recipients by the NC Rural Infrastructure Authority is Robeson County. The County was awarded two different kinds of grants — two in the vacant building category and one in the existing business building category. To aid in the reuse of a 27,432-square-foot building in Fairmont, a $200,000 grant will be used for a startup meat facility, Brianwood Custom Meats, LLC. The company projects that they will create 30 jobs. The other vacant building grant of $140,000 will go toward the reuse of a 52,000-square-foot building in Lumberton. The site will be used by Air Production & Service, Inc., a service, parts and equipment group. The company plans to create 14 jobs. The grant in the existing building business category totals $170,000. The money will go toward a 20,000 square-foot expansion on Harger Lighting & Grounding, Inc.’s current facility. The project is expected to create 20 jobs.
Act 2 renovations began in April 2025. CFRT will be back in their 1209 Hay St. theatre for their first production of 2027.
Pictured from left to right: Entrepreneurial Impact Awards judging panel: Sara Ballard, Venus Durant, Greg Moore, Rebecca Sappington, Derrick McArthur, Faith Hatton and John Keen. In August, I was honored to be recruited to be one of six judges
Pictured left to right: Reddick R. Mack II, Collyn Strother, Tiffany Ragin, April Mata, Veronda Jones and Lauren Falls are all featured artists for the 26:26 Exhibit on display through the end of October. Photo by GFBJ.Black Artist Forward recently b
