Source: Amand Abrams, WRAL, 6/15/21


Less than a decade ago, the economic malaise in Rocky Mount, North Carolina, was tangible. Rocky Mount Mills, a big cotton mill that had given the town its identity, had shut down in 1996, costing the area hundreds of jobs. Downtown was deserted. Nobody was hiring. Now, the mill is a bustling complex with restaurants and breweries. It has a small hotel composed of tiny houses on wheels, a wide lawn where concerts regularly take place and a Wiffle ball field.

For more of this story, click here.