Locally sourced, collaborative reporting from and for rural America.
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Chuck Thompson for Columbia Insight
Drones ban in Oregon parks isn’t as comprehensive as you might think
Supporters of the ban celebrated a May victory. So how come drones are flying again in August?
LATEST NEWS FROM THE NETWORK
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Does your dog make you safer in bear country?
What new analysis of more than 300 bear encounters shows about the notion of dogs as early bear alarms or deterrents.
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Why Orange has Virginia’s shortest mayoral term — and why that may change
Residents of the Town of Orange will have the opportunity to weigh in on whether the term lengths of mayor and vice mayor should be changed to two years, which was their duration prior to 2010.
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Black Hills Energy wants to hike electric rates 32% in northeast Wyoming
The increase would inflate the average residential monthly bill by about $32.
RNN Highlights
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Rachel Livinal for The Merced FOCUS
Young Brains, Huge Stakes: How transitional kindergarten is shaping San Joaquin Valley’s youth
As California expands transitional kindergarten statewide, this four-part series examines whether San Joaquin Valley schools can meet the needs of young learners.
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Courtesy of U.S. Senate
Cardinal News 250: Virginia’s stories. A nation’s birth.
The project spotlights Virginia’s overlooked contributions to America’s march to independence ahead of the nation’s 250th anniversary, or semiquincentennial.
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Gordon Hodges for Door County Knock
Locked Out: Door County’s affordable housing shortage
An in-depth series on Door County’s affordable housing shortage, examining its causes, shrinking availability and the roadblocks to building more.
MORE NEWS FROM THE NETWORK
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Paxton, Talarico tap contrary versions of God and Christianity in appeal to Texas voters
August 13, 2026
Campaigning for the U.S. Senate, Paxton says he was “delivered by God” to protect Texas from leftists. Talarico’s focus: “You can’t love God and hate other people.”
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Federal judge vacates illegal federal approvals for fracking on Pawnee trust land in Oklahoma
August 13, 2026
The U.S. Department of the Interior did not follow all necessary U.S. or Pawnee laws in leasing the land or issuing the drilling permits, the judge found.
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Changes in state law allow recalled supervisor to run again for his seat
August 12, 2026
State bill passed in 2022 was intended to limit weaponization of recalls, election law attorney says.
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Rural health panel divvies $205M in federal funds for Wyoming healthcare
August 12, 2026
Panel assigned money to hospitals, EMS services and maternal care in attempt to shore up medical access.
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Will Shrinking Spinner Dolphin Populations Spur More Protections?
August 12, 2026
Researchers from the University of Hawaiʻi found that the number of young spinner dolphins is only half of what it needs to be to maintain a healthy population.
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Virginia schools prepare for new year with measles on their radar
August 12, 2026
After a summer outbreak, schools are paying closer attention to vaccinations records as students return to classrooms.
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Illinois farmers saw nation’s biggest jump in seasonal planting diesel costs, analysis finds
August 11, 2026
Farmers nationwide paid nearly two-thirds more for diesel during the 2026 planting season than in 2025, adding roughly $1.4 billion in fuel costs, according to a congressional analysis.
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After Cyclospora Outbreak, Local Black Farms See Rise in Support
August 11, 2026
A national parasite outbreak is drawing Black folks to local growers, underscoring how Black-owned farms can build trust and food access.
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Ongoing Wind River Reservation church protests highlight tension between Indigenous sovereignty, religious freedom
August 11, 2026
Protests persist as church leaders, who founded Foundations For Nations on the reservation just outside Riverton, continue to hold Sunday services.