Locally sourced, collaborative reporting from and for rural America.
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Courtesy of ORDA
State to hit pause on UCI World Series mountain bike races after this year
The Olympic Regional Development Authority (ORDA) ends Whiteface and Lake Placid mountain bike races after 2026 season amid environmental disputes.
LATEST NEWS FROM THE NETWORK
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Microgreens grower AeroFarms acquired by investment firm
The indoor vertical farming company in Pittsylvania County had faced possible closure for months before it was sold.
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Poison hemlock raises concern in Athens County
For the past decade, the invasive plant poison hemlock has been making inroads in Athens County, and local municipalities are now working to address its spread.
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Q&A: Gov. Patrick Morrisey says West Virginia’s economic momentum is real. The state’s top business advocate thinks the state is falling behind.
Mountain State Spotlight spoke with Chamber of Commerce President Steve Roberts about what the data shows about West Virginia’s economy, and what the state could do to support businesses, from workforce training to childcare support.
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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Attorney General Bonta, Santa Clara County sue to block ‘illegal’ ICE facility near Gilroy
June 11, 2026
Monterey County officials vote to support efforts to halt the project.
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From seed to market: The Brubakers’ bouquets keep Oxford blooming
June 11, 2026
“It’s just enjoyable all the way through … (there’s) just a lot of variety.”
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The Quiet Supporters of Inola’s Aluminum Smelter Are Running the School District and Career Tech Center
June 10, 2026
Inola is deeply divided over a proposed $4 billion aluminum smelter that would deliver substantial property tax revenue to the school district and local government but raise serious concerns about toxic air emissions near farms, ranches and a school three miles from the site.
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Q&A: What to know about South Dakota’s first gubernatorial runoff
June 10, 2026
For the first time in the state’s history, South Dakotans will vote in a runoff election July 28 to choose a candidate for governor.
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Lessons from the first state in the nation to offer universal child care
June 10, 2026
In New Mexico, the economic barriers to child care may be gone for families, but focus now shifts to supporting the workforce.
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For first time, Americans are getting more of their electricity from solar than coal
June 09, 2026
Solar provides more than twice the share of electricity it did five years ago.
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South County families create their own livestock fair
June 09, 2026
The grassroots event aims to ensure South County students can still exhibit and sell animals despite a controversial county fair date change.
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Georgia utility commission races test party loyalty after recent power bill hikes
June 09, 2026
Voters demand lower energy bills, question data center growth.
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The quiet push to shield pesticide makers from lawsuits
June 09, 2026
Industry-backed pesticide immunity laws are advancing nationwide, raising fears that farmers and families harmed by pesticides could lose their right to seek justice.