Locally sourced, collaborative reporting from and for rural America.
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J. Carl Ganter for Circle of Blue
Inside America’s First Data Center-Only Utility
Indiana has approved a first-of-its-kind utility to provide electricity exclusively for data centers. Will it protect residents from rising costs?
LATEST NEWS FROM THE NETWORK
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Records allege Granby cop sexually harassed women, paid subordinates to do his schoolwork
Misconduct records for Gary Poehler, who has agreed to permanently leave law enforcement, also allege he used his truck to intimidate an officer who filed a complaint against him. The documents were among those the Northwestern DA recently released.
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Wyoming contemplates power supply regulations for AI, data centers
Amid growing demand, developers push to expand regulatory leeway for potential electrical supply options.
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Border residents wanted crossings reined in. Now Paxton and Talarico face voters wary of deportations
Residents along the U.S.-Mexico border said they want crossings under control and the state’s next senator to actually do something on immigration policy.
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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Tucker County residents want to know what Fundamental Data is planning. The state’s data center laws let companies avoid scrutiny.
July 23, 2026
The state department of environmental protection issued Fundamental Data an air pollution permit for its data center project. Then the company told another state agency its project was “conceptual.” The conflicting statements reveal how companies can exploit gaps in state oversight.
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$20 billion OpenAI data center to open in Effingham County
July 22, 2026
The project plan aims to keep electricity rates low, provide funding for community resources.
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Starlink satellite network to serve North Country locations, stirring debate
July 22, 2026
The rollout reflects a broader national push to close the rural digital divide, even as communities wrestle with the tradeoffs of rapidly expanding satellite constellations.
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West Virginia’s school funding formula is failing shrinking districts. Here’s how the state could fix it.
July 22, 2026
As enrollment declines across the state, experts, teachers and politicians agree the state’s outdated public school funding formula no longer works. With federal COVID relief gone and more closures on the horizon, here’s how lawmakers could rethink the formula.
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7 things to know ahead of the SD gubernatorial runoff
July 22, 2026
Several factors are leading up to the historic election, including a year of campaigning, fights over property tax and negative advertisements.
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Oklahoma agriculture leaders praise FTC ‘right to repair’ settlement with John Deere
July 22, 2026
Terms of the settlement include for the company to pay $1 million attorneys fees and be under the commission’s oversight for the next 10 years.
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Charlestown board advances data center proposal with stipulations
July 21, 2026
The planning commission approved the roughly 55,000-square-foot data center, despite many in the community who say they don’t want it or don’t like its location.
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EPA seeks community input on Iron Mountain Mine for the first time in 35 years
July 21, 2026
The community involvement plan will shape how the EPA engages with residents in the years ahead. Officials say systems are working as intended at the contaminated site, and no major operational changes are planned.
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Parasitic infections likely linked to farming practices, not restaurants
July 21, 2026
Two state experts break down the mysteries around a complicated foodborne infection, Cyclosporiasis, that’s been gaining traction in North Carolina and across the nation.