Locally sourced, collaborative reporting from and for rural America.
Featured Story
Megan Buffington for KAXE
When rural districts combine, wins for budgets and students come with identity loss
The Iron Range offers a window into communities reckoning with how their identities must change for the betterment of future generations as schools increasingly collaborate.
LATEST NEWS FROM THE NETWORK
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What does transformative support for rural college students look like?
For rural students, meaningful support can mean more than financial aid — it can be a community that helps them see what’s possible.
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How the upcoming midterms could change Wisconsin election policy
Unified control of state government could reshape some voting rules before the 2028 presidential election.
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Just how loud are Westfield’s new fighter jets? We measured.
A fleet of new F-35 jets will soon begin roaring over western Massachusetts. But it will take much longer for noise-mitigation funding to arrive.
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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Lily Smith for Flatwater Free Press
Priced out of the Good Life
Nebraska paychecks are stagnant. Home prices continue to spiral. It’s pricing out a generation of buyers.
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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.
MORE NEWS FROM THE NETWORK
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Federal Clean Fuel Tax Credit Extends to Gas from Animal Manure
September 18, 2026
The move comes as farms increasingly turn to anaerobic digestion to deal with massive amounts of manure.
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Inside the Private Deal Between Amazon and Ridgeland’s Water System
September 17, 2026
Earlier this year, Amazon announced that its unfinished data center in Ridgeland—a city of 25,000 just north of Jackson—would use an estimated 93 million gallons of water per year.
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Enlace Latino NC launches its 2026 Election Guide with Spanish-language resources for North Carolina voters
September 17, 2026
The guide is part of Tu Voto es Poder, the news outlet’s annual election information and civic education initiative.
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At least 9 Waushara Co Sheriff’s employees donated to GOP candidate
September 17, 2026
In the run-up to the primary, the Republican primary winner received $2,700 from nine employees in the department. If he is elected, they would report to him when he becomes sheriff in January.
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Festival in Martinsville is seventh for Southern Virginia Latino Association
September 17, 2026
With one of the highest Hispanic population percentages in the region, the city marks heritage month.
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Fall Foliage Report: Sept. 12-22
September 16, 2026
I LOVE NY’s Fall Foliage Report provides regular updates on seasonal color changes throughout the region.
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A new town on Friant Road? Fresno County planners to vote Thursday on $1.1 billion project near Millerton
September 16, 2026
Former – and aspiring Madera County Supervisor Frank Bigelow’s family hopes to create a fortress next to Friant for aging seniors – but air quality and wildlife concerns loom.
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Rural Missouri families face longer drives, riskier births as maternity wards vanish
September 16, 2026
In some rural Missouri counties, patients travel more than an hour to reach a delivery hospital. Doulas, mobile health programs and telehealth are trying to fill some of the gaps.
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Food and Environment Reporting Network
MAHA Moms Built a Movement. MAGA Bros Have Taken It Over
September 16, 2026
Forget regulating food—manly MAHA cares about meat, testosterone, and erectile disfunction.