Alex Milan Tracy for Underscore
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The dozens of independent, nonprofit and nonpartisan news organizations that make up the Rural News Network are developing the broadest news alliance reporting on rural America. These newsrooms are pursuing coverage that provides a more complete picture of what it means to live and work in these communities.
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LATEST NEWS FROM THE NETWORK
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New prosecutor gives new hope for answers in teen’s mysterious death at Pillen Family Farms
January 30, 2026
In a reversal, the new Boone County attorney agreed to allow independent lab tests that could help explain what killed Zach Panther at a hog farm owned by the family of Nebraska Gov. Jim Pillen.
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Multiple cases highlight ICE’s use of NM jails for people arrested across the country
January 16, 2026
The same day New Mexico In Depth published a story about a California man released from Cibola County detention center after filing a federal habeas petition, another man mentioned but unnamed in the story — who had been arrested by ICE in New York — was ordered released from the facility.
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Wisconsin State Patrol commander cited for disorderly conduct resigns
January 07, 2026
Ex-Captain Daniel Gruebele pleaded no contest to the citation last year. His last day as the commander of the Northeast Region in Fond du Lac came days after The Badger Project reported the incident.
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Neenah cop quit last policing job amid accusations of sexist and racist remarks
January 06, 2026
Derrick Rotta resigned his police position in Menasha in 2024 while being investigated for an allegation that he was “the most racist person at the department.” The Neenah Police Department hired him last year.
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The mysterious death of a teen at Pillen Family Farms
December 19, 2025
A 17-year-old worker died at a Nebraska hog farm run by the governor’s family. Two investigations later, the boy’s mother is still searching for answers.
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Waushara County deputy quits sheriff’s office after The Badger Project’s reporting
December 09, 2025
Scott Schaut first quit a leadership position at the sheriff’s office after The Badger Project requested documents on his job performance. He resigned from the department entirely last week.
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New report finds Indigenous people are disproportionately affected by gun violence
December 05, 2025
Indigenous people in the U.S. are killed by guns more than nearly any other segment of the population. They rank second behind the Black community.
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County recovers missing $700k from fraud attempt
November 14, 2025
Wells Fargo returns money to county’s account a month after reversing an initial reimbursement for a fraudulent payment request that came from someone posing as a contractor.
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Florida’s Governor Is a Veteran. So Are Seven Inmates He’ll Send to the Execution Chamber This Year
November 13, 2025
Veterans represent nearly 40% of the record number of death warrants Gov. Ron DeSantis has signed in 2025. Should their military service matter?
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Environmental groups sue Hermantown over data center review process
November 05, 2025
In a lawsuit filed this month, the Minnesota Center for Environmental Advocacy joined the grassroots Stop the Hermantown Data Center group to demand further environmental review on a proposed data center.
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‘Real-life science experiment’ fills critical legal gaps in rural SD
October 31, 2025
In 2013, South Dakota became the first state in the country to institute the RARP, a program that financially incentivizes lawyers to live and practice in rural areas.
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Richland Center PD, Richland Co Sheriff change records policy after our story
October 30, 2025
Following The Badger Project’s reporting, the Richland Center Police Department and Richland County Sheriff’s Office have discontinued a minimum $25 fee for records, which experts said was illegal.
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Oklahoma Predator Hunters Face Felony Charges
October 19, 2025
Three men involved with an Oklahoma-based self-styled “predator-catching” group are now facing felony charges in Texas, as authorities scrutinize their confrontational tactics and the legal viability of their operations.
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Timeline: Trey Reed’s Hanging Death at Delta State University
October 14, 2025
As rumors swirl on TikTok, X, Facebook and other social media platforms that the second autopsy uncovered evidence of foul play, the Mississippi Free Press publishes a fact-check, noting that the autopsy results still have not been finalized.
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Police Bodycams Reveal Pattern of Deference to Meat Industry
October 10, 2025
State troopers cited concerns about animal rights activists as justification for blocking journalists from livestock crash sites.
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