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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Medicaid’s retroactive safety net is shrinking — patients, hospitals could feel the fallout
February 06, 2026
Uncompensated care costs have contributed to the closure of nearly 200 financially struggling hospitals in rural communities across the United States. At least 12 rural hospitals in North Carolina have shuttered since 2010, according to data from the Cecil G. Sheps Center for Health Services Research at UNC Chapel Hill.
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Low-income West Virginians could lose access to 28% of affordable housing unless lawmakers step in
February 05, 2026
About 200 subsidized housing properties in West Virginia are nearing the end of federal affordability protections within the next five to ten years, unless lawmakers step in with state support.
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Skaters on Lake Champlain rescued when ice began drifting
February 04, 2026
Ice began drifting on Lake Champlain, causing dangerous conditions for skaters who needed to be rescued.
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A Rural South Carolina County Quietly Approved a $2B Data Center During the Winter Storm
February 04, 2026
Data centers are the nation’s fastest-growing energy demand driver, but developers are using nondisclosure agreements to keep projects hidden.
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City officials request public health study as odor concerns persist in west Hollister
February 04, 2026
Public Works Director says wastewater odor to last through mid-March.
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South Dakotans’ biggest needs, according to 211 calls
February 04, 2026
The Helpline Center began making its data on caller needs and geographies available to the public on its data dashboard three years ago, a few years after the line became available to all South Dakotans.
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Carbon capture, ‘rare earth’ from coal among projects poised to get $11.7M in state grants
February 04, 2026
The state is seeking public comment on three proposed grants, including $6 million to coal giant Peabody Energy to sift critical minerals from Wyoming coal.
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Rural Texas Protests Against the Detention of Children
January 30, 2026
Hundreds of people gathered in Dilley, a rural town in Frio County, Texas, to peacefully demand an end to the detention of children. State troopers responded with riot gear and pepper balls.
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For Rural Black Communities, Winter Storm Fern Hits Where Recovery Never Finished
January 26, 2026
As temperatures plunge, rural Black towns face days without power. Some are still rebuilding from the last catastrophe.
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Even more mail delays, explained: How two quiet USPS changes are reshaping delivery in Vermont
January 26, 2026
Critics say changes could ripple outward — delaying bills, legal mail, prescriptions and mail-in ballots.
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Burke County schools announce revocation of ‘special media access’ for newspaper
January 26, 2026
Despite several school officials acknowledging the possibility of layoffs during a December 2025 work session, the district didn’t take kindly to The Paper’s reporting on the matter.
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Alaska drug overdose deaths drop, though less dramatically than national plunge
January 25, 2026
Expanded naloxone access has put more overdose reversal kits in Alaskans’ hands.
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Winter storm causes massive power loss and treacherous roads in north Mississippi
January 25, 2026
Though the biggest damage was in the northern part of the state, areas as far south as Natchez saw icy conditions.
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Snow, ice and frigid temperatures sweep across Kentucky
January 25, 2026
Across the Bluegrass State, sleet, snow and ice made its mark with moderate power outages in the south and the potential for more precipitation and infrastructure challenges overnight.
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Wyoming abruptly defunds, dissolves sage grouse conservation groups after 21-year run
January 23, 2026
Eight regional volunteer working groups were tasked with implementing the state’s conservation plan for the iconic, embattled species before they were dismissed by the Wyoming Game and Fish Department this week.
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