Alex Milan Tracy for Underscore
Explore the Archive
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.
Filter by Topic
Filter by Outlet
Search by keywords
Filter by State
LATEST NEWS FROM THE NETWORK
-
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.
-
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.
-
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.
-
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.
-
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.
-
Portland and Lewiston are bracing for ICE to come to their cities
January 14, 2026
Carl Sheline urged residents and businesses to know their rights and have a plan if they’re contacted by agents.
-
Hawaiʻi Road Deaths Hit 18-Year Peak Last Year. Most Other States Dropped
January 13, 2026
Hawaiʻi was one of just six U.S. states where the rate of road deaths in 2025 rose compared to 2024.
-
Stephens County moves to enforce wind farm lighting requirements following executive session
January 13, 2026
The red warning lights mounted on the wind turbines are part of an Aircraft Detection Lighting System (ADLS), which is supposed to be sensor-triggered.
-
No sprinklers installed before Holyoke fires — and none required
January 12, 2026
“The Holyoke Fire Department would like to have sprinklers in all our buildings, but we are bound by the building code and the law,” said Capt. David Rex, a department spokesperson.
-
Local junior high kids don ‘drunk goggles’ to experience how alcohol can impair their vision, coordination
January 11, 2026
The Stephens County Extension Agent says junior high is a good age to start talking to kids about the dangers of abusing alcohol and drugs.
-
‘Could have been a hell of a lot worse’: At Nebraska plant, ADM allowed dangerous dust to build up beyond safe levels, recordings show
January 07, 2026
In late 2022, Archer Daniels Midland’s Fremont, Nebraska, facility experienced a dust explosion. Days later, federal safety inspectors found some areas inside with about an inch of combustible dust — about eight times the acceptable limit.
-
Abandoned buildings are crumbling across West Virginia. A state program to clean them up is out of money.
January 06, 2026
Until this year, a state program helped communities tear these buildings down, preventing them from becoming safety hazards for neighborhoods and harming property values.
-
When power is out in Boulder County mountain towns, 911 service fails. New backup batteries could solve the problem.
January 02, 2026
But emergency responders say Lumen Technologies has resisted persistent requests for new battery systems needed to keep them connected during emergencies.
-
‘Nobody here knew’: Dozens were exposed to hazardous material in Missouri warehouse before EPA cleanup
December 16, 2025
Children, homeless people and even city officials entered the building unaware they were inhaling toxic dust.
-
‘It took us by surprise’: Rapidly rising floodwaters, a 1 a.m. wakeup and washed out bridges in Libby
December 15, 2025
Officials estimate that this week’s rain and snowmelt may have caused “tens of millions of dollars” of damage, and they’re not out of the woods yet.
RURAL NEWS SPOTLIGHT
Sign up to receive our occasional newsletter, Rural News Spotlight. Read a recent issue here.