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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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Food banks brace for continued USDA funding cuts
April 11, 2025
Feeding America Southwest Virginia, which works with more than 300 local programs, relies on the USDA for almost a third of its food.
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Trump approves disaster declaration for Southwest Virginia communities hit by February flooding
April 04, 2025
Some areas received as much as 7 inches of rain, resulting in flash flooding, closed road, mudslides, and damaged and destroyed bridges, homes and businesses.
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Dozens of community projects halted after federal funding was omitted from Congressional stop-gap spending bill
April 01, 2025
Congress passed a continuing resolution to avoid a government shutdown in mid-March, amid a partisan fight over federal spending. That continuing resolution left out tens of millions of dollars in funding for Southwest and Southside community projects.
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Amid furor over diversity efforts, VMI board ousts school’s first Black superintendent
February 28, 2025
The 10 board members who voted against a contract extension for retired Maj. Gen. Cedric Wins were appointed by Gov. Glenn Youngkin.
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Federal cuts could affect all of Virginia — a new committee hopes to determine how
February 17, 2025
Speaker Don Scott formed an emergency bipartisan committee tasked with studying the possible fallout of significant federal funding and staff cuts after the first three whirlwind weeks of the second Trump Administration.
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Goodyear to cut 850 jobs at Danville plant
February 05, 2025
The tire manufacturer said most of the job reductions would occur by the end of this year. The move comes as the company shifts its commercial tire production to other facilities.
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Hundreds of thousands of Virginians could lose insurance coverage if Medicaid expansion is rolled back
January 27, 2025
Many rural hospitals depend heavily on Medicaid expansion patients to stay financially viable. Without this funding, these hospitals could face financial strain, risking the services they provide to underserved communities.
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As Virginia schools prepare to implement cellphone restrictions, safety is major concern
December 30, 2024
Many school divisions will roll out new policies in January to comply with a state Education Department “bell-to-bell” student cellphone ban.
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As apple and cherry trees burst with blooms months ahead of schedule, climate experts sound a warning
November 21, 2024
Southwest Virginia orchard owners have seen handfuls of autumn blossoms pop open in years past. But early blossoming is occurring more frequently, and experts blame increasingly warmer weather.
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Ammunition plant didn’t notify the public of toxic chemicals released into the New River for over a month, residents say
November 13, 2024
Petroleum, calcium sulfate and dibutyl phthalate were released into the New River during the late-September flood, Christiansburg residents were told last week.
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Meadow Creek Dairy puts Grayson County on the artisanal cheese map
November 08, 2024
The family-owned dairy won a gold medal at the World Cheese Awards in Norway.
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Election-related spam text messages deployed on election eve in Southwest Virginia
November 04, 2024
The messages suggest that votes cast early have not been counted or say that the recipient is marked as not voted yet, when in fact they have.
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Roanoke College women’s swim team members take the stage at Trump rally, reignite past controversy
November 03, 2024
Members of the Roanoke College women’s swim team joined former President Donald Trump on stage at his weekend rally in Salem to issue a statement against the presence of trans women in competitive college sports.
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Did Martinsville become the final resting place for a century-old vampire hunting kit?
October 25, 2024
One vampire hunting kit, never used: A European vampire hunting kit in America? Or a 20th-century version of a 19th-century object that never existed?
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Millions of dollars are going to Virginia’s federal elections
October 24, 2024
Virginia’s U.S. Senate race between the incumbent Democratic Sen. Tim Kaine and his Republican challenger, Hung Cao, has garnered the most money out of any Congressional election in the commonwealth this year.
RURAL NEWS SPOTLIGHT
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