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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A 400-year veto, $1 billion in referendums and now a lawsuit: School districts demand more funding
March 02, 2026
In April, 72 districts are asking voters to approve more local K-12 funding even as a record 60% say they want lower taxes.
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At least four Wisconsin communities signed secrecy deals for billion-dollar data centers
January 26, 2026
Massive data center proposals are often developed in secret. Wisconsin has now joined several states with legislative proposals to make the process more transparent.
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Beginning farmers struggle to find land. Could a new website help?
October 24, 2025
As the state’s farmers age, many are preparing to retire and making plans for their land. A new Republican proposal aimed at supporting small- and medium-sized farms would create a government-run website where retiring farmers could post land for sale or rent.
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Meet the teens keeping this northeast Wisconsin village from becoming a news desert
October 21, 2025
Pulaski News is a fixture of the community, a tool to prepare students for the workforce and the last official source keeping residents informed about hyperlocal happenings.
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Wisconsin faces a housing affordability crisis. Here’s how lawmakers and candidates for governor plan to address it.
October 20, 2025
Republicans want lower property taxes and less regulation. Democrats emphasize funding affordable housing development programs and renter rights. Both want to incentivize developers to build cheaper options in rural, urban and suburban areas.
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‘I would never wish it on anyone:’ Measles resurgence spurs memories of past toll in Wisconsin
August 04, 2025
The state Department of Health Services on Saturday announced it confirmed nine measles infections in Oconto County — the first in Wisconsin this year.
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How are Wisconsin’s local governments spending millions in opioid settlement payouts?
July 29, 2025
Three years into disbursements, strategies vary — and so does transparency. Some governments submitted required reports only after a reporter asked. Others have yet to spend anything.
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Wisconsin pig farmer holds on at Wonderfarm as Washington breaks a promise
July 02, 2025
Jess D’Souza had hoped to finally turn a profit this year, aided by a federal program to bolster local food systems. The Trump administration canceled the program, upending her plans.
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Do half the residents in one rural Wisconsin county receive food stamps?
June 18, 2025
Yes. In April, 2,004 residents of Menominee County in northeast Wisconsin received benefits from the federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP).
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Republican bill seeks more local control over wind, solar farms
January 27, 2025
The legislation would empower Wisconsin municipalities to block the construction of solar and wind farms in their backyards.
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In Wisconsin, do you need more proof of ID to vote than to buy a gun?
January 16, 2025
Wisconsin Watch partners with Gigafact to produce fact briefs — bite-sized fact checks of trending claims. Read our methodology to learn how we check claims.
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Two changes that could speed up Wisconsin election results — and stave off conspiracy theories
January 10, 2025
One would give election officials more time to process absentee ballots. The other would streamline early voting.
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Wisconsin’s rural homelessness crisis and the fight to do ‘more with less’
December 23, 2024
Homelessness in rural Wisconsin, while often unseen, is increasing. Yet a grueling funding landscape, among other challenges, poses obstacles for local shelters and rural providers.
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‘Nowhere else I’d rather be’: An ordinary Election Day follows town’s extraordinary turmoil
November 06, 2024
As anxious Americans awaited news of the country’s fate, Westfield, Wisconsin, moved on from local political fights.
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It’s Election Day! Follow our live coverage of what’s happening around Wisconsin
November 05, 2024
Polls are open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. Results, especially in the presidential election, may not be known tonight.
RURAL NEWS SPOTLIGHT
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