First Responders
by Amanda Watford, Stateline May 5, 2026 Ty Wooten didn’t realize the weight of answering his first 911 call — until more than a decade later. A woman had dialed 911 to report that her husband had shot himself in front of her and their 7-year-old son, on
North Carolina
Louisiana Supreme Court frees death row prisoner; Martin County, NC residents keep pressing state officials for funding to reopen hospital; A Heat Wave is Hitting New York. Know Your Rights Ahead of Soaring Temps. Chemours must cut Ohio River ‘forever chemical’ pollution under new settlement.
sleep
by Donavyn Coffey, The Daily Yonder June 24, 2026 Mandy Withers was in her late 20s when she first realized she was more than tired. Then, a young mom of three, just out of graduate school, and training for her new position as a pulmonary and sleep medicine nurse practitioner,
North Carolina
by Rose Hoban and Will Atwater, North Carolina Health News June 25, 2026 By Rose Hoban and Will Atwater Key takeaways: * The U.S. Department of Justice seeks hundreds of millions from Chemours in a federal complaint over years of PFAS contamination in three states, including North Carolina. * Despite housing
water
by Brett Walton, Circle of Blue June 21, 2026 Decades ago, before it was much of a concern, water moved through the average U.S. home in enormous quantities. Toilets pulled 3.5 gallons per flush or more. Washing machines filled like tiny swimming pools. Water flowed and flowed. Things
World Cup
New Orleans nonprofit can help you pay for medication, food, rent and more; A growing community of recovering gamblers lifts each other up as formal resources lag; Stepping back from brink of financial disaster in Rocky Mount
healthcare
By Kelcie Moseley-Morris (Stateline) Published: June 5, 2026 Carrie Frail was in the process of leaving an abusive relationship when she discovered she was pregnant. Her partner told her he could hit her in the stomach until she had a miscarriage, and it would save some money. “I firmly
Pilot Mountain
by Mackenzie Thomas, Carolina Public Press June 12, 2026 With the former town manager of Pilot Mountain facing felony charges for embezzlement following the release of a state audit last month, town leaders are working to move forward while the investigation continues. James Michael Boaz, the former town manager of
New Mexico
FBI probe of Ohio voting rights group expands to include an affiliated national advocacy network; Extreme heat could be a player during this summer’s World Cup; Small Water Systems Lose Ground as Federal Support Wavers
The best state and local government news
Down Ballot Staff Reports Spartanburg County Council called a special meeting for Monday, June 22 at 9:00 am to possibly give a first reading of a data center moratorium ordinance, according to the agenda.
By Anita Wadhwani (Tennessee Lookout) Published: June 11, 2026 Pediatricians and public health care providers on Wednesday said they feared life-threatening consequences for children with critical illnesses who rely on a specialized public health care program as Tennessee moves forward with a directive to verify and report their immigration
By Amanda Watford (Stateline) Published: June 11, 2026 For many incarcerated people, getting a full night’s sleep is almost impossible. Bright lights, loud noise, overnight head counts, early morning meals and other routine features of prison and jail operations can make restorative sleep nearly impossible, according to a new
They spent years in solitary confinement in Mississippi despite suicide risk; New Orleans public defender, deputy constable both out of a job after allegedly soliciting cash to fix traffic ticket.
By Lynn Bonner (North Carolina Newsline) Published: June 3, 2026 North Carolina Democratic Party Chairwoman Anderson Clayton and N.C. House Democratic Leader Robert Reives said Wednesday the public needs to know who pressured the Republicans on the Jackson County Board of Elections to oppose a campus early voting site.
by Sarah Michels, Carolina Public Press June 3, 2026 Bladen County’s Black residents aren’t having it. They showed up in droves to a Monday board of commissioners meeting in Elizabethtown to object to a proposed election change that some feared would have reduced minority representation. The commissioners never
As Seas Rise, Louisiana Faces a Choice: Plan for Movement or Let Crisis Decide; Young survivors of gun violence find therapy helps. But will California do more? Bay State's slow adoption of EV chargers through federal program is ‘mystifying’ to transit advocates
Down Ballot Staff Reports Kentucky-based Paxton Media Group purchased nine newspapers from Georgia-based Community Newspapers, Inc. The weekly publications included in the sale are The Franklin Press (NC), The Highlander (NC), Mitchell News-Journal (NC), Smoky Mountain Times (NC), Clay County Progress (NC), Cherokee Scout (NC), The Graham
Funding supports projects to build resilient waste reduction, recycling, and composting programs in storm-damaged communities
By Robbie Sequeira (Stateline) Published: May 28, 2026 Hearing backlash from residents, cities and counties across the country in recent weeks have blocked planned data centers amid concerns over rising electricity prices and environmental harms. The local actions come as state lawmakers also are looking to limit or repeal the
Anaerobic digester loans showed “significant delinquency rates,” the U.S. Department of Agriculture said, while environmental groups see the technology driving an expansion of large-scale animal farming operations.
Federal rural health fund meets healthcare desert in eastern NC; Union group wants to bolster Kansas City's affordable housing by investing pension money; After Sarah T. Reed H.S. closure, NOLA teachers worry that school closures will become the new normal
