OPINION: Loss of towns means a loss of services and representation

I started my newspaper career in small, rural towns. Like anything, there were both positive and negative experiences. This part of journalism is more about giving readers and community members a record of what’s happening in their community. It normally doesn’t lead to large investigations and nationally-recognized

Fewer students, too many schools: Communities confront closures and consolidations

By Robbie Sequeira (Stateline) Published: September 15, 2026 Declining birth rates mean fewer students. And that means more districts grappling with whether to close or merge schools. “The big shrink” is how Marguerite Roza, director of Georgetown University’s Edunomics Lab, described what is happening nationally. “When there are fewer

Developers say housing regulations drive up costs that price Marylanders out of homeownership

Developers say that having to navigate the “complex web” of federal, state and local regulations contributes to the rising cost of housing and rent, which winds up pricing more and more Marylanders out of housing options. And state officials largely agree.

Somali men in ICE custody say a ‘refueling’ stop became weeks at Guantánamo Bay

It's Friday September 18, 2026 and in this morning's issue we're covering: Somali men in ICE custody say a ‘refueling’ stop became weeks at Guantánamo Bay, Effectiveness of NC certificate-of-need law meant as healthcare guardrail in doubt, Less work, fewer tips for

Pennsylvania’s aging levees are under pressure from scarce funding and severe weather

Many levees built in the mid-1900s do not offer enough protection for today’s storms, and small rural communities in particular struggle to afford needed upgrades.

In rare move, SCC orders three in-person hearings for NextEra-Dominion merger case

By Shannon Heckt (Virginia Mercury) Published: September 10, 2026 The State Corporation Commission has ordered additional chances for the public to officially testify in the case to approve or reject the proposed $67 billion NextEra-Dominion merger, Virginia regulators said Thursday. In addition to the three days for telephonic testimony

3 NC school districts made big gains on absenteeism

Fayetteville State seeing record enrollment, retention; It’s dangerously hot inside some New Orleans homes, even with air conditioning, study says, Regulators Knew This Marijuana Product Was Harming People. It Stayed on Shelves for More Than a Year.

NC to withhold struggling town’s sales tax distribution

by Mackenzie Thomas, Carolina Public Press September 2, 2026 With four audits still missing, the town of Littleton faces its sales tax distributions being held back after a failed appeal to the North Carolina Local Government Commission at its latest meeting on Tuesday. The town previously told the LGC that

How North Carolina Wasted the Chance To Fix Hog Pollution

A pact between the state and Smithfield Foods “failed miserably.” Those who worked on the agreement explain why.

NC announces more funding in storm recovery areas

Kentucky writer, farmer and advocate Wendell Berry dies at 92, U.S. Forest Service declines public meeting on Wilson Creek ICE operation; Advocates call response ‘a shell game’, Women on parole face higher rates of mental health, housing challenges

GOP lawmakers call for more oversight of license plate cameras after string of misuses in Georgia

By Maya Homan (Georgia Recorder) Published: August 26, 2026 A pair of influential Republican lawmakers are calling for greater oversight into the use of automatic license plate readers that critics say allow law enforcement officers to illegally surveil Georgia residents. Sen. John Albers, a Roswell Republican who chairs the Senate’

Apple Wallet adds driver’s licenses and IDs for Virginia residents

By Nathaniel Cline (Virginia Mercury) Published: August 27, 2026 Virginians can now carry their state-issued driver’s license or identification card on their iPhone or Apple Watch, the Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles announced Wednesday in Richmond. The update comes as Virginians increasingly turn to smart devices for everyday