Local Reporting Network Archive
All entries from our Local Reporting Network.
Chevron Will Pay Record Fines for Oil Spills in California
The penalties come after an investigation by The Desert Sun and ProPublica found that companies were profiting from illegal spills and California’s oversight of the industry was lax.
Idaho Legislature Approves $2 Billion for Schools to Repair and Replace Aging Buildings
The funding was pledged by Gov. Brad Little after an Idaho Statesman and ProPublica investigation showed students learning in poor conditions. Educators say it’s only a start to fixing decades-old problems.
Tennessee Lawmakers Want More Oversight of Juvenile Detention. The Department of Children’s Services Is Pushing Back.
New legislation would shift enforcement power to an independent agency after a WPLN and ProPublica investigation found that a Knoxville detention center was illegally locking kids alone in cells.
Virginia Lawmakers Approve Commission to Examine Universities’ Displacement of Black Communities
The groundbreaking commission, which was proposed in response to our “Uprooted” series, would consider compensation for dislodged property owners and their descendants. Whether Gov. Glenn Youngkin will sign the bill is unclear.
Listen to the “Timber Wars Season 2: Salmon Wars” Podcast
“Salmon Wars,” produced by ProPublica and OPB, tells the story of one Yakama Nation family who has spent generations fighting for salmon. The series uncovers who is to blame for the fish vanishing and why their disappearance affects all of us.
Lawmakers Could Limit When County Officials in Mississippi Can Jail People Awaiting Psychiatric Treatment
The legislation follows reporting by Mississippi Today and ProPublica showing that hundreds of people in the state are jailed every year while awaiting court-ordered treatment simply because public mental health facilities are full or too far away.
Iditarod Disqualifies Former Champion After Sexual Assault Allegations
The Iditarod board voted unanimously on Thursday to disqualify former champion Brent Sass after allegations made in November and recent questions from Alaska Public Media, the Anchorage Daily News and ProPublica. Sass has denied the claims.
Record-Setting Blazes Are Growing More Common. Here’s What Survivors of One Want You to Know.
When the federal government accidentally triggered New Mexico’s largest wildfire, hundreds of people lost their homes and livelihoods. They have become reluctant students of forest management, disaster aid and resiliency.
Idaho Resolution Would Aim to Lower Voting Threshold to Pass School Bonds
Under restrictive school funding policies, Idaho districts struggle to repair and replace deteriorating buildings. If voters agree, the proposal would, in some elections, reduce the two-thirds threshold needed to pass bonds for school repairs.
No Questions, Multiple Denials: This Mississippi Court Appoints Lawyers for Just 1 in 5 Defendants Before Indictment
Mississippi has long been known as one of the worst states for providing a lawyer to any defendant who can’t afford one. In one rural county, most defendants in a lower court went without any lawyer before their cases were sent to a grand jury.
Oregon’s Drug Decriminalization Aimed to Make Cops a Gateway to Rehab, Not Jail. State Leaders Failed to Make It Work.
Just over three years since Oregon voters passed Ballot Measure 110, elected officials want to repeal key elements, blaming the law for open drug use and soaring overdoses. But it’s their own hands-off approach that isn’t working, advocates say.
Idaho Legislature Takes Up Bill to Help School Districts Repair and Replace Buildings
The bill would provide $1.5 billion in new funding in a state where communities have struggled to pass bonds even as some students learn in freezing and overcrowded classrooms with leaky ceilings and discolored drinking water.
In Crisis, She Went to an Illinois Facility. Two Years Later, She Still Isn’t Able to Leave.
The state of Illinois is asking for the end of court oversight of its system of care for people with developmental disabilities. But some advocates say it’s too soon.
Police Say They Won’t Reopen Case of Alaska Woman Found Dead on Mayor’s Property
In an open letter, the Kotzebue police chief said state investigators reviewed the case of Jennifer Kirk’s 2018 death and found no new leads. But parts of the letter contradict previous information the department has released about the case.
Task Force to Consider “Restorative Justice” for Black Families Uprooted by Virginia University’s Expansion
Spurred by our “Uprooted” series, a task force created by the city of Newport News and Christopher Newport University will reexamine decades of city and university records shedding light on a Black neighborhood’s destruction.
Washington State Is Leaving Tribal Cultural Resources at the Mercy of Solar Developers
The Badger Mountain solar project reveals gaps in the state’s permitting system that tribal nations say perpetuates a legacy of “cultural genocide.”
FEMA Leader Overseeing $4 Billion Fund to Pay Victims of New Mexico Wildfire Steps Down
Longtime agency official Angela Gladwell has overseen the fund to pay victims of a wildfire accidentally started by the federal government. Her departure comes amid criticism of FEMA’s handling of payments for damages.
When Families Need Housing, Georgia Will Pay for Foster Care Rather Than Provide Assistance
In more than 700 cases over five years, Georgia reported inadequate housing as the sole reason for taking a child into foster care, a WABE and ProPublica analysis found. Advocates say it would be cheaper to help families get housing.
5 Takeaways From Our Investigation Into How Mississippi Counties Jail People for Mental Illness
We’ve been reporting on the state’s civil commitment process in partnership with Mississippi Today. These are the most important findings.
