Check out the latest news, features, opinions, and more from Appalachia, the Midwest, and other Postindustrial Communities.
ASHEVILLE
North Carolina’s new budget includes historic levels of funding to help wildlife safely cross roads
Blue Ridge Public Radio: Even though asphalt and concrete now have crept into their territory, animals —coyotes, deer, rabbits, squirrels, raccoons, elk, and more — are still determined to get where they are going, with dangerous and often deadly results.
ATLANTA
Georgia senator: New federal housing law designed to “stop the spread” of corporate-owned homes
Georgia Recorder: Democratic Sen. Raphael Warnock touted a new federal law that went into effect over the weekend and is aimed at making homeownership more attainable.
BALTIMORE
“Removing weapons from homes can save lives”: Baltimore archdiocese to host gun buyback
WBAL-TV: Gun owners can receive between $100-$300 for each weapon turned in, depending on the type of firearm. The guns must be in working order, and police will not ask any questions about the weapon.
CHICAGO
Chicago Sun-Times: Federal prosecutors are seeking a2½-year prison sentencefor the man who admitted firinga gun “in proximity of”U.S. Customs and Border Protectionagents last fallin the waning days of Operation Midway Blitz.
CINCINNATI
Ohio to pay Marcus Sapp for wrongful imprisonment
Cincinnati Public Radio: Ohio will soon compensate a man who spent 13 years in prison on a murder conviction that was overturned in 2023. The Ohio Controlling Board approved an Ohio Court of Claims order for payment of $506,717.03 to Marcus Sapp.
CLEVELAND
Court sides with Ohio City neighbors who opposed center for homeless youth
Cleveland.com: An appeals court has ruled in favor of some Ohio City residents who opposed a drop-in center where young people without stable housing could access services, complaining about quality of life issues.
COLUMBUS
Vivek Ramaswamy’s chances of losing in Ohio as race shifted to “toss up”
Newsweek: Democrat Amy Acton’s chances of beating Republican Vivek Ramaswamy in the Ohio governor race received a boost on Friday as the Cook Political Report shifted the race to its “toss-up” category.
DETROIT
Michigan cyclospora outbreak investigation zeroes in on lettuce, salad greens
Detroit Free Press: Michigan public health investigators say they are zeroing in on lettuce and other salad greens as potential sources of a massive outbreak of cyclosporiasis that has infected at least 2,640 people in the state since June 22.
INDIANAPOLIS
Haitians who made Indiana home prepare for end of legal protections for thousands
Indiana Capital Chronicle: Rachel Van Tyle, director of legal services for Indianapolis-based Exodus Refugee Immigration, said many Temporary Protected Status recipients have also applied for asylum but simply haven’t been granted it since the process is “extremely long.”
LOUISVILLE
Gov. Beshear announces Kentucky budget surplus after projecting shortfall
Louisville Public Media: Due to strong tax receipts, Kentucky ended its fiscal year with a $320-million budget surplus — a significant turnaround from last year’s poor projections.
MILWAUKEE
Lt. Gov. Sara Rodriguez campaign short hundreds of thousands after campaign accounting errors
Wisconsin Public Radio: The admission came a day after Rodriguez fired the manager, Kara Spencer, citing “serious mismanagement and inaccuracies” in the campaign finance reports Spencer prepared.
MORGANTOWN
West Virginia Watch: Temporary Assistance for Needy Families dollars, or TANF, could be utilized to expand childcare access and “respect parents’ childcare choices,” wrote Alex J. Adams, assistant secretary of the federal Administration for Children and Families.
NASHVILLE
Metro agency: Policing technology report “fundamentally flawed”
Nashville Pubic Radio: An 11-page letter from the Metro Human Relations Commission criticizes the June report from the Nashville Police and Public Safety Alliance. The independent nonprofit analyzed 10 cities that were a similar size to Metro.
PHILADELPHIA
Thousands of West Philly tenants remain in limbo as city considers saving 925 affordable rentals
Philadelphia Public Radio: Tenants in West Philadelphia are feeling frustrated and anxious as they wait to learn if their longtime homes will remain affordable into the future.
PITTSBURGH
After more than a century, formerly enslaved Pittsburgh pastor’s grave finally marked
WESA Pittsburgh: A Baptist church from Arlington, Virginia, is celebrating its 160th anniversary in Pittsburgh, of all places. Their founding pastor, Reverend Dr. Robert Simon Laws, was buried here in the Homewood Cemetery in 1903, in an unmarked grave.
WHEELING
How Wheeling’s Crisis Response Unit is making an impact
WTRF.com: Police Chief Shawn Schwertfeger said officers are trained to help during a crisis, but they are not social workers. The unit allows someone to stay with a person in need after officers are called away.
YOUNGSTOWN
Former reality TV star moved to Columbiana County prison
WFMJ 21 Youngstown: A federal judge in Arkansas sentenced Joshua Duggar to 151 months in prison without the possibility of parole on one count of receiving material depicting minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct.
