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Thursday, October 10, 2024

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Florida picks up the pieces after Hurricane Milton; Georgia elected officials say Hurricane Helene was a climate change wake-up call; Hosiers are getting better civic education; the Senate could flip to the GOP in November; New Mexico postal vans go electric; and Nebraska voters debate school vouchers.

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Civil rights groups push for a voter registration deadline extension in Georgia, federal workers helping in hurricane recovery face misinformation and threats of violence, and Brown University rejects student divestment demands.

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Hurricane Helene has some rural North Carolina towns worried larger communities might get more attention, mixed feelings about ranked choice voting on the Oregon ballot next month, and New York farmers earn money feeding school kids.

WI city, still hanging onto old factory site, plans for a greener future

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Tuesday, August 27, 2024   

In Rust Belt states such as Wisconsin, disadvantaged communities were left with blight - amid a shift away from industrialization.

A federal grant program could help cities replace old concrete with green spaces and other sustainable development.

The city of Janesville will host a trio of public listening sessions in September as it prepares to apply for a $20 million Environmental Protection Agency grant that focuses on environmental justice.

The city's Economic Development Director Jimsi Kuborn said as they try to reimagine the old General Motors and JATCO site, they want surrounding neighborhoods experiencing low incomes and other side effects to have a brighter future.

"We've got trees growing up in the middle of the asphalt and fences falling over," said Kuborn. "And so, go in and create a green opportunity, a green field for new development and new opportunity."

She said that could include new energy-efficient housing and the possibility of solar projects.

The GM site was demolished just prior to the pandemic, and this specific EPA grant doesn't deal with needed soil clean-up work.

But Kuborn touted the importance of pursuing environmentally friendly development, so that neighborhoods don't have to deal things, such as excessive stormwater runoff from these old sites.

Kuborn said cities like Janesville aren't alone in confronting this problem.

"There are multiple sites throughout the United States where we've seen things offshored," said Kuborn, "some things reshore, and communities are sitting on these blighted assets."

Janesville has encountered roadblocks, including working with a private company, in getting the GM site fully free of contamination and its remaining concrete removed.

Since the plant closed, the county in which the city resides has seen employment growth in other sectors, and a recent Brookings Institution report outlined how the area has been able to survive without solely relying on heavy manufacturing.




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In Florida, the deadline to register to vote was Monday, and a Florida driver's license or Department of Motor Vehicles ID card was necessary to complete the registration. (Vilkasss/Pixabay)

Social Issues

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As Hurricane Milton makes landfall and Florida recovers from Hurricane Helene's devastation, voting rights groups have filed a legal challenge to …


Social Issues

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A Detroit educator recently told a congressional committee he is "terrified" at what a second Trump term as president could bring for America's public…

Social Issues

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Ho-Chunk Farms' annual Indian Corn Harvest is reviving and preserving this tradition for the northeast Nebraska tribe. Corn from a Winnebago family's …


There is no safe level of lead in a person's blood, according to the Centers for Disease Control. Scientists note even low lead levels have been shown to affect IQ, the ability to pay attention and academic achievement. (Adobe Stock)

Health and Wellness

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Clean water advocates in Maine are applauding the Environmental Protection Agency's new rule on lead pipe removals but warned drinking water in school…

Health and Wellness

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When it comes to stroke care, experts say, "time is brain." Now, a program launching in South Dakota will coordinate and strengthen stroke care …

Buildings are 32% of New York's annual greenhouse gas emissions, making them the state's largest emitter. (Adobe Stock)

Environment

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New York State authorized utilities to develop thermal energy network pilot programs to further its decarbonization goals. Thermal energy networks …

Environment

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From power outages to burnt farmland, North Dakota is coming to grips with the impact of several large wildfires that are linked to at least two …

Environment

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By Bennet Goldstein for Wisconsin Watch.Broadcast version by Mike Moen for Wisconsin News Connection reporting for Wisconsin Watch-Public News Service…

 

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