Local Reporting Network Archive
All entries from our Local Reporting Network.
“Uprooted” Explores How University Expansion and Eminent Domain Led to Black Land Loss
The short documentary “Uprooted” examines a Black community’s decadeslong battle to hold onto their land as city officials wielded eminent domain to establish and expand Christopher Newport University in Newport News, Virginia.
A Former Police Chief Fought to Rebuild After a New Mexico Fire. He Died Before He Could Go Home.
The man and his wife urgently needed payouts from the federal government, which set the fire that burned down their house.
A Washington Special Education School Accused of Abusing Students Is Closing Amid Scrutiny
The state’s investigation of Northwest SOIL, a private program serving public school students, was prompted by reporting from The Seattle Times and ProPublica that uncovered accusations about staff restraining and injuring vulnerable students.
West Virginians Could Get Stuck Cleaning Up the Coal Industry’s Messes
The state’s program for reclaiming abandoned coal mines has long been plagued with problems, but state and federal officials have done little to prepare for this reckoning.
Louisiana Sheriff’s Department Settles Two Use-of-Force Cases, Including One in Which an Autistic Teen Died
The Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office will pay part of a $1.25 million settlement in the case of Eric Parsa and an undisclosed sum to the family of Tre’mall McGee.
How “The Kids of Rutherford County” Sets Investigative Reporting to Music
Experimentation was key in creating the score for our four-part narrative podcast series, produced in collaboration with Serial.
Listen to All Episodes of “The Kids of Rutherford County”
ProPublica presents the complete podcast series “The Kids of Rutherford County” in partnership with Serial and WPLN Nashville Public Radio.
For Alaska Families, Questions Remain About Unsolved Deaths and “Suicides”
Local law enforcement said there was only one official unsolved killing in Kotzebue, Alaska. Many residents suspect otherwise.
Tennessee Lawmakers Demand an Audit of Juvenile Detention Facilities, Citing “Culture Of Lawlessness”
Following reporting from WPLN and ProPublica, the state lawmakers said there is a “culture of lawlessness” inside Knoxville’s Richard L. Bean Center and called for an audit throughout the system.
9 Times the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Miscalculated Badly at the Expense of Taxpayers, Wildlife
The agency has a history of diving into big construction projects that exceed projected costs, fall short on projected benefits and, in some cases, create new problems that engineers hadn’t bargained for.
This Louisiana Town Runs Largely on Traffic Fines. If You Fight Your Ticket, the Mayor Is Your Judge.
Fenton, population 226, brings in over $1 million per year through its mayor’s court, an unusual justice system in which the mayor can serve as judge even though he’s responsible for town finances.
This Youth Detention Center Superintendent Illegally Locks Kids Alone in Cells. No One Has Forced Him to Stop.
The Richard L. Bean Juvenile Service Center has been punishing kids with seclusion more than any other facility in Tennessee. And as the laws and rules on how to treat kids changed, the facility failed to keep up.
Residential Hotels Got Contracts Under the Los Angeles Mayor’s Homelessness Program Despite Violations
A city law sought to prevent low-cost housing from turning into hotels, but some landlords rented to tourists anyway. That didn’t stop them from receiving city funds for a new temporary shelter program.
Mississippi Jailed More Than 800 People Awaiting Psychiatric Treatment in a Year. Just One Jail Meets State Standards.
Counties are allowed to hold people awaiting court-ordered psychiatric treatment in jails only if the facilities meet safety and health standards, but there’s no funding to help them comply and no penalties if they don’t.
Maine Rarely Sanctions Residential Care Facilities Even After Severe Abuse or Neglect Incidents
From 2020 to 2022, Maine’s state health department cited residential care facilities for dozens of resident rights violations and hundreds of other deficiencies. But it has imposed only one fine in response.
One Woman Died on an Alaska Mayor’s Property. Then Another. No One Has Ever Been Charged.
Before they died, Jennifer Kirk and Sue Sue Norton were both victims of domestic violence, but the men involved — the ex-mayor’s sons — faced few consequences despite a long history of similar allegations.
Utah Therapist Arrested for Allegedly Sexually Abusing Patients During Sessions
Scott Owen, who was considered an expert in helping struggling gay Latter-day Saint men, is accused of assaulting his patients.
Virginia Lawmaker Calls for Commission to Study State Universities’ History of Uprooting Black Communities
In response to our reporting, state Delegate Delores McQuinn said a task force could shed light on the impact of college expansion in Virginia. Officials are also calling for displaced families to receive redress, from scholarships to reparations.
Here’s What Can Happen When Kids Age Out of Foster Care
Two teens aged out of New Mexico’s child welfare system last year. This photo essay shows how different their lives have become.
Los Angeles Mayor Orders Residential Hotels to Be Used for Temporary Homeless Housing
A 2008 city law intended hotels used as primary residences to be preserved as safety-net housing. But with little enforcement, some landlords had turned their buildings into tourist hotels.
