A bill passed by Arkansas’ Republican-controlled Legislature and signed by GOP Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders makes it tougher to qualify ballot measures by more than tripling the number of counties where signatures must be gathered, from 15 to 50.

Source: https://www.latimes.com/politics/story/2023-05-24/state-lawmakers-ignore-elections-handcuff-voters-in-power-grab

About 20 commissioners of Minnesota counties were in D.C. this week for the 2023 National Association of Counties (NACo) Legislative Conference.

Source: https://www.minnpost.com/dc-memo/2023/02/d-c-memo-angie-craig-attacked-again-this-time-by-threatening-calls/

About a quarter will go directly to counties and a small percentage — around 3% — will be held in trust.

Source: https://www.mymcmurray.com/2023/06/26/clock-ticking-for-west-virginia-to-select-leadership-for-opioid-money-distribution/

About half of the counties in the Republic of Ireland experienced a year-on-year increase in new company registrations in Q1 2023.

Source: https://www.irishexaminer.com/business/economy/arid-41110579.html

A breakdown of grades in four affordability categories shows many cities and counties are permitting sufficient expensive housing, but are failing to add enough units that moderate- and lower-income residents can afford to buy or rent.

Source: https://www.dailybreeze.com/2023/01/15/most-cities-still-falling-behind-affordable-housing-mandate-state-numbers-show/

A bunch of counties in Colorado also are making noise to jump ship and join up with Wyoming.

Source: https://miamivalleytoday.com/the-contentious-states-of-america/

According to information provided by Tri-County Electric Cooperative (TCEC), which services Madison, Jefferson, Taylor and parts of Dixie counties, there are still damaged trees around that continue to pose a threat of power outages.

Source: https://ecbpublishing.com/trees-still-pose-a-threat/

According to the Texas anti-abortion group’s website, 64 cities and two counties across the U.S. have so far passed similar abortion bans.

Source: https://www.gjsentinel.com/news/us/ohio-city-rewrites-abortion-ban-advocacy-groups-end-lawsuit/article_b9a929bd-57f5-5f43-9d91-6d8442aeaab2.html

A cohort of 17 counties in rural eastern Montana defined its regional settlement decision-makers in November and, by early December, had yet to begin official talks about where the money should go.

Source: https://flatheadbeacon.com/2023/12/13/millions-in-opioid-settlement-funds-sit-untouched-as-overdose-deaths-rise/

Across 13 counties, officials have delivered more than 180,000 sandbags and 3,000 feet of reinforcing muscle wall, as well as flood specialists who are providing technical support.

Source: https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2023-01-09/these-are-the-california-rivers-officials-fear-face-flooding-from-storms

Adams, Broomfield, Boulder, Larimer, and Weld counties, effective through 4 p.m., officials said.

Source: https://www.denverpost.com/2023/08/08/denver-weather-sunny-storms-rain-anomalously-strong-atmospheric-currents/

A federal judge has ordered Oregon counties to release criminal defendants from jail if they aren’t appointed an attorney within a week of their first court appearance.

Source: https://ktar.com/story/5547212/biden-is-bound-for-maine-to-mourn-with-a-community-reeling-from-a-shooting-that-left-18-people-dead/

After only 65 minutes of fishing, this year’s sturgeon season on Black Lake (in Cheboygan and Presque Isle counties) in Michigan ended at 9:05 a.m. Saturday, Feb. 4. There were 630 registered anglers, including a good number of supervised youth.

Source: https://chicago.suntimes.com/2023/2/11/23592379/chicago-eagles-black-lake-sturgeon-formula-409-outdoors-donations

After the end of the apprenticeship, the freed Africans started buying plantations in each of the three counties of Berbice, Demerara, and Essequibo, and converted them into villages.

Source: https://guyanatimesgy.com/celebrating-guyanas-heritage/

A group is exploring a federal designation of wild and scenic for the Crystal River in Gunnison and Pitkin counties.

Source: https://www.aspendailynews.com/news/discussion-ready-to-roll-on-crystal-river/article_e35a5ef4-9b9d-11ed-8b78-3b591a058ff5.html

A growing number of counties in Montana believe the state is subject to the same law and thus, the 95 mills should be equally capped.

Source: https://newstalkkgvo.com/state-lawsuit-mill-debate/

A handful of New Jersey counties — Bergen, Camden, Mercer, Middlesex, and Ocean — recorded worse grades for soot this year than last year.

Source: https://nj1015.com/soot-becoming-a-bigger-problem-in-nj-counties-pollution-report-finds/

Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey declared a state of emergency in six counties where the tornado caused the most damage: Autauga, Chambers, Coosa, Dallas, Elmore and Tallapoosa.

Source: https://www.pressherald.com/2023/01/13/tenth-body-found-after-tornadoes-tore-through-alabama-georgia/

“All we have done is take a look on a county-by-county basis to see which counties fared the best,” Srinivasan said.

Source: https://www.denverpost.com/2023/04/09/western-colorado-safest-region-natural-disasters-conejos/

Almost daily, geography-challenged public relations professionals litter my email with story pitches about “local” newsmakers who turn out to be in Collin, Denton, or even Tarrant counties.

Source: https://www.peoplenewspapers.com/2023/12/21/editors-inbox-grinchy-farewell-cowtown-artist/