New York City, NY

Rochester, NY

Columbus, OH

Colorado State

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David Heitz

A bill quietly introduced this spring in the Colorado legislature to decriminalize the possession of drug paraphernalia obtained by harm reductionists has become law. As low-key as the legislation was introduced, the bill was signed into law without fanfare June 6. It garnered little to no media attention.

Colorado legalizes needles, pipes for meth and crack if obtained by harm reduction group

Ohio State

The Lantern

On Tuesday, licensed Ohio dispensaries began legally selling non-medical marijuana to consumers; however, the drug’s possession, growth and/or usage are still prohibited on Ohio State’s campus. Credit: Jefferee Woo/Tampa Bay Times/TNS [Original caption: Four citizen-led petitions with proposals to update Dallas’ charter hit the 20,000 valid signature threshold to make it on the Nov. 5 election ballot, including one that would ban police officers from arresting or citing people carrying less than four ounces of marijuana.] As of Tuesday, students 21 and older can now legally purchase marijuana in Ohio.

Dispensary sales of recreational marijuana began Tuesday; possession and usage still prohibited on Ohio State’s campus

Orange County, CA

Corcoran, CA

NewSantaAna

CORCORAN – California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR) officials are investigating the July 28, 2024, death of an incarcerated person at California Substance Abuse Treatment Facility as a homicide.

Pimp arrested in Orange County killed by an inmate at a state prison

Denver, CO

In addition to collecting more than 8,000 used needles in the past year from Denver drug users, the Harm Reduction Action Center passed out 10,000 meth pipes and “snort kits,” according to a newsletter sent to its supporters Thursday. They also connected about 1,700 people to medical, mental health and substance abuse treatment.

Denver group hands out 10K meth pipes, ‘snort kits,’ connects 1,700 to treatment annually

The Rochester Beacon

Think of concerts at the Eastman School of Music, and you are most apt to conjure up images of the school’s two historic halls: Kodak Hall (formerly Eastman Theatre) and Kilbourn Hall, each a century old. In 2010, the elegant Hatch Recital Hall opened in the school’s recently built...

A jewel in Eastman’s crown shines again

Jacksonville, FL

Jacksonville Today

A permanent marker will be erected to honor the victims of the racist mass shooting nearly a year ago at a Dollar General store in the New Town community. City Council approved the marker 17-0 on Tuesday night.

Marker will honor victims of racist Dollar General shooting

More dangerous substances are entering the Denver drug supply, Harm Reduction Action Center warned in a newsletter this week. “The Iron Law of Prohibition posits that as law enforcement becomes more intense, the potency of prohibited substances increases,” HRAC Executive Director Lisa Raville wrote in the newsletter. That is exactly what is happening, she said.

Dangerous substances entering Denver drug supply

Fairport, NY

Ginny Maier’s home sits on a double lot in Fairport. She and her husband would like to continue living in the village, but they feel somewhat trapped. “We know we could sell it for a lot of money, but we wouldn’t be able to buy something that was suitable for a retired couple in Fairport,” Maier says. “It’s nearly impossible to find. I mean, it’s nearly impossible to find anything but something that’s sort of equivalent to a starter home. We’re competing with young families for the smaller homes.”

The code that divides Fairport

Florida State

Jacksonville Sheriff T.K. Waters said he will consider more DUI patrols if voters legalize recreational marijuana use in Florida. Voters will consider Amendment 3 in November. It would allow adults 21 or older to possess, purchase or use marijuana products and marijuana accessories for non-medical purposes.

More DUI patrols possible if marijuana issue passes

Salem, OH

Northern Kentucky Tribune

Every day, 8-year-old Emma sits in a small garden outside her grandmother’s home in Salem, Ohio, writing letters to her mom and sometimes singing songs her mother used to sing to her.

Thousands of parents die of overdoses; advocates say their kids need more help

Georgia State

Daily Coffee Press

According to officials with the Southern District of Georgia, two recently unsealed federal indictments have charged 23 defendants in a series of broad conspiracies involving the use of drones to smuggle methamphetamine, marijuana, and cell phones into state prisons in Georgia.

23 Defendants Charged in Federal Indictments for Drone-Smuggling Drug Operation in Georgia

New Jersey State

Jersey City, NJ

Morristown Minute

MORRISTOWN, NJ - Two members of a Jersey City gang associated with the Marion Gardens Housing Complex were sentenced to lengthy prison terms for their involvement in multiple shootings and other gang-related crimes, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger announced today.

Gang Members Sentenced: 31 Years for Violent Crimes

Louisiana State

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The Lens

During my childhood, when my family visited relatives “across the river,” in Bayou Plaquemine, Bayou Goula, Caddo, the Pointe, and White Castle, my siblings and I would sometimes race up and down the levees, some distance away from the cows grazing there. At the summit of the hill, you could see the Mississippi River waters through stands of trees and brush. It never occurred to me that our “playground” was the living testimony of Black men, prisoners of the Louisiana State Penitentiary at Angola whom the state of Louisiana had re-enslaved in the convict leasing system.

No longer ‘half slave, half free’

Uncovering Florida

Most people are guilty of doing it at least once in their lives, many people do it by accident, some do it because they find it fun, and others do it for reasons like honoring loved ones. Regardless of the situation, just about everyone has released a balloon. The difference is that intentionally releasing balloons is now illegal by House Bill 321’s standards.

Law Signed By DeSantis Makes It Illegal To Release Balloons In Florida

This year’s area of low oxygen in the Gulf of Mexico is larger than average, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) announced on Thursday. The “dead zone” is approximately 6,705 square miles , as measured last week. Within NOAA’s 38 years of measuring the dead zone, this year’s assessment marks the 12th-largest area of low to no oxygen, which can kill fish and marine life.

Gulf ‘dead zone’ larger than average, larger than expected for 2024, scientists announce

Montana State

Wyoming State

WyoFile

To increase the genetic diversity of an island population of grizzly bears , Wyoming and Montana wildlife managers recently worked together to import fresh bloodlines into the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem.

Two Montana grizzly bears trucked to Wyoming to bolster genetic diversity, help states’ delisting case

Pinedale, WY

PINEDALE—Rep. Albert Sommers (R-Pinedale) lost to a political newcomer in a close-fought contest for a state Senate seat Tuesday, an upset that ousts one of the most influential figures in Wyoming politics in recent years.

Speaker of the House Sommers loses bid for Senate seat

Don Hall is an avid snowmobiler, but instead of heading for the hills each winter in search of deep powder, he takes an older snowmachine to lower elevations nearer the snow line. There’s a reason the Riverton resident prefers the lower zones despite the rocks, fences and sage most riders avoid: That’s where the coyotes are.

Wyoming allows snowmobilers to run down wildlife. Despite global outrage, it may stay legal.

Cypress, TX

Sparta Township, NJ

NEW JERSEY - Diana Valteri, 42, and Edmond Haxhillari, 43, who have residences in both Sparta, New Jersey, and Cypress, Texas, pleaded guilty on August 20, 2024, to charges of wire fraud and money laundering in a federal court in Trenton. U.S. District Judge Robert Kirsch presided over the case.

NJ Couple Guilty in $790k COVID Loan Fraud

Thomson, GA

A Georgia city mayor has been arrested by the Georgia Bureau of Investigation following an investigation and a grand jury indictment. According to GBI officials, the Thomson Police Department requested the agency to investigate an allegation that Thomson City Mayor, 52-year-old Benjamin Cary Cranford, provided alcohol to an inmate on work detail within the city limits on June 4, 2024.

Georgia City Mayor Arrested for Allegedly Giving Alcohol to an Inmate on Work Det

East Rochester, NY

Henrietta, NY

Penfield, NY

Webster, NY

West Henrietta, NY

Spencerport, NY

Rush, NY

Scottsville, NY

Mendon, NY

Churchville, NY

Hilton, NY

Honeoye Falls, NY

Macedon, NY

Victor, NY

Ontario, NY

NewsBreak

Why you should support Citizen Action’s Economic Justice Agenda

We, at Citizen Action, have embarked on developing an Economic Justice Agenda that supports Invest in Our New York (IONY) campaign, specially targeting two demographics that...

Why you should support Citizen Action’s Economic Justice Agenda

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