Murray County, situated in the southwestern corner of Minnesota, is no stranger to wind energy. Wind turbines have become a familiar part of the landscape. The county has used revenue to improve local infrastructure, and many landowners have received an additional stream of income from hosting a turbine. Still, more…

Happy 2020! We hope your new year is off to a great start. At the Jefferson Center, our mission is to partner with citizens, communities, and institutions to design and implement informed, innovative, and democratic solutions to today’s toughest challenges. But what exactly do we mean by “today’s toughest challenges?” …

At the Jefferson Center, we believe that individuals are capable of coming up with creative solutions to today’s toughest challenges if they’re given adequate information, resources, and time. With the spreading of fake news to the shuttering of local outlets across the country, the need for unbiased, transparent, and accurate…

This story was written by Doug Oplinger, former managing editor of the Akron Beacon Journal, who now leads our Your Voice Ohio media collaborative. As journalists across the state help design and participate in Your Voice Ohio community meetings with the public, they’re redefining engagement from engaging with the community…

This story was written by Doug Oplinger, former managing editor of the Akron Beacon Journal, who now leads our Your Voice Ohio media collaborative. Sunday’s Akron Beacon Journal front-page presentation on what citizens told reporters and editors about Akron represents a transformation in Ohio news media as journalists search for…

Each election, the United States Congress looks a little bit more like the country it represents. In 2018, we celebrated a record number of congressional firsts, including the youngest woman elected, first Muslim congresswomen, first Native American congresswomen, and many other ‘firsts’. While representation is improving, there are still clear…

Last Fall, we hosted the 3 weekend long Willmar Community Assembly, where a group of 32 citizens learned about the ins and outs of local government and discussed how the city could better reflect their priorities. At the end of last day, participants drafted a shared statement about what they…

This story was written by Doug Oplinger, former managing editor of the Akron Beacon Journal, who now leads our Your Voice Ohio media collaborative. Ohio’s gubernatorial candidates — Mike DeWine and Richard Cordray — have plans for improving life in Ohio. …

When using an app and scrolling the web, how often are you bombarded with a pop-up vaguely describing language how your personal data will be collected and used? Rather than thinking through the possible implications of what we’re agreeing to, we often quickly and reflexively hit “I accept” in order…