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As Paradise Rebuilds, It's Also Preparing for the Next Fire

Colleen Hagerty

May 04, 2021 |

Sierra Club |

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1500-3000 Words

Response Location: United States, Paradise, California

After the 2018 Camp Fire that tore through the town of Paradise, California, local residents are starting to rebuild. As of April, the town issued nearly 1,500 building permits. They’re also implementing a plan to remove trees that pose a safety concern for residents, which has been an extensive coordination effort between federal, state, and local government officials. Housing prices in the area have increased significantly making it difficult for some people to rebuild, but some organizations are working to help those that want to return to the area.

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In a roiled Minneapolis, schools are testing new model for safety

Chelsea Sheasley

April 20, 2021 |

The Christian Science Monitor |

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1500-3000 Words

Response Location: United States, Minneapolis, Minnesota

Washburn High School in Minneapolis is taking a different approach for in-school safety, one that doesn't rely on a police presence. The school district ended its contract with the Minneapolis Police Department and replaces School Resource Officers with civilian safety specialists, who are not uniformed, armed, and have no power of arrest. Instead, the specialists provide more community-centered services to visiting students who were disconnected, aiding with food distribution, and evaluate school safety plans.

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Bay Area Girls Lead Campaign Against Sexual Harassment on Public Transit

Sarah Holder

April 02, 2021 |

Bloomberg CityLab |

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800-1500 Words

Response Location: United States, San Francisco, California

A coalition of groups advocating for young girls of color succeeded in winning new policies and financial support to combat sexual harassment on public transportation. By surveying middle and high school students about their experiences, the groups behind the "Not One More Girl" campaign convinced Bay Area Rapid Transit system officials to install posters, make reporting of incidents easier, and pay for non-police "transit ambassadors" and crisis intervention specialists to patrol trains.

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With gun suicides on the rise, a rare hotline staffed by St. Louis teens saves lives

Kaitlin Washburn Rachel D. Rice

March 07, 2021 |

The Kansas City Star |

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1500-3000 Words

Response Location: United States, St. Louis, Missouri

Kids Under Twenty One has taken phone calls from thousands of St. Louis-area youth to its 24/7 crisis hotline and has educated many more students at 60 schools in four counties. Teens staff the hotline, a rarity. KUTO counters the myth that talking about teens' suicide risks encouraging suicides. Instead, education about mental health care and gun safety promotes intervention during critical moments and reduces the stigma associated with seeking help. Missouri's teen suicide rate is among the highest in the country, but the St. Louis area, where KUTO has worked for 20 years, is among the state's lowest.

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Can a Community Water Lab Restore Trust in Flint?

Nina Misuraca Ignaczak

February 18, 2021 |

Belt Magazine |

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1500-3000 Words

Response Location: United States, Flint, Michigan

A community-based water testing and lead-education pilot program aimed to rebuild confidence and trust among Flint residents, who are skeptical of state-affiliated testing. Trained students collected water samples that were tested by University of Michigan labs. Educational materials provided with results included how to install, maintain, and use filters. While most samples didn't show issues, households with dangerous lead levels were given bottled water, filters, and other services. Once the pilot ended, the Mckenzie Patrice-Croom Water Lab secured funding to continue free community-based water testing.

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How Portland Protesters Keep Each Other Safe

Isabella Garcia

December 09, 2020 |

Yes! Magazine |

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1500-3000 Words

Response Location: United States, Portland, Oregon

Behind the nightly protests against racism and police brutality on Portland's streets for more than five months stands a network of street medics and mutual aid groups dedicated to equipping and protecting protesters, and treating their injuries after clashes with police. Portland's already-vibrant street medic community responded to the policing protests with emergency medical care. Their work, plus that of other mutual aid groups, has taken on an added dimension during the pandemic, with masks and hand sanitizer added to the list of supplies.

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Chimney Sweeps Attack Deadly Pollution Crisis

Nansalmaa Oyunchimeg

December 06, 2020 |

Global Press Journal |

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800-1500 Words

Response Location: Mongolia, Ulaanbaatar

After banning the burning of raw coal as a way to reduce air pollution in Mongolia, residents of Ulaanbaatar switched to refined charcoal to heat their homes. However, that coal also wasn’t the cleanest and contributed to hundreds suffering from carbon monoxide poisoning. To fix that, the government teamed up with a private company to hire more than 1,600 people to clean and inspect people’s chimneys and stoves. While critics say the program doesn’t solve the country’s pollution problem, the service has provided jobs to those who didn’t have steady work and helped those who aren't able to clean their stoves.

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Gun advocates take the lead in embracing suicide prevention message

Carol Cruzan Morton

November 28, 2020 |

The Oregonian |

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Over 3000 Words

Response Location: United States, Washington

An alliance between health professionals and gun owners has increased suicide-prevention education and training through multiple initiatives in many states. Groups like Washington’s Safer Homes and Forefront Suicide Prevention ground their message in problem-solving rather than threats to restrict gun owners’ rights. Backed by data showing the deadly correlation between gun ownership and suicide deaths, these groups have made peer counseling and suicide prevention more common components of gun safety education, and have spread gun-storage devices and strategies much more widely through gun owner circles.

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Connecticut's Halfhearted Battle: Response To Lead Poisoning Epidemic Lacks Urgency

Jenifer Frank

November 23, 2020 |

Connecticut Health Investigative Team |

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1500-3000 Words

Response Location: United States, Bridgeport, Connecticut

Cities throughout Connecticut have long struggled to enact a successful response to the statewide lead-poisoning problem, but the city of Bridgeport stands out as a model for how to get results by taking proactive action. Unlike other cities where investigations aren't triggered unless a child tests positive for lead poisoning, officials in Bridgeport focus on regularly conducting building inspections and utilizing Connecticut’s Uniform Relocation Assistance Act.

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Can an Algorithm Prevent Suicide?

Benedict Carey

November 23, 2020 |

The New York Times |

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1500-3000 Words

Response Location: United States

Veterans Affairs' Reach Vet program uses an algorithm weighing 61 factors to flag veterans deemed at highest risk of suicide. While its results have not been shown to affect the suicide rate, it has more than doubled high-risk veterans' uses of V.A. services and been associated with a lower overall mortality rate. Built on an analysis of thousands of previous suicides in the V.A.'s system, Reach Vet assesses scores of facts from medical records, including some that are not obvious to humans trying to spot problems. Doctors then intervene and ensure the veteran has a suicide safety plan in place.

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