Yearly Archives: 2026

Rural Missouri counties have higher-than-average premature death rates
2026-10-21
Premature death rates among residents of rural Missouri counties exceed the national average, records show, a result in large part due to the lack of adequate emergency medical care. According to data compiled by the National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities, three rural Missouri counties have premature death rates that are more than… Read more »
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Rural Missouri counties face EMS crisis
2026-10-19
Rural Missouri counties are part of an emergency medical services (EMS) crisis, as decreasing populations and tax bases, combined with the closing of multiple hospitals, have caused treatment times to rise to almost double those in urban areas. Slightly more than 24 percent of Missourians live in non-metro areas, according to a report from the… Read more »
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Checks & Balances Project briefs FBI on alleged fraud in Sussex County
2026-08-24
Checks & Balances Project (C&BP) has briefed the FBI on potential fraud involving Sussex County Board of Supervisors Chairman Steve White and the Stony Creek Volunteer Rescue Squad (SCVRS) that he runs. The briefing followed a July 14 complaint to the FBI that detailed 10 issues of concerns about White’s apparent corruption in office, including… Read more »
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C&BP briefs Health and Human Services inspector general about reporting
2026-08-13
Checks & Balances Project (C&BP) has briefed the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Inspector General’s Office about its reporting on possible fraud involving Sussex County, Virginia, the Stony Creek Volunteer Rescue Squad and Supervisor Steve White. C&BP filed a complaint with the inspector general on July 17, alleging potential fraud involving billing for… Read more »
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Checks & Balances Project seeks Sussex County EMS response times
2026-08-3
Checks & Balances Project (C&BP) has filed a Freedom of Information Act request seeking the response times of Sussex County, Virginia, emergency medical responders. AI-assisted searches indicate the records are on the Sussex County website, but links to those meetings and records don’t work. The failure to maintain the site and keep records available is… Read more »
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Checks & Balances Project files complaint with HHS inspector general
2026-07-17
Checks & Balances Project (C&BP) has filed a complaint against the Stony Creek Volunteer Rescue Squad and Sussex County Supervisor Steve White with the Department of Health and Human Services inspector general. The complaint cites alleged potential fraud involving billing for ambulance calls conducted by the Stony Creek Volunteer Rescue Squad (SCVRS) and the lack… Read more »
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Checks & Balances Project files FBI complaint about White, SCVRS
2026-07-14
Checks & Balances Project (C&BP) filed a complaint with the FBI’s Richmond field office seeking an investigation into Sussex County Board of Supervisors Chairman Steve White and the Stony Creek Volunteer Rescue Squad (SCVRS). The complaint cites 10 issues of concerns about White’s apparent corruption in office, including his conflicts of interest in voting to… Read more »
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