Nick Reisman reports at New York State of Politics that 25 percent of newspapers in the country closed in the last 15 years. Democrat State Senator Rachel May is proposing a bill to help readers see more local news in New York through grants and partnerships with the state's public colleges and universities. “The decline of local news sources has left our residents and communities without access to critical information,” May said. “Local news has always been the tether that keeps people engaged, informed, and connected to where they live and those around them. Whether it’s the local Little League’s scores, the conversation at this week’s Town Board meeting, or the location of the next local vaccine clinic, this information is vital to a thriving community. This legislation will help begin to rebuild trusted local news sources across the state so that we may all be better informed on what is taking place in our towns and neighborhoods.” Locally, the radio stations owned by iHeartRadio dropped news coverage recently, and the Watershed Post's online reporting ended. The Register Star, Daily Mail, and Daily Freeman have all cut back coverage too. In the past year, though, the Times Union has expanded Hudson Valley coverage, and the Porcupine Soup online newspaper started in Greenville. Read more about this story at New York State of Politics.