Charlie Ban
County News Digital Editor & Senior Writer
About Charlie Ban
Charlie is the County News digital editor and senior writer. He previously covered Hanover, Goochland and Louisa counties in Virginia for the Herald-Progress; Westmoreland, Fairfax, Henrico and Chesterfield counties in Virginia for the Times-Dispatch; and Allegheny, Butler, Westmoreland and Armstrong counties in Pennsylvania for the Valley News Dispatch. He has a B.A. from the University of Richmond, 2004.
Counties supplement child-care wages to address a broken market
Acknowledging that the funding model for the industry makes recruitment and retention a challenge, several counties are supplementing the wages of childcare workers.
Childcare means opportunities for economic growth
Lack of childcare options keeps would-be workers at home or at the very least, gives them an unpredictable schedule for work, both of which limit labor force participation and a county's economic growth.
Mural, signatures make Indiana county tunnel a must-see
Vermillion County, Ind. turned visiting a forgettable magnet for graffiti into a budding tradition for its high school graduates.
Now I know that solid waste is complicated
Custer County, Idaho Commissioner Will Naillon says solid waste removal is "one of the things that people often take for granted until it’s their job to make sure it happens... that’s the story of being a county commissioner."
NACo in the ‘60s: A new vision and a new name
After hiring its first executive director in 1957, NACo surged ahead in the following years, overhauling funding, advocacy and strategy on the way to becoming a player in national affairs and national political campaigns.
Record high Capitol Hill meeting schedule pushes public lands funding
More than three dozen public lands county officials conducted 80 meetings with congressional staff to advocate for the Payments in Lieu of Taxes and Secure Rural Schools programs.