The January Momentum: Local Wins You Might Have Missed

Happy Saturday! As we settle into the rhythm of 2026, it’s easy to get bogged down by the global "big picture." But when you look at the local level—the towns, the cities, and the neighborhoods—there’s a lot of winning happening right now.

Here are four major local wins from the past few weeks that prove community momentum is alive and well.

1. Phoenix CDP "A-List" Recognition

• Source: City of Phoenix Newsroom (January 9, 2026)

• Details: The city was recognized by the global non-profit CDP for the fourth consecutive year. Out of over 1,000 cities, Phoenix was one of only 120 to receive the top "A" score for its climate action transparency.

2. Hoover, Alabama $11.7M Grant

• Source: Alabama Department of Labor / Workforce Alabama (January 12, 2026)

• Details: The grant comes from the federal Abandoned Mine Land Economic Revitalization (AMLER) program. It funds Broad Metro’s Stadium Trace Village Phase 2 and a new surgical plaza, creating roughly 500 total jobs.

3. Eastvale, CA Zip Code Victory

• Source: Office of Congressman Ken Calvert (January 14, 2026)

• Details: Congressman Calvert announced the House passage of an appropriations package that specifically directs the USPS to address Eastvale's lack of a unique zip code and the need for a dedicated city post office.

4. Arizona Groundwater Protection (AMA)

• Source: Arizona Department of Water Resources (January 15, 2026)

• Details: Following Governor Katie Hobbs' State of the State address on January 12, the Ranegras Plain Groundwater Basin was officially designated as the state’s 8th Active Management Area (AMA) to prevent wells from running dry.

5. Dublin, NH Community Wins

• Source: Monadnock Ledger-Transcript (January 16, 2026)

• Details: The Dublin Community Center (the "DubHub") announced the winners of its 2025 Smartphone Photo Contest during a community reception held on January 9, 2026, showcasing local talent from the Monadnock region.

Special Feature: Wordsearch!

I wanted to add a fun activity to this newsletter, so i made a simple word search with some relevant words from the articles above. (source: Free Fun Prints)

The answer key is included! don’t cheat

Best,

Levi Gold