Kalmar · 2 November 2026
Water worries and unsettled politics
Droughts are concerning several Kalmar municipalities, while political leadership remains unsettled in Älmhult and Uppvidinge.
The water situation in several municipalities in Kalmar County is described as ”very concerning” by the County Administrative Board. Two months after the election, the political leadership in Älmhult and Uppvidinge is still not settled. At the same time, the company Novitell is moving back to Blomstermåla, and the e-sport SM final is being held in Älmhult this weekend.
County Administrative Board warns of the water situation in the county
The water situation in several of the county’s municipalities is described as ”highly worrying”. The warning comes from Länsstyrelsen i Kalmar län – the state’s representative in the county – which warns that drinking water, natural values, agriculture and industry may be affected.
”Despite it being autumn, it is clear that the county’s water reservoirs are struggling to recover. This applies both to watercourses and groundwater reservoirs,” writes Länsstyrelsen i Kalmar län in a press release.
The governing bodies in Älmhult and Uppvidinge are not yet in place
Two months after the election, it is still unclear who will govern Älmhult and Uppvidinge – the two municipalities in Kalmar and Kronoberg counties where it has not yet been settled what the new governing body will look like. A municipality is the local authority responsible for matters such as schools, elderly care and planning.
Eva Ballovarre (S), municipal commissioner (a politician who leads the municipality's work) in Älmhult Municipality, says that negotiations are proceeding in full swing. The time taken is due partly to the municipal commissioners having been away on leave in batches immediately after the election, and partly to major demographic and population challenges. She expects the new governing body to be established by the end of November and the budget to be decided at the meeting in December. In Uppvidinge Municipality, municipal commissioner Simon Bring (SD) expects the governing body to be ready next week.
Novitell moves home to Blomstermåla
Entrepreneur Nicklas Lundgren is moving his company Novitell back to Blomstermåla after 17 years in Kalmar. The company is moving into the former shop and studio of local photo legend Conny Brehmer, where he is investing in a modern film studio.
“It feels a little like coming home,” he says. The story of Novitell began in Blomstermåla in the early 2000s. After a few years, the business moved to Kalmar, where it remained for almost 20 years.
Swedish e-sports championships decided in Älmhult
Älmhult will be filled with gaming this weekend as the Swedish e-sports championships are decided. Players from across the country will gather to compete for SM titles, with finals in several of the biggest games, including Counter-Strike 2, League of Legends, Rocket League and Dota 2.
The organisers hope to get more people to discover e-sports as a community sport. “Many young people today have no sense of community, and here they can find one, together with the values of sport,” says Petra Palmgren Lindwall, head of operations at the e-sports federation.
New young adult book about friendship and secrets
Keep your best friend or join a school club that changes your life forever? That question is central to Astrid Mohlin's book ”Invald”, as Barometern writes.
Astrid Mohlin debuted in 2024 with the middle-grade book ”Fake”, which was nominated for both the Barnradion book prize and the Slangbellan. ”Invald” is aimed at slightly older readers and deals with friendship, loyalty and a very exclusive club. At the center are Bea and Tanja, who have decided not to join the much-discussed Föreningen – but when Bea receives an invitation to the so-called election night, she nevertheless chooses to go.
Police are stepping up online patrolling
The police – the government agency that investigates crimes and works to prevent crime – are strengthening their presence on social media and other digital platforms. Through so-called online patrolling, the police will be where people spend increasingly more of their time, in order to prevent crime and make it easier to get in touch.
During the weekend’s SM final in esports, the police were on site and provided information on how online patrolling works. “It’s important that we are there where the citizens are,” says Anton Schmidt, an online patrol officer in Ljungby. Online, among other things, there is grooming, fraud, threats and harassment, digital extortion, and attempts to recruit young people into criminal networks.
In brief
- CL98 had no trouble with Genarp in Juniorallsvenskan Group I men's floorball and won 8-1 away (4-1, 1-0, 3-0). Barometern
- According to SVT Nyheter Småland, political science lecturer Erik Wångmar at Linnéuniversitet points to an unexpected alliance, a historically weak government and a party that has been welcomed into the warmth now that nearly all the new political governments in Kalmar County and Kronoberg County are in place. SVT Nyheter Småland
- Kalmar municipality's building inspector made a supervisory visit to Boholmarna on 19 October due to an extension to a garage, which the municipality has now ordered to be rectified. Barometern
- In Torsås, the Knyckertz family – the book thieves – stole the show during the autumn reading holiday, which is reading holiday. Barometern
- For All Saints' Day, Barometern recommends 7 murder mysteries to devour this weekend. Barometern
- Radio personality David Druid is taking a break from his role as programme host for ”Morgonpasset i P3” after videos of him were spread on social media. Barometern
- Barometern has published the names of notable people who died in Borgholm, Emmaboda, Hultsfred, Högsby, Kalmar, Mönsterås, Mörbylånga, Nybro, Oskarshamn and Torsås during the period 17–25 September 2026. Barometern
Automatically translated from Swedish. Written from SVT Nyheter and regional newspapers; each story links to its source.