The Yonder Report: Recent Episodes
Public News Service and The Yonder Report
Bringing you the news from rural America. The Yonder Report, hosted by Roz Brown, is a 3-minute weekly newscast highlighting the vibrant, resilient spirit of living and working in Rural America. Despite the news media’s consolidation into big cities, stories coming from thousands of small communities across the country are no less urgent and relevant to our national conversation. The Daily Yonder and Public News Service are teaming up to deliver this short, fast-paced roundup of rural news that features a wide variety of rural voices and keeps listeners informed and engaged on underreported issues affecting vast swaths of American life.
August offers one of nature's most awe-inspiring sights, food insecurity hits hardest in rural communities and the South, Oregon is training responders to support aging populations amid extreme weather and a new mosaic commemorates a devastating flood in Whitesburg, Kentucky.
Economic challenges roil America's farmers, slashed Medicaid is hitting some states harder than others, Washington has joined a lawsuit fighting federal cuts to school-based mental health grants, and libraries help families reduce the high cost of living.
Community Works aims to reduce rural polarization, the U.S. is losing frontline workers to DACA renewal delays while ICE raids increasingly target young people in small towns and Alaska's oldest lighthouse shines again.
A free Central Texas transportation program allows seniors to reconnect with friends and doctors, a 30-city nurses tour is calling attention to GOP Medicaid cuts, more states are imposing climate-driven water restrictions, and tips for a corny vacation.
A population boom in Bastrop County, Texas has increased mental health needs, the changing climate is doing the same nationwide, Americans' preference for mega cars and trucks is deadly for pedestrians, and dinosaurs rule in rural South Dakota.
U.S. Supreme Court rulings are applauded and criticized as the nation celebrates 250 years, an Idaho group ramps up help for those in need, extreme cuts to SNAP are coming into focus, and robots could revolutionize agriculture.
The frontline for voting rights is the rural south, colleges are working harder to recruit rural high school students, an ancient grain called sorghum could help fight hunger caused by climate change and pandowdy is the perfect July 4th dessert.
Illinois residents say data centers should be regulated, but lawmakers haven't acted, a farm group wants voters to back candidates who understand rural America, health advocates encourage rural men to visit their doctor and a 12-state concert tour is celebrating rural roots.
The well-being of children has declined in multiple states, Ho-Chunk tribes are honored at Nebraska's Winnebago Public Schools, solar isn't just for homeowners in Colorado and despite a lack of data on rural LGBTQ populations, Pride Month is celebrated.
A border wall through Texas' Big Bend National Park gets pushback after local news coverage, advocates for small growers in Iowa argue the current Farm Bill favors big ag and doctors tracking Salmonella outbreaks say don't kiss your chickens.
Illinois farmers and landowners are pushing back against the use of eminent domain for private carbon pipelines, Nebraskans say climate change is affecting their mental health, Utah parents can't find childcare and its rhubarb season across the rural Midwest.
A planned high-voltage line in Texas is proving divisive, a new poll shows North Carolinians are pessimistic about the economy, the Trump administration's next budget could devastate tribal higher ed and a tall ship flotilla sails the Eastern Seaboard.
Affordable housing in Wiscasset, Maine is stalled after a proposed data center disrupted plans, farms and ranches now account for 83 percent of solar projects and Colorado farmers turn to rye after a record-setting dry winter.
A dialysis unit has closed in rural Nebraska due to lower Medicare reimbursement rates, "deaths of despair" are slowly declining nationwide but still more common in Appalachia and a South Dakota rancher plants native grasses to fight drought.
A record wildfire season is predicted for parts of the U.S., An Illinois researcher says the Farm Bill is an opportunity to address more than just agriculture and one group is turning surrendered guns into garden tools and artwork.
Political attitudes among rural voters are shifting, maternity care is complex – and becoming more so in rural Illinois communities where demographics have changed and Minnesotans vow to fight efforts overturning a ban on mining in the Boundary Waters.
A loophole in reimbursement rates is partly to blame for rural hospitals closing, Maine may become the first state to ban large-scale data centers and farmers' financial woes are made worse by laws that prevent them from fixing their farm equipment.
Libraries in rural Texas are doing double duty as they loan books and lend telehealth expertise, as health insurance costs soar, some turn to their local Farm Bureau and rural communities are getting federal help to fix aging water infrastructure.
Telehealth is a lifesaver for aging populations in rural Texas, but experts say it shouldn't replace in-person care, South Dakota's ag university sees more students majoring in rangeland management and Maine improves kids' success by embracing rural community schools.
The neediest in Missouri are watching the possible effects of cuts to Medicaid, Illinois is among several states raising alarms over AI data centers and building resiliency among teenagers is the goal of Trekkers in Rockland, Maine.
Barriers for Americans with disabilities are still common in both rural and urban communities, the expansion of detention centers across the country could hurt rural economies and deteriorating water infrastructure is costing Eastern Kentuckians.
Staff cuts at the USDA could hinder the rollout of a regenerative agriculture program, rural voters led a record-turnout in the Texas primaries, and conservationists there worry a massive border wall will spoil the Rio Grande.
Advocates for those with disabilities in Idaho and nationwide are alarmed by proposed Medicaid cuts, programs that provide virtual crisis care are making inroads in rural South Dakota and Wyoming, and the mighty bison returns to Texas.
New England's already high electricity prices have locals concerned about proposed AI data centers, three-quarters of Montana's school districts report decreased absenteeism due to on-site health clinics and Missouri expands its trail system.
An Illinois university is trying to fill gaps in the nationwide pharmacy shortage, Alabama plans to address its high infant mortality rate using robots in maternal care and neighbors helping neighbors is behind a successful New England weatherization program.
The crackdown on undocumented immigrants in Minneapolis has created chaos for a nearby agricultural community, federal funding cuts have upended tribal solar projects in Montana and similar cuts to a college program have left some students scrambling.
Silver mining made Northern Idaho wealthy, but left its mark on people's health, a similar issue affects folks along New York's Hudson River and critics claim rural renewable energy eats up farmland, while advocates believe they can co-exist.
The immigration crackdown in Minnesota has repercussions for Somalis statewide, rural Wisconsinites say they're blindsided by plans for massive AI data centers and opponents of a mega transmission line through Texas' Hill Country are alarmed by its route.
Training to prepare rural students to become physicians has come to Minnesota's countryside, a grassroots effort in Wisconsin aims to bring childcare and senior-living under the same roof and solar power is helping restore Montana s buffalo to feed the hungry.
Rural Appalachia is being eyed for massive AI centers, but locals are pushing back, some farmers say government payments meant to ease tariff burdens won't cover their losses and rural communities explore novel ways to support home-based childcare.
Debt collectors may soon be knocking on doors in Kentucky over unpaid utility bills, a new Colorado law could help homeowners facing high property insurance due to wildfire risk, and after deadly flooding, Texas plans a new warning system.
From electric oyster farming in Maine, to Jewish descendants reviving a historic farming settlement in New Jersey and the resurgence of the Cherokee language in North Carolina, the Daily Yonder looks back at 2025.
Farmworkers' advocates say Trump administration cuts to ag workers' wages will deepen poverty, another effort is underway to sell off national parks and a Colorado artist is practicing civil disobedience to protest their perceived politicization.
States are waiting to hear how much money they'll get from the Rural Health Transformation Program, the DHS is incentivizing local law enforcement to join the federal immigration crackdown and Texas is creating its own Appalachian Trail.
Farmers face skyrocketing healthcare costs if Congress fails to act this month, residents of communities without mental health resources are getting trained themselves and a flood-devasted Texas theater group vows, 'the show must go on.'
Native American tribes are left out of a new federal Rural Health Transformation Program, cold temperatures are burdening rural residents with higher energy prices and Missouri archivists says documenting queer history in rural communities is critical amid ongoing attacks on LGBTQ+ rights.
Texans have agreed to spend billions to improve their water systems, ICE appears to be readying a detention center along Oregon's picturesque coast and a Georgia community echoes a familiar refrain with concerns about massive AI data centers.
Carbon credit markets help rural property owners in Maine and other states keep their land, residency programs aim to bring more doctors to rural Montana and pollinators encounter politics at the U.S.-Mexico border wall.
A voting shift by Virginia's rural Republicans helped Democrats win the November governor's race; Louisiana is adopting new projects to help rural residents adapt to climate change and as Thanksgiving approaches, Indiana is responding to more bird flu.
Farmers are being squeezed by trade wars and the government shutdown, ICE tactics have alarmed a small Southwest Colorado community where agents used tear gas to subdue local protestors and aquatic critters help Texans protect their water.
States like Vermont are learning the hard way that FEMA funds for natural disasters are not guaranteed, folks in the Adirondacks' Lake George have developed a model for reducing salt runoff and microplastics are common in Minnesota's waterways.
The expired farm bill leaves many popular programs in limbo, a complicated fight is brewing over four-day school weeks in New Mexico, while volunteers help preserve the state's 300-year old Pecos Mission Church.
Rural Americans are cutting back on basics amid struggles to afford child care, conservation groups have appealed a ruling that prevents Iowans from knowing how much factory farms pollute their air and renewable energy is coming to Arizona's ancient pueblos.
Rural grassroots organizers in Arizona band together to take on industrial developers, health care cuts threaten California's homegrown solutions to rural doctor shortages and the Navajo Nation is reshaping the future of its education system.
Iowans urge Congress to defeat legislation meant to prohibit lawsuits against chemical companies when their products cause cancer, Texas aims to help those in residential care facilities survive extreme weather events while other states turn to 'resilience hubs' for natural disaster support.
Champions of rural America want Congress to support programs that drive local success, cuts to Medicaid in Idaho could leave more rural mothers without care and Black clergy double as healthcare professionals in a Virginia Church.
Mobile MRI units in North Dakota improve residents' health and save hospitals money, owners of older manufactured housing are getting help to cope with extreme temperatures and western states restore river health using a low-tech 'sticks and stones' approach.
The Navajo Nation plans to double the money it spends on students and tribal colleges, oyster farmers in Maine combat air and water pollution with a switch to electric boats, and Ohioans celebrate a court ruling on coal ash pollution.
Residents in Southwest Colorado communities are pushing back against ICE arrests, rural towns hit by catastrophic weather events are sharing recovery advice and maternity care is getting harder to find in rural America.
A federal anti-poverty program that's helped millions of rural Americans is on the chopping block, Minnesota is trying to save more dairy farms and a North Carolina group endeavors to preserve their indigenous language.
Tribally-run programs in states like South Dakota have improved Native American healthcare on reservations, rural Texas communities could lose revenue from abandoned wind and solar projects and shale drilling in Ohio has not produced promised results.
Climatologists are helping Appalachian states prepare for more intense and frequent hurricanes, Texas Hill Country ranchers are spending many thousands to recover from last month's flooding and manufactured home owners are vulnerable to heat-related illness and deaths.
A double whammy could be coming for SNAP recipients in states like Texas, construction of AI data centers is plowing ahead in Indiana and descendants of a historic Jewish farming settlement in New Jersey safeguard its legacy.
Experts are skeptical a new rural health slush fund will fill Medicaid gaps, Colorado officials protest public land management cuts and tribes and rural communities sue the EPA over cancelled funding for flood and climate mitigation projects.
America's news desert problem could get worse with massive funding cuts to public broadcasting, federal cuts to AmericaCorps will eliminate volunteers in rural Oregon and a 140-year old South Dakota church thrives by welcoming all.
Cuts in money for clean energy could hit rural mom and-pop businesses hard, Alaska's effort to boost its power grid with wind and solar is threatened and a small Kansas school district is attracting new students with a focus on agriculture.
Rural Americans are bracing for a disproportionate impact from federal funding cuts to mental health and substance use programs, and new federal policies have farmers from Ohio to Minnesota struggling to grow healthier foods and create sustainable food production programs.
Farmers embrace voluntary conservation programs but federal funding chaos is causing a rethink, a rural electric cooperative in Colorado hopes to reduce customer costs by going independent and LGBTQ+ teens say online support is a lifesaver.
A commissioner on the FCC contends the Trump Administration is weakening freedom of speech and the press, a New Mexico town is building an innovative green hydrogen plant and Texas could soon face even more rural hospital closures.
Hurricane Helene mobilized the community of Marshall, North Carolina in unexpected ways, giant data centers powering AI want cheap rural land but can face community pushback and ceramics made by Cherokee potters honor multiple generations.
Rural areas that could use more EV charging stations face a Catch-22, improving the mental health of children and teachers is the goal of a new partnership in seven states and a once segregated Mississippi movie theater is born again.
Citizens of a rural North Carolina town hit by Hurricane Helene fight to reopen their post office, the loss of a federal mining safety program could harm workers and wood-firing potters carry the torch in rural North Carolina.
Immigrants are driving rural population growth, especially in Texas, North Carolina, and Iowa, ICE agents are targeting immigrant labor groups along with their leaders and Louisiana's T-Rey's lures customers with hogshead cheese and boudin.
Despite lawmaker efforts, rural communities are still short of crucial broadband, new Trump administration priorities force USDA grant recipients to reapply and Appalachia’s traditional broom-making craft is getting an economic boost from an international nonprofit.
The Trump administration's proposed 2026 budget would cut housing programs for millions of low-income Americans, from rural Maine to rural Iowa, independent medical practices and physicians are becoming rare and New Mexico maintains its democratic governance of acequias.
DOGE is gutting a 30-year old national service program, cuts are likely but Head Start may be spared elimination in the next budget, moms are the most vulnerable when extreme weather hits and there's a croaking sound coming from rural California.
Rural students who face hurdles getting to college are getting noticed, Native Alaskans may want to live off the land but obstacles like climate change loom large and the Cherokee language is being preserved by kids in North Carolina.
Migration to rural America increased for the fourth year, technological gaps handicap rural hospitals and erode patient care and doctors are needed to keep the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians healthy and align with spiritual principles.
Money meant for schools in timber country is uncertain as Congress fails to reauthorize a rural program, farmers and others will see federal dollars for energy projects unlocked and DOGE cuts threaten plant species needed for U.S. food security.
Rural Dems want the DNC to bring working class voters back into the fold, kids in Maine are losing a federal program that supplies local food to schools and Trump's tariffs are sowing doubt and stress for America's farmers.
Rural schools face budget woes even as the White House aims to dismantle the Department of Education, postal carriers argue against proposed USPS changes, fiber networks to improve rural internet may be supplanted by Musk's satellites and PLAY BALL!
Rural folks face significant clean air and water risks due to EPA cutbacks, a group of policymakers is working to expand rural healthcare via mobile clinics and a new study maps Montana's news landscape.
Cuts to Medicaid and frozen funding for broadband are both likely to have a negative impact on rural healthcare, which is already struggling. Plus, lawsuits over the mass firing of federal workers have huge implications for public lands.
Many fear the Trump administration's effort to raise money fast could include the sale of public lands, thousands of farmers are waiting for payouts frozen by the USDA and a shortage has rural America’s doctors coming out of retirement.
Activists work to protect immigrant communities as the reach of ICE expands, experts urge lawmakers to ramp-up elder abuse protections in rural America and a multi-state arts initiative crafts ways to close the urban-rural divide.
U.S. farmers in limbo due to the federal funding freeze worry their projects will go unrealized, mass firings could wreak havoc on tourists visiting public lands this summer, while money to fight wildfires in rural areas is also jeopardized.
A Taos, New Mexico sheriff won't comply with immigration enforcement that could erode public trust, New Hampshire worries a dearth of charging stations will force tourists driving EVs to vacation elsewhere and Southern states promote workarounds to improve education.
Rural America struggles with opioids and homelessness in unexpected ways, Colorado's Lariat Ditch could help spur local recreation and book deliveries revive rural communities hit by Hurricane Helene.
During Black History Month, a new book shares how a unique partnership built 5000 schools for Black students, anti-hunger advocates say ag communities would benefit from an expanded SNAP program and Americans have $90B in unpaid medical bills.
As bird flu spreads, egg prices continue to soar, wildfires are not stopping Americans from moving to wildfire-prone states, and post-pandemic infrastructure is not just roads and bridges but also education, healthcare, and economic opportunity.
Winter blues? Alaskans cure theirs at the Cordova Iceworm Festival, Trump's energy plans will impact rural folks, legislation in Virginia aims to ensure rural communities get adequate EV charging stations, and a retreat for BIPOC women earns rave reviews.
Opponents of a proposed Alaskan mine warn proponents they can't eat gold when the fish are gone, ahead of what could be mass deportations, immigrants get training about their rights and a national coalition grants money to keep local news afloat.
"Drill, baby, drill" is a tough sell for oil and gas companies in Alaska's Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, rising sea levels create struggles for Washington's coastal communities and more folks than ever are taking advantage of America's great outdoors.
Rural America is becoming more racially diverse, but getting rid of language barriers is still a challenge, coal miners with black lung get federal help, farmers are bracing for another trade war and President Jimmy Carter elevated the humble peanut.
From the unprecedented election season to the latest environmental news, the Yonder Report looks back at stories that topped our weekly 2024 newscasts.
A potential funding cut for natural disasters could affect rural folks more than those in urban communities, a New Mexico town may have some answers for its housing shortage and who provides America's Christmas trees?
Many rural counties that voted for Trump also cast ballots against school vouchers and to protect abortion rights, Pennsylvania's Black mayors are collaborating to unite their communities and unique methods are being tried to address America’s mental health crisis.
Limited access to community resources negatively impacts rural Americans' health, a successful solar company is the result of a Georgia woman's determination to stay close to her ailing grandfather and Connecticut is looking for more ways to cut methane emissions.
Residents in Colorado's rural communities face challenges to recycling, climate change and Oregon's megadrought are worrying firefighters and a farm advocacy group says corporate greed is behind high food prices in Montana.
The CDC has a new plan to improve the health of rural Americans, updated data could better prepare folks for flash floods like those that devastated Appalachia and Native American tribes could play a key role in the nation's energy future.
An urban vote slump, not the rural electorate, tipped the presidential election, Minnesota voters approved more lottery money to support conservation and clean water and a survey shows strong broadband causes rural businesses to boom.
Abortion care can be five minutes away in California or 11 hours for women in Texas, rural living proves a mixed blessing for veterans, an ancient technique could curtail climate-change wildfires and escape divisive politics on World Kindness Day.
A Montana court will decide the fate of a climate lawsuit brought by youth, housing for working families could boost jobs in the Northeast and a Cambodian poultry farmer who lost his livelihood could be a hero for others.
Political strategists in Missouri work to ensure down-ballot races aren't overlooked, a small Minnesota town is helping high school students prepare to work in the medical field and Oklahoma tribes' meat processing plants are reversing historic ag consolidation.
Rural towns in Wyoming and Kansas are building, not closing hospitals, an activist formerly incarcerated at San Quentin is launching media projects at other California prisons and a Rocky Mountain church reshapes a community's art scene.
Hurricane Helene has some rural North Carolina towns worried larger communities might get more attention, there's mixed feelings about ranked choice voting on the Oregon ballot next month and New York farmers earn money feeding school kids.
Cheap milk comes at a cost for residents of Washington's Lower Yakima Valley, Indigenous language learning is promoted in Wisconsin as experts warn half the world's languages face extinction and Montana's public lands are going to the dogs!
The presidential election is imminent and young rural voters say they still feel ignored, it's leaf peeping season in New England but some fear climate change could mute fall colors and Minnesota's mental health advocates want more options for troubled youth.
A USDA report shows a widening gap in rural versus urban health, a North Carolina county remains divided over a LGBTQ library display, and Minnesota Governor Tim Walz' policies are spotlighted after his elevation to the Democratic presidential ticket.
Rural voters weigh competing visions about agriculture's future ahead of the Presidential election, counties where economic growth has lagged in rural America are booming post-pandemic and farmers get financial help to protect their land's natural habitat.
Rural counties have higher traffic death rates compared to urban, factions have formed around Colorado's proposed Dolores National Monument and a much-needed Kentucky grocery store is using a federal grant to slash future utility bills.
Alaska's 'canarie of the sea' is struggling with a deteriorating whale environment, those in rural as opposed to urban areas are more likely to think raw milk is safe to drink and climate change increases malnutrition in America's low-income counties.
Smiles are guaranteed at America's State Fairs, jobs in recreational counties are rebounding the most, getting disaster-recovery help can be tough for rural folks and state 'ag gag' laws are being challenged by animal rights groups.
Hollywood's Twister sequel captures rural America without the stereotypes, a lack of healthcare access is impacting many rural women, South Carolinians lack legal means to fight evictions and prepping homes is important to keep out wildlife smoke.
Tennesseans who struggle to afford fresh veggies can now access community gardens, the USDA is bringing hope to farmers in Virginia, Idaho is using education technology to boost its healthcare workforce, and a former segregated school in Texas gets a new chapter.
Famous for being the hometown of Bob Dylan, Hibbing, Minnesota now offers transit services, a court ruling has ramifications for Alaskans dependent on healthcare provided by tribal nations, and a Missouri group is trying to protect waterways from CAFOs.
There's a gap between how rural and urban folks feel about the economy, Colorado's 'Rural is Rad' aims to connect outdoor businesses, more than a dozen of Maine's infrastructure sites face repeated flooding, and chocolate chip cookies rock August.
It's grass-cutting season and with it, rural lawn mower races, Montana's drive-thru blood project is easing shortages, rural Americans spend more on food when transportation costs are tallied and a lack of good childcare is thwarting rural business owners.
Rural communities are developing post-pandemic business strategies to lure remote workers, preservationists in Eastern Kentucky want to save the 20th century home of a trailblazing coal miner and a new federal rule could help small meat and poultry producers.
A new wildfire map shows where folks are most at risk of losing a home nationwide, rural North Carolina groups are promoting supportive and affordable housing for those in substance-abuse recovery, and bookmobiles are rolling across rural California.
Ugly, imperfect produce destined for the landfill is being upcycled by a California candy company, a Texas volunteer uses his Navy training to map the gaps in broadband and Pennsylvania has a new commission tasked with reversing its shrinking rural population.
Rural educators say they need support to teach kids social issues, rural businesses can suffer when dollar stores come to town, prairie states like South Dakota are getting help to protect grasslands and a Minnesota town claims the oldest rural Pride Festival.
Rural America’s job growth is up, but still hasn't recovered from the pandemic, about one in five rural Americans live in a town with a prison, rural women seeking birth control have a new option and dark skies beckon as summer arrives.
Rural Americans get a lot more exposure to greenhouse gasses than money to combat it, Colorado is running out of funds to feed hungry school kids, and Nebraska is documenting Latino residents' journey to the Great Plains.
Montanans may vote on a ballot initiative this November adding abortion protections to the state constitution, an Indiana school district is heralded for its gold-standard multilingual education program, and folks in Alaska's coastal communities are cutting carbon and saving money.
Smokey Bear thought only "you" could prevent forest fires, but mushrooms may also help, a Native American community in Oregon is achieving healthcare sovereignty, and Colorado farmers hope fast-maturing, drought-tolerant seeds will better handle climate change.
Americans are buying up rubber ducks ahead of Memorial Day, Nebraskans who want residential solar have a new lifeline, seven community colleges are working to provide students with a better experience, and Mississippi’s "Big Muddy" gets restoration help.
Some small towns in North Dakota worry they’ll go to pot if marijuana is legalized, school vouchers are becoming a litmus test for Republicans, and Bennington, Vermont implements an innovative substance abuse recovery program.
Bidding begins soon for Wyoming's elk antlers, Southeastern states gained population in the past year, small rural energy projects are losing out to bigger proposals, and a rural arts cooperative is filling the gap for schools in Pennsylvania and West Virginia.
The urban-rural death divide is widening for working-age Americans, many home internet connections established for rural students during COVID have been broken and a new federal rule aims to put the "public" back in public lands.
Rural Wyoming needs more vocational teachers to sustain its workforce pipeline, Ohio environmental advocates fear harm from a proposal to open 40-thousand forest acres to fracking and rural communities build bike trail systems to promote nature, boost the economy.
Housing advocates fear rural low-income folks who live in aging USDA housing could be forced out, small towns are eligible for grants to enhance civic participation and North Carolina's small and Black-owned farms are helped by new wind and solar revenues.
Rural populations have bounced back for two years running, more jobs are causing growing pains in Montana, Colorado wants school kids to eat better and boost rural ag communities, and Saint George, South Carolina is "Puttin' on the Grits."
Historic wildfires could create housing and health issues for rural Texans, a Kentucky program helps prison parolees start a new life, and descendants of Nicodemus, Kansas celebrate the Black settlers who journeyed across the 1870s plains seeking self-governance.
A labeling change could pay off for small farmers and ranchers who raise livestock and poultry, pandemic-related rural job loss bounced back but progress has stalled and rural housing is scarce for younger generations as older homeowners stay put.
California’s extreme swing from floods to drought has some thinking it’s time to turn rural farm parcels into floodplains, what’s known as Medicare Advantage is squeezing the finances of rural hospitals and Midwest regenerative farmers are rethinking chicken.
Kentucky environmentalists tackle zombie mines, stereotypes of rural voters are debunked and despite a messy start, some say rural students bound for college should benefit from the simplified FAFSA.
Hard times could be ahead for rural school districts that spent federal pandemic money on teacher salaries, a former Oregon lumber community drafts a climate-action plan and West Virginians may soon buy raw milk from squeaky-clean cows.
Pesticides are featured in Idaho’s David vs. Goliath conflict, Congress needs to act if affordable internet programs are to continue in rural America and conservatives say candidates should support renewable energy to win over young voters.
Agriculture built towns on America's high plains, but now might run them dry, a Texas drone experiment aims to improve healthcare in rural areas and U.S. growers of wool and cotton get federal money to improve climate-smart land practices.
A Montana dude ranch lassos economic prosperity with big-sky adventures, a child tax credit expansion could save rural families money and reduce their stress and farmers who grow food on land they don't own benefit from leasing advice.
Older West Virginians are grappling with stricter food stamp requirements, an Illinois program is helping rural communities access billions of federal dollars to improve broadband and birds of a feather flock together to boost Iowa’s Bald Eagle population.
Texas teachers strive to improve rural student reading scores, a New York nonprofit believes manufactured housing could help solve the state's housing crisis, and country music legend Reba McEntire helps a small Oklahoma town revitalize main street.
An interesting twist could see a solar energy project replace a former Kentucky strip mine, a rural Colorado community won a battle to keep its reproductive health care center and in that state’s skiing region, a new art show is highlighting rural queer voices.
A retail phenomenon in Texas is helping rural families thrive, Montana's tribal members get legal help from fellow community members, and rural healthcare needs new workers, but legislation to help has stalled.
Some 4,000 miles from the mainland, Hawaii also struggles to provide rural communities with local news, a rural county in New Mexico is having success keeping repeat offenders out of jail, and persistent rural poverty fell over a 15-year period ending in 2021.
In Appalachian Ohio working families hunt relentlessly for quality childcare, Route 1 is helping Minnesota's BIPOC farmers expand their agricultural role and farmers who rely on AM radio don't want it to disappear from cars and trucks.
Rural vibrancy struggles when local newspapers close, smoke from seasonal wildfires is affecting the mental health of rural residents and gym classes in Southwest Virginia are helping those in drug treatment court turn their lives around.
Jobs are rebounding in rural America, but still below pre-pandemic days, a rural Oregon community has a new approach to affordable housing, the nation's smallest communities benefit from the world's largest museum and the darkest night gives way to the light.
Texas welcomes more visitors near Big Bend but locals worry the water won't last, those dependent on Colorado's Dolores River fear the same but have found common ground solutions and a new film highlights historical healthcare challenges in rural Appalachia.
Congress has iced the long-awaited Farm Bill, but farmer advocates argue some portions are urgent, the Hoosier State is reaping big rewards from wind and solar and opponents speak out about a planned road through Alaska's Brooks Range – a dream destination for hunters and angler.
Rural low income youth, especially boys, experience greater economic mobility than those in cities, a new government rule should help level the playing field for small poultry growers and the Kansas Governor wants her state to expand Medicaid.
A post-COVID benefit reduction left more Americans hungry, a Pennsylvania panel says immigrants could boost workforce participation, struggling rural hospitals await help from Congress and Americans traveling over Thanksgiving get gas price relief.
Rural versus urban stereotypes about religion don’t wash, according to a new study, President Biden barnstorms across rural America and Vermont takes a novel approach to dispense opioid overdose medicine through vending machines.
Rural Americans in battleground states stress kitchen table concerns in new polling, a social media drive is raising money to keep a Pennsylvania hospital afloat and the South Dakota Symphony Orchestra and the Lakota Music Project bridge a cultural divide.
A new economic plan aims to bridge the gap between rural and progressive communities, a small Illinois town made history by electing a transgender woman to city council and a broadband merger in southern states has some worried customer service will decline.
Rural communities favored for federal funding investments by the Biden administration often lack resources to compete, Colorado artists benefit from rural creative districts and beekeeping finds friends in coal country.
Critics say the crypto mine promise of rural prosperity is more hype than help, data show Black southerners in rural counties are less segregated than their urban counterparts and efforts begin to rid the Great Plains of invasive species.
Vulnerable rural Americans need an electrical grid upgrade to cope with climate change, West Virginians worry Mountain Valley Pipeline construction is damaging their landscape, and 75 years after "Roswell," New Mexico is still a destination for space geeks.
A small fire department in rural Indiana is determined not to fail new moms and babies, the growing election denial movement has caused voting districts to change procedures, and autumn promises spectacular scenery along America's rural byways.
An indigenous project in South Dakota seeks to protect tribal data sovereignty, advocates in North Carolina are pushing back against attacks on public schools and Arkansas wants the hungriest to have access to more fruits and veggies.
Colorado's small towns are caught between a rock and a river to build more affordable housing, mental health services expand in Illinois for rural residents, including farmers, and Big Sky Country pitches its tent as a recreational mecca.
Residents of East Palestine, Ohio impacted by a train derailment get DNA testing, rural communities have a second chance for wildfire protection money, and North Carolina's "Road to Nowhere" is paved with curious tourists.
Millions of Americans are navigating a post-pandemic Medicaid purge, rural "news deserts" turn to nonprofits for local coverage in response to hedge-fund buyouts, and the Cornhusker State is preserving the stories of Nebraskans who trekked to one-room school houses in days gone by.
Small business owners rebuilding after flooding in eastern Kentucky are getting recovery money from local nonprofits and others; severe heat waves have doubled fatalities for outdoor workers in the past 30 years but helpful legislation is slow in coming; and Virginians say "Yes, we can!" to the resurgence of canneries.
Carbon-carrying pipeline projects are meeting Midwest resistance, barriers to substance-abuse treatment could fall once stigma is overcome, youth leaders in North Carolina help boost community engagement, and there's August dog days and then there's "dog’s day."
A rural Tennessee community has restored limited ER, Washington State's Quinault Indian Nation is building better broadband, the blockbuster Oppenheimer has renewed conversations around fallout from nuclear testing, and kids return to "reading, 'riting, and 'rithmetic."
Gentrification in small-town West Virginia worries the local creative community, a Kentucky nursing student wants to bring more trauma centers to rural Indiana, and all-terrain electric wheelchairs now available in state parks open new vistas for those with disabilities.
A North Carolina library has survived an LGBTQ book battle, experts say the success of agrivoltaics in rural America may depend on lead time, remote work is no longer just for city folks, and a Michigan town gears up for its annual Humongous Fungus Fest.
Owners of small farms are missing the funds needed to withstand worsening climate impacts, a study shows COVID changed health priorities in rural America, and Scandanavians fond of hotdish and cookie salad, flock to Bernie's in East Grand Forks, Minnesota.
Some in Congress are dragging their feet to provide grant money to help revitalize rural America, Tennessee is pitching summer travelers on the state's Blue Highways to ease interstate highway jams, and food stamp recipients must now work more hours – but are there jobs?
New train safety laws are being considered after dangerous derailments in multiple states, Texas is seeking prison recruits from high schools to fill staffing shortages and LGBTQ bicyclists find community in the great outdoors.
Rural communities are embracing alternatives to incarceration for drug users, the Appalachian region ponders its merits as a haven for climate-change refugees, rural electric co-ops get federal money to move toward a greener future, and the nation celebrates its independence.
A U.S. Supreme Court ruling favors Native adoption and supports tribal sovereignty, Montana aims to reach more folks who need mental health services, Congress may help beginning farmers purchase land, and garlic ice cream awaits summer travelers to Illinois.
Oregon voters in 12 conservative rural counties want to become Idahoans, since the pandemic more folks are putting down roots in the northern Great Lakes, and a Virginia county is the latest to erect memorials to victims of lynchings.
Rural communities are launching projects with funds from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, a study says transgender adults feel less supported if they live in rural areas, and a summer road trip could lead you through scenic byways or a sprinkling of donut shops.
Oregon may expand food stamp eligibility to some undocumented households, rural areas have a new method of accessing money for roads and bridges, and Tennessee’s new online tool helps keep track of cemetery locations.
The growing number of "maternity care deserts" makes having a baby increasingly dangerous for rural Americans, a Colorado project is connecting neighbor to neighbor to help those suffering with mental health issues, while in Maine, a school district is using teletherapy to tackle a similar challenge.
New legislation aims to help rural job numbers, farmers praise Colorado's "Right to Repair" law, and small-town community colleges are seeing an enrollment return.
20% of all rural residents are living without health insurance, advocates for America’s small communities outlined priorities at the 2023 Rural Policy Action Summit, and Ohio puts more money toward helping survivors of domestic violence.
Congress is being asked to reverse well-meant changes to the FAFSA application process that currently limit student aid for farm families, a trio from business, the nonprofit world, and a Kentucky prison offer a creative solution for a short-handed horse industry, and spuds at an Idaho farm get regenerative agriculture treatment.
Librarians fight back against efforts to ban books; there's new federal grants available to meet vehicle collisions with wildlife head on; and a Missouri college partners with other states to engage students in real-world problem-solving.
Voter turnout is lower in rural places –a symptom say researchers of reduced civic infrastructure – like libraries, "Impact investing" is helping areas historically left behind – including Appalachia, and a proposed BLM rule would put conservation on equal footing with drilling, mining, and grazing.
“It’s undrinkable” - polluted well water in Oregon gets the EPA’s attention after 30 years of complaints, a former police officer inspires family charity to deliver life-saving equipment to first responders, and Florida considers expanding access to mobile dental clinics.
Remote work helped reverse a decade-long population decline in America's rural counties, mayors from around the country gather in Washington, D.C. annually to share stories and face together their most pressing issues, and dollar stores are popular with rural folks – but predatory tactics are worrisome to watchdog groups who say the economic drain bests the economic gain.
Small towns respond creatively to their sometimes hidden housing and homelessness crisis, a new national weather prediction system expected next year will help close the gap between urban and rural forecasting as severe weather events increase, and more rural communities can apply for a CIRD design project to boost economic development.
Finding childcare is a struggle everywhere, prompting North Carolina's Transylvania County to try a new approach. Maine is slowly building-out broadband access, but disagreements remain over whether local versus national companies should get the contracts, and specialty apps like "Farmers Dating" help those in small communities connect online.
The forty-first state has opted into Medicaid - North Carolina - which could be a lifeline for rural hospitals, homelessness barely rose in the past two years but the work required to hold those numbers increased, and destruction of the “Sagebrush Sea” from Oregon to Wyoming is putting protection efforts for an itty bitty bunny on the map.
A four-day workweek pilot program is under consideration by the Maryland Legislature, the future of medication abortion – used in more than half of all procedures nationwide – is on the line, and when colleges close in small towns, the effects can be devastating.
Inflation may be hitting rural households harder than urban, the "unwinding" of COVID-related Medicaid benefits means the end of coverage for millions, and California finds a win-win for college students and their communities.
Residents of Ohio's East Palestine are seeking help for health issues related to a train derailment that spewed toxic chemicals, an Oregon program coaches parents to be aware of the signs of child sexual abuse, and Oklahoma's Cherokee Nation tackles domestic violence and drug use.
Weather disasters keep coming, and FEMA is busy helping flood survivors in Kentucky find housing and funding new prevention measures in Three Forks, Montana. Covid deaths are stabilizing in rural America after years of sharply higher rates than urban areas.
Families brace for the end of emergency SNAP benefits, Congress could change that in this year’s Farm Bill reauthorization. It expires in September and those affected most want a say in how it’s written by Congress, and in Texas you can enjoy Shakespeare “in the barn” this summer.
Is bird flu, inflation or price gouging to blame for astronomical egg prices? Pregnancy can be life- changing or life-ending depending on where you live, and nine tribal schools are transforming their outdoor spaces into community gathering areas.
“Brain Gain?” Research shows rural population is actually growing, especially in recreational areas; other small towns are having success offering relocation incentives like free building lots, cash, complimentary dinners and even internet credits; researchers say the key is flexibility and creativity.
Maine has an ambitious plan to provide high-speed internet to all rural and urban communities by the end of 2024, a rural Missouri school district will be one of the first to get electric buses rolling, and Appalachian states are teaching health care providers about Mpox.
The “landback” movement to restore Native lands to indigenous peoples uses GIS to identify opportunities, the pioneering Kentucky-based company AppHarvest is facing headwinds with Controlled Environment Agriculture, and a rural Tennessee community is at the heart of a global storytelling movement.
Farm Groups say grocery chain "Mega-Merger" would decimate regional food markets, South Dakota tribes request more resources to meet weather-related disasters, and the Southwest taps federal funds to recover from a massive wildfire.
Virginia’s future farmers learn both urban and rural agriculture have their place, North Carolina schools use Arizona’s successful tutoring model to reignite post-pandemic learning, generous quilt makers provide comfort to Kentucky’s flood victims, and Alaska’s Santa Claus shares greetings.
Virginia’s future farmers learn urban and rural agriculture have their place; North Carolina schools use Arizona’s successful tutoring model to re-ignite post-pandemic learning; generous quilt makers provide comfort to Kentucky’s flood victims; and Alaska’s Santa Claus shares greetings.
The FCC wants public input to map best use of $40 Billion slated for internet improvements; a new podcast aims to transform misperceptions about rural America; and some Montanans want the state’s budget surplus spent on a trust to safeguard land, water and wildlife – but will the governor be convinced?
The contested Farm Workforce Modernization Act before Congress could help more farmers stay in business by hiring undocumented ag workers; the USDA is stepping-up to support tribal nations that want to adhere to Indigenous beliefs and dietary needs; and advocates for children are urging Congress to revive the expanded child tax credit.
The first-ever "Trout-safe" certification goes to an Idaho fish farm owned by The Nature Conservancy; the "Healthy Housing Initiative" is helping improve livability and reduce health risks in 22 rural communities; and if Oklahoma calls you, there's a new database to make it easier for buyers and builders to find available lots.
A water war in Southwest Utah has ranchers and Native tribes concerned about a proposed water pipeline; federal solar subsidies could help communities reliant on fossil fuel-production better transition to renewable energy; and those buying a cup of coffee could encounter strikers as Starbucks workers attempt to unionize.
Fewer turkeys on the table? Avian flu is taking a toll; the stigma of mental illness is fading in rural America, especially among young people; there's money for telehealth in the bipartisan infrastructure bill; and expect lots of cars on the road if you're traveling over Thanksgiving.
Democrats exceed expectations with rural voters in key Midterm races; a surprise win for Fetterman in Pennsylvania; upgrades are coming to rural roads and bridges via the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law; and progress is possible on improving mental health and decreasing suicide in rural areas.
This fall's election could be a wake-up call for politicians trying to understand the hardships of rural America; access to healthcare is critical to attracting families to rural America; and those same rural communities that suffer more from natural disasters could also lead the transition to renewable energy but need help accessing available funds.
Polls indicate rural residents are even more frustrated than urban folks about gas, food and energy costs; some two dozen Ohio groups are calling on the EPA to revoke the state's authority to regulate fracking waste; communities get help navigating federal Opportunity Zones; and beware the Election Day eclipse.
Wine growers brave Montana's winter weather; New York's Lake Placid models affordable housing for other recreational communities; and thousands of Americans harmed by exposure to radiation from America's nuclear weapons program still seek monetary compensation.
Despite a heavy lift, rural health providers successfully allocated pandemic money to their communities; civic leaders in Madison County, Kentucky helped change how chemical weapons are destroyed in the U.S. and around the world; and an online craze romanticizing rural life has some shaking their heads.
Rural residents are more vulnerable to a predicted winter wave of COVID-19; branding could be key for rural communities trying to attract newcomers; a North Dakota tribal planner wins the 2022 Heinz Award for the Economy, and the Lummi Nation's Totem Pole made it from Washington state to D.C. to call for environmental justice.
Baseball is known as America's pastime, but international players are taking the stage; rural communities can get assistance applying for federal funds through the CHIPS and Science Act of 2022; and a Texas university is helping more Black and Latina women pursue careers in agriculture.
Baseball is known as America's pastime, but international players are taking the stage; rural communities can get assistance applying for federal funds through the CHIPS and Science Act of 2022; and a Texas university is helping more Black and Latina women pursue careers in agriculture.
The Old Farmer's Almanac predicts a "Tale of Two Winters" across U.S. states; the Inflation Reduction Act could level the playing field for rural electric co-ops; and pharmacies in rural America play a vital role, but their numbers are dwindling.
The Old Farmer's Almanac predicts a "Tale of Two Winters" across U.S. states; the Inflation Reduction Act could level the playing field for rural electric co-ops; and pharmacies in rural America play a vital role, but their numbers are dwindling.
Communities with deteriorating water and sewer systems fear a repeat of Jackson, Mississippi; southwest Kansas struggles to meet the needs of a growing Muslim population; and Ivy League universities step-up recruitment of rural students.
Communities with deteriorating water and sewer systems fear a repeat of Jackson, Mississippi; southwest Kansas struggles to meet the needs of a growing Muslim population; and Ivy League universities step-up recruitment of rural students.
A mega-merger between chicken processing companies moves forward despite a probe into antitrust violations; an abortion coaltion in the Midwest is promoting a work-around for those facing harsh restrictions; and in contrast to most rural areas, recreation counties are less politically polarized.
A mega-merger between chicken processing companies moves forward despite a probe into antitrust violations; an abortion coaltion in the Midwest is promoting a work-around for those facing harsh restrictions; and in contrast to most rural areas, recreation counties are less politically polarized.
The importance of creating a caring environment for kids headed back to school; college students will benefit from loan forgiveness, but is it just déjà vu all over again? And, New Jersey warehouse developers get pushback from local residents.
Small business owners rebuild after flooding in Kentucky, severe heat waves have doubled fatalities for outdoor workers in the past 30 years, and Virginians applaud the resurgence of canneries.
Small business owners rebuilding after flooding in eastern Kentucky are getting recovery money from local nonprofits and others; severe heat waves have doubled fatalities for outdoor workers in the past 30 years but helpful legislation is slow in coming; and Virginians say “Yes, we can!” to the resurgence of canneries.
More women entering politics in the wake of the Supreme Court’s ruling on Roe v. Wade; “Publishers Wanted” - one owner of a small town Texas newspaper fights to keep local news alive; and millions of mental health dollars are going toward resources to reduce the suicide rate among farmers and ranchers.
Money from last year's infrastructure bill is on its way to fix teeth-jarring roads in rural areas while farmers and ranchers anticipate money to adopt conservation measures from historic legislation via the Inflation Reduction Act, and rural America is becoming more diverse, but you wouldn't know it by looking at the leadership of rural electric cooperatives.
People in five rural Kentucky counties are fighting their way back after catastrophic flooding; preserving Oklahoma's historic buildings in small communities runs up against funding shortages; and more factory-built manufactured homes could help solve the nation's housing shortage.
Climbing a Nebraska wind turbine tower toward a career; a new study explores barriers to healthcare for LGBTQ communities; and rural radio listeners still tune their dial to ag shows.
Eight Western states will benefit from a network of EV fast-charging stations; inflation is hitting rural people harder than urban, mostly due to fuel costs; an agricultural scholarship for LGBTQ students celebrates an anniversary; and teachers-in-training are reframing lesson plans to include more stories about rural America.
Tribal nations fear a recent SCOTUS decision erodes sovereignty; Black property owners learn what’s "rightfully yours" is an uphill battle over time; rural America needs more resources to meet the demographic transition and the Appalachian region wants YOU!
A reminder to stay safe this summer from an up-tick in ticks; agriculture advocates want faster action to protect independent farmers; in Iowa green jobs are flourishing; and more school-age kids will not go hungry this summer with an extension of pandemic meals relief.
From flying saucers to bologna - America's summer festivals kick off; in the scramble to navigate the post-Roe landscape rural hospitals warn they don't have the necessary capacity or staff to respond; countering voter suppression, campaigns encourage mid-term voting in Indian Country.
Federal COVID funding kept rural hospitals from closing their doors, cryptocurrency companies make inroads on the backroads of America, rural communities' efforts to escape long-term poverty must deal with unintended side-effects, and small towns in Wyoming preserve their heritage.
Rural pastors help farmers with mental health issues, Alabama screens those with pandemic-related alcohol dependency, and states are changing laws to help rural Americans stay in their trailer park communities.
A new kind of "Shark Tank" promotes rural entrepreneurs, legislation is proposed to help independent ranchers compete with the four big meatpackers, preparation is key to dealing with possible summer blackouts, and more Americans live within a “threat radius” of oil and gas production.
The hashtag #vanlife is trending as more U.S. travelers pay big money for a home-on-wheels, a government plan to cut North Carolina's old-growth forests faces opposition, stressed-out Wisconsin farmers get mental health assistance, and Oregon's commercial fishing fleets push back on a proposed wind farm.
High-speed internet is being used to entice remote workers to rural communities; Georgia is offering Black women participation in a guaranteed income initiative; and under-resourced students in Montana get a boost toward graduation.
From off-Broadway to West Virginia: Storytelling the deadly Upper Big Branch mine explosion; baby formula on its way back to grocery shelves; some federal funds to combat consolidation in meatpacking and sharp reproach for the industry's COVID deaths.
Optimism is in the air as rural arts tourism spreads; the Rural Home Hospital program helps patients avoid long trips to the city; farmer cooperatives want Congress to offer more grant money to grow their output; and May is National Stroke Awareness Month – immediacy is critical.
Small farmers shut out by conservation programs; leaders in rural New York State help solve housing problems; turmoil over expected Supreme Court abortion ruling; and California protects wildlife corridors while a new film documents damage to nature in Arizona from the border wall.
Country of origin labeling could return to USA-grown beef; women farmers still face inheritance obstacles; communities in five states will be the first to get assistance in applying for infrastructure money from the new Rural Partners Network; and 40% of today's college students have full-time jobs, and part-time college.
Salmon fishing in the Northwest ended early this year, but help is on the way; gas prices could accelerate the transition to EV's; Federal officials are on tour promoting a playbook designed to help rural communities access billions in infrastructure money; and residents of the Navajo Nation experience the "flip of a light switch" for the first time.
Route 66 prep for 100th celebration underway in Canute, Oklahoma; close-to-home travel on the rise; COVID cases fall but food insecurity remains; and eggs, poultry prices climb as bird flu hits dozens of states.
Trust in libraries draws Texans seeking services for mental health; Navajo Nation shows high participation in Affordable Connectivity Program; Missouri explores solutions for workforce shortage; and Western states look to infrastructure money to build more animal crossings.
America's rural population bounces back in 2021 while an Iowa project aims to help rural towns improve quality of life; prices rise for food as farmers and ranchers identify needed resources to help; and Congress considers the Rural Prosperity Act.
Hoops make headlines in Oklahoma as the Citizen Potawatomi Nation becomes the first tribe to own a professional basketball team; South Dakota’s Rosebud Sioux Indian Reservation raises world’s largest native-owned buffalo herd; farmers face down rising prices for fertilizer; and New Mexico claims bragging rights as soil champions.
ESports are proving popular at rural colleges where traditional sports programs are too costly; millions could lose health coverage unless the public health emergency is extended; Congress moves to keep Postal Service intact; and coal miners push to maintain gress to extend funding for treatment of black lung disease.
More time in your day for beer and brats; rural hospitals brace for less pandemic money amid a nursing shortage; Maine awaits a court decision over traditional versus green energy; and "gold in them there hills" creates conflict in California's Death Valley.
It's off to the races with the 50th Iditarod in Alaska; Minnesotans fight for long-promised recreation dollars; Montana tribal members gain legal aid through training program; and a Texan calls on federal regulators to revisit effects of bank mergers on small towns.
COVID-19 infections drop in rural America while intrepid healthcare workers keep on caring for the sick; diversity on the upswing despite overall rural population decline; a new data tool to identify what exactly makes a rural-serving institution; and Americans are warned not to leave money on the table this tax season.
High tech in the Hawkeye State - 3D printed affordable houses to solve supply chain shortages; childcare options inch back in Maine due to a business incubator program; and AgSec Vilsack earmarks $1 billion to help reduce climate pollution due to agriculture.
South Texas community steps up support for mental health among struggling teens; in Mississippi, a one-woman crusade to eradicate food deserts; a new digital tool maps America's Black townships; and social media users help rescue dinosaur history in Utah.
Oklahoma pilots digital divide improvements; 5G technology rollout has additional unintended consequences; USDA partnering with Native Americans on climate change; and small towns in Pennsylvania benefit from American Rescue funds.
Free COVID tests by mail but some rural Americans need to go the extra mile; farmer storytellers join national campaign to battle corporate consolidation; specialty nurses want more authority; and rare bat gets credit for the mythic margarita.
Expanded broadband akin to electrification in rural America 80 years ago; small Wyoming grocery store survives monopolization; revitalized Kansas town gets national recognition; and Montana’s Native communities look for voter suppression work-arounds.
New website profiles missing and murdered Native Americans; more support for rural Minnesotan youth who’ve traded sex for food, shelter, drugs, or alcohol; more communities step up to solve "period poverty"; and - find your local gardener - January 29th is National Seed Swap Day.
Small towns suffer when young people leave for the city, more about who comes back; loss of the Child Tax Credit could hurt rural America; the real picture of food insecurity among tribal populations; and REZ basketball is back.
Stargazing in Dark Sky Parks popular across U.S.; historic Black-owned filling station on Route 66 raises funds to become a cultural center; and what will stop the Covid-double death rate in rural America?
Small town themes from “It’s a Wonderful Life” resonate 75 years later; ag workers will get help from OSHA in 2022; and public art enlivens rural Tennessee.
Possible COVID-19 spikes worry rural America; Virginia updates its health plan with babies and moms in mind; midwives and doulas eye funding in Build Back Better; and the rural workforce shrinks.
Rural areas are promised more equity from the U.S. Agriculture Secretary while the AgrAbility program offers new help for farmers with disabilities; and Pennsylvanians for abandoned mine reclamation says infrastructure monies are long overdue.
Seniors in non-urban areas struggle with hunger disproportionately, rural communities make a push for federal money and Planned Parenthood takes a case to the Montana supreme court.
South Dakota foster kids find homes with Native families; a conservative group wants oil and gas reform; rural Pennsylvania residents object to planes flying above tree tops; and poetry celebrating the land debuts.
The flight to rural America could cause housing headaches; better broadband is coming; child advocates campaign for free school lunch post-pandemic; and a wily turkey escapes the Thanksgiving platter.
Slowed supply chain incentivizes 'Shop Local'; vaccine hesitancy stalls Covid shots in rural America; extension agents help troubled teens in Montana; and Iowa's Pulitzer-winning newspaper captures spotlight in 'Storm Lake' documentary.
Broadband grows better corn; recruiting nurses to rural America; Oregon’s model for mental health crises; and time stops for no one, including cows.
Heeding grandma's advice on COVID vaccine; restoring traditional health practices in native communities; agri-therapy for veterans suffering post-traumatic stress; and how myths, monsters and legends spur tourism.
An all-Black Oklahoma town joins big cities in seeking reparations; a Kentucky vaccination skeptic does a 180; telehealth proves invaluable during pandemic; and spooky destinations lure tourists at Halloween.
A rebuttal is leveled over a broad-brush rural schools story; Black residents inAlabama's Uniontown worry a promised wastewater fix may fizzle; cattle ranchers rally for fairness; and the worms are running in Banner Elk, North Carolina.
Yearning for the family farm and taking classes to learn the ropes; childcare costs could be more affordable under the American Rescue Plan; a dramatic increase in America's multi-racial population; and poetry for Indigenous Peoples' Day.
Bringing back 'Main Street' one town at a time; apprenticeships can mean big bucks for those who stay put; mandated vaccines could be coming to your workplace; and FEMA says don't be swindled by COVID funeral scammers.
A new Oklahoma museum honors tribal nations, while Iowa's history is back on the blacktop; mixed news on COVID-19 comes with a warning about unconventional drugs; and electric cars and buses are coming to rural America.
Lawsuits hold up debt relief for America's Black farmers; Idaho's Covid hospitalizations reach peak; grant money boosts rural towns in Utah and more conservation acreage could protect the iconic sage grouse.
When is a joke not a joke? When it’s a video hoax showing farmers lawn-mowing under crops; young people in Maine are making bank through apprenticeship programs; curbing brain drain in Indiana; and movies that move the environmental justice conversation.
Can broadband in rural America be improved enough to lure more remote workers? A port town in Oregon hopes so. But at what cost? Consumer Reports wants your input on a survey to find out who’s getting a fair shake in the "digital divide" on broadband costs. A farmer in Alabama's Black Belt is embracing ecotourism by encouraging visits from hikers and bird-watchers; and Covid-19 vaccinations rise in Missouri with the help of lottery payments.
Some rural towns are keeping jobs and residents - what's their secret? The TransAmerica Bicycle route and other recreation-based opportunities are key, along with "infrastructure, infrastructure." The California Farmworker Foundation is improving lives in the Central Valley, and a dairy farmer in Pennsylvania is now pro-vaccine.
Beginning August 26, The Yonder Report will be providing a weekly 3-minute roundup of rural news that features a wide variety of rural voices and keeps listeners informed and engaged on under-reported issues.
The Yonder Report is a collaboration between Public News Service and The Daily Yonder.
The Klamath tribe surveys fire damage on sacred lands in the Pacific Northwest, while fall classes begin for a second year at the first-ever medical school on tribal land. Good news for communities fighting hunger, though assisted living facilities are still waiting for pandemic relief funds.
The Daily Yonder and Public News Service are teaming up to deliver a weekly fast-paced 3-minute newscast highlighting the vibrant, resilient spirit of living and working in Rural America. The Yonder Report will be available for download at 5pm ET on Wednesday evening, beginning August 25th.