Rural / Public News Service

Nearly two dozen states and Washington D.C. have legalized adult-use cannabis. (Adobe Stock)

Friday, May 3, 2024

When pot and small-town dynamics collide

Petitions are being circulated to get a marijuana legalization question on North Dakota's fall ballot. Some local officials said marijuana laws …

Among U.S. grain exports, 60% is shipped on the Mississippi River through the Port of New Orleans and the Port of South Louisiana. (Daniel Thornberg/Adobe)

Friday, May 3, 2024

Group: Nature-based solutions help solve Mississippi River Delta problems

As part of an effort to restore the Mississippi River delta, an organization is collaborating with nature to address environmental challenges…

A Marist Poll found 31% of rural New Yorkers want increased state funding for developing new homes. (Adobe Stock)

Thursday, May 2, 2024

NYS budget bolsters rural housing preservation programs

New York's 2025 budget takes proactive steps to address rural housing. In the budget, $10 million was allocated for improvements to rural housing …

Karst, or extremely loose and porous soil, is a well-known determinant in how much nitrate can leach into nearby ground and well water supplies, eventually making its way into drinking water. (Adobe Stock)

Wednesday, May 1, 2024

Iowa leaps state regulators, calls on EPA for emergency water help

The Iowa Environmental Council has petitioned the Environmental Protection Agency to invoke emergency powers to protect sensitive soil and groundwater…

The 2022 Census of Agriculture report said Illinois has nearly 72,000 farms with an average size of 373 acres. (Adobe Stock)

Monday, April 29, 2024

IL farmers on costly hold amid legislative foot dragging

By Jennifer Bamberg for Investigate Midwest.Broadcast version by Terri Dee for Illinois News Connection reporting for the Investigate Midwest-Public N…

Blackwater Falls in Blackwater Falls State Park attracts visitors who spend more than $25 million in the region yearly, according to West Virginia State Parks. (Adobe Stock).<br />

Report: WV’s Blackwater River among America’s most endangered

The Blackwater River, which flows more than 30 miles through West Virginia's Allegheny Mountains, ranks among the top 10 most endangered rivers in …

New Mexico is the second sunniest state in the nation after Arizona, creating maximum opportunities for solar development. (KristinaBlokhin/AdobeStock)

Monday, April 29, 2024

NM tribal communities benefit from EPA's "Solar For All" program

New federal funding aims to revolutionize solar energy access within New Mexico's Native American communities and benefit the state overall. The …

Some groups see disproportionately high rates of suicide, including veterans, racial and ethnic minority groups, people with disabilities and LGBTQIA+ people. (Adobe Stock)

Experts spotlight youth mental health, suicide prevention

Rates of suicide among young people have increased by about 36% in roughly the last two decades and the surge has caught the attention of federal poli…

Jane Kleeb is director and founder of Bold Alliance, an umbrella organization of Bold Nebraska, which was instrumental in stopping the Keystone Pipeline. Kleeb is also one of two 2023 Climate Breakthrough Awardees. (Bold Alliance)

Landmark NE agreement takes proactive approach to CO2 pipeline risks

CO2 pipelines are on the increase in the United States, and like all pipelines, they come with risks. Preparing for those risks is a major focus of …

It is estimated the Wild Springs Solar Project in New Underwood, South Dakota, will offset 190,000 metric tons of carbon dioxide emissions per year. (Adobe Stock)

Solar projects underway in South Dakota

The construction of more solar farms in the U.S. has been contentious but a new survey shows their size makes a difference in whether solar projects …

Grass-fed beef is prepared for serving at an industry event called the Meat Summit. (Roots of Change)

'Regenerative' beef gets boost from California universities

By Naoki Nitta for Civil Eats.Broadcast version by Suzanne Potter for California News Service reporting for the Solutions Journalism Network-Public Ne…

Alan Bedtka is pictured in a stand of sorghum-sudangrass, which he was paid to plant to boost soil health and reduce his fertilizer use. (Photo courtesy of Alan Bedtka)

Can taller cover crops help clean the water in farm country?

By Brian DeVore for Civil Eats.Broadcast version by Mike Moen for Minnesota News Connection reporting for the Solutions Journalism Network-Public News…

Workers harvest a field before the annual Skagit Valley Tulip Festival. (Jeff Huth/Adobe Stock)

Annual farmworkers march supports WA tulip harvesters

An annual march for farmworkers' rights is being held Sunday in northwest Washington. This year, marchers are focusing on the conditions for local …

In addition to consolidating the power of Iowa's nine Area Education Agencies at the state level, House Bill 2612 creates a new process for agency accreditation. (Adobe Stock)

IA cuts historical rural school groups

Educators and public school advocates are pushing back on a measure which would consolidate state-funded services that have been an important part of …

During what is known as the Medicaid post-pandemic

Report: SD Medicaid expansion enrollment remains low

Last year's Medicaid expansion in South Dakota increased eligibility to another 51,000 adults but a new report showed among people across the state wh…

By 2031, good jobs accessible to people with only a high school education will represent just 6% of all jobs. (bodnarphoto/Adobe Stock)

TX leaders work to improve job opportunities for rural students

Work is being done in rural areas across Texas to make sure students are prepared for the workforce even if they intend to stay put after graduation…

Montana has more than 3 million acres of inaccessible public lands, tops in the West, according to the Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership. (Adobe Stock)

SB 442 veto override ballots due back this week

Ballots are due back in the Montana Secretary of State's office later this week, as lawmakers decide whether to override Gov. Greg Gianforte's veto …

The Drug Enforcement Administration reported seizing more than 115,000 pounds of methamphetamine in 2020, marking a 55% surge compared with 2018. (Gorodenkoff/Adobe Stock)

Uncovering America's methamphetamine history

Missouri may, at one time, have had a reputation as the "meth-lab capital of the country" - but a five-part podcast uncovers its true history…

All libraries that are awarded funding through Libraries for Health are part of a collaborative learning cohort. (Liz Moskowitz)

For Central Texans, libraries can be a mental health resource

This is National Library Week, honoring the many roles that libraries play in their communities. In central Texas, a pilot program is using the …

Farmers can combine renewable energy, such as solar panels, with crops on their property, a process known as agrivoltaics, to maximize the revenues from their farmland. (Adobe Stock)

Solar leases help NC farm owners up revenues, keep homestead

By Daniel Walton for Civil Eats.Broadcast version by Mark Richardson for North Carolina News Service reporting for the Solutions Journalism Network-Pu…

Only two humans in the U.S. have been infected with avian flu in the United States. A case in Texas this month is the first time it has been linked to exposure to cattle. (syhin_stas/Adobe Stock)

Texas officials address human avian flu case

The cattle industry and health officials in Texas are on alert after a person contracted avian flu while working around infected cattle in the Texas P…

Operation Food Search distributes $30 million worth of food and necessities each year to 330 community partners in 40 Missouri and Illinois counties. (Gorodenkoff/Adobe Stock)

MO summit tackles rising child food insecurity as benefits expire

As COVID-era benefits near expiration, a recent Child Wellness Summit brought together nonprofits to tackle urgent child well-being and food-…

While they remain listed as endangered, federal officials say the whooping crane's recovery from the brink of extinction is one of the most notable success stories under the Endangered Species Act. (Adobe Stock)

Endangered Species Act gets another makeover, drawing partial praise

The Biden administration is moving forward with plans it says will strengthen the Endangered Species Act, after it saw a major overhaul under former …

The bobcat was recognized as an endangered species in Indiana until 2005. (Adobe stock)

Indiana bobcats in the crosshairs, again

After years of trying and failing, Indiana lawmakers have put bobcats in the crosshairs. The decision forces the Indiana Department of Natural …

Financial pressures, lack of mental health resources in rural areas and a stigma about using them all contribute to a suicide rate among farmers that is triple the general population, according to the National Rural Health Association. (primipil/Adobe Stock)

TX works to address wildfire survivors' mental health

Residents in the Texas Panhandle are starting to put their lives back together after surviving the largest wildfire in the state's history. The …

Broadband funds from the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act are expected to connect more than 2.5 million households in Texas.(ThomBal/AdobeStock)

TX nonprofit helps rural towns secure infrastructure improvement grants

A lack of staff and know-how often means rural towns miss out on grants to improve their communities, and a Texas group is trying to balance the …

There are about 200 grizzly bears in Idaho. (tomreichner/Adobe Stock)

Fed judge's wolf trapping decision could help ID grizzly recovery

A federal court ruling that limits wolf trapping and snaring in Idaho could aid recovery of grizzly bears in the region. U.S. Judge Candy Dale …

Summit Carbon Solutions had initially hoped to begin construction this year on its carbon dioxide pipeline project for several Midwestern states. However, most of the actions so far have centered around public hearings, legal arguments and regulatory setbacks. (Adobe Stock)

Controversial Midwest pipeline plan still in play

New public hearings and legal decisions are expected in the coming weeks and months about a controversial pipeline project in the upper Midwest…

Cover crops and other regenerative practices prevent erosion, improve soil health and can absorb harmful carbon from the atmosphere and

Experienced NE farmer talks cattle, cover crops and regenerative agriculture

One of the goals included in Nebraska's Department of Environment and Energy's Priority Climate Action Plan recently submitted to the federal Environm…

An estimated 58,000 family caregivers bear some of the burden of Alzheimer's disease in New Hampshire, providing roughly 84 million hours of unpaid care, according to the Alzheimer's Association of New Hampshire. (Adobe Stock)<br />

NH healthcare worker shortage leaves Alzheimer’s patients few options

A health care workforce shortage in New Hampshire is leaving Alzheimer's patients and their families with few options for treatment. Patients facing …

The Food Bank of Wyoming operates 19 mobile food pantries and recently launched the Fresh Express Route, which distributes nutrient-rich produce to 50 hunger relief partners by semi-truck. (Adobe Stock)

WY Food Bank distributed 10.8 million pounds of food in 2023

Working with more than 150 hunger relief partners across the state, Food Bank of Wyoming was able to distribute nearly 11 million pounds of food in 20…

Funding from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law is helping states accelerate efforts to boost access to high-speed internet. That includes the approval of Wisconsin's vision for creating digital equity. (Adobe Stock)

WI poised to break through digital equity logjam

Wisconsin has announced a big development in trying to establish more digital equity around the state. Gov. Tony Evers and the Public Service …

The Center on Budget and Policy Priorities says state programs supporting private schools, such as vouchers and scholarships,

NE lawmakers work to circumvent private-school referendum vote

Nebraskans this November will be able to vote on whether to keep the Opportunity Scholarships Act, which gives a dollar-for-dollar tax credit to …

North Carolina has more than 46,000 farms, and Black farmers run around 1,500 of them. (Adobe Stock)

'Farm and Faith' partnerships combat food injustices, racial land loss in NC

The Rural Advancement Foundation International is taking action against food injustices impacting farmers of color and rural communities through its F…

Although food insecurity can be faced by anyone, Black and Latino children are twice as likely to face hunger because of discrimination based on race. And in 2022, 33% of single-parent families experienced food insecurity. (Piman Khrutmuang/Adobe Stock)

Michigan students get a boost to summer food access

Michigan is planning ahead to make sure kids from lower-income families have enough to eat this summer. The state has opted into a federal food …

Hot Springs received more than $6.5 million from the $2.6 billion in American Rescue Plan Act funds given to Arkansas to combat COVID-19 impacts, cover budget gaps and assist hardest-hit communities.<br />(Brandon/AdobeStock)

AR city director speaks with national leaders about housing for rural areas

An Arkansas city director is back home after joining other leaders from across the country for the National League of Cities Congressional City Confer…

Raging wildfires damaged more than 1 million acres of land in the Texas Panhandle. (yelantsevv/Adobe Stock)

TX legislative committee to investigate Panhandle wildfires

Several members of the Texas Legislature have been appointed to a committee to investigate wildfires that ravaged the Texas Panhandle and parts of Okl…

Although food insecurity can be faced by anyone, Black and Latino children are twice as likely to face hunger. And in 2022, 33% of single-parent families experienced food insecurity. (LIGHTFIELD STUDIOS/Adobe Stock)

MO gears up for participation in kids' summer food program

Missouri is planning ahead to make sure kids from lower-income families have enough to eat this summer. The state has opted into a federal food …

The increase in funding for community health centers also helps alleviate some of the burdens caused by threats to 340B, the low-cost prescription drug program. (1st footage/Adobe Stock)

New funding a boost for community health centers

Community health centers in Missouri and across the nation are getting a boost in funding thanks to Congress' passage of a bipartisan spending package…

The funding increase for community health centers also helps alleviate some of the burdens caused by threats to 340B, the low-cost prescription drug program. A Merck study finds 90% of older adults regularly take at least one prescription drug. (220 Selfmade Studio/Adobe Stock)

MI seniors applaud community health center funding increase

Older adults across Michigan and around the country are applauding a boost in funding for community health centers, thanks to Congress passing a …

A proposal before the California Air Resources Board would allow fossil fuel producers in California to buy credits from factory farms that use anaerobic digesters like these to extract methane from animal waste. (Rob Thomas/Adobe Stock)

Midwest community activists slam proposed CA emissions incentives

Community groups in the Midwest are worried a change in California carbon emissions policy could hurt quality of life in the nation's heartland…

Around 20% of children in San Juan County are uncertain about their next meal, which is double the statewide average, according to Utah Food Bank. (Adobe Stock)

Utah Food Bank opens two pantries on Navajo Nation

Utah Food Bank is expanding in San Juan County, and has announced the opening of two new pantries that will help support residents of the Navajo …

AT&T also wants to give up its designation as an Eligible Telecommunications Carrier, and no longer accept federal funds to provide high-quality, affordable telephone service in low-income areas. (New Africa/Adobestock)

CA to hold hearings on whether AT&T must continue to offer landline service

Time is running out for the public to weigh in on whether AT&T should be allowed to stop offering landline service across most of the Golden State…

Reginaldo Haslett-Marroquin, the founder of the Regenerative Agriculture Alliance and co-founder of Tree-Range Farms. These entities have created an

Midwest network of regenerative farmers is rethinking chicken

By Twilight Greenaway for Civil Eats.Broadcast version by Mike Moen for Minnesota News Connection reporting for the Solutions Journalism Network-Publi…

The U.S. Department of Agriculture estimates up to 15 million acres of soybeans have been damaged by dicamba drifting beyond where it was applied. (Adobe Stock)

Court bans popular but controversial pesticide

A federal court has banned the use of a highly controversial but popular pesticide in the Midwest. Advocates for sustainable agriculture said the …

The decade of 2010-2020 marked the first time in American history the nation's rural population declined. (John/Adobe Stock)

Report: Good-paying jobs available in rural America

Opportunities for good paying jobs exist in rural areas across Washington and the rest of the country, despite myths such places have been hollowed …

Smithfield Foods spilled more than 7.3 million gallons of hog waste throughout Missouri according to a public records search by The Socially Responsible Agriculture Project. (Alberto/Adobe Stock)

A California regulation with big Midwest consequences

Family farm advocates in Missouri are concerned a regulation on the other side of the country could have unintended effects on rural Missourians…

Water flows through part of Dos Rios Ranch Preserve. The former farmland now acts as a storage area for floodwaters during wet years. (Cameron Nielsen/Grist)

How can California solve its water woes? By flooding its best farmland

By Jake Bittle for Grist.Broadcast version by Suzanne Potter for California News Service reporting for the Grist-Public News Service Collaboration Th…

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