SIOUX FALLS, S.D. – The population of rural counties in South Dakota continues to decline, according to the U.S. Census Bureau, but some rural towns are finding ways to boost resilience and keep young people from moving to larger cities.
Jessica Schad, an assistant professor of Sociology and Rural Studies at South Dakota State University, says rural communities are not homogenous.
According to her research, the most resilient communities are those with the lowest income disparity, and those with employers who put profits back into the community by investing in their schools or sports teams.
"That has a really important role to play in making it feel like it's a good place for people to live and that it's still a place with a high quality of life," she states.
U.S. Census Bureau data showed that more than 160 South Dakota rural communities had either flat or declining populations between 2010 and 2017.
Rural counties in the middle of South Dakota recorded the biggest population declines during the data collection.
On the other hand, those that added the most people were adjacent to a large metro area or university.
For example, Lincoln County, south of Sioux Falls, saw a 26 percent population increase, while Brookings added nearly 1,900 people.
Schad says rural towns that see growth usually credit a robust business community.
"Having these businesses be there to provide things that people wanted and needed, so that they didn't have to order things off Amazon, or so that they didn't have to drive a couple hours to access them," she explains.
According to Schad, there are typically three kinds of rural communities: those that are amenity-rich, usually with recreational opportunities; transitioning areas that relied on jobs that have largely evaporated; and chronically poor rural towns.
One community with mixed results that Schad looked at was De Smet. Both the town and county lost population from 2010 to 2017, but raised money from local residents for capital campaigns to expand the hospital and build an event center.
Schad met one resident there who opened a thriving yoga studio.
"So she's created this opportunity for herself so that she can stay in this place that means a lot to her,” Schad says. “So, sometimes the jobs aren't there so you see some really cool examples of young people making those opportunities."
Schad notes that declining rural populations also affect politics, explaining that Republican votes for President Donald Trump were highest in places undergoing the most significant economic transitions.
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Wisconsin has announced a big development in trying to establish more digital equity around the state.
Gov. Tony Evers and the Public Service Commission say Wisconsin's blueprint for digital equity has been accepted by the National Telecommunications and Information Administration.
That means the state is eligible for up to $30 million to implement its approach over the next five years.
Martha Cranley - state director for AARP Wisconsin - called it a robust plan, noting that older populations continue to face challenges in being connected to the digital world.
"We know that at least 15% of people 50-plus in Wisconsin are not connected," said Cranley, "either because the wires simply don't come to their house, or they don't have a device, or they don't know how to use it."
Cranley said the lack of connection is especially concerning in rural areas across northern Wisconsin, where aging communities have limited resources.
Stakeholders also note an infusion of new aid is helpful with the federal government's Affordable Connectivity Program - which provides discounts on monthly internet bills for eligible households - in danger of running out of money.
Cranley said the state's plan came together following extensive public outreach, in which her organization helped convey the need for improved internet access for those 50 and older.
"They certainly heard from older people about how important this is to connect to their doctor," said Cranley, "and to connect to government services, and frankly, find employment."
Overall, Evers says the plan's federal approval means more than 410,000 homes and businesses will be better positioned to be connected to new or improved high-speed internet service.
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A new report found recalls, warnings and penalties for consumer products all increased last year. The recalls led to 550 injuries, 15 deaths and as many as 500 fires stemming from newly recalled products.
Teresa Murray is a consumer watchdog with the Arizona PIRG Education Fund. She said product recalls hit a seven year high last year, with 323 defective product announcements.
She said it is unclear whether the increase means there were more dangerous products on the market or more were caught and recalled.
"Either one is bad," said Murray, "and one of the biggest takeaways for us is the products that get recalled the most should be something that people are certainly aware of. And then, the thing that just frustrates us is the length of time it takes between the time that a company or the CPSC finds out about a problem, and then the time it takes for it to actually get recalled."
Murray said it can take months or even years before a defective product is recalled.
She added that just because something is for sale in a big box store like Target or Walmart, that doesn't automatically mean it is safe. She encouraged consumers to do their research.
Her organization is urging Congress to pass legislation to give the Consumer Product Safety Commission more recall authority without needing to take legal action, especially when a company isn't being responsive.
Murray contends when it comes to keeping you and your family safe, you can't be too careful. She said the CPSC typically announces recalls every Thursday morning, citing about a half-dozen products a week. She suggests looking at the list frequently.
"It takes 20 seconds to scroll down the list because they're all on one page and see whether you recognize any of these products," said Murray. "And even if you do it every weekend or even once a month for goodness sake, it is just something I don't think people are aware of it."
Earlier this year, a group of congressional lawmakers introduced the Consumer Advocacy and Protection Act, which would aim to deter companies from participating in safety violations.
If the CAP Act becomes law, it would also increase fines for violators and discourage them from withholding information about possible product defects.
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Consumer advocates in Oregon are praising recently passed legislation they say changes the landscape on debt collection.
Senate Bill 1595, known as the Family Financial Protection Act, gained approval from lawmakers during this year's short session.
It provides a number of protections for consumers against debt collection practices, including ensuring that collectors don't come after people for debt that isn't theirs or is for the wrong amount.
Executive Director of Oregon Consumer Justice Jagjit Nagra said it also changes the period of time consumers have to file a complaint.
"Originally, it was a one-year statute of limitations - and in many debt collection scenarios that's pretty problematic," said Nagra. "So, if you think about medical billing, it can take a long time for, often, just those bills to be produced and then that clock has already started ticking. So we extended that from one to three years."
The legislation provides other safeguards as well, such as from overwhelming legal fees and more garnishment protections.
Oregon state Rep. Nathan Sosa - D-Hillsboro - said lawmakers heard heartbreaking stories this session about the impact of debt on families.
"Many of the Oregonians who are in debt collection," said Sosa, "are there because of an unexpected medical emergency, or they have suffered from another tragedy - such as the death of a spouse who was the income earner for the family."
Nagra said rural communities in Oregon have the highest share of debt collection in the state.
He also noted that communities of color share a higher burden, with 28% of households in some sort of debt collection, compared with 16% of white households.
"It's an issue that folks are grappling with in the here and now," said Nagra. "So, for us, it was really important to have these fixes advanced because from our purview, quite frankly, they are long overdue."
The bill is awaiting the governor's signature.
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