rural
States see record low unemployment across the U.S.
Across much of the country, the jobs market is as strong as it’s ever been, and Black women, young people and people with disabilities are among the workers benefiting, recent U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data show. Twenty states reported an unemployment rate under 3% in April, while 15 states saw record lows, led by […]
Fresh produce is an increasingly popular prescription for chronically ill patients
When Mackenzie Sachs, a registered dietitian on the Blackfeet Reservation, in northwestern Montana, sees a patient experiencing high blood pressure, diabetes, or another chronic illness, her first thought isn’t necessarily to recommend medication. Rather, if the patient doesn’t have easy access to fruit and vegetables, she’ll enroll the person in the FAST Blackfeet produce prescription […]
New Democratic caucus aims to connect with rural voters
As a former teacher and graduate of a rural Arkansas school district, Jess Piper is concerned rural schools will lose funding and close under the governor’s proposed voucher program. “Rural schools will fold, communities will suffer,” Piper said. “They’ll lose their epicenter where people got their paycheck, where kids got their hot meals, where people […]
Rural districts concerned about voucher program accountability, school closures
Bryan Pruitt knows well how being in the right school can spark a love of learning. Nothing generated his interest as a middle school student in Ozark, so he transferred to nearby County Line High School where an agriculture program changed his life. “When I was at County Line, I could not get enough of […]
Postal service on-time performance similar in rural, urban areas, report finds
WASHINGTON – Challenges with the cash-strapped United States Postal Service sent many Americans to their wit’s end during the COVID-19 pandemic, especially in communities reliant on the mail for essential goods. Yet despite concerns from members of Congress that recent service changes hit rural communities more than urban centers, a new report from the U.S. […]
Rural seniors benefit from pandemic-driven remote fitness boom
MALMO, Minn. — Eight women, all 73 or older, paced the fellowship hall at Malmo Evangelical Free Church to a rendition of Daniel O’Donnell’s “Rivers of Babylon” as they warmed up for an hourlong fitness class. The women, who live near or on the eastern shore of Mille Lacs Lake, had a variety of reasons […]
U.S. Senate candidates debate agriculture, immigration
Agriculture and the struggles of Arkansas’ rural communities were top of mind for U.S. Senate candidates who participated in a debate hosted by Arkansas PBS Friday afternoon. Agriculture is the state’s largest industry, adding about $16 billion to the state’s economy each year. However, farmers are struggling with higher costs this year. The war in […]
USDA to spend $500 million extending high-speed internet to rural America
The U.S. Department of Agriculture will send more than $500 million in loans and grants to telecommunications providers to bring high-speed internet to rural areas across 20 states, Secretary Tom Vilsack said Wednesday. The department will spend $360 million in grants and $141 million in loans through its ReConnect Program to benefit sparsely populated communities, […]
As rural homelessness increases, HUD aims money at helping people without access to shelters
The Department of Housing and Urban Development has opened up millions of dollars in funding for groups serving unhoused people in rural areas — an unprecedented move by the agency, say housing advocates. People living in cars, parks, and on the street at night, which the agency labels unsheltered homelessness, has increased across the nation, […]
Federal funds will help connect 5,500 homes and businesses to broadband
Arkansas has received $47.5 million to connect 5,500 homes and businesses in rural areas to high-speed internet through the American Rescue Plan’s Coronavirus Capital Projects Fund. U.S. Department of Treasury officials on Tuesday announced the approval of plans from Arkansas, Connecticut, Indiana, Nebraska and North Dakota. The rescue plan’s capital projects fund is providing $10 […]