Rural areas often lack essential resources but one North Carolina community is proving how local action and investment can make a difference.

Research shows access to resources like transportation and safe housing is crucial for health, yet over one in five rural residents struggles with these needs. In West Marion, North Carolina, gaps in transportation, food distribution and health care were prevalent.

Paula Swepson, executive director of the nonprofit West Marion Community Forum, recalled despite being a close-knit community, many people needed guidance on how to participate in creating change.

"You don't know what you don't know, so you don't know the resources out there," Swepson observed. "There always needs to be some type of connection with institutional partners that can let you know what's available for your community."

With direction and grants from the Kate B. Reynolds Charitable Trust, the West Marion Community Forum was established. Swepson pointed out the forum taught residents how to connect with town officials to make their voices heard.

Swepson added since then, the Forum has brought critical resources, initiated programs and established community systems. She emphasized the Foundation did not impose solutions but showed residents how to identify and address their own needs.

"They had the technical assistants come in and just facilitate monthly meetings, and just have conversations with the community and do root-cause analysis," Swepson outlined. "Out of that came our working groups."

Today, Swepson noted the forum operates a youth-led community garden and there are transportation and housing working groups. They are also focused on improving health care and building a community center. She added the progress shows community action is key to change.

"The way the community is operating now -- and the whole county now -- is that people feel empowered to at least go to the meetings and stand up," Swepson stressed. "And public comment if they can't get on the agenda, and address the things that they want to see and the concerns that they have."

The success in West Marion has inspired similar forums in East Marion and Old Fort.

Tuesday is National Medal of Honor Day, celebrating the thousands of service members since 1861 who have been awarded the country's highest military honor.

Of more than 40 million Americans who have served in the armed forces, fewer than 4,000 have received the Medal of Honor. Maryland is credited with more than 60 recipients. Alumni of the U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis account for more than 70 medal holders.

Chris Cassidy, CEO of the National Medal of Honor Museum, said it is common for a recipient to receive the honor decades after their service.

"Over time, they get relooked and it's called a medal upgrade from, say, a Navy Cross to a Medal of Honor," Cassidy explained. "That happens frequently. It's not rare that you might see they're reviewing a Vietnam award and the person's still living and they get an award decades after their action happened."

In January, the House of Representatives unanimously passed the National Medal of Honor Monument Location Act. The bill would put a national monument for Medal of Honor recipients near the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C.

Today also is set for the grand opening of the National Medal of Honor Museum in Texas.

Cassidy pointed out given limited real estate on the National Mall in Washington, D.C., it made sense for the museum to be built outside the nation's capital. He added the museum will be a place where people can hear stories of ordinary people going above and beyond.

"Our museum is going to be a repository of amazing stories," Cassidy emphasized. "Stories of courage and sacrifice of normal people, just like you and I, who did something extraordinary when the nation needed them to do it."

Among the recipients of the honor, 19 service members have received it twice and 14 of those were awarded for two separate actions. In 1917, laws were changed, ending the award of multiple Medals of Honor.


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As New Yorkers protest the Trump administration, some groups are advising best practices for protesting. State and national protests are occurring against GOP budget cuts and mass firings of federal employees. These have mostly been peaceful actions, but with emotions running high, there can be some incidents of violence.

Kalaya'an Mendoza, head of U.S. programs with Nonviolent Peaceforce, says having a safety plan is the best way to stay safe at a protest.

"What that looks like could be everything from making sure you have a buddy to doing some research about where the protest is happening to find your primary and secondary exit points, to also knowing who the organizers are and even doing a capacity check for yourself," she said.

Mendoza noted that risks vary based on where a person is, but they should first determine if it's safe for them to even be at a protest. Beyond outside factors, another challenge to staying safe is seeing how state security forces act at the protest. He added to remain alert since they could use tear gas or pepper spray as things change. Sometimes, people might attend protests simply to agitate the crowd or incite violence.

If a protest gets violent or someone gets aggressive, knowing your survival response can help keep things calm. Mendoza noted as much as people can try, they can't de-escalate an aggressor, law enforcement officers, or someone intent on harming you. But, he says people don't consider certain things when preparing to attend a protest, although they always should.

"Having a buddy, that's a very important thing; just like having someone watch your back or even having a remote buddy, someone that can check on you before, during, and after the protest. That you would let them know, like, 'I'm going to be here. I plan to be here,' especially for folks that may be more vulnerable or at risk for arrest or deportation," Mendoza said.

Protests regarding the Trump administration have been nonviolent, but Mendoza says this is also due to them being organized by communities which could be targeted. In his 30 years of activism, the violence Mendoza's seen at protests came from state security forces or agitators.

AARP is taking applications for its 2025 Community Challenge grants and Wyoming's state chapter encouraged nonprofits and municipalities to apply.

Since 2017, AARP has invested more than $20 million in 1,700 projects nationwide. The grants are designed for quick-action projects to help communities of all sizes become more livable, especially for those aged 50 and up.

Ron Hammel, a member of the AARP Wyoming Executive Council, runs Wyoming's grant program as a volunteer.

"Let's say you're a small community up in Wyoming and you have an idea to do something that would benefit a lot of people in that area but you have no way of getting the money," Hammel explained. "This is one place where people could get up to $25,000 to fund a project."

Last year, a total of $45,000 was awarded to four Wyoming projects. Applications for the 2025 cycle are due March 5.

The City of Evanston last year received more than $12,000 to install concrete pingpong, foosball and chess tables in outdoor spaces downtown.

Mieke Madrid, program coordinator and grant writer for Evanston Main Street, said the project helps the program meet its goal to help build lasting memories.

"It is important to create public spaces that are for people of all ages and abilities and to create a dynamic space," Madrid emphasized.

Madrid pointed out the game tables help create a "sense of place" for locals and visitors alike.

In Buffalo, Powder River American Legion Post 13 used more than $5,000 to purchase 500 veterans markers for the town's several cemeteries.

Chuck Guilford, former post commander, said it gave their efforts a needed boost.

"We've been doing it piecemeal for the longest time ordering 40 markers or 20 markers and looking at years and years to get it done," Guilford recounted. "With the funding, we were able to order a sufficient supply."

Now, Guilford added, the grave of every interred veteran in Johnson County is marked as such.