Rural / Public News Service

In 1979, cuts to Amtrak included the discontinuation of a long multistate route running through the southern half of North Dakota. (Adobe Stock)

Thursday, October 3, 2024

A reunion nearly 50 years in the making? ND eyes possible Amtrak route return

This week, federal officials announced a new round of funding for passenger rail projects. It is part of a larger push to expand and restore service…

A 2024 Kaiser Family Foundation report showed 25.7% of Nebraskans reported having had a mental health illness over the previous year compared with 23.1% nationwide. (bnenin/Adobe Stock)

Thursday, October 3, 2024

Strain on NE behavioral health system could worsen; need remains high

A 2024 study showed almost 26% of Nebraskans reported having a mental-health illness in the past year -- nearly 3% higher than the national average…

Living roots reduce soil erosion and provide food for organisms like earthworms and microbes that cycle the nutrients plants need, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture. (Adobe Stock)

Wednesday, October 2, 2024

AZ nonprofit teaches sustainable practices to next gen farmers

By Lauren Kobley for Cronkite News.Broadcast version by Alex Gonzalez for Arizona News Connection reporting for the Solutions Journalism Network-Publi…

Washington State University serves more than 4,100 latino undergraduates. (knowlesgallery/Adobe Stock)

Wednesday, October 2, 2024

WA university recognized for service to migrant students

A program in Washington state helping college students from migrant families is being celebrated for its support of the Latino community. Washington …

The process for testing for bacteria in foods can be a tricky, segmented process. (sinhyu/Adobe Stock)

Wednesday, October 2, 2024

After listeria outbreak, food regulations under scrutiny

A recent foodborne illness outbreak linked to deli meats is putting the spotlight on how these foods are regulated. The listeria outbreak in Boar's …

Industry leaders say one reason rural hospitals struggle to stay afloat is because they have to spend more to recruit staff at a time when there is plenty of competition for hiring doctors and nurses. (Adobe Stock)

Wednesday, October 2, 2024

ND rural hospitals embrace teamwork mentality to stay afloat

This month, a North Dakota network of rural hospitals enters its second year of trying to make local operations more efficient, so they can keep the …

Colorado State University researchers found snowpack in areas burned by the Cameron Peak Fire disappeared 7 to 11 days earlier than unburned areas. (Adobe Stock)

Wednesday, October 2, 2024

Study: Wildfire burn areas see faster snowpack melts, disrupt water resources

As a warming climate brings bigger and more frequent wildfires, burn scars left behind at high mountain altitudes are seeing snowpack melt much …

The U.S. Postal Service's Delivering for America plan is not expected to cause layoffs, but Ricci Roberts, the branch president of mail handlers in Cheyenne, said keeping a job under the changes may require relocating. (Adobe Stock)

As WY mail to be routed out of state, many say concerns unheard

As the U.S. Postal Service continues to implement a long-term reform plan, rural customers in places such as Wyoming may pay the price. Following …

The American Postal Workers Union says inadequate staffing levels make it nearly impossible to meet their performance targets for delivery time for three- to five-day letters. (Lost_in_the_Midwest/Adobe Stock)

Tuesday, October 1, 2024

NE town understands issues highlighted by nationwide Postal Union rallies

American Postal Workers Union members are holding a nationwide "Day of Action" rally today to draw attention to a number of concerns, several of them …

There were more than 70 substantial pesticide producers in the United States in the 1960s. (Adobe Stock / AI)

Report: Agribusiness monopolies harming farmers, consumers

A new report looking at agribusiness consolidation found decades of mergers have reduced competition, leading to higher costs for farmers and …

The American Postal Workers Union represents more than 200,000 workers across the country. (MelissaMN/Adobe Stock)

Monday, September 30, 2024

Postal workers to hold day of action, ID rallies planned

U.S. postal workers will rally across the country on Tuesday to bring attention to their working conditions. An Idaho postal worker helped start the …

The federal Rural Energy for America Program provides loan guarantees and grants to farmers and rural small businesses for renewable energy systems and energy efficiency improvements. (Adobe Stock)

Report: USDA program helped hundreds of KY businesses become energy efficient

In Kentucky, 462 businesses, farms and schools have received $77 million in federal funding to boost energy efficiency through the U.S. Department of …

The U.S. Department of Agriculture estimates more than one-third of food produced in the U.S. is never eaten, wasting the resources used to produce, process and distribute it. (Adobe Stock)<br />

Monday, September 30, 2024

ME tackles food waste in effort to mitigate climate change

A new study found Maine households are a leading contributor of food waste in local landfills, which in turn contributes to climate change. …

Viva Farms leases out parcels of more than 100 acres it operates in the Skagit Valley. (Lena Beck)

WA incubator helps new farmers overcome land access barrier

By Lena Beck for Modern Farmer.Broadcast version by Eric Tegethoff for Washington News Service reporting for the Modern Farmer-Public News Service Col…

In the past two decades, suicide rates in rural states, including Wyoming, have been about double those in urban areas, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (Adobe Stock)

WY suicide rates high, despite federal prevention efforts

By Cheryl Platzman Weinstock for KFF Health News.Broadcast version by Kathleen Shannon for Wyoming News Service reporting for the KFF Health News-Publ…

State environmental officials in North Dakota said large bodies of water such as Devil's Lake have not seen many fish kills or other harmful effects because the state has not seen a lot of factory farms in the region. But changes to the law are being pursued to boost animal agriculture in North Dakota. (Adobe Stock)

'I feel on the edge': ND communities navigate factory farm movement

A North Dakota task force meets again next month as it considers updating the scope of local zoning laws dealing with factory farms. It is an issue …

The Environmental Protection Agency said aviation in the United States accounts for nearly 10% of greenhouse-gas emissions from the transportation sector. (Adobe Stock)

Cruising at 30,000 feet with cleaner jet fuel: MN part of sustainability efforts

Some Minnesotans might already be booking flights for the upcoming holiday season. In the future, they could end up flying on a jet relying on …

The debate over a new Farm Bill and where to prioritize funding comes as the number of farms declines while farm sizes go up. Experts said it is a symptom of corporate consolidation within agriculture. (Adobe Stock)

Future health of WI's farmland monitored in Farm Bill fight

Congress has one week from today to reauthorize a sweeping policy playing a big role in shaping the nation's food production system, and Wisconsin …

Retention basins are artificial ponds often used on farms to manage water and prevent fertilizer and other contaminants from reaching nearby waterways. (Adobe Stock)

Flooded farm fields no longer the norm for some MN producers

Minnesota has had a dry start to the fall but saw record rain this past spring. One farmer said changes to his land made it easier for the crop …

The March of Dimes reports 2.2 million women live in maternity care

Addressing postpartum depression in rural Ohio

A new report sheds light on the state of women's health in Ohio, with growing concerns about maternal care and postpartum mental health. As …

Some 899 of 936 public comments on the plan for the proposed West Fork Dam, or 96%, opposed the West Fork Battle Creek Dam project, according to a tally by Wyofile. (Adobe Stock)

Feds ask WY to recalculate cost of proposed West Fork Dam

A federal agency is requiring Wyoming to update cost estimates for a large proposed dam in Carbon County, which has been under feasibility studies …

Minnesota's Center for Rural Policy and Development said in rural settings, parents are often forced to take a child to the emergency room during a mental health crisis. (Adobe Stock)

Rural MN families have few options for youth mental healthcare

Gaps in mental health care are a common research topic right now and for Minnesota youth in rural areas, a new report showed their families face big …

Inflation Reduction Act funding is helping leading electric cooperatives, which serve one in five rural Americans, to accelerate the adoption of affordable and reliable clean energy, lowering costs for their members. (Adobe Stock)

Tri-State to lower customer energy costs by $400 million over 20 years

Colorado's second-largest electricity provider, the Tri-State Generation and Transmission Association, projects new federal clean energy funding will …

The Brookings Institution, a nonpartisan research group, gave South Dakota a

SD voting advocates hope to avoid ballot challenges seen in primary

Just a few months after some South Dakota absentee ballots were illegally challenged, officials are concerned slow mail delivery could affect …

More than 180 local and state elected officials from more than 40 states are coming together urging Congress to reject the Ending Agricultural Trade Suppression Act. (Adobe Stock)

Proposed ‘EATS’ Act could devour NY agriculture laws

A federal bill could spell trouble for New York farmers. The Ending Agricultural Trade Suppression Act would remove local and state governments' …

One cow can produce up to 264 pounds of methane every year, and it's estimated that livestock production is responsible for 30% of global anthropogenic methane emissions. (Adobe Stock)

How livestock farming fuels climate change

By Seth Millstein for Sentient.Broadcast version by Eric Galatas for Colorado News Connection reporting for the Sentient-Public News Service Collabora…

Federal lawmakers respond to WY wolf abuse, state's response

Following the torture of a wolf by a Wyoming man, a state panel is seeking a bill to protect the killing of predators with vehicles, but Federal …

The Iowa Department of Natural Resources must report annual greenhouse gas inventories to the legislature and governor each year. (Adobe Stock)

Iowa releases 'Condition of the State' report on clean energy goals

Alternative energy advocates say Iowa is making significant progress on reaching its green power goals by 2035. The state has become a national …

The North Dakota Farmers Union said more frequent and devastating natural disasters place added pressure on farmers and more robust conservation programs in a new Farm Bill could help make agricultural landscapes more climate resilient. (Adobe Stock)

ND farmers: It's déjà vu as Farm Bill deadline inches closer

Congress is back from recess and lawmakers are hearing from producers about getting a new Farm Bill passed with the latest deadline looming…

So far, 34 farmers markets, food hubs and retail locations across the state offer Colorado SNAP Produce Bonus. (Adobe Stock)

Pilot program makes fresh Colorado produce accessible to more families

As Colorado's fall harvest kicks into high gear, people participating in SNAP, the program formerly known as food stamps, can now get up to $60 per …

Lawmakers are considering a provision in the current Farm Bill to incorporate

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MA fishermen see opportunity as Farm Bill advances

Massachusetts fishermen said they are optimistic the next Farm Bill will provide greater support to smaller, community-based fishing fleets. The …

Green chiles take center stage next month when New Mexico extension agents offer classes in preservation techniques. (Photo courtesy of NMSU)

NM experts dish up best techniques for preserving green chile

The growing season is winding down in New Mexico and experts want to make sure the people preserving green chile for the colder months are doing it ri…

Groups such as the National Barn Alliance, Iowa Barn Foundation and Friends of Minnesota Barns<br />spearhead major efforts to preserve America's historic barns and rural heritage in the Midwest and nationwide. (John Wilson)

Preserving MI barns, upholding community solidarity

By Cinnamon Janzer for Arts Midwest.Broadcast version by Chrystal Blair for Michigan News Connection reporting for the Arts Midwest-Public News Servic…

In response to the House Draw Fire, the Wyoming Game and Fish Department invited reports of injured wildlife to a hotline typically used to report poaching. (Adobe Stock)

WY communities pitch in on wildfire recovery efforts

Recent extreme wildfires in Wyoming burned nearly 500,000 acres and among those recovering are ranchers and their surviving livestock. Wildfires …

Sheep graze on a solar field in Garrard County owned by Silicon Ranch Corp. (Silicon Ranch)

KY communities consider solar zoning ordinances

As Fayette County considers approving industrial-scale solar operations on farmland, more communities in the Commonwealth are considering special …

Solar panels on the roof of Lifeline Church of God in Princeton, W.Va. (Resource Rural)

Federal funding reduces barriers to solar for WV schools, churches

Wayne County Schools and a church in Princeton have installed solar panels with help from the Inflation Reduction Act, local grants and solar …

In a 2024 poll from Rural Democracy Initiative, rural voters said they're deeply concerned about rising costs for everyone, especially housing, healthcare, and childcare. (Adobe Stock)

Connecting Minnesota policies to rural needs

Recent Minnesota policy moves are in the national spotlight, with Gov. Tim Walz on the Democratic presidential ticket. Rural areas within the state …

The USDA says in Illinois in 2021, there were 9.50 billion cubic feet of live trees in forests. (Adobe Stock)

IL environmental group monitors forests amid Biden legislation

The Biden Administration issued an executive order in 2022 to strengthen and protect America's forests and old-growth trees. Old-growth trees have …

81% of registered voters across the Midwest oppose the use of eminent domain by companies looking to transport carbon dioxide through underground pipelines, according to a poll commissioned by the Bold Alliance. (Jeffree Beall/Wikimedia Commons)

Poll: Most SD voters disapprove of local control limits on carbon pipelines

A new poll shows most South Dakotans don't approve of legislation that restricts local control on carbon pipelines. South Dakotans this November …

Solar energy costs far less than fossil fuels. The International Energy Agency finds utility-level solar costs about $20 per unit less to produce than natural gas. (Adobe Stock)

Misinformation prevents VA from reaping solar-energy benefits

Although most Virginians support and prefer solar energy, misinformation is keeping more of it from being built. Several counties and cities have …

The last operational one-room schoolhouse in Sheridan County, Wyoming, the Slack School, was built in the 1880s, burned down in the 1920s and rebuilt in the 1930s. (Ashlee Gorham, Slack School)

School year begins in WY’s few remaining one-room schoolhouses

It is back-to-school season and for 11 students in Sheridan County, Wyoming, it means returning to a one-room schoolhouse. The Slack School was …

Weston Lombard, at his Athens County farm, uses regenerative practices funded by the Inflation Reduction Act. (Photo credit Sijie Yuan)

Ohio reacts to Biden's investment targeting rural electrification

President Joe Biden has announced a landmark $7.3 billion investment, the largest since the FDR New Deal, aimed at electrifying rural America…

In a new national survey, people 65 and older were more likely than other age groups to think raw milk was less safe than pasteurized milk. (Adobe Stock)

Rural residents more likely to consider raw milk to be safe

By Tim Marema for The Daily Yonder.Broadcast version by Mike Moen for Wisconsin News Connection for the Public News Service/Daily Yonder Collaboration…

The Biden administration is providing a range of subsidies to spur carbon-capture projects to help reduce carbon emissions. But as projects take shape in the Midwest, issues such as landowner rights have led to extensive public debate. (Adobe Stock)

Survey sheds light on public sentiment about carbon-capture land conflicts

In a new poll, 81% of registered voters from several Midwestern states said they oppose corporations resorting to eminent domain for private projects…

Brazil and Vietnam are currently the largest coffee-producing countries in the world. Production is increasing in China and even in California and on the Gulf Coast. (Somchai20162516/Adobe Stock)

Climate solutions for the future of coffee

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

80% of Wyoming adults say that EMS should be considered an essential service, according to a 2024 AARP survey. (Kirill Gorlov/Adobe Stock)

Survey: Wyomingites support increased EMS funding

Some emergency medical services, or EMS, are consolidating or closing across Wyoming, while the need for services is increasing. In 2021, Wyoming EMS …

The Center for Rural Affairs said if all forecasted solar in the Midwest was developed on prime farmland, it would occupy only 1.45% to 2.9% of such farmland in this part of the nation. (Adobe Stock)

Tractors, barns and solar panels: Renewables help reshape MN ag land use

Minnesota has plenty of prime farmland, with some of it being converted in the transition to clean energy sources such as solar. The movement has …

Colorado residents and out-of-state visitors spent an estimated $10.8 billion on outdoor recreation within Colorado's river basins in 2019. About a quarter of this came from participants in water sports such as rafting. (Adobe Stock)

Polis taps nation’s strongest water-quality protections for 15 CO rivers

Nearly a year after the U.S. Supreme Court left key watersheds unprotected by the Clean Water Act, the Polis administration has designated new …

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PNS Daily Newscast: Afternoon Update - October 4, 2024

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Rural

A reunion nearly 50 years in the making? ND eyes possible Amtrak route return

Strain on NE behavioral health system could worsen; need remains high

AZ nonprofit teaches sustainable practices to next gen farmers

WA university recognized for service to migrant students

After listeria outbreak, food regulations under scrutiny

ND rural hospitals embrace teamwork mentality to stay afloat

Study: Wildfire burn areas see faster snowpack melts, disrupt water resources

As WY mail to be routed out of state, many say concerns unheard

NE town understands issues highlighted by nationwide Postal Union rallies

Report: Agribusiness monopolies harming farmers, consumers

Postal workers to hold day of action, ID rallies planned

Report: USDA program helped hundreds of KY businesses become energy efficient

ME tackles food waste in effort to mitigate climate change

WA incubator helps new farmers overcome land access barrier

WY suicide rates high, despite federal prevention efforts

'I feel on the edge': ND communities navigate factory farm movement

Cruising at 30,000 feet with cleaner jet fuel: MN part of sustainability efforts

Future health of WI's farmland monitored in Farm Bill fight

Flooded farm fields no longer the norm for some MN producers

Addressing postpartum depression in rural Ohio

Feds ask WY to recalculate cost of proposed West Fork Dam

Rural MN families have few options for youth mental healthcare

Tri-State to lower customer energy costs by $400 million over 20 years

SD voting advocates hope to avoid ballot challenges seen in primary

Proposed ‘EATS’ Act could devour NY agriculture laws

How livestock farming fuels climate change

Federal lawmakers respond to WY wolf abuse, state's response

Iowa releases 'Condition of the State' report on clean energy goals

ND farmers: It's déjà vu as Farm Bill deadline inches closer

Pilot program makes fresh Colorado produce accessible to more families

MA fishermen see opportunity as Farm Bill advances

NM experts dish up best techniques for preserving green chile

Preserving MI barns, upholding community solidarity

WY communities pitch in on wildfire recovery efforts

KY communities consider solar zoning ordinances

Federal funding reduces barriers to solar for WV schools, churches

Connecting Minnesota policies to rural needs

IL environmental group monitors forests amid Biden legislation

Poll: Most SD voters disapprove of local control limits on carbon pipelines

Misinformation prevents VA from reaping solar-energy benefits

School year begins in WY’s few remaining one-room schoolhouses

Ohio reacts to Biden's investment targeting rural electrification

Rural residents more likely to consider raw milk to be safe

Survey sheds light on public sentiment about carbon-capture land conflicts

Climate solutions for the future of coffee

Survey: Wyomingites support increased EMS funding

Tractors, barns and solar panels: Renewables help reshape MN ag land use

Polis taps nation’s strongest water-quality protections for 15 CO rivers