As a lens for this election, stay focused on places 'where rural voters are exercising their clear-minded independence'

Click on the map to enlarge it. (Map by Graham Marema, from Jacobs and Johnson data)

Rural areas will play a large role in determining who wins the U.S. presidential and Congressional races. "When the presidential results start rolling in . . . the usual battlegrounds will get all the attention. But the real story of the night will be hidden in rural communities across America," report Nicholas F. Jacobs and Robin A. Johnson for The Daily Yonder. "These aren’t just dots on the map — they’re bellwethers for how rural America will shape the outcome of the election for presidential, Senatorial, House, and state legislative elections."

There are two types of rural counties – "classified throughout as non-metropolitan according to the 2023 RUCC (Rural Urban Continuum Code) designation — that matter for the Harris-Trump contest: those that reversed course in 2020 over 2016 (the flippers) and those that continued the decade's long trend in Republican dominance in a rural area," Jacobs and Johnson explain. Kennebec County, Maine is an example of a "flipper." Mower County, Minnesota (Walz's old stomping ground) and Lake County, Michigan are examples of "long-termers."

The battle for the U.S. Senate will come down to a "handful of races in states where rural votes will be decisive," the Yonder reports. "All eyes will be on Montana to see if Jon Tester can keep his seat in a state where rural votes comprise about 45% of the statewide total. . . . Michigan features an open seat, and rural counties comprise about 17% of the statewide vote." Ohio, Wisconsin and Nebraska also have Senate races to watch.

The U.S. House is also up for grabs, and "both parties are targeting for control of the House of Representatives featuring [races with] significant shares of rural voters," Jacobs and Johnson write. "Rural voters could well determine which party controls the U.S. House." Maine, Colorado, New York, North Carolina and Iowa all have House districts with tipping point races. In New Mexico's 3rd district, incumbent Gabe Vasquez (Democrat) is fighting to keep his seat "in this district where 37.3% of the votes were rural last election."

While there are many races to watch, "let’s keep the focus on the places that matter: the districts where rural votes will truly decide the outcome and who might give us glimpses into a different political future for rural communities," Jacobs and Johnson add. "We should be looking at the places where rural voters are exercising their clear-minded independence and where candidates are working to restore two-party competition. These are the contests that will tell us more about the future of American politics than the losses."

New report reveals that U.S. child care workers are 'paid less than animal caretakers and dressing room attendants'

Two out of five child care workers need public assistance
to support their families. (Adobe Stock photo)

Child care teachers make such small salaries that "two out of five need public assistance to support their families," reports Jackie Mader of The Hechinger Report, which covers education. "Child care employees are paid less than animal caretakers and dressing room attendants. . . .That’s a major finding of one of two new reports on the dismal treatment of child care workers. Together, the reports offer a distressing picture of how child care staff are faring economically."

The Early Childhood Workforce Index 2024 reveals abysmal and somewhat stagnated child care worker wages, which means "43% of families of early educators rely on public assistance like food stamps and Medicaid," Mader writes. The report also shows that black child care teachers make about $8,000 less per year than their white peers. Overall, "wages for early educators are rising more slowly than wages in other industries, including fast food and retail."

Another report, by Chris M. Herbst, a professor at Arizona State University’s School of Public Affairs, suggests that many higher educated child care workers have already left the profession and others continue to leave due to low pay. Mader reports, "That’s led to a 'bit of a death spiral' in terms of how child care work is perceived and contributes to persistent low wages, he said in an interview." 

While education competencies aren't the only things that make a good teacher, "higher education levels may mean staff have a stronger background not only in English and math but also in topics like behavior modification and special education," Mader writes, "which are sometimes left out of certification programs for child care teachers."

Herbst’s full report is here.

Sixty-nine percent of Americans are worried about the 2024 presidential election, but there are steps to reduce stress

Shannon Sauer-Zavala
Licensed Clinical Psychologist,
University of Kentucky

Today is Election Day in the United States, but the country may not know the results of some races until later. And while most U.S. citizens know conscientious ballot counting can be time-consuming, unknowns often stress the human mind. To manage worry and prevent catastrophizing, Shannon Sauer-Zavala for The Conversation shares science-based approaches to reduce election tension.

If this particular election feels distressing, rest assured, that you are not alone. Sauer-Zavala writes, "A recent survey found 69% of American adults are seriously stressed about the 2024 presidential election. It’s difficult not to be worked up about politics in today’s polarized climate. Regardless of which side of the political aisle you sit on, you may find yourself glued to your browser or TV, gobbling up every tiny tidbit of news."

Being mindful and accepting of stressful feelings can keep them from skyrocketing. Sauer-Zavala explains, "Be present. Anxiety can draw you into an uncomfortable spiral of 'what-ifs' about the future. When you make a point to be present, you remind yourself what is actually happening right now, rather than letting hypothetical fears take over."

When the news feels like impending doom, take a deep breath and "shift away from rigid, all-or-nothing thinking about the future," Sauer-Zavala recommends. "When people are anxious, they tend to focus on the worst-case scenario. For example, you might be telling yourself, 'With this candidate in office, things will be terrible and I won’t be able to cope.' . . . Try thinking through what you’d do if the undesirable candidate takes office – thoughts like 'I’ll donate to causes that are important to me' and 'I’ll attend protests.'"

Concentrating on healthy daily behaviors that reinforce a sense of balance and peace also keeps worry from taking over your day or week. "Remember the goal of 24-hour news networks is to increase ratings. It’s in their interest to keep you riveted to your screens by making it seem like important announcements are imminent," Sauer-Zavala adds. "As a result, it may feel difficult to disconnect and take part in your usual self-care behavior. . . . Go for a walk or, better yet, to bed. Keeping up with healthy habits can help reduce your vulnerability to uncontrolled anxiety."

Smaller food makers and independent grocers bear brunt of distributors' fees. Bigger grocery stores have the advantage.

Unraveling why some grocery prices are high means
looking at little-known fees. (Adobe Stock photo)

 

As Americans continue to face stubbornly high grocery prices, many are searching for root causes. Turns out, mysterious add-on fees might be part of the problem. "The price of a bag of coconut-cashew granola jumped last year from $5.99 to $6.69," reports Jesse Newman of The Wall Street Journal. "The granola maker said the cost of making the cereal hasn’t gone up that much. . . It jacked up the price, it said, in large part to offset fees that piled up from a little-known link in the supply chain: grocery distributors."

Since the pandemic, bigger grocery chains have raised prices citing supply chain woes, high labor costs and ingredient price hikes. Newman explains, "Many small manufacturers that have raised their prices have another explanation. They say they also are being squeezed by the distributors who act as gatekeepers to many supermarkets."

Avoiding grocery store middlemen isn't easy for smaller food makers. George Milton, who runs a hot sauce business in Austin, Texas, used to deliver his product himself, but that model is no longer realistic. Newman reports. "These days, the chief executive of Yellowbird Foods relies on national distributors to ship his product to stores, a process he said is riddled with obscure costs that make it hard to know what, if anything, he’ll be paid." Milton told Newman, "That’s a really tough way to run a business. But what is the alternative, that I UPS it from one place to another?”

While distributors may look like the problem, it's not easy for them to make a profit either. "Distributors operate on razor-thin profit margins, with limited ability to offset rising operating costs," Newman writes. "The situation reflects a struggle for profit throughout the grocery sector. Big food manufacturers that account for the bulk of sales have pushed through hefty price increases and notched some of their biggest profits in years."

Distributor fees can harm independent grocery stores because larger chains can buy inventory directly and negotiate lower distribution fees. "Distributors’ rules and charges are a symptom of pressures rippling through the supply chain," Newman explains. "Grocers are competing with one another to win shoppers with lower prices. Big food sellers have gained market share, giving them more leverage in negotiations with distributors."

Cadaver dogs and their handlers comb through piles of debris to find people lost during Hurricane Helene

Cadaver dog handlers are always looking for ways to keep their dogs
interested during a long search. (FEMA photo via NC Health News)

Hurricane Helene's torrential rains and flooding across western North Carolina didn't just decimate homes and businesses, it swept people away, leaving many communities still searching through rubble for lost loved ones. To help find the missing, cadaver dogs and their handlers are painstakingly working through debris and high waters.

"Highly trained dogs have played a crucial role in finding victims’ remains; one canine-assisted search team from Guilford County recovered 20 bodies in the immediate aftermath of the storm," reports Jaymie Baxley of NC Health News. "These specialist canines and their handlers are likely to find more casualties in the weeks to come, according to cadaver dog expert Cat Warren." Baxley spoke with Warren about the added challenges cadaver dogs and handlers face after natural disasters. Their edited Q&A is below.

Baxley: What are some of the unique challenges involved in training a dog to detect human remains — especially in disaster scenarios like hurricanes?
Cat Warren: Disaster work adds bunches of challenges on top of just finding the scent of human remains. It takes absolute experience for the dogs and handlers to work in these situations.. . . In a tragedy like this, you also have so much competing odor. . . . Many times, the dogs will work for hours and hours without finding anything.

Baxley: How do factors like flooding, mudslides or dense forests affect the ability of dogs to detect remains after events like hurricanes?
Cat Warren: But in these cases, the dog may not be able to get close enough or the scent is so fractured that the dog is somewhat uncertain. That’s when the handler is going to tell people who are flanking them, 'Look, the dog showed real interest here.' The dog may not give his final indication because that body or that scent is underneath a pile of debris, so it’s then up to the searchers to go in and search that pile of debris.

Baxley: How would you describe a typical search operation involving cadaver dogs in disaster-hit areas? Is there a timeline for the work?
Cat Warren: It’s grim, but the timeline for this is going to be months because there’s such a huge area to search.. . . Officials are still gathering accounts of where people went missing, and we have a homeless population in Asheville that is probably very much still unaccounted for. 

Baxley: What improvements or advancements have you seen in cadaver dog training that could enhance future search and recovery efforts?
Cat Warren: Generally, training over the past 20 years or so has improved at the highest levels because people have a greater understanding of how positive reinforcement and motivation can be used to train dogs in a really disciplined way. . . . One of the things that handlers are doing all the time is figuring out how to keep these dogs motivated over long search periods.

For handlers, some of the feelings may come afterward. These guys are doing really, really hard work. It is exhausting, and it takes a real physical and emotional toll. . . .

'Child care is unaffordable for families and not profitable for businesses.' Some communities will vote on changes.

Some communities are asking voters to help pay for
child care. (Shutter Stock photo)

Are U.S. voters ready to help pay for child care services as a part of their community's labor and services infrastructure? Communities in Sonoma County, Calif., St. Paul, Minn., and most of Austin Texas are about to find out, reports Harriet Torry of The Wall Street Journal. The November voting initiatives highlight a problem for urban, metro and rural families -- child care is no longer affordable or not even available due to child care teacher shortages. 

In Austin, classrooms at Ebenezer Child Development Center sit empty because the center's owner, Jordan Maclay, "can’t find enough teachers who can work at the wages she is able to offer," Torry explains. "Maclay is hoping that voters next week will approve an amendment that would raise property taxes by 2.5 cents per $100 valuation throughout Travis County, which includes most of Austin. The state already helps some low-income families pay for daycare. The county money would add to that, with the goal of raising pay and creating new positions for daycare staffers." Voters in Sonoma County, Calif., and St. Paul, Minn., will consider similar ballot initiatives.

Federal lawmakers have tried to remedy the problem, but bills have been stymied, leaving states and counties to grapple with solutions. "Vermont created a new payroll tax, to increase staffing and capacity at daycares. And in Louisiana, taxes on sports betting, cannabis-derived products and casinos raise money for early childhood education," Torry writes. "Florida this year started offering tax breaks to businesses that provide child care for employees."

Child-care centers struggle to make a profit with a business model where oversight is high and ways to cut costs are few. Torry reports, "Daycares are labor intensive. They can’t, for example, hire remote workers. They are also closely regulated, which means they can’t skimp on the number of teachers. Other fixed costs are also high and hard to bring down: the rent or mortgage, insurance, food."

Cynthia Osborne, professor of early childhood education and policy at Vanderbilt University, told Torry, "Child care is unaffordable for families and not profitable for businesses, and child-care educators are the ones really struggling in the middle."

In the end, some parents can't afford to work. Torry adds, "A paucity of child care is a drag on the labor market. About 13% of young children in the U.S. had a family member who had to quit, change or refuse a job because of child care problems, according to the Annie E. Casey Foundation, which examined Commerce and Labor Department data."

Hardwood logging in Appalachia is 'hanging on by a thread.' China, tariffs and U.S. economics all play a part.

A logger in West Virginia posing with a large tulip poplar log.
(National Park Service photo)

Since American colonial times, Appalachians have logged the region's vast forests and run sawmills to prepare cut wood for use, but the industry has been hampered by multiple economic setbacks and faces an uncertain future, reports Paul Kiernan of The Wall Street Journal. "The industry has been in decline for decades. A series of shocks since 2018 has accelerated the decline: a trade war with China, a collapse in exports due to Covid, China’s real-estate slump, and falling U.S. home building." The downturn has had a domino effect on loggers, sawmill workers, truckers and manufacturers.

Once a robust economic sector in Appalachia, logging businesses have closed due to poor market demand and high operational costs. "Roughly two dozen sawmills in the region have gone out of business in the past year or so. . . .The Eastern U.S.’s hardwood production has fallen to its lowest level in records going back to 1960," Kiernan explains. "Workers’ compensation insurance is too expensive for many sawmills to directly employ loggers."

Where two decades ago harvesting hardwood trees was profitable, trade, particularly with China, has decimated U.S. logging businesses and jobs. "Appalachian hardwoods supported thriving manufacturing facilities in nearby towns and cities," Kiernan writes. "North Carolina’s furniture plants, for instance, employed nearly 80,000 workers in 1999, shortly before China’s accession to the World Trade Organization opened the U.S. to Chinese imports. Within 10 years, that number had fallen to 35,000, with most of the jobs shipped overseas."

While some political agendas support protective tariffs, that may not be an easy solution. "Trump says tariffs will bring back manufacturing jobs. Yet the North Carolina furniture business currently employs under 30,000 workers, 20% fewer than when Trump imposed tariffs on China, including on furniture," Kiernan explains. "A worrisome trend for sawmills in recent years is that China has been reducing its imports of finished lumber from the U.S."

Appalachia already has economic worries and the shrinking hardwood industry has added to them. Kiernan adds, "Closing sawmills will accelerate the decline of communities already faced with aging populations and outward migration."

Driverless tractors are already operating on some U.S. farms. Automation offers benefits, but farm workers worry.

A mechanical engineer walks with a sustainable agricultural
robot. (Photo by ThisisEngineering, Unsplash)

The harvest is plentiful and the workers are robots. That's the plan for some U.S. farms. "A growing number of companies are bringing automation to agriculture. It could ease the sector’s deepening labor shortage, help farmers manage costs, and protect workers from extreme heat," report Melina Walling of The Associated Press and journalist Ayurella Horn-Muller. "Automation could also improve yields by bringing greater accuracy to planting, harvesting, and farm management."

Florida farmer Jeremy Ford was tired of wasting water and using fossil fuel-run equipment to care for his crops, so he turned to an automated underground system, "that uses a solar-powered pump to periodically saturate the roots of his crops, saving 'thousands of gallons of water,'" Walling and Horn-Muller explain. "Although they may be more costly upfront, he sees such climate-friendly investments as a necessary expense — and more affordable than expanding his workforce of two."

What about automated harvesting? "On some farms, driverless tractors churn through acres of corn, soybeans, lettuce and more. Such equipment is expensive, and requires mastering new tools, but row crops are fairly easy to automate," AP reports. South Dakota farmer Frank James along with his family members, "swear by tractor 'autosteer,' an automated system that communicates with a satellite to help keep the machine on track. . . [but] requires human oversight to work as it should."

While some agriculture stakeholders have pushed back against automation, some farmers look to the technology's potential to increase profitability and decrease business headaches. Walling and Horn-Muller report, "Will Brigham, a dairy and maple farmer in Vermont, sees such tools as solutions to the nation’s agricultural workforce shortage. Since 2021, Brigham’s family farm has been using Farmblox, an AI-powered farm monitoring and management system that helps them get ahead of issues like leaks in tubing used in maple production."

Robotic farm tools may make caring for crops during extreme heat more efficient without putting human workers at risk. "Extreme heat, drought and intense rainfall have made labor-intensive corn detasseling even harder," Walling and Horn-Muller write. 

Even with its benefits, automated farming may affect farm worker employment. "Automation can be a 'tactic, like a strategy, for bosses, so people are afraid and won’t demand their rights,' said Luis Jimenez, a New York dairy worker. Robots, after all, 'are machines that don’t ask for anything,' he added. 'We don’t want to be replaced by machines.'"

Editor's note: This story was a collaboration between The Associated Press and Grist.

Will this winter be as mild as last winter? Experts give national 2024-2025 outlook predictions.

The 2024-2025 winter outlook map shows the greatest chances for cooler conditions
in the Pacific Northwest. (NOAA map via Dovers)

In most parts of the country, last year's winter was mild. So mild, in fact, Wisconsin snowmobile enthusiasts dubbed it the "lost winter" because there was so little snowfall, reports Cheyenne Kramer of Drovers. "But according to Eric Snodgrass, senior science fellow at Nutrien Ag Solutions, the consensus is that the months ahead are going to look a lot different."

Snodgrass believes that "this winter brings about a 75% chance for La Niña to develop, which is when the trade winds across the equatorial Pacific are strong. With La Niña in the forecast, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration is predicting wet conditions in the north and dry, warm weather in the south," Kramer adds. "Department of Agriculture meteorologist Brad Rippey says La Niña can also bring chances for extreme cold events."

One of the gains agribusiness advocates hope to see this winter is enough moisture to balance regional droughts. Snodgrass told Kramer, "The best winters for agriculture are the ones we hate and remember as being terrible — we get good, hard freezes and plenty of moisture comes in. If we don’t see that, we get into a situation where we become very dependent on spring rains and may have a conversation about 2025 drought risk.”

The 2024-2025 winter outlook map for precipitation shows wetter-than-average conditions
likely across the Great Lakes region (NOAA map via Drovers)

The increase in droughts across southern U.S. tiers is worrisome, and this winter may not improve that problem. Northern areas are predicted to receive more moisture. Rippey told Kramer, "While much of the north will have the opportunity for relief from this growing drought. . . . We are expecting a generally warmer- and drier-than-normal winter across the entire southern tier of the United States. . . . That does include important winter wheat production areas in the southern Great Plains. There’s not much reserve right now in terms of soil moisture."

If rain and snowfall are to help drought regions, timing is everything. Rippey told Kramer, "It’s important to start getting moisture before it gets too cold. When you go into a cool season like this with limited soil moisture, if the cold air comes in too quickly, you freeze the soils before you get moisture, which can limit the absorption of rain and snow into those soils." Kramer adds, "the timing of when La Niña really starts to take effect will be important as well."

Flora & Fauna: Muppets ponder the Electoral College; a new wildlife corridor; fall in love with moths; banana battle

Most muppets didn't "vote" for the Electoral College.
(Muppet Wiki photo)

Elmo took it upon himself, along with several other muppets who were voting, to try and understand how the U.S. Electoral College works. "Elmo just did some math and Elmo is worried," writes Alexandra Petri of The Washington Post. At first, the Count loved how the College worked, but then he said, "I love counting, but the Electoral College is not about counting! It is about making things not count! The Electoral College belongs in the trash!" Oscar the Grouch had some feelings about that. . .

A critical wildlife pathway that began with "a handful of frustrated hunters and 20 deer imported from South Carolina," is now a reality writes Dan Chapman for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. "A burgeoning wildlife corridor stretches from Atlanta’s western suburbs to the Talladega National Forest in Alabama, a 30-mile stretch of public and private lands where deer, bear, at-risk bats, and federally endangered fish have more room to roam, and more chances to survive." Read about the corridor's unique beginnings here.

Sugar maples can live to be 300 to 400 years old.
(Adobe Stock photo)

In a forest, all flora and fauna eventually die, but in the case of an old and beloved sugar maple, life went on as saws and woodworking turned the tree into bowls that could be held, used and treasured, writes Daryln Brewer Hoffstot for The New York Times. Tree "turner," Corey Snyder, "presented me with three beautiful, honey-colored bowls: one for our son, one for our daughter, and one for us. . . . One has light streaks of green because of mineral deposits. They are different shapes, sizes and thicknesses. I asked him how he chose what form the bowls should take. 'I let the piece of wood dictate,' he said. . . .The old maple had spoken."

There are roughly 180,000 known moth and
butterfly species. (Princeton U Press graphic)

The world of moths is mysterious and vast. For all of us, there is much to learn and fall in love with. "As humans drop off to sleep, the invisible world of moths comes to life. Across the planet, billions of the insects take flight on their nocturnal errands," report Michael J. Coren and Alice Li of The Washington Post. "Over two nights in the desert, I discovered just how easy it is to fall in love with an unloved insect. And why 'mothing' may be the best way to discover the miracle of biodiversity in your own backyard."

As bananas battle for survival, scientists are working to save them from extinction. "Two diseases threaten to wipe out the banana as we know it, and scientists are racing to breed a fruit of the future," reports H. Claire Brown of The Wall Street Journal. "Chiquita Brands International last month said it bred a new banana called the Yelloway 1 that is resistant to one of the major diseases and shows promise in resisting the second. . . . Using a genetic bank of about 150 banana varieties, the Chiquita team has focused on breeding an edible, disease-resistant banana."

NOAA plans to consider expanding the new Chumash Heritage Marine Sanctuary in the years
ahead, after new infrastructure is built for offshore wind farms. (NOAA photo via NPR)

A new national marine sanctuary isn't just a win for sea creatures and sea lovers, it's the first such designation led by Indigenous people, reports Lauren Sommer of NPR. "More than 4,500 square miles of ocean will soon be protected by the federal government off the Central California coast. The Biden administration is creating a new national marine sanctuary, which will be the third largest in the U.S. . . . The new Chumash Heritage National Marine Sanctuary will be managed in partnership with tribes and Indigenous groups in the area, who will advise the federal government."

A simpler assessment tool for newborns exposed to opioids means more mom time and fewer medications

Cailyn Morreale continued using buprenorphine during her pregnancy. Once her baby was born, the two were never separated. (Photo by Taylor Sisk, KFF Health News)

A new approach is helping mothers recovering from opioid addiction and newborns with opioid exposure stay together after birth. Historically, babies born with opioid exposure have been separated from their mothers and received heavy medications in neuro-intensive units, but "research has since indicated that in many, if not most, cases, those extreme measures are unnecessary," reports Taylor Sisk of KFF Health News. "A newer, simpler approach that prioritizes keeping babies with their families called Eat, Sleep, Console is being increasingly embraced."

Over the past decade, how pregnancy pairs with addiction treatment has changed, meaning most women can continue to take addiction-recovery medication throughout pregnancy. For Cailyn Morreale, a West Virginian from rural Mars Hill, the new methods helped her continue her recovery medicine, buprenorphine, and her care team assured her "that her baby would be assessed and monitored using the Eat, Sleep, Console approach," Sisk explains. "Morreale was never separated from her son. She was able to begin breastfeeding immediately. She was told, the trace of buprenorphine in her breast milk would help her son withdraw from it."

The Eat, Sleep, Console method is slowly replacing the older Finnegan Neonatal Abstinence Scoring System, which involved 21 evaluative questions. Sisk writes, "David Baltierra, former director of West Virginia University’s Rural Family Medicine Residency Program, chair of WVU’s Department of Family Medicine, suggests this protocol could simply be called 'parenting.' Baltierra and his colleagues have been training residents to use an Eat, Sleep, Console approach for a decade. . . .The results are persuading more health professionals to adopt the method."

A 2023 study found "babies treated this way were discharged from the hospital in nearly half the time and less likely to receive medication than those receiving Finnegan-based care," Sisk reports. "Matthew Grossman, an associate professor of pediatrics at the Yale School of Medicine, found a non-pharmacological-first approach works best. He said the Finnegan tool is useful but often too rigid. Under its scoring, one sneeze too many could send a baby to the NICU for weeks."

Research by Leila Elder and Madison Humerick, who each did their residency in WVU’s rural program, "found that median stays for newborns in withdrawal dropped from 13 days in 2016 to three in 2020," Sisk adds. "The simpler treatment also means more babies born in rural communities can receive care closer to home and has reduced the likelihood a mother will be released before her baby is cleared to go home."

A small town in Georgia answers a call to service and saves its volunteer fire department

Asst. Fire Chief Michael Moravek with mascot,
Fire Pup. (Photo by Jennifer King via the Echo)

Across the country, rural fire departments are struggling to attract, train and retain volunteer firefighters. In Oglethorpe County, Georgia, the small unincorporated town of Vesta had a fire department facing closure until they put a call out to the community for help, reports Makenzy Wolford of The Oglethorpe Echo. "Down to three volunteers and battling new state regulations, the station faced the possibility of extinction." That was four years ago. Now the Vesta Volunteer Fire Department is staffed with volunteers thanks to its residents' "overwhelming response."

Vesta Fire Chief Wayne King "wasn't even a volunteer firefighter four years ago," Wolford writes. "He, among the majority of the station’s current volunteers, were unaware the station needed help until Douglas Spencer spoke to the congregation of Vesta Baptist Church. . . . Douglas, along with his wife Nicole Spencer, were two of the remaining firefighters at the Vesta station. When the situation became dire, Douglas went to the church. . . . A dozen members, including King and now assistant chief Michael Moravek, chose public service that night."

Moravek told Wolford, “I’ve always wanted to do this. I’ve been living here for 25 years, and no one’s ever asked. I thought they didn’t need anyone else extra.” Wolford adds, "The once-grim station blossomed in the 3½ years since Spencer’s call to action. Handshakes, hugs and kind words flowed freely Saturday as the VFD hosted its annual barbecue fundraiser on the first day of deer gun season."

Firefighting requires physical stamina, extensive knowledge of fire and bravery, which is part of the reason why getting and keeping volunteers is difficult. Moravek told Wolford, "I was very surprised by the amount of training that we had to go through. Twelve weeks of training at night time. . . . And then it’s a continuous training experience.” Wolford reports, "Training and certification requirements are more involved and strenuous than many anticipated."

Like most rural communities, all of Oglethorpe County's fire departments are staffed by volunteers. Wolford adds, "The issue of staffing, like that Vesta faced, is not only a local problem. . . Nationally, fire departments are struggling to come up with a staff equipped to act as the community’s first line of defense against everyday emergencies."

Opinion: Growing up in Appalachia made navigating college tough. 'I felt compelled to abandon my background.'

Piper Slinka-Petka

An Appalachian student from West Virginia heads off to college at the University of Pennsylvania, dubbed "Penn" by most students, and encounters a community where she doesn't know how or when she will ever fit in and keep up with her urban counterparts. A lightly edited version of Piper Slinka-Petka's story from The Daily Pennsylvanian is shared below.

"During the same conversation, all first-year students find themselves in, state follows directly after name. Penn’s student body, while diverse, leaves many geographical regions underrepresented in their class. . . . When I reveal I am from West Virginia, home to Penn students few and far between, I get one of a few responses:

I haven’t heard that one yet. Are you the only one? (No, I am not.)

Like from the song? (Yes, the very state described by John Denver’s 1971 song, “Take Me Home, Country Roads.”)

I have family from Virginia, same thing, right? (Two different states, separated in 1863.)

"Growing up in Appalachia is an identity I spent my adolescence running away from. Portrayal in the media, such as by vice presidential candidate JD Vance’s "Hillbilly Elegy," paints Appalachia as a place for the uneducated, poverty-stricken, and lazy. The misinterpretation of rural America creates a narrative that all people inside of it are 'white, conservative, and dumb.' In conversations with other Penn students, I would explain my rural upbringing, and end with 'but at least I made it out.' I felt compelled to abandon my background to find my new place at Penn.

"It wasn’t the light pollution, lack of nature, or noise that made Penn so different — it was the culture. I found myself struggling to find an anchor with my urban peers. . . . I was always a step behind. My differences were possibly the most apparent at the dining hall. I grew up on simple, hearty foods like pepperoni rolls and baked mac & cheese — nothing like the diverse and unique food options my peers raved about. Penn’s food options felt like an entirely new language.

"The education I received, too, lacked greatly in comparison to my peers. In 2024, West Virginia was ranked the worst state for education. Approximately only 20% of West Virginians over 25 have a bachelor's degree or higher. While I’d been admitted to Penn, I was still the product of a struggling academic system. Even though I already knew my education put me at a disadvantage, I underestimated how much I would feel out of place at Penn. . . . Perhaps even more than educationally, I was lacking socially.

"Coming from a geographically underrepresented area meant I was at a disadvantage in navigating Penn. While my classmates seemed to effortlessly adjust to this new world, I felt lost grappling with new social dynamics, cuisine, and academics. The culture shock was not just locational; it was a reminder of how deeply our backgrounds influence our future. Although I felt the need to abandon my old life for Penn’s new offerings, I couldn't just put West Virginia behind me. I would have to actively work to bridge the gap between my unique upbringing and my new life at Penn. . ."

Free online class on rural mental health is available at eCornell. It's designed for vets and agribusiness partners.

A new online course, “Mental Health and Suicide Prevention in Rural America” aims to help veterinarians, agriculture partners and veterinary students learn about mental health issues in rural communities and how to help, reports The Daily Yonder. The class is supported by Cornell University’s College of Veterinary Medicine and NY FarmNet, in partnership with Rural Minds, a nonprofit organization dedicated to promoting mental health in rural America. People interested in taking the course can access it at eCornell. The course is offered at no charge to participants.

The online course provides "practical tips to help with mental health challenges, including recognizing and responding to warning signs, as well as providing key information on resources such as crisis hotline numbers and local supports," the Yonder staff reports. "Rural communities have disproportionately higher rates of suicide in their population compared to urban areas. Farmers are twice as likely than those in other occupations to die by suicide, according to Rural Minds, and veterinarians also face higher risks of suicide when compared to the general population."

Jeff Winton, founder and chairman of Rural Minds, told the Yonder. "As a dairy farmer, I know firsthand that veterinarians are an integral part of all rural communities. And they may be among the first to see warning signs that a client is experiencing a mental health challenge but may not recognize those same signs in themselves."

Sabato's Crystal Ball predicts the highest-profile issues on state ballots this year

Voters in 41 states will have at least one important item on the ballot this November in addition to all of the local and federal candidates running for office.

According to The Center for Politics – Sabato’s Crystal Ball, “The highest-profile issue on the ballot this year — as was the case in 2022 and 2023 — is abortion. . . .Voters will also be asked about a wide range of election-related issues, including ranked-choice voting, redistricting and non-citizen voting. Other common topics involve proposals on criminal justice, raising the minimum wage, recreational marijuana, and education policy.”

The Center for Politics, which is based at the University of Virginia, provides a guide to all of the ballot measures that can be found here.

The presidential race isn't top dog in Montana; both parties have eyes and ads fixed on the state's U.S. Senate race.

Tim Sheehy

Montana's heated senate race between incumbent Sen. Jon Tester (D-Montana) and first-time Republican candidate Tim Sheehy has put the presidential race in the rearview mirror. "The state is focused on a race that could determine control of the U.S. Senate, and the next president’s ability to get their agenda through Congress," report Rhonda Colvin, Ross Godwin and Whitney Shefte of The Washington Post. "On the ground, it is still a door-to-door, vote-to-vote fight to the finish, with historical levels of ad spending and an intense focus on Native American voters and potential ticket-splitters."

Native Americans comprise the sparsely populated state's largest minority voting block, but many are not registered voters. Ronnie Jo Horse, executive director of Western Native Voice, a statewide social welfare nonprofit, told the Post, "I think they are getting to know their power. We have 37,000 unregistered voters. Once people find that out and know that Montana wins elections on 3,000 votes, you can see their eyes get big and surprised.”

Jon Tester

Tester won the state's last three elections "partly because of support from Native voters and this year, the Montana Democratic Party announced a multimillion campaign focused on keeping their support," Colvin, Godwin and Shefte explain. "But Native turnout in the state has seen a downturn in recent elections" Republicans see Sheehy "as one of their best chances to unseat a Democrat and add to their numbers — and recent polls suggest they have some momentum."

Meanwhile, the intense campaigning has left some voters worn out from constant political chatter. "Montanans have been under a deluge of inescapable appeals for their vote. . . . The total ad spending from both sides in the race since January 2023 and planned until Election Day will come in at $275 million," the Post reports. Ad-weary Montana voter Machaela Goggins told the Post, “It feels like borderline psychological abuse. . . . I think people are just ready to have an answer one way or another."

Piles of dead dairy cows in California show an industry that wasn't prepared for H5N1 bird flu's aggressive spread

H5N1 can be more deadly for younger cows.
(Adobe Stock photo)

After the H5N1 bird flu virus was detected in California in August, the virus spread aggressively and has infected at least 124 dairy herds and 13 dairy workers, reports Susanne Rust of the Los Angeles Times. "And according to dairy experts, the spread of the virus has yet to abate." The virus has killed dairy cattle at an "unexpected rate," which has left some dairies with roadside piles of dead cows awaiting rendering service pickup.

While roadside patches of dead cows are grisly, John Korslund, a retired Department of Agriculture veterinarian epidemiologist, said "there was probably very little risk to public health in having the animals piled up," because the virus doesn't last long in a carcass. 

Anja Raudabaugh, chief executive of Western United Dairies, "said although the dairy farmers she represents had been reading about the virus for months before it hit, no one was prepared for the devastation and unevenness with which the virus has struck California’s dairy herds," Rust reports. "She said on some farms, the cows seem virtually unaffected, despite being infected. While on others, the animals are dying in droves."

The virus' biggest toll has been on younger dairy cows, but farmers are doing what they can to keep them alive. Raudabaugh told Rust, “given the extreme rearing and raising and just expenses that go into raising these animals, there’s hope that on the other side of the virus, they will come back into production that’s sustainable for the farmer. So it’s definitely a last resort if they are culling them.”

Dairy farmers are concerned that even if a cows survive the virus, their milk production could indefinitely decrease. Rust reports, "The Department of Agriculture has a program to pay back farmers for production loss due to the virus. The program covers the three weeks of production lost by a cow when it is removed from the milking herd to recover, as well as the seven days afterward when production is still low." There is no protection for permanent production loss.

Report: Chain drugstores get $23.55 to fill a blood pressure prescription, but a small drugstore gets only $1.51

Adams Family Pharmacy often loses money filling
prescriptions. (Photo by A. Miller, KFF Health News)

Even as independent pharmacists face low or no profits from medication sales, pharmacy middlemen reimbursements favor large drugstore chains. The Federal Trade Commission and several lawmakers are starting to take aim at prescription benefit managers' power and repayment practices.

"On Sept. 20, the FTC sued three of the largest PBMs. . .The lawsuit followed a scathing FTC report that said the 'dominant PBMs can often exercise significant control over which drugs are available, at what price, and which pharmacies patients can use to access their prescribed medications,'" reports Andy Miller of KFF Health News.

How PBMs dominate reimbursement in Georgia is a drastic example of smaller pharmacies being shorted. The American Pharmacy Cooperative, which represents independent pharmacies, "reviewed the price differential paid to a north Georgia pharmacy and nearby chain stores," Miller explains. "The analysis showed chains were paid well beyond the family business. For example, the chains received an average of nearly $54 for the antidepressant bupropion, while Bell’s Family Pharmacy in Tate, Georgia, got $5.54. . . . For a drug used to treat blood pressure, amlodipine, chain pharmacies received an average of $23.55, while Bell’s got $1.51. . . Bell’s Family Pharmacy closed earlier this year."

Nikki Bryant is a pharmacist and co-owner of Adams Family Pharmacy in rural Cuthbert, Georgia, who has worked to find creative ways to bolster the business' income because the pharmacy loses money. "Bryant and other independent pharmacists say they lose money filling certain prescriptions while reimbursements favor chain pharmacies like CVS that have corporate ties to pharmacy benefit managers," Miller adds. "Bryant said she can make more profit on cake and coffee than with many medications."

Some lawmakers are scrutinizing PBMs. "Members of both parties in Congress have tackled PBM reform," Miller reports. "House members recently introduced another proposal, known as the Pharmacists Fight Back Act, which supporters say would add transparency, limit costs for patients, ensure they get the benefit of drugmaker discounts, and protect their pharmacy choices."

Years of underpayments by PBMs to smaller pharmacies have disproportionately harmed rural communities by "accelerating closures of mom-and-pop pharmacies across the country, said the National Community Pharmacists Association," Miller reports. "The U.S. loses almost one such pharmacy a day, said Anne Cassity, a senior vice president of the association."

Is sewage sludge used on farms and golf courses in your community? Tips for journalists to investigate issues.

A sewage sludge treatment tank in Scottdale, Penn.
(USDA photo, Lance Cheung via Flickr CC)

It may not sound pretty, but looking into sewage sludge disposal practices can be a story that helps your community's health. "There was a time when the Environmental Protection Agency renamed toxic sludge as 'biosolids,' and journalists went along with it," reports Joseph A. Davis of the Society of Environmental Journalists. "As we are becoming aware of more and more toxic chemicals, it is hardly a surprise that we are finding them in sewage sludge. The surprise is that some farmers are spreading them on their fields."

The multiple contaminants within sewage sludge are a health threat to humans and the environment because PFAS or "forever chemicals" can be present in sludge; however, sludge pollutants can also include "heavy metals like lead, other toxic organics like dioxins, PCBs, pharmaceuticals whose names you can’t even pronounce," Davis explains. "The problem gets much harder when you realize there are thousands of individual PFAS chemicals. Not to mention all the other chemical families."

The problems with sludge, even when treated, or labeled "biosolids" remain extensive. EPA rules may not be enough to keep people and nature safe because current rules "allow — some say encourage — sterilized, dried sludge to be spread on fields, golf courses, etc," Davis writes. "The big question is whether harmful chemicals are getting into people’s food and water."

Davis offers the following story ideas:

• Where does your sewage go when you flush the toilet? Talk to your local sewage treatment agencies and ask them what they do with their sewage sludge.
• Ask who takes the bulk of processed sludge from your local agencies? There may be companies who distribute it in large quantities to farmers, golf courses, etc., who apply it to land. Talk to them. Talk to their customers.
• The EPA has to review its 'biosolids' rules every two years to see whether they should be updated as new contaminants come to light. What do local sewage officials and environmental advocates think about the EPA’s performance?
• Some disposal of sewage sludge on land requires a National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (water pollution) permit. Check the permit database for permittees. Check the EPA’s ECHO enforcement database for violators. Talk to permittees and permitting agencies.
• Does your local sludge go into the retail market? What companies and brands sell it? Ask for their test results on chemical contamination. Figure out what they didn’t test for.
• Talk to groundskeepers or managers at local golf courses. Do they use sludge products on their courses? What can you learn about the run-off situation?
• Go to meetings of local garden clubs and community gardens. Or visit on-site. Ask members what they do, especially with vegetable gardens.

Reporting resources:

• U.S. Environmental Protection Agency: The agency sets the standards for land application of sludge.
• Local sewage treatment agencies: You can find them in the EPA’s ICIS-NPDES database using SIC code 4952.
• National Association of Clean Water Agencies: The NACWA is a lobby and professional group of municipal sewage treatment agencies.
• Center for Food Safety: A nonprofit group that advocates for food safety.
• Regional biosolids groups: Find some listed here.
• Food & Water Watch: A nonprofit environmental advocacy group that follows the sludge-agriculture issue.
• Water Environment Federation: A professional and scientific organization whose members work in the sewage and water industries.

Researchers are modifying the DNA of corn seeds to reduce pollution and dependence on fertilizer .

Pivot Bio's microbes help nourish corn seeds in the ground and reduce their need for
chemical fertilizers. The process has a lot of unanswered questions. (Privot Bio graphic)

In a novel approach to stemming agriculture's contribution to climate change, researchers are altering bacterial DNA, so that corn seeds require less chemical fertilizer to thrive, reports Eric Lipton of The New York Times. "Globally, the manufacture, transportation, and use of chemical fertilizer is responsible for pollution with the equivalent planet-warming power of about 1 billion metric tons of carbon dioxide each year. That’s more than the combined releases from all the coal-burning power plants in the U.S."

Research on genetically modified bacteria that is sprayed on corn seeds and then planted in the U.S. corn belt is ongoing. If successful, it could revolutionize how plantings are nourished throughout their growth cycle while helping reduce carbon emissions. Lipton writes, "Just five years after they were introduced, the seeds are being used on 5% of American corn crops."

The sprayed seeds are produced by Pivot Bio, a California-based company, which "estimates that last year, its treated seeds prevented the release of an estimated 706,000 metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent — comparable to the greenhouse gasses from burning 1.5 million barrels of oil," Lipton reports. "But it’s also producing intense pushback."

The alteration of bacteria and its application to corn seeds has some organic farming groups up in arms and "manufacturers of chemical fertilizer are also raising doubts about the new industry player," Lipton adds. "Pivot’s own advisers concede there are unanswered questions." David Kanter, a Pivot adviser who teaches environmental studies at New York University, told Lipton, "We have rarely created a solution to an environmental problem that doesn’t create other unforeseen consequences down the line."

Meanwhile, other companies are creating their own hubs of fertilizer-replacement research. "The goal is to supplant as much as half the fertilizer used today," Lipton reports. "Companies, including Ginkgo Bioworks and BioConsortia, are developing their own versions. Academics at M.I.T. and other universities are trying to make further advances. . . . At this point, scientists don’t believe they can completely eliminate the need for chemical fertilizer."

An Ohio county with big Amish community is becoming an economic hub. Economists say the model can be replicated.

Horse-drawn buggy in rural Holmes
County (Wikipedia photo)

Hard work, generosity and 'extreme networking,' are a few of the reasons the Amish community in Holmes County, Ohio, is thriving. The group's unique ways of supporting new businesses can serve as a model for other places looking to bolster economic mobility, reports Scott Calvert of The Wall Street Journal. "Between 2005 and 2019, average household income in Holmes County rose 24% for 27-year-olds raised in lower-income homes."

By some measures, Holmes should be struggling, but instead, it's becoming an economic hub. "Economists and local business leaders believe much of the progress stems from entrepreneurial growth fueled by cooperation and innovation, all buttressed by tight family and community ties," Calvert explains. "Mark Partridge, an Ohio State University economist who has studied Holmes County, points to an 'extreme networking effect,' where companies — and cousins — routinely help each other out."

Location of Holmes County
in Ohio (Wikipedia photo)

Experts point out that being Amish isn't necessary to replicate what's going on in Holmes County. Partridge told Calvert, "You can have a tight social network with effective social organizations, chambers of commerce, business organizations, and other kind of nonprofits.” Calvert reports, "While rural areas are often hampered by young talent moving away for better job opportunities, many Holmes County natives remain, held in part by the Amish tradition of staying near one’s community."

Sharing -- even with business competitors -- is a key ingredient in this community's success. Calvert writes, "Steve Miller, 31, started Grand Design Roofing in his 20s with a partner. Their Covid-era boom is over, he said, but business is still robust enough to sometimes overextend him and his six workers." Miller told Calvert, "If we’ve got plenty of jobs, I just go to my competitor and I give him a couple jobs. . . . I’m here so my employees can make a good, honest living. . . . I’m not here to collect all the wealth I can absolutely collect.”

Powerful pharmacy benefit managers are tasked with cutting costs, but their practices can undercut small pharmacies

PBMs increase profits when independent pharmacies
go out of business. (Adobe Stock photo)

The loss of independent pharmacies across the country has been a concern for rural residents, but who are the fabled PBMs, or pharmacy benefit managers, how do they operate and what do they gain when they force smaller pharmacies to close, ask Reed Abelson and Rebecca Robbins of The New York Times. "A New York Times investigation found PBMs, which employers and government programs hire to oversee prescription drug benefits, have been systematically underpaying small pharmacies, helping to drive hundreds out of business."

PBMs garner the power to underpay smaller pharmacies from "two main sources. First, the three biggest players — CVS Caremark, Express Scripts and Optum Rx — collectively process roughly 80 percent of prescriptions in the United States," Abelson and Robbins explain. "Second, they determine how much drugstores are reimbursed for medications that they provide to patients. . . . When local drugstores fold, the benefit managers often scoop up their customers, according to dozens of patients and pharmacists."

The process of how pharmacists purchase medicines, sell them to patients and receive reimbursements is undermined by PBMs who seek to add to their profits by undercutting smaller drugstores' drug reimbursements. The Times reports, "To take just one example: For a month’s supply of the blood thinner Eliquis, several pharmacists in different states said, the big three PBMs routinely paid them as much as $100 less than what it cost the pharmacies to buy the medication from a wholesaler.

"By contrast, the PBMs sometimes pay their own pharmacies more than what they pay local drugstores for the same medications. Independent pharmacies are powerless to fight back. As the unprofitable transactions pile up, some are unable to stay afloat. . . . [The closures] have disproportionately affected rural and low-income communities, creating so-called pharmacy deserts that make it harder for residents to get prescriptions and medical advice."

There is an inherent tension between PBMs and any pharmacy seeking drug reimbursements. The PBMs' purpose is to cut costs, which is accomplished by paying pharmacies less. Those savings can, "in turn, lower insurance premiums for workers and people covered by government programs like Medicare," Abelson and Robbins write. "But that apparent frugality often benefits the PBMs in ways that have nothing to do with their clients’ interests. . . .At the same time that PBMs are reimbursing pharmacies at rates below their costs, the benefit managers are often charging employers much higher prices and pocketing the difference, according to insurance paperwork reviewed by The Times."

Rural pharmacies have been forced into closure for years; now bigger chains are shuttering stores

A Walgreens pharmacy in Murphy, North Carolina,
pop. 1,600. (Wikipedia photo)

 

Over the past decade, rural, independent pharmacies faced shrinking profits and many closed. But now, even big chains are struggling to keep the current drugstore model profitable, reports Nathaniel Meyersohn of CNN News. "CVS is closing 900 stores. Walgreens announced it plans to close 1,200 stores, meaning 1 in 7 will disappear. . . .They are now shutting down because of shifting consumer habits, competition and changes in the pharmacy industry."

Both independent and larger drugstore chains blame some of their financial decline on pharmacy benefit managers, or PBMs, which negotiate rebates from drug manufacturers to insurers. "PBMs have been cutting reimbursement rates to boost their own profits, Elizabeth Anderson, an analyst at Evercore IRI," told CNN. "The pharmacy industry has complained that PBMs have too much control and can squeeze pharmacies. PBMs argue that they help keep drug prices down by negotiating with drug makers."

Walgreens added primary care clinics to try and bolster its bottom line, but the venture was unsuccessful. "Walgreens took a $5.2 billion stake in VillageMD, a primary care network, in 2021. But VillageMD has not been profitable for Walgreens, and Walgreens has tried to cut costs," Meyersohn writes. "The chain has been closing VillageMD locations and said over the summer it will divest from the company."

When the past 20 years of pharmacy availability for Americans is scrutinized, rural residents usually end up with fewer options and a longer drive for medication treatment, but the same can be true for poorer neighborhoods. Meyersohn reports, "Roughly one out of every eight pharmacies closed between 2009 and 2015, which disproportionately affected independent pharmacies and low-income neighborhoods, according to a study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association."

Opinion: Reporter's shield law needs to be extended to the federal level: 'The PRESS Act is needed now.'

Shield law protections by state (Graph by the Reporters Committee
for Freedom of the Press)

The New York Times editorial board offers a compelling piece on the importance of a reporter's shield law and why its protections need to be extended to the federal level. "Safeguarding the anonymity of reporters’ sources is essential . . . . It has been recognized by governments or courts in 49 states and the District of Columbia as a form of protection for journalists and news outlets against unfair or overbearing efforts by the government to ferret out their sources. . . There is nothing of the sort, however, on the federal level, where the need is arguably greatest."

A bipartisan bill representing those federal protections, known as the Protect Reporters From Exploitative State Spying Act, or PRESS Act, has already moved through the House of Representatives and is awaiting release by the Senate Judiciary Committee. The editorial board writes, "It would shield reporters from court-ordered disclosure of their sources of information, except in the rare cases in which disclosure is necessary to prevent an act of terrorism or imminent violence."

Freedom of speech and whistle-blowing protection remain essential parts of a healthy democracy. The editorial board adds, "Leaks and whistle-blowers have often proved essential to the public’s understanding of major events and the workings of government at all levels. There is nothing ideological about their usefulness; they can be just as effective in exposing the unwelcome truth about Democratic administrations as Republican ones. By protecting reporters from having to reveal their sources, the bill would ideally encourage more whistle-blowers to help shine a light on government abuses."

Some members of the House having been "targets of sharp investigative reporting or frequent critics of the news media," the editorial board adds. Still, every member has "supported swift passage of the PRESS bill. . . Nothing in the PRESS Act would prevent the government from prosecuting leakers, and the government has vast powers to monitor its officials without demanding that reporters divulge the information they seek. . . . The PRESS Act is needed now."