Renee Good's death and the rural-urban divide

Many rural Minnesotas see the state's bigger cities as dangerous and 
'out of control.'

The shooting death of Renee Good by a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent in Minneapolis, Minn., sparked outrage among the state's urban residents and precautionary warnings from the state's more rural citizens. The fissure between the two creates a "story about America’s urban-rural divide," report Sheila M. Eldred, Elizabeth A. Stawicki, Ann Hinga Klein, and Kurt Streeter of The New York Times.

In Nisswa, a rural, red-voting Minnesota town roughly 150 miles North of Minneapolis, residents at the local pub,"Ye Old Pickle Factory," acknowledge the tragedy of Good's death but still point to the care U.S. citizens should take with law enforcement. The Times reports, “'You obey the law officer,' a man in a veteran’s ball cap said, 'and question it later.'"

"This is the divide, in a single sentence," the Times reports. "In Minneapolis, protesters saw an innocent woman killed by a federal agent and took to the streets. At 'the Pickle,' the regulars saw a woman who should have complied."

Location of Nisswa, Minn., left, Minneapolis, right

The responses to Good's death highlighted another common and increasing difference between rural and urban Americans, where rural residents "see the city as dangerous, out of control and something to flee," Eldred explains.

Rural residents in Minnesota and across the country often see big cities as epicenters of power and money that care little for rural residents. The Times reports, "This sense of alienation is not new. But in recent years it has become tightly bound to Republican partisanship."

Not all of rural Minnesotans see Good's death as a horrible, but justified death of a U.S. citizen by an ICE agent. Trever DePoppe from Pine City, Minn., considers himself an ICE supporter and solid Republican, told the Times, "I think it’s great to start to get some of the illegal immigrants out of the state, [but] I think it’s bad how they are going about it.”

Study: Gen Z journalists may be avoiding rural newsrooms

Some younger journalists worry that rural newsrooms
might be too conservative for them. (Adobe Stock photo)

Gen Z journalists may be steered away from rural newsrooms due to a lack of knowledge in jobs available, as well as concerns of salary, politics, social life and career advancement potential, according to a new study involving students in the United States and Canada.

To examine why students in their late teens to early 20s are not attracted to working in rural areas, journalism professor Teri Finneman of the University of Kansas and instructor Tyler Nagel of Southern Alberta Institute of Technology surveyed 183 of their local mass communication students to ask how they felt about the possibility of reporting in rural communities, writes Tandy Lau for E&P Magazine.

Shared below is a Q&A on why some students who were surveyed find reporting in rural areas to be unappealing and what newsrooms may be able to do to attract younger journalists.

Q: Why aren’t more journalist students aware of available jobs in rural areas?
A: Some journalism schools are only teaching their students about journalism at a national level and not providing the context of journalism at a rural level. Eighty percent of Kansas respondents said they had not been taught about rural journalism in their classes at all, so they didn’t know what jobs there are available.

Q: Why are students concerned about salary?
A: While rural newsrooms often have a lower cost of living, students still have financial concerns. The Kansas respondents said they face student debt while the Canadian respondents face a current housing crisis.

Q: Why might students be concerned about politics?
A: Kansas students, particularly those with diverse backgrounds, responded they fear not being welcomed in rural communities due to polarizing politics and rural areas leaning red.

Q: How can rural newsrooms combat concerns of a lack of social life and career advancement opportunities?
A: Communicating with young journalists still in school is key in opening rural opportunities for them. Modernizing job descriptions, communicating opportunities to grow into leadership roles, creating a network for young journalists to socialize, and incentivizing the possibility of taking over a rural paper are a few of the recommendations by Finneman and Nagel after conducting their study.

Specialty crop farmers and corn growers urge lawmakers to make needed changes to upcoming bills

U.S. specialty crops include fruits and vegetables.
(Adobe Stock photo)

U.S. farmers and farming advocates are pushing lawmakers to draft bills that include additional aid for specialty crop growers and include wording that allows for the year-round use of 15% ethanol-blended gasoline (E15), write Pro Farmer editors for Farm Journal.

Many specialty crop growers were disappointed with the Trump administration's 2025 aid package, which allocated $11 billion for row-crop farmers and $1 billion for specialty crop farmers. Specialty crops include fruits, veggies, nuts, nursery crops, Christmas trees and maple syrup.

Specialty Crop Farm Bill Alliance co-chair Cathy Burns told Nicole Heslip of Brownfield Ag Network, "Specialty crops account for one-third of crop sales in the U.S., and we have the same harmful headwinds that the rest of agriculture is experiencing."

Burns suggested "5 billion in relief would help alleviate some of the unprecedented economic challenges facing growers from labor, input costs, lost markets, and unfair competition from competitors," Heslip writes.

Allowing year-round sales of E15 gasoline has been on farmers' wish lists for years. Michelle Rook of Farm Journal reports, "Analysis from the National Corn Growers Association indicates that it would boost corn use by approximately 2.4 billion bushels annually and be one of the quickest ways to increase demand and chew through the record pile of corn in the U.S."

In the past, states had to apply for waivers to extend E15 sales into the summer months. 

Opinion: Rural communities need younger residents to become leaders, but some changes may have to come first

Calendars and contact information
can be shared multiple ways.

Older Americans often dominate positions in local government and social circles that influence a rural area's civic activism. While it benefits the "Old Guard" to remain active, their resistance to inviting a younger, more "techy" cohort of residents into their ranks has led to a decline in community engagement and volunteerism, writes Donna Kallner in her opinion piece for The Daily Yonder. 

"Rural communities need younger people to step up into leadership roles in local government, volunteer organizations, churches, schools, and families," Kallner explains. "But too often those younger people run up against ways of doing things. . . .The Old Guard in the other group shuts down any idea or strategy that isn’t a legacy from the 20th century. . . . And then people moan about how you can’t get anyone to volunteer, or run for office, or call to engage."

Kallner encourages more senior members of rural communities to develop relationships with younger residents that welcome, respect, and promote their voices and contributions -- even if that means changing the way things "have always been done" and using some technology to lighten everyone's loads. A few of her lightly edited suggestions are shared below.

Respect everyone's time. Show up on time, knowing what needs to be accomplished and get to it. That’s baseline respect for people who, in order to be there, have made child care arrangements, rushed from work with maybe a bun-and-run for supper, and still have to clear snow from their driveways when they get home. 

Be open to using technology. Today’s cell phones put remarkable tools in our pockets. Tools like calendar apps with a handy, customizable feature called Notifications that can give a heads up the evening before and/or day of an event or when a task needs to be done. Trying to be respectful of other people’s time? Set repeating alarms for monthly meetings to sound early enough to get there on time. 

Share contact information, courtesy and grace. A text group can alert a dozen people before they even leave home when a power outage or plumbing issue closes the coffee shop where you expected to meet. . . . Especially if you’re an event organizer, be sure to share and re-post your cell number. Remember to check your messages and voice mail so you can relay information to those unable to attend. 

Quick hits: Yosemite's 'firefall' is coming; high school newsroom produces this town's paper; give blood before the storm; buying American

Yosemite's 'firefall' only happens once a year. 
(Photo by Leo Visions, Unsplash)

It's almost here, and it's not to be missed. "Every year from mid-to-late February, the setting sun hits Yosemite’s Horsetail Fall along the eastern edge of the soaring El Capitan at just the right angle, creating the illusion that the 1,575-foot waterfall is on fire," reports Lyndsey Matthews for Afar. This Yosemite National Park phenomenon, aka 'firefall,' is ultra-popular, and this year is expected to be even more crowded."

In rural Pulaski, Wisconsin, a high school newsroom has produced the area newspaper for the past 83 years. "Pulaski News remains the community’s primary news outlet, and high school students still staff the newsroom," reports Bob Sillick for Editor & Publisher. "Published every two weeks, Pulaski News is the product of Pulaski High School’s journalism course. . . The content of the 12- to 20-page newspaper is community-focused, sharing the information and news important to the local populace."

Americans who want to buy American-made goods may struggle to find them, but U.S. manufacturers are working to change that experience. "Right now, though, the Buy American movement faces stiff headwinds. Inflation has raised prices dramatically over the past five years, making cheap imports look all the more appealing," report Daniel de Visé and Veronica Bravo of USA Today. "Gallup polling suggests only about 40% of Americans consistently know where their toasters and T-shirts are made. . . American manufacturers want attitudes to change." USA Today includes a list of still-thriving U.S. manufacturers and where to find them.

Marty Durlin (Writers on the Range photo) 

For community journalists new to their rural community, covering local government may seem like an onerous evening beat. But as Marty Durlin shares, there's a lot to be learned from covering city councils in small-town America. "For the past year and a half, I’ve been reporting weekly on municipal government in three rural Western Colorado towns. . . .I’ve come to understand that the job of a council member is challenging and important. The task demands attention to detail and a grasp of everything from high finance and road repair to solutions for the unhoused. It’s also time-consuming and basically unpaid."  

Giving blood before a major weather event can
save lives. (Axios graphic)  

Milk, bread and blood are all in demand before blasts of snow, ice and bitterly cold temperatures hit the U.S. "The Red Cross said blood donations were already down 35% nationally in the past month and asked people to donate to boost the supply before the winter weather hits," reports April Rubin of Axios. "Extreme weather affected about 400 blood drives in December — more than three times the number during that same period in 2024."

As residential electricity costs climb, big users pay less

Between 2022 and 2024 residential electricity costs 
increased by 10%. (Photo by J. Maculan, Unsplash)

After years of wallet-draining food inflation, many Americans must now contend with soaring home electric bills. "Since February 2020, electricity prices have increased by an average of 40% across the country," reports Shannon Osaka of The Washington Post. Overall, the brunt of the increased costs is being paid by residential customers even when they aren't the biggest users.

Many utilities have increased rates to fund needed infrastructure builds, but residential customers are paying more than commercial users. Osaka writes, "Residential electricity costs rose by 10% between 2022 and 2024. Commercial users, spanning everything from small corner stores to giant, energy-sucking data centers, have seen rates increase just 3%."

Building and repairing the poles, wires and transformers required for residential electricity delivery is costly and isn't generally needed by large commercial users, which is one reason many residential customers pay higher rates. Oska notes, "The average electricity price at the end of 2024 was 16 cents per kilowatt-hour for homes and apartments, and just 13 cents for commercial customers."

While infrastructure costs explain some of the difference in electrical prices, a complex system of lobbying goes on behind the scenes to determine how much a business will pay for electricity. Osaka reports. "In theory, each group is supposed to pay an amount that aligns with the cost to bring them power — but in practice, different groups can lobby for lower prices."

Charles Hua, executive director of PowerLines, a group that works to lower electricity costs for consumers across the country, told Osaka, "Residential consumers feel like they don’t have a voice in our utility regulatory system." Osaka adds, "Utilities often sign special contracts with data center customers that place them outside standard pricing agreements."

Some states are working to prevent data centers from shifting their expansion costs onto residential customers. Osaka reports, "Virginia recently established a new class for data centers and other huge users of electricity, with agreements in place to make sure the data centers pay for more of the grid upgrades required."

Analysis: Nursing home patient capacities have shrunk, with rural areas posting the greatest decreases

Rural areas had the greatest declines in available nursing
home beds since 2019. (Pixabay photo via Medical Express) 

Despite the rapidly aging U.S. population, nursing home capacity has shrunk nationwide since 2019. According to Sadie Harley for the University of Rochester Medical Center, a recently published study in JAMA Internal Medicine showed that 25% of U.S. counties "experienced decreases in the number of supported nursing home spots by 15% or more," with rural areas reporting the greatest declines.

The dwindling number of nursing home placements for older Americans translates into "nearly 4,000 fewer beds available for new patients each day," Harley writes. "But this decline was not felt by all communities equally. It varied widely across geographic regions, with rural counties more likely to face declines of 25% or more."

Rural communities are already grappling with fewer physicians, hospital closures and strained emergency medical services. The loss of nursing home spots presents another challenge, leaving more rural residents with few other options than to travel farther for ongoing care.

Within the U.S. medical system, nursing homes provide vital care to seniors who need regular medical treatment but don't require the expertise of hospital services. They also offer interim care for patients leaving the hospital who aren't yet ready to care for themselves at home. Harley explains, "The reduction in nursing home capacity was linked to longer hospital stays, especially extended stays of 28 days or more."

The decline in nursing home care spots isn't a reflection of the number of beds a facility has. Harley adds, "This study estimated nursing homes' operating capacity by taking other resource constraints into account." Study author Brian McGarry, told Harley, "The facility may not have the staff or other resources to fill every bed."

With too few employees and rangers, Yosemite National Park hosts visitors with the 'wrong kind of wildness'

Yosemite's iconic rock face, the Half Dome.
( Photo by J. Andersson, Unsplash)

National Park staffing reductions have left Yosemite's increasing number of visitors to their own devices. Park guests "were far less supervised than they normally were, which had led to the wrong kind of wildness — littering, cliff jumping, drone-flying," reports Soumya Karlamangla of The New York Times. Since 2025, the National Park Service staff has shrunk by 25%.

Meanwhile, Yosemite's visitor numbers have increased, and last summer was one of the park's "busiest summers in recent years," Karlamangla explains. "October was unusually packed because the park was left open and free during the federal government shutdown."

Without enough park rangers and staff, scientists working in Yosemite have taken to picking up trash and cleaning the bathrooms. Mark Ruggiero, a retired Yosemite ranger who still does part-time work in the park, told Karlamangla, "It’s really disheartening to see the direction we’re going."

Elisabeth Barton, a co-owner of a Yosemite guided tour company, explained how the lack of park rangers can mean visitors -- mostly unintentionally -- are seen doing things that could harm themselves, others or park land. The Times reports, "She has  noticed more visitors driving the wrong way down one-way roads, parking on sensitive meadows and BASE jumping off cliffs, which is not allowed."

Before the staffing cuts, park employees were stationed at Yosemite's entrance to collect entrance fees and explain the park rules and guidance. Park rangers also supervised the trails to ensure the safety and care of visitors and wildlife. 

"It was the vistas of Yosemite. . .that helped inspire the creation of the entire national park system," Karlamangla adds. "President Abraham Lincoln in 1864 made the Yosemite Valley federally protected land designated for public use."

Right now, Yosemite's staff is struggling to maintain the most basic services. Barton told Karlamangla, "I struggle to see the long game here.”

Small-town governments can intentionally build 'local patriotism' to combat voter and citizen apathy

Graph by Sean Richey, The Conversation

Despite the direct impact local governments have on public safety, taxes and schools, only a fraction of voters cast ballots in local elections, and many residents don't know their elected officials' names.

"Turnout in local elections regularly falls below 20%, often leaving critical decisions in the hands of small, unrepresentative groups, creating an electorate that’s disproportionately white, elderly and affluent," writes Sean Richey for The Conversation.

Richey's more recent research explored what factors influence why some voters become more engaged in their communities, and others don't. He notes, "An overlooked factor explains why some people engage with their communities while others tune out: local patriotism, or how they feel about their town."

Residents who "love their town" were far more likely to participate in activities that impact it. Richey explains, "Even after accounting for factors such as age, education, income and general interest in politics, loving one’s town strongly predicted participation in local politics. . . . Local patriotism also correlated strongly with trust in local government."

For smaller governments, encouraging local patriotism can open up dialogues with potential voters and volunteers who have different needs and hopes for their town. When citizens care, they are more likely to chime in and participate. On a broader scale, when Americans love their towns, their social and political activities support democracy.

Farmers markets can help residents build a sense of hometown 
pride. (Photo by Thomas Barwick, Getty via Conversation CC)

"Local patriotism appears to address a fundamental puzzle in political science: why anyone participates in local politics at all," Richey explains. "The time and effort required almost always exceed any tangible benefit an individual would receive."

Richey's study shows that whether starting a local farmers market, celebrating a new school building or encouraging nature walks that highlight a town's most celebrated wildlife or landscapes, local patriotism can be intentionally fostered. His complete list of suggestions is here.

South Dakota lawmakers grapple with Rural Health Transformation funding and sustainability

Monument Health in Rapid City, S.D., will receive RHTP funding.
(Photo by Seth Tupper, South Dakota Searchlight)

Legislative and practical worries about staffing and sustainability have some South Dakota lawmakers worried that the $189.5 million the state received from the Rural Health Transformation Program won't be enough to strengthen its rural hospitals in the long term, reports Makenzie Huber of South Dakota Searchlight.

Sen. Taffy Howard, R-Rapid City, has "questions and frustrations about the funding," Huber writes. Because of the way RHTP is structured, if South Dakota lawmakers don't spend the money, "another state will spend it instead."

South Dakota's RHTP application targeted 10 initiatives, including "creating a 'data atlas' for providers and facilities to share local and state agency data, improving the rural health care workforce, improving chronic disease management, establishing regional maternal and infant health care hubs, and regionalizing behavioral health care," Huber explains. 

To support its initiatives, the state's plan includes numerous incentives designed to attract and keep needed medical staffing, such as "sign-on bonuses, relocation assistance, and rural service stipends," Huber writes. Medical professionals who accept incentives must work in their assigned rural community for at least five years.

In reviewing all the initiatives, several lawmakers "asked questions about workforce needs and how those would be addressed outside of the incentives mentioned," Huber reports. "Howard told officials that she’s skeptical about the proposal and its sustainability." Howard pointed out that infant care hubs and mental health treatment may need more than "one-time funding to operate in financially strapped rural communities."

While state lawmakers are hopeful RHTP funding can sustainably improve rural health care, many remain concerned about what the loss of federal Medicaid dollars will mean for many rural patients and hospitals. 

Rep. Erik Muckey, D-Sioux Falls, told Huber, "This still doesn’t answer the question about how to sustain quality health care going forward because of massive cuts to Medicaid.”