Rural character of towns across the U.S. is literally becoming a chicken fight; roosters bring noise complaints

A fight over the character of rural towns has been playing out across the U.S. and it all comes down to one of the most ubiquitous of barnyard animals: the not-so-humble rooster. "It all stems from a collision: more people adopting chicks and more people moving within earshot of them," reports Rukmini Callimachi for The New York Times. 

Town and city councils from New Hampshire, Indiana, Idaho, Pennsylvania, Washington state and Louisiana have been met with complaints and ordinance-change proposals since the COVID-19 pandemic led to a boom of "backyard homesteaders," Callimachi writes. The vice president of a mail-order hatchery told her that "people [were] panic-buying chickens like they did toilet paper" at the time. A second wave of chicken collecting came in 2022 when egg prices rose sharply. 

Callimachi reports that 8.5 million households owned backyard chickens by 2025 — up by 50% since 2018. But many of the hen hobbyists didn't understand that it's incredibly difficult to determine the sex of chicks. Many times, people don't know they've adopted a rooster until they starte crowing early in the morning. 

This was the case for Nixon, a Vermont rooster named for the former president "because he was a jerk," according to his owner. Nixon mostly minded his own yard in Pittsfield, Vt., but one day began traveling to the neighbors where he'd wake them up at 3 a.m. The neighbor took the fight to the town hall, where Callimachi reports the "private spat became a fight over the town's character," and after four meetings, the board didn't pass an ordinance for that reason: they wanted to protect that character. 

Sadly, the decision didn't help Nixon, who was literally "taken to the woodshed" by his owner after the town council asked him to handle the issue privately, Callimachi reports. And while other towns have passed noise ordinances and enacted new fines, Mayor Lee Dragna of Morgan City, Louisiana — who faced a rooster fight after egg prices rose — told Callimachi they came to a different solution: Band them, and wait them out; roosters typically only live three to four years. 

A voice for animal rights and Bluegrass music: Derby-winning breeder Arthur B. Hancock III dies at 83

Arthur B. Hancock III passed away on Sept. 18 at 83. His grandfather established the thoroughbred breeding operation Claiborne Farm in Paris, Kentucky. Hancock strayed away from the family business, pursuing a passion for Bluegrass music, but revisited horse breeding in 1972 — purchasing Stone Farm and raising three Derby winners, reports Joe Drape for The New York Times.

In his youth, Hancock expected the Claiborne Farm to be passed down to him; instead, it was given to his younger brother. Hancock’s father did not view him as “serious enough,” given his penchant for country music, drinking and gambling.

He went on to produce four original albums covered by Bluegrass stars. “Time (Old Faithful Friend of Mine)” was recorded by Ray Price in 1972, and “Nashville on My Mind” by Grandpa Jones in 1974. Hancock is to be “inducted posthumously into the Kentucky Music Hall of Fame next month.”

Hancock’s purchase of Stone Farm after his father’s death produced Derby winners like 1982’s Gato Del Sol, Sunday Silence, an unwanted colt with a crooked leg who would win the 1989 Derby and inspire Hancock to stop drinking, and 2000’s Fusaichi Pegasus.

Outside of music, he and his wife, Staci Hancock, voiced an unpopular opinion: Horse-racing was too full of performance-enhancing drugs and suffering. They started the Water Hay Oats Alliance, an antidrug, anti-slaughter coalition, and lobbied. “The group was instrumental in establishing federal oversight of thoroughbred racing.”

Community colleges serve rural areas to meet North Carolina's higher education recipient goal of 2 million

With an increasing number of job shortages and a growing aging population, rural counties in North Carolina are hoping a statewide push to educate youth through community colleges and trades will save local industries, and keep their communities alive.

 

North Carolina’s legislature set a goal in 2019 to “have 2 million 25- to 44-year-old residents with degrees or industry-recognized credentials in the state by 2030,” reports Kate Denning for Carolina Public Press and Rural News Network. One initiative, myFutureNC, is credited with helping reach this goal by supporting work-based learning and career planning for many rural students.

In October, an estimated 277,000 students are needed to enroll in higher education programs and enter the labor force to meet that goal. MyFutureNC adjusts that number when people move or age in or out using census records, FAFSA completion, pre-K enrollment records and chronic absenteeism rates. With the Workforce Act of 2026, the state gave myFutureNC $8 million to continue its programs.

 
MyFutureNC reports that the state has a 95% high school graduation rate — the highest in the South. Still, there is work to be done. Reading rates for both school children and higher education students are especially low. Stanly Community College in Albemarle is introducing context-based programs, where courses like ENG111 focus on career-related readings. Re-enrollment programs aim to reintroduce education to many ruralites, offering daycares and guaranteed quick advising appointments.

U.S. Supreme Court takes up a number of cases that could impact rural places

The U.S. Supreme Court was back in session on Monday, and several cases that impact rural places and people are on the docket, reports James Romoser of The Wall Street Journal.

First up was a case about "whether local governments can sue oil companies for damages to their communities allegedly caused by climate change. Dozens of such lawsuits are percolating around the country, threatening the energy industry with billions of dollars in potential liability," Romoser reports. 

He writes that "this term centers more on the sorts of traditional culture-war schisms that have defined the court’s shift to the right over the past two decades" — issues that have been hot-button in rural areas, and in rural elections in recent years. The cases will be about "guns, religion and transgender minors," Romoser writes. 

One case is about whether state and cities can ban AR-15 assault rifles and similar automatic weapons. Another is about whether Colorado can refuse state funds to religious preschools that won't accept children from LGBTQ+ households, and another is about "the ability of transgender children to access gender-affirming care." Romoser also writes that the court is deciding whether to take a case about the rights of medical care for transgender prisoners, and another about requiring the Ten Commandments to be posted in Texas schools.  

SNAP enrollment has dropped sharply since 2025, rural areas likely more affected

Enrollment in the Supplemental Nutritional Assistance Program (SNAP) has dropped by 13% since June, writes Tracy Roof for The Conversation, and rural areas could feel the decline sharply. About 36.4 million people were enrolled in the program in 2026, down from 42 million in 2025. Roof writes that dropping enrollment could be due to the Trump administration's "tax-and-spending package the president signed into law in July 2025." 

That law "caused some immigrants residing legally in the country ... to no longer be eligible for SNAP benefits," and "more people enrolled in SNAP now may only get up to three months of benefits if they don't work, engage in training programs or volunteer at least 80 hours a month," Roof writes. Those work requirements used to end at age 54, but that has been raised to 64, and "parents of older children ages 14-17 are now expected to meet these work requirements."

Rural places are likely to suffer more from lack of enrollment, according to a 2025 report from the Food Research & Action Center (FRAC). Rural areas have higher rates of enrollment in SNAP overall, with one in seven rural households relying on the program, compared to one in eight in urban areas. Rural poverty and food insecurity rates sit at around 15% each, higher than the 11% and 12% national averages.

"These elevated rates reflect deeper structural issues: limited job opportunities, aging infrastructure, higher costs of living, and a shrinking share of the national economy," Gina Plata-Nino reports for FRAC. She writes that a Biden administration law "attempted to tackle" such issues, but it will take years to see results, adding that "rural communities remain vulnerable, especially as key industries like agriculture, mining, and manufacturing shrink due to automation."

'Dangerously' high measles cases in rural New York force governor to declare state of emergency

Measles cases have "increased dangerously" in rural New York, spurring Gov. Kathy Hochul to declare a statewide public health emergency, Joseph Goldstein reports for The New York Times. As of Oct. 3, 108 measles cases had been reported in the state, the most since 2019, and most of those cases are in the rural Finger Lakes region. In counties with the most cases, fewer than 80% of children have been vaccinated by age 2. 

Houchul's declaration will make it easier for midwives, pharmacists and other health care workers to administer measles shots. Hochul said the declaration would "strengthen our ongoing efforts to confront this disease," and that "no one should get seriously ill or die from a vaccine-preventable disease." 

Goldstein reports that the U.S. is facing a "resurgence in measles, driven by declining vaccination rates, with case counts soaring in 2026." There have been nearly 4,000 cases recorded in 2026 so far, "by far the highest in more than 30 years." He writes that South Carolina and Utah have been "especially hard hit," and that Pennsylvania has had more than 1,000 cases and five deaths from measles this year.

Measles is highly contagious, and can cause swelling in the brain that leads to blindness. Babies who are too young to be vaccinated are at high risk for the disease. Measles had been largely eradicated from the U.S. 25 years ago, but fears about the MMR vaccine causing autism have led to decreased vaccination rates, even though many scientific studies have debunked those claims. 

Tennessee botches lethal injection of Christa Gail Pike

Christa Gail Pike, 50, was scheduled for death by lethal injection in Tennessee on Sept. 30 for murdering and carving a pentagram into her JobCorps classmate, Colleen Slemmer, in 1995 in Knoxville. But Pike’s execution failed, with the media hearing her loudly snoring behind the curtain for nearly 40 minutes after being dosed with pentobarbital.

Pike survived two doses. At 7:46 p.m. on Sept. 30, prison officials closed the curtains to the media. They were reopened three minutes later, to Pike snoring, and closed again at 8:06 p.m., reports Tony Gonzalez, Catherine Sweeney and Tasha A.F. Lemley for Louisville Public Media. "At that time there was an announcement to escort media witnesses out of the area."

The Tennessee Department of Corrections issued a statement saying every protocol was followed, and Gov. Bill Lee said a third party would investigate what happened. This isn't the first botched execution in Tennessee. The lethal injection of Tony Carruthers was called off in 1994 after Tennessee executioners failed for over an hour to place an IV to administer pentobarbital.

According to Billy Witz and Emily Cochrane for The New York Times, Pike’s lawyers "called for Gov. Bill Lee to reduce her sentence to life in prison, calling the botched attempt to end her life with two doses of pentobarbital "cruel and torturous." Pike likely survived because the drug was degraded or did not enter her bloodstream. Slemmer’s mother wants to move forward with the execution.

Data centers in Texas fund community projects in rural areas that oppose them

Data center companies in rural Texas are donating to and investing money in community projects ranging from improving water infrastructure to hosting dinners commemorating first responders reports Jayme Lozano Carver for The Texas Tribune.

By reviewing public records and news releases, the Tribune estimates data centers have invested $343 million across the state this year — much of it going to communities that oppose data centers. Since not all donations are public, the estimate is likely an undercount.

In Turkey, Texas, QTS Data Centers provided $250 million for upgrades to the city’s water system. Rowan Digital Infrastructure gave Temple, Texas, $38 million after a devastating tornado. The company gave $25 million to the South Temple Water Infrastructure Capital Program, $10 million for water system infrastructure, and proposed $3 million to rebuild Sammons Community Center, which was destroyed by a tornado.

 

Other multi-million dollar projects are at Texas State Technical College and in small towns like Haskell, Vernon, Bell County and Ellis County. Because of the state's tax exemption program for data centers, Texas will forgo at least $3 billion in sales tax revenue over the next two years.

 
"There is no question that these data centers are an opportunity for rural communities that are living in the margin,” said Suzanne Bellsnyder, an editor and publisher of two Texas Panhandle newspapers and a Substack focused on rural issues. “Most infrastructure resources are paid with tax dollars, and there’s not a ton there.”

Rural voters are mixed on Trump's immigration policies, but some feel he has gone too far

Feelings about the Trump administration's immigration reform are mixed in rural areas, according to a new poll from KFF Health News and The Associated Press. Of the 2,000 rural people polled in August, about one-third said immigration enforcement had been positive for their communities, and another third said it had been negative. 

But even with these results, KFF Health News and the AP report that "many rural voters also say immigrants are a key part of their local economies, and some believe Trump’s immigration actions have gone too far." Laura Leigh Taylor is once such Trump voter, who now says she regrets her vote because his policies forced the deportation of her friend's father. 

Results of the poll also found that three-quarters of rural voters want midterm candidates to talk about immigration because it's "extremely" or "very" important to them. A significant portion of rural voters don’t think "Trump’s immigration policies have helped their communities," but the poll found "they are also less likely than the general public to say that Trump has overstepped in his efforts."

Rural voters, however, are keenly aware that immigrants help sustain local industries such as manufacturing, healthcare and agriculture. KFF Health News and the AP report that "the vast majority of rural voters see immigrants in the country legally as an important part of their local economies."

Texas utilities are lagging in mandatory submission of wildfire prevention plans, while January deadline looms

Only eight of 160 utility companies in Texas have filed mandatory wildfire prevention plans with the state, reports Jayme Lozano Carver for The Texas Tribune. This news comes after a "chaotic wildfire season" during which the state responded to more than 1,200 fires, including the Ross Fire, which became the second largest wildfire in North Texas history. 

House Bill 145 requires utilities to file plans with the state Public Utility Commission (PUC) by January 2027. They must include "emergency protocols in the case of a wildfire, utility operating plans during high-risk weather conditions, management of grass, shrubs and other vegetation in areas that are at risk of wildfires, inspection of poles and other electric equipment and identified areas of wildfire risks within a utility’s service territory." 

PUC Director Connie Corona told Carver that nearly 140 of the remaining 160 utilities have indicated "they are in the process of preparing their plan." The PUC has also offered template plans to smaller utilities that might not have resources to invest in developing their own plans. But Rep. Ken King, who has led efforts to mandate the plans, told Carver the lack of actual plan filings leaves him "very, very disappointed." 

"When eight out of 160 have complied, and we’re sitting here in September, that doesn’t sound like a very good response to me," King said. "I think it’s imperative for anybody that has not filed that report to realize January is coming. You will file that wildfire mitigation plan, and if you’re dragging your feet, there’s no excuse good enough for me."

Food safety and related illnesses are hot topics for midterm debates

Debates leading up to midterms can be messy, and this year, those debates are becoming a food fight — about grocery prices, which is a more typical debate, but also about whether it's safe to eat those groceries.

Cyclosporiasis ravaged lettuce supplies and stomachs this summer. Thousands of pounds of meat were recalled alongside ever-changing beef import regulations. And as Stephanie Armour for KFF reports, some food safety scientists blamed outbreaks on federal cuts to public health.

"Democrats have come out on the offensive, saying voters worried about the safety of the U.S. food supply should oust Republicans in the midterm elections," Armour writes. "The Trump administration has countered by accusing Democrats of scaremongering over food safety to score political points."

There have been 200 food recalls this year, similar to recalls this time last year. But this year's recalls are part of a broader trend with total recalls up by 21% since 2021. Epidemiologists say a better measure of safety is how many people are getting sick.

 
"Concern about food safety has especially taken hold now, public health leaders say, because the administration is portraying itself as a safety crusader while cutting staffing and funding for federal agencies responsible for surveillance and inspection," Armour writes, noting how the cyclospora outbreak made it harder for people to consume fresh foods, which has been the recommendation of Robert F. Kennedy Jr., U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services.