How a small farming community kept its town from 'fading'

Aledo's renovated Carnegie Library is now a 
co-working tech hub. (Landmark Illinois photo)

The Great Recession left little Aledo, Illinois, hollowed out, but that's not the end of its story. The farming town with roughly 3,600 residents has made a surprising comeback with help from returning residents, a historical designation, the pandemic and a community that wouldn't allow its town to "fade," reports Rhonda Brooks of Farm Journal.

W. J. Albertson grew up in Aledo, which he recalled as a charming town with a bustling downtown. When Albertson and his wife returned to Aledo to help their aging parents in 2016-2017, the changes in the town were dramatic. He told Brooks, "We saw Aledo in a state that, you know, it hurt."

Location of Aledo, Ill.
(Wikipedia map)

After seeing his hometown's downturn, Albertson decided he wanted to help reverse Aledo's fortunes. Sometimes leading and sometimes following, Albertson became part of "a methodical effort … backed by city hall, nonprofit organizations, various companies and other local individuals — to make this little town 30 minutes south of the Quad Cities a vibrant community once again," Brooks explains.

Aledo's luck began to change in 2016 when its downtown was added to the National Park Service’s list of historic districts. Brooks reports, "About 80 buildings fell under the new designation, opening the door to federal and state rehabilitation tax credits."

When the town's historic Carnegie Library came up for auction, "Albertson and his partners moved quickly to acquire the building and lined it up as a tax-credit project," Brooks writes. "The plan was to show, in one visible example, that historic status and incentives could finance a modern use."

The Aledo Opera House has become the town's
'cultural anchor.' (Aledo Opera House photo) 

Once the pandemic hit, the community had fiber access installed in the renovated library, which helped the site evolve into a "job center and co-working hub, while providing a new reason to be downtown," Brooks reports.

As time has gone on, the community has renovated historic and non-historic buildings into apartment housing, quasi-bed-and-breakfast rooms and meeting venues. The Aledo Opera House was also renovated and reopened. Brooks adds, "The facility featured space for a stage, movie showings, and other community activities."

Albertson encourages small-town Americans to get involved in their communities. "He sums up Aledo’s guiding philosophy in a short formula that blends civic pride and faith," Brooks reports. He told her, "We kind of like to say, metaphorically, with our faith, broken things plus love equals restoration."

Brown tap water and an ongoing boil order highlights water systems under stress in rural towns

Brown water from a Tallulah residential tap.
(Photo by Donald Wood via WWNO)

In Tallulah, Louisiana and Cotton Plant, Arkansas, there's plenty of drinking water, but it runs brown from residential faucets and leaves stains on most things it touches.

Both small towns have sunk into debt paying for repairs to their aging water infrastructure. Despite those efforts, most Tallulah and Cotton Plant residents still face brown water in their taps, report Elise Plunk, Lucas Dufalla and Phillip Powell for New Orleans Public Radio, WWNO.

The water problems in both towns aren't isolated issues. Of the more than 45,000 community water systems that serve 10,000 people or less, "more than a third fell out of compliance with federal water standards sometime in the 12-month period that ended last September," WWNO reports. "For many of the 66 million Americans who live in rural places, [those systems] are the main source of water."

Tallulah used to be a vibrant town, but over time, its population dwindled, shrinking municipal tax revenue needed to repair aging water systems. Tallulah owned its water system and used its income to cover the rest of the town's needs, rather than investing in water system upgrades and repairs.

Some Tallulah residents purchased expensive filtering equipment, but even that hasn't been a full solution because the poor water quality breaks the filters.

Cotton Plant, Arkansas, residents have been dealing with "a boil order since last year, with little hope of securing the funds needed to fix an aging water system that is drowning in debt," Plunk writes. "The town’s water struggles started in 2023 and worsened in 2025, after a break in one of the main water lines sent discolored water rushing through residents’ taps."

Cotton Plant was a bustling agricultural town with 1,800 residents at its peak in 1950. According to WWNO, the town's water system is now too large and too expensive to be maintained by Cotton Plant's ever-shrinking population, which hovers at 530 people. Without tax revenue to address water system needs, the town borrowed money from the Arkansas Department of Agriculture and the USDA. Cotton Plant's water is still undrinkable.

This story was produced by the Mississippi River Basin Ag & Water Desk, an independent reporting network based at the University of Missouri, in partnership with Report for America.

If natural gas is relatively cheap, why are so many Americans facing higher utility bills?

Graph by Alyson Hurt and Jeff Brady, NPR from U.S. Energy Information Administration data

Across the country, utility companies are replacing leaky pipes and upgrading natural gas infrastructure, which is expensive. "Because it's a monopoly utility, regulators will pass those costs on to ratepayers," reports Jeff Brady of NPR. "Gas utilities have increased construction spending dramatically in recent years — up 50% from 2022 to 2023, to $49.1 billion."

Since gas companies don't make money selling gas, they aim to profit from reconstruction costs. "Utilities make their money by building new infrastructure, such as pipelines, and replacing outdated infrastructure," Brady explains. "Regulators then allow companies to recover those costs, plus profits, in customer bills."

Even as the cost of natural gas has dipped, consumers haven't benefited. "In 1984, about two-thirds of gas utility bills paid for the gas, and one-third covered infrastructure, utility costs and taxes," Brady reports. "Now that has flipped. In 2024, less than a third of customer bills went to gas, and about two-thirds went to the other costs."

One solution to reduce utility costs is for state regulators to encourage utilities to repair rather than replace faulty pipes. Regulators in Massachusetts asked gas companies to do three things to hold down costs: Fix pipes, shut down segments of leaky pipes and install electric heat pumps. Brady adds, "State officials say gas utility customers could see up to a 17% decrease in a pipeline replacement surcharge on their monthly bills."

Rural communities build 'resilience hubs' designed to prepare for emergencies through interdependence

Resilience Hub Collaborative map

Working to address immediate needs following a natural disaster or emergency event, several rural communities are building "resilience hubs as a model for a quick and reliable first line of defense and relief," reports Kim Kobersmith of The Daily Yonder.

"People are awakening to the fact that neighbors are the real first responders, and thinking ahead is vital," Kobersmith writes. "The hubs provide some level of preparation and support for residents in a disruption and beyond."

Every community hub is a little bit different, and "can range from a mobile solar energy source to a central building able to feed community members in a crisis to a community center offering year-round services," Kobersmith adds.

A spirit of community interdependence is at the heart of each hub, where community members commit to preparing for, rather than reacting to, emergencies. The action-focused nonprofit Resilience Hub Collaborative can help communities plan and build their hub.

Ki Baja, an experienced hub organizer with the collaborative, told Kobersmith, "Studies have shown for decades that connectivity, social cohesion, is the number one indicator for successful recovery from disruptions."

Disaster-experienced rural towns offer a guide for successful recovery

The Greensburg, Kan., memorial quilt represents how 
residents pieced the town back together. (Yonder photo) 

While no rural community wants to become a blueprint for successful natural disaster recovery, smaller regions that have survived and rebuilt after a catastrophic event have developed adaptable plans and key insights that can help towns in similar situations.

When Greensburg, Kansas, was devastated by an EF5 tornado in May 2007, it inadvertently became a leader in recovery systems. "Greensburg has been rebuilt for a future that is energy efficient and disaster prepared. Its population of 750 souls is smaller than it was in 2007, but also younger on average than it was before the storm," reports Anne Vilen of The Daily Yonder.

Greensburg Mayor Matt Christenson has developed a clear outline of disaster recovery stages that span from the initial aftermath to decades later. He told Vilen, "The first stage is rescue and recovery, trying to minimize loss of life. Then, after that, it’s assessing the damage. . . . A couple of years in. . . you get onto permanent construction. . . . Never stay where you’re at. Always aim for better.”

Swannanoa, N.C., was battered by Hurricane Helene in 2024, but the town has rallied to rebuild, and its residents echo much of Greensburg's advice. Local leaders from Greensburg and Sawnnanoa agree that the "most important ingredient in disaster recovery is trusting, listening to, and helping neighbors connect with one another," Vilen writes.

Another insight both regions share is ensuring that residents know their vital needs, such as food, lodging, and medical care, will be addressed. Vilen reports, "It’s essential to provide the things that residents will need in order to stay and continue to be part of the recovery effort."

Residents working through disaster recovery deal with a host of unfamiliar noises and messes that can be likened to living in a construction zone. Town leaders from Swannanoa say that keeping some town traditions alive during long periods of recovery offer the community time to celebrate successes together, as well as comfort in the familiar.

Both regions emphasize that for sustained recovery to occur, towns must hire and pay people to design and execute rebuilding plans. Vilen reports, "Volunteers burn out. Long-term systems and positions that sustain effective work over time are essential for long-term recovery."

Rural residents may become 'unintended victims' of end to PBS, NPR funding

Many smaller stations don't have enough private
funders to survive without federal support. (Adobe photo)

Update: In a narrow vote largely split along party lines, the House voted 214 to 212 to rescind $1.1 billion "allocated to the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB), which distributes nearly all of the funds to local television and radio stations, for the next two fiscal years," report Deirdre Walsh and David Folkenflikof NPR. "Two key Republican lawmakers switched their votes from 'no' to 'yes' to push it over the finish line."

Federal Corporation for Public Broadcasting funding remains on the chopping block as U.S. lawmakers continue wrangling the pros and cons of yanking back the $535 million already approved by Congress for 2026 and 2027. In late May, President Donald Trump issued an executive order calling for an end to any future support for NPR and PBS because he believes "taxpayer funding of NPR’s and PBS’s biased content is a waste."

As the political battle continues, smaller stations are worried they will become the "unintended victims of national culture wars," reports Andrew Mercein for Columbia Journalism Review. The cuts would likely end radio stations in places such as Wrangell, Alaska, where many of the borough's 2,127 residents rely on its local radio station, KSTK, “for emergency information, rescue coordination, updates from local officials, and advice on accessing essential services."

KSTK’s general manager, Cindy Sweat, told Mercein, "If CPB funding disappears, I don’t know how we’d survive."

Should lawmakers approve the cuts, they are "unlikely to do the most damage to the networks they are aimed at," Mercein explains. "The Corporation for Public Broadcasting is legally required to distribute nearly 70% of government funds directly to local stations, and each station retains full editorial control. …Local stations rely on the federal government for as much as 50% of their annual budgets."

Some lawmakers are pushing against the cuts. Earlier this week, Rep. Mark Amodei (R-Nev.) and Dan Goldman (D-N.Y.), who co-chair the Public Broadcasting Caucus, issued "a joint statement saying, 'Rescinding this funding would also isolate rural communities, jeopardizing their access to vital resources they depend on. [While public broadcasting] represents less than 0.01% of the federal budget, its impact reaches every congressional district,'" reports Aris Folley of The Hill.

Rep. Mike Simpson (R-Idaho) also voiced his support for CPB. He told Folley, "You go to rural America, public television is how you get emergency broadcasting and all that kind of stuff. I look at Idaho Public Television, they’re a great organization, and we don’t see the politics that some states do in them." Folley reports, "Simpson added that he still intended to support the package if it comes to the floor."

Amodei and Goldman pointed out that rural broadcasting stations face more private fundraising challenges than stations in more populated areas. Folley reports, "Amodei and Goldman said in the new statement that “of the 544 radio and television stations that receive federal funding, 245 serve rural communities and collectively support more than 5,950 local jobs.'”

Some public media advocates and stations believe the House will vote on the "claw back bill" that includes cutting PBS and NPR funding as early as tomorrow. 

Policy director for Rural Democracy Initiative warns of budget bill’s ‘devastating’ impacts

Members of the 119th House applaud the passage of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act. (The Hill video reel photo)

After weeks of wrangling, the U.S. House of Representatives passed President Donald Trump's "one big, beautiful bill" on May 22. The bill, which has moved to the U.S. Senate, includes massive spending cuts to support tax cut extensions and additional tax cuts.

Michael Chameides, the communications and policy director for the Rural Democracy Initiative, in an opinion piece published in Iowa's Times-Republican, points out six ways the bill could hurt rural residents. He writes, "I’ve been hearing from rural leaders across the country about the devastating impacts this bill would have. . . .The good news is it’s not too late. But there’s little time to spare." 

Here are the six concerns Chameides cited:

1. The bill "guts" rural health care. "It would take health care away from 13.8 million Americans and increase the cost for millions more. In some states, 50% of rural children get healthcare from Medicaid. Millions more rely on access to clinics and hospitals that would likely close because of these cuts."

2. It cuts federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program spending. "More than 15% of families in small towns and rural areas rely on this support to feed their families."

(The Department of Agriculture canceled "about $660 million in funding this year for the Local Food for Schools program, which is active in 40 U.S. states," reports Aimee Picchi of CBS News. The cuts were announced in March and have left schools and farmers scrambling.)

3. The bill shifts more costs onto state and local governments. "Slashing federal funding to states would create new burdens for rural states that are already struggling to provide critical public services like health care, transportation, and emergency response services to local communities."

4. It takes away local land control. "Landowners have fought to stop the use of eminent domain for carbon pipelines by passing bans and moratoria. . . .This bill would overrule state and local laws and ordinances. . . and deprive residents of a fair opportunity to evaluate the adverse impacts of pipelines."

5. The bill phases out clean energy and infrastructure spending, including tax credits. "It would also take away $262 million in funding for energy efficiency and conservation grants as well as transportation infrastructure. . . .Ending these tax credits will increase household energy costs, which are already higher in many rural communities."

6. The bill favors bigger agribusiness companies and mega-farms. "Leaders in Congress are using the budget reconciliation process to give big farms a $50 billion windfall. Add the heightened pressures and instability caused by the Trump administration’s erratic trade policy and more family farmers would lose their farms — while Big Ag consolidates more of the market."

Chameides calls on rural residents and businesses to speak up: “Lawmakers have already heard from the giant corporations who helped write the bill. Now they need to hear from the rest of us. It’s up to us to alert our communities and tell our lawmakers: Don’t sell rural America out to big corporations and the wealthy.”

A longer version of the Times-Republican op-ed was originally published by Barn Raiser. To learn more about what could happen to the bill in the Senate, click here. 

Rural advocates push for plan to install fiber optic infrastructure as the best way to close the digital divide

Map by Sarah Melotte, The Daily Yonder, from American Community Survey data

The question of how to close the digital divide between rural America and the rest of the country may not have a simple answer; however, many advocates insist that allowing Low Earth Orbit satellite connection instead of fiber optic build-outs shouldn't be part of the federally subsidized solution.

"In early March, Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick proposed changes to a federal broadband connectivity program that would favor Low Earth Orbit (LEO) satellite connectivity," reports Sarah Melotte of The Daily Yonder. "Critics say Lutnick’s proposal to prioritize LEO will worsen the digital divide by abandoning rural communities without the long-term economic benefits of fiber optic infrastructure."

In Washington, most of the battle over rural internet installation centers on the $42 billion Broadband Equity, Access and Deployment program, with some Republicans griping about its regulatory attachment to fiber technology. "BEAD aims to connect 25 million Americans with high-speed internet in all 56 states and territories," Melotte explains. "Lutnick said he wants to make the program 'technology-neutral' by shifting the focus to LEO satellite connectivity."

While shifting BEAD funding to LEO might lead to faster internet roll-out in rural areas, some experts point out that LEO is a sub-standard internet offering when compared to fiber optic. Melotte explains, "Benton Institute’s Broadband & Society Director of Policy Engagement Drew Garner told The Daily Yonder that fiber optic infrastructure is faster, more reliable, and a larger driver of economic growth compared to satellite internet technology."

BEAD aims to provide fast, reliable internet access for all communities -- even those in remote regions -- while creating a nimble platform for further technology developments. "Garner wrote in a March 4 press release, 'Secretary Lutnick’s reported meddling is likely to leave millions of Americans with broadband that is slower, less reliable, and more expensive,'" Mellote writes. "Fifty-six percent of non-metropolitan counties have low access to broadband, compared to the national average."

Mike Romano, executive vice president of the NTCA – the Rural Broadband Association. said "that BEAD funding is critical in the effort to connect areas where larger internet providers haven’t previously had the financial incentive to invest," Melotte reports. "After connecting all unserved households with high-speed internet, states and territories can invest in programs that advance broadband equity, like remote learning and telehealth services."

Opinion: Services for Kansas rural communities get chopped by D.C. 'wrecking crew'

An old barn stands on an abandoned homestead in
southwest Kansas. (Photo by Kevin Hardy, Stateline)

Rural communities often count on the Department of Agriculture for housing, food, economical and educational support. In rural Kansas, those foundational community pillars are being pulled apart, writes fifth-generation Kansan Christy Davis in her opinion for the Kansas Reflector.

"I worked for two and half years to rebuild what the first Trump administration tore down," Davis writes. "And now I have an unparalleled (and unenviable) perspective as I watch the second Trump administration, in just a few short weeks, dismantle the federal programs that feed, house and employ his rural constituents."

The historical and ongoing impact of USDA Rural Development programs in Kansas is "hard to overstate," Davis explains. "The programs make investments that the private sector can’t do alone. With grants, direct loans and loan guarantees, RD offers workable financing for roads, water systems, sustainable energy, broadband, telehealth, hospitals, clinics, housing and businesses in rural America."

"To ensure that farmers have equitable access to critical programs, USDA’s Farm Service Agency and National Resources Conservation Service have long had offices in nearly every Kansas county, staffed with hundreds of Kansans who can help farmers apply," Davis writes. "Trump’s policies are devastating to the 2% of rural Americans engaged in farming. But what about the other 98%? The system is failing the communities that have already suffered decades of disinvestment."

"I am proud of the progress we made for rural Kansas in my short tenure. But I’m confounded at how quickly and easily the 'wrecking crew' has reversed it," Davis writes. "I am a huge advocate for making it easier to remove and replace ineffective employees and retain the best. The new administration’s approach to civil service has had the opposite effect. . . .Those who accepted DOGE’s recent buyout offers were top performers and seasoned employees."

Farmers are 'on the hook' for millions of dollars in repairs and improvements as promised USDA funds are paused

Many U.S. farmers are waiting to be reimbursed for
out-of-pocket investments. (Photo by Richard Bell, Unsplash)

U.S. farmers are concerned about when and if they will get paid the millions of dollars owed to them by the federal Depaartment of Agriculture, report Daniel Wu, Gaya Gupta and Anumita Kaur of The Washington Post. "Despite promises from the Trump administration that a federal funding freeze would not apply to projects directly benefiting individuals. . . . President Donald Trump ordered the USDA to freeze funds for several programs."

The frozen funds are part of the 2022 Inflation Reduction Act which helps farmers "address natural resource concerns, and the Rural Energy for America Program, which provides financial assistance for farmers to improve their infrastructure," the Post reports. With their funding paused, farmers are "on the hook" for expenses that range from new crops to fencing to renewable energy builds.

The battle over the frozen funds remains in play even after "a federal judge temporarily halted its implementation," Wu, Gupta and Kaur explain. "But over the weekend, farmers reported that their funding remained frozen — another blow to farmers who are also facing threats of tariffs and freezes to foreign-aid spending that involved food purchased from American producers."

Last week, National Farmers Union President Rob Larew "testified before the Senate Agriculture Committee that the Trump administration’s sweeping decisions on federal funding were creating concern for farmers across the country," the Post reports. Larew said the freeze and extreme changes are increasing farmer hardships in "an already tough farm economy.”

In 2024, the USDA made $3.1 billion available "for climate-smart agriculture activities, according to the department, including grants and loans for initiatives such as the Environmental Quality Incentives Program and the Rural Energy for America Program," they write. "The funding freezes have also paused large projects across states."

Not enough child care spots pushes states to help care centers expand; some emphasis is on rural needs.

Helping child care centers expand means more
parents can stay on the job. (Adobe Stock photo)

The lack of available and affordable child care keeps many parents -- mostly women -- out of the U.S. workforce. The need for more spots has pushed state lawmakers to use novel strategies to help child care centers expand.

"Nationally, more than half of all Americans live in 'child care deserts,' and the need for child care is especially great among . . . low and middle-income families, families of color and families living in rural areas," reports Maggie Clark of Stateline. "A child care desert is a place where there are more than three children for every regulated child care spot."

The child care conundrum isn't just an issue for parents. The problem "costs the U.S. economy roughly $122 billion each year in lost earnings, productivity and revenue," Clark explains. "To create more child care slots and reduce prices, lawmakers are increasingly using economic development strategies to help child care businesses expand, similar to the support they’ve offered to attract and expand manufacturing facilities, technology startups or other types of businesses."

Advocates and lawmakers are particularly focused on addressing child care shortages in rural areas. Clark explains, "This year, Oregon is awarding its first batch of $50 million in grants and loans for new construction, expansion and renovation for child care businesses, with priority for child care providers in rural areas."

Lawmakers in Colorado, Nebraska, Oregon and Vermont had "local and state zoning regulations reviewed," Clark reports. They also "set up help centers where child care business owners can get help with navigating permitting and other business rules so that they can expand their businesses and care for more children, which will help more parents stay in the workforce."

States that are working to support child care businesses with infrastructure offerings that other sectors receive "send a powerful message that child care businesses and the people who operate them are valuable to their communities and economies," Clark writes.

Erin Roche, Vermont director of First Children’s Finance, which is helping the state administer its child care infrastructure grant program, told Clark, "It’s a lot about changing our cultural values of thinking of [child care centers] as businesses, and not just something little that mostly women do on the side."

Free virtual discussion covering infrastructure investment opportunities for distressed rural places on Jan. 15

Pipa will be joined by Prof. Stephens, right, for
 discussion on infrastructure in rural places.

Chronic underinvestment in infrastructure plagues distressed rural communities throughout the United States. And while several programs offer solutions specifically for distressed places, these communities have to know what's available and how to apply.

To help, Brookings is hosting a a free virtual session: "Unlocking infrastructure investment in distressed rural places," on Wednesday, Jan. 15, from 3:30 to 4:30 p.m. E.T. Get the details here.

The session will be led by Tony Pipa, the host of Brookings' "Reimagine Rural" podcast, who will be joined by West Virginia University professor Heather Stephens. The two will talk with leaders of the Appalachian Regional Commission (Gayle Connelly Manchin), Delta Regional Authority (Dr. Corey Wiggins), and Northern Border Regional Commission (Chris Saunders) on the insights offered by an upcoming report from Brookings that tackles the ins and out of investment in distressed rural places.

The experts will share their experiences and thoughts on the best practices for directing investment to distressed rural places.

Viewers can submit questions for speakers by emailing events@brookings.edu or via X (Twitter) @BrookingsGlobal using #RuralInvestment.

A new analysis suggests that when rural areas lack access to civic infrastruture, it contributes to health disparities

The index is based on weighted health outcomes that measure the quality and length of one's life.

(Map by Sarah Melotte, The Daily Yonder, from County Health Rankings data)

When compared to their urban counterparts, rural communities continue to face health disparities for a wide range of reasons; however, a new analysis of County Health Rankings & Roadmaps data by The Daily Yonder suggests that this "disparity is driven partly by unequal access to civic infrastructure," reports Sarah Melotte. A lack of "access to resources like high-speed internet and public libraries is part of the reason rural counties aren’t as healthy as metropolitan ones."

The 2024 CHR&R National Findings Report, Creating Thriving Communities Through Civic Participation, underscored the relationship between a community's civic participation access and the health of its members. Counties with well-resourced civic infrastructure, such as local news, broadband internet and public libraries, were healthier and often more urban.

More insights from the Yonder's analysis:

• Rural counties make up 17 of the top 20 most unhealthy counties in the health outcome index, a CHR&R tool that measures the length and quality of life in a county.
• People who live in rural areas are more likely to experience unequal access to civic infrastructure, according to the report. Rural communities are more likely to lack access to broadband internet and to pay more for a subscription when they do have it.
• Health outcomes also vary by region. Both rural and metro counties in the South are the least healthy compared to other regions, while some of the healthiest counties are in New England.
• The rural South exhibits the worst index scores compared to all other regions in both nonmetropolitan and metropolitan areas.
• The states with the worst inequalities between rural and urban counties are Alaska and Hawaii.

U.S. dams are aging and vulnerable to failure; many communities will have to decide between removal or repair

Flooding in Wisconsin after a massive storm in 2018. (National
Weather Service photo via the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel)

Deteriorating dams have left many U.S. communities searching for affordable, safe options. "Dams across the country are aging, and also facing pressures from urban sprawl and intensifying floods wrought by climate change," reports Madeline Heim of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. "The price tag to fix what’s broken, though, is estimated in the hundreds of billions of dollars, meaning dam owners could face hard questions about what to do with them."

The rural town of Viroqua, Wisconsin, is grappling with the impending failure of its "50-foot earthen dam, locally known as 'Maple Dale,'" Heim writes. Currently, other Wisconsin communities face the same dam problems. "Local officials are voting on whether to dismantle the dams by cutting large notches in them, allowing the water to flow again, in a process called decommissioning. Experts say it could be the most dams ever decommissioned in a single county in the U.S."

Across the country, more communities are or will soon face the problems caused by aging dams. "In the American Society of Civil Engineers’ latest Infrastructure Report Card, released in 2021, the group gave the nations’ more than 91,000 dams a “D.” That’s largely because of their age — the average age of a dam in the U.S. is over 60 years old," Heim writes. "On top of that, climate change is leaving question marks about how dams will perform under new weather conditions."

No matter which option officials choose -- repair or removal--there are steep expenses involved. "The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law passed in 2021, provided somewhat of a shot in the arm: $3 billion was earmarked for dam safety, including $118 million for the rehabilitation of the USDA watershed program dams," Heim reports. Lori Spragens, executive director of the Association of State Dam Safety Officials, told Heim, "I think we are going to see more dams under stress, or even failing. It’s not really fun to look at in the future.”

The deployment of broadband from coast to coast gets mixed reviews at a U.S. House subcommittee hearing

More rural states like Montana have struggled with
broadband deployment rules. (Adobe Stock photo)

Part of the bipartisan infrastructure law aims to expand access to high-speed internet for all Americans. The rollout and the millions of dollars attached are overseen by the National Telecommunications and Information Administration through the Broadband Equity Access and Deployment, or BEAD, program.

NTIA was under the scope last week during a House subcommittee hearing on how BEAD was faring, reports Chris Teale of Route Fifty. The hearing included testimony about positive progress alongside criticisms. "The program said it has approved initial plans for 48 of the states and territories that are eligible to receive funding. . . . GOP subcommittee members argued that the program is too complex, not technology neutral, and has onerous pricing and workforce mandates" that make it harder for states to succeed.

Even though NTIA announced the approval of Montana’s plan in early August, Misty Giles, the state's chief operating officer and director of the state Department of Administration "said in her written testimony that NTIA’s requests and shifts in its guidance to states 'are akin to building a plane while flying it without having the necessary instructions to be successful,'" Teale writes. "She said the 'litany' of requirements place an undue burden on states looking to implement BEAD.'"

U.S. Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers, a Republican from Washington state and the chair of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, "said the 'burdensome red tape' from NTIA has created continued delays in the approval process," Teale reports. "NTIA rejected the House subcommittee’s criticism. According to a fact sheet the agency shared, the federal government has made more than $20 billion available in funding and met or exceeded all deadlines imposed by the infrastructure law to keep the program on track."

The hearing hashed out other issues, including technology-neutral needs for some states, and low-cost requirements on internet service providers, which some committee members felt was government overreach. Still, many praised the program's planning and acknowledged its broad challenge. “Subcommittee members gave NTIA credit for recently announcing it would seek comment on the use of alternative technologies in BEAD," Teale reports. "Giles said, 'I understand that trying to have all states and territories swimming in the same direction in the same lane is no small task.'"

Extreme weather is causing U.S. bridges to age prematurely, and there's no simple answer to the problem.

In Lewiston, Maine, a bridge was closed when
pavement started to buckle. (WMTM, Maine photo)

Climate change and extreme weather are destroying U.S. bridges in what is quickly becoming a national crisis. "America’s bridges, a quarter of which were built before 1960, were already in need of repair," reports Coral Davenport of The New York Times. "But now, extreme heat and increased flooding linked to climate change are accelerating the disintegration of the nation’s bridges."

This summer's debacles include flooding that caused a Midwestern bridge to collapse into the Big Sioux River and a bridge's closure in Lewiston, Maine when the "pavement buckled from fluctuating temperatures," Davenport writes. Urban areas aren't exempt from bridge problems either. During scorching heat, "New York City’s Third Avenue Bridge, connecting the Bronx and Manhattan, got stuck in the open position for hours."

In most cases, bridges age slowly. But Paul Chinowsky, a professor of civil engineering at the University of Colorado, who researches the effects of climate change on infrastructure, told Davenport, "We have a bridge crisis that is specifically tied to extreme weather events. . . . It’s getting so hot that the pieces that hold the concrete and steel, those bridges can literally fall apart like Tinkertoys."

When U.S. bridges become unsafe or worse, collapse, and require closure, a supply chain domino effect begins. "In 2022, a 30-foot section of the bridge on the California-Arizona border of Interstate 10, along a major trucking route from Phoenix to the port of Los Angeles, was swept away during record rainfall," Davenport reports. "That washout followed a 2015 collapse of another Interstate 10 span. . . . Each closure added an estimated $2.5 million per day to trucking costs because of delays and additional fuel."

Many states have started planning climate-resilient bridges, but they are already running behind schedule. Jim Tymon, executive director of the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials, told Davenport, "We’re learning from the events that are being thrown at us, and trying to change and build for what climate change throws next, but it’s a moving target."

A webinar briefing on potential election threats and how reporters can cover them will be held on Aug. 6

Cait Conley

If you're a journalist looking for help to cover security threats and other issues in this year's election cycle, The Journalist Resource is offering a free webinar, "Election Security: Threats and Mitigations," on Tuesday, Aug. 6 from 12:30 to 1:30 p.m., E.T. The session is open to the public. Register here.

Cait Conley, senior advisor to the director of the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, will lead a practical briefing on known and potential threats to the 2024 elections, how election stakeholders are mitigating those threats, and advice on how journalists can prepare to report on them.

Attendees will learn:

• The landscape of threats to the 2024 U.S. elections.
• What those threats mean practically to the security or integrity of the election process.
• What election officials, vendors and the federal government are doing to protect the security and resilience of the U.S. election infrastructure.

A question-and-answer discussion will follow Conley's presentation.

The webinar will be available on journalistsresource.org after the event.

About the speaker:
Conley's role supports CISA’s election security efforts. She leads CISA’s work in partnering with state and local election officials to manage and reduce risk to the nation’s election infrastructure.

Flooding, broken dams and Hurricane Beryl damage prompt discussions on how rural places can protect themselves

Tornadoes can rip across farmland and homes
in rural places. (Photo by N. Noonan Unsplash)

Extreme weather is often associated with flooded, wind-flattened or burned-to-the-ground homes and businesses. Rural areas have an added exposure to big losses that other areas don't have -- crops, animals and farm equipment can be damaged or annihilated during weather events.

Given those significant exposures, rural areas need to work on building or replacing support mechanisms and buckle down on wild weather preparedness, reports Chris Clayton of Progressive Farmer. "Rural America is learning the hard way that more investment is needed to protect rural infrastructure from catastrophic storms. . . . That includes Iowa, which is now coping with catastrophic damage in the northwestern part of the state following two April tornadoes that also ripped through communities." More recently, Vermont's Winooski River flooded roads, train tracks and homes after Hurricane Beryl's extreme rains filled it to bursting.

Kevin Paap, a commissioner for Blue Earth County, Minnesota, "testified at last week's U.S. Senate hearing for the National Association of Counties. Paap's county was on the national news during last month's flooding as the 100-year-old Rapidan Dam failed," Clayton explains. "Recovery is harder for small towns that don't have the funds for cost-share or even to write grants to help receive aid dollars, said Ted Brady, executive director of the Vermont League of Cities and Towns. Most towns simply don't have the professional staff to help recover quickly."

In Iowa, flooding completely submerged some crops, and other farms were ravaged by tornadoes. Government officials "rolled out a series of new disaster programs -- including a low-interest loan program for farmers -- as communities grapple with at least 2,000 destroyed homes and another 3,000 damaged," Clayton explains. "In some towns, nearly every single downtown business was wiped out, along with an estimated $130 million in damaged public infrastructure to the state."

The Federal Emergency Management Agency is changing some of its requirements to prevent extreme weather damage. "FEMA announced that public infrastructure rebuilt with FEMA money will have to be built to be more resilient from flooding," Clayton reports. "In the Senate hearing, Paap and others called for a more rapid response to help rural areas." Town mayors are calling for more financial flexibility "to ensure communities can spend disaster money in ways that will help mitigate long-term flood risks."

The U.S. is in the middle of a 'silver tsunami' as the country is becoming 'the land of the senior citizen'

As America ages, more citizens will require unique
care from multiple sectors. (Adobe Stock photo)

As millions of Americans enter their mid-60s, the country is fast becoming "the land of the senior citizen," where government agencies and systems are busy working to accommodate an aging population. "More Americans are about to be 65 years old than ever before. A record number will hit the milestone this year—about 4.1 million. But it's just one of many waves in the 'silver tsunami,' a metaphor often used to describe the aging of America," reports Susan Miller of Route Fifty. "Since 2011, 10,000 Americans have been turning 65 every day, a trend that the Pew Research Center says will continue through 2030." The need for aging accommodations for rural residents may be particularly needed since its population already skews older.

As the number of older residents increases throughout the United States, health care, housing and transportation systems will need additional resources to meet senior needs. To help states support the transition, the Department of Health and Human Services issued a report outlining supportive measures for aging Americans. Miller explains, "It details the web of services an aging society will need beyond financial security, safe housing and adequate health care. . . . The framework comes as several states have also started planning for their aging populations."

Some states have already created programs aimed at helping aging Americans. "New Jersey released its 'age-friendly blueprint,' which provides strategies and best practices to improve the state’s communities for older adults and enable people to remain in their homes and communities as they age," Miller reports. "The state is also putting some funding behind its plan. . . . [Its] Human Services Department is dedicating $5.5 million to launch an age-friendly community grant program later this year."

Other states are developing 10-year plans, also known as "multisector plans for aging," which outline "restructuring state and local government to address the needs of older adult populations," Miller writes. "According to the federal strategic framework, four states have legislation or an executive order to develop an MPA, and seven are in varying stages of implementing plans."

Today at 1 p.m., E.T.: Exploring and celebrating rural America with The Rural Assembly's "Rural Everywhere" event

Amid election tensions, negative news and an inflationary economy, it can be important to focus on the good things America has going — especially in rural places.

To that end, The Rural Assembly is hosting a free virtual gathering, Rural Assembly Everywhere 2024: Nurturing Thriving Communities, on Thursday, Aug. 1, from 1 to 3 p.m., E.T. While the session is open to anyone, it is specially designed for rural advocates and the rural-curious listeners and leaders.

To register, click here.

The event will unpack the essence of rural life and examine how rural people can enrich their communities. 

To help others join the conversation, The Rural Assembly is seeking rural stories or video submissions that showcase the nurturing and thriving spirit within rural individuals, communities or organizations. The Assembly also will host a community chat with questions and discussions before the event.

For more information on submissions or joining the conversation, click here.