The Rural Blog

A digest of events, trends, issues, ideas and journalism from and about rural America, by the Institute for Rural Journalism, based at the University of Kentucky. Links may expire, require subscription or go behind pay walls. Please send news and knowledge you think would be useful to benjy.hamm@uky.edu.

The Rural Blog

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Study: More Americans ages 18-54 are dying from severe first heart attacks

If you get bitten by a tick, save it -- and other tips for dealing with ticks' ever-spreading presence

After at least 3 fentanyl deaths in 7 months, weekly in small Kentucky county alerts its readers to dangers, details

Colon cancer is up among young adults; many don't think they're susceptible to it, and thus don't get screened for it

Extreme heat puts your heart and other organs at risk

Expert opinion: 'The new normal cannot fall back to a pre-Covid normal; we must be bigger, better and smarter'

Epidemiologist says the dreaded triple-demic is here, with RSV, flu and Covid-19 cases all rising together

New school-masking research helps define best practices

In cleanup after a flood, how to stay safe and healthy

Rural Pa. school staffers increasingly bore the brunt of pandemic frustration: 'We went from being heroes to villains'

Bipartisan efforts are needed to reduce the growing rural-urban gap in Covid-19 vaccinations, Oklahoma prof says

States and schools across nation drop mask mandates, but concern remains about low vaccination rates among kids

Omicron variant makes better masks necessary, experts say

Rural residents in top 25 markets were more likely to follow pandemic precautions when lockdown hit, study says

Biden's vaccine mandates likely to have big rural impact

About 40% of Americans say they get coronavirus vax info from social media, but not many believe it's the best source

Sense of community, common sacrifice missing among many in pandemic, especially politicians, Silas House writes

Study finds rural seniors less likely than urban ones to follow Covid-19 prevention advice, especially social distancing

A little moderation on masks could go a long way in rural areas, Kentucky writer tells a national audience