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.
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Palmer Lake is one of three communities in the Tri-Lakes region between Denver and Colorado Springs.
It may take years for the small mountain community of Palmer Lake, Colorado, to recover from the ongoing, scathing debate over whether a Buc-ees gas station should be built two miles outside of town.
Heated emotions both for and against the development have "led to cursing at packed town meetings, mudslinging on social media and texts, accusations of vandalism. . . and litigation," reports Karin Brulliard of The Washington Post. "Over the past year, the social fabric of this town of 2,500 has been torn apart."
Both sides insist they want what is best for the town, with some residents insisting Buc-ees will ruin the region's sublime views and quaint feel. Buc-ees proponents insist potential tax revenue from the colossal gas station would help the town pay for ailing infrastructure needs.
While the land Buc-ees proposed to develop wouldn't be seen by Palmer Lake residents, the company applied for the property to be annexed into Palmer Lake for access to its water supply. "At a heated board meeting, trustees considered whether the Buc-ee’s parcel was eligible for annexation," Brulliard writes. "Some commenters hailed the plan’s benefits. [Others] argued it wouldn’t bring the promised revenue and instead would attract traffic and crime."
Once Palmer Lake trustees agreed the parcel was eligible for annexation, townspeople who opposed Buc-ees filed suit "alleging First Amendment, due process and open meeting violations and arguing that the annexation was improper," Brulliard explains. "Opponents also initiated the recall of three trustees."
When it looked as though the opposition would prevail and Buc-ees would seek out a different site, the battle stalled, only to resume when Buc-ees "requested a public vote, which it would pay for," Brulliard reports. "The proposal is expected to go to a public vote this winter."
Map from SmokyMountains.com shows fall leaf color projections. Red indicates peak color.
As autumn begins across much of the U.S., many Americans and tourists plan day trips or vacations to take in nature’s stunning fall colors. "Parts of the U.S. will soon start to see — if they haven't already — leaves and shrubs trade their green hues for vibrant shades of orange, yellow and red as the days get shorter and temperatures get chillier," reports Rachel Treisman of NPR. Explore Fall, TheSmokyMountains.com and Almanac websites offer some of the best "estimates [for] when leaves will change and colors will peak across the country."
Faced with ongoing population growth, an aging water system, and intermittent droughts paired with scorching temperatures, Texas officials and lawmakers are working to address the state's water crisis. But even as solutions are hammered out in Austin, the "state's regional diversity and patchwork of governments complicate matters further," reportsThe Texas Tribune. "Texas voters will be asked this fall to approve a $20 billion package to protect the state’s water supply. . . . The $20 billion is just a fraction of what some experts believe the state needs to invest going forward."
In a bid to help balance pharmacy payments, Optum Rx "has increased reimbursement minimums for brand drugs for approximately 2,300 independent pharmacies," reports Heather Landi of Fierce Healthcare. The company's shift to a cost-based model is helping the bottom line of the "more than 24,000 independent and community pharmacies it works with. . ." More than half of all independent pharmacies operate in rural areas of the U.S., but many have closed or struggle to stay afloat due to high operational costs and low reimbursement rates.
When it comes to remembering 2020, many Americans would probably prefer not to recall the year at all. But film director Ari Aster doesn't want anyone to forget. In his latest film, "Eddington," Aster takes viewers back to the early days of the pandemic through the lens of a rural town drama set between a town sheriff and its mayor. Eddington captures the "anxiety, confusion, listlessness, and frustration of those first few months of lockdown as the backdrop for a dark and twisted story of a man, a town, and a country gone crazy," writes Anya Petrone Slepyan of The Daily Yonder. "Ari Aster’s latest rural thriller will give you something to think about."
When individuals suffering from opioid addictions are released from jail or prison, they face a high risk of overdose; however, a recent study shows that medication treatment during incarceration can lower their chances of overdosing upon release. "Use of medication for opioid use disorder (OUD) in jail was strongly associated with lower risks for overdose, death, and re-incarceration after release into the community," reports Shannon Firth of MedPage Today. The observational study was conducted in Massachusetts correctional facilities.
No matter where adults live, it may seem like kids have a different language that includes words that don't mean what they meant even three years ago. Keeping up with what young people are saying can feel impossible for anyone attempting to stay "hip," but not knowing kid-jargon can be a particular nightmare for parents. "As a little bit of an explainer, here’s a quick guide to slang terms that have made a mark in recent months," writes Paul Anthony Jones for Mental Floss. A few "explainers" are shared below.
Kid-jargon can mystify adults. (Graphic by Justin Dodd, Mental Floss)
W in the chat! "W has been used as a slang abbreviation for a win for over 50 years — although nowadays it’s used not just of victories, but of anything that could be regarded as laudable or impressive."
What the sigma?!? "As Merriam-Webster has noted, [the word] sigma has become increasingly ironic, pejorative, and jokey. . . This phrase in Gen Z and Gen Alpha vernacular is roughly the 2020s equivalent of 'What the heck?!'"
Do it for the plot! "If you imagine your life as one big movie, 'doing something for the plot' means doing something bold or risky that, in the retelling of your life story, would act as a major plot point."
Cynthia Main makes handmade brooms, Appalachian style. (Sunhouse Craft photo via the Yonder)
When a talented crafter with an entrepreneurial bent got busy making handmade brooms, a new sustainable business in Appalachia was born. "Rural arts programs helped Eastern Kentucky maker Cynthia Main develop Sunhouse Craft, a sustainable business with an Appalachian sense of place," reports Kim Kobersmith of The Daily Yonder. "Main is driven by sustainability and community. With larger revenues, she can pay her small staff a living wage and offer her restored historic storefront as a community gathering space, while moving closer to her goal of developing a 100% local supply chain."
Pioneering women of the 1800s spent grueling hours over a fire making soap every spring. Sounds horrible, but soap itself is somewhat of a miracle. "The discovery of soap dates back approximately 5,000 years, to the ancient city of Babylon in what is today the country of Iraq," writes Paul E. Richardson for The Conversation. "Although billions of people use soap every day, most don’t know how it works. As a professor of chemistry, I can explain the science of soap. . . Soap molecules come together and surround the grime on your hands. The water-loving heads of the soap molecules are on the surface, with the water-fearing tails inside the micelle. This structure traps the dirt, and running water washes it all away."
Philadelphia children eating a 'three-cent dinner' at school. (Science History Institute photo via Smithsonian)
Since the late 1800s, Americans have been arguing over kids' school lunches, but beyond the controversies, the topic offers an interesting look at the U.S. diet. "A new exhibition in Philadelphia spotlights the evolution of American nutritional health through a unique lens: the school cafeteria," reports Sonja Anderson for Smithsonian magazine. "Medical inspections revealed that schoolchildren were malnourished. Many had scurvy or rickets, diseases caused by vitamin deficiencies. . . . Philadelphia and Boston became two of the first cities to offer meals to public school students in 1894. According to a statement from the museum, the exhibition features a tiny aluminum token from 1909, which a Philadelphia child would have used to purchase a 'penny lunch' at school."
A California Zephyr trip is chockablock with scenic views. (Amtrak photo)
July's heat is surely coming, and for those of us with limited air conditioning options, planning where you will go to keep from baking -- beyond grocery store freezer aisles -- is a priority. One of the all-time favorite spots for escaping heat and humidity is movie theaters. AMC theaters must know they are part of some people's melting prevention plans because "beginning July 9, the movie theater chain will offer 50% off adult movie tickets on Wednesdays for those part of the AMC Stubs rewards program," reports Ramishah Maruf of CNN News.
Summer is also a time for great reads. It could be on a beach, by the pool, in the grass with your horse or any number of amazing places to chill out and read. Not sure which book to kick off your summer escape? Try one from this list of books that will be made or have already been released as 2025 movies. Wilson Wong of The New York Times writes, "Here are some of the thrillers, romances, sci-fi page turners and detective novels coming soon to a screen near you. This is a running list. Check back for more updates as the year goes on."
"The first novella in the Murderbot Diaries series, 'All Systems Red,'
follows a security android that secretly hacks its own operating system,
allowing it to think and act independently," Wong writes. "But when an expedition goes strangely awry, resulting in several
scientists’ deaths, the robot must help the humans in its own unit
unravel the mystery before a similar tragedy befalls them." Murderbot premiered on Apple TV+ on May 16.
A Real ID or A passport is required to board U.S. commercial aircraft. (Adobe Stock photo)
After years of extensions and missed deadlines, the Transportation Security Administration's Real ID requirements for U.S. domestic airport travelers and individuals looking to enter military or federal buildings went into effect this week.
"Congress passed the Real ID Act back in 2005 to beef up aviation security post-9/11," Alex Fitzpatrick of Axiosreports. "But the deadline for actually requiring compliant ID cards has been repeatedly delayed."
Leading up to its May 7 start date, TSA said that 81% of people going through their checkpoints had Real IDs or another form of accepted identification, such as a passport. Gaby Del Valle of The Vergereports, U.S. citizens that don't fly or need to access TSA checkpoint buildings may opt to stick with standard state-issued ID for now.
Real ID compliance has varied by state, which is unsurprising since some states have larger numbers of residents with passports. Fitzpatrick reports, "Nearly 47% of Americans lack a valid passport as of fiscal 2024. . . . West Virginia (79.3%), Mississippi (77.9%), and Alabama (72.3%) have the greatest shares of citizens lacking a passport."
USA Today journalists headed out to various airports across the country to see how the Real ID rollout was going in real time. According to their reports, airport lines were no longer than usual and most travelers reported no delays.
TSA Regional Spokesperson Mark J. Howell "warned traffic would pick up
heading into holidays like Memorial Day and the Fourth of July," reports USA Today. Howell told reporters, "Here in Nashville, specifically, with CMA Fest and Bonnaroo, you're
going to have a lot of people coming from everywhere. So if
you haven't gotten (a Real ID), now is the time to do it if you plan to
travel later, because the volume from here is only going to go up.”
Cumbres & Toltec Railroad riders enjoy being 'lifted' 137 feet high on the High Cascade Creek Trestle.
As summertime vacation beckons, consider boarding a historical train and chugging through parts of North America you've never explored. "Railroads revolutionized transportation in North America, permanently accelerating the pace of travel across the continent," reports Michael Harmon of The New York Times. "Today, many of those railroad tracks host an assortment of historic excursion trains, inviting riders to slow down and enjoy a grand day out." The Skunk Train, the Potomac Eagle Scenic Railroad, and The Cumbres & Toltec Scenic Railroad are all spectacular picks.
When young people leave home, they often see life through the lens of their upbringing. For author Jane Brox, that lens is generations of family farming in Dracut, Mass. Brox added a third book to complete her trilogy, In the Merrimack Valley, which celebrates early immigrant dreams, farm routines that enrich daily life, and all that is gained and lost when young adults set out into the world. Danny Heitman for The Wall Street Journalwrites, “Brox created a multipart work that is more broadly about the nature of origins — what we might owe to the places where we started. Even and, perhaps, especially when we leave them."
Reversing a previous decision, the Trump administration "temporarily
reinstated dozens of fired federal workers who help screen coal miners
for black lung, a deadly and incurable disease caused by inhaling toxic coal dust," reports Maxine Joselow of The Washington Post.
"The screening program offers contracts to radiologists across the
country who are certified to evaluate X-rays for black lung. It also
employs epidemiologists who recently concluded that 1 in 5 longtime coal
miners in Central Appalachia has black lung — the highest level
recorded in 25 years."
The Immigration Reporting Legal Guide is a free resource developed by The Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press to help journalists navigate coverage of the complex web of federal and state entities that make up the American immigration system. The guide divides the topic into three parts: Immigration-related public records, how to access immigration proceedings and and details about journalists' rights to observe and record immigration enforcement officers on the ground. The guide is available in English and Spanish. There's also an extensive collection of free legal resources.
Spring and summer can be glorious times for hiking, fishing and taking nature walks. But sometimes, uninvited buzzing guests such as wasps and yellow jackets come along on warmer-weather adventures and sting humans -- often for unexplained reasons. And while no anti-sting plan is foolproof, Ashley Leath of Country Living has a few suggestions.
Don't swat at wasps. Swatting tells a wasp to release pheromones that will trigger other nearby wasps to see you as a threat, exactly what you don’t want to happen.
To prevent wasp nest building, try putting up a fake wasp nest. Wasps are territorial and don't like waspy neighbors.
Don't remove a large yellow jacket nest on your own. They can sting more than once. Call a professional.
To remove a smaller yellow jacket nest, read here.
Mysterious, massive and yet strangely elusive, Big Foot remains a North American legend with hundreds of sightings by locals, tourists and scouts paired with an equal number of people who are outspokenly skeptical Sasquatch exists. Beyond the argument, a separate exploration has formed which asks why some people want to believe that strange and unlikely creatures lurk just out of plain site. Sarah Melotte of The Daily Yonder writes, "I’m more interested in exploring why mysterious wildlife inspires obsession and fanaticism, and what it says about the American environmental psyche."
Map by Sarah Melotte, The Daily Yonder, from Bigfoot Field Researchers Organization data
Fearful of problems at the U.S.-Canada border, many Canadians have canceled U.S. travel. (Adobe Stock photo)
In a response to U.S. annexation and tariff threats, many Canadians are boycotting U.S. travel and opting to spend their vacation dollars in other countries. "Canadians have long been the top international travelers to the U.S.," reports Allison Pohle of The Wall Street Journal. The loss of Canadian travel dollars "threatens to upend local economies across the U.S. . . . Even a 10% reduction in Canadian travel could mean $2 billion in lost spending and 14,000 job losses."
Craig Treulieb, a Canadian who planned a celebratory trip to the U.S. with his wife, serves as an example of how costly the loss of Canadian visitors can be. "They spent about $3,500 on flights, hotels, an Airbnb booking and a rental car, with plans to spend freely on food and excursions during the nearly two-week trip," Pohle writes. "The day after (former Prime Minister Justin) Trudeau told business leaders that (President Donald) Trump might be serious about annexing Canada, they canceled the trip. They will instead travel to British Columbia."
Canadians' concern over border delays has kept some from visiting the U.S. simply because they fear they won't be allowed home. "Canadians say Trump’s threats of annexation have infuriated and scared them, so much so that they won’t cross the border to spend time or money," Pohle reports. "Recent news about lengthy detentions for tourists and green-card holders has further deterred would-be travelers."
Air travel to the U.S. from Canada has also decreased. "Calgary-based WestJet says it has 'observed a shift in bookings from the U.S. to other sun destinations such as Mexico and the Caribbean among Canadian travelers,'" Pohle writes. "In tiny Whitefish, Mont., which is just 60 miles from the border of British Columbia, spending by Canadians was down 14% in January compared with a year ago."
The federal "Department of Government Efficiency" has eliminated agricultural jobs it considers unnecessary, but the cuts could allow noxious plants and invasive bugs from foreign countries to gain a foothold in the United States. The U.S. Department of Agriculture's National Dog Detection Training Center is one area that received significant cuts, which could prove troublesome.
Derek Copeland, who lost his job during DOGE's cuts, worked to "prepare beagles and Labrador retrievers to sniff out plants and animals that are invasive or vectors for zoonotic diseases, like swine fever," reports Kate Knibbs for Wired. "Copeland estimates the NDDTC lost about a fifth of its trainers and a number of other support staff when 6,000 employees were let go."
Before his termination notice, "Copeland had just spent several months training the only dog stationed in Florida capable of detecting the Giant African land snail, an invasive mollusk that poses a significant threat to Florida agriculture," Knibbs writes. He told her, “We have dogs for spotted and lantern flies, Asian longhorn beetles. I don’t think the American people realize how much [stuff] people bring into the United States.”
The staffing cuts translate into years of lost education and training to protect American crops from invasive pests. Mike Lahar, the regulatory affairs manager at U.S. customs broker Deringer, told Knibbs, “These aren’t your average people. These were highly trained individuals — inspectors, entomologists, taxonomists.”
Allowing potentially harmful bugs and plants into the U.S. could be one harmful after-effect of DOGE's massive staffing cuts, and ports teaming with rotting food could soon be another. "Supply chain experts warn that the losses could cause food to go rotten while waiting in ports and could lead to even higher grocery prices," Knibbs explains. U.S. grocery supply chains are already suffering from tariff whiplash and persistent food inflation woes.
Kit Johnson, the director of trade compliance at the U.S. customs broker John S. James, "predicts prices and waste to increase. But what raises the most alarms for him is the increased likelihood of invasive species slipping through inspection cracks," Knibbs reports "He says the price of missing a threatening pest is 'wiping out an entire agricultural commodity,' an event that could have 'not just economic but national security impacts.'"
Big sky and wide open spaces in Rugby, North Dakota (Photo by Travis Brown, Unsplash)
American songs are replete with tunes about trains. There's "Love Train," "Peace Train," "Girl on a Train, "Crazy Train" and "Stop This Train," to name only a few. But what about "Rural Train"? There doesn't seem to be a song about what happens to a reporter who takes an Amtrak across the United States and has some great times getting off and exploring rural stops. Luckily, there is a newspaper story on just such a journey.
"If you ride the railroad’s Empire Builder route from Chicago to Seattle and back, as I did recently, you’ll watch the scenery evolve. . . . My pass entitled me only to one coach seat. No bed; no shower; shared bathrooms that, more often than not, looked long overdue for a cleaning," reports Richard Rubin of The New York Times. "But I also met a lot of interesting people on the train. . . . Most memorably, I visited six American places that I would never otherwise have experienced. Or even known about."
Here are a few of his favorite stops.
A view at Glacier National Park (Photo by M. Kirchman, Unsplash)
Rugby, N.D., population: 2,509 "If the sight of endless prairie doesn’t convince you that you’ve reached the heartland, Rugby will: It is, as signs all over town will tell you, 'the geographical center of North America,'" Rubin writes. "Whether or not this is true, or whether such a status can even be mathematically determined, is disputed. . . . Down Second Street, I found the florist in the spot it has occupied since at least 1903. The 1938 WPA Guide to North Dakota notes that the shop’s founder, Nels Lindberg, is credited with coining the phrase 'Say it with flowers.'"
Cut Bank, Montana, population: 3,056 Cut Bank is the last stop before the Blackfeet Indian Reservation and Glacier National Park. The town provides "splendid vistas of the Rockies — without crowds," Rubin writes. The town includes unique lodgings, including "oil workers’ houses, a recreated homesteader’s cabin, or a genuine caboose at the Glacier County Historical Museum, . . ." Sandpoint, Idaho, population: 8,639 "The Empire Builder stopped at 11 places in Montana, but I saw nothing at any of them that topped Sandpoint — Amtrak’s only stop in Idaho — for raw beauty," Rubin adds. "It sits on Lake Pend Oreille (pondo-RAY), which is surrounded by verdant mountains and runs 43 miles long and nearly 1,200 feet deep. 'The Navy tests stealth submarines in it,' one gentleman told me. (It’s true.)" To read Rubin's complete account of his "Rural Train" adventure, click here.
The seemingly endless coastline of Sandpoint, Idaho (Photo by Backroad Packers, Unsplash)
High school students in Kansas participate
in the Seatbelts Are For Everyone program. (Photo via RHIhub)
Country roads that are winding, curving and in various states of repair pose a disproportionate danger to travelers. Rural communities are using a grassroots approach to address the problem, reports Gretel Kauffman for Rural Health Information Hub. "While an estimated 20% of people in the U.S. live in rural areas, 40% of traffic deaths occur on rural roads, according to the most recent data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. In rural areas, the fatality rate per vehicle miles traveled was 1.5 times higher than in urban areas."
Rural roads have more space and less traffic, which can lead drivers to speed unintentionally, leave their lanes, and head into oncoming traffic. Rural drivers are also less likely to observe seat belt laws. Experts say rural drivers "'should be treated as a distinct market segment for seat belt messaging and public awareness campaigns,' and that changing rural drivers' beliefs about seat belts 'may help reduce the disparity between rural and urban traffic fatality rates,'" Kauffman writes. "In the event of a crash, proper seat belt use can be the difference between life and death. . . . Roughly half of all people killed in car crashes in 2021 were unrestrained."
Community-led programs may be "more effective at encouraging seat belt use in rural areas than national or government-led campaigns, experts suggest." Kauffman reports, "One such program, the Seatbelts Are For Everyone program, formed in rural Crawford County, Kansas, in 2008. At the time, Crawford County had one of the lowest rates of seat belt use among teen drivers in the state. . . . In its first year, one of the six Crawford County high schools that piloted the program went from a 57% seat belt compliance rate to an 82% compliance rate."
Safe Start advertises free car seat checks. (Photo via RHIhub)
A grassroots program in Coeur d'Alene, Idaho, called "Safe Start," is working to encourage car seat use through its Rural Education Outreach program. "Like rural adults, rural children are also less likely to be properly restrained than their non-rural peers. One study found that child restraint misuse was more common in rural locations, with 9 out of 10 children buckled in insufficiently or not at all," Kauffman writes. "The REO team visits 24 communities twice a year, setting up shop in a public space where anybody can approach for a car seat check, a demonstration, or to have their questions answered. In some cases, the REO team has distributed new car seats to people when needed and has taken old or unsafe seats to dispose of."
View of the Snake Range inside Great Basin National Park, Nevada. (Photo by Claire Carlson, The Daily Yonder)
A Love Letter to Nevada’s Wide Open Spaces
by Claire Carlson, The Daily Yonder
One of my favorite places in the world is a small town called Baker west of the Nevada-Utah border where weird sculptures made of rusting car parts border the road and a joint general store-motel offers anything you might need, including obscure books on the American West and artisan beer and coffee, depending on the time of day and your mood.
Perhaps best known as the gateway to Great Basin National Park (one of the country’s least crowded national parks and my personal favorite), Baker is also at the beginning – or the end, depending on which way you’re driving – of the “Loneliest Road in America,” i.e. the section of Highway 50 that stretches from Baker to Dayton, Nevada.
But this road is far from lonely: small towns like Ely and Austin provide excellent stops for the intrepid road tripper looking to see an abandoned silver mining-era castle or eat at a retro diner that’s retro because it’s been in business since the 1950s, not retro because they decorated it that way. For me, the sagebrush and red-tailed hawks offer more than enough company for the six-hour drive across the state.
Rural Nevada is a place unlike anywhere else I’ve been. The seventh biggest-by-land state in the country, Nevada boasts an enormous amount of open space once you get outside the metro-areas of Reno or Las Vegas, and it’s one of the only places I’ve been where you could get pulled over for driving under 80 miles per hour. And with the way I like to drive through the state, getting pulled over for being too slow is a real risk, but I can’t help it: rural Nevada is a place I want to linger.
I was born and raised in Nevada, first in Carson City and then Reno. I moved away from home five years ago now, and at best I return once a year to visit. I know I will visit less often as the people I know there move away for their own big adventures.
The last time I was in Reno, the most noticeable change was the sprawl. The cookie cutter houses and roads spewing all directions felt unbearably suburban. The new Starbucks and Cracker Barrel and In-N-Out burned big on the landscape. It felt unoriginal, overdone, and a little bit lonely. All I could think about was how desperately I wanted to drive east until I made it to the Loneliest Road in America, where maybe, finally, I could recognize the state I so love.
Suburban sprawl is a dilemma in many cities, not just Reno. I also know that romanticizing small towns, like I am wont to do in Nevada, can detract from the real issues facing rural America. But in Nevada, the difference between urban and rural is stark, and more and more, the places that feel most like home in Nevada aren’t the cities but the wide open spaces outside of them.
This article first appeared on The Daily Yonder and is republished here under a Creative Commons license.
Almost every state will receive federal money to build or improve its passenger rail, reports Daniel C. Vock of Route Fifty. "President Joe Biden, known for decades as the Senate's most loyal Amtrak passenger, unveiled his administration's vision for a more robust passenger rail network throughout the country, with more than $8 billion in funding for big-ticket projects and grants for better service in nearly every state." The administration has ignored criticism that many Americans don't use rail enough to warrant that amount of funding.
While many allotments will go to bigger cities, more rural areas will also glean new or improved tracks. "The administration will spend nearly $94 million to add capacity to Chicago's Union Station. . . $27 million to upgrade tracks used by Maine's Downeaster Amtrak route and $15 million to eliminate bottlenecks in Montana," Vock writes. "The so-called Corridor ID program’s planning grants include proposals to
upgrade 15 existing rail routes, add or extend service on 47 new routes
and develop seven new high-speed rail projects, according to the
administration."
The administration is also pushing to "lay the groundwork for future passenger rail upgrades," Vock adds. "The Federal Railroad Administration is giving half a million dollars each to 69 projects in 44 states to help with planning for service expansions. . . . Some of the ideas — like restoring service through the southern tier of Montana — have been talked about for decades. Colorado is getting money to plan service along the Front Range, linking many of its major cities."
States can refuse the federal money, but those that accept it are more likely to have a history of passenger rail support, Mike Christensen, the executive director of the Utah Rail Passengers Association, told Vock. "The vast majority of proposals receiving funding have been preceded by years of grassroots organizing that ultimately culminated in the proposal."
Aerial view of the Mississippi River near Guttenberg, Iowa. (Photo by Drake White-Bergey, Wisconsin Watch via WWNO)
The Mississippi River, one of the biggest jewels in America's geography crown, has provided many of the country's commerce and water needs for centuries. Now, the river is stressed by weather extremes and is being considered by drought-stricken Western states as a possible solution for their water shortages.
Historically, the Mississippi has lacked a governance, but given its vital importance to trade and dams, some states are working to create a new framework. "A coalition of Mississippi River mayors wants a 10-state compact that would establish collective management of the waterway," reports Keely Brewer, WWNO, which serves New Orleans. "At the Mississippi River Cities and Towns Initiative's annual meeting, about 30 mayors unanimously voted in favor of pursuing a compact that would span more than 2,300 miles of river. It's the first step of what could be a lengthy process."
The group would provide an "overall management structure." MRCTI's executive director, Colin Wellenkamp, said, "A compact among the core states bordering the river would be a way to think about river management at the watershed scale, from the headwaters in Minnesota to the Gulf of Mexico, and coordinate during events affecting the whole river, like drought and flooding," Brewer writes. "A compact could provide legal protections for Mississippi River resources, such as the vast amount of water the river drains from 31 states and two Canadian provinces."
Mark Davis is the director of Tulane University's Institute on Water Resources Law and Policy in New Orleans, which studies Mississippi River management issues. Brewer reports, "Davis likened the water in the Mississippi River to a baton in a relay race; management changes with each of the 10 states it flows past, not including the other 21 states that feed into the river. . . . As parched states in the West grapple with drought and water scarcity, there have been renewed efforts to pump Mississippi River water west. But Wellenkamp said their concern lies with 'anyone that wants to put a straw in the Mississippi,' not just western states."
"The mayors are looking to the Great Lakes Compact as a model. In that region, eight states and two Canadian provinces established principles for water management and a requirement to notify and consult other members before diverting large amounts of water.” Getting the Great Lakes states to agree to a "shared vision" has presented a challenge, but Davis said "They agreed on something fundamental: they didn't want their water sent to just anyone with a checkbook," Brewer adds.
"Wellenkamp said a Mississippi River compact would be similar to the Great Lakes agreement in terms of geographic scope, and he likes that it isn't overly prescriptive. But he said there's a key difference: they're trying to develop a Mississippi River compact in the face of severe climate threats." Davis told Brewer: "We are highly motivated by recent disasters and highly motivated by recent climate impacts that the Great Lakes did not have."
'Tis the season for troves of colored trees, exploring harvest bounty and letting crisper air fill your lungs. Wherever you roam this fall, may it be filled with the beauty only rural road trips can offer. "Traveling byways is a great way to sample local flavor and have authentic place-based experiences," reports Kim Kobersmith of The Daily Yonder. "The four trips below all lean into unique ecosystems, habitats, history, and culture, making for particularly lovely autumn destinations."
Pine Barrens National Scenic Byway: "Pine barrens are unique ecosystems with nutrient-poor sandy soil, acidic water, and fire-adapted plants, according to the Pinelands Preservation Alliance. The byway traverses the Pinelands, the 1.1 million acres of pine barrens in New Jersey, the largest forested area on the eastern seaboard between the Everglades and Maine. This special place is an International Biosphere Reserve, and in 1978, Congress designated it the nation's first National Reserve to protect its unique natural and cultural resources. . . . Pine barrens is home to pygmy trees and Warren Grove Recreation Area, where one can take "a surreal walk amongst the lilliputian trees. . . eerily quiet, except for the occasional bird song and the steady susurration of the wind in the pines."
Cranberry Highway: Located in central Wisconsin, the highway is the "largest cranberry-producing region in the United States. Along with a taste of the harvest in fall, from late September through October, the century-old cranberry beds and surrounding trees are alight with seasonal color.
The drive is a self-guided agri-tour. Local stores sell everything cranberry, from sausage to hand cream, and farm-to-table restaurants incorporate the fruit in bread, cocktails, and salads."
Cherokee Foothills National Scenic Byway: This history byway sits at the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains and offers "leaf looking," nature exploration and rich history. "Several stops have mountainous overlooks. A fall raptor migration can be seen from the heights of Caesar's Head State Park, and the granite view at Table Rock State Park is iconic. Several waterfalls can be accessed from the drive; Wildcat Branch Falls can be viewed from a paved turnout, and a short roadside hike leads to Issaqueena Falls.
A boat trip on crystal clear Lake Jocassee leads to several streams that drop into the water. . . .The route also winds past Cowpens National Battlefield and Kings Mountain National Park, where visitor centers interpret the importance of these pivotal revolutionary-era battles. The only remaining covered bridge in South Carolina, Campbell's, is right off Route 11."
Ducks in the Lower Klamath National Wildlife Refuge (Fish and Wildlife Service, Mary Hyde via The Daily Yonder)
The Klamath Basin: The basin is a "crucial migratory stop on the Pacific Flyway, hosting nearly 80% of migratory birds that pass through the region. This outdoorsy-focused trail leads to hikes, kayak-friendly lakes and wildlife drives throughout rugged southern Oregon and northern California. The 300-mile route has 47 stops, including six National Wildlife Refuges and three National Park Service sites. More than 350 species of birds have been identified in the mix of mountains, marshlands, grasslands, old-growth forests and shallow lakes that converge here.
"In northern California, large Tule Lake National Wildlife Refuge is a migratory hotspot for snow geese and sandhill cranes. It has a visitor center, hiking and canoeing trails, and a 20-mile gravel drive open to the public for wildlife viewing. Nearby Lower Klamath Lake was the first wildlife refuge in the U.S., established in 1908."
Gunfight at the O.K. Corral (Illustration by Bridgeman, ACI, via National Geographic)
Eric Clapton bluntly admitted, "I Shot the Sheriff," but shooters and guilty parties are not that clear in the case of who shot whom at the O.K. Corral in Tombstone, Ariz. Some details about Wyatt Earp and the fight's aftermath might be surprising, Fernando MartÃn reports for National Geographic.
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"Lester," a wily steer, escaped his pen, made a run for freedom and ended up on a stretch of busy interstate in Michigan, reports Cathy Free of The Washington Post. Lester's owner discovered his disappearance and called for cowboy help. Cowboy Ricky Littlejohn came to the roping rescue. Littlejohn told Free, "It was pretty wild — cars were still flying by when I went after him."
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How do you write a book about decades of poverty, industrial abuses and opioid addiction that people will enjoy reading? Kentucky author Barbara Kingsolver found a way in her Pulitzer Prize-winning novel Demon Copperhead, reports Rae Johnson for the Louisville Courier Journal. Commenting on her rural upbringing, Kingsolver told Johnson: "I've always been the writer from Carlisle, Kentucky. The person in me who is the underdog and who feels sort of fiercely protective of the underdogs is in everything that I write." Read the interview here.
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CiCi helps the brewery lessen its carbon footprint by recycling CO2. (Photo by Sergio Flores,The Washington Post)
Do people typically put beer brewing and NASA technology in the same category? Well, no, but maybe they should. "The fresh, doughy aroma around the conical fermentation tanks at Austin Beerworks is a sign that trillions of yeast cells are turning the sugary, hoppy liquid inside into beer. But there's another byproduct: carbon dioxide," reports Charlie Scudder of The Washington Post. "Until recently, Austin Beerworks's cellar manager had to truck in carbon dioxide in tanks 10,000 pounds at a time. But now, he's using techniques developed by NASA to capture the naturally produced CO2 and dissolve the molecules into his brews. . . The machine that enables tanks is the size of a large, double-door refrigerator is nicknamed CiCi — short for 'carbon capture.'"
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Summer travel can be a glorious break from busy daily life. A long drive can give time for reflection and solitude. Along one stretch of pavement is the professed "loneliest road in America" right on U.S. Route 50—a place to feel the country's expansiveness and historical changes.
The Butler County Donut Trail in Ohio, might be a favorite byway for children. (Photo by Jason Bohrer, The Daily Yonder)
If the loneliest road seems too solemn, America has flamboyant byways and memorable stops. "Federally-recognized routes are collectively called 'America's Byways,' and they encompass epic road trips like Route 66, unique communities like Amish Country, awe-inspiring geology like Volcanic Legacy, and immersive history like the Harriet Tubman Underground Railroad," reports Kim Kobersmith of The Daily Yonder. "The following four trips are some of the most popular in the country. Not only are they fun to travel, but their organizers have also learned some best practices for coordinating this kind of visitor experience that they share below."
Boarding at a small airport (Photo by Billy Calzada, San Antonio Express-News)
Airlines don't have enough pilots to fly all their planes, so, in response, service to rural areas has been facing cuts at an "almost unheard of pace," reports Liz Crampton of Politico. "Since January 2020, at least 324 airports have seen service cuts, losing an average of 30 percent of their flights, according to the Regional Airline Association. More than 14 airports have lost commercial service completely, including places such as Mobile, Ala.; Ogden, Utah; Stowe, Vt., and Williamsport, Pa. . . . Drew Jacoby Lemos, vice president of government affairs for the RAA, said that his membership has more than 400 planes grounded because airlines can’t find enough pilots to fly them."
Since the pandemic began in early 2020, "National airlines have rapidly pulled out of rural airports. . . . It's fostering a sense of isolation that's frustrated small-town Americans fed up with big business and Washington," Crampton writes. "American Airlines, United Airlines and Delta Airlines say they are constrained by a pilot shortage that has forced them to scale back service or stop flying entirely from certain airports. In the face of a financial squeeze, routes from regional airports are often the first to be eliminated. . . . American alone said its lack of pilots has been the equivalent of taking more than 150 regional planes out of service."
Carriers' desertion of Iowa's Dubuque airport is an example of what the loss costs a region. "Now, locals and visitors need to drive approximately 80 miles to Moline or Cedar Rapids, or, to get to bigger destinations, three hours to Chicago, mostly using a two-lane road," Crampton writes. "Losing air service cost the Dubuque airport nearly 200 jobs and reduced its economic output by more than $26 million, according to an economic impact analysis the city paid for comparing data from 2019 to 2022. . . . Repercussions may extend beyond financial losses. Dubuque Mayor Brad Cavanagh believes that nothing else will have a greater impact on politics in the decade ahead than further isolating cities like his." Cavanagh told Crampton, "In rural communities like ours, there's no way we're going to survive long-term without air service. We're going to die a slow, agonizing death."
Crampton reports, "States can try to expand the pool of pilots by expanding flight education programs and recruitment of high school students. But the airline industry believes the most effective solution to resolving the shortage needs to come at the federal level. . . . As Congress gears up for Federal Aviation Administration reauthorization, cities grappling with reduced service are lobbying lawmakers to grow the size of a grant program designed to help small communities address air service issues. . . . .There's also an effort to increase student loan caps for accredited pilot training programs to ease education costs."
Meanwhile, airlines have raised pilots' hourly wages. "To attract more people to the profession," Crampton adds. "First-year captains working at the regional carriers under American Airlines will earn $146 an hour and entry-level pilots $90 an hour, up from $78 and $51 an hour, the company announced last year." Across the board, airlines such as Delta Air have increased pilot salaries and negotiated contracts that address work/life balance; those changes could help pilots servicing smaller regions tap into additional benefits.
Conservative and liberal Americans both share fake news because they don't want to be ostracized from their social circles, according to research published by the American Psychological Association.
From sunshine to fresh air to admiring trees, outdoor play is the healthiest for kids. "Science shows it can help your kids’ sleep patterns, undo the damage from screen time, and bolster their mental health," reports Lindsay N. Smith of National Geographic. "You may not have time for a trip to the park every day, but letting your kids spend five or 10 minutes at the school playground after pick-ups can pay dividends."
Warm weather is a tricky variable for mushers in this year's Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race in Alaska. Sunny skies and temperatures hitting 40 have made planning rest times and other strategies more challenging, reports Zachariah Hughes of Anchorage Daily News.
Are you tired of all the people? Longing for the outdoors? You can visit these delightful national parks and avoid crowds.
Marguerite Richards made a TikTok stoking her father's 10-year-old thriller novel. "Within a matter of days, millions of people would see her video, and her father’s book would top Amazon’s best-eller list. . . . Whether it was the gripping thriller, the author’s unassuming Vermont mien, or the efforts of a proud, tech-savvy daughter, the story of Lloyd Devereux Richards and Stone Maidens struck a chord," reports A.J. Willingham of CNN.
Rural schools need more mental health services. In Oklahoma, Project Rural Innovation for Mental Health Enhancement aims to hire 64 mental-health professionals in high-need rural Oklahoma schools. The five-year $5.6 million grant program will pay for the counselors, social workers and behavior analysts to attend graduate school, as well as cover fees and costs in the program," reports Kristi Eaton of The Daily Yonder.
A Cedar County Transit van makes its way down a Nebraska road. (Photo by Forrest Czarnecki, Special to Harvest Public Media)
In rural areas, getting from here to there without a vehicle can be tough. "In rural areas, residents can be miles away from essentials like doctors and grocery stores instead of minutes. Absent transportation, people who don’t have a car or can’t drive often have to move closer to service," reports Elizabeth Rembert of Harvest Public Media. "More than a third of state rural-health offices reported lack of transit was the biggest barrier to elderly people staying in their homes, according to research by Carrie Henning-Smith, who studies rural health at the University of Minnesota. . . . Rural America tends to be sicker, poorer and older than its urban counterparts. Henning-Smith said the negative-but-true statistics make it even more important for rural residents to be able to access transit."
Rembert provides an example: "Joel Tyndall lives off a gravel road in northeast Nebraska, miles away from the nearest town. As a double amputee, some have suggested he could move closer to the biggest town, Norfolk, where he has three dialysis appointments a week to manage his diabetes. . . . But it hasn’t come to that — thanks in part to the Cedar County Transit — which works a little like a rural Uber; anyone can call to schedule a ride. Tyndall told Rembert he doesn't plan on leaving his home, "as long as this transit continues to run I'll be using it for just about everything. These guys help me out more than you would believe.”
Cedar Country Transit was designed to support rural citizens, "The northeast Nebraska county has had some level of public transportation since about 1980 . . . They now have 15 vans, 15 drivers and a full-time scheduler. The operation recently launched services into a bordering county and moved into its own building," Rembert writes. "Anyone living in Cedar County and parts of Knox County can schedule a ride, as long as it’s within 200 miles and on a weekday from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. . . . The service runs on money from the state and federal government, grants and contracts and local community funding, as well as fare for rides."
Nebraska isn't alone in seeking rural transportation alternatives. "Providing public transit in rural areas is a difficult task, but a patchwork of services serves towns and counties throughout the Midwest and Great Plains," Rembert reports. "Kansas was tied in 2019 for the most rural transit agencies in the nation, and in Iowa 35 providers serve riders across the state’s 99 counties. In 2020, Oklahoma developed a transit plan to help it become a 'top 10 state in transit' by 2040. . . . Missouri’s 'Operating Above the Standard' Transit is the largest agency in the country and operates in 87 counties. But it doesn't reach every corner of the state."
