Ky. environmental lawyer gets big foundation prize

For more than three decades, Louisville lawyer Tom FitzGerald, right, has fought battles for environmental protection and rural people in Kentucky. In honor of that work, he is the recipient of the 14th annual Heinz Award for the Environment from the Heinz Family Foundation, which puts its money where its mouth is with a $250,000 prize.

"FitzGerald's name is synonymous with environmental protection in Kentucky" and a natiuonal authority on the 1977 federal strip-mine law, writes Jack Brammer for the Lexington Herald-Leader. "He's probably done more to protect the environment of Kentucky than any other individual," LaJuana S. Wilcher, who held Kentucky's top environmental post under a Republican governor and headed the water division of the Environmental Protection Agency, told Jim Bruggers of The Courier-Journal.

FitzGerald, a native of Queens, N.Y., told Bruggers that he came to Kentucky in the early 1970s "after eading Harry M. Caudill's Night Comes to the Cumberlands, a 1963 book that described corporate plunder of mineral wealth in Eastern Kentucky. He said he was inspired by people 'who had the courage to stand up against the ravages of strip mining.'"

Since 1984, FitzGerald, 53, has run the Kentucky Resources Council, "which provides free legal, strategic and policy assistance on environmental matters to individuals, organizations and communities," Bruggers writes. "With a budget last year of about $230,000, it has just two paid staff members, FitzGerald and an office manager, along with a stable of technical experts hired on a contract basis." (Read more)

Brammer writes, "Money from the Heinz award will 'be nice,' but the "most rewarding" part of his career, FitzGerald said, is 'the wonderful people I've met.' He mentioned the late citizen-activist Hazel King of Harlan County, who 'stood up to renegade elements of the coal industry,' and 'the thousands of people the council has represented, and my hero and mentor, John Rosenberg, and so many, many others." (Read more) Rosenberg is founding director of the Appalachian Research and Defense Fund of Kentucky, for which FitzGerald worked.

The Heinz Foundation will also announce today similar awards in arts and humanities, the human condition, public policy, and technology, the economy and employment. The foundation is headed by Teresa Heinz Kerry, wife of U.S. Sen. John Kerry of Massachusetts. Its awards are in memory of her first husband, the late U.S. Sen. John Heinz of Pennsylvania. She called FitzGerald "a thoughtful and courageous voice on behalf of many communities, families and individuals whose environmental health would have otherwise been at risk," and "a ubiquitous and persistent leader" who has "tirelessly shouldered the causes of those without the resources or expertise to fend for themselves." For the foundation's page on the award, click here.

Palin fought with her local paper, which now voices pride in her candidacy for vice president

Republican vice presidential nominee Sarah Palin got off to a rocky start as mayor of Wasilla, Alaska, with her subordinates, some citizens and the local newspaper, The Frontiersman, Ken Armstrong and Hal Bernton report in The Seattle Times today.

Palin's firing of the police chief "was only part of the drama that unfolded in her first months as mayor" in late 1996 and early 1997, Armstrong and Bernton write. "The Frontiersman and Anchorage Daily News wrote one story after another about the turmoil. After notifying the librarian that she was fired, Palin backtracked and decided to keep her on. Palin had twice asked this librarian what she thought about banning books, to which the librarian responded it was a lousy idea, one she wouldn't go along with. Later, Palin told the local paper that any questions she'd raised about censorship were only 'rhetorical.' Palin put in place what the local paper called a gag order, prohibiting top city employees from talking to reporters unless she cleared it first."

After Palin tried to fill two city-council vacancies without the authority to do so, "The Frontiersman ran blistering editorials," the Times reports, saying Palin's operating philosophy was "either we are with her or against her. ... Palin promised to change the status quo, but at every turn we find hints of cronyism and political maneuvering. We see a woman who has long since surrendered her ideals to a political machine."

But Palin gradually "won folks over" and was re-elected, Armstrong and Bernton write. "Vicki Naegele, the former managing editor who wrote the editorial, defended Palin: "As a community newspaper, we held her feet to the fire. ... The need for such harsh words diminished as the months wore on." At the time, Palin said, "If nothing else, the old Frontiersman editorial points out the importance of administrative experience at the chief executive level. I grew tremendously in my early months as mayor, managing the fastest-growing city in the state, and I turned my critics around." (Read more)

Because of widespread interest in the book-banning discussions, The Frontiersman retyped its December 1996 story on the subject and posted it on its Web site, where it reports that many in the Wasilla area "are experiencing an influx of revenue from local efforts of national media" to research Palin. "The take-out business seems to be exploding as reporters eat while they work in their hotel rooms," writes reporter Michael Rovito.

In an editorial titled "We know Sarah Palin," The Frontiersman says, "We’ve known her as a governor tough enough to successfully take on the Last Frontier’s good old boy network" and voices hope that her nomination could turn attention from a rash of government scandals in the state. "Truth and transparency have been bywords for Palin. As she enters the national arena where she’ll be tugged and tormented, vilified and denigrated, we hope she sticks to her guns — metaphorically and literally. Because no matter the politics, for Wasilla, Alaska, to send its commercial-fishing, gun-toting, hockey-mom former mayor toward the White House, that’s history. And we’re proud of it." (Read more)

The nomination is obviously driving traffic to the Web site of the paper, a thrice-weekly. An unscientific, self-selected "reader's poll" asking whether Palin was a good choice for Sen. John McCain's running mate had gleaned more than 5,000 replies as of 4 p.m. Monday. There was no was for us to tell where the votes were coming from, but the results were Yes, 2,894; No, 2,403; and "Too early to tell," 291.

Outside loans bring credit crunch to rural banks

As the credit crunch worsens nationwide rural banks are being hurt. Although less likely to be big mortgage lenders, regional banks have invested outside their communities in order to boost their volume of loans. As Jack Armstrong of The Times-Union in Jacksonville writes,"Known as participation loans, these investments allow smaller, often rural banks to supplement low demand for loans in their areas by taking on loans from banks in more rapidly growing regions."

Many rural banks are feeling the effects of bad loans. "The trickle-down from bad participation loans is causing rural bank officials to take second looks, especially those loans tied to real estate and residential construction," Armstrong reports. Still, the downturn is not thought to be detrimental to rural banks' long term stability."Although it's a problem, it's not likely to lead to many small bank failures," Armstrong reports. "Participation loans rarely make up a large percentage of a rural bank's loan portfolio."

It is difficult to estimate how many bad participation loans a particular bank holds, because financial reports do not separate them out. Even if the economy continues to worsen participation loans should not have any major repercussions on the longterm stability of rural banks. But it's a question enterprising rural journalists should ask their local banks. (Read more)

Group challenges ban on pulpit endorsements

Any pastor who makes political endorsements from the pulpit risks losing their church's tax-exempt status, but a conservative legal group is looking for pastors who will endorse candidates anyway. The Alliance Defense Fund argues that the 54-year-old ban in federal law violates churches' First Amendment freedom of religion. It is recruiting pastors to break the ban by preaching explicitly political sermons on Sept. 28, with plans to mount a legal challenge to the expected investigation by the Internal Revenue Service.

"It is the job of the pastors of America to debate the proper role of church in society," says ADF attorney Erik Stanley. "It's not for the government to mandate the role of church in society." But Peter Slevin reports in The Washington Post that the planned action has already drawn criticism from other religious leaders. A group of Christian and Jewish clergy will ask the IRS to investigate whether ADF has violated its own tax-exempt status.

Former IRS lawyer Marcus S. Owens says that, in all probability, ADF's legal strategy will not work because the U.S. Supreme Court has already upheld the 1954 law. He criticizes the legal group for encouraging illegal behavior. ADF argues that it is doing no such thing. Stanley told Slevin, "We're not encouraging any congregation to violate the law. . . . What we're encouraging them to do is exercise their constitutional right in the face of an unconstitutional law." (Read more)

N.C. woman takes on military recruiters in school

As manufacturing jobs dwindle in rural areas and the economy remains stagnant the lack of opportunities for high school graduates has made them important targets for military recruiters. In Wilkesboro, N.C., Sally Ferrell has been trying to inform students about alternative careers outside the military. Now she has to do that away from the local high school, because school officials who see her efforts as unpatriotic have stopped her visits.

Writes Mitch Weiss of The Associated Press, "For three years, Ferrell has asked permission to distribute pamphlets and other materials that warn students to think twice before joining the military." Such counter-recruiting groups "say recruiters have given young people misleading information about military service and often target high schools in poor and rural areas where options for graduating students are limited; the activists want students to know they have prospects besides the military."

Typically, military recruiters are given complete access to high schools, and that was the case in Wilkesboro, until the controversy arose. "Now, they can only visit twice a semester," Weiss reports. "And when they do, they have to stand at a table outside the cafeterias. They can't sit down and talk with students while they're eating lunch." (Read more)

Kentucky courthouse building program questioned

A Kentucky initiative to build large judicial centers in many rural counties leaves many wondering if the construction is the best use of tax dollars. In a series of articles in the Lexington Herald-Leader, Linda Blackford points out that some of the courthouses in smaller counties are about the same size as those in counties with four times the population.

In 1998, Supreme Court Chief Justice Joseph E. Lambert, who recently retired, started a project to build "a new or renovated justice center in every county in the state that needed one." With 120 counties, Kentucky has more counties per capita than any state but Nebraska, and more in actual number than any but Georgia and Texas. Some are losing population; a Herald-Leader headine reads, "Grandeur comes as populations fall."

Supporters of the project say that it is necessary in order to bring much needed space, security and technology to the justice system, as well as promoting regard for the system. But others say it is poor stewardship. The average courthouse in more-populated areas has between 1 to 2 square feet for each resident in its jurisdiction. The planned Carlisle County Judicial Center in far Western Kentucky averages 7 square feet per person, at a cost to the state of $2,500 per resident.

The state builds the centers for counties and provides rent money to pay off bonds. "If something jeopardized state funding, the counties would ultimately be on the hook for something many of them could not afford," Blackford writes. "In Wolfe County, for example, loss of the $1 million paid annually by the state for use of the justice center would wipe out half of the county's annual budget." (Read more: Part 1 and Part 2 of the series)

Veterinarian who is fighting the horse crisis says education is needed to prevent overbreeding

The solution to the horse crisis can be found in the current approach to cats and dogs, according to the chairman of the Unwanted Horse Coalition. "Rather than breeding your mare, buy a horse. Rather than buy a horse, adopt one. Rather than discarding your horse, euthanize it," says Tom Lenz, who has also been an equine veterinarian for 35 years.

"Along with the economic crunch, removing slaughterhouses also removed the base price for a horse" Joe Scott of Suburban Journals of Greater St. Louis writes, leading "to a glut of low- to mid-price-range horses that owners are trying to get rid of." The result is often abandonment for the animals. Lenz says that the problem requires an approach similar to that taken with household pets, in which preventing overbreeding is the primary focus of education and awareness campaigns.

The article provides a good overview of factors leading to the crisis: the rising prices of grain and feed, alongside the growing price of fuel; financial pressures faced from a rough economy; overpopulation after the closing of the only U.S. horse slaughterhouses; the higher transportation costs involved in transporting horses to slaughterhouses outside the U.S.; and legislation based on a "romanticized" view of horses rather than the horse industry. (Read more)

Electric co-op's members keep fighting managers

Because suburbs have expanded into the territories rural electric cooperatives established before World War II, many co-ops now serve primarily suburban customers. But they are still governed as cooperatives, and sometimes members revolt against management, as those of Cobb Electric Membership Corp. north of Atlanta did at its annual membership meeting Thursday night, attended by more than 850.

After the usual "balloons, hot dogs and a cheerful teenage chorus . . . the mood quickly turned as angry Cobb EMC members demanded the board’s ouster and called on the utility’s executives and officers to sever all financial ties with for-profit operating affiliate Cobb Energy, wrote Margaret Newkirk and Jeremy Redmon of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. "To loud cheers, Cobb EMC members also passed a motion reversing a recent board decision allowing Cobb Energy to collect an 11 percent markup for operating the nonprofit cooperative."

It was the latest skirmish in a war: "The actions were the most public display yet in a year-long battle between co-op executives and members that has mostly been fought in court. The central issue has been whether Cobb Energy has siphoned co-op assets," the reporters wrote. "A judge in that case barred the co-op from holding planned board of director elections at Thursday’s meeting, but allowed the meeting to go forward. . . . Co-op supporters spoke, too, praising Cobb EMC’s service, technology and response to customers in storms." (Read more)

The latter point can be crucial; when a Louisiana electric co-op was slow to fix storm damage a few years ago, members disbanded it and sold out to an investor-owned electric company.

GOP aims to paint Obama as elitist vs. small towns as Democrat slates trip Tue. to southwest Virginia

"Speaker after speaker at this week's Republican National Convention defended small towns from the perceived slights of urban elites," Peter Wallsten and Doyle McManus write for the Los Angeles Times. "Cultural affinities, which President Bush played on heavily to paint 2004 Democratic nominee John F. Kerry as elite and out of touch, are now central to the campaign strategy of GOP presidential nominee John McCain."

The Arizona senator "is an unlikely standard-bearer for the forces of family values, given his admissions over the years of his failures as a husband, or for the advocates of small-town living, with his millionaire wife and multiple homes," Wallsten and McManus write, but the strategy was confirmed by McCain's selection of Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin, " who cast herself as a symbol of small-town values."

While the strategy worked for Bush in 2004, "Its effectiveness this year is uncertain," the Timesmen write. "Democratic voter registration has surged in several battleground states, and voters worried about the economy say they generally favor Democrats over Republicans. The economy, rather than any cultural issues, consistently ranks highest among voter concerns."

But Republicans are trying to exploit Obama's remark to California donors about small-town voters clinging to religion and guns. The Times notes this line from Palin's convention speech: "In small towns, we don't quite know what to make of a candidate who lavishes praise on working people when they're listening and then talks about how bitterly they cling to their religion and guns when those people aren't listening."

Obama "will combat the attacks by visiting economically depressed areas," write Wallsten and McManus, the newspaper's chief political writer and Washington bureau chief, respectively. (Read more) Those are likely to include the Appalchian parts of battleground states; Obama is scheduled to hold a town hall meeting at the high-school gym in Lebanon, Va., in the heart of southwest Virginia, Tuesday at 4:30 p.m. UPDATE, Sept. 7: "Some political analysts believe the Appalachian vote could determine whether Obama or Republican John McCain will carry Virginia and grab its 12 electoral votes," The Roanoke Times reports.

Groups fear impact of adventure tourism in Ky.

Sportsmen and environmentalists don't always see eye to eye, but their leading groups in Kentucky both question plans for expanding adventure tourism in the state.

Lt. Gov. Daniel Mongiardo is trying to develop a state-wide adventure tourism infrastructure that would include a trail across the state for activities such as horses, ATVs, hiking and mountain biking. On Thursday, Mongiardo gave assurances that the plan would not affect sensitive natural areas, but organizations such as the League of Kentucky Sportsmen and Sierra Club worry that the trail would cross wildlife management areas and nature preserves.

In the Lexington Herald-Leader, reporter Andy Mead cited the new director of adventure tourism for Kentucky as declining to rule out the possibility that these areas could see later development, saying that trails would not be created in these areas that he could foresee.

Mongiardo argues that the infrastructure will help regulate trail usage. Mead writes that the lieutenant governor "spoke of a permitting and licensing system that would collect money from ATV riders and perhaps other trail users. The money would be used to build and maintain trails, and to pay for extra employees for the Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources, which would enforce rules on the trails."(Read more)

Oil shale development greenlighted for public land

Faced with a growing energy crisis, the Bureau of Land Management finalized a plan on Thursday to open nearly 2 million acres of public land in Wyoming, Utah and Colorado to commercial oil-shale development. The shale could yield around 800 billion barrels of oil.

Though actual development of the vast resources is likely a decade away, officials in Wyoming and Colorado are questioning the decision by BLM to proceed. An Associated Press article cites a written statement by Sen. Ken Salazar, D-Colo.: "The administration is putting the cart in front of the horse by trying to sell these leases prematurely."

Many locals are skeptical about the potential of oil shale development. The article says, "Coloradans who lived through the oil shale bust of the 1980s are leery of the kind of economic devastation that occurred when the fledgling industry failed despite huge government subsidies. They refer to "Black Sunday," when Exxon closed its $5 billion oil shale project near Parachute on May 2, 1982, putting 2,200 people out of work." (Read more)

EPA raises emissions standards for watercraft, effective in 2010, and lawn mowers, in 2011

Lawn care just got a little greener. Yesterday, the Environmental Protection Agency set stricter emissions standards for gasoline-powered lawn mowers. Boat engines were also affected by the policy change, which EPA estimates will save 190 million gallons of gasoline each year.

The boating restrictions will go into effect in 2010, while lawn care standards will be enforced the following year. The press release says that "the rule opens another chapter in EPA's success story of curbing emissions from non-road sources. EPA has recently set stringent emission standards for farm and construction equipment, off-road recreational vehicles, and for locomotives and commercial marine sources."

Not surprisingly, environmentalists were supportive of the stricter standards. Juliet Eilperin of The Washington Post puts the environmental impact in perspective: "One riding lawn mower emits as much pollution in an hour as 34 cars. ... Because spark-ignition engines release as much as 25 percent of their gas unburned in their exhaust, the EPA also estimates that the regulations, when fully implemented, will lead to a more efficient combustion process that will save about 190 million gallons of gasoline each year." Environmental groups' only complaint with the new standards was that they had not gone into effect sooner. (Read more)

Lack of sleep is new enemy of returning soldiers

As soldiers come home from tours in Iraq and Afghanistan, the physical injuries they face are sometimes less challemnging than the mental exhaustion caused by lack of sleep. Veterans' health is a rural concern because troops come disproportionately from rural areas.

About 36 percent of Army troops who have been back for a year complain of feeling tired during the day, and another 34 percent say they difficulty falling asleep or staying asleep, Jia-Rui Chong writes for the Los Angeles Times. Researchers at Walter Reed Army Medical Center found that sleeping/waking problems were the most commonly cited health issues returning soldiers were facing.

Soldiers returning to the U.S. must confront the challenges of redefining a routine and fitting back into civilian life. Mitch Hood, 25, battles nightmares and 18-hour days since he's returned, supporting himself on energy drinks and caffeine pills. Bill Rider, a Vietnam veteran, is all too familiar with the signs of exhaustion, having suffered from the same trauma and fatigue after returning from duty 40 years ago. He helped found a combat support group in 2001 and insists that, "Sleep deprivation ... is an ongoing discussion," particularly for victims of trauma and veterans, he told Chong.

Many veterans seek help from painkillers and sleeping pills, but the risk of prescribing medication for soldiers suffering from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder is high. "Up to 60 percent struggle daily with substance abuse," Dr. Tasha Souter, medical director of the Trauma Recovery Program at the VA Palo Alto Health Care System, told Chong. Click here to read more.

Do fewer charges in Mississippi immigration raid signal policy shift? Justice Department says no

Of the nearly 400 suspected illegal immigrants were held during the May raid on the Postville, Iowa, processing plant, 300 were charged in criminal court. By contrast, only eight have been charged in the Laurel, Miss., raid that saw 600 detained, a move that may signal a shift in the Bush administration's approach to illegal immigration.

The Washington Post's Spencer S. Hsu reports that the Postville process raised questions about due process from criminal defense and immigration lawyers. Most of those charges resulted in five-month sentences. By contrast, most of those detained in the raid at Howard Industries in Mississippi faced civil deportation proceedings instead of criminal charges.

Despite the difference in the number of the criminal proceedings in the two cases, officials deny any policy shift. The Department of Justice "has not changed policies or procedures regarding immigration enforcement actions," said Carrie Nelson, a spokeswoman for the acting U.S. attorney for the Southern District of Mississippi. Instead, decisions in each situation "were made by prosecutors in the field based on the facts and circumstances of each case." (Read more)

Fellowships boost rural businesses in S. Dakota

When businesses begin to shut down, the health of a small-town economy often follows. In South Dakota, a new fellowship program seeks to bolster rural economies by providing financial support to struggling businesses.

The Dakota Rising program gives out eight fellowships to small business owners struggling to remain afloat in small communities in four designated areas across the state. The money can be used to help businesses expand into surrounding communities, create jobs, and attract outside businesses to the area.

Kristin Bennett, who applied for a $10,000 fellowship, tells Erich Schaffhauser of KELO-TV: "I'm just, you know, I've climbed right to here. And I just need a little push to get over the hump and then I think this company is really going to take off." Bennett adds "Just keeping Main Street alive and keeping the economy robust is what we all have to try to do." (Read more)

FCC decision could impact rural cellular service

A recent proposal at the Federal Communications Commission may make it a little harder for rural residents to get good cell phone reception. The Universal Service Fund allows for the construction of cellular towers throughout rural areas where many carriers do not see construction as economically viable, but the FCC has suggested drastic cuts.

Maurice Ouellette, a member of the York County, Maine, sheriff's office, argues in the York County Coast Star that these cuts will jeopardize public safety, saying "Public safety officers like me depend on wireless service to respond quickly to emergency situations. We rely on cell phones to assist in search and rescue operations, address domestic violence situations, prevent criminal activity and communicate in areas where police radio is unsecure or unavailable."

Ouellette adds "Unfortunately, the FCC placed a cap on the wireless portion of the service fund earlier this year, and now proposes drastic cuts that could eliminate nearly half the support we now receive in Maine. Statewide, we could lose more than $6 million in annual Universal Service Fund support, and dozens of new cell sites would be canceled or delayed every year." (Read more) Ouelette refers readers to ConnectingRuralAmerica.org, which is opposing the proposal.

GOP platform calls for end to ethanol mandate

The platform adopted by the Republican National Convention calls for repeal of the law that requires U.S. gasoline to contain a certain amount of ethanol. It reads, “The U.S. government should end mandates for ethanol and let the free market work.”

Alternate delegate Monte Shaw, the executive director of the Iowa Renewable Fuels Association, told Ed Tibbetts of southeast of Iowa's Quad-City Times that the plank is no big deal because previous platforms have said likewise. But Jason Hancock of the Iowa Independent wrote, "The move is a major change from the 2004 platform, which supported expanding the use of ethanol as a way to reduce dependence on foreign oil and increase revenue for farmers."

Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Bill Northey objected to the plank, and told Tibbetts today that the measure and John McCain’s other stands on agriculture issues could cost him votes in farm country: "I think it’s possible. We’ve got another couple months to play out. It does depend on what he says [from] here on out." Northey added that trade and regulation could also play a role. "He says McCain is better than Obama on those issues," Tibbetts reports. McCain opposed the latest Farm Bill, while Obama supported it.

"If nothing else, the platform highlight’s John McCain’s opposition to ethanol subsidies. That’s something Barack Obama’s campaign is eager to point out in Iowa," Tibbetts writes. "Of course, the McCain folks turn that around and point out that the Arizona senator opposed the 2005 energy bill, which was roundly criticized in some quarters for also being generous to Big Oil." (Read more)

Palin cites rural roots in speech to convention

Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin cited her rural roots in her speech to the Republican National Convention tonight.

"I had the privilege of living most of my life in a small town," Palin said. "I was just your average hockey mom, and signed up for the PTA ... because I wanted to make my kids' public education even better. When I ran for city council, I didn't need focus groups and voter profiles because I knew those voters, and I knew their families, too.

"Before I became governor of the great state of Alaska, I was mayor of my hometown. And since our opponents in this presidential election seem to look down on that experience, let me explain to them what the job involves. I guess a small-town mayor is sort of like a 'community organizer,' except that you have actual responsibilities." Democratic nominee Barack Obama began his career as a community organizer on Chicago's South Side. Palin also alluded to Obama's remarks about small-town voters clinging to religion and guns.

Palin reiterated that she opposed the "Bridge to Nowhere" to be funded by a congressional earmark, despite recent news stories that revealed her initial support of the appropriation as governor. She took this shot at news coverage of her: "I've learned quickly, these last few days, that if you're not a member in good standing of the Washington elite, then some in the media consider a candidate unqualified for that reason alone." That brought a large chorus of agreeable boos from the Republicans in St. Paul. UPDATE, Sept. 8: McCain's latest TV commercial gives Palin equal billing and says "She stopped the Bridge to Nowhere."

Calvin Beale, groundbreaking rural researcher, 85

Calvin L. Beale, a senior geographer-demographer with the U.S. Department of Agriculture who concentrated much of his research on rural population trends, died of colon cancer on Monday in Washington. He was 85.

Beale "was among the first to recognize the transformation of America’s rural landscape from farms to a mixture of farms, industry and vacation homes," reports Felicity Barringer of The New York Times. She writes that Beale "developed a cult following among his peers. They marveled not just at his mastery of the theoretical tools, but also his first-hand feel for rural America." Beale was a major speaker at "Rural America, Community Issues," a 2005 seminar programmed by the Institute for Rural Journalism and Community Issues at the Knight Center for Specialized Journalism at the University of Maryland.

Beale, who began working for the USDA in 1946 and was still on the payroll, was the agency's longest-tenured employee. In 1953, he got a job as a demographer in the Department's [then] Bureau of Agricultural Economics. His rural population theories were statistically based on his own model of nine stages of rurality, widely known as "Beale codes," along with his extensive travel within the U.S. Of 3,140 counties in the nation, Mr. Beale had visited 2, 500 at the time of his death.

An accomplished author, Beale wrote a collection of writings about his travels in A Taste of the Country, published in 1990. Among the entries, he includes snapshots of little-known U.S. history he encountered, such as a mixed-race people called Melungeons in central and southern Appalachia, Barringer writes. For the rest of her story, click here. For a short USDA profile of Beale, click here.

UPDATES, Sept. 15: The Washington Post ran a delayed but lengthy obituary on Beale, by Matt Schudel; the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel ran a tribute by Bill Glauber, which pointed out that USDA officials tried to suppress Beale's finding that the number of farms was dwindling; and Julie Ardery of the Daily Yonder noted other accomplishments: "Beale’s statistical studies of U.S. populations, especially our migrations from country to city (and, sometimes, back again), helped Americans stand back from the flux of 20th century experience, the better to see how the nation was changing." (Read more) Sept. 21: National Public Radio's Howard Berkes has a long story about Beale and how he helped change federal policy, accompanied by a Jim Wildman video of Beale from five years ago and a map showing the counties whose courthouses he photographed.

Institute founder to be nationally recognized by the Society of Professional Journalists

Don't let his age fool you. The founder of the Institute of Rural Journalism and Community Issues, Al Smith, 81, is being honored this week by the Society of Professional Journalists - among the likes of late political journalist Tim Russert - and he has no intention of slowing down.

Smith's formidable career has taken him to a variety of journalism positions, beginning with editor and publisher in both Eastern and Western Kentucky small-town newspapers. He went on to head the Appalachian Regional Commission under two U.S. presidents, worked as a host of KET's "Comment on Kentucky," founded the IRJCI at the University of Kentucky and continues to advocate for better higher education opportunities and solutions to rural issues.

In Atlanta this Saturday, Smith will be recognized for his endless contributions to the journalism industry and be named a Fellow of the Society, SPJ's highest honor. For a column on Smith, by Tom Eblen in the Lexington Herald-Leader, click here.

'Please eradicate black lung,' which still plagues coal miners, writer asks would-be presidents

"Mr. Future President, please eradicate black lung," Appalachian writer Betty Dotson-Lewis writes in an open letter for the Daily Yonder. The first laws designed to combat the condition were passed almost 40 years ago, and specialists in the disease thought the law would make them find another line of work, but 30 years later miners are still developing black lung, and one expert "is now seeing evidence of black lung in younger and younger miners," Lewis writes.

"One expert explained black lung to me this way: The lungs become petrified. They are cut to pieces by the coal dust inhaled. The miner coughs, hacks flem, spits and can’t breathe. There is no cure for black lung – death is the only way out. ... Black lung slowly strangles its victims. Black lung kills many more coal miners than explosions or cave-ins."

A 1969 federal law established benefits for miners with black lung, but the benefits can be hard to get. Lewis tells the story of one miner who got benefits, had them taken away and lost several appeals. "John Adkins talked of the bitterness and anger he felt towards the coal companies and the politicians he had trusted to act fairly," Lewis writes. (Read more)

A recent Charleston Gazette story by Paul Nyden marked the anniversary of the opening of the first black-lung offices 30 years ago. (Read more)

Co-ops wonder where electricity will come from

Rural electric cooperatives are meeting in Indianapolis to discuss a looming energy crisis. Due to rising demand for electricity in their territory, much, of it suburban, "The rural utilities are calling for government to help clear the way for new power-plant construction, alternative energy facilities like wind farms and new transmission lines to feed energy to cities where most of it is used," writes Jeff Swiatek of The Indianapolis Star. "Industry predictions show that if U.S. electric producers don't build new plants or encourage significant conservation, they will be unable to handle peak demand periods from electrical users by 2012."

In response to this crisis, "Duke Energy started construction this year of the first major power plant to be built in the state in 20 years. The $2 billion, 630-megawatt coal-fired plant [in Indiana] also would use new technology that aims to reduce air pollutants significantly over a conventional coal plant," writes Swiatek. Energy providers like Duke will be forced to raise rates by as much as 20 percent in coming years to pay for the construction of such plants.

Bruce Graham, chief executive of the Indiana Statewide Association of Rural Electric Cooperatives, was encouraged by Duke's move. But the construction of the plant and the support for it point to the continuing dependence of rural electric cooperatives on coal as their most significant producer of electricity, about 80 percent of it. A recent post here discussed the financial support given by rural electric cooperatives to the coal industry to help ensure the construction of new coal-fired plants.

There are many opponents of coal plants. The Citizens Action Coalition wants to block permits for the Duke plant on grounds that it would produce large amounts of greenhouse gases and stricter federal regulations on such power plants could dramatically increase building costs, which would be passed along to customers. "The consumer watchdog calls for heavy investments in energy-efficiency measures to reduce demand for power and keep it from outrunning power supplies" writes Swiatek. (Read more)

Rochester, N.Y., foundation makes its first grant for improving health in surrounding rural counties

In July, The Rural Blog highlighted a report on the growing divide between grant money given to urban and rural areas, so we're obliged to report examples of a charitable organizations targeting rural. One such example is a new initiative by a foundation focused on improving health in eight rural counties around Rochester, N.Y.

In the past, the Greater Rochester Health Foundation has mainly targeted urban health initiatives. The foundation has now set aside $1.5 million over the next three years to create free dental clinics, fight obesity, and monitor water safety in rural areas, in addition to its work in urban Rochester. The foundation's president, John Urban, told the Rochester Democrat and Chronicle, "In talking with people in those counties, it was very clear that, while they had many of the same issues that Monroe County has, they're really accustomed to working on the issues in different fashion."

Andrea Haradon, coordinator of a network that includes health departments in three of the targeted counties, said the grant will help rural health departments, which are often critically understaffed. "This gives them the opportunity to really have a long-term positive effect on health and health costs," she said. (Read more)

Study says coverage of Congress brings dividends

At a time when many regional newspapers are cutting Washington coverage, a new study reminds us that a strong local press, including coverage of Congress, is needed to keep government accountable. It also tells us something that we haven't heard before: Such coverage can pay dividends back home.

The study, "Press Coverage and Political Accountability," shows a significant overlap between press coverage and the effectiveness of elected officials. When a paper's coverage area corresponds with congressional districts, increased reporting on representatives not only gives constituents more knowledge, it increases the amount of federal spending brought into the districts. It also encourages bipartisan efforts and increases representatives' likelihood of participating in congressional hearings and may prompt them to serve on more committees.

"Our findings support the idea that press coverage is important for electoral accountability," James M. Snyder, Jr., and David Strömberg write in the study, published by the National Bureau of Economic Research. "Voters need information to keep politicians accountable and the press delivers this information. This was the belief of the Framers, and, that information improves accountability is also a standard feature of political agency models." (Read full report)

Palin, used to small-town atmosphere at home and in state capital, faces increased media scrutiny

John McCain's surprise pick Friday of Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin as the Republican vice presidential candidate has had reporters scrambling to dig up whatever they can on the relative political unknown. A long weekend of revelations and speculation culminated in Palin's Monday disclosure that her 17-year-old daughter was pregnant, following rumors that Palin's five-month-old son was actually her daughter's child. It's a hard introduction to the national political media for Alaska's chief executive, who has been accustomed to a more small-town, rural environment.

Politico.com media reporter Michael Calderone contrasts the congenial relationship Palin held with Alaskan reporters with the intense scrutiny she has already faced from the national political press corp in the days since she joined McCain's presidential ticket. In Alaska, Calderone writes, "Relationships were like those in a small town, where the neighbors may know your dirty laundry, but the local paper would be unlikely to splash it on the front page."

Referring to the announcement of Palin's daughter's pregnancy, Pat Forgey, political reporter for the Juneau Empire in the state capital, population 31,000, said, “I heard that rumor a long time ago. ... I probably would not have wasted any time on it.” By contrast, after only four days in the national spotlight, Palin has already had to face questions about charges of ethical impropriety in firing her public safety commissioner, her husband's 1984 DUI arrest, $27 million in federal earmarks for her town of 8,500 as mayor, and her daughter's pregnancy. And she will be asked about her support of the canceled "Bridge to Nowhere" in Ketchikan, which came before she opposed it -- and touted the opposition in her initial speech as McCain's running mate. (Read more)

Pennsylvania veterinarians target vet shortage

With the average veterinary student graduating $120,000 in debt, the temptation to work in higher-paying fields after graduation is often irresistible, leaving certain lower-income regions and non-traditional veterinary fields critically understaffed. Also, many states are running short of large-animal vets. A new initiative in Pennsylvania seeks to address the shortage in critical areas of the Keystone State.

The Pennsylvania Veterinary Medical Association recently launched Project Pennsylvania, an initiative to increase the number of graduates with a targeted loan forgiveness program, which would eliminate a portion of the debt for every year served in one of the eligible areas. The initiative also focuses on actively recruiting students interested in these areas, and providing on-the-job mentoring.

"Pennsylvania has a shortage of large-animal veterinarians in certain geographic regions, as well as a shortage of practitioners in less traditional areas such as biomedical research, public health, regulatory medicine and academia," said Robert D. Fetterman, VMD, a large-animal practitioner and PVMA president, in an article written for PR Newswire. "Using loan forgiveness as an incentive to fill these voids is an investment in the state's agricultural industry, as well as in food safety and even national security." (Read more)

Rural child poverty is as high as in some cities

"New data indicate that more than 13 million children are living in poverty, 22 percent of rural children and 25 percent of children living in central cities," says the Carsey Institute at the University of New Hampshire. "The report, based on U.S. Census Bureau data released today, finds that on average, rates of child poverty are persistently higher in rural parts of the country relative to suburban areas and share similar rates with many central cities."

Sarah Savage, a research assistant at Carsey, writes "Because poverty is closely linked to undesirable outcomes in areas such as health, education, emotional welfare, and delinquency, we take child poverty seriously as a measure of children's well-being."

The major finding of Savage's report: "In 17 states, particularly those in the South and Southwest, rural child poverty is higher than rates in both suburban and urban areas. In 2007, the rural child poverty rate in ranges from a low of just seven percent in Connecticut to a high of 35 percent in Mississippi."(Read full report)

Planting trees can cut odors from poultry houses

One solution to the chronic problem of odors from chicken houses is to plant trees around them, according to research by the University of Delaware. "Planting just three rows of trees around poultry farms can cut nuisance emissions of dust, ammonia, and odors from poultry houses and aid in reducing neighbor complaints," Science Daily reports, citing work by George W. Malone, an extension poultry specialist with the university.

Science Daily adds, "Malone's team suggested that planting vegetation could reduce ammonia and particulates that may degrade surrounding air and water quality. . . In a six-year study, Malone and his team found that a three-row plot of trees of various species and sizes reduced total dust by 56 percent, ammonia 53 percent, and odor 18 percent. The approach is being adopted around the Delmarva" Peninsula -- parts of Delaware, Maryland and Virginia.

While trees have often been used to increase the aesthetic appeal of chicken houses, Malone's research points out that the appropriately planted trees can not only improve air and water quality, but reduce energy costs for the farms by providing shade from the sun and a buffer from the cold. Malone said, "Planting trees demonstrates that the poultry grower is being proactive to address potential concerns of neighbors, gives the poultry farm a landscape appearance and increases property values. Adding the vegetative buffers also helps to reduce noise associated with farm operations."(Read more)

As goats become more popular, they may provide control for undesirable species such as kudzu

Demand for goat meat is growing in the U.S., making goat raising more popular. And as some wonder if goat farming could provide a valuable source of income for families in need, some Kentuckians are using the animals to control undesirable plants such as kudzu, an invasive species that grows throughout the South.

Goats seem to provide a cheap solution to combating the weed, which is hard to clear manually or with herbicides. While cattle will not feed on broadleaf plants, goats will, and get added benefits due to kudzu's high levels of protein. Ray Bowman, executive director of the Kentucky Sheep and Goat Development Office told Sean Bailey of The Times Tribune in Corbin, Ky., "They go out there, eat the stuff, process it, and turn it into meat. And all they leave behind is fertilizer." (Photo of a goat in kudzu by Bailey)

Barry Arnette, who raises goats on Sharpe Farm near Rockholds, Ky., is working with researchers from the University of Kentucky to determine how effective goats can be in controlling kudzu. "When the experiments are complete, Arnette and the UK team hope to come up with educational materials and 'hints' for farmers looking to get rid of kudzu," reports Bailey. Corbin is near the northern limit of kudzu's range, so Bailey writes, "If you don’t know what kudzu is, you’ve seen it and not even known it. ... It will grow just about anywhere — sometimes even engulfing dilapidated sheds, fences and even towering trees." (Read more)

Senator threatened to cut already meager funds for walking-horse exams; big show cracks down

The husband-and-wife team of John Cheves and Janet Patton at the Lexington Herald-Leader delivered a one-two punch today to Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, casting him as a leading protector of an industry that is cruel to horses but says it is cleaning up its act.

McConnell, who is running for his fifth term, "pressured the U.S. Department of Agriculture for years to back off its enforcement of the Horse Protection Act, even threatening to cut the agency's funding," thus supporting the Tennessee Walking Horse industry in its battle against USDA inspectors who look for evidence of soring, the illegal practice of deliberately injuring a horse's front feet to get it to step higher," Cheves reports, adding that people in the industry give to McConnell's campaigns.

On the same front page, Patton follows up on her recent reports about soring and the lack of USDA inspectors at horse shows with a story about a walking horse that died at the hands of a man who admitted in court "to practices that are banned by the federal Horse Protection Act," such as putting petroleum products mixed with sulfur and alum on horses' feet. (Read more)

Inside the paper, Patton reports from the Tennessee Walking Horse National Celebration in Shelbyville, Tenn., which recently "announced a crackdown, with drug testing and other measures" including the hiring of a veterinarian who "served on an American Association of Equine Practitioners panel that put out a 'white paper' in August with suggestions for how to end the problem of soring. The USDA also stepped up its enforcement efforts, coming for the first time to the entire 11-day show, and trying new technology, including thermography to look 'inside' horses' feet for hot spots that indicate pain." Results of tests for illegal substances won't be available for at least a month, Patton reports. (Read more)

Editor John Philleo of the Times-Gazette in Shelbyville reported last week on the increased USDA presence. Lonnie Messick, executive vice president of the National Horse Show Commission, which sanctions the Celebration, told him that 96 percent of exhibitors were found to be in compliance. For Philleo's comprehensive 1,300-word story on the long-running controversy, click here.

Christina Sanchez of The Tennessean in Nashville reported on the changes Aug. 21, as the Celebration began. Organizers "want to rid themselves of the tarnished image that brought on the ouster of Chief Executive Officer Ron Thomas last fall," she wrote. "And they want to eliminate a repetition of last year, when a judge failed a polygraph test about the fairness of the event." (Read more)

Sen. John McCain has a rural running mate who was once a journalist: Gov. Sarah Palin of Alaska

Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin began her political life as a member of the city council of Wasilla, Alaska (near center of Encarta map), in 1992. She was elected mayor in 1996. In 2000, the town had 5,469 people, but it was growing, and flush with sales-tax revenue that allowed Palin to cut property taxes. That, and her good looks and speaking skills, drew the attention of state Republican officials. As she moved up the state political ladder, she confounded the party establishment and earned marks for challenging the longstanding coziness of policymakers with the oil and gas industry, while not broadly opposing the industry.

Alaska's population is 34 percent rural, and even Anchorage has a rural tinge; moose are often seen in the city. But McCain's selection of Palin is much less about rural voters than about capturing the votes of women, who account for most of the undecided vote nationally -- especially moderates who wanted to see Sen. Hillary Clinton be the Democratic nominee. "It turns out the women of America aren't finished yet and we can shatter that glass ceiling once and for all," Palin said today.

The selection will please and motivate social conservatives, because Palin is a pro-lifer who not only talks the talk but walks the walk, this year bearing a child that she knew had Down Syndrome. Her oldest son is in the Army and ships to Iraq on Sept. 11, and she is a life member of the National Rifle Association. All those factors should have rural appeal. Additionally, her youth, her looks and curiosity about her should add some excitement and volunteers to the McCain campaign, both of which it badly needs. But will the selection meet the traditional test of "do no harm"? That probably depends largely on her performance in the debate with Sen. Joe Biden.

And we must add that Palin (Associated Press photo) was once a journalist. After graduation from the University of Idaho in 1987, she was a TV sports reporter. She has also been co-owner of a commercial fishing business and a dealer of watercraft, snow machines and all-terrain vehicles. Pretty rural.

Site of record immigration raid, Mississippi plant uses federal program to check workers' status

The Laurel, Miss. transformer plant that was the scene of the largest immigration raid in U.S. history uses "a federal system to check new hires' work documents, a program whose expansion the Bush administration has made a cornerstone of its fight against illegal immigration," The Washington Post reports.

While the E-Verify program "can determine whether a Social Security number presented by a worker is valid, it often cannot determine whether the number belongs to the applicant," write Post reporters Spencer S. Hsu, Alejandro Lazo and Darryl Fears.

"Major U.S. employers assailed the expanding crackdown, saying it creates a Catch-22. If businesses fail to enroll in E-Verify, they run the risk of a raid by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents, business groups led by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce said. But if they sign up, they face added costs, labor disruptions and discrimination complaints -- as well as the risk that flaws in the program won't stop all illegal hiring or prevent government raids, they said. ... A spokeswoman for ICE noted the investigation began two years ago, before Howard joined E-Verify."

ICE said it was deporting 475 workers; "106 were released for humanitarian reasons to tend to a child or a medical condition pending court appearances; nine were juveniles transferred to a refugee resettlement agency, and eight face charges of criminal identity theft," the Post reports. (Read more)

Farm income forecast to set new records, but livestock producers get squeezed by grain prices

The Department of Agriculture predicted today that this year's net farm income will be a record $95.7 billion, 10 percent above last year's total of $86.8 billion. Most of that comes from crops; while livestock receipts are up, meat producers' costs are up, too.

USDA economist Larry Salathe told Bob Meyer of Brownfield Network that crop receipts are up $15 billion and livestock receipts are up $7 billion from February, thanks to “very strong exports, very strong domestic demand, of course supported by ethanol.” But the ethanol-driven increases in grain prices are the major squeeze on livestock producers.

Farm production costs "are also projected to be a record high, $300 billion," Meyer reports. "Salathe says that is a $40 billion increase over last year and comes on top of a $20 billion jump in 2007. Fertilizer expenses are up 58 percent, fuel expenses are 39 percent higher, and feed prices increased too. "Bottom line, increases in crop receipts are well ahead of the increase in expenses but livestock producers are being squeezed." (Read more)

USDA says, "The value of crop production ($188.8 billion) is forecast to exceed the 2007 record by $38 billion, a 25-percent increase. . . . Net cash income, at $101.3 billion, is forecast to be $13.9 billion (16 percent) above 2007, which was the previous record. Net cash income is projected to rise more than net farm income because of the carryover of 2007 crops being sold in 2008." For forecasts from USDA on individual commodities and states, click here.

VA tries to improve care for veterans in rural areas

Veterans often face health challenges as they return from active duty, but rural veterans face the added obstacle of getting to Department of Veterans Affairs health centers, often far from their homes. The VA has started a pilot project to alleviate some of those challenges.

A VA press release Wednesday said the department is creating mobile health clinics that will bring primary care and mental-health services to rural areas far from VA hospitals or outpatient clinics. The Rural Mobile Health Care Clinics will begin in 2009 with four clinics dispatched to counties in Colorado, Nebraska, Wyoming, Maine, Washington, and West Virginia. The Secretary of Veterans Affairs, Dr. James B. Peake said, “Health care should be based upon the needs of patients, not their ability to travel to a clinic or medical center.”

This announcement was made only a few days after VA announced it would open three Veterans Rural Health Resource Centers on Oct. 1. These centers will try to "identify disparities in health care for rural veterans and formulate practices or programs to enhance the delivery of care."

Sen. Leahy tells convention about rural needs

When U.S. Sen. Patrick Leahy of Vermont took the stage at the Democratic National Convention on Tuesday, he used his brief time to accuse the Bush administration of ignoring issues facing rural Americans and claim that John McCain would to do the same. "We are struggling from eight years of the Bush-Cheney economy," said Leahy, adding "Rural communities face disproportionately high unemployment rates, violent crime is up, and no one is hurt by record high energy prices more than we are."

Leahy, who lives in a small Vermont town with a population of 1,8oo, spoke of the ways that Barack Obama would help struggling rural Americans. "He will lift our economy immediately by taking some of big oil's windfall profits and returning $1,000 to the pockets of working families. He will invest in what rural America needs most of all, good new jobs, with a clean energy initiative that will move us away from oil and put 5 million Americans to work." To read Leahy's remarks as prepared for delivery, click here.

Democrats organize to get rural votes for Obama

"If organization and effort is any indication, Democratic presidential nominee Barack Obama could win more of the rural vote than many of his recent predecessors," Sara Wyant writes in her Agri-Pulse newsletter after attending meetings at the national convention and interviewing Todd Campbell, the campaign's rural vote director.

Wyant notes that Democratic pollster Anna Greenberg, who has done many rural surveys, told the My Rural America meeting that Obama needs to "reassure voters who have doubts about his experience and abilities; address the poor economy and the 'anger and frustration' of those left behind; and address the significant concerns that voters have about his positions on national security and his patriotism." Greenberg told Wyant that she wasn't referring to farmers, currently enjoying high incomes and land values, because farmers are "such a small percentage of the electorate." Wyant writes:

Perhaps that explains why some long-time Democratic activists are frustrated over what they view as Obama’s senior campaign staff’s failure to actively court the farm vote. “The real question is why Barack Obama is not up 10 to 20 points in farm country,” one leader told Agri-Pulse. “John McCain has given farmers and ranchers absolutely no reason to vote for him,” said another long-time Democrat. “There’s no reason every major farm group isn’t endorsing Obama---but this campaign doesn’t seem to get it.”

McCain opposes ethanol subsidies and said he would have voted against the new Farm Bill. Obama wasn't as enthusiuastic about the bill as Sen. Hillary Clinton but voted for it.

Campbell said the campaign's rural strategy is based on Obama's experience in community organizing in Chicago: “neighbor talking to neighbor, listening to people’s concerns and asking for their votes.” But our guess is that the effort will be concentrated in states the campaign thinks it can win, especially larger states like Ohio, Pennsylvania and Missouri.

Agri-Pulse is a subscription newsletter but offers a free trial.

Natural gas leasing boom is likely to spread

The recent boom in natural gas leasing and drilling is likely spread beyond some of the areas previously reported, such as the Haynesville Shale in the Ark-La-Tex area and the Marcellus Shale in the Appalachians, reports Clifford Krauss of The New York Times. (NYT map)
Prospectors have "identified at least two dozen shale beds in North America that could contain large amounts of gas," Krauss writes. "Real estate speculators are becoming overnight millionaires in Pennsylvania, Louisiana and Texas by buying up parcels of land and flipping them to companies that drill for natural gas. Wildcatters are ordering every rig they can get their hands on, and paying signing bonuses of $25,000 an acre to drill below houses, schools and churches. Pipeline companies are building as fast as they can to get the new gas to market."(Read more)

There is a concern among landowners that many companies looking to drill for natural gas are attempting to lease land for less than the leases are worth. Steven Christ of Wealth Daily reports that some individuals are leasing their land for as little as $100 and acre, while other individuals have negotiated "leases up to $2,500 an acre along with 15 to 18 percent royalties."(Read more) The normal oil and gas royalty is 12.5 percent, or one-eighth.

Democratic convention hears a rural voice

A surprise hit last night at the Democratic National Convention was Montana Gov. Brian Schweitzer. "A cattle rancher who strode into office wearing cowboy boots," writes Paul Wallsten of the Los Angles Times, "Schweitzer has succeeded by connecting with the values of Western voters. Yet he also embraces key Democratic policies, supporting abortion rights, energy conservation and environmental regulation. ... He raised the roof at the Pepsi Center by exhorting thousands of party activists to 'get off your hind end' and cheer for the demise of GOP rule." (Photo from The Associated Press)

Schweitzer's speech focused on energy policy. "It was purely partisan red meat on a pocketbook issue -- exactly what some Democratic strategists have said was lacking from the convention when the sagging economy is at the forefront of voters' minds," Wallsten writes. "His appearance in a coveted time slot during network television coverage easily overshadowed a staid keynote address delivered earlier by former Virginia Gov. Mark R. Warner, a Senate candidate who was expected to play a starring role here.And it couldn't have come at a better time for the Democrats -- just when Barack Obama needs to start connecting with the kind of white, rural and working-class voters that might be inclined to listen to Schweitzer." (Read more)

Schweitzer became governor in 2004 while George W. Bush was carrying the state by 20 percentage points. Mark Sundeen of The New York Times writes, "Schweitzer’s 'Montana miracle,' in which Democrats took back the governor’s seat after 16 years and ended 12 years of Republican majorities in both state chambers, has been cited as evidence that the Republican bastions in the Western states are losing ground to a new, Democratic brand of libertarian-tinged prairie populism." (Read more)

Schweitzer said after the speech that it was the first he had ever given from a prepared text; he added much material to the text. For Mike Dennison's story from the Billings Gazette, with Schweitzer's prepared remarks, click here. UPDATE, Aug. 29: One Democrat called Schweitzer "our side's Huckabee," according to the Evans-Novak Political Report's convention wrapup.

Alaska voters choose mine over fish, defeating measure to protect salmon-rich streams

For months, Alaskans have been debating, in effect, what is their more valuable resource: the salmon that fuel a $300 million-a-year industry, or the copper and gold located in the watershed of salmon-rich Bristol Bay, metals that could be worth up to $300 billion. Yesterday, in a statewide referendum on a measure to put new limits on mining, that industry won, by a margin of 4 to 3.

The fishing industry worried that the proposed Pebble Mine could cause irreparable damage to the salmon population. Proponents argued that Measure 4 would create additional legal hurdles to jump through, while not changing the environmental standards already in place. (Los Angeles Times map)

The referendum was, as William Yardley writes in The New York Times, "an initiative intended to increase protections for streams where salmon live." The debate was among the most expensive in state history. Elizabeth Bluemink writes in the Anchorage Daily News that "fundraising by the two sides for TV, radio, print, mail and other advertising had hit at least $10.6 million." The issue appeared to become clouded by the substantial debate between the two groups. (Read more)

Yardley points out that "while the metals are a finite discovery, the fish have replenished themselves for millenniums" and many who voted no on Measure 4 felt that legislation designed to protect streams from mining pollution already existed and further legislation was unnecessary. (Read more)

UPDATE, Aug. 28: Bluemink reports that voters in the Bristol Bay area, downstream of the proposed minE, overwhelmingly voted in support of Measure 4. (read more)

Immigration raid nets hundreds, this time in Miss.

UPDATE, Aug. 27: The number of detainees is now 595, making it the largest immigration raid ever in the U.S., and it could go even higher. The Laurel Leader Call quotes ICE Communications Director Barbara Gonzalez as saying: "This is probably the largest single site target for law enforcement."

For the second time in three months, a major immigration raid has led to the holding of 350 or more suspected illegal immigrants. This latest raid, which follows the May detention of a record 389 workers at a food processing plant in Postville, Iowa, took place at a transformer plant in Laurel, Miss., a town of 18,000. Warrants were also served at the company's local headquarters. "The Department of Homeland Security’s Immigration and Customs Enforcement confirmed 350 people suspected as being illegal immigrants working at Howard Industries were found during a raid Monday," reports Jason Niblett of the Laurel Leader Call.

The paper notes that on Friday, the Mississippi Immigrants Rights Alliance warned of an impending raid in the area: “A series of preparations by Immigration and Customs Enforcement on the Gulf Coast has local advocates on edge about the possibility of yet another worksite raid .. " Bill Chandler, the executive director of the alliance, said the group is now "responding with humanitarian aid to the family members of the arrested.” (Read more)

Adam Nossiter of The New York Times notes that the Iowa raid "was a significant escalation of the Bush administration’s enforcement practices because those detained were not simply deported, as in previous raids, but were imprisoned for months on criminal charges of using false documents."

Appalachian income is up, but more are in poverty

Median income in Appalachia increased last year, but remained less than four-fifths the national median, and more people in the region were in poverty, according to a Census Bureau survey released today.

"Median incomes were up in all the 13 states that make up Appalachia except Kentucky, where the median income was $39,678," The Associated Press reports. "However, with the exception of Maryland and Virginia, those incomes across Appalachia still were below the national median of $50,233."

The number of Appalachians with household incomes below the federal poverty line grew 114,000 to 13.3 million, reports AP's P.J. Dickerscheid. That and the income data suggest that income inequality is growing in Appalachia; the national Census report said "Income inequality decreased between 2006 and 2007."

More from the national report: "Real median household income in the United States climbed 1.3 percent between 2006 and 2007, reaching $50,233, ... Meanwhile, the nation’s official poverty rate in 2007 was 12.5 percent, not statistically different from 2006."

The numbers come from the bureau's American Community Survey, a large-scale poll. "In the 2007 ACS, among states and the District of Columbia, poverty rates ranged from 7.1 percent for New Hampshire to 20.6 percent for Mississippi," the bureau said in a news release. (Read more)

Income inequality has been growing nationally for decades, Steven Pearlstein writes for The Washington Post. To read his analysis, click here.

Convention Obama's last shot to make broad rural appeal? Strategic calls loom as time runs short

With a compressed calendar facing the candidates, this week's Democratic National Convention may be Sen. Barack Obama's "last shot at building rural support," Robert T. Garrett writes in the Dallas Morning News. Garrett says Obama "will stress pocketbook issues this week to woo voters in the wide open spaces," but still has to resolve a key strategic question: whether he will pursue or abandon "his campaign’s springtime swagger that it would 'expand the map,' challenging John McCain in reliably red states where rural voters may be key."

For months, Democrats have been telling Obama that he can attract rural voters if he will spend time with them, but with only two months left until the election, more disinterested experts say he should limit such efforts to key battleground states. His rural strategy could depend on what Republicans do in the coming week to 10 days, former former Texas House Speaker Pete Laney, a Panhandle cotton farmer, told Garrett. "Some of it is going to depend on who McCain picks; it’s going to depend on what kind of rural program that Obama’s going to have and what kind of rural program that McCain’s going to have," Laney said.

Yesterday, at a meeting of the Rural Caucus at the Democratic convention, "Obama surrogates talked jobs, health care and rural highways," Garrett reports. "Outdoors TV show host Tony Dean, a lifelong Republican, said he’s switching parties to head a Sportsmen for Obama group. Mr. Dean said he’s '99 percent sure a President Obama isn’t going to infringe on gun rights.' Austin author and rural online newsletter editor Bill Bishop, though, said Mr. Obama won’t make much headway on issues alone." In his recent, well-reviewed book The Big Sort, Bishop "argues 'lifestyles' have crowded out philosophy as the key factor in voters’ decisions." (Read more)

In his own publication, the Daily Yonder, Bishop notes that Sen. Hillary Clinton "ran strongest in rural communities" and "One worry among Democrats is that Obama has failed to consolidate support among Democratic voters." He cites this comment to The Washington Post's Alec MacGillis and Paul Kane:

"Jim Beasley, the commissioner of Ohio's Department of Transportation, did not have high hopes for Obama in his area of southern Ohio. "Ahhh, well. Rural Ohio will be difficult," he said. "Rural areas are difficult for him.'"

MacGillis and Kane talked to swing-state delegates at the Rural Caucus and other gatherings and found that some "do not share Obama's confidence that he can overcome the resistance many voters may have to electing a black president with an unusual background and name." From their story, here's another example from Ohio:

Sarah Hamilton, a Clinton supporter who works for the Ohio Federation of Teachers, linked Obama's challenges in the state to the resistance that other Democratic presidential candidates have faced in trying to trump social issues with economic ones. "I really think it still has to do with 'Gods, guns and gays.' You bring in his race, and the Muslim rumor, all these things are factors that are easy to play out in the rural areas," she said.

Iowa governor blasts packer hit by nation's largest immigration raid; state alleges safety violations

Iowa's governor is winning kudos for an op-ed piece sharply criticizing the operators of the kosher meatpacking plant that was the site of the largest immigration raid in U.S. history. "Several business and political experts said the governor's words were justified," reports Tony Leys of The Des Moines Register, which published Gov. Chet Culver's article Sunday.

The Democratic governor, elected in 2006, went so far as to compare the Agriprocessors Inc. facility in Postville (Encarta map) to the plants exposed 100 years ago by novelist Upton Sinclair in The Jungle. "There will be no industrial 'jungles' in Iowa on my watch," he wrote. To read his column, click here. Today, the company invited Culver to the plant, Leys reports.

Culver took Agriprocessors off state job-listing services, saying the company "has chosen to take advantage of a failed federal immigration system. ... Before the federal raid, Agriprocessors already had a history of sanctions by Iowa's state regulatory agencies for water pollution, as well as health and safety law violations. ... This company's owners have deliberately chosen to take the low road in its business practices." The state has proposed a $101,000 fine for 31 safety violations at the plant. For the Register's story on that, click here.

Meanwhile, Assistant Secretary of Homeland Security for U.S. Immigrations and Customs Enforcement Julie Myers "said the agency and industry need to partner to ensure compliance with the related laws," Tom Johnston of MeatingPlace.com reports from a directors' meeting of the National Meat Association. "Though she acknowledged that effective immigration law is lacking in the United States, Myers said companies are best to approach ICE and demonstrate the intent to cooperate and legalize their labor forces." (Read more)

Big Maine papers eliminate bureaus in capitals, but rural papers have own statehouse reporter

The Blethen Maine Newspapers, which are for sale, are some of the latest to cut back on their capital bureaus, in Washington and the state capital of Augusta. That means the state's largest paper, the Portland Press Herald, has no reporter in the statehouse, an hour away. But a couple of small dailies and five weeklies in Maine do. And some of those weeklies are feeding stories to the Press Herald!

When the Portland paper closed its bureaus in the capitals, as well as those in Bath and Biddeford, as part of cutting 12 of its 100 jobs in news, Editor Jeannine Guttman told readers that it would "get reporting help from our sister newspaper in Augusta," assign a Portland reporter to cover the state's "part-time legislature" and cover the state's four-person Washington delegation from Portland.

Jonathan Kaplan, who lost his Washington job after having it for only seven months, wrote in The Washington Post this week that the demise of regional reporters in Washington amounts to an incumbent-protection program, because readers won't know Sens. Susan Collins and Olympia Snowe and the two House members are doing. "They'll probably never learn that, at a press conference in May, just minutes before a vote on a massive farm bill, Collins praised a provision in the measure to close the so-called Enron loophole. She then headed straight to the Senate floor and voted against the bill. We regional reporters put readers in rooms like that and give them a voice. But we're disappearing fast, and it's not clear who can pick up the slack."

But in the state capital, Maine readers have a full-time watchdog in the person of Victoria Wallack's Statehouse News Service, funded by the daily Brunswick Times Record and the Journal-Tribune of Bitteford, both owned by Pemnnsylvania-based Sample Newspapers, and six weeklies -- including the venerable Ellsworth American and Mount Desert Islander, whose publisher, Alan Baker, organized the group. Baker told us in an interview that when he was growing up, "Daily newspapers covered the statehouse like a blanket. When I moved back here was amazed at how bad the coverage was."

But Baker and his buddies are interested in public service beyond their own readership. Some of them send stories to the Press Herald, which publishes them in "Maine Reports" on Sundays, with byline credits and links to their Web sites. Seems like such rural-metro cooperation could do a lot of good in other states. Go for it!

UPDATE, Sept. 12: Not all the regional coverage news is bad. The Arkansas Democrat-Gazette recently added a part-time reporter, Jane Fullerton, to its Washington bureau.

As Obama looks for rural votes in swing states, Southwest Virginia is a key area, and a tough one

(Map from NationalAtlas.gov) As Democrats begin their convention, they wonder if Barack Obama can make any inroads among rural voters -- particularly in Appalachian areas of the big swing states of Ohio, Pennsylvania and Virginia. Almost all of Appalachian Virginia lies in the 9th Congressional District, and with Gov. Tim Kaine not on the ticket, the state's 13 electoral votes could be decided by John McCain's margin there, Laurence Hammack writes in The Roanoke Times.

"Democrat Rick Boucher, the district's longtime representative in Congress, believes Obama must capture at least 45 percent of his district's vote if he is to become the first Democratic presidential candidate to win Virginia since 1964," Hammack writes. Obama has four campaign offices in the district, but that could be a tall order; Obama lost the 9th to Hillary Clinton by 32 percentage points. (It was the only district she won; Boucher supported Obama.)

Hammack's 2,740-word story starts with the typical examples of people in the district blaming race for Obama's poor showing and poor prospects, and those who say they believe he is a Muslim. But he asks a good question: "When residents of such a predominantly white area say they can't vote for a Muslim, could that be another way, perhaps a more acceptable way, of saying they can't vote for a black?"

"As much as I wish that I could not say this, the realistic part of me agrees that yes, [Muslim] is to some degree a code word" for race, said Stephen Mooney of the Appalachian Studies Program at Virginia Tech. He grew up in Dickenson County, on the Kentucky border, which gave only 12 perecent of its votes to Obama. But he said it's more about culture than race. In Appalachia, he said, "There is a very ironic fear of the 'other,' the different, which is ironic because mountain people have long been perceived nationally as one of the great American 'others.' So you would think that mountain people would be very careful not to 'other' other people [including Obama, he said]. But at a very deep-set level, there is culturally a fear ... to venture into the unknown."

When Doug Wilder was elected Virginia's first black governor in 1989, he won 48 percent of the vote in the 9th District, but he was able to spend much more time campaigning there than Obama can. They key, Democrats say, is bridging the cultural divide with economic empathy. "Appalachia, ideologically, is at war with itself," Mooney told Hammack. "You have a deep-set conservatism and a deep-set liberalism. Co-existing simultaneously you have a region that has rebelled against American political and economic ideologies and a region that has probably the most deeply felt sense of patriotism than any other place in the nation." (Read more)