If you need a face for health-care reform, look no further than the weathered ones of ranchers and farmers, writes widely circulated agriculture columnist Alan Guebert. "Just nine percent of the nation’s doctors serve 17 percent of its citizens scattered across 80 percent of its geography," he writes.
In addition to severe doctor shortages, rural areas also suffer from a lack of health insurance access and competition. Health insurance can also be problematic in uban areas, but Guebert says rural residents are in more danger because they are employed by smaller businesses (including themselves) and make lower wages. Also, he says the demographic of rural Americans — older, poorer and less educated — indicates greater use of the health-care system.
Jon Bailey, director of rural research and analysis at the Nebraska-based Center for Rural Affairs, told Guebert, “Health insurance coverage and cost is an ‘anything goes, Wild West show’ across rural America," because of little regulation and little competition. (Read more)
Wednesday, May 27, 2009
Tuesday, May 26, 2009
Dust storms in West indicate climate change, raise concern about reduced water supplies
A series of dust storms in Western Colorado and south of the Rocky Mountains has some worried about the causes (climate change?) and the effects (faster snowmelt?). Nicholas Riccardi reports for the Los Angeles Times that levels of dust in the region are five times the historic norm, and more 12 dust storms have occurred so far this year, compared to eight annually in the last three years. "Something's been going on, and I don't think we're exactly sure what,"Jason Neff, a hydrologist at the University of Colorado, told Riccardi.
The dust, which has been a reddish-brown color, has not yet begun adversely affecting operations like ski resorts, but further testing has been called for. The increased dust may speed up snowmelt and cut water supply; mountains that usually remain snow-covered until midsummer are already almost bare in western Colorado.
Even without the current storms, forecasters predict that global warming will decrease soil quality in the western U.S. to dust-bowl levels by 2050, Riccardi reports. Jayne Belnap, a scientist with the U.S. Geological Survey, told him, "This is the kind of world we need to imagine we're going to be living in and decide if we can afford this dust." (Read more)
The dust, which has been a reddish-brown color, has not yet begun adversely affecting operations like ski resorts, but further testing has been called for. The increased dust may speed up snowmelt and cut water supply; mountains that usually remain snow-covered until midsummer are already almost bare in western Colorado.
Even without the current storms, forecasters predict that global warming will decrease soil quality in the western U.S. to dust-bowl levels by 2050, Riccardi reports. Jayne Belnap, a scientist with the U.S. Geological Survey, told him, "This is the kind of world we need to imagine we're going to be living in and decide if we can afford this dust." (Read more)
FDA trying to cut deaths from painkillers, a leading cause of death in West Virginia
OxyContin, sometimes called "Hillbilly heroin," gets a lot of attention but is only the tip of the prescription-drug iceberg in West Virginia, where deaths from accidental painkiller overdoses have been rising. Scott Finn reports for National Public Radio and West Virginia Public Broadcasting that the Food and Drug Administration is seeking ways to decrease fatalities.
Death by prescription pain medication is becoming a nationwide problem. Finn reports that in 1999, 11, 000 deaths were a result of painkiller overdoses; by 2005, that number had grown to 22,000. It is a major problem in West Virginia. In 2007, deaths from accidental painkiller overdoses in the state outnumbered those from car accidents, homicide and suicide combined, Finn reports. "If these people had died of the swine flu, we'd probably make national headlines," Wyoming County funeral director Michael Goode told Finn.
Now, the FDA has begun to step up efforts to combat the rising figures with a strategy for each painkiller, aimed at ensuring that the benefits of a prescription outweigh its risks. Additional measures like physician training and prescription limitations, patient drug tests and pill counts could be required to decrease abuse. But some are worried that such regulations could make life harder for legitimate pain sufferers and think the Drug Enforcement Administration is better equipped to handle illicit drug use. Mary Baluss, a pro bono attorney for ethical pain management issues, commented, "The simple fact [is] that pain is disabling and that many sources of pain cannot be cured, only treated and that opiods are the difference between life and death for many." (Read more; to listen to Finn's report, click here)
Death by prescription pain medication is becoming a nationwide problem. Finn reports that in 1999, 11, 000 deaths were a result of painkiller overdoses; by 2005, that number had grown to 22,000. It is a major problem in West Virginia. In 2007, deaths from accidental painkiller overdoses in the state outnumbered those from car accidents, homicide and suicide combined, Finn reports. "If these people had died of the swine flu, we'd probably make national headlines," Wyoming County funeral director Michael Goode told Finn.
Now, the FDA has begun to step up efforts to combat the rising figures with a strategy for each painkiller, aimed at ensuring that the benefits of a prescription outweigh its risks. Additional measures like physician training and prescription limitations, patient drug tests and pill counts could be required to decrease abuse. But some are worried that such regulations could make life harder for legitimate pain sufferers and think the Drug Enforcement Administration is better equipped to handle illicit drug use. Mary Baluss, a pro bono attorney for ethical pain management issues, commented, "The simple fact [is] that pain is disabling and that many sources of pain cannot be cured, only treated and that opiods are the difference between life and death for many." (Read more; to listen to Finn's report, click here)
New programs rely on Internet to connect small farmers with consumers
Some food activists are creating systems that could bring local produce closer to home. The tool of choice: the Internet. Rona Roberts reports on her blog Savoring Kentucky that new tools for informing consumers where their food comes from appear to be cropping up across the nation. She cites Wired magazine, where Alexis Madrigal outlines the latest: FarmsReach, a system that would create an online food marketplace to directly connect farms with restaurants. "In other words, middlemen beware: Food could undergo a transition like the one that swept through classified ads, air travel and dozens of other industries," Madrigal writes. Other locally based programs are in the works to connect small farms, consumers and retailers.
Advocates say such systems could give consumers more information about the original sources of their food and help them eat healthier, reducing problems with food safety and obesity. "The current system does a remarkably good job of concealing how food is grown and by whom ... [and] farmers have a hard time showing the value they add and being recognized for innovative practices," Madrigal writes.
Roberts points out the biggest hurdle to projects like FarmsReach is lower Internet use in rural areas. She says a farmer "will not go several times a day and struggle with poor or slow connections to post breaking news about how many eggs, black raspberries, and fryer-sized rabbits he has for sale. He does not have time for bad infrastructure." The Obama administration is putting billions into bringing high-speed broadband to rural areas, but Roberts says for now, "Slow Technology is not a bright hope to set alongside Slow Food."
Advocates say such systems could give consumers more information about the original sources of their food and help them eat healthier, reducing problems with food safety and obesity. "The current system does a remarkably good job of concealing how food is grown and by whom ... [and] farmers have a hard time showing the value they add and being recognized for innovative practices," Madrigal writes.
Roberts points out the biggest hurdle to projects like FarmsReach is lower Internet use in rural areas. She says a farmer "will not go several times a day and struggle with poor or slow connections to post breaking news about how many eggs, black raspberries, and fryer-sized rabbits he has for sale. He does not have time for bad infrastructure." The Obama administration is putting billions into bringing high-speed broadband to rural areas, but Roberts says for now, "Slow Technology is not a bright hope to set alongside Slow Food."
Monday, May 25, 2009
'Minicows' offer more cost-efficient beef and milk
Increasing feed prices have some farmers such as Nebraska's Ali Petersen trading down to "minicows," reports the Los Angeles Times. (Times photo by Chris VanKat)Writing from Tekamah, Neb., a farming village of 1,900 about 40 miles north of Omaha, P.J. Huffstutter reports that many farmers who once raise normal-sized bovines have turned to minicows because of cost effectiveness and convenience. Researchers have argued that minicows consume roughly half of what a full-size bovine does, and yet produce 50 to 75 percent of the rib-eyes and fillets. "We get more sirloin and less soup bone," farmer Ali Petersen said. "People used to look at them and laugh. Now, they want to own them." The farmers have already sold some of their herd to others in Missouri, Indiana, and Texas, and they say the phone keeps ringing.
Huffstutter writes that dairy farmers too "brag how each animal provides 2 to 3 gallons of milk a day, though they complain about having to crouch down on their knees to reach the udders." Weighing approximately 500 to 700 pounds, mini-Herefords and Angus cows have been around for centuries. Huffstutter reports that big cows emerged in 1950s and '60s, when farmers were more focused on meat and not efficient use of animal feed or land. Today, more than 300 miniature-Hereford breeders are in the U.S., up from fewer than two dozen nine years ago, according to the International Miniature Cattle Breeds Registry. The growth of smaller farms has also promoted the use of minicows, which require less space; one animal needs less than an acre to graze. (Read more)
Sunday, May 24, 2009
Credit crunch finally reaches agricultural lenders
"The credit crunch is trickling down to the farm as agricultural lenders tighten credit standards, leaving some farmers short of money to feed their animals or put in crops as the planting season nears its end," Lauren Etter reports for The Wall Street Journal. "Deepening slumps in the livestock, dairy and ethanol industries have contributed to mounting troubles for rural lenders. That is making it harder for some growers to borrow money they need to buy seed, fertilizer, equipment and animal feed."
In some places, local bank failures, takeovers or other difficulties have left farmers without lines of credit. USDA's Farm Service Agency, a lender of last resort, "made about $728 million of direct operating loans for the fiscal year ending Sept. 30, up nearly 70 percent from a year earlier" and the highest in 20 years, Etter reports."The Farm Credit System, a federally chartered network of five banks and 90 borrower-owned associations, reported a nearly 20 percent decline in its first-quarter 2009 combined net income." The system's Omaha-based bank set aside $29.5 million for potential loan losses, up exponentially from $583,000 last year. Bank President Douglas Stark told Etter, "Certainly, we would look at new requests for credit with a much more critical eye." (Read more)
In some places, local bank failures, takeovers or other difficulties have left farmers without lines of credit. USDA's Farm Service Agency, a lender of last resort, "made about $728 million of direct operating loans for the fiscal year ending Sept. 30, up nearly 70 percent from a year earlier" and the highest in 20 years, Etter reports."The Farm Credit System, a federally chartered network of five banks and 90 borrower-owned associations, reported a nearly 20 percent decline in its first-quarter 2009 combined net income." The system's Omaha-based bank set aside $29.5 million for potential loan losses, up exponentially from $583,000 last year. Bank President Douglas Stark told Etter, "Certainly, we would look at new requests for credit with a much more critical eye." (Read more)
Saturday, May 23, 2009
White House goes out of its way to thank coalfield congressman who helped move climate-change bill
Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood returned a favor Friday, calling the largest newspaper in the Southwest Virginia district of Democratic Rep. Rick Boucher, left, to praise him for helping the Obama administration's climate-change bill through the House Energy and Commerce committee. "I want to give a shout out to Rick Boucher," LaHood said. "It was unclear going into the hearings how Rick was really going to vote on this. His support means a lot to the administration."Reporter Mason Adams' story this began way: "No one in The Roanoke Times newsroom could remember a time that the White House called, unsolicited, to offer comment. That happened on Friday morning, sending several signals: There is a new media relations/political strategy on Pennsylvania Avenue, and the American Clean Energy and Security Act of 2009 is a big deal." And that is especially true in a coalfield district like Boucher's. (UPDATE, May 24: LaHood also called The Courier-Journal of Louisville to praise Rep. Baron Hill of Southern Indiana, another Democrat who backed the bill, reports C-J Washington reporter James R. Carroll.)
Adams noted that the bill passed "based largely on compromises worked out by Boucher. He said he has spent the past several months working on one side with electric utilities, coal companies and the United Mine Workers, and on the other with committee chairman and bill sponsor Rep. Henry Waxman, D-Calif., to soften the bill into a version that might be able to win congressional approval. LaHood's call underscores Boucher's importance to the bill's chances of passing. It also emphasizes just how much the congressman from Abingdon has stuck his neck out for President Obama." (Read more)
Too much, says the conservative From Oh High blog. "There is no clearer indication that Washington politicians know and appreciate the fact that Rick Boucher abandoned the people of Southwest Virginia to its fate and sided with environmental special interest lobbyists and tax enthusiasts," Jerry Fuhrman writes, saying the call was made "to try to cushion the blow that is surely -- and deservedly -- going to come down on him like. an avalanche." (Read more) Boucher is getting flak from both sides; in an earlier post, Fuhrman ran this photo of environmentalists protesting outside Boucher's office for his weakening of the bill.
Friday, May 22, 2009
Different strokes for different folks: Covering election of first black mayor in Philadelphia, Miss.
When a town most widely known for the murder of three civil-rights workers in 1964 elects its first African American mayor, it poses questions for the local newspaper. Play up that angle, as outside news media have? Downplay it, to avoid controversy? Neither, The Neshoba Democrat decided, in a well-measured treatment of an important and sensitive story.
The main headline was the basic fact, reflecting readers' familiarity with the players: "Young certified as winner in mayoral election, unseating incumbent Waddell." Then there was the deck, "Philadelphia elects first African-American mayor," reminding them of the larger significance of the event. The story, by Editor and Publisher Jim Prince and Managing Editor Debbie Myers, mentioned the racial angle in the third paragraph.
Several paragraphs below, winner James Young (in center foreground of photo), a former four-term county supervisor, is quoted: "Philadelphia, I think has finally begun to move into the age where we need to -- not just because I am a black man, but I have served this community well. I've been honorable. And I will continue to do that. And I want to say to everybody, as I said during my campaign, I want to do what's right. I want to prove that the office of mayor can be done with some integrity and with righteousness and fairness for everyone in this city -- red, yellow, black or white. This is the bottom line. This is the beginning of a new era in Philadelphia, Miss., and everybody is going to see that change has come to Philadelphia, Miss." (Read more)
That was the local news. A CNN feature story today by Ed Lavandera begins with Young's tearful memory of his father keeping a gun handy during the struggles for civil rights, has him calling his victory "an atomic bomb of change" and notes that Philadelphia, population 8,000, is 55 percent white. And it quotes Prince, who along with previous owner Stanley Dearman campaigned for justice and racial reconciliation: "Philadelphia will always be connected to what happened here in 1964. But the fact that Philadelphia, Mississippi, with its notorious past, could elect a black man as mayor, it might be time to quit picking on Philadelphia, Mississippi." (Read more) Prince provided The New York Times a photo of Young that ran with Robbie Brown's story.
The main headline was the basic fact, reflecting readers' familiarity with the players: "Young certified as winner in mayoral election, unseating incumbent Waddell." Then there was the deck, "Philadelphia elects first African-American mayor," reminding them of the larger significance of the event. The story, by Editor and Publisher Jim Prince and Managing Editor Debbie Myers, mentioned the racial angle in the third paragraph.
Several paragraphs below, winner James Young (in center foreground of photo), a former four-term county supervisor, is quoted: "Philadelphia, I think has finally begun to move into the age where we need to -- not just because I am a black man, but I have served this community well. I've been honorable. And I will continue to do that. And I want to say to everybody, as I said during my campaign, I want to do what's right. I want to prove that the office of mayor can be done with some integrity and with righteousness and fairness for everyone in this city -- red, yellow, black or white. This is the bottom line. This is the beginning of a new era in Philadelphia, Miss., and everybody is going to see that change has come to Philadelphia, Miss." (Read more)That was the local news. A CNN feature story today by Ed Lavandera begins with Young's tearful memory of his father keeping a gun handy during the struggles for civil rights, has him calling his victory "an atomic bomb of change" and notes that Philadelphia, population 8,000, is 55 percent white. And it quotes Prince, who along with previous owner Stanley Dearman campaigned for justice and racial reconciliation: "Philadelphia will always be connected to what happened here in 1964. But the fact that Philadelphia, Mississippi, with its notorious past, could elect a black man as mayor, it might be time to quit picking on Philadelphia, Mississippi." (Read more) Prince provided The New York Times a photo of Young that ran with Robbie Brown's story.
Energy panel OKs bill aimed at climate change; Agriculture Committee much more skeptical
The House Energy and Commerce Committee passed the American Clean Energy and Security Act yesterday on a 33-25 vote, but the bill still faces scrutiny from several committees.
John Broder reports for The New York Times that the bill still faces "a tortuous path" through several more House committees before it can be voted on this year. Among the biggest committee hurdles facing the bill is Agriculture, whose chairman, Rep. Collin Peterson (D-Minn.), has the support of as many as 28 Democrats who say they will vote against the bill without significant changes. Republicans cite the bill as the largest energy tax ever considered, and Jared Allen writes for The Hill that several Democrats who represent the rural areas said to be most in jeopardy of seeing their local utility rates increase, are skeptical.
John Broder reports for The New York Times that the bill still faces "a tortuous path" through several more House committees before it can be voted on this year. Among the biggest committee hurdles facing the bill is Agriculture, whose chairman, Rep. Collin Peterson (D-Minn.), has the support of as many as 28 Democrats who say they will vote against the bill without significant changes. Republicans cite the bill as the largest energy tax ever considered, and Jared Allen writes for The Hill that several Democrats who represent the rural areas said to be most in jeopardy of seeing their local utility rates increase, are skeptical.
VA adds $215 million to rural veterans' programs
The Department of Veterans Affairs is providing $215 million in competitive funding to support and improve services specifically targeting veterans in rural areas.
VA Secretary Eric Shinseki said, “This funding signals a substantial expansion of services addressing the health care needs of our rural veterans. These funds will allow VA to establish new outpatient clinics, expand collaborations with federal and community partners, accelerate the use of telemedicine deployment, explore innovate uses of technology, and fund innovative pilot programs.”
Seventy-four programs were selected by the Office of Rural Health to receive funding. They were evaluated based on the methodology, feasibility and intended impact on rural veterans, and include programs like Effective Rural Health Communications and Low Health Literacy Program, Rural Women Veterans Health Care Program and Mental Health and Substance Abuse Coordination.
Jamie Hartman of OhMyGov.com reports that veterans groups and advocates are heartened by the projects. Many programs are a collaboration between private and public sectors to improve their reach and efficiency. A comment on Hartman's report read, "This commitment from the VA to try new an innovative approaches to care for those of us in remote locations through out America says a lot. Kudos to the VA!" (Read more).
VA Secretary Eric Shinseki said, “This funding signals a substantial expansion of services addressing the health care needs of our rural veterans. These funds will allow VA to establish new outpatient clinics, expand collaborations with federal and community partners, accelerate the use of telemedicine deployment, explore innovate uses of technology, and fund innovative pilot programs.”
Seventy-four programs were selected by the Office of Rural Health to receive funding. They were evaluated based on the methodology, feasibility and intended impact on rural veterans, and include programs like Effective Rural Health Communications and Low Health Literacy Program, Rural Women Veterans Health Care Program and Mental Health and Substance Abuse Coordination.
Jamie Hartman of OhMyGov.com reports that veterans groups and advocates are heartened by the projects. Many programs are a collaboration between private and public sectors to improve their reach and efficiency. A comment on Hartman's report read, "This commitment from the VA to try new an innovative approaches to care for those of us in remote locations through out America says a lot. Kudos to the VA!" (Read more).
Hearings under way on National Animal ID System
The U.S. Department of Agriculture has been holding hearings across the country for the past week, welcoming livestock producers and others to share their thoughts on the National Animal Identification System, which is voluntary but could become mandatory. Most information exchanged at such meetings has usually been said before, but in the Daily Yonder Richard Oswald gives a thoguhtful take on the situation.
Oswald writes that agriculture "is already an open book." The National Agricultural Statistics Service and USDA conduct a public census of agriculture producers each year, complete with tracking of what is grow, how much is grown, and the number of acres used. The key argument for an animal ID system appears to be food safety and accountability, but Oswald scoffs at that logic, because of USDA's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service and the Food and Drug Administration. "If they can’t find bacteria in a packing plant, what difference will a radio frequency tag on a live chicken make?"
Animal owners object to the cost of tagging and claim a mandatory system would invade privacy. Oswald sees the program as a partnership between government and business, one is that is "looking more and more like big brother peeking over our shoulder. As government employees leave regularly for high paying corporate jobs and administrations regularly make government appointments to corporate insiders ... you just have to wonder how many keys there are to the vault." (Read more)
Hearings have been held in Harrisburg, Pa.; Pasco, Wash.; Austin, Texas; Birmingham, Ala.; and one is being held in Louisville, Ky., today. Others will be held in Storrs, Conn., May 27; Loveland, Colo., June 1; Jefferson City, Mo., June 9; Rapid City, S.D, June 11; Albuquerque, N.M., June 16; Riverside, Calif., June 18; Raleigh, N.C., June 25; and Jasper, Fla., June 27.
Oswald writes that agriculture "is already an open book." The National Agricultural Statistics Service and USDA conduct a public census of agriculture producers each year, complete with tracking of what is grow, how much is grown, and the number of acres used. The key argument for an animal ID system appears to be food safety and accountability, but Oswald scoffs at that logic, because of USDA's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service and the Food and Drug Administration. "If they can’t find bacteria in a packing plant, what difference will a radio frequency tag on a live chicken make?"
Animal owners object to the cost of tagging and claim a mandatory system would invade privacy. Oswald sees the program as a partnership between government and business, one is that is "looking more and more like big brother peeking over our shoulder. As government employees leave regularly for high paying corporate jobs and administrations regularly make government appointments to corporate insiders ... you just have to wonder how many keys there are to the vault." (Read more)
Hearings have been held in Harrisburg, Pa.; Pasco, Wash.; Austin, Texas; Birmingham, Ala.; and one is being held in Louisville, Ky., today. Others will be held in Storrs, Conn., May 27; Loveland, Colo., June 1; Jefferson City, Mo., June 9; Rapid City, S.D, June 11; Albuquerque, N.M., June 16; Riverside, Calif., June 18; Raleigh, N.C., June 25; and Jasper, Fla., June 27.
Thursday, May 21, 2009
Seeing need for local ownership, former owner buys back small daily paper he sold 21 years ago
Gene Hall of Charles City, Iowa, sold the Charles City Press 21 years ago. About a month ago, he and his wife Cathy bought it back, along with the New Hampton Tribune and associated publications. This week, in the Iowa Newspaper Association Bulletin, he explains why, and it's a terrific testimony to the value of local newspaper ownership. There are good chain-owned papers, but Hall has seen the bad side of both forms of ownership, and with the newspaper business in turmoil, his reflections are quite timely."I am coming more to the realization that in order for community papers to be the best they can be they must be locally operated and better yet, locally owned," Hall writes. "I repurchased the paper I sold some 21 years ago because this is my paper in my community and I care. I’m essentially a private owner of a public trust and I feel good about that." With a circulation of 2,800, the Press is one of the smallest daily newspapers in the country. (Encarta map)
Hall opines, "The business model of community/local newspapers is still strong and will remain so. What is broken is the capital structure caused by way too much debt; unrealistic profit goals set by private equity owners; operational plans put in place by “Wall Street” analysts whose lack of knowledge and experience in the business is only exceeded by their shortsightedness."
Hall notes that he was "a corporate officer in a publicly traded media company for more than 15 years." His piece doesn't name the companies, but he told us that they were, in succession, Hollinger, Liberty Group and GateHouse Media. "Never was there a meaningful discussion about the product being germane to the community. Never a sentence about putting something back into the product or community," he recalls. "What has and is ruining American media is that, like even baseball, it came to be run solely as a business. Newspapers are more than a business. They have obligations and responsibilities far beyond what a big box retail store or a widget manufacturer has. ... Big business has corrupted a sacred covenant. Care must be taken with a commodity so central to democracy." (Read more)
American Idol backed by local votes, celebration
In Conway, Ark., population 50,000, they knew. And they voted.Kris Allen, arguably the town's most famous resident, took home the "American Idol" crown Wednesday night despite a celebrity judge "who long ago crowned his opponent the heir apparent," (From left: Runner-up Adam Lambert, Allen, host Ryan Seacrest, AP Photo/Fox)
The community support of Allen was strong and rural voters likely got in more than their two cents worth on Tuesday night when votes were cast. Kaylie Felty of Maumelle told Dickerson, "He's going to win. It took me four hours to get the first four votes in, and then I voted constantly until 11:45" p.m. At a party in Simon Park Wednesday night, other fans brought signs to show their support that said things like "Blister on my thumbs, Voted 250,000 times."
When Allen was announced as the winner, a local celebration began, coordinated by the Conway Area Chamber of Commerce and the Kris Allen Kick Awesome Task Force. For people like Julie Ivy, who ran a fan page, painted her car, passed out business cards, promoted Allen on the radio, among endless hours of voting, the prize was worth it. "That two seconds when he announced (Allen's) name all four months I would do it all again in a heartbeat," she said. "It's a great feeling to know that we supported him from the beginning. I'm thrilled." (Read more)
UPDATE, May 28: Fox Television and the show's producers deny "reports that a major TV sponsor of the show -- AT&T -- may have skewed results" by giving free phones to viewing parties in Arkansas and giving instructions on how to send 10 votes at once, reports Wayne Friedman of Media Daily News. "AT&T said this promotion was only for two local viewing parties." (Read more)
Organic farmer reflects on 30 years, reminding readers of the labor of love that goes into food
As summer approaches, the season of fresh fruit is ripe and reflective for California farmer David Masumoto. After 30 years of raising organic peaches, nectarines and raisins in the San Joaquin Valley, Masumoto gives the Los Angeles Times a perspective on such a life: the patience and hard work, the hopes and dreams of people embedded in the land, and a reminder to urbanites of the work that goes into their food. Any newspaper, even a rural one, could use an article like this one. (Photo by Gary Kazanjian)For Masumoto, the longer days of late spring mean more time to worry about crops and weather, funds and flavor. "My blood pressure rises with the temperature," he writes. "Each dark cloud on the horizon has my name written on it. We need rain but not too much; the orchards will love a cleansing shower, but that, in turn, will cause mildew to grow in the grapevines. I can't help but think of the worst and anticipate things will go wrong. It's part of my daily work ritual."
As harvest looms closer, farmers collect their apprehension in a "poker game of 'all in' and bank on their labor for success," the farmer foresees. Amid the ripe fruit that gives him purpose, Masumoto is concerned about the recession and market prices for his crops, discovering once again that "Farming requires sacrifices, most often of ourselves." (Read more).
Rural radio station with one of best community-service records in U.S. to mark 50th birthday
One of the nation's most community-oriented radio stations celebrates its 50th anniversary tomorrow. WGOH of Grayson, Ky., population 3,800, will mark its anniversary of the station with a reception at the GO Radio Gazebo in Veterans Park in Grayson during the town’s Memory Days celebration.
WGOH went on the air June 1, 1959 and is still owned by the same local stockholders. It has a sister FM station, WUGO. It is one of only three stations in the country to have won four or more National Association of Broadcasters Crystal Radio awards for community service and programming. WUGO won the award 2003, 2005 and 2008; WGOH won it in 1999.
In giving WUGO the award last year, NAB said the station airs 220 minutes of news daily and in 2007 had 32 live broadcasts, plus 70 local high-school games and 10,320 minutes of public-service announcements. The station's news and public-affairs programs, such as "County Conversations," featured 320 local residents. In its description of its 2007 accomplishments, the station said it produced a 22-part series on county history and a 75-page book to accompany it, and distributed 2,100 free copes of the book; played an active role in local charity efforts, and donated $9,850 to local causes.
General Manager Francis Nash, left, and the other eight staffers average 32 years of service at the station. Nash is author of Towers Over Kentucky, a history of broadcasting in the state. Click here for the station's Web site.
WGOH went on the air June 1, 1959 and is still owned by the same local stockholders. It has a sister FM station, WUGO. It is one of only three stations in the country to have won four or more National Association of Broadcasters Crystal Radio awards for community service and programming. WUGO won the award 2003, 2005 and 2008; WGOH won it in 1999.
In giving WUGO the award last year, NAB said the station airs 220 minutes of news daily and in 2007 had 32 live broadcasts, plus 70 local high-school games and 10,320 minutes of public-service announcements. The station's news and public-affairs programs, such as "County Conversations," featured 320 local residents. In its description of its 2007 accomplishments, the station said it produced a 22-part series on county history and a 75-page book to accompany it, and distributed 2,100 free copes of the book; played an active role in local charity efforts, and donated $9,850 to local causes.
General Manager Francis Nash, left, and the other eight staffers average 32 years of service at the station. Nash is author of Towers Over Kentucky, a history of broadcasting in the state. Click here for the station's Web site.
Justice Department to stop buying newspaper ads notifying neighbors of planned property seizures
Saying it would save $6.7 million over five years, the Justice Department is phasing out "its practice of buying newspaper ad space to publish property forfeiture notices," in favor of notifications on a new Web site, reports Brent Kendall of Dow Jones Newswires.
"Federal regulations require the department to advertise all pending court actions in which the government is seeking to seize private property as part of criminal and civil proceedings," Kendall writes. The White House said the notices would still appear in local newspapers "for a period of time."
"The advertising phase-out was listed as one of 121 government programs targeted for cuts and reductions," Kendall notes. But it seems to us that a notice in a local newspaper is a lot more likely to inform people who need to know, such as creditors or adjoining property owners, than a Web site that will be visited only by people looking for forfeitures. And we think that's especially true in rural areas, where use of the Internet is lower.
Of a similar mind is Tom Larimer, executive director of the Arkansas Press Association, lamenting in today's Arkansas Publisher Weekly passage in Nevada of the latest state law allowing legal ads to be replaced by Internet postings. He raises an interesting point: "In 1991, some stealth legislation was successfully promoted through the U.S. Congress to remove the requirement that federally chartered banks publish quarterly 'statements of condition.' The act removed a layer of transparency in banking. It’s hard to say if maintaining this transparency on the solvency or lack of it of banks would have blunted the current banking crisis and the huge economic mess in which we currently find ourselves, but the costs involved are minor compared to the damage that’s been done. Banks put these reports on their Web sites. When was the last time you saw one? This will be the case if other public notices are allowed to be squirreled away in some obscure Web site where they can be hidden in plain sight. This is hardly a formula for promoting open government." (Read more)
"Federal regulations require the department to advertise all pending court actions in which the government is seeking to seize private property as part of criminal and civil proceedings," Kendall writes. The White House said the notices would still appear in local newspapers "for a period of time."
"The advertising phase-out was listed as one of 121 government programs targeted for cuts and reductions," Kendall notes. But it seems to us that a notice in a local newspaper is a lot more likely to inform people who need to know, such as creditors or adjoining property owners, than a Web site that will be visited only by people looking for forfeitures. And we think that's especially true in rural areas, where use of the Internet is lower.
Of a similar mind is Tom Larimer, executive director of the Arkansas Press Association, lamenting in today's Arkansas Publisher Weekly passage in Nevada of the latest state law allowing legal ads to be replaced by Internet postings. He raises an interesting point: "In 1991, some stealth legislation was successfully promoted through the U.S. Congress to remove the requirement that federally chartered banks publish quarterly 'statements of condition.' The act removed a layer of transparency in banking. It’s hard to say if maintaining this transparency on the solvency or lack of it of banks would have blunted the current banking crisis and the huge economic mess in which we currently find ourselves, but the costs involved are minor compared to the damage that’s been done. Banks put these reports on their Web sites. When was the last time you saw one? This will be the case if other public notices are allowed to be squirreled away in some obscure Web site where they can be hidden in plain sight. This is hardly a formula for promoting open government." (Read more)
Obesity, higher in rural areas, may raise flu risk
A report just released by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention suggests linkages between swine flu cases and underlying medical conditions. David Brown and Robin Shulman of The Washington Post report that a survey of Californians hospitalized for swine flu raises the possibility that a significant rural health problem, obesity, is as much an influential risk factor for serious complications of the flu as diabetes, pregnancy and heart disease. (Associated Press photo: A 240-pound high school sophomore in 2005.)Researchers speculate that obesity compresses parts of the lungs, hindering breathing and blood flow in the chest, which makes flu symptoms more damaging. Anne Schuchat, a CDC epidemiologist, told Brown and Shulman, "We were surprised by the frequency of obesity among the severe cases that we've been tracking," and said scientists are considering whether obese people should be included with other high-risk groups and be first in line if a swine flu vaccine becomes available.
For rural areas and obese states such as Kentucky, where there are 20 confirmed cases of swine flu, obesity may be an underlying factor, especially since the virus has been targeting younger people -- who have higher than average obesity rates. In a 2005 study in rural Pennsylvania, 20 percent of students were considered obese, 4 percent more than the national average. Because obesity is highly correlated with diabetes, another risk factor for acquiring swine flu, rural areas may be at an increased risk. (Read more).
Wednesday, May 20, 2009
Obama expected to sign legislation, on credit-card bill, allowing loaded guns in national parks
President Obama is expected to sign a bill allowing loaded guns to be carried in national parks "rather than derail a consumer-friendly credit card measure that Mr. Obama is eager to sign as Congress heads off for a Memorial Day recess," reports Carl Hulse of The New York Times. The gun measure was attached as an amendment by Sen. Tom Coburn, R-Okla., who told reporters, "Timing is everything in politics."Most congressional Democrats favor some sort of gun control, and the party has majorities in the House and Senate, but those ranks "include senators and House members who represent Western states and more rural areas where gun ownership is popular and deemed sacrosanct," Hulse writes. "When those Democrats team up with Republicans, they constitute a clear majority in the House and Senate."
Coburn says the measure is less about the right to bear arms than about the rights of states in the federal system. "Under the proposal," Hulse writes, "people who are otherwise authorized under state law to have firearms would be entitled to have them in national parks and wildlife refuges unless a state law prohibited it. Currently, firearms must be unloaded and secured on those national lands, creating what backers of the bill say is a situation where someone passing through a park with a firearm can be charged with a violation." (Read more)
Arizona bill would entice teachers to rural schools
Facing teacher shortages, an Arizona lawmaker is encouraging a loan-forgiveness program to be implemented in rural and inner-city schools in the state. James King reports for The White Mountain Independent in Show Low, Ariz., that the bill approved by the House Education Committee this week would expand a law that forgives loans of teachers who commit to staying in Arizona to teach in public schools. The new application would forgive student loans for teachers of any specialization "who commit to work in a geographic area deemed by the state to have a serious teacher shortage." Significant areas that could benefit from the law include the American Indian reservations and several rural towns in the state.
Rep. David Schapira, D-Tempe, told King, "Some districts are experiencing across-the-board shortages that aren't just math and science teachers." Since its initial conception in 2008, more than 140 teachers have taken advantage of the program and rural education administrators are hopeful that they will see positive results. Pat Koury, superintendent of the Hyder School District and president of the Arizona Rural School Association, faces many obstacles when recruiting teachers. "Young people don't want to come out and live in the middle of nowhere," he told King, adding that every rural school district should support the program because it addresses several areas. "When you get out in the rural areas where I am, there are teacher shortages in every area, not just math and science. We need English teachers too." (Read more).
Rep. David Schapira, D-Tempe, told King, "Some districts are experiencing across-the-board shortages that aren't just math and science teachers." Since its initial conception in 2008, more than 140 teachers have taken advantage of the program and rural education administrators are hopeful that they will see positive results. Pat Koury, superintendent of the Hyder School District and president of the Arizona Rural School Association, faces many obstacles when recruiting teachers. "Young people don't want to come out and live in the middle of nowhere," he told King, adding that every rural school district should support the program because it addresses several areas. "When you get out in the rural areas where I am, there are teacher shortages in every area, not just math and science. We need English teachers too." (Read more).
Rural sociology is a fading field at universities, even those with land-grant missions
Critics are seeing a disturbing trend eliminating rural sociology departments from land-grant universities. Scott Jaschik writes for Inside Higher Ed that the field has lost its roots. Rural research may still be occurring, but Jaschik reports the context has changed: "Many professors in the field say that they have seen a slow erosion in support and expertise as retiring professors in these departments are replaced with sociologists who focus on other areas."
Washington State University is the latest land-grant institution to target its rural sociology department, prompting an angry outcry from supporters across the country. An advertisement published Friday in two Washington newspapers featured signatures from 21 leaders of the Rural Sociological Society to faculty at Cornell University and North Carolina State University, all chastising the WSU administration. A primary concern is how WSU, as a land-grant institution, is setting an example, which the advertisement argues "sends a powerful negative message ... that applied research and outreach focused on problems and opportunities experienced by rural people and communities is expendable."
The university's decision to end the program was influenced by steep budget cuts, but critics argue that the discipline should have higher priority. At Cornell, David L. Brown, a sociologist, says,"Our work is always grounded in these [rural] places," and adds that the people who are the focus of rural sociologists "are those who are easily overlooked in the higher education system, in which the land-grant universities are the only ones with a clear brief to focus on them." Kenneth Pigg, a rural sociologist at the University of Missouri at Columbia, one of the few institutions left with a freestanding program, agrees. "There aren't very many rural sociology programs around. There's a general perception that rural doesn't matter anymore." (Read more).
Washington State University is the latest land-grant institution to target its rural sociology department, prompting an angry outcry from supporters across the country. An advertisement published Friday in two Washington newspapers featured signatures from 21 leaders of the Rural Sociological Society to faculty at Cornell University and North Carolina State University, all chastising the WSU administration. A primary concern is how WSU, as a land-grant institution, is setting an example, which the advertisement argues "sends a powerful negative message ... that applied research and outreach focused on problems and opportunities experienced by rural people and communities is expendable."
The university's decision to end the program was influenced by steep budget cuts, but critics argue that the discipline should have higher priority. At Cornell, David L. Brown, a sociologist, says,"Our work is always grounded in these [rural] places," and adds that the people who are the focus of rural sociologists "are those who are easily overlooked in the higher education system, in which the land-grant universities are the only ones with a clear brief to focus on them." Kenneth Pigg, a rural sociologist at the University of Missouri at Columbia, one of the few institutions left with a freestanding program, agrees. "There aren't very many rural sociology programs around. There's a general perception that rural doesn't matter anymore." (Read more).
House Republicans create rural-issues group, which finds life in attack on climate-change bill
When the 100th day of the Obama administration passed without a summit on rural issues, as the president had promised in his campaign, Republicans in the House announced creation of the Rural American Solutions Group. This week, the project became more animated as Republicans launched a coordinated attack on the House Democratic bill that would start a "cap and trade" system for carbon emissions to thwart climate change.
"This national energy tax, under consideration this week by the Energy and Commerce Committee, would disproportionately spike rural American energy bills, harm agriculture production and threaten small businesses," the group said in a press release yesterday. To see segments of the group's press conference, via its YouTube channel, click here.
"This national energy tax, under consideration this week by the Energy and Commerce Committee, would disproportionately spike rural American energy bills, harm agriculture production and threaten small businesses," the group said in a press release yesterday. To see segments of the group's press conference, via its YouTube channel, click here.
Farm Bureau opposes climate-change bill; Farm Foundation schedules carbon-policy forum June 2
The American Farm Bureau Federation declared its opposition to the Waxman-Markey climate change bill this week, saying it "ignores the complex needs of American agriculture." AFBF President Bob Stallman said the bill "is laden with so many policy prescriptions that its impact on the U.S. is almost impossible to measure and evaluate. We can be certain of some things, however – it will increase our operating costs and reduce our competitiveness abroad.”
More specifically, Farm Bureau said the bill "does not adequately provide for alternative sources of energy that will 'plug the hole' created when fossil -fuel costs escalate dramatically. Farm Bureau is also concerned about the potential impact on fertilizer prices, given their sensitivity to natural gas costs." (Read more) Farm Bureau and the National Corn Growers Association "have come out against the bill for failing to provide mechanism for farmers to sell carbon credits on the market and for not adequately providing for alternative sources of energy when fossil fuel costs escalate," reports Rita Jane Gabbett of MeatingPlace. (Read more)
The next Farm Foundation Forum, 9 to 11 a.m. June 2 at the National Press Club in Washington, will be on carbon polucy options and implications for agriculture. Presenters will include Iowa farmer Varel Bailey and Jon Scholl of the American Farmland Trust. Invitations have been extended to the energy industry, the livestock industry and greenhouse-gas researchers. To attend, RSVP by noon CDT Friday, May 29, to Mary Thompson, Farm Foundation communication director. There is no charge to participate.
More specifically, Farm Bureau said the bill "does not adequately provide for alternative sources of energy that will 'plug the hole' created when fossil -fuel costs escalate dramatically. Farm Bureau is also concerned about the potential impact on fertilizer prices, given their sensitivity to natural gas costs." (Read more) Farm Bureau and the National Corn Growers Association "have come out against the bill for failing to provide mechanism for farmers to sell carbon credits on the market and for not adequately providing for alternative sources of energy when fossil fuel costs escalate," reports Rita Jane Gabbett of MeatingPlace. (Read more)
The next Farm Foundation Forum, 9 to 11 a.m. June 2 at the National Press Club in Washington, will be on carbon polucy options and implications for agriculture. Presenters will include Iowa farmer Varel Bailey and Jon Scholl of the American Farmland Trust. Invitations have been extended to the energy industry, the livestock industry and greenhouse-gas researchers. To attend, RSVP by noon CDT Friday, May 29, to Mary Thompson, Farm Foundation communication director. There is no charge to participate.
Tuesday, May 19, 2009
Iowa State cuts Extension and a local editor howls; some other states also cutting it due to recession
Iowa State University's plan to cut the number of county extension directors in Iowa by more than 75 percent is bringing protests in rural counties that have depended on the Cooperative Extension Service.
University President Gregory Geoffroy "presented a previously unannounced plan to the Iowa Board of Regents ... without public input and just hours after the Legislature adjourned," writes Jay Howe, field editor of the Adair County Free Press. "Surprisingly, the regents OK'd the restructuring plan as a done deal without taking opportunity to gauge public views on it. Is this a model of how ISU Extension has sought to foster the process of engaging the public in making serious public-policy decisions?"
Howe's column also appeared in The Des Moines Register, which reported, "There will be 20 regional directors and one supervisor. Currently, there are 97 county directors and five regional directors. The reorganization and program cuts would reduce Extension's $100 million annual budget by about $4.3 million, officials said." Jack Payne, vice president for extension and outreach, told the Register's Erin Jordan, "It's a structure that is 100 years old that we cannot support anymore with the budget cut" from the Legislature. (Register map shows new extension regions, with county lines in white.)
Regent Michael Gartner, former editor of the Register and other papers, asked why more director positions weren't cut. Geoffroy said, "We did consider going to 10 directors, but decided that would be too much territory to cover." He said each director would oversee an average of about five counties and spend about a day a week in each county.
Minnesota made similar changes five years ago, and other states are doing likewise as the recession forces states and universitis to cut budgets. Ralph Otto, an associate extension administrator in the U.S. Department of Agriculture, told teh Register, "I hope that we survive this and come out more resilient than before. I say that with a certain amount of emptiness, because it doesn't help the folks right now who are having to do so much." (Read more) For the university's detailed explanation of its budget-cutting plan, click here.
University President Gregory Geoffroy "presented a previously unannounced plan to the Iowa Board of Regents ... without public input and just hours after the Legislature adjourned," writes Jay Howe, field editor of the Adair County Free Press. "Surprisingly, the regents OK'd the restructuring plan as a done deal without taking opportunity to gauge public views on it. Is this a model of how ISU Extension has sought to foster the process of engaging the public in making serious public-policy decisions?"
Howe's column also appeared in The Des Moines Register, which reported, "There will be 20 regional directors and one supervisor. Currently, there are 97 county directors and five regional directors. The reorganization and program cuts would reduce Extension's $100 million annual budget by about $4.3 million, officials said." Jack Payne, vice president for extension and outreach, told the Register's Erin Jordan, "It's a structure that is 100 years old that we cannot support anymore with the budget cut" from the Legislature. (Register map shows new extension regions, with county lines in white.)Regent Michael Gartner, former editor of the Register and other papers, asked why more director positions weren't cut. Geoffroy said, "We did consider going to 10 directors, but decided that would be too much territory to cover." He said each director would oversee an average of about five counties and spend about a day a week in each county.
Minnesota made similar changes five years ago, and other states are doing likewise as the recession forces states and universitis to cut budgets. Ralph Otto, an associate extension administrator in the U.S. Department of Agriculture, told teh Register, "I hope that we survive this and come out more resilient than before. I say that with a certain amount of emptiness, because it doesn't help the folks right now who are having to do so much." (Read more) For the university's detailed explanation of its budget-cutting plan, click here.
Colorado paper wins $50,000 in legal fees from school board that illegally closed a meeting
The school board in Steamboat Springs, Colo., has agreed to release the transcript of an illegal meeting and pay $50,000 in legal fees to the local daily newspaper, which warned the board not to hold the meeting and challenged it in court afterward.
The state Court of Appeals ruled in March that the board violated the state open-meetings law in 2007 by holding a closed session to discuss staff surveys of administrators and the performance of the superintendent, saying the session was "to discuss a personnel matter regarding 'access to information' and failing to say it would consult its attorney during the session, Jack Weinstein reports for the Steamboat Pilot & Today.
Three of the five board members at the time are no longer on the board. One of them cast the only vote against the deal with the newspaper, saying "I look at this as an in-your-face move by them to take $50,000 away from our students." The paper's editor, Brent Boyer, "said it’s the former School Board, not the newspaper, that has cost the district and taxpayers," Weinstein writes. Reader comments were running 4-1 in favor of the paper at 5 p.m. EDT today. (Read more)
The state Court of Appeals ruled in March that the board violated the state open-meetings law in 2007 by holding a closed session to discuss staff surveys of administrators and the performance of the superintendent, saying the session was "to discuss a personnel matter regarding 'access to information' and failing to say it would consult its attorney during the session, Jack Weinstein reports for the Steamboat Pilot & Today.
Three of the five board members at the time are no longer on the board. One of them cast the only vote against the deal with the newspaper, saying "I look at this as an in-your-face move by them to take $50,000 away from our students." The paper's editor, Brent Boyer, "said it’s the former School Board, not the newspaper, that has cost the district and taxpayers," Weinstein writes. Reader comments were running 4-1 in favor of the paper at 5 p.m. EDT today. (Read more)
Beekeepers want EPA to ban pesticides they blame for colony collapses
Beekeepers and environmentalists are supporting a proposed ban of pesticides developed by Bayer CropScience Inc., suggesting that two of its most prolific products, imidacloprid and clothianidin, are responsible for the recent phenomenon of bee colony collapse.
Julia Scott writes for Salon that since 2006, when colony collapse was first identified, American beekeepers have lost at least a third of their bees, threatening the food supply. In response, the National Honeybee Advisory Board, which represents the two biggest beekeeper associations in the U.S., requested that the Environmental Protection Agency ban imidacloprid. Clint Walker, a co-chairman of the board told Scott, "We believe imidacloprid kills bees -- specifically, that it causes bee colonies to collapse."
Critics argue that the EPA's initial decision to allow imidacloprid on the market in 1994 was careless. Current EPA literature calls it "very highly toxic" to honeybees and other beneficial insects. In 2003, Scott reports, EPA described clothianidin as "highly toxic to honeybees on an acute contact basis," and suggested that chronic exposure could lead to effects on the larvae and reproductive effects on the queen. Despite such claims, the EPA authorized the chemicals for market. "If the EPA had sufficient concern about harm to bees that they would insist on other studies, it seemed unwise to approve it anyway and ask for research after the fact," says Aaron Colangelo, an attorney with the Natural Resources Defense Council. "The EPA's job is to make a decision about whether a chemical is safe or not."
As EPA began pesticide studies this year, it announced that review of clothianidin and other chemicals in the same family would not start until 2012. Beekeepers and environmentalists are hoping the U.S. will follow France and Germany and ban the products. But Scott suggests that is unlikely for imidacloprid, because it is used under the Bayer label in more than 120 countries "on more than 140 crop varieties, as well as on termites, flea collars and home garden landscaping. And the product's patent expired a few years ago, paving the way for it to be sold as a generic insecticide by dozens of smaller corporations. In California alone, imidacloprid is the central ingredient in 247 separate products sold by 50 different companies." (Read more).
Julia Scott writes for Salon that since 2006, when colony collapse was first identified, American beekeepers have lost at least a third of their bees, threatening the food supply. In response, the National Honeybee Advisory Board, which represents the two biggest beekeeper associations in the U.S., requested that the Environmental Protection Agency ban imidacloprid. Clint Walker, a co-chairman of the board told Scott, "We believe imidacloprid kills bees -- specifically, that it causes bee colonies to collapse."
Critics argue that the EPA's initial decision to allow imidacloprid on the market in 1994 was careless. Current EPA literature calls it "very highly toxic" to honeybees and other beneficial insects. In 2003, Scott reports, EPA described clothianidin as "highly toxic to honeybees on an acute contact basis," and suggested that chronic exposure could lead to effects on the larvae and reproductive effects on the queen. Despite such claims, the EPA authorized the chemicals for market. "If the EPA had sufficient concern about harm to bees that they would insist on other studies, it seemed unwise to approve it anyway and ask for research after the fact," says Aaron Colangelo, an attorney with the Natural Resources Defense Council. "The EPA's job is to make a decision about whether a chemical is safe or not."
As EPA began pesticide studies this year, it announced that review of clothianidin and other chemicals in the same family would not start until 2012. Beekeepers and environmentalists are hoping the U.S. will follow France and Germany and ban the products. But Scott suggests that is unlikely for imidacloprid, because it is used under the Bayer label in more than 120 countries "on more than 140 crop varieties, as well as on termites, flea collars and home garden landscaping. And the product's patent expired a few years ago, paving the way for it to be sold as a generic insecticide by dozens of smaller corporations. In California alone, imidacloprid is the central ingredient in 247 separate products sold by 50 different companies." (Read more).
Carbon bill unfairly targeting rural poor, foe says
A foe of the Waxman-Markey "cap and trade" bill to limit carbon dioxide emissions claims the legislation is targeting poor, rural communities that rely on cheap, coal-fired electricity and going easy on states that have higher energy consumption but are less reliant on coal.
“Why is it that the wealthy parts of our country continue to attack the lifestyles of the rural poor?” Republican Rep. John Shimkus of Illinois said in his opening statement at the House Energy and Commerce Committee meeting Monday. "Shimkus was alluding to the bill’s sponsors, Rep. Henry Waxman, D-Calif., and Rep. Edward Markey, D-Mass., who both represent states that have higher energy costs and consume far less coal than Missouri and Illinois," Sean Rose reports for the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.
House Republicans have been criticized for opposing energy reform without presenting alternative solutions, and some, including Shimkus, have said they would never support carbon regulations. GOP leaders say the bill is confusing and claim it has not been thoroughly examined. Shimkus said a 900-plus page amendment was added to the bill an hour before the committee meeting on Monday. “If it’s really a good bill, let us read it over the week." (Read more)
“Why is it that the wealthy parts of our country continue to attack the lifestyles of the rural poor?” Republican Rep. John Shimkus of Illinois said in his opening statement at the House Energy and Commerce Committee meeting Monday. "Shimkus was alluding to the bill’s sponsors, Rep. Henry Waxman, D-Calif., and Rep. Edward Markey, D-Mass., who both represent states that have higher energy costs and consume far less coal than Missouri and Illinois," Sean Rose reports for the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.
House Republicans have been criticized for opposing energy reform without presenting alternative solutions, and some, including Shimkus, have said they would never support carbon regulations. GOP leaders say the bill is confusing and claim it has not been thoroughly examined. Shimkus said a 900-plus page amendment was added to the bill an hour before the committee meeting on Monday. “If it’s really a good bill, let us read it over the week." (Read more)
Monday, May 18, 2009
Postal Service consolidating routes in rural areas
Facing effective bankruptcy, the U.S. Postal Service is consolidating mail routes and angering rural residents. In Oconomowoc, West Bend, Oak Creek and elsewhere in Wisconsin, the recent combination of routes has residents complaining that mail is being delivered late and that they feel neglected, Scott Williams reports for the Journal Sentinel in Milwaukee. Williams reports that in Waukesha, business owners fear that cutbacks in mail collection hours will undermine their ability to conduct business.
Postal officials say the consolidation of delivery sites will save about $46,000 a year in each location and a total of $1.5 million in the 30 rural communities already affected. Mail often comes later in the day. U.S. Rep. Jim Sensenbrenner, a Republican from Menomonee Falls, told Williams he does not have an alternative plan for trimming costs, but he found that the cuts in southeastern Wisconsin will be too disruptive to customers. "You've got to remind the Postal Service repeatedly that their last name is service," he said. (Read more).
Postal officials say the consolidation of delivery sites will save about $46,000 a year in each location and a total of $1.5 million in the 30 rural communities already affected. Mail often comes later in the day. U.S. Rep. Jim Sensenbrenner, a Republican from Menomonee Falls, told Williams he does not have an alternative plan for trimming costs, but he found that the cuts in southeastern Wisconsin will be too disruptive to customers. "You've got to remind the Postal Service repeatedly that their last name is service," he said. (Read more).
Rural doctor shortages worsen in parts of Minn.
The chronic problem of a shortage of doctors in rural areas is peaking in Minnesota, where Tom Robertson reports for Minnesota Public Radio that there are fewer family physicians in Bemidji now than five years ago, though the city's population has grown. (Photo by Tom Robertson: Dr. Suzie Human, right, is in high demand at MeritcCare Clinic in Bemidji)Delays in care are a common side effect of the shortage in Bemidji, where, by this summer, there'll be only eight family care physicians. The MeritCare Clinic is also short on internal medicine and pediatric doctors. Patients often have to wait up to 15 months for a medical exam. "We have people coming in all the time, and there is no family practitioner available," Dr. Suzie Human told Robertson. "Every single day I have people saying, 'Can I see you at the clinic? Can you take on my family?' And every single day I have to say I can't take patients at this time."
The Minnesota Hospital Association reports that although 13 percent of Minnesota residents live in rural areas, only five percent of all physicians practice there. An underlying problem is the debt medical students face after graduation. The American Medical Association reports that only two percent of medical students are going into family practice. Many instead choose more lucrative specialties like cardiology or anesthesiology, where they can earn three or more times what a family doctor does. Students can also pay off debt more quickly by working in better-paying metropolitan communities.
Such factors puts enormous pressure on practitioners in rural areas."No one wants our job. It's a tough job," Human said. "We get torn between delivering babies and being in the clinic and being in the hospital and being in the hospital overnight, and going to the nursing homes. It's not the job that a lot of people want anymore." Medical clinics and hospitals in rural Minnesota have responded by hiring physician recruiters and offering perks like high bonuses and help paying student loans. Nonetheless, the geographic isolation, limited economy and lack of amenities makes it tough to persuade physicians at a time when their need is becoming even more crucial. (Read more)
Rural Wisc. bars worried about new smoking ban
The Wisconsin legislature approved a statewide smoking ban in all workplaces Wednesday to very mixed reactions from patrons and owners of bars, which will face their first smoking restrictions. Julian Emerson writes for the Leader-Telegraph in Eau Claire that in Chippewa County, pop. 60,456, some residents are angry at the state's intervention.
"You go into a bar in Wisconsin, and there's going to be smoke," John Gullickson, 78, left, told Emerson while enjoying a cigar with a group of friends at the Albertville Tavern. "In this state, taverns and smoking go together." (Photo by Steve Kinderman)
Many larger cities in the state have adopted smoke-free policies, and Emerson reports that nearly 40 local governments, including Eau Claire, have passed their own anti-smoking ordinances: "Meanwhile, in most of the state's smaller cities and villages, smoke-filled bars and restaurants are as common as springtime dandelions."
The ban, which will join 25 states that already have similar laws, will begin in July 2010, giving bar owners and patrons time to create outdoor smoking areas and consider the impact it will have on their business. "The people who smoke, they don't want this," longtime Albertville Tavern owner Patti Nowak told Emerson. "A lot of the bar owners are worried that people might decide to stay home and smoke there." (Read more).
UPDATE, May 20: In a column for Lee Newspapers, Richard Mial notes that urban legislators were more likely to favor the law and rural lawmakers were more likely to oppose it.
"You go into a bar in Wisconsin, and there's going to be smoke," John Gullickson, 78, left, told Emerson while enjoying a cigar with a group of friends at the Albertville Tavern. "In this state, taverns and smoking go together." (Photo by Steve Kinderman)Many larger cities in the state have adopted smoke-free policies, and Emerson reports that nearly 40 local governments, including Eau Claire, have passed their own anti-smoking ordinances: "Meanwhile, in most of the state's smaller cities and villages, smoke-filled bars and restaurants are as common as springtime dandelions."
The ban, which will join 25 states that already have similar laws, will begin in July 2010, giving bar owners and patrons time to create outdoor smoking areas and consider the impact it will have on their business. "The people who smoke, they don't want this," longtime Albertville Tavern owner Patti Nowak told Emerson. "A lot of the bar owners are worried that people might decide to stay home and smoke there." (Read more).
UPDATE, May 20: In a column for Lee Newspapers, Richard Mial notes that urban legislators were more likely to favor the law and rural lawmakers were more likely to oppose it.
Chrysler cuts have big rural impact in Iowa, Neb.
Continuing media reports are making clearer the big rural impact of the auto-industry crisis. In Omaha, KETV reports that 31 Chrysler dealerships in Nebraska and Iowa are slated to lose support from the company. The automaker said last Thursday that it does not have the funds to keep all of its dealerships running.
If a bankruptcy judge approves, Chrysler's agreement with 800 dealers nationwide will end in June. However, some affected dealerships are negotiating with other automakers to keep them in business. The loss of dealerships will likely result in difficulties for consumers and small-town residents, who may lose jobs and have to drive farther for car service. (Read more).
If a bankruptcy judge approves, Chrysler's agreement with 800 dealers nationwide will end in June. However, some affected dealerships are negotiating with other automakers to keep them in business. The loss of dealerships will likely result in difficulties for consumers and small-town residents, who may lose jobs and have to drive farther for car service. (Read more).
Saturday, May 16, 2009
Farmers, agribusiness trade groups start public-relations effort aimed at urban journalists
Several agricultural commodity groups, citing what they call "misinformation campaigns about food prices and renewable fuels," have formed The Hand that Feeds U.S., which calls itself "an educational resource for urban media on the importance of U.S. agriculture to the security and future of our country." Its initial news release said "America's farmers are extending an olive branch to the same urban media that have often been critical of agriculture."
The effort is a project of FarmPolicyFacts.org, which calls itself "a coalition of farmers and commodity groups." Groups involved in the effort include the Agricultural Retailers Association, the American Sugar Alliance, Bushmills Ethanol, the Crop Insurance Professionals Association, the Minnesota Corn Growers Association, the Southwest Council of Agribusiness, the Texas Corn Producers Board, Texas Grain Sorghum Producers, the Texas Peanut Producers Board and the USA Rice Federation.
"It makes no sense that we're being demonized in many of the nation's top media markets," Texas rice grower Linda Raun said in the release. "It's not the journalists' fault. "We haven't done a good enough job telling them our story." (Read more)
The effort is a project of FarmPolicyFacts.org, which calls itself "a coalition of farmers and commodity groups." Groups involved in the effort include the Agricultural Retailers Association, the American Sugar Alliance, Bushmills Ethanol, the Crop Insurance Professionals Association, the Minnesota Corn Growers Association, the Southwest Council of Agribusiness, the Texas Corn Producers Board, Texas Grain Sorghum Producers, the Texas Peanut Producers Board and the USA Rice Federation.
"It makes no sense that we're being demonized in many of the nation's top media markets," Texas rice grower Linda Raun said in the release. "It's not the journalists' fault. "We haven't done a good enough job telling them our story." (Read more)
EPA greenlights 42 of 48 permits for coal mines in Appalachia, including mountaintop removal jobs
When the Environmental Protection Agency began blocking or delaying permits for mountaintop-removal coal mines, "Many saw it as the writing on the wall that the Obama administration intended to stop the controversial practice," Erica Peterson reports for West Virginia Public Broadcasting. But U.S. Rep. Nick Rahall of West Virginia "released correspondence between his office and the EPA ... announcing that the EPA had no concerns with the majority of the permit applications it was reviewing," 42 of 48 for mines in the Appalachian coalfield, not all of them involving mountaintop removal. (Read more)
EPA took a while to comment on Rahall's announcement, but finally issued a statement that read in pertinent part: “EPA decided not to provide additional comments on the remaining 42 permits after consideration of the nature and extent of project impacts. 28 of the projects have two or fewer valley fills. Eleven have no valley fills at all. None have more than six. EPA’s understanding is that none of the projects would permanently impact high value streams that flow year round. By contrast, EPA has opposed six permits because they all would result in significant adverse impacts to high value streams, involve large numbers of valley fills, and impact watersheds with extensive previous mining impacts.” Fior more coverage from Ken Ward Jr. of The Charleston Gazette, click here.
EPA took a while to comment on Rahall's announcement, but finally issued a statement that read in pertinent part: “EPA decided not to provide additional comments on the remaining 42 permits after consideration of the nature and extent of project impacts. 28 of the projects have two or fewer valley fills. Eleven have no valley fills at all. None have more than six. EPA’s understanding is that none of the projects would permanently impact high value streams that flow year round. By contrast, EPA has opposed six permits because they all would result in significant adverse impacts to high value streams, involve large numbers of valley fills, and impact watersheds with extensive previous mining impacts.” Fior more coverage from Ken Ward Jr. of The Charleston Gazette, click here.
Rural carrier charged with stealing mail, identities; Postal Service calls such charges 'very rare'
A rural mail carrier in northern Ohio, already in jail on a drug charge, has been indicted on five counts of identity theft, four counts of false credit-card applications, one count of theft of mail and one count of aggravated identity theft. Marsha Billock-Strahm is charged with "stealing some of the mail she was entrusted to deliver and fraudulently opening credit cards in the names of some of those on her rural route," writes Erica Blake of The Toldeo Blade.
A postal inspector told Blake that cases such as the recent criminal charges are "very rare within the postal service." Billock-Strahm served the town of Carey, population 3,900. "Mayor John Rymer said that in a small town, it's difficult not to be disappointed and feel betrayed by a longtime member of the community. A town of about 3,900 people, Carey is in Wyandot County and is about 65 miles south of Toledo. ... But being a tight-knit Christian town, the residents of Carey likely will forgive their former letter-carrier if the allegations are proved to be true, he said." (Read more)
A postal inspector told Blake that cases such as the recent criminal charges are "very rare within the postal service." Billock-Strahm served the town of Carey, population 3,900. "Mayor John Rymer said that in a small town, it's difficult not to be disappointed and feel betrayed by a longtime member of the community. A town of about 3,900 people, Carey is in Wyandot County and is about 65 miles south of Toledo. ... But being a tight-knit Christian town, the residents of Carey likely will forgive their former letter-carrier if the allegations are proved to be true, he said." (Read more)
Many GM dealers won't discuss their future; saddest stories are those targeted by two makers
General Motors told 1,100 of its 6,000 dealers yesterday that their contracts would not be renewed, but refused to release a list of dealers, sending reporters in every state scrambling to find those targeted -- many of them in small towns, serving rural customers.
Many dealers "kept quiet, trying to figure out whether they would stay in business until their contracts expire in October 2010 or attempt to get out sooner," report Ken Bensinger, Andrea Chang and Tiffany Hsu of the Los Angeles Times. Some dealers "worried that even though they weren't named, GM could follow Chrysler into bankruptcy soon, opening the door for more cuts." GM has already said it might cut at least 500 more dealers, and those notified yesterday can appeal to the company for reversal of the decisions.
The New York Times notes, "Though G.M. says it still hopes to avoid bankruptcy and subsist on more government loans, Mark LaNeve, G.M.’s vice president for North American sales and marketing, acknowledged that the dealer cuts “would be hard to enforce” outside of court."
The L.A. Times, apparently calling GM dealers all over the country, found a talker in Allan Rose of Gloversville, N.Y. He "didn't suspect that he was part of the problem. Although his northern New York dealership is small, it's the only one of its kind for more than 30 miles in every direction, clear to the Canadian border. But he too got a FedEx letter."
The National Automobile Dealers Association's chief economist, Paul Taylor, "said the hardest-hit areas appear to be suburban communities and mid-size markets," the Times reports. "Those are the kinds of places, he said, that rely heavily on the spending, employment and tax revenue a dealer provides.He estimates that the average dealer employs close to 50 people and pumps $16.5 million a year into the local economy, including payroll, taxes, payments to vendors, advertising and charitable giving." Thomas Klier, senior economist at the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago, told the Times, "Every town has a car dealership. That's what was left out of this when the debate about the auto industry started." (Read more)
Some dealers handling both GM and Chrysler Corp. vehicles were hit with a double whammy. The New York newspaper found one in Middlesboro, Ky., and Jere Downs of The Courier-Journal of Louisville interviewed one in the semi-rural suburb of Mount Washington.
Many dealers "kept quiet, trying to figure out whether they would stay in business until their contracts expire in October 2010 or attempt to get out sooner," report Ken Bensinger, Andrea Chang and Tiffany Hsu of the Los Angeles Times. Some dealers "worried that even though they weren't named, GM could follow Chrysler into bankruptcy soon, opening the door for more cuts." GM has already said it might cut at least 500 more dealers, and those notified yesterday can appeal to the company for reversal of the decisions.
The New York Times notes, "Though G.M. says it still hopes to avoid bankruptcy and subsist on more government loans, Mark LaNeve, G.M.’s vice president for North American sales and marketing, acknowledged that the dealer cuts “would be hard to enforce” outside of court."
The L.A. Times, apparently calling GM dealers all over the country, found a talker in Allan Rose of Gloversville, N.Y. He "didn't suspect that he was part of the problem. Although his northern New York dealership is small, it's the only one of its kind for more than 30 miles in every direction, clear to the Canadian border. But he too got a FedEx letter."
The National Automobile Dealers Association's chief economist, Paul Taylor, "said the hardest-hit areas appear to be suburban communities and mid-size markets," the Times reports. "Those are the kinds of places, he said, that rely heavily on the spending, employment and tax revenue a dealer provides.He estimates that the average dealer employs close to 50 people and pumps $16.5 million a year into the local economy, including payroll, taxes, payments to vendors, advertising and charitable giving." Thomas Klier, senior economist at the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago, told the Times, "Every town has a car dealership. That's what was left out of this when the debate about the auto industry started." (Read more)
Some dealers handling both GM and Chrysler Corp. vehicles were hit with a double whammy. The New York newspaper found one in Middlesboro, Ky., and Jere Downs of The Courier-Journal of Louisville interviewed one in the semi-rural suburb of Mount Washington.
Friday, May 15, 2009
Bill to ban mobile dental clinics in Louisiana clears legislative panel after exceptions are added
Louisiana dentists' "controversial bid to outlaw school-based mobile dental clinics cleared its first legislative hurdle Tuesday after a House committee made changes that would allow some clinics to continue operating," reports Jan Moller of the Times-Picayune in New Orleans.
The bill cleared a House committee after being changed to allow "mobile dental units owned and operated by the state or local government, federally qualified health center mobile facilities, or a school-based health clinic with permanent facilities," if in place for at least six months over the past five years, reports Sarah Chacko of The Advocate in Baton Rouge. "An exception was also added to allow the dentistry in schools in areas designated by the Louisiana State Board of Dentistry as underserved for dental care, with the approval of the school district superintendent."
Moller writes, "Opponents of House Bill 687 said the measure would still prevent many poor children from getting necessary dental care at school, and that regulation of mobile clinics is best left to professional licensing boards, not the Legislature." Supporters of the bill say mobile clinics "are unsanitary and don't provide for enough parental involvement." The clinics "have been a growing trend in Louisiana since the Legislature last year raised the Medicaid rates to the point where it became profitable for dentists to treat poor children," Moller reports. For her earlier report on the bill being stalled, click here.
The bill cleared a House committee after being changed to allow "mobile dental units owned and operated by the state or local government, federally qualified health center mobile facilities, or a school-based health clinic with permanent facilities," if in place for at least six months over the past five years, reports Sarah Chacko of The Advocate in Baton Rouge. "An exception was also added to allow the dentistry in schools in areas designated by the Louisiana State Board of Dentistry as underserved for dental care, with the approval of the school district superintendent."
Moller writes, "Opponents of House Bill 687 said the measure would still prevent many poor children from getting necessary dental care at school, and that regulation of mobile clinics is best left to professional licensing boards, not the Legislature." Supporters of the bill say mobile clinics "are unsanitary and don't provide for enough parental involvement." The clinics "have been a growing trend in Louisiana since the Legislature last year raised the Medicaid rates to the point where it became profitable for dentists to treat poor children," Moller reports. For her earlier report on the bill being stalled, click here.
Maine bans crates for farm animals; Ohio Farm Bureau creates unit to fight ban proposed there
Maine has become the sixth state to ban gestation crates for pregnant animals and veal calves. Gov. John Baldacci signed the bill after it passed the legiuslature unanimously. Drovers.com reports that California, Colorado, Florida, Arizona and Oregon have "passed similar reforms." (Read more)
A battle is shaping up for a referendum in Ohio much like the one last year in California. The Ohio Farm Bureau says it has created the Center for Food and Animal Issues to "to protect people’s opportunity for choice, good common sense and very effective animal care in working with this relationship between people and animals, but our bottom line is that people come first.” For a report from Dave Russell of Brownfield Network, click here.
A battle is shaping up for a referendum in Ohio much like the one last year in California. The Ohio Farm Bureau says it has created the Center for Food and Animal Issues to "to protect people’s opportunity for choice, good common sense and very effective animal care in working with this relationship between people and animals, but our bottom line is that people come first.” For a report from Dave Russell of Brownfield Network, click here.
Thursday, May 14, 2009
New report summarizes U.S. budget's rural impact
Wondering how President Obama's budget affects your community, or rural areas as a whole? The Rural Policy Research Institute has distilled the budget into a brief report outlining various items with rural impact.
The report, "A Snapshot of the President's Budget FY 2010: What's in it for Rural America?" covers areas of economic development, broadband, health care, renewable energy, infrastructure, conservation and natural resources, and community development. It also includes an appendix listing cuts and reductions that impact rural communities and interests. (Read the report; read the full budget)
Note to readers: This is Jen Green's last post to The Rural Blog, unless the spirit moves her. She will spend the summer as a junior fellow at the Library of Congress, working on a bibliographic control and access project, collaborating on a database providing information about special collections across the library’s holdings. Jen is finishing her first year in the two-year master's degree program in library and information sciences at the University of Kentucky. She has a B.A. in Religion and Journalism from Campbellsville University, and a Master of Divinity from Duke Divinity School. Read more about her internship here. --Al Cross, IRJCI Director
The report, "A Snapshot of the President's Budget FY 2010: What's in it for Rural America?" covers areas of economic development, broadband, health care, renewable energy, infrastructure, conservation and natural resources, and community development. It also includes an appendix listing cuts and reductions that impact rural communities and interests. (Read the report; read the full budget)
Note to readers: This is Jen Green's last post to The Rural Blog, unless the spirit moves her. She will spend the summer as a junior fellow at the Library of Congress, working on a bibliographic control and access project, collaborating on a database providing information about special collections across the library’s holdings. Jen is finishing her first year in the two-year master's degree program in library and information sciences at the University of Kentucky. She has a B.A. in Religion and Journalism from Campbellsville University, and a Master of Divinity from Duke Divinity School. Read more about her internship here. --Al Cross, IRJCI Director
Chrysler announces dealership closures; GM's list is expected Friday; much downside for rural areas
Chrysler Corp. announced today it would be cutting almost a quarter of its dealerships, while General Motors is expected to announce the closure of 1,000 to 1,200 dealers on Friday. The cuts would have a big imapct on small towns and rural areas, as we have reported.
The National Automobile Dealers Association is lobbying the Obama administration's auto-industry task force to allow the companies to keep more dealerships. "We’re not objecting to consolidation. We understand the realities of the marketplace," NADA president John McEleney told Nick Bunkley of The New York Times. "The situation’s going to get taken care of by natural market forces. To radically accelerate the process doesn’t seem to make sense in this environment." (Read more)
What dealerships are closing in your area? A complete list of Chrysler closings is available here.
UPDATE: The Treasury Department, perhaps feeling the political heat, issued a press release this afternoon saying in part, "The Task Force played no role in deciding which dealers, or how many dealers, were part of Chrysler’s announcement today. We understand that this rationalization will be difficult on the dealers that will no longer be selling Chrysler cars and on the communities in which they operate. However, the sacrifices by the dealer community – alongside those of auto workers, suppliers, creditors, and other Chrysler stakeholders – are necessary for this company and the industry to succeed." (Read more)
The National Automobile Dealers Association is lobbying the Obama administration's auto-industry task force to allow the companies to keep more dealerships. "We’re not objecting to consolidation. We understand the realities of the marketplace," NADA president John McEleney told Nick Bunkley of The New York Times. "The situation’s going to get taken care of by natural market forces. To radically accelerate the process doesn’t seem to make sense in this environment." (Read more)
What dealerships are closing in your area? A complete list of Chrysler closings is available here.
UPDATE: The Treasury Department, perhaps feeling the political heat, issued a press release this afternoon saying in part, "The Task Force played no role in deciding which dealers, or how many dealers, were part of Chrysler’s announcement today. We understand that this rationalization will be difficult on the dealers that will no longer be selling Chrysler cars and on the communities in which they operate. However, the sacrifices by the dealer community – alongside those of auto workers, suppliers, creditors, and other Chrysler stakeholders – are necessary for this company and the industry to succeed." (Read more)
Amendment would allow guns in national parks
The Senate approved an amendment allowing firearms in national parks if the owner is legally allowed to carry them elsewhere and no other federal, state or local laws prohibit it. The decision follows a last-minute Bush administration decision allowing loaded handguns in the parks, which was blocked by a federal judge in March.
''If an American citizen has a right to carry a firearm in their state, it makes no sense to treat them like a criminal if they pass through a national park while in possession of a firearm,'' said Sen. Tom Coburn, the Oklahoma Republican who sponsored the bill. But Bryan Faehner, associate director of the National Parks Conservation Association, told The Associated Press that if the amendment becomes law, "'it would not only put park visitors and wildlife at risk, it would change the character and the peaceful and safe atmosphere in our parks." Hunting is not allowed in the parks. (Read more)
''If an American citizen has a right to carry a firearm in their state, it makes no sense to treat them like a criminal if they pass through a national park while in possession of a firearm,'' said Sen. Tom Coburn, the Oklahoma Republican who sponsored the bill. But Bryan Faehner, associate director of the National Parks Conservation Association, told The Associated Press that if the amendment becomes law, "'it would not only put park visitors and wildlife at risk, it would change the character and the peaceful and safe atmosphere in our parks." Hunting is not allowed in the parks. (Read more)
National forests in Virginia crack down on mud-slinging four-wheelers
National forests in Virginia are cracking down on "mud-bogging," a four-wheeling sport that involves souped-up vehicles through mudholes, thanks to the efforts of one U.S. Forest Service law enforcement official. John Price and another officer have caught almost 80 people in the act since last November in the George Washington and Jefferson National Forests.
Mud-bogging tears up the ground, causing significant ecological damage to protect areas. In an area cultivated by the Forest Service to attract wildlife, four-wheelers started showing up in March. "They veered off the road, plowed through the creek bed and did what Price calls 'Dukes of Hazzard doughnuts' in meadow," Laurence Hammack of The Roanoke Times writes in a long, detailed story.
Price says that once an area has been used by mud-bogging for the first time, more feel free to use the area. When writing a ticket to an 18-year-old he caught one evening, the young man explained he thought it was legal, since there was a mudhole already there. "It's up here because people have been taking their Jeeps and coming up here and raising Cain, tearing it all to pieces. That's why it's up here," Price said. "They come up here and rip it and tear it and spin it to death." (Read more)
Mud-bogging tears up the ground, causing significant ecological damage to protect areas. In an area cultivated by the Forest Service to attract wildlife, four-wheelers started showing up in March. "They veered off the road, plowed through the creek bed and did what Price calls 'Dukes of Hazzard doughnuts' in meadow," Laurence Hammack of The Roanoke Times writes in a long, detailed story.
Price says that once an area has been used by mud-bogging for the first time, more feel free to use the area. When writing a ticket to an 18-year-old he caught one evening, the young man explained he thought it was legal, since there was a mudhole already there. "It's up here because people have been taking their Jeeps and coming up here and raising Cain, tearing it all to pieces. That's why it's up here," Price said. "They come up here and rip it and tear it and spin it to death." (Read more)
North Carolina, the top tobacco-producing state, is banning smoking in restaurants and bars
"Smoking will soon be prohibited in bars and restaurants across North Carolina, a state where tobacco was once revered for the money it generated for farmers, universities and community institutions," reports Benjamin Niolet of the News & Observer in Raleigh. After a final compromise, the legislature sent the bill to Gov. Beverly Perdue, who said she would sign it.
North Carolina still produces almost half the nation's tobacco, but the crop's political potency has diminished as the state's economy diversified, and the number of tobacco farmers dwindled even more after Congress repealed the federal program of production quotas and price supports in 2004. The News & Observer notes that 23 percent of the state's adults smoke, but eight in 10 said in an Elon University poll in March that secondhand smoke was a threat to their health, and two-thirds said they supported a smoking ban for indoor public places.
The bill passed yesterday started out with a such a ban, but the House exempted bars. That drew opposition from "restaurant owners who feared bars would steal late-night customers," Niolet reports. The Senate-revised bill, which passed the House 62-56, exempts cigar bars and outdoor dining areas but allows local governments to impose stricter limits. (Read more)
North Carolina still produces almost half the nation's tobacco, but the crop's political potency has diminished as the state's economy diversified, and the number of tobacco farmers dwindled even more after Congress repealed the federal program of production quotas and price supports in 2004. The News & Observer notes that 23 percent of the state's adults smoke, but eight in 10 said in an Elon University poll in March that secondhand smoke was a threat to their health, and two-thirds said they supported a smoking ban for indoor public places.
The bill passed yesterday started out with a such a ban, but the House exempted bars. That drew opposition from "restaurant owners who feared bars would steal late-night customers," Niolet reports. The Senate-revised bill, which passed the House 62-56, exempts cigar bars and outdoor dining areas but allows local governments to impose stricter limits. (Read more)
Wednesday, May 13, 2009
Small banks healthy, still affected by credit crisis
Small banks have gotten little blame for the credit crisis, but are still feeling the effects. "The public, politicians and the media have made little distinction between the stress-tested behemoths and the 7,630 community banks across the country — the vast majority of which have watched the crisis like bystanders at a 10-car pileup," David Segal writes for The New York Times.
Although greatly outnumbered by national and regional banks, community banks have bypassed much of the fallout from the credit crisis because of their relatively small assets, but are still facing backlash. To deal with the negative image of the finance industry, community banks have promoted public relations campaigns stressing their fiscal health that include assurance meetings, cookouts and and clever signage like "Safe, Strong, Secure" at Demotte State Bank in Southern Indiana.
Beyond a loss of consumer confidence, community banks are facing increased bills from the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp., which is described by Segal as "basically an insurance fund underwritten by banks." After paying $42,000 last year, Demotte will now owe $500,000 or more because of failures in other parts of the country. Demotte's president, Donald E. Goetz, is grappling with the turn of events. “Isn’t that the American way?” he says, folding his arms. “Whoever is left standing, whoever was prudent, is always the one who has to pick up the pieces.” (Read more)
Although greatly outnumbered by national and regional banks, community banks have bypassed much of the fallout from the credit crisis because of their relatively small assets, but are still facing backlash. To deal with the negative image of the finance industry, community banks have promoted public relations campaigns stressing their fiscal health that include assurance meetings, cookouts and and clever signage like "Safe, Strong, Secure" at Demotte State Bank in Southern Indiana.
Beyond a loss of consumer confidence, community banks are facing increased bills from the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp., which is described by Segal as "basically an insurance fund underwritten by banks." After paying $42,000 last year, Demotte will now owe $500,000 or more because of failures in other parts of the country. Demotte's president, Donald E. Goetz, is grappling with the turn of events. “Isn’t that the American way?” he says, folding his arms. “Whoever is left standing, whoever was prudent, is always the one who has to pick up the pieces.” (Read more)
Rural counties find cleanup of meth-lab sites so troublesome, expensive, many left abandoned
Homes are sitting vacant in many rural Indiana counties, after their use as methamphetamine labs rendered them uninhabitable without costly clean-up. State regulations require owners to pay for the cost of decontamination, necessary since meth residue can linger for a decade and can cause significant health problems for those living in the residence. But many rural counties lack the authority to enforce regulations or the money to clean up the residence themselves.
The cost of meth cleanup can range between $3,000 to $30,000, not counting initial testing, which costs around $1,500. That price is too steep for many, who instead choose to abandon the property. Meth makers are not the only ones affected: the law affects landlords, who can be stuck with cleanup costs thanks to their tenants' activities. As we reported earlier this year, Indiana found a third more meth labs in 2008 than they did in 2007, with the highest number of labs discovered in rural Noble County, population 47,500.
In Perry County, Ky., 78-year-old Geneva Litherland's son complained to Jermie Farmer, an environmental specialist at the county's health department after a neighboring trailer was abandoned. But there was nothing Farmer could do. "It's one of those situations where your hands are just tied, especially in a small county such as ours," he said. "We are sick of it." (Read more)
The cost of meth cleanup can range between $3,000 to $30,000, not counting initial testing, which costs around $1,500. That price is too steep for many, who instead choose to abandon the property. Meth makers are not the only ones affected: the law affects landlords, who can be stuck with cleanup costs thanks to their tenants' activities. As we reported earlier this year, Indiana found a third more meth labs in 2008 than they did in 2007, with the highest number of labs discovered in rural Noble County, population 47,500.
In Perry County, Ky., 78-year-old Geneva Litherland's son complained to Jermie Farmer, an environmental specialist at the county's health department after a neighboring trailer was abandoned. But there was nothing Farmer could do. "It's one of those situations where your hands are just tied, especially in a small county such as ours," he said. "We are sick of it." (Read more)
With federal oversight lacking, states pass their own laws to improve food safety
With little federal oversight of food safety and several recent outbreaks of contamination, many states are tackling the problem themselves. But there is concern that without consistent regulations, food manufacturers and distributors will face difficulty adhering to the standards.
In Georgia, where a salmonella outbreak started from tainted peanuts in a processing plant, lawmakers passed a bill requiring food processors to report internal test results on their products within 24 hours. Idaho created a licensing system for the food industry, in which fees pay for safety inspections. A number of other states are considering similar bills.
"I think states are reacting to the perceived lack of federal oversight on food," said Doug Farquhar, a program director at the National Conference of State Legislatures, told Jane Zhang of The Wall Street Journal. Others say that the recent outbreaks and resulting legislation highlight the need for more federal oversight. "It's a good thing states are trying to raise the bar and improve food safety, but it needs to be looked at carefully," said Robert Brackett, chief science officer of the Grocery Manufacturers Association. "It should really lead to a national system." (Read more)
In Georgia, where a salmonella outbreak started from tainted peanuts in a processing plant, lawmakers passed a bill requiring food processors to report internal test results on their products within 24 hours. Idaho created a licensing system for the food industry, in which fees pay for safety inspections. A number of other states are considering similar bills.
"I think states are reacting to the perceived lack of federal oversight on food," said Doug Farquhar, a program director at the National Conference of State Legislatures, told Jane Zhang of The Wall Street Journal. Others say that the recent outbreaks and resulting legislation highlight the need for more federal oversight. "It's a good thing states are trying to raise the bar and improve food safety, but it needs to be looked at carefully," said Robert Brackett, chief science officer of the Grocery Manufacturers Association. "It should really lead to a national system." (Read more)
Forest Service pick has little forestry experience
The post of U.S. Forest Service director has always been held by someone with a background in forestry, but President Obama's nominee for the job has little experience in the field. Homer Lee Wilkes is a conservationist who holds degrees in business administration and urban conservation.
"If confirmed by the Senate," writes Jeff Barnard of the Associated Press, "Wilkes will face a list of tough national forest issues: the growing costs and threat of wildfire in a warming climate, widespread insect infestations killing wide swaths of pine forest, battles over putting millions of acres of roadless areas off-limits to logging, and whether to keep paying subsidies to rural timber counties." (Read more)
"If confirmed by the Senate," writes Jeff Barnard of the Associated Press, "Wilkes will face a list of tough national forest issues: the growing costs and threat of wildfire in a warming climate, widespread insect infestations killing wide swaths of pine forest, battles over putting millions of acres of roadless areas off-limits to logging, and whether to keep paying subsidies to rural timber counties." (Read more)
Tuesday, May 12, 2009
Lexington paper bucks national trend, maintaining regional news bureaus in Appalachian Kentucky
"Hundreds left homeless after devastating storms," read the near-banner headline in this morning's print edition of the Lexington Herald-Leader, over a story mainly about flooding in Eastern Kentucky. Other daily papers in the state ran a story from The Associated Press. Lexington is relatively close to Eastern Kentucky, but the big difference is that the Herald-Leader story was written from the disaster scenes by two reporters based in the state's Appalachian region.
Despite major challenges facing its owner, McClatchy Co., and the rest of the newspaper industry, the Herald-Leader recently filled a vacancy in its easternmost bureau. The office had been in Hazard; now it's in Pikeville, filling a gap left by the retirement about two years ago of a reporter who had been based in Paintsville and the longstanding vacancy at the AP bureau in Pikeville. The other Appalachian bureau is a three-hour drive west-southwest, in Somerset. It has been staffed for years by Bill Estep.
The Herald-Leader filled the Pikeville bureau job with Dori Hjalmarson, left, at a time when many if not most metropolitan papers are closing regional bureaus and eliminating far-flung circulation. Publisher Tim Kelly told us last month that the paper keeps reporters in Eastern Kentucky for journalistic and commercial reasons.
"A substantial amount of our circulation still remains outside of the Bluegrass," and Eastern Kentucky is part of Lexington's retail, service and leisure market, Kelly said in an e-mail. "I think it’s essential that we continue to serve Eastern Kentucky and be a journalistic presence. ... It has become even more essential for us to maintain a reporting presence in the area since first, The Courier-Journal and now The Associated Press have closed their Eastern Kentucky bureaus. Many of the counties in which we circulate receive no daily newspaper other than the Herald-Leader."
Kelly noted that the Pikeville paper, the Appalachian News-Express, which went daily in 2006, recently cut back to three days a week. Pikeville is far afield. It has no direct four-lane highway connection to Lexington, which is two and a half hours away. With the recent rebuilding of US 119, it's less than two hours from Charleston, W.Va. But Lexington is the home of the University of Kentucky, and Wildcat basketball is an article of faith from one end of the state to the other.
Some papers in the region give the Herald-Leader story tips because they consider the stories too hot to handle themselves, former Editor Linda Austin said a year and a half ago. Today Kelly named Peter Baniak to succeed Austin, who recently resigned and is now at Arizona State University.
Despite major challenges facing its owner, McClatchy Co., and the rest of the newspaper industry, the Herald-Leader recently filled a vacancy in its easternmost bureau. The office had been in Hazard; now it's in Pikeville, filling a gap left by the retirement about two years ago of a reporter who had been based in Paintsville and the longstanding vacancy at the AP bureau in Pikeville. The other Appalachian bureau is a three-hour drive west-southwest, in Somerset. It has been staffed for years by Bill Estep.
The Herald-Leader filled the Pikeville bureau job with Dori Hjalmarson, left, at a time when many if not most metropolitan papers are closing regional bureaus and eliminating far-flung circulation. Publisher Tim Kelly told us last month that the paper keeps reporters in Eastern Kentucky for journalistic and commercial reasons."A substantial amount of our circulation still remains outside of the Bluegrass," and Eastern Kentucky is part of Lexington's retail, service and leisure market, Kelly said in an e-mail. "I think it’s essential that we continue to serve Eastern Kentucky and be a journalistic presence. ... It has become even more essential for us to maintain a reporting presence in the area since first, The Courier-Journal and now The Associated Press have closed their Eastern Kentucky bureaus. Many of the counties in which we circulate receive no daily newspaper other than the Herald-Leader."
Kelly noted that the Pikeville paper, the Appalachian News-Express, which went daily in 2006, recently cut back to three days a week. Pikeville is far afield. It has no direct four-lane highway connection to Lexington, which is two and a half hours away. With the recent rebuilding of US 119, it's less than two hours from Charleston, W.Va. But Lexington is the home of the University of Kentucky, and Wildcat basketball is an article of faith from one end of the state to the other.
Some papers in the region give the Herald-Leader story tips because they consider the stories too hot to handle themselves, former Editor Linda Austin said a year and a half ago. Today Kelly named Peter Baniak to succeed Austin, who recently resigned and is now at Arizona State University.
Monday, May 11, 2009
Economy seems to be helping agri-tourism, as vacationers stay closer to home
This is National Tourism Week, but the tourism industry is struggling in many areas as people scrap vacations in the face of financial uncertainty. Farmers are facing similar challenges, as both demand and prices for crops decline, but agricultural tourism has emerged as an unlikely success story in this tough economic climate, Chris Bickers reports for Southeast Farm Press.
“I think the main reason for the boom is the economy,” Blake Brown, an extension agricultural economist at North Carolina State University, told Bickers. People are finding that visiting farms provides a relatively cheap excursion close to home.
“I am seeing a big increase in local consumption of agritourism,” Ron Taylor, a farmer, vineyard owner and food processor in Dublin, N.C., told Bickers. “Usually, the consumer is taking this step in lieu of going on extended vacations that would cost more.” Taylor is one of the relatively few agri-tourism operators who offer overnight lodging, at cabins in his vineyard. (Farm Press photo)
Taylor admits that opening his place to the public wasn't easy. “That’s hard for us to do,” he told Bickers. “We have always been leary of people coming onto our farms, and a little reluctant. But now a different mindset is needed. We have to adapt if we want our operations to continue to be sustainable.” (Read more)
“I think the main reason for the boom is the economy,” Blake Brown, an extension agricultural economist at North Carolina State University, told Bickers. People are finding that visiting farms provides a relatively cheap excursion close to home.
“I am seeing a big increase in local consumption of agritourism,” Ron Taylor, a farmer, vineyard owner and food processor in Dublin, N.C., told Bickers. “Usually, the consumer is taking this step in lieu of going on extended vacations that would cost more.” Taylor is one of the relatively few agri-tourism operators who offer overnight lodging, at cabins in his vineyard. (Farm Press photo)Taylor admits that opening his place to the public wasn't easy. “That’s hard for us to do,” he told Bickers. “We have always been leary of people coming onto our farms, and a little reluctant. But now a different mindset is needed. We have to adapt if we want our operations to continue to be sustainable.” (Read more)
Watch out for farm machinery on the roads at planting time, Wisconsin paper reminds readers
The Green Bay Press-Gazette published a story last week that many newspapers with rural audiences should consider running every year or every other year: a story highlighting the increased dangers on rural roads at this time of year. With planting season comes increased farm machinery traffic, and other drivers aren't always aware of how to safely share the roadway with the large, slow-moving equipment.
Kewaunee County Sheriff Matt Joski told the Press-Gazette's Nathan Phelps that drivers "don't understand or respect the dynamics of that equipment, be it the size, its stopping ability or its turning ability."
The article also points to common mistakes drivers make. "Most of the incidents we see with farm equipment and motor vehicles do happen with a left-hand turn," said Cheryl Skjolaas, an extension agriculture safety specialist with the University of Wisconsin. "As that tractor or self-propelled implement operator goes to make that left-hand turn, that car (driver) thinks they're slowing down, and, 'Here's my chance to get by.'" As a result, "they usually end up hitting that rear tire on the tractor." (Read more)
Kewaunee County Sheriff Matt Joski told the Press-Gazette's Nathan Phelps that drivers "don't understand or respect the dynamics of that equipment, be it the size, its stopping ability or its turning ability."
The article also points to common mistakes drivers make. "Most of the incidents we see with farm equipment and motor vehicles do happen with a left-hand turn," said Cheryl Skjolaas, an extension agriculture safety specialist with the University of Wisconsin. "As that tractor or self-propelled implement operator goes to make that left-hand turn, that car (driver) thinks they're slowing down, and, 'Here's my chance to get by.'" As a result, "they usually end up hitting that rear tire on the tractor." (Read more)
Home-foreclosure crisis spreading in rural America
"When the mortgage mess erupted, some economists believed that rural America wouldn't be heavily affected," writes Nick Timiraos of The Wall Street Journal. "Farms were prospering. The housing boom largely bypassed small rural towns. And exotic, new mortgages at first were seen as an urban and suburban phenomenon. But rural homeowners, it turns out, were just as susceptible to subprime loans and easy lending as the rest of the country, often refinancing existing mortgages to take out cash or pay off debts." And now "The home-foreclosure crisis ... has spread to rural America."
Foreclosures are still less common in rural areas than in metropolitan areas, and the decline in home values has also been less in rural areas, but "defaults in rural counties are rising rapidly and setting off concerns that the population in these already sparsely populated towns will decline further," Timiraos reports, using Minnesota as his object example.
The vulnerability appears greater among rural residents who do not farm, or farm only part-time. "Full-scale farms are in somewhat better shape because agricultural mortgage lenders didn't follow the looser standards that prevailed elsewhere," Timiraos writes. "Two years of record commodity prices have given farms a financial cushion, but the manufacturing and construction trades that were tied to agriculture are reeling." (Read more)
Continued layoffs by automobile companies, parts suppliers and other manufacturers in the Midwest could also raise rural foreclosure rates. Many factory workers in the region live in rural areas, farm part-time and finance their homes through agricultural lenders.
Foreclosures are still less common in rural areas than in metropolitan areas, and the decline in home values has also been less in rural areas, but "defaults in rural counties are rising rapidly and setting off concerns that the population in these already sparsely populated towns will decline further," Timiraos reports, using Minnesota as his object example.
The vulnerability appears greater among rural residents who do not farm, or farm only part-time. "Full-scale farms are in somewhat better shape because agricultural mortgage lenders didn't follow the looser standards that prevailed elsewhere," Timiraos writes. "Two years of record commodity prices have given farms a financial cushion, but the manufacturing and construction trades that were tied to agriculture are reeling." (Read more)
Continued layoffs by automobile companies, parts suppliers and other manufacturers in the Midwest could also raise rural foreclosure rates. Many factory workers in the region live in rural areas, farm part-time and finance their homes through agricultural lenders.
Virologists say 'swine flu' more likely caused by globe-trotting people than pigs and factory farms
Despite being commonly referred to as "swine flu," the pork industry bears little blame for the H1N1 virus, say virologists, who instead trace the disease's development and spread to humans who travel around the world and pick up a variety of flu strains, creating an entirely new strain. "The easy way out is to blame the pig," influenza expert Robert Webster, a virologist at St. Jude Children's Research Hospital in Memphis, Tenn., told Alan Zarembo and Karen Kaplan for the Los Angeles Times.
"The flu strain, which has killed dozens of people and sickened thousands more since March, has yet to be found in a single pig outside Alberta, Canada, where an infected farmworker -- yes, a person -- transmitted it to a herd," the Times reports. That's not to say that pigs have no role in the process: They can get flu viruses and transmit them to humans, and part of their flu genomes contributed to the strain that makes up H1N1. But those studying the problem say their contribution is only one small facet of the problem.
"Do pigs contribute to the flu gene pool? Yeah, and so do people, and so do wild birds," said the University of Minnesota's Dr. Kurt Rossow, who studies diseases in people handling pigs. "I just don't agree that pigs are an evil mixing vessel just boiling over with flu that's pumping out to people on a regular basis." That is the fear of some who have pointed to confined animal feeding operations, or factory farms, as breeding grounds for viruses. (Read more)
"The flu strain, which has killed dozens of people and sickened thousands more since March, has yet to be found in a single pig outside Alberta, Canada, where an infected farmworker -- yes, a person -- transmitted it to a herd," the Times reports. That's not to say that pigs have no role in the process: They can get flu viruses and transmit them to humans, and part of their flu genomes contributed to the strain that makes up H1N1. But those studying the problem say their contribution is only one small facet of the problem.
"Do pigs contribute to the flu gene pool? Yeah, and so do people, and so do wild birds," said the University of Minnesota's Dr. Kurt Rossow, who studies diseases in people handling pigs. "I just don't agree that pigs are an evil mixing vessel just boiling over with flu that's pumping out to people on a regular basis." That is the fear of some who have pointed to confined animal feeding operations, or factory farms, as breeding grounds for viruses. (Read more)
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