Rural medical practices have surpassed urban ones in adopting electronic medical records

Rural medical practices are adopting electronic medical records at a higher rate than urban ones, according to a study by Oklahoma State University researcher Brian Whitacre published in the Journal of the American Medical Informatics Association.

The study, which uses data from 2012, says that 56 percent of rural practices have switched to medical records, compared to only 49 percent of urban ones, Whitacre reports for the Daily Yonder. A 2007 study said 18 percent of rural practices had electronic records, compared to 24 percent in urban ones.

"As part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, the HITECH Act specifically focused on increasing the adoption of EMRs by offering Medicare and Medicaid incentive payments to physicians who 'meaningfully used' EMRs," Whitacre writes. More than $30 billion was available in funding, which translates to between $44,000 and $64,000 per eligible practitioner made over a period of six years.

"In addition to these payments, the act set up a federally funded Regional Extension Center (REC) program with personnel dedicated to assisting primary care providers to adopt and use EMRs," Whitacre writes.

Other possibilities for the surge in rural electronic medical records is that "rural practices have higher proportions of family practitioners, higher percentages accepting Medicare/Medicaid as a payment source, and are more likely to be owned by a hospital–all factors that are correlated with EMR adoption," Whitacre writes. Also, EMR companies are having more success catering to rural practices. (Read more) (OSU map: Rural and urban gaps in practice-level electronic medical records adoption rates as of 2012)

Spending bill blocks EPA proposed water rules on certain farm ponds and irrigation ditches

On Tuesday night House Republicans filed a $1.1 trillion year-end spending bill that blocks the Environmental Protection Agency from applying proposed water rules to certain farm ponds and irrigation ditches—a move that Grand Old Party aides said would benefit farmers, Ed O'Keefe reports for The Washington Post. Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) said the House is pushing for a floor vote as early as Thursday.

But both sides were forced to concede certain aspects of the Clean Water Act, reports David Rogers for Politico. "Democrats blocked some of the biggest ticket items impacting greenhouse gases. But even as the bill was filed, a legal dispute remained over how much the EPA and Army Corps of Engineers will be limited in a major rule-making that seeks to define what navigable waters come under federal control."

As part of the bill "environmental regulations on some waterways were nullified for the Army Corps of Engineers, but the Environmental Protection Agency would not be limited in its ability to regulate new bodies of water under the Clean Water Act," Ashley Parker and Jonathan Weisman report for The New York Times.

Farm groups have said "the rule would essentially require farmers to begin meeting USDA standards for a range of conservation measures, including grass waterways and forage management," reports Agri-Pulse, a Washington newsletter.

"The interpretive rule was issued in conjunction with a proposed rule defining what areas are regulated as 'waters of the United States,' or WOTUS," reports Agri-Pulse. "The two measures set off a firestorm among farm groups alarmed at the impact they would have on land use. Killing the interpretive rule is the 'first step in killing the massive regulatory overreach' of the WOTUS rule, said Don Parrish of the American Farm Bureau Federation." Agri-Pulse is subscription only, but a free trial is available by clicking here.

House spending bill orders agriculture secretary not to implement a new beef checkoff program

The $1.1 trillion year-end spending bill that House Republicans filed Tuesday night includes several provisions related to agriculture. Among the 1,600-pages of the bill are "an abundance of policy riders—backed by trucking, mining and securities interests—shows the [Grand Old Party’s] new clout,"  David Rogers reports for Politico. "But the giant measure also reflects a genuine give-and-take with Senate Democrats in hopes of averting a government shutdown veto fight with President Barack Obama." Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) said the House is pushing for a floor vote as early as Thursday.

Legislation orders Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack "not to implement a new beef checkoff program, a move the secretary made because of an industry impasse over making changes to the existing program," reports Agri-Pulse, a Washington newsletter. The National Cattlemen’s Beef Association applauded the provision. Spokesman Chase Adams told Agri-Pulse, “We appreciate Congress' support of the beef checkoff program in siding with America's cattlemen and women, against the Administration's duplicate checkoff."

The program "is a producer-funded marketing and research program designed to increase domestic and/or international demand for beef," says Cattleman's Beef Promotion and Research Board. "This can be done through promotion, research and new product development, and a variety of other marketing tools. The Cattlemen's Beef Board and USDA oversee the collection and spending of checkoff funds."

Lawmakers will likely have to pass a new continuing resolution to keep the government in operation while the spending agreement moves through the House and Senate this week," reports Agri-Pulse. "The continuing resolution that’s now funding the government expires Thursday." Agri-Pulse is subscription only, but a free trial is available by clicking here.

Other agriculture related provisions in the bill:

• The Department of Agriculture’s Grain Inspection, Packers and Stockyards Administration would continue to be prohibited from implementing new regulations on the livestock and poultry industry. Recipients of benefits under the Women, Infants and Children nutrition program would be allowed to use their benefits to buy white potatoes. 
• The ban on the slaughter of horses would continue in effect because of a prohibition, included in the bill, on USDA inspection of horse processing.
• The Department of Interior would be barred from listing the sage grouse under the Endangered Species Act.
• The Secretary is asked to ensure that the revised federal dietary guidelines due next year don’t incorporate environmental factors into the recommendations, a move that could discourage meat and dairy consumption.

Pair of studies released this week offer different takes on methane leaks from oil and gas wells

Researchers at Princeton University say that 19 abandoned wells in Pennsylvania are emitting high levels of methane, Richard Valdmanis reports for Reuters. The study, which was conducted in 2013-14 and published this week in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, says that wells were emitting an average of 0.27 kg (0.6 lbs) of methane per day.

The study's authors wrote: "These measurements show that methane emissions from abandoned oil and gas wells can be significant. The research required to quantify these emissions nationally should be undertaken so they can be accurately described and included in greenhouse gas emissions inventories." 

Researchers "estimate that abandoned wells in Pennsylvania could account for 4-7 percent of all human-sourced methane emissions in the state," Doyle Rice reports for USA Today. "The researchers say the wells in Pennsylvania could be representative of all the wells across the country."

A University of Texas study published this week in the journal Environmental Science & Technology—and supported by several natural gas companies and the Environmental Defense Fund—"found that leaks at a small group of wells—about 20 percent—cause most of the known methane emissions," Rice writes.

The wells extract natural gas through hydraulic fracturing, known as fracking, Rice writes. David Allen, a chemical engineering professor at the University of Texas and the study's lead author, told Rice, "To put this in perspective, over the past several decades, 10 percent of the cars on the road have been responsible for the majority of automotive exhaust pollution." (Read more)

House spending bill allows schools to stop serving whole-grains if it is too expensive

To serve whole-grains or to not serve whole-grains. House Republicans filed a $1.1 trillion year-end spending bill Tuesday night "that includes a provision that would allow schools to get around a whole-grains requirement in school meals if it’s too expensive or schools are having trouble finding alternatives," reports Agri-Pulse, a Washington newsletter. "The provision stops short of the broad waiver from nutrition standards that was included in the House Appropriations Committee’s fiscal 2015 legislation."

Rep. Robert Aderholt (R-Ala.), the chair of the House Appropriations Agriculture Subcommittee, "said the whole-grains waiver was the most that Republicans could do for now," Agri-Pulse writes. "Next year, when the [Grand Old Party] controls the Senate, they could expand the waiver for fiscal 2016 and possibly roll back the standards through reauthorization of the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act. Aderholt said, “Come Jan. 6 when the new Senate gets sworn in then it is a new day." Agri-Pulse is subscription only, but a free trial is available by clicking here.

Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) said the House is pushing for a floor vote as early as Thursday, David Rogers reports for Politico. "In the case of nutrition and school lunch standards promoted by first lady Michelle Obama—a clear flash point—the House retreated to compromises crafted by Senate Democrats. School districts are promised more flexibility in meeting requirements for some items such as whole grain products. But this is far less than the broad waiver that had been promoted in the House."

The School Nutrition Association has joined several major food companies to oppose the rules. Some students have refused to eat the healthier foods and have gone to social media to post photos of what they say are unappetizing meals. After a recent tour of schools U.S. Department of Agriculture deputy under secretary for food Janey Thornton said school lunches are too short to eat healthy meals.

Senate sends House a bill to strengthen the FOIA

The Senate passed a bill Monday to strengthen the federal Freedom of Information Act, and it awaits approval in the House, which unanimously passed a similar bill in February.

"One of the most important changes included in the act is codifying the 'presumption of disclosure' that was announced by President Obama and Attorney General Holder in 2009," Adam Marshall writes for the Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press. "Including this presumption in the law itself will help ensure that FOIA requests from reporters and members of the public are not hindered by policy changes in subsequent administrations. Under the new standard, and agency may only withhold information if it 'reasonably foresees that disclosure would harm an interest protected by an exemption' or another provision of law."

The bill, which passed by unanimous consent, was in danger because of a hold placed on it by retiring Sen. Jay Rockefeller (D-W.Va.), apparently at the behest of the Federal Trade Commission. He lifted his hold on the bill late Monday, allowing the bill to proceed, Marshall reports: "When asked about the reasons for his delay, the senator rather mysteriously said, 'It’s sort of the internal workings of the Senate.'"

One-third of doctor shoppers travel out of state to purchase prescription drugs, study says

About one-third of all prescription drug abusers travel out of state to shop for a doctor, says a study funded by the National Institutes of Health published in Pharmacoepidemiology and Drug Safety. This is because "many states have drug monitoring programs in place to track prescriptions dispensed within their borders—but not across them," Jason Millman reports for The Washington Post.

Douglas McDonald of Abt Associates, who co-authored the study, told Millman, "Part of the problem is that state systems all vary—they're either home-grown or operated by different vendors, and they're not interoperable." As a result, smaller states like Rhode Island, New Hampshire and Delaware are having some of the highest rates of occurrences, with drug shoppers making the trek from neighboring states to buy prescription drugs.

Several states have begun combatting the problem by entering into agreements with each other, Millman writes. But only a small percentage of prescription drug users are doctor shoppers. According to 2008 data, only one out of every 143 prescription drug abusers shop for doctors—about 0.7 percent of all patients—but they purchase four percent of all prescription drugs. (Pharmacoepidemiology and Drug Safety map: County-level data from 2008 of doctor shoppers)

N.Y.-Pa. pipeline approved; company gets eminent domain over landowners who refuse to lease

Landowners who refused to grant easements on the 124-mile route of the recently federally approved Constitution Pipeline from Pennsylvania to New York are being told they have until Wednesday to accept offered prices, or they will be taken to court, where they may be forced to sell for lower prices, Brian Nearing reports for the Albany Times Union.

Residents have also been told they are helpless to stop crews from showing up on their property on Thursday to begin conducting surveys and tests, Nearing writes. The Constitution Pipeline Co. said it expects construction to begin in early 2015 so gas can start flowing by the winter of 2015 or 2016. (Constitution Pipeline Co. map)

On Dec. 2, "the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission gave the project a conditional approval, finding it was a public necessity and authorizing Constitution to invoke eminent domain—the ability to buy access rights from unwilling property owners," Nearing writes. "The approval was conditional on the project receiving several permits from the state."

"The planned pipeline would begin in the Marcellus Shale fracking fields in Susquehanna County, Pa., just south of Binghamton and travel northeast through Broome, Chenango and Delaware counties before ending at the Schoharie County town of Wright, about five miles south of Interstate 88," Nearing writes. "Project opponents filed a complaint against the Constitution letters with state Attorney General Eric Schneiderman and filed a 'cease and desist' notice with Saul Ewing," attorney for Constitution Pipeline Co. (Read more)

Antibiotic used on cows could pose health concerns for humans, Reuters investigation finds

An antibiotic widely used—and misused—on cows poses a greater threat to human health than previously thought, Michael Erman and Brian Grow report for Reuters. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration cautioned in 2012 that ceftiofur—the key component in the top-selling drug line of manufacturer Zoetis—could pose a "high public health risk, in part because the drug belongs to a class of antibiotics considered critically important in human medicine. The concern is that ceftiofur in animals could spawn antibiotic-resistant bacteria, superbugs that can infect people and defeat conventional medical treatment, even when the drug is used as directed."

"Since last year, records kept by the U.S. Department of Agriculture show that traces of ceftiofur were found at illegal levels in slaughtered animals more frequently than with any other drug," Erman and Grow write. "In 2013, ceftiofur alone accounted for one-fourth of all residue violations logged by the USDA, the data show."

"The ceftiofur residues are not themselves considered dangerous to people if ingested because the government sets its standards well below hazardous levels," Erman and Grow write. "But the traces serve as a warning sign that the drug was used shortly before the animal was killed, thus increasing the chances that the meat contains superbugs, said Guy Loneragan, a veterinary epidemiologist at Texas Tech University. Studies show that ceftiofur, more than most other drugs, can sharply increase the amount of antibiotic-resistant bacteria in an animal."

Loneragan told Reuters that it eliminates weaker bugs and leaves the stronger ones to survive and multiply. But officials at Zoetis counter that ceftiofur is safe to use as directed.

"The stakes are especially high because the drug is part of a crucial class of antibiotics called cephalosporins," Erman and Grow write. "The class includes ceftriaxone, a drug that’s vital to treating pneumonia, meningitis and salmonella infections in children, according to the FDA. The use of one type of cephalosporin can compromise the effectiveness of others in the same class." 

Paul Fey, a professor of microbiology at University of Nebraska Medical Center, told Reuters, “There is a very clear link between ceftiofur use and ceftriaxone resistance. We know that ceftiofur-resistant salmonella are clearly ceftriaxone-resistant.” (Read more)

Millions of acres of oil and gas land put on hold to protect threatened Gunnison sage grouse

Conservationists and the oil and gas industry are at odds over the status of the Gunnison sage grouse. Last month the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service listed the grouse as "threatened," a move that upset conservationists, who believe the birds should be listed as "endangered," Erik Molvar reports for The Hill.

Determining the fate of the species could have major implications on the oil and gas industry, reports The Associated Press. In 11 states—Oregon, Washington, California, Nevada, Idaho, Montana, Wyoming, Colorado, Utah, North Dakota and South Dakota—"sales of leases on 8.1 million acres of federal oil and gas parcels—an area larger than Massachusetts and Rhode Island combined—are on hold because of worries that drilling could harm greater sage grouse." The region "includes vast oil, gas and coal reserves and the best type of windy, open country for developing wind power." (Colorado Parks and Wildlife photo)

Rick Bailey, who runs an oil and gas lease brokerage in Nevada, said he has had hundreds of thousands of acres of potential leases put on hold, AP writes. He told AP, “We’re not real happy about it. It’s not even an endangered species."

But conservationists have likened the sage grouse to "the Northern spotted owl, another imperiled bird that stirred a fight over logging in the Pacific Northwest," AP reports.

Meanwhile, the oil and gas industry waits, perhaps until the September 2015 deadline " to either offer protections or decide they’re no longer needed resulted from settlements of lawsuits brought by environmentalists," AP writes. "Whether the sales of leases on the deferred parcels will proceed and drilling will occur could hinge on that decision." (Read more)

USDA pilot program to enable schools in eight states to purchase locally grown produce

USDA photo

As part of the Farm Bill, eight states will participate in a pilot program to increase purchases of locally grown fruits and vegetables for school meals, reports Agri-Pulse, a Washington newsletter. The states participating in the Pilot Project for Procurement of Unprocessed Fruits and Vegetables are California, Connecticut, Michigan, New York, Oregon, Virginia, Washington and Wisconsin.

About 20 percent of food served in schools comes from a list of 180 U.S. Department of Agriculture foods that schools choose from, but the pilot program will allow states "to purchase unprocessed fruits and vegetables directly, instead of going through the USDA Foods program," Agri-Pulse writes.

The program "is designed to support the schools' pre-existing relationships with vendors, growers, produce wholesalers and distributors—and increase the use of locally-grown, unprocessed fruits and vegetables in school meal programs," Agri-Pulse writes. "While the pilot does not require sourcing locally grown foods, the project will enable schools to increase their use of locally-grown, unprocessed fruits and vegetables from Agriculture Marketing Service authorized vendors." (Read more)

Newly-elected Maryland governor vows to fight farm runoff regulations in Chesapeake Bay

Newly-elected Republican Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan said his first order of business when he takes over office in January is to fight new farm pollution regulations intended to limit runoff in the Chesapeake Bay, Timothy B. Wheeler reports for The Baltimore Sun.

Hogan indicated at the Maryland Farm Bureau's annual convention that he planned to slow down or stop the controversial rules Gov. Martin O'Malley's administration proposed last month, Wheeler writes. "The rules, which could take effect just before Hogan takes office Jan. 21, would curtail Shore farmers' widespread use of poultry manure as fertilizer." (Chesapeake Bay Executive Order graphic: Phosphorus in Chesapeake Bay )

Hogan told supporters, "The first fight will be against these politically motivated, midnight-hour phosphorus management tool regulations that the outgoing administration is trying to force upon you in these closing days.We won't allow them to put you out of business, destroy your way of life or decimate your entire industry."

Proposed rules "would limit how much phosphorus-rich fertilizer farmers can spread on their fields," Wheeler writes. "Many croplands on the lower Shore, the heart of the state's poultry industry, are saturated with phosphorus from repeated use of chicken manure to raise corn, soybeans and other crops. Levels of phosphorus, one of the pollutants responsible for the bay's fish-suffocating 'dead zone,' are rising in Shore rivers that drain farm fields." (Read more)

Republicans take another shot at letting schools opt out of new school lunch rules

Republicans in Congress are not giving up on their quest to let schools temporarily opt out of healthier lunches. A stalled one-year waiver by House Republicans "that would allow schools to opt out of the standards if they lost money on meal programs over a six-month period" is gaining new life "as lawmakers are expected to pass a catchall spending bill to keep government programs running," reports The Associated Press.

The waiver was written by Republican Rep. Robert Aderholt of Alabama, a state where 18.6 percent of all children ages 10 to 17 are obese, and 32.4 percent of adults are obese.

Sen. John Hoeven (R-N.D.) said "there are ongoing negotiations between the House and the Senate over the waiver," AP reports. "A Senate bill approved by a spending committee in May did not include the waiver but called for further study on sodium and whole grains requirements. At the time, Hoeven said there was not enough support for the House's one-year waiver in the Senate, even though he was supportive of it himself. But he said this week that could change as lawmakers negotiate the massive year-end spending bill."

House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) "said 'lowering standards for school lunches for our children' is one of a few 'very destructive riders' that would be unacceptable to Democrats in the spending bill," AP reports. First Lady Michelle Obama, who has pushed for healthier meals, said this summer that she would "fight 'until the bitter end' to make sure kids have good nutrition in schools."

The School Nutrition Association has joined several major food companies to oppose the rules. Some students have refused to eat the healthier foods and have gone to social media to post photos of what they say are unappetizing meals. After a recent tour of schools U.S. Department of Agriculture deputy under secretary for food Janey Thornton said school lunches are too short to eat healthy meals.

New Senate majority leader says he will fight EPA rules but work with president on other bills

Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) said on Saturday that one of his main priorities as Senate majority leader will be to fight proposed rules by President Barack Obama and the Environmental Protection Agency to cut carbon-dioxide emissions from existing power plants, Joseph Gerth reports for the The Courier-sJournal of Louisville. (Gerth photo: Sen. McConnell)

McConnell said while speaking at the Kentucky Farm Bureau Federation's annual meeting that the proposed rules will particularly hurt the agriculture and coal mining industries, Gerth writes. "The American Farm Bureau opposes the rule, saying that it could potentially be used to block farmers from building fences across ditches and applying fertilizer or pesticides without a federal permit."

McConnell said "he believes there is enough opposition to the EPA from Democrats in the Senate that he’ll be able to avoid a filibuster," Gerth writes. McConnell said, "There are a lot of Democrats that are really angry at the EPA, a lot of them. I’m pretty confident we’re going to have broad bipartisan support.”

McConnell stressed that he will work to continue passing appropriations bills and avoid a government shutdown by concentrating on three areas: tax reform, infrastructure funding and trade agreement, Kevin Wheatley reports for cn|2, a service of Time Warner Cable.

"The only time McConnell applauded the president during his State of the Union address came when Obama said the country needs to pursue trade agreements," Wheatley reports. McConnell "said he’s willing to give the administration trade promotion authority, 'an enormous grant of power' to Obama and 'something I’m not routinely inclined to do, as you can imagine.' That would give the president the ability to present trade agreements that would be voted on by Congress without amendments."

McConnell said, “Here you’re looking at the majority leader of the Senate who is telling you I’m prepared to give to this president, a person with whom I have very few agreements, the authority to negotiate a trade agreement that I think will be in best interest of our country—and in particular agriculture—and send it up to a Republican Congress, which will not be able to amend it. That’s how serious your senator is about trade.” (Read more)

Lunch periods are too short to eat healthy school meals, USDA official says

School lunch nutrition has become a national debate, as First Lady Michelle Obama's push to get kids to eat healthier has been met with stiff opposition. The House proposed then delayed voting on a bill to let schools losing money on their lunch programs opt out. The School Nutrition Association joined several major food companies to oppose the rules. Some students have refused to eat the healthier foods and have gone to social media to post photos of what they say are unappetizing meals.

After touring schools across the nation, Janey Thornton, deputy under secretary for food, nutrition and consumer services with the U.S. Department of Agriculture, said the main problem schools are reporting is that eating healthier is too time consuming, and many students lack enough time during lunch to eat healthier meals, Kacie Goode reports for the Kentucky Standard in Bardstown, where Thornton recently visited. (USDA photo: Thornton visits Grenada Upper Elementary School in Grenada, Miss.)

Thornton told Goode, “The more we’ve looked into the concerns, it’s been really interesting to see that the concerns have not necessarily been related to the meal pattern itself but some of the challenges in implementation. Because there has been an emphasis more on fresh . . . it just takes longer to eat fresh fruits and vegetables than it does processed."

Thornton "said the issue with time varies across the nation, but many of the schools she has visited that have found the lunch period to be too short are in the process of addressing the issue and expanding eating time," Goode writes. "A lot of resistance from students comes from the fact that they have not experienced certain foods before because they are not offered to them at home, she said." Thornton told Goode, “It is amazing how many kids have never had cauliflower or broccoli, much less Brussels sprouts or kale.” The Standard is behind a paywall but can be viewed by clicking here.

Partnership to create global institute to help transition rural communities into digital age

The Intelligent Community Forum, a non-profit aimed at improving digital access in municipalities, has partnered with the Mississippi State University Extension Service to create a global institute to help revive the state's rural communities through technology, CivSource reports. A similar program is located at Walsh University in North Canton, Ohio.

Roberto Gallardo, an associate extension professor at MSU, "said Mississippi will become a focal point for a worldwide effort designed to capitalize on the many opportunities and challenges rural communities face when transitioning to and planning for the digital age," CivSource reports. The institute will concentrate on a wide range of issues, including telemedicine, broadband access and economic development. (Read more)

Longtime owner/publisher of Vermont weeklies to step down as majority owner

Biddle Duke, a well-respected weekly newspaper owner and publisher in Vermont, is stepping down after 17 years of being at the helm of the Stowe Reporter LLC, which consists of two Vermont weeklies—The Stowe Reporter and The Waterbury Record—two magazines and three mobile-optimized websites, Paul Heintz reports for Seven Days, a weekly newspaper in Vermont. Duke, whose last day is Dec. 18, will remain on as a minority shareholder, and Greg Popa will take over as publisher of both newspapers.

Biddle Duke

While the company will be purchased by out-of-state investors Bob Miller and Norb Garrett, Miller said no changes are expected regarding how the publications operate, Heintz writes. UPDATE, Dec. 11: Miller does a Q and A about his ownership.

Duke told Heintz, "I was looking for not only a financial exit but also the right thing because I think newspapers need to continue to thrive. Bob and I and Norb have spent the last 14 or 15 months feeling each other out. We've become great friends. They're great partners, and it's been really great."

"I think I'd have reservations whether it was an in-state person or an out-of-state person," Duke said. "I'm filled with all kinds of emotions at the moment. I want these institutions to carry on and thrive. That's my main ambition."

In a column in the Stowe Reporter Duke wrote:

"We view ourselves as a training center. Many of our best employees are graduates of local high schools and colleges, so we are very much a part of the Vermont web of career success for young people interested in journalism, graphics, sales and, now, social media. It fills me with pride to think of former reporter Scott Monroe, now an editor of a group of daily newspapers in Maine; of former reporter Jesse Roman, a roving reporter for a national magazine based in Boston; of former editor Matt Kanner, now launching his own alternative newspaper in Portsmouth, N.H.

"But changing lives—or at least having a positive impact of some kind—is what it’s all about . . . The hardest thing about being a newspaper publisher or editor—and I’ve done both those jobs, in addition to salesperson, photographer and reporter—is that you can’t be friends with everyone. I seem to have pissed everyone off at one time or another, and it’s my experience that you just have to be OK with that.

"I’m a publisher who goes out of his way to face the music. I vowed to be that way when I set out with this, so now whether it’s a comment overheard, an email or a phone message, I have done my utmost to urge people to complain and criticize in the broad daylight: to me, in person.

"Whether that’s stood me well, I don’t know. In some cases, it has been like running out into traffic, but in most cases I have been able to explain why we do what we do the way we do it. Often my explanations are not enough. And in some cases, I have lost friends or made enemies of people I might have befriended. That’s a newspaper publisher’s cross to bear, at least one with any kind of ethical spine.

"One of my goals was also to eventually grow the business and sell it. But don’t ever believe all those people who say business isn’t personal. That might be true for some businesses, but not this one.

Some part of me feels, “How could I leave this cherished community institution?” As if I am abandoning a responsibility and privilege that I myself created. But that’s arrogant and narcissistic. The Reporter company carries on, with or without me. But I will miss the work and my Reporter family very much."

To read the entire column, click here.

Michigan House passes bill to move public notices from newspapers to Internet

Government organizations in Michigan could soon no longer be required to post public notices in newspapers, reports the Michigan Press Association. The House passed HB5560 by a 62-47 margin on Thursday. The bill would over a 10-year period "phase-out requirements that public notices be published in print newspapers that cover the jurisdictions of local governments" and "phase-in requirements that the notices be published online."

Supporters say the move will cut costs—eliminating thousands of dollars spent each year publishing in newspapers—while also reaching a wider audience online, MPA writes.

Opponents argue that newspapers are a more effective way to inform the public, and the bill would allow local governments to have more control over their advertisements and "remove the independence that newspapers bring to the process," MPA writes.

County-level maps show each region's share of earned income tax credit

A recently released interactive county-level map shows exactly who benefits from the earned income tax credit, which was created in 1975 to reduce the federal tax burden on low-income families. EITC is more likely to benefit rural families than urban or suburban ones, says a report from the Center for Rural Affairs. While many low-income families rely on the money, President Obama and the GOP-led Congress are in a battle over its future of the program, with Obama favoring an extension of the program.

Of the top 10 counties that rely on EITC seven are in Mississippi, two in South Dakota and one in Texas. In rural areas, Mississippi has the highest rates of federal tax returns claiming EITC, at 37.5 percent, reports Tim Marema for the Daily Yonder.

But some rural areas rely heavily on the funds, with Tunica County, Mississippi having the nation's highest share of federal tax returns claiming EITC at 56.1 percent, reports Brookings Now. Following Tunica are: Holmes County, Mississippi, 55.5 percent; Shannon County, South Dakota, 54.5 percent; Buffalo County, South Dakota, 54.1 percent; Humphreys County, Mississippi, 53 percent; Claiborne County, Mississippi, 52.7 percent; Starr County, Texas, 52.1 percent; Coahoma County, Mississippi, 51.6 percent; Quitman County, Mississippi, 50.7 percent and Sharkey County, Mississippi, 50.5 percent. Zapata County, Texas receives the highest average amount of EITC at $3,349. (Read more) (Washington Post map: Tunica County is located in the northwestern tip of Mississippi)

Central Appalachia begins to contemplate a future without coal, and out-migration resumes

Madonna Sizemore kisses husband
Scottie as he leaves for coal-mine work
340 miles away. (David Goldman, AP)

"For over a century, life in Central Appalachia has been largely defined by the ups and downs of the coal industry. Through all the bust years, there was always the promise of another boom. Until now," Allen G. Breed of The Associated Press reports from Cumberland, Ky. "There is a growing sense in these mountains that this downturn is different, deeper. That for a variety of reasons — economic, environmental, political — coal mining will not rebound this time."

Breed notes various ideas for replacing coal, including "everything from eco-tourism and small farmer loans to regional tax incentives for job creators," but reports that for many people, the solution to economic need is Central Appalachia's old standby: out-migration. Breed writes:

"There’s no hope for our children in the future here," Madonna Sizemore says, tears filling her eyes. "And I hate that."

Some families are staying at a cost. Madonna Sizemore's husband, Scottie, is driving 340 miles one way to work in an undeground coal mine in Western Kentucky, where the coal is less expensive to mine and still competitive. Breed, who worked in Central Appalachia early in his career, sets the scene at the Sizemore home as the man of the house prepares to leave: "It’s midmorning, but the sun has yet to crest the ridge above, where mist clings like clouds that couldn’t quite make it over."

Breed's 2,770-word story, accompanied by an 18-photo gallery, is a comprehensive look at the challenges facing the region. "No one is saying that mining will cease altogether here — at least not anytime soon," he writes. "But when you’ve been so dependent for so long, there are bound to be withdrawal pains — and denial."