rural america

A rural Oregon healthcare program could soon become the model for a nationwide pilot project.  Congresswoman Andrea Salinas is behind a bipartisan effort to expand access to medical specialists.   “We know that access to specialty care services is more limited for so many rural communities," Salinas said.  "And we’ve heard s...

President Trump’s tariffs on America’s biggest trading partners continue to raise alarms in farm country.  Agriculture is already in a recession, stoked by low commodity prices, chronically high input costs, no Farm Bill, and now tariff retaliation by America’s top three trading partners.  Sedrick Rowe Jr., an orga...

On Tuesday, Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins offered a preview of programs USDA plans on rolling out, or updating, to strengthen rural America.   “In the coming weeks, we will be unveiling a new initiative to work with our federal, state and local partners to develop this bold new strategy to revive our rural communities.”   ...

According to studies compiled by the National Grange, rural Americans are disproportionately impacted by many health conditions, and one of the most serious conditions is cardiovascular disease.  Chris Hamp, President of the National Grange, says their work revealed that rural Americans struggle with cardiovascular issues more than their urban counterparts.  The why...

February is American Heart Month.  Despite recent medical advancements, heart disease is the number one killer of men and women in the U.S. and worldwide.  Sheldon Koenig, president and CEO of Esperion Therapeutics, said rural populations have higher rates of cholesterol than urban people.   “A study f...

According to research from the Georgetown University Center for Children and Families, rural communities in Idaho, as well as other states rely heavily on Medicaid for health coverage.  That research went on to say that nearly 37% of children in rural Idaho are covered through Medicaid or CHIP, compared with 33% in more urban areas.  Despite...

As the 119th Congress gets underway, New Senate Majority Leader John Thune laid out his priorities, including a new Farm Bill.  Thune said he understands rural America, growing up in a small South Dakota town.   “The town of Murdo, population today, roughly around 500 people. We didn’t even have...

Thanks to a recently announced $19.1 million grant from USDA’s Rural Development, residents of the Colville Reservation will benefit from improved high-speed internet access.  The tribes will use the funding to expand broadband access to 165 residential customers, six businesses, and 20 farms in Okanogan County.  RD said this ...

Since 1985, the League of Rural Voters has worked to help rural America develop a strong, sustainable, and resilient economy.  However, that won’t happen without closing the significant gaps in rural broadband coverage. Niel Ritchie, executive director of the League of Rural Voters, said the success of the Broadband Equity and Access Deployment Program, or BEAD program, is critical to getting rura

NTCA, the Rural Broadband Association, said it is pleased that the Supreme Court announced it would review a decision from the Fifth Circuit Appeals Court regarding the federal Universal Service Fund.  Specifically, the nation’s highest court will look into the constitutionality of the mechanism for contributions to the Universal Service Fund.     “The...