rural issues

An executive order calling for the reduction of a federal agency that awards grants to museums and libraries would affect Oklahoma’s urban and rural libraries differently.

More states in the Midwest and Great Plains are trying to support rural, independent grocery stores through tailored grant programs. Advocates say these businesses are vital for rural communities to thrive.

The debate in Abilene, Kansas, could be a precursor to other communities considering the move because members of the incoming Trump administration are advocating to get rid of fluoride in drinking water. Experts say dental health is at stake.

Ad Astra School has opened around the corner from Elon Musk’s corporate compound in rural Central Texas. Nonprofit filings show secondary schools and a university are also planned.

Cities, counties, courts and everyday Kansans are struggling to find legal help in rural Kansas. But there is a blueprint to fix it.

A recent report from the U.S. Department of Agriculture found working-age rural residents die from natural causes at a higher rate than their urban counterparts. And that gap has widened over the years.

Wildfires have become more common in Great Plains states. City outskirts and rural areas where cedars spread aggressively face some of the highest risks.

Hundreds of thousands of people died in the pandemic because they didn’t trust the government or their neighbors to do the right thing. And it’s not getting better. Today distrust is making people sicker, especially where health care is fragile across giant swaths of rural America.

An Oklahoma tribal nation and two telephone companies are receiving $67.4 million to expand broadband access in rural Oklahoma.

Experts worry hoarding is on the rise in Kansas amid a lack of support for those who struggle with it, straining families and communities.