rural

Not only did Democratic candidates get blown out in statewide contests for governor and the U.S. Senate, the party failed to gain any ground in the Missouri General Assembly. The election showed that the party continues to falter in rural and exurban areas.

The U.S. Postal Service plans to consolidate some services to regional hubs in Kansas City and St. Louis. Critics say the move will hurt rural customers, especially people who rely on the mail for their medication delivery.

Organizations representing rural communities and Missouri Sen. Josh Hawley have pushed back on a proposal that the U.S. Postal Service says could save it billions per year.

Claudene Wilson drove and cleaned up after multiple generations of students in the Swedeborg School District. As she enters a partial retirement, the district voted to honor her commitment by naming a K-8 elementary building in her honor.

Missouri Proposition A on the November ballot would boost the state’s minimum wage to $15 an hour by 2026 and require paid sick leave. Rural and urban areas might see different economic results from the changes.

More than 4,800 students are considered homeless in Nebraska, and school districts can do only so much to help. Many rely on partnerships with local organizations to support student needs outside of school.

Many unhoused students in Missouri and Kansas aren't getting the school support they need — in large part because the districts aren't counting them. Plus: Farmers expect less income this year, which is likely to send ripples through the larger economy.

Fighting fires has evolved, but federal safety regulations haven’t changed for nearly half a century. Now the Occupational Safety and Health Administration has proposed new safety standards. It's great news for career and paid firefighters, but volunteer departments say the new rules could bog them down with expensive and irrelevant regulations.

When Tyson closed a chicken processing facility in southeast Missouri, it also ended contracts with nearby chicken farmers. Now, some of those farmers are suing. Plus: Kansas farms are consolidating, pushing people to leave the region and making rural life even lonelier.

Kansas farms have expanded their operations and are now bigger than ever, which has led to an economic boom. But that also means fewer farmers, and that has contributed to depopulation in rural parts of the state that were socially isolated to begin with.

Rare diseases are hard to diagnose and often require costly genetic testing and visits to specialists. The testing can be hard to access, especially for people who live in rural areas. Researchers at the Genomic Medicine Center at Children’s Mercy Kansas City are trying to close the gap.

Spanning several genres including cultural criticism, political commentary and memoir, "Bone of the Bone: Essays on America by a Daughter of the Working Class" compiles Smarsh's strongest work from the last decade, and solidifies her as one of the country's leading voices on socio-economic class.