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The U.S. lost newspapers at a rate of about 2.5 per week last year, many of them in rural areas. But some newspapers are trying new business models and doubling down on local news. Plus: A southwest Kansas printing press keeps local news alive in small towns across four states.
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Although most Kansas schools prepare students and staff for intruders with active-shooter drills, they don't train teachers how to deal with more common violence on campus. Plus: In a Kansas county that’s lost more than half of its population, one restaurant offers a renewed sense of hope — and a cheeseburger worth driving for.
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One of the best restaurants in Kansas opens four days a week on the wind-swept plains, an hour beyond the nearest stoplight. In a county that’s lost more than half of its population, Fly Boy Brewery & Eats offers a renewed sense of hope — and a cheeseburger worth driving for.
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Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly is again pushing lawmakers to expand the health care program Medicaid, which is widely supported by Kansans. But Republican leaders remain staunchly opposed. Plus: Female veterinarians still face skepticism and discrimination in rural areas, where there’s a shortage of animal specialists.
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This year marks the 75th anniversary of what’s known as the Pancake Day Race in the southwest Kansas town of Liberal. It’s an oddity, but these types of community festivals offer economic and less tangible benefits to smaller towns.
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Many hospitals are shuttering their labor and delivery units because insurance companies and Medicaid aren't reimbursing hospitals enough to cover the cost of births.
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“Brain drain,” the migration of people with a higher education degree, remains an issue in most of the Midwest and Great Plains. Recent U.S. Census data shows many states are losing some of their most educated residents.
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The Kansas City Chiefs are vying for their second straight Super Bowl win, but something could stand in their way: themselves. Plus: Small towns in Kansas are using AI to better understand their economic outlook and attract more businesses and people.
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Communities in western Kansas are trying a new AI tool to help them target economic growth and hopefully fight long-term trends of population loss.
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A new report found Missouri’s rural teachers are paid better only than those in Arkansas. Missouri also has one of the lowest rates of state tax revenue, meaning the burden for funding schools falls heavily on local taxpayers.
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Production of utility-scale solar power in Kansas is expected to increase 34 times over in the next four years. But many rural Kansas communities are skeptical of out-of-state developers. Plus: A writer and photographer return to Independence, Missouri, 40 years after documenting daily life in the city.
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Kansas City voters overwhelmingly approved renewing a local sales tax to fund public transit for the next decade, while moderate school board candidates beat out conservative challengers in some big Johnson County districts. Plus: Solar energy is stepping up in Kansas.