Bringing the Dream of an Elite College to Rural Students

By placing college advisers in public schools, an organization is trying to break down the social, economic and psychological barriers that keep low-income rural students from dreaming big.

Ohio Town’s Schools Hope to Be ‘More Than a Line Item’ in the Federal Budget

By ERICA L. GREEN April 20, 2017 VAN WERT, Ohio — Ken Amstutz’s phone did not stop buzzing long enough for him to think about what could happen in 24 hours. He was fielding questions from public officials and the national news media, keeping...

A Small Idaho Town Bucks the Perception of Rural Struggle

By KIRK JOHNSON April 3, 2017 TWIN FALLS, Idaho — Lost jobs, empty storefronts and shrinking populations. It’s an image of rural America ingrained in many people’s minds, and one that was often reinforced in the election. The reality is far...

A Small Idaho Town Bucks the Perception of Rural Struggle

By KIRK JOHNSON April 3, 2017 TWIN FALLS, Idaho — Lost jobs, empty storefronts and shrinking populations. It’s an image of rural America ingrained in many people’s minds, and one that was often reinforced in the election. The reality is far...

Rural Areas Brace for a Shortage of Doctors Due to Visa Policy

By MIRIAM JORDAN March 18, 2017 In Coudersport, Pa., a town in a mountainous region an hour’s drive from the nearest Walmart, Cole Memorial Hospital counts on two Jordanian physicians to keep its obstetrics unit open and is actively recruiting foreign...

2 of a Farmer’s 3 Children Overdosed. What of the Third — and the Land?

By JACK HEALY March 12, 2017 BLANCHESTER, Ohio — A life of farming taught Roger Winemiller plenty about harsh twists of fate: hailstorms and drought, ragweed infestations and jittery crop prices. He hadn’t bargained on heroin. Then, in March...