Locally sourced, collaborative reporting from and for rural America.
Featured Story
Zeke Lloyd for MTFP
One theory on why Montana has a disproportionate number of veterans
State ranks third in the nation for the number of U.S. military veterans per capita.
LATEST NEWS FROM THE NETWORK
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Colorado’s rural schools serve more than 130,000 students, and their superintendents want more pay for their teachers
When pressed for additional detail about the primary problems affecting their local schools and districts, more than 85% of respondents to a Colorado-based survey published in October 2025 identified recruiting and retaining talented teachers as one of the most important issues.
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Feathers in flux: The wild makeover of a molting finch
A Purple Finch in the midst of molting makes for a strange yet essential part of the bird’s life.
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Small NC towns trying out direct texting with residents
Several small NC towns are experimenting with Utah-based TextMyGov service, which allows texting to and from residents. Reactions are mixed.
RNN Highlights
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Justin Hardiman for Capital B
Sowing Resilience
Rural communities across the country are grappling with food insecurity. Nine stories reveal how communities are navigating — and reimagining — the systems that have left them hungry.
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Credit: John Stember for Montana Free Press
The Shelter Gap
A three-part series examining barriers to buying, renting and building homes on reservation land in Montana — and highlighting the community benefits of secure housing.
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Illustration by Hrisanthi Pickett
Operation Timeline
What is the Trump administration’s impact on veterans and the military? We are tracking the developments day by day. Explore our timeline.
MORE NEWS FROM THE NETWORK
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‘Armed to Farm’ Program Prepares Veterans for Success in Agriculture
November 11, 2025
A recent Armed to Farm training, held in rural Kentucky, introduced veterans to careers in sustainable agriculture while giving them a place to connect, and a support system to lean on.
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Native American Tribes Are Struggling in Wake of SNAP Uncertainty
November 10, 2025
According to the Economic Policy Institute, 23% of American Indian and Alaska Native households used SNAP benefits in 2023 — nearly double the national average.
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A Colorado doctor wanted the facts on wolf reintroduction. So he created a watchdog group on Facebook.
November 09, 2025
John Michael Williams thinks Colorado is withholding information on reintroduced wolves from citizens. In changing that, did he create an extremist group?
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Cómo un centro de salud en Franklin se convirtió en un punto de encuentro para la comunidad latina rural
November 08, 2025
El espacio ya atiende a cerca de cinco mil pacientes al año, en su mayoría trabajadores agrícolas y familias latinas del oeste de Carolina del Norte.
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Isolation, Illness and Guns: Why More Older Oklahomans Are Dying by Suicide
November 07, 2025
The rate is particularly high in Oklahoma, and especially in rural counties, according to an analysis of detailed mortality data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention from 2009 to 2023 by The Trace and GQ.
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New Oklahoma state superintendent focused on ‘united front’ with schools after contentious Walters term
November 07, 2025
Lindel Fields is nearly a month into his time as interim state superintendent of education. The former CareerTech administrator took over following the resignation of Ryan Walters in September.
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Virginia’s Rural Voters Shift 12 Points Toward Democrats
November 07, 2025
The Republican Party won a majority of the votes in Virginia’s rural areas in this week’s gubernatorial election, but the margin dropped significantly compared to both the 2021 election and the 2024 presidential race, a Daily Yonder analysis shows.
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Can you win an election by two votes in Montana? Yes. It just happened.
November 06, 2025
In central Montana’s Petroleum County, the smallest in the state by population, a candidate lost the county commission race by 17 votes. And in the northwest Montana town of Rexford, a town council race was decided by a two-vote margin.
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Food Resources Across the South
November 06, 2025
A list of community fridges, food pantries, assistance programs, mission centers, and more offering food resources to unhoused and food-insecure communities. Read more via Scalawag: Food Resources Across the South.