Alex Milan Tracy for Underscore
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The dozens of independent, nonprofit and nonpartisan news organizations that make up the Rural News Network are developing the broadest news alliance reporting on rural America. These newsrooms are pursuing coverage that provides a more complete picture of what it means to live and work in these communities.
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LATEST NEWS FROM THE NETWORK
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Oklahoma had a bumper wheat crop, but it’s not alone. Here’s what that means for producers
February 06, 2026
Winter wheat is Oklahoma’s top crop, and the Southern Great Plains produced plenty of it last year, despite mid-harvest rains. But it wasn’t the only area with strong yields.
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Program that brought mental health professionals to rural Oklahoma schools looking for new funding
January 13, 2026
An OU-based, federally funded program to get more mental health professionals in rural Oklahoma schools has seen its funding end prematurely — and it’s searching for new funding sources to keep the mission going.
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Rural Oklahoma backpack program encourages kids to learn about invasive species
January 05, 2026
The grant is specifically for rural libraries, and the agency has enough funding for every library outside of Tulsa and Oklahoma City.
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Choctaw Nation partners with Rosetta Stone to revitalize language, promote accessibility
December 18, 2025
Interested language learners will be able to access Level One of the new resource this June, which also integrates Choctaw culture.
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Oklahoma child care group sues DHS over cuts to subsidies for school-age children
December 15, 2025
The Oklahoma Department of Human Services (DHS) announced the removal of a $5 per day “add-on” to providers’ subsidy rate schedule – implemented during the COVID-19 pandemic – for children ages six and older.
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Oklahoma Policy Institute: ACA expirations will hit rural residents harder than urban
December 09, 2025
There are existing health access disparities in rural areas, making it harder for people to get care, and the higher cost adds another layer. There’s less access to transportation, reliable internet and fewer insurance providers.
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New report finds Indigenous people are disproportionately affected by gun violence
December 05, 2025
Indigenous people in the U.S. are killed by guns more than nearly any other segment of the population. They rank second behind the Black community.
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Cherokee Nation celebrates cemetery acquisition where historic leaders were laid to rest
December 04, 2025
The cemetery is located in Tahlequah, near the capital of the Cherokee Nation.
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Cattle industry is keeping Oklahoma agriculture economy stronger as neighbors struggle
November 24, 2025
A recent survey shows farm income and borrowing power for crop producers are weak across the Great Plains, but the cattle industry has improved farm finances in some places, including Oklahoma.
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Muscogee Nation sounds alarm to prioritize language revitalization efforts, declares state of emergency
November 17, 2025
A 2024 study estimated fewer than 300 first-language Muscogee speakers remain, most of whom are over 60 years old.
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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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Oklahoma tribal nations prepare to fill food gaps as SNAP benefits could be suspended
October 27, 2025
As food benefits for hundreds of thousands of Oklahomans could be canceled Saturday, tribal nations are pulling together resources for people if their benefits run dry.
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Oklahoma farm groups raise alarm over Trump’s plan for more beef imports
October 24, 2025
Oklahoma is the second largest cattle-producing state in the nation, according to the Oklahoma Department of Agriculture Food and Forestry.
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Oklahoma’s new superintendent clarifies end of controversial education policies
October 21, 2025
In emails to Oklahoma teachers and parents on Monday, Oklahoma’s new Superintendent of Public Instruction provided details on the end of two controversial Ryan Walters policies.
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Oklahoma signs $100 million contract to house detained migrants in Watonga correctional facility
October 06, 2025
The $100 million represents Oklahoma taxpayer money, whether it comes directly from the state’s coffers or the federal government’s.
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