Rural & Small Communities

Studies show a mix of benefits and challenges to the option.

Annie Eisenberg argues that assumptions about rural communities are often based on old mythologies. She says it’s time to replace those myths with a modern vision for the future of rural America.

“Reviving Rural America: Toward Policies of Resilience” makes the case that rural poverty is tied directly to urban wealth, since rural America is where the natural resources come from.

The centers in Cheyenne and Casper were initially set to be downgraded under the agency’s “Delivering for America” agenda, with mail instead being processed in Denver and Billings.

A recent analysis from the Postal Regulatory Commission found closing Wyoming’s two centers could significantly delay mail delivery.

Wyoming has 80 food deserts in 21 counties. That’s when people live more than ten miles from a grocery store. But it’s a relatively new problem, according to a recent article in The Atlantic magazine.

It seems that every day a new headline tells a story of theaters shutting down. But in some parts of the West, including Wyoming, they’re still thriving.

“Delivering for America” is intended to cut costs and increase efficiency, as the postal service strives to break even amid a $9.5 billion dollar loss last year due in part to mail volume declines and inflation.

The federal government is allocating more funding to help rural and tribal communities better respond to wildfires. Several of those communities in Mountain West states have already seen an improvement in their firefighting abilities.

Wyoming’s primary is Tuesday, Aug. 20. A lot of the country is keeping an eye on the voting patterns of rural voters to see if it continues to trend more conservative.