Harvest Public Media

News editor and co-publisher Will Brumleve sits at his desk at the Ford County Chronicle in front of awards and text from the First Amendment. He and co-founder Andrew Rosten launched the newspaper in Paxton, Illinois, in 2020, one of the few new papers in the U.S. in recent years.

Newspapers in Rural Areas are Folding, Leaving Vast News Deserts

The U.S. has lost more than 2,800 newspapers since 2005, many in rural areas. Now some journalists are trying to provide local news with new business models.

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Kenny Davis stands next to the yellow tag marking where a natural gas pipeline traverses underneath his Scott County, Illinois farm on Oct. 9, 2023.

U.S. Hopes to Build Pipelines for Carbon Capture. Landowners Don’t Want Them

Thousands of miles of oil and gas pipelines crisscross the country. Now, more are being proposed to carry things like carbon dioxide to combat climate change.

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A water tower in Guymon, Oklahoma, which relies on the Ogallala Aquifer for drinking water.

As Ogallala Aquifer Declines in the Great Plains, States Weigh Metering Irrigation Wells

Water levels are dropping in the Ogallala Aquifer, and states in the Great Plains are considering whether to monitor groundwater irrigators are pumping out.

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Farmworkers take a quick break in a field in southeastern Iowa.

Poor Regulatory Safeguards Leave Farmworkers Suffocating in the Face of Increasing Heat Waves

A fifth of reported heat-related deaths are agricultural workers. Advocates are calling attention to the impact of climate change on this group from heat waves.

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Three people fishing in a boat on Table Rock Lake.

Rural America Grew Early in Pandemic, Mostly in Recreational Counties

Despite a spike in deaths from COVID-19 and fewer births, recent research suggests rural counties saw population growth during the first year of the pandemic. Remote work opportunities could have contributed to more people moving to scenic rural destinations.

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