By Tony Leys for KFF Health News.Broadcast version by Mark Moran for Iowa News Service reporting for the Rural Democracy Initiative-Public News Service Collaboration Allison Roderick has a warning and a pledge for rural residents of her county: The water from their wells could be contaminated, but the government can help make it safe. Roderick is the environmental health officer for Webster County in north-central Iowa, where a few thousand rural residents live among sprawling corn and soybean fields. Many draw their water from private wells, which are exempt from most federal testing and purity regulations. .
People in rural America are five times as likely to live in so-called "ambulance deserts," areas far from an ambulance service or station, than those in urban areas. In rural Iowa, ambulance service has declined as the population dwindles. The study, from the Maine Rural Health Research Center, said half of those living in ambulance deserts are in rural areas, more than 25 minutes from an ambulance station. .
A new report highlights policy actions it says could benefit people living in rural Arizona. Sherri Jones, a governing board member for the Florence Unified School District, calls this year s Rural Action Policy Report a "guiding tool" for elected officials and service providers to better understand the lives of rural Arizonans. Economic development, food supply, education, health and overall safety all play a part in rural communities vitality. .
Recent policy decisions are being carried out to improve the lives of Minnesota s rural communities. A national coalition says despite the progress, more moves are needed to help small towns thrive. The new 2023 Rural Policy Action report contains input from nearly 30 organizations. .