Roundup: December 8, 2023
A regular feature of our growing online journal, The Rural Review, these roundup posts collect notable recent research, analysis, and related rural news and commentary. Feel free to send suggestions for future collections to us here. And, more details on other opportunities to contribute to the Rural Review can be found here.
Recent Publications
Daria F. Page and Brian R. Farrell (both University of Iowa College of Law) take a closer look at the access to justice crisis in rural America in their article, One Crisis or Two Problems? Disentangling Rural Access to Justice and the Rural Attorney Shortage, published in the Washington Law Review. Rather than locating the problem in a shortage of local attorneys in rural areas, the authors suggest that a broader understanding of the kinds of challenges that impede access to justice infrastructure is needed, and that the concept of “legal vulnerability” may offer more fruitful avenues through which to address the actual needs of a community.
In Spatial Analysis of Attitudes Toward Timber Rattlesnakes (Crotalus Horridus) Where Encounters Occur Within an Exurban Landscape, published in Society & Natural Resources, Abigail R. Dunn, Anita T. Morzillo, Lindsay S. Keener-Eck Larson (all Natural Resources & the Environment, University of Connecticut), and Rebecca A. Christoffel (Snake Conservation Society, Iowa) focus their attention not on the large species more commonly featured in human-wildlife conflict research but instead on human encounters with timber rattlesnakes. Noting that human-wildlife interactions are frequent in exurban areas where landscape features may be desirable to both humans and wildlife, the authors hope to improve the quality of outreach approaches to foster positive attitudes towards “less-charismatic” species like this.
Despite many studies highlighting the challenges experienced by Latinx immigrants, Diego Thompson (Sociology, Mississippi State University) observes that little attention has been paid to how immigration law enforcement operations impact Latinx communities and racial dynamics in rural communities. In “Keeping Things under the Rug”: Racial Dynamics in the Context of Large Immigration Raids in Rural Mississippi, published in Rural Sociology, Thompson draws on interviews with Latinx organizers and allies involved in community responses in the aftermath of immigration raids to illustrate consequences within and beyond rural communities.
News & Commentary
The Wall Street Journal published an article about judges stepping in to help litigants without legal representation in a range of civil cases. Noting that 18 of the 105 counties in Kansas have two or fewer active attorneys, the article explores the additional burden the increasing numbers of self-represented litigants put on judges who must balance helping litigants navigate the legal system with the need to act as impartial adjudicators.
Telehealth helped rescue a rancher facing severe injuries from an encounter with a bison according to a story from KFF Health News. Rural ambulance medics treating the injured man on-site had assistance from an emergency medicine physician located 140 miles away in Sioux Falls thanks to Telemedicine in Motion, an initiative from the South Dakota Department of Health.
An article in the Washington Post noted the challenges facing small post offices as they struggle to keep up with the high volume of Amazon packages over the holiday season. Amazon relies on postal carriers to make “last-mile” deliveries in harder-to-reach rural locations. According to some postal workers, Amazon packages receive delivery priority over first-class mail, leaving rural residents with disrupted mail service.
A recent Centers for Disease Control and Prevention report raised concerns about the low number of adults who have received the updated COVID-19 vaccination. The report found that adults in rural areas (10%) were the least likely to have gotten an updated vaccine compared to those in urban (15%) or suburban (14%) areas.
Events & Recordings
Callers from around the country shared their experiences with accessing mental health care in their own communities in the latest episode of The Middle with Jeremy Hobson, a call-in talk show focused on bringing the voices of Midwesterners into the national conversation. The episode also featured Nevada Mayor Hillary Shieve and Jason Kander, Missouri’s former secretary of state.
The National Organization of State Offices of Rural Health celebrated its 13th National Rural Health Day last month and unveiled this year’s “Community of Stars,” a recognition program designed to honor extraordinary efforts by individuals and organizations who exemplify rural strength and collaboration. Watch a replay of the event, “The Power of Rural in Action: CDC and State Strategies for Rural Health,” here and follow this link to an interactive map highlighting the 2023 Community Stars.
