217 Today: Definitions of ‘rural’ stop many small towns from getting grant money
The small town of Houston, MO is off the beaten path and has only 2,500 residents, but still doesn't meet the definition of "rural" in some federal programs. Jonathan Ahl/Harvest Public Media
Wednesday, Jan. 19, 2022
Today's headlines:
-
Most school districts in Illinois say they don’t have enough teachers, according to a new survey.
-
A Department of Children and Family Services supervisor said employees need more training on how to deal with difficult situations after a case worker was killed last month during a home visit near Springfield.
-
Environmental groups in Illinois are pushing for legislation that would ban the incineration of toxic chemicals.
In today's deep dive, we’ll learn more about how the definition of the word “rural” has lasting consequences for small towns across the country.
217 Today is produced by Farrah Anderson. Reporting today contributed by Susie An, Eric Schmid and Jonathan Ahl.