Midwest and Plains: Though the economic climate is tough, rural bankers in 11 Midwest and Plains states report some good news to the monthly Rural “Mainstreet” survey in March. This good news included, increases in farmland prices, new hiring and banking activity. The survey overall index rose in March to 18.7 from February’s 16.9 low. The survey covers Colorado, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota and Wyoming.

Nationwide: According to the DailyYonder.com, rural counties have “lost more jobs, and at a faster pace, than in the previous two severe economic downturns.” During the first few months of the recession rural counties fared well because of “boom conditions in agriculture.” Now, however, “rural counties have lost a bigger percentage of their jobs than have urban counties or the nation as a whole, according to Moore and Draenstott” working with the Rural Policy Research Institute.

Nevada: Tony Melone, senior vice president and chief technology officer of Verizon Wireless, reported at the CTIA Wireless 2009 tradeshow that the company’s new 4G wireless broadband network will cover the entire continental United States, including rural America.

The new network is set to launch in 2010 and could help close the gap between urban and rural access to broadband internet access. The network uses the low frequency 700 MHz band, which was formerly used for analog TV broadcasts. Because this frequency can transmit signals over longer distances and penetrate through obstacles, fewer cell phone towers are required and the costs are lower than other methods of broadband deployment.

Tennessee: “A lot of times, rural counties kind of get left out,” Smith County (population 17,712) Mayor Michael Nesbitt said. To remedy this two groups in the state House of Representatives (one Republican, one Democrat) are attempting to band together into rural caucuses.

Contact: Casey Francis, caseyf@cfra.org with questions or to suggest Across the Nation items.