Center for Rural Affairs

Mississippi: A program funded by the state of Mississippi offers students a scholarship that covers all the expenses of medical school. In return, they agree to practice in a rural area for four years after they graduate. Students must originally come from a small rural town to qualify.

Picking the right students is key to the initiative’s success, says Janie Guice, program recruiter. “Basically I am looking for one of two personalities,” says Guice. “Either the maverick who is going to go to med school and go back home and fix what is wrong with the health care delivery system. Or the missionary, the student who says to me, ‘I thought about going to seminary but I’ve always wanted to be a doctor.’ To which I say, ‘Have I got a mission for you. It’s called Mississippi!’”

The program is growing in popularity, with more than 70 applicants for 18 spots in 2012. Find out more about the program here, and read the NPR story here.

Montana: Last month around 60 bison from Yellowstone National Park were released onto untilled charity-owned grassland near Malta, Montana. Bison were eradicated from the area almost 140 years ago.

Hunters and conservationists are now calling for bison to be reintroduced to a wildlife refuge sprawling across rural Northeast Montana. Several groups are navigating a complex and contentious path to bring bison back to these plains.

Some farmers and ranchers disagree with their return. They fear that bison, particularly those from Yellowstone, might be mismanaged and damage private property. They also worry they would compete for grass with their own cattle herds.

Need more information? Contact me, Virginia Wolking, 402.687.2100 or virginiaw@cfra.org.