Oregon schools prepare for back to school

As schools across the nation grapple with the prospect of resuming classes amid the COVID-19 pandemic, some school districts in rural Oregon hope to leverage their modest size to conduct largely in-person classes.

New Consumer Financial Protection Bureau rule rolls back borrower protections

Under a new Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFBP) rule, payday lenders can make loans to borrowers without determining whether they can afford to pay them back. Payday loans can carry interest rates up to 400 percent.

U.S. House of Representatives approves plan to reduce lead pipes nationwide

The House recently approved a bill that would amend the Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA) to include an additional $22.5 billion for water infrastructure. The HR 2 “Moving Forward Act” would distribute funds annually at $4.5 billion per year until 2025.

$5 million allocated for COVID testing in rural Oregon 

U.S. Sens. Jeff Merkley and Ron Wyden have announced that $5 million in federal funding will be distributed to 102 rural health clinics in Oregon to help boost their  coronavirus testing capacity. 

Colorado Launches new toolkit for suicide prevention in rural areas

Gov. Jared Polis appeared in a Facebook live event on May 19 with the heads of Colorado Department of Agriculture and the Department of Human Services. The two state agencies have announced a collection of mental health resources aimed at rural Colorado communities. The agencies announced a new “toolkit”