Roundup: October 31, 2025
A regular feature of 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
In Characterizing Climate Change Sentiments in Alaska on Social Media, published in Geography and Society, Junjun Yin, Guangqing Chi (both Population Research Institute and Social Science Research Institute, Pennsylvania State University), Matthew Brooks (Sociology, Florida State University), and Donghui Wang (Sociology and Population Studies, Renmin University of China), consider how public perceptions of climate change are rooted in local contexts.
Rachelle Kuehl, Amy Price Azano, and Rosa Mata (all Education, Virginia Tech) published Equity Challenges and Expanding Opportunities in Gifted Education for Rural Multilingual Learners in the Journal of Advanced Academics. The article provides an overview of barriers to gifted education access for rural Latine multilingual students and explores potential solutions, including the development of place-based and culturally responsive curricula.
Network Centrality in Perishable Food Distribution Networks in the United States by Michelle Miller, Megan Konar (Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign), Hikaru Hanawa Peterson (Applied Economics, University of Minnesota), Christa Court (Food and Resource Economics, University of Florida), Sumadhur Shakya (Operations Management, California State University) and Andrew Stevens (Agricultural and Applied Economics, University of Wisconsin-Madison) was published in Environmental Research: Food Systems. Using public data, the authors analyze the dominance of select regions in perishable food networks and suggest interventions to improve access to food in underserved and rural communities.
News & Commentary
An article in Washington Monthly cautions against closing schools in response to declining enrollment and tight budgets, noting that beyond hurting rural students and communities, school closures rarely save districts money after factoring in transportation, renovation, and personnel costs.
An article in County News (the official publication of the National Association of Counties) highlights efforts by rural counties to address the nationwide childcare crisis through collaborative and community-oriented solutions, such as incentivizing home-based childcare programs.
Investigate Midwest reported on Illinois’ enduring reign as the nation’s top pumpkin producer, noting that over a third of all pumpkins in the US come from the state. The Nestlé/Libby plant in the village of Morton in Tazewell County processes about 85% of the world’s canned pumpkin.
The US Census Bureau’s recent Halloween-themed Facts for Features profile highlights some of the spookiest-sounding places across the country: Scarville, IA (pop. 75); Seven Devils, NC (pop. 316); Slaughter Beach, DE (pop. 247); and Yellville, AR (pop. 1,169) made the list.
Events & Recordings
Groundswell Community Power’s annual Rural Renaissance Roadshow takes place on November 10-12, 2025, in Opelika, Alabama. Attendees will gain inspiration, learn about funding and technical support, and participate in hands-on sessions to help build strong, locally led futures. Click here for a list of this year’s speakers, the program schedule, and to register.
Penn State Extension is offering a free, live webinar on how the rapid growth of hyperscale data centers due to the increasing demands of artificial intelligence and cloud computing is raising concerns about water resource management. “Water Cooler Talk: Data Centers and Water Resources” will be held on November 19, 2025. More information and registration (required, but free) is available here.
