HomeTopicsRural IssuesUnderstand the unique issues facing Pennsylvania's rural communities, including how state laws and the state budget affect these communities.
Nov. 27, 2023Georgianna Sutherland / For Spotlight PAPennsylvania is investing millions to ensure people of all backgrounds, abilities have access to public landsby Marley Parish of Spotlight PA State College
Nov. 20, 2023Marley Parish / Spotlight PAHow a proposed solar project prompted this rural Pa. township to face its mining pastby Marley Parish of Spotlight PA State College
Nov. 16, 2023Daniel Fishel / For Spotlight PACompanies behind Mariner East II pipeline paid $42 million in pollution fines to Pennsylvaniaby Lilly Riddle for the News Lab at Penn State and Spotlight PA State College
Nov. 13, 2023Commonwealth Media ServicesPa. leads the nation for Lyme disease cases. Development in forests boosts the riskby Marley Parish of Spotlight PA State College
Nov. 3, 2023Screenshot via Pennsylvania Department of Environmental ProtectionPa. has updated how it defines an ‘environmental justice area.’ Here’s why that matters for at-risk communities.by Marley Parish of Spotlight PA State College
Oct. 26, 2023Min Xian / Spotlight PARural towns hope to entice remote workers to move to the Pa. Wilds with a ‘free’ summer. Here’s how it’s going.by Marley Parish of Spotlight PA State College
Oct. 19, 2023Sarah Anne Hughes / Spotlight PAThis rural township wants to make it easier for other places in Pa. to fight injection wellsby Marley Parish of Spotlight PA State College
Oct. 12, 2023Abby Drey / Centre Daily TimesRural Pa. town gets help from Harrisburg after years of hardshipby Marley Parish of Spotlight PA State College
Oct. 6, 2023Georgianna Sutherland / For Spotlight PAWhat this year’s budget means for Pa.’s shrinking rural communitiesby Marley Parish of Spotlight PA State College
Sept. 29, 2023Commonwealth Media ServicesPa. budget chips away at $1.4B backlog for parks, forestsby Marley Parish of Spotlight PA State College
Sept. 13, 2023Georgianna Sutherland / For Spotlight PAPennsylvania’s outdoor recreation industry now has a direct line to state governmentby Marley Parish of Spotlight PA State College
Sept. 1, 2023Meet Marley Parish, rural affairs reporter for Spotlight PA State Collegeby Marley Parish of Spotlight PA State College
Aug. 25, 2023Amanda Berg / For Spotlight PAObstacles abound as Pa. plans for surge of federal broadband fundingby Charlotte Keith of Spotlight PA
July 14, 2023Amanda Berg / For Spotlight PAWhat’s next as Pa. prepares to spend $1.2B on broadbandby Charlotte Keith of Spotlight PA
May 3, 2023Sarah Rafacz / Spotlight PAHow to provide feedback on a plan to lower fighter jet training over Pennsylvania Wildsby Sarah Rafacz of Spotlight PA State College
April 7, 2023Nate Smallwood / For Spotlight PAAlmost 40 elementary schools have closed in rural north-central Pa. in the past decade. Here’s why.by Ashad Hajela of Spotlight PA State College
Jan. 25, 2023Photo By Tom HuntoonTax caps leave many Pa. municipalities with few ways to raise revenueby Ashad Hajela of Spotlight PA State College
Jan. 23, 2023Photo By Brian Reid / Eventide Light PhotographyHow communities in north-central Pa. are attempting to preserve a scarce resource: darknessby Ashad Hajela of Spotlight PA State College
Dec. 8, 2022Used with permission from the Center for Rural PennsylvaniaAlmost 90% of rural Pennsylvania municipalities lack property upkeep rulesby Ashad Hajela of Spotlight PA State College
Oct. 19, 2022Abby Drey / Centre Daily TimesHow well a death in Pennsylvania will be investigated depends largely on where someone diesby Ashad Hajela of Spotlight PA State College
Sept. 8, 2022Amanda Berg / For Spotlight PANew maps will help decide where up to $1 billion in federal money goes for Pa. broadband expansionby Charlotte Keith of Spotlight PA
Aug. 23, 2022HEATHER KHALIFA / Philadelphia InquirerWhy people in State College and rural north-central Pa. don’t have easy access to in-person abortion servicesby Ashad Hajela of Spotlight PA State College
July 6, 2022Abby Drey / Centre Daily Times6 ways to engage with our new State College regional bureauby Spotlight PA State College Staff
July 6, 2022Photo ProvidedMeet Ashad Hajela, rural affairs reporter for Spotlight PA State Collegeby Ashad Hajela of Spotlight PA State College
June 10, 2022Crowsnest BroadbandA fight over public records could threaten novel approach to broadband in rural Pennsylvaniaby Charlotte Keith of Spotlight PA
June 6, 2022Amanda Berg / For Spotlight PAPennsylvania’s definition of broadband hasn’t changed in nearly 20 yearsby Charlotte Keith of Spotlight PA
June 2, 2022Amanda Berg / For Spotlight PAAn obscure state law could blunt the impact of up to $1 billion in federal funding for Pennsylvania’s broadband expansionby Charlotte Keith of Spotlight PA
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