Urban-rural Divide Coverage

Rural lawmakers say too much of NC's vaccine going to mass vaccination sites
Lawmakers from rural counties are calling on state health officials to hold off on more vaccination mega-sites until the state starts getting more vaccine, arguing that rural areas are being shortchanged.

In rural NC, students gather at hot spots as state seeks larger broadband fix
Even with 84,000 wireless hot spots distributed, some students rely on paper packets and calls from teachers. Others leave home for parking lots and churches.

CBC OPINION
Editorial: Compromise not confrontation gets action on broadband expansion
Friday, Dec. 11, 2020 -- The lesson in the compromise over $30 million for broadband expansion: Stop arguing over what you agree on. Get the job done. Expand highspeed broadband so every North Carolinian has easy and affordable access to this most basic 21st century utility.

In Edgecombe County, students live in a "digital darkness"
In Edgecombe County, 1,000 out of 6,000 kids don't have access to high speed internet services. Longtime county manager Eric Evans refers to it as a "digital darkness."

$30 million freed up for rural broadband in NC
Republican lawmakers struck a deal with Gov. Roy Cooper this week to spend $30 million on rural broadband projects, freeing up money that had been tied up over federal spending rules.

Coronavirus spread on the rise in rural North Carolina counties
More than half the state's COVID-19 deaths in October were in rural counties, not the population centers.

CBC OPINION
LESLIE BONEY: Coping with COVID-19 reveals serious broadband gaps
Friday, March 27, 2020 -- Despite significant progress in the past few years, almost 18 percent of North Carolina households have no internet access, and those are disproportionately located in the rural areas of the state. But that absence of connection isn't just about fiber. A notable portion of the state's offline households are also in urban areas, cut off not by distance but by cost. More than 40% of N.C. households where broadband is available don't subscribe. Infrastructure isn't helpful if you can't afford to use it.

WRAL Documentary: Disconnected
The ability to do business, get an education and get quality health care are becoming increasingly dependent on access to a high-speed Internet connection or broadband. WRAL News reporter and anchor Monica Laliberte narrates "Disconnected," March 19 at 7:30 p.m. on WRAL-TV, WILM-TV, wraldocumentary.com and the WRAL channels on Amazon Fire, Apple TV and Roku.

CBC OPINION
Editorial: Want to save N.C.'s rural hospitals? Expand Medicaid now
Wednesday, Feb. 26, 2020 -- Rural hospitals in Medicaid expansion states are 62 percent LESS likely to close. Looked at another way, rural hospitals in states that haven't expanded Medicaid are more likely to close. This is no mystery. Expanding Medicaid means there are fewer patients whose care isn't compensated. Hospitals that get paid for the care they give more patients will have better financial performance. Doctors who know they will get paid for the services they deliver will be more willing to practice in rural areas. This is not complicated.

CBC OPINION
LESLIE BONEY: If we build it, will they come?
Friday, Feb. 7, 2020 -- We are closer to the day when every North Carolinian will have access to high speed internet services. The transformative power of high speed services won't happen unless we answer a critical question: If we build it, will they come? Now the evidence is mixed.

CBC OPINION
MICHAEL WALDRUM: Work together to meet state's critical 2020 health needs
Wednesday, Jan.1, 2020 -- It is time to put aside uncompromising attitudes to do what is right for all North Carolinians. It is about how we treat each other and our desire to come together to do what is right for those we all serve. In 2020, we must commit to greater collaboration with a focus on creating a health care system for the state we can all be proud to say we built together.

Education Matters: Forum to study needs of rural NC students
Did you know that North Carolina is home to 568,000 rural students, the second largest rural student population in the United States after Texas? This fall, the Public School forum will convene its seventeenth study group to better understand the unique needs, challenges, and strengths of rural school districts across the state. It's a critically important undertaking because in the years following a court ruling known as "Leandro," the state has fallen short of its obligation to ensure that all children, including those who are from rural and underserved communities, have access to a sound basic education.

Rural NC school districts grapple with campus closures as students go elsewhere
For schools across the Triangle, the challenge has long been to keep up with rapid student population growth, But the story is much different in our region's rural counties.

Rural schools face diminishing populations and school closures
For schools across the Triangle, the challenge has long been to keep up with rapid student population growth.

New loan program for rural hospitals clears Senate
Senate President Pro Tem Phil Berger has pitched it as a way for hospitals with oversized and outdated facilities to right-size.

Campbell medical school trying to fill gaps in rural health care
Campbell University's medical school is focusing on sending graduates to rural communities in need of physicians.

Residents hold summit to revitalize rural parts of Franklin County
Despite an ever-growing population, North Carolina is still a largely rural state where many communities have no high-speed internet.

Residents plan for revitalization of northeastern Franklin County
Despite an ever-growing population, North Carolina is still a largely rural state where many communities have no high-speed internet.

CBC OPINION
LESLIE BONEY: Four forces can close N.C.'s urban-rural divide
Sunday, Jan. 27, 2019 -- The idea of a clear divide between thriving North Carolina urban areas and struggling rural regions is wrong. We have undeniable gaps in education, broadband access, and medical care, but those challenges are all over the map. There are struggling cities and thriving small towns, along with a huge number of people living in loose suburbs that don't fit either category. We need less focus on divides and more focus on connections.