Category: Job Loss, Poverty, Economic Decline

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Panel Discussion on Poverty in Rural America – Why Should We Be Concerned About Rural Poverty? Summary Report Part 2 of 5

The following is a summary of a panel discussion about poverty in Fulton County that took place March 23, 2017.  The forum took place at the Canton Church of the Brethren and was moderated by Pastor Kevin Kessler. Panelists included Missy Kolowski of the Health and Wellness Clinic of Fulton County,  Rolf Siversten Superintendent CUSD #66, Paster Monroe Bailey of the First Baptist Church, Brooke Denniston Executive Director of the YWCA, Paula Grigsby Executive Director of the YMCA, Rhonda Morgan from the Salvation Army and Teri Williams director of Spoon River Pregnancy Center.

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Panel Discussion on Poverty in Rural America – What are the Major Factors Contributing to Rural Poverty? Summary Report Part 1 of 5

The following is a summary of a panel discussion about poverty in Fulton County that took place March 23, 2017.  The forum took place at the Canton Church of the Brethren and was moderated by Pastor Kevin Kessler. Panelists included Missy Kolowski of the Health and Wellness Clinic of Fulton County,  Rolf Siversten Superintendent CUSD #66, Paster Monroe Bailey of the First …

Continue reading "Panel Discussion on Poverty in Rural America – What are the Major Factors Contributing to Rural Poverty? Summary Report Part 1 of 5"

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S1, E6 – Education Puts Food on the Table: What Can We Do About Job Loss in Rural America? Part 2 of our Conversation with Dr. Trenton Ellis

We previously spoke with Forgottonia native Dr. Trenton Ellis about job loss throughout  rural America. In this interview Dr. Ellis mentioned factors like technology, globalization, and the lack of economic diversity as contributing to job loss. Since our talk with Dr. Ellis was so rich in material and we didn't want to depress you by …

Continue reading "S1, E6 – Education Puts Food on the Table: What Can We Do About Job Loss in Rural America? Part 2 of our Conversation with Dr. Trenton Ellis"

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S1, E3 – Job Loss: Why Are So Many Jobs Leaving Rural America? Conversation with Dr. Trenton Ellis

From January 2016 to January 2017, the region known as Forgottonia lost approximately 2,775 jobs.  To learn why, we sat down with Dr. Trenton Ellis, a rural sociologist from Black Hills St. University.  Although he lives in Spearfish, South Dakota, Ellis is a native of Forgottonia growing up in Canton, IL and graduating from Spoon River College in 2005. After SRC, Ellis completed undergraduate and master’s degrees from Western Illinois University in Macomb.  In 2009 he matriculated to South Dakota State University’s Department of Sociology and Rural Studies where he graduated with a PhD in sociology in 2015. In 2016 he was awarded an outstanding Teaching Award at BHSU.