This data questions the idea that people become more conservative with age. Ok, folks born between 1940 and 1954 did actually turn more conservative with time. The 1955 to 1979 cohort didn’t change their outlook much. The post-1980 group is actually becoming more liberal as they age.
Rural headlines say “dying” and “disappearing,” but the map is more interesting than that.
New: a field guide walk through jobs & income data in one #rural county—layer by layer—so you can read your own hometown’s economic map, not just the headline. #EconDev
🔗 jcshepard.com/2026/03/unde...
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Saguache, CO
Pox on all the politicians in Washington for I loath the fiction that is Daylight “Savings” Time.
#SaveStandardTime
While the surge of federal agents in the Twin Cities grabbed much of the attention the past few months, stories of children hiding at home, crying in class and being detained have quietly gripped some Minnesota small towns since January.
![The image depicts a black and white photograph of an individual seated outdoors. This person is wearing a wide-brimmed hat, glasses with dark frames, and appears to be holding something in their right hand near the chest area while their left hand holds onto what seems like pants or trousers. The individual's attire includes a jacket with visible buttons on the sleeve cuffs.
In the background of this outdoor setting, there is another person partially visible wearing casual clothing, including overalls. Further back, we see an open landscape that suggests a rural environment, possibly farmland given the caption context provided in reference to Nebraska and Oregon during what seems like historical or migratory times for farmers. In the distance, under a clear sky, are faintly discernible structures or equipment.
The photograph is labeled with text at different points: "1940," which might indicate the year it was taken; "Merrill Klamath County, Oregon" identifying the location; and possibly part of an alphanumeric sequence "(62-111)" that could be a reference to a collection or archive number. The overall impression is one of documenting socio-economic conditions related to rural life during migration periods in America.
It's important to note that the provided caption suggests this photograph relates to Nebraska farmers becoming migrant workers in various parts like Klam [...]](https://cdn.bsky.app/img/feed_thumbnail/plain/did:plc:ls2ap3pxsotp3pgwjf7o633l/bafkreifdg23irlogu7umcfwubzmqvjxnhj3zp6vj4fyq2cqh6h56g57utm)
The image depicts a black and white photograph of an individual seated outdoors. This person is wearing a wide-brimmed hat, glasses with dark frames, and appears to be holding something in their right hand near the chest area while their left hand holds onto what seems like pants or trousers. The individual's attire includes a jacket with visible buttons on the sleeve cuffs. In the background of this outdoor setting, there is another person partially visible wearing casual clothing, including overalls. Further back, we see an open landscape that suggests a rural environment, possibly farmland given the caption context provided in reference to Nebraska and Oregon during what seems like historical or migratory times for farmers. In the distance, under a clear sky, are faintly discernible structures or equipment. The photograph is labeled with text at different points: "1940," which might indicate the year it was taken; "Merrill Klamath County, Oregon" identifying the location; and possibly part of an alphanumeric sequence "(62-111)" that could be a reference to a collection or archive number. The overall impression is one of documenting socio-economic conditions related to rural life during migration periods in America. It's important to note that the provided caption suggests this photograph relates to Nebraska farmers becoming migrant workers in various parts like Klam [...]
Was Nebraska farmer, now migrant farm worker in the West. Merrill, Klamath County, Oregon. General caption 62-111
#Nebraska #Merrill #KlamathCounty #Oregon #America #DorotheaLange #undefined #photography #DorotheaLange
https://www.loc.gov/pictures/item/2017773375/
But there is a tipping point… If projections hold, the Wilds region will have fewer people in 2030 than it did in 1900, and more people with gray hair than young people. Bold action was needed, or some rural communities might not have a tomorrow.
Many people who live in rural places live there because they appreciate living in a place with a smaller population. Small towns often offer less traffic, a lower cost of living, greater access to the outdoors, and a strong sense of community…
Many families have lived here for generations, and by the time the Pennsylvania Wilds effort was launched, many of the region’s communities were economically distressed and experiencing what one study would label a “rural exodus.”…
“The Pennsylvania Wilds has a lot of small communities in its big woods. About 500,000 people total are scattered across an area the size of Massachusetts...."
— Tataboline Enos, in Proudly Made (Catamount Press, 2025)
Full quote:
medium.com/@jcshepard.a...
#OutdoorEconomy #Rural #Econdev
On Monday the Senate is poised to pass the 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act, a massive bi-partisan bill with important implications for federal policies on disaster recovery and housing resilience. I break down some of the key provisions here: andrewrumbach.substack.com/p/legislatio...
Between the decline in employment in February and the downward revision to December, job growth has now effectively slowed to zero. #numbersday
Job growth fizzled in February, with U.S. employers cutting 92,000 jobs and the unemployment rate ticking higher.
Drawing by Thomas Almond Ayres (c. 1855) titled “The High Falls, Valley of the Yo Semity, California,” rendered in graphite, ink, chalk and charcoal on paper. It depicts what is now known as Yosemite Falls, which is actually made up of three separate waterfalls. Upper Yosemite Fall (1,430 feet), the middle cascades (675 feet), and Lower Yosemite Fall (320 feet). The water plunges off a tall cliff of granite and the grassy landscape below is dotted with trees and a few grazing animals. A group of people stands around a fire in the foreground.
Library of Congress conservator Heather Wanser working on housing for a drawing of Yosemite created by artist Thomas Almond Ayres in 1855. Photo credit: Shawn Miller/ Library of Congress.
NEWS: The Library has acquired one of the earliest known drawings of Yosemite Valley, from 1855, by artist Thomas Almond Ayres. Ayres’ sketches were the source for the first published image of Yosemite at a time when drawings shaped how people saw the American West. newsroom.loc.gov/news/library...
Good planning isn’t always about having the right answer. It’s about helping people hear each other.”
#leadership
TJ Dlubac, AICP, CPS & Josh Olhava, AICP, Ayres Assoc. sharing the NPZA Lunch Keynote: Big Beautifully Bearded Planners: The Art of Making It All Work
At Kearney, Nebraska.
Colorado at 150 is a special reporting project on the people and history that define the state of Colorado.
We launched the project Jan. 1. Check out all the stories we've published so far.
coloradonewsline.com/tag/colorado...
Price of gas up $0.62 since Monday morning. Thank you, Mr. President.
#TrumpsWar #Nebraska
Heading to Kearney for the Nebraska Planning Conference. Well kick-off with a conversation about Heritage Tourism in Planning, first thing Wed. morning.
NO 2026 RERUN: Nebraska's 2026 GOP primary for governor will not include multistate agribusinessman Charles Herbster, his team announced Monday. Today is the filing deadline for candidates.
From Juan Salinas II:
buff.ly/I1eThVV
Entry-level homes have been in short supply in metro Denver since around 2014. Despite that chronic gap, the Denver region recorded the biggest drop in starter home prices over the past year of any major metro area, according to a home price index.
I am speaking at Nebraska Planning Conference 2026 in Kearney, first session of the event. Please check out my talk if you're attending the event!
#HeritageTourism #Planning
Across the river from Fargo, North Dakota.
What is Economic Development in Modern America? A Field Guide for Small Towns and Rural Places
These days #econdev looks less like marketing, more like community outreach, grants, housing, infrastructure, business support, & a lot of herding cats toward shared goals.
jcshepard.com/2026/03/what...
After the Great Toronto Fire of 1904, the decision was made to build a new train terminal in the city. It took two decades before the building was open. Today, it is the second busiest train terminal in North America.
This is the story of Toronto's Union Station.
🧵 1/10
The image depicts a historical rural schoolhouse with an attached bell tower. The black and white photograph captures the building's exterior, showcasing its simple architecture typical of early 20th-century structures in remote areas. A metal gate is partially open at the front entrance, suggesting accessibility to the property. People are gathered around what appears to be a volleyball court adjacent to the schoolhouse, with some individuals seated on benches and others standing or engaged in conversation. In the background, an expansive landscape stretches out towards distant hills under a clear sky, emphasizing the remote setting of this educational institution. The photograph's monochromatic palette adds a sense of nostalgia and timelessness to the scene. This image is part of a collection that includes various elements from rural life during Dorothea Lange's photography career in Oregon. Further information about Lincoln Bench School and yard can be found at the provided source link, which offers additional context on this specific location within Malheur County, near Ontario, Oregon.
Lincoln Bench School and yard. Near Ontario, Malheur County, Oregon
#LincolnBenchSchool #Ontario #MalheurCounty #Oregon #DorotheaLanges #undefined #photography #DorotheaLange
https://www.loc.gov/pictures/item/2017773617/
The start of meteorological spring (March 1st) and the first full week of the month. The week ahead will become more active across the country. Be sure to check your local forecast and conditions by visiting and bookmark weather.gov
Israel and US launch strikes on Iran, pushing Middle East into new conflict
A big thank you to Anthropic!
After a weeks-long standoff between the Defense Department and AI firm Anthropic over how the military can deploy its technology, CEO Dario Amodei said tonight that the company will not loosen its usage policies.
![The image is a black and white photograph depicting a rural scene, seemingly from an earlier period given its monochrome quality. In the foreground, there's dry grass covering much of the ground which suggests it might be late summer or fall when crops have been harvested but not yet cleaned up.
In the middle distance to left side of the frame stands a small wooden structure with what appears as weathered siding and an aged roof that shows signs of wear. The building is adjacent to a large pile of shrubbery, perhaps pruned from nearby trees or bushes.
To the right of this main subject lies an old-fashioned, horse-drawn wagon parked on dry grass. On closer inspection, it seems there's something draped over part of its structure which could be hay bales or some other agricultural material.
The background stretches out into a flat and arid landscape with no visible signs of trees except for the ones directly beside the building used as a windbreak. In the far distance, more farm structures can faintly be seen but they are too distant to discern details clearly.
There is a handwritten inscription on the top left corner which reads "Dorothea Lange" and below it there's something that appears like a date or code ending with '18-31'.
The setting suggests an agricultural environment, perhaps far from any urban centers. The lack of modern technology indicates this scene cou [...]](https://cdn.bsky.app/img/feed_thumbnail/plain/did:plc:ls2ap3pxsotp3pgwjf7o633l/bafkreifsigvnvctqndnkp72zfuea2sme4y7bkj22bhcygivgc2utchw5gm)
The image is a black and white photograph depicting a rural scene, seemingly from an earlier period given its monochrome quality. In the foreground, there's dry grass covering much of the ground which suggests it might be late summer or fall when crops have been harvested but not yet cleaned up. In the middle distance to left side of the frame stands a small wooden structure with what appears as weathered siding and an aged roof that shows signs of wear. The building is adjacent to a large pile of shrubbery, perhaps pruned from nearby trees or bushes. To the right of this main subject lies an old-fashioned, horse-drawn wagon parked on dry grass. On closer inspection, it seems there's something draped over part of its structure which could be hay bales or some other agricultural material. The background stretches out into a flat and arid landscape with no visible signs of trees except for the ones directly beside the building used as a windbreak. In the far distance, more farm structures can faintly be seen but they are too distant to discern details clearly. There is a handwritten inscription on the top left corner which reads "Dorothea Lange" and below it there's something that appears like a date or code ending with '18-31'. The setting suggests an agricultural environment, perhaps far from any urban centers. The lack of modern technology indicates this scene cou [...]
The preacher's house. Dead Ox Flat, Malheur County, Oregon. General caption number 67-11
#MalheurCounty #Oregon #DorotheaLange #America #undefined #photography #DorotheaLange
https://www.loc.gov/pictures/item/2017773583/
