/state-of-change-seeking-economic-health-for-small-towns In small towns in New Mexico and the West, life is changing quickly. More young people are moving away from rural places than into them. Some New Mexico communities are trying to escape generations-long boom-and-bust cycles, while others struggle to retain their identity in an economy flooded with tourists and newcomers. Internet connections that could power remote businesses in rural places lag behind urban centers.New Mexico, along with the rest of the rural West, is in a state of change. Over the past year, a group of New Mexico news organizations investigated the challenges to building resilient rural communities, and found a lack of high speed internet holds communities back. Now, they bring you stories about the complex barriers to launching internet connections in most rural areas, and show you the tribes, towns and schools who are doing it better. This project is supported by High Country News and the Solutions Journalism Network, and is funded by the LOR Foundation.Our stories examine what rural communities are trying to keep their towns stitched together and how well those efforts appear to be working. Read, watch and listen along at hcn.org or at your local news outlet. Share your thoughts on what small towns should try or what you think of the responses we highlight on Twitter using #NMresilience or on Facebook at your local news source’s page or at www.facebook.com/highcountrynews/.Kate SchimelDeputy editor-digital, High Country NewsProject editor, State of Change en-US Copyright Mon, 23 Apr 2018 22:09:43 GMT /local-news/2018-04-23/competition-fosters-computer-skills-in-new-mexico-schools In New Mexico, computer science courses are not mandated by the state. Many schools in metropolitan areas offer these courses, but few rural school… Mon, 23 Apr 2018 22:09:43 GMT /local-news/2018-04-23/competition-fosters-computer-skills-in-new-mexico-schools Anthony Moreno /local-news/2018-04-23/in-small-towns-a-way-to-make-remote-work-work Dilapidated motels line the entrance to Grants, New Mexico, signs of the boom that came and went in this town of 9,000 people. Reclamation work continues… Mon, 23 Apr 2018 19:29:29 GMT /local-news/2018-04-23/in-small-towns-a-way-to-make-remote-work-work Leah Todd /local-news/2018-04-09/tribes-lead-the-way-for-faster-internet-access-in-new-mexico For decades in these sparsely populated valleys and peaks in northern New Mexico, the internet has been slow, unreliable and expensive. This region is not… Mon, 09 Apr 2018 19:21:16 GMT /local-news/2018-04-09/tribes-lead-the-way-for-faster-internet-access-in-new-mexico Antonia Gonzales /local-news/2018-04-06/how-a-rural-electric-co-op-connected-a-community TAOS, NM – Molly Byrnes, 34, and Jesse Hofmann-Smith, 35, can’t reliably make phone calls on their cellular network from their cozy apartment on the… Fri, 06 Apr 2018 16:47:42 GMT /local-news/2018-04-06/how-a-rural-electric-co-op-connected-a-community Leah Todd /local-news/2018-04-05/locally-owned-networks-choose-net-neutrality What if big telecom isn’t the only game in town for internet service? Member-owned cooperatives and community networks are springing up around the… Fri, 06 Apr 2018 01:15:48 GMT /local-news/2018-04-05/locally-owned-networks-choose-net-neutrality Marisa Demarco /local-news/2018-04-05/co-ops-bridge-the-digital-divide-in-rural-n-m Quality internet service is key to overcoming poverty, according to studies worldwide. But all over the U.S., people of color and folks with low incomes… Thu, 05 Apr 2018 14:26:26 GMT /local-news/2018-04-05/co-ops-bridge-the-digital-divide-in-rural-n-m Marisa Demarco /local-news/2018-04-04/lets-talk-solutions-to-new-mexicos-digital-divide Let's Talk New Mexico 4/5 8a: Internet access is expensive and often slow in rural communities across New Mexico. How might improving internet speed and… Wed, 04 Apr 2018 22:14:35 GMT /local-news/2018-04-04/lets-talk-solutions-to-new-mexicos-digital-divide Sarah Gustavus /local-news/2017-10-26/a-navajo-farms-growing-sustainability When the oil and gas industry takes a dive, or when extractive industries tank, so do economies in rural areas, where a lot of the jobs come from… Thu, 26 Oct 2017 23:36:14 GMT /local-news/2017-10-26/a-navajo-farms-growing-sustainability Marisa Demarco /local-news/2017-10-25/could-navajo-small-businesses-stabilize-a-boom-and-bust-economy Oil and gas drilling and mining companies come to rural areas offering jobs and cash, but they also dig into the land, pull resources out of it and create… Wed, 25 Oct 2017 23:18:22 GMT /local-news/2017-10-25/could-navajo-small-businesses-stabilize-a-boom-and-bust-economy Marisa Demarco /public-health-new-mexico/2017-10-25/to-grow-health-and-economies-some-tribes-look-away-from-ihs The Indian Health Service—the federal agency tasked with providing health services to Native American communities—has long been the go-to health care… Wed, 25 Oct 2017 15:38:55 GMT /public-health-new-mexico/2017-10-25/to-grow-health-and-economies-some-tribes-look-away-from-ihs Ed Williams