News from rural America.

The neediest in Missouri are watching the possible effects of cuts to Medicaid, Illinois is among several states raising alarms over AI data centers, and building resiliency among teenagers is the goal of Trekkers in Rockland, Maine.

TRANSCRIPT

For the Daily Yonder and Public News Service, this is the news from rural America.

The rural Ozarks can be a challenging place to get health care, let alone the affordable kind.

But two non-profit clinics are making a difference.

Daily Yonder contributor Caitlin McConnell visited Christian County, Missouri, where the Volunteers in Medicine Network provides bimonthly services to folks at or below twice the federal poverty line.

It's another illustration of rural good, people coming together to try to care for their neighbors.

But I also think it's just a reminder of the uncertainty in the world we are living in.

Missouri is one of 40 states that expanded Medicaid to cover the working poor.

But McConnell notes last year's Republican budget cuts could mean 10 million Americans lose coverage, including folks who manage their high blood pressure or diabetes at the clinics.

They're waiting to see if that is going to expand the patient population that they're needing to serve.

She says the clinics hope federal funding from the new Rural Health Transformation Program can soften the impact.

Illinois is another state where tech companies are eyeing the rural landscape for massive new AI data centers.

Julia Tilton reports.

Some local leaders welcome the construction jobs, but a proposed $500 million project in Sangamon County has residents worried about rising energy costs, water usage, and degradation to the environment.

Local activist Lori McKiernan says the scale of the facilities is alarming.

I'm not against data centers, but I must say the more I learn about them, the more concerned I am.

Illinois legislators are considering what's called the POWER Act to ensure tech companies pay for their own infrastructure instead of passing costs to rate payers.

Scott Allen with the Citizens Utility Board says it's a top priority.

This legislative session that's currently underway is going to be the data center legislative session.

We're not going to get anything done until this data center thing is figured out.

I'm Julia Tilton.

Having a mentor can help accelerate personal and professional growth and even foster career advancement.

That's the goal of the successful Trekkers Youth Program in Rockland, Maine.

Stephanie Welch is the executive director.

It's crafted to provide opportunities for students to challenge themselves, to reflect, and to connect with each other.

And it really helps them to grow in amazing ways.

From hiking in Acadia National Park to visiting Washington, D.C., Trekkers has expanded the horizons of Midcoast Maine students for three decades.

Every year, 20 new seventh graders enter the program, and eventually many train as student leaders to chaperone future trips or become mentors themselves.

Welch says the program's success isn't magic, but it is impressive.

Every young person deserves a caring adult in their lives that isn't related to them.

For the Daily Yonder and Public News Service, I'm Roz Brown.

For more rural stories, visit dailyyonder.com.