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Residents of Council Grove (population 2,200) and Morris County (population 5,300) are now experiencing the effects of sweeping changes made by the U.S. Postal Service. A key part of its Delivering for America plan, the Postal Service has rolled out its Regional Transportation Optimization (RTO) initiative nationwide, resulting in longer delivery times, especially in rural communities.

With scorching temperatures reaching the 90s Tuesday and the temperature still 92 degrees at 7 p.m. last evening, most people were searching for air conditioning. But for a handful of devoted vendors and customers, the Morris County Farmers Market was still the place to be.

Feral pigs, notorious for their rapid reproduction and destructive behavior, have become one of rural America’s most pressing threats. Nationwide, their population has grown from an estimated 2 million to as many as 9 million over the past 20 years, expanding their range from 20 states to at least 41. The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) estimates annual agricultural damages at $2.5 billion, with an additional billion in losses to wildlife habitat, wetlands, and infrastructure.