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My Fellow Kansans: Some Small Towns Losing Population but Shrinking “Smartly”

Published November 4, 2019 at 2:49 PM CST
Mandy Fincham and her husband run the Kettle in Beloit, Kansas. Some people think “quality-of-life” initiatives like their cafe and wine bar can make a difference between small towns shrinking smartly or withering on the vine. (Photo by Chris Neal / Kansas News Service)
Mandy Fincham and her husband run the Kettle in Beloit, Kansas. Some people think “quality-of-life” initiatives like their cafe and wine bar can make a difference between small towns shrinking smartly or withering on the vine. (Photo by Chris Neal / Kansas News Service)

Rural communities can't do much to stop the depopulation that’s been going on for generations. But Kansas small towns are not entirely powerless. As Jim McLean of the Kansas News Service reports, some towns have figured out ways to thrive, even as their population shrinks.

You can hear an expanded version of this story by downloading “My Fellow Kansans” on iTunes or wherever you get your podcasts.  The Kansas News Serviceis a collaboration among Kansas Public Radio, KCUR, KMUW and High Plains Public Radio, dedicated to covering health, education and politics. Find more at ksnewsservice.org.

You can hear an expanded version of this story by downloading “My Fellow Kansans” on iTunes or wherever you get your podcasts.  
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