The hospital needed new equipment to boost revenue. With few other options, it took the unusual step of turning to city hall, which helped the hospital get a $1.5 million loan.

Southern Illinois University's medical school is trying to bring more doctors, physicians and medical students to Carbondale and nearby rural areas where they're desperately needed.

The statistics are clear: Rural America is deeply impacted by the opioid crisis, especially farmers and farm workers. What’s not so easy is figuring out what to do about it, three national agricultural leaders said Sunday, though they all said the real onus is on local communities.

Many rural businesses and farms will benefit from the tax overhaul passed Wednesday by Congress. But there’s a catch: If the changes fail to spur economic growth as intended, programs that rural areas rely on could be on the chopping block.

On the 21st: We checked in with areas of the state affected by Tuesday night's severe weather and discussed the impact of the Trump administration's travel ban on health care, with a focus on rural and under-served areas. We also continued our series on sexual assault on college campuses with a discussion about Title IX and got the latest on State Farm's losses pertaining to auto insurance.