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State Wants Public Input To Determine What Counts As ‘Rural’

This former farmland has primarily one species — Big Bluestem grass. Savoie says that's not a good sign.
Rebecca Thiele/WMUK

(WCMU) Michigan’s Department of Agriculture and Rural Development has grant money earmarked for distribution to rural communities -- but that raises the thorny question of what exactly is rural.

In the past, the state’s standard has been a county population of 60,000, or small communities that the federal government calls “micropolitan statistical areas.”  Find more from WCMU.

Brett is the health reporter and a producer at WXXI News. He has a master’s degree from the City University of New York Graduate School of Journalism and before landing at WXXI, he was an intern at WNYC and with Ian Urbina of the New York Times. He also produced freelance reporting work focused on health and science in New York City. Brett grew up in Bremerton, Washington, and holds a bachelor’s degree from Willamette University in Salem, Oregon.