On this West Virginia Morning, in rural communities across America, there are people traveling many miles from home to deliver babies. In the past five years, nearly 125 rural hospitals have stopped delivering babies or announced that they will. That’s about two closings a month. On the next Us & Them, host Trey Kay hears from families facing that change, and how it’s affecting prospects for their rural cities and towns.

Also, a school district that faced a financial crisis at the start of the year is getting back on the right path. And, lawmakers are weighing how best to intervene when students are chronically absent from school.

Finally, a new design for West Virginia’s “I Voted” sticker has been selected through a contest organized by the Secretary of State’s office.

West Virginia Morning is a production of West Virginia Public Broadcasting which is solely responsible for its content.

Support for our news bureaus comes from Shepherd University and Marshall University School of Journalism and Mass Communications.

Maria Young produced this episode.

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How Hospital Closures Are Affecting Rural Communities, This West Virginia Morning