High Country News

A do-it-yourself Christmas tradition

How do you make Christmas meaningful? Help someone you've never even met.

by Andrea Gelfuso Goetz, Dec 21, 2011
A new measure of poverty shifts rankings in the West

When determining who is poor, the Census Bureau takes geography into account in its Supplemental Poverty Measure.

by Jonathan Thompson, Dec 10, 2012
Conservative legislator takes on Wal-Mart

Idaho’s Republican Speaker of the House, Rep. Bruce Newcomb, wants to force Wal-Mart to either provide health insurance for its Idaho employees or reimburse the state for providing Medicaid coverage

by Dan Popkey, Sep 19, 2005
Dust off your survival skills

In tough economic times like these, we could learn a lot from our pioneer ancestors, who managed to survive – and thrive – in a harsh Western landscape.

by Marcia Hensley, Mar 19, 2009
Problems in Paradise

The brutal murder of a Japanese tourist shines an unwelcome spotlight on the social problems plaguing Arizona’s beautiful but troubled Havasupai Reservation

by John Dougherty, May 28, 2007
Rural Education 2.0

Tiny Vilas, Colo., thought it was a great idea to open an online school and enroll at-risk students from far-away Denver – but neither the students nor the school district ended up scoring well at report card time

by Samuel Western, Apr 30, 2007
Selling peace on the street in Flagstaff, Arizona

In front of the Flagstaff post office, Mary Sojourner talks to strangers about ending the war in Iraq and feeding the hungry.

by Mary Sojourner, Mar 05, 2007
Slumdog U.S.A.

Most Americans associate slums with places like Mumbai, India. But they exist here, too.

by Jonathan Thompson, Mar 16, 2009
Tarp Nation

Throughout the West, tent cities and shantytowns with names like Taco Flat have sprung up to house the poor and dispossessed.

by Scott Bransford , Mar 16, 2009
Tent cities and what they tell us

Most Americans associate slums with places like Mumbai, India, but all over the West, tent cities and shantytowns are springing up to house the dispossessed.

by Jonathan Thompson , Mar 31, 2009