The federal Farm Bill is must-pass legislation that Congress debates every five years. It includes billions of dollars in farm subsidies and pays for food assistance programs.

Bluebonnet Trails Community Services partners with school districts in rural areas to provide counseling and support to students and families facing addiction.

South Texas Rural Health Services saw an increased need during the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic and has continued to roll in medical services to rural towns where health care is much needed. However, the lack of awareness is still a challenge in these communities.

Texas schools have long had too few teachers. The pandemic made the situation worse — but issues like low pay, poor benefits and polarizing statewide politics all have an impact, too.

The COVID-19 pandemic also cut down on clinics’ revenue and underscored broadband access disparities in rural Texas, health care providers said in a conversation with The Texas Tribune.

It was another historic, news-filled year. As you get ready for 2022, check out these memorable articles The Texas Tribune published in 2021.

San Antonio – The surge of COVID-19 cases in San Antonio and Bexar County is causing concerns for hospitalization spikes in surrounding communities. Zamora said a patient looking to be transferred to a San Antonio hospital was turned away earlier this week. “We had a scare where we couldn’t ship someone to a San Antonio hospital,” he said. Eric Epley, the Southwest Texas Advisory Council executive director, said San Antonio hospitals are stressed. San Antonio, he said, still has about a 20-25% ICU capacity, but the problems isn’t beds.