Reports of the demise of rural Minnesota seem to be greatly exaggerated. While it's true that college-aged residents are leaving rural counties, research by a U of M sociologist finds people in their 30s and 40s and migrating into rural areas. And bringing educational degrees and earning power with them.

A growing number of rural Midwestern churches -- where generations have been baptized, married and buried -- are closing their doors as rural America loses residents to cities and suburbs. "There’s a kind of sadness to see the rural decline,” one observer says.

In Minnesota's metropolitan counties 14 percent of residents receive Social Security benefits. In rural counties it's more than 23 percent.

An energy task force in the Mankato area wants to power farms and other rural properties with small-scale wind turbines. The group says it would be easier to generate local power with small windmills than large-scale turbine farms, which often run into political quagmires.

Beltrami County - like other rural areas around Minnesota - has decided the venerable old bookmobile is no longer the most cost-effective way to provide library services to residents far from any brick-and-mortar library. OK, then what is? There's not exactly any consensus on that yet.

The economy remains strong in rural areas of 10 Midwest and Plains states because of the health of agricultural businesses there. The overall economic index on the new monthly Rural Mainstreet survey rose to 58.5 in May from April's already healthy 57.1. Any score above 50 on the index suggests growth in the months ahead.