Sense of Community
Our ongoing, 10-part Community Journalism series airs quarterly
From poverty concerns to major policy decisions, this series dives beyond the headlines to provide in-depth coverage of issues facing people and organizations in the Ozarks. KSMU's team of reporters come together to produce 10 stories, four times a year. Past episodes of our Sense of Community series are available below.
Sense of Community is made possible with support from local sponsors. Learn more here.
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Fatal drug overdoses have gone up by 59 percent between 2016 and 2021, according to the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services.
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According to the Missouri Department of Health in 2020, drug overdoses were the leading cause of death for Missourians 18 to 44-years-old.
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In this segment of KSMU's Sense of Community Series, "Shorter Lives: Why Missouri's Life Expectancy is Dropping," we discuss suicide: Signs to watch for, treatment and how to get help.
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Approximately 38,000 Missourians are diagnosed with diabetes each year.
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In this segment of KSMU's Sense of Community Series, "Shorter Lives: Why Missouri's Life Expectancy is Dropping," we explore heart disease, its effect on Ozarks public health — and what people can do to take control of their own heart health.
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In this segment of KSMU's Sense of Community Series, "Shorter Lives: Why Missouri's Life Expectancy is Dropping," we meet an Ozarks family facing a Stage IV diagnosis — and the challenges of paying for medical care. The first part of Megan Maulorico's story aired during Morning Edition early Tuesday.
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In this segment of KSMU's Sense of Community Series, "Shorter Lives: Why Missouri's Life Expectancy is Dropping," we meet an Ozarks family facing a Stage IV diagnosis — and the challenges of paying for medical care. The second part of Megan Maulorico's story airs during All Things Considered on Tuesday afternoon.
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In this segment of KSMU's Sense of Community Series, "Shorter Lives: Why Missouri's Life Expectancy is Dropping," we explore some of the reasons why the state's population as a whole is living fewer years.
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This segment of KSMU's Sense of Community series covering Springfield's comprehensive plan, ForwardSGF, takes a deeper look into transportation and mobility.
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Our Sense of Community series on the City of Springfield's comprehensive plan, Forward SGF, looks at some of the goals identified within the plan's five core elements. This episode explores efforts by Ozark Greenways to massively expand its trail network.