Michelle Ellia

“There are powerful lessons in these stories for those who want to see Fort Smith and Little Rock reach their potential. People would be wise to read them and digest…

“This couple traveled in their personal airplane to many second- or third-tier cities, noting the city’s feel, industries, and creative solutions to its challenging problems. When I came across the…

“In this email exchange with Catalyst Editor William McKenzie, Mr. Fallows discusses the characteristics of rebounding communities; the role that leadership, immigration, and culture play in revitalizing a place; and…

“The locals in Sioux Falls, S.D., lost their collective minds this week, thanks to a fairly nondescript tweet that Tom Hanks made early on Tuesday in support of James and…

“Tom Hanks was so inspired by James and Deborah Fallows’ description of Sioux Falls and Rapid City in “Our Towns” that he tweeted Tuesday morning he might “move” to the…

“Deb and Jim Fallows tell the story in their book ‘Our Towns: A 100,000-Mile Journey into the Heart of America,’ but you can read about it in any local newspaper…

“For five years, the Fallows have been flying their single-engine prop airplane into dozens of towns to understand what the people there see as their community’s problems and how they…

“Fallows says that in several areas – civic engagement, returning talent, growth of tech start-ups, downtown revitalisation, an openness to immigrants and thriving libraries – local America seems to be…

“The credo of reporting—you know, what you don’t know till you show it—that’s my ‘this-I-believe.’ That’s the reason I’ve stayed in this line of work for this many decades because…

“When they arrived they asked questions, just not the ones you’ve seen on television. They didn’t ask who people voted for, or where they stood on President Trump or Hillary…

“The Central Valley is often included when folks disparagingly reference “flyover country” or “the heartland” — those parts of the country that don’t touch an ocean, that some might rather…

“There’s a paradox that I think all of us in the media need to grapple with, which is that polls show that people think it’s really a terrible time for…

“In place after place, “Our Towns” captures a sense of energy and confidence among local leaders working to tackle the problems in their own communities. Schools trying out wildly creative…