A small town in South Dakota has become a model of community planning, thanks to an inspired high school assignment and continued leadership of local youth.

Rural Louisiana birthed three styles of original music, and dance fans -- local and far flung -- ensure that every beat goes on.

A county in rural Nebraska quit waiting for state and federal help and passed a local sales tax to help itself, shoring up old businesses, starting new ones, and improving local institutions. From hot rods to high tech to housing, Valley County is on a roll.

Of the twelve members of Congress who've been chosen to make $1.5 trillion in cuts to the U.S. deficit, three are longtime representatives of rural constituencies.