Texas Rural Report

In this episode of The Texas Rural Reporter Podcast , we sit down with Clayton Tucker, a Democratic candidate for Texas Agriculture Commissioner, for a conversation you don’t often hear in rural Texas. For decades, candidates in statewide races have largely bypassed communities like Hansford County. But Tucker is taking a different approach—showing up, engaging directly, and making his case to rur...

Texas Rural Reporter Podcast The Rancher, the Restaurant, and the Ag Commish Race Guest: Lee Wells Wildfires are burning across the Texas Panhandle again — and the conditions feel all too familiar. In this episode, Suzanne sits down with rancher, restaurateur, and filmmaker Lee Wells to talk about: What wildfire recovery really looks like for cattle families The unseen logistics of feeding livesto...

In this episode of Texas Rural Reporter , Suzanne Bellsnyder sits down with Travis Ransom , County Judge of Cass County , for a wide-ranging conversation about the future of rural Texas—and who gets to shape it. The discussion tackles one of the most urgent but underfunded issues in rural Texas: roads. With nearly 1,000 miles of county roads and limited revenue, Ransom lays out the reality of main...

In this episode of the Texas Rural Reporter , Suzanne Bellsnyder sits down with Roger Estlack , editor of the Clarendon Enterprise , to talk about what it takes to keep a rural newspaper—and a rural town—alive. Roger shares how local journalism runs in his blood, tracing his family’s newspaper roots back to 1929 , and explains why rural newspapers still matter: they record local history , hold gov...

The voucher fight in Austin is underway and my guest Glenn Rogers is someone who knows first hand what is at stake for Rural Republican Legislators, our rural schools and communities. Rogers says we can’t lose hope because the fight is not over, and Austin needs to hear from those of us in Rural Texas who support our public schools. Be sure to listen, take action, and help me share Glenn’s importa...

I sat down earlier this Fall with Michael Lee who is the Superintendent of Booker ISD in the Texas Panhandle.  Michael is a former advocate for small schools in Austin, so a lot of our conversation focuses on the landscape around public school vouchers and other issues that negatively impact rural communities, such as taxpayer-funded lobbying.   Lee is an expert in small schools and public educati...

Mark Garcia is a Texas Panhandle Native and a Former Border Patrol Agent and Trainer living in Eagle Pass. Mark talks with me about the impact of Trump's Deportation orders on Texas, especially our Rural communities, and breaks down what it all means. Follow on Twitter @sbellsnyder Sign up for more Podcast videos and Suzanne's writings at: www.texasruralreport.substack.com Support the sh...

I sat down this week with Wade Callaway, the Superintendent of Gruver ISD in Hansford County. Gruver is a very small rural school that is doing great things for their kids. Gruver ISD is Growing Greatness and a shining example of a Rural Texas School District.  In this first episode #1 of the Texas Rural Report Podcast Callaway and I talk about our local educational goals, his amusing spat with Ag...