NAMED TO COUNCIL

JEFFERSON CITY -- Missouri Director of Agriculture Charles Kruse has been appointed to the President's Council On Rural America.

The 13-member council was created as part of the Bush Administration's initiative on rural development.

"The decade of the 1980s was especially difficult for many rural communities that experienced job declines in agriculture,mining, timber, energy and manufacturing," said Kruse. "The president want to see these declines reversed, and has the council to provide guidelines to establish a national agenda for rural economic development."

The council's first meeting was held last month in Washington. Kruse said the council would make some recommendation to the president within six months.