Manning has defied the odds. The town of about 1,500 is still a place where no one is a stranger. Only one storefront on Main Street sits empty. Downtown parking spots are hard to find on weekdays. The school has avoided consolidation.
Service clubs thrive.
The town's survival strategy is applauded by rural experts. Manning relentlessly recruits new businesses, some with little or no connection to agriculture. The picture of prosperity in Manning hides something. Scratch the surface. You will meet a young farmer abandoning his lifelong ambition and starting a new career at United Parcel Service.