A lot of people in rural areas are more concerned with what is going on locally than nationally. That is probably true for most areas, actually. Look at what is going on locally, along with some of the national happenings with more immediate impact, and draw your issues from those.
You know better than the people on this board what the people in your town need to hear and are interested in. The big national and international goings-on are fine, but people like to see things that have immediate relevance to their lives. Your points will make a stronger impression if the readers are provided with a tangible foundation to tie these points to.
Also, when you are suffering from writer's block, don't try to force it. Go do something else, read about something else, pray on it, and take your inspiration from life. You'll find that ideas come easier from experience than from imagination.
I'm also interested in how the blood drive article went over. It was very direct and had a bit of a shock element to it.