Year: 2020

by Whitney Oachs, Research Intern Following the May 25 death of George Floyd in Minneapolis, communities across the nation held protests in support of people of color and structural change for policing. But while the unrest in the Twin Cities rightly dominated headlines, communities in even the most rural corners of the state also saw ...

  Healthcare is a vital service for everyone, but policies meant to make healthcare more affordable have been making it less accessible in rural areas. In our latest explainer video, we show what’s going on and share some ideas on what to do about it. You can read the full report, “Integrating rural into the ...

EXCERPT: “Minnesota lawmakers on Friday passed a bill to hike the state’s meager reimbursement payments for child care providers that serve low-income families, an injection of new money into a subsidy program that is facing federal sanctions and has struggled to prevent fraud in recent years. While many in the GOP had previously been uneasy about ...

EXCERPT: “The Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED) today announced Small Cities Development Program (SCDP) grants totaling nearly $19 million for infrastructure and rehabilitation projects in 32 Minnesota cities. SCDP grants are part of the Community Development Block Grant Program administered by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). The SCDP grants ...

EXCERPT: “Lawmakers are preparing to distribute hundreds of millions of dollars to Minnesota cities hit hard by the COVID-19 pandemic. The money is Minnesota’s share of $150 billion distributed to state and local governments under the federal Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security Act, or CARES Act. About $316 million went directly to the state’s two ...

Our June 3, 2020, webinar on our recent report looking at the impact of mergers and service consolidations in rural health care is on our YouTube channel and ready for viewing.  Our report, “Integrating Rural into the New Reality of Health Care,” takes a look at what is behind the wave of health care facility ...

EXCERPT: “The coronavirus outbreak has exposed the financial vulnerability facing small, rural healthcare facilities, many of which were already struggling to stay financially viable, according to a review of health care financial records and interviews with hospital administrators. The pandemic cost hospitals cash they did not have, while at the same time eliminated revenue those facilities ...

EXCERPT: “During Take a Kid Fishing Weekend Friday, June 5, to Sunday, June 7, Minnesota residents can fish without licenses if they take children 15 or younger along fishing, too. ‘Taking your kids fishing is a lot of fun and a great way to get them connected to the outdoors,’ said Benji Kohn, volunteer mentor ...

EXCERPT: “The road construction season churns forward regardless of distractions and crises. Even the heat doesn’t slow things down much, though rain and thunderstorms sometimes get the upper hand. The Highway 14 expansion project between Owatonna and Dodge Center is one of the biggest Greater Minnesota jobs taking place. The Minnesota Department of Transportation along with ...