Year: 2022

EXCERPT: “A decade ago, when it came to high-speed connectivity in rural regions, Minnesota did not have the access it so desperately needed. ‘In 2010, internet connectivity in rural places was spotty and underutilized,’ said Mary Magnuson, the Blandin Foundation’s grants program officer for rural placemaking. ‘Minnesota was ranked No. 23 in the U.S. for ...

EXCERPT: “Dawn Uribe, owner of Mis Amigos Spanish Immersion Preschool in Hopkins, has had to make some hard choices amid an ongoing worker shortage in the child care industry. ‘I want our teachers to have a workable, livable wage, and I’m trying to make it so that our teachers can get paid like elementary school teachers,’ ...

The number of residential housing builders still isn’t at peak levels of 2006. October 2022 By: Kelly Asche, Senior Research Associate Now more than ever we are seeing the linkages between economic development, workforce development, and housing. No matter where you turn, it seems that small communities are trying to crack the code on how ...

EXCERPT: “Increasingly, rural communities are realizing the transformational impact the tech economy can have for them. And local leaders in rural places are putting their efforts and resources into economic development programs that can create tech opportunities and entrepreneurship where they live. The U.S. Economic Development Administration’s most recent cohort of Build to Scale (B2S) ...

EXCERPT: “Access to maternity care is decreasing in the parts of the U.S. that need it the most, affecting nearly 7 million women of childbearing age and some 500,000 babies. That’s according to a report released Tuesday by March of Dimes, a nonprofit focused on maternal and infant health. It finds that 36% of counties ...

by Marnie Werner, Vice President, Research Earlier this week I spoke to a group of business owners and childcare professionals in St. Cloud, where it’s not breaking news to them—or anyone else for that matter—that childcare’s 20-year downward spiral is now a major factor exacerbating the growing worker shortage.  As the pandemic upended all aspects ...

EXCERPT: “Minnesota communities, schools and their partners are invited to apply for funding on local projects that enhance transportation goals, according to the Minnesota Department of Transportation. The $12.5 million in federal funding is available through the Transportation Alternatives program in Greater Minnesota (each region has a sub-targeted fund). This program offers a competitive grant for ...

  About the Interconnected Series: Wherever you live, you have undoubtedly encountered the term “Urban/Rural Divide” that describes a divisive narrative in policy and politics based on geographic differences. In reality, we all want similar things – good healthcare and education, for example – but the solutions often look different based on where you live. ...

EXCERPT: “New funding is available from the U.S. Department of Agriculture for low-income people seeking to buy or repair rural homes. The Direct Home Loan Program helps those who are unable to qualify for traditional financing. It’s available in rural communities of generally 35,000 people or less. No down payment is required, and the interest ...