Category: Rural Headlines

EXCERPT: “‘Takin’ It to the Streets’ may have been the title of a Doobie Brothers tune from the 1970s, but such an action is prohibited in Minnesota for drivers of all-terrain vehicles. You can ride those four-wheeled, open-air vehicles on designated trails and private property, but can you take your ATV to town? Not if ...

EXCERPT: “Child care in Minnesota is among the most expensive in the nation, according to data released this month by the Economic Policy Institute, a progressive think tank. The average annual cost of infant care in the state adds up to more than $22,000 annually, or almost $1,900 a month. Only DC and Massachusetts have higher infant ...

EXCERPT: “Dr. Alison Raffman had only arrived in Bemidji two days earlier, with three boxes of stuff and two cats, and already she was hustling around the emergency department at Sanford Bemidji Medical Center. The medical resident was treating dizziness in a newly diagnosed cancer patient, an infection in a nervous pregnant woman, and an ...

EXCERPT: “Researchers at UWM’s College of Engineering & Applied Science are partners on a $15 million U.S. Department of Transportation grant to explore the benefits and responsible use of autonomous vehicles in rural communities where transportation services are limited. The six-year project will develop solutions to improve mobility, such as enabling nondrivers to better access health ...

EXCERPT: “More than 1,400 child care slots are expected to open statewide, nearly all in Greater Minnesota, after a multi-million dollar round of grants to expand child care access. The Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development awarded $6.1 million in Child Care Economic Development Grants to 25 organizations, a news release announced Thursday, Feb. 6. Among ...

EXCERPT: “A group of EMS officials from throughout the state gathered in St. Paul to highlight a need for more funding and a restructuring of systems. Erik Simonson, a lobbyist with the Coalition of Greater Minnesota Cities, an organization that lobbied for EMS funding last session, feels hopeful the Legislature will continue to fund the industry beyond ...

EXCERPT: “Porter Simonette carefully placed a dollop of digital hand sanitizer on the hands of the elderly man he saw inside his virtual reality headset. The high school senior mimed opening a container of yogurt, and following the on-screen instructions, began feeding his digital patient. ‘Here’s some more yogurt,’ he said, before asking, ‘You want ...

EXCERPT: “As a second Trump administration promises major reforms across the federal government, advocates for Medicaid access are concerned what trillions in cuts could mean for many American families. A new study released by Georgetown University indicates families in rural areas are more likely to rely on Medicaid health insurance coverage, compared to urban residents in the ...

EXCERPT: “Disappointed in a 2024 legislative session that ended with no bonding bill, Greater Minnesota organizations are encouraging the Legislature to focus on funds for infrastructure projects as this year’s session gets underway.  The Coalition of Greater Minnesota Cities and the League of Minnesota Cities, whose requests often overlap, plan to push lawmakers to pass a bonding ...