Category: Rural Headlines

EXCERPT: “When the pandemic hit, workplaces went dark and home offices became the new American job site. Even when employers were allowed to bring their workers back, many chose to keep them working remotely. Part of the reason, of course, was out of concerns with the virus — but a secondary consideration kept offices shuttered, too. ...

EXCERPT: “When emergency strikes, you call 911 and wait for someone to show up, but how long you wait could mean the difference between life and death. Waiting is exactly what people in small communities are having to do more of. Cook, Minnesota, has a population of 562. Like many emergency medical services (EMS) in ...

EXCERPT: “First Lady Jill Biden traveled to the University of Minnesota’s Child Development Laboratory School Wednesday to showcase the funding childcare and early education institutions received from the American Rescue Plan. The roundtable event included Biden, United States Secretary of Health and Human Services Xavier Becerra, Gov. Tim Walz, Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan, Rep. Ilhan Omar ...

EXCERPT: “The 2022 Minnesota Legislative session is underway, and Bradley Peterson, Executive Director of the Coalition of Greater Minnesota Cities, tells KNSI that his organization is ready to remind lawmakers that smaller communities in greater Minnesota have unmet needs as well. Peterson says the coalition’s biggest goal is an increase in Local Government Aid. ‘Our highest priority ...

EXCERPT: “A few years ago, Tiffany Jennen was looking for a large commercial space to lease in order to open a new gymnastics facility in Fergus Falls. She found one in a building that had previously been a Shopko home goods store. Shopko filed for bankruptcy in 2019. Its parent company cited piling up debt and a decline ...

EXCERPT: “Federal COVID-19 relief dollars for child care providers will continue to flow through the states this year, cheered by both Republican and Democratic governors who say parents need affordable child care to get back to work. But child care providers and advocates warn that the federal money, which expires in 2024, won’t solve the ...

EXCERPT: “Minnesota exports of agricultural, mining and manufactured products continued to grow, increasing by 19% to $5.7 billion in the third quarter of 2021, according to a report released today by the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED). State exports increased $916 million over the third quarter of 2020, continuing their strong recovery ...

EXCERPT: “The Minnesota Department of Transportation (MnDOT) announced Tuesday that eight construction projects in different areas of the state will receive a total of $18 million to improve transportation infrastructure that supports economic growth. According to MnDOT, the funding comes from the state’s competitive Transportation Economic Development (TED) program. The TED program targets transportation infrastructure projects that ...

EXCERPT: “The Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED) awarded grants totaling $2,425,000 to 14 organizations representing communities throughout Minnesota to increase the supply of quality child care providers in order to support regional economic development. These grants authorize $5 million over the next two fiscal years for grants to local communities to increase ...