Category: Rural Headlines

EXCERPT: “Broadband access remains insufficient for many in rural America. And northern Minnesota cow/calf rancher Miles Kuschel tells Brownfield the COVID-19 pandemic has illuminated the issue. ‘If it’s given us an insight into one thing, it’s the absolute need for high-speed broadband across all of Rural America. Whether it’s distance learning, telemedicine, Zoom conferences or annual ...

EXCERPT: “Following the February arctic blast, the Minnesota Department of Commerce will increase the maximum annual crisis benefit for qualifying households from $600 to $1,200. The Energy Assistance Program crisis benefits can be used for covering past-due utility bills, utility disconnections and emergency fuel deliveries, according to a Department of Commerce news release. The program ...

EXCERPT: “‘We need to educate our communities, our state and our nation on what child care is.’ Sherry Tiegs hammered that message into the minds of those who attended a webinar offered by the Center for Rural Policy and Development Thursday, Feb. 18, to discuss the state of child care in rural Minnesota. Tiegs, who ...

EXCERPT: “Like many Minnesota communities, the southwest Minnesota town of Windom has a shortage of homes for sale at a time when more housing is needed to keep businesses and the local economy humming. Homes for workers are at a premium, but the Cottonwood County city of 4,400 residents needs to expand and preserve its housing ...

EXCERPT: “Paramedic Heidi Rennick describes her first COVID-19 call last spring like ‘walking on to a movie set.’ When she arrived at the hospital, there were COVID-19-only floors, red tape and full beds. The challenges have mounted since those first cases, and emergency medical services across the state have adapted with new protocols, treatment plans and personal ...

EXCERPT: “Rebuilding Together Twin Cities — a nonprofit focused on repairing homes for older adults, veterans, and low-income residents — is establishing its first-ever greater Minnesota office, thanks to several grants totaling $275,000. ‘To do home repair work that folks need to either stay safe in their home or get around more easily in their ...

EXCERPT: “Although Minnesota unemployment numbers have been on a roller coaster during the COVID-19 pandemic, the bulk of those without work have been concentrated in a handful of occupations that are directly affected by pandemic shutdowns. This mirrors national employment trends. In rural Minnesota, unemployment is highest for workers in food preparation, sales positions, and office ...

EXCERPT: “The Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED) has announced awards of $4.6 million in Convention Center Relief Grants and $8.54 million in Movie Theater Relief Grants to facilities across the state. These grants were part of a $216 million economic relief package signed into law by Governor Tim Walz on Dec. 16, 2020. ...

EXCERPT: “Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, children in parts of Minnesota without high-speed internet have struggled to log on to remote classes, while businesses and employees who lack broadband have strained to connect to customers and co-workers. As Neel Kashkari, president of the Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis, told Minnesota lawmakers last week: ‘We knew (broadband) was ...