Category: Rural Headlines

EXCERPT: “Children’s Minnesota is launching neonatal virtual care partnerships with six hospitals across Minnesota and in Wisconsin. Physicians at partnering locations now have 24/7 access to Children’s Minnesota’s Level IV neonatal expertise, the highest designation by the American Academy of Pediatrics. Recently, Children’s Minnesota neonatology program was also ranked among the top in the country by U.S. News and World Report . . . Partnering hospitals ...

EXCERPT: “The administration of Gov. Tim Walz is getting closer to finalizing its plan to adopt a set of auto emission and electric vehicle regulations aimed at fighting climate change. But while it doesn’t need the Legislature’s approval to move forward, skeptical lawmakers in both parties ripped the proposal on Wednesday as misguided, particularly for rural ...

EXCERPT: “Fire departments throughout Minnesota are expressing concern about the dwindling number of people willing to do the job. They presented the issue to state leaders Wednesday, hoping lawmakers could help come up with solutions. ‘If we don’t look at ways to try to draw people in, it’s going to be an issue in years ...

EXCERPT: “Far from the big names such as Industrious and WeWork, Greater Minnesota coworking providers are finding ways to make smaller communities and greater distances work for them. From Winona to Moorhead, small local coworking outfits, many sponsored by local governments or nonprofit groups, are meeting the demand for flexible work space. And while they don’t ...

EXCERPT: “In 2019, the Legislature passed a slate of laws to reduce fraud in Minnesota’s largest child care subsidy. Now, state lawmakers are considering whether to give new money to the program and raise tuition reimbursement rates for low-income families to meet federal standards. State Sen. Jim Abeler, R-Anoka, said changes to the Child Care ...

EXCERPT: “In terms of local government aid, 2019 was a red-letter year that set the stage for the Coalition of Greater Minnesota Cities to push other issues it believes are hampering communities in rural outstate areas — most prominently, a hefty 2020 bonding bill to address a deepening child care crisis and numerous infrastructure projects. ...

EXCERPT: “Cities, industries and some livestock farmers could pay more for water quality permit fees under a proposal by the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency. The MPCA says revenue from the fees has not kept pace with its costs to administer the permits, which cover city and industrial stormwater and wastewater, septic systems and livestock feedlots. Most of ...

EXCERPT: “During the last few legislative sessions, several groups that represent cities in Greater Minnesota unified around a major request: more money for Local Government Aid, the longstanding cost-sharing program that helps cities cover their expenses. That campaign paid off as Gov. Tim Walz signed legislation that boosted the amount of money put into the program ...

EXCERPT: “As expected, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) announced on Thursday its new Rural Digital Opportunity Fund (RDOF) for faster broadband speeds in order to help close the digital divide in rural areas. RDOF will push out up to $20.4 billion in funding over the next 10 years to build and connect gigabit broadband speeds ...