Category: Rural Headlines

EXCERPT: “Minnesota is one of the most expensive states in the U.S. to pay for childcare, with the average annual cost of infant care standing at $16,087. That’s according to research by the Economic Policy Institute, which says the average weekly cost of infant childcare in the state is $1,341. That’s high enough for a ranking of 4th ...

EXCERPT: “Red Wing Ignite, a Red Wing economic development organization, was one of 44 organizations chosen to receive a grant through the U.S. Department of Commerce’s 2019 i6 Challenge and 2019 Seed Fund Support programs. On Tuesday, the DOC announced that a total of $23 million will be distributed to the organizations, with other private ...

EXCERPT: “City leaders from communities big and small outside Minnesota’s metro region will descend on Bemidji next week for an annual conference. On July 24-26, nearly 100 officials from the Coalition of Greater Minnesota Cities will meet in Bemidji’s Sanford Center for panel discussions, meetings and networking. Coalition President and Bemidji City Council member Ron ...

EXCERPT: “A pair of Minnesota business development leaders shared with members of Congress effective efforts they’d taken to boost broadband access in their communities and urged the panel build out the infrastructure that helps people connect to the internet. The comments came as the U.S. House Subcommittee on Commodity Exchanges, Energy and Credit discussed broadband ...

EXCERPT: “In 2014, Minnesota was abuzz with broadband. The state’s newly created Office of Broadband Development had opened its doors, and the legislature was poised to give it an invaluable new tool to extend critical access: the Border to Border Broadband state grant fund. Five years later, the competitive matching grants have connected more than 40,000 ...

EXCERPT: “Have you ever had a great idea for a business or nonprofit that would make a difference? The Initiative Foundation of Little Falls wants to hear from you. It has teamed up with the Southwest Initiative Foundation, which is headquartered in Hutchinson, and the West Central Initiative to search 41 Greater Minnesota counties for ...

EXCERPT: “When Karen Olson’s mother was in her mid-80s, her dementia was getting worse. Her physical health was also declining. She needed around-the-clock care, which was more than the family could provide her at home. So, Olson said the family reluctantly decided to move her to the Twin Valley Living Center, the nearby nursing home. ...

EXCERPT: “For people who live in cities, having access to wireless internet is often taken for granted. But for the farmers who live in rural areas of the United States, access to broadband can be a dire and critical need. ‘Thirty percent of farmers don’t have access to broadband,’ says Beth Ford, CEO of dairy co-op ...

EXCERPT: “Kandiyohi County, Minn., is taking fresh aim at a long-sought goal of widening the availability of high-speed Internet service, especially to neighborhoods that remain unserved or underserved. The County Board voted Tuesday to help fund an engineering study that will examine the feasibility of bringing broadband to rural homes and businesses in Dovre, Mamre and ...