Category: Rural Headlines

EXCERPT: “For years, city dwellers have had access to an array of apps, such as Apple Maps and Google Maps, to plan their public transportation trips. These options are more readily available in urban areas because of how public transit in urban areas works: transit agencies run fixed routes, and their schedules change infrequently. Some ...

EXCERPT: “Broadband continues to reach more rural areas. Focus on Rural America founder and former Iowa Lieutenant Governor Patty Judge says billions in taxpayer dollars are being distributed across the country to bring high-speed internet access to the nearly one in five rural Americans still on the wrong side of the digital divide. ‘A really substantial ...

EXCERPT: “Two organizations that represent Minnesota cities outside the Twin Cities region hope the Legislature will address several challenges facing their member cities, including stress on Emergency Medical Systems and infrastructure needs. The Coalition of Greater Minnesota Cities and the League of Minnesota Cities, whose requests often overlap, are asking that funding for those two areas ...

EXCERPT: “An estimated 45% of rural hospitals in Minnesota no longer offer maternity care, per a new report. The big picture: Challenging economics and labor shortages are forcing more rural facilities to stop providing labor and delivery services, Axios’ Jason Millman writes. The report, from the nonprofit Center for Healthcare Quality and Payment Reform, found that 55% of ...

EXCERPT: “To Becca Arens, who lives off of Social Security benefits in Willmar, a federal program that subsidizes the cost of internet service or cell service has been a lifesaver. ‘If I did not have that $30 off my internet, I would be hurting,’ said Arens, 51. Without the subsidy, Arens said her monthly internet bill ...

EXCERPT: “Folks in this Mississippi River town hope a new federal program can revive the optimism engraved long ago in a plaque on the side of their hospital. ‘Dedicated to the Future of Health Care in the Tri-State Area,’ the sign declares. ‘May 11, 1981.’ More recent placards posted at the facility’s entryways are ominous, however. ...

EXCERPT: “Federal grant money is flowing in to help farmers and smaller businesses in rural communities adapt to clean energy technology. Minnesota is among the states getting extra staff to help individuals tap into those resources. The U.S. Department of Agriculture is hiring 40 Climate Change Fellows to assist with applications for wind, solar and similar projects ...

EXCERPT: “Those living in rural areas face several challenges when it comes to accessing legal care; challenges that oftentimes affect their health and can prevent them from getting out of unsafe situations. A model that’s been successful in Alaska may address some of those legal challenges. Michele Statz, associate professor at the University of Minnesota Medical ...

EXCERPT: “A common refrain from Minnesota Republicans goes something like this: Rural communities are overtaxed, underfunded and ignored by legislators. Greater Minnesota sends their tax dollars to the Twin Cities, where metro residents benefit from government programs. At a Nov. 15 event in New Ulm, Republican State Sen. Gary Dahms repeated the sentiments that have fueled the ...