Category: Rural Headlines

EXCERPT: “Net neutrality rules have the support of 83 percent of Americans, but that didn’t stop the FCC from repealing them on Thursday. Pending a legal challenge, the open internet principles that state every website is treated equally will be gone. In return, more power will be given to internet service providers (ISPs) who could now potentially charge customers to use ...

FROM MINNPOST: “In New York Mills, a town of 1,100 people that passes by quickly on U.S. Highway 10, public agencies are working with nonprofit organizations and a handful of employers to create a day care cooperative that will provide care for at least some children who need a place to go. A center planned ...

EXCERPT: “As Congress considers waiting until January to fund expired Medicare programs, the continued uncertainty already roils rural hospitals. The Medicare dependent hospital program and the low-volume adjustment are among the Medicare provisions that must be regularly renewed by Congress, but expired on Sept. 30, known as extenders. These are mandatory appropriations, but Congress has to ...

EXCERPT: “The retail economy in rural America has been rough for decades. But where thousands of stores have closed in recent years, Dollar General is thriving, sometimes at the expense of local shops. Dollar Generals are discount stores that sell goods from hand tools to hot dogs. They’re reshaping the retail landscape in small towns. ...

EXCERPT: “Hundreds of children in greater Minnesota have a better chance at health in 2018 and beyond thanks to a new series of grants from the Minnesota Department of Health (MDH). MDH recently awarded $4.87 million in additional family home visiting funds to 19 counties and two tribal nations in greater Minnesota. The additional funding will ...

EXCERPT: “In Olmsted County, there is an estimated shortage of 1,082 licensed child care slots, according to recent information gathered by the Center for Rural Policy and Development. In Mower County, the number of licensed child care slots would need to increase by a staggering 82 percent to meet the estimated need. Fueling the shortage ...

EXCERPT: “Aging underground infrastructure problems are widespread in greater Minnesota. Water and sewer pipes are reaching the end of their expected life spans in many places, and there’s not enough state or federal funding to meet the needs — especially for small cities. ‘I think we are on the verge of what could be a ...

EXCERPT: “Only 59 percent of rural high-school graduates enroll in college the subsequent fall, according to the National Student Clearinghouse. That’s a lower proportion than students from urban and suburban areas. ‘It was amazing to me as a journalist—and embarrassing’ to realize that college-going is less common among students in rural America, says Jon Marcus, the ...

EXCERPT: “The Department of Natural Resources, the Metropolitan Council, and the Greater Minnesota Regional Parks and Trails Commission are seeking qualified applicants to serve on the Parks and Trails Legacy Advisory Committee. ‘The Parks and Trails Legacy Advisory Committee plays a critical role in helping us achieve the vision Minnesotans have for use of the ...