EXCERPT: “Land O’ Lakes CEO Beth Ford called for $100 billion in government spending to expand high-speed Internet access to rural and underserved areas, and close the ‘digital divide’ that is costing residents their jobs, education, and progress. Speaking at the Fortune Global Forum, Ford was echoed by HP CEO Enrique Lores, who said the coronavirus pandemic has ...

On this episode Julie Tesch and Marnie Werner talk about two topics that only come around every ten years, the Census and legislative redistricting. They discuss  why redistricting is so important but has been so troublesome in Minnesota history, the role of accurate census data and how a salamander became a symbol of democracy in ...

EXCERPT: “The gap between city and rural access to broadband has always been apparent, but it was made painstakingly clear during the coronavirus pandemic. In response, several organizations partnered to launch the American Connection Project (ACP) interactive Wi-Fi map. The map provides a free resource to help the public locate more than 2,300 free Wi-Fi ...

EXCERPT: “The nation’s pandemic hotspots have shifted to rural communities, overwhelming small hospitals that are running out of beds or lack the intensive care units for more than one or two seriously ill patients. And in much of the Midwest and Great Plains, hospital workers are catching the virus at home and in their communities, seriously ...

  By Marnie Werner, Vice President, Research, & Jordon Barthel, Research Intern To listen to a conversation with Marnie Werner about this research, check out our podcast – Episode 11: CRPD Research – Census and redistricting in Rural Minnesota. After months of back-and-forth wrangling among different groups and interests the 2020 Census count finally came ...

Our October 13, 2020, livestream provided highlights on our recent report  “Integrating Rural into the New Reality of Health Care,”  as well as hearing from a panel of experts talking about how rural communities can develop relationships with their healthcare providers and help shape their future for healthcare access. Included on the panel were; Jennifer ...

EXCERPT: “Bankers in rural parts of 10 Plains and Western states are showing more enthusiasm for the state of their local economies than they have since the coronavirus pandemic began, according to a new monthly survey of bankers in the region. The Rural Mainstreet Survey’s overall index surged to 53.2 in October, up from 46.9. in ...

EXCERPT: “Minnesota will be opening a number of saliva testing sites around the state in the coming days and weeks, said MDH Assistant Commissioner Dan Huff. A site at Duluth Entertainment Convention Center is currently open and runs Wednesday through Sunday; a facility at Winona Mall will open Wednesday and run Wednesday through Sunday; a facility at ...

On today’s episode, we stay in-house to discuss our most recent research brief. Julie talks with our research intern Whitney Oachs and Director of Research Marnie Werner about volunteer drivers,  a little-known but essential program in rural Minnesota that helps the elderly and handicapped stay in their homes. We’ll discuss who these volunteer drivers are, ...

EXCERPT: “The Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) is partnering with local public health officials and other community partners to offer access to free, no-barrier COVID-19 testing the week of Oct. 12 in Anoka, Faribault, Luverne, Alexandria, Aitkin, and St. Cloud. As always with no-barrier testing opportunities, this testing will be free, available to anyone who wants ...