Dave Ladd of RDL & Associates is our guest again this week talking about the impact of tariffs on trade for agriculture and other American industries. We talk about the importance of being seen as a reliable trading partner on the international scene for our state economy, both urban and rural.

EXCERPT: “When John Landgaard became superintendent of Worthington Public Schools 15 years ago, students of color made about 38 percent of the southwestern Minnesota district’s student population. Not anymore. Today, that number is 67 percent. In the 2007-08 school year, Worthington became the first district in Greater Minnesota — aside from a handful of districts ...

EXCERPT: “Unlike folks working in literature, music and computer software, city leaders don’t mind if others steal their best ideas. That’s part of the reason the Coalition of Greater Minnesota Cities moves its summer conference to different municipalities every year. ‘It’s a great chance for our cities to see both serious and fun things that other ...

EXCERPT: “The Minnesota Department of Health has announced new grants for nearly one-third of the counties in the state to increase family home visiting. The programs serve at-risk families such as first-time moms and families facing challenges like mental illness, domestic abuse or substance abuse by providing a nurse or other trained professional to provide ...

  Dave Ladd, president of RDL & Associates, joins us today to talk about the impact of the current tariffs and trade wars on our economy and individuals.

EXCERPT: “For the past year, I have been reporting on the rural economy – a broad category that has allowed me to write about a labor shortage in parts of Minnesota, the transformation of an old mining town into a biking destination, and the plight of small-town newspapers, among other stories. In visiting about a dozen small towns ...

EXCERPT: “During a time when immigrants are often under fire, the president of the Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis had some nice things to say about them this week. During a two day visit to Worthington, Neel Kashkari said immigrants are helping that southwest Minnesota city grow, something many communities in rural parts of the state can ...

EXCERPT: “Federal authorities are proposing to launch a $100 million program to support telehealth and telemedicine programs for underserved populations, including remote patient monitoring programs that have shown past success in treating rural patients with diabetes and veterans. The Connected Care Pilot Program, announced by Federal Communications Commission member Brendan Carr and Mississippi Sen. Roger Wicker ...

  We talk this week again about the drug crisis in Minnesota and the new research piece by the Center. This time we look at the major cost not just to individuals and families but to society as well, especially at the local level.

EXCERPT: “Nice Ride Minnesota has ended its run in Bemidji, but the program is living on in other ways. In 2014, the nonprofit bike-sharing program based in the Twin Cities started a pilot project in Bemidji to introduce the concept to Greater Minnesota. The Bemidji program allowed residents and tourists a chance to rent an ...