Category: Rural Headlines

EXCERPT: “Like many Minnesota communities, the southwest Minnesota town of Windom has a shortage of homes for sale at a time when more housing is needed to keep businesses and the local economy humming. Homes for workers are at a premium, but the Cottonwood County city of 4,400 residents needs to expand and preserve its housing ...

EXCERPT: “Paramedic Heidi Rennick describes her first COVID-19 call last spring like ‘walking on to a movie set.’ When she arrived at the hospital, there were COVID-19-only floors, red tape and full beds. The challenges have mounted since those first cases, and emergency medical services across the state have adapted with new protocols, treatment plans and personal ...

EXCERPT: “Rebuilding Together Twin Cities — a nonprofit focused on repairing homes for older adults, veterans, and low-income residents — is establishing its first-ever greater Minnesota office, thanks to several grants totaling $275,000. ‘To do home repair work that folks need to either stay safe in their home or get around more easily in their ...

EXCERPT: “Although Minnesota unemployment numbers have been on a roller coaster during the COVID-19 pandemic, the bulk of those without work have been concentrated in a handful of occupations that are directly affected by pandemic shutdowns. This mirrors national employment trends. In rural Minnesota, unemployment is highest for workers in food preparation, sales positions, and office ...

EXCERPT: “The Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED) has announced awards of $4.6 million in Convention Center Relief Grants and $8.54 million in Movie Theater Relief Grants to facilities across the state. These grants were part of a $216 million economic relief package signed into law by Governor Tim Walz on Dec. 16, 2020. ...

EXCERPT: “Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, children in parts of Minnesota without high-speed internet have struggled to log on to remote classes, while businesses and employees who lack broadband have strained to connect to customers and co-workers. As Neel Kashkari, president of the Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis, told Minnesota lawmakers last week: ‘We knew (broadband) was ...

EXCERPT: “Having been rocked by the coronavirus pandemic, cities in Greater Minnesota are calling on the state Legislature to offer them a lifeline and bolster programs that could help speed up economic recovery across the state. In a Friday, Jan. 29, news conference, the Coalition of Greater Minnesota Cities (CGMC) announced its legislative priorities for ...

EXCERPT: “The Greater Minnesota Partnership has selected Scott McMahon to serve as the nonprofit’s new executive director. McMahon is a former lobbyist with government relations firm Flaherty & Hood P.A., and has been with the GMNP since 2017, according to a news release from GMNP. He will lead the organization in its goal of advocating ...

EXCERPT: “Area lawmakers say broadband funding will be a crucial issue in this year’s legislative session, but no one is certain just how much the state will spend. COVID-related regulations and lockdown efforts exacerbated Greater Minnesota’s need for better internet access over the past year, giving urgency to the Capitol’s annual debate over broadband infrastructure. ...