Category: Rural Headlines

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 ...

EXCERPT: “Lt. Governor Tina Smith and the Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED) announced the 2017 Border to Border Broadband Grant recipients. The grants total $26 million for 39 broadband infrastructure projects that will provide 9,973 households, 2,169 businesses, and 60 community institutions across Minnesota access to reliable, affordable high-speed Internet . . .The ...

EXCERPT: “This fall, 98 school districts in Minnesota asked voters to approve referendums to support everything from reducing class sizes and avoiding staff cuts to investing in building upgrades, construction projects, safety improvements and technology . . . Despite the success that many districts celebrated last week, (the Minnesota School Boards Association’s Greg) Abbott took note ...

EXCERPT: “When most transportation wonks predict how self-driving vehicles will be used in the not-too-distant future, it sounds a lot like how people currently get a ride through Uber or Lyft — just without the driver . . . But that model is designed primarily for cities or suburbs where lots of people live relatively ...

EXCERPT: “The story is that greater Minnesota loses population because there are not enough jobs. However, many greater Minnesota communities actually have plenty of jobs, leaving areas short of housing for workers that businesses and industries need. Some industries have resorted to busing in workers and some have helped finance housing in an effort to ...

EXCERPT: “Just as it took an extra taxpayer push to get electricity to rural areas, so too will rural internet service be delivered on the backs of the collective. Thousands more rural Minnesotans and businesses will soon have access to high-speed internet with the help of $26 million in state grants for 39 projects around ...

EXCERPT: “U.S. Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue today announced that USDA provided more than $1 billion in Fiscal Year 2017 to help improve access to health care services for 2.5 million people in rural communities in 41 states. ‘USDA invests in a wide range of health care facilities – such as hospitals, clinics and treatment centers – ...

EXCERPT: “When Ajit Pai became chair of the Federal Communications Commission earlier this year, he pledged to make bridging the digital divide a top priority. Thursday, the commission took several steps that could worsen the divide, by making it harder for poor and rural Americans to access telecom services. In particular, the agency said it is considering ...