Rural Minnesota

Rep. Spencer Igo, R-Wabana Township, is in his second term at the Minnesota Legislature and serves as the Chair of the Iron Range Resources and Rehabilitation Board.

To be eligible for these new grants, mental health professionals would be required to choose to serve in a rural part of the state.

Every year on March 16, Finns (and friends of Finns) gather in Menahga to celebrate the Patron Saint of the Finnish vineyard workers, St. Urho.

Megan Fitzpatrick and Charlotte Roy have started a petition at change.org with a goal to demonstrate a need for after-hours emergency care for pets in the Bemidji area. Veterinary clinics are facing staff shortages, especially in rural areas.

The Northern Township project would connect properties along Lake Bemidji, including a resort with previous septic problems.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture is hiring 40 Climate Change Fellows to assist with applications for wind, solar and similar projects under the Rural Energy for America Program.

Through a grant from the National Science Foundation, researchers will expand Alaska’s ‘community justice worker’ model, allowing non-attorneys to represent people.

A report by the nonprofit Headwaters Economics found that less than 20% of FEMA's Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities grants went to rural areas.

And: More than 86,000 Liberty Mutual policyholders will receive $7.7 million after an investigation by the Minnesota Department of Commerce, rural communities struggle to compete for federal climate change funding, the DNR State Forest Nursery is now accepting seedling orders, western Minnesota could see its first snowfall of the season today, and Grand Rapids is implementing a new community alert system.

On Wednesday, September 19th at 7:00pm the Rural Voices series, hosted by MPR's Kerri Miller, will host an event called "Growing Good Gigs: Educating and Training a Creative Rural Workforce." The event takes place at the Minnesota Discovery Center in Chisholm and seeks to inspire conversations about the rewards and challenges of making a home in rural America. Trent Janezich, Director of Advancement and Customized Training Solutions at Minnesota North College, joined Heidi Holtan to discuss the event and what the newly-formed college contributes to the rural workforce of northeastern Minnesota. Click the "Listen" player above to hear the full conversation.