On a cold January night, bidding was hot at the Second Harvest Chef’s Gala. More than 300 Itasca area people – groups of families, friends and co-workers – pooled their money and gathered together for a fun-filled evening of bidding to have their meal cooked and served by local celebrity chefs and servers. At the …
AspireNORTH — a new program of Minnesota North College’s five campuses — shows the exciting changes possible when key institutions intentionally set their sights on coordinated regional impact. Shifting to build systems that work for students – not the other way around – sets our local colleges on a path to offer learning that fits …
For rural communities, Veterans Day is an up close and personal day of remembrance. Many of us count family, friends and neighbors among those who have served our country in times of war and peace, and are serving today. Minnesota author and veteran Diana Oestreich asks that this Veteran’s Day we go deeper than simply …
Like many types of community infrastructure, rural emergency services are stretched to — and often beyond — a breaking point. This Star-Tribune editorial lays out the many challenges facing rural ambulance service, and spotlights some approaches to start addressing them. Reprinted with permission from the Star-Tribune editorial board. For more information about rural EMS and a …
Classes at many college campuses, including our area’s Minnesota North schools, are getting started. The cost of college makes headlines a lot these days – as it should. Students have shouldered an incredible amount of debt in recent years as they pursued their dreams of school after high school, and Minnesota students and families have …
As summer vacation gets in full swing, it’s the perfect time to celebrate our area students – especially the seniors graduating from high school. Enjoy this collection of pics and videos of the capable young people who add energy and excitement to our communities all year long. Seniors – we celebrate this important milestone with …
Homogenous. That pretty much summed up Preeti Yonjon’s impression of her new hometown, Alexandria, when she arrived in 2016. She wondered where the black and brown people were in town. (In a community of a little over 14,000, of whom 94 percent are white, it’s a fair question.) She knows where, now. And she’s working …
Tasha Connelly left Grand Rapids after high school and didn’t think anything would ever bring her back. But after years away living in other states, including Florida and Colorado, the usual things began to chip away at her resolve: family ties, a desire for more community, the lure of less traffic. She eventually returned, but …
As we’ve mentioned before, rural Minnesota has a lot at stake in the 2020 Census. As a leader in community, you can – and should! – take action now to boost your community’s participation in the 2020 census. Here’s how: Check your community’s anticipated response rates – The U.S. Census Bureau posts a map showing …
Across Minnesota, the Minnesota Comprehensive Assessments (MCA) tests are one measure of how students and schools are performing. But what’s happening beyond school walls? How are communities doing to help students succeed? It depends on where you live. Rural Pulse 2019 results show a contrast between how rural and urban residents believe their communities are …