August E-Newsletter

Grant opportunities, our Feast! Smart Start Program kick-off event and more in the latest issue of Region Nine’s E-News!

 

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MedTech Connect

Madelia Economic Resiliency Plan

April E-Newsletter

Grant opportunities, new staff and more! Read about it all in Region Nine’s April 2018 E-Newsletter. 

 

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Broadband can be life or death for rural areas: How are we doing?

NORTH MANKATO — The threat to rural Minnesota used to be measured mostly by the lack of good paying jobs needed to keep young people staying in or moving to small towns.

Bill Coleman says the presence or absence of dependable, speedy broadband service is now the key to rural Minnesota’s success or failure.

“Even the smallest manufacturer now requires a fiber connection before they’ll move to a location,” Coleman, owner of Community Technology Advisors, told leaders from the nine-county region.

And it’s not just the ability to attract businesses and jobs that requires solid broadband service, it’s become a top requirement for young people considering moving to the area.

“More people say they won’t move to a place that doesn’t have connectivity.”

And he said the use of devices for telemedicine, in livestock and crop production, and other areas of daily life are only going to grow in rural areas.

Coleman spoke at Region Nine Development Commission’s Connect Rural Broadband Summit in North Mankato Thursday.

Continue reading the Free Press article. 

March E-Newsletter

There is an increasing trend of workers choosing to delay retirement, whether out of economic necessity or by choice.
 
“Public policy has encouraged workers to stay on the job longer,” shared Kristian Braekkan, Region Nine’s Senior Regional Planner.
 

 

January E-Newsletter

Learn 5 creative ideas for community engagement, share your story on broadband, and more in the latest issue of Region Nine’s E-News. 

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Madelia Comprehensive Plan Open for Review

The draft of the Madelia Comprehensive Plan is ready for public review. The process started in January 2017 with an online community survey, a series of community engagement events and city council meetings. The draft document represents the culmination of all the public input and community effort.

Citizens are encouraged to review the document by visiting Madelia’s website at http://bit.ly/MadeliaCP. The draft document can be downloaded and comments may be submitted directly to City Hall through January 22, 2018.  A hard copy of the draft is available at City Hall or the Madelia Branch Library.

After public review, the draft will undergo a public hearing process and be considered by City Council for adoption on January 22, 2018.

Questions and comments on the Madelia Comprehensive Plan can be directed to Madelia City Administrator, Jane Piepgras by phone at (507) 642-3245 or e-mail at jane.piepgras@madeliamn.com.

November E-Newsletter

What have we been up to at Region Nine Development Commission? Find out in the latest edition of our e-news!

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