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Ground Level®: Amplifying Community Voices

Your story is powerful. The stories you share with others honor the complexity of our communities while forging a more equitable and vibrant future.

Call 651-228-4800 and leave us a voice memo. If you're more comfortable texting, you can text “Hello” to 1-833-870-4111. You can also email us at tell@mpr.org and join in on conversations in our Ground Level Facebook group.

We’d like to hear your thoughts and questions. Your ideas about solutions. How are your communities? What are you seeing today? And what do you want to see tomorrow?

Note that while we will exercise editorial judgment for language, length and avoiding personal attacks, we will not sacrifice your meaning. We will ensure your main message comes through on air and online.

What will Frontier and CenturyLink do with their new broadband money?

Frontier and CenturyLink could be the biggest recipients of an early round of federal funding from the new Connect America Fund. The money is to be used to extend broadband to rural areas.
by Dave Peters

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New Pew report shows local governments struggling

New Pew report shows local governments struggling

A report out today from the Pew Charitable Trusts says local governments across the nation are feeling a “one-two punch” due to declining property tax revenues and state aid.
by Jennifer Vogel

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Metal thefts nag at rural law enforcement

Metal thefts nag at rural law enforcement

Rural Minnesota communities are experiencing an uptick in metal thefts, especially of copper.
by Jennifer Vogel

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Broadband availability inches up again

Broadband availability inches up again

Three out of five households have access to the Internet at speeds the state thinks everybody should have by 2015.
by Dave Peters

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Bemidji phone company puts fiber on hold

A northern Minnesota telecom cooperative is putting on hold plans to extend its fiber network, citing changes in the way the government plans to allocate Universal Service Fund money.
by Dave Peters

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For volunteer fire departments, recruits can be hard to find

For volunteer fire departments, recruits can be hard to find

In order to draw firefighters to its “paid on call” team, White Bear Lake offers pensions, health savings accounts and cheap houses to rent.
by Jennifer Vogel

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What’s the impact of a health care system like Essentia?

The citizens of Sandstone were unhappy with the way Essentia was running their hospital, so they took a stand and are forcing the health care system to do better.
by Jennifer Vogel

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‘Brain Gain’ study: People in 30s, 40s still moving to rural Minnesota

‘Brain Gain’ study: People in 30s, 40s still moving to rural Minnesota

The movement of people in their 30s and 40s into some rural areas that otherwise have declining populations has continued in recent years, a new University of Minnesota Extension study shows.
by Dave Peters

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