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.

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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.

November 21, 2011 4:55 AM

Future of Minnesota cities debated on Midmorning

On Midmorning today, Chuck Marohn, Jim Miller and Dave Peters, three people who think big about cities, debated the future of roads, taxes and police services.

by Jennifer Vogel

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November 17, 2011 2:30 AM

Broadband rewards go to the well-organized

The real action for expanding broadband use lies, not in Washington, D.C., but in communities like those in Minnesota that are tackling things at the local level, says Tom Koutsky of Connected Nation.

by Dave Peters

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November 16, 2011 9:21 AM

Township taxes on the rise

Thanks to cuts in state aid, property taxes now make up two-thirds of the average township budget. Ten years ago, they were only half the average budget.

by Curtis Gilbert

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November 16, 2011 6:06 AM

Hennepin and Ramsey tax notices are in the mail

Truth in taxation notices going to property owners in Hennepin and Ramsey counties this week show most people getting tax increases in the single digits.

by Dave Peters

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November 14, 2011 8:41 AM

More money awarded for broadband in northern Minnesota

Paul Bunyan Rural Telephone Cooperative has been awarded almost $20 million from the U.S. Department of Agriculture to extend its fiber optic network and deliver high-speed Internet access to more people.

by Dave Peters

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November 10, 2011 10:11 AM

Property taxes are rising for most, early estimates show

Preliminary figures show that property taxes for most homes in Minnesota will be going up next year, an MPR News sampling indicates.

by Dave Peters

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November 7, 2011 4:29 AM

Dayton picks new broadband task force

Gov. Mark Dayton has appointed a 15-member task force to map out a set of recommendations for improving Minnesota’s broadband availability.

by Dave Peters

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November 4, 2011 5:38 AM

When forced to choose, how do you decide?

Minnesota communities have different ways to set priorities, from public hearings to surveys to votes. In Edina Thursday, residents sat around a table getting up to their elbows in budgets and taxes.

by Dave Peters