Ground Level Blog

Growth in Minnesota has been focused in what state demographer Tom Gillaspy calls a “doughnut” around the Twin Cities. Upcoming redistricting will likely focus heavily on these areas, bringing more political power to the exurbs.
Barrel maker says it can’t find workers
A Todd County barrel-maker says it has a hard time finding workers.
How Moorhead, Minn., might go from being “unserved” by high-speed Internet access to “served.”
By changing the definition of what constitutes sufficient Internet speed, the FCC has determined that nine Minnesota counties are “unserved.”
State policy binds Minnesota cities on how they can raise revenue, and how much they can tax. And if state aid to those cities continues to be cut, then what will be the refuge for small city budgeters? Likely it will be trimming or ending services.
Baldwin doesn’t have a noise ordinance. Now some residents are hoping the township adds one, while officials wonder if mediation could be enough to resolve issues.
A study of food supply chains for the U.S. Department of Agriculture shows that the lowest number of food miles doesn’t necessarily result in the most efficient use of fuel.