Ground Level Blog

The League of Minnesota Cities released a report saying that in five years, cities all over Minnesota will be broke. That should start a conversation.
Nearly 200 people attended an Initiative Foundation-sponsored “community vision” session to consider the future of Brainerd.
The marketing firm Claritas theorizes that the communities in which people live dramatically affect their purchasing habits and has developed a series of categories they call segments to define different demographic groups. Their website allows you to look up any zip code in the U.S. and find the set of consumers that live there.
When looking for volunteers for community development projects, it’s important not to overlook youth residents. Engaging in projects helps them learn new skills, while creating a better community for them to live in.
The Pew Center on the States is highlighting Minnesota’s broadband goal-setting efforts but urges the nation to do more.
Public transit in rural Minnesota is a patchy affair but better than it has been.
The Pew Center on the States is putting out a report Monday on how states are boosting their role in expanding high-speed Internet access.
Headwall hearings brought to the surface an identity crisis is at the core of Baldwin Township — a desire to have better planning, but a large group of residents who are appalled by too much government involvement.
Minnesota’s court of appeals upholds the dismissal of a lawsuit brought against the Baldwin Township fire department for creating a dive team.
Epidemiologist and philanthropist Larry Brilliant, who helped eradicate smallpox, remains optimistic and urges people to act in concert to create a sustainable lifestyle.