Ground Level Blog

Mobile broadband boosts Minnesota access figures
Those tracking broadband speeds in Minnesota say some mobile service recipients have fast enough connections to count toward the state goal of ubiquitous high-speed Internet connections by 2015. As a result, three-quarters of households now have access, by that definition.
Feds: Rural job growth flat
As we were wrapping up work in International Falls this week for the Daily Circuit special “Rethinking a Company Town,” the federal Economic Research Service put out a sobering view of rural employment. This is how our friends at the Daily Yonder put it: “Folks looking for good news in the 2013 “Rural America at Read more →
We’re doing a live chat while the Daily Circuit – Ground Level special on International Falls is being broadcast this morning. Go here to take part.
Houseboat captain says get behind tourism in International Falls
Bill Dougherty runs a houseboat rental business on Rainy Lake and he thinks he’d benefit if International Falls and Koochiching County put more effort into promoting tourism.
Nice guy mends fences between Voyageurs and International Falls
Voyageurs National Park Superintendent Mike Ward is exactly the kind of person who can bring nature-loving tourists and International Falls residents together.
Willing success in the back room of the Coffee Landing
We invited nine International Falls residents — natives, newcomers, left-and-came-backers, old, young, layoff sufferers and entrepreneurs — to the back room at the Coffee Landing to share with us and themselves the hopes and misgivings they have for this place.
Koochiching economic development director takes shotgun approach
Koochiching Economic Development Authority Director Paul Nevanen is exploring all avenues to diversify the job base in International Falls, from manufacturing to entrepreneurism.