Rural development
Biden launches ‘Investing in Rural America’ push with Cabinet officials
WASHINGTON — President Joe Biden and administration officials are kicking off an “Investing in Rural America” event series, starting with a visit to a Minnesota farm Wednesday to announce nearly $5 billion for conservation, economic development and “climate smart” agriculture. Biden, who is running for reelection in 2024, has been highlighting what the administration calls […]
‘The internet is no longer a luxury’: $667M from USDA for rural broadband
The U.S. Department of Agriculture will spend another $667 million on rural broadband loans and grants, the department said Monday, marking the fourth round of Biden administration funding under a program that the 2021 infrastructure law invigorated. Nearly three-quarters of the funding, $493 million, will go toward grants, Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack said on a […]
Rural electric co-ops to get $10.7B in USDA funds for clean energy grants, loans
The U.S. Department of Agriculture will begin to administer two loan and grant programs worth nearly $11 billion to boost clean energy systems in rural areas, administration officials said Tuesday. Congress approved the federal spending — $9.7 billion for a grant and loan program the department is calling the New Empowering Rural America program, or […]
Cheyenne River nonprofit receives federal funding to monitor air quality on reservation
Just over $400,000 in federal funds for air quality monitoring will soon land on the Cheyenne River Reservation. Funds were awarded to the Keya Foundation, an Eagle Butte-based nonprofit that aims to “empower underserved communities in South Dakota through education, social health and cultural renewal,” according to its website. The funding will help the organization […]
Grant aims to grow public health pros in rural and tribal lands
OMAHA, Nebraska — A $1.5 million grant to the University of Nebraska Medical Center will provide free tuition to help beef up the presence of public health practitioners in rural and tribal communities in a multi-state region, including South Dakota. The funds from the Health Resources and Services Administration will go to the Public Health […]
$17 million in federal funding headed to Cheyenne River telecom for rural broadband
Hundreds of people on the Cheyenne River and Standing Rock reservations will soon have high-speed internet access thanks to a $17 million grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture. The grant award to the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe Telephone Authority represents the largest amount offered anywhere in South Dakota through the USDA’s ReConnect Program. The […]