Rural development NPR Digital Services RSS Generator 0.94 NPR Digital Services RSS Generator 0.94 Rural development Sat, 15 May 2021 05:15:21 +0000 https://www.harvestpublicmedia.org Amy Mayer The United States Department of Agriculture is seeking public comment on changes that it says will make getting loans for major projects easier for rural communities. Four loan guarantee programs reassure banks that they’ll be repaid when towns borrow for infrastructure improvements such as water and wastewater treatment systems and energy projects. But each program has its own application and specific requirements. The proposed changes ( PDF ) would streamline the process and reduce bureaucratic red-tape, according to a USDA statement, which could make the programs more appealing to larger banks and lead to greater private investment in rural communities. Johnathan Hladik, policy director at the Center for Rural Affairs in Lyons, Nebraska, says the change has potential. For starters, it might make more money for the banks. “There is every reason to think that this was something that was developed with banks in mind,” he said. “It’s going to be important for us to read that fine print https://www.harvestpublicmedia.org/post/entice-more-rural-investment-usda-proposes-changes-loan-programs 890 as https://www.harvestpublicmedia.org Fri, 17 Jul 2020 20:17:43 +0000 To Entice More Rural Investment, USDA Proposes Changes To Loan Programs Jonathan Ahl Swiss Meat and Sausage has been butchering animals and selling meats in a small, unincorporated east-central Missouri town for 50 years. Co-owner Janice Thomas wants to expand, and to do that, she’ll need more business from out-of-town customers. “If there is one place that has some room, it’s with our online ordering,” she said. The community of Swiss has minimal internet access: It’s not high speed, and it’s unreliable. https://www.harvestpublicmedia.org/post/rural-businesses-need-better-internet-access-expand-solutions-aren-t-so-easy 663 as https://www.harvestpublicmedia.org Mon, 28 Jan 2019 20:21:47 +0000 Rural Businesses Need Better Internet Access To Expand, But Solutions Aren’t So Easy Esther Honig A new poll suggests 72 percent of voters, regardless of party affiliation, believe Congress and federal regulators “need to do more” to bring high-speed internet to rural Americans. https://www.harvestpublicmedia.org/post/us-voters-say-government-needs-do-more-rural-broadband-new-poll-finds 592 as https://www.harvestpublicmedia.org Sat, 22 Sep 2018 18:58:32 +0000 U.S. Voters Say Government ‘Needs To Do More’ For Rural Broadband, New Poll Finds Ben Kuebrich Ashley Leal parks in front of the Plains, Kansas, Community Library . It’s about to close, but she doesn’t care. She pulls out her blue laptop. “I’m ... using the Wi-Fi,” Leal says with a laugh. Her home internet was so slow, she came to the library parking lot. Cars often idle there in the evening while their drivers tap into a plodding, but treasured, link to the internet. “I’m just thankful that we have somewhere to go,” Leal says. It’s the only free internet in this small western Kansas town. For many people, it’s the only internet, period. Surprisingly, part of the problem and the solution, for rural areas may lie in Netflix traffic. https://www.harvestpublicmedia.org/post/what-netflix-and-net-neutrality-could-mean-so-slow-internet-small-town-kansas 497 as https://www.harvestpublicmedia.org Tue, 24 Apr 2018 19:23:11 +0000 What Netflix And Net Neutrality Could Mean For So-Slow Internet In Small-Town Kansas