7 results for “rural economic development”
7 results for “rural economic development”
The Idaho Workforce Development Council held a full-day meeting on April 5, 2018, in Meridian, where Vice Chair B.J. Swanson led discussions on Idaho's urban-rural labor market divide. A presentation highlighted that urban Idaho is experiencing economic growth while rural Idaho faces demographic challenges and a "tipping point," with rural workers dealing with counterintuitively high costs of living despite lower wages. Council members discussed workforce migration patterns, commuting trends, and the difficulty rural areas face in retaining younger workers, particularly millennials, due to economic pressures.
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On February 10, 2026, the Washington County Board of Commissioners held an open session meeting covering several items including the Commission on Aging's FY2027 budget presentation, a Community Development Block Grant update, and approval of sole source contracts for cyber security monitoring (Darktrace) and emergency medical equipment (Lifepak35 monitors). The agenda also included consideration of grant applications and awards for family services, a rural health blood program, a budget adjustment for Clear Spring EMS transition, and adoption of a county artificial intelligence policy, followed by a closed session to discuss personnel matters and economic development proposals.
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The Oklahoma Department of Transportation's 2025 budget, authorized through General Appropriation bill SB 1125, allocates $590 million from the Rebuild Oklahoma Access and Driver Safety (ROADS) Fund at its full statutory authorized amount. The State Transportation Fund received a $4.8 million increase to a base of $216 million, including $16.2 million for industrial area access improvements and lake/waterway access, plus $5 million for public transit. An additional $200 million appropriation established the Rural Economic Transportation Reliability and Optimization (RETRO) Fund to accelerate construction and maintenance of projects in rural areas experiencing economic development and traffic volume increases. Senate Bill 1429 repurposed the McClellan Kerr Arkansas River Navigation System Revolving Fund to the Oklahoma Ports Infrastructure Revolving Fund, with the GA bill providing $16.2 million for port and navigational system improvements.
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On August 26, 2022, the Borough of State College and Ferguson Township held a joint work session to discuss a proposed cable television franchise agreement. Attorney Phil Fraga provided an overview of legal requirements for such agreements, and representatives from Shentel presented their company, a 120-year-old telecommunications provider offering fiber-to-the-home broadband, television, and phone services to rural communities. Shentel outlined their network capabilities, including 7,900 miles of fiber infrastructure, and highlighted potential benefits such as significant capital investment, competitive service offerings, economic development, and participation in the Affordable Connectivity Program, with construction expected to begin 12-18 months after a franchise award.
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The Legislative Budget and Finance Committee conducted a study pursuant to Senate Resolution 2011-147 examining the need for public community college programs in rural Pennsylvania, completed in December 2011. The committee found that while Pennsylvania's 14 local independent public community colleges play an important role in workforce development and economic growth, they are not geographically, programmatically, or financially accessible to residents of rural communities. The report recommends that the Commonwealth consider various approaches used by other states to strategically place public community colleges statewide to ensure equitable access to publicly supported postsecondary education.
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