News and Media in Benton

3 decades of making St. Cloud 'a good place to live'

Monday, January 13, 2020

ST. CLOUD, Minn. — For the past three decades, while St. Cloud-area residents attended plays, baseball games or beer tours, Tony Goddard has been working behind the scenes. His first role in the area was in economic development. Then, he served as the director of the Paramount. Most recently, he was St. Cloud's director of community services and facilities. He recently retired from that position; his last day was Dec. 31. Read full article.

Minnesota's Craft Brewers Are Warming to Minnesota-Grown Hops

Monday, January 13, 2020

This article "Do Minnesota-grown hops have a particular terroir? Local brewers think so" first appeared in the Star Tribune http://m.startribune.com/local-brewers-look-to-minnesota-hops/566814492/ Terroir is a term that most drinkers would associate with wine. It refers to the unique flavors brought about by the climatic and soil conditions where grapes are grown and the expression of those flavors in a finished wine. But can the term also apply to beer? An up-and-coming Minnesota hop industry is aiming to find out. Like grapes, the character of hops is highly subject to the place where they are grown. The amount of bittering acids and the types of oil...

Fed policymakers broadly see eye to eye on 2020 outlook

Friday, January 03, 2020

SAN DIEGO/BALTIMORE (Reuters) - Federal Reserve policymakers who last year were frequently at odds over where to set U.S. borrowing costs opened 2020 telegraphing confidence in the state of the economy and signaling broad agreement that monetary policy is right where it should be. In their first remarks in the new year, heads of several regional Fed banks noted a strong job market, robust consumer spending and a rising optimism for a resolution to the trade tensions that had nicked growth in the second half of 2019. And after cutting interest rates three times last year to bring the Fed’s target t...

Making St. Cloud a 'good place to live': Goddard retires after 3 decades behind the scenes

Friday, January 03, 2020

ST. CLOUD — For the past three decades, while St. Cloud-area residents attended plays, baseball games or beer tours, Tony Goddard has been working behind the scenes. His first role in the area was in economic development. Then, he served as the director of the Paramount. Most recently, he was St. Cloud's director of community services and facilities. He recently retired from that position. Read full article.

CITY WILL WORK ON REDEVELOPMENT, ATTRACT BUSINESS IN 2020

Wednesday, January 01, 2020

(KNSI) - As we move into 2020, St. Cloud is looking forward to continuing to help redevelop parts of the city and are working on attracting new businesses. St. Cloud Economic Development Director Kathy Mehelich was a guest of KNSI's Bob Hughes and says it's all about perspective, and she sees a lot of opportunity in 2020. Read full article.

Report: St. Cloud Metro Added Over 1,000 Jobs In Past 12 Months

Friday, December 20, 2019

ST. CLOUD -- The St. Cloud metro area added over 1,000 new jobs over the past 12 months, according to numbers released by the state. The Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development says from November 2018 through November 2019 we gained 1,016 jobs. St. Cloud State University Economics Professor King Banaian says those figures probably don't reflect the roughly 720 jobs lost at Electrolux on November 1st. Read full article.

In Business: Kustelski inducted into Youth Intervention Hall of Fame

Sunday, December 15, 2019

Boys & Girls Clubs of Central Minnesota’s Southside Unit Director Christine Kustelski was inducted into the Youth Intervention Hall of Fame. Nominated for the Friends of Youth Leadership Award, Kustelski was chosen because she stood out as a leader in her field with a tireless commitment to youth. Since 1999, the Youth Intervention Hall of Fame includes individuals who go above and beyond in their service to youth in need and recognizes them for their accomplishments. Over the years, only 86 individuals out of thousands of youth workers have achieved this status. Read full article.

U.S. economy shakes free of recession fears in striking turnaround since August

Sunday, December 15, 2019

Measured growth is expected because of lower interest rates and more certainty after resolutions to some of Trump’s trade disputes The U.S. economy is heading into 2020 at a pace of steady, sustained growth after a series of interest rate cuts and the apparent resolution of two trade-related threats mostly eliminated the risk of a recession. This marks a dramatic turnaround in momentum since August, when some forecasters predicted a 50 percent chance of a downturn starting by the end of next year. Read full article.

China to target around 6% growth in 2020, step up state spending: sources

Saturday, December 14, 2019

BEIJING (Reuters) - China plans to set a lower economic growth target of around 6% in 2020 from this year’s 6-6.5%, relying on increased state infrastructure spending to ward off a sharper slowdown, policy sources said. Chinese leaders are trying to support growth to limit job losses that could affect social stability, but are facing pressure to tackle debt risks caused by pump-priming policies. The proposed target, to be unveiled at China’s annual parliamentary session in early March 2020, was endorsed by top leaders at the annual closed-door Central Economic Work Conference this month, according to three sources with knowledge of th...

Economic Forecast 2020-2021: Moderate And Then Improving Growth

Friday, December 13, 2019

The United States economy will look about the same in 2020 as it did in 2019, but will improve in 2021. International trade presents the greatest uncertainty to the economic outlook, and if that clears up, 2020 will be even better. The demand side of the economy will be a little subpar, giving a small break to the supply side. When spending improves, the supply limitations of low labor force growth and middling productivity growth will return to play. As the demand-supply imbalance grows in 2020, inflationary signs will increase, prompting the Federal Reserve to begin slow, gradual snugging of short-ter...

USDA announces $550 million to deploy high-speed broadband internet infrastructure in rural U.S.

Thursday, December 12, 2019

STANTON, Iowa (KFOR) – More than half of a billion dollars in United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Reconnect Pilot Program funding will be available in 2020 to develop high-speed broadband internet infrastructure in rural parts of the United States. U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue announced that a second round of $550 million has been made available after being appropriated by Congress. Perdue announced the new funding alongside Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds while congratulating the Farmers Mutual Telephone Company of Stanton, Iowa, for receiving $6.4 million in first-round Reconnect Pilot Program funding to connect 477 households, 35 farms and 21 businesse...

Explainer: What the U.S. Federal Reserve will be watching in 2020

Wednesday, December 11, 2019

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. Federal Reserve is expected to keep interest rates unchanged when it wraps up its final policy meeting of the year. The U.S. central bank is currently in a holding pattern after cutting interest rates three times this year to boost the economy in the face of threats posed by slowing global growth and the U.S.-China trade war. But Fed officials have indicated they still see more chance of the economy softening than strengthening. Here’s what the Fed will be keeping an eye on in 2020: Read full article.

Talent is America’s most precious resource—it’s time economic development organizations focus more on developing it

Wednesday, December 11, 2019

In his recent book, The Gift of Global Talent, Harvard economist William R. Kerr argues that talent is the world’s most precious resource. Across America’s network of regional economies, this is undoubtedly true. The collective knowledge and capabilities of the U.S. workforce is worth an estimated $240 trillion—four times more valuable than the country’s physical capital stock and ten times more valuable than all the urban land in the United States. Read full article.

Minnesota invests $412,515 into four expanding plants. Gains 35 new jobs

Tuesday, December 10, 2019

The state of Minnesota's economic development arm is injecting $412,515 into four manufacturing businesses expanding in St. Cloud, Elk River, Bloomington and Buffalo, state officials announced. The Minnesota Job Creation Grant awards have been issued to robotics systems maker Central McGowan Inc. in St. Cloud (120,000); steel fabricator Distinctive Iron in Elk River ($42,474); the high pressure spray gun maker P.A. SpA in Bloomington ($110,619); and lawnmower-blade maker Whirltronics Inc. in Buffalo ($139,422). Read full article.

More Than 31 Million People in the United States (15.6% of the Adult Population Ages 18-64) Are Engaged in Early Stage Entrepreneurial Activity, According to the 2018/2019 United States GEM Report Produced by Babson College

Friday, December 06, 2019

WELLESLEY, Mass. -- The United States exhibits among the highest rates of early stage entrepreneurial activity in the developed world (15.6%). In addition, a great majority of entrepreneurs in the United States were motivated by opportunity in 2018. These are among the findings of the 2018/2019 U.S. Global Entrepreneurship Monitor Report, produced by Babson College. "Entrepreneurship can fill employment gaps in the economy and enable people to pursue the career they desire," said GEM U.S. Team Leader and Babson College Professor Julian Lange. "It is therefore imperative to equip people with the ability to pursue entrepreneurial opportunities and start businesses when they need or choose to do so." Read full article.

One company’s approach to workforce development: Charting unknown territory and emphasizing the fundamentals

Friday, December 06, 2019

The skills that employers require among their employees are changing as technology reshapes the nature of work. In this context, employers must invest in strategies to identify what these new skills are, a difficult task given the fast pace of change and the uncertainty about precisely which skills will be valuable in the near- to long-term. Suzanne van de Raadt is a vice president in global communications at Arconic, an advanced materials manufacturing company headquartered in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, that employs about 43,000 people. This post discusses van de Raadt’s perspective on the central challenge with respect to workforce development: uncertainty abou...

How to give feedback on the 2045 St. Cloud-area transportation plan

Sunday, December 01, 2019

ST. CLOUD — The St. Cloud Area Planning Organization is seeking the public's input on its draft 2045 metropolitan transportation plan. The plan documents existing transportation conditions and establishes a set of goals and projects to improve transportation networks. Projects in the plan become eligible for federal transportation funding. “We spent the last few years collecting data and listening to the public’s concerns about transportation," stated Brian Gibson, APO executive director, in a news release issued Monday. "Now it’s time for the public to let us know if we heard them correctly, and if we are focusing resources on addressing the most importan...

Businesses, individuals honored with Choice awards

Friday, November 29, 2019

Two businesses and two individuals were honored with “Choice” awards at the annual Sartell Chamber of Commerce awards night at Blackberry Ridge Golf Course. The honorees were the St. Cloud-based Central Minnesota Mental Health Center, large business; House of Pizza in Sartell, small business; Jed Meyer, Sartell Citizen of the Year; and Jessica Houle, Sartell Chamber of Commerce Member of the Year. Read full article.

Minnesotans start local version of Harvard program for 'rising leaders'

Saturday, November 16, 2019

Young leaders from the Twin Cities, Rochester, St. Cloud and Fargo-Moorhead will gather at the U this week to explore inclusive economic development challenges and opportunities. For the past five years, 10 young Twin Cities leaders have immersed themselves — along with people from 13 other U.S. cities — in an intensive Harvard Business School program that examines how the U.S. will compete globally with limited resources and a growing socio-economic divide. The theory is that deep, cross-sector relationships are essential to improve education, transportation infrastructure, housing and workforce development, which lead to more widespread prosperity. Read full article.

Sauk Rapids-Rice approves $37.1 million referendum to build new Pleasantview

Tuesday, November 05, 2019

SAUK RAPIDS — Sauk Rapids-Rice voters overwhelmingly approved a referendum to rebuild the district's aging and fire-damaged Pleasantview Elementary School. More than 71% of voters approved spending $37.1 million to rebuild Pleasantview on the same property. More than 4,276 residents voted in the special election, which the school board approved in August. The measure passed on a 3,054-1,222 vote. Read full article.

[GALLERY] New Sauk Rapids Business Specializes in Exotic Pets

Monday, November 04, 2019

SAUK RAPIDS -- A new central Minnesota business caters to pet owners with eclectic taste. Fizards Aquatics and Exotics, located at 115 Division Street in Sauk Rapids, specializes in tropical fish, lizards, snakes, and amphibians, along with feeder mice, rats and insects. The shop also stocks aquariums and accessories. The store, owned by husband-wife team Amanda and AJ Gohman, opened on Oct. 2. Both Gohmans are former employees of now-closed exotic pet shop Fins and Friends in Waite Park. Read full article.

Sauk Rapids-Rice School District Purposes a Referendum to Build a New Elementary School on this November’s Ballot

Saturday, November 02, 2019

After over ten months of holding listening sessions with the community and assessing the school’s quality and future the Sauk-Rapid school district is offering a referendum to the community on November 5th’s ballot which if passed would make it possible for the school district to build a brand new building for the elementary school. This new building would be built on the same spot and has major potential for upgrading the school for the betterment of the students and the community as a whole. The Sauk Rapids-Rice school district officials have discussed this referendum at length and agree that the followin...

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