Kandiyohi County

Arvig moving forward with broadband project in Prinsburg, Minnesota, funded partially by coronavirus relief funds

December 6, 2021

Arvig moving forward with broadband project in Prinsburg, Minnesota, funded partially by coronavirus relief funds
PRINSBURG—Approximately 500 residents of Prinsburg will soon have the option of purchasing high-speed broadband services. Following the construction of an 8.1-mile fiber network, the city will have access to speeds reaching one gigabit for residents and 10 gigabits for businesses. “Arvig is committed to bringing the highest quality broadband services to rural communities like Prinsburg,” said Mark Birkholz, director of customer operations and southern markets at Arvig, in a news release

Kandiyohi County approves 2022 tax levy with a 1.5 percent increase

December 6, 2021

Kandiyohi County approves 2022 tax levy with a 1.5 percent increase
WILLMAR—Despite the need to hire new staff in several departments, Kandiyohi County only had to raise the 2022 tax levy 1.5% over the 2021 levy. The levy was set at $35,335,704, up from the $34,813,214 approved for 2021. “I am pleased we’ve been able to keep it at 1.5%,” said Commissioner Rollie Nissen. “That has always been my goal, to hold it down.” The Kandiyohi County Board of Commissioners unanimously approved both the tax levy and 2022 budget Thursday evening,

City of Prinsburg takes next step for broadband project

November 8, 2021

City of Prinsburg takes next step for broadband project
PRINSBURG, MN, November 8, 2021: On Tuesday, November 2nd, the Prinsburg City Council held a community broadband meeting at the Prinsburg Community Center to complete the next step towards a fiber-to-the home broadband project in partnership with Arvig. Over 40 people were in attendance, including community members and business owners, City representatives, Arvig Enterprises, Inc., and Kandiyohi County and City of Willmar Economic Development Commission Broadband Committee members. Access to high-speed

Lucky Duck lands in the city on the pond

October 27, 2021

Lucky Duck lands in the city on the pond
NEW LONDON—For a town known as “the city on the pond,” it’s only appropriate that a business called Lucky Duck landed in New London. Located in the former Mill Pond Mercantile building in downtown New London, the 7,500-square-foot Lucky Duck is filled floor to ceiling with shelves of games, toys, puzzles, books and opportunities for hands-on play. There’s also hand-dipped ice cream, popcorn and old-fashioned sweet treats in the two-story toy store with a mission of fun. “We want it

Nova-Tech’s Shrimp Works equipment poised to revolutionize shrimp processing business

October 24, 2021

Nova-Tech’s Shrimp Works equipment poised to revolutionize shrimp processing business
WILLMAR—Giving customers “revolutionary solutions” to help them “feed the world” was the driving force that engineers at Nova-Tech Engineering in Willmar used to develop an all-in-one piece of equipment that performs multiple tasks to prepare fresh shrimp for market. The automated platform, called ShrimpWorks, has the potential to dramatically change how fresh shrimp are processed here in west central Minnesota’s burgeoning shrimp industry and in countries around the world — including

Shrimp is a jumbo business in west central Minnesota

October 24, 2021

Shrimp is a jumbo business in west central Minnesota
WILLMAR—A unique working relationship between a former dairy farmer from Blomkest, two former poultry farmers from Danube and a high-tech engineering company in Willmar could produce the first commercial-scale saltwater shrimp to be born, raised and processed in Minnesota. There are some moving pieces to the puzzle to fit together yet, but the picture looks promising. “Everyone’s watching to see what happens,” said Becky Bruns, who is nearly done upgrading equipment at her farm-raised shrimp

U.S. Sen. Tina Smith visits Willmar to talk broadband

October 22, 2021

U.S. Sen. Tina Smith visits Willmar to talk broadband
WILLMAR—There has been a local, state and national push to expand broadband access into underserved or unserved areas, especially since the pandemic has shown how instrumental it is to have reliable high-speed internet. U.S. Sen. Tina Smith, in a visit to Willmar on Friday, joined a roundtable discussion about broadband to hear and learn about how broadband expansion is going in Kandiyohi County. “I’ve been coming to Kandiyohi County to talk about broadband for a long time,”

Extension of Kandiyohi County local option sales tax for roads is on the table

October 19, 2021

Extension of Kandiyohi County local option sales tax for roads is on the table
WILLMAR—In 2017, the Kandiyohi County Board of Commissioners approved a five-year local option sales tax to fund four road improvement projects covering 10 miles of road and one bridge at a cost of $14 million. Revenue collection began in 2018 and is set to expire in 2022. Mel Odens, Kandiyohi County Public Works director, is hoping the County Board will approve extending the half-cent sales tax for another seven years. “The request is seven years of a sales tax, 11 projects, 40 miles

“Going green” New London lettuce farm branches into hemp industry

October 16, 2021

“Going green” New London lettuce farm branches into hemp industry
NEW LONDON—Despite being one of the oldest cultivated crops in history, the hemp industry—at least in the U.S.—is only just beginning to re-establish  its roots, dogged for decades by legal issues and social stigma. However, in the wake of the 2018 Farm Bill, which federally recognizes hemp as an agricultural crop, and with research confirming the medical efficacy of cannabinoids, enterprising farmers throughout the country are hoping to cash in on the myriad of products derived from the plant. But

New London Township broadband projects receive American Rescue Plan funds from Kandiyohi County

October 8, 2021

New London Township broadband projects receive American Rescue Plan funds from Kandiyohi County
NEW LONDON—The Kandiyohi County Board of Commissioners continues to approve grants to broadband expansion projects, using the county’s American Rescue Plan Act allocation. At Tuesday’s board meeting, the commissioners approved funding up to $185,828 to help pay for broadband upgrades in three neighborhoods located in New London Township and a small piece of Burbank Township. “The (Kandiyohi County and City of Willmar Economic Development Commission) broadband committee has
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