good to be back

Building North Dakota

State Director Jasper Schneider

Greetings,

It's good to be back! The recent lapse in government funding left our offices closed down and our employees furloughed. However, we are happy to report that we are back up and running. We have a great team that has put in the extra effort to make sure phone calls are returned, mail answered and projects get back on track.

At the end of September we finished another successful fiscal year with extraordinary amounts of funding going to housing, healthcare facilities and to build out our utilities of electrical, telecom and water systems. This team effort with our partners and communities helps to build a better North Dakota and to meet the demands of growth.

- Jasper Schneider

USDA Helps Western ND Respond to Health Care Needs

Bowman - Southwest Healthcare Services received $15 million loan through USDA to construct a new $59,000 hospital and clinic in Bowman. Read Dickinson Press article.

Tioga - Tioga Medical Center will receive a $6.5 million direct loan and a $1.5 million loan guarantee through The Bank of Tioga to construct a new clinic attached to the existing hospital. The 15,000 square foot building will meet the demand of a growing population. Read on.

Richardton - USDA provided a $5.5 million loan to Richardton Health Center for a new 22,000 square foot health center. The facility will split space to provide 9,000 square feet to a 24-bed skilled nursing home and the other 3,000 square feet for a clinic, which will include three exam rooms and one procedure room. Read Dickinson Press article.

United Tribes Tribal Leaders Summit

Bismarck

State Directors Jasper Schneider and Elsie Meeks

The theme of the recent United Tribes Tribal Leaders Summit, "United, We Can Renew the Promise of Tomorrow", was championed by USDA Rural Development State Directors from North Dakota and South Dakota, Jasper Schneider and Elsie Meeks. Both directors attended the Summit and were panel participants. USDA is proud to partner with tribal communities to address challenges and capitalize on opportunities. The summit provided a forum to discuss topics such as: housing, economic development, education, public safety, and energy development.

Dedication of Tribal Administration Building

Agency Village, SD

The Sisseton Wahpeton Oyate tribe on opened a $31 million administration building in the northeastern South Dakota town of Agency Village. USDA Rural Development Deputy Under Secretary Patrice Kunesh along with state directors Jasper Schneider and Elsie Meeks attended the event. The facility was funded with a Community Facilities loan through USDA.

The project replaces 26 individual offices and will serve as a central hub, assisting tribal members with their social, educational, and housing needs. It will serve more than 7,000 members of the tribe that resides on the Lake Traverse Reservation in northeastern South Dakota and southeastern North Dakota.

USDA and Stutsman Rural Water Partner to Provide Water

Woodworth

Stutsman Rural Water held a groundbreaking ceremony to celebrate the expansion of water services in the western part of the county. When the project is completed, more than 700 families will be added to the system.

The water is being purchased from the city of Carrington and pumped through Rural Water lines to provide service to Woodworth. The water will then flow from that point to other areas of western Stutsman County. Phase II is slated to begin construction possibly as early as next week and will extend water lines south of Woodworth to the Medina area. USDA Rural Development provided a $1.5 million loan for this second phase.

Rural Business Enterprise Grant (RBEG)

Accepting Applications

The RBEG program provides grants for rural projects that finance and facilitate development of small and emerging rural businesses help fund distance learning networks, and help fund employment related adult education programs. To assist with business development, RBEGs may fund a broad array of activities.

The application deadline for fiscal year 2014 is March 1st. To learn more about the program, please visit http://www.rurdev.usda.gov/BCP_rbeg.html and/or call the North Dakota office at (701) 530-2037.

Program Announcements

Program Rate Increase:

The interests for the Water and Environmental Program increased starting 10/1/13. See Below.

Poverty Line: 2.125% to 2.750%

Intermediate: 2.750% to 3.750%

Market: 3.500% to 4.625%

Water and Environmental Program (WEP): eight recipients received $9.5 million in loans and $7.5 million in grants for water improvement projects across North Dakota. Read more.

Rural Energy for America Program (REAP):eight recipients have been selected to receive over $200,000 in grants to implement renewable energy and energy efficiency measures in their operations. Read more.

Business and Industry loan program (B&I): two companies, one in Mapleton and the other in Bottineau, received more than $2 million in loan guarantees to support business development. Read more.

Deadlines & Events

October 1: Start of USDA fiscal year 2014
October 25: Co-op panel at NDSU Barry Hall, Rm 126. 11a.m. - noon with pizza provided.
October 28-30: Economic Development Association of ND Fall Conference (Jamestown)
November 12: Rural Community Development Initiative (RCDI) application deadline.
February 18-10: 28th Annual Water Expo (Fargo)
March 1: Rural Business Enterprise Grant application deadline.

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To file a complaint of discrimination, write to: USDA, Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights, Office of the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights 1400 Independence Avenue, S.W., Stop 9410, Washington, DC 20250-9410 Or call toll-free at (866) 632-9992 (English) or (800) 877-8339 (TDD) or (866) 377-8642 (English Federal-relay) or (800) 845-6136 (Spanish Federal-relay). "USDA is an equal opportunity provider and employer."