Building North Dakota

State Director Jasper Schneider

Greetings,

This week we broke ground on a new Head Start building on the Spirit Lake Indian Reservation. This was a special event to me as it embodies so well what we do at USDA Rural Development.

President Obama's recent trip to North Dakota highlighted our tribal areas and the opportunities for native youth. Recognizing the need for children to have a safe environment for learning, Cankdeska Cikana Community College utilized our Community Facilities loan program leveraged with a large Head Start grant.

The project also is a strong validation of Secretary Vilsack's StrikeForce initiative. The Secretary's leadership allowed us to further identify issues in this area of persistently high poverty and cultivate the ensuing meetings that helped make this project a reality.

The Grand Forks Herald reported: "In the Dakota language, there is no word for "child" or "children." Instead, there is "wakanyeja," which means "sacred little ones."

I've always believed that the best investments we can make as a society are the ones that benefit our kids.

- Jasper

Children Getting a New, Safe Place to Learn on Spirit Lake Reservation

Head Start students and their parents help USDA and Cankdeska Cikana Community College break ground on their future school. USDA provided a $4.4 million loan leveraged with a Head Start grant for project construction. Read more.

Southwest Healthcare Services

Bowman

Southwest Healthcare Services along with USDA Rural Development broke ground on a new hospital and clinic in Bowman.

More than doubling the size of the current facilities, the new 60,000-square-foot structure will be attached to the existing nursing home. Expected to be finished by the end of 2016, the hospital will be a two-story building allowing for expansion to go upward with future growth. The project will increase the number of emergency rooms, remodel the nursing home and construct a new memory care unit. Read more.

Turtle Mountain Heritage Center

Belcourt

The Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa recently broke ground on a new heritage center that will preserve the tribe's rich culture and unique past. The 5,500-square-foot heritage center will be used to educate with a particular focus on cultural arts, language, customs and history. The center of the building will be circular and built inside a concrete medicine wheel, an American Indian spiritual symbol.

Through the Community Facilities program, USDA Rural Development provided a $1.5 million loan and $50,000 grant to help build the center. The new heritage center will be located near Belcourt and is expected to be open sometime next year.

Announcements

REDLG and RMAP Programs: Six recipients were selected for $6.3 million in USDA financing to support rural business activities that will increase economic growth in communities. Read more.
REAP: USDA invests $147,000 in grants to implement renewable energy and energy efficiency measures in business operations. Read more.
RBEG and RBOG Programs: Eight recipients receive $566,000 in business grants. The funding will provide technical assistance to spur additional economic activity in rural and tribal regions. Read more.
Electric Program: USDA announced $115 million in investments for electrical infrastructure improvements. The funding will help electrical providers increase capacity to meet North Dakota's demand for services. Read more.

Deadlines & Events

Sept.25 - 27: ND League of Cities Annual Conference in Minot.
October 12-13: CTB Women's Business Summit in Bismarck.
October: Annual Financing Resource Tour held to educate about economic development programs. There are several dates in several cities throughout October.
Nov. 12: Application deadline for the Rural Community Development Initiative (RCDI) grant.
Dec. 2015: Applications are being accepted through 2015 for Loan Guarantees under Section 538 Guaranteed Rural Rental Housing Program. Read NOFA.

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