The West Central Blogger has moved!

The West Central Blogger has moved to its new location on West Central Initiative's Web site: http://www.wcif.org/.

Click here to join us at our new location.

While you're there,

• Subscribe to our RSS (Real Simple Syndication) feed to get the most recent posts automatically. Just click on the orange RSS button.
• If you are a member of one of our online communities, subscribe to our blog by clicking on the "Subscribe" link. If you aren't a member, anyone can join our "Regional Community" online community.

We look forward to seeing you at http://www.wcif.org/!

Exploring high-demand, high-pay occupations in west central Minnesota

What are some of the high-pay, high-demand occupations in west central Minnesota? A consortium of organizations, including Minnesota DEED, iSeek Solutions, Rural Minnesota CEP and West Central Initiative, compile this information each year to help folks with career and education decisions.
See the results of their occupation research. Or you can request a print copy at 651-201-1521.

Add your two cents at Minnesota budget town hall meetings

On Friday, February 20, the Minnesota House of Representatives and Senate will hold two town hall meetings in west central Minnesota to hear from Minnesotans on Governor Pawlenty’s budget recommendations. The public is invited to attend.

Learn more.

A quick overview of the 2009 American Recovery and Reinvestment Act

CFED has sent out a great overview of the newly passed American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.

A Valentine to you, west central Minnesota

It's a new Web site!

West Central Initiative is pleased to announce the birth of its new Web site, http://www.wcif.org/. It was a somewhat difficult birth (several weeks overdue!) but parent and child are doing well. And isn’t it just the prettiest thing?!! We will continue to monitor the Web site’s health to make sure everything is functioning properly. If you see any issues (links that don’t work, toes that are missing) please let us know.

Brand new and we already feel the need to brag about all the amazing things our newest addition can do:

• It allows us to move functions to one Web site that were on separate sites before, like the events calendar, online donations and our blogs.
• Its events calendar feature gives WCI the capability of online registration. You can also "Tell a friend about this event," see a map of the event location and receive an event reminder.
• The biggest change is that http://www.wcif.org/ now has online communities for the groups WCI works with. Members of our online groups will be able to use them to post messages and questions to each other, chat online with another member, create online photo galleries and file libraries, keep a group events calendar, post surveys and quizzes, and work collaboratively on a document. Another feature in the works is online forums for each group. If you're interested in being a part of a group, we're inviting anyone--particularly those who live and work in west central Minnesota--to join "Regional Community."

USDA has programs to help lower income families with home ownership or repair

USDA Rural Development has funds available for housing programs to help lower income people become homeowners or to make home repairs.

Rural Developments direct housing program offers 100 percent financing to qualified applicants to become homeowners. Its home repair program offers a one percent interest loans for a maximum of $20,000 for up to 20 years based on a household's repayment ability.

Learn more about the housing programs and specific qualifications by calling the Alexandria office at (320) 763-3161, ext. 4, or email allan.cowles@mn.usda.gov. If you're in Becker or Clay County, contact the Detroit Lakes office at (218) 847-9392.

Information is also online at www.rurdev.usda.gov/mn.