Region Nine Development Commission

The Region Nine Bus Tour is underway! The first stop was The Winnebago Area Museum for lunch. Attendees heard from Winnebago Mayor Jean Anderson and RNDC Board Chair Mike Laven. Tim Stoner from Blue Earth Light and Water also presented on energy solutions in the region.

On to Mapleton!

RNDC staff took advantage of the beautiful weather during their lunch break by taking Mankato’s City Art Walking Sculpture Tour. Turns out, fresh air and public art make for a pretty great lunch combo.

Learn more about the tour at https://www.cityartmankato.com.

Funding opportunity for rural health care providers in our region!

The Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) has released a Request for Proposal for the 2026 Workplace Safety Grants for Health Care Entities. These grants are available to support workplace safety improvements for eligible health care organizations.

Eligible applicants include:
• Long-term care facilities
• Critical access hospitals
• Rural acute care hospitals with 49 beds or fewer
• Medical clinics
• Dental clinics
• Community health clinics

Applications are due Friday, June 12, 2026 at 4:30 p.m. CT.

Learn more and apply at https://www.health.state.mn.us/facilities/ruralhealth/funding/grants/index.html

The deadline to register has been extended to May 29th!

There's still time to register for the South Central Regional Housing Forum. 📋🏘️🗣️

WHEN: Wednesday, June 10, 9:30 a.m. - 3:30 p.m.
WHERE: Mayo Clinic Health System Event Center, Mankato MN
DEADLINE: Friday, May 29 at noon. (Register here — it's free! https://lp.constantcontactpages.com/ev/reg/9qmw4qc)

This forum will equip you with the knowledge and tools necessary to move your community's housing vision forward. Learn more on our website: https://mnhousing.gov/home/south-central-regional-housing-forum

Sponsored by us (Minnesota Housing), Region Nine Development Commission, and Greater Minnesota Housing Fund. Thank you to our partner, Minnesota Housing Partnership!