Prairie People news briefs

AMERICAN AIRLINES ADDING CHICAGO FLIGHTS IN SIOUX FALLS, FARGO, RAPID CITY

American Airlines recently announced that it will begin daily flights to Chicago’s O’Hare International Airport from Sioux Falls, Fargo and Rapid City in 2010 on regional carrier American Eagle. American will add three daily roundtrip flights to Chicago from Sioux Falls and Fargo and two seasonal daily flights to Chicago from Rapid City during the summer.

SOUTH DAKOTA LEADS NATION IN BUSINESS TAX CLIMATE

The Tax Foundation’s 2010 State Business Tax Climate Index found that South Dakota once again had the nation’s most business-friendly tax system. The index measures the competitiveness of the tax systems in the 50 states and ranks states according to corporate income, individual income, sales, property and unemployment insurance taxes. Wyoming was second and Montana was sixth in the rankings. North Dakota was 25th and Minnesota was 43rd, three spots ahead of Iowa.

NORTH DAKOTA STATE'S CHAPMAN TO RESIGN AS PRESIDENT

Joseph Chapman, the president of North Dakota State University, announced his resignation in mid October. Chapman’s resignation will take effect on January 2. Chapman has been NDSU’s president for 11 years and has been credited with helping to increase research spending, boosting enrollment, helping to lead the school’s move to Division I athletics and increasing fundraising efforts. Chapman said he had originally planned to retire in the spring. But he said he announced his retirement earlier than planned after questions about cost overruns on NDSU’s new president’s house, compensation and benefits and the use of university foundation funds created distractions that he said made it difficult to do his job effectively.

BISMARCK, FARGO, RAPID CITY, SIOUX FALLS RANKED AMONG TOP CITIES

Four cities in the region were ranked in the top five in a national list of the best smaller metropolitan areas for small business startups. Bismarck was second, Fargo was third, Rapid City was fourth and Sioux Falls was fifth in a recent FORTUNE Small Business magazine ranking of the best places in the nation to start a business. Grand Forks, ND, was also 13th in the rankings.

FARGO'S DOWNTOWN NAMED ONE OF NATION'S BEST NEIGHBORHOODS

Downtown Fargo has been named one of the country’s top 10 neighborhoods by the American Planning Association. The organization mentioned the historic character of downtown Fargo and successful revitalization efforts as reasons for the city making the list. Fargo’s downtown has been transformed with the help of more than $100 million in public and private investment, renovating and restoring older buildings and creating a vibrant downtown community.

MINNESOTA SMALL BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION OFFICE APPROVES $431 MILLION IN LOANS

The U.S. Small Business Administration district office in Minnesota had approved 1,235 7(a) and 504 loans supporting $431 million in loans in the state as of October 13 since the Recovery Act was signed into law. Since March, Minnesota’s average weekly loan volume had increased by 120 percent in dollar volume compared to January and February volumes. Minnesota’s SBA office ranked seventh in the nation in the number of 504 Certified Development Company loans approved with 230 loans worth $115 million in fiscal year 2009.

FORBES SPEAKS AT SIOUX FALLS CHAMBER'S ANNUAL MEETING

Steve Forbes, the chairman and CEO of Forbes Media and the editor in chief of Forbes magazine, was the featured speaker at the Sioux Falls Area Chamber of Commerce’s annual meeting on October 20. Forbes addressed chamber members and guests during the chamber’s 103rd annual meeting at the Sioux Falls Convention Center. Forbes spoke about how to navigate the current economy, grow a business and be successful.

NORTH DAKOTA LEADS NATION IN PERSONAL INCOME GROWTH

A strong agriculture industry helped North Dakota lead the nation in personal income growth during the second quarter of 2009. North Dakota’s personal income increased by 1.5 percent in April, May and June, according to estimates released last month by the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis. The national average was a 0.2 percent growth rate, the first national personal income growth in a year, although the U.S. average’s increase was offset by inflation.

NORTH DAKOTA HERITAGE CENTER EXPANSION PLANNED IN BISMARCK

A future 97,000-square-foot addition will nearly double the size of the North Dakota Heritage Center in Bismarck. The expansion project, which is expected to start in the summer of 2010 and be completed by 2012, will increase its exhibit and collection space, add state-of-the-art research technology, improve public amenities and add additional office and support space. The addition will also move the main entrance to a prominent corner location and will feature a limestone exterior. The North Dakota Heritage Center’s expansion has been designed by Minneapolis-based HGA Architects and Engineers in partnership with Lightowler Johnson Associates, which has offices in Fargo and Bismarck.

SOUTH DAKOTA COMMUNITIES, STATE RECRUIT MEDICAL DEVICE COMPANIES

The South Dakota Governor’s Office of Economic Development has joined forces with 11 communities across South Dakota to help bring more businesses to the state and has specifically targeted medical device manufacturers as one of their top priorities. Leaders from the 11 communities and the governor’s economic development office attended the Medical Design and Manufacturing trade show in Minneapolis in late October as a unified group. Representatives from the cities of Sioux Falls, Rapid City, Brookings, Aberdeen, Madison, Mitchell, Pierre, Vermillion, Watertown, Yankton and North Sioux City attended the trade show as well as economic development officials from Lincoln and Minnehaha counties in the Sioux Falls area.

UNIVERSITY OF NORTH DAKOTA LAUNCHES NATION'S FIRST UAS PROGRAM

The University of North Dakota’s John Odegard School of Aerospace Sciences has become the nation’s first educational institution to offer an undergraduate major in Unmanned Aircraft Systems Operations. The university’s new program that was launched in August, addresses increasing demand for qualified pilots and sensor operators in the UAS field of aircraft that are controlled remotely by personnel on the ground.

BRAINERD, MN, SITE RECEIVES DEED SHOVEL-READY CERTIFICATION

The 34-acre Brainerd Industrial Park in Brainerd became one of the first three communities in Minnesota to achieve Shovel Ready Certification from the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED) last month for new business and industry development sites. Shovel-ready sites refer to commercial and industrial sites that have completed all the planning, zoning, surveys, title work, environmental studies, soils analysis and public infrastructure engineering before offering the site for sale. The sites also must be under the legal control of a community or in partnership with a third party to qualify.

SOUTH DAKOTA'S HERSETH SANDLIN HOSTS VILSACK FOR RURAL ISSUES FORUM

Stephanie Herseth Sandlin, a member of the U.S. House of Representatives from South Dakota, hosted U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack for a rural issues forum at a farm near Bath, SD, in October. An estimated crowd of 300 attended the forum, which touched on issues ranging from Farm Bill implementation and economic issues impacting livestock producers to biofuels production and ethanol regulations.

SANFORD USD MEDICAL CENTER, MERITCARE NAMED TOP HOSPITALS

Sanford USD Medical Center in Sioux Falls and Fargo’s MeritCare Medical Center were recognized as two of the nation’s top hospitals when they were named 2009/2010 Consumer Choice Award selections for the fourth year in a row by the National Research Corporation last month. The list identifies hospitals chosen by consumers as exhibiting the highest in quality and image in more than 300 U.S. markets. A total of 3,200 hospitals were identified by consumers in the survey that polled more than 250,000 households representing 450,000 health care consumers in the contiguous 48 states and the District of Columbia. The winning hospitals ranked the highest in Core Based Statistical Areas as defined by the U.S. Census Bureau.

NEW NORTH DAKOTA TRADE OFFICE LOCATION DEDICATED IN FARGO

Governor John Hoeven participated in a dedication ceremony early last month to mark the opening of the North Dakota Trade Office’s new office in Fargo. The trade office’s headquarters is located in North Dakota State University’s Richard H. Barry Hall. The North Dakota Trade Office is also a partner in North Dakota State’s Center for Global Initiatives and Leadership, which will leverage the resources of the trade office and university in an attempt to expand the state’s international business opportunities and better prepare students for the global marketplace.

ADDITIONS AND RENOVATIONS PLANNED FOR FOSSTON, MN, MEDICAL FACILITY

The First Care Medical facility in Fosston, MN, will undergo renovations to integrate the existing clinic with the hospital. The 18-month phased project is currently in the pre-construction phase and full construction is expected to begin in the spring. The project will include adding a new surgery suite, changes to the registration area for the combined clinic and hospital, relocating and expanding labs and relocating the medical records area. The Bemidji, MN, office of the Kraus-Anderson Construction Company is providing master planning assistance and general contracting services for the project.

NEW TARGET RETAIL STORE OPENS IN SIOUX FALLS

Minneapolis-based Target Corporation opened its second retail store in Sioux Falls last month. The new Target is located in the Shoppes at Dawley Farm development on the city’s east side near the intersection of highways 42 and 11. Kohl’s, Subway and Famous Footwear have also committed to join the retail development. The new Target has nearly 135,000 square feet and includes a pharmacy, photo department, grocery aisles and a Starbucks coffee shop inside the store. The new Sioux Falls location is one of 26 new Target stores that held grand opening celebrations on October 11.

WILLISTON STATE COLLEGE BREAKS GROUND ON NEW TECHNICAL EDUCATION

A groundbreaking ceremony was held in late October for the new Career and Technical Education building on the Williston State College campus. The facility will be used as the center for a number of trade technology programs, including welding and diesel technology. It will also house new programs like residential construction that are currently not available in the Williston area. All programs at the facility will also be available to high schools in northwest North Dakota as dual credit. The $6 million construction project will be funded with $5 million from the Permanent Oil Tax Trust Fund and $1 million in local funds. EAPC Architects Engineers is the architect for the project. The building is expected to be completed in time for the start of the 2010 fall semester.

AE2S RANKED AMONG BEST CIVIL ENGINEERING FIRMS TO WORK FOR IN SURVEY

Grand Forks, ND-based Advanced Engineering and Environmental Services was recently ranked sixth overall in a listing of the “Best Civil Engineering Firm to Work For” by management consulting and research firm ZweigWhite and engineering media specialists Stagnito Media. AE2S was also ranked as the second-best civil engineering firm to work for in the small firm category, which includes companies of fewer than 100 employees. AE2S, which has locations in Grand Forks, Bismarck, Fargo, Williston, ND, Moorhead, MN, Minneapolis, Great Falls, MT, and Kalispell, MT, was the only Midwestern firm represented in the “Top Ten Civil Engineering” category.

CONSTRUCTION BEGINS ON SANFORD HEART HOSPITAL IN SIOUX FALLS

Sioux Falls-based Sanford Health broke ground for a new heart hospital in Sioux Falls in early October. The 205,000-square-foot Sanford Heart Hospital will have 58 inpatient beds, cardiovascular operating rooms, catheterization labs and clinic and outpatient services. The new heart hospital will also include physician offices, surgical services, and consultation services. The goal of the new facility is to make heart care more easily accessible to patients with a number of services offered in one location.

SOUTH DAKOTA'S NEWEST NURSING HOME UNDER CONSTRUCTION

A groundbreaking was held in mid October for the Sanford Mid-Dakota Medical Center in Chamberlain, SD. The facility will be the first nursing home built in South Dakota since 2001. The Sanford Mid-Dakota Medical Center, which will have room for 44 residents, is expected to be completed by late 2010. Total investment in the project is more than $5 million, including nearly $850,000 raised from a local capital campaign.

QUIN WIND OPENS OFFICE IN SIOUX FALLS

Quin Wind, a general contractor for wind energy projects, has opened up an office at the South Dakota Technology Business Center in Sioux Falls. Quin Wind recently announced its first project — a $40 million project for Idaho Wind Energy, LLC that will be located near Hagerman, ID. The project is expected to be completed in May 2010. Quin Wind will oversee construction on the project. Tim Schut, the company’s chief operating officer, has been visiting with national wind project developers in an attempt to drum up additional business.

WILLISTON, ND, RANKED AMONG THE BEST PLACES TO RETIRE

USA Weekend Magazine has ranked Williston, ND, 13th on a national listing of the top 20 cities to retire. The listings examined the benefits of smaller towns that displayed great value. The rankings were based on recreation, weather, health resources, crime and cost of living.

SENATOR DORGAN HOSTS RESEARCH CORRIDOR SUMMIT IN FARGO

Jill Tarter, the director of the Center for Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence, was the keynote speaker at the Milestones & Horizons conference on October 12 in Fargo. The conference was hosted by U.S. Senator Byron Dorgan of North Dakota and was designed to create, innovate and celebrate the progress made in the Red River Valley Research Corridor initiative. The Red River Valley Research Corridor has helped to attract more than $586 million in federal research since Dorgan initiated it nearly seven years ago. Dorgan said North Dakota was ranked third by the National Science Foundation in growth for federal research funds between 2003 and 2007. North Dakota was also the third-fastest growing state in federal obligations for science and engineering from fiscal year 2002 to fiscal year 2006.

OTTERTAIL, MN, BUILDING PROJECT GAINS LEED SILVER CERTIFICATION

An operations center in Ottertail, MN, recently earned Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design silver level certification from the U.S. Green Building Council for using sustainable building principles. Fargo’s Shultz & Associates served as project architect on the project that also won a Green Building of America Award. The operations center serves as a centrally-located command post for the sheriff’s department and as an emergency operations center for disaster recovery.

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