Dakotafire Get your spark here.

Roads topped the lists of infrastructure problems for both North and South Dakota, according to the American Society of Civil Engineers’ Infrastructure Report Card. Thirty-three percent of South Dakota’s major roads and 23 percent of North Dakota’s are in poor or mediocre condition. Read More »

When an Interstate 35 bridge collapsed in Minneapolis in 2007, many Americans were shocked that such a thing could happen in the United States. As people started looking into the state of the nation’s bridges, the bigger surprise was that we haven’t had many more such tragedies. Read More »

From the time they are born, rural children grow up in a culture that teaches them to leave the places they call home. Read More »

It might have been an entertaining puzzle for the town of Hecla if the mystery of their missing water didn’t cost so much. Read More »

In a typical municipal system, every joint, pump, and pipe is a potential weak point and therefore requires ongoing maintenance—and ongoing spending. Read More »

America faces a host of challenges in the coming century, all of which will have profound impacts on the nation’s future growth and development. … In the face of these challenges, though, America is flying blind. No national strategy exists to build and manage the infrastructure system needed to sustain inclusive economic growth and our competitive position in the global economy. Read More »

Topics include the attractiveness of rural places, the expansion of the improperly named Dry Lake No. 2, and the appeal of rural churches in the area. Read More »

“Rural places that tie their economic development resources to entrepreneurship education can help these young people pursue their dreams and, in turn, revitalize, grow and diversify their own local economies,” said Craig Schroeder, senior associate with the Center for Rural Entrepreneurship at the Rural Policy Research Institute. Read More »

Getting drinking water to come into our homes and wastewater to move out, while ensuring the drinking water is drinkable, the wastewater is acceptable for dumping, and all the liquid stays in the pipes—this is the challenge that dominates town council meetings throughout rural America, and certainly in Dakotafire communities. Read More »

America's crumbling infrastructure will cost massive amounts to fix, but it's also costing us if we leave it crumbling. Here's an overview of the needs we are facing and how we can think about addressing them. Read More »