News

Support Our Local Businesses on Small Business Saturday

Thursday, November 10, 2022

For many people in our community, their favorite shopping memories have occurred when visiting a small business downtown. There is something special about shopping at a local store where the owners greet you by name, swap stories with you, and ask about the kids. You can’t find that experience everywhere, but you can find it here. Small Business Saturday is an opportunity to recognize local small businesses for the positive contribution they make to our lives – during the holidays and all year long. Why We Support Local Businesses on Small Business Saturday Ideally, community members would shop locally all year lon...

Celebrating Manufacturers’ Month in Long Prairie - Manufacturers’ Breakfast with Minnesota Fresh

Wednesday, October 12, 2022

An economy with a vibrant manufacturing base leads to more research and development, innovation, productivity, exports, and middle-class jobs. It has been seen that manufacturing jobs in a community help to raise living standards, sometimes more than in any other sector. Kicking off on Manufacturing Day — Friday, October 1 — and continuing throughout the month of October, we celebrate companies in the community for their employment opportunities and innovations that grow our economy. Manufacturing Day and Month celebrate modern manufacturing and are meant to inspire the next generation of manufacturers across the country. Launched annually on the first Friday in Octobe...

National Inventors Month: It’s all about an innovative spirit

Thursday, September 01, 2022

National Inventors Month falls in the month of August each year and is dedicated to recognizing the contributions of inventors everywhere. It encourages each one of us, in our own ways, to be innovative too! When we think of inventors, we are usually reminded of people like Alexander Graham Bell or Henry Ford. Of course, these inventors made an impressive impact on our lives. However, in an age of gadgets and electronics, there is incredible progress being made every single day. A lot of technological innovation is taken for granted. In fact, every technological invention is affecting every facet of ou...

Main Street Revitalization in Long Prairie with help from the Initiative Foundation

Tuesday, August 02, 2022

Formed in 1986 by a partnership of regional leaders and The McKnight Foundation, the Initiative Foundation is one of six Minnesota Initiative Foundations serving Greater Minnesota. Independent and responsive to local needs and opportunities, each Foundation was created to strengthen its regional economy and communities. The MIF partners share ideas while investing in business loans, nonprofit grants, programs, and donor services. The MIF model is unique to Minnesota. No other U.S. state has a similar foundation network that unites community and economic development. Our Service Area The Initiative Foundation’s 14-county service area includes Todd County and the sovereign native nations of th...

Harmony Park in Long Prairie - Promoting harmony in a diverse community

Tuesday, July 12, 2022

Region Five Development Commission received a grant from the Northwest Area Foundation to work with 6 communities within the five-county region. This led to the formation of the Welcoming Community Advisory Groups, who met every quarter, spending 1 ½ years together, to talk about ways to help create welcoming spaces, processes, and initiatives within themselves, the organizations they serve, and the communities they live in. Each community was given a $10,000 grant to produce a project or program that would exemplify how the community is creating a welcoming place. Harmony Park was the project that the Long Prairie Welcoming Advocac...

Infrastructure replacement in Long Prairie - For a safe and sustainable community

Thursday, June 30, 2022

Infrastructure is the basic equipment and structures -such as roads, bridges, buildings, water lines, and sewer systems are essential for functional, healthy, and vibrant communities. In order to function properly, infrastructure must be maintained, repaired, or replaced at the end of its life cycle. Because stormwater runoff has become one of the leading causes of water pollution in urban environments, community leaders and decision-makers are faced with making decisions on how to best manage stormwater in their communities. The City of Long Prairie has always believed that its people should live in a safe, sustainable, and beautiful community. The cit...