Community Turning Negative Into Positive

It's great to see a community recognized for turning a negative situation into a positive. Our community was hit hard when the state of Kansas closed the former Beloit Juvenile Correctional Facility. Many jobs were lost and we were left with a big hole in the community with an campus full of empty buildings.

Since receiving the campus, buildings and adjacent ag land from the state of Kansas the community has forged ahead with efforts to fill the buildings and now develop plans for future development of the surrounding agricultural land.

Earlier this week a reporter from the Associated Press asked for an update on what the community is doing. Today the word is spreading through radio and TV news stories.

Our community deserves a big pat on the back for moving forward and making something positive out of the hand we were dealt.

Available Buildings and Sites

We are continuously updating information on available buildings and sites in Mitchell County, Kansas. You can keep up to date on these properties via our Facebook Fan Page.

If you have any questions contact Murray McGee at 785.738.2717 or 785.569.1465.

Green Acres!

I was surfing the net this morning and came across a story from the Wall Street Journal describing how young people are leaving metropolitan areas in search of greener pastures in rural areas of the country. You can read the story here.

My first reaction was.....great! I thought how great it would be to have more people moving to our rural areas. We have been struggling with a declining population for over 100 years. But then I read the many posts people made in response to the story. They are from rural residents who do NOT like city people moving in to their areas. They are concerned the "city" folks won't understand the difficulties that come with living in a rural area. And they might believe they can earn a living on a 5 or 10 acre farm. Or they might drive up the cost of land. There are many other concerns or fears the rural people have about welcoming "city dwellers" to the countryside.

Then I thought "What about inviting people from the metropolitan areas" to contact us and invite them to come and learn more about what rural living is really about. It's not for everyone. But for some people it could be a positive lifestyle change.

I don't believe people should rush into making life changing decisions. I also believe we should not close the door to opportunities for both rural and urban residents. With education and understanding there could be positive opportunities for both. I believe the lines of communication and understanding should be open. And if someone from an urban area has a genuine interest in moving to Mitchell County, Kansas. Great! Let us know and we'll work together to see if it "really" is something for you and your family.

2010 U.S. Census Important to Community

The annual census is much more than just counting how many people live in our community. It could make a difference in whether we receive millions of dollars or not.

I recently met with Lech Wisniewski a Partnership Specialists with the U.S. Department of Commerce, U.S. Census Bureau. He is putting together local community teams to assist in getting the community ready for the 2010 Census that will begin next Spring.

According to Wisniewski the last census in the year 2000 covered roughly 2800 residences in Mitchell County. Unfortunately only 68% of the people responded to the census leaving 32% of the people uncounted.Wisniewski said federal funds are tied to the census based upon the number of households included in the data they gather. If 32% of the households are not counted he estimated that we have missed out on $3,300 per household or approximately $3 million in federal funding. Since the U.S. Census is done every 10 years that means we have missed out on $30 million dollars. We can't let that happen again.

The Census count affects federal grant funding for many, many programs. Some of those include the National School Lunch Program; Adult Education; Special Education Grants; Community Services Block Grants; Head Start; Low Income Home Energy Assistance programs, Medicaid Grants to States; Special Programs for the Aging; Community Development Block Grants; Employment Services; Unemployment Insurance Programs; Highway Planning and Construction.

Census questionnaires will be delivered or mailed to households via U.S. mail in March 2010; many households will receive a replacement questionnaire in early April. Census workers also will visit households that do not return questionnaires.The questionnaire will be quick, easy and confidential for you to fill out. There will only be 10 questions and should not take more than 10 minutes to complete. You will NOT be asked your Social Security Number, credit card information or any other private information.


Remember, just taking 10 minutes to fill out a questionnaire could affect our community's chance to receive millions of dollars in grants and federal funding. Take the time to be counted in the 2010 Census.