ReConnect Program Webinars FY2022

Interested to learn more about our Rural Development ReConnect Program? USDA will host four webinars covering the ReConnect Program Regulation and the recently announced ReConnect Program FY2022 Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA).

ReConnect Program Regulation Webinar 

We will present this webinar twice. The second presentation will provide the same information as the first one; no new information will be added to the second session. Please register for the session that’s most convenient for you.

Tuesday, November 9, 2021 from 2:00PM to 3:30PM Eastern

Register here!

Tuesday, November 16, 2021 from 2:00PM to 3:30PM Eastern

Register here!

ReConnect Program FY2022 FOA Webinar 

We will present this information twice. The second presentation will provide the same information as the first one; no new information will be added to the second session. Please register for the session that’s most convenient for you.

Wednesday, November 10, 2021 from 2:00PM to 3:30PM Eastern

Register here!

Thursday, November 18, 2021 from 2:00PM to 3:30PM Eastern

Register here!

Slides, a transcript, and a recording of each webinar will be posted on the ReConnect website after each session.

You can also find registration links at the events page on the ReConnect website.

ReConnect Program Regulation Webinar

Presented by USDA Rural Development’s Rural Utilities Service, this webinar will provide information about the ReConnect Program regulation published on February 26, 2021. This rule describes the eligibility requirements, the application process, and the criteria that will be used by USDA to assess applicants’ creditworthiness.

This webinar will include:

• An overview of the ReConnect Program regulation requirements
• A high-level look at eligibility requirements
• The application submission process and key evaluation criteria
• An opportunity to ask questions about the regulation

ReConnect Program FY2022 FOA Webinar

On Monday, October 25, 2021, USDA Rural Development’s Rural Utilities Service issued a Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) announcing that it will begin accepting applications for fiscal year 2022 for the Rural eConnectivity Program (or ReConnect Program). The application window will open on November 24, 2021. In addition, this announcement also details the requirements that have been established based on feedback from the public comment period that closed on April 27, 2021 (as outlined in the regulation).

To support the application process, staff from USDA Rural Development’s Rural Utilities Service will conduct a webinar on the funding announcement.

The webinar will include:

• An awards update from previous rounds
• Program requirements and scoring criteria for this FOA
• An opportunity to ask questions about program requirements and scoring criteria

Additional Information

RUS encourages you to submit questions about the regulation or the FOA ahead of each webinar; please submit them through this form. We’ll address questions as time permits during each session; we’ll include the most common ones on our frequently asked questions page on the ReConnect website (link here: https://www.usda.gov/reconnect).

On October 2, a ribbon-cutting ceremony marked the official opening of the M.T. Art Environment visitor center near Mullinville. Director Ann Dixson said she was relieved and happy that those scissors she held signified the grand opening that she as site steward and director was long planning for and working toward steadily. “We served cookies at the grand opening event that had little hearts on them because M.T. liked to make heart shapes in his sculptural works,” Dixson said. Myron Thomas (M.T.) Liggett became famous for creating politically charged, sometimes comic or slightly infuriating metal totems and whirligigs. He has created a line-up of pieces that grace the roadside essentially of pasture fence along US Hwy 400 and Kansas Highway 54.
Source: Salina Journal

On Friday, Stage 9 Hutchinson volunteers made history come alive as tour guides lead patrons around downtown, from Avenue A to Second Street, to see Hutchinson’s historical sites during their If Walls Could Talk event. Each location provided either a live performance or a pre-recorded performance to teach residents and tourists about each buildings’ history. Hutchinson, founded in 1871, has a long history, with multiple buildings that have stood the test of time. “Imagine!” Stage 9 Hutchinson volunteer performer Rachel Hein said. “This place was once a glittering hotel and restaurant in 1889,” she told the guests of the If Walls Could Talk downtown walking tour.
Source: Hutch News

From Hays to Great Bend to Lecompton, small towns across the state increasingly turn to larger-than-life works of art to inspire pride among residents and attract tourists. And as more towns blaze this artistic trail, the economic benefits of murals — and the roadmap to getting them done — come into focus. Miller, an artist who has lived and worked in Hays for the past 10 years, is putting the finishing touches on a painting that depicts Indigenous bison dancers from tribes who once used the western Kansas plains as hunting grounds.
Source: CJonline

Being tucked away in western Reno County and having less than 100 residents, is not stopping Abbyville from achieving national recognition. Last week, the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association nominated the Abbyville Frontier Days PRCA Rodeo as one of the top five small rodeos of the year. National recognition did not stop there. Two of the town’s natives are also nominated. Haley (Rumford) Bridwell and Justin Rumford are once again in the top five in the nation for secretary and clown.
Source: Hutch News

The interest rate table above illustrates recent changes in a sample of MBIS “investment grade” yields. Every issuer’s credit is different. For rates that may be applicable to your municipality, contact our Municipal Bond Advisors, Larry Kleeman and Beth Warren.