Local news briefs

Sen. Mary Olson, DFL-Bemidji, will host town hall listening sessions Friday in three cities in her district, including Pillager.

Olson said the meetings are designed to give area residents the opportunity to offer input on issues the Legislature will be addressing this session.

"In many respects, I believe rural communities have been particularly harmed by the policies of the governor," Olson said. "His proposed budget continues this trend - cutting rural Minnesota where it hurts us most, while mitigating cuts to wealthy suburbs."

All meetings are expected to last about one hour.

The first meeting is at 9 a.m. Friday in the Pillager City Council chambers at 306 Elm Ave.

The other Friday meetings are scheduled for 1 p.m. in the Akeley City Council chambers and 4:30 p.m. in the Bemidji City Council chambers.

More information on the listening tour may be obtained at (651) 296-4913.

NAMI winter retreat planned

The local affiliate for the National Alliance on Mental Illness is hosting a winter retreat from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Wednesday at the Northland Arboretum in Baxter. There will be speakers, karaoke, prizes and food. Cost is $3.

Contact Karrie Eckman at (320) 232-9630 for more information.

Grant of $85,000 will help St. Gabriel's form health care network

U.S. Sen. Al Franken, D-Minn., announced Friday that the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services awarded St. Gabriel's Hospital in Little Falls $85,000 to develop a health care network in rural central Minnesota. The Rural Health Network Development Planning Grant will provide a year's worth of funding to develop a coordinated health care network with the goal of improving the viability of the individual providers in the network.

"One of the greatest problems impacting health care in rural Minnesota is the distance between providers," said Sen. Franken. "Creating health care networks is a proven way to combat this problem and provide Minnesotans with the quality care they deserve."

The Rural Health Network Development Planning Grant aims to create networks that improve the coordination of health services in rural communities by bringing together at least three separately owned health care providers to create collaborative relationships that focus on integrating clinical, information, administrative, and financial systems across members.