Ground Level Reviving Minnesota Relics

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The company that is the biggest source of good-paying jobs in the northern Minnesota community of International Falls has cut more than 200 positions from its workforce. So the town of 6,400 is absorbing the economic and cultural blow and starting the long slog of figuring out what its future might hold.

MPR News' Ground Level wants to help the conversation about that future. You can see what others have said by clicking on the "Read the Conversation" tab above and you can provide your own insights by clicking on the "Join the Conversation" tab above. Listen to the live discussion from November 15, 2013

Koochiching economic development director takes shotgun approach

Willing success in the back room of the Coffee Landing

We invited nine International Falls residents — natives, newcomers, left-and-came-backers, old, young, layoff sufferers and entrepreneurs — to the back room at a coffee shop to talk with us.

Rethinking a company town: International Falls tries to forge new future

The Daily Circuit: A special program

People making a difference

If International Falls succeeds in reinventing itself, these are the some of the people who will be responsible for change.

Houseboat captain says get behind tourism in International Falls

Bill Dougherty runs a houseboat rental business on Rainy Lake and he thinks he'd benefit if International Falls and Koochiching County put more effort into promoting tourism.

Library director says International Falls needs to "destroy the box"

To keep International Falls vital, Library Director Diane Adams is helping kids explore their dreams and consider new career paths

Nice guy mends fences between Voyageurs and International Falls

Voyageurs National Park Superintendent Mike Ward is exactly the kind of person who can bring nature-loving tourists and International Falls residents together.

Koochiching economic development director takes shotgun approach

Koochiching Economic Development Authority Director Paul Nevanen is exploring all avenues to diversify the job base in International Falls, from manufacturing to entrepreneurism.

Businesswoman returned to International Falls for family support and cheap rent

If International Falls succeeds in creating a more entrepreneurial culture, it will need more people like RaeAnne Conat.

From the Blog

Last days for many at the Boise paper mill in International Falls

As layoffs loom at the Boise paper mill in International Falls, workers look for new jobs and retraining.

In Photos: Reinventing International Falls

As the Boise Inc. plant reduces production, and eliminates some 265 high-paying manufacturing jobs, what happens next? What happens when a major employer makes a decision that, at the least, leaves a quarter-billion-dollar hole in the local economy?

As Boise layoffs hit, trying to make new jobs in International Falls

By the end of this coming Monday, 265 workers will have lost their jobs at the Boise paper mill in International Falls. That has people in the city talking about diversifying the economy.

Can International Falls reinvent itself?

We asked International Falls residents how they might reinvent the community in the wake of a declining paper industry. We heard everything from using the great-tasting water for beer to hoping an entrepreneurial graduate comes back with a big idea.

Boise to sell to PCA, impact on International Falls plant uncertain

Boise Inc. is expected to sell to Illinois-based Packaging Corporation of America by the end of the year, potentially affecting the paper mill in International Falls. The city's mayor Bob Anderson said this could be a positive turn for the plant, which is in the midst of significant layoffs.

What is next for International Falls?

MPR News' Ground Level project is interested in exploring how the International Falls area responds to pending job reductions at the Boise paper mill. We'd like you to help us with our coverage of the job cuts, their impact on the economy and culture of the community and how residents respond. Read their thoughts below. And if you have an approach to share, click here and add to the insights.

Ground Level: a Minnesota Public Radio News project examining community issues across Minnesota

We identify topics that are significant and complex and that play out uniquely at the local level. We want to explore those issues in which people taking action in their communities make a difference and can serve as guides for others.

Ground Level launched in early 2010 and shines a light on a variety of topics, from the growing complexity of Minnesota's local food system to cities preparing for new fiscal realities, from exurban growth in Baldwin Township to the quest to expand broadband access across the state.

We experiment with coverage on a variety of platforms. This includes text, audio and video online, of course - the Ground Level blog, a series of topics pages and social networking, for example. It also includes on-air coverage, public forums both virtual and real-world and collaboration with community-based media.

Our audience consists of Minnesotans interested in community life, particularly those who are taking an active part in it or helping others do the same.

Ground Level is very much an experiment -- in finding ways to learn about and tell stories, in working with other organizations, in walking up to the line between providing insight and advocating specific actions. Our goal is to inform and give people the ability and incentive to engage with their community. We invite your feedback and your ideas, via the blog, twitter at @MPRGroundLevel, phone calls, emails, whatever. Join us.

About the team:

Dave Peters

Dave Peters directs MPR's project on community journalism, looking for ways Minnesota residents are making their towns, cities and neighborhoods better places to live. He joined MPR News in 2009 after more than 30 years as a newspaper and online reporter and editor. Contact Dave

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by the Bush Foundation.