Central Cass County residents will soon have a new resource for higher education. The Cass County Economic Development Corp. recently received a grant from TDF Foundation of Washington, D.C., to operate a computer lab at the new CLC Community Outreach Site in partnership with Central Lakes College and the Pine River-Backus School District. “The TDF Foundation is honored to be a partner in the Pine River project. It is our mission to bring broadband connectivity, education resources and innovation to the community,” Linda Nickell, foundation director, said. Cass County Economic Development Corp. Executive Director Gail Leverson said growing the educational level will make Cass County more attractive to new businesses. “We at CLC look forward to this being a great draw for students who want to improve their education using our online courses,” Larry Lundblad, CLC’s president, said. The CLC Community Outreach Site will be located at the Pine River-Backus former ALC/District Office at 401 Murray Avenue, Pine River. The grant will provide five new computers, one desktop printer, five MS Office licenses, software and a part-time coordinator to work at the site and assist students. The outreach site computer center will be open Monday through Thursday from 5 to 9 p.m. for twelve months starting in mid-August. There will be no charge for residents to use the site to improve their computer skills or take computer workshops. Online courses from CLC are tuition-based, although the coordinator’s assistance is free.
