_e residents of Nininger Township located near Hastings could have something to celebrate soon, pending even more signatures and some details. DeDee Varner gave _e Journal an update on a recent petition for internet service by Comcast, and Dakota County Commissioner Mike Skavik had more to add on county eorts to help when reached as well. Here’s what DeDee had to share st: “_e residents of Nininger Township located just outside Hastings, MN took the Comcast challenge literally,” she said. “Comcast told Je Neumann that it would take 100 signatures for Comcast to consider providing service to Nininger, a geography that is currently poorly served with internet service from CenturyLink and other smaller providers. A_er promoting the petition and canvassing neighbors, signatures were obtained from 103 households!” With 37 percent of the township’s 280 households reached so far, DeDee said that residents can still sign the petition located at the Little Free Library at Nininger Townhall. _e signatures collected as of July 30 have been sent along with an email to Comcast to the attention of John “JD” Keller, Vice President of the Twin Cities Region and Steven A. White, President of the West Division.

“We accepted Comcast’s challenge, and met that challenge. Now we hope to hear soon from when they will be providing service!” said DeDee. “We need better service to be able to work and go to school safely from home.” Dakota County Commissioner Mike Skavik had more to add when reached about related county eorts to provide internet service to unserved and underserved areas of the county.

“We’re looking to see what proposals come back,” he said of a letter the county sent to nine internet providers in the county to provide service. Dakota County would look to help local providers and residents with improving the needed infrastructure through money from the Federal CARES Act. “We don’t know where or what will be proposed,” Skavik said, adding that the county expected proposals to come back from dierent providers in a week or so.