Saturday,  March 30, 2013 • Vol. 14--No. 254 • 10 of 33 •  Other Editions

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2012 by the State Archives to provide researchers digital access to unique historical records.  There are currently more than 33,000 images available for viewing.
• The photograph digitization project is funded by private donations and grants. If you are interested in sponsoring a photograph collection, please contact the South Dakota Historical Society Foundation, the fund-raising partner of the State Historical Society, at (605) 773-6001.
• The State Archives is a program of the South Dakota State Historical Society. State Archives staff are available to help assist with research and can be reached at (605) 773-3804 or archref@state.sd.us. For more information, visit www.history.sd.gov/Archives

Partnering with Communities to Alleviate Poverty

• At the U.S. Department of Agriculture we're working hard to strengthen the economy across rural America - and in recent years, we have seen positive signs of growth.
• At the same time, we know that areas of high poverty still exist, and many of these are in our small towns and rural communities. In fact, nine out of ten persistent poverty counties in our nation are in rural America.
• That's why USDA launched the StrikeForce for Rural Growth and Opportunity initiative.
•  Through StrikeForce, we provide intensive care for communities that suffer from high poverty. USDA identifies areas with over 20 percent poverty for the StrikeForce effort. We join together with communities in these areas that are working to build opportunity for their citizens. Our staff partner with local organizations and civic leaders, providing them with technical support and assistance to help them successfully apply for USDA programs.
• Since 2010, we've piloted the StrikeForce initiative in six states - Georgia, Arkansas, Mississippi, Colorado, New Mexico and Nevada.  In these states, USDA has already partnered with more than 400 community based organizations. Now, we

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