The stimulus bill passed last year is still creating projects throughout the country,News 12's Ryan Gustafson tells us how eight communities in southwestern Minnesota just hit the fiber optic jackpot.

A 12 million dollar award, half of which comes in a low-interest loan, will place 120 miles of fiber optic lines between Jackson and Windom, as well as connecting to the rest of the area.Jackson Mayor Mitch Jasper says, "Windom took the lead and brought a bunch of communities together saying hey, we can put together a program that applies for stimulus as a group rather than individuals and all of us jumped onboard and the end results is a 12 million dollar broadband project."More than 50 Minnesota groups went after funding for this type of project, but only two of them received it. But Jasper says the things that helped out the Windom-Jackson group the most were the large tie-in with all the communities, a proven model in Windom's fiber optic network, and some help in Washington.Jasper says, "The only reason this happened was because of Senator Amy Klobachar. She was the driving force in Washington that went to bat for our group."The group expects the high-speed internet to be a major selling point for attracting business to Jackson and the rest of the communities involved in the project.

Jasper says, "This is huge for business. We'll have the highest fast-speed interest in the world - telephone and television with that. But the biggest thing is business. Because without business, you don't have a city."The project is expected to begin when the ground thaws this spring.A non-profit group will be created to collect fees for the new and improved internet, television and phone service.