Weekly News & Event Invitations
In this issue:
100 Rural Women Podcast Episode #25
Voter Safety: Beware of Election Scams
CRPD Meetings
Rural Voice
October Book Author
Podcast - Featuring Shelly Muñoz
🎙️ Welcome to 100 Rural Women and Their Stories — Episode #25.
In this episode, Shelly Muñoz shares her experience working in STEM education and advocating for equitable opportunities in education. She shares her insights on education funding, policy, and community connections. Discover how her experiences and advocacy are shaping opportunities for rural communities and inspiring women in leadership.
We talk about rural education funding, the upcoming vote on the Minnesota Permanent School Fund constitutional amendment, and what it means for rural students and communities.
Shelly’s story is a powerful reminder of the importance of family, community and education, as well as the legacy of women who inspire change.
Know a woman whose story should be shared? We’d love to hear from you—connect with us at teresa@100ruralwomen.org.
New episodes drop every Wednesday.
🎧 Tune in and be inspired
Voting Safety
Beware of Election Scams
⚠️ Be cautious about emails and texts asking you to “check” your voter registration.
With the 2026 midterm elections approaching, Americans scrolling Facebook, Instagram, X and other corners of the internet may see paid ads, emails and text messages offering to help you:
• Register to vote
• Check your voter registration
• Request an absentee ballot
• Find voting deadlines
• Sign up for election reminders
Some of these websites can look very official — even like the kind of generic civic website your high school government teacher might have recommended.
Before you click or share personal information, stop and check the source.
🔎 Look closely at who sent the message and where the link takes you. Read all the way through the email or text. Make sure the organization is an official election administration source before providing personal information.
For Minnesota voters, the safest place to check your registration is the Minnesota Secretary of State’s official election website and its MNVotes voter registration system. Minnesota’s official lookup allows voters to check their registration status and provides information about next steps if there is a question about their registration.
You can also contact your county election office, which maintains the official voter registration records for your county.
👉 A good rule of thumb: Don’t click a voter-registration link simply because it arrives in your inbox or by text. Instead, go directly to your state’s official election website or your county election office.
Take a moment. Check the source. Protect your personal information. And make sure you’re getting your election information from an official source.
For Minnesota, start with the Secretary of State’s Elections & Voting page: Minnesota Secretary of State — Elections & Voting
Your vote matters — so does protecting your personal information.
Morning Connections
Thursdays@8:30 a.m. CT
☕ Join Us for Morning Connections
Looking for a simple way to connect with other women each week? Morning Connections is an informal Zoom gathering filled with light conversation, encouragement, and community.
Bring your coffee or tea, breakfast, children, pets, or even your work. There’s no agenda beyond taking a few moments to connect with others. A host will facilitate the conversation, making it easy to join in—whether you’re a regular or attending for the first time.
We’d love to have you join us!
Every Thursday Morning
🕣 8:30–9:00 a.m. CT
💻 Via Zoom
Come as you are—we look forward to connecting with you!
Meetings
Pathways After High School: Join CRPD Across Greater Minnesota
Discover what pathways after high school can look like for students and young adults in your region.
Multiple locations available — attend one event or join us at more than one!
Registration is free and open to the public. RSVPs are encouraged but not required.
Rural Voice
JOIN RURAL VOICE 2026
The Rural Voice series, hosted by MPR’s Kerri Miller, captures imaginative and illuminating town hall conversations about the rewards and challenges of making a home in rural America.
October Book Author
Born in Louisville, KY, and reared in Duluth, MN, Laurie Hertzel is the author of Ghosts of Fourth Street (March 2026).
A lifelong journalist, Laurie spent 15 years as the books editor at the Star Tribune in Minneapolis, Minn., and now reviews books for the Washington Post, the Los Angeles Times, the Boston Globe, the Star Tribune, and elsewhere, and teaches in the low-residency MFA in Narrative Nonfiction program at the University of Georgia in Athens. She has also taught at the Loft Literary Center in Minneapolis and at The Ohio State University in Columbus, Ohio, and has conducted many workshops on memoir writing around Minnesota and Wisconsin.
We’ll gather on ZOOM for our October Book Group:
Wednesday, October 14th
⏰ 7:00 PM CT
💻 ZOOM
100 Rural Women creates connections and inspires leadership. We see a future where more rural women lead positive change for themselves, their families, communities, the nation and the world. We are committed to building leadership through networks, mentorship, education, and civic engagement. Our 501(c) 3 non-profit organization is non-partisan.