According to the Post Bulletin, Austin Minnesota is the latest community to apply to be the lucky Google group…

Austin Community Development Director Craig Hoium told the Austin City Council the idea came up at a recent meeting at the Hormel Institute. He said several major employers support Austin applying to become one of those test sites. The network would be tested in Austin with no cost to the city, he said. Hoium had already started an application, but went to the council for its blessing. The council gave him just that on a 6-0 vote.

I love to see more communities discussing broadband. We all know the odds of becoming *the* Google community back Vegas seem like a sure thing – but whatever the impetus, the Google initiative is getting people to talk.