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‘They’re in trouble’: Enrollment declines straining Minnesota school budgets
Minnesota’s metro school districts are facing worrying declines in student enrollment that will likely lead to losses in state revenue this school year, forcing districts to take on the difficult task of cutting costs during the COVID-19 pandemic. Minneapolis Public Schools enrollment is down 4.4% compared to fall 2019, or nearly 1,500 students, while in […]
Vaccine doses have arrived
Minnesota’s first shipments of the COVID-19 vaccine arrived across the state Monday morning, as part of what will be the largest vaccination campaign in U.S. history. Gov. Tim Walz was at the Minneapolis VA Health Care System at around 9 a.m. when the medical center received a shipment of the Pfizer vaccine, the first coronavirus […]
Minnesota starts processing high school student unemployment assistance payments Friday
Starting Friday, high school students across Minnesota can begin accessing unemployment assistance for the first time since the pandemic began. The Pandemic Unemployment Assistant Program funds, distributed by the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED), were initially inaccessible to students as a result of a 1939 law that barred high school students from […]
Testing for lead poisoning in children down during pandemic, raising alarms among health officials
Fewer Minnesota children have received lead tests during the pandemic, which could have lifelong consequences for them — and carry a heavy societal cost. During the two decades before the pandemic, Minnesota saw an increase in tests for childhood lead exposure and a decrease in the number of children with elevated levels of lead in […]
Native activist who toppled Capitol Columbus statue gets community service
The organizer charged with toppling the Christopher Columbus statue outside of the Minnesota State Capitol in June will avoid a trial and instead serve 100 community service hours after striking a deal with prosecutors Monday. Mike Forcia, a member of the Bad River Band of Ojibwe and organizer with the American Indian Movement, faced felony […]
Construction of the Enbridge Line 3 pipeline is underway — but opponents are prepped for a fight
Construction of the Enbridge Line 3 pipeline is underway — but opposition continues. The Minnesota Public Utilities Commission denied a request to halt construction of the Line 3 pipeline at a special meeting Friday. The White Earth and Red Lake asked the PUC to cease construction, citing pending litigation and the pandemic, but the 4-1 […]
Minnesota overdose deaths up 30% in the first half of 2020
Overdose deaths in Minnesota increased by more than 30% in the first half of 2020 compared to the same period last year, according to a new report from the Minnesota Department of Health. The report recorded 490 overdose deaths between January and June, compared to 373 deaths in the first half of 2019. The statistics […]
New study highlights Minnesota’s use of trash incinerators, effects on health
This story has been updated. A new report highlights the impact of Minnesota’s municipal solid waste incinerators on human health. Minnesota ranks third in the nation for total number of waste incinerators, with seven total, according to the report by the Tishman Environment and Design Center at The New School. Some 338,000 people — roughly […]
Enbridge begins construction of Line 3 while opponents file suit
Opponents of the Enbridge Line 3 pipeline replacement filed a lawsuit challenging the action on the very same day that the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency approved the last permit needed to begin construction. Meanwhile, the Star Tribune reports that the company has already started construction. The lawsuit, filed with the Court of Appeals Monday evening, […]
Enbridge Line 3 pipeline receives final approval; opposition vows to fight on
This story has been updated. State regulators lifted the last roadblock Monday for Enbridge to begin construction on a controversial $2.6 billion crude oil pipeline. The Minnesota Pollution Control Agency granted Alberta-based Enbridge a stormwater permit for its Line 3 pipeline, which is slated to replace an existing pipeline across northern Minnesota. The Minnesota Public […]
Small retailers, already hit hard this year, hope for the best this Christmas season
The traditional kickoff of the Christmas shopping season will look different for Joyce Sanders, owner of Urban 29, a fashion and streetwear shop. Her store, which she opened in February 2018, was originally at the intersection of Lake Street and Chicago Avenue in Minneapolis but was significantly damaged during the civil unrest following the police […]
Elected officials share their (smaller than average) Thanksgiving plans
President-elect Joe Biden said he’ll likely be setting a table for three this Thanksgiving, a departure from his usual extended family get-together. President Donald Trump, whose annual Mar-a-Lago visit typically marks the start of his frequent seasonal trips to Palm Beach, will be spending the holiday at the White House. The COVID-19 pandemic has spoiled […]