>>St. Paul Educators Plan to Strike
(St. Paul, MN) — If their demands are unmet, the St. Paul Federation of Educators has filed their intent to strike on Monday, March 11th. Vice President Leah VanDassor emphasized the urgent need for a contract prioritizing educators and students. VanDassor notes their top priorities include strong wages, affordable health insurance, staff training, mental health resources, full-service community schools, and reduced caseloads.
>>More Than a Dozen Departments Fight Massive Grain Elevator Fire
(Hawley, MN) — It took over a dozen fire departments to battle a massive blaze at a grain elevator in northwestern Minnesota. The flames broke out overnight at a facility near Hawley. At least 17 departments responded, and the city sent a message to residents asking them to conserve water as the crew continued fighting the fire. The school was closed today. No injuries were reported, and it’s unclear how the fire started.
>>U of M Board of Regents to Select New President
(Minneapolis, MN) — The Board of Regents is interviewing the three finalists for the University of Minnesota president before public deliberations and an expected announcement later today (Mon). The three finalists are Doctor James Holloway, provost at the University of New Mexico, Doctor Laura Bloomberg from Cleveland State University, former dean at the Humphrey School, and Doctor Rebecca Cunningham, vice president for research and innovation at the University of Michigan.
>>MPCA Completes 118 Enforcement Cases in Second Half of 2023
(Undated) — The Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA) closed on 118 enforcement cases in the latter half of 2023, addressing water and air quality, waste management, stormwater, and wastewater violations. Penalties were determined based on environmental harm or potential, economic benefit gained from violating laws, and the party’s responsiveness in correcting the issues.
>>Elderly Rochester Woman Scammed Out of Nearly $20K
(Rochester, MN) — An 87-year-old Rochester woman was swindled out of nearly $20,000 in a scam. Rochester Police say the woman received a phone call from someone claiming to be her son, who said he was involved in a traffic accident and needed her phone number for insurance purposes. The caller then connected her with an “attorney” who claimed her son was in jail for causing an accident and needed $18,000 for bail. Believing the story, she withdrew the money and gave it to a man who showed up at her door wearing a medical mask on behalf of the “attorney.” After contacting her actual son, who denied the story, the victim reported the scam the following day.
