>>Walz Praises Legislative Deal Focused On Hospitals, Taxes, And Infrastructure
(St. Paul, MN) — Governor Walz is praising a budget agreement reached with legislative leaders that includes funding to help keep Hennepin County Medical Center and other hospitals around the state operating, along with property tax relief and other affordability measures for Minnesotans. Walz says reaching a bipartisan deal in today’s political climate shows Minnesota is still capable of working together. The agreement also includes a 1.2 billion dollar bonding bill aimed at infrastructure improvements. The governor says lawmakers are still finalizing which projects will receive funding. Walz also says he hopes lawmakers can still reach agreements on business relief tied to recent ICE operations and upgrades to aging state IT systems.
>>Child Hit By Truck After Getting Off School Bus In Eagle Lake
(Eagle Lake, MN) — A seven-year-old boy is recovering after being struck by a pickup truck while crossing the street in Eagle Lake in southern Minnesota. The Blue Earth County Sheriff’s Office says the child had just gotten off a school bus Tuesday afternoon when the crash happened. Authorities say 71-year-old Dennis Allen of Eagle Lake was driving about 10 miles per hour at the time of the collision. The child was taken to a Mankato hospital with what officials described as minor injuries.
>>Seasonal Home Destroyed In Fire Near Eveleth
(Eveleth, MN) — A seasonal home south of Eveleth was destroyed in a fire just before noon today. (Thurs) The St. Louis County Sheriff’s Office believes embers from a burn barrel spread to the structure, causing the fire. Dry and windy conditions also allowed the flames to spread into nearby woods before crews contained the blaze. No injuries were reported, but the home was considered a total loss. Authorities are reminding residents to use extreme caution with outdoor burning during dry, windy spring conditions.
>>DEED Awards Nearly $43 Million for Business Expansions and Job Training
(St. Paul, MN) — The Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development(DEED) is awarding nearly $43 million through the Minnesota Forward Fund to support major business expansion and technology partnership projects across the state. Officials say the funding will help create more than 260 new jobs, retain nearly 2,900 existing positions, and leverage close to 693-million dollars in outside investment. DEED Commissioner Matt Varilek says the program helps strengthen Minnesota’s economy by supporting large-scale business growth and community investment.
>>Rescued Beagles Arriving In Minnesota For Adoption
(Golden Valley, MN) — Fifty beagles rescued from a Wisconsin breeding facility are expected to arrive tonight(Thurs) at the Animal Humane Society in Golden Valley. Spokeswoman Sarah Bhimani says many of the dogs were previously used for biomedical research and testing, but will soon get a second chance at finding permanent homes. Once the dogs are cleared by medical and behavioral teams, they will be posted for adoption on the organization’s website. Some of the beagles will also be placed with Ruff Start Rescue and Tri-County Humane Society.
