>>U of M Board of Regents Raises Tuition 4.5% in Twin Cities, Rochester
(Minneapolis, MN) — Tuition is going up next year for undergraduate and graduate students at the University of Minnesota. The U of M Board of Regents voted Thursday to raise tuition for in-state residents by four-and-a-half percent on the Twin Cities and Rochester campuses. Undergraduates in Crookston, Morris, and Duluth will pay one-and-a-half percent more for classes in 2024–2025. Students from out of state are facing a five-and-a-half-percent tuition hike in Minneapolis and St. Paul.
>>Man, Child Dead, Several People Injured in Vehicle Crash
(Renville County, MN) – A man and a child are dead and several people are injured after a crash Thursday afternoon in Renville County. The State Patrol says 55-year-old Ricardo Cantu of Danube and an 8-year-old girl who was in his car died after the Ford Taurus and a truck collided while traveling eastbound on Highway 212 east of Danube just before 4 p.m. Thursday. Two other children in the car and a woman from Renville were injured, and the driver of the truck, 27-year-old Justin Macht of Morgan, was also hurt.
>>Morrison County Dispatcher Killed in Whitewater Rafting Accident
(Little Falls, MN) – The Morrison County Sheriff’s Office is mourning the loss of longtime dispatcher Linda Day. Officials say Day died Wednesday from injuries suffered in a whitewater rafting accident. Day was a member of the Morrison County law enforcement family since 2008. She was previously an EMT/paramedic for Gold Cross Mayo Ambulance and a member of the Upsala First Response Team. The sheriff’s office is asking the community to keep Linda’s family, friends, and colleagues in their thoughts and prayers.
>>UMN 2022 Report on Youth Sexual Health Shows Increase in Sexual Exploitation
(Minneapolis, MN) – A look at Minnesota youths’ sexual health in 2022 shows historic lows for teen pregnancy and birth rates, large numbers of STIs, and a significant amount of sexual exploitation. UMN Researcher Jill Farris says the report cites 4,600 students in grades 9–11 who answered “yes” when asked if they had traded sex or been sexually exploited for something of value. Youth who identified as American Indian, Middle Eastern, and North African had much higher rates of answering yes to this question than Asian, Pacific Islander, White, or Hispanic youth. Farris says we must continue to use an “intersectional lens” when addressing adolescent sexual health, “one that looks beyond white-centered, cisgender, heteronormative perspectives.”
>>Substance Abuse, SUDs More Prevalent in LGBTQ+ Youth
(Undated) – Substance abuse and use disorders (SUDs) remain especially high in LGBTQ+ youth, but why? Lydia Burr with the Minnesota mental health and addiction treatment center Hazelden Betty Ford says historically, many queer “safe” spaces are places where drug use is prevalent, such as nightclubs or bars; but that’s not an indication that the community has a moral deficiency. She explains, “It’s a function of being uncomfortable in your own skin and uncomfortable with your surroundings and seeking comfort with your community, and that’s one of the reasons that many, many people in the general population also use substances.” Burr says on top of puberty, the experience of queer youth is complicated even further due to internalized homophobia, lack of visibility, and school victimization.
>>NWS Tracking Multiple MN Tornadoes Times, Intensity
(Undated) – National Weather Service teams continue to assess the damage from tornadoes and storms across north-central and east-central Minnesota. Duluth Meteorologist Kevin Huyck says they’ve confirmed three tornadoes so far near Wright in Carlton County and Crosby and Crosslake in Crow Wing County. Officials continue to coordinate with county emergency management officials and review data collected to establish the tracks, intensity, and times of the tornadoes over the next several days. The National Weather Service received many reports of tennis ball-sized hail and extensive hail damage. Huyck says large amounts of hail covered the ground “white like snow” in Hibbing.
