>>Man Shot and Killed Thursday on St. Paul’s West Side
(St. Paul, MN) — Police in St. Paul are investigating a deadly shooting in the city’s West Side Thursday afternoon. Officers found the man with a gunshot wound to the torso and he was taken to Regions Hospital where he died. Detectives are trying to figure out what happened and find the suspects. Investigators are also looking for surveillance video from homes and businesses in the area. This is the third homicide of the year in St. Paul.
>>Classes Resume at St. Paul’s Harding High 1 Week After Deadly Stabbing
(St. Paul, MN) — Classes resume today (Friday) at Harding High School in St. Paul following the fatal stabbing of a student one week ago. School officials say there will be a dozen crisis counselors and mental health experts on campus to assist students and staff. Security has been stepped up at all St. Paul schools in response to the stabbing death of 15-year-old Devin Scott. A 16-year-old classmate is charged with the second-degree murder of Scott and prosecutors filed a petition to have him tried as an adult.
>>Minnesota House Passes Earned ‘Sick and Safe Time” Bill for Workers
(St. Paul, MN) — Earned “sick and safe time” for all workers is closer to being the law in Minnesota after the Democrat-controlled House passed it just before midnight (Friday). Republicans warn it will force many small businesses to close their doors. G-O-P Representative Debra Kiel of Crookston points to a restaurant owner in her district who’s “hanging by a thread” and would likely go out of business. But Saint Paul Democrat Samakab Hussein calls it a matter of humanity, saying he didn’t have the privilege to stay home when his mother was dying because he was afraid he could get fired. A companion bill is moving forward in the Minnesota Senate.
>>Legal Cannabis Bill Clears 9th MN House Committee
(St. Paul, MN) — The Minnesota House Education Finance Committee is the ninth panel to approve a bill that would legalize recreational cannabis. Republican Pam Altendorf of Red Wing says data from a child psychiatrist in Colorado show a decline in grades, an increase in car accidents, and a spike in school dropouts. D-F-L Representative Zack Stephenson of Coon Rapids says there’s data on teen cannabis use from the National Survey on Drug Use and Health that actually shows a decline in cannabis consumption in states that have legalized cannabis. He says there’s a lot in the bill focused on keeping cannabis away from young people. The products would have child-proof packaging and labels, and Poison Control contact information.
>>Senator Tina to Chair US Senate Agriculture Subcommittee
(Washington, DC) — Minnesota Senator Tina Smith is the new chair of the Senate Agriculture Subcommittee. The panel oversees commodities, crop insurance, and trade for farmers across the country. Smith says some of the biggest issues that Minnesota farmers grapple with — “to be able to work on these issues as we look towards authorizing, reauthorizing the 2023 Farm Bill is a really big deal.” She says the committee’s biggest piece of business is passing a new Farm Bill, which will regulate national agriculture and food programs for the next five years.
>>CentraCare Boards Approves Medical School Plan with U of M
(St. Cloud, MN) — The CentraCare Board of Directors is giving unanimous approval to plans to build a medical school campus in St. Cloud. The proposal is a partnership between CentraCare and the University of Minnesota Medical School. The goal is to train medical students to serve rural communities across the state. CentraCare President Ken Holmen says this partnership provides career development opportunities for the next generation of physicians. Officials hope to open the new medical school in 2025.
>>Bloomington Jefferson Celebrates 4th Straight National Cheer Championship
(Bloomington, MN) — The Bloomington Jefferson High School cheer team is now a seven-time national champion. The Jaguars won their fourth title in a row last weekend at the 2023 U-C-A National High School Cheerleading Championship in Orlando, Florida. Jefferson topped eight other teams in the final round to claim the national title. The team coached by Taylor Mancini has also won ten Minnesota cheerleading championships.
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