>>Governor Walz Takes Busy Agenda to Northland
(Duluth, MN) — Governor Tim Walz travels to Duluth today (Thurs) for the second stop on his statewide infrastructure tour. The governor has proposed a 907-million-dollar bonding bill for large projects around the state. Walz will be joined by Duluth Mayor Roger Reinert and labor leaders. His other stop will be at a preschool classroom where he will announce his legislative proposal to make child care more affordable in Minnesota. He will be joined by education and childcare leaders along with parents.
>>School Safety Threat Assessment Plan Offered at Capitol
(St. Paul, MN) — A proposal heard in a Minnesota House committee would monitor school safety threats. The bill was introduced by Republican Representative Ben Bakeberg of Jordan, who is a middle school principal. It would allow $4 million to contract an outside vendor for services that look for threats ahead of time, monitor activity, and issue a rapid response when needed to protect students and school staff. The money for the pilot project would come from the 2027 fiscal budget. The bill was laid over for further discussion.
>>Minnesota to Launch a New Kindergarten Assessment
(St. Paul, MN) — Minnesota is preparing to roll out a new way to assess kindergarten students statewide. The Department of Education will pilot an observation-based assessment in classrooms this fall, moving away from traditional testing. Early Education Director Danielle Hayden says teachers will observe students during their daily routines to better understand developmental skills and learning needs. State officials say the assessment will help educators tailor instruction and give Minnesota its first universal snapshot of kindergarten readiness. The new assessment is expected to go fully statewide in the fall of 2027.
>>New Grant Program Aims to Expand Access to Lower-Cost E15 Fuel
(Burnsville, MN) — Minnesota fuel retailers may soon have easier access to state funding to offer lower-cost E-15 gasoline. The Department of Agriculture (MDA) has announced 4.7 million dollars in grant funding to help retailers upgrade infrastructure to sell Unleaded 88, also known as E-15. Retailers can apply for grants ranging from 5,000 to nearly 200,000 dollars, with funds covering equipment and installation costs. Eligible businesses must operate in Minnesota, have 20 or fewer locations, and provide a 35 percent cash match. Applications are open now and are due by June 2nd.
>>Minnesota DNR Prepares for Trout Fishing Opener this Weekend
(Two Harbors, MN) — Anglers are excited for the stream trout season opener this weekend in Minnesota. The D-N-R’ s Dean Paron says it is a popular sport in the state with about 125 trout stamps sold last season. He says northeastern Minnesota is still locked up in ice and snow, but the streams are running at good flows in southeastern Minnesota. The state has around 38-hundred miles of designated trout fishing streams. He says most anglers use fly fishing rods for stream trout.
>>Lady Gaga Opens Two-Night Run at Grand Casino Arena
(St. Paul, MN) — Lady Gaga is playing back-to-back shows tonight and tomorrow night (Thurs &Fri) at Grand Casino Arena. This will be her seventh and eight concerts at the venue in St. Paul. Lady Gaga cancelled her show Monday night in Montreal due to a respiratory infection but is still scheduled to perform in Minnesota. There are some tickets available for the local stops on her Mayhem Ball tour.
>>Minnesota Twins Top Tigers for First Series Win of 2026
(Minneapolis, MN) — The Minnesota Twins topped the Detroit Tigers 8-6 at Target Field last night for their first series win of the season. The 6-6 Twins scored six runs off Tigers starter Framber Valdez in the first inning. Minnesota’s Bailey Ober pitched five-and-two-thirds innings and allowed two runs for his first victory. Byron Buxton had three hits, and Royce Lewis drove in a pair of runs. The Twins go for a four-game sweep of the 4-8 Tigers this afternoon in downtown Minneapolis.
