>>Walz Cheers Minnesota’s #2 Rankings for Retirement, Raising a Family
(St. Paul, MN) — Governor Tim Walz is touting two new studies that suggest Minnesota is the second-best state to retire and raise a family. Wallet Hub ranks Minnesota number two for retirement because we have the most health care facilities, second most nursing homes, third lowest percentage of seniors with disabilities, and fifth highest percentage who are in good health. Some of the reasons Minnesota is the second ranked state to raise a family include the second-lowest poverty rate for families, the sixth best public hospitals, the cost of living is four percent lower than the national average, and housing is 15 percent lower. Walz says,” these rankings are a reflection of our commitment to invest in things that matter – economic opportunity, health and safety, and building strong communities.”
>>Bill Allowing Only Girls in Female Sports Passes Minnesota House Committee
(St. Paul, MN) — A bill headed to the Minnesota House floor would allow only girls to participate in female sports. The measure sponsored by Republican Peggy Scott of Andover passed out of committee Wednesday night after three hours of testimony. Scott says, “males have the physical advantage over girls and to truly give girls the athletic opportunity, they should by competing against one another.” Trans athlete Erin Melzer told the committee, “they deserve to push themselves like other athletes and trans girls should be able to compete where they feel comfortable. They should compete with girls because they are girls.” The bill passed the House Education Policy Committee by a 7-6 vote along party lines.
>>Congresswoman Morrison Cosponsors Bill to Study and Limit Cell Phone Use in Schools
(Washington, DC) — The goal of a bipartisan bill in the U-S House is to limit cell phone use by K-12 students in schools. Minnesota Congresswoman Kelly Morrison says the Focus on Learning Act calls for a study by the U-S Department of Health and Human Services to understand how cell phone usage is affecting students’ health and their education. It would also establish a pilot program for students to keep their phones out of reach in a secure location during school hours. Morrison says the reality is that cell phone usage is up, and student test scores are down.
>>Delta Offers $30K to Passengers on MSP Flight that Crash Landed in Toronto
(Atlanta, GA) — Delta Air Lines is offering every passenger on board the M-S-P flight that crashed while landing in Toronto on Monday afternoon a compensation of $30,000. In an email, the Delta Care Team informed customers that the money is a gesture offered with “no strings attached and does not affect their rights.” If all 76 passengers accept the offer, it would total approximately $2.3 million. Flight 4819 took off from Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport (MSP) at around 11:34 a.m. en route to Toronto. The flight was operated by Endeavor Air, a wholly owned regional subsidiary of Delta based at M-S-P Airport.
>>Wyoming Man Found Dead on Chisago County Road
(Wyoming, MN) — Alcohol and extreme cold may have contributed to the death of a Wyoming man in Chisago County. Sheriff’s deputies say 45-year-old Richard Martinez was found Sunday morning unresponsive on the road. A preliminary investigation indicates that Martinez had been walking home from a neighbor’s residence sometime after 11:30 pm the previous evening when he fell multiple times. An initial autopsy revealed injuries to the head and face consistent with a fall. Foul play is not suspected.
>>Moose Dies in Collision with Car on Iron Range near Virginia
(Virginia, MN) — Authorities in St. Louis County say a moose did not survive a collision with a vehicle on the Iron Range. Sheriff’s deputies say the car and large moose cow collided on Tuesday night on Highway 53 near Virginia. The report says the 19-year-old driver suffered minor injuries and was trapped but got out on her own. The car had significant front end damage. The Minnesota D-N-R removed the moose. The latest survey shows the state has more than 34-hundred moose.
>>Bear Hunting Boundary Changes Proposed in Minnesota
(St Paul, MIN) — The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources is considering changes to the state’s bear permit regulations and boundaries. According to the D-N-R, bears are establishing homes in areas of concern, making it an opportune time to implement adjustments. The most notable change would involve expanding the boundary for hunters. The counties being considered for addition to the new boundary area include Mille Lacs, Morrison, Becker, Mahnomen, Clearwater, and Pennington.
>>Girls State Hockey Tournament Class 2-A Quarterfinals Begin Thursday
(St. Paul, MN) — The Class Two-A quarterfinals of Minnesota State High School Girls Hockey Tournament face off today (Thurs) at the Xcel Energy Center. In Class One-A Wednesday, Orono shut out Fergus Falls 9-0, Warroad topped Marshall 4-0, Dodge County beat River Lakes 2-0, and Academy of Holy Angels blanked Proctor-Hermantown 2-0. Rosemount plays Centennial-Spring Lake Park in the first Class Two-A matchup at 11am today, Andover and Hill Murray meet at 1pm, Farmington takes on Edina at 6 o’clock tonight, and Moorhead and Holy Family Catholic face off at 8 pm in the last Two-A quarterfinal. The semifinals in both classes are Friday in downtown St. Paul.
