Rural hospital expansion in Virginia, a plaque to commemorate Pride in Pine City, and a trip back in time to Coney Island on Lake Waconia this Saturday.
Transcript
WITH HEADLINES FROM AROUND THE STATE, I’M XAN HOLSTON.
--ESSENTIA VIRGINIA ER EXPANSION--
AT A TIME WHEN MANY RURAL MINNESOTA HOSPITALS ARE UNDER FINANCIAL STRESS... ONE IRON RANGE EMERGENCY ROOM IS EXPANDING.
ESSENTIA HEALTH-VIRGINIA BROKE GROUND THIS WEEK ON A 13-MILLION-DOLLAR E-R PROJECT THAT WILL NEARLY DOUBLE THE SIZE OF ITS E.R.
THE 30-BED HOSPITAL SERVES A WIDE STRETCH OF NORTHEASTERN MINNESOTA ... WITH SOME EMERGENCY PATIENTS COMING FROM INTERNATIONAL FALLS ... NEARLY 100 MILES AWAY.
THE EXPANSION ADDS FIVE EXAM ROOMS, NEW TECHNOLOGY AND SAFETY AND SECURITY UPGRADES.
THE MINNESOTA HOSPITAL ASSOCIATION SAYS MINNESOTA HAS 31 HOSPITALS IN FINANCIAL DISTRESS, AND WARNS MEDICAID REIMBURSEMENT AND FEDERAL AND STATE FUNDING CHANGES COULD DEEPEN THE CRISIS.
ESSENTIA SAYS THE WORK IS FUNDED BY THE HEALTH SYSTEM, ITS FOUNDATION, DONORS ... AND A 3-POINT-3 MILLION-DOLLAR IRON RANGE RESOURCES CONTRIBUTION.
CONSTRUCTION IS EXPECTED TO FINISH IN SPRING 2027.
--AIRPORTS--
ROCHESTER INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT IS MOVING AHEAD WITH A MAJOR AIRPORT UPGRADE … THANKS IN PART TO 8.2-MILLION DOLLARS FROM THE F-A-A.
THE AIRPORT HELD A GROUNDBREAKING CEREMONY THIS WEEK FOR A NEW GENERAL AVIATION RAMP … BASICALLY MORE PAVEMENT WHERE AIRCRAFT, AIR AMBULANCES AND TRAINING PLANES CAN PARK, LOAD, AND MOVE AROUND.
AIRPORT OFFICIALS SAY THE EXTRA SPACE WILL HELP EASE CONGESTION ON THE GROUND … AND KEEP SMALLER AIRCRAFT FARTHER FROM LARGER CORPORATE AND VISITING PLANES.
THE FUNDING ALSO HELPS REPAIR RUNWAYS AND BUILD GROUNDWORK FOR UP TO EIGHT NEW HANGARS.
--BEMIDJI CALENDAR PARKING--
IN BEMIDJI ... THE DATE ON THE CALENDAR CAN DECIDE ON WHICH SIDE OF THE STREET YOU’RE ALLOWED TO PARK..
AND.. PEOPLE WHO LIVE, WORK AND PARK ON CITY STREETS SAY THE RULE IS TURNING INTO A YEAR-ROUND HEADACHE.. AND EXPENSE.
CALENDAR PARKING MEANS DRIVERS HAVE TO SWITCH SIDES OF THE STREET... DEPENDING ON THE DATE ...
BEMIDJI ADOPED THE SYSTEM IN 1997 TO HELP WITH PLOWING, STREET SWEEPING AND PUBLIC SAFETY.
AT THE CITY COUNCIL MEETING THIS WEEK.. RESIDENTS SAID THE RULE DOESN’T MATCH REAL-LIFE.. LIKE WHEN THERE IS NO SNOW.
CHARLES BIBERG TOLD COUNCIL MEMBERS HE SURVEYED NEIGHBORS ABOUT THE RULE... HERE ARE SOME OF THEIR COMMENTS...
[CHARLES BIBERG: I FEEL TARGETED ... IT’S A PAIN IN THE BUTT. IT ONLY MAKES SENSE IN THE WINTERTIME. “EXPLETIVE” CALENDAR PARKING.]
PEOPLE ALSO RAISED CONCERNS ABOUT PERMIT AND TICKET COSTS.
MAYOR JORGE PRINCE SAYS THE COUNCIL IS INTERESTED IN DISCUSSING THE ISSUE.
--CASINO OPPOSITION MOORHEAD--
A NEW GROUP IS ORGANIZING OPPOSITION TO WHITE EARTH NATION’S PROPOSED CASINO EAST OF MOORHEAD.
“SAY NO TO THE CASINO AT MOORHEAD” WEBSITE SAYS THE PROJECT RAISES CONCERNS ABOUT GAMBLING ADDICTION, CRIME, PUBLIC COSTS, TAX CONTROL AND THE BUFFALO AQUIFER… A KEY LOCAL WATER RESOURCE.
WHITE EARTH’S PLAN CALLS FOR A 177-MILLION-DOLLAR CASINO-HOTEL COMPLEX NEAR I-94 AND HIGHWAY 336 ... WITH 950 GAMING MACHINES AND A 200-ROOM HOTEL.
THE PROJECT STILL NEEDS LOCAL AND FEDERAL APPROVALS.
--FOND DU LAC LAND--
THE FOND DU LAC BAND IS ONE STEP CLOSER TO REGAINING CONTROL OF 34-HUNDRED ACRES INSIDE ITS OWN RESERVATION.
GOVERNOR TIM WALZ SIGNED A BILL CLEARING THE WAY FOR THE UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA TO RETURN THE CLOQUET FORESTRY CENTER TO THE BAND.
THE CENTER SITS ENTIRELY WITHIN THE FOND DU LAC RESERVATION … ON LAND THE UNIVERSITY HAS ACKNOWLEDGED WAS ACQUIRED THROUGH UNFAIR AND ABUSIVE TRANSFERS.
FOND DU LAC BAND CHAIRMAN BRUCE SAVAGE CALLS THE TRANSFER A MEANINGFUL STEP FOR TODAY … AND GENERATIONS TO COME.
THE BAND AND UNIVERSITY EXPECT THE CENTER TO CONTINUE SUPPORTING FOREST MANAGEMENT … EDUCATION … AND RESEARCH UNDER FOND DU LAC’S OWNERSHIP.
-- --
--PINE CITY PRIDE MARKER--
PINE CITY IS PUTTING RURAL L-G-B-T-Q HISTORY ON THE MAP.
THE CITY IS INSTALLING A HISTORICAL MARKER AT VOYAGEUR PARK … COMMEMORATING THE FIRST EAST CENTRAL MINNESOTA PRIDE PICNIC IN 2005.
ORGANIZERS SAY THAT GATHERING HELPED LAUNCH THE COUNTRY’S FIRST RURAL PRIDE CELEBRATION … STARTED BY LOCAL L-G-B-T-Q RESIDENTS WHO WANTED VISIBILITY AND COMMUNITY OUTSIDE THE TWIN CITIES.
THE MARKER SITS NEAR THE SNAKE RIVER … WHERE THE FIRST OFFICIAL CELEBRATION WAS HELD.
--CARVER COUNTY PARKS – CONEY ISLAND--
AND... FINALLY....
YOU DON’T NEED A TIME MACHINE TO VISIT ONE OF LAKE WACONIA’S OLD VACATION HOTSPOTS THIS WEEKEND ... JUST A FREE PONTOON RIDE.
TYLER YUTSKA WITH CARVER COUNTY PUBLIC WORKS SAYS THE 34-ACRE ISLAND HAS A HISTORY MANY PEOPLE DON’T KNOW.
[TYLER YUTSKA: IT’S CALLED THE CONEY ISLAND OF THE WEST. IT WAS A POPULAR AREA WHERE PEOPLE WOULD VACATION. AGAIN, THERE’S LODGING THERE, AND THE UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA FOOTBALL TEAM WOULD GO OUT THERE AND PRACTICE.]
HE SAYS VISITORS WILL SEE OLD RESORT RUINS, TRAILS AND LAKE VIEWS.
PARK STAFF WILL OFFER TOURS OF THE ISLAND.
THE FREE PONTOON SHUTTLE RUNS TOMORROW FROM LAKE WACONIA REGIONAL PARK.
NO REGISTRATION IS NEEDED — IT’S FIRST COME, FIRST SERVED.
MORE SUMMER SHUTTLE DAYS MAY BE ADDED IF SATURDAY GOES WELL.
FOR NORTH STAR STORIES, I’M XAN HOLSTON.