A legislative effort to celebrate Hmong culture, April is sexual assault awareness month, and the federal overhaul of the U.S. Forest Service spells the end for some for Minnesota’s groundbreaking work on climate change.
Transcript
WITH HEADLINES FROM AROUND THE STATE, I’M XAN HOLSTON.
COMING UP... AN EFFORT TO KEEP HMONG FAMILIES, CULTURE, AND IDENTITIES CONNECTED FOR THE NEXT GENERATION...
[SEN. SUSAN PHA: THAT THEIR HISTORY HAS A PLACE, AND THAT THEIR STORY HAS A HOME HERE IN MINNESOTA.]
AND... HOW TO MAKE YOUR VOICE HEARD DURING A LISTENING TOUR FOR FARMERS...
BUT FIRST...
--US FOREST SERVICE REORGANIZING--
THE FEDERAL OVERHAUL OF THE U-S FOREST SERVICE IS ENDING MINNESOTA’S GROUNDBREAKING WORK ON CLIMATE CHANGE.
THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION IS ELIMINATING TWO REGIONAL FORESTRY OFFICES … ONE IN ELY …
AND IT IS SHUTTING THE DOORS ON A RESEARCH STATION IN GRAND RAPIDS THAT IS GLOBALLY RECOGNIZED FOR ITS WORK ON CLIMATE CHANGE.
UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENTIST DR. STEFAN LIESS RECENTLY SPOKE WITH NORTH STAR STORIES ABOUT PROJECT SPRUCE …
A DECADE-LONG EXPERIMENT INTO HOW GLOBAL WARMING AFFECTS FORESTS AND PEATLANDS.
[DR. STEFAN LIESS: THESE OBSERVATIONS ARE REALLY CRITICAL TO DECISION MAKING IN THE LARGER SCALE ALSO … SO IT’S NOT ONLY FOR NORTHERN MINNESOTA, BUT ALSO THESE MECHANISMS HELP SOLVE GLOBAL PROBLEMS.]
UNDER THE NEW STRUCTURE … THE FOREST SERVICE’S NATIONAL HEADQUARTERS WILL MOVE FROM WACHINGTON D-C TO UTAH … AND OVERSIGHT OF THE MINNESOTA’S NATIONAL FORESTS WILL SHIFT TO AN OPERATIONS HUB IN WISCONSIN.
THE FOREST SERVICE SAYS THE MOVE WILL STREAMLINE DECISION-MAKING … BUT SCIENTISTS WARN LOSING LOCAL RESEARCH CAPACITY THREATENS LONG-TERM PROJECTS LIKE SPRUCE … AND CAN WEAKEN HOW MINNESOTA MANAGES EVERYTHING FROM AGRICULTURE TO THE ENVIRONMENT IN A CHANGING CLIMATE.
--SAINT LOUIS COUNTY HOUSE FIRE--
A CHILD PLAYING WITH A LIGHTER AND AN AEROSOL CAN SPARKED A HOUSE FIRE IN THE NORTHERN TOWN OF MOUNTAIN IRON … ACCORDING TO SAINT LOUIS COUNTY INVESTIGATORS.
IT HAPPENED LATE FRIDAY NIGHT.
EVERYONE INSIDE MADE IT OUT SAFELY, BUT THE FAMILY’S HOME IS CONSIDERED A TOTAL LOSS.
THE RED CROSS WAS CALLED IN TO HELP.
--SAINT CLOUD ELEMENTARY SCHOOL ARSON--
FIRE DAMAGE AT WESTWOOD ELEMENTARY IN SAINT CLOUD WILL KEEP THE SCHOOL CLOSED THROUGH APRIL 13 SO CREWS CAN CLEAN UP EXTENSIVE DAMAGE.
INVESTIGATORS SAY SOMEONE INTENTIONALLY SET THE FIRE THAT FORCED THE SCHOOL TO EVACUATE LAST TUESDAY MORNING, MARCH 31ST.
STUDENTS WILL HAVE REMOTE LEARNING THIS WEEK … EMERGENCY CHILD CARE IS AVAILABLE.
INVESTIGATORS ASK ANYONE WITH ANY INFORMATION ABOUT THIS ARSON TO CALL TRI-COUNTY CRIME STOPPERS.
[MUSIC TRANSITION : 03]
--KAXE TOWN HALL INTRO--
THE MINNESOTA FARMERS UNION IS SPONSORING TOWN HALLS THROUGHOUT THE STATE THIS SPRING … TO HEAR FROM FARMERS AND CITIZENS ABOUT EVERYTHING FROM RISING PRICES OF GROCERIES AND HEALTH CARE … TO TARRIFFS … TO FEDERAL CUTS AND UNCERTAINTY AROUND FEDERAL FARM POLICY.
IT'S HOLDING TOWN HALLS THIS TUESDAY NIGHT IN BOTH THIEF RIVER FALLS … AND LITTLE FALLS … AND ANOTHER WEDNESDAY NIGHT IN GRAND RAPIDS.
FIND MORE INFORMATION AND DATES AT M-F-U DOT ORG
--SEXUAL ASSAULT AWARENESS ACTION DAY--
APRIL IS SEXUAL ASSAULT AWARENESS MONTH … AND TUESDAY, APRIL SEVENTH, IS THE NATIONAL DAY OF ACTION ... PEOPLE ARE ENCOURAGED TO WEAR TEAL TO SHOW SUPPORT FOR SURVIVORS OF SEXUAL VIOLENCE.
ONE IN THREE MINNESOTA WOMEN EXPERIENCE SEXUAL VIOLENCE FROM AN INTIMATE PARTNER IN THEIR LIFETIME ... ACCORDING TO DATA FROM THE BUREAU OF CRMINAL APPREHENSION ...
STATEWIDE DATA ALSO SHOWS A FIVE-PERCENT INCREASE IN REPORTED RAPES FROM 2023 TO 2024 ... THE MOST RECENT YEAR DATA IS AVAILABLE.
NEARLY 40-PERCENT OF THE VICTIMS WERE MINORS...
--HIGH SCHOOL GRADUATION RATES--
MINNESOTA’S HIGH SCHOOL CLASS OF 20-25 SET A GRADUATION RECORD...
THE STATE SAYS 84-POINT-9 PERCENT OF SENIORS EARNED THEIR DIPLOMA IN FOUR YEARS.
THAT’S UP FROM 84-POINT-2 PERCENT THE YEAR BEFORE.
FOUR-YEAR GRADUATION RATES WERE LOWER IN SOME DISTRICTS... INCLUDING SAINT CLOUD, MINNEAPOLIS, AND ST. PAUL.
--OJIBWE LANGUAGE CERTIFICATES--
MINNESOTA AWARDED ITS FIRST WORLD LANGUAGE PROFICIENCY CERTIFICATE IN OJIBWE.
HINCKLEY-FINLAYSON SENIOR TECUMSEH FAHRLANDER EARNED THE HONOR AFTER YEARS OF STUDYING THE LANGUAGE OF HIS ANCESTORS…S.
HE STARTED LEARNING FIRST AT AN OJIBWE IMMERSION SCHOOL, THEN THROUGH INDEPENDENT STUDY.
STATE OFFICIALS SAY OJIBWE IS NOW THE 32ND LANGUAGE RECOGNIZED THROUGH MINNESOTA’S BILINGUAL SEALS PROGRAM.
--HMONG HERITAGE WEEK --
STATE LEGISLATORS ARE CONSIDERING CREATING A HMONG AMERICAN HERITAGE WEEK…
MINNESOTA IS HOME TO NEARLY 70-THOUSAND HMONG PEOPLE.
MANY CAME AS REFUGEES ATER FIGHTING ON BEHALF OF AMERICA DURING THE VIETNAM WAR, OFTEN CALLED ‘THE SECRET WAR’.
THE HERITAGE WEEK IS INTENDED TO PRESERVE THE CULTURE... AND TO TELL A ‘FULLER MINNESOTA STORY’...
ONE WOMAN SHARED HOW LANGUAGE LOSS IN HER OWN FAMILY MAKES IT HARDER TO STAY CONNECTED ACROSS GENERATIONS …
[DR. KOU YANG: MY OWN BROTHER LOST HIS HMONG LANGUAGE COMPLETELY. TODAY, HE CAN ONLY COMMUNICATE WITH OUR MOTHER THROUGH A TRANSLATOR… THIS IS MORE THAN LANGUAGE LOSS. IT IS SEVERED RELATIONSHIP.]
HMONG HERITAGE WEEK WOULD RUN FROM MAY 14TH TO MAY 23RD… MARKING THE HMONG REFUGEE JOURNEY AND ARRIVAL IN AMERICA.
THE BILL WAS LAID OVER FOR POSSIBLE INCLUSION IN AN OMNIBUS BILL
--ATV STATE PARK--
AND FINALLY …
[NAT: ATV ENGINE REVVING]
FOR THOSE WHO THINK CAMPING NEEDS MORE HORSEPOWER … BUT NOT HORSES … A NEW, LOUDER CAMPGROUND IN NORTHERN MINNESOTA BECONS.
THE FIRST STATE PARK DESIGNED WITH QUAD BIKE RIDERS IN MIND OPENS JUNE 12TH.
THE PYRITE CAMPGROUND AT THE LAKE VERMILLION-SOUDAN UNDERGROUND MINE STATE PARK WILL FEATURE 24 CAMP SITES WITH ELECTRIC HOOK UPS … AND ACCESS TO REGIONAL OFF-ROAD TRAILS.
FOR NORTH STAR STORIES, I’M XAN HOLSTON.