The “Grandparent Happy Hour” becomes law, cars in the Arrowhead hit sinkholes, and Minnesota State Parks are free this Saturday.
Transcript
WITH HEADLINES FROM AROUND THE STATE, I’M XAN HOLSTON.
COMING UP... A NEW LAW LETS SENIORS ENJOY DRINKS WITHOUT LEAVING HOME...
[ANITA LEBRUN: BUT NOT BE OUT SLIPPING ON THE ICE TO GET OUR BOX OF WINE.]
BUT FIRST...
FROM WASH-OUTS TO SINKHOLES … POTHOLE SEASON HITS NORTHERN MINNESOTA.
[MATT NESHEIM: WATER’S REALLY THE ENEMY OF ROAD MAINTENANCE.]
--ROAD WASHOUTS--
IT’S SPRING IN NORTHEAST MINNESOTA … AND THAT MEANS A ROAD CAN LOOK FINE … UNTIL IT SUDDENLY ISN’T.
COOK COUNTY HIGHWAY MAINTENANCE SUPERINTENDENT MATT NESHEIM TELLS AMPERS MEMBER STATION W-T-I-P THAT HEAVY RAIN … SNOWMELT … AND FROZEN CULVERTS …CAN ADD UP TO WASH-OUTS.
[MATT NESHEIM: AND THEN AS THAT MATERIAL GETS CARVED AWAY, SOMEBODY DRIVES OVER IT — BOOM! THAT CAVES IN, AND SUDDENLY YOU HAVE THIS LIKE VOID WHERE THERE WAS ONCE ROADWAY.]
NESHEIM SAYS CREWS ARE CLEARING DITCHES AND REPAIRING DAMAGE AS CONDITIONS ALLOW … AND REMINDS DRIVERS TO BE ON THE LOOKOUT FOR WORKERS … AND REPORT DAMAGED ROADS.
--NOBLES COUNTY ZONING--
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A SOUTHWEST MINNESOTA COMMUNITY STAYS FARM-FIRST … AFTER A PROPOSED FOUR-BILLION-DOLLAR DATA CENTER COMPLEX HIT A MAJOR ROADBLOCK.
THE NOBLES COUNTY BOARD VOTED AGAINST ZONING CHANGES TO A DESIGNATED AGRICULTURAL PRESERVATION DISTRICT ZONE NEAR THE TOWNS OF BREWSTER AND READING.
THE MINNESOTA-BASED GERONIMO POWER COMPANY PROMISED JOBS, NEW TAX REVENUE … AND CONSTRUCTION OF WIND AND SOLAR-POWERED INFRASTRUCTURE.
MANY COMMUNITY MEMBERS CAME OUT IN OPPOSITION.
GERONIMO POWER SAYS OTHER COUNTIES HAVE SHOWN INTEREST IN HOSTING THEM.
--CRUDE CORN OIL CLEAN UP --
CLEANUP CONTINUES ALONG THE MISSISSIPPI RIVER AFTER A CRUDE CORN OIL SPILL AT THE A-D-M PLANT AT RED WING.
CITY OFFICIALS SAY ABOUT THIRTY-FIVE-HUNDRED GALLONS SPILLED FROM A BARGE MONDAY.
CREWS PUT OUT CONTAINMENT BOOMS. RED WING FIRE OFFICIALS SAY THERE IS NO IMMEDIATE RISK TO THE PUBLIC.
STATE POLLUTION AND COUNTY EMERGENCY OFFICIALS WERE NOTIFIED.
CRUDE CORN OIL IS NOT PETROLEUM... BUT CAN STILL HARM FISH, BIRDS, AND SHORELINE HABITAT... IT CAN ALSO LOWER OXYGEN IN THE WATER AS IT BREAKS DOWN.
RED WING SAYS THE SCHEDULED MISSISSIPPI RIVER COMMUNITY CLEAN UP DAY WILL STILL GO ON THIS SATURDAY.
--MOOSE MURDERER SENTENCED--
A DULUTH MAN LOST HIS BIG-GAME HUNTING PRIVILEGES FOR ONE YEAR AFTER ILLEGALLY SHOOTING A MOOSE.
DANE NELSON PLEADED GUILTY..SAYING HE THOUGHT THE MOOSE WAS A DEER WHILE HUNTING NEAR MELRUDE IN NORTHERN MINNESOTA.
HE IS NOW ON PROBATION...MUST PAY RESTITUTION... ANDTO GET HIS GUN BACK.
THE MEAT WAS DONATED TO CHARITY. MINNESOTA ENDED MOOSE HUNTING IN 2013 AFTER A SHARP DECLINE IN THE POPULATION.
--CANNABIS GROW ONE NEAR SCHOOL IN SAINT CLOUD--
SAINT CLOUD HAS OPENED THE DOOR TO A CANNABIS GROW AND MANUFACTURING FACILITY NEAR APOLLO HIGH SCHOOL.
THE CITY’S ZONING BOARD OF APPEALS APPROVED A VARIANCE TO LET THE BUSINESS OPERATE 630 FEET FROM SCHOOL PROPERTY.... INSTEAD OF THE CITY’S STANDARD BUFFER ZONE OF ONE-THOUSAND FEET NEAR SCHOOLS.
THE BUSINESS IS NAMED.. GROW ONE... WILL NOT HAVE EXTERIOR SIGNAGE OR SELL CANNABIS TO THE PUBLIC. GROW ONE SAYS IT WILL CREATE ABOUT ONE HUNDRED JOBS..
GROW ONE STILL NEEDS TO RECEIVE STATE LICENSING APPROVAL.
--OWATONNA PUBLIC SAFETY CENTER --
OWATONNA VOTERS GET THE FINAL SAY ON A 65-MILLION DOLLAR PUBLIC SAFETY CENTER.
THE CITY APPROVED FUNDING EARLIER THIS YEAR FOR NEW POLICE AND FIRE STATIONS … BUT COMMUNITY MEMBERS FOUGHT BACK … GATHERING NEARLY 25-HUNDRED SIGNATURES … FORCING A PUBLIC VOTE.
NOW THE CITY COUNCIL MUST DECIDE WHETHER THAT ELECTION HAPPENS IN AUGUST … OR IN NOVEMBER.
--HAPPY HOUR FOR GRANDPARENTS--
RAISE A GLASS AND SAY “SKOL” TO ASSISTED LIVING AND NURSING HOMES … WHERE HAPPY HOUR IS NOW OFFICIALLY ON THE MENU.
GOVERNOR TIM WALZ HAS SIGNED THE SO-CALLED “GRANDPARENT HAPPY HOUR BILL” … A BIPARTISAN MEASURE THAT LETS STAFF SERVE ALCOHOL TO SENIORS LIVING IN NURSING HOMES AND ASSISTED LIVING.
SUPPORTERS INCLUDE ANITA LEBRUN … WHO TESTIFIED FOR THE BILL LAST MONTH:
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[ANITA LEBRUN: MY FRIENDS AND I LOVE HAPPY HOUR, JUST LIKE MANY OF YOU DO I AM SURE.]
SUPPORTERS SAY THE NEW LAW GIVES SENIORS MORE OF THE SAME SOCIAL FREEDOMS MANY PEOPLE TAKE FOR GRANTED.
[MUSIC TRANSITION : 02]
--BUS LINES--
DON’T MISS THE BUS THIS WEEKEND .. EVEN IF YOU NORMALLY TAKE THE METRO..
THE ENTIRE METRO GREEN LINE WILL BE REPLACED BY BUSES THIS WEEKEND ... IN ORDER FOR CREWS TO MAKE NECESSARY SEASONAL TRACK REPAIRS..
GREENLINE SERVICE STOPS AT SEVEN P-M FRIDAY. AND, IS SCHEDULED TO REOPEN MONDAY MORNING BY FOUR A-M..
BLUE LINE TRAINS WILL STILL RUN THROUGH THE SHARED DOWNTOWN MINNEAPOLIS STATIONS…
--FREE STATE PARK AND MUSEUM DAY--
FINALLY...
GET OUT AND EXPLORE MINNESOTA... FOR FREE THIS SATURDAY!
THE STATE IS OPENING THE GATES AT ALL 73 STATE PARKS AND RECREATION AREAS ON APRIL 25TH... NO ENTRANCE FEE REQUIRED!
AND THE MINNESOTA HISTORICAL SOCIETY IS ALSO OFFERING FREE ADMISSION AT ITS HISTORIC SITES AND MUSEUMS… INCLUDING THE MINNESOTA HISTORY CENTER IN SAINT PAUL.
SPECIAL EXHIBITS OR EXTRA PROGRAMS MAY REQUIRE SEPARATE TICKETS.
THANKS FOR JOINING US.. I’M XAN HOLSTON.