Rochester loses heritage commissioners over a development vote, Minnesota’s Karen population faces challenges over Federal Temporary Protected Status, and hot rods heat up Brainerd.
Transcript
WITH HEADLINES FROM AROUND THE STATE, I’M XAN HOLSTON.
--ROCHESTER HISTORIC BUILDING VOTE --
[CHRIS ALLEN: TWO STORIES SAYS “CHARM.” SEVEN STORIES SAYS “CORPORATE GREED.]
THE FIGHT OVER THE DEVELOPMENT OF ONE ROCHESTER CITY BLOCK HAS NOW COST THE CITY TWO OF ITS HERITAGE PRESERVATION COMMISSIONERS.
TWO MEMBERS OF THE HERITAGE COMMISSION RESIGNED AFTER THE CITY COUNCIL APPROVED THE DEVELOPMENT OF A SEVEN STORY APARTMENT BUILDING …
MONDAY’S COUNCIL VOTE OVERTURNED THE HERITAGE COMMISSION’S JUNE ACTION REJECTING THE PROPOSED APARTMENT BUILDING .
MORE THAN 40 PEOPLE SPOKE AT THE COUNCIL MEETING... MANY DEFENDING THE BLOCK’S INDEPENDENT ARTS SPACES AND SMALL BUSINESSES.
[NICK DUNCAN: THE FACADES ARE NOT WHAT IS IMPORTANT. I DON’T WANT TO... I DON’T WANT TO LIVE IN A TOWN THAT LOOKS LIKE IT HAS CULTURE. I WANT TO LIVE IN A TOWN THAT ACTUALLY HAS THE CULTURE.]
CITY STAFF SAID THE DESIGN MET THE SECRETARY OF THE INTERIOR’S REHABILITATION STANDARDS... AND RECOMMENDED APPROVAL.
COUNCILMEMBER NORMAN WAHL SAYS THE VOTE BALANCES PRESERVATION … AND PROGRESS.
[COUNCILMEMBER NORMAN WAHL: I WOULD LIKE THE BEST OF BOTH WORLDS. I WOULD LIKE A VIABLE PROJECT THAT WOULD PROTECT AND SAVE... UH... THOSE BUILDINGS.]
ONE OF THE TWO COMMISSIONERS WHO QUIT... CHAD BOEDDECKER (BOH-DECK-ER)... SAID THE VOTE “DIRECTLY COMPROMISES THE HISTORIC INTEGRITY” OF THE DOWNTOWN DISTRICT
THE DEVELOPMENT STILL NEEDS CITY PERMITS.. SO CONSTRUCTION IS NOT IMMEDIATE...
--WHITE EARTH MOORHEAD CASINO PAUSED --
IN WESTERN MINNESOTA … THE WHITE EARTH NATION’S PROPOSED CASINO AND RESORT NEAR MOORHEAD IS PAUSED ... NOT CANCELED.
NEW WHITE EARTH SECRETARY-TREASURER JACOB MCARTHUR SAYS THE NATION IS REVIEWING THE FINANCIAL RISK OF THE NEARLY 200-MILLION-DOLLAR PROJECT... INCLUDING THE EFFECT ON ITS EXISTING CASINOS.
WHITE EARTH STILL OWNS THE CLAY COUNTY SITE NEAR INTERSTATE 94 AND HIGHWAY 336... AND HASN’T WITHDRAWN ITS FILINGS.
LEADERS EXPECT TO REVISIT THE PLAN LATER THIS SUMMER..
--OTTER TAIL COUNTY ZOO --
FURRY FRIENDS WHO LIVE IN A FAMILY-RUN ZOO NEAR DETROIT LAKES IN NORTHWEST MINNESOTA MAY SOON NEED A NEW HOME...
THE OWNER OF TROWBRIDGE (TROH BRIDGE) CREEK ZOO SAYS DECLINING ATTENDANCE AND RISING EXPENSES MAY FORCE THE ZOO TO CLOSE AFTER THIS SUMMER SEASON.
THE FAMILY SAYS THEY WOULD KEEP SOME ANIMALS... BUT MOST NEED TO BE RELOCATED TO NEW HOMES AT OTHER FACILITIES.
THE OWNER SAYS TROWBRIDGE CREEK ZOO ONLY HAS ABOUT 100 DAYS EACH SEASON TO OPEN AND EARN ENOUGH FOR YEAR-ROUND ANIMAL CARE.
FOR NOW.. THOUGH... THE ZOO IS STILL OPEN... AND ASKING FOR MORE COMMUNITY SUPPORT AND INVITES ALL MINNESOTANS TO COME VISIT – REAL SOON.
--MYANMAR TEMPORARY PROTECTED STATUS --
ROUGHLY 12-HUNDRED MINNESOTANS FROM MYANMAR ... ALSO KNOWN AS BURMA ... HAVE LOST THEIR TEMPORARY PROTECTED STATUS FROM DEPORTATION... MANY HAVE ALSO LOST THEIR T-P-S-BASED WORK PERMITS…
U-S CITIZENSHIP AND IMMIGRATION SERVICES SAYS THAT T-P-S ENDED AUGUST SEVENTH ... AFTER A FEDERAL COURT DECLINED TO EXTEND EMERGENCY RELIEF.
MANY OF THOSE AFFECTED ARE KAREN … AN ETHNIC MINORITY WITH ITS LARGEST U-S POPULATION IN MINNESOTA.
SOME OF THOSE WITH T-P-S ALSO HAVE OTHER VALID IMMIGRATION STATUS OR WORK AUTHORIZATION.
SO... IMMIGRATION ATTORNEYS URGE ANYONE WITH MYANMAR T-P-S TO GET AN INDIVIDUAL CASE REVIEW...
[MUSIC TRANSITION]
--IMPAIRED-DRIVING PATROLS--
NEARLY 300 MINNESOTA LAW-ENFORCEMENT AGENCIES ARE RUNNING EXTRA IMPAIRED-DRIVING PATROLS NOW THROUGH LABOR DAY.
STATE DATA THROUGH JULY 13TH SHOW 62 ALCOHOL-RELATED DEATHS... AND 179 SERIOUS INJURIES.
A TWIN CITIES MAN IDENTIFIED ONLY AS COREY SAYS HIS 2023 D-W-I COST HIM A JOB... A FRIENDSHIP... AND TRUST... WHEN A RIDE HOME WOULD HAVE COST ABOUT 45 DOLLARS.
[COREY: AND IF YOU'RE LISTENING TO MY STORY AND THINKING THAT COULD NEVER BE ME, I HOPE YOU'LL REMEMBER THAT I USED TO THINK THINK THE SAME THING UNTIL IT WAS ME.]
THE OFFICE OF TRAFFIC SAFETY SAYS PLAN A SOBER RIDE... AND CALL 9-1-1 IF YOU SEE A DRIVER WHO MAY BE IMPAIRED.
--BLUE LINE TRAINS--
GOOD NEWS FOR RAPID TRANSIT USERS...
TWO MINNEAPOLIS LIGHTRAIL LINES RE-OPEN TODAY... AFTER NEARLY TWO MONTHS OF UPGRADES AND MAINTENANCE WORK.
THE BLUE LINE - RESUMES BETWEEN TARGET FIELD AND THE MALL OF AMERICA …
AND.. GREEN LINE SERVICE RE-OPENS IN DOWNTOWN MINNEAPOLIS.
IF YOU PREFER DRIVING... HIGHWAY 280 BETWEEN ST. PAUL AND ROSEVILLE IS SCHEDULED TO OPEN ON SATURDAY..
--NHRA BRAINERD NATIONALS --
AND FINALLY ... IF YOU PREFER YOUR TRAFFIC AT 340 MILES AN HOUR...
THE 44TH NATIONAL HOT ROD ASSOCIATION.. OR N-H-R-A.. BRAINERD NATIONALS OPEN TODAY... WITH DRAGSTERS AND 12-THOUSAND-HORSEPOWER PROPELLED HOT RODS AT BRAINERD INTERNATIONAL RACEWAY.
SPORTSMAN QUALIFYING RUNS TODAY …PRO QUALIFYING BEGINS FRIDAY... AND ELIMINATIONS START AT ELEVEN SUNDAY.
THE BRAINERD RACE IS THE SECOND TO LAST RACE OF THE SEASON.. AND A CRITICAL LAST CHANCE FOR DRIVERS TO LOCK IN POINTS BEFORE THE N-H-R-A CHAMPIONSHIP PLAYOFFS BEGIN.
FOR NORTH STAR STORIES, I’M XAN HOLSTON.