Some Boundary Waters sections reopen for overnight permits, the last of the “Minnesota 15” is arraigned in federal court, and Medtronic workers are called back to the office.
Transcript
WITH HEADLINES FROM AROUND THE STATE, I’M XAN HOLSTON.
[MARTÍN BLANCO: I JUST WANT PEOPLE TO EXPERIENCE, LIKE, A BREATH—A BREATH OF FRESH AIR.]
STORIES FROM LATINO MINNESOTANS ARE NOW WOVEN INTO A FILM ABOUT MINNESOTA’S HISTORY AND FUTURE. .HOW YOU CAN SEE IT FREE...
BUT FIRST...
[ELY MAYOR HEIDI OMERZA: ELY IS OPEN.]
--WILDFIRE & ECONOMIC UPDATE--
AS WILDFIRE CONDITIONS IMPROVE … LOCAL LEADERS ARE NOW ASKING THE STATE TO HELP NORTHERN MINNESOTA BUSINESSES RECOVER FROM WILDFIRES ... EVACUATIONS ... AND CLOSURES
AT A PRESS CONFERENCE MONDAY MORNING IN ELY… GOVERNOR TIM WALZ SAID THE STATE IS WORKING ON AN ECONOMIC RECOVERY PACKAGE … AND THAT HE’S NOT RULING OUT A SPECIAL LEGISLATIVE SESSION TO PASS IT.
FOR NOW … ELY MAYOR HEIDI OMERZA WANTS VISITORS TO KNOW THEY’RE OPEN FOR BUSINESS.
[ELY MAYOR HEIDI OMERZA: YOU MAY NOT BE ABLE TO QUITE GET THE BOUNDARY WATERS EXPERIENCE THAT YOU WANT, BUT THERE ARE A LOT OF OTHER THINGS YOU CAN DO.]
MEANWHILE … SAINT LOUIS, COOK, AND LAKE COUNTIES DOWNGRADED SOME EVACUATION ZONES... ALLOWING SOME PEOPLE TO RETURN TO THEIR HOMES AND CABINS.
THREE ZONES IN SAINT LOUIS COUNTY … AND ONE IN LAKE COUNTY … REMAIN EVACUATION “GO” ZONES …
THE U-S FOREST SERVICE OPENED SOME BOUNDARY WATERS ENTRY POINTS FOR DAY USE THIS WEEK … AND WILL START ISSUING OVERNIGHT PERMITS FOR SOME AREAS THURSDAY.
--KYLE WAGNER ARRAIGNED--
-- --
THE LAST OF 15 ANTI-ICE PROTESTERS CHARGED IN A FEDERAL CONSPIRACY CASE PLEADED NOT GUILTY YESTERDAY.
KYLE WAGNER IS ACCUSED OF CONSPIRING TO INTERFERE WITH FEDERAL IMMIGRATION EFFORTS DURING OPERATION METRO SURGE.
PROSECUTORS ARE ALSO CHARGING WAGNER WITH TWO INDIVIDUAL CHARGES SEPARATE FROM THE GROUP … FOR ALLEGEDLY THREATENING A FEDERAL OFFICER … AND USING SOCIAL MEDIA CLIPS LIKE THIS TO CALL FOR ARMED ASSAULT ON FEDERAL AGENTS.
[KYLE WAGNER: NOT TALKING ABOUT PEACEFUL PROTEST ANYMORE … NOT TALKING ABOUT POLITE CONVERSATION ANYMORE.]
WAGNER WAS EXTRADITED FROM MICHIGAN … WHERE HE’S FACING SEPARATE FEDERAL CHARGES FOR CYBERSTALKING AND THREATS.
--ANOKA COUNTY FLOCK CAMERAS--
A NEW CONTRACT IS RAISING PUBLIC-OVERSIGHT QUESTIONS IN ANOKA COUNTY … NORTH OF MINNEAPOLIS.
SHERIFF BRAD WISE SIGNED A ONE-YEAR CONTRACT FOR TEN FLOCK CAMERAS AND A 9-1-1 RESPONSE DRONE.
HAD THE CONTRACT BEEN JUST TWO DOLLARS MORE, IT WOULD HAVE REQUIRED APPROVAL FROM THE COUNTY COMMISSION.
FLOCK CAMERAS PHOTOGRAPH PASSING LICENSE PLATES AND RECORD WHERE AND WHEN VEHICLES TRAVEL...
THE FLOCK NETWORK SHARES DATA WITH STATE AND FEDERAL AGENCIES... CREATING SERIOUS PRIVACY CONCERNS.
--VIRGINIA HOTEL PROJECT--
IN THE NORTHEASTERN CITY OF VIRGINIA … ON THE IRON RANGE ... THE HOTEL MEANT TO TURN VIRGINIA’S EVENT CENTER INTO AN OVERNIGHT DESTINATION HAS GROWN FROM A FIVE-YEAR DEVELOPMENT PROBLEM... INTO A LEGAL HEADACHE.
VIRGINIA SELECTED THE DEVELOPER FIVE YEARS AGO AND TRANSFERRED LAND WORTH NEARLY 700-THOUSAND DOLLARS FOR ONE DOLLAR IN 2023.
NOW... AFTER A REVISED JUNE 30TH CONSTRUCTION DEADLINE, IRON RANGE TODAY REPORTS ONLY A FENCE HAS GONE UP...AND THE CITY’S CONTRACT HAS NO AUTOMATIC CLAWBACK IF THE PROJECT FAILS.
THE CITY SAYS POTENTIAL LITIGATION NOW LIMITS WHAT IT CAN PUBLICLY DISCLOSE.
--MEDTRONIC REMOTE WORKERS CALLED BACK --
THE COMMUTE IS RETURNING FOR NEARLY 900 MEDTRONIC EMPLOYEES IN THE TWIN CITIES.
STARTING IN EARLY NOVEMBER... REMOTE WORKERS WHO LIVE WITHIN 25 MILES OF A MEDTRONIC FACILITY MUST REPORT IN PERSON AT LEAST FOUR DAYS A WEEK.
MEDTRONIC SAYS THE CHANGE WILL IMPROVE IN-PERSON COLLABORATION AND OPERATING EFFICIENCY… AND EMPLOYEES ARE GETTING SEVERAL MONTHS TO PREPARE.
--KINDERGARTEN ASSESSMENT TEST--
A NEW MINNESOTA ASSESSMENT WILL LOOK BEYOND LETTERS AND NUMBERS TO HOW KINDERGARTNERS COMMUNICATE... SOLVE PROBLEMS AND PLAY.
THIS FALL ... THE MINNESOTA DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION IS PILOTING A NEW KINDERGARTEN ASSESSMENT IN 70 SCHOOLS ACROSS 45 DISTRICTS … AHEAD OF A STATEWIDE ROLLOUT NEXT YEAR.
THE STATE SAYS IT IS NOT A ‘KINDERGARTEN-READINESS TEST... BUT A WAY TO IDENTIFY WHAT CHILDREN NEED AS THEY BEGIN SCHOOL
--INTERVIEW WITH MARTIN BLANCO ABOUT NUESTRO NORTE--
THE INSPIRATION FOR A DOCUMENTARY FILM ABOUT MINNESOTA’S LATINO HISTORY IS GROWING INTO COMMUNITY DISCUSSIONS... AND A TAPESTRY OF INSPIRATIONAL STORIES FROM AROUND THE STATE….
[MARTÍN BLANCO: REALLY, WHAT WE WANTED TO DO WAS SOMETHING THAT FELT LIKE THE START OF THE CONVERSATION.]
WRITER-DIRECTOR MARTÍN BLANCO SAYS THE INSPIRATION FOR “NUESTRO NORTE” CAME FROM MORE THAN A YEAR OF LISTENING TO LATINO COMMUNITIES ACROSS MINNESOTA.
HE WOVE THE STORIES OF FIVE LEADERS INTO A FILM CONNECTING THEIR EXPERIENCES, CONTRIBUTIONS AND INTERGENERATIONAL TIES TO THE STATE.
[MARTÍN BLANCO: I REALLY HOPE PEOPLE WATCH IT AND FEEL A DEEP SENSE OF KINSHIP WITH THE LAND, A SENSE OF PLACE AND A SENSE OF BELONGING.]
THE FILM SCREENS FREE THURSDAY… JULY 30TH… AT LANDMARK CENTER IN DOWNTOWN SAINT PAUL.
REGISTRATION IS REQUIRED AT M-N-H-U-M DOT ORG.
--TRF RIVERFEST--
AND… FINALLY….
THIEF RIVER FALLS’ ANNUAL RIVERFEST RETURNS THIS WEEK … AND THIS YEAR IT’S BACK ON THE RIVER.
AFTER TWO YEARS AT THE PENNINGTON COUNTY FAIRGROUNDS … THE NORTHWEST MINNESOTA FESTIVAL RETURNS TO HARTZ PARK ALONG THE RED LAKE RIVER …
FAMILY-FRIENDLY EVENTS RUN ALL WEEK … FROM A BIKE RIDE … A CAR SHOW … A SUNSET PADDLE ON THE RIVER … TO LIVE MUSIC FRIDAY AND SATURDAY.