A bridge safety fix for people at their lowest, Tribal food and energy sovereignty projects, and a former state senator plans to change his plea in a sex sting case.
Transcript
WITH HEADLINES FROM AROUND THE STATE, I’M XAN HOLSTON.
COMING UP … A BRIDGE SAFETY FIX FOR PEOPLE AT THEIR LOWEST …
[MJ BLAIR: FOR OVER 50 YEARS, IT'S BEEN KNOWN AS A SUICIDAL HOTSPOT.]
BUT FIRST …
FORMER MINNESOTA STATE SENATOR JUSTIN EICHORN IS DUE IN FEDERAL COURT THURSDAY MORNING FOR A HEARING TO CHANGE HIS PLEA OF NOT GUILTY.
THE GRAND RAPIDS REPUBLICAN IS CHARGED WITH ATTEMPTED ENTICEMENT OF A MINOR.
PROSECUTORS SAY HE ARRANGED TO PAY FOR SEX WITH AN UNDERCOVER BLOOMINGTON OFFICER POSING AS A 17-YEAR-OLD GIRL... AND WAS ARRESTED AS PART OF AN UNDERCOVER STING OPERATION. .
WE WILL HAVE MORE FOR YOU LATER THIS WEEK.
--GRAND PORTAGE BISON--
STATEWIDE HUNGER IS REACHING RECORD LEVELS … AND ON THE NORTH SHORE, THE GRAND PORTAGE BAND IS GROWING ONE LOCAL ANSWER THROUGH FOOD SOVEREIGNTY.
MINNESOTANS MADE MORE THAN NINE-MILLION VISITS TO FOOD SHELVES LAST YEAR … WHILE NORTHLAND HUNGER RELIEF GROUPS SAY MORE THAN ONE IN FIVE CHILDREN IN THE REGION FACE FOOD INSECURITY.
THREE YEARS AFTER LAUNCHING ITS HERD … THE GRAND PORTAGE BAND OF LAKE SUPERIOR CHIPPEWA HAS GROWN TO 34 BISON … INCLUDING SEVEN NEW CALVES THIS SPRING.
THE PROGRAM STARTED AS A WAY TO BRING MORE HEALTHY PROTEIN INTO THE COMMUNITY … ESPECIALLY AS MOOSE NUMBERS DECLINED IN NORTHERN MINNESOTA.
THE BAND HAS HARVESTED FOUR BISON SO FAR … DISTRIBUTING ABOUT 26-HUNDRED POUNDS OF MEAT.
IN AN INTERVIEW WITH AMPERS MEMBER STATION W-T-I-P … HERD MANAGER AND TRIBAL PLANNER JARED SWADER SAYS THE GOAL NOW IS TO EXPAND PROGRAM REACH.
[JARED SWADER: I’M HOPING TO GET CLOSER TO ABOUT FIVE TO SEVEN HARVEST PER YEAR, BECAUSE I THINK THAT'LL REALLY IMPACT. IT'LL MAKE A LARGER IMPACT ON OUR COMMUNITY.]
SWADER SAYS THE HERD WILL LIKELY STAY BETWEEN 35 AND 50 ANIMALS … WITH THE BISON MEAT BECOMING A MORE REGULAR SOURCE OF FOOD FOR THE COMMUNITY.
--KAYLA’S HOPE ACT--
A MOTHER’S PUSH TO MAKE MINNESOTA BRIDGES SAFER IS NOW STATE LAW.
GOVERNOR TIM WALZ SIGNED ‘KAYLA’S HOPE ACT’ INTO LAW LAST WEEK …
THE ACT REQUIRES STATE AGENCIES TO IDENTIFY BRIDGES AND OTHER PUBLIC STRUCTURES WITH A HISTORY OF SUICIDES OR ATTEMPTS ... THEN DEVELOP CRITERIA FOR WHEN SUICIDE-REDUCTION MEASURES SHOULD BE ADDED ON BRIDGE CONSTRUCTION PROJECTS.
THE LAW IS NAMED FOR KAYLA GAEBEL … A 29-YEAR-OLD MOTHER OF TWO WHO DIED BY SUICIDE AT MINNEAPOLIS’ WASHINGTON AVENUE BRIDGE IN 2023.
KAYLA’S MOTHER … M-J BLAIR … SAYS CONSTRUCTING PHYSICAL OBSTACLES CAN GIVE PEOPLE IN CRISIS MORE TIME TO LIVE.
[MJ BLAIR: HER DEATH WAS SO PREVENTABLE. YOU KNOW, HAD THOSE BARRIERS BEEN PUT UP A YEAR AGO, TWO YEARS AGO, THIRTY YEARS AGO…]
IF YOU OR SOMEONE YOU KNOW IS STRUGGLING WITH SUICIDAL THOUGHTS … CALL OR TEXT 9-8-8.
--{MUSIC TRANSITION FOR SURE HERE :03]--
--MINNESOTA MAGNETS--
A MINNESOTA COMPANY IS GETTING STATE HELP TO BUILD A MORE SECURE U-S SUPPLY OF HIGH-TECH MAGNETS.
NIRON MAGNETICS IS BUILDING A NEW MANUFACTURING FACILITY TO MAKE PERMANENT MAGNETS WITHOUT RARE-EARTH MINERALS... IN THE CENTRAL MINNESOTA CITY OF SARTELL.NEAR SAINT CLOUD.. .
STATE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT OFFICIALS SAY THE TECHNOLOGY STARTED AT THE UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA AND USES IRON AND NITROGEN... INSTEAD OF MATERIALS MINED AND PROCESSED OVERSEAS...
THE IRON-BASED MAGNETS COULD BE USED IN ELECTRIC VEHICLES …
THE STATE INVESTED 10-MILLION DOLLARS. THE PLANT IS EXPECTED TO CREATE 175 FULL-TIME JOBS AND OPEN IN 2027.
--WHITE EARTH SOLAR ARRAY--
-- --
WHITE EARTH NATION IS TURNING TO THE SUN AS A STEP TOWARD ENERGY SOVEREIGNTY.
THE PINE POINT RESILIENCE HUB PAIRS ABOUT 500-KILOWATTS OF SOLAR POWER WITH A LARGE BATTERY SYSTEM AT THE PINE POINT SCHOOL AND COMMUNITY CENTER.
PROJECT PARTNERS NAMED THE PROJECT WAABIZII-ONE … WAABIZII IS THE OJIBWE WORD FOR ‘SWAN’
THE HUB PROVIDES ENOUGH POWER FOR THE SCHOOL AND COMMUNITY CENTER TO KEEP THE LIGHTS ON THROUGH A BLACKOUT... GIVE PEOPLE A PLACE TO CHARGE PHONES ... POWER MEDICAL EQUIPMENT... AND STAY WARM IN AN EMERGENCY.
THE HUB IS PART OF A BROADER EFFORT TO SAVE MONEY ON SCHOOL ENERGY BILLS ... WHILE BUILDING LOCAL ENERGY SECURITY AND INDEPENDENCE ON THE WHITE EARTH RESERVATION.
[MUSIC TRANSITION : 03]
--SUMMER WILDFIRE AIR POLLUTION – KAXE INTRO--
AIR QUALITY INFLUENCES OUR HEALTH OUTCOMES... AND MINNESOTA FORECASTERS PREDICT AN ACTIVE WILDFIRE SMOKE SEASON.
AMPERS MEMBER STATION K-A-X-E NEWS REPORTER LARISSA DONAVON HAS TIPS TO HELP PREVENT POSSIBLE HEALTH ISSUES THIS SUMMER.
--SUMMER WILDFIRE AIR POLLUTION – KAXE PKG--
[MINNESOTANS SHOULD EXPECT 12 TO 16 DAYS OF WILDFIRE SMOKE THIS SUMMER — THAT'S ACCORDING TO A NEW OUTLOOK FROM THE STATE POLLUTION CONTROL AGENCY.
THE PCA METEOROLOGISTS ARE PREDICTING AN ACTIVE AIR QUALITY SEASON COMPARABLE TO 2024.
A STRONG EL NINO CYCLE IS EXPECTED TO BRING WARMER AND DRIER CONDITIONS, PUNCTUATED WITH STORMS.
THE PCA SAYS WITH SEVERAL AIR QUALITY ALERT DAYS LIKELY, IT'S MORE IMPORTANT THAN EVER TO BE AIR AWARE.
BREATHING WILDFIRE SMOKE ISN'T GOOD FOR ANYONE. SENSITIVE GROUPS LIKE OLDER ADULTS AND KIDS FACE HIGHER RISKS — SO DO PEOPLE WHO WORK OR EXERCISE OUTSIDE.
THE PCA POSTS AIR QUALITY UPDATES ON ITS SOCIAL MEDIA — YOU CAN ALSO SIGN UP FOR AIR QUALITY ALERTS ON THE AGENCY'S WEBSITE.
LARISSA DONOVAN, K, A, X, E, NEWS]
--MANKATO COVERED BRIDGE--
A 151-YEAR-OLD HISTORIC BRIDGE IS MOVING TO MANKATO.
THE 1873 KERN BRIDGE WAS THE STATE’S ONLY BOWSTRING-THROUGH-TRUSS BRIDGE... AND ONCE SPANNED THE LE SUEUR RIVER IN SOUTH BEND TOWNSHIP IN SOUTHERN MINNESOTA….
IT WAS DISMANTLED IN 20-20…
NOW... THE BRIDGE IS BEING REASSEMBLED IN ITS NEW HOME OF MANKATO... ACROSS THE BLUE EARTH RIVER TO CONNECT SIBLEY PARK AND LAND OF MEMORIES PARK AS A PEDESTRIAN AND BIKE BRIDGE.
THE CITY SAYS IT WILL ONCE AGAIN BE THE LARGEST BOWSTRING ARCH BRIDGE IN THE COUNTRY. CREWS ARE POURING THE CONCRETE BRIDGE DECK THIS WEEK..
ITS SCHEDULE TO OPEN BY FALL..
FOR NORTH STAR STORIES, I’M XAN HOLSTON.