Labor unions grow in Minnesota, a Stearns County man uses centuries-old Catholic edicts as a legal defenses, and a herd of horses at Como Park turns 112.
Transcript
WITH HEADLINES FROM AROUND THE STATE, I’M XAN HOLSTON.
COMING UP
[CAFESJIAN’S CAROUSEL WURLITZER BAND ORGAN]
HOW CAFESJIAN’S CAROUSEL AND ITS ORIGINAL WURTLITZER ORGAN WERE SAVED ... TO PLAY 112-YEARS LATER...
BUT FIRST...
--LABOR UNIONS INTEREST GROWING --
THIS YEAR...LABOR DAY STOOD OUT IN MINNESOTA.
THE STATEWIDE UNION-MEMBERSHIP RATE IS ABOUT 40-PERCENT HIGHER THAN THE NATIONAL RATE...
AND...ITS UNION RANKS GREW BY ABOUT SEVEN-THOUSAND MEMBERS LAST YEAR... TO 386-THOUSAND.
IN VIRGINIA... IN NORTHERN MINNESOTA....LABOR LEADER SEAN BRADFORD REPRESENTS MORE THAN 900 MINING AND CONSTRUCTION WORKERS.
HE TELLS AMPERS MEMBER STATION...K-A-X-E... MAJOR PROJECTS ARE DRIVING GROWTH ACROSS THE NORTHLAND.
[BRADFORD/LOCAL NO. 1097 OF VIRGINIA: I'M SEEING MORE PEOPLE. EVERY LOCAL THROUGHOUT THE STATE OF MINNESOTA SEEMS LIKE THEY'RE GAINING SOME MEMBERSHIP. WE HAVE OUR UPS AND DOWNS WHEN THERE'S DOWN TIMES IN WORK. THEN WHEN THEY'RE WHEN THE WORK IS UP, LIKE IT IS RIGHT NOW WITH THE BUILDING OF MESABI METALLICS AND EVERYTHING, THE MEMBERSHIP REALLY, REALLY INCREASES.]
NATIONWIDE... TWICE AS MANY COMPANIES HAD WORKERS ATTEMPT TO UNIONIZE BETWEEN 2021 AND 2024.
BUT THE NUMBER OF AMERICAN WORKERS IN UNIONS IS HALF OF WHAT IT WAS IN 1983.
--ALLINA DOCTORS FILE TO STRIKE --
MORE THAN 150 UNIONIZED ALLINA DOCTORS COULD WALK OFF THE JOB NEXT WEEK AT MERCY HOSPITAL’S NORTH METRO CAMPUSES OF COON RAPIDS AND FRIDLEY.
THEY FILED THE REQUIRED TEN-DAY NOTICE FOR A FOUR-DAY STRIKE..IF NO DEAL IS REACHED.
THE UNION CALLS IT AN UNFAIR-LABOR-PRACTICE STRIKE.... SAYING THEY WANT SICK LEAVE... MORE TIME OFF... AND MORE SAY IN PATIENT CARE.
TALKS CONTINUE TOMORROW.
--SCHOOL PERMANENT FUND REFERENDUM – PNS --
MINNESOTA VOTERS WILL DECIDE IN NOVEMBER WHETHER TO INCREASE WHAT PUBLIC SCHOOLS RECEIVE FROM THE STATE’S PERMANENT SCHOOL FUND.
SUPPORTERS SAY THE PERMANENT INCREASE FROM THE FUND WILL HELP CASH-STRAPPED SCHOOLS... WITHOUT RAISING TAXES.
THE AMENDMENT WOULD ALSO MOVE THE PAYOUT FORMULA INTO STATE LAW... GIVING FUTURE LEGISLATURES MORE CONTROL OVER IT.
THE BILL’S AUTHOR... REPUBLICAN REPRESENTATIVE SPENCER IGO... SAYS THE SMALL INCREASE WILL MAKE A BIG DIFFERENCE.
[SPENCER IGO: WHETHER IT'S KEEPING A TEACHER OR A PARA, OR IT'S INVESTING IN BUILDING MAINTENANCE, OR MAYBE IT'S HELPING WITH BUSING, THIS FUNDING IS CRITICAL FOR FILLING THOSE GAPS.]
THE AMENDMENT NEEDS A MAJORITY OF THE NOVEMBER VOTERS TO MARK ‘YES’ IN ORDER TO PASS....
LEAVING THE QUESTION BLANK IS THE SAME AS VOTING NO.
--STEARNS CTY SOVEREIGN CITIZEN--
IT STARTED AS A PERMIT FOR A HAY SHED.
NOW... IT’S A COURT FIGHT INVOLVING WEDDINGS, THE GENEVA CONVENTION AND MEDIEVAL ROMAN CATHOLIC DECREES FROM THE 14-HUNDREDS.
IN CENTRAL MINNESOTA, STEARNS COUNTY OFFICIALS SAY A RESIDENT RECEIVED A PERMIT TO BUILD A SHED FOR PERSONAL USE... BUT HAS OPERATED IT AS AN EVENT VENUE BUSINESS FOR SEVERAL YEARS..
REPRESENTING HIMSELF... THE MAN ARGUES HE IS NOT A U-S CITIZEN... IS TAX-EXEMPT... AND DOESN’T HAVE TO FOLLOW GOVERNMENT RULES …
...CITING MEDIEVAL CATHOLIC CHURCH DOCTRINE ... HE ARGUES HE IS A “LIVING MAN” … NOT A “CORPORATE FICTION.”
A JUDGE REJECTED THOSE CLAIMS AND ORDERED HIM TO STOP HOSTING EVENTS...
THE COUNTY SAYS HE HAS NINE MORE EVENTS SCHEDULED THAT THEY KNOW OF.
A COURT HEARING IS SET FOR FRIDAY MORNING.
--CHRISTIAN CASTRO UPDATE--
THE ICE AGENT ACCUSED OF SHOOTING A VENEZUELAN MAN IN NORTH MINNEAPOLIS DURING OPERATION METRO SURGE IS OUT ON BOND WITH AN ANKLE MONITOR...
CHRISTIAN CASTRO TURNED HIMSELF IN AND PLEADED NOT GUILTY IN TEXAS TO SIX FEDERAL COUNTS OF MAKING FALSE STATEMENTS TO THE F-B-I.
CASTRO ALSO FACES STATE ASSAULT AND FALSE-REPORTING CHARGES IN MINNESOTA.
HE IS DUE IN FEDERAL COURT IN MINNESOTA SEPTEMBER 18TH.
--KAXE ATVs – INTRO --
MINNESOTA’S LOVE OF THE OUTDOORS DOESN’T STOP WHERE THE PAVEMENT ENDS... THE STATE HAS MORE THAN THREE-THOUSAND-MILES OF TRAILS..
NOW... A PLAN TO LINK TRAILS AND TOWNS ACROSS THE NORTHLAND IS GOING THROUGH ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW...
AND... AS AMPERS MEMBER STATION K-A-X-E’S STELLA MAYERHOFF REPORTS... THE STATE WANTS INPUT FROM TRAIL-RIDERS..
--KAXE ATVs – PKG --
[THE MINNESOTA DEPARTMENT OF NATURAL RESOURCES IS ACCEPTING COMMENTS ON A PROPOSED ALL-TERRAIN VEHICLE PROJECT.
THE PROJECT WOULD INCLUDE AROUND 510 MILES OF ROADWAY AND NATURAL SURFACE TRAILS IN CARLTON AND ST. LOUIS COUNTIES AS PART OF THE TWIG AREA TRAIL RIDERS PROPOSED TRAIL SYSTEM. PLANS INCLUDE USING EXISTING TRAILS AND CONSTRUCTING NEW RAIL SEGMENTS.
THE D-N-R SAYS THE PROJECT AIMS TO CONNECT COMMUNITIES IN CARLETON AND ST. LOUIS COUNTIES TO THE TRAIL SYSTEM.
COMMENTS WILL BE ACCEPTED UNTIL OCTOBER 1ST.
FROM THE KAXE NEWS DESK, I'M REPORT FOR AMERICA CORE MEMBER STELLA MAYERHOFF.]
--CAFESJIAN'S CAROUSEL TURNS 112 (40)--
AND FINALLY …
[CAROUSEL WURLITZER ORGAN MUSIC]
IF AN A-T-V ISN’T YOUR CUP OF TEA … MAYBE TRY A RIDE ON A RING OF LEAPING STEEDS …
CAFESJIAN’S CAROUSEL IN SAINT PAUL’S COMO PARK TURNED 112 YEARS OLD YESTERDAY …
THE HAND-CARVED MERRY-GO-ROUND WAS SENT TO BE AUCTIONED OFF PIECE-BY-PIECE IN THE LATE 80S BEFORE A SAINT PAUL COUPLE SAVED IT...
THEY FORMED A NON-PROFIT … GOT A CITY BACKED LOAN … AND BOUGHT THE CAROUSEL FOR ONE-POINT-ONE-MILLION DOLLARS JUST MINUTES BEFORE THE FIRST HORSE WAS SOLD AT AN AUCTION.
GERARD CAFESJIAN … WHOSE NAME NOW GRACES THE CAROUSEL … DONATED 600-THOUSAND DOLLARS TO HELP PAY BACK THE LOAN …
AND KEEP THE HERD RACING … TOGETHER.
FOR NORTH STAR STORIES … I’M XAN HOLSTON.