Last-minute pleas to the St. Paul City Council for more time before the city clears out homeless encampments, flock cameras go missing across the state, and state and federal candidates speak on agriculture at Farmfest.
Transcript
WITH HEADLINES FROM AROUND THE STATE, I’M XAN HOLSTON.
[JUSTIN DUSKY: WHAT WE NEED RIGHT NOW IS EVERY COUNTY COMMISSIONER AND EVERY SAINT PAUL COUNCIL MEMBER TO PUBLICLY SAY: "JUST GIVE US MORE TIME.” WE NEED TIME TO SAVE LIVES. WE NEED TIME TO MITIGATE THE HARM THAT THESE SWEEPS ARE GOING TO CAUSE.]
--HOMELESS ENCAMPMENTS --
COMMUNITY MEMBERS PLEADED WITH THE SAINT PAUL CITY COUNCIL YESTERDAY TO DELAY THE CLEARING OF PIG’S EYE REGIONAL PARK’S HOMELESS ENCAMPMENTS.
THE FIRST SWEEP IS SET TO BEGIN TODAY.
THE CITY AND RAMSEY COUNTY SAY THEY HAVE ONE-MILLION DOLLARS IN AID ... AND 49 EMERGENCY SHELTER BEDS … FOR THE 124 PEOPLE COUNTED AT THE CAMP.
ADVOCATES SAY THE TRUE NUMBER IS MUCH HIGHER … SHELTERS ARE ALREADY FULL... AND WAITING LISTS ARE MASSIVE.
OUTREACH COORDINATOR DAVID MENICKY SAYS MOST OF THE UNHOUSED WILL SIMPLY MOVE TO SMALLER.. MORE ISOLATED SITES.
[DAVID MENICKY, ST PAUL OUTREACH: THESE PEOPLE ARE SCARED NOW, AND MOST OF THEM ARE THINKING OF SIMPLY MOVING FROM ONE TENT TO ANOTHER TENT BECAUSE THERE ISN'T ENOUGH PLACE FOR THEM TO GO.]
THE CITY SAYS FIRES... ASSAULTS.. THEFTS.. AND TWO OVERDOSE DEATHS MAKE THE CAMPS UNSAFE …
STAFF SAY THEY ARE TRYING TO CONNECT THE UNHOUSED WITH SHELTER... TREATMENT.. OR HOUSING.
PIG’S EYE IS THE FIRST OF THREE LARGE ENCAMPMENTS THE CITY PLANS TO CLEAR …
THE CITY HAS NOT ANNOUNCED DATES FOR THE OTHER TWO.
--SHARIA-FREE MINNESOTA CAUCUS --
THE MINNESOTA G-O-P ITSELF HAS NOT ANNOUNCED A SHARIA-LAW CAUCUS…
BUT REPUBLICAN STATE SENATOR MICHAEL HOLMSTROM IS CREATING WHAT HE CALLS A “SHARIA-FREE MINNESOTA CAUCUS”....
THE BUFFALO LAWMAKER ... FROM NORTHWEST OF MINNEAPOLIS… SAYS IT WILL PUSH LEGISLATION AIMED AT KEEPING ISLAMIC RELIGIOUS LAW FROM INFLUENCING STATE COURTS…
HOLSTROM SAYS THE GROUP WILL REAFFIRM THE STATE AND U-S CONSTITUTIONS AS THE HIGHEST LEGAL AUTHORITY.
HE HAS NOT NAMED ANY OTHER MEMBERS.
--FLOCK CAMERA THEFT --
THE CAMERAS WATCHING MINNESOTA DRIVERS ARE NOW BECOMING TARGETS THEMSELVES.
IN FAIRBAULT… SOUTH OF THE TWIN CITIES… PROSECUTORS SAY A MAN WHO BELIEVED A FLOCK CAMERA WAS TRACKING HIM... CUT IT DOWN LAST WEEK…TRIED TO HAVE IT TAKEN APART AT A WORKSHOP… THEN BROUGHT IT HOME AND TAPED OVER THE LENS.
IN WINONA.. IN SOUTHEASTERN MINNESOTA… SOMEONE DESTROYED ALL EIGHT OF THE CITY’S CAMERAS OVER THE WEEKEND.
CITIES RANGING FROM DULUTH … PLYMOUTH … EDEN PRAIRIE … EDINA … AND MINNETONKA HAVE ALSO REPORTED CAMERAS CUT DOWN ... OR OTHERWISE VANDALIZED SINCE MAY.
POLICE HAVE NOT LINKED THE CASES… AND ... DON’T KNOW MOTIVES.
AS OF TUESDAY... ONLY FAIRBAULT POLICE HAVE ANNOUNCED AN ARREST.
BUT THE PATTERN RESEMBLES A BROADER NATIONAL BACKLASH...
--BRAINERD FOLO--
IN CENTRAL MINNESOTA... BRAINERD PUBLIC SCHOOLS IS REVIEWING HOW IT RESPONDS TO BULLYING REPORTS ... AFTER THE DEATHS OF TWO FORESTVIEW MIDDLE SCHOOL STUDENTS THIS SUMMER.
THE MOTHER OF ONE STUDENT SAYS HER DAUGHTER … WHO WAS BLACK … WAS BULLIED ABOUT HER SKIN TONE AND APPEARANCE.
THE DISTRICT HAS CALLED FOR AN INDEPENDENT REVIEW … WHILE THE SCHOOL BOARD HAS HELD EMERGENCY WORK-SESSION AND DISCUSSIONS ABOUT ITS RESPONSE AND FUTURE POLICY...
VICTORIA MCWANE-CREEK RUNS ONYX COLLECTIVE … A GROUP SUPPORTING BLACK PEOPLE LIVING IN RURAL MINNESOTA.
SHE TOLD NORTH STAR STORIES THAT RACIALIZED BULLYING CAN BE REINFORCED WHEN BYSTANDERS AREN’T EMPOWERED TO SPEAK UP.
[VICTORIA MCWANE-CREEK: WHETHER IT IS THE SILENCE OF THOSE OF US WHO EXPERIENCED RACIALIZED BULLYING, OR SILENCE FROM THOSE WHO MAY HAVE WITNESSED IT AND JUST DIDN’T KNOW WHAT TO DO.]
HEAR THE FULL CONVERSATION IN THIS WEEK’S SPEICAL HALF-HOUR EDITION OF NORTH STAR STORIES ADDRESSING TEEN BULLYING AND SUICIDE..
--FARMFEST FORUMS --
[SPEAKER: WHEN ONE OF THE CANDIDATES IS SPEAKING … PRETTY PLEASE WITH SUGAR ON TOP LET THEM FINISH WHAT THEY’RE SAYING....]
A CALL FOR CIVILITY OPENED AN ENTHUSIASTIC AND CROWDED FARMFEST ANNUAL AGRICULTURE FORUM NEAR MORGAN... IN SOUTHWESTERN MINNESOTA.
CANDIDATES AND OFFICE HOLDERS FACED QUESTIONS ABOUT THE FUTURE OF FARMING...
[MODERATOR QUESTION: SHOULD THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT PLAY A BIGGER ROLL IN DEFENDING CROP PROTECTION MANUFACTURERS WHEN THOSE PRODUCTS HAVE ALREADY HAD THE APPROVAL OF THE ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY?]
THE QUESTIONS COME AS FARMERS FACE LOW CROP PRICES … RISING FUEL AND FERTILIZER COSTS … AND FALLING GLOBAL DEMAND AND INCOME.
THE FEDERAL RESERVE BANK OF MINNEAPOLIS SAYS NINE OUT OF TEN MINNESOTA AGRICULTURAL LENDERS REPORTED DECREASING FARM INCOMES THIS YEAR.
STATE AND U-S REPRESENTATIVES ... OFFICEHOLDERS AND CHALLENGERS ... TOOK THE STAGE YESTERDAY.
CANDIDATES FOR GOVERNOR AND U-S SENATE DEBATE TODAY.
FARMFEST RUNS THROUGH TOMORROW.
--BEST RESTAURANT AND ICE CREAM IN AMERICA- SNARKY LOON / CUP AND CONE KICKER--
AND FINALLY …
TWO MINNESOTA FAVORITES ARE GETTING A TASTE OF NATIONAL ATTENTION.
SNARKY LOON BREWING IN JENKINS... NORTH OF BRAINERD... HAS BEEN FILMED FOR AMERICA’S BEST RESTAURANTS’ ROADSHOW… A T-V SERIES FEATURING ITS FOOD... BEER.. AND COMMUNITY FOCUS.
AND FOR DESSERT... CUP AND CONE IN WHITE BEAR LAKE… NORTHEAST OF SAINT PAUL… HAS WON “AMERICA’S BEST ICE CREAM.”
THE SOFT-SERVE STAND BEAT SIXTY-THREE SHOPS IN A FIVE-ROUND FAN VOTE.
COME FOR THE LAKES… STAY FOR THE CALORIES.
FOR NORTH STAR STORIES...I’M XAN HOLSTON.