Shoveling Is a Drag. But Unshoveled Sidewalks Can Be a Danger for Many Minnesotans

Transcript

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HOST: You're listening to North Star Stories: Voices from Where We Live, a daily newscast about what it means to live in Minnesota.

ANCHOR: Coming up…Minnesota's Attorney General weighs in on agreements between some county sheriffs and federal law enforcement agencies. Airport commissioners get an earful from union representatives and rideshare drivers. And, why it's much more than just common courtesy to shovel your sidewalk during the winter. I'm Gracie J.

A number of county sheriffs across the state have entered into agreements with Immigration and Customs Enforcement or ICE to perform certain immigration duties. But, in a recent ruling, Minnesota's Attorney General says the sheriffs themselves don't have the authority to do so. In his written opinion about the issue, Attorney General Keith Ellison says state law specifies that only a county board, not a sheriff themselves, can enter into such agreements.

Airport employees and Uber and Lyft drivers say ICE agents are harassing them at the airport. Union representatives told members of the Metropolitan Airport Commission recently that airport employees are subject to rigorous background checks and therefore shouldn't be targeted by ICE agents. Rideshare drivers complained that ICE agents are harassing them on airport property. The Commissioners said they sympathize with both groups but say their hands are tied because they can't interfere with federal agents.

You are listening to North Star Stories.

Up next: let's face it, nobody likes shoveling their sidewalk. But as Katherine DeCelle reports, there are a lot of Minnesotans whose safety depends on it.

SFX: snow shoveling

Nick Wilke: I am consistently reminding my friends and neighbors and family to clear their walks. It not only helps people with disabilities, but everybody be able to navigate their community when snow and ice are out of the way.

Katharine DeCelle: Nick Wilke works as an Independent Living Specialist for Metropolitan Center for Independent Living, a Twin Cities-based organization that helps people living with disabilities access self-sufficient lives.

Nick Wilke: I would say that physical barriers and access are definitely at the tip of the awareness angle right now in the state of Minnesota.

Katharine DeCelle: For Minnesotans living with physical disabilities, unshoveled snow is one dangerous barrier. It can prevent people from accessing transportation to and from employment, medical appointments, getting groceries and leaving home. According to a study by Wilder research, 12% of Minnesotans live with a disability, and that number is only increasing as the population ages.

SFX: Snow plow

Nick Wilke: I am acutely aware of circumstances like this because having a physical disability myself after the snow emergency plow goes by, I have to call on my neighbors to help me remove a mountain of snow that stands between my vehicle and my ability to get in and out of my residence.

Katharine DeCelle: Nick has cerebal palsy and uses crutches to support him. He has a handicapped parking sign in front of his St. Paul home where he parks his car.

 Nick Wilke: In that space, just like any other vehicle, I have to move my car to the side of the street that's not being plowed, only to encounter the snowbank that I have to climb over once it's been plowed.

Katharine DeCelle: The Minnesota Council on Disability urges home owners to shovel their sidewalks and curb cuts as soon as possible after a snowfall. The Council also suggests volunteering to shovel properties of elderly neighbors and people with disabilities. Snow removal rules vary for different areas, but property owners can be fined for failing to properly remove snow.

Nick Wilke: property owners are supposed to do it. And there are Plenty out there that don't do it at all. Or they'll do enough to be able to walk, one narrow breath. And if your balance isn't good, or if you use a mobility device that's too narrow for appropriate navigation and the odds of somebody getting stuck are even Much greater.

Katharine DeCelle: For assistance in snow removal, resources are available at disabilityhubmn.org

Nick Wilke: If you make it accessible for one group, you're going to make it accessible for everyone else. People with disabilities are the one population that will come more of tomorrow. And the more we can do to help remove barriers for all, the better situations we'll be in.

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HOST: North Star Stories is produced by AMPERS, diverse radio for Minnesota's communities, with support from the McKnight Foundation and the State of Minnesota. Online at ampers dot org.