A second driver is now dead following head-on crash in central Minnesota. It happened on Highway 6 near Black Lake Road, just north of Deerwood. 54 year old Timothy Kruse of Crosby, died Thursday at Hennepin County Medical Center in Minneapolis. The other driver, 70 year old Barbara Jo Blood of Crosby, died last Wednesday, the day of the crash. The Minnesota State Patrol says Kruse was driving west on Highway 6 and Blood was driving east, when Blood’s Chrysler crossed over the centerline and hit Kruse’s vehicle head on. The state patrol reported both drivers were not wearing their seat belts.
The Minnesota House is expected to approve legislation to provide flexibility to school districts for the three days of school closures during the January Polar Vortex. Rep. Shelly Christensen’s bill would count January 29th to the 31st of this year as instructional days….
The bill would also require school districts to provide hourly employees with opportunities to make up hours from those days, be it from back-pay or alternative hours.
The Circle of Life Academy in White Earth came dangerously close to being shut down over test scores and was in the red to the tune of about $1.3 million. The White Earth Nation released a statement, which said the tribe had to transfer funds to keep it open. Sind the problems have surfaced, several staff members who were responsible for those particular areas of operation have resigned. The school is accused of reporting inflated student test scores that resulted in improved evaluations for teachers and non-teaching staff that led to pay increases. Those pay increases however, now mean the school has a deficit.
House Agriculture Division chair Rep. Jeanne Poppe (jean poppy) is encouraging the Senate to take up a bill passed by the House last week that would provide some additional mental health help for farmers….
The bill now heads to Ways & Means before being heard in the Jobs & Economic Development Division.
Minnesota added 3,800 jobs statewide during the first month of 2019, and the state’s unemployment rate increased to 3 percent, according to seasonally adjusted figures released Monday. The U.S. unemployment rate was 4.0 percent in January. December’s previously announced gain of 500 jobs was revised downward to 800 jobs lost. The state’s unemployment rate in December was also revised upward to 2.9 percent.
After the most recent winter storm, Minnesota Energy Resources continues to urge customers to check and clear any buildup of snow or ice from natural gas meters and appliance vents. Additionally, icicles or ice dams should be cleared from the area above this equipment to avoid damage. Minnesota Energy Resources crews continue to encounter meters buried underneath snowdrifts or plowed snow piles. They remind customers that accumulations of snow or ice can damage a natural gas meter’s piping and can block appliance vents, trapping carbon monoxide indoors. Meters left covered by snow or ice also may lead to issues with a home’s appliances or an interruption in service. To clear the snow, use a broom or your hands. Kicking or hitting a meter or vent, as well as using a shovel, could damage the equipment.
Beltrami County Deputies have been trying to transition to body cameras for the past three years. In 2018 they were able to get funding for the cameras. The project will cost between 80 and 90k, and will cover the cost a camera per staff member and spares needed by the department. The Sheriff says they hope to have the cameras in place by August.