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North Star Stories: Voices from Where We Live is comprised of a weekly 30-minute magazine-style newscast and daily, five-minute headlines segments that shine a spotlight on the stories and perspectives of Minnesota’s diverse communities, including Black, Latine, Asian American, East African individuals, people living with disabilities, LGBTQIA2S+ residents, laborers, veterans, and those from Greater Minnesota.
INTRO: YOU ARE LISTENING TO NORTH STAR STORIES: VOICES FROM WHERE WE LIVE, A DAILY NEWSCAST ABOUT WHAT IT MEANS TO LIVE IN MINNESOTA.
XAN HOLSTON: WITH HEADLINES FROM AROUND THE STATE, I’M XAN HOLSTON. COMING UP …
ONE CITY IS INVESTING IN FUN WAYS THAT IMPROVE QUALITY OF LIFE TO ATTRACT NEW RESIDENTS...
[GOVERNMENT AFFAIRS DIRECTOR LISA BODE: THIS IS FOR THE LONG-TERM BENEFIT OF GROWING THE CITY.]
XAN HOLSTON: PLUS... ONE OF THE STATE'S HIGHEST HONORS RECOGNIZES A NATIVE AUTHOR AND TEACHER...
[ANTON TREUER: IT IS UP TO US TO HOLD EACH OTHER UP (0:23, 4S)]
XAN HOLSTON: BUT FIRST...
THE MINNESOTA DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH IS PUTTING OUT AN URGENT WARNING ABOUT THE JUMP IN MEASLES CASES...THE NUMBER OF CASES HAS QUADRUPLED IN LESS THAN A MONTH... TO THE HIGHEST IN MORE THAN 35 YEARS.
[JAYNE GRIFFITH, MINNESOTA DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH: WE ARE IN VERY CONCERNING SITUATION, BECAUSE THERE HAS BEEN A LOT OF MEASLES ACTIVITY]
XAN HOLSTON: THERE ARE NOW 80 CASES IN MINNESOTA... UP FROM 32 EARLIER THIS MONTH...
EIGHT COUNTIES HAVE REPORTED CASES THIS YEAR … WITH FIFTY-SEVEN IN CENTRAL MINNESOTA’S TODD COUNTY.
ALL BUT TWO PATIENTS HAD NOT RECEIVED BOTH RECOMMENDED VACCINE DOSES.
HEALTH OFFICIALS EXPECT MORE CASES … AND URGE FAMILIES TO CHECK THEIR VACCINATION RECORDS.
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JUST DAYS BEFORE THE NATIONAL ELECTION … FAR-RIGHT SOCIAL MEDIA INFLUENCERS POSTED AN ANTI-MUSLIM VIDEO THAT HAS GONE VIRAL ... TARGETING A PLYMOUTH POST OFFICE … WEST OF MINNEAPOLIS … FOR SHARING A BUILDING WITH A MOSQUE.
[DAVID HOCH: LET’S GO INSIDE THERE AND SEE WHAT’S GOING ON AND MAYBE WE CAN TALK TO SOME FOLKS.]
XAN HOLSTON: BUT... MANY OF THE CLAIMS MADE IN THE POSTS ARE SIMPLY NOT TRUE... AND THE POSTS LEAVE OUT HOW THE POST OFFICE AND ISLAMIC CENTER BECAME NEIGHBORS FIFTEEN YEARS AGO...
THE UNITED STATES POSTAL SERVICE OWNED THE BUILDING... AND THEN SOLD IT TO THE NORTHWEST ISLAMIC COMMUNITY CENTER IN 20-11.. AND THEN RENTED SPACE BACK... ENTERING A LEASE ARRANGEMENT THAT EXISTS TODAY.
THE FEDERAL RENT AGREEMENT KEEPS POSTAL COUNTER SERVICE AT THAT LOCATION ... WHICH WAS SET TO CLOSE.
THE UNITED STATES POSTAL SERVICE RUNS THE POST OFFICE AND PAYS THE RENT... NOT THE CITY OR THE STATE. IT DOES SHARE VISITORS' BATHROOMS WITH THE MOSQUE.
THIS ARRANGEMENT CONTINUED THROUGHOUT PRESIDENT TRUMP’S ENTIRE FIRST TERM... AND REMAINS IN PLACE TODAY.
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SOME SOMALI FAMILIES IN MINNESOTA COULD BE SEPARATED IF A COURT DOESN’T INTERVENE ON THEIR BEHALF.
MINNESOTA’S ATTORNEY GENERAL AND SIXTEEN OTHERS AROUND THE US ARE SUPPORTING AN APPEAL TO RESTORE SOMALIA'S TEMPORARY PROTECTED STATUS ... WHICH LETS ELIGIBLE IMMIGRANTS LIVE AND WORK HERE.
THE COALITION SAYS THE TERMINATION HARMS FAMILIES AND STATE ECONOMIES.
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AFTER A COMMUNITY HEALTH ASSESSMENT IDENTIFIED MENTAL HEALTH AS A TOP LOCAL CONCERN … OLMSTED COUNTY S PLANNING A NEW PLACE FOR DAILY SUPPORT..
THE SOUTHEAST MINNESOTA COUNTY AIMS TO OPEN A MENTAL HEALTH “CLUBHOUSE” NEXT YEAR.
ADULTS LIVING WITH MENTAL HEALTH CONDITIONS WOULD WORK ALONGSIDE STAFF.. BUILD RELATIONSHIPS... AND PURSUE STABILITY AND INDEPENDENCE.
STATE FUNDING WOULD COVER THE PROGRAM.. WHICH WOULD SERVE ABOUT 100 ADULTS.
[MUSIC TRANSITION]
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AS MOORHEAD’S POPULATION GROWS … THE NORTHWESTERN CITY IS WORKING TO ATTRACT NEW FAMILIES … AND MAKE IMPROVEMENTS FOR THOSE ALREADY THERE.
MORE THAN 46-THOUSAND PEOPLE CALL MOORHEAD HOME … THAT’S UP FIVE PERCENT FROM THE 20-20 CENSUS.
THIS WEEK ... THE CITY COUNCIL APPROVED REPLACING THE GOOSEBERRY MOUND PARK PLAYGROUND … ADDING TWO ZIP LINES … SENSORY PLAY … AND EXERCISE EQUIPMENT FOR ADULTS.
IT BUILDS ON THE CITY'S EARLIER PUSH FOR MORE ACCESSIBLE PARKS ... A STEP THE MAYOR WELCOMES.
[MAYOR SHELLY CARLSON: ANYTHING THAT IS MULTIGENERATIONAL LIKE THIS AND HAS THE ABILITY FOR ANYBODY OF ANY TYPE OF PHYSICAL ABILITIES TO BE ABLE TO UTILIZE IS JUST SOMETHING THAT REALLY SHOWCASES WHY WE ARE KNOWN TO BE A VERY INCLUSIVE COMMUNITY.]
XAN HOLSTON: THE PLAYGROUND IS SCHEDULED TO BE COMPLETED NEXT SUMMER.
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ANTON TREUER HAS SPENT DECADES RECORDING OJIBWE ELDERS … TRANSLATING THEIR WORDS … AND SHARING THEIR KNOWLEDGE AND LANGUAGE WITH FUTURE GENERATIONS …
NOW … THE MINNESOTA HUMANITIES CENTER HAS HONORED HIM WITH ITS RUTH AND RAY REISTER AWARD.
TREUER TEACHES OJIBWE AT BEMIDJI STATE UNIVERSITY IN NORTH-CENTRAL MINNESOTA … AND HAS WRITTEN OR EDITED MORE THAN TWENTY BOOKS.
HIS MESSAGE EXTENDS BEYOND PRESERVING THE PAST.. TO HOW PEOPLE TREAT ONE ANOTHER TODAY.
[ANTON TREUER: EVERYTHING THAT DIVIDES US IS IMAGINED … AND IT IS UP TO US AS HUMANS TO PRACTICE HUMANITY.]
XAN HOLSTON: THE AWARD COMES WITH A FIVE-THOUSAND-DOLLAR PRIZE … RECOGNIZING HIS CONTRIBUTIONS TO MINNESOTA HISTORY … AND HIS WORK HELPING NATIVE AND NON-NATIVE MINNESOTANS BETTER UNDERSTAND EACH OTHER.
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AND FINALLY …
[PUMPKIN GOES SPLAT]
XAN HOLSTON: A CHANCE TO SMASH SOME PUMPKINS … WITHOUT MAKING A MESS OF THE NEIGHBORHOOD.
MANKATO ZERO WASTE IS HOSTING A PUMPKIN COMPOSTING EVENT SUNDAY AT SIBLEY HILL … ROLL YOUR OLD GOURD DOWN THE HILL … OR AIM FOR A TARGET FROM A LIFT.
THE PIECES WILL BECOME COMPOST.
IT’S ONE LAST CHANCE FOR YOUR JACK-O-LATERN TO MAKE AN IMPRESSION.
FOR NORTH STAR STORIES, I’M XAN HOLSTON.
OUTRO: 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.