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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.
[CARLA MALDONADO / ANNUNCIATION PARENT: THEY WILL KNOW THIS NOT BY THE WORDS YOU SPEAK... BUT BY THE ACTIONS YOU TAKE TO PROTECT THEM.]
XAN HOLSTON: ONE YEAR LATER... FAMILIES OF ANNUNCIATION CHURCH AND SCHOOL ARE CALLING MINNESOTANS TO SERVICE... UNDER THEME: “GUIDE OUR FEET INTO THE WAY OF PEACE.”
ANNUNCIATION IS MARKING ONE YEAR SINCE THE SOUTH MINNEAPOLIS SHOOTING THROUGH SERVICE AND REMEMBRANCE.
THE REQUEST FROM ANNUNCIATION PARENTS IS SIMPLE... REMEMBER THE TWO CHILDREN WHO DIED AND THE 30 OTHERS WHO WERE PHYSICALLY INJURED... BY SHOWING UP FOR AND HELPING EACH OTHER ...
THE DAY’S SCHEDULE INCLUDES BELLS TOLLING AT EIGHT-26 A-M.. MARKING THE TIME THE ATTACK BEGAN ... AND PUBLIC SERVICE PROJECTS AT PEARL PARK ALL AFTERNOON... INCLUDING PLANTING FLOWERS AND TREES... ASSEMBLING CARE KITS AND SCHOOL-SUPPLY DONATIONS.
LAST WEEK, THE KENNY NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION DEDICATED A MEMORIAL BENCH TO FLETCHER MERKEL ... AND NEIGHBORS SAY THE DEDICATION CARRIES A PROMISE.
[BARB: THOSE ARE THE REAL HARD MILESTONES IT’S THE FIRST ANNIVERSARY OF A DEATH … SO WE ARE HERE FOR THE MERKELS AND I’M SURE ANNUNCIATION IS DOING A LOT … SO WE JUST WANT TO SHOW OUR LOVE LONG-TERM.]
XAN HOLSTON: ANNUNCIATION IS ALSO ASKING EVERYONE TO PUT TWO LIGHTS IN A WINDOW TONIGHT IN HONOR OF EIGHT-YEAR-OLD FLETCHER MERKEL AND TEN-YEAR-OLD HARPER MOYSKI WHO DIED WHEN A 23-YEAR-OLD MAN FIRED HUNDREDS OF SHOTS THROUGH THE CHURCH WINDOWS ON THE THIRD DAY OF SCHOOL... AND THE FIRST ALL SCHOOL MASS OF THE SCHOOL YEAR.
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IN WESTERN MINNESOTA.. DETROIT LAKES’ SCHOOL BOARD BAN ON RAINBOW SYMBOLS WILL REMAIN FOR THE SCHOOL YEAR....
AN EFFORT TO OVERTURN OR DELAY THE NEW POLICY FAILED AT THIS WEEK’S MEETING...
DOZENS OF PEOPLE SHOWED UP TO SPEAK... MOST OPPOSING THE BAN... SAYING RAINBOWS ARE A SIGN THAT L-G-B-T-Q STUDENTS ARE SAFE...
THEY ALSO POINT OUT THE JULY ACTION DID NOT GIVE PUBLIC NOTICE.. AND WAS NOT ON THE AGENDA.
SUPPORTERS SAY THE POLICY KEEPS CLASSROOMS NEUTRAL.
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MINNESOTA CONSUMER ADVOCATES ARE ASKING STATE REGULATORS TO RECONSIDER XCEL ENERGY’S RATE INCREASE … .
THE COMMERCE DEPARTMENT AND THE ATTORNEY GENERAL ALSO SAY CUSTOMERS SHOULD NOT HAVE TO PAY MORE TO BOOST SHAREHOLDER PROFIT.
THE PUBLIC UTILITIES COMMISSION RAISED THAT RATE BY NEARLY HALF A PERCENT... WHICH WOULD ADD NEARLY SIX DOLLARS A MONTH TO THE AVERAGE HOUSEHOLD BILL.
XCEL SAYS THE HIGHER RETURN SUPPORTS INVESTMENT AND RELIABILITY.
XCEL’S LAST RATE INCREASE OF NEARLY TEN-PERCENT WAS PHASED IN THROUGHOUT THE LAST TWO YEARS.
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IN ROCHESTER.. A SEVEN-STORY APARTMENT ADDITION ALONG HISTORIC SOUTH BROADWAY IS MOVING FORWARD.. DESPITE THE HERITAGE PRESERVATION COMMISSION’S REJECTION AND THOUSANDS OF SIGNATURES FROM RESIDENTS WHO ALSO OPPOSE THE PROJECT.
MAYOR KIM NORTON DECLINED TO VETO THE CITY COUNCIL’S APPROVAL OF THE CONTROVERSIAL DEVELOPMENT.
THIS WEEK … A COMMUNITY MEMBER READ FROM THE RESIGNATION LETTER OF CHAD BOEDDEKER … ONE OF TWO COMMISSIONERS WHO QUIT AFTER THE CITY COUNCIL OVERRULED THEM.
[KREISEL: IT HAS BECOME CLEAR THAT OUR ADVISORY ROLE LACKS THE STRUCTURAL WEIGHT NECESSARY TO ENACT MEANINGFUL PRESERVATION WHEN FACED WITH COMMERCIAL DEVELOPMENT PRESSURE.]
XAN HOLSTON: THE PLAN ALLOWS THE DEVELOPMENT … BUT RETAINS FIVE HISTORIC FACADES...
THE MAYOR CALLS THE COUNCIL’S PROCESS SOUND AND LEGALLY DEFENSIBLE … THE VOLUNTEER COMMISSION IS NOW REVIEWING ITS AUTHORITY.
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A GROWING NUMBER OF COMMUNITIES ACROSS MINNESOTA ARE CANCELLING THEIR FLOCK CAMERA CONTRACTS … SAINT PAUL COULD BE NEXT.
THE CITY COUNCIL UNANIMOUSLY PASSED A RESOLUTION YESTERDAY THAT ASKS CITY AND RAMSEY COUNTY AGENCIES TO TERMINATE FLOCK CONTRACTS … EXPRESSING CONCERNS ABOUT ACCESS AND USE OF CAMERA DATA.
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STATE DEMOCRATIC LAWMAKERS ARE TAKING SIMILAR STEPS... ANNOUNCING THEY’LL REINTRODUCE THEIR ANTI-FLOCK BILL IN THE UPCOMING SESSION... AFTER IT FAILED ALONG PARTY LINES THIS YEAR.
THE BILL WOULD REGULATE SURVEILLANCE CAMERA DATA COLLECTION AND STORAGE... REQUIRING THE DELETION OF DATA AFTER 48-HOURS UNLESS TIED TO A CASE... AND REQUIRE A COURT ORDER OR WARRANT FOR FEDERAL OR OUT-OF-STATE ACCESS TO DATA.
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AND FINALLY … THE GREAT MINNESOTA GET-TOGETHER IS OFF AND TROTTING TODAY..
[NAT: CLIP CLOPS]
XAN HOLSTON: AND... TWO HEAVYWEIGHT FAIR VETERANS ARE TAKING THEIR FINAL TURN AROUND THE FAIRGROUNDS.
FRANK AND RITCHIE... THE MINNESOTA ZOO’S 18-YEAR-OLD CLYDESDALES... ARE RETIRING AFTER THIS YEAR’S PERFORMANCES... PULLING THE ZOO WAGON IN THE DAILY TWO O’CLOCK PARADE.
AND … WHILE YOU’RE AT THE GREAT MINNESOTA GET TOGETHER … BE SURE TO STOP BY OUR AMPERS RADIO BOOTH IN THE EDUCATION BUILDING … WHERE A DIFFERENT AMPERS STATION WILL BE LIVE BROADCASTING EVERY DAY.
SAINT CLOUD’S K-V-S-C IS THERE TODAY.
AMPERS PRODUCES NORTH STAR STORIES ... AND REPRESENTS AND SUPPORTS 17 INDEPENDENT NON-COMMERCIAL COMMUNITY RADIO STATIONS THROUGHOUT MINNESOTA.
FOR NORTH STAR STORIES …
[HORSE WHINNY]
XAN HOLSTON: 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.