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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.
A WESTERN MINNESOTA TRIBE COULD SOON POWER PART OF ITS CASINO WITH ITS OWN SOLAR ARRAY … DESPITE OBJECTIONS FROM ITS ELECTRIC CO-OP.
AFTER A TWO-YEAR DISPUTE … AN ADMINISTRATIVE LAW JUDGE TASKED WITH REVIEWING THE CASE FOR THE PUBLIC UTILITIES COMMISSION SAYS ‘MINNESOTA VALLEY COOPERATIVE LIGHT AND POWER’ IS NOT ALLOWED TO CUT OFF SERVICE TO THE ‘UPPER SIOUX COMMUNITY’.
MINNESOTA VALLEY HAS BEEN TRYING TO DISCONNECT THE UPPER SIOUX COMMUNITY FOR BUILDING AND RUNNING A TWO-POINT-FIVE-MEGAWATT SOLAR ARRAY AT ‘PRAIRIE’S EDGE CASINO RESORT.’
THE TRIBE FILED A COMPLAINT WITH THE PUBLIC UTILITIES COMMISSION IN 2024 … AFTER THE CO-OP FIRST THREATENED TO TURN OFF ITS POWER.
AT A MEETING LAST JULY … P-U-C COMMISSIONER JOE SULLIVAN PRESSED THE CO-OP ON THAT POSITION AS A PUBLIC UTILITY.
PUC COMMISSIONER JOE SULLIVAN: QUITE FRANKLY I THINK IT’S OUTRAGEOUS — OUTRAGEOUS — THAT YOU WOULD SAY TO A COMMUNITY THAT YOU WOULD SHUT THEIR POWER OFF.
XAN HOLSTON: THE CO-OP SAYS ITS POLICIES LIMIT MEMBER SOLAR PROJECTS USED TO OFFSET POWER PURCHASED FROM THE CO-OP TO 40-KILOWATS.
THE TRIBE’S ARRAY WOULD BE MORE THAN 60 TIMES THAT SIZE.
BUT THE JUDGE SAYS THE PROJECT IS “BEHIND THE METER” … MEANING IT’S DESIGNED TO POWER THE CASINO ITSELF … NOT SELL ELECTRICITY BACK TO THE GRID.
THE PUBLIC UTILITIES COMMISSION HAS THE FINAL SAY.
HUNDREDS OF RURAL SOUTHERN MINNESOTA CUSTOMERS ARE SUDDENLY OFF-LINE AND SCRAMBLING FOR INTERNET.
ELLENDALE-BASED RADIO LINK INTERNET SHUT DOWN JUNE FIRST AND FILED FOR CHAPTER SEVEN BANKRUPTCY... LEAVING MORE THAN FOUR HUNDRED HOMES AND BUSINESSES AROUND ELLENDALE AND NEW RICHLAND WITHOUT INTERNET SERVICE.
LOCAL FACEBOOK POSTS SHOW CUSTOMERS LOOKING FOR ANSWERS AND NEW OPTIONS... WHICH ARE LIMITED AND VARY BY ADDRESS IN RURAL SOUTH-CENTRAL AND SOUTHEASTERN MINNESOTA.
RADIO LINK BLAMES FINANCIAL LOSSES AND A DISPUTE OVER EQUIPMENT ON THE NEW RICHLAND WATER TOWER.
NEW RICHLAND CITY OFFICIALS SAY THE WATER-TOWER CONTRACT EXPIRED YEARS AGO... AND THE CITY GAVE FORMAL NOTICE TO REMOVE THE EQUIPMENT AFTER A COUNCIL VOTE..
THE ATTORNEY GENERAL ISSUED A CONSUMER ALERT... SAYING SOME CUSTOMERS PREPAID FOR SERVICE.
THE A-G SAYS RADIO LINK CUSTOMERS SHOULD SAVE RECEIPTS... CONTACT THEIR BANK OR CREDIT CARD COMPANY ABOUT A CHARGEBACK... AND FILE A COMPLAINT WITH THE ATTORNEY GENERAL’S OFFICE.
A NEW STATE LAW BANNING CRYPTO CURRENCY A-T-Ms GOES INTO EFFECT AUGUST FIRST.... THE CRYPTO KIOSKS, AS THEY ARE OFTEN CALLED, ARE FREQUENTLY USED IN SCAMS... NOW... POLICE SAY.. SCAMMERS ARE ALREADY CHANGING THEIR ILLEGAL TACTICS.
POLICE IN ONE METRO SUBURB ISSUED A PUBLIC WARNING ABOUT A NEW PHONE SCAM...
THEY SAYS FRAUDSTERS ARE CALLING VICTIMS … AND KEEPING THEM ON THE PHONE WHILE TALKING THEM THROUGH MAKING LARGE CASH WITHDRAWALS BEFORE HANDING OVER THE MONEY TO A COURIER WHO COMES TO MEET THEM.
THE WARNING NOW IS SIMPLE: IF SOMEONE TELLS YOU TO STAY ON THE PHONE, WITHDRAW CASH, OR HAND MONEY TO A COURIER … HANG UP AND CALL POLICE.
WHILE CITIES AND COUNTIES ACROSS MINNESOTA DEBATE WHETHER TO PAUSE DATA CENTER DEVELOPMENT … ROLLS-ROYCE IS EXPANDING THE KIND OF BACK-UP POWER THE FACILITIES NEED.
THE COMPANY ANNOUNCED A 24-MILLION DOLLAR EXPANSION IN MANKATO … INCLUDING A NEW 250-THOUSAND-SQUARE-FOOT LOGISTICS OPERATIONS CENTER NEXT TO ITS EXISTING MANUFACTURING PLANT.
ROLLS-ROYCE SAYS IT WILL DOUBLE PRODUCTION OF ITS HIGH-POWERED M-T-U SERIES 4000 GENERATORS... USED FOR BACKUP POWER AT DATA CENTERS … AND CREATE MORE THAN 100 JOBS.
A NEW LAND DEAL ON THE NORTH SHORE WILL PERMANENTLY PROTECT ABOUT ONE-THOUSAND ACRES OF FOREST... LAKES... STREAMS.. AND WILDLIFE HABITAT FROM BEING DEVELOPED.
AMPERS MEMBER STATION K-A-X-E'S CHELSEY PERKINS HAS MORE …
CHELSEA PERKINS: A NEW CONSERVATION EASEMENT WILL PERMANENTLY PROTECT MORE THAN 900 ACRES OF FORESTS, LAKES, AND STREAMS ALONG THE NORTH SHORE.
THE EASEMENT WAS ANNOUNCED BY WOLF RIDGE ENVIRONMENTAL LEARNING CENTER AND THE NATURE CONSERVANCY EARLIER THIS WEEK.
A NEWS RELEASE STATES THAT THE PROTECTED LAND HAS HIGH QUALITY FRESH WATER RESOURCES, INCLUDING THE BAPTISM RIVER, SAWMILL CREEK, AND JOHNSON LAKE. THESE ALL FLOW TO LAKE SUPERIOR AND SUPPORT AQUATIC HABITAT AND THE HEALTH OF THE GREAT LAKES.
NEARLY HALF OF THE PROTECTED ACRES ARE RECOGNIZED BY THE STATE OF MINNESOTA AS HIGH BIODIVERSITY, WITH RARE PLANTS, MAMMALS, AND BIRDS, ALONG WITH SOME OLDER UNDISTURBED FOREST.
THE CONSERVATION EASEMENT LIMITS DEVELOPMENT AND GUIDES LONG-TERM FOREST MANAGEMENT. FUNDS FROM THE EASEMENT WILL SUPPORT AN ENDOWMENT TO STRENGTHEN WOLF RIDGE'S LONG-TERM SUSTAINABILITY AND EDUCATIONAL MISSION.
CHELSEA PERKINS, KAXE NEWS.
XAN HOLSTON: AND FINALLY …
FRESH, LOCAL FOOD IS HEADED TO MORE SCHOOL CAFETERIAS AND CHILD CARE TABLES AROUND MINNESOTA.
THE MINNESOTA DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE IS AWARDING ALMOST ONE AND A HALF MILLION DOLLARS TO HELP SCHOOLS AND EARLY CHILD CARE PROVIDERS BUY MINNESOTA-GROWN AND RAISED FOODS.
THE MONEY WILL GO TO 59 SCHOOL DISTRICTS AND 11 EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION CENTERS IN NEARLY HALF OF MINNESOTA’S 87 COUNTIES.
THE M-D-A IS ALSO GIVING NEARLY 200-THOUSAND-DOLLARS TO 300-SOME FAMILY DAYCARE PROVIDERS … TO INCLUDE MORE LOCAL FOOD IN MEALS AND SNACKS.
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.