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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.
WITH HEADLINES FROM AROUND THE STATE, I’M XAN HOLSTON.
STUDENTS AT A WESTERN MINNESOTA HIGH SCHOOL ARE PLANNING TO ANSWER A BAN ON RAINBOW DISPLAYS... WITH MORE RAINBOWS...
AND A SOUTH MINNEAPOLIS COMMUNITY HUB CELEBRATES ITS 60TH BIRTHDAY
BUT FIRST …
RIGHT-TO-REPAIR FAILS
A PROPOSED ‘RIGHT TO REPAIR’ LAW FOR SAINT PAUL RENTERS WILL NOT GO BEFORE VOTERS THIS FALL ... EVEN AFTER SUPPORTERS CLEARED THE REQUIRED SIGNATURE THRESHOLD.
THE MEASURE WOULD HAVE ALLOWED TENANTS TO MAKE CERTAIN REPAIRS ... AND DEDUCT THE COST FROM THEIR RENT ... WHEN LANDLORDS FAIL TO FIX THE PROBLEMS.
THE CITY COUNCIL VOTED FIVE-TO-TWO AGAINST PUTTING THE “RIGHT-TO-REPAIR” MEASURE ON THE NOVEMBER BALLOT … AFTER CITY ATTORNEYS WARNED THE PROPOSAL CONFLICTED WITH STATE LAW AND MIGHT NOT BE ENFORCEABLE.
COUNCILMEMBER ANIKA BOWIE HAD ENDORSED THE MEASURE … BUT SAYS THAT LEGAL WARNING CHANGED HER VOTE.
ANIKA BOWIE: IT’S NOT JUST A MATTER OF PUTTING A BALLOT INITIATIVE ON THE BALLOT. IT’S A MATTER OF MAKING SURE THAT WHAT YOU’RE PUTTING ON THE BALLOT, IF IT PASSES, CAN BE ACTUALLY ENFORCEABLE AS YOU INTENDED. SO WE AREN’T SETTING VOTERS UP FOR FAILURE.
THE GROUP BEHIND THE BALLOT QUESTION … SAFE HOMES SAINT PAUL … SAYS VOLUNTEERS COLLECTED MORE THAN ENOUGH VERIFIED SIGNATURES TO MEET THE CITY’S REQUIREMENTS FOR A BALLOT QUESTION.
THE GROUP SAYS THE CITY CHARTER REQUIRED THE COUNCIL TO EITHER PASS THE ORDINANCE AS WRITTEN … OR SEND IT TO VOTERS.
MANKATO STATE UNIVERSITY CUTS
IN MANKATO ... COLLEGE ENROLLMENT REMAINS NEAR HISTORIC HIGHS ...
BUT MINNESOTA STATE IS CUTTING FIFTY-THREE POSITIONS AS THE UNIVERSITY TRIES TO CLOSE A 22-MILLION DOLLAR, TWO-YEAR BUDGET GAP.
SEVENTEEN CURRENT FACULTY AND STAFF POSITIONS WILL BE ELIMINATED THROUGH LAYOFFS OR OTHER JOB CUTS.
THE UNIVERSITY IS ALSO ELIMINATING FIFTEEN VACANT POSITIONS … AND CUTTING TWENTY-ONE GRADUATE-ASSISTANT JOBS.
OTHER EMPLOYEES HAVE ACCEPTED EARLY-SEPARATION PACKAGES.
ROCHESTER SCHOOL REALIGNMENT VOTE
IN ROCHESTER ... AN ELEMENTARY SCHOOL WILL STOP TEACHING STUDENTS ... DESPITE MONTHS OF OBJECTIONS FROM FAMILIES.
THE SCHOOL BOARD UNANIMOUSLY APPROVED A NEARLY 45-MILLION-DOLLAR FACILITIES PLAN THAT WILL CLOSE CHURCHILL ELEMENTARY SCHOOL.
BEGINNING IN FALL 2027 ... CHURCHILL’S KINDERGARTEN-THROUGH-SECOND-GRADE STUDENTS WILL MOVE TO HOOVER ELEMENTARY SCHOOL.
BOARD MEMBER JEAN MARVIN … WHO RAISED THREE CHILDREN IN ROCHESTER SCHOOLS … SAYS SHE UNDERSTANDS WHY FAMILIES ARE UPSET.
JEAN MARVIN / ROCHESTER SCHOOL BOARD MEMBER: THEY WENT TO THREE DIFFERENT HIGH SCHOOLS. AND IT’S EMOTIONAL. YOU GROW CONNECTED TO THE SCHOOL YOUR CHILD IS GOING TO.
CHURCHILL WILL BE REPURPOSED FOR ALTERNATIVE-LEARNING AND INDEPENDENT-LIVING PROGRAMS.
RAINBOW SYMBOLS IN DETROIT LAKES SCHOOL DISTRICT
ANOTHER MINNESOTA BOARD DECISION IS RESULTING IN AN ORGANIZED FIRST DAY RESPONSE FROM STUDENTS ...
IN DETROIT LAKES… IN FAR WESTERN MINNESOTA, NEAR MOORHEAD.... THE BOARD VOTED FOUR TO TWO TO ORDER THE REMOVAL OF MATERIALS NOT FUNDED... SPONSORED... OR AUTHORIZED BY THE DISTRICT...
THE MOTION SPECIFICALLY NAMED RAINBOW STICKERS... POSTERS.. FLAGS... AND BUTTONS.
BOARD MEMBER SANFORD NELSON INTRODUCED THE MOTION… EVEN THOUGH IT WAS NOT ON THE PUBLISHED AGENDA.
SUPERINTENDENT MARK JENSON TOLD THE MINNESOTA STAR TRIBUNE THAT HE AND TWO BOARD MEMBERS WERE BLINDSIDED.
BOARD SUPPORTERS CALL THE DIRECTIVE POLITICAL NEUTRALITY.
BUT STUDENTS AND STAFF TOLD VALLEY NEWS LIVE THEY HAD NO OPPORTUNITY TO GIVE INPUT.
AND... HIGH SCHOOL SENIOR MOLLY JO SAYS SHE FEELS THE DECISION MAKES OTHER STUDENTS FEEL SMALL AND ISOLATED.
SHE SAYS STUDENTS WILL HAND-OUT RAINBOW ITEMS WHEN CLASSES RESUME IN SEPTEMBER.
THE DISTRICT HAS NOT YET POSTED THE MEETING MINUTES… OR THE NEW POLICY.
MEDICAID TOOL (40)
MORE THAN 200-THOUSAND MINNESOTANS COULD FACE NEW WORK REQUIREMENTS TO KEEP THEIR MEDICAID COVERAGE … THE STATE IS ASKING ENROLLEES TO PREPARE NOW THROUGH ITS NEW ONLINE TOOL.
BEGINNING JANUARY FIRST... NEW FEDERAL WORK RULES WILL GENERALLY APPLY TO ADULTS BETWEEN 21 AND 64 YEARS OLD … WHO DO NOT LIVE WITH DEPENDENT CHILDREN ... ARE NOT PREGNANT ... AND DO NOT RECEIVE MEDICAL ASSISTANCE BASED ON DISABILITY.
THE NEW STATE “RENEWAL LOOK-UP TOOL” ... ALLOWS ENROLLEES TO REPORT EXPECTED WORK, SCHOOL, OR VOLUNTEER HOURS … OR CLAIM AN EXEMPTION.
THE ONLINE TOOL IS AVAILABLE THROUGH AUGUST 31st... AT M-N RENEWAL LOOKUP DOT COM
SABATHANI 60TH ANNIVERSARY
AND FINALLY … ONE OF MINNESOTA’S OLDEST BLACK-FOUNDED NONPROFITS IS THROWING ITSELF A SIXTIETH BIRTHDAY PARTY.
[SOUNDS OF BLACKNESS PERFORMING “HOLD ON (CHANGE IS COMIN’)” AT RISE AND REMEMBER 2025]
FOR SIX DECADES … SABATHANI COMMUNITY CENTER HAS HELPED KEEP SOUTH MINNEAPOLIS FED … HOUSED … AND CONNECTED.
SATURDAY … IT CELEBRATES WITH A FREE BLOCK PARTY … AND A COMMUNITY MARCH HONORING TWO WOMEN WHO HELPED SHAPE THE SOUTH SIDE:
CLARISSA WALKER … WHO BUILT SABATHANI’S FAMILY RESOURCE PROGRAM … AND LAUNA Q. NEWMAN … WHO PUBLISHED THE MINNESOTA SPOKESMAN-RECORDER.
THE PARTY INCLUDES BARBECUE … FAMILY ACTIVITIES … AND MUSIC FROM SOUNDS OF BLACKNESS.
FOR NORTH STAR STORIES, I’M XAN HOLSTON.