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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 … WHEN CROPS DON’T PAY … SOME MINNESOTA FARMERS ARE TURNING TO THE WIND.
BILL GILLEN: THERE IS NOTHING WE COULD GROW ON THAT THAT WOULD MAKE THE AMOUNT OF REVENUE THAT THAT DOES.
XAN HOLSTON: BUT FIRST...
A FIVE-YEAR-OLD IRON RANGE BOY WHO NEARLY DIED SAVING HIS LITTLE BROTHER FROM ICY WATER IS FINALLY HOME.
ASHKAN THIBODEAUX ... OR “ASH” ... LEFT THE HOSPITAL AND RETURNED TO COLERAINE THIS WEEK AFTER 88 DAYS IN THE HOSPITAL.
ON EASTER SUNDAY … HIS LITTLE BROTHER WYATT FELL INTO AN ICY CREEK. ASHKAN GOT WYATT OUT OF THE WATER ... BUT THEN COULDN’T GET OUT HIMSELF.
THIS WEEK … NEIGHBORS, FRIENDS AND FAMILY LINED THE ROAD TO WELCOME HIM HOME.
KAYLA SWANSON SAYS THE COMMUNITY HAS BEEN TRYING TO LIFT UP ASHKAN’S FAMILY SINCE THE BEGINNING.
KAYLA SWANSON: SUPPORTING HIS FAMILY THROUGH PRAYER … WE ARE A BIG BELIEVER THAT, YOU KNOW, GOD IS WORKING HIS WAY INTO ASHKAN … AND THE MORE PEOPLE THAT WE HAVE IN HIS CORNER PRAYING FOR HIM, THE BETTER THE OUTCOMES.
XAN HOLSTON: ASHKAN’S FAMILY SAYS HE STILL HAS MORE HEALING AHEAD … BUT AFTER NEARLY THREE MONTHS AWAY … HE’S BACK HOME.
THE VATICAN SAYS A PRIEST WHO WAS ORDAINED IN SOUTHEASTERN MINNESOTA HAS BEEN AUTOMATICALLY EXCOMMUNICATED.
FATHER MICHAEL GOLDADE WAS ORDAINED IN 2004 AT THE SOCIETY OF SAINT PIUS THE TENTH’S FORMER ST. THOMAS AQUINAS SEMINARY IN WINONA. THIS IS NOT PART OF THE WINONA-ROCHESTER DIOCESE.
THE CHURCH SAYS GOLDADE WAS MADE A BISHOP IN SWITZERLAND WITHOUT THE POPE’S APPROVAL.
THE S-S-P-X GROUP IS VERY TRADITIONALIST AND OUTSIDE THE CATHOLIC COMMUNION.
A DULUTH MAN SAID HE WANTED TO “SEND A MESSAGE” TO THE OWNER OF A NORTHERN MINNESOTA BAIT SHOP WHEN HE TRIED TO BURN IT DOWN.
PROSECUTORS SAY 45-YEAR-OLD MICHAEL KUNNARI WALKED INTO BRIMSON SPORTSMAN CORNER … POURED GASOLINE INSIDE … AND TRIED TO LIGHT IT ON FIRE. … BECAUSE HE WAS ANGRY ABOUT THE OWNER’S CHILD PORNOGRAPHY CASE.
THE SHOP’S OWNER WAS CONVICTED LAST YEAR FOR POSSESSING CHILD PORNOGRAPHY … BUT DIDN’T SERVE PRISON-TIME.
KUNNARI TOLD INVESTIGATORS HE WANTED TO “SEND A MESSAGE” … BUT DID NOT WANT TO HURT ANYONE.
HE NOW FACES ARSON CHARGES.
A MANKATO COUPLE FACES LEGAL TROUBLE AFTER BEING ACCUSED OF TRYING TO POISON DOGS THAT URINATE ALONG THEIR FENCE.
COURT FILINGS SAY THE COUPLE PUT SIGNS OUTSIDE ON THEIR FRONTYARD FENCE WARNING DOG OWNERS TO STAY AWAY... AND LEFT POISON BAIT BLOCKS ON THE GROUND ALONG BETWEEN THEIR FENCE AND THE SIDEWALK. AT LEAST ONE DOG ATE IT.
A JUDGE ISSUED A TEMPORARY RESTRAINING ORDER LAST WEEK PROHIBITING THE COUPLE FROM USING RAT POISON OUTDOORS … AND REQUIRING THEM TO LET STATE INSPECTORS CHECK THE PROPERTY.
MONEY FROM ONE OF MINNESOTA’S BIGGEST POLLUTION SETTLEMENTS IS NOW GOING INTO PARKS, STREAMS, FISHING AREAS AND HABITAT IN THE EAST METRO.
THE STATE IS NOW ABLE TO SPEND AN ADDITIONAL 20-MILLION-DOLLARS FROM ITS 2018 SETTLEMENT WITH 3-M OVER P-FA'S CONTAMINATION.
P-FAS ARE SO-CALLED “FOREVER CHEMICALS” BECAUSE THEY NEVER BREAK DOWN ... AND CONTAMINATE WATER ... SOIL ... AND FISH.
MINNESOTA SUED MAPLEWOOD-BASED 3-M IN 2010 … SAYING THE COMPANY’S DISPOSAL OF THOSE CHEMICALS DAMAGED DRINKING WATER AND NATURAL RESOURCES IN THE EAST METRO.
3-M AGREED TO PAY 850-MILLION DOLLARS IN 2018 ... WITHOUT ADMITTING LIABILITY.
FOR FARMERS ALONG MINNESOTA’S IOWA BORDER … SOME OF THE STEADIEST INCOME NOW COMES FROM THE WIND.
THE FREEBORN WIND PROJECT IS A WIND FARM SPREAD ACROSS FARM FIELDS IN FREEBORN COUNTY ... NEAR ALBERT LEA … WITH PART OF THE PROJECT JUST ACROSS THE STATE LINE IN NORTHERN IOWA.
FEDERAL ENERGY DATA SHOW WIND NOW GENERATES ABOUT A QUARTER OF MINNESOTA’S ELECTRICITY.
FOR FARMERS … THE PROJECT MEANS INCOME.
XCEL ENERGY IS PAYING TENS OF MILLIONS OF DOLLARS TO FARMERS AND LANDOWNERS TO BUILD THE WIND TURBINES OVER THE LIFE OF THE FREEBORN PROJECT.
FARMER BILL GILLEN SAYS SOME NEIGHBORS WERE WORRIED WHEN THE TURBINES WERE FIRST PROPOSED ... BUT NEARLY ALL THE LAND CAN STILL BE USED FOR FARMING.
BILL GILLEN: WHEN WE BUILT THIS PROJECT HERE, THERE’S A LOT OF PEOPLE THOUGHT THE WORLD WAS GOING TO COME TO AN END ... THEY’RE STILL HERE. IT WAS NOT THE MONSTER THAT A LOT OF PEOPLE LIKE TO MAKE IT OUT TO BE.
XAN HOLSTON: GILLEN SAYS THE TURBINES GIVE FARMERS A STEADY PAYCHECK THAT DOESN’T DEPEND ON RAIN … OR CROP PRICES.
THANKS TO OUR NEWSGATHERING PARTNERS AT PUBLIC NEWS SERVICE.
FOR MINNESOTANS TRYING TO BUY THEIR FIRST FARM ... THE STATE AGRICULTURE DEPARTMENT IS OFFERING HELP WITH DOWNPAYMENTS.
ELIGIBLE FARMERS CAN GET UP TO 20-THOUSAND DOLLARS TOWARD A DOWN PAYMENT FOR FARMLAND, BARNS, OR OTHER FARM-RELATED PROPERTIES.
GO THE STATE’S AGRICULTURE DEPARTMENT’S WEBSITE FOR INFORMATION. APPLICATIONS RUN THROUGH AUGUST 31ST.
AND FINALLY, THE CENTURY-LONG REIGN OF WHITE CASTLES ON SANT PAUL’S UNIVERSITY AVENUE IS OVER. THE CHAIN’S LAST UNIVERSITY AVENUE LOCATION AT LEXINGTON IN SAINT PAUL HAS PERMANENTLY CLOSED … AND THE STREET IS WITHOUT THE CASTLE’S SIGNATURE SLIDERS FOR THE FIRST TIME IN 100 YEARS. NOW … YOU’LL HAVE TO SLIDE TO ANOTHER LOCATION TO GET A CRAVE CASE.
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.