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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 …
ELK RIVER RESIDENT: I’M HERE ON BEHALF OF THE DEMOGRAPHIC LEFT OUT OF THIS CONVERSATION... THE KIDS...THEY AREN’T OLD ENOUGH TO SPEAK UP OR BE AT THESE MEETINGS SO I AM HERE TO BE THEIR VOICE.
XAN HOLSTON: STANDING ROOM ONLY AT THE ELK RIVER CITY HALL AS RESIDENTS STOOD TOGETHER TO OPPOSE A DATA CENTER PROJECT.
BUT FIRST… …
A TORNADO TORE THROUGH PARTS OF WEST-CENTRAL MINNESOTA MONDAY NIGHT … INJURING AT LEAST THREE PEOPLE IN BECKER COUNTY.
THE STORM HIT THE FLOYD LAKE AREA NORTH OF DETROIT LAKES … DOWNING TREES … FLIPPING BOATS … AND DAMAGING HOMES.
BECKER COUNTY SHERIFF TODD GLANDER SAYS ONCE THE STORMS PASSED … COMMUNITY MEMBERS WERE ABLE TO TAKE IN THE FULL SCOPE.
BECKER COUNTY SHERIFF TODD GLANDER: ROOFS OFF OF HOUSES AND BUILDINGS TIPPED OVER ... HONESTLY PEOPLE JUST STANDING THERE IN AWE, REALLY NOT KNOWING WHAT HAD JUST HAPPENED … HONESTLY, IT’S JUST VERY EMOTIONAL.
XAN HOLSTON: SHERIFF GLANDER SAYS IT COULD TAKE DAYS … OR WEEKS … TO CLEAN UP … AND ASKS PEOPLE TO STAY AWAY FROM THE FLOYD LAKE AREA WHILE OFFICIALS ASSESS STORM DAMAGE.
AN EMERGENCY SHELTER IS OPEN AT M-STATE IN DETROIT LAKES.
WHILE STORMS ROLLED THROUGH THE NORTHERN PART OF THE STATE MONDAY NIGHT THE CITIZENS OF ELK RIVER PACKED THE CITY COUNCIL MEETING.
THE COUNCIL VOTED DOWN AN ORDINANCE ALLOWING A PROPOSED DATA CENTER.
INSTEAD ... THEY VOTED IN FAVOR OF STUDYING THE ECONOMIC AND PUBLIC HEALTH IMPACTS OF DATA CENTERS.
ELK RIVER IS ABOUT 35 MILES NORTHWEST OF MINNEAPOLIS.
RESIDENTS VOICED VARIED CONCERNS OVER THE PROPOSED DEVELOPMENT SO CLOSE TO RESIDENTIAL NEIGHBORHOODS ... AND THE IMPACT ON NATURE AND THE ENVIRONMENT...
SPEAKERS ALSO PRESSED CITY LEADERS ON HOW MUCH SAY THE PUBLIC WILL HAVE AS THE PROJECT MOVES FORWARD.
ELK RIVER RESIDENT: BEFORE APPROVING A PROJECT OF THIS SIZE, I BELIEVE THE RESIDENTS DESERVE TO UNDERSTAND WHICH ISSUES WILL BE DECIDED BY THE COUNCIL... WHICH WILL COME BACK FOR PUBLIC REVIEW... AND WHICH WILL BE DECIDED THROUGH ADMINISTRATIVE APPROVAL
XAN HOLSTON: IN THE SOUTHEAST METRO … A SEPARATE DATA CENTER OWNER IS SUING THE CITY OF EAGAN … SAYING CITY LEADERS WRONGLY BLOCKED WORK NEEDED TO KEEP THE SITE RUNNING.
“EAGAN CAPITAL” SAYS IT NEEDS TO REPLACE AGING COOLING EQUIPMENT AT A DATA CENTER THAT’S OPERATED FOR DECADES.
THE CITY DENIED THE PERMIT AFTER IT VOTED TO STOP NEW DATA CENTER PROJECTS EARLIER THIS YEAR.
THE COMPANY SAYS THE CITY’S NEW TEMPORARY BAN ON NEW DATA CENTER DEVELOPMENTS DOESN’T APPLY TO THE EXISTING COMPANY... “EAGAN CAPITAL” IS ASKING A JUDGE TO ORDER THE CITY TO APPROVE THE WORK.
MINNESOTA CHARTER SCHOOL LEADERS AND GOVERNOR WALZ ARE STANDING UP FOR KINDERGARTNERS … SAYING CHILDREN SHOULD BE OFF LIMITS FROM POLITICAL ATTACKS.
MONDAY EVENING ... PRESIDENT TRUMP SHARED A SOCIAL MEDIA VIDEO OF A KINDERGARTEN GRADUATION AT A SAINT PAUL CHARTER SCHOOL LAST MONTH.
THE CLIP SHOWS CHILDREN IN CAPS AND GOWNS … INCLUDING MANY GIRLS WEARING HIJABS ... AND IDENTIFIES THE SCHOOL AND LOCATION.
HE SHARED IT A SECOND TIME... REPOSTING DEROGATORY COMMENTS ABOUT THE HIJABS.
GOVERNOR WALZ CRITICIZED TRUMP FOR ATTACKING KINDERGARTENERS’ SCHOOL CLOTHES... WHILE CHARTER SCHOOL LEADERS SAID SHARING THE IMAGE AND NAMING THE SCHOOL PUTS CHILDREN AT GREATER RISK.
THE PRESIDENT’S SOCIAL MEDIA ATTACKS COME AS FAITH LEADERS IN MINNESOTA AND ACROSS THE COUNTRY ARE CALLING ON STATE LEADERS TO PROTECT VOTING ACCESS … AND PUSH BACK AGAINST ELECTION INTERFERENCE.
INTERFAITH CLERGY HELD EVENTS YESTERDAY AT THE STATE CAPITOL IN SAINT PAUL … THE OLMSTED COUNTY ELECTIONS OFFICE IN ROCHESTER … AND ACROSS THE U-S.
AT THE MINNESOTA STATE CAPITOL … IMAM MAKRAM EL-AMIM SAID FAITH COMMUNITIES HAVE TO SPEAK UP … NOW … FRAMING VOTING RIGHTS AS A MORAL RESPONSIBILITY.
IMAM MAKRAM EL-AMIM: JUSTICE IS NOT PASSIVE, IT REQUIRES ACTION. IT REQUIRES WITNESS. IT REQUIRES PARTICIPATION.
XAN HOLSTON: THE EVENTS WERE PART OF A NATIONAL DAY OF ACTION ORGANIZED BY FAITH IN US … A CLERGY NETWORK FORMED IN MINNESOTA.
A BUILDING THAT ONCE SYMBOLIZED POLICING IN SOUTH MINNEAPOLIS IS BEING REMADE AS A HUB FOR VOTING AND CIVIC LIFE.
MINNEAPOLIS SAYS DESIGN WORK IS NOW DONE FOR THE NEW DEMOCRACY CENTER … AT 30TH AND MINNEHAHA.
THE BUILDING WILL REPLACE THE FORMER THIRD POLICE PRECINCT...WHICH WAS ABANDONED AND BURNED IN THE RIOTS THAT FOLLOWED THE MURDER OF GEORGE FLOYD BY POLICE.
THE RENOVATED SITE WILL HOUSE MINNEAPOLIS ELECTION AND VOTER SERVICES AS WELL AS COMMUNITY SPACE.
WORK IS EXPECTED TO START THIS FALL.
AND FINALLY, EXPECT MORE TRAFFIC JUST WEST OF MINNEAPOLIS TODAY … AND WELL INTO THE FALL.
EASTBOUND I-394 WILL REDUCE TO TWO LANES FROM LOUISIANA AVENUE TO DOWNTOWN THROUGH NOVEMBER … WITH REGULAR TRAFFIC SHIFTING INTO THE E-ZPASS LANES DURING CONSTRUCTION.
SEVERAL RAMPS WILL ALSO CLOSE … INCLUDING EASTBOUND 394 TO AND FROM PENN AVENUE … AND THE EASTBOUND 394 CONNECTION TO WESTBOUND 94.
MNDOT SAYS TO EXPECT DELAYS.
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.