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North Star Stories: Voices from Where We Live is a daily, five-minute newscast that shines 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.
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HOST: You're listening to North Star Stories: Voices from Where We Live, a daily newscast about what it means to live in Minnesota.
ANCHOR: In today's broadcast, a Northern Minnesota woman pleads not guilty to voter fraud. Then, a new art exhibition brings a Mexican feel to a metro island. And, a mental health program at a Minnesota college is at risk after losing federal funding. I'm Chantel SinGs.
A woman from Itasca County on the state's Iron Range is denying wrongdoing after allegedly using her dead mother's absentee ballot to vote for Donald Trump in the last election. Officials say Danielle Miller's mother died in August of last year, and the county auditor flagged her and her mother's ballots by comparing the signatures. Miller is now charged with intentionally making or signing a false certificate and one count of casting an illegal vote. Each charge carries a maximum sentence of five years in prison, a 10-thousand dollar fine, or both. Absentee ballots are voided if someone dies before Election Day. Miller has another court appearance in August.
Coming up, a new exhibition of giant sculptures is bringing color, magic, and a Mexican cultural tradition to Raspberry Island in Saint Paul. Victor Palomino has the story.
Aaron Johnson Ortiz: I think Minnesota doesn't know what's coming this summer.
Victor Palomino: Aaron Johnson Ortiz is the Executive Director of the Minnesota Latino Museum, and he's talking about Alebrijes: Keepers of the Island, an open-air art exhibition featuring monumental papier mâché sculptures on display at the Raspberry Island, along the Mississippi River in downtown St Paul, from June through October.
Aaron Johnson Ortiz: This project has been in development for a very long time. In many ways, it's the culmination of five years of work. We are thrilled that it's coming together, and we are already seeing the community and the public in general go crazy over these Alebrijes.
Victor Palomino: Sixteen sculptures are spread across the island, forming a vibrant garden of colorful forms and fantastical creatures like fish with eagle wings and giraffe bodies crowned with serpent and dragon heads.
Aaron Johnson Ortiz: I think what's amazing about our community is the culture, the vibrancy, the color, the liveliness and the diversity of our communities. And one of the things that we do as large-scale public artists is we just go big.
Victor Palomino: The cardboard sculptures were created by four visiting artists from Mexico. Two of them are already working here in Minnesota, and two others arrive in July.
Aaron Johnson Ortiz: We're gonna show unapologetically the beauty of our culture, and what happens when you do that is that people can't look away and they see something amazing, beautiful, strange, colorful. And I see people immediately smile. So we do believe that it's helpful for mental health, it's helpful for overcoming trauma, and it's helpful for bringing our communities together.
Victor Palomino: One of the master artisans is Alberto Moreno Fernandez, who has been crafting alebrijes for over 20 years. He explains that the tradition is an original creation from Mexico City.
Alberto Moreno Fernandez: Los alebrijes, son de la ciudad de Mexico. Es una de las artesanes que tenemos del mero Distrito Federal, o de la se de Mexico.
Victor Palomino: Alberto's sculpture is titled Bicefalo, a four-legged creature with two heads, one a cobra, the other a dragon. For him, it symbolized human duality. He hopes that through his work, people can feel what the artist feels and sense the deep emotion and heart behind each creation.
Alberto Moreno Fernandez: Que la gente vea cómo nos sentimos como artistas cuando podemos expresarnos con nuestras piezas. Y espero que sean maravillosas porque son únicas y las hacemos con todo el corazón.
Victor Palomino: 'That people will see what we feel as artists, when we can express ourselves with our pieces. And I hope that they can be wonderful because they are unique and we make them with all our heart.'
Maria, originally from Mexico and now living in Minneapolis, shares her pride in the exhibition calling Raspberry Island the perfect place to celebrate the richness of Mexican culture.
Maria: El lugar es perfecto porque hay agua, pesto, viento, puentes, esos puentes... Es un excelente punto de partida para venir a apoyar la cultura mexicana.
Victor Palomino: The exhibit will be on display on Raspberry Island until October 26. For North Star Stories, I'm Victor Palomino.
ANCHOR: You are listening to North Star Stories.
Duluth's College of St. Scholastica is scrambling after losing 4 million dollars in federal grant for its mental health program. The U.S. Department of Education ended the five-year grant just two years in, citing shifting priorities under the Trump administration. The program provided hands-on mental health training for graduate students and supported services in local schools. The college says it will have to scale back the program, and that the loss will disrupt student learning and reduce mental health support for youth in the region. The school plans to appeal the decision.
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HOST: 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.