STATE OFFICIALS HAVE ANNOUNCED PLANS TO REOPEN DRIVER’S LICENSE EXAM STATIONS TO FULL CAPACITY STATEWIDE BY EARLY NEXT YEAR. REPRESENTATIVE JOHN BURKEL CALLED IT “VERY WELCOME NEWS” FOR GREATER MINNESOTA. AT ONE POINT IN THE PANDEMIC, THE STATE HAD CONSOLIDATED THOSE SERVICES TO ONLY 14 LOCATIONS, CURRENTLY 26 LOCATIONS ARE OPEN. SOME LOCATIONS WILL NEED TO RENEW LEASES OR FIND A NEW LOCATION, AND THE DVS FACES A SIGNIFICANT HIRING CHALLENGE TO MEET THEIR MID-JANUARY TARGET.
MINNESOTA EXPORTS OF AGRICULTURAL, MINING, AND MANUFACTURING PRODUCTS ARE SHOWING A STRONG RECOVERY FROM THE PANDEMIC. THOSE EXPORTS JUMPED 29% OVER THE YEAR IN THE SECOND QUARTER OF 2021. IT’S $1.3 BILLION OVER THE SECOND QUARTER FROM 2020. IT’S UP 5% OVER PRE-PANDEMIC NUMBERS FROM 2019.
ROSEAU ELECTRIC COOPERATIVE HAS A SCHEDULED POWER OUTAGE TOMORROW FOR THE HOURS OF 10 AM TO 2 PM AFFECTING THE TOWNSHIPS OF DEWEY, HEREIM, LIND, DEER, HUSS, EAST PARK, HUNTLEY, AND COMO. THEY NOTE THE GREENBUSH CARE CENTER AND CENTRAL BOILER WILL NOT BE AFFECTED. REPAIRS ON SUBSTATION EQUIPMENT NEED TO BE PERFORMED.
THE MINNESOTA DEPARTMENT OF EMPLOYMENT AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT WILL BEGIN ACCEPTING APPLICATIONS FOR THE MAIN STREET COVID RELIEF GRANT PROGRAM ON SEPTEMBER 20TH. THAT IS FOR MINNESOTAN OWNED AND OPERATED BUSINESSES THAT CAN SHOW FINANCIAL HARDSHIP DUE TO THE PANDEMIC. IN TOTAL, THERE IS ROUGHLY $32 MILLION DOLLARS EACH FOR GREATER MINNESOTA AND THE TWIN CITIES METRO AREA. GRANTS ARE FOR BETWEEN $10,000 AND $25,000. SMALL BUSINESSES THAT EMPLOY 6 OR FEWER PEOPLE, ARE OWNED BY MILITARY VETERANS, WOMEN, OR MINORITIES WILL BE PRIOTITIZED, ALONG WITH THOSE WHO HAVE NOT RECEIVED ANY PREVIOUS ASSISTANCE.
IN TOTAL, JUST OVER 3,100 STATE FAIR-GOERS TOOK TO THE OPPORTUNITY GET VACCINATED AT THE VACCINATION CLINIC ON THE FAIRGROUNDS. THE STATE ISSUED 3,042 $100 VISA GIFT CARDS TO THOSE WHO CHOSE TO GET THEIR FIRST DOSE.
THE FAIR DID SUFFER A MAJOR ATTENDANCE DROP THIS YEAR, DOWN ABOUT 60% FROM 2019.
A WOMAN SUFFERED MINOR INJURIES AFTER HER VEHICLE WAS TOTALED IN A CRASH SATURDAY EVENING IN RURAL POLK COUNTY. THE SHERIFF’S OFFICE REPORTS SHE WAS DISTRACTED BY RECEIVED A TEXT MESSAGE.
A PUBLIC VISITATION FOR GARY W. KOMPELIEN OF ROSEAU WILL BE HELD TOMORROW (5:00-7:00) WITH A 7:00 PRAYER SERVICE AT HELGESON FUNERAL HOME IN ROSEAU. INTERMENT WILL TAKE PLACE ON FRIDAY (10:00) AT SPRUCE CEMETERY IN ROSEAU. GARY KOMPELIEN WAS 60.
A federal judge has thrown out the death sentence for a man convicted in the 2003 slaying of a North Dakota college student. Judge Ralph Erickson ruled Friday that misleading testimony from a medical examiner and limitations on mental health evidence violated Alfonso Rodriguez Jr.’s constitutional rights. He ordered a new sentencing phase be conducted. Rodriguez has been on death row for nearly two decades. He was convicted of killing Dru Sjodin, a Minnesota woman who was abducted from a Grand Forks mall parking lot in November 2003.
Last modified: 09/08/2021
