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Faculty and staff say the school system has not taken strong enough precautions as the state sees a spike in cases linked to the delta variant. Students are required to get a COVID vaccine, with religious and health exemptions. They attest to getting that vaccine in an online form.
Most Minnesota schools are into their third full week of classes, but already some staff members are worried about how much longer they’ll be able to continue running short-staffed.
Weeks behind schedule, a panel is moving slowly toward agreement on which Minnesota essential workers should be rewarded for duty during the pandemic. The deal isn't done and the package is tangled up in other COVID-19 politics. But those involved in talks hope checks can go out before the year ends.
It’s been nearly a month since Hurricane Ida slammed into Louisiana as a Category 4 storm. Weeks later, crews are still trying to clean up the damage, and residents are trying to rebuild their lives. One person who’s been involved in the cleanup effort is Rochester, Minn. resident Rebecca Snap. She works for the Salvation Army, and returned this weekend after two weeks in Louisiana.
Businesses continue to struggle to fill open positions, and many have had to scale back because they can't find enough workers. Despite hiring bonuses and the end of enhanced unemployment benefits, the labor shortage that preceded the pandemic is not letting up.
Minnesota is in the midst of a mountain bike trail-building boom. In just the past few years, more than 100 miles of single-track trails have been built in the northeastern corner of the state. And as the trail mileage has grown, so have the number of niche companies that have sprouted up to build them.
It’s not even October but Minnesota’s landscape is already flashing some big color. Corners of far northern Minnesota are already approaching their peak or are close to it. Here’s the latest from the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources.
The Split Rock Wilds mountain bike trail officially opens this weekend, traversing about 20 miles of rugged terrain along the North Shore of Lake Superior. It’s just the latest among a burgeoning network of 250 miles of trails in northeastern Minnesota that’s transforming the region into a mountain biking destination.
Heading into the midterm campaign, a new Minnesota Poll shows fewer than 50 percent of Minnesota voters approve of the jobs being done by both Democratic President Joe Biden and Gov. Tim Walz.
