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Social Issues

Meth presents new dangers for law enforcement

Law enforcement officials say methamphetamine is now the drug of choice in rural Minnesota. It's easy to get and it's easy to make. Cops are trained to deal with drugs and drug users, but meth presents new challenges. Meth users are aggressive and can turn violent. People use caustic chemicals to make the drug, and that makes meth labs a health hazard. Minnesota cops are learning how to deal with the changes meth has made to their jobs.

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Meth poses a danger to first responders

Minnesota cops are not the only ones who have to deal with the dangers of meth. Doctors, nurses, EMTs and firefighters all have to worry about being exposed to chemicals from meth labs. The State Department of Health is working to train all first responders on safely dealing with meth and the people who make it.

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St. Cloud Somalis turned away from taxi driving jobs

An old city ordinance in St. Cloud forbids immigrants from driving taxis. City officials are moving to strike down the law. But Somalis in town say it's not just the city ordinance that stands between them and taxi driving jobs.

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Hmong refugees begin arriving in June

Later this month, Hmong refugees will begin arriving in Minnesota from Thailand. By the end of the year, the Twin Cities will have nearly 5,000 new Hmong residents. They'll join the more than 20,000 Hmong who began arriving here in the 1970s. While this new wave of refugees will have some obstacles to overcome when they arrive, they'll have some advantages their predecessors never did.

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A refugee's story

A difficult transition to American life drives a Vietnamese emigre family apart in a poetic debut novel.

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Plan to address homelessness takes shape

The Pawlenty administration is moving ahead with its plan to end long-term homelessness in Minnesota. Legislators this session didn't approve the $20 million for the proposal's first-phase. But the Minnesota Housing Finance Agency says 59 apartments are already being developed using money the agency has redirected from its own budget. Over the next seven years, the administration hopes to build or refurbish 4,000 apartments to house the state's most chronically homeless residents.

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Gay couple from Glenwood wanted to get married, not make history

After Massachusetts became the first state to allow gay couples to wed, same-sex partners from across the country flocked to the state to get married. One of the first couples to take advantage of the new Massachusetts law came from west central Minnesota. Cody Rogahn and Jonathan Yarbrough have returned to Glenwood, but they're not sure what to make of all the attention their wedding received.

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The rights of the disabled

The Supreme Court handed a big victory to disabled people last week with a decision that upholds a key provision of the Americans with Disabilities Act. The provision requires state and local governments to make courthouses accessible.

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21st birthday is a deadly one

Reaching your 21st birthday is an important milestone in life. It's a time of celebration. Unfortunately, it can be a day of tragedy, as it was for Jason Reinhardt. Reinhardt turned 21 this year. On his birthday, he died from an overdose of alcohol. Jason's mother, Ann Buchanan, hopes the death of her son can shock young people into realizing that alcohol is legal, but lethal.

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Chip Wadena attempts comeback, despite criminal record

Former White Earth Tribal Chairman Darrell "Chip" Wadena is trying to get his old job back. Wadena was chairman of the White Earth Indian Reservation for 20 years. He was convicted in 1996 of bid-rigging, money-laundering and stealing from his own people. He served two and a half years in a federal prison. Next month, voters on White Earth will choose between Wadena, and former secretary-treasurer Erma Vizenor. It was Vizenor's testimony that helped put Wadena behind bars. Despite Wadena's criminal record, it's not hard to find people on the reservation who want to put him back in office.

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