Thursday, May 16, 2013
Gov. Mark Dayton’s signature Tuesday didn’t end the heated debate around same-sex marriage.
Whatever side of the debate you fall on, there’s no denying that this week’s passage of a bill legalizing same-sex marriage was a historical moment. Minnesota became just the 12th state to sanction gay marriage when Gov. Mark Dayton signed the bill Tuesday. Patch readers quickly wrote in to share their thoughts on the moment. Eagan Patch reader Kathi Malone echoed the view of legislators who voted yes in seeing same-sex marriage as a civil right: I am so happy that finally gay people will be able to have the civil right to marry. This is truly an American vote for freedom. I applaud Sen Clausen and all other legislators who voted for this historical bill. James N added: Thank you Senator Carlson and the entire MN legislature for extending …
Friday, May 10, 2013
The community had 79 percent of registered voters cast a ballot in the 2012 election.
Burnsville had a high voter turnout in the 2012 election for a state that is itself already well above the national average. Minnesota fell to third in the country—behind only Mississippi and Wisconsin, according to data the U.S. Census Bureau made public Wednesday evening. Although it had the highest levels in the country of voter turnout in the 2008 election, the 73.2 percent of citizens who voted here in 2012 is still comfortably above the national average of 61.8. (The Census Bureau’s rates are different from those from the Minnesota Secretary of State’s Office, which lists a 76.11 percent voter turnout rate. The Census Bureau’s rate for Minnesota is listed as having a margin of error of ± 2.1 percent.) The Census Bureau didn’t provide…
Wednesday, May 8, 2013
Mitchell J. Dawson was selected from a pool of 15,000 finalists.
Mitchell J. Dawson, a Burnsville resident and senior at Apple Valley High School, is among the winners of the $2,500 National Merit Scholarships released Wednesday, the organization announced. The National Merit Scholarship Corporation selected the Burnsville student from among 15,000 finalists in the 2013 National Merit Program. The winners are judged to have the best combinations of “accomplishments, skills, and potential for success in rigorous college studies.” The number of winners in each state is proportional to the number of graduating seniors in the state. A committee of college admissions officers and high school counselors selected the winners using: This year’s competition began when 1.5 million juniors across 22,000 high …
Sunday, May 5, 2013
The state dropped two spots in the League of American Bicyclists’ annual rankings.
(Editor's Note: The map above was created by the League of American Bicyclists.) Minnesota is still among the top states in “bike friendliness,” but its ranking fell a couple notches in 2013, according to the League of American Bicyclists. The state was ranked fourth this year, down from second in 2012. It ranked high in legislation and enforcement, policies and programs and education and encouragement. But it was middle of the pack in infrastructure and funding and lower tier in evaluation and planning. Minnesota was also missing three of the league’s “Top 10 Signs of Success: Use the map above to see how Minnesota compares to other states in the various categories. Do you think Minnesota needs to do more to support cycling? Share your …
Tuesday, April 16, 2013
Two explosions occurred the afternoon of Monday, April 15, 2013 near the marathon finish line on Boylston Street in Boston, MA.
During the Boston Marathon April 15, two explosions occurred near the finish line—killing three and injuring more than 100 people, according to a report from Fenway-Kenmore Patch. Among the 23,000 runners at the annual race were approximately 500 Minnesota residents, according to StarTribune.com. Here is what some of the runners shared about the incident and their experience. Click on the headline to read the full story. Roseville Runner: Boston Marathon Bombings "Surreal" Eric Kronback said he thought the two explosions were cannons. Blocks Away from Boston Marathon Explosions: Lake Elmo Woman Recounts 'A War Zone' “All of a sudden I heard two huge blasts—and everything went silent," Chris Hess-Withbroe said from her Boston hotel room …
Wednesday, March 27, 2013
A bill that changes the way state aid is calculated could start money flowing into city coffers again.
After years without local government aid, Burnsville could see payments of about $86,000 under a new proposal that would inject tens of millions of dollars into the system and change the way those millions are distributed. The bill by Moorhead Rep. Ben Lien (DFL-4A) would add $80 million to the $426 million that the state is scheduled to spend on local government aid (LGA) in 2014. It would also create a new formula that adjusts aid based on its “aid gap”—a product of how the formula determines “unmet need,” according to the House Research bill summary. For so-called “large cities” that have more than 10,000 people, including Burnsville, the formula considers three factors in determining need per capita: LGA is intended to help cities with…
Monday, March 25, 2013
Six percent of Dakota County adults have the disease—and many aren’t aware they have it. Tuesday’s ‘Diabetes Alert Day’ is a good time to consider whether you’re at risk.
Tuesday's Diabetes Alert Day, and the Minnesota Department of Health is urging all Minnesotans to look into whether they’re at risk for diabetes. More than one in 20 Dakota County adults, a total of 17,298 people, have diabetes, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s National Diabetes Surveillance System. The percentage of adult Minnesotans with diabetes nearly doubled between 1994 and 2010, according to the state Department of Health. The agency estimates that 80,000 Minnesota adults may have diabetes without knowing it. “Given the alarming increase of diabetes, we are encouraging Minnesotans to use this day to think about whether they or someone they love might have diabetes or prediabetes and not even know about …
Tuesday, March 12, 2013
Bills asking lawmakers to raise the minimum wage by more than $3 have made their way to the floor. How much should the Legislature raise minimum wage, if at all, in one of the lowest-paid states in the country.
Minnesota lawmakers, during this period of slow, economic recovery, are taking up the debate of the amount of the state's minimum wage. Currently, both tipped workers and minimum wage workers can be paid as low as $6.15/hour, legally, in Minnesota. Most employers, though, abide by the Federal minimum wage, which is set at $7.25. Still, 6 percent of the state's workforce makes that amount, which analysts have said won't lift a worker or a family above the poverty line. Rep. Ryan Winkler of Golden Valley has introduced a bill to change that, moving Minnesota from one of the lowest minimum wage states in the nation to one of the highest. His bill hikes the state's minimum wage to $10.55/hr for high earners, or businesses that make more than $…
Thursday, February 28, 2013
As some school districts struggle with budget reductions, elementary music programs might be the first areas cut.
It has become a common scenario across many Twin City school districts. No passage of an operating levy in November equals a spring of budget reductions. Some school boards have been considering cutting some of the music programs out of their district offerings. A recommendation in District 834 to cut fifth- and sixth-grade instrumental music programs to save $300,000 if a November levy doesn’t pass brought criticism from the Stillwater Area High School Orchestra Director. “The elementary cost center’s suggestion appears disingenuous and may lack the integrity that the Stillwater community expects from its schools and from its School Board,” Stillwater Area High School Orchestra Director Jerry Jones said. “This elimination looks as …
Thursday, January 31, 2013
House Bill would expand access to quality, affordable health care to adults and children through Medicaid and would take effect in January 2014.
Editor's note: The following is a news release from Burnsville's State House Representative Will Morgan, (D-District 56B). Dear neighbors, Minnesotans who want sensible, bipartisan solutions to the problems facing our citizens should cheer the Minnesota House for putting House File 9 on the fast track to the governor’s desk. The bill would expand access to quality, affordable health care to adults and children through Medicaid and would take effect in January 2014. The best part of this bill is that it won’t cost the state a penny until 2017. The federal government will fund 100% of the proposed expansion through 2016. Beginning in 2017, a gradual phase down in the federal match occurs, ending in 90% federal funding of the proposed …
Orono
12:11 pm on Friday, May 24, 2013
Dan said "Helping others attain equal legal rights doesn't hold them down. Altruism does exist." I agree and your protection for Mike is noble. However this argument of mine came about after Mike claimed that blacks deserved payment (not Jews, gays, etc.). His gay stance on its own is acceptable, it is when you realize what he thinks about blacks that destroys everything he claims to champion. … more ›