In the Star Tribune, Mike Hughlett reports, “Citing rising energy costs, Minnesota utility regulators Thursday slashed CenterPoint Energy’s proposed interim rate increase and also ordered the company to give its customers more time to pay special charges stemming from last winter’s mega-storm. ‘As regulators, we can’t have our heads in the sand and ignore significant [economic] constraints, particularly for the residential class,’ said Katie Sieben, chair of the Minnesota Public Utilities Commission (PUC). In addition to facing whopping special charges stemming from last winter’s Texas ice storm, Minnesota consumers saw natural gas prices double this fall compared to a year ago. And gasoline prices have hit levels not seen since 2014.”
Related. For the Duluth News Tribune, Jimmy Lovrien says, “Minnesota Power customers will see bills go up beginning Jan. 1. The Minnesota Public Utilities Commission on Thursday morning unanimously approved raising rates for the company’s residential customers by 7.11% and its industrial and commercial customers by 14.23%. The rates will be in place while regulators consider the company’s full 17.58% rate hike request. Under the interim rates approved Thursday, the typical residential customer would see monthly bills increase by about $5.89, according to the company.”
MPR’s Dan Kraker writes: “The U.S. Forest Service says it’s reducing the number of entry permits into the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness next year because of natural resource damage, crowding and congestion, and what a spokesperson called the ‘overall degradation of the wilderness. ‘We’re just taking this step for the upcoming 2022 permit season, to see how adjusting the quota helps to reduce some of the damage that we’ve been seeing,’ said Superior National Forest spokesperson Joanna Gilkeson. The Forest Service didn’t say how many permits would be eliminated, nor which entry points into the wilderness would be impacted.”
Also in the Star Tribune, Katie Galioto writes: “The union representing St. Paul firefighters filed a lawsuit Thursday challenging Mayor Melvin Carter’s mandate that city employees get a COVID-19 vaccine by the end of the year. In an argument mirroring a complaint filed by the St. Paul Police Federation last week, the firefighters union is arguing that the city committed an unfair labor practice “by failing to meet and negotiate in good faith” the terms of the vaccine mandate. In an announcement to the city’s nearly 4,000 employees in late October, Carter said St. Paul would not offer a testing alternative for workers who choose not to get shots —unlike most other local governments in Minnesota.”
This from WCCO-TV, “Several snow events are on track to impact Minnesota and Wisconsin over the following seven days. … Not much precipitation is expected in the Twin Cities, so there’s not much of a travel concern for the metro area during the Friday morning commute. During the weekend, there are chances of snow Saturday evening into Sunday and potentially Sunday night into Monday. Light accumulation of snow could happen into Monday morning. But the shovels may be needed Tuesday, where a few inches of snow could be possible.”
At BringMeTheNews, Joe Nelson says, “Minnesota varsity basketball games – for girls and boys – will include a 35-second shot clock beginning with the 2023-24 season. The motion was approved by the Minnesota State High School League Board of Directors on Thursday. The shot clock implementation is for all classes (1A, 2A, 3A, 4A). The shot clock debate has long existed in high school hoops, with it most recently gaining national attention after stall tactics were employed during a 2018 girls playoff game between Marshall and Waseca. Waseca won the game 17-4, with the Marshall Independent reporting a final tally of 9 shots attempted all game by Marshall.”
The Pioneer Press’ Jess Fleming reports: “Maple Grove is getting the first-ever drive-through Shake Shack. The New York-based burger-centric operation’s new location, in the Shoppes at Arbor Lakes, will feature a digital menu board, a two-lane ordering system and a separate pick-up window. Customers can order in a traditional drive-through format, or through the restaurant’s website or app. The restaurant will also have a dining room, and there will be two separate kitchens to help keep lines to a minimum. It’s the third Shake Shack in the Twin Cities — the others are at Southdale Mall and the Mall of America. The Maple Grove location will open Dec. 6. Hours are Monday through Sunday, 11 a.m. to 10 p.m.”
At Talking Points Memo, Matt Shuham writes, “Republican politicians are seeking to shake confidence in Wisconsin’s election system with a partisan review of the 2020 results and wild allegations of criminal wrongdoing, marking a dangerous time for democracy in the state, outside experts said Wednesday. Though Joe Biden won Wisconsin in 2020 with just more than 20,000 votes, it has been plagued for months by false claims of election fraud, frivolous lawsuits, and, now, amped up attacks on the state’s election administrators — a bipartisan agency created by Republicans in 2015 called the Wisconsin Election Commission. ‘They’re using a coordinated campaign to politicize elections across the state of Wisconsin, because it’s good for politics and it’s good for their fundraising, which is a pretty jaded approach to sell out American democracy,’ Matt Masterson, a former DHS official and former chair of the U.S. Election Assistance Commission, said of Wisconsin Republicans Wednesday.”
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