At MPR, Tim Nelson says, “Unions representing teachers and school staff in Minneapolis and St. Paul have filed the paperwork to strike as soon as March 8. The filings Wednesday began a 10-day countdown for potential strikes involving more than 8,000 educators and 62,000 public school students in the two school districts. The unions have been asking for higher wages, smaller classes and more mental health supports.”
WCCO-TV’s Jeff Wagner reports: “A suspect has been arrested in the shooting death of a 9-year-old girl in north Minneapolis last May. According to the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension, a 19-year-old man was arrested at his Minneapolis home without incident Wednesday. … On May 15, Trinity Ottoson-Smith of Minneapolis was struck by a stray bullet while jumping on a trampoline at a friend’s birthday party. She died from her injuries 12 days later in the hospital. The BCA believes Ottoson-Smith was an ‘unintended target of a gang-related drive-by shooting.’”
Jon Collins and Matt Sepic report for MPR: “The fate of three ex-Minneapolis police officers federally charged with violating George Floyd’s constitutional rights is now in the jury’s hands. After a month of testimony, the jury began deliberations Wednesday, following instructions from federal Judge Paul Magnuson. The day’s deliberations concluded shortly after 5 p.m. and will resume 9 a.m. Thursday.”
For MPR, Elizabeth Shockman reports, “A Robbinsdale district high school joined St. Louis Park High School Wednesday in its decision to cancel future athletic competitions with New Prague High School. Robbinsdale Cooper High School said that its girls basketball team and coaches were subjected to racist comments from students and adults while playing a game in New Prague on Feb. 15, the same day as a similar incident with a St. Louis Park boys hockey team. The Robbinsdale Area Schools district called on the Minnesota State High School League to take the experiences seriously.”
In the Star Tribune, Faiza Mahamud says, “Sharmarke Issa, board chair of the Minneapolis Public Housing Authority for more than three years, has resigned after a building he helped buy was tied to a federal investigation of food program fraud. ‘My resignation, which was effective on February 14, was due to personal matters,’ Issa said in an interview Wednesday. He did not specify those personal reasons, but said his resignation was not motivated by the federal investigation. Last month, federal prosecutors investigating the Minnesota nonprofit Feeding Our Future filed a forfeiture lawsuit to seize 14 properties; Issa is part owner of one of those buildings.”
Dana Ferguson writes for the Forum News Service: “Minnesota students would see new lessons in ethnic studies and climate change added to their K-12 curricula under a pair of proposals traveling through the state Legislature. The Minnesota Education Policy Committee on Wednesday took up and passed the Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party proposals. The first would create a new graduation requirement that students complete a high school ethnic studies course and that public and charter schools integrate ethnic studies into primary and secondary classes.”
Another WCCO-TV story says, “Minnesota’s rolling average COVID-19 positivity rate continues to plunge after falling below the line for high risk last week. After reaching a record peak of nearly 24% late last month, the Minnesota Department of Health says that figure is currently at 7.5%. The line for high risk is drawn at 10%, and the line for caution at 5%. Also, the number of people currently listed in ICU with COVID-19 has fallen below 100 — that figure currently sits at 98. That figure hasn’t been below 100 since last August.”
At KMSP-TV Theo Keith says, “A man injured by a falling bobblehead at Target Field has prompted Minnesota lawmakers to consider forcing teams to install more protective netting in their stadiums. ‘It felt like a chunk of the ceiling cement had fallen,’ Doug Johnson told the Senate Labor committee during a Wednesday morning hearing. … The legislation authored by state Sen. Steve Cwodzinski, DFL-Eden Prairie, would affect any team that has more than one seating tier.”
In the Star Tribube, Jana Hollingsworth says, “With Cirrus Aircraft expecting to triple production in the next decade, a $25 million expansion at its Duluth headquarters is both necessary and a sign of its confidence in the city it’s called home for nearly three decades. … The widening of the Cirrus footprint at Duluth International Airport will allow the private aircraft manufacturer to increase production and create at least 80 new jobs, said Bill King, a government relations executive with Cirrus.”
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