Month: February 2021

The Crookston City Council will have a strategic planning session Monday, March 1 at 6 p.m. in the Council Chambers at City Hall. This will be the second session following up on the February 17 strategic planning session.

The agenda includes recapping the previous strategy session, continuing discussions on City Council members serving on non-city boards, and on the MnDOT Corridor Study for Highway 2 downtown. They will also discuss methods of gathering community input before concluding and reviewing actionable items to proceed on as a result of the strategy sessions.

The post CROOKSTON CITY COUNCIL WILL HAVE STRATEGIC PLANNING SESSION MONDAY NIGHT appeared first on KROX.

Independence. It was something taught by his parents to Jianglong Huang during his childhood in Guangzhou, China. They always wanted Jianglong to learn different languages and embrace different cultures from a young age. So when at an international high school one of his classmates recommended UMC, he jumped at the opportunity.

Jianglong was looking for a school where he could have a small class size because he struggled with concentration and wanted an environment where professors could provide more one-on-one attention. Jianlong was given individual attention from the start and he has enjoyed his experience at UMC ever since. 

“One of the things I remember the most was when I was registering for a class and couldn’t register for it, (my advisor) Megan (Kragness) took a long time to help me and took me to different departments,” Huang said. “Because she could have helped me by email, but she went to different places in order to help me complete my registration.”

Jianglong, an international business major, has also pursued a music minor at UMC. He has been offered the same individual attention by his music instructor George French.

“He helped me create a perfect plan in order to be able to finish my minor in one year,” Huang stated. “I registered for piano lessons and choir, which I had never done before. I always thought my voice was not suitable for singing, but he told me that there was not a person in the world who could not sing, they just didn’t have the confidence. He helped me feel more confident to perform in choir.”

Huang’s pursuit of music comes back to his parent’s. His parents didn’t focus on academics, as much as they focused on him and his sister and brother pursuing their interests and abilities.

“They (my parents) didn’t focus on my grades, but more on my interests and abilities,” Huang said. “Cooking is my favorite thing. I spend two hours a day cooking and I like to make new dishes and try different styles of dishes. I also like to learn and analyze stocks and securities in my spare time, although sometimes they break my heart.”

In addition to pursuing his interests in a close-knit environment, UMC has allowed Huang to grow as a leader. A major reason Huang believes he has grown as a leader is because of Rae French, Learning Abroad Advisor, and Sok Leng Tan, Director of Global Programs, in International Programs.

“If the advisors helped me with my academics, then the International Programs developed my leadership skills,” Huang remarked.

Huang is thankful for the opportunities he has been provided working in International Programs. He had his worries that he wouldn’t be able to do his job well working in the department, but it all worked out in the end.

“Sok Leng and Rae are the two people I need to thank the most,” Huang said. “They have given me the opportunity to work at International Programs and have allowed me to use my strengths to organize events. One of the things that I am proud of is helping International Programs translate the admissions information on the admissions page. At first, I thought this might be a little difficult for me and I was worried I wouldn’t be able to do it well, but Sok Leng believed I could do it. In International Programs, all you have to do is use your abilities to do it and don’t worry about failing, because the solution is found in failing over and over again.

When we have any difficulties, I always go ask Sok Leng and Rae and they always help us to solve them quickly. A few weeks ago, I had some trouble with my taxes and Rae told me not to worry, she would take care of it. After three days, I received the solution and Rae said, ‘I told you, everything will be fine.’”

He has thoroughly enjoyed his time at UMC, and a big part of it has been the role of international programs and the opportunities they provide students on campus. Some of Huang’s favorites have been skiing, a cabin trip, and a cooking show. One of his other favorite things has been the community created with other international students on campus at UMC.

“I get to know a lot of international students when I help organize some International Programs events,” Huang said. “We would get together to discuss the next event and share some interesting things. In our spare time, we get together for dinner and hang out.”

Huang has loved his experience at UMC. From the individual attention of his advisors to the experiences International Programs help to create for international students on campus, to the independence and confidence he has learned. But for Huang the number one thing UMC has had to offer comes back to the main focus of his parents.

“I think it’s about learning about different cultures, and different lifestyles,” Huang remarked. “Because UMC is a diverse community, students come from different countries. I have made a lot of friends and have learned a lot from them.”

 

The post INERNATIONAL STUDENT JIANGLONG HUANG FINDS ONE-ON-ONE ATTENTION, EMBRACES CULTURE AT UMC appeared first on KROX.

Lake Agassiz Regional Library (LARL) will host a virtual author presentation by plant expert Alan Branhagen on March 9 at 7 p.m. Branhagen is Director of Operations at the Minnesota Landscape Arboretum and the author of The Midwest Native Plant Primer. 

The presentation will cover advice from his latest book, including his ten steps to transform your garden into an earth-friendly landscape, as well as a Q&A segment. It will be held live on the Lake Agassiz Regional Library Facebook page (facebook.com/larlmn) and is offered free-of-charge with no registration required. A recording of the presentation will be available at larl.org/athome and a Facebook account is not required to view the program.

The post LAKE AGASSIZ REGIONAL LIBRARY TO HOST VIRTUAL AUTHOR PRESENTATION appeared first on KROX.

On Tuesday, the trade association representing Minnesota’s new car dealers exposed the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency’s use of misleading numbers to promote their desire to impose California Car mandates on Minnesota consumers.

The revelation came during the association’s testimony before an administrative law judge on the need and reasonableness of the proposed California Car rule.

“MPCA’s analysis is unreasonable because it is based on faulty data,” stated MADA Vice President of Public Affairs Amber Backhaus.

“The MPCA points to a lack of electric vehicles (EVs) for sale in the state as a reason for the agency to use its regulatory authority to adopt ZEV,” Backhaus explained. “However, the MPCA vastly undercounts the EV supply by pulling data from cars.com. Cars.com is NOT an aggregator of vehicle supply; it’s a third-party advertising platform.”

Backhaus went on to inform the administrative law judge that, “MADA’s own analysis of EV supply, pulled from manufacturer websites on a variety of dates, shows at least twice as many EVs on dealer lots in Minnesota as what was listed on cars.com.”

“For over a year now the MPCA has been claiming a lack of availability of EVs as the reason they need the California Rule,” stated MADA President Scott Lambert. “We don’t know if it was deliberate or sloppy work, but they have misled the public, policymakers, and even Governor Walz and should be held accountable for their actions.”

In her testimony, Backhaus asked the administrative law judge to pause the rulemaking while the Biden Administration pursues more stringent vehicle emissions standards and California updates its rules to phase-out the sale of vehicles with internal combustion engines by 2035.

“The MPCA’s numbers in the SONAR about EV availability are woefully inaccurate,” concluded Backhaus.

MADA is the statewide trade association representing 375 franchised new car and truck dealers. The association conducts lobbying, legal work, and training for its members.

The post MINNESOTA AUTOMOBILE DEALERS CLAIM MPCA MISREPRESENTS ELECTRIC VEHICLE DATA TO AID RULEMAKING appeared first on KROX.

Minnesota kids are still vaping at very high rates, with one in five high school students using e-cigarettes and 70% of high school and middle school users reporting signs of nicotine dependence, according to new data from the 2020 Minnesota Youth Tobacco Survey.

The Minnesota Youth Tobacco Survey (MYTS) has been conducted by the Minnesota Department of Health since 2000 to provide information about the commercial tobacco use of young people and to design and evaluate prevention efforts.

The survey suggests public health efforts have slowed the rapid growth of e-cigarette use seen in recent years. E-cigarette use held steady in 2020 compared to 2017. Overall tobacco use declined to 20.5% of high school and 4.1% of middle school students having used a tobacco product in the past 30 days, compared to 26.4% (high school) and 5.2% (middle school) in 2017.

The new Minnesota data also shows about four in five Minnesota students (78.4%) reported that the first tobacco product they ever tried was flavored.

“This research suggests our public health efforts are working but also that there is a need for continued work,” said Minnesota Commissioner of Health Jan Malcolm. “In particular, the data on youth vaping alarms us, as we see how this industry continues to use flavors, advertising, internet sales and other tactics to keep addicting youth to harmful nicotine.”

Youth vaping remains at epidemic levels. One recent study published in the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR) showed an estimated 3.6 million youth in the United States use e-cigarettes.

The COVID-19 pandemic underscores the need to reduce commercial tobacco addiction and improve lung health. Current and former smokers are at higher risk for getting severely ill from COVID-19. E-cigarette aerosol may damage lung tissue, especially concerning during a respiratory pandemic.

NICOTINE DEPENDENCE RESULTS
The 2020 state survey included for the first time a four-item nicotine dependence scale for e-cigarettes. Overall, 70.4% of students who used e-cigarettes in the past 30 days reported one or more signs of dependence; these products are being used with greater intensity.

“These new data are consistent with conversations I’ve had with teens over the past three years in focus groups we conducted about youth vaping behavior and in our vaping prevention workshops,” said Elyse Levine Less, executive director at the Tobacco-Free Alliance. “Teens do not intend to get addicted to nicotine and underestimate the risk.”

Nicotine can harm the developing adolescent brain. Because the brain is still developing until about age 25, youth and young adult exposure to nicotine can lead to addiction and disrupt attention and learning. No amount of nicotine is safe for youth.

They are surprised how easy it is to lose control and become nicotine dependent, something that they never could imagine happening to them,” Less said. “I’ve heard kids say, ‘I wish I didn’t have to do this [vape]’ but can’t pinpoint when they lost their choice in the matter.”

The survey also provided insight into youth who vape marijuana. Among students who use e-cigarettes, 65.1% of high school and 71.7% of middle school students had ever vaped marijuana, a statistically significantly increase from 2017.

“The good news is that we know what it takes to make a positive change; we just need to act,” said Commissioner Malcolm. “Minnesota needs a comprehensive approach to reverse the youth tobacco epidemic.”

Minnesota’s cities and counties already have the authority to limit the sale of menthol and other flavored commercial tobacco products, which are known to appeal to youth. Some communities have already taken these steps.

These new data do offer some good news. The use of cigarettes and cigars has dropped to the lowest rates ever recorded by the survey. Just over 3% of high school students report smoking cigarettes over the last 30 days – a steep decline from 2017. Cigar use among high school students is now also just as low.

Preventing youth commercial tobacco use, including the use of e-cigarettes, requires a sustainable and comprehensive approach. Large-scale prevention efforts, such as counter-marketing to raise awareness of the dangers of these products and measures to reduce youth access to these products in their communities, have been shown to be effective.

For youth ready to break free from nicotine addiction, Minnesota has a new program to help them quit. My Life, My QuitTM, part of the state’s Quit PartnerTM family of programs, is completely free and confidential. My Life, My Quit coaches can help teens develop a quit plan, cope with stress, learn about nicotine, and get ongoing support. Teens can chat with a coach online at MyLifeMyQuit.com or text “Start” to 36072.

Learn more at Tobacco Prevention and Control.

The post NEW SURVEY SHOWS YOUTH VAPING REMAINS A SERIOUS CHALLENGE IN MINNESOTA appeared first on KROX.

The Crookston City Council formally approved the purchase of 10 acres of land toward the construction of the Ag Innovation Campus during the council’s Monday night meeting.

This announcement clears the way for the location’s construction – due to begin this spring – in Crookston along Highway 75. The AIC had requested three multi-faceted variances up to 120 feet. The AIC will incubate other agriculture industry innovations under a mission of using Minnesota soybeans to create new products and jobs and generate myriad economic benefits for rural communities.

“We are pleased to see Crookston leaders formally approve this land purchase as the AIC takes another big step toward our ultimate goal,” said AIC Board Chair Mike Skaug, who farms in Beltrami. “We’ve been working diligently on this project and have been encouraged with the progression as we continue striving toward revitalizing our region’s economy.”

The AIC also aims to improve the economic outlook for producers across the country by allowing farmers to maximize the value of their crops; increase jobs spanning the skillset range from management to utility labor; and take advantage of current markets in biodiesel, soybean oil, soybean meal, and glycerin.

“Farmers drive agriculture with their innovation, and this project will serve that same purpose,” said Tom Slunecka, CEO of Ag Management Solutions, which oversees the AIC’s daily operations. “This is a big bang for our farmers and our organization. We’re thrilled with these positive developments and look forward to continuing work with the city of Crookston, elected officials, farmers and ag businesses.” 

In 2019, following an advocacy push from the Minnesota Soybean Growers Association, the Minnesota Legislature approved $5 million toward the AIC in the bipartisan omnibus agriculture finance bill signed by Gov. Tim Walz. The funding was released to the AIC in September 2020. In October, the AIC received crucial air permitting approval from the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA). Later that month, the governor joined ag and regional officials for a groundbreaking ceremony.

“There’s no place in the world that has something like this,” the governor said.

The AIC in Crookston will host a specialty crushing facility, allowing universities, commodity groups, and private seed developers access to affordable processing that aims to lower costs while promoting the growth of value-added products. Once established, the Campus will be home to private industries to create products to benefit all parties, from farm gate to consumers. A fully operating AIC will create up to 60 jobs and could crush more than 60,000 tons per year of soybean meal – serving about 30% of the regional market.

“We’re super excited to see the progress the Ag Innovation Campus is making,” said Craig Hoiseth, an AIC ex officio board member and executive director of the Crookston Housing and Economic Development Authority. “We really appreciate all the work that’s been put into this, and think it’s going to be a great centerpiece for city and region.”

Soybean production in northwest Minnesota has grown by more than 300% this century. Although the Ag Innovation Campus would improve the profitability of farmers throughout the state, the 11 northwest Minnesota counties that would see the most gain from the Campus produced more than 50 million bushels of soybeans in 2019. 

In addition to securing state funds and crucial work permits, the AIC is planning a late 2021 production goal. The group has purchased equipment, opened an office in Crookston and will be unveiling a website later in 2021.

“Suffice it to say, we’re eager for spring,” Skaug said.

The post AG INNOVATION CAMPUS READY FOR CONSTRUCTION FOLLOWING APPROVAL OF LAND PURCHASE appeared first on KROX.

Lake Agassiz Regional Library (LARL) has added another service to its roster of options for residents. Beginning in late February residents of the seven counties served (Becker, Clay, Clearwater, Mahnomen, Norman, Polk, and Wilkin) will have access to a collection of book club kits for book club meetings and other literary-focused groups. Each kit will be equipped with ten copies of a work of popular fiction or non-fiction with a special focus on Minnesota-based authors, along with helpful discussion guides and tips.

The kits can be borrowed for six weeks and include titles appealing to a variety of ages, including This Tender Land by William Kent Krueger, Give a Girl a Knife by Amy Thielen, Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson, and more. Learn more at larl.org/bookclubkits 

The post BOOK CLUB KITS NOW AVAILABLE AT CROOKSTON PUBLIC LIBRARY appeared first on KROX.

The Minnesota Management and Budget office’s new economic forecast released Friday is a swing in the opposite direction of the forecast from December. The new forecast shows a $1.6 billion surplus, a drastic change from the $1.3 billion deficit forecast two months ago. Governor Tim Walz released the following statement on the new forecast – 

Today, Minnesota Management and Budget released the February economic forecast for the State of Minnesota. Governor Tim Walz released the following statement after the announcement:

“This budget forecast is good news for Minnesota. It proves that the measures we took during the pandemic have both saved lives and protected the economy.”

“But state projections aren’t the same as household budgets. They don’t reflect the hardship that many Minnesotans have endured over the past 12 months. As we come out of COVID-19, we can’t forget the sacrifices so many of our workers and small businesses have taken to protect their communities. They’ve been heroes throughout the past year, sacrificing their own bottom line for their neighbors. And they saved lives. That’s why my budget focuses on leveling the playing field to support working families and small businesses.”

There is no longer an anticipated shortfall for FY 2022-23 and Minnesota now projects a positive balance of $1.6 billion because of a higher revenue forecast, lower state spending, and an increased surplus for the current fiscal year.

The post STATE BUDGET FORECAST SWINGS FROM BILLION DOLLAR DEFICIT TO BILLION DOLLAR SURPLUS appeared first on KROX.