The Star Tribune’s Shannon Prather writes: “Months after the Minnesota Historical Society took a stand against Gov. Mark Dayton over Civil War art in his State Capitol reception room, the governor is backing a bill to strip the state’s preservation agency from the historical society and move it under his control. Dayton’s spokeswoman said the measure … is designed to reduce inefficiency and improve accountability.” Inefficiency, huh.
It’s a Prince wrap for another year. For the PiPress, Ross Raihala says, “Celebration 2017 at Paisley Park wrapped Sunday with 2,000 fans from around the world spending four days at Prince’s Chanhassen studio-turned-museum touring the space, sitting in on panel discussions and watching four concerts. … Carmelita Dockery, too, had an issue with a VIP ticket, this time for Celebration itself. She paid $1,000 – twice the price of a general-admission pass to Paisley Park – and said she was disappointed during some of the performances that there weren’t more clearly defined, sectioned-off VIP areas and that she had to jostle for a position after paying extra to attend.”
The case against the NHL: Says Mike Hughlett in the Strib, “[Reed] Larson believes he suffered numerous concussions — he’s not sure how many. …‘Whenever I’m irritable or forgetful, is it because I’m just getting old, or is it because of the abuses to my head over my career?’ asked Larson, one of 126 former players who have sued the NHL for allegedly failing to protect players from the long-term effects of brain trauma. More than a dozen of those plaintiffs have Minnesota connections, including several former North Stars such as Larson. The litigation is snaking its way through the federal courts in St. Paul, and the battle is heating up.”
For all you cooped up city folk, it’s plantin’ time again. Deana Narveson of the Mankato Free Press says, “Spring’s sprung and farmers in the area are gearing up to utilize the tight window of planting time when soil temperatures, moisture and sunshine provide optimum yields. … Ideal planting time for corn is between April 21 and May 5, and after May 5 for soybeans. By this time last year farmers were already out laying down seed, spending up to 16 hours a day in the seat of the planter. Farmland makes up about half of Minnesota’s land mass.”
FYI, the radar is working. Stribber Tim Harlow alerts drivers using I-94 north out of Minneapolis, “This spring, the Minnesota Department of Transportation turned the nine-mile segment between Nicollet Avenue and Shingle Creek Parkway into a giant construction zone and slimmed the freeway down to two lanes. But apparently that has not stopped motorists from putting the pedal to the metal, even though the agency in charge of building and maintaining state roads has asked them to slow down. Motorists apparently thought MnDOT’s request was only a suggestion, and too many drivers have not changed their habits. So last week MnDOT turned to the State Patrol for help in bringing speeds down and keeping workers safe. MnDOT is paying the patrol $75 to $100 an hour to watch over the work zone at various times of the day and tag leadfoots.”
Very indirectly related. Andrew Hazzard for the Grand Forks Herald reports, “Trooper Sylvia Maurstad is well known in northwestern Minnesota. A sergeant in the Minnesota State Patrol, Maurstad has built a reputation in Roseau and Lake of the Woods counties for aggressiveness and having court cases dismissed. This year a northern Minnesota prosecutor labeled her as an unreliable witness. In February, Roseau County Attorney Karen Foss classified Maurstad as ‘Giglio impaired,’ meaning any testimony she gives in Roseau County can be taken into question.” I gotta work that into my expired tabs case.
Well, they’re for picking up a little walking around money, but mainly for networking. A very rarefied form of networking, but networking nonetheless. For the San Francisco, Chronicle Kathleen Pender writes, “Wells Fargo shareholders will decide at its annual meeting Tuesday whether some or all of the company’s 15 board members should lose their jobs for failing to stop the fraudulent account scandal before it blew up in September. … Wells Fargo’s 12 independent directors earned $326,002 to $485,630 last year. … All 15 board members are up for election at the meeting, which will be at the Sawgrass Marriott Golf Resort and Spa in Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla.”
Overall
I think Dayton has done a good job dealing with Republicans not exactly interested in governing unless it’s totally on their terms. But this smells like game-playing and payback by Dayton. It is the “State Historic Preservation Society working on behalf of the entire state. It’s not there to do what the governor wants or to do something what a single group wants. Got to side with Rep. Urdahl on this one. It has worked pretty well for fifty years. Let them do their job independently. I get a little suspicious when Bakk uses a single example such as the museum as a good reason to do this. So the SHPO takes the full 30 days to respond, but by putting it under more government bureaucracy will make it more efficient? Ya, right.
Speeders
As someone who lives and works in the city, I don’t spend a lot of time of the freeways. That’s by choice, but when I do venture out into the wilds of say, Plymouth or Maple Grove, I am a little bit shocked at the average speeds. I admit traveling a bit over the limit, but holy cow, if you’re not going 80 someone’s riding your ass. Cracking down on construction zones is great, but there needs to be a more comprehensive approach to speeding. Its getting a little bit nuts out there.
Speeders
When I drive I-90 in South Dakota coming to Minnesota, the speed limit is 80 and everyone is going 80. I hardly notice anyone speeding. When I get into Minnesota, the speed limit is 70, and everyone is going 80. Maybe Minnesota should just raise the speed limit.