We’re #11! Adam Belz of the Strib says: “Personal income in Minnesota grew slightly faster than the national average in 2013, and the state remains ranked 11th for per capita personal income, according to figures released Tuesday by the U.S. Department of Commerce. Personal income — the sum of net job earnings, property income, and personal current transfer receipts — rose 2.8 percent in Minnesota in 2013, compared to 2.6 percent growth nationally.”
While some legislators debate the value of hooking everyone up to broadband … . Northland’s News Center says: “A northeastern Minnesota agency has received a national honor. … The agency won the award for its Northeast Minnesota Middle Mile Fiber Project, which provides high-speed broadband through a 915–mile fiber optic network throughout northeastern Minnesota. Virginia school officials say the project has allowed them to better implement their iPad program. ‘The Middle Mile project allows us to implement our one-to-one project through sixth through twelfth [grades] and allows us to do that at an effective cost rate,’ said Virginia Superintendent, Deron Stender.” The main project came va federal stimulus money, BTW.
No surprise … . Chao Xiong of the Strib reports: “Cindarion D. Butler apologized in court Tuesday morning for his role in last summer’s brutal [St. Paul east side] attack that nearly killed an innocent man, but Ramsey County District Court Judge Joanne Smith swiftly rebuked Butler and handed him a 16-year prison term, an upward departure. ‘What you’re telling me is for your own benefit,’ Smith said. ‘Frankly, what I think you’re sorry for is that you were caught’ … Butler is the first adult sentenced in the attack. One teen was acquitted at trial, one juvenile pleaded guilty and the case against another juvenile certified as an adult is ongoing.”
Help for the walleye … . Elizabeth Dunbar of MPR reports: “State officials are extending the night fishing ban on Lake Mille Lacs to help the lake’s walleye population recover. Daily limits for walleye on Mille Lacs will remain the same this year, the Department of Natural Resources said Tuesday. Anglers can take up to two walleye — one of them can be longer than 28 inches; otherwise they have to be 18 to 20 inches long. The real change will be the night fishing ban. Any boat with fishing gear will be prohibited on the lake from 10 p.m. to 6 a.m. from May 12 through Dec. 1 instead of mid-June.”
There may be a precedent in here somewhere. Curt Brown of the Strib says, “When Riley Stratton was a sixth-grader, she posted some Facebook comments about a Minnewaska school staff member from her home computer. She was disciplined and forced to turn over computer passwords in front of school and police officials so they could search her online accounts. Her mother was not present during the questioning. Two years later, the American Civil Liberties Union of Minnesota has won a $70,000 settlement from the Minnewaska School District … .” Apparently even sixth-graders have First Amendment rights.
I walked through one at a Suns game in Phoenix in January and thought, “Only in Arizona … .” Paul Walsh of the Strib says, “Walk-through metal detectors are coming to Target Field in time for the Home Opener, making the Minnesota Twins the first among the Twin Cities’ major sports franchises to take such a heightened security precaution. The additional security measure is being mandated of all teams by Major League Baseball, with the 30 stadiums required to be in compliance by 2015 … .” But I have Second Amendment rights!
Speaking of gun grabbin’ … . The AP says: “A Minnesota House panel has approved a measure that would ban people convicted of domestic abuse from having guns. The Public Safety committee approved the measure Tuesday on a voice vote. It’s sponsored by Cottage Grove Democrat Dan Schoen. The bill would also apply to people subject to restraining orders.”
Speaking of danger … . Eric Roper of the Strib puts up an interactive map of the most dangerous car v. people intersections in Minneapolis … . “A Star Tribune analysis of city pedestrian crash data sheds some new light on the most dangerous intersections for pedestrians in Minneapolis. … The most problematic intersection was Nicollet and Franklin Avenues (pictured below), where 11 pedestrians have been injured in three years. Many of these were caused by pedestrians crossing into traffic.”
There’s truth here … . The City Pages staff puts up a collection of “best ridiculous” Minnesota memes that will both make you laugh and cry … . “Memes serve as shorthand on the Internet. They can be used to convey frustration, joy, sarcasm, and even inside jokes. Some poke fun at hipsters or nerds, while others get political. There are even some that speak to the Minnesota experience, inciting camaraderie over the weather, riffing on the stadium, and taking jabs at our place in pop-culture.”
