Right after building that big expansion, too. The Star Tribune’s Pat Pheifer reports: “Hennepin County Medical Center, responding to reports of potential layoffs at the metro area’s only public hospital, issued a statement late Wednesday saying employees were told there will be ‘workforce reductions’ in 2017. … ‘While we have continued to see an increase in patient volume this year, as we finalize the 2017 financial plan it is clear that the increasing cost of salaries, wages, and benefits and the rising cost of supplies, equipment, and pharmaceuticals, together with public program reimbursements that are less than the cost of providing care, are contributing to the financial challenge,’ the statement said.”
Time for Minnesota’s restrictive medical marijuana program to mellow out? MPR’s Tim Nelson reports: “More changes may be coming to Minnesota’s medical marijuana program. The Minnesota’s Department of Health was expected to announce Thursday whether it would expand the program to people suffering post-traumatic stress disorder, autism, arthritis and others. … The health commissioner is reviewing public petitions for nine potential new conditions total.”
Pipeline protest hits home. KSTP reports: “Demonstrators opposed to the construction of the Dakota Access oil pipeline near the Standing Rock Reservation in North Dakota took over the lobby of a Wells Fargo office building in downtown Minneapolis on Thursday. … Six of the protesters formed two groups of three to lock their arms together to block access to the building’s elevators.”
Taking the whole inbox 0 thing a little too far. MPR’s Tim Nelson reports: “The Hennepin County Sheriff’s office has started deleting some emails after just 30 days in a move that has some government watchdogs concerned. … A new policy of deleting emails that are more than 180 days old will take effect countywide next year, but the sheriff’s office policy already is moving more quickly than that. … The policy will initially have employees move important email records into a system that retains them on a long-term basis, according to Judy Regensheid, the county’s chief of operations, who insists important data contained in emails will be preserved.”
In other news…
Seems easily provable but OK: “Minnesota Senate will debate, again, whether its members can drink water” [Star Tribune]
Probably a smart move: “Mexican Consulate in St. Paul Expands Services, Adds Hotline in Wake of Election” [KSTP]
Not complaining mind you: “Second warmest November on record in Minnesota” [KMSP]
The plyscraper is open for business: “A walk in the woods of T3 timber building” [Finance & Commerce]
Exhibit A, Minnesota’s Sen. Amy Koch: “Cheating Men Get a Second Life in Politics, Cheating Women Get a Scarlet Letter” [The Daily Beast]
Well done: “St. Paul poet Carol Connolly honored with endowment, birthday party” [Pioneer Press]
Nice Q&A with Minnesotan Dan Wilson, of Trip Shakespeare and Semisonic and author of a whole bunch of pop songs you probably weren’t aware he wrote: “Longform candid interviews with music producers and audio engineers covering mixing, mastering, recording and music production.” [Tape Op]
