From now on, if it’s too icy for trains we should all get the day off. The Star Tribune’s Tim Harlow reports: “The crashes and spin outs started early and they have kept coming and coming. … And Blue Line riders have been waiting and waiting. … Freezing rain and drizzle that fell overnight and lingered into the early portions of the Monday morning commute made mainline roads slick and secondary and city streets treacherous. Ice coated light-rail lines in south Minneapolis, where Blue Line trains were unable to make it up the tracks, bringing travel to a halt.”
Speaking of the Blue Line… KSTP’s Jay Kolls reports: “The leader of the union representing Metro Transit light rail operators told 5 EYEWITNESS NEWS the ‘entire LRT system is a safety crisis and its design was flawed.’ … Ryan Timlin, President of Amalgamated Transit Union Local 1005, told KSTP the union fought for safety features on the metro’s LRT system that were never put in place. … ‘The fact it wasn’t elevated, the fact it wasn’t built underground is where it starts,’ said Timlin. “The fact that cross arms were never put out there, or more warning systems, tells you bad accidents were bound to happen.”
To Kill a Mockingbird hard to kill from curriculum. MPR’s Dan Kraker reports: “A year ago, Duluth Public Schools removed two classic books from its list of required reading for high school students: ‘To Kill a Mockingbird’ and ‘The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn.’ … Administrators said they pulled the books because they’d gotten complaints about racist language, and questions about the books’ cultural appropriateness. … But since then, the debate over selecting an alternative to “To Kill a Mockingbird” has highlighted just how difficult it can be to teach the iconic book — and how hard it can be to replace it.”
State of the Union speech tomorrow. The Hill’s Avery Anapol reports: “Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.) announced Monday that her State of the Union guest will be a Liberian immigrant who is facing possible deportation due to a Trump administration policy change. … Omar said in a statement that her guest will be Linda Clark, a Minnesota resident who has lived in the U.S. since 2000, after fleeing Liberia due to an ongoing civil war.”
In other news …
From the Department of Defense: “Over $1 million awarded to U for ovarian cancer research” [Minnesota Daily]
Sounds very enforceable: “Punishments scrapped from pronoun policy” [Minnesota Daily]
No thanks: “Gannett turns down buyout offer from Pioneer Press owner Digital First Media” [Pioneer Press]
Interesting: “‘I was the token female’: Retiring St. Paul officer felt as if she always had to prove her worth to peers” [Star Tribune]
Pretty impressive: “Video: A look at backyard rinks in northern Minnesota” [Duluth News Tribune]
Everyone looks like they’re having so much fun: “See pups and their humans fly across the snow at the Loppet’s skijoring races” [City Pages]
“Administrators said they pulled the books because they’d gotten complaints about racist language, and questions about the books’ cultural appropriateness.”
How can one not be reminded of Winston Smith, toiling away in the Ministry of Truth.
The Duluth school administrators in addition to sensitivity training should also take a course in showing courage and managing teachable moments.