Now rename Dight Avenue. The Star Tribune’s Miguel Otarola reports: “The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources has the authority to rename Lake Calhoun as Bde Maka Ska, its Dakota name, the state Supreme Court ruled Wednesday morning. … The ruling caps a yearslong dispute over the name of the popular Minneapolis lake. It reverses a decision from the Court of Appeals last spring, which stated former DNR Commissioner Tom Landwehr lacked the authority to rename the lake.”
Some nonessential businesses still open. Bring Me the News reports: “The Anoka-Hennepin Narcotics and Violent Crimes Task Force executed a search warrant on Friday, May 8 and discovered nearly 115 pounds of illegal narcotics inside a Shoreview apartment. The task force seized 111 pounds of methamphetamine and 3.5 pounds of cocaine. The drugs had a street value in excess of $615,000.”
What “prevailing” looks like. The Star Tribune’s Maya Rao reports: “The couple’s health and the state-mandated shutdown wiped out their ability to make a living. But as immigrants who came to the U.S. illegally from Mexico, Clementina and her husband did not qualify for federal stimulus funds, unemployment benefits or other relief, though the Trump administration has agreed to cover COVID-19 testing and treatment costs for those without legal status.”
Close calls. The Rochester Post Bulletin’s Matthew Stolle reports: “For a community as health-conscious and high-achieving as Olmsted County, it is a galling grade. … A company that measures a community’s adherence to social distancing rules based on anonymous cell phone data gives Olmsted County an ‘F.’ … But does Olmsted deserve the grade? The answer is more complicated than a letter grade, area political and public health leaders say.”
In other news…
Kudos: “WTIP Boundary Waters Podcast wins prestigious Edward R. Murrow Award” [WTIP]
Sports news: “Pro Women’s Hockey Association Unveils 5-City Regional Plan” [WCCO]
Helpful: “Coronavirus: Where To Get Tested In Minneapolis” [Patch]
Half rest: “SPCO cuts concerts and guest soloists, furloughs artistic partners for next season” [Star Tribune]
Senseless: “Charges filed after deadly altercation in Menards parking lot in La Crosse” [Pioneer Press]
Paws in traffic: “Bear caught jaywalking on freeway in Coon Rapids” [KSTP]
Warning — “covid toes” picture: “Swollen toes lead to Rochester boy’s COVID-19 diagnosis” [KARE]
Sure, why not: “Loose lizard: Champlin police seek Asian water monitor lizard that crawled away from home” [KSTP]
Good to see Bde Maka Ska restored to its original name. The dissent by Gildea was one of the whiniest court opinions I have ever read.
“As a result of today’s decision, the DNR has unbounded power to change the name of every lake in Minnesota, at any time and for any (or no) reason. Under today’s decision, if the DNR desires to change the names of Lake Vermilion, Lake Minnetonka, Lake of the Woods, Gull Lake, etc., it can do so without any input from the communities where these lakes are located….”
“This decision should upset and unsettle every Minnesotan and most especially those who live in a community with a lake. Hopefully, the Legislature will correct the majority’s error. In the meantime and because the majority’s decision is inconsistent with legislative intent and settled precedent, I dissent.”
– Gildea, Justice, Dissenting. Save Lake Calhoun v. Sarah Strommen, et al.
Please justify your assertion that Justice Gildea’s dissent is “whining”.
Since when did we ever have input from local communities on naming lakes, rivers? Besides some argue that is exactly how Bde Maka Ska was able to change; some people contacted the DNR and had input. It seems it falls within the rights of the DNR and state historically. And besides who then would define the community–land owners, renters, business owners, people visiting? The DNR is a branch of the state and if people don’t like it take it up with elected officials. Besides why not changed up some of the names say every 25 to 40 years anyway to honor various people/places? So if the legislature takes it up, it would need to be a very clear process and it seems that would be burdensome and costly and thus better to leave it to the DNR with people being able to have indirect input.
It’s a lake. Not a single person, town, county, state, or entity of any kind is harmed by changing the name of a lake. Its utterly ridiculous.
That passage is a good example of the absurd logic Gildea used. She is usually a good judge, but she embarrassed herself here. Her dissent is a long, whiny rant masquerading as a legal argument. Really pathetic.
The lake had a name for a long time. They changed the name to that of a racist loser who had nothing to do with Minnesota in the first place. Then they changed it back to the proper name.
It read like she was just trying to wear the other members of the court down.