News

Journeys: Open Door students tell stories of perseverance

By Rebekah Peterson, My Broadsheet

Gina Cuesta, front, is currently a student in Open Door’s Advanced ESL course. She moved to Minnesota a little over a year ago from Columbia and has been in the program for ten months. She hopes her improved English language skills will help her find a job in an office setting or at a school. She said, “My English is very well since I’ve been here. The teachers are nice and very helpful.”

Wednesday night, several students from Open Door Learning Center will share their stories of overcoming barriers of language and culture at a reading at the Loft Literary Center.

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Lawmakers approve $33 million for housing and homelessness-prevention programs

By Cynthia Boyd, MinnPost

The Legislature just approved $33 million in funding for housing and homelessness-prevention programs and the state has a new director to prevent and end homelessness.

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Solutions Not Suspensions: Student summit organizes for school discipline changes

By Christina Cerruti, TC Daily Planet

Jeron Mariani of the Youthrive organization (speaking) and Malika Musa, a student from Hopkins High School. (Photo by Christina Cerruti)

About a hundred middle and high school students from the Twin Cities metro area gathered at the Solutions Not Suspensions summit at the Humphrey School of Public Affairs of the University of Minnesota on May 11. They came to share their experiences with discipline procedures in their classrooms and to discuss how they think disciplinary action should be in their schools.

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Juventino Meza wins double honors for community work

By Erin Collins, TC Daily Planet

Ohtli award ceremony. Photo courtesy of Isabel Duran, ©Isabel Duran

At 25, Juventino Meza is much younger than the typical recipients of the Ohtli Award and the Immigrant of Distinction Award. Meza was honored in a ceremony at the Mexican Consulate in St.

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Royal Bangkok: Twin Cities' best Thai? Maybe. Best deal? Definitely.

By Jeremy Iggers, Iggers Digest

Arguing about which is the best Thai restaurant in the Twin Cities is a favorite foodie pastime.

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REPORTER'S NOTEBOOK | Forced to move

By Sheila Regan, TC Daily Planet

Carlos Rivera and Yosenia Rosales with one of three kids. Carlos works seasonally, and Yosenia works regularly. They have friends in the area and don't want to leave. Besides, "For our son with autisim, he knows this area. Everyone watches out for him. If we have to move now, he has to get used to a whole new place."

"We think this is how they do it," said Carlos. "We don't know the laws here."

The email to the editor started with a tale of woe: "A woman came to my front door this morning and asked me if I could rent her the second story of my duplex.  I recognized her as a friend from an apartment on Pillsbury Avenue, just across the alley from my backyard.   I asked her why she is moving.   She answered, 'We are all being kicked out by Mint Properties.'  She was the fifth person to tell me this story."

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North Minneapolis debates location of Hennepin County social services hub

By Ibrahim Hirsi, TC Daily Planet

Possible location of North Minneapolis human services hub at 1001 Plymouth. (Photo by Ibrahim Hirsi)

For years, Hennepin County residents traveled to Century Plaza in downtown Minneapolis to see their social workers and case managers for access to government assistance programs.

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Transportation policy bill pedals toward governor's OK

By Jonathan Avise, Session Daily

New protective measures for bicyclers, the establishment of a position to aid Department of Transportation dispute resolution and a required periodic review of MnDOT-owned property for possible sale are part of an omnibus transportation policy bill that is headed for the governor’s desk.

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Costly campaign messaging could get influx of cash

By Liz Stoever, Session Daily

Candidates for state office may be allowed to use more funds to get their campaign messages across to the public.

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House gives Legacy bill final stamp of approval

By Jonathan Mohr, Session Daily

First scheduled for floor debate four weeks ago, the House gave the omnibus legacy bill its final stamp of approval Monday afternoon, voting 77-57 to re-pass HF1183*/ SF1051 that would appropriate $496.1 million to fund dozens of arts, parks, trails and natural resources projects during the upcoming biennium.

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