Kathlyn Stone

Two recent developments have women wondering about mammograms. Almost half of U.S. states have begun turning away some low-income women seeking free cancer screenings. Are free screenings still available in Minnesota after state budget cuts and mid-year unallotments to some Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) programs?  Should women under 50 postpone their annual mammograms as recommended by the U.S. Preventatives Services Task Force? 

The Minnesota PCA has made valiant efforts at testing the state's lakes and rivers for contaminants, and what they've found isn't pretty. 

Twenty-three schools in Najaf, Iraq's 10th largest city, now have clean drinking water, something they lacked a year or two ago.

That leaves 850 schools to go, said Samera Al-Halawi, a member of the Najaf Chamber of Commerce. Al-Halawai and 13 other Iraqi civic and educational leaders have been in Minnesota since Sept. 18 as part of a delegation to advance a "Water for Peace" project and celebrate a new Najaf-Minneapolis Sister City agreement.

Disabled veterans are now eligible for free public transportation throughout the state thanks to a new law passed by the Minnesota Legislature. Veterans must show their Veterans ID bearing the words “Service Connected” or the initials “SC” below their photo. The cards are given at the time of enrollment at any Veterans Affairs facility; locally at the VA medical centers in Minneapolis and St. Cloud. Free transportation is also extended to personal care attendants who are assisting a disabled veteran as they travel. FFI: 612-467-1991 or visit the Department of Veteran's Affairs web site.