Many news stories go untold every day, judging by the overload of news releases and notices that arrive in my inbox every day. I get at least a hundred real messages daily (in addition to almost as many spam messages that slide right on through the filters). As I scan these, I look for stories that we can assign to freelance writers, and wish for more community reporters to write about what is happening in their communities. Here’s what 24 hours looks like:
Best of the day: Don Fraser weighs in with some interesting reading on five keys to urban school success, as well as a notice of an upcoming science-and-math-education event.
The election season has started, so there’s lots of political mail: Sen. Tom Bakk announces a new endorsement in his gubernatorial bid. Gubernatorial candidate Matt Entenza sends a campaign finance statement. Eight candidates, organizations and politically-minded friends remind me to go to the precinct caucus Tuesday night, or to vote for X in the straw poll, or to present a resolution on the topic closest to their hearts.
I can count on press releases (plural) from our two U.S. senators every day, and today is no exception: green jobs (for them), mental health (like it), an award (good job), and child predators (against them). Three state senators send a press release urging action on the federal clean energy jobs bill (for it).
Then there are the official and quasi-official notices – Ramsey County sends a news release about the Battle Creek Restoration project. The Central Corridor newsletter arrives. Midtown Greenway Coalition announces a land use and transportation committee meeting. Two official City of Minneapolis press releases advise me about how to drive carefully in the snow.
The City of Minneapolis sent a link to the city council executive committee’s February 3 agenda – department head performance reviews and department head appointments. Nothing very interesting there, though I see a request from the mayor to act on Police Chief Tim Dolan’s reappointment – “File with the City Clerk’s Office for the required 10 days.” Does that mean the reappointment will be automatic in 10 days from filing, or that there will be a hearing in the city council after 10 days? There’s a link that might have an answer, but it doesn’t load.
Jewish Community Action sends a press release about a rally to save GAMC – at the Capitol, February 4 at 11:30 a.m.
The Alliance for Metropolitan Stability sends a notice about a Stops for Us victory celebration on Friday.
Al Justiniano sends a notice about the upcoming Political Theatre Festival. (Right across the freeway from me, at Gremlin Theatre this year!) Walker Art Center, Old Gem Theater, the Soap Factory, and Off Leash Area also send press releases, like all the arts news, these go to Jay Gabler’s mailbox.
The National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) of Minnesota is offering free classes and a support group. Public Art St. Paul announces a February 16 poetry reading at the Commodore Hotel. (Hope they put it in our community calendar.) The Minnesota Humanities Commission announces a teacher workshop on geography. SPPS announces a celebration of national African American Parent Involvement Day on February 8.
Northside Arts News has its February newsletter ready to read.
Greater Frogtown Community Development Corporation is looking for board members.
Union Park District Council sends their newsletter – we’ve covered the home energy audit story, probably won’t cover the League of Women Voters meet-up (focused on the census), and wish we could find someone to write about alley snow plowing issues.
Katherine Novotny invites the world to the grand opening of the St. Paul Classic Cookie Company on Saturday. (We already have a story on the opening.)
The Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux Community press release tells about their new website and newsroom.
The emails keep coming, every day, with a lot ore events and issues than we can report on. That’s where you come in – we want to publish more articles from community members (citizen journalists, community journalists, “regular people”) in the Free Speech Zone.
Think about it – and send us a story from your precinct caucus, your school, your neighborhood, your alley snow plowing meeting. Write an article, post an event on the community calendar, share your news with the TC Daily Planet community.
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