The great chicken debate continues in the Minneapolis City Council. MinnPost reports that the council refused to allow students to raise chickens in schools, with various council members claiming expertise (Tuthill says chickens are smelly, Johnson and Goodman worry about the welfare of the birds), but Samuels had the most to say:
“What’s wrong with you people?” said Council Member Samuels. “I’m probably the chicken expert on this board. I took care of the family chickens, so I have a lot of comfort with chickens.”
Samuels, for the record, favors sending chickens into the schools. He said doesn’t see three chickens in a school as a major problem that requires city staff research and hours of council discussion on the merits of the idea. …
“Chickens are not terribly smart. “It’s not like they’re going to make decisions to break and run or intimidate staff. Staff is going to be able to handle this. it’s not rocket science.”
In the end, the council disagreed, sending the students’ three-chicken proposal to committee for further study.
Meanwhile, on Monday Mayor Rybak signed the new Minneapolis urban ag ordinance, with its provisions for expanded urban gardening including hoop houses, 15 days yearly of farmstand sales, and more.
In better news, green bikes return to Minneapolis and St. Paul streets Tuesday! A Nice Ride spokesperson said the green rental bikes are in place at the stations throughout the Twin Cities that were set up last year. She said that new stations will roll out in St. Paul during the summer.
Bob Collins has a good post on the absolutely crazy Supreme Court strip search decision. It’s now legal to strip search anyone who is put in jail for any reason, including parking tickets. Collins notes that, “Justice Stephen Breyer wrote the dissent, which — once you get past the legal niceties — amounts to ‘are you kidding me?'” Breyer’s dissent lists some of the people strip searched:
They include a nun, a Sister of Divine Providence for 50 years, who was arrested for trespassing during an antiwar demonstration. … They include women who were strip-searched during periods of lactation or menstruation. … They include victims of sexual violence. … They include individuals detained for such infractions as driving with a noisy muffler, driving with an inoperable headlight, failing to use a turn signal, or riding a bicycle without an audible bell.
The March 19 windstorm — an “Act of God” — toppled one of the domes at Prospect Park’s Russian Orthodox church. Cristina Boarini has the story and photos for the Daily Planet. St. Panteleimon’s church is located on the corner of Franklin and Emerald in Minneapolis.
MPR reports that the legislative auditor is going to review hiring practices at the Minnesota Department of Human Services. The move comes after last week’s resignation — under pressure — by David Proffitt, the head of the Minnesota Security Hospital in St. Peter. MPR’s Madeleine Baran reported last week on the sketchy nature of his academic credentials and turned up multiple other problems that DHS failed to uncover in its hiring process last year.
[Photo by petercooperuk, licensed by Creative Commons]
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