MinnCentral Currents

Fishing has long been a favorite pastime for folks in the land of 10,000 lakes. And fishing remains a hobby - and a skill - we pass down to our children and grandchildren. My kids love spending time at grandma and grandpa’s place on the lake, throwing a line off the dock to see what they can catch.But, over time, what we can catch, and where we can catch fish that can be safely consumed, has changed. Things like pollution, warming waters, and changing shorelines can greatly affect the health and habitats of the fish below the surface. Guests: 

Dr. Gretchen Hansen, Assistant Professor of Fisheries Ecology at the University of MinnesotaGary Markfort, Angler

Show Notes:

Episode 3: Out For Adventure

Episode 4: Our Changing Waters

Episode 14: Migrating Forests

Gary Markfort’s Fish Story PhotoAir Quality / Forest Fire MonitorDrought Monitor

(Scholarly article) Widespread deoxygenation of temperate lakes(Report on the scholarly article) World’s Lakes Losing Oxygen Rapidly As Planet Warms – Biodiversity and Drinking Water Quality Threatened

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Featured Songs:Fish on Land (Instrumental Version) - Blood Red Sun

Another Sundown - Water Mirrors

Crystal Clear Water - Sight of Wonders

Green Living - Gold In June

Compliments to the Chef - Water Mirrors

These Fish Don't Bite - River Run Dry

Green Mountains - Martin Klem

Law enforcement entities and the municipalities they are licensed to serve within the state of Minnesota are at an inflection point. At this time there are conversations taking place in city halls and in the chambers of our legislature weighing how to move forward from what is at once both another pivotal moment as well as a river of moments that spans deep into our collective past. I don’t often open with bold opinions, but this time, I will: Every member of our community deserves to feel safe. How do the entities of law enforcement and governing bodies create systems that ensure the individuals operating in these spaces are able to best honor the social contract we each hold with one another?Guest: David Bentrud, Chief of Police, Waite ParkShow Notes:

State police licensing board to adopt policy on protest response, ban white supremacist affiliation 

 

New model for policing at St. Cloud, Minnesota, ‘Cop House’

 

Personal care business for survivors of trafficking thriving after April launch

 

Minnesota lawmakers pass modest police accountability bill 

Episode Manager: Theresa MeisBecome a Patron of our show! This episode’s patron sponsor: Sarah StarlingProduced by Riverside Productions LLC

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Every election cycle I’ll run into a few people who will at some point during the conversation lean in, tilt their head to indicate how serious they are, and declare with absolutely certainty: “Civics is no longer taught in schools!” I know from a small sampling of folks I’ve spoken to, we each can recall learning Civics in our youth, and my children who are currently attending Minnesota public schools are learning civics. So what’s this all about? Why is there a perception that Civics isn’t being taught in school?  And what is the Minnesota school curriculum for education around social studies, government, and civics?Guests:  

Ron Hustvedt,  Middle School Social Studies Teacher & Board Member of the Minnesota Council for the Social StudiesSteve Cwodzinski, State Senator, District 48Show Notes:

Citizenship Practice Test

State of MN Social Studies Standards

State Capitol Guided Tours 

 

Episode Manager: Bruce AndersonBecome a Patron of our show! This episode’s patron sponsor: Zan PerryProduced by Riverside Productions LLC

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In this episode we address the topics of sexual assault and interpersonal violence. While it may not be appropriate for the youngest ears, it might be something you choose to listen to as a conversation starter with teens and other family members.For so long the stigma and shame attached to sexual and interpersonal violence kept victims and survivors from speaking out. But as we’ve seen in the cases of institutional sexual abuse within religions and business organizations, once a few brave individuals speak out, the dam breaks and a flood typically follows. There is, after all, safety in numbers.And the numbers aren’t good. Before age 18, 1 in 4 girls and 1 in 6 boys will be victims of sexual abuse, and in adulthood 1 in 3 women experience sexual violence. The recent cultural conversation around sexual violence may have been sparked by abuses at an institutional level, but it has encouraged victims and survivors to speak up, seek healing, and pursue justice for violence experienced at the the hands of community members, friends, and family. How do we support the cultural shift of speaking up about sexual violence within our own homes, schools, and communities, and what resources are available in our area to support victim survivors?Guest: Rebecca Kotz, Gender Violence Prevention Coordinator & Assistant Director of the Women’s Center at St. Cloud State University and former Trafficking Program Coordinator with  the Central MN Sexual Assault Center*CORRECTION  NOTE* An earlier version incorrectly listed Rebecca Kotz as Executive Director of the Central MN Sexual Assault Center. Her role was Trafficking Program Coordinator.Show Notes:RAINN, Rape and Incest National Network - call for help: 800.656.HOPE (4673)

 

Central Minnesota Sexual Assault Center - call for help: (320)251-4357  

St. Cloud State Women’s Center

 

Deep dive on Sexual Violence statistics

Lawmakers close gaps in Minnesota's sex assault laws with public safety bill Delayed Disclosure

 

Episode Manager: Maureen McCarterBecome a Patron of our show! This episode’s patron sponsor: Zan PerryProduced by Riverside Productions LLC

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On hot days, it’s not unusual to find folks in the Eastern half of Central Minnesota taking refuge beneath the cooling canopy of our largely maple and oak deciduous forests. We hike the winding trails, enjoy the shaded swimming holes, and camp within the shelter of these forests. The state parks and trails have been crowded this summer, in spite of the unusually hot June, because the people of Minnesota love the outdoors.  And while the state Legislature finally agreed on a deal that will not force the closure of State Parks this July, as we step into the middle of our Minnesota summer, we find ourselves along with roughly half the nation in a worsening state of drought. Prairie grasses and lawns have been bleached pale. Fallen forest debris stands dry like a bed of kindling among struggling trees. The State has already lost 35,000 acres to a higher than average number of fires this year, and is bracing for more.  What do these prolonged periods of severe drought mean for the future of our forests, and what can we do to take an active part in their preservation?Guest: Dr. Lee Frelich, Director of The University of Minnesota Center for Forest EcologyShow Notes:US Drought Monitor 

In fast-warming Minnesota, scientists are trying to plant the forests of the future

Carbon cycle of forests

Nature Conservancy in Minnesota 

Using plants to control buckthorn

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Featured Songs:Fever Trees - Martin Clem

Oak Trees - Likeminds

The history of St. Cloud, like so many towns across the Midwest, is tied to the river and the railroad. It’s a living history, with the later of these two features at the heart of current conversations around what the future holds for St. Cloud’s East Side.St. Cloud is the 10th largest city in the state of Minnesota. It sits at the intersection of two rivers, four major roadways, and a rail line that’s part of the Amtrak Empire Builder route. The bulk of St. Cloud sits on the sunset side of the Mississippi, though the rail depot is on the East Side, and was responsible for much of the early prosperity on that side of the river.The East Side is home to many places that once were. This is not unique to St. Cloud, either. Having lived in several small towns myself, I know that many places that once were are no more, and for-sale signs in commercial buildings are a familiar part of the “old downtown” landscape. I also know that many towns, large and small, have decided to dedicate the time and effort into reimagining what once was into what will be. Today’s episode is going to touch on two inextricably linked topics: Revitalization and public transportation. Guests: Steve Laraway, St. Cloud City Council Member, Ward 2Anne Buckvold, Social Worker, Mental Health Provider, Artist, St. Cloud Times Columnist, Transportation AdvocateShow Notes:Benton Co. History: The Story of The Once Thriving Benton City 

 

East St. Cloud: From boom town to 'ghost town'

 

East End Redevelopment Opportunities  

St. Cloud East End Small Area Plan (PDF)

What Greater Minnesota Got Out Of 2015 Legislative Session

BNSF Rail ImprovementsDepartment of Transportation Greater Minnesota Transit Plan

 

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Featured Songs:Building Blocks - Josef FalkenskoldNorthbound Train - Marc TorchTime Will Fix You - Alex OraWinter Solstice - Gavin Luke

So True - HysicsVagabond Train - Dez Moran

In January of 2020, for only the second time in the history of American labor statistics, women outnumbered men in the American workforce - a headline-making milestone. At the same time, however, another rare but significant story was developing - one that would ultimately lead to the worst job-losses among women in the history of our country. 

The pandemic hit female-dominated industries the hardest: Hospitality, education, health care, and retail. By April of 2020, the pandemic had caused 4.2 million women to exit the labor force.And even as there was a slight rebound in early summer of 2020, losses continued to chip away at any gains made as more women excited the labor force to be caregivers of young children. By early spring of 2021, there was still a 2 million job deficit among women in the labor force. In a speech in April of 2021, Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen said, "Our policymaking has not accounted for the fact that people’s work lives and their personal lives are inextricably linked, and if one suffers so does the other."What can we learn about the real cost of personal and family labor by reflecting on how this pandemic-fueled recession disproportionately affected women? 

Guests: Dr. Sucharita Sinha Mukherjee, Professor of Economics, CSB/SJUChef Madelyn Adamski, Community Member and Small Business Start-Up

Show Notes:

Report: Great Recession, great recovery? Trends from the Current Population Survey 

Article: As the overall job market stumbles back, women still struggle to recover lost employment

Article: Why Some Women Call This Recession a ‘Shecession’

Article: A year from the start of the women’s recession, 2 million women are still out of the workforce

Article: Women outnumber men in the American workforce for only the second time

Report: When Women Lose All the Jobs: Essential Actions for a Gender-Equitable Recovery

Article: St. Cloud business survey: Unemployment benefits hurting hiringArticle: Central Minnesota firms struggle with worker shortages, supply chain issues  

Survey Report: RESULTS OF MAY 2021 SURVEY OF GREATER ST. CLOUD/CENTRAL MINNESOTA ORGANIZATIONS 

Data: Minnesota Unemployment 

Data: Labor Force Participation Rates 

Report: Wage Inequality and the Stagnation of Earnings of Low-Wage Workers: ContributingFactors and Policy Options 

Report: A SLOW CLIMB BACK FROM THE “SHE-CESSION”: HIGH JOBS DEFICIT IN CHILD CARE AND SCHOOL SECTORS CONTINUES 

Report: YOUNG WOMEN WORKERS STILL STRUGGLING A DECADE AFTERTHE GREAT RECESSION: LESSONS FOR THE PANDEMIC RECOVERY 

Article: Women Left Their Jobs To Be Caregivers. A Business Coalition Wants Companies To Help 

Article: After mass closures and too little support, post-pandemic child care options will be scarce

Data: American Time Use Survey 

Press release: Warren, Jones and Colleagues Reintroduce Universal Child Care and Early Learning Act and Call for President Biden to Invest $700 Billion in Child CarePress release: Clark Introduces the Child Care is Infrastructure Act 

Report: Child care in rural Minnesota after 2020 

Data: Minimum-wage rates in Minnesota 

Data: Cost of Child Care in Minnesota 

 

Episode Manager: Malik Stewart

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Featured Songs:Mannerisms - Charles HolmeClockings - Marten MosesEveryday Hustle - Matt LargeI’m Free - DJ DENZ The RoosterJust In Time For Dessert - Trabant 33Labor Life - Giants’ Nest

Central Minnesota is alive with the arts! When researching this episode, there were honestly so many events and venues to choose from that it was difficult to decide where to focus our conversations today! From farmers markets to local art fairs to established galleries, weekly outdoor concerts to staged productions, we have so many incredible opportunities to engage with the arts in our region!This week, we’re not answering a question - we’re proclaiming: The arts are a fundamental part of our Central Minnesota culture!Guests: 

Lemonade Concert and Art Fair Organizers -Beth Knutson-Kolodzne, Associate Director, Department of Campus Involvement at SCSU

Tommy Balicky, Associate Director, Department of Campus Involvement at SCSUThe Silent kah, artist and founder of Drive By Art Show

 

Show Notes:

Lemonade Art Fair

Drive By Art Show

National Eczema Association article on Topical Steroid Withdrawal

The Healing Power of Art

Explore Minnesota

City of St. Cloud Arts Commission 

Central Minnesota Arts Board

Around the Cloud - everything arts in Central Minnesota  

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We’ve all heard the news that pollinators are in trouble - hive collapse, monarch and bird population decline - these are global sized problems that can feel too big to change.But, the thing about change is, when we all do a little bit together, as a whole we can make that big change. Today we talked about pollinators. We cover what the State of Minnesota is doing through inter-agency efforts to promote pollinator education and habitat development, then hear from a local Master Gardener about what we, as individuals, can do to help make habitat for pollinators in our own yards!Guests:Dr. Rebeca Gutierrez-Moreno, State Pollinator CoordinatorLeah Beack, Benton County Master Gardener

Show Notes:Bumblebee WatchMonarch WatchBee LabMaster GardenersIntegrated Pest ManagementLawns to Legumes Program>>

Today, we’re talking about our relationships to our vehicles, and what the incredible breakthroughs in automotive innovation mean for us as consumers.Guest: Jukka Kukkonen, EV Educator and owner of Shift 2 ElectricShow Notes:

MNEVBuyer.com Ford LightningArticle: Where the Energy Goes: Gasoline EngineArticle: Where the Energy Goes: All Electric EngineRegistered EVs in Minnesota as of February 2020

Registered EVs in Minnesota as of February 2021

Article: Senate Republicans threaten to cut funding for Minnesota state parks, environmental programs over 'clean cars' rule

Representatives to contact:State Senate Republicans

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