It seems like winter is keeping us on our toes this year. After an unusually warm and wet January, those of us in the central and southern part of the state woke up to as much as seven inches of fresh snow this morning. It's the biggest accumulation of the winter so far. And for many of us, the snow is a welcome sight, especially for organizers of the Cross Country World Cup, happening this weekend at Theodore Wirth Park. The course had been filled with artificial snow, but now it will have the real stuff.

MPR Meteorologist Sven Sundgaard joined MPR News Host Cathy Wurzer to talk about snow total and how long the snow will stick around, along with Claire Wilson, the executive director of the Loppet Foundation.

If you’ve ever been with a person living with dementia, especially in the later stages of the disease, one of the most amazing things to note is that one of the thing the disease doesn’t take away is the enjoyment of music.

There are choral groups specifically designed for folks with living with Alzheimer’s and other dementias and their caregivers. There are several in Minnesota, including what may be the newest one, The Hmong Folk Choir. It’s organized by the non-profit CAPI USA in Brooklyn Center. Hmong Cultural Specialist Nancy Lor launched the choir back in December and their first concert is Friday. She joined MPR News Host Cathy Wurzer.

If Lily Gladstone wins an Oscar for her portrayal of Mollie Burkhart in the film Killers of the Flower Moon, which depicts the systematic murder of Osage people for their oil wealth in the 1920's in Oklahoma, she’ll be the first Native American actor to take home the statue.

It's a Valentine's miracle! Many Minnesotans woke up to almost seven inches of fresh snow this morning. We'll get statewide reactions. Plus, we'll hear how plans for the Cross Country Ski World Cup are shaping up for this weekend - they are pretty happy about that snow.

Teachers across the state are deep in contract negotiations. We'll hear from the other side of the negotiating table.

Plus we'll listen to music from the Hmong Folk Choir. They are focusing better health outcomes for singers with dementia.

February is American Heart Month. For the past 10 years, heart disease in women has increased. More women than men die of heart disease every year and some doctors think that could be because treatment for women is regularly delayed and their conditions are often misdiagnosed. Heart health is just one aspect of women's health that is often overlooked or misunderstood. Kristen Helton was thinking of that issue when she launched Herself Health in 2022. It's a clinic in Minnesota that offers healthcare focused mainly on the specific issues women over 65 face. Kristen joined MPR News Host Cathy Wurzer to talk about why we need to focus specifically on the health of older women.

Moose Lake is the latest Minnesota city to find itself on the brink of losing its police department. Two officers resigned last summer, with two more following this month, leaving one officer standing. The city is covering shifts with a roster of part-time officers from neighboring cities, but it's a temporary measure. Wednesday at 4 p.m., Moose Lake’s city council will consider whether or not to dissolve its local police department entirely.

Jim Mortenson, executive director of Minnesota Law Enforcement Labor Services, he joined MPR News Host Cathy Wurzer to discuss the policing problem facing small towns like Moose Lake.

The police department in Moose Lake, Minnesota has just one officer working right now. Everyone else has quit. Tonight the city council could decide whether to try to build back its force in town or disband it and rely on the county. It's just the latest small town in this position. We'll learn more.

The symptoms of heart disease and other health problems are often misdiagnosed or ignored in women. We'll meet the founder of three Minnesota clinics focused on women over the age of 65.

And we'll hear a conversation with “Killers of the Flower Moon” star Lily Gladstone.

A new bill that focuses on the use of the prone restraint for school resource officers is quickly making its way through the capitol. We heard from opponents of the bill that are hoping to stop it before it gets to a floor vote.

The water supply in Grand Rapids is getting people sick with a deadly disease, Legionnaires. MPR News host Cathy Wurzer talked to the person in charge of the water about what they're doing to stop the outbreak.

Roses are red, violets are blue…two local florists are making bouquets that are getting millions of views. MPR News producer Cathy Wurzer talked to the small businesswomen selling "ramos buchones" for Valentines day.

An outbreak of Legionnaires' disease has sickened 14 people in Grand Rapids and 11 have required hospitalization. The source is the city's water supply. Legionnaires’ disease is a serious type of pneumonia caused by inhaling Legionella bacteria found in water. It is deadly, but so far no one in Grand Rapids has died.

The Minnesota Department of Health confirmed the first case in April 2023, and since then has been investigating the source. MDH found the only common exposure was the municipal water supply. The city of Grand Rapids is now working the MDH to flush out the bacteria. Julie Kennedy is the Grand Rapids public utilities general manager. She joined Minnesota Now to talk about how the city is working to disinfect its water supply and how to avoid getting sick.

The Minnesota Department of Health suggests that to avoid getting sick, people in Grand Rapids to regularly clean devices that use water like sinks, showers, humidifiers, CPAP and BiPAP machines and Netipots.

Minnesota lawmakers are moving forward on a bill that walks back a 2023 ban on school resource officers using prone restraints on students. The bill passed the Education Policy Committee on Monday night and was re-referred to the Public Safety Finance and Policy Committee, which meets Tuesday evening.

The new bill is in response to several police departments that pulled their SROs out from schools amid concerns they could be held liable for subduing students using a prone restraint. The bill requires the development of a model policy on school resource officer responsibilities, and obligates officers to take training before starting work in a school.

The new bill is facing opposition from Solutions Not Suspensions, a coalition of students, community members, and organizations committed to ending racial disparities in discipline. Erin Sandsmark, Coalition Programs Manager of Solutions Not Suspensions, joined Minnesota Now to share why the coalition is opposing the new SRO bill.