Minnesota Now

A bill to fund Emergency Medical Services in rural Minnesota will become law today. But it may just be a short term solution to a long term problem. We’ll talk to an EMS leader in Perham about the impacts this new funding will have.

Policing reform changes are still unfolding four years since the murder of George Floyd. We’ll break down where reform stands and what still is in the works.

Many are struggling to build community and something called a “third place” may help solve that problem.

A lost sled dog in the Boundary Waters finds its way home thanks to dozens of strangers.

Even with a Game 1 loss, it’s not nearly over for the Timberwolves. Our sports contributors will lay out a road to the finals.

Many popular sitcoms center around what’s known as a “third place.” For example, Central Perk in Friends, or The Bull and Finch Pub from Cheers.

Like the theme song for “Cheers” goes, it’s somewhere where everybody knows your name. Where you can socialize in a place other than your home or work and build community.

But with the whole world accessible on your smartphone, it’s hard to resist the call of the couch. It’s hurting us more than we think.

Richard Kyte is a professor of ethics at Viterbo University in La Crosse, Wis., and researched third places extensively for his upcoming book, “Finding Your Third Place.” He joined Minnesota Now to talk about it.

In the week leading up the the anniversary of George Floyd’s murder on May 25, Minnesota Now examined DEI efforts, activism and the state of Lake Street, which saw a number of buildings burn during riots.

This segment covers the state of policing four years after a Minneapolis police officer, Derek Chauvin, kneeled on Floyd’s neck on a city street captured on video.

His murder set off peaceful demonstrations and violent confrontations locally and across the country. Protestors called for changes to policing. That change has been slow, as expected.

We are still seeing reform efforts develop and play out today. MPR News senior reporter Jon Collins joined Minnesota Now to talk about what has changed in policing since Floyd’s killing shook the world.

On Thursday afternoon, Gov. Tim Walz will be in Hoyt Lakes to sign into law one of the bills that passed in the final days of the legislative session.

It sends $30 million to Emergency Medical Services in the state. Twenty-four million dollars will go to short-term aid for rural EMS providers, who say they are struggling to meet the needs of large geographical areas with thin staffing levels and budgets.

The other $6 million sets up pilot programs meant to cut down wait times in three counties: Grant, St. Louis and Otter Tail.

The money is about a quarter of what EMS advocates and some greater Minnesota lawmakers asked for. Becca Huebsch is director of EMS and Emergency Preparedness at Perham Health in Otter Tail County. She joined Minnesota Now with perspective on the issue.

It is always stressful when a pet goes missing. That is especially so when they get lost in an unfamiliar area, hundreds of miles from home. That’s what happened when Linda Newman took some of her dogs from her home near Hovland to the veterinarian in Ely. She relied on social media and the kindness of hundreds of strangers to find her prized Hedlund Husky named Zhing after nearly a week of searching.

A new boutique skating rink is set to open next week in the empty space where CB2 used to be in the Uptown neighborhood of Minneapolis. James Adams is the founder of Twin Cities Skaters and the owner of the rink.

The search for two canoeists who went over a waterfall in the Boundary Waters is still ongoing. We'll talk to a BWCA outfitter about staying safe in one of Minnesota's most beautiful - and perilous - destinations.

After last night's heavy rain, we'll hear from MPR's chief meteorologist about what to expect for Memorial Day weekend.

We're continuing our series on the different impacts of George Floyd's murder on Minnesotans. Today, we're zooming in on Lake Street's recovery efforts.

Is roller skating officially back? We'll talk to the owner of the new rink set to open in Uptown.

Plus, we'll hear some words of wisdom from a 99-year-old woman from Minnesota in our Connect the Dot Series.

The St. Louis County Rescue Squad is continuing to search for two missing canoeists who went over Curtain Falls in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness Saturday. Crews evacuated two other people who were in the canoes and another member of their party who was on shore. Search teams are working non-stop, though they had to take cover from heavy rain and winds last night, according to the rescue squad’s Facebook page. And they expect the water volume in the falls to double due to the rain.

Jason Zabokrtsky is familiar with this area and its risks as a wilderness guide and founder of Ely Outfitting Company. He joined MPR News guest host Nina Moini to describe the area of Curtain Falls and what you can do to stay safe.

If there’s anyone that fits the bill for our Connect the Dots series it’s Kathleen Tousignant, 99. As part of our series we continue to talk to older Minnesotans as they look back on their long lives and share wisdom and lessons.

Let’s go back to the year 1925. Calvin Coolidge was President. Teaching evolution in schools was outlawed in Tennessee, leading to the legendary Scopes trial that same year. The famed Serum Run by dogsled relay crossed Alaska to bring the diphtheria antitoxin to the town of Nome and surrounding communities. And, on March 12, 1925, Tousignant was born. She now resides in Lakeville. MPR’s senior economics contributor Chris Farrell recently visited with her at her continuing care community complex.

We are drying off Wednesday after a lot of rain across Minnesota. Severe weather hit southern portions of the state and National Weather Service teams will be surveying damage from a possible tornado in Winona County.

MPR News chief meteorologist Paul Huttner joined MPR News guest Host Nina Moini after a busy night to recap the severe weather and look at the forecast ahead.