Minnesota Now

Emergency medical services might get their own state agency. The DFL proposal passed the House, and supporters say it will address problems with rural EMS response. However, fifty representatives voted no, including a volunteer EMT.

We’ll get the Mother’s Day forecast from our chief meteorologist and an update on tornado season.

After being abused in Catholic school, she became a nun. 70 years later, she shared her wisdom with senior contributor Chris Farrell.

And you might have heard about the young Twins fan whose signed ball was stolen from him at a game. We’ll hear the happy ending in this week’s Thank You, Stranger.

Sam Cleveland and his son Camden are big Twins fans. They moved to Maryland awhile ago, but they still catch Twins games as often as they can.

The pair were at a game a couple of weeks ago when Byron Buxton signed a ball for Camden. But before he could even have it, someone grabbed it from the usher and ran away. His story went viral, and the Twins came back and gave Camden much more than a signed baseball.

Thank You, Stranger is our series about unexpected kindness in our lives.

We've had some back-and-forth between rain and shine these past few days, but at least the flowers are blooming. Lots of Minnesotans will be hoping the weekend will stay dry for the fishing opener and for Mother’s Day.

MPR Chief Meteorologist Paul Huttner joined MPR News host Cathy Wurzer to tell us what we can expect for the rest of the week.

Sister Mary Bernadette Newton joined the Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet in 1953. The order, founded in France around 1650, came to the U.S. in 1836.

The order spread to several communities in the U.S., and four sisters arrived in St. Paul in 1851. The nuns are called to social justice and, according to the Orders website, they serve as educators, nurses, administrators, artists, musicians and poets, cooks and gardeners, spiritual directors and social activists.

In our series Connect the Dots, we’re asking community elders to share their wisdom and lessons learned about what really matters in life. MPR’s senior economics contributor Chris Farrell recently met with Sister Bernadette.

The state of Minnesota could get a new office to regulate ambulance and other emergency medical services. That’s if the state Senate and Governor agree on a DFL proposal that passed the state House on Tuesday.

Supporters of the bill say it will help address a range of problems that are plaguing EMS, especially in rural areas of the state. An audit of the existing board that regulates these services found the state needs to plug holes in staffing, funding and oversight to make sure Minnesotans can count on getting emergency help when they call for it.

Republican Representative Jeff Backer is a volunteer EMT and a member of a task force dedicated to resolving these issues. He voted against the bill, saying it ties up too much money in government bureaucracy instead of funding services.

“We heard on the house floor today, we need an agency because we can trust them. We could probably spend four, five hours on listing all the agencies that have not been good stewards of taxpayers’ money,” said Rep. Backer.

A separate bipartisan proposal would help fund rural EMS services. Joining MPR News host Cathy Wurzer to talk about the bill that passed the House Monday was its lead author, DFL Representative John Huot of Rosemount, who also is a former EMT.

A DFL plan designed to boost pay for rideshare drivers in Minnesota without driving away Uber and Lyft got its first public airing Tuesday at the Capitol. While drivers applauded the bill, Uber and Lyft said it still won’t work for them.

The plan would set both Minneapolis and statewide wages for drivers at $1.27 per mile and $0.49 per minute. Those rates are lower than those approved as part of a new Minneapolis city ordinance. City officials, though, backed the proposed compromise, and a Minnesota House committee advanced the proposal with members voting along party lines.

Even as the plan moved forward, officials with Uber and Lyft said the companies still expect to leave the Twin Cities region on July 1. The disagreement leaves about two weeks before the Legislature’s adjournment to refine the proposal or see if Uber and Lyft follow through with threats to leave the Twin Cities.

In the basements of homes around the country are old pinball machines, relics of a pastime that is seeing a resurgence.

Winona Area Learning Center teacher Matthew Wagner was thinking about all of those old, maybe broken down, pinball machines when he started a new club for his students.

It’s called the Pinhawk Club and its members restore broken pinball machines to working order.

They plan to auction off their first fully-restored machine Saturday for funds to keep the club going. MPR News host Cathy Wurzer talked with Wagner along with a student member of the Pinhawks club, high school junior Corey Duncan.

A bill that aims to better compensate Uber and Lyft drivers is moving through the state legislature, although the companies say the plan doesn’t work for them.

A state senate ethics committee will hear ethics complaints against two sitting senators.

A new high school club in Winona is fixing old pinball machines. Get ready for some fun!

Plus, we heard from a group that is pushing to convert a stretch of I-94 into a thoroughfare street. They say it will be better for the Twin Cities’ health, economy and environment.

In a public hearing Tuesday afternoon, a Minnesota Senate ethics committee planned to weigh complaints against two sitting senators, including one who was arrested for felony burglary last month, State Senator Nicole Mitchell.

MPR politics reporter Dana Ferguson joined MPR News host Cathy Wurzer before the hearing to explain.

Representatives from the state and Minneapolis and St. Paul city councils sent a letter to the Minnesota Department of Transportation (MnDOT) Tuesday morning asking it to incorporate recommendations to deconstruct a part of I-94.

The request was led by OurStreets, an alternative transportation advocacy group. They put out a report last month detailing a proposal to make a seven-and-a-half mile portion of I-94 between Minneapolis and St. Paul a thoroughfare boulevard with more room for parks, houses and businesses.

Alex Burns is leading the charge with OurStreets. He joined MPR News host Cathy Wurzer to explain the proposal.