KTOE Noon News 1-23-25
Top Stories for Noon 1-23-25
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Governor Walz to Unveil Infrastructure Proposal in Mankato Today
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North Mankato to receive Active Transportation Planning Assistance
- A farm business management instructor says some farmers are considering cuts to crop insurance. Kristina McVicker with South Central College in Mankato says it’s partly a reflection of very tight margins “They’re really giving it a lot of consideration, and the crop insurance payments varied so drastically”. In 2024, she says losses in her region ranged from five to 30 percent compared to average production history “If you were at an 80 percent coverage, and you only had a 5 or 10 percent loss, you really didn’t come out ahead so to speak. So it really kind of put a bad taste in some of those guys’ mouths”. But McVicker cautions any grower looking to scale back on crop insurance because she says it’s one of the best risk management tools available.
- A record is set after more than 167 thousand Minnesotans signed up for health insurance. MNsure officials made the announcement after the open enrollment period ended. The federal government also reported record sign-ups at HealthCare-dot-gov. MNsure is part of Minnesota’s individual market, where about three percent of state residents obtain coverage, including those who don’t get insurance from their employer or qualify for a government program. The insurance agency saw 14 percent more signups during open enrollment compared to last year. It’s the highest growth rate in eight years.
- A docuseries titled “My Town” was launched last year. Season 1 featured seven rural communities across four states, including Perham, Willmar, Chisholm, and Farmington. Director and Host Cory Hepola says the series aims to dispel common myths about rural living “We want to show the opportunity, beauty, and innovation in our small towns. And because of a need, there’s all this good stuff in our rural towns, and it never gets talked about and never gets shown”. The “My Town” producers announced that they’ll feature in Season 2 in the eight communities across five states. They include St. Joseph and Fairmont in Minnesota, as well as two towns in North and South and one in Nebraska and Iowa. Production for the St. Joseph episode will be over three days this summer, with an anticipated release date early next winter. If you want to watch the seven episodes in Season 1, you can stream them for free on YouTube, Facebook, and Instagram.
- Top educations from across Minnesota had the ears of state senators during an education policy hearing Wednesday at the capitol. The purpose of the hearing was for superintendents and principals to express what they need to offer even better educational opportunities in the state. Farmington School Board member Kyle Christensen said the mandates are great but they’re costing his district too much money. “The READ Act which is a vital investment in literacy. We estimate that will cost at least $335,000 in ongoing cost annually for professional development and curriculum subscriptions. Paid Family Leave will be very helpful to many people but it will cost ISD192 about $432,000 in annual payroll taxes plus an untold amount to hire substitute teachers.” Because of these state required mandates, several educators said these costs will cause a shortfall with their own district budgets.