KTOE Noon News 5-1-25

Top Stories for Noon 5-1-25:

• Adopt a Highway volunteers remove nearly 29,000 bags of trash in 2024 from Minnesota highways
• The debate continues over classroom size in the Rochester Public Schools. A referendum passed in November that sets aside more than 19 million dollars to keep class sizes from increasing. Now, some parents in the school district are upset that several class sizes will double next year. The issue centers around the Spanish Immersion 3rd-grade class at Riverside Elementary. Currently, the class has 17 students, but next year the number will nearly double to 33. RPS officials say the target class size for third grade in the district is 30. They added that the 17 students in the classroom last year were significantly lower than the target class size.
• There will be additional law enforcement officers on Minnesota roads starting today. The Department of Public Safety announced yesterday that the goal is to reduce speeding and reckless driving. Officials say so far this year, there have been at least 15 speeding-related deaths. The patrols will take place during what is considered the 100 deadliest days on Minnesota roads, which covers Memorial Day through Labor Day. Last year, there were 151 deadly crashes.
• Since the start of the session, both Democrats and Republicans have agreed on one thing: Minnesota has a serious issue with fraud and government waste, and it needs to stop. House Fraud Prevention Committee Chair Kristin Robbins says that once the new website went up, more cases of fraud were reported. In the first week, there were 530 submissions. The committee meets weekly at the Capitol, and those hearings are open to the public.
• The latest U-S Drought Monitor map shows there is no longer severe drought anywhere in Minnesota. Just over five percent had severe drought conditions last week. Most of the state has been receiving rainfall. Minnesota’s moderate drought areas declined significantly from 46 to 22 percent. Around 74 percent of the state is still abnormally dry.
• Birke week 2026 registration opens today. Birkie week will begin February 18th, 2026, and goes until February 22nd. This is a very well-known race as people from around the world register for a week a skiing. Registration fills up quickly, with many signing up the first two to three weeks. To learn more, go to birkie.com.