Sorry, I can't hear you. The jet noise is too loud
Today on the MPR News Update, neighbors say new flight paths to and from the Twin Cities airport could bring more noise. Opponents of a proposed light rail line in the southwest metro fear it could mean the re-routing of freight trains. State lawmakers say seat licenses have always been a part of new stadium talks. Thirsty farmland still yields an impressive harvest. And, Minnesota's juvenile justice system has some serious racial disparity issues.
LOW FLYING AIRCRAFT: A Federal Aviation Administration plan to alter takeoff and landing patterns at Minneapolis St. Paul International Airport was OK'd by a Metropolitan Airports Commission committee Wednesday, despite objections from worried homeowners who say they had no time to comment on the proposal - as required by law.
THE MIDDLE RAIL: As plans for a third light rail line move forward in the Twin Cities, some people who live along the proposed route between Minneapolis and Eden Prairie are concerned about their quality of life. But it isn't light rail that worries them, it's heavy freight trains that would be rerouted there.
THE FINE PRINT: You might call it builder's remorse. Six months after he led the state to a stadium deal with the Minnesota Vikings, Gov. Mark Dayton is thinking about changing the terms and potentially rebooting the process of replacing the Vikings' home.
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BUMPER CROP: We heard a lot this year about floods and droughts, but the seeds Minnesota corn and soybean farmers planted last spring paid off with good yields and great profits, as the state's two largest cash crops should generate about $13 billion in revenue.
ABOVE AVERAGE: A new report from the Minnesota Department of Public Safety, the state's juvenile justice system is plagued by racial inequalities worse than other Midwestern states or other states of Minnesota's size.
Also on the site today:
CONGRATS, AUTHORS: Despite suffering severe damage to their offices from Hurricane Sandy, the National Book Awards went ahead in New York City, and it turned out to be a great night for two Minnesota authors: Louise Erdrich and William Alexander.
TARGET PROFITS: Target's third-quarter net income climbed 15 percent, helped by a gain related to the pending sale of its credit-card business. Heading into the critical holiday shopping season, the Minneapolis company's outlook is well above analyst expectations.
MIND THE WEEDS: Wisconsin's gun deer hunting season starts on Saturday and hunters will spot a special request on the last page of their regulations pamphlet. The Department of Natural Resources is asking hunters to keep an eye out for illegal drug operations.
MAKE THAT A QUADRUPLE: The National Weather Service now says there were four rare November tornadoes that swept across the Twin Cities last weekend, rather than the two weak tornadoes that touched down on Saturday night.
POOR (ER) AMERICANS: The ranks of America's poor edged up last year to a high of 49.7 million, based on a new census measure that takes into account medical costs and work-related expenses, but Minnesota's rate was not statistically different.
BETWEEN THE NOTES: Both sides in the Minnesota Orchestra lockout are welcoming a letter from music director Osmo Vanska calling for a return to the negotiating table. He fears "we may be on a path to diminishing greatly, if not destroying, the Minnesota Orchestra as an artistic and cultural leader."
CHARTERING GROWTH: A new report shows significant growth in charter school enrollment across the country and here in Minnesota. More than two million U.S. students now attend the publicly funded but independently run schools, including nearly 40,000 students in Minnesota.
THE PRICE OF FOOD SAFETY: State agriculture officials are phasing out a federally funded program that allows them to test produce for things like E.coli and salmonella. The USDA Microbiological Data Program had worked in 11 states, including Minnesota, with an annual budget of about $4.5 million. Congress decided not to fund it in 2013.
