MPR News AM Update: St. Paul’s overflowing council races
Good morning, it’s Tuesday. Here’s what you need to know to start your day.
Cloudy, wet and cold. In the Twin Cities, chances of showers in the morning and afternoon with temps in the mid 40s and northwest winds 10 to 20 mph. Statewide highs in the upper 30s to mid 40s. Rain in most places; snow in the north. More on Updraft. | Forecast
Twenty-eight people want to run St. Paul, and there are only seven seats. That’s 10 more than the number of candidates for City Council in the 2015 election. The increase in candidates could boost voter turnout in next month’s election, with more candidates out door-knocking and otherwise marketing their campaigns. This year, every race is competitive.
Minnesota’s educational achievement gap is among the nation’s worst. A new report finds educational disparities across the board, no matter the students’ race or whether they live in an urban or rural area. “It's a socioeconomic problem as well as a problem across different schools,” a researcher tells our reporter Elizabeth Shockman.
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“I feel stronger every day.” Jayme Closs issued a statement on the one-year anniversary of her kidnapping and the killings of her parents. Brady Carlson of Wisconsin Public Radio reports that the Closs family attorney that Jayme, 14 years old now, is working hard on her emotional well-being following the horrific crimes of a year ago.
Amy Klobuchar needs a big performance in tonight’s presidential debate. Both CNN reporting and conventional wisdom say that this Democratic faceoff is critical for the Minnesota senator. She’s at risk of missing the November debate, having one of at least two qualifying polls she’d need to make the cut, per CNN.
Split Rock Lighthouse has a new keeper. Longtime keeper Lee Radzak’s retirement left the house empty. But next month, Hayes Scriven, now the executive director of the Richard I. Bong Veterans Historical Center in Superior, Wis., will become Split Rock’s manager. The National Historic Landmark gets more than 150,000 visitors annually.
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