Gov. Tim Walz announced Thursday that the state’s mask mandate will end today. The Centers for Disease Control updated guidelines on mask-wearing for fully vaccinated Americans prior to the announcement. Bemidji City Manager Nate Mathews said that masks, for those who are fully vaccinated, will also be phased out in Bemidji today. More information on…
For the first time in Minnesota’s history, the state House of Representatives will vote on a bill legalizing recreational marijuana. The vote is scheduled for 4:30 p.m. tomorrow, and the debates can be viewed on the House’s streaming website. House Majority Leader Ryan Winkler said today that while opposition to the bill remains in the…
Cass Lake-Bena Schools will hold a special election today to fill a vacancy on the school board. Polls are open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. Voters in the Bena or Winnie Portage precinct may cast ballots at the Bena Community Center, with all other district voters polling at Pike Bay Town Hall in Cass…
Bemidji Superintendent Tim Lutz was one of several northern and central Minnesota school superintendents that participated in a listening session with U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar. Lutz says despite the one-time stimulus dollars that have come in and the partnerships to help students access broadband internet, challenges remain ahead for school districts like Bemidji. Klobuchar made…
Superintendent Tim Lutz said Tuesday that a bomb threat called to an East Metro dispatch center, directed at Bemidji Area Schools, is not believed to be credible. Lutz said that he got word from Bemidji Police Chief Mike Mastin this morning with the details, and out of an abundance of caution, law enforcement and custodial…
A Central Elementary second grader was recognized for his quick thinking when he saw a fire across the street from the school. Bemidji Fire Chief Justin Sherwood and Deputy Chief Mike Yavarow presented Community Hero Awards to Calder Murray and his mother Erin. On April 3, Calder pointed out the fire on the roof of…
Minnesota’s virtual FFA convention included the chartering of nine new FFA chapters, including one in Park Rapids. Future Farmers of America is a national organization developing students’ potential for premier leadership, personal growth and career success through agricultural education with more than 700,000 members in all 50 states, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands….
The Minnesota House advanced the E-12 education budget on a vote of 73-60. According to a release, the House DFL’s E-12 education budget stabilizes school investments with a 2 percent per pupil increase each of the next two years, with additional increases the following two years. Under the proposal, voluntary Pre-Kindergarten programming that would otherwise…
The Bemidji Area School Board unanimously passed a measure that would reduce the budget for licensed staff by about $1.6 million. Human Resources director Jordan Hickman said these reductions were due to budgetary shortfalls, licensure issues, shifting enrollments and the COVID-19 pandemic. A number of the reductions are related to the closure of Central Elementary,…
The Bemidji Area School Board will meet this evening and make more decisions on how to avoid a statutory operating debt. The district is looking to cut around $5.6 million from their budget to restore a positive fund and avoid having the state make the decisions in budget cuts. The board will hold a second…
