Wednesday, May 22, 2013
This year’s tax bill brings local government aid (LGA) back to the community after more than a decade.
Changes to the formula that the state uses for local government aid money and increased funding for the program mean Golden Valley will go from zero local government aid in 2013 to $219,070 in 2014, according to the Minnesota Department of Revenue. The omnibus tax bill—which passed the Minnesota Senate 36-30 just a few minutes before midnight Monday, the legislative session's legal deadline—pumps $80 million more into the local government aid (LGA) program. The aim is to help cities lower property taxes. Click on the PDF to the right of this article to see a full breakdown of how cities across the state will fare. The bill also bars most cities from increasing their levies by more than 3 percent this fall. The extra LGA money is just a …
Thursday, May 16, 2013
Gov. Mark Dayton’s signature Tuesday didn’t end the heated debate around same-sex marriage.
Whatever side of the debate you fall on, there’s no denying that this week’s passage of a bill legalizing same-sex marriage was a historical moment. Minnesota became just the 12th state to sanction gay marriage when Gov. Mark Dayton signed the bill Tuesday. Patch readers quickly wrote in to share their thoughts on the moment. Eagan Patch reader Kathi Malone echoed the view of legislators who voted yes in seeing same-sex marriage as a civil right: I am so happy that finally gay people will be able to have the civil right to marry. This is truly an American vote for freedom. I applaud Sen Clausen and all other legislators who voted for this historical bill. James N added: Thank you Senator Carlson and the entire MN legislature for extending …
Tuesday, May 14, 2013
‘Today, I’m prouder than ever to call Minnesota home,’ the 5th District congressman said.
Fifth district Rep. Keith Ellison applauded Minnesota for becoming the 12th state in the country to legalize same-sex marriage. The Democratic congressman released the following statement Tuesday shortly after Gov. Mark Dayton signed the bill into law: Today, I’m prouder than ever to call Minnesota home. Last fall, the people of Minnesota stood against discrimination for loving, same-sex couples. Our representatives in the state responded. Today is a great day for those who know love makes a marriage. Once again, equality has found a home in Minnesota. The law will take affect Aug. 1.
Saturday, May 11, 2013
The 2013 fishing season in Minnesota includes a several fishing events in the Three Rivers Park District.
Information provided by the Three Rivers Park District. Fly Fishing Basics for Women Get the tools to master fishing techniques from instructors. Learn beginning casting techniques and how to choose proper flies. 6-8 p.m. Thursday, May 16 at Silverwood Park in St. Anthony and Bryant Lake Regional Park in Eden Prairie. Free. Restricted to participants age 10 and older. Sponsored by Take Me Fishing. Reservations required. Fly Fishing Basics Get the tools to master fishing techniques from our instructors and be sure your time on the water is well spent. Learn beginning casting techniques and how to choose proper flies. 6-8 p.m. Monday, May 20 at Lake Minnetonka Regional Park in Minnetrista and Coon Rapids Regional Dam in Brooklyn Park. Free…
Thursday, May 9, 2013
The community had 88.3 percent of registered voters cast a ballot in the 2012 election.
Golden Valley had a high voter turnout in the 2012 election for a state that is itself already well above the national average. Minnesota fell to third in the country—behind only Mississippi and Wisconsin, according to data the U.S. Census Bureau made public Wednesday evening. Although it had the highest levels in the country of voter turnout in the 2008 election, the 73.2 percent of citizens who voted here in 2012 is still comfortably above the national average of 61.8. (The Census Bureau’s rates are different from those from the Minnesota Secretary of State’s Office, which lists a 76.11 percent voter turnout rate. The Census Bureau’s rate for Minnesota is listed as having a margin of error of ± 2.1 percent.) The Census Bureau didn’t …
Wednesday, May 8, 2013
Nicholas J. Thyr was selected from a pool of 15,000 finalists.
A Golden Valley student is among the winners of $2,500 National Merit Scholarships released Wednesday, the organization announced. Nicholas J. Thyr, a Minneapolis resident at the Breck School, was chosen from among 15,000 finalists in the 2013 National Merit Program. The winners are judged to have the best combinations of “accomplishments, skills, and potential for success in rigorous college studies.” The number of winners in each state is proportional to the number of graduating seniors in the state. A committee of college admissions officers and high school counselors selected the winners using: This year’s competition began when 1.5 million juniors across 22,000 high schools took the Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship …
Sunday, May 5, 2013
The state dropped two spots in the League of American Bicyclists’ annual rankings.
(Editor's Note: The map above was created by the League of American Bicyclists.) Minnesota is still among the top states in “bike friendliness,” but its ranking fell a couple notches in 2013, according to the League of American Bicyclists. The state was ranked fourth this year, down from second in 2012. It ranked high in legislation and enforcement, policies and programs and education and encouragement. But it was middle of the pack in infrastructure and funding and lower tier in evaluation and planning. Minnesota was also missing three of the league’s “Top 10 Signs of Success: Use the map above to see how Minnesota compares to other states in the various categories. Do you think Minnesota needs to do more to support cycling? Share your …
Friday, May 3, 2013
The bill passed on a 68-62 vote.
The state House on Friday passed a bill authored by Golden Valley and St. Louis Park Rep. Ryan Winkler (DFL-District 46A) that would increase the minimum wage to $9.50 an hour by August 2015 and provide for automatic inflationary increases in the future. “It’s important that Minnesota finally take a step forward on the minimum wage,” Winkler said Friday morning before the vote. “We are one of six states that have a minimum wage less than the federal minimum wage. It’s not been raised since 2005. And more and more, today’s economy is producing worse jobs for low-wage workers.” Business groups counter that a higher minimum wage would hurt employers. The state’s current minimum wage is $6.25. The federal minimum wage, which applies to most …
Wednesday, May 1, 2013
National Weather Service forecasters issued a winter storm warning early on Wednesday, May 1.
Minnesota weather, famous for its vagaries, may have yet another surprise in store for Twin Cities residents. National Weather Service forecasters have issued a winter storm warning calling for as many as 9 inches of snow on Wednesday night in a band stretching from Rice Lake, Wis. to Mankato. The targeted area includes the Twin Cities metro area. The forecasted weather has already forced the cancelation of the Golden Valley Bicycle Rodeo. The new warning, issued early Wednesday morning, is a significant change from previous forecasts, which predicted only 2-4 inches of snowfall on Wednesday. The winter storm warning takes effect at 3 p.m. on Wednesday and runs through 7 p.m. on Thursday. Forecasters believe rain on Wednesday afternoon …
Friday, April 19, 2013
The suspect had approximately 8,000 images on computers seized by federal officials, a report from the U.S. Attorney's Office states.
A 59-year-old Crystal man was charged Thursday with possessing approximately 8,000 images of child pornography. On April 17, 2013, James Richard Darling was charged via an Information with one count of possession of child pornography. On September 22, 2009, Darling allegedly possessed numerous visual depictions of minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct on his computer. If convicted, Darling faces a potential maximum penalty of 20 years in federal prison, with a mandatory minimum penalty of 10 years. Any sentence would be determined by a federal district court judge. This case is the result of an investigation by the Minnesota Child Exploitation Task Force, sponsored by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. It is being prosecuted by …
Mike Hindin
8:01 pm on Wednesday, May 22, 2013
Orono posted: 2:23 pm on Wednesday, May 22, 2013 "Mike H... Why does someone need to stand WITH you." If you don't get that concept, I feel badly for anyone who considers you a friend. more ›