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Travis County's mental health authority could get money from Central Health to offset staff cuts

Published Fri, 07 Feb 2025 12:18:37 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) -- At a Central Health Board of Managers meeting Wednesday, members could vote to shuffle roughly $7 million in funding from its reserve fund to Integral Care -- Travis County's largest mental health provider -- in an attempt to offset recently announced staff cuts. The amendment to Central Health's budget, which is expected to be voted on Wednesday, comes from former Austin City Council Member Ann Kitchen who now sits on both the Integral Care and Central Health boards. "I anticipate that Central Health will give appropriate consideration to this immediate issue. I encourage the Board of Managers to support this need now," Mayor Kirk Watson posted in his latest newsletter. To remedy a roughly $22 million shortfall in federal and state funding next fiscal year, Integral Care is slashing nearly 10% of its staff positions, some of which are vacant, a board meeting Thursday revealed.The Integral Care board signed off on a budget Aug. 31, which includes eliminating 115 pos...

St. Paul City Council debates limits, penalties on public marijuana use

Published Fri, 07 Feb 2025 12:18:37 GMT

For decades, progressives have fought Big Tobacco at every turn, successfully curbing smoking in bars, restaurants and office buildings in Minnesota while citing the negative health impacts of secondhand smoke.And for almost as long, many progressives have fought to decriminalize the use of recreational marijuana, noting the disproportionate impact on renters, low-income residents and people of color incarcerated or denied jobs and housing because of minor drug offenses.The two seemingly contradictory campaigns — restricting smoking and allowing more of it — are squaring off in St. Paul, where city council members have been debating when and where to allow marijuana consumption and what penalties should follow rule-breakers.St. Paul and Ramsey County already prohibit tobacco use in parks, outside of public buildings and in other city- and county-run spaces.A proposal before the city council Wednesday would also ban the smoking of marijuana, cannabis and hemp in the city&...

Meta, Facebook’s parent company, looks to set up $700M data center in Rosemount

Published Fri, 07 Feb 2025 12:18:37 GMT

Meta Platforms Inc., was revealed last week to be the potential new operator of a data center in Rosemount.Approval for the $700 million data center to be built on a 280-acre parcel of UMore Park near County Road 42 and Dakota County Technical College rests in the hands of the University’s Board of Regents, which is expected to vote Thursday afternoon.Meta, the parent company of Facebook, is trying to buy a 280-acre parcel of UMore Park in Rosemount to build a data center. Approval for the sale will be decided Sept. 7, 2023 by the Board of Regents. (Courtesy of the University of Minnesota Board of Regents)Xcel Energy filed a petition last year to supply electricity to a data center for Amber Kestral LLC, a Roseville-based company with its principal place of business in Delaware. As of last week, the company “believes it is an appropriate time to reveal that it is a wholly owned subsidiary of Meta Platforms,” per a filing submitted to the Minnesota Public Utilities Commission.The dat...

Letters: Call a special session to fix the school resource officer issues

Published Fri, 07 Feb 2025 12:18:37 GMT

Call a special sessionOur state of Minnesota as well as the rest of the world is spinning out of control and those that are responsible (our elected officials) continue put their heads in the sand. Rules and laws are not enforced, judges use plea bargains when criminals come before them in the courts, and they are granted a stayed or reduced sentence or are released due to not enough evidence to prosecute. Yet, in many cases, innocent lives have been lost and sacrificed as a result of the actions of these offenders causing much pain and anguish to their loved ones left behind. Meanwhile, the perpetrators are once again free to go on another spree. Who do the laws actually protect? The offenders or the innocent?During the Minnesota State Legislature session in 2023, mega bills were passed at an excessive rate of speed by the majority Democratic party but lacking details and interpretation for all to understand. They were so proud of what they accomplished, but what was lacking during...

“Most coveted real estate in North America”: MLA Hunter touts irrigation development

Published Fri, 07 Feb 2025 12:18:37 GMT

By Trevor BuschSunny South NewsMunicipal Affairs Minister Ric McIver toured St. Mary River water diversion infrastructure in Montana in August that is key to annual flow rates in the Milk River watershed.Representatives from several southern Alberta communities also attended the tour on Aug. 10, which included a visit to the St. Mary Canal and the repaired Drop 5 infrastructure, which diverts water from the St. Mary River to the Milk River. During the tour, attendees had the opportunity to discuss water security in the region and new areas for collaboration.Taber-Warner MLA Grant Hunter was unable to attend the tour, but he was able to provide a few more details about the purpose of the trip.“We share a watershed, the St. Mary watershed – they call it the St. Mary watershed down there, we up here call it the St. Mary – Milk River watershed, but they’re pretty much the same,” said Hunter. “So he (McIver) wanted to be able to understand a bit more about water, and we’re do...

Effluent spreader puts the kibosh on outdoor BBQ

Published Fri, 07 Feb 2025 12:18:37 GMT

Dear Editor,On our lovely cooling Saturday evening we were planning for a steak drizzled with butter hot off the BBQ. But alas, the cooling air also brought an eye-watering stench of an agricultural neighbour spreading intensive animal effluent. Cripes, even a cat has the decency to dig a hole, poop into it, and cover it up. Nope, the unholy stink drove us inside, the steak goes in the freezer to await better air in November after freeze-up.So, instead of enjoying “Better Buy Alberta”, we put salmon in the oven. Ka-ching, Ka-ching says the salmon harvester.If effluent spreaders do not use the common sense of a cat, then expensive legislated, draconian rules will dictate where, when, and how you utilize a valuable soil nutrient when it is properly buried in the soil, NOT sprayed in the air.Wayne Hawthorne, recovered pig farmer

Meta news meltdown leaves readers holding the bag

Published Fri, 07 Feb 2025 12:18:37 GMT

The dreaded “People in Canada can’t see this content In response to Canadian government legislation, news content can’t be viewed in Canada. Learn more” notice whenever a reader of our publications tries to access Southern Alberta Newspapers’ Facebook pages.No more direct links to stories on media sources all from Southern Alberta Newspapers to CBC, CTV and the Globe and Mail.If you hadn’t heard about the controversy, the Canadian government passed Bill C-18 or the Online News Act which requires social media mega groups like Meta (Facebook or Instagram) pay news agencies like News Media Canada if news stories appeared on those sites. When the law comes into effect in December, Google says it will eliminate all news links for Canadians including the “news” and discover” options. Bill C-18 was created because a lot of the absolutely free content which is on Facebook, other than a FB friend’s dog’s latest trick is from an outside source which they tap into. As media outlets, we use the...

Team Canada walking football team sees great result at World Nations Cup

Published Fri, 07 Feb 2025 12:18:37 GMT

By Justin SewardSouthern Alberta NewspapersTeam Canada had a Federation of International Walking Footbal Associations’ Walking Football World Nations Cup to remember in England from Aug. 23-26.The red and white roster included Will Tietz, George Lubberts and Bill Chapman of  Lethbridge at the inaugural event and finished with a world ranking of fourth.Team Canada had a record of 3-2 in round robin play, finished third in their pool and earned a berth into the quarterfinals.Canada had a 6-0 win over South Korea, a 3-0 loss to France, a 3-1 win over Japan, blanked Spain 3-0 and lost to England 10-0 in round robin.The red and white beat Northern Ireland 1-0 in the quarterfinals and earned themselves a semi-final date with England, who beat them 10-0 and went on to win the tournament.Chapman scored the lone goal to get Canada to the semi-finals.Canada played Italy to determine an overall ranking and lost 6-1 to claim the fourth overall world ranking.Lubberts was named top  goal keeper i...

Tax strategy giving Coaldale competitive edge for attracting new business

Published Fri, 07 Feb 2025 12:18:37 GMT

By Erika MathieuSunny South NewsData shows the town of Coaldale is a great place to set up shop.According to the Town’s 2022 Comparative Analysis, many of Coaldale’s peer communities continue to see increases to non-residential mill rates, while Coaldale’s has remained constant over the last four years.The 2022 Comparative Analysis was published this spring, and provides a side-by-side summary of how the Town ranks in seven key benchmarks, compared to similarly-sized, and geographically-proximate municipalities. These comparable municipalities include Blackfalds, Drumheller, Edson, Innisfail, Lethbridge, Lethbridge County, Ponoka, and Taber.With infrastructure upgrades such as the completion of the wastewater lagoon in 2022, and council’s adoption of an updated Industrial Incentive Policy in February 2023, the Town is thinking “big-picture” on long-term sustainable growth, and implementing tangible policy changes to ensure Coaldale is an attractive place to invest in business.The 20...

40th anniversary for LTRA Ride for Dreams

Published Fri, 07 Feb 2025 12:18:37 GMT

By Nikki JamiesonSunny South NewsThe Lethbridge Therapeutic Riding Association is asking for support as they celebrate the 40th anniversary of the Joanne Perlich ‘Ride for Dreams’ fundraiser.The fundraiser, which will take place Sept. 15-16, supports LTRA’s efforts and commitment to the transformative power of therapeutic riding and equine facilitated wellness. This year is especially important for the association, as not only has the pandemic impacted their ability to host large events in recent years, but they have been facing increased operational costs, especially for horse care items like hay.“The Joanne Perlich Ride for Dreams is one of our organization’s core fundraising events. At its core, the two-part fundraising event is to support the Lethbridge Therapeutic Riding Association. Each ticket, dance step, and bid go beyond the night’s festivities, supporting the work of LTRA and our services to have continued impact for our clients at affordable prices,” said Kale Hayes, exe...