Hello, Minnesota. Welcome to the Twin Cities Kossacks Weekend Open Thread, a weekly (usually) post for all things Minnesotan. Please join us to Connect, Unite and Act with other Twin Cities Kossacks. Posting most every Sunday. Do you live in Minnesota? Kosmail idlemoments to join this group so you can get updates on meetups and other Daily Kos activity in the Land of 10,000 Lakes.
Open Thread — Sunday Morning, March 24, 2019
Did you catch the Northern Lights this weekend? Minnesota, Wisconsin and North Dakota were among several states the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration predicted would have good views last night of auroras from geomagnetic storms.
The Northern Lights above a fire on the Gunflint Trail near Ely, MN
The number of people experiencing homelessness in Minnesota is up 10 percent from three years ago, according to one-night statewide count released by Wilder Research this week. The count, conducted in late October 2018, found a total of 10,233 people experiencing homeless, up from 9,312 counted in 2015, and slightly above the previous record high count of 10,214 in 2012. The percentage increase in homelessness was higher in greater Minnesota than in the metro area and among seniors.
The Boundary Waters
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, St Paul District issued a permit for PolyMet’s NorthMet mine on Thursday. The PolyMet project to mine and process copper, nickel, and platinum group elements and would be the first sulfide mine in Minnesota, and has drawn the ire of individuals across the state concerned about the impact on the nearby Boundary Waters Canoe Area and the other lakes and streams in northern Minnesota. While the Corps’ action is the last permit needed, Friends of the Boundary Waters Wilderness say the fight is far from over. The Friends and two other environmental advocacy groups will present oral arguments this week to the Minnesota Court of Appeals asking to evaluate environmental risks of the project.
Speaking of water, the flood warnings continue throughout the state this week. Paul Huttner on his MPR Updraft blog has the latest updated flood forecast numbers from the National Weather Service. The Mississippi River is projected to reach 19.9 feet in St. Paul by next Friday, the highest in nearly five years, and eighth highest on record. The Minnesota River is also running high and fast, with many roads in southern Minnesota closed this past week.
Welcome this week to madscheme, our newest Twin Cities Kossack! We now have a total of 54 registered members of the Twin Cities Kossacks community group. You don’t have to be a card-carying Twin Cities Kossack to participate in this Weekend Open Thread, or attend our monthly meetups, but it does help so we can Kosmail you details about our gatherings and more easily tag and share your Minnesota-related posts on the Twin Cities Kossacks page. Kosmail me, idlemoments if you’d like to join this group and I’ll send you an invite.
Our meetup next month will be back at our tried and true spot — Turtle Bread in Minneapolis:
- The Twin Cities Kossacks will meet at 11 a.m, Saturday, April 20 at Turtle Bread, 4762 Chicago Ave. So., Minneapolis (map here). Please note, there are two Turtle Bread locations, this is the one by the old Parkway Theater. Look for a Daily Kos table tent/sign.
Here’s the current RSVP list, post below or email me if you can make it — even if you are a maybe at this point. It always helps to know how many people are coming so we can grab enough chairs.
Twin Cities Kossacks April 20 Meetup RSVPs
| Yes |
Maybe |
| idlemoments |
sbanks |
| slapshoe |
ER Doc |
| Rosebuddear |
madscheme |
| judeling |
|
|
|
|
|
We’re time warping back to the ‘90s again for the Twin Cities Kossacks Song of the Week: “Black Gold” by the Minneapolis alt rock band Soul Asylum. See if you can also spot the cameo in the video by a supporting character from one of the top-rated sitcoms of the 1980s.
Hope that Cheered you up.
As always, this is an open thread. Post away. The floor is yours!
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