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Memorial Blood Centers call on young, first-time donors

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Teenagers can donate at age 16 with written parental consent and if they’re 17 or older, they don’t need it.

ST PAUL, Minn. — Blood centers across the U.S. continue to suffer a massive blood shortage. The staff at Memorial Blood Centers in Saint Paul says they’ve lost older donors as more people began working from home during the pandemic, and they lost many younger donors since they weren’t able to host blood drives at schools.

“Most of our new donors come to us through high school blood drives, and for two years there, we didn’t have any high school blood drives,” said Phil Losacker, manager of community relations. 

At the same time, now that they’re back in schools, they are still dealing with a challenge that’s been there: keeping donors interested in giving during the summers and after graduation. 

“In one aspect we’re celebrating that they’re back–high schoolers, college students are enthusiastic, great donors,” Losacker said. “But we tend to get them at the high school, and then we don’t see them again. So we’re trying to attract them to come to our donor centers and to be more fully connected with us.”

RELATED: Blood centers call on donors after issuing third emergency in six months

One of the ways they’re doing that is by asking students to share their experiences on social media.

“We ask them to be influencers and to get the word out as well about donating,” said Maryann Malec. “We have paddles that we can bring so they can get the word out on Instagram.”

They also pass out t-shirts that have witty phrases about “things that hurt more” than giving blood. One t-shirt reads “Accidentally liking a post from 43 weeks ago.” 

Teenagers can donate at age 16 with written parental consent, and if they’re 17 or older, they don’t need it. Losacker and Malec also encourage families to donate blood together.

“We’d encourage parents to encourage kids to give blood,” Losacker said.

RELATED: How to help with Hurricane Ian relief? Roll up your sleeve ASAP!

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SouthWest Transit tests out self-driving cars

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New autonomous driving vehicles are hitting the roads in Eden Prairie.

EDEN PRAIRIE, Minn. — SouthWest Transit tested its new self-driving vehicles in Eden Prairie Wednesday. 

Riders will be able to travel to and from specific stops using the “Spare” app.  SouthWest Transit also says this will connect riders to residential areas, workplaces, and shopping. It will also include a stop at the Southwest Light Rail. 

“It’s really exciting for me, but I think it’s exciting for Eden Prairie and it benefits our residents and our businesses,” said Eden Prairie mayor Ron Case. 

“We really believe in a future where everyone has access to mobility no matter who they are or where they are, and this represents more than just an advanced piece of technology, it’s a commitment to expanded access,” said vice president of customers with Space, Quinn Kliman.

The service is free and will run on weekdays from 5:30 a.m. to 7 p.m. and on Saturdays from 6 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. 



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16-year-old injured in north Minneapolis shooting

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Police say the shooting occurred in an alley between Oliver Avenue North and Penn Avenue North at around 5:30 p.m.

MINNEAPOLIS — Police are investigating after a teen was injured in a shooting Wednesday evening in north Minneapolis.

The Minneapolis Police Department was called to an alley between Oliver Avenue North and Penn Avenue North at around 5:30 p.m. on reports of a possible shooting. When officers arrived, they found a 16-year-old boy who had been shot. 

Police say the teen heard a vehicle and gunfire before realizing he had been shot.

Officials say the boys is expected to survive, and no arrests have been made.

*This is a developing story and will be updated as more information becomes available.



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Hit and run crash leaves 10-year-old girl hurt in Minneapolis

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Police say it happened near Lowry and Sheridan Avenue N.

MINNEAPOLIS — A 10-year-old girl was taken to the hospital Wednesday after being hit by a vehicle. 

It happened near Lowry and Sheridan Avenue N, according to Minneapolis police, shortly before 8 p.m. 

Police say the girl was running across the road when she was hit by a grey SUV that did not stop. Her injuries were described as non-life-threatening. 

No one has been arrested in the case yet, according to officials. 



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