Kare11
St. Paul residents to vote on tax hike for child care program
The council heard more details this week about what the child care subsidies could look like, if voters approve the tax increase this fall.
ST PAUL, Minn. — As the nation directs its attention toward the presidential race, voters in the City of Saint Paul have another critical decision to make this November when they face a ballot question seeking to raise public money for childcare subsidies.
The measure will ask voters whether they want to increase property taxes to cover some additional childcare costs, largely for low-income families but also for some above that threshold. Over a decade, the property tax increase would fund $110 million in investments for child care. In the first year of the program, the city estimates the median homeowner would pay roughly $16 more in property taxes.
This week, the city council heard from a consultant, who outlined recommendations for the city’s implementation of the early education program — if voters approve the ballot question in November. The council decided to postpone a vote on the final design plan until Wednesday, Nov. 6, one day after the election, at which point the city will know whether voters passed the item. Last year, the city council voted to place the question on the November 2024 ballot and even overrode Mayor Melvin Carter’s veto.
One of the largest supporters of the November ballot measure is “Yes For Saint Paul Families,” which calls the ballot question an “opportunity to make a historic investment in our children and families in Saint Paul.”
“We have some of the largest education inequities in the country. It can start when kids are as young as three or four and can follow them for their entire time in K-12. When parents can’t find affordable early education programs and child care, they often have to leave the workforce,” the group said on its website. “We need an early education program that helps every family succeed. Every family needs access to early education.”
However, the measure faces stiff opposition from some of the city’s prominent leaders, including Carter, who was vocal last summer in his attempt to veto the council’s measure. In a new statement this week, issued in response to the consultant’s report, Carter said that “this report finally reveals that the advisory referendum will not deliver on the free citywide child care, which the ballot question implies.”
“Between misleading ballot language, absence of required campaign finance disclosures, and the first public details arriving nine days before polling begins, our voters are repeatedly being denied the needed transparency to cast an informed vote on this proposed $110 million tax increase,” Carter said.”
Meanwhile, the Saint Paul Federation of Educators has joined the opposition, filing a statement with the council that blasted the proposal as a “voucher” system.
“It will take public tax dollars from residents in Saint Paul and basically allow families to choose to spend them in child care centers that are private enterprises,” SPFE President Leah VanDassor said in an interview. “We know there’s a need for early childhood care, but this is not necessarily the program that’s going to work best.”
In a search warrant application, Richfield police detail reports by first responders alleging a slow staff response and allegations of forged documents in the death.
RICHFIELD, Minn. — A Richfield care facility is under investigation after allegations by first responders that staff there did not check on a patient as she was dying and then forged paperwork to cover it up.
In an application for a search warrant, police requested access to medical records and surveillance video related to the treatment and death of 55-year-old Candace Columbus, a patient at The Villas in Richfield. Investigator Sammy Gonzalez details a report by the Minnesota Department of Human Services (DHS) based on accounts from a Hennepin County paramedic on Oct. 7, 2024, the day Columbus died at the facility located at 7727 Portland Ave. S.
That paramedic reported that they suspected that facility staff suspected the patient was dying but did not check on her or call 911. The first responder said that when first responders were finally called, staffers claimed that Columbus had a Do Not Resuscitate Order (DNR) but did not have a form on hand. Paramedics also reported seeing staff members filling out a DNR Form, which would constitute forgery.
Investigator Gonzalez says in the warrant application that body cam video from a Richfield police officer who responded to The Villas recorded the interaction between the reporting paramedic and care staff, including a phone conversation between one employee and someone claiming to be the facility manager, who appears to be giving the staff instructions on how to fill out the DNR form.
“Your affiant (Gonzalez) requests further information from The Villas at Richfield that will lead to further evidence of forgery and/or vulnerable adult abuse/neglect,” the application reads.
Richfield Police Lt. Brad Drayna told KARE 11 that the ongoing investigation prevents the department from providing anything beyond the information in the search warrant. An administrator for The Villas says a statement on the patient’s death and investigation will be released later Wednesday.
MINNEAPOLIS — Christmas came early for Minnesotans watching the trick-or-treat forecast for Thursday, as the news about impending snow is practically begging for related discussions about the infamous Halloween Blizzard of ’91.
While parents lugged their small ghosts, goblins and ghouls from door to door — layers of warm clothes and heaps of snow be damned — they could already tell this particular storm would be one for the record books.
When all was said and done, more than 8 inches of snow fell in the course of only a few hours, leaving Minnesotans with much work when the sun came up the next morning.
So, will we have a ’24-style repeat of ’91? Only time will tell, but for now, we’re bringing back a few classics from the archives to get everyone in the mood for another snowy (and spooky!) celebration.
See our story, “Helping in the Halloween Blizzard” above, and more from the archives below.
New York State authorities confirm that a woman and two kids children went over a guard rail and into the falls Monday night. They have not been found.
NIAGARA FALLS, N.Y. — The New York State Park Police and the New York State Police Bureau of Criminal Investigation are investigating an incident on Goat Island in Niagara Falls.
According to a release on Tuesday by the New York State Police, officers responded to an incident that happened on or around Goat Island around 9 p.m. on Monday evening.
In an updated release on Wednesday the NYSP confirmed that a 33-year-old woman, a 9-year-old, and a 5-month-old crossed over the safety guard rail and went over Niagara Falls on Luna Island, which is attached to Goat Island.
The victims have been identified as Chaianti Means, 33, Roman Rossman, 9, and Mecca Means 5-months-old.
According to the NYSP release, “The investigation has determined that this incident was intentional in nature, though the circumstances remain under investigation. New York State Park Police and State Police search/rescue efforts were conducted with negative results. This incident deems no public threat to safety.”
NYSP Unmanned Aircraft Systems, Aviation, Underwater Recovery Unit, New York State Park Police and Niagara Falls Police Department are assisting in the investigation.
2 On Your Side will update this story when we receive new information from State Police.
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