Star Tribune
St. Paul mayor and city council meeting to reach budget compromise
The middle ground: a 7.2% increase.
In an interview Wednesday afternoon, Deputy Mayor Jamie Tincher said Carter, too, would like the levy to be lower. But proposing a 5% increase would mean an additional cut of $6 million from 2025 city services — a reduction that could increase fire response times, slow the processing of license applications and reduce parks and rec and library services.
“He doesn’t have a path to do that without reducing services that will be felt by the people who are currently getting them,” Tincher said.
If the two sides cannot agree on a tax levy for 2025, state law would require the city to institute this year’s levy. That, Tincher said, would lead to drastic cuts in city personnel and services, as costs go up every year because of things like health care, insurance and previously negotiated salary increases.
The gap between revenue and costs then, she said, would be $16 million.
Tincher was asked if this year’s negotiations felt “different.”
Star Tribune
Veterans recall life of Charles Sehe, Mankato survivor of Pearl Harbor attack
MANKATO – A neon green sign at VFW Post 950 silently mourns one of Minnesota’s most acclaimed and well-documented wartime heroes, spelling out taps for “Charles Sehe, Pearl Harbor Vet.”
Sehe died at age 101 on Nov. 3 at his Mankato home. He was the last Minnesota survivor to have served on the USS Nevada during the surprise attack on Pearl Harbor.
After surviving what became known as the Day of Infamy, Dec. 7, 1941, which forced the U.S. entry into World War II, Sehe served on the Nevada throughout the conflict, including on a mission that brought him within sight of the D-Day invasion of Normandy, France. After coming home, Sehe became a researcher and academic, eventually teaching at Minnesota State Mankato for 23 years.
“This guy’s a hero,” said James Mason, sergeant in arms at the Mankato VFW, officially Morson-Ario-Strand VFW Post 950.
Mason, a gruff former Marine Corps gunnery sergeant, shared photos of Sehe at the post during a lunch in late November. He became friends with Sehe about a decade ago.
The Pearl Harbor attack left lasting psychological scars on Sehe, and he had a hard time talking about it with most people. But among other veterans, Sehe would open up, said Mason, 78. The two men would talk for hours over a beer or a breakfast at Hy-Vee, meeting several times a month. Sehe took an interest in the experiences of younger veterans, especially Marines, said Mason, and they in turn were fascinated by Sehe’s story.
Sehe grew up poor in Geneva, Ill., according to a 2015 oral history with the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library. His father, a former horse trainer, lost his job during the Great Depression. Sehe recalled always being hungry, eating lunches of sugar sprinkled over lard spread on bread. As a teenager he got a job at a bakery where he’d eat cake crumbs off the bottom of the pans.
When World War II started, Sehe joined the Navy, despite not knowing how to swim. When he arrived at the USS Nevada, he was awed at the sight of the battleship, as he’d never seen a vessel larger than a canoe or clam boat.
Star Tribune
Golden State Valkyries select 4 players to begin building roster through WNBA expansion draft
SAN FRANCISCO — The Golden State Valkyries selected center Iliana Rupert of Atlanta, guard Veronica Burton of Connecticut, guard Carla Leite of Dallas and forward Maria Conde of Chicago with their initial picks of the WNBA expansion draft on Friday, the first players for the new Bay Area franchise that’s set to begin play next season.
This marked the WNBA’s first expansion draft in 16 years since the Atlanta Dream joined the league in 2008.
Golden State is able to acquire the contract or negotiating rights to one player from each of the other 12 WNBA teams. The Valkyries can also choose one player from throughout the league who’s eligible to become an unrestricted free agent.
The Valkyries will play at Chase Center, the 5-year-old home of the Golden State Warriors, and practice across the bay in the organization’s Oakland training facility.
Warriors star Draymond Green sported a Valkyries jersey with No. 25 on the back — for the inaugural campaign of 2025 — while sitting out injured during Thursday’s win over the Houston Rockets.
AP WNBA: https://apnews.com/hub/wnba-basketball
Star Tribune
Embattled Byron, Minn. school superintendent to resign
BYRON, MINN. – Facing mounting pressure over the district’s mishandling of its finances, Byron Public Schools Superintendent Mike Neubeck announced Friday that he will resign from the position at the end of the school year.
The resignation follows months of uncertainty about the district’s budget after a $1.5 million miscalculation was discovered in last year’s budget. Neubeck’s administration has struggled since then to win back the community’s trust. In November, voters rejected the district’s request for a $1.9 million levy increase by a 16-point margin.
In a statement, the district said Neubeck made the decision to resign after discussion with members of the Byron school board. His last day will be June 30.
“This decision is made with a shared commitment to ensuring the stability of the district while maintaining a continued focus on our mission to serve students, staff, and the community,” according to the district statement. “Dr. Neubeck’s decision provides the Byron School District with the necessary time and opportunity to hire a new superintendent.”
Reached Friday, Neubeck declined to comment.
Byron’s financial woes were first made public in the spring when the district revealed a financial miscalculation related to labor negotiation the previous year. While a long-awaited audit of the 2023-24 budget won’t be completed until later this month, Neubeck told parents this week that preliminary findings show the district with a $2 million shortfall, primarily because of the miscalculation.
The combination of the oversight and the failed referendum has led the district to propose $1.6 million in additional cuts to next year’s school budget. In the meantime, the district’s balances are so low that the board voted this week to borrow $3.5 million to make a debt-service payment due in January.
Neubeck said he will present recommendations on budget reductions at a meeting in early February. He also suggested the district may pursue another operating referendum in November 2025.