Star Tribune
Child care has long been a vexing problem in rural Minnesota. One county may have cracked the code.
MORRIS, Minn. – Jade Michaelson moved to this west-central Minnesota town a year ago when her husband bought an auto-repair shop here. Immediately, she confronted two problems. One was employment; how could a preschool teacher find work in a county with one child-care center? The other was finding child care for her two young kids. She certainly didn’t want to open her home to in-home child care chaos.
Like anywhere in Greater Minnesota, Stevens County, home to University of Minnesota Morris and three major dairies, has a long, stubborn child-care problem. The problem has only deepened in recent years. A decade ago, the county had 34 child-care providers. When Michaelson moved here, there were 15 — the center plus 14 in-home providers — meaning the county of 10,000 people had lost 220 childcare spots in 10 years.
But just as Michaelson’s family moved to town, Stevens County launched an ambitious experiment in solving its rural child-care crisis. It was Michaelson’s perfect solution: An in-home child care outside of her home.
The county took $1.28 million of its $2 million in federal COVID relief money to build six child-care “pods” — a nearly 6,000-square-foot building of six rowhouses with capacity for 84 child care spots. The long, thin houses look like suburban starter homes, with spacious living rooms serving as play areas and learning centers.
“The space we have is perfect,” she said on a recent morning, holding a crying toddler who just stubbed her toe. “If this wasn’t here, I wouldn’t have started a day care. No way.”
The county also, with the help of a Minnesota Department of Economic Development grant, doubled the size its one child-care center, from 42 spots to 84.
The child-care problem is a vexing issue in both rural and urban areas across the state. A Duluth task force this month termed it a “near-crisis” in Minnesota’s fourth-largest city, where four child care centers closed last year and three more this year. The report said the city has about 3,000 child care slots — but 4,200 kids age 6 or younger with parents who are part of the workforce.
Minnesota lawmakers have discussed a child care affordability scholarship program.
Sen. JD Vance has picked another Minnesota politician to play the role of Gov. Tim Walz in practice sessions ahead of their televised vice presidential debate: U.S. Rep Tom Emmer.
The selection of Emmer was confirmed by a source familiar with the Republican candidate’s debate preparation. Emmer and his team have also spent the past month studying Walz’s past debates, his mannerisms and his policy positions, according to the source. The vice presidential debate will be at 8 p.m. Central Time in New York.
Walz, who was elected to the House before running for governor, overlapped for a period with Emmer when they were both in Congress. Emmer is the House majority whip, which is the the third highest ranking Republican in the House of Representatives.
On the Democratic side, sources have told news outlets including NBC and Politico that Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg will be playing the role of Vance in Walz’s debate preparations.
There’s nothing like experiencing a Gophers volleyball Border Battle against Wisconsin at Maturi Pavilion. The atmosphere. The rivalry. The intensity.
This will be Gophers coach Keegan Cook’s first time in that home environment when the No. 16 Gophers (7-3) play host to the No. 7 Badgers (6-3) on Wednesday night.
“Rivalries are what makes sports special,” said Cook, who will be coaching in front of a sellout crowd.
The one thing Cook already knows about the Badgers from playing them last year is their size on the frontline. He’ll see a similar display for Big Ten opening night.
Carter Booth, an ex-Gopher who is a 6-7 middle blocker, and Anna Smrek a 6-9 right side hitter, are both All-Americas. Last year’s NCAA player of the year, Sarah Franklin, is a 6-4 outside hitter.
“It’s about as physical as you’re going to see going back and forth across the net,” Cook said. “Big athletes doing big things.”
In 2023, the Badgers swept the Gophers in three sets. Wisconsin is pretty much the same physically imposing team as last year.
Cook has seen some of his squad’s biggest strides come from sophomore Calissa Minatee and senior Phoebe Awoleye. The pair are on the small side for middle blockers but big on athleticism and versatility.
Star Tribune
Man charged with getting in a shootout with trooper on I-94 in Minneapolis after causing crash.
A man grabbed the steering wheel from his girlfriend, crashed the vehicle on a Minneapolis interstate and got in a shootout with a state trooper, according to charges filed Tuesday.
Eddie James Freeman, 23, of Minneapolis, was charged in Hennepin County District Court with one count of first-degree assault, four counts of second-degree assault and one count of fourth-degree assault in connection with the confrontation Saturday on Interstate near the Dowling Avenue exit. None of the gunfire resulted in any injuries.
Freeman remains jailed in lieu of $300,000 bail ahead of a court appearance Wednesday. Court records do not list an attorney for him.
Also Tuesday, the state Bureau of Criminal Apprehension (BCA) identified the trooper involved in the altercation as as Mark Vande Steeg. The agency said Vande Steeg has been in law enforcement slightly more than a year and is on standard critical incident leave as its investigation continues. Body camera and squad camera video captured portions of the incident, the BCA said.
The agency said said its crime scene personnel recovered a handgun from the where Freeman was arrested. The personnel also saw bullet damage to Vande Steeg’s squad, the BCA added.
According to the charges:
Troopers were sent about 10:15 p.m. Saturday to the spot where Freeman crashed his vehicle. While en route, they were alerted to shots being fired near the crash scene and were given a description of a possible suspect.
As Vande Steeg arrived, he put his squad spotlight on a man who matched the description. In response, Freeman fired several shots at the trooper.
