News and Current Affairs

From our U.S. Rep’s office:

Cravaack: A Shutdown Should Not Affect Our Troops

(Washington, DC) – Today, U.S. Congressman Chip Cravaack (MN-8) made the following statement after the House of Representatives passed a one-week continuing resolution that funds the Department of Defense for the remainder of Fiscal Year 2011 and the rest of the federal government until April 15:

“I supported this latest continuing resolution because it will fund the Department of Defense through the end of the fiscal year. That means our war fighters – especially those in conflict zones – will not see their pay interrupted. I cannot in good conscience allow that to happen.

“Having served for 24 years in the United States Navy, I know firsthand the sacrifices our service members and their families make to ensure we can live peacefully and in a free society. A government shutdown should never negatively affect them.”

The bill also makes a further $12 billion in cuts to discretionary spending, bringing the total for the last six weeks to $22 billion.

My name is Laura Prosser. I’m a journalism student working on an article trying to correlate the rise in bus ridership and the increase in gas prices. However, there are obviously other factors to the rise in ridership.

I’m looking for people who have something to say on this topic. I would like to find people who have a car but choose to ride the bus and what their reasons are for doing so. If you are interested in being a source and setting up an interview or have any information in relation to this topic please contact me.

My email address is pross016 @ d.umn.edu. You can also just leave comments here as well. Thank you for your time and consideration.

Please join us for a Noon Rally at City Hall to draw attention to the attacks on collective ing and workers’ rights across the country as well as the right wing’s “cuts only budget” that rates high in political rhetoric and low on moving Minnesota forward. These attacks and budget cuts impact real people and we want to stand up to them.

Then this evening, join us for a silent march and vigil to remember and honor Dr. King and all those who have been silenced in the struggle for equal rights. We will meet at the Clayton Jackson McGhie Memorial at 5:30pm then march silently to the federal building where we will be greeted with music and will hold a vigil.

Associated Press | March 30, 2011 – 11:49 AM

KANSAS CITY, Kan. – Search engine Google says it’s planning to bring its high-speed broadband network to Kansas City, Kan.

The company announced Wednesday on its official blog that the city is the first to get the new program. Google says its ultrafast network would be capable of making Internet access more than 100 times faster than the broadband connection in most U.S. homes.

More than 1,100 cities throughout the country made bids to become a test site for the network, which would provide Internet connections of 1 gigabit per second to up to 500,000 people.

Milo Medin, Google’s vice president of access services, said in choosing a city the goal was to find someplace it could build efficiently, make an impact on the community and develop relationships with local government and community organizations.

Ground Zero in Madison

Pesticide corporations are destroying bee colonies. A pollination-free world is a place you don’t want to go. Sign the petition and tell the EPA you disapprove of living without fruits and vegetables, and support banning pesticides which kill bees. Start your apiary this summer!

See it. Hear it. Read it.

Check out the LakeVoice’s new additions to its website. Our banner and logo has been updated along with a new tab that lets you look inside the news room and meet our staff. We have also opened our comment section and would appreciate the community sharing their opinions with us.

Top stories on LakeVoice this week include an introduction to the 2011 Homegrown Music Festival, a local business owner recalls the floods of 1972, and learn how you can get involved in feeding people in the community by exercising.

Also be sure to check out this week’s top photos from around the area.

LakeVoice News is a weekly online publication produced by UMD journalism students. The stories are reported on and written by students, but the content is for the community.

Part of the Public Insight Network

An economic evolution is underway in Northeastern Minnesota. New mining projects, continued development along the North Shore, the growth of health care and increasing numbers of self-employed workers present a fresh generation of choices.

While the economy shows signs of life, the path to prosperity raises tough questions about jobs and quality of life. So what do you want for your future?

MPR News and the Northland’s NewsCenter are holding a community-wide forum on the economic outlook for Duluth and the Arrowhead. We want you for this important discussion. If so, please click here to RSVP.
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Cirrus Industries, parent company of Cirrus Aircraft of Duluth, announced today it will be acquired by China Aviation Industry General Aircraft Co. of Zhuhai, China. The transaction is expected to close by midyear.

Cirrus will apparently continue to assemble airplanes in Duluth. Mayor Don Ness issued this statement:

“We anticipate that this merger will give Cirrus the additional financial resources and stability to ensure their recovery and grow operations and employment as the economy rebounds. I appreciate the assurances that Cirrus management has given us that operations will remain in Duluth; obviously that is our primary concern. We look forward to continuing the partnership with Cirrus not only to retain local operations, but also to grow jobs and support the company’s future success.”

Here it is, in its 30-page glory:

Citizen’s Perspective, Priorities & Performance
City of Duluth Focus Group Research
Compiled by Zenith Research Group