Matthew Alvarez

6 days ago | mprnews.org | Brian Bakst |Matthew Alvarez

Almost 40 percent of the state budget goes to preschool through high school education – around $25 billion over two years. For school districts, state dollars make up most of what gets spent on classroom costs, from teacher salaries to specialists to materials. So it’s no surprise that the education budget bill is always one of the last to come together.

1 week ago | mprnews.org | Cathy Wurzer |Matthew Alvarez

Throughout May, Hennepin County is promoting local businesses that collect salvage and resell it at a fraction of its original cost. The hope is to get more people exposed to the idea of reusing the old materials to build for newer projects, and maybe save money throughout the process of building or renovating. “About 85 percent of the materials in a typical demolition could be kept out of the landfill,” said Olivia Cashman, the construction and demolition waste specialist with Hennepin County.

1 week ago | mprnews.org | Paul Huttner |Matthew Alvarez

May 6, 2025, marks 60 years since the biggest tornado outbreak in Twin Cities history. Sixty years ago, civil defense sirens blared for the first time during severe weather in Minnesota as a tornado swarm bearing six twisters tore across the west metro. The May 6, 1965, tornado outbreak was an Oklahoma-style outbreak in Minnesota. Four of the six violent twisters were rated F4 on the Fujita Scale with estimated winds at more than 200 mph.

1 week ago | mprnews.org | Brian Bakst |Matthew Alvarez

This month marks two years since Minnesota lawmakers passed the bill to legalize marijuana use and possession for adults 21 and older. Commercial sales have taken a bit of time to get going. Outside of Minnesota tribal communities and the medical cannabis program, the retail space is still taking shape. The initial licenses around cultivation, transportation, distribution and sales could be issued soon. Even then, it will take time for everything to shake out.

2 weeks ago | mprnews.org | Brian Bakst |Matthew Alvarez

Gov. Tim Walz had his chance this week to assess the condition of Minnesota in a speech where he spent a lot of time focused on what the president is up to. Had November’s election ended differently, Peggy Flanagan would have been the one delivering the State of the State address at the Minnesota Capitol. Instead, the DFL lieutenant governor was seated beside Walz at this week’s speech. She’s running for the U.S. Senate in 2026. Flanagan has competition for the DFL nomination.