Minnesotans See Increase in Health Insurance

Window shopping for the Affordable Care Act or ACA marketplace is underway as many see healthcare insurance premiums skyrocket by up to 600%.

Former Special Assistant to the President for Economic Development, Alex Jacquez, says if you look just at the ACA, an estimated 11,000 Minnesotans won’t be able to afford their health insurance and won’t qualify for Medicaid in Minnesota.

Jacquez says we need major changes to all types of healthcare and Congressional Republicans to address federal funding cuts. He adds that in the first 10 months of 2025, healthcare inflation is running double what it ran the last two years under former President Joe Biden.

Parts of DNR Burning Permit System Down

The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources is alerting residents to a temporary issue with its burning permit system. Currently, phone services are down, meaning permits can’t be activated by phone. 

That includes both written and online permits. Online permits can still be activated through the website, but if you rely on text or phone notifications, you won’t receive any messages. Only email alerts are working at this time. 

If you activate a permit online, the D-N-R recommends updating your account settings to receive messages by email until the system is restored. 

And if you have a written permit or need to activate by phone, you’re asked to wait to burn until the system is back up and running. The D-N-R says it will send out an update once everything is working again.

Autumn Brings Minnesota Rivers New Color

Autumn’s arrival is tinting Minnesota’s rivers with a rich, root beer-like color. The brownish hue comes from tannins, natural compounds released as fallen leaves and decaying vegetation break down. 

As fall hikers and tourists watch Minnesota’s rivers, those waters often sport a dark amber glow. Sometimes there might even be a good foam. While some visitors might worry brown water means it’s dirty, it’s just nature at work.

Yellowish or brownish tannins are bitter compounds found in plant tissues from seeds to bark. The rivers pick up colors much like a steaming glass of water turns brown when you drop in loose tea leaves.

This seasonal transformation is especially noticeable in parks where the water often takes on a tea-like appearance. Trees such as oaks, maples, and tamaracks shed leaves and needles that contribute to the tannin levels, infusing the rivers with earthy tones. 

The effect is similar to steeping loose tea leaves in hot water, as the rivers absorb the pigments and organic matter from the forest floor.

This Week is School Bus Safety Week

It’s National School Bus Safety Week, and agencies across the nation are promoting the importance of bus safety, and the proper bus safety practices. Tina Sanders of Safe Kids Grand Forks tells us more about School Bus Safety, and what they’re doing to celebrate.

Sanders also tells us some things that parents and/or schools should go over with their children, when it comes to properly riding the school bus.

You can find more bus safety information and materials on the Safe Kids Grand Forks website.

Mandatory CWD Testing to Take Place in Some Parts of Northwest Minnesota

The Minnesota Deer Gun season is less than a month away, and the Minnesota DNR is reminding hunters that they may be required to test their deer for Chronic Wasting Disease this season. DNR Wildlife Supervisor Rob Baden explains.

Baden says the mandatory testing is only during the deer gun opener, and that if you harvest a deer outside the mandatory testing period but would still like to test for CWD, there’s a way you can do so. 

More information about CWD and CWD testing can be seen on the Minnesota DNR website.