The farm bill negotiations are hung up in part over new federal requirements that shift more of the cost of SNAP onto states. Beginning next year, states will have to cover a larger share of SNAP administrative costs, while a separate cost-sharing requirement for food benefits takes effect in 2027 and will be tied to each state’s payment error rate. Minnesota officials estimate the benefit cost shift alone could mean roughly 97 million dollars a year in new costs for the state based on its recent error rate. 

President of the Minnesota Farmers Union, Gary Wertish, speaks about how Minnesota DFLers are responding to the cost shift in SNAP benefits: 

Wertish warns new federal SNAP cost-sharing requirements could eventually mean higher property taxes in rural Minnesota. He says there’s hope Farm Bill negotiators can agree to a two-year delay, giving states more time to prepare: 

The Senate Agriculture Committee advanced its version of the farm bill earlier this month, but a full Senate vote is not expected until after the November elections. The House passed its version in April, leaving negotiators to work toward a compromise before a final bill can reach the president’s desk.

A University of Wisconsin psychologist says reading struggles are a national problem, and Minnesota is seeing it, too. Dr. Mark Seidenberg says the problem predates COVID. In 2024, Minnesota fourth-graders matched the national reading average, but the state’s score has fallen from 219 in 1998 to 214 today.

Seidenberg says screens, including parents’ screen habits, can affect literacy development, while reading and regular conversation remain important.

Minnesota’s READ Act is expanding screening and support for students who aren’t reading at grade level. More information is available from the Minnesota Department of Education’s READ Act website.

The Warroad Food Pantry is looking for two to three more friendly volunteers to lend a hand. 

The pantry needs help Thursday mornings from 8:30 a.m. to 10:30 a.m., and Friday evenings from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. No special experience is needed, and volunteers can choose tasks that work for them. Opportunities include greeting guests, helping people find food, stocking shelves, packing bags, light cleaning, or moving groceries. 

The pantry says even two hours can make a difference. For more information or to volunteer, contact the Warroad Food Pantry.

Parents and caregivers of young children are invited to a free weekly play program at Ross L. Gray School this fall.

“Come and Visit… Stay to Play” begins October 6 and runs every Tuesday through December 8, from 9:30 to 11:30 in the school library. The program is open to babies and children up to age five, accompanied by a parent or caregiver.

Organizers say the event will follow the school calendar, so sessions will be canceled if the school is closed. For more information, contact Ross L. Gray School or the Healthy Child Coalition.

By: Graham Scher | R&J Broadcasting Inc.

WARROAD, Minn — Othello at Warroad RiverPlace is right around the corner, with the Shakespeare classic coming to town Tuesday night, September 29th, at 7 p.m.

News Director Graham Scher recently caught up with Peter Stickney, artistic director of The Lord Chamberlain’s Men, to talk about what it’s like bringing a UK-based Shakespeare production to a small town like Warroad.

And if Shakespeare isn’t usually your thing, Stickney says you don’t have to be a longtime fan or even know the story of Othello to enjoy this production. At its heart, it’s a dramatic story with plenty of action along the way.

The Lord Chamberlain’s Men will perform this one-night-only performance Tuesday night at 7pm at Warroad RiverPlace. The production features an all-male cast, Elizabethan costumes, music and dance, recreating the style of Shakespeare’s original theater.

The Full Interview with Peter Stickney: