From expiring pandemic aid to declining enrollment, school districts in Minnesota face financial pressure and public school advocates and community organizations said long-term improvements are the answer, not short-term cuts. In a survey from the Association of Metropolitan School Districts, large school systems across Minnesota report a combined shortfall of $317 million. On Tuesday, the Minneapolis Federation of Teachers led a gathering of local groups, calling on district leaders to rethink the cuts proposed for the next school year. .
A Connecticut bill under consideration in the Legislature would establish peer-run respite centers to help people with mental illness. Senate Bill 370 would establish eight centers, with three specific facilities for transgender, Spanish, and BIPOC communities. Unlike inpatient hospitalization, the programs are voluntary and allow a person to come and go. .
Meals on Wheels programs could be a powerful tool for addressing the needs of people living with dementia, according to a study from Ohio State University researchers. The community-based program delivers weekly meals to food-insecure seniors. Lisa Juckett, assistant professor of occupational therapy at Ohio State University, conducted interviews with caregivers, people living with dementia, and the staff of LifeCareAlliance, the largest Meals on Wheels provider in the state. .
According to the Utah Division of Oil, Gas and Mining, there are at least 49 orphan wells in the state wells that are abandoned and not plugged on private, state and federal lands. Congress is once again debating who should clean them up. Last year, the Biden administration proposed increasing the minimum bond amounts on oil and gas leases. .
The cattle industry and health officials in Texas are on alert after a person contracted avian flu while working around infected cattle in the Texas Panhandle. According to the Department of State Health Services, the patient was diagnosed with bird flu after experiencing eye inflammation. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention confirmed the diagnosis. .