Year: 144 Issue: 116 Copyright: 2023 T h u r s d a y , O c T O b e r 1 9 , 2 0 2 3 GRANDFORKSHERALD.COM BYDELANEYOTTO Grand Forks Herald THIEF RIVER FALLS, Minn. — Following the announcement of a multi-million-dollar pro- gram to support Minneso- ta’s child care workforce, Gov. Tim Walz visited Thief River Falls on Tuesday, Oct. 17, to dis- cuss the initiative, visit DigiKey and see the prog- ress of a local airport project. The child care initia- tive especially was a focus on Tuesday . Walz said a lack of child care is a national crisis. Although he said Thief River Falls is “holding their own,” the communi- ty still is in great need of expanded child care options. “Almost every other state lost child care slots over the last few years. Minnesota has not lost them, but we haven’t gained as many as we need to and I think that’s what this program is meant to do,” he said. The $316 million Great Start Compensation Sup- port Payments program was first announced in a press release Monday afternoon. The program will issue monthly pay- ments to eligible child care providers to increase compensation and benefits in order to move the child care workforce closer to a livable wage. Child care providers can apply for the program until Wednesday, Oct. 25. Payments will begin later that same week. According to the release from the gover- nor’s office, the “project builds off Minnesota’s Child Care Stabilization Grant Program, which helped support about 70% of the state’s child care providers during the COVID-19 pandemic. Pro- viders who received stabi- lization grants were more likely to raise employees’ pay, keep staff turnover down and continue operating.” Moving from the stabi- lization grants to the compensation grants, Minnesota also offered $42.5 million in transition grants to child care pro- viders, which became available in July and are still available through October. As for these new com- pensation grants, licensed and certified child care centers must use them to increase com- pensation and benefits, the press release said. Family child care provid- ers will have more flexi- bility in how they use Eric Hylden / Grand Forks Herald Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, right, tours the new cargo hangar at Thief River Falls Regional Airport with state officials, including Senate Minority Leader Sen. Mark Johnson, left, of East Grand Forks on Tuesday. Walz also toured the new expansion at DigiKey. Minnesota governor tours DigiKey expansion, new airport cargo hangar WaLZ on A2 Child care focus of Walz visit to Thief River Falls BYSAV KELLY Grand Forks Herald GRAND FORKS — A Grand Forks man sus- pected to be the tire slasher from earlier this month was arrested and made his initial court appearance on Tuesday, Oct. 17. Matthew Vincent Mor- ris, 31, is charged with Class B felony criminal mischief causing inten- tional damage over $10,000, which has a maxi- mum penalty of 10 years in prison and $20,000 in fines. His bond was set at $20,000 cash or surety . According to an affida- vit in the case, officers from the Grand Forks Police Department arrived at the north end of town at 11:42 p.m. on Oct. 1. A man reported that a tire on his son’s vehicle had been slashed and, upon further investi- gation, law enforcement found numerous other vehicles with slashed tires. It was later determined that 83 tires had been damaged across 50 vehi- cles, the affidavit said. Damages were calculated at $17,296.16, but are expected to increase, since not everyone has replaced or repaired their Accused tire slasher appears in court TIres on A2 BYALEX DEROSIER Forum News Service ST. PAUL — Minneso- ta’s Democratic-Farmer- Labor (DFL) attorney general and secretary of state say it was unlawful for a judge to bar two fel- ons on probation from voting, and that the deci- sion shouldn’t create uncertainty around recently restored felon voting rights. A new law Minnesota enacted earlier this year gave the vote back to more than 50,000 Minne- sotans serving probation. Restoration came after decades of advocacy at the capitol and a years- long lawsuit that ended up at the state Supreme Court, where justices upheld the old ban but handed the issue back to the state Legislature. But this month in Mille Lacs County, district judge Matthew M. Quinn ordered two defendants’ voting rights suspended until the completion of their probation sentenc- es. In his opinion, Quinn said the new law restor- ing felon voting rights did not change the fact that the state Constitution ultimately still contains language restricting fel- ons from voting. In a joint statement issued Tuesday, Oct. 17, Democratic Attorney General Keith Ellison and Secretary of State Steve Simon said Quinn’s orders “fly in the face” of the legislature’s restora- tion of felon voting rights, and said they shouldn’t interfere with voting rights for felons on probation across the state. “We believe the judge’s orders are not lawful and we will oppose them,” Ellison and Simon said in a joint statement on the ruling. “The orders have no statewide impact, and should not create fear, uncertainty, or doubt. In Minnesota, if you are over 18, a U.S. citizen, a resident of Minnesota for at least 20 days, and not currently incarcerated, you are eligible to vote. Period.” Under previous law, fel- ons in Minnesota could not vote until they com- pleted their parole or pro- bation and paid fines related to their sentence. The state Constitution bans felons from voting until “restored to civil rights,” and a 1963 law defined that as the end of probation. The 2023 update changed the law so that voting rights are only lost during incarceration. Minnesota was one of 16 states, including South Dakota and Wisconsin, that only allow people with felony convictions to vote upon 100% completion of their sen- tence. North Dakota does not allow people in prison to vote, but does not have any other restrictions after release. Alex Derosier / Forum News Service Minnesota Secretary of State Steve Simon hands out “I plan to vote” stickers as newly enfranchised voters register to vote in St. Paul on June 1. FeLONs on A2 Minnesota judge unlawfully blocked felons from voting, DFL officials say BYPAMELA KNUDSON Grand Forks Herald GRAND FORKS D ennis Eggebraaten of East Grand Forks was clearly moved by the reception he and other veterans received Tuesday, Oct. 17, when they returned on the Veterans Honor Flight, after a three-day visit to see war memorials and other historic landmarks in Washington, D.C. Eggebraaten and 108 other vets from this region were met by a large crowd, many wav- ing flags, in the Grand Forks International Air- port terminal filled with red, white and blue bal- loons and banners with messages such as “We Love Our Vets,” “Thank You for Serving” and “You’re Our Heroes.” “I didn’t think this would get to me,” Egge- braaten said, with tears on his face. “This recep- tion – I couldn’t believe it.” A U.S. Army veteran, he served in Vietnam from 1971 to 1972, he said. “When we came home, there was nothing – peo- ple couldn’t have cared less. Nobody cared.” Looking back on his trip to the nation’s capi- tal, Eggebraaten will remember mostly the fellow vets he met and the camaraderie they felt, he said. “They’re a wonder- ful group of guys.” He enjoyed “every- thing” about the trip, he said, recalling the visits to war memorials and other activities. The veterans partici- pating in the Honor Flight have served in the military during WWII, Korean/Korean Era (through 1961), and Viet- nam/Vietnam Era (1962- 1975), according to Jane Matejcek, president of the Veterans Honor Flight of North Dakota and Minnesota. The group, which included two women, con- sists of one WWII vet, 35 Korean/Korean Era vets, and 73 Vietnam/Vietnam Era vets, as well as 74 oth- ers, such as physicians, respiratory therapists, family member escorts, news media members, volunteer attendants and others. Among the sites they visited: the National Archives, Arlington National Cemetery, the WWII and Korean memo- rials, the National Muse- um of the U.S. Army, the Lincoln and Washington memorials, and Fort McHenry . RETURNING HONOR FLIGHT VETS MET BY CHEERING CROWD Eric Hylden / Grand Forks Herald U.S. Navy veteran Myron Kaiser of Crookston shakes hands with well-wishers after returning from Washington, D.C., on Tuesday on the latest ND/MN Veterans Honor Flight out of Grand Forks International Airport. VeTeraNs on A13 , OCR Text: Year: 144 Issue: 116 Copyright: 2023 T h u r s d a y , O c T O b e r 1 9 , 2 0 2 3 GRANDFORKSHERALD.COM BYDELANEYOTTO Grand Forks Herald THIEF RIVER FALLS, Minn. — Following the announcement of a multi-million-dollar pro- gram to support Minneso- ta’s child care workforce, Gov. Tim Walz visited Thief River Falls on Tuesday, Oct. 17, to dis- cuss the initiative, visit DigiKey and see the prog- ress of a local airport project. The child care initia- tive especially was a focus on Tuesday . Walz said a lack of child care is a national crisis. Although he said Thief River Falls is “holding their own,” the communi- ty still is in great need of expanded child care options. “Almost every other state lost child care slots over the last few years. Minnesota has not lost them, but we haven’t gained as many as we need to and I think that’s what this program is meant to do,” he said. The $316 million Great Start Compensation Sup- port Payments program was first announced in a press release Monday afternoon. The program will issue monthly pay- ments to eligible child care providers to increase compensation and benefits in order to move the child care workforce closer to a livable wage. Child care providers can apply for the program until Wednesday, Oct. 25. Payments will begin later that same week. According to the release from the gover- nor’s office, the “project builds off Minnesota’s Child Care Stabilization Grant Program, which helped support about 70% of the state’s child care providers during the COVID-19 pandemic. Pro- viders who received stabi- lization grants were more likely to raise employees’ pay, keep staff turnover down and continue operating.” Moving from the stabi- lization grants to the compensation grants, Minnesota also offered $42.5 million in transition grants to child care pro- viders, which became available in July and are still available through October. As for these new com- pensation grants, licensed and certified child care centers must use them to increase com- pensation and benefits, the press release said. Family child care provid- ers will have more flexi- bility in how they use Eric Hylden / Grand Forks Herald Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, right, tours the new cargo hangar at Thief River Falls Regional Airport with state officials, including Senate Minority Leader Sen. Mark Johnson, left, of East Grand Forks on Tuesday. Walz also toured the new expansion at DigiKey. Minnesota governor tours DigiKey expansion, new airport cargo hangar WaLZ on A2 Child care focus of Walz visit to Thief River Falls BYSAV KELLY Grand Forks Herald GRAND FORKS — A Grand Forks man sus- pected to be the tire slasher from earlier this month was arrested and made his initial court appearance on Tuesday, Oct. 17. Matthew Vincent Mor- ris, 31, is charged with Class B felony criminal mischief causing inten- tional damage over $10,000, which has a maxi- mum penalty of 10 years in prison and $20,000 in fines. His bond was set at $20,000 cash or surety . According to an affida- vit in the case, officers from the Grand Forks Police Department arrived at the north end of town at 11:42 p.m. on Oct. 1. A man reported that a tire on his son’s vehicle had been slashed and, upon further investi- gation, law enforcement found numerous other vehicles with slashed tires. It was later determined that 83 tires had been damaged across 50 vehi- cles, the affidavit said. Damages were calculated at $17,296.16, but are expected to increase, since not everyone has replaced or repaired their Accused tire slasher appears in court TIres on A2 BYALEX DEROSIER Forum News Service ST. PAUL — Minneso- ta’s Democratic-Farmer- Labor (DFL) attorney general and secretary of state say it was unlawful for a judge to bar two fel- ons on probation from voting, and that the deci- sion shouldn’t create uncertainty around recently restored felon voting rights. A new law Minnesota enacted earlier this year gave the vote back to more than 50,000 Minne- sotans serving probation. Restoration came after decades of advocacy at the capitol and a years- long lawsuit that ended up at the state Supreme Court, where justices upheld the old ban but handed the issue back to the state Legislature. But this month in Mille Lacs County, district judge Matthew M. Quinn ordered two defendants’ voting rights suspended until the completion of their probation sentenc- es. In his opinion, Quinn said the new law restor- ing felon voting rights did not change the fact that the state Constitution ultimately still contains language restricting fel- ons from voting. In a joint statement issued Tuesday, Oct. 17, Democratic Attorney General Keith Ellison and Secretary of State Steve Simon said Quinn’s orders “fly in the face” of the legislature’s restora- tion of felon voting rights, and said they shouldn’t interfere with voting rights for felons on probation across the state. “We believe the judge’s orders are not lawful and we will oppose them,” Ellison and Simon said in a joint statement on the ruling. “The orders have no statewide impact, and should not create fear, uncertainty, or doubt. In Minnesota, if you are over 18, a U.S. citizen, a resident of Minnesota for at least 20 days, and not currently incarcerated, you are eligible to vote. Period.” Under previous law, fel- ons in Minnesota could not vote until they com- pleted their parole or pro- bation and paid fines related to their sentence. The state Constitution bans felons from voting until “restored to civil rights,” and a 1963 law defined that as the end of probation. The 2023 update changed the law so that voting rights are only lost during incarceration. Minnesota was one of 16 states, including South Dakota and Wisconsin, that only allow people with felony convictions to vote upon 100% completion of their sen- tence. North Dakota does not allow people in prison to vote, but does not have any other restrictions after release. Alex Derosier / Forum News Service Minnesota Secretary of State Steve Simon hands out “I plan to vote” stickers as newly enfranchised voters register to vote in St. Paul on June 1. FeLONs on A2 Minnesota judge unlawfully blocked felons from voting, DFL officials say BYPAMELA KNUDSON Grand Forks Herald GRAND FORKS D ennis Eggebraaten of East Grand Forks was clearly moved by the reception he and other veterans received Tuesday, Oct. 17, when they returned on the Veterans Honor Flight, after a three-day visit to see war memorials and other historic landmarks in Washington, D.C. Eggebraaten and 108 other vets from this region were met by a large crowd, many wav- ing flags, in the Grand Forks International Air- port terminal filled with red, white and blue bal- loons and banners with messages such as “We Love Our Vets,” “Thank You for Serving” and “You’re Our Heroes.” “I didn’t think this would get to me,” Egge- braaten said, with tears on his face. “This recep- tion – I couldn’t believe it.” A U.S. Army veteran, he served in Vietnam from 1971 to 1972, he said. “When we came home, there was nothing – peo- ple couldn’t have cared less. Nobody cared.” Looking back on his trip to the nation’s capi- tal, Eggebraaten will remember mostly the fellow vets he met and the camaraderie they felt, he said. “They’re a wonder- ful group of guys.” He enjoyed “every- thing” about the trip, he said, recalling the visits to war memorials and other activities. The veterans partici- pating in the Honor Flight have served in the military during WWII, Korean/Korean Era (through 1961), and Viet- nam/Vietnam Era (1962- 1975), according to Jane Matejcek, president of the Veterans Honor Flight of North Dakota and Minnesota. The group, which included two women, con- sists of one WWII vet, 35 Korean/Korean Era vets, and 73 Vietnam/Vietnam Era vets, as well as 74 oth- ers, such as physicians, respiratory therapists, family member escorts, news media members, volunteer attendants and others. Among the sites they visited: the National Archives, Arlington National Cemetery, the WWII and Korean memo- rials, the National Muse- um of the U.S. Army, the Lincoln and Washington memorials, and Fort McHenry . RETURNING HONOR FLIGHT VETS MET BY CHEERING CROWD Eric Hylden / Grand Forks Herald U.S. Navy veteran Myron Kaiser of Crookston shakes hands with well-wishers after returning from Washington, D.C., on Tuesday on the latest ND/MN Veterans Honor Flight out of Grand Forks International Airport. VeTeraNs on A13 , Z ArchiveInABox,Car Collections,Monitors,Records,New Record 4-2-2024,New Record 4-2-2024 1 Page 1, New Record 4-2-2024 1 Page 1