January 2012 Archives

Officials in Minnesota, North Dakota and Manitoba are planning a way to fix the dead-zone of Lake Winnipeg to improve its fishery health.

According to KSTP the lake's health is declining due to nutrients like phosphorus flowing in through the Red River and causing large algae blooms.

"The new research is indicating we're getting closer and closer to a tipping point where the lake would start to deteriorate rather fast," Lance Yohe, Red River Basin Commission executive director, told Minnesota Public Radio.

Some possible solutions include using non-phosphorous detergents, natural buffers to filter farm field runoff, and fixing failed septic systems.

TCF Bank Stadium will allow alcohol to be served if the Vikings play there, University of Minnesota President Eric Kaler announced Friday, according to Kare 11.

The Vikings and the University have been negotiating the playing of three seasons at TCF Bank Stadium while the Metrodome, home to the Vikings for over 30 years, is renovated. Over $50 million in lost revenue would occur if the Vikings played at the TCF and the renovations on the Metrodome could go up to $918 million.

The University has been considering the problem for some time and is likely to send a proposal of different alcohol policies for college and professional games to the Board of Regents, reported the Star Tribune.

Alcohol sales are currently prohibited at any college athletic facilities on campus. An alumni group has been pushing for legislation to approve alcohol sales in premium seats of the stadium during college events, but have been opposed.

A suicide-bomber car exploded during a funeral procession in Baghdad Friday morning, killing at least 31 people, reported the Washington Post.

The explosion occurred around 11:00 a.m in a mostly Shiite neighborhood of the the southeast part of the city. The funeral procession was for three people who had been killed the day before.

According to reports by Fox news, the blast injured 65 people including 16 policemen.

Salam Hussein, a 42-year-old grocery store owner, told the associated press that "It was a huge explosion". As he took an injured employee to the hospital he saw "human flesh scattered around and several mutilated bodies in a pool of blood" around the car that had been exploded.

Since U.S troops retreat, violence has spread throughout Iraq and Shiite groups have been a target of violence. This attack is the second deadliest single attack of the month.

Newt Gingrich promised a moon colony by the end of his second term if he is elected president according to the Star Tribune.

Gingrich, speaking to a crowd of over 500 along Florida's Space Coast on Wednesday, stressed his desire for more missions to the moon, mars and beyond.

Gingrich told the crowd "We want Americans to think bolder about space and rebuild the country we love" reports the Washington Post.

As for paying for the explorations, Gingrich wants to set aside 10 percent of NASA's budget in order to give prizes for innovations that bring about these explorations. These space missions will also bring many commercial interests, said Gingrich. Other than that, not much was said about how the missions would be paid for.

A Wisconsin nurse stole over 100 doses of narcotics from a Stillwater hospital where she worked, according to the Star Tribune.

Della R. Thalin, an employee at Lakeview Health for nearly nine years, admitted stealing hydromorphone, a derivative of morphine, on more than 21 occasions by using her identification and password to access the storage where the drug was, reported KSTP.

Thalin was sentenced by Judge Ann Montgomery to three years probation and required to pay over $3,900 in restitution to the hospital.

Her defense attorney said that Thalin has been under increasing stress due to her husband losing his job, aiding her sick mother, lack of sleep and other hospital responsibilities. Thalin also said she has kicked the drug habit.

Hospitals will be working more closely with the Drug Enforcement Administration, the local police and health regulators to work on security measures.

http://www.startribune.com/local/east/137959023.html

http://stcroixvalley.kstp.com/news/news/100122-wis-nurse-charged-stealing-narcotics

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