To see the work of Twin Cities artist Cameron Patricia Downey, you have a couple of options: St. Paul or Italy. SEE: https://fluence-media.co/4at2Vu4
Looking for a wedding venue? Ten Minnesota courts are offering free weddings on Valentine’s Day. WATCH: https://fluence-media.co/3C8Ant4
Share the love of MNGood and encourage others to sign up.
Have a great weekend.
Blois
WILD ABOUT READING: More than 500 Minnesota classrooms and 15,000 students are participating in the “Wild About Reading” program, a partnership with Flint Hills Resources which encourages students to read more using Minnesota Wild-branded posters, reading logs, and bookmarks. Teachers set weekly reading goals and give certificates to students who complete the four-week program. Fun program incentives include classroom visits from the Wild’s mascot, Nordy – and the team dog, Rookie; a pair of tickets to a Wild home game, player signed pucks and photos; and a pizza party for a classroom. LEARN MORE: Wild About Reading SPONSORED: Flint Hills Resources
TOMORROW: Art Shanty Projects begins its run in Minneapolis. SEE: https://fluence-media.co/3PHgs7H
MONDAY: From Vickie Evans-Nash via Minnesota Spokesman Recorder, VERBATIM: “Martin Luther King Day is a time to remember the legacy of the most prominent civil rights leader in U.S. history. He is one of the few leaders who activated change on a political level without being elected to public office. Behind every speech he gave and every march he led was a purpose, a call to action. In that spirit, many leaders in the Minnesota community are commemorating his life and legacy by continuing to answer the call.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4hkI4uW
BASKETBALL: From Emily Haugen via CCX Media, VERBATIM: “A Brooklyn Center nonprofit is helping kids get active on Martin Luther King Day with its third annual ‘Ballers and Badges’ event. It is a co-ed youth basketball clinic, and a 3-on-3 tournament. The nonprofit Hawa’s Wings and the NextGen Legacy Foundation put it on, in partnership with Brooklyn Center police and firefighters, as well as the Hennepin County Sheriff’s Office.” WATCH: https://fluence-media.co/40DJgUZ
RECYCLING: From Jen Zettel-Vandenhouten via Project Optimist, VERBATIM: “A Seattle-based company wants to become the Netflix of the recycling industry. It collects recyclables via subscription-style service. Minnesota residents threw 2.2 million tons of waste into landfills in 2022, according to data from the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency. Ridwell aims to lower that amount. In 2024, Twin Cities Ridwell customers collected over 500,000 pounds of plastic film, said Jens Narveson, Ridwell’s Minneapolis operations manager. That’s about the same as recycling the weight of 40 elephants.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4fWKbUQ
SCHOOL: From Alexis Rogers via KARE-TV, VERBATIM: “North Minneapolis is now home to a cosmetology school that’s breaking barriers in Minnesota. Taylor’d Cosmetology School, founded by Nubiah Taylor, is being hailed as a first-of-its-kind institution, addressing a significant gap in the beauty industry by focusing on ethnic hair, skin and nails.” WATCH: https://fluence-media.co/3DWUbjA
TUBING: From Giovanna Dell’Orto via Associated Press, VERBATIM: “Ice crystals clung to the eyelashes, parka hood, beanie hat and headscarf of Ruqayah Nasser as she took a break after her first-ever snow tubing runs in a Minnesota park on a subzero (-18 Celsius) January morning. She had joined two dozen other members of a group founded by a Somali-American mother in Minneapolis to promote all-seasons activities among Muslim women, who might otherwise feel singled out in the great outdoors, especially when wearing hijabs.” QUOTE: "They understand my lifestyle. I don't have to explain myself," said Nasser, who recently moved to the Twin Cities from Chicago and whose family hails from Yemen. "My religion is everything. It's my survival kit." READ: https://fluence-media.co/3PEhYaw
ICE FESTIVAL: From Lydia Morrell via KARE-TV, VERBATIM: “Looking to give back to the community while enjoying a fun family activity? The Minnesota Ice Festival is launching Nonprofit Thursdays to support local organizations. Attendees will get discounted tickets for those days and a portion of the proceeds will go toward the selected organization.” WATCH: https://fluence-media.co/40AkdBX
SWIMMING: From Foss via PRNewswire, VERBATIM: “Foss Swim School is proud to announce a partnership with Every Child A Swimmer, a nonprofit dedicated to making swim education accessible to all children. Together, the organizations are addressing the critical issue of childhood drowning by offering significantly discounted swim lessons.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/42kIRrA
FRESH15: The latest season of Fresh15 includes interviews with new Minnesota House members. So far, five new members have shared their goals, background and fun facts before they take office in a historic session this January.
Rep.-Elect Kari Rehauer
Rep.-Elect Wayne Johnson
Rep. Elect Julie Greene
Rep. Elect Keith Allen
Rep. Elect Peter Johnson
Follow on your favorite podcast platform, or at www.TheDailyAgenda.com/Podcasts. (SPONSORED: Minnesota Telecom Alliance)
THIS WEEKEND: From Addie McCabe via KTTC-TV, VERBATIM: “The 71st Annual Fifth District Eagles Cancer Telethon returns January 18-19, delivering 20 hours of non-stop talent, testimonials and opportunities to make a difference.” WATCH: https://fluence-media.co/4gUcpkn
COCOA: From Emily Haugen via CCX Media, VERBATIM: “Community members connected with police officers at Plymouth’s ‘Cocoa With a Cop’ event Tuesday morning. On a freezing day, a group of all ages gathered in the Plymouth Community Center to share treats with Plymouth officers.” WATCH: https://fluence-media.co/4hfdC5u
NEXTGEN: From SBB via Globe Newswire, VERBATIM: “The SBB Research Group Foundation is proud to announce the continued success of Adhvaith Sridhar after receiving the STEM Scholarship in 2023. The $2,500 award empowers students to create value for society by pursuing higher learning through interdisciplinary combinations of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM). Adhvaith Sridhar received the SBB Research Group Foundation STEM Scholarship during his sophomore year at the University of Minnesota, pursuing a degree in biochemistry.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/3DZYyua
U OF M: Via University of Minnesota, VERBATIM: “Northrop is pleased to announce it has been approved by the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) for a Grants for Arts Projects award of $40,000. This grant will support two projects as part of the 2024-25 Northrop Dance Series and the Northrop Centennial Commissions (NCC) program: the Minnesota BalletMet premiere of Timeless Tide by Yue Yin and the commissioning of a new work with dance choreographer Shamel Pitts.”
MORE: Via NEA, the full list of projects funded in this round, including many in Minnesota. SEE: https://fluence-media.co/40xxNGh
GRANTS: From Our Rescue via PRNewswire, VERBATIM: “Our Rescue, a global non-governmental organization dedicated to combating sex trafficking and child exploitation, awarded a $50,000 grant to Minnesota Indian Women's Resource Center, based in Minneapolis, and $10,000 to St. Cloud nonprofit Terebinth Refuge. The grants will help advance the mission and impact of both nonprofits in serving and supporting women who are survivors of sex exploitation and trafficking, many of whom have experienced trauma since childhood.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/42hbSUX
GRANTS: Via Otto Bremer Trust, VERBATIM: “The Otto Bremer Trust awarded $15,010,000 in strategic grants and program-related investments in the last quarter of 2024.” LIST: https://fluence-media.co/3WoCVKl
GRANTS: Via St. Cloud Times, VERBATIM: “The Women’s Fund of the Central Minnesota Community Foundation awarded $165,000 during its most recent grant rounds. In August 2024, the Women’s Fund launched its Central Minnesota Women’s Fund and Julianne Williams Fund grant rounds. Both funds have awarded a combined $165,000 to 15 area organizations, all of which focus on improving the lives of women and girls in Central Minnesota, according to a release.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4hcVD09
TEEN CENTER: Via Minnesota Spokesman Recorder, VERBATIM: “Brooklyn Park received a major boost in support of its youth, thanks to a generous $100,000 donation announced on Jan. 6. The contribution comes from a partnership between the Minnesota CHILL Foundation and the Thielen Foundation, two organizations dedicated to empowering young people. This donation will be used to develop a new Teen Center, which is slated to open in late 2025.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/3CdMGnM
CARGILL: From Cargill via Business Wire, VERBATIM: “Cargill is advancing a new era in sustainable shipping, putting innovation and collaboration at the core of its mission to move goods responsibly across the globe. Through wind-assisted propulsion technologies, dual-fuel methanol-powered vessels, and digital solutions, Cargill is setting the standard for helping the industry advance progress toward the International Maritime Organization’s (IMO) 2050 net-zero target. Combining technical expertise with a commitment to industry-wide partnerships, Cargill is helping to future-proof the maritime sector while enabling customers to meet their sustainability goals.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4jyx4fJ
RETIREMENT: Via Saint Paul & Minnesota Foundation, VERBATIM: “The Saint Paul & Minnesota Foundation announced today that our President and CEO, Eric J. Jolly, Ph.D., will retire in 2025 after nearly 10 years of leadership at the Foundation. Board Chair Dr. Joseph Lee indicated that a national search would begin immediately to enable a smooth transition of leadership for Minnesota’s largest community foundation.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/42iQMpA
MOVE: The Minneapolis/St. Paul Business Journal’s Caitlin Anderson reports the Bush Foundation plans to move its headquarters to a different building in downtown St. Paul. READ: https://fluence-media.co/4gXEqHR
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