The state originally enacted the $75 annual surcharge in 2021 to replace the money electric vehicle owners would normally pay in gas taxes, which contribute to road and bridge construction and maintenance.

As of April, there have been 70 confirmed human cases in the U.S., with the first reported death in January of this year, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The Student-Parent Support Initiative, or SPSI, passed in the 2023 legislative session and gives money to programs that help students with children succeed in higher education.

And: U.S. wouldn't see "bang for buck" in reviving coal; and moms fish free Mother's Day weekend.

The Minnesota Moms Fishing Challenge is also in its third year for opening fishing weekend, May 10-11, 2025.

Utilities are gradually shifting away from coal, but the Trump administration still sees it as viable. Minnesota is part of new findings that throw cold water on the reinvestment push.

The union hosted 10 town halls across the state, with three in Northern Minnesota. They noted seven themes in the new report.

Bemidji Fire Chief Justin Sherwood is the first recipient of the new Northwest Technical College IMPACT Award and will speak at NTC's commencement on Friday, May 9, 2025.

Plus: the National Weather Service issued a Red Flag Warning for six counties in far northwest Minnesota; Greenway Schools join other districts in region making staff cuts; a coalition is working to end forced labor in the state's prisons; and thousands of students are expected to participate in Bike to School Day on May 7, 2025.

Fire danger remains very high to high in most of northern Minnesota, with a Red Flag Warning issued for six counties on May 5, 2025.