Welcome to your news update.
MAHONEY PROPOSES TAX INCREASE FOR SAFETY
Fargo Mayor Tim Mahoney wants your feedback this morning.
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He wants to hear from taxpayers on a tax increase he believes could make the city safer. Mahoney brought it up at Monday's city commission meeting as part of a larger discussion on safety. Both Mahoney and Police Chief David Todd told commissioners at the meeting they believe the city is a safe place, but the topic came up due to a high profile murder. Two weeks ago, a barbecue food truck vendor died after two men shot and killed him downtown, and in 2018 Fargo had six murders, which was a record. Mahoney said the police department plans to increase patrols in the area. In the proposal, taxes would go up by $562,000. The tax increase would amount to $10.69 a year on a $250,000 house. The additional money would allow the department to hire seven new officers.
MINNESOTA FAMILIES REQUIRED TO DISCLOSE ETHNICITY OF THEIR CHILDREN
Families in some school districts say they're worried about a new Minnesota law requiring ethnicity on a school form.
Their main contention: What happens if they refuse to fill it out? WDAY found out if those families refuse to give the information, it will be filled out for them. Some parents in East Grand Forks tell us they plan to ignore the form, and that's a concern for the Minnesota Department of Education. The department says it could use the information as a way to determine funding.
ZEBRA MUSSELS FOUND IN NORTH DAKOTA LAKE
A zebra mussel discovery in a North Dakota lake will likely create a more widespread infestation.
The Department of Game and Fish says it found the mussels in Lake Ashtabula, about a half-hour north of Valley City. It's an impoundment made from a dam on the Sheyenne River. That means parts of the Sheyenne downstream from the lake, and all the way to the Red River, now will be classified as being infested. Moving water away from the lake and river is now prohibited. Zebra mussels were first discovered in North Dakota in the Red River back in 2015.
