Oct. 15, 2020
Rain + snow on the way. Tonight will have partly cloudy skies with lows in the 20s. Tomorrow will be mostly sunny with isolated afternoon showers and highs in the upper 20s northeast and lower 50s southwest.
Friday night will be cloudy with a chance of snow in the north, lows in the 20s north and 30s south. Look for more snow possible in the north on Saturday.
Minnesota Senate passes a massive public works bill, ending the fifth special session. The Minnesota Legislature has approved a nearly $2 billion public works bill, most of it funded by long-term borrowing financed by state bonds. The projects include everything from road underpasses to repairs at the Minnesota Zoo to the Upper Harbor amphitheater project in Minneapolis. Minnesota reported 19 new COVID-19 deaths, nearly twice the recent daily average, as new cases topped 1,000 for the eighth straight day. The number of active cases in the state — those that have been confirmed and have not yet recovered or are no longer in need of isolation — has also passed 10,000 for the first time during the pandemic.
Enrollment has fallen in nearly every public school district in the Twin Cities this fall, as families respond to the COVID-19 pandemic. A survey by the Association of Metropolitan School Districts says school officials are reporting enrollment declines of one to four percent. Kindergarten enrollment is dropping by as much as 20 percent, as parents put off enrolling kids in distance or hybrid programs and wait to start school for their child next year. For more of the latest news in under 10 minutes, subscribe to the Minnesota Today podcast. — Tim Nelson | MPR News | 