The Minnesota National Guard will deploy 400 members to reinforce nursing staff at long term care facilities.

Gov. Tim Walz announced the plan Monday, and proposed using $50 million in federal COVID relief funding to help these facilities hire and retain staff.

An email from the university stated St. Thomas will have a nursing program beginning in the fall of 2022.

The program will have prerequisite courses in the Schoenecker Center. The actual coursework will take place in a renovated Summit Classroom Building.

University officials emphasized the importance of recruiting diverse students and increasing access to culturally responsive care.

This Thanksgiving, Target will no longer open its stores after the pandemic forced it to close on the holiday and extend its seasonal sales.

Thanksgiving has historically not been a big sales day, and last year’s shift appears to have been profitable.

Target is the first major retailer making the holiday closure a permanent move. Macy’s, Walmart and Kohls have also announced that their doors will be closed this Thursday.

Nicole Gutierrez can be reached at guti5343@stthomas.edu.