President Joe Biden will visit hurricane-ravaged Florida with a pledge that federal, state and local governments will work as one to help rebuild homes, businesses and lives — putting politics on mute for now to focus on those in need.
Hurricane Ian has resulted in at least 84 people confirmed dead, including 75 in Florida, as hundreds of thousands of people wait for power to be restored. Ian’s 150 mph winds and punishing storm surge last week took out power for 2.6 million in Florida. Many people are unable to access food and water.
Biden planned to meet Wednesday with residents and small business owners in Fort Myers, Florida, and to thank government officials providing emergency aid and removing debris.
More than 1 million Minnesotans have qualified for bonus checks to frontline workers to recognize their work during the COVID-19 pandemic, but the payments will be for less than $500, the governor’s office announced Monday.
The state will start sending out the payments on Wednesday. The Legislature approved a total of $500 million for eligible applicants, and Gov. Tim Walz signed it into law in April.
“To a working family, $500 is very meaningful … it will be a boost for my family and many other families,” said Gene Sparks, an EMT who worked at St. Francis Regional Medical Center in Shakopee during the pandemic.
Many frontline workers faced long shifts, uncertain procedures and constant threats of infection that kept them worried throughout the day and sleepless at night during the first year of COVID-19, he added.
“The payments made this week should only be the start of the gratitude that our state shows,” Sparks said. “But today, we take a moment to pause and celebrate this win.”
Nearly 1.2 million applications were submitted during the 45-day application period this summer. The state approved 1,025,655 of them, which means the individual payments will be $487.45.
Every person who applied will receive an email by Wednesday informing them of whether or not they were approved, and next steps, said Nicole Blissenbach, temporary commissioner of the state Department of Labor and Industry.
Frontline workers who chose direct deposit should get their money within seven to 10 business days; those who chose to get their payments via debit cards will get them within three to four weeks.
The money is subject to federal income tax but not state income tax, Blissenbach added.
State officials originally estimated the final pool of qualified workers would be around 667,000 with payments of about $750 apiece, but applications exceeded expectations.
An anonymous $10 million donation was gifted to St. Thomas’ Dougherty Family College on Sept. 22 to help students obtain their associate degree, according to an article published by the St. Thomas Newsroom.
The two-year college within St. Thomas opened in the fall of 2017. DFC offers an associate degree with a curriculum designed for students who aspire to a four-year degree. The college is an integral part of the St. Thomas community and a step toward closing the education gap.
The anonymous donor challenged other donors to match the donation for a total of $20 million by the end of the academic year.
Because the donation was anonymous, there is no clear statement on what the intent of the donation was, beyond the donation match challenge.
“I would assume this person(s) is committed to eliminating the long-standing gaps in our community regarding who college is for and who is successful in college,” Emily Wingfield, development director of DFC, said.
Tuition costs about $15,000 a year per student, according to Wingfield. Most of the DFC students qualify for state grants, which helps reduce tuition to around $7,500.
With the donation, each student will have a base tuition fee of just $500 per semester. The difference is fundraised for the students each year. This allows students of DFC to graduate debt-free.
DFC students are also provided support from the program, receiving two meals per day, a free Metro pass, a laptop and textbooks. This brings tuition costs down to around $5,000 a year per student.
Addie Chryst can be reached at addie.chryst@stthomas.edu.