Google announced on Tuesday that it is building a data center in Pine Island, Minn. near Rochester. The tech giant is partnering with Xcel Energy on the project, and says it will pay for all costs associated with electricity (the agreement still needs approval from the Minnesota Public Utilities Commission). “The Google data center in Pine Island will be used to support Google’s core services, such as Workspace, Search, YouTube and Maps, a press release says,” Fox 9 reports. “Our commitment to Minnesota goes beyond building infrastructure; it’s about being a responsible partner, neighbor, and a good citizen of the grid,” Amanda Peterson Corio, head of Data Center Energy at Google, said in a statement
Singer, medical researcher, ICU nurse, outdoor adventurer. The Minnesota Star Tribune has a lengthy profile of Alex Pretti’s life before he entered the national spotlight as the second observer in Minneapolis killed by an immigration agent. “Outside of work, Pretti’s penchant for action translated to activism.”
Brooklyn Center police fatally shot a man Monday afternoon who Minneapolis police say killed two of his cousins earlier in the day immediately after getting out of jail. “Brooklyn Center police said they were called to businesses on Brooklyn Boulevard shortly before 4 p.m. after reports of a man waving a gun. Police said that ‘gunfire was exchanged’ and the man was struck.” The state Bureau of Criminal Apprehension is investigating.
Stand With Minnesota, the mutual aid clearinghouse organized by Ashley Fairbanks that MinnPost reported on earlier this month, has raised over $20 million dollars for Minnesotans affected by Operation Metro Surge. The Guardian has a Q&A with Fairbanks, where she again emphasized the need for rent relief. “Everything else, we can rebuild. There’s other assistance. But with rent, no one’s coming to save them,” she said.
Time to pick your favorite: Sled Zeppelin, Every Day I’m Shovelin’, Oh, For Sleet’s Sake, and on and on. Bring Me the News has a round-up of the winners of the Minnesota Department of Transportation‘s (MnDOT) annual Name a Snowplow contest.
