April 6
Did you know that most fires happen at home? That’s because it’s usually where people spend the most time. So what does that mean during a pandemic, when there’s a stay at home order and most of us are barely leaving the house at all? It means we need to use some of that extra time to make our homes fire safe...
April 2
As you know, Gov. Walz issued a stay at home order last week – and Minnesotans are taking it very seriously. Non-essential businesses are shuttered, people are limiting their movements, bicycle and pedestrian traffic is up 20 percent. The Department of Public Safety Driver and Vehicle Services division (DPS-DVS) is no exception: They have closed all their exam stations statewide, and independently owned and operated deputy registrar and driver’s license agent offices are closed as well...
March 30
The COVID-19 pandemic has brought out the best in many people. We’re checking on elderly family members and cheerily offering our neighbors six feet of distance when we pass them on the sidewalk. People are making and donating face masks. Whole neighborhoods are serenading hospital workers. But, as in every crisis, there are those who would take advantage of the situation for their own gain, and this is no time to let down our guard. In this case, cyber criminals know COVID-19 has created a lot of interest and fear, and they’re counting on the public’s interest in...
March 26
COVID-19 has changed the way we work, eat, learn, play, relax and live in general. Occasionally you hear about something the pandemic has changed that you’d never have thought about. Public safety answering points (PSAPs) or 911 dispatch centers may be one of those things. When you dial 911, your call goes to a PSAP, where a dispatcher asks you questions about your emergency and gets you the right kind of help as quickly as possible. Several days ago, the Department of Public Safety’s...
March 23
The COVID-19 emergency has touched every Minnesotan’s life in one way or another. Most of us are staying home much more than we’re accustomed to. For some, it provides a chance to spend more time with our families and pets. But for others, home is the most dangerous place they can be. That’s because, for many domestic abuse survivors, a crisis like the COVID-19 pandemic just makes things worse. Domestic abuse looks different in every relationship, but in every case, it’s a mechanism...