awilliams@bemidjipioneer.com
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Adults from the community may have an opportunity to assist area students improve their reading skills now that Bemidji School District has been designated as a Minnesota Reading Corps site for next year. The Minnesota Reading Corps, a statewide initiative that helps children become successful readers, matches trained AmeriCorps members and community volunteers with children who are at risk for not reading at their grade level. As part of the program, the following positions will be added to the school district for next year: E Two fulltime literacy tutors each at Northern and J.W.
Reaching a deal on teaching contracts for the 2011-12 and 2012-13 school year currently rests in the hands of the local teachers' union. Two leadership teams with the Bemidji Education Association have approved the latest contract offer from the Bemidji School District.
The public is being asked by the Bemidji School District's Board of Education to weigh in on what the 2012-13 school year should look like. On Monday, the board unanimously approved to move three calendar options forward for consideration. The board is now asking the public for input on whether a spring break should be included in next year's calendar. All three calendar options have the school year starting Sept. 4, and include 173 student days and 183 teacher contract days, with Aug. 27 designated as the teachers' first day of work.
How long students should spend on spring break will be discussed by the Bemidji School District's Board of Education during its next meeting at 4:30 p.m.
A labor of love is what Justin "Bud" Kaney expects brewing craft beer will be like. After he and his friends, Tom Hill and Tina Hanke, successful raised $17,500 through kickstarter.com, plans are now in the works to turn their up-and-coming Bemidji Brewing Company into a reality. Because starting a microbrewery comes with a hefty price tag, rather than asking for a loan through a bank, the three friends started an online campaign, hoping it would allow them to brew their beer sooner. They asked the public to donate a total of $15,000 to cover the costs of purchasing a 30-gallon kettle used
Students First, a collaborative initiative that involves numerous community organizations and leaders striving to help students create their own success plan and have access to a caring adult, is looking for adults from the community to serve as student success coaches for area seventh-graders. Originating with "Bemidji Leads!" and facilitated by Beltrami Area Service Collaborative and Headwaters Regional Development Commission, Students First embarked in a trial phase this year.
Negotiations between the Bemidji School District and the Bemidji Education Association on teaching contracts for the 2012-13 and 2013-14 school years have taken a new turn. A table agreement was reached around 5:30 p.m.
When a suspicious-looking vehicle was seen circling the playground during the lunch hour Feb. 9, seven students at Central Elementary School made the right call. They noted the car's color and remembered the license plate number.
While it appears Minneapolis, the state and the Minnesota Vikings are close to a preliminary agreement on how to pay for a $975 million Vikings stadium, Terri Widman is not breathing sigh of relief just yet. The executive director of the Region 2 Arts Council said Friday that until an official agreement has been signed, there is still a chance lawmakers could decide to use dollars from the 2008 Clean Water, Land and Legacy Amendment for funding the stadium. Last week, Widman and representatives from two organizations that rely on Legacy Amendment money, told the Pioneer that losing these dol
Negotiations between the Bemidji School District and the Bemidji Education Association on teaching contracts for the 2012-13 and 2013-14 school years have been delayed. Both groups and a mediator with the state Bureau of Mediation Services were scheduled to meet Wednesday, but the meeting was postponed until next Tuesday. The delay was prompted by an issue with the mediator's schedule. So far, BEA representatives have met with school district officials 12 times, including once with a state mediator, in an effort to reach a tentative agreement. Every two years, school district teachers hav