skip to main content
skip to newscasts

Friday, January 17, 2025

Public News Service Logo
facebook instagram linkedin reddit youtube twitter
view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

Gaza hostage and ceasefire deal officially signed in Doha; Cabinet nominees push deregulation of America's food systems; Ohio Dems encourage community-focused people to run for office; in State of State address, GA Gov. Kemp proposes tax cuts, tort reform.

view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

Biden highlights the challenges faced reaching a Gaza ceasefire, progressives urge action on the Equal Rights Amendment, the future of TikTok remains up in the air, and plans for protests build ahead of Trump's inauguration.

view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

"We can't eat gold," warn opponents of a proposed Alaskan gold mine who say salmon will be decimated. Ahead of what could be mass deportations, immigrants get training about their rights. And a national coalition grants money to keep local news afloat.

Advocates: National Bike or Walk to School Day "Good For MN Children"

play audio
Play

Tuesday, October 1, 2019   

ST. PAUL, Minn. — Wednesday is National Bike or Walk to School Day, and participants say this is a good time to look at how Minnesotans can clear the path for students.

Dorian Grilley is executive director with the Bike Alliance of Minnesota. He said getting to and from school can be a simple way to ensure young people get as much as 40 minutes of the recommended hour of exercise they need each day. And he said that's a big deal for their physical and mental health.

"Kids that get the recommended level of physical activity actually learn better,” Grilley said. “They're healthier, they learn better, and I think that's a great investment in our future."

Grilley said thousands of students around the state will be celebrating the day by walking or biking to school. And he said the state could help make that a habit by investing in the Safe Routes to School program - which, among other things, pays for more sidewalks and safe road crossings.

Grilley said his own son was diagnosed with attention deficit disorder. But instead of treating him with medication, he and his wife decided to handle it in other ways - which included biking to school. He stressed he's not a health professional, but he thinks it helped.

"By the time he graduated from high school, he was riding to school every day. And the attention deficit disorder just kind of slowly disappeared,” he said.

According to the Minnesotans for Healthy Kids Coalition, 50 years ago, nearly half of all students walked to school. Now, only 13% do so, while childhood obesity rates have risen by more than a quarter. The coalition pointed to the Safe Routes to School program as a way to address these changes, through everything from crossing guards to school safety programs.

But Grilley said as it stands, the program has been able to fund less than one-third of the requests it receives.

"For the last two bonding bills, the Legislature has included $1 million,” he said. “But I'm hoping for $3 million - $5 million, which would grant funds for maybe more than 50% of the requests."

More information is available at MNHealthyKids.org.


get more stories like this via email

more stories
Federal funds will help restore Flint Creek and Jefferson River in Western Montana, benefiting wildlife, including trout, bears and migratory birds. (Melnik/Adobe Stock)

Environment

play sound

During President Joe Biden's final weeks in office, the Interior Department has announced $41 million in support of water resources and ecosystem …


Social Issues

play sound

Mississippi is embracing the future of artificial intelligence with Gov. Tate Reeves' executive order establishing a framework for its responsible …

play sound

More Michigan residents need access to affordable housing and health insurance, according to a lawmaker pushing for change. Rep. Carrie Rheingans…


The CDC says Listeria is the third-leading cause of death from foodborne illness, with about 260 fatalities per year. (Adobe Stock)

Social Issues

play sound

By Grace Hussain for Sentient.Broadcast version by Zamone Perez for Maryland News Connection reporting for the Sentient-Public News Service Collaborat…

Environment

play sound

Utility providers foresee a big rise in electricity demand which could lead to double-digit rate hikes if it is met with new natural gas-fired power p…

President-elect Trump's pick to head the Department of Health and Human Services, Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., is a fan of raw milk, which can contain dangerous pathogens and spread zoonotic diseases, like avian flu. (Adobe Stock)

Environment

play sound

By Seth Millstein for Sentient.Broadcast version by Kathryn Carley for Maine News Service reporting for the Sentient-Public News Service Collaboration…

Social Issues

play sound

In Minnesota and Washington, D.C., marches will take place this weekend as President-elect Donald Trump nears the start of his second term. An …

Environment

play sound

The future looks promising for green energy and manufacturing in Appalachia, and states like West Virginia are slated to receive around $1 billion in …

 

Phone: 303.448.9105 Toll Free: 888.891.9416 Fax: 208.247.1830 Your trusted member- and audience-supported news source since 1996 Copyright © 2021