Anyone still hoping to buy a Minnesota license for fishing, hunting and trapping, ATV’s or for boating, get your license by TODAY, June 30, because tomorrow may be too late. This includes online and telephone sales. I talked with Scott Pengelly, Minnesota’s DNR media director, and he’s warning everyone that in the event the Minnesota Legislature and Gov. Dayton are still at an impasse, the state will shut down, and that includes all Minnesota State Parks and the DNR’s ability to process licenses. However, keep in mind that all natural resource and license laws will remain in effect during a shut down.
All state park facilities with events planned (such as weddings and family reunions) and camp grounds normally open for the 4th of July that will be effected by a shutdown, will close at 4 p.m. on June 30. Minnesota’s DNR will refund deposits, and money sent for reservations will be refunded once (if?? when??) the children arguing at the capital in St. Paul learn to play together again and Minnesota’s state services are operating once again.
HEAR THE SCREAMING WALLETS
In July, Moorhead/Clay County motorists will see a step-up in speed patrols. This is a statewide campaign coordinated by the Minnesota Department of Public Safety Office of Traffic Safety. So, lead-footed one, this is what your wallet will be screaming to remind you. An average speeding citation for 10 mph over the limit is $145. Pulled over going 20 mph over the speed limit? Double the previous amount. Anyone ticketed traveling more than 100 mph can lose their license for six months.
The Moorhead Police Department cites the dangers of speeding for greater potential for loss of vehicle control, increased stopping distance, less time available for driver response for crash avoidance, and increased crash severity that lead to more numerous and severe injuries. More than twice as many speed-related fatal crashes occur on rural roads as on major urban roads.
This is contingent, of course, upon whether the overgrown children in the Minnesota State Legislature decide to behave as average grown-ups and miraculously find the path to compromise. Don’t hold your breath, folks. They haven’t done much of that all year, why would they start now?
ONE HAND GIVES PARENT RIGHTS AS THE OTHER TAKES AWAY
• U.S. Supreme Court strikes down California law that would have banned selling violent video games to children in a 7 – 2 vote, believing the voluntary ratings system is sufficient for parents to determine if a game has content that is appropriate for their specific child. Meaning: parents need to keep an eye out for their own children by being parents.
• Meanwhile, lawmakers in California, New Jersey, New York and Pennsylvania are considering banning tanning beds for people under age 18. Legislators in Massachusetts are considering a ban for teens under 14 or 16 in two separate bills. Lawmakers in Illinois, Maryland, Minnesota, New Mexico, Florida, Kentucky, Vermont and Washington rejected such measures this year.
The Food and Drug Administration claims exposure to UV radiation, whether from the sun or a tanning bed, can cause skin cancer, burns, premature skin aging and eye damage. According to the FDA “There is no such thing as a safe tan.” This follows on the heels of a WHO research classification of UV-emitting tanning beds as “carcinogenic” and a strong recommendation for restricting minors’ access to sun beds and sunlamps for anyone under 18.
No wonder new and old parents alike are confused about what their role in raising their children is. Would it be too much to expect the Federal and state law makers to just get together, make up all their “parental guidance” rules and regulations, then send a booklet out to every new parent? It’s getting way too confusing, not to mention impossible to remember which new mandate is a Fed requirement or a state law. Before long, every home will need a library wall dedicated to governmental mandates.
Contrary to what many think, the deadliest time on Minnesota roads is during the warm weather – the heart of the summer driving season – when drivers increase their speeding behavior. The Moorhead Police want to remind drivers to keep a three-second following distance; avoid tailgating or any aggressive driving behaviors such as running lights, breezing through stop signs and unsafe passing.
Another safety concern is the record-high number of motorcyclists on the road. Over half of all motorcycle crashes are single-vehicle events in which the rider loses control of the bike and runs off the road or crashes. Sgt. Robb Matheson says a major factor in rider deaths is unsafe speed, and he stresses that motorists should look twice for riders — especially at intersections — because motorcycles are smaller, their speeds and distance can be harder to gauge.
STAY SAFE and have a HAPPY
4th of JULY, EVERYONE!
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