The weather was here, the pope resigns and Minnesota represents at the Grammys

Slippery roads in downtown Duluth, Minn. made it difficult for vehicles to make up the city's steep hills Sunday, February 10th, 2013 as a winter storm moved through the city. (Derek Montgomery for MPR)by Phil Picardi, Minnesota Public Radio,
Hart Van Denburg, Minnesota Public Radio
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Today on the MPR News Update: We're still counting snowfall totals and school closures from a two-day winter storm, Pope Benedict surprises Minnesota Catholics with his resignation, and the Okee Dokee Brothers win a Grammy.

THE WEATHER IS HERE: A two-day storm dumped a load of snow across Minnesota over the weekend, closing portions of a major interstate and prompting snow emergencies in Minneapolis, St. Paul and some suburbs. The National Weather service reports 18 inches of snow fell in Audubon, about 230 miles northwest of the Twin Cities. Tim Nelson has the story here, we have a gallery of photos here, and Paul Huttner's Updraft blog is tracking what's like to happen next.

BENEDICT BOWS OUT: Declaring that he lacks the strength to do his job, Pope Benedict XVI announced Monday he will resign Feb. 28, becoming the first pontiff to step down in 600 years. The 85-year-old pope dropped the bombshell in Latin during a meeting of Vatican cardinals, surprising even his closest collaborators even though he had made clear previously that he would step down if he became too old or infirm to carry on. Read the story here, and a full transcript of Benedict's remarks here.

We'll have a full range of Minnesota reactions soon. In the meantime, the Daily Circuit's Kerri Miller spoke with Don Briel, director of the Center for Catholic Studies at the University of St. Thomas, about the news.

OKEE DOKEE THEN: Hours before the 55th annual Grammy Awards were telecast, several albums with Minnesota ties picked up Grammys in a pre-show ceremony, most notably the Okee Dokee Brothers, who won in the Best Children's Album category for their 2012 album, "Can You Canoe?" The Current's Andrea Swensson says the Brothers, known off stage as Denver-born, Minneapolis-based friends and musicians Joe Mailander and Justin Lansing, have been increasingly popular here in the Twin Cities. Work by Concordia College professor, conductor, and composer Rene Clausen also won awards.

SAME-SEX MARRIAGE: The effort to legalize same-sex marriage in Minnesota picks up this week when supporters gather for a Valentine's Day rally at the State Capitol. Gov. Mark Dayton gave their cause a boost last week in his State of the State address, but legislators have not yet introduced any marriage bills. Meanwhile, the Minnesota House will take its first votes of the session this week on bills ranging from tax conformity to state employee contracts. Morning Edition's Cathy Wurzer spoke with Capitol reporter Tim Pugmire about the developments.

CRISIS TRAINING: In 2012, 24 percent of the more than 15,000 Minnesota inmates sought therapy. The most common diagnosis was antisocial personality disorder. Now, crisis intervention training is helping prison workers who deal with mentally ill inmates. The Minnesota Department of Corrections is providing the voluntary training, recognizing that correctional officers have long been on the front lines in the response to mental illness. Rupa Shenoy reports.

BRIDGING DIFFERENCES: Minneapolis Mayor R.T. Rybak plans to dedicate a bridge to the former mayor he unseated more than a decade ago. Sharon Sayles Belton served two terms as mayor, starting in 1994, before Rybak beat her in 2001. He's going to dedicate the 3rd Avenue Bridge over Interstate 94 to Belton, Curtis Gilbert reports.

COMCAST: Comcast cable customers with both older TV sets and basic television service will need new equipment to continue to receive basic channels. Martin Moylan reports the cable company is switching to an all-digital network, beginning next month.

SCHOOL-BASED CLINICS: Around since the 1980s, school health clinics received a shot in the arm from the federal Affordable Care Act, which earmarked $200 million from 2010 to 2013 to build and equip more centers and expand services. Now, more are looking to expand their patient base to reap revenue that can subsidize the care often given for free to youngsters as well as fill a dire larger need for community health care access.

NATIVE COOKING: Julie Siple has a story about a new cooking program beginning this week that aims to improve the health of Native American families in the Twin Cities metro area. The cooking classes, which begin on Tuesday, will focus on making simple, healthy meals at home. They will incorporate locally grown ingredients and foods traditional to the Native American diet.

ST. PAUL STREETS FLOODED: Echoes of last month's street flooding in downtown Minneapolis: An underground water line ruptured early Saturday in downtown St. Paul, flooding several city blocks, causing a widespread drop in water pressure and prompting city officials to warn against drinking tap water.

HIGH SPEED RAIL: Hundreds of Midwest manufacturers stand to benefit from a web of high-speed passenger rail routes emerging from Chicago's rail hub, according to a report released by an environmental policy group that has fought to defend the use of billions in taxpayer money on such projects.

MEDICAL SCHOOL DEAN RESIGNS: Dr. Aaron Friedman has resigned his post as dean of the University of Minnesota's medical school. Alex Friedrich has more university president Eric Kaler's statement here, and Friedman's statement here.

Phil Picardi is a newscaster for MPR News, and occasionally fills in as Morning Edition host when Cathy Wurzer is away.

Hart is the morning online editor at MPR News.

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Minnesota at the Grammys, sex trafficking victims, and a major winter storm looms

Minnesota Orchestra patron Judy Dayton and Mayor R.T. Rybak hosted a concert at the Minneapolis Convention Center to mark the Minnesota Orchestra's Grammy nomination for best orchestral performance on Friday, Feb. 1, 2013. (MPR Photo/Euan Kerr)by Phil Picardi, Minnesota Public Radio,
Hart Van Denburg, Minnesota Public Radio
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ST. PAUL, Minn. — Today on the MPR News Update we look forward to the Grammy's on Sunday night and the possibility of a win by the Minnesota Orchestra. We visit a ranch in southeastern Minnesota where young victims of sex trafficking find refuge. And our radar's up for what might be a major winter storm hitting the state at the end of the weekend.

GRAMMY WATCH: Members of the Minnesota Orchestra on Sunday afternoon will learn if its highly acclaimed recording of the Sibelius 2nd and 5th Symphonies has won the coveted Grammy for Best Orchestral Performance. Now entering the fifth month of a musician lock-out, a win for the orchestra would be some good news amid the labor strife. Euan Kerr reports.

GRAMMY WATCH 2: Minnesota's Okee Dokee Brothers "Can You Canoe?" will be up for best children's album at this Sunday's Grammy Awards. The album was written while the duo, Justin Lansing and Joe Mailander, were on a months-long trip on the Mississipp River from Minnesota to Missouri. Lansing and Mailander -- who aren't actually brothers, grew up together in Colorado exploring the outdoors -- and they want their family-friendly music to help kids and parents do the same. Listen to them here.

HEARTLAND GIRLS' RANCH: To combat the growing problem of sex trafficking, Minnesota is changing how it views underage victims. Advocates are asking lawmakers to help support safe housing that's not juvenile detention. The Heartland Girls' Ranch, founded more than 20 years ago as a place for abused or neglected girls, is one such healthy refuge from sexual exploitation. Sasha Aslanian reports from the ranch, and photographer Jennifer Simonson offers a look inside.

NEW HAT IN STADIUM RING: Tim Nelson, on the new Stadium Watch blog, says that days from the scheduled selection of a builder for the new Vikings stadium, Minneapolis-based Kraus-Anderson says it's among the final contenders to win the job from the Minnesota Sports Facilities Authority.

WEATHER EYE: Confidence is growing for a major winter storm to take aim at Minnesota, the eastern Dakotas and northwest Wisconsin this weekend, with areas of the upper Midwest likely to be buried in heavy snow Saturday night and Sunday, meteorologist Paul Huttner says. Meantime, a storm poised to dump up to 3 feet of snow from New York City to Boston and beyond beginning Friday could be one for the record books. Most airlines were giving up on flying in and out of New York, Boston and other cities in the Northeast Friday.

WHY DOES HE DO THIS STUFF? Extreme cold thwarted Arctic explorer Lonnie Dupre's third attempt to become the first person to summit Alaska's Mount McKinley solo in the dead of winter. The 51-year-old North Shore resident told his support crew that he made his decision to abort his climb while it was 35 below zero in a snow cave he had built at the 17,200-foot level of the 20,320-foot mountain, North America's tallest peak. Dupre is now in Homer, Alaska recuperating from the climb. He joined editor Michael Olson for a live chat on Friday.

IMMIGRANT POLITICAL TRENDS: U.S.-born children of Hispanic immigrants are more likely than their parents to identify themselves as Democrats as they integrate into American life, maintaining strong ties to their cultural heritage while casting themselves as liberal on social issues. A wide-ranging study released Thursday by the Pew Research Center lays bare some of the difficulties for the Republican Party following elections last November, when President Obama won with support from 80 percent of nonwhite and ethnic voters.

FLU DEATHS: Minnesota's death toll from influenza has reached 127, Lorna Benson reports. Still, even though the Minnesota Department of Health confirmed 15 additional flu-related deaths in the state last week, less than half as many as the 36 flu deaths in the previous week. That and several other signs indicate that the worst of the outbreak continues to wind down.

SAND MINE STUDIES: Two state agencies are calling for a broader and more detailed environmental study on two proposed silica sand mines in Winona County. The recommendation comes as some legislators are considering the possibility of a statewide study of the potential environmental and health effects of the booming industry. Two Winona County landowners are applying for permits to mine silica sand. More from Stephanie Hemphill here.

INFANT DROWNING: Brandt Williams reports that the Hennepin County Attorney's office Thursday charged a Minnetrista man with criminal vehicular homicide: Jonathan Markle's infant daughter died when the car he was driving fell through the ice on Lake Minnetonka last month. Markle, 41, was allegedly drunk at the time. http://minnesota.publicradio.org

PRONE RESTRAINT: A Minnesota Department of Education report, put together with help from educators, school officials and mental health experts, is recommending schools be allowed to continue the use of a controversial physical restraint, used to subdue or calm agitated students, until 2017. Tim Post says current state law would ban the practice, called prone restraint, this August. Some advocates of disabled children worry the move puts students in danger. Almost like a wrestling hold, it is used on students who threaten to hurt themselves or someone else.

PAY RAISE: Thousands of state employees may soon get a raise. State senators Thursday approved a new contract that includes a 2 percent pay hike. The House, which is also controlled by Democrats, is expected to vote on the contract sometime next week.

OFFICER CRIMINAL SEXUAL CONDUCT CHARGES: A Minneapolis police officer who lives in Andover is facing criminal sexual conduct charges involving several young girls. Anoka County Sheriff spokesman commander Paul Sommer says the department started the investigation several weeks ago. Brandt Williams reports that authorities discovered that the man allegedly used social media websites to contact several girls between the ages of 12 and 14.

PHOTOS OF THE WEEK: Want to see what we're talking about? Check out this week's MPR News photos of the week.

Phil Picardi is a newscaster for MPR News, and occasionally fills in as Morning Edition host when Cathy Wurzer is away.

Hart is the morning online editor at MPR News.

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