Northwood Children's Services has a new two-bed crisis stabilization shelter at its diagnostic and assessment center in Duluth. The shelter, opened in collaboration with St. Louis County, expects to offer short-term care while services are sought for kids and their families. The ongoing pandemic has fueled the need for more acute care for kids in the area, the nonprofit mental and behavioral health agency says, and hospitals aren't always the right setting.
"This collaboration with St. Louis County will have a meaningful impact on kids and families in our area. We know it is a small shelter, but it is desperately needed and is already off the ground and running," said Jamie Ross, director of Community Residential Services for Northwood, in a news release.
JANA HOLLINGSWORTH
ELK RIVER
Emerald ash borer confirmed in Sherburne County
The Minnesota Department of Agriculture on Wednesday confirmed the presence of emerald ash borer in Sherburne County for the first time. A tree care company contacted the state after suspecting a tree in Elk River was infested; the state then confirmed live larvae in the tree.
The insect kills ash trees by tunneling under the bark and feeding on the part of the tree that moves nutrients up and down the trunk. It was first discovered in Minnesota in 2009. Emerald ash borer is now in 36 counties in the state, most of which are in the central and southern parts of the state, including the Twin Cities metro.
The state is enacting a quarantine to limit the movement of firewood and ash material out of the area to reduce the risk of further spread.
