State briefs: New book documents Ojibwe band's history

The Red Lake Band of Ojibwe is celebrating a new book documenting its past.

Bemidji State University Prof. Anton Treuer wrote "Warrior Nation: A History of the Red Lake Ojibwe" at the request of the Red Lake Tribal Council. The book contains a political history in seven main chapters, each highlighting a different leader. It outlines how the Ojibwe migrated to the area in the 1700s and how Red Lake was able to retain its reservation land base.

Treuer's research included taking oral histories from tribal elders and studying newly released archival collections at Red Lake, which described negotiations over reservation boundaries. More than 125 people attended a book launch celebration at the Red Lake Nation College in late October.

Pam Louwagie @pamlouwagie

Rochester voters narrowly approved a roughly 45 percent levy increase for their school district in the city's only item on its ballot in last Tuesday's elections.

Voters approved an operating levy override that increased the existing funding of $578.38 per pupil with a new authorization of $836.82 per pupil, set to apply or 10 years unless otherwise revoked or reduced.

The measure passed with 50.69 percent of the vote, or just 281 votes, according to results posted on the secretary of state's website as of Wednesday.

Stephen Montemayor

Construction of Bemidji's first homeless shelter allowing chronic alcohol and drug users is about a month behind schedule.

The 16-bed shelter was expected to open Nov. 1, but work to convert the former downtown church is ongoing. Reed Olson, chairman of Nameless Coalition for the Homeless, said the shelter should open next month, with any luck before the area sees a significant snowfall.

"I think we will be able to demonstrate immediately that we are a good fit in the neighborhood and we're good for the community," Olson said in a previous interview, "[and] that we'll save the police money, we'll save the ER visits, we'll give some people a little bit of dignity where maybe sometimes they don't have it,"

He said the project has been plagued by red tape and complications. The final purchase agreements took longer than expected and the building needed additional work to bring it up to code, he said.