The risk first responders face is getting renewed focus following the fatal shooting of two police officers and a paramedic in Minnesota. Amid challenges facing agencies, leaders say those in the field remain committed to the mission. The tragedy occurred Sunday in the Twin Cities suburb of Burnsville when teams were responding to a domestic-violence call. Smaller police departments and ambulance crews are having difficulty recruiting staff these days, and law enforcement has been under more scrutiny following the murder of George Floyd.

Eric Bullen, president of the Minnesota State Fire Chiefs Association, said even with these challenges, there are many dedicated professionals still out there.

"I think there needs to be a realization that public safety workers get up every day with truly the best intentions. And the people that you see day to day going out on the front lines are truly there for the right reasons and truly there to support their communities and public safety," Bullen emphasized.

Bullen added the public is right to scrutinize "bad actors" within public safety, adding that those situations need to be dealt with in appropriate ways. Meanwhile, this weekend's tragedy has led to concerns about negative effects on recruiting. For EMS crews, a statewide task force has already been studying hiring gaps, and some police departments in rural areas have closed amid staffing woes.

Julie Gotham, executive director of the Minnesota 100 Club, which financially supports families of first responders killed in the line of duty, said while people might sometimes get frustrated with public-safety agencies, it's important to still recognize the risks and the duties that go along with them.

"If I get a traffic ticket - for example, if I'm going too fast - maybe it means that I'm putting someone else in danger and somebody needs to slow me down and give me that warning. So, if I get outside of my own worldview and think about the broader good, it makes perfect sense to me," Gotham explained.

If you feel inspired to donate to the families of those killed on Sunday, officials warn there have been scammers trying to take advantage of the situation. Gotham said in these moments, carefully researching fundraisers and nonprofits trying to organize donations is vital.


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Eastern Kentucky communities are grappling with a ballooning short-term rental market.

This year, the town of Stanton in the Red River Gorge was ranked as the seventh-most profitable in the country to invest in a short-term rental by AirDNA, a website compiling data on Airbnb market trends.

Jessa Turner, owner of HomeGrown HideAways, which operates several Airbnbs on a 100-acre farm in Berea, said the city has been supportive as her short-term rentals have grown to host travelers from 46 states and 38 countries, most, she said, to get "off the grid" and enjoy the area's outdoor recreation.

"Our community supports us big time," Turner observed. "Berea tourism, especially, they promote us on their Facebook page and on their website. We promote all the local events, we have a bulletin board here on the farm."

The Mountain Association has compiled a list of short-term rental resources for communities, including Out of Reach, a database breaking down rental affordability for low-income households by region; and a toolkit by Airbnb to help local policymakers develop fair short-term rental regulations.

Amanda Haney, codes and planning administrator for the City of Berea, said her college town has seen success with Airbnbs, after six years of requiring they be conditionally permitted. She noted the city has recently changed zoning regulations to make it easier for some property owners to pursue short-term rentals.

"Now you just register for them, basically approved in those rental-type neighborhoods," Haney explained. "But we still left those restrictions on single-family residential neighborhoods, because we think it's important to preserve the character of the neighborhood."

Turner added in parts of the region that have experienced flooding and other natural disasters, affordable housing is scarce. She favors regulations to rein in single-family homes as short-term rentals, noting since the pandemic, many homes have been bought up by developers who want to use them for rentals.

"I don't feel like single-family homes in neighborhoods need to be bought up and rented for short-term rentals," Turner emphasized. "I think that those should stay affordable housing for single families, as they were intended to be."

The Kentucky Tourism Industry Association and League of Cities are actively suing Airbnb over tax collection issues, saying of 16 short-term rentals within the City of Berea, only one was actively paying taxes.


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Rural areas often lack essential resources but one North Carolina community is proving how local action and investment can make a difference.

Research shows access to resources like transportation and safe housing is crucial for health, yet over one in five rural residents struggles with these needs. In West Marion, North Carolina, gaps in transportation, food distribution and health care were prevalent.

Paula Swepson, executive director of the nonprofit West Marion Community Forum, recalled despite being a close-knit community, many people needed guidance on how to participate in creating change.

"You don't know what you don't know, so you don't know the resources out there," Swepson observed. "There always needs to be some type of connection with institutional partners that can let you know what's available for your community."

With direction and grants from the Kate B. Reynolds Charitable Trust, the West Marion Community Forum was established. Swepson pointed out the forum taught residents how to connect with town officials to make their voices heard.

Swepson added since then, the Forum has brought critical resources, initiated programs and established community systems. She emphasized the Foundation did not impose solutions but showed residents how to identify and address their own needs.

"They had the technical assistants come in and just facilitate monthly meetings, and just have conversations with the community and do root-cause analysis," Swepson outlined. "Out of that came our working groups."

Today, Swepson noted the forum operates a youth-led community garden and there are transportation and housing working groups. They are also focused on improving health care and building a community center. She added the progress shows community action is key to change.

"The way the community is operating now -- and the whole county now -- is that people feel empowered to at least go to the meetings and stand up," Swepson stressed. "And public comment if they can't get on the agenda, and address the things that they want to see and the concerns that they have."

The success in West Marion has inspired similar forums in East Marion and Old Fort.

By Darian Benson for Mirror Indy.
Broadcast version by Joe Ulery for Indiana News Service reporting for the Mirror Indy-Free Press Indiana-Public News Service Collaboration.

Elizabeth Castle drives past what was the Indiana Women's Prison almost daily. She lives a block away in the Willard Park neighborhood on the near east side.

"I have heard of teenagers shooting guns and hiding in the old prison building according to neighborhood emails and have seen people wandering around the remains of buildings," Castle said.

Neighbors say the long-vacant Indiana Women's Prison site is in terrible shape, and they hope the city can assist them in redeveloping the property.

"The site is just sitting there, gradually deteriorating," said Will Pritchard, a member of the Indiana Women's Prison Alliance, a group advocating for redevelopment.

"Sometimes the windows are open. Sometimes there's holes in the roofs. It's often not mowed. It's collecting trash around the site."

The Indiana Department of Administration, the agency that maintains and manages all state property, owns the property, which has been vacant for seven years. The Women's Prison was relocated to the west side in 2009, and the eastside property became a reentry facility for the Marion County criminal justice system until closing in 2017.

The Indiana Department of Administration's website states the grounds are mowed by maintenance crews every three to four weeks, weather permitting.

Neighbors think city is better positioned to manage property

The alliance and several surrounding neighborhood organizations are calling for the state to transfer ownership of the property to the city, believing the city is better positioned to plan the property's future.

Pritchard believes, after speaking with city officials, that Indianapolis is open to receiving the site from the state. He said the city has more experience working with neighborhoods and has plans for eastside redevelopment. He has heard the state might also be interested in transferring ownership to the city in exchange for an unidentified property currently owned by the city.

The Indianapolis Department of Metropolitan Development declined to comment.

"It's probably the biggest, dilapidated vacant site on the east side, and it is owned by the state of Indiana, which is really outrageous when you think about it that a site with that reputation is actually owned by the state government," Pritchard said.

The future of the site is unclear. Molly Timperman, a spokesperson for the Department of Administration, said the state isn't ready to make a decision on what to do with the site. When it is, "we are happy to have a community conversation," she said.

Pritchard lives in Woodruff Place, one of three neighborhoods surrounding the former women's prison. The alliance has asked the three neighborhoods - Willard Park, Woodruff Place and St. Clair Place - to write letters in support of the property transfer. The alliance has also requested a meeting with the Department of Administration and the mayor's office.

He hopes to come to a resolution before Gov. Eric Holcomb leaves office, worrying that the clock will restart under a new state administration. Neighborhood leaders and the state haven't always seen eye to eye.

The state has demolished most of the buildings at the former prison except for a few, including the chapel, administration building and a few dormitories. The state had set aside money to tear down the remaining buildings, but the neighborhoods blocked the demolition.

Pritchard said the state needed the neighborhoods' approval to demolish the remaining buildings because they are classified as historic. The neighborhoods aren't ready to give that approval until they know more about plans for redevelopment or reuse.

"We don't want to give our approval to tear down the buildings, because we don't trust that the DOA will build something on the site that's conducive to the surrounding neighborhoods" Pritchard said. "And we're not convinced that they will include the neighborhoods' input, either."

Regardless, Timperman said the money that had been set aside to demolish the remaining buildings was used for other state projects and is no longer available.

What the neighborhood wants

A few years ago the alliance conducted a survey asking residents what they would like to see replace the abandoned site. Requests ranged from houses, to a workforce development training center to a grocery store.

"They have not said to the state or to the mayor's office, 'Here's what we want to see there,' because there's such a diversity of views," Pritchard said. "Their primary request is, their only request is to involve us in the decision."

Castle says the space has a lot of potential. She envisions mixed-use space for housing, entertainment and exercise.

"My greatest concern for the property staying vacant is at best a missed opportunity for the near east side," Castle said. "And at worst, an eyesore for all the neighbors around and potentially an enabler for criminal activity."


Darian Benson wrote this article for Mirror Indy.


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