Nobody can agree on anything these days–except for one thing, it seems: April Fools’ Day is canceled. “April Fools’ Day pranks are not funny right now. Don’t do them,” CNN declares, noting that coronavirus-related pranks will not only make people feel worse, but will probably get you arrested. The Verge is likewise warning America’s corporate brands to stay away from silly …

Students, regents and some state lawmakers have criticized the University of Minnesota for shortchanging students with a refund of only $1,200 for room and board after having to move off campus because of the coronavirus pandemic. A semester roughly costs a student more than $5,000 for a combination of student housing and meal plans. The Star Tribune reported students have …

Please stop flushing things down the toilet that you shouldn’t be. That’s what the Alexandria Lake Area Sanitary District is asking you to be mindful about! The organization is seeing an increase in non-flushable materials being flushed such as baby wipes, napkins and paper towels. This is due to the toilet paper shortage because of COVID-19. A representative wrote this …

Gov. Tim Walz says early indications are that Minnesotans are practicing social distancing well enough that they may be helping to slow the spread of COVID-19. Walz said on a conference call with reporters that he’s still waiting for more data on when the number of cases will peak in Minnesota and when intensive care beds will reach capacity before …

On Tuesday, Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe told the AP that International Olympic Committee President Thomas Bach has agreed “100 percent” to a proposal that would push the 2020 Tokyo Summer Games to 2021 due to coronavirus concerns. In a phone call with Bach, Abe said that he requested a postponement of about one year to secure an environment in …

Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz has quarantined himself after a member of his security detail tested positive for COVID-19. While the governor says he’s not prepared yet to order residents to shelter in place, he says he might very soon. He says he feels fine but that he will manage the state’s effort to fight the pandemic from his home. Meanwhile, Sen. …

New applications for unemployment insurance in Minnesota have topped 50,000 for the week as closures of bars, restaurants and other businesses to slow the spread of the coronavirus take a toll on the state’s economy. The Department of Employment and Economic Development has been taking more than 2,000 applications per hour, compared with the usual 40 or 50. Gov. Tim …

City of Alexandria is changed their operations during this COVID-19 Pandemic. Here are their updates: “While the situation remains fluid, here are the latest updates related to city services as of 8:00 am on March 18, 2020. Staff members are available at these facilities and can be reached by phone during their normal business hours. Please remember that any person …

On Wednesday, President Trump announced via Twitter that the U.S. and Canada had agreed, “by mutual consent,” to shut down their border to “non-essential traffic” in order to stem the spread of coronavirus. The AP reports that “truck drivers and Canadian snowbirds, who live in the U.S. for part of the year and are returning to Canada, are among those …

The Minnesota Department of Education is now allowing Alexandria Public Schools to offer and deliver breakfast and lunch meals FREE to ALL students, regardless of meal benefit status. Call the Food & Nutrition Services Office at 762-3315 if you have any questions. Here is the information from the district: Alexandria Food & Nutrition Services has FREE breakfast and lunch available …