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Briefly

Health officials cite 5 new measles cases

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Minnesota health officials have confirmed five new cases of measles in young children in Hennepin County, bringing the total number of cases in the outbreak to eight.

The Minnesota Department of Health says seven of the cases have occurred in the Somali-American community. Minnesota Health Commissioner Dr. Ed Ehlinger says that while the outbreak is about unvaccinated children and not specific communities, the Somali community has been “targeted with misinformation” about risks from vaccine.

All but one of the eight cases involved common contact. Six of the children were hospitalized.

Symptoms of measles include a high fever, cough, runny nose and watery eyes followed by a rash. It is highly contagious and spreads easily by coughing, sneezing or even being in the same room with someone who has measles.

Volunteers prepare for annual cleanups

TRAVERSE CITY, Mich. (AP) — Volunteer groups are preparing to take part in cleanups of Great Lakes beaches.

The nonprofit Alliance for the Great Lakes sponsors trash pickup events each spring. Many take place on or around Earth Day, which this year is April 22.

Adopt-a-Beach volunteers joined nearly 1,400 cleanup projects in 2016. They gathered a combined 40,000 pounds of debris.

In addition to making shoreline areas healthier and more enjoyable, the cleanups provide valuable information about pollution sources that is shared with scientists and beach managers.

The Chicago-based Alliance for the Great Lakes says 87 percent of the litter picked up last year was some form of plastic, including cigarette filters, water bottles and food containers.

To find an Adopt-a-Beach event near you or start a new one, visit http://www.greatlakesadopt.org .

Governor aims to renovate institution

ST. PETER, Minn. (AP) — Officials at the Minnesota Security Hospital in St. Peter say the prison-like psychiatric institution needs upgrades to protect staff from the state’s most acutely mentally ill and dangerous patients.

In five years, state officials have recorded 370 patient assaults on staff members that required medical treatment, the St. Paul Pioneer Press reported. In 2016, 51 injuries were caused by patients assaulting other patients.

Gov. Mark Dayton is asking the Legislature to allocate $70 million this year to complete the renovation of the 150-year-old campus. It’s the most expensive project in the governor’s $1.5 billion proposal for funding public works. “We cannot defer these long-overdue investments any longer,” Dayton said.

Dayton said the renovation is critical for the safety of patients, staff and local residents, because it separates patients from “from schools, parks, neighborhoods and other public settings.”

Lawmakers began funding the renovation in 2014 when they included $56 million in a bonding bill for the first phase of constructing new residential and programming facilities at the hospital.

The first phase, which was completed in January, included 36 beds in “crisis” and “acute” residential units, and 48 beds in less-restrictive settings for patients transitioning out of the program. It also included a new campus center.

A Senate committee has proposed providing $58 million for the project as part of a $973 million bonding bill.

The second phase would include building more new residential units, reconstructing the current split-level bedroom wings into single-story spaces, remodeling other living spaces and bringing all facilities up to building-code standards.

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