Crazy Snow, Legal Marijuana, and More – 5 Things You Need to Know For April 17

Before you head out the door or get to work this morning, check out the five things we think you need to know today.

1) Ben Franklin Elementary School in southeast Rochester broke ground yesterday morning. The project is one of $7 million worth of projects across the city made to accomodate all-day kindergarten in the city. [KROC-AM]

Do you support the idea of all-day kindergarten?

2) Snow. Believe it or not, cities all across central and northern Minnesota are completely covered in it this morning. Isanti reported the highest total with 19 inches (!). Duluth accumulated a half a foot. If you know someone up there, send them your sympathies. And shockingly, state police say they responded to 140 crashes as a result of the storm. Ho-ly. [KROC-AM]

Are people in Minnesota better at driving in the snow than people in other states?

3) Wisconsin is legalizing marijuana (sort of). Governor Scott Walker signed a bill legalizing a marijuana byproduct to treat children's seizures. That means that the legal use of marijuana for medical purposes is still not legal in Wisconsin. Medical marijuana isn't legal in Minnesota either. [Green Bay Press-Gazette]

Do you support legalizing medical marijuana?

4) Nine are dead and 287 remain missing following the sinking of a South Korean ferry. The captain is now saying "I am sorry" as news is coming out that only one of the 46 lifeboats on the ferry were deployed. [CNN]

5) There's still no trace of missing Malaysia Airlines flight 370, though searchers are confident they're closing in on the plane. Regardless, Australian officials are saying that they may have to spend another quarter of a billion dollars before they recover the plane. [CNN]