 Governor Walz today celebrated the 13th annual Minnesota Governor’s Pheasant Hunting Opener in Ortonville and Big Stone County. Governor Walz’s hunting party harvested two roosters this morning. The opener events demonstrated Ortonville’s scenic and vibrant community, conservation work, public lands, and community spirit for hundreds of invited guests.
“Thank you to the people of Ortonville and Big Stone County for this memorable celebration of community and our pheasant hunting traditions,” said Governor Walz. “As a lifelong pheasant hunter, I applaud the vital conservation work being done by organizations in Big Stone County and across our state’s pheasant range. It is the incredible conservation work and the outpouring of support from community volunteers that makes this sport and this event possible.”
 On Monday, Governor Walz celebrated the opening of the Twin Ports Interchange project in Duluth. The $510 million reconstruction of I-35, I-535, and Highway 53 is one of Minnesota’s largest infrastructure projects, representing a major investment in the safety and economic vitality of Northeast Minnesota.
“This project is about more than new roads and bridges. It supports the flow of commerce that keeps Minnesota moving and will make travel for Duluth residents and everyone who visits the Northland a little safer,” said Governor Walz. “The Twin Ports Interchange is a vital link for families, businesses, and freight across the region. Thanks to the long-term vision of state and community leaders, we are setting Minnesota up for decades of growth.”
The Twin Ports Interchange serves more than 80,000 vehicles daily, including over 5,000 heavy trucks. The project replaces the aging “can of worms,” eliminates blind merges and left exits, and improves freight mobility along one of Minnesota’s busiest commercial corridors.
 On Wednesday, Governor Walz received his COVID-19 and influenza vaccinations, underscoring that Minnesotans will continue to have the freedom to access life-saving vaccines, even as the Trump administration and Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy Jr. create confusion with conflicting federal guidance.
“Our message today is simple: Minnesotans will continue to have the freedom to receive their vaccines,” said Governor Walz. “Home to the Mayo Clinic and some of the world’s foremost experts on health, in Minnesota we are guided by science and we believe in medical expertise. In Minnesota, your health decisions are between you and your doctor, not politicians in Washington."
In September, Governor Walz signed an executive order directing the Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) to expand efforts to safeguard vaccine access. Under this order, Minnesota issued a standing protocol empowering pharmacists to provide COVID-19 vaccines to people 3 years and older, reducing barriers and ensuring broader availability.
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