Minnesota imposes March deadline for renewing expired driver s licenses Time is up for Minnesota residents who have been granted extensions. January 27, 2021 6:49pm Text size Copy shortlink:
Time is up for Minnesota residents who have been granted extensions to renew their driver s licenses and state identification cards due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Credentials that would have expired over the past year but remained valid as a result of legislation signed into law by Gov. Tim Walz last year must be renewed by March 31, Megan Leonard, a spokeswoman for the Department of Vehicle Services (DVS), said Wednesday.
DVS this week will begin sending letters to about 300,000 residents who have standard driver s licenses or identification cards expiring between March 13, 2020, and Feb. 28, 2021, and still need to renew.
Bloomington to close its only Driver and Vehicle Services office City cites budget hole created by loss of revenue from lodging taxes. January 21, 2021 8:02pm Text size Copy shortlink:
Bloomington plans to close its only Driver and Vehicle Services (DVS) office, citing the $376,000 in subsidies needed in 2020 to keep the city-run amenity afloat.
The city sent out notices saying the office will close March 31 unless a private entity steps up to run it.
Some Bloomington officials say the cut is necessary to patch a $7 million hole in the 2021 budget caused mostly by decreased lodging taxes due to the pandemic s impact on the hospitality industry. But other city leaders decried the loss of a valuable resource and questioned the city s financial priorities.
Carla Barnes (Image: McLean County Government)
In a history-making moment, attorney Carla Barnes has been appointed the first Black woman to serve as a circuit judge in Illinois’ 11th Judicial Circuit.
The Illinois Supreme Court announced Tuesday that Barnes, the McLean County public defender, has been appointed to fill the vacancy created by Judge Scott Drazewski’s retirement.
“I have been with the public defender’s office for 19 years and serving the indigent clients of McLean County has been a highlight of my career,” Barnes said in a statement. “Now another opportunity has presented itself and I will do my best to serve the residents of the 11th Judicial Circuit.”
MCLEAN COUNTY GOVERNMENT / RALPH WEISHEIT / WGLT
McLean County Public Defender Carla Barnes has been appointed as the first Black woman to serve as a circuit judge in Illinois’ 11th Judicial Circuit.
Barnes fills the vacancy created by Judge Scott Drazewski’s recent retirement. It’s her second attempt at being appointed to the bench in the circuit that covers McLean, Ford, Livingston, Logan, and Woodford counties.
“I started with the public defense s office 19 years ago. I have enjoyed serving our clients as I worked my way up from traffic court to major felonies. During my six years as chief public defender, I ve always said I have the best job in the county,” Barnes said.
With new rules, Minnesota driver s license exams are back online Some may have to redo earlier tests after state addressed irregularities on website.
By Tim Harlow Star Tribune December 16, 2020 5:20pm Text size Copy shortlink:
Online road knowledge tests are back.
The state s Driver and Vehicle Services (DVS) division on Tuesday resumed offering online Class D knowledge exams after taking the system down last month to improve security and ensure integrity of the testing system.
There are some changes: Test takers will have to begin the exam immediately after registering, and proctors will be limited to supervising tests for three prospective drivers a year.