To place an obituary, please include the information from the obituary checklist below in an email to [email protected]. There is no option to place them through our website at this time. Feel free to contact our obituary desk at 651-228-5263 with any questions.
**General Information:**
– Your full name
– Address (City, State, Zip Code)
– Phone number
– An alternate phone number (if any)
**Obituary Specification:**
– Name of Deceased
– Obituary Text
– A photo in a JPEG or PDF file is preferable. TIF and other files are accepted; we will contact you if there are any issues with the photo.
– Ad Run dates
There is a discount for running more than one day, but this must be scheduled on the first run date to apply. If a photo is used, it must be used for both days for the discount to apply. Contact us for more information.
**Policies:**
**Verification of Death:**
To publish obituaries, a name and phone number of the funeral home or cremation society handling the arrangements is required. We must contact them during their business hours to verify the death. If the body of the deceased has been donated to the University of Minnesota Anatomy Bequest Program, or a similar program, their phone number is required for verification.
Please allow enough time to contact them, especially during their limited weekend hours. A death certificate is also acceptable for verification. Only one of these two options is necessary.
**Guestbook and Outside Websites:**
We are not allowed to reference other media sources with a guestbook or an obituary placed elsewhere when placing an obituary in print and online. We may place a website for a funeral home or a family email for contact instead. Contact us with any questions regarding this matter.
**Obituary Process:**
Once your submission is completed, we will fax or email a proof for review prior to publication in the newspaper. This proof includes price and days the notice is scheduled to appear. Please review the proof carefully. We must be notified of errors or changes before the notice appears in the Pioneer Press based on each day’s deadlines.
After publication, we will not be responsible for errors that may occur after final proofing.
**Online:**
Changes to an online obituary can be handled through the obituary desk. Call us with further questions.
**Payment Procedure:**
Pre-payment is required for all obituary notices prior to publication by the deadline specified below in our deadline schedule.
Please call 651-228-5263 with your payment information after you have received the proof and approved its contents.
– Credit Card: Payment accepted by phone only due to PCI (Payment Card Industry) regulations
– EFT: Check by phone. Please provide your routing number and account number.
**Rates:**
The minimum charge is $162 for the first 12 lines. Every line after the first 12 is $12. If the ad is under 12 lines, it will be charged the minimum rate of $162.
Obituaries including more than 40 lines will receive a 7.5% discount per line. On a second run date, receive a 20% discount off both the first and second placement. Place three obituaries and the third placement will be free of charge.
Each photo published is $125 per day. For example, 2 photos in the paper on 2 days would be 4 photo charges at $500.
**Deadlines:**
Please follow deadline times to ensure your obituary is published on the day requested.
**Hours & Deadline (no exceptions):**
– Ad Photos MEMORIAM (NON-OBITUARY) REQUEST
Unlike an obituary, Memoriam submissions are remembrances of a loved one who has passed. The rates for a memoriam differ from obituaries. Please call or email us for more memoriam information.
– Please call 651-228-5280 for more information.
– HOURS: Monday – Friday 8:00 AM – 5:00 PM (CLOSED WEEKENDS and HOLIDAYS)
– Please submit your memoriam ad to [email protected] or call 651-228-5280.
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### Congress Takes Major Step Toward Reopening Government Amid SNAP Benefits Uncertainty
By GEOFF MULVIHILL, Associated Press
Congress has taken a major step toward reopening the government, but uncertainty remains about when the far-reaching impacts of the closure, particularly regarding SNAP food aid benefits, will be fully resolved. Approximately 42 million Americans who rely on SNAP may face delays accessing their full November benefits.
The House on Wednesday adopted a plan to reopen the government and sent it to President Donald Trump for his signature. One provision in the plan calls for restarting the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), though this does not immediately specify when the benefits will be loaded onto the debit cards beneficiaries use for groceries.
A spokesperson for the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), which administers the program, said in an email that funds could be available “upon the government reopening, within 24 hours for most states.” However, the USDA has not immediately clarified which states might experience longer delays or whether the 24-hour timeline refers to when states will receive funds or when benefits will be loaded onto individual debit cards used by recipients.
### Variability in SNAP Benefit Availability Across States
Court rulings and USDA messaging have resulted in a patchwork scenario in which some states have already issued full benefits for November, while others have issued none or partial payments. According to an Associated Press tally, at least 19 states plus the District of Columbia distributed full benefits to some recipients last week.
Jessica Garon, spokesperson for the American Public Human Services Association, anticipates that most states will be able to issue full benefits within three days after receiving authorization, though some may take up to a week.
Interestingly, some states that have already distributed no benefits, such as South Carolina and West Virginia, could be among the quickest to issue payments once approved. However, sixteen states that have issued partial benefits face technical challenges in calculating and delivering the remaining amount.
### Delays Pose Significant Hardships for Beneficiaries
The timing of benefit distribution is critical for millions of low-income Americans. On average, SNAP benefits amount to approximately $190 per person each month—often insufficient to fully cover grocery costs even with careful budgeting.
Doretha Washington, 41, of St. Louis, shared that her family, including six children, has received no SNAP benefits for November, though Missouri announced plans to issue partial benefits soon. “Now it’s making things difficult because we can’t pay our bills in full and keep food in here,” she said. “I’m down to three days of food and trying to figure out what to do.”
Many families have turned to food charities but find long lines and lowered supplies.
### States Scramble as Federal Funding Paused
The USDA informed states on October 24 that it would not fund SNAP for November if the government shutdown persisted. This left many states scrambling for alternatives.
Most Democratic-led states filed lawsuits seeking to restore funding. Some states from both parties attempted to cover SNAP benefits using state funds, increased support for food banks, and even deployed the National Guard to assist with food distribution.
Other states began using their SNAP pools after a court order mandated the federal government cover the full cost for the month.
The legislation passed by the Senate on Monday includes provisions for reimbursing states that used their own funds to cover programs generally paid by the federal government. However, it remains unclear which situations will qualify for reimbursement concerning SNAP.
In the meantime, the USDA has told states they may be reimbursed for paying partial SNAP benefits—up to 65% of usual amounts—and assured that recipients’ card balances will not be reduced even if a state pays full amounts early.
Democratic-led states have criticized the USDA’s mixed guidance during the crisis, calling it an “illustration of the chaos and confusion occasioned by USDA’s multiple, conflicting guidance documents.”
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*Associated Press reporters Margery A. Beck and David A. Lieb contributed to this report.*
https://www.twincities.com/2025/11/12/timeline-for-snap-benefits/