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]]>Burn Restrictions Expanded; Two Die In Red Lake Fire; Man Arrested after Chase In Beltrami County
>>New DNR Burn Restrictions To Go Into Effect Today In More Than 30 Counties
(St. Paul, MN) — The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources is implementing new burn restrictions in more than three-dozen counties statewide. The agency announced Friday that it will not issue permits for open burning in those counties because of the current threat of wildfires. The new restrictions go into effect today and will be lifted or adjusted as conditions change. (24/7 News Source)
>>Two Dead After Fire On Red Lake Reservation
(Red Lake, MN) — Two people are dead following a fire on the Red Lake Reservation. The Red Lake Fire Department says two bodies were found following a structure fire on the reservation on Friday. Local police and fire officials are reportedly working with the ATF and the FBI to investigate the fire. No details about the cause of the fire or the two people killed have been released. (24/7 News Source)
>>Chase Leads To Arrest
Blackduck, – A Grygla man was arrested after a pursuit and intentionally crashing into a Bemidji Police Department squad car. At 1:13AM Saturday, a Beltrami County Sheriff’s Office Deputy and a Blackduck Police Officer initiated a traffic stop in Blackduck due to erratic driving, which led to a high speed pursuit at up to 100mph south on 71. After several maneuvers on and off road, a Minnesota State Trooper and another Beltrami County Deputy successfully deployed tire deflation devices. but the suspect vehicle intentionally rammed one of the squad cars. After the suspect resisted arrest, he was ultimately subdued. The suspect was identified as 52 year old Jason Moe of Grygla. He has been charged with fleeing in a motor vehicle, first degree assault, use of deadly force on a peace officer, second degree driving while impaired and obstruction with force. Moe was transported to the Bemidji Sanford Medical Center and later medically cleared and taken into custody. (24/7 News Source)
>>Haskins Confirmed As Next U.S. Ambassador To Haiti
(Washington, DC) — A man with deep ties to Minnesota is now the next U.S. ambassador to Haiti. Dennis Haskins was confirmed by the Senate in an 89-to-1 vote last Thursday. Haskins graduated from Bemidji High School in 1977 and went on to join the U.S. Foreign Service in 1984. He was appointed U.S. ambassador to Guinea in 2015, and U.S. ambassador to Mali in 2018. The nearly 65-year-old diplomat says he plans to retire after this assignment, which he expects to last around three years. (24/7 News Source)
>>Second Man Charged In Ruby Slipper Theft
(St. Paul, MN) — A second man is being charged in connection to the theft of a pair of ruby slippers from “The Wizard of Oz.” The ruby slippers, which were worn by Judy Garland in the film, were stolen in 2005 from the Judy Garland Museum by a man named Terry Jon Martin. Now, 76-year-old Jerry Hal Saliterman is in trouble for his alleged role in the scheme. Saliterman made his first court appearance in Minnesota this weekend, where he was charged with theft of a major artwork and witness tampering. (24/7 News Source)
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]]>Robbery Reported At Bemidji Holiday South; Man Dies In Becker County Fire; Catch And Release Only For Walleye On Mille Lacs Till August
(Bemidji) The Bemidji Police Department was summoned to a report of a robbery at the Holiday Station Store on Paul Bunyan Drive South early this morning. Around 3:15AM, a press release states a male had displayed a firearm to an employee and took a display of vaping products, and according to a witness, attempted to break out door windows with a stool, and threatened to shoot the store employee if the door wasn’t opened. Surveillance video indicates the suspect as a Native American male five feet, ten inches to six feet tall, wearing a black face mask, gray jacket, tan cargo style shorts, and black athletic shoes. Detectives are asking citizens to monitor home surveillance equipment for suspicious activity in the very early morning time frame in the area of Holiday or Nymore neighborhood. Please contact Bemidji Police with any information, find photos of the suspect at the Bemidji Police Facebook page, or report anonymously to CrimestoppersMn. org.
>>Tesla Ruled Out In Hit-And-Run Death In Milles Lacs
(Mille Lacs, MN) — A man who was under investigation for a deadly hit-and-run in Mille Lacs County has been cleared. Dr. Cathy Donovan was struck and killed while walking her dog back in November, and authorities had been looking at a Tesla as the vehicle that struck her, saying the driver may have had the car on autopilot. Authorities announced yesterday that they’ve determined that the unidentified Edina man wasn’t involved in the incident. They’re still looking for the car that fled the scene.
>>Man Killed In Becker County Garage Fire Identified
(Detroit Lakes, MN) — Authorities have released the name of a man killed in a garage fire in Becker County earlier this week. The Becker County Sheriff’s Office says 56-year-old Kenneth Carrabou died in the Tuesday fire near Detroit Lakes. Investigators say the man was found inside the already burning garage by a neighbor and family members and pulled him out before first responders arrived. He died after being airlifted to the Hennepin County Medical Center. The cause of the fire is still under investigation.
>>MN Native American Communities To Receive Electricity Grants
(Washington, DC) — Three Minnesota Native American communities will receive federal grants to help connect more tribal homes to reliable electricity. Democratic Senators Amy Klobuchar and Tina Smith announced the grants to the Red Lake Nation, Bois Forte Band and Prairie Island Indian Community yesterday. The grants through the Tribal Electrification Program are designed to improve electric infrastructure on tribal lands while also providing connections to clean energy sources. Money for the grants was provided through the Biden Administration’s Inflation Reduction Act.
>>DEED Opens Applications For $50M In Broadband Grants
(St. Paul, MN) — The state of Minnesota has opened the application period for projects that will expand broadband access. The Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development is offering 50-million dollars in grants to help cover the cost of broadband infrastructure. The state awarded funding to 24 broadband expansion projects through the program earlier this month. Applications will be accepted through May 10th.
>>DNR Limits Walleye Fishing At Mille Lacs Lake To Catch And Release Only, Bag Limit Of Three At Upper Red
(St. Paul, MN) — Anglers won’t be taking any walleye home from Mille Lacs Lake until at least mid-August. The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources announced yesterday walleye fishing is limited to catch and release only. The agency said walleye couldn’t find enough to eat in the lake during the fall and winter, which led to high catch rates. If conditions improve, anglers will be allowed to start keeping walleye on August 16th. At Upper Red, where walleye management is a collaboration between the Red Lake Nation and the state of Minnesota, this season’s initial bag limit of three walleyes is meant to keep the state within its annual harvest quota after a record-high walleye harvest this winter.
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]]>(Bemidji) An arrest has been made in the Holiday robbery early this morning. It was announced that a juvenile male was arrested without incident at his residence. The Bemidji Police Department was summoned to a report of a robbery at the Holiday Station Store on Paul Bunyan Drive South early this morning. Around 3:15AM, a press release states a male had displayed a firearm to an employee and took a display of vaping products, and according to a witness, attempted to break out door windows with a stool, and threatened to shoot the store employee if the door wasn’t opened.
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]]>Woman Killed in Itasca County Accident; Primary Results Certified; State Monitoring Illegal Marijuana Sales
>>Committee Drops SRO Use Of Force Bill
(St. Paul, MN) — A Minnesota State Senate bill that would have allowed school officers to use prone restraints on students when they damage school property, is being dropped by a conference committee. They’re sending the original bill back to lawmakers to consider again. It requires school resource officers to get new training for dealing with kids. (24/7 News Source)
>>One Dead After Crash In Itasca County
(Taconite, MN) — A northern Minnesota woman is dead following a crash in Itasca County. The Minnesota State Patrol says 87-year-old Elinor Bellefy died Monday in a two-vehicle crash on U.S. 169 in Taconite. Investigators say a 16-year-old driving a Jaguar was also injured. The cause of the crash is still under investigation. (24/7 News Source)
(Bemidji, MN) (March 11, 2024) – Paul Bunyan Communications has announced that Julia Frenzel from Blackduck is the winner of the cooperative’s 2024 Youth Tour Essay Contest. Julia is homeschooled, is in 10th grade, and is the daughter of Chris & Jackie Frenzel. She will attend the 2024 Youth Tour in Washington, D.C. June 3-7, with all expenses paid by Paul Bunyan Communications. The trip features a comprehensive overview of the telecommunications industry, including careers in telecom, the critical role telecommunications plays in rural America, and how legislative and regulatory decisions affect the industry.This is the 27th year that Paul Bunyan Communications has participated in sending a local high school student to the Youth Tour.
>>State Canvassing Board Certifies Results Of March 5th Primary
(St. Paul, MN) — The results of Minnesota’s March 5th presidential primaries have been certified by the state canvassing board. Secretary of State Steve Simon announced yesterday that nearly 586-thousand ballots were turned in for the primary. Just under 14-percent of eligible Minnesotans voted in the primary. President Joe Biden was certified as the winner of the Democratic primary, while former President Donald Trump won the Republican presidential primary. (24/7 News Source)
(St. Paul) – Minnesota regulators announced Tuesday they will be cracking down on retailers who sell illegal cannabis flower ahead of the launch of the state’s recreational marijuana market. According to the Star Tribune, the Office of Cannabis Management has received complaints about retailers who are selling illegal cannabis flower under the label of less-potent hemp. State health inspectors who have been monitoring the sale of hemp-derived edible products will now start examining raw flower to verify that it’s hemp and not marijuana, which contains higher levels of THC. Although Minnesotans 21 and older can now legally use and grow their own marijuana, it’s illegal to sell such products without a cannabis business license. (Star Trib)
>>Minnesota Increases Fire Danger Level, Activates Smoke Chasers
(St. Paul, MN) — The threat of wildfires has increased across Minnesota, leading state agencies to call in seasonal firefighters six weeks earlier than usual. The latest fire danger map from the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources shows most of the state in the “high” fire danger category. More than 70 wildfires have been reported around the state in the past few weeks. The DNR has activated its part-time force of seasonal firefighters six weeks earlier than usual to help respond to future wildfires. The agency is also urging Minnesotans to follow all local fire restrictions to help reduce the ongoing risk.(24/7 News Source)
>>City Leaders, Union Agree To New Contact In Virginia
(Virginia, MN) — A union representing workers in a Minnesota city will end its nearly week-long strike after approving a new contract. A tentative agreement between the union and the city of Virginia was announced yesterday and quickly approved by the city council. Union members then voted to approve the contract, ending the strike. More than 60 city employees will return to work today.(24/7 News Source)
>>Jesse Ventura On Robert F Kennedy’s Short List Of Running Mates
(Undated) — Former Minnesota Governor Jesse Ventura is on presidential candidate Robert F Kennedy’s “short list” of vice-presidential picks. Kennedy’s campaign confirmed Ventura was one of his top picks on Tuesday, along with former Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers. Kennedy is running as an independent candidate in the presidential race.(24/7 News Source)
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]]>Child Porn Arrest In Aitkin County; Ticket Customers May Get Protection; DNR Looking For Input On Endangered List
>>Authorities Looking For Missing Teen
(Bigfork, MN) — The Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension is asking for the public’s help in finding a missing teen. Sixteen-year-old Alissa Plieseis was last seen Saturday evening as she was walking away from her home in Bigfork. She has red hair and blue eyes, and was wearing jeans and a camouflage hoodie when she went missing. Anyone with information is asked to contact the Itasca County Sheriff’s Office. (24/7 News Source)
>>Senate Approves SRO Bill But Amendment Means More Discussion
(St. Paul, MN) — Minnesota lawmakers have passed differing versions of a bill that would clarify the amount of force school resource officers can use on campus. The Minnesota Senate voted 57-to-9 yesterday to approve its version of a bill that would exempt those officers from a state law barring the use of certain holds on students. An amendment adopted by the Senate would allow school workers to intervene in some situations to prevent theft, damage or destruction of property. A conference committee will resolve the differences between the bills and then send the measure to the governor for his signature.(24/7 News Source)
(Aitkin) County)The Star Tribune reports Law enforcement investigating an Aitkin County man suspected of illegal gun possession also found hundreds of files of child pornography and web searches on his phone related to police ambushes and killings.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office last week charged 46-year-old Juan Michael Smith with being a felon in possession of a firearm a little more than a week after he was arrested on similar state charges.Charges against Smith were unsealed Friday after he made his first appearance. U.S. Magistrate Judge Elizabeth Cowan Wright ordered Smith to be temporarily detained and he remains in federal custody in Sherburne County jail. Smith is next scheduled to appear in court on Friday for a detention hearing and preliminary examination
Blackduck- Staff members from U.S. Senator Tina Smith’s (D-Minn.) office will meet with regional leaders in Blackduck tomorrow morning amid growing concerns with rural Minnesota EMS first responder and ambulance services.
Senator Smith serves on the Senate Health committee and recently signed onto the bill Emergency Medical Services Reimbursement for On-scene Care and Support (EMS ROCS) Act. Many rural communities face challenges in accessing timely emergency medical services – especially for Medicare beneficiaries, who make up about 40% of patients treated by EMS. This bill would provide Medicare reimbursement for care provided by EMS on-scene, when transportation to the hospital is not needed.
(Crosby) Days after some Crosby-Ironton High School students taunted star eighth-grade basketball player Chloe Johnson during a game, the school’s principal says students have been disciplined and measures taken to prevent future offensive behavior from fans.
The chants targeting Johnson came during Thursday night’s varsity game between Crosby-Ironton and the Marshall School in Duluth, which the 14-year-old Johnson plays for. Johnson, one of the best eighth-grade players in the country, shared her story in January about overcoming mental health challenges and obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD).
The chanting of “OCD” came from a section of Crosby-Ironton fans when Johnson was holding the ball.
Administrators talked with the entire student body the day after the game about expectations for cheer sections, and how the school “would not tolerate negative or targeted cheering” going forward,
There was also instruction given to the school’s staff who monitor the stands of games to prevent similar behavior. (Star Trib)
>>Bill To Regulate Ticket Sales Advances In House
(St. Paul, MN) — A bill that would enact new protections for ticket buyers in Minnesota is advancing. The House Commerce and Finance Committee voted in favor of referring it to the General Register yesterday. The bill would force companies to list the full price of all tickets, including any fees that will be charged as part of the transaction. It would also ban the practice of speculative ticket purchases, which allow tickets to be sold before they become available. The bill was prompted by complaints from those who encountered problems while trying to buy tickets for Taylor Swift’s “Eras” tour.(24/7 News Source)
>>Walz Encourages Business Owners To Apply For SBA Loans
(St. Paul, MN) — Governor Tim Walz is encouraging Minnesota business owners affected by warm winter weather to look into a federal disaster loan program. He and other state leaders talked about the Small Business Administration loan program yesterday at an event in Theodore Wirth Park in Minneapolis. Businesses are eligible for low-interest loans of up to two-million dollars thanks to federal drought declarations in 81 Minnesota counties. Walz emphasized that the loans are for any business affected by weather, including those that need snow and ice to make a profit. The SBA is planning an online seminar to discuss the loan program this Friday.(24/7 News Source)
>>MN DNR Accepting Comments On Endangered Species List
(St. Paul, MN) — The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources wants to know if there should be changes to its Endangered, Threatened and Special Concern Species list. The agency is evaluating the current list to determine if species should be added, dropped or moved to a different protection category. Comments will be accepted through May 17th. More information on how to submit comments is available on the DNR website.(24/7 News Source)
>>MSP International Airport Rated Best In North America
(St. Paul, MN) — Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport has once again been rated the best airport in North America. It’s the third time in a row the passenger survey by the Airports Council International has put M-S-P in the top spot for airports in the 25 to 40 million passenger category. It’s also the seventh time in the past eight years that Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport has achieved that honor. (24/7 News Source)
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]]>LUTSEN INVESTIGATION CONTINUES; BIG FENTANYL BUST; SRO BILL REVISITED
>>State Investigators To Probe Lutsen Lodge Fire Scene Today
(Lutsen, MN) — State investigators will be on-site today as part of their probe into the cause of the fire at Lutsen Lodge. Members of the State Fire Marshal’s office plan to begin digging through the debris of the lodge to try to determine where the fire started. The lodge caught fire on February 6th and the fire site is still considered hazardous due to unstable debris. The Fire Marshal’s Office has asked residents to stay away from the site to help preserve the integrity of the debris and give investigators space to do their work.
(24/7 News Source)
>>Nearly 5K Fentanyl Pills Found During Search In St. Cloud
(St. Cloud, MN) — A man is facing narcotics charges in St. Cloud after nearly five-thousand pills containing fentanyl were discovered in his apartment. Investigators asked for a search warrant after finding 176 pills during a booking search of suspect Luis Garcia on March 2nd. The search by the Central Minnesota Violent Offender Task Force led to thousands of the fentanyl-laced pills in the home a few days later. Garcia is facing multiple counts of sales and possession of a controlled substance.(24/7 News Source)
>>Minnesota Senate To Vote On School Resource Officer Bill
(St. Paul, MN) — The Minnesota Senate will consider a bill that lifts restrictions on the kinds of restraints school resource officers may use on students. The floor vote is set for this morning. The legislation would separate school resource officers from other campus employees when it comes to student restraint and discipline. The Peace Officer Standards and Training Board would develop a training program for SROs and draft a model policy for school boards to adopt throughout the state.(24/7 News Source)
>>Townships Across Minnesota To Hold Annual Meetings Tomorrow
(St. Michael, MN) — Townships across Minnesota will be holding their annual meetings tomorrow. The Minnesota Association of Townships calls tomorrow’s meetings grassroots democracy on display. The organization says the meetings will help set local tax levies, elect township officers and provide a forum for discussing community issues. The state has more than 17-hundred townships representing more than 900-thousand Minnesotans.(24/7 News Source)
>>Bracket Set For Big Ten Men’s Basketball Tourney At Target Center
(Minneapolis, MN) — The bracket is set for the Big Ten Men’s Basketball Tournament in Minneapolis. The Target Center is hosting the festivities, starting with two games on Wednesday. The hometown Minnesota Golden Gophers play Michigan State on Thursday at 11 am. The top four seeds, Purdue, Illinois, Nebraska, and Northwestern, will wait until Friday to play. It follows the sold-out women’s basketball tournament at the Target Center last weekend.(24/7 News Source)
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]]>No Change In Unemployment; White Earth Forest Transfer Tabled; Disaster Relief Available For Winter Businesses
>>MN Unemployment Rate Remains Steady
(St. Paul, MN) — Minnesota’s unemployment rate is unchanged after the state gained three-thousand jobs in January. State officials released the latest employment numbers for the state yesterday. The unemployment rate in January remained at two-point-seven percent as nearly two-thousand Minnesotans exited the labor force. Average hourly wages grew slightly in January, reaching 37-dollars and 56-cents per hour across all sectors of employment. (24/7 News Source)
>State Senate Panel Delays Bill On Transfer Of White Earth State Forest
(St. Paul, MN) — A bill that would have paved the way to transferring state forest land to the White Earth tribal nation is being tabled in the state Senate. Lawmakers on the Senate Environment, Climate and Legacy Committee listened to testimony from tribal leaders, community members and local elected officials yesterday. Many told the panel that they feared any transfer of land in the White Earth State Forest northeast of Fargo would hamper future recreation and residential access. Even though the bill was set aside yesterday, it could be taken up again later in this year’s session.(24/7 News Source)
>>Walz Announces Federal Loans For Businesses Affected By Warm Winter
(St. Paul, MN) — The state of Minnesota is giving businesses affected by the unseasonably warm winter a chance to apply for federal disaster relief. Governor Walz announced yesterday that economic injury disaster loans are now available through the U.S. Small Business Administration. The loans are available to those impacted by drought, which also covers businesses that depend on snow and ice to generate profits. More information is available on the SBA website.(24/7 News Source)
>>State Fair Offering Grants To First-Time Livestock Exhibitors
(Minneapolis, MN) — The Minnesota State Fair is offering funds to first-time livestock exhibitors. Fair officials announced yesterday that they will be offering Beginning Exhibitor Livestock Learning Experience grants for the fourth year. Large-animal exhibitors may receive 500-dollars, while small-animal handlers can get 250-dollars. A maximum of 15 grants will be awarded. More information is available on the state fair website.(24/7 News Source)
>>Poll: Majority Supports MN Sports Betting, Abortion Rights Amendment
(Minneapolis, MN) — A new poll shows a majority of Minnesotans support a push for legalized sports betting and a constitutional amendment guaranteeing the right to abortion. The KSTP-Survey USA poll found that 56-percent of those asked support legalized sports betting. Forty-five-percent of those polled say private companies should licensed to provide in-person and mobile betting services. Meanwhile, 58-percent of those asked would support a state constitutional amendment protecting the right to an abortion.
>>Hoyt Lakes Woman Charged For Deadly Crash That Killed Daughter
(Virginia, MN) — A northern Minnesota woman has been charged in connection with a Halloween crash that led to the death of her daughter. Thirty-year-old Evian Redd of Hoyt Lake was charged this week with felony child endangerment and multiple misdemeanors in connection with last year’s crash in St. Louis County. Investigators say Redd lost control of her vehicle in icy conditions while driving her children from an appointment in Duluth. Redd’s five-year-old daughter Isela was ejected from the vehicle and died at the crash scene. Redd also reportedly did not have a valid driver’s license and was not wearing a seat belt at the time of the crash.(24/7 News Source)
(St. Paul)The Office of the Legislative Auditor is taking a deeper dive into the Department of Natural Resources’ oversight of state wildlife management areas, promising a public report later this year on a lasting conflict over DNR logging practices.According to the Star Tribune, State Legislative Auditor Judy Randall said her office is launching a special review of the timber harvest controversy. investigators will key on circumstances that led to the decision last year by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to hold back $22 million in federal grant money from the DNR.
DNR’s management of private logging on state wildlife management areas (WMAs) blew up into a public issue in July 2019 when a group of DNR wildlife managers and some foresters complained publicly that a new 10-year timber plan adopted at the urging of the state’s forest products industry was ruining wildlife habitat.
>>DNR: Fire Danger High In Central, Southern Minnesota
(St. Paul, MN) — The state Department of Natural Resources says the danger of wildfires in central and southern Minnesota is very high. The latest fire danger map from the agency shows eight counties in central Minnesota in the very high-risk category, including Stearns, Morrison, Benton and Wright counties. A large area of west-central and southern Minnesota is also in the high-risk category, meaning fires can start easily and spread quickly. Many counties across the state already require permits to do any open burning, though burn bans were recently implemented in Blue Earth, Brown and Waseca counties due to the high risk of wildfires.(24/7 News Source)
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]]>DFL Divides Delegates; Button Oops Sends Out Warning In St. Louis County; DNR Job Fair
>>DFL To Send 11 Uncommitted Delegates To Democratic Convention
(St. Paul, MN) — Minnesota will send nearly a dozen uncommitted delegates to the Democratic National Convention. The DFL Party announced yesterday that President Biden will receive 64 of the state’s 75 Democratic delegates after his win on Super Tuesday. The other 11 will go to the August convention in Chicago without being committed to any candidate. More than 45-thousand voters chose “uncommitted” on the Democratic primary ballot to show their support for a permanent ceasefire in Gaza.
>>Dean Phillips Ends Presidential Campaign
(St. Paul, MN) — Minnesota Congressman Dean Phillips is dropping out of the race for the Democratic presidential nomination. He made the announcement Wednesday during an interview with a radio station in his home state. Phillips said he is endorsing President Biden “because the choices are so clear.” He launched his long-shot campaign last October because he believed Trump would defeat Biden in the general election. Phillips announced in November that he would not seek reelection for his seat in Congress.
WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar announced that Ann Bussey from Side Lake, Minnesota will be her guest at the 2024 State of the Union address. Bussey is a senior who has focused on lowering prescription drug prices and expanding high-speed internet access.
Bussey was awarded the Minnesota Department of Health Rural Health Hero Award in November 2023.
>>Button Mistake Leads To Warning Siren In St. Louis County
(Duluth, MN) — Authorities in St. Louis County are apologizing after a mistake led to an emergency warning siren going off yesterday. The county was conducting its monthly emergency siren test yesterday when an operator pushed the wrong button. The siren that sounded was the emergency warning tone rather than the test tone. A spokesman said that many residents may not have noticed the error, but others may have heard the siren and wondered if a real emergency was happening in their area.
>>Pelican Rapids Truck Driver Dies In Crash In Chippewa County
(Stoneham Township, MN) — A truck driver is dead after a Tuesday crash in Chippewa County. The Minnesota State Patrol says 59-year-old Timmy Tarnowski of Pelican Rapids died when his semi collided with a Ford pickup on Highway Seven in Stoneham Township. The driver of the pickup was also injured and taken to the hospital for treatment. The cause of the crash is still under investigation.
>>Kandiyohi County Campground To Operate During Human Remains Probe
(Kandiyohi County, MN) — A Kandiyohi County campground will remain open while a plan is developed to manage a burial ground found at the site. County officials had applied for a grant to improve the Big Kandiyohi Lake campground in 2021. A cultural resource survey found human remains and artifacts there, leading the county to contact the Minnesota Indian Affairs Council. The county says camping and boating at the popular site will continue as usual while a maintenance agreement for the burial ground is worked out.
>>Minnesota DNR Holding Job Fair Tomorrow In Cloquet
(St. Paul, MN) — The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources is looking for conversation officers. The agency held a job fair yesterday in St. Paul and is planning another tomorrow in Cloquet. The DNR is recruiting for its CO Prep program, a multi-week training effort that gives those without law enforcement experience a path to becoming a conservation officer. The recruitment push will last through the end of this month.
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]]>No Surprises On Super Tuesday; New Infrastructure Grants Announced; City Workers In Virginia On Strike
>>Minnesota Super Tuesday Results
(St. Paul, MN) — The two frontrunners for the Democratic and Republican presidential nominations have been declared the winners of the Minnesota Super Tuesday primary. Unofficial results posted last night show President Joe Biden winning over 70-percent of the vote in the Democratic primary. Former President Donald Trump easily outpaced challenger Nikki Haley in the Republican primary, getting just under 70-percent support from voters. (24/7 News Source)
>>Phillips To Evaluate Campaign After Finishing Third In MN Primary
(St. Paul, MN) — Minnesota Congressman Dean Phillips’ longshot bid to unseat President Joe Biden as the Democratic presidential nominee may soon end. Phillips finished third in his home-state primary yesterday, getting less than eight-percent support. Phillips said he plans to evaluate all the Super Tuesday data before deciding whether he will drop out of the race. He also said in a statement that his goal is to make sure Donald Trump isn’t elected president.(24/7 News Source)
>>Walz Announces $53M In Broadband Infrastructure Grants
(St. Paul, MN) — Minnesota is handing out millions of dollars in grants to help expand broadband access around the state. Fifty-three-million in grants from the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development were announced yesterday. Projects in two-dozen Minnesota counties will benefit from the funding, which helps providers pay for the cost of expanding broadband infrastructure. Governor Walz said the money will help connect more Minnesotans to high-speed Internet services needed for jobs, education, healthcare and other priorities.(24/7 News Source)
>>City Workers In Virginia Announce Strike
(Virginia, MN) — Another group of Minnesota workers is planning to strike after failing to get a new contract. A group of city workers in Virginia plan to walk out today after the city withdrew its final contract offer. The union said the offer would have cut overtime pay, lowered insurance contributions and hurt other benefits. The strike will include employees in public works and parks and recreation as well as library and City Hall workers. (24/7 News Source)
>>Registration Opens To Runners For This Year’s Twin Cities Marathon
(Minneapolis, MN) — Registration is open to the public for the Twin Cities Marathon in October. There are already 33 hundred runners signed up after they missed out on last year’s race after it was canceled due to an intense heat warning. Another eight thousand are expected in the popular TC 10-Mile run. The lottery drawing for entry is in June. For information about this year’s marathon log on at tcm-events-dot-org.
>>DNR Says MN Moose Population Remains Stable
(St. Paul, MN) — The number of moose in Minnesota has stabilized after dropping over the last few decades. The Department of Natural Resources recently completed its annual aerial moose count. The effort found just under 35-hundred moose, which is near the annual average for the last few years. The agency says climate change, predators and parasites have all combined to reduce the moose population by about 60-percent since the early part of the 2000s.(24/7 News Source)
>>Report: UnitedHealth May Have Paid $22M To Stop Ransomware Attack
(Minnetonka, MN) — Cybersecurity experts say UnitedHealth may have paid 22-million dollars to a hacker group to stop a ransomware attack. The Minnetonka-based healthcare group reported the attack on one of its subsidiary companies last week. UnitedHealth has not confirmed any ransom payment, but analysts point to a 22-million dollar Bitcoin transaction from the company as evidence that a ransom was paid to the hackers. UnitedHealth says it remains focused on the ongoing investigation into the attack.(24/7 News Source)
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]]>Cloquet Motel Shooter Was On Meth; Bill Would Transfer Forest To Tribe; Super Tuesday
>>Report: Gunman In Deadly Cloquet Shooting Was high On Meth
(Cloquet, MN) — A new report shows the gunman in a deadly shooting in Cloquet earlier this year may have been on meth. Nicholas Lenius of Ramsey died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound after shooting and killing a Super 8 Motel employee and a man sitting in a vehicle outside the business. According to the medical examiner, Lenius had methamphetamine in his system and was possibly intoxicated. Investigators say he didn’t know either of the victims, and may have been suffering from a mental health episode that was exacerbated by the drugs.(24/7 News Source)
>>Bill Introduced Would Transfer Forest To Tribal Ownership
(White Earth) – The Star Tribune is reporting that the White Earth State Forest that spans three counties would be transferred to the White Earth Band of Ojibwe by 2029 under a bill introduced by two Twin Cities lawmakers. State Sen. Mary Kunesh, DFL-New Brighton, and Rep. Aisha Gomez, DFL-Minneapolis, put forward a bill that would give state-owned portions of the 160,000-acre forest to the White Earth Tribe. The proposal would also give the White Earth Band the right of first refusal to buy any tax-forfeited land in the forest. Home and landowners who live in or near White Earth State Forest said they are worried they could lose access not just to hunting and recreation grounds, but to their properties if public roads are closed or transferred. Kunesh said the tribe has assured her that the land will continue to be open for all for hunting and fishing.No hearing dates have yet been set for the proposed bill in either the House or Senate. (Star Trib)
>>Poll Shows More than Half Of Minnesotans Will Turnout To Vote
(Undated) — It’s Super Tuesday Election Day in Minnesota. A recent poll says that 63 percent of the registered voters statewide will go to the polls today. The KSTP/SurveyUSA study indicates that 43 percent plan to vote Republican, while 38 percent will vote Democrat. Eighteen percent say they are not sure. Polls will close at 8PM, but anyone still in line will be allowed to vote. (24/7 News Source)
>>Minnesota House Approves Fix To SRO Bill
(St. Paul, MN) — The Minnesota House is advancing a bill promoted as a fix to a law that affected the use of force by school resource officers. The House voted 124-to-8 yesterday to approve a bill that would exempt SROs from a law passed last year. Some communities pulled resource officers from schools after the law banned the use of certain holds on students, citing liability and other concerns. The change is expected to get a quick vote in the state Senate and then move to the governor for his signature.(24/7 News Source)
>>Carry Permits Uptick Slightly
(St. Paul) – Minnesota saw an uptick in applications for permits to carry handguns in 2023, but the number of people approved stayed the same, according to a new report from the state’s Bureau of Criminal Apprehension.
According to the Star Tribune, the statistics were laid out in the Permit to Carry Annual Report from the BCA, which compiles data from each county’s sheriff’s office.
The permit denial rate was 1percent.The report found 222 permits were suspended, 51 revoked and 1,307 voided in 2023 after the holders were convicted of a crime that made them ineligible to possess a firearm.
There are now 402,520 people who have valid permits to carry handguns in Minnesota, up from 395,626 in the previous year. The report is available online at dps.mn.gov/divisions/ooc/news-releases.
(Star Trib)
>>Stearns County Woman Hits House In Stearns County While Learning To Drive
(Le Sauk Township, MN) — Investigators in Stearns County say a woman who was learning to drive got a bit confused before she crashed into a house last weekend. The Stearns County Sheriff’s Office says the 56-year-old from Sartell hit the accelerator instead of the brake during her driving lesson on Saturday morning. She hit a parked vehicle and then crashed into a garage in Le Sauk Township. The driver had minor injuries and was treated at the scene. The passenger wasn’t hurt.(24/7 News Source)
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