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)
