Minnesota News Network

 

>>Ex-MPD officer King sentenced on state charges in Floyd killing

(Various)  —  Former Minneapolis police officer J. Alexander Kueng (KING), already in federal prison in connection with the death of George Floyd, today (Fri) received a three-and-a-half year state sentence, after pleading guilty just before trial in October to aiding and abetting second-degree manslaughter.  Kueng will serve the state sentence concurrently with his three-year federal sentence for violating Floyd’s civil rights.  Kueng did not speak during this afternoon’s virtual hearing.

>>Willmar paraprofessional facing multiple sex charges

(Willmar, MN)  —  A first court appearance on sex charges today (Fri) for a para-professional at Dream Technical Academy in Willmar who was arrested at the school Wednesday after an alleged victim told their mother they’d been assaulted by an acquaintance.  48-year-old Eric Leist (LIE-st) is charged with seven felonies and two gross misdemeanors, including first-degree criminal sexual conduct with a person age 14 or under.   His next court appearance is December 21st.

>>Another Minneapolis Business Closing

(Minneapolis, MN) —  Marshalls, a downtown Minneapolis staple on the Nicollet Mall for over a quarter-century, is closing mid-January.  The pending departure, preceded by nearby Nordstrom Rack last month, leaves downtown residents with virtually no department store options except Target’s flagship store, about a block from the retail giant’s corporate headquarters — at a time when civic leaders are imploring people to return to the central business district.  At one time downtown Minneapolis had a wide variety of major department stores, including Donaldson’s and Powers, all clustered along what was to become the Nicollet Mall.  The last to go was Macy’s, which had acquired Marshall Field’s after that company absorbed the venerable Dayton-Hudson department store chain.  Dayton’s created Target in 1962 and the offspring ultimately eclipsed its parent

>>Brownie Led To Drug Bust

(Atwater, MN) —  A brownie laced with THC in west-central Minnesota’s Atwater led to a drug bust in Spicer.  The Kandiyohi County Sheriff’s Department Thursday responded to a residence near Atwater on the report of an overdose, possibly caused by someone eating a THC-laced brownie.  The victim was taken to the Willmar hospital for treatment.   The investigation led to a search warrant being executed by the c-6 drug and task force at an apartment in Spicer, where they found meth, marijuana, marijuana wax, and a cake pan containing about one and three-quarter pounds of THC-laced brownies.  They also found items consistent with drug sales. They arrested a 24-year-old man who was a fugitive wanted by the Minnesota Department of Corrections, and a 23-year-old woman who lives in the apartment.  They are now in the Kandiyohi County Jail awaiting drug and firearm charges.

>>10th Annual Kids “Clouds” Choir for a Cause Event at MOA

(Bloomington, MN) — The tenth annual Kids “Clouds” Choir for a Cause event is this evening (Friday 6 p-m) at the Mall of America.   It celebrates the life and legacy of Zach Sobiech of Stillwater, who died of rare cancer in 2013.   Zach wrote the song “Clouds” to say goodbye to his friends and family and it became a number-one song on I-Tunes and the Billboard charts.  The choir and hundreds will sing it live tonight at the Mall of America rotunda.  The event has raised three-and-a-half million dollars for cancer research.

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>>15K Minnesota Nurses Begin Voting on Tentative Contracts

(St. Paul, MN) — As many as 15 thousand nurses are voting today (Friday), Monday and Tuesday on new contracts with 15 hospitals in the Twin Cities and Duluth-Superior. Nurses at Allina, Children’s, M Health Fairview, North Memorial, and Methodist in the Twin Cities would receive 18 percent raises over three years; Essentia and Saint Luke’s in Duluth, 17 percent plus other bonuses. Union leaders are recommending a “yes” vote. They say the tentative contracts also include “unprecedented language… to address chronic understaffing in our hospitals for the first time in history.” Vote results will be announced next Wednesday afternoon. Negotiators at Saint Luke’s Lake View Hospital in Two Harbors have not yet reached a tentative agreement, but Thursday withdrew their December 11th strike notice “in the hopes that management will start collaborating with nurses and take these negotiations seriously.”

>>US House Sends Respect for Marriage Act to President’s Desk

(Washington, DC) — The Respect for Marriage Act is on President Biden’s desk following bi-partisan passage Thursday in the U-S House. Republican Congressman Tom Emmer and Minnesota’s four Democratic House members voted “yes.” G-O-P Representatives Pete Stauber, Michelle Fischbach and Brad Finstad all voted “no.” Congresswoman Ilhan Omar says,” I proudly voted to ensure the federal government never stands in the way of marrying the person you love.” The law will require all states recognize same-sex and interracial marriages.

>>DEED Announces $100 Investment to Expand Broadband Access

(St. Paul, MN) — A nearly 100-million-dollar investment will bring better broadband access to 33-thousand Minnesotans in 48 counties. Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED) Commissioner Steve Grove says between 240- and 291-thousand households in the state lack access to high-speed internet. He says, “for every percentage, we get closer to full coverage, it gets a little bit harder because it is tough to get broadband internet access to some of the more rural parts of our state.” Grove says this is the single largest investment in Minnesota’s history for broadband internet.

>>Minnesota Weekly Flu Update

(St. Paul, MN) — The latest report from the Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) shows 501 people were hospitalized with the flu for the week ending December 3rd. That’s a decline of 58 hospitalizations from a week earlier. A total of one-thousand-857 patients have been hospitalized with the flu so far this season. There were nine deaths last week, bringing the total to 28. Respiratory illnesses, including both influenza and R-S-V, continue to be a concern in Minnesota schools with 76 new outbreaks over the last reporting period.

>>Animal Humane Society Rescues 22 Dogs From Rural Breeder

(Golden Valley, MN) — The Animal Humane Society is caring for 22 dogs surrendered by a rural breeder in a county north of the Twin Cities. A-H-S officials say the breeder had too many dogs on the property and their license was revoked by the state. All the dogs were quarantined and tested negative for the bacterial disease brucellosis. Their ages range from newborn to eight years old and breed from Corgi to Great Dane. They will be going up for adoption soon on the A-H-S website.

>>Rochester Man Sentenced to Federal Prison for Meth Trafficking

(Minneapolis, MN) — A Rochester man will do 12-and-a-half years in federal prison for his role in a drug trafficking organization in southeastern Minnesota. Court records say 49-year-old Fernando Garcia-Davila, Junior directed and arranged for the shipment, storage, and sale of methamphetamine from November 2020 to March 2021. Garcia-Davila admitted to coordinating the distribution of more than ten pounds of meth. One of his co-defendants received a nine-year prison sentence.

>>Woman Shot and Killed in North Minneapolis

(Minneapolis, MN) — Minneapolis police say a woman is a victim in the city’s 76th homicide of the year. Officers found a female in her 20s suffering from a gunshot wound Thursday afternoon and she died at the scene. Investigators say they don’t believe there is a further threat to the north Minneapolis community. No arrests have been made. M-P-D and CrimeStoppers are asking the public for tips about the shooting.

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>>Craig Introduces Consumer and Fuel Retailer Choice Act of 2022

(Washington, DC) — A bipartisan bill introduced by Minnesota Congresswoman Angie Craig would allow year-round sales of ethanol fuel blends higher than ten percent. Craig says, “E-15 creates opportunities for our family farmers, supports economic growth in rural America, and lowers prices at the pump for Minnesotans – and ensuring this cheaper, biofuel alternative is available year-round is a win-win for all those involved in its production.” She says it will help lower fuel prices and improve stability in the U-S fuel market. U-S Senator Amy Klobuchar introduced companion legislation last week.

(Washington, DC) — Senator Amy Klobuchar is hosting a news conference this morning (Thursday 11 a.m.) to highlight a new law to help prevent carbon monoxide-related deaths. The Nicholas and Zachary Burt Memorial Carbon Monoxide Poisoning Act is named after two brothers from Kimball who died in 1996. The law will help states adopt tougher standards to ensure carbon monoxide detectors are safe and reliable. The mother of Nicholas and Zachary Burt and several Minnesota fire officials are joining Klobuchar’s event.

>>Wintry Mix Moving In

(Chanhassen, MN) — The National Weather Service has issued a Winter Weather Advisory for several counties in southern Minnesota. It will go into effect at 6 p.m. and run through 9 a.m. Friday. Total snow accumulations between one and five inches are expected across southern Minnesota, with the highest amounts near I-90.

>>Election Results Unchanged After District 3A, 3B Recounts

(Duluth, MN) — Election results in two northern Minnesota districts are unchanged after recounts have been completed. Results show Republican Roger Skraba defeated incumbent DFLer Rob Ecklund by just 15 votes in Minnesota House District 3A. Republican Natalie Zeleznikar was the winner in District 3B with just 35 more votes than long-time representative Mary Murphy. The state-funded recounts were finished yesterday.

>>Beltrami County IT Employee Facing Theft, Fraud Charges

(Bemidji, MN) — A longtime Beltrami County IT employee is facing felony theft and fraud charges. A state audit shows nearly 150-thousand dollars in unauthorized purchases by Ronald Pula using county funds. A search of two properties owned by Pula turned up nearly 300 items allegedly purchased with county money. He is facing 14 felony counts.

>>Skyrocketing Reserves Could Payoff U.S. Bank Stadium 20 Years Early

(Minneapolis, MN) — Minnesota officials say the reserve fund at U.S. Bank Stadium is skyrocketing enough to pay off the building 20 years early. Minnesota Management and Budget says the state could be debt-free on the building by mid-2023. Projections put the reserve fund at over one billion dollars by 2027 if it is left untouched. The projections were part of a healthy economic forecast for the state released Tuesday.

>>Powerball Ticket Worth $1 Million Sold in Minnesota

(Roseville, MN) — A ticket purchased in Minnesota for Wednesday night’s Powerball drawing is a one-million-dollar winner. The Minnesota Lottery says a ticket matching the first five numbers was sold at Cub Foods in Chanhassen. The winning numbers are 6-28-44-59-61 and the Powerball was 21. Officials say this is the fourth million-dollar Powerball prize won in Minnesota this year. Nobody won the December 7th jackpot so it grows to 116 million dollars for Saturday’s drawing.

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The National Weather Service has issued a Winter Weather Advisory for several counties in southern Minnesota. It will go into effect at 6 p.m. and run through 9 a.m. Friday. Total snow accumulations between one and five inches are expected across southern Minnesota, with the highest amounts near I-90.

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