>>MN Vikings Offensive Coordinator Phillips Suspended for 2023 DUI
(Undated) — Minnesota Vikings Offensive Coordinator Wes Phillips has been benched due to his DWI late last year. Phillips was pulled over and arrested December 8th, and later charged with driving under the influence. He pleaded guilty and was sentenced in February to probation and community service. Phillips’ suspension from the Vikings runs through April 22nd. This comes as the Vikings prep for the NFL Draft, April 25th through the 27th.
>>Eight charged in drug trafficking conspiracy, feds putting first-ever prosecutor in Duluth
(Duluth, MN) — Federal officials say eight people are charged in a trafficking conspiracy that brought illegal drugs from Chicago to the Duluth area. And Andrew Luger, chief federal prosecutor in Minnesota, says for the first time his office will have a full-time criminal prosecutor based in Duluth, responding to a continued increase in illegal drug use and overdose deaths. Luger says, “We realize we needed to put more effort here because of the drug trafficking and hopefully make a substantial difference, in partnership will all of our state and local resources.” Luger says his office has also added a victim/witness specialist for the Bemidji area and surrounding regions throughout Indian Country.
>>MN Senate bill would give school districts more time to replace Indian mascots, but deadlines unchanged for other mandates
(St. Paul, MN) — Republicans tried unsuccessfully in the Minnesota Senate today (Tues) to give school districts an additional three years to comply with a number of new state mandates — including those with Native American mascots that must convert to a different name. Pine City Republican Jason Rarick says for one school district he represents, “they estimate their costs alone for changing their mascot to be at approximately 950 thousand dollars.” But New Brighton Democrat Mary Kunesh was willing to push the mascot-change deadline back one year, to September 2026. “I’d just like to give the school districts a little bit more time to sort this out,” Kunesh says. But it appears current deadlines for school districts to implement other mandates would not change.
>>Dem state lawmakers pushing bills to strengthen access to pharmacy care as federal pandemic declaration expires
(St. Paul, MN) — State Senators John Hoffman, Alice Mann, and Representative Kristin Bahner want to pass a bundle of bipartisan bills this legislative session to strengthen access to pharmacy care, with a federal pandemic emergency declaration including vaccinations and point-of-care testing set to expire at year’s end. Hoffman, a Democrat from Champlin, says pharmacists are one of the most accessible healthcare workers, with Americans visiting a pharmacy nearly 18 times a year versus an average of one visit a year to a primary care doctor. Jason Miller with the Minnesota Pharmacists Association says convenience and affordability of care provided at pharmacies are at risk if action isn’t taken.
>>Fargo Man Arrested, Charged in Pedestrian Hit-and-Run
(Moorhead, MN) — A Fargo man is in custody in connection to a pedestrian hit-and-run last Tuesday in Moorhead. 55-year-old Derek McClarren is charged with felony criminal vehicular operation and misdemeanors of hit and run, driving too fast for conditions, open bottle, and a fourth-degree DWI. Police say McClarren struck someone who was trying to help a woman get her car out of a snowbank. He fled the scene but was stopped soon after.
>>Indiana Man Sentenced to 10 Years in Prison for MN Bank Robbery
(Minneapolis, MN) — An Indiana man has been sentenced to 10 years in prison for his involvement in a Minnesota bank robbery. Court documents say 45-year-old Deundrick McIntosh was one of the two masked men who entered an Inver Grove Heights bank December 22nd, 2022. The pair allegedly zip-tied two bank employees and escaped with nearly $80,000 in cash. A later investigation including a search of McIntosh and a residence connected to him turned up bills with serial numbers matching those in the robbery, bait bills from the bank and a firearm with an extended magazine.
>>MNA Members Call for Dissolution of Hennepin Healthcare Board
(St. Paul, MN) — Minnesota Nurses Association union members and other healthcare workers are demanding today (TUES) the dissolution of the Hennepin Healthcare System Board of Directors ahead of the Hennepin County Commissioner’s meeting. They cite the board’s refusal of public transparency and accountability on where public funds are spent after additional funding was provided to meet healthcare workers’ demands in the past months.
>>Princeton Republican Bryan Lawrence sworn in as newest member of MN House
(St. Paul, MN) — The newest member of the Minnesota House was sworn in today (Tues). Republican Bryan Lawrence from Princeton will serve the remainder of the term of former House speaker and minority leader Kurt Daudt, who resigned earlier this year. Lawrence plans to run in November for a full two-year term. Lawrence says there’s a “runaway train of spending right now…. People have brought that to my attention: the excessive spending… that needs to be curttailed…. With that spending came numerous additional taxes.” Lawrence won a special election by a substantial margin over Democratic candidate Brad Brown.
>>Loons second-string team faces Michigan in round two of U-S Open Cup
(St. Paul, MN) — Minnesota United F-C 2, the secondary team of the Loons plays in the second round of the U-S Open Cup tonight (Tues) at Allianz Field. The “Twosies” are making their first foray into the nation’s oldest soccer tournament this year, after Major League Soccer opted to field 11 of its NEXTPro sides in place of senior teams. Coach Jeremy Hall says, “There’s obviously a lot of excitement to be able to play at Allianz. Our boys are definitely looking forward to that.” Minnesota faces Michigan Stars F-C tonight at 7:30pm.
