>>Police ID 1.5-Year-Old Child Who Fatally Overdosed
(St. Paul, MN) — Officials today identified the one-and-a-half-year-old boy who died unexpectedly in St. Paul Wednesday. Jackson Weidell fatally overdosed around 1:30 p.m. on Christmas Day at his 38-year-old father’s home. His father and 31-year-old mother are in custody on suspicion of second-degree manslaughter but are expected to be released without charges. Officials are waiting for the toxicology report.
>>WI Correctional Officer Dead in Suspected Drunk Driving Crash
(Dunn County, WI) — A western Wisconsin correctional officer is dead after being hit by a suspected drunk driver on Christmas Eve. Dunn County deputies say Officer Jeff Reynolds was heading west on U.S. Highway 29 around 2:45 a.m. when a northbound driver failed to stop at a stop sign, hitting him. Reynolds was killed and three people were injured. The suspect, a 40-year-old Eau Claire man, faces homicide and intoxication charges. The crash is under investigation.
>>Virginia Man Charged with Manslaughter for Tower Hit-and-Run
(Tower, MN) — A Virginia man faces involuntary manslaughter charges after a hit-and-run in Tower, Minnesota, last week. On December 17th, tribal officers responded to a report of a “suspected intoxicated woman” walking around the Bois Forte Reservation around 8:50 p.m. Near an intersection, officers found vehicle debris and 38-year-old Amanda Boshey unconscious. Boshey was brought to a hospital and pronounced dead. Using camera footage, officers tracked down the damaged vehicle of 50-year-old Eric Peterson and arrested him around 4:30 a.m. His preliminary BAC was 0.048.
>>Special Election Needed to Fill House Seat
(St. Paul, MN) — A special election will be needed to fill the open seat in the Minnesota House. DFL candidate Curtis Johnson announced he will not appeal the court decision that nullified his victory in the election in House race 40B. The court ruled against Johnson, saying he lied about his residency during the campaign. Governor Walz has announced a special election to fill the vacancy will be held on Tuesday, January 28th, 2025. If necessary, a special primary election for the nomination of candidates will be held on Tuesday, January 14th. Candidates wishing to run for the seat must submit their affidavits of candidacy and nominating petitions no later than 5 p.m. on December 31st.
>>Rochester Man Arrested for DUI, Controlled Substances
(Rochester, MN) — A Rochester man is in custody after a traffic stop turned up 83 grams of “controlled substances.” Police pulled over 33-year-old Anthony Lindsey Wednesday night as he appeared to be driving under the influence. Officials have not specified what the seized drugs were. Lindsey faces multiple charges.
>>Billion Dollar Jackpot Tonight for Mega Millions
(Roseville, MN) — More than a billion dollars is available tonight in the Mega Millions Lottery. The actual jackpot is worth $1.22 billion, making it the fifth-largest lottery jackpot in our country’s history. If you match all six numbers and select the cash option, that’s worth nearly $550 million. The Minnesota Lottery says changes are coming to the Mega Millions game next year. The ticket price will be going up from two dollars to five dollars.
