>>BCA Unlocks Phone Containing Video of Deputies Fatally Shooting Winston Smith
(St. Paul, MN) — The Minnesota B-C-A says it unlocked a cell phone that has video of deputies fatally shooting Winston Smith in June of 2021 in Uptown Minneapolis. Agents learned that Smith may have tried to record or livestream the incident but could not unlock the phone or confirm that the video exists. The phone was unlocked on November 21st, and digital examiners retrieved the video that captured the shooting. The Hennepin County Attorney’s Office is currently reviewing the unseen video. Deputies on a U-S Marshals task force shot Smith during an attempted weapons violation arrest in a parking ramp.
>>Lawsuit Accuses Minneapolis Hotel of Failing to Stop Anton Lazzaro’s Sex Trafficking
(Minneapolis, MN) — In 2023, former Minnesota GOP donor and strategist Anton Lazzaro was convicted of five counts of sex trafficking and conspiracy and sentenced to 30 years in prison. Twin Cities prosecutors are now going after the Minneapolis hotel that they say “knowingly let it happen.” The lawsuit is against The Hotel Ivy’s corporate owners and staff in 2020 when the crimes occurred. St. Paul Attorney Jeff Anderson says there were “red flags all over the place.” He says one of the victims went to the staff desk and reported Lazzaro was sex trafficking her, other girls, and her sister, who needed to be removed immediately. “And the staff’s response to her plea to them to save her sister was, ‘There is nothing we can do.’”
>>MN Supreme Court Weighs Transgender Powerlifter Cooper’s Discrimination Lawsuit
(St. Paul, MN) — LGBTQ+ allies, representatives, and transgender powerlifter Jaycee Cooper herself are waiting to hear the Minnesota Supreme Court’s decision in her discrimination case. The lawsuit says Cooper was denied entry at two USA Powerlifting competitions in 2018 due to being transgender. USA Powerlifting says they did not discriminate and that Cooper would have an “unfair physical advantage.” The ruling could come at any time.
>>Moorhead Real Estate Company Fined $4.2M for Selling ND Home, Not Disclosing Lead Paint Inside
(Fargo, ND) — A Moorhead-based real estate company must pay $4.2 million in restitution and fines for failure to disclose a home that contained lead-based paint. Federal Fargo officials say Valley Property Partners LLC, known as “House Dudes,” sold a home in Hillsboro, North Dakota, in 2019 that was built before 1978, containing lead paint. In April 2022, two children living there were diagnosed with elevated blood-lead levels. Under the Toxic Substances Control Act, all potential homebuyers must be notified if lead paint is present. The company also faces a one-year probation and 50 hours of community service.
>>Man Sentenced to 23.5 Years in Prison for February Murder
(Mankato, MN) — After pleading guilty in June to the second-degree murder of 19-year-old Marcus Cargill Jr., a man has been sentenced to 23 years in prison. On February 15th, witnesses say Emmanuel Isaac shot Cargill Jr. at least three times before fleeing Mankato. Isaac and the getaway driver were arrested in Breckenridge. Isaac will be housed at the St. Cloud Correctional Facility.
>>Columbia Heights Aquatic Business Fined $730K in Worker Death
(Undated) — A Columbia Heights company owes the Minnesota Department of Labor (DLI) over $730,000 after a worker drowned in May performing aquatic weed removal while using scuba diving equipment. Your Lake Aquatic Plant Management, LLC, was issued five willful violations in November by the MN OSHA Compliance. The investigation found employees did not have the necessary training to work safely, were untrained in CPR and first aid, no employee was the head of the diving operation, a safe practices manual did not exist, and there was no standby diver. The LLC has filed a Notice of Contest. This is the second state worker drowning since June 2022 involving employees using scuba diving equipment while performing aquatic weed removal in a lake.
>> Mall of America Attracts Huge Black Friday Numbers
(Bloomington, Minn.)—The Mall of America reports a successful weekend for Black Friday shopping. The mall says more than 500,000 people visited between the Wednesday before Thanksgiving and this past Sunday, including 13,000 guests for just the opening hour of Black Friday. Some numbers included the average time spent at the mall, just over three hours per shopper, and foot traffic, up five percent from a year ago on Black Friday.
>>Kendrick Lamar, SZA Come to U.S. Bank Stadium in 2025
(Minneapolis, MN) — Hip-hop and R&B legends Kendrick Lamar and SZA (sih-ZA) are opening their “Grand National Tour” in Minneapolis next year. The Grammy Award-winning artists will perform at U.S. Bank Stadium on April 19th, 2025. Tickets go on sale Friday at 10 a.m. with an exclusive presale beginning tomorrow at 10 a.m. for Cash App card users.
