>>Minnesota Police Sue POST Board For Releasing IDs of Undercover Officers

(St. Paul, MN) — Minnesota Police and Peace Officers Association is suing the state Board of Peace Officers Standards and Training (POST). The lawsuit claims the POST Board released the identities of 257 undercover officers, which put them and their families in jeopardy. Minnesota law classifies the personnel data of undercover officers as private. The officer’s names and birth dates were given to an independent journalist. The data was also provided to a Chicago-based nonprofit database that shows police employment history. That data has since been removed.

>>Minnesota Gains Jobs in December

(St. Paul, MN) — Minnesota’s job market and labor force continue to expand. Minnesota employers added 4,100 jobs in December, and the state’s unemployment rate dropped two-tenths of a percentage point to 3.3%. The labor force grew by 3,300 job seekers, and the state is also experiencing higher wages, increased exports, and notable business expansions across key industries. Employers in Minnesota have added jobs for six consecutive months. Meanwhile, the national unemployment rate decreased by one-tenth to 4.1% last month.”

>>Attorneys for Willmar Murder Suspect Request Mental Competency Exam

(Willmar, MN) — There’s a hearing today in Kandiyohi County on whether a Minneapolis man charged with a murder near Willmar should undergo a mental competency exam. Twenty-six-year-old Ameer Musa Matariyeh is accused of shooting and killing 55-year-old Jerome Skluzacek of New London during a carjacking attempt on the Highway 23 Bypass south of Willmar on October 22nd. Matariyeh’s attorney, William Walker of Minneapolis, wants Judge Stephen Wentzell to order a Rule 20, or mental competency exam. Matariyeh is also charged with shooting and wounding a Lake Lillian man and evading police, as well as charges in Hennepin and Carver counties.

>>Farmers and Crop Insurance

(Mankato, MN) — A farm business management instructor says some farmers are considering cuts to crop insurance. Kristina McVicker with South Central College in Mankato says it’s partly a reflection of very tight margins. In 2024, she says losses in her region ranged from five to 30 percent compared to average production history (APH). McVicker says if a farmer was at an 80 percent coverage, and you only had a 5 or 10 percent loss, you didn’t come out ahead, so to speak. She adds, “It put a bad taste in some of those guys’ mouths.” But McVicker cautions any grower looking to scale back on crop insurance because she says it’s one of the best risk management tools available.

>>Collin Peterson Receives American Farm Bureau Distinguished Service to Agriculture Award

(Washington, D.C.) — Former Minnesota Congressman Collin Peterson has been honored with the American Farm Bureau Federation’s (AFBF) 2025 Distinguished Service to Agriculture Award. This award was established by AFBF in 1928 to acknowledge individuals who have significantly contributed to American agriculture’s national interests. Throughout his four decades of service, Peterson has been a vocal advocate for agricultural communities. His legislative career in Minnesota’s seventh congressional district is noted for his strategic roles on the Agriculture Committee, where he influenced crucial farm bill negotiations in 2008, 2014, and 2018.

>>Kaprizov, Spurgeon Returning for Wild Home Game Tonight

(St. Paul, MN) — The Minnesota Wild are getting forward Kirill Kaprizov and defenseman Jared Spurgeon back for tonight’s (Thurs) game against Utah at the Xcel Energy Center. Kaprizov is the team’s leading scorer and has been out with a lower-body injury since December 23d. The Wild have been missing captain Spurgeon for nine games. Minnesota is in second place in the Central Division with a 28-15-and-4 record.

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