>>Missing Endangered 17-Year-Old Sartell Girl
(Sartell, MN) — The Minnesota BCA is asking for the public’s help finding an endangered, missing 17-year-old. Kaydence Johnson of Sartell was last seen with another juvenile girl, who has since returned, on June 22nd in Minneapolis. She’s believed to be in the Twin Cities area. Johnson is described as white, 5 feet 3 inches tall, 200 pounds, with brown-red hair and brown eyes. Anyone with information is asked to contact the Sartell Police Department at 320-251-8186.
>>Man’s Death Under Investigation in Sauk Rapids
(Sauk Rapids, MN) — Authorities in Benton County are investigating the death of a man in Sauk Rapids. Officers say 34-year-old Devon Majersky’s body was discovered Sunday morning in Lions Park. The report says the Sauk Rapids Police Department requested help from the Minnesota BCA “due to the location of the deceased.” There is no apparent cause of death at this time. Lions Park and the splash pad were closed Sunday during the investigation.
>>Gov. Walz Endorses VP Harris for Democratic Presidential Nomination
(St. Paul, MN) — Governor Tim Walz announced his endorsement of Kamala Harris for the Democratic presidential nomination this morning in a post on X. Walz is also on the prospective list of possible vice president nominees to run alongside Harris, which also includes Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, California Gov. Gavin Newsom, Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker, and Arizona U.S. Sen. Mark Kelly. Rep. Betty McCollum, who called for Biden to drop out last week, endorsed a Harris-Walz ticket.
>>MN Vikings to Honor Khyree Jackson This Season
(Minneapolis, MN) — Minnesota Vikings head coach Kevin O’Connell has announced the team will honor the life of Khyree Jackson this season, a defensive back who was killed in a three-car crash in Maryland on July 6th. The ownership will pay for a portion of Jackson’s funeral expenses, with a service planned for Friday, and will pay out his signing bonus of over $827,000 to his estate. Vikings’ players will don a “KJ” helmet decal throughout the season and a “KJ” pin for the coaches. A memorial service will be planned at a later date.
>>One Pedestrian Dead, Another Injured After Itasca County Crash
(Coleraine, MN) — One person is dead and another injured after being hit by a car in Itasca County this morning. State Patrol troopers responded to the crash around 1:30 a.m. on Highway 169. Investigators say a southbound Chevy Monte Carlo struck two pedestrians walking in the same lane. One pedestrian died of their injuries, and the other was airlifted to St. Mary’s in Duluth. No other information has been released.
>>Changes to MN’s Child Passenger Safety Laws Begin August 1st
(St. Paul, MN) – Important changes are coming to Minnesota child passenger safety law beginning August 1st. The new law gives more guidance on child car seats, specifying ages for car seats in addition to the child’s size. Mike Hanson with the State Office of Traffic Safety says, “You have to take a look at the size and age of the child, the recommendations from the car seat manufacturer, as well as what your vehicle manufacturer’s recommendations are.” Every driver who has children under the age of 18 in a vehicle must have them in a child safety seat or restrained by a seat belt. The law also specifies ages for rear and forward-facing car seats, booster seats, and seat belts and raises the age requirement for booster seats from 8 to 9 years old.
>>St. Cloud City Council to Address SCSU Cuts
(St. Cloud, MN) – At least one member of the St. Cloud City Council wants to have a formal discussion on St. Cloud State University programming and budget cuts. Karen Larson has asked for the item to be added to tonight’s agenda. She says that even though the university is a separate entity from the city, “SCSU has had and will have a huge impact on the economy and the culture of both the city and the region.” Larson describes tonight’s discussion as just the very early stages of the conversation.
>>Japanese Beetles Return to MN
(Undated) – Japanese Beetles have made their return to every corner of the state, according to new data from the Minnesota Department of Agriculture (MDA). UMN Expert Vera Krischik explains how nature usually rids them by releasing green leaf volatiles (GLV) into the air once the beetle chews on a plant, a scent meant to attract enemies. The problem? Minnesota has none. Krischik says the pests munch on the leaves of over 300 plants as adults, and the babies will chew up the roots of those plants.
>>MN Twins Catcher Mauer Inducted Into Baseball Hall of Fame
(Cooperstown, NY) — St. Paul native and Minnesota Twins All-Star catcher Joe Mauer has been inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame. Mauer finished his career with a .300 batting average and a .380 on-base percentage, and he is the only catcher in history with at least 2,000 hits. Mauer joined Adrian Beltré with the Los Angeles Dodgers and Todd Helton with the Colorado Rockies in Cooperstown, New York, on Sunday to be honored.
