>>Lawsuit Challenges New Inmate Medication Law
(St. Paul, MN) – Out-of-state, for-profit companies are suing to block a new Minnesota law requiring jails to provide inmates with the medications they were prescribed before incarceration. The law was passed with near-unanimous support and was set to take effect on July 1st. Lawmakers say the lawsuit comes at the last minute and is being driven by companies that profit from denying care. DFL Representatives Jess Hanson and Kelly Moller call the law “lifesaving” and say delaying it puts inmates’ health at risk. The opponents of this legislation are being led by an out-of-state, for-profit industry that contracts with jails to earn a profit off the backs of incarcerated people who need medical care.
>>Olmsted County Jury Awards $7.6M in Clergy Abuse Case
(Rochester, MN) – An Olmsted County jury has awarded more than 7.6 million dollars to a man who says a Catholic priest sexually abused him in the 1970s. The plaintiff, now in his 50s, accused Reverend Joseph Cashman of abusing him between 1973 and 1976 while Cashman was principal at Lourdes High School. The case is one of several filed this year against the Diocese of Winona-Rochester, which recently agreed to a $21.5 million settlement with 145 survivors of clergy abuse.
>>MnDOT Offering $20 Million in Infrastructure Grants
(St. Paul, MN) — Minnesota cities, counties, Tribes, and other local governments can now apply for matching funds to improve transportation infrastructure. The Minnesota Department of Transportation is offering $20 million through its Transportation Economic Development(TED) program. The funding supports highway projects that boost economic development statewide. A virtual info session is scheduled for July 10th. Interested applicants must submit an expression of interest by July 28th. Full applications are due in September. More details are available on MnDOT’s website.
>>Sauk Centre Woman Sells Drugs to Informant
(Dalton, MN) – A Sauk Centre woman is facing felony drug charges after authorities say she sold methamphetamine in Dalton.
Otter Tail County prosecutors have charged 53-year-old Monica Collins with selling 25 grams of meth to a confidential informant in May. According to court documents, the informant told a West Central Drug Task Force agent they could purchase an ounce of meth from Collins for $350. Agents say the informant was sent to make the buy. Collins allegedly picked them up, drove around during the transaction, then dropped them off. The substance tested positive for methamphetamine. A warrant for Collins’ arrest was issued on June 26th. She was taken into custody on Monday.
>>Burnsville Dump May Become Sports Complex
(Burnsville, MN) — A former garbage dump in Burnsville could be transformed into a $45 million sports complex. The proposed project, called Big Hits at the Gateway, would feature a three-story golf driving range, restaurant, and indoor and outdoor pickleball courts. The developer has hired four engineering firms after the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency raised concerns that pollutants might reach the Minnesota River and local drinking water. The agency says development can move forward—but only if cleanup is part of the plan.
>>Spongy Moth Treatments Soon to Begin in Parts of Northeastern Minnesota
(St. Paul, MN) – The Minnesota Department of Agriculture is preparing to conduct aerial treatments across 24 sites in northeastern Minnesota to slow the spread of the spongy moth — a destructive, invasive forest pest. The targeted areas span parts of Aitkin, Carlton, Itasca, Pine, and St. Louis counties, covering roughly 84,000 acres. Aerial treatments are expected to take place between July 16th and 22nd, starting as early as 6:30 a.m., weather permitting. A map of the treatment sites is available on the MDA website. Residents can also use an interactive map to determine if their address falls within the designated treatment zones.
>>Minnesota Twins Place Pitcher Ober on 15-Day Injured List
(Miami, FL) — Minnesota Twins starting pitcher Bailey Ober is on the 15-day injured list with a left hip impingement. Ober has a 4-and 6 record and a 5.28 earned run average (ERA) in 17 starts this season. He gave up seven runs in Saturday’s loss to the Tigers and is 0-and-5 in his last five starts. The team called up left-handed pitcher Kody Funderburk from St. Paul to take Ober’s roster spot. The Twins look to snap a three-game skid tonight (Wed 5:40pm) against the Marlins in Miami.
