>>Iran possibly behind cyberattack that impacted municipal water systems
(Undated) – The New York Times is reporting Iran is likely behind the cyberattack on about 30 municipal water systems in Minnesota. The newspaper cites unnamed sources in the federal government and in Minnesota who believe Iranian hackers are responsible for the cyberattacks. Hackers struck automated systems and forced several water supply managers to switch to manual operations. The F-B-I has announced its agents are actively engaged with victims of the cyberattacks. There have been no reports that water was unsafe to drink in any of the affected cities.
>>Minnesota wildfire crews top 1,000 personnel as containment grows
(Undated) – More than 1,000 firefighters are now assigned to the July Lightning Incident in northeastern Minnesota. The complex remains at just over 64,000 acres, while containment continues to improve on several major fires. The Little Knife Fire in the Boundary Waters is nearly 50% contained at about 5,000. Officials say warmer, drier conditions could increase fire activity and visible smoke in the coming days. Residents are being urged to follow evacuation orders, fire restrictions, and keep drones and boats away from firefighting operations.
>>Superior National Forest Reopening Recreation Sites
(Duluth, MN) – The Superior National Forest will reopen additional recreation sites in the western portion of the forest beginning Friday. Twenty-nine camping, boating, hiking and other recreational sites will once again be available for public use. This marks the first time these sites have been accessible since they were closed on July 15 due to the wildfires.
>>Minneapolis City Council Confirms New Fire Chief
(Minneapolis) – The Minneapolis City Council today voted to confirm Mayor Jacob Frey’s nomination of Dr. Reginald Freeman as the 19th Chief of the Minneapolis Fire Department. He is the third African American to hold this position. He has led other fire departments in Oakland, California and Hartford, Connecticut. Dr. Freeman says he will focus on firefighter wellness, recruitment and retention, and continue the modernization of the department to meet the challenges of today and the future.
>>Her vows to stay in office amid harassment allegations
(St. Paul, MN) – St. Paul Mayor Kaohly Her says she has no plans to resign as an investigation continues into allegations, she directed inappropriate sexual comments toward Police Chief Axel Henry and other city employees. In a statement Wednesday, Her said she takes her responsibility to treat employees with professionalism and respect seriously but acknowledged some attempts at humor “fell short” of her own standards. Her says the city has fully cooperated with the investigation and remains confident the facts will come to light.
>>Medicaid Fraud Bill Starts August 1st
(St. Paul, MN) – Minnesota’s new fraud protection bill goes into effect this Saturday, August 1st. It’s called the Medical Assistance Protection Act and helps safeguard healthcare by adding additional investigative resources, closing gaps in statutes and helps recover taxpayer dollars. A portion of the new funding unlocks the 3 to 1 federal match and adds 11 new investigators, three attorneys and four support staff to the Medicaid Fraud Control Unit. The law also updates Minnesota’s Medical Assistance fraud statues to address gaps that have made certain fraudulent schemes more difficult to prosecute.
>>Federal Officials to Discuss Simulated Nuclear Incident Results
(Undated) – The U.S. Department of Homeland Security and the Nuclear Regulatory Commission will announce the results of the recent simulated nuclear incident held at Prairie Island Nuclear Generating Plant. Those exercises were held last Monday through Wednesday. Evaluators will discuss how the agencies responded to a mock emergency. The public is invited to join the briefing on the results at Goodhue County Sheriff’s Office in Red Wing at 10 a.m.
>>U of M Researchers Make Progress in Alzheimer’s Disease
(Minneapolis) – A University of Minnesota research team has identified a type of plaque that represents a new potential therapeutic target for Alzheimer’s disease. The researchers discovered a new type of brain plaque, called mitochondrial plaques, in both preclinical models of Alzheimer’s and human brain tissue. The team says this plaque may form in the earliest stages of the disease. The findings were published in Nature Neuroscience.
