>>New London Woman Dies in Motorcycle Crash
(Columbus, OH) – A New London woman is dead from injuries sustained in a weekend crash involving a three-wheeled motorcycle in Ohio. According to her CaringBridge site, 69-year-old Diane Hagedorn was riding with her sister, Denise Barger of Ohio, Saturday afternoon when they struck a deer. Both women were taken to a Columbus hospital. Barger was treated for a leg injury, while Hagedorn suffered a brain injury. The CaringBridge update says Hagedorn passed away from her injuries today.
>>Maple Grove DFL Lawmaker Says She Was Targeted
(St. Paul, MN) – Maple Grove DFL Representative Kristin Bahner issued a statement Wednesday saying the accused shooter stopped at her home early Saturday morning. Bahner says, “Divine intervention led my family to change our plans, keeping us safe.” She also said, “The past several days have been surrounded by so much grief and fear. The senseless violence came to my door as well, placing me and my family in harm’s way. I do not know why this man was filled with such hatred that he would come to my door.” Bahner also said she is devastated by the loss of her leader, Melissa Hortman, and Hortman’s husband, Mark, and continues to pray for Senator John Hoffman and his family.
>>Hortman Home Broken Into, Nothing Believed to be Stolen
(Brooklyn Park, MN) — The Brooklyn Park home of the late Speaker of the House, Emerita State Representative Melissa Hortman, was broken into early this morning, four days after she and her husband, Mark, were fatally shot. Police say officers responded around 8 a.m. and found someone had pried off plywood from a rear window and broken the glass to get inside. The home had already been processed for evidence following Saturday’s double homicide, and nothing appeared to be stolen. The Hortman family had removed valuables on Tuesday. Investigators say a police trailer camera was stationed in front of the home, but it’s unclear if it captured the break-in. Authorities are asking neighbors to check surveillance footage and contact the Brooklyn Park Police Department at 763-493-8222.
>>MN LGBTQ+ Community Mourns Rep. Hortman
(Undated) — Tonight, House Speaker Emerita Melissa Hortman and her husband Mark will be remembered with a candlelight vigil on the steps of the Capitol in St. Paul. Executive Director Kat Rohn of OutFront Minnesota, the state’s largest LGBTQ+ organization, says the community mourns with the state and nation, noting “these are th folks we’ve worked with closely, both in the legislature and in our communities, and we’re holding close the many folks and lawmakers who were affected.” Rohn says Hortman was key in passing additional legislation with protections for gender-affirming care and making Minnesota a “trans refuge state.”
>>Thompson to be Federally Sentenced in August
(Minneapolis, MN) — Derrick Thompson will be federally sentenced on August 25th at 10 a.m. for the vehicular murder of five young women in Minneapolis. Thompson was found guilty of firearm and drug possession in his federal trial in October 2024, relating to the June 2023 crash. The crash occurred after Thompson led a Minnesota State Patrol Trooper on a high-speed chase and ran a red light. He was found guilty of 15 counts of criminal vehicular homicide in his state trial earlier this month. Thompson is due back in the Minnesota court for sentencing on Tuesday at 10 a.m.
>>Minnesota Soldier Dies in Noncombat Incident in Kuwait
(Fort Drum, NY) — A soldier from Minnesota is dead after a non-combat-related incident over the weekend in Kuwait. The Department of Defense says 40-year-old Sergeant First Class Emmett Goodridge, Junior of Roseville, died Sunday at Camp Buehring. Goodridge was assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 22nd Infantry Regiment, First Infantry Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division, based in Fort Drum, New York. His unit was supporting Operation Inherent Resolve. The incident is still under investigation.
>>Former St. Kate’s Dean Gets Probation for Embezzlement
(St. Paul, MN) – A former dean at St. Catherine University has been sentenced for embezzling more than $400,000 from the school. Luara Fero pleaded guilty in April to theft by swindle and has now been sentenced to three years of probation. She’s also been ordered to pay $25,000 in restitution.
>>OTC Man Arrested for Selling Meth
(New York Mills, MN) — An Ottertail County man is in custody after selling methamphetamine to a confidential informant in a controlled buy last August. A warrant for 57-year-old Jeffery Kampsula of New York Mills was issued Tuesday, and he was arrested the same day. He made his first court appearance today and is charged with first-degree sale of a controlled substance. Kampsula sold undercover agents 26.5 grams of of meth.
>>Deer Feeding Ban Expands to 32 MN Counties
(St. Paul, MN) — The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources has expanded its ban on deer feeding and attractants to eight more counties, aiming to slow the spread of chronic wasting disease. The move came after CWD was found in new parts of the state last year. The new counties added to the ban are Anoka, Clay, Ramsey, Sherburne, Steele, Traverse, Wilkin, and Wright. That brings the total to 32 counties now under the ban. For a full map and details, visit the Minnesota DNR website at mndnr.gov.
