>>Governor Appoints Council Following Operation Metro Surge
(St. Paul, MN) – Governor Tim Walz has announced the first appointments to the Governor’s Council on Recording the Truth of Operation Metro Surge and Operation PARRIS on Minnesotans. The council will be chaired by former District Judge Peter Cahill and includes 12 appointed members from around the metro and Greater Minnesota. The council will be tasked with creating a public record of both harm endured during federal operations and the generosity and resilience demonstrated by Minnesotans. They will gather testimony, data, videos and firsthand accounts to make sure this period is documented. The ACLU of Minnesota and Advocates for Human Rights each have a member on the council.
>>Inmate Dies at St. Croix County Jail
(St. Croix County, MN) — An investigation is underway after an inmate died at the St. Croix County Jail over the weekend. Police say 22-year-old Ethan Tjader of River Falls was found unresponsive in the Huber dorm early Saturday morning. Life saving measures were unsuccessful. The cause of death is pending autopsy results.
>>Crow Wing County Authorities ID Little Emily Lake Drowning Victim
(Emily, MN) — Crow Wing County authorities are identifying the man who drowned on Little Emily Lake as 29-year-old Cody Kent from Burnsville. The sheriff’s office was notified that a man went underwater while swimming Saturday afternoon and had not resurfaced. Deputies say a friend located Kent, and he was later removed from the water, but first responders were unable to save him.
>>Declining Attendance at Catholic Parishes Across Minnesota
(St. Cloud, MN) — Declining Mass attendance and a shortage of priests are creating financial challenges for Catholic parishes across central Minnesota. Bishop Patrick Neary of the St. Cloud Diocese says fewer than one in four Catholics regularly attend Mass or participate in parish life, a sharp decline from previous generations. Neary says changing demographics in many small communities have also affected local churches, leading the diocese to combine parishes into larger Catholic Communities to maintain services and ministry. About 1.2 million Minnesotans identify as Catholic, representing roughly one in five residents statewide.
>>88-Year-Old Hiker Rescued from 30-Foot Fall on Caribou River Trail
(Finland, MN) — An 88-year-old man is expected to be okay after falling 30 feet from a Superior Hiking Trail near Finland in northeastern Minnesota. The Lake County Sheriff’s Office says the man fell towards river off the Caribou River Trail Sunday afternoon. Lake County Rescue crew members used ropes to save the man who was hanging onto a tree over the river. Deputies say he only suffered some cuts and scrapes in the fall.
>>Housing Department awards funding to preserve at-risk affordable housing properties
(Undated) – Affordable housing properties across Minnesota are getting a major financial boost. The Minnesota Housing Department is awarding more than 50 million dollars in grants to 35 properties facing financial and physical challenges. Commissioner Jennifer Ho says rising costs, from inflation to severe weather, have made it harder to maintain buildings and keep rents affordable. She adds many properties operate on thin margins, and recent pressures have pushed some into negative cash flow. The one-time funding will help cover repairs, operating costs, and supportive services, protecting nearly 2,600 affordable homes statewide.
