>>Shooting of 6-Year-Old Under Investigation in Wabasha County
(Elgin, MN) — Authorities in southeastern Minnesota are investigating the apparent accidental shooting of a six-year-old child. The Wabasha (WAH’-buh-shah) County Sheriff’s Office says the juvenile victim was shot by another person Tuesday night outside a home in Elgin. Deputies say the child was taken to the hospital with serious injuries, but they don’t know their current medical condition. The report says the case will be reviewed by prosecutors once the investigation is complete.
>>5 Indicted in Feeding Our Future Jury Bribery Scheme
(Minneapolis, MN) — Five defendants have been indicted for their roles in a conspiracy to provide a $120,000 bribe to a juror in the Feeding Out Future fraud trial. On April 22nd, seven defendants went to trial for their roles in the fraud scheme. During the trial, Abdiaziz Shafii Farah, 35, of Savage; Abdimajid Mohamed Nur, 23, of Shakopee; Said Shafii Farah, 42, of Minneapolis; Abdulkarim Shafii Farah, 24, of Minneapolis, and Ladan Mohamed Ali, 31, of Seattle, Washington, conspired to bribe the youngest and only juror of color with cash in exchange for a not guilty verdict in the trial. They used a GPS tracking device on her car to track her movements and learned personal information about her online. On June 2nd, around 8:50 p.m., Ali and Abdulkarim Farah gave the juror a Hallmark gift bag containing $120,000 in bribe money, instructions for her to vote “NOT GUILTY ON ALL COUNTS FOR ALL DEFENDANTS,” and a list of “arguments to convince other jurors,” designed to convince the juror that the prosecution was motivated by racial animus. On June 3rd, a judge asked all the suspects to surrender their phones to law enforcement. Abdiaziz Farah factory reset his iPhone in an attempt to delete all evidence. Nur and Said Farah did the same. Each defendant is charged with conspiracy to bribe a juror, bribery of a juror, and corruptly influencing a juror. Abdiaziz was also charged with obstruction of justice. They appear in court for the first time this afternoon.
>>Motorcyclist Killed in Crash with Semi Trailer in Fergus Falls
(Fergus Falls, MN) — Police are investigating a crash that left a motorcyclist dead on Tuesday in Fergus Falls. Officers say the cycle collided with the semi-trailer at Lincoln Street and Interstate 94. The rider was found lying in the roadway and died at the scene. The report says the semi had exited eastbound I-94 and made a left turn when the motorcycle collided with the trailer. The victim hasn’t been identified.
>>Barnum PCA Charged with Sexually Assaulting a Vulnerable Adult
(Barnum, MN) — A Barnum personal care attendant (PCA) has been charged with sexually and physically assaulting a vulnerable adult in her care in the first and fifth degrees. The Carlton County Sheriff’s Office received a Minnesota Adult Abuse Reporting Center (MAARC) report of 18-year-old Jasmine Collins abusing a physically disabled and nonverbal adult. The victim told investigators (Through other communicative means) that Collins hit her with an open hand, touched her inappropriately, and sexually assaulted her with a curling iron. A forensic medical examination found signs of sexual and physical abuse. Collins denied all charges and is being held at the Carlton County Jail, with a court date set for July 3rd.
>>MPCA Invests $500K in Helping Small Communities Prepare for Extreme Weather, Climate Change
(Undated) — The Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA) has invested $500,000 in eight Greater Minnesota communities to help protect homes and businesses from flooding and other impacts. The grants range from $27,000 to $156,000 each to help cities upgrade their infrastructure for extreme weather caused by climate change. Recipients include Aurora, Belgrade, Comfrey, Danube, Ellendale, Lake City, Luverne, and Wabasha.
>>Valleyfair Closes Certain Rides Temporarily Due to Water Levels
(Shakopee, MN) — Valleyfair has temporarily closed three park rides due to high waters. Flooding across the state forced the park to close Excalibur, Thunder Canyon, and Renegade Tuesday night. Officials say parking areas have also been impacted, so overflow lots at Canterbury and Valleyfair will be open.
