>>Victim ID’d in Fatal Fosston Fire
(Fosston, MN) – Fosston Police have identified the man killed in a house fire as 60-year-old Kevin Haugen. His son, 31-year-old Zach Haugen, and two grandchildren, ages 4 and 8, were injured. Another grandchild was not injured. The fire was reported around 4:30 a.m. Wednesday. Kevin Haugen was found after the fire was put out. Zach and his three young daughters were able to get out of the home, but Zach and the two girls were flown to a hospital for treatment. A GoFundMe has been set up for the family. Over $19,000 had been raised as of Thursday afternoon.
>>Boelter’s Wife Releases Statement on Husband’s Alleged Attacks on Lawmakers
(Bloomington, MN) – The wife of Vance Boelter is out with her first statement since he was charged with the murders of former Speaker Melissa Hortman and her husband and the shootings of Senator John Hoffman and his wife. Jenny Boelter says, “On behalf of my children and myself, I want to express our deepest sympathies to the Hortman and Hoffman families. This violence does not at all align with our beliefs as a family. It is a betrayal of everything we hold true as tenets of our Christian faith.” She denied being pulled over by law enforcement on June 14th, saying she voluntarily agreed to meet with agents at a gas station. Halberg Criminal Defense released the statement.
>>Sen. Hauschild Urges Capitol Security Priority for State Lawmakers
(St. Paul, MN) – Following the political attacks on Minnesota lawmakers, security at the Capitol will almost certainly get another look by state legislators. DFL Senator Grant Hauschild of Hermantown says the discussion needs to happen at the Capitol and fast. He says, “I want to make sure that we protect our democracy in the way of being accessible to our constituents.” The Minnesota State Patrol is in charge of security on a 24/7 basis at the Capitol, but the building does not have metal detectors in place.
>>Legal Battle Brews Over Minnesota Dream Act
(St. Paul, MN) — A new legal fight is underway over a Minnesota law that’s been on the books for more than a decade. The U.S. Department of Justice is suing Governor Tim Walz, Attorney General Keith Ellison, and the state’s Office of Higher Education over the Minnesota Dream Act. The 2013 law allows undocumented students to get in-state tuition if they attend a Minnesota high school for at least three years and graduate or earn a GED in the state. Senator Sandy Pappas, who authored the bill, says the law has boosted college enrollment without costing the state a dime. She says many of the students it supports go on to live, work, and raise families in Minnesota. The case now heads to federal court.
>>47th Conviction in FOF Fraud Scheme
(Minneapolis, MN) — A Minneapolis man pleaded guilty today for his role in the Feeding Our Future scheme, which defrauded a federal nutrition program during the COVID-19 pandemic of $250 million. 35-year-old Ahmed Ghedi pleaded guilty to wire fraud and money laundering. From September 2020 through January 2022, Ghedi claimed to serve meals to 2,000-3,000 children every day, seven days a week. He deposited over $2 million in program funds into a shell company, AG Limited LLC, using it to buy motor vehicles, a mansion, and Minneapolis property, which have all been forfeited to the U.S. Ghedi will be sentenced later.
>>NWS Reports Tornado East of Albert Lea
(Undated) — The National Weather Service (NWS) reports a tornado spotted east of Albert Lea as residents across southeastern Minnesota receive tornado and flood warnings. The NWS says the tornado was seen moving northeast in Freeborn County between Hayward and Albert Lea. They say trees and power lines were damaged by the storm. Temperatures are in the sixties statewide with some light winds.
>>Representative Craig Urges Administration to Deliver High-Speed Internet to Rural Communities
(Washington, D.C.) – U.S. Representative Angie Craig has joined several lawmakers from both sides of the aisle to urge the Trump Administration to follow through on its promise to deliver high-speed internet service to rural communities. In a letter sent to the Commerce Secretary, Craig says she’s concerned that recent guidance suggests broadband deployment could be delayed in these parts of the country. Craig is co-chair of the Congressional Rural Broadband Caucus.
