>>Walz says he was prepared to take State Trooper Londregan case away from Hennepin County prosecutor
(St. Paul, MN) — Governor Tim Walz said today (Mon) he would have acted “soon” to take the case against State Trooper Ryan Londregan away from Hennepin County prosecutor Mary Moriarty, if Moriarty had not announced Sunday that she was dropping charges. Londregan was charged after he fatally shot Ricky Cobb the Second during a traffic stop on I-94 in north Minneapolis and the governor says “there were problems with prosecution from the beginning.” County Attorney Moriarty says Trooper Londregan’s defense lawyers, funded by the Minnesota Police and Peace Officers Association, repeatedly asked the governor to intervene in the case. She asks, “Have you ever seen this governor intervene in any case involving a defendant in his entire tenure — ever?” Moriarty says Walz has a conflict because as governor he oversees the State Patrol.
Trooper Londregan’s attorney, Chris Madel says charges should have never been filed against client. He says, “This county attorney was hell-bent on prosecuting a cop. She could not wait for a case like this to come up. And now we’re saying, oh boy, had I known that, what I know now…? It’s garbage.” Madel said Londregan is owed an apology: “He deserves an adult to stand up and say, ‘You know what? I messed up since day one. I made a major mistake.’ ”
>>Ricky Cobb’s attorneys say they’re “not surprised” by decision to drop charges against state trooper
(Minneapolis, MN) — Attorneys for Ricky Cobb the Second say they are disappointed but not surprised because “like many, we have come to expect the absence of justice and accountability when Black lives are lost in this country.” They go on to say, “the state of Minnesota has repeatedly demonstrated that Black lives simply are not valued whether it’s Daunte Demetrius Wright, Philando Castile or Ricky Cobb the Second.”
>>Attempted bribe of juror in Feeding our Future trial, legal expert says case is “dangerously close” to mistrial
(St. Paul, MN) — Hamline University legal analyst David Schultz says the Feeding our Future case is “getting dangerously close… to a mistrial” — with one juror dismissed after prosecutors say a woman came to her door with 120 thousand dollars in cash and offered more if she voted to acquit the defendants. Schultz says, “If one juror has been approached, there’s a concern that maybe others have been approached also too.” Schultz says because trials for other defendants are upcoming, it would make sense to stop and do an investigation before proceeding. He says, “It’s capturing something about the stakes in this case and about some potentially very important people who are worried about what the results could be if there actually were a conviction.” The judge says the remaining jurors will be questioned to see if they had any unauthorized contact and she says she will decide later today whether to detain the defendants or sequester the jury.
>>16-year-old girl in critical condition after near drowning on Crow River in Wright County
(Hanover, MN) — A 16-year-old girl is in critical condition after being pulled underwater while paddle boarding on the Crow River Sunday near Hanover in Wright County. Deputies say the victim and her mother were on paddle boards and a 15-year-old boy was in a kayak when they collided with trees overhanging into the river. They all fell into water and the woman and boy were able to get free, but the girl became stuck underwater. Her father and a bystander pulled her from the river and first responders were able to get a pulse before she was airlifted to the U of M Children’s Hospital. The report indicates she was wearing a life jacket.
>>MSU-Mankato Teacher Named Noel Olson Volunteer of the Year Award
(Burnsville, MN) — Mark Sybilrud, a teacher and coach at Minnesota State University-Mankato, has been named for this year’s Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference (NSIC) Noel Olson Volunteer of the Year Award. It’s intended to honor volunteers who have made a significant contribution to the NSIC as a whole, and officials say Sybilrud has been chosen thanks to his “unwavering commitment to his community, his alma mater, and his family.” Sybilrud is the first MSU representative to be recognized with this award since the Mavericks rejoined the NSIC in 2008.
>>Andy Grammer Coming to Paramount Center This Fall
(St. Cloud, MN) — Multiplatinum singer-songwriter Andy Grammer is coming to St. Cloud’s Paramount Center for the Arts this fall. As part of their 2024-25 Fall/Winter season, featuring a diverse lineup of performances and educational opportunities, Grammer will headline the season’s kick-off and annual fundraising event Friday, September 6th. Grammer is known for his hits such as “Honey, I’m Good,” “Keep Your Head Up,” and “Don’t Give Up On Me.”
>>Fridley Tax Preparer Charged with 26 Tax Crimes
(St. Paul, MN) — A Fridley tax preparer has been charged with 26 tax-related felonies in relation to filing false business and individual tax returns between 2014 and 2020. Court documents say Khadar Ismail Egal, a.k.a. Jabarti Mohamed, prepared tax returns for businesses and business owners through his company, Jigis & Associates LLC. The criminal complaint states Mohamed owes millions of dollars in taxes to the state, as well as over $91,000 in income tax from his own falsely filed income tax returns from 2018 to 2020 and unfiled tax returns in 2021 and ’22. Mohamed allegedly prepared and filed false business tax returns for multiple daycare centers—Liban Child Care Center, Angels Fun Area, Diversity Daycare Center Inc., MN Best Child Care Center, Inc., St. Paul Madina Academy LLC, and Whittier Childcare Ltd.—knowingly claiming hundreds of thousands of dollars in nondeductible business expenses on their returns.
