>>9 Defendants Plead Guilty to MN Fentanyl Conspiracy
(St. Paul, MN) — The remaining defendants in a Twin Cities drug trafficking conspiracy have pleaded guilty. Court documents say between August 2022 and December 2023, nine people conspired to distribute fentanyl throughout Minnesota, particularly in the Twin Cities. Co-defendants traveled to Phoenix, Arizona, hid the pills inside stuffed animals, and mailed the drugs back to Minnesota. An official seizure of six packages turned up over 30,000 grams of fentanyl. All have pleaded guilty and are scheduled to be sentenced soon.
Defendants include: Phyu Jame, 28, Amaya Mims, 24, Da’Shawn Domena, 25, Cornell Chandler Jr., 26, Robiel Williams, 24, Quijuan Bankhead, 31, Stardasha Davenport-Mounger, 25, Fo’Tre White, 28, and Shardai Allen, 25.
>>Stranded Hikers in Red Wing Saved by Firefighters
(Red Wing, MN) — Two hikers in Red Wing are safe after getting stranded on a bluff Wednesday. Red Wing firefighters responded to He Mni Can-Barn Bluff around 10:30 a.m. One of the hikers was injured before the pair became stranded off a walking trail. Crews used a drone to help locate the hikers. No word on the hiker’s identities or conditions.
>>Goodview Fire Chief Passes
(Goodview, MN) — Goodview Fire Chief Jason Gruett has died. A Facebook post from the department says Gruett will be escorted from Rochester to Hoff Funeral Home in Goodview this afternoon. The public is invited to line the streets of 6th Street around 3 p.m. His cause of death is unknown.
>>Senate Committee Addresses New Ethics Complaint Against Sen. Mitchell
(St. Paul, MN) – Today, a Minnesota Senate panel addressed a new ethics complaint against DFL Senator Nicole Mitchell, who is facing two felony burglary charges. GOP lawmakers amended a previous ethics complaint regarding Mitchell’s alleged break-in at her stepmother’s home last April, to which she has pleaded not guilty. Republican Senator Karin Housley says the new statement is incredibly detailed, including descriptions of where she was found, what she was wearing, and comments Mitchell made both before and after being Mirandized and arrested. There is also an additional complaint that she violated chamber rules on conflicts of interest when she voted on a procedural motion blocking a debate and, later, a vote on her expulsion from the chamber. The Senate Subcommittee on Ethical Conduct has an equal number of Republican and Democratic members but could not agree on how to proceed. For now, both complaints will remain open until after Mitchell’s trial, scheduled for June.
>>Minnesota Joins Lawsuit to Prevent Trump from Dismantling DOE
(St. Paul, MN) – Minnesota is joining a coalition of states suing to prevent the Trump administration from implementing mass layoffs within the U.S. Department of Education. The lawsuit was filed in federal court today, following the Department of Education’s announcement this week that it would place nearly 1,400 employees on administrative leave. Attorney General Keith Ellison is collaborating with 21 other attorneys general in this legal action, which argues that these staff reductions undermine the essential functions of a department that is authorized by Congress. Ellison warns that any effort to dismantle the DOE will have wide-ranging detrimental effects on Minnesota schools and students.
>>Litchfield Man Suffers Gunshot Wound from Dismantling Car
(Darwin Township, MN) — A Litchfield man is recovering from a gunshot wound after a vehicle mishap in Darwin Township. The Meeker County Sheriff’s Office says 48-year-old Joseph Bogatzki and co-workers were dismantling a car around noon Tuesday when they found a firearm. While removing it, the weapon fired and hit Bogatzki in the arm. He was brought to Meeker Memorial Hospital for treatment.
>>3 Cats Likely Dead After Meeker County House Fire
(Dassel, MN) — Three cats are likely dead after a fire damaged a house in Meeker County Wednesday. Deputies responded to the Dassel home around 2:46 p.m. on reports of a fire. The owner told officials she was in the backyard with three dogs when she noticed the fire. She tried to go inside to save three cats but couldn’t find them in the heavy smoke. No humans were injured. The Red Cross is helping those displaced by the fire, and the cause is under investigation.
