>>Governor Tim Walz To Deliver His Sixth State Of State Address Tonight
(St. Paul, MN) — Minnesota Governor Tim Walz will deliver his State of the State address tonight at Owatonna High School. He is expected to urge the Legislature to pass more gun safety regulations, including storage provisions and increased penalties for straw buyers. Republicans will provide a rebuttal to the governor’s address, likely renewing calls for fiscal restraint.
>>MnDOT Lifts ‘No Travel’ Advisory on I-90 and Highways in South Central Minnesota
(Mankato, MN) — There is still blowing snow and icy conditions on Interstate 90 and state highways in south central Minnesota, but MnDOT lifted the “no travel” advisory at 2 pm (Tues). Affected areas included I-90 and Highways 60, 86, and 71 in the Worthington, Jackson, and Windom area after reports of white-out conditions and strong winds causing limited to zero visibility. MnDOT officials say visibility has improved, and drivers are still advised to reduce their speeds and drive according to the conditions.
>>Landlord Asks Judge To Evict MyPillow From Warehouse
(Shakopee, MN) — A landlord for one of MyPillow’s manufacturing facilities in Shakopee is asking a judge to evict the company. According to court documents, MyPillow has failed to pay more than 200 thousand dollars in rent over the last few months for the facility on Valley Boulevard South. Its CEO, Mike Lindell, has been public about his financial struggles. A judge has said that the eviction order will be granted.
>>Maplewood House Fire Kills Two Dogs, Deemed Uninhabitable
(Maplewood, MN) — Two dogs are dead after a house fire in Maplewood, making the house uninhabitable. Crews responded to a residence fire around 6 p.m. Monday after a neighbor reported seeing smoke from one of the windows and called 911. Firefighters found two dead dogs inside the house after putting the fire out. The home is deemed currently uninhabitable. The cause is yet to be known.
>>St. Paul Man Sentenced to Life in Prison for Fatal May 2022 Shooting
(St. Paul, MN) — A St. Paul man has been sentenced to life in prison for a fatal shooting at a light rail station. Court documents say 34-year-old Shawn Tillman fatally shot 37-year-old Demitri Ellis-Strong at the METRO’s Green Line’s Central Station in downtown St. Paul in May 2022 in a fashion the Ramsey County Attorney’s Office calls “heinous.” Tillman was found guilty of premeditated first-degree murder Monday.
>>SPPD Investigating Finding Unconscious Man on Sidewalk as Homicide Case
(St. Paul, MN) — St. Paul Police are investigating the death of an unconscious man found on a sidewalk over the weekend as a homicide. Officers on patrol say they noticed the person around 1 a.m. Saturday. Realizing they were unconscious and not breathing, life-saving efforts were made until medics brought him to Regions Hospital, where he died shortly after arriving. A preliminary investigation indicates that the victim may have been in an altercation and had been assaulted before officers found him.
>>MN Hospitals Ranked Among 10 Worst in Nation for Community Spending
(St. Paul, MN) — A new study by the Lown Institute, an independent healthcare think tank, finds that 90% of Minnesota nonprofit hospitals give back less to their communities than they receive in tax breaks, ranking the state as one of the 10 worst in the nation for community spending. This comes as the Minnesota Nurses Association (MNA) is pushing the Healing Greed Agenda, a compilation of proposed legislation that would “put patient needs before corporate greed.” The study singled out Mayo Clinic as one of the worst offenders in the country, alleging the total deficit of funds denied to community contributions in exchange for hospital tax breaks totals $1.1 billion.
>>ULMC Secures Lead in Lawsuit Against MN DHS
(Golden Valley, MN) — The Upper Midwest Law Center (ULMC) has secured a victory on behalf of Aaron Norgren in a lawsuit against the Minnesota Department of Human Services (DHS). Norgren’s lawsuit alleges after he opposed the DHS’s “extreme anti-racist and gender identity training” and was later refused an opportunity to interview for a promotion he was previously told he was qualified for. The District of MN initially dismissed the case, but the federal Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals reversed this, reinstating the lawsuit against the state.
>>Former Minnesota Vikings Kicker Joseph Signs with Green Bay Packers
(Eagan, MN) — Former Vikings kicker Greg Joseph is leaving Minnesota to join the rival Green Bay Packers. His agent confirmed today (Tuesday) that the 29-year-old has agreed to sign with the Pack after three seasons with the Purple. Agent Brett Tessler said free agent Joseph “had other interests but liked this opportunity.” Joseph holds the Vikings’ record for longest field goal, 61 yards, and the N-F-L record for five game-winning kicks in a season. Minnesota signed X-F-L kicker John Parker Romo earlier this month.
