>>Walz and Ellison Testify Over Fraud in House Hearing
(Washington, D.C.) – Minnesota Governor Tim Walz says he is taking responsibility for widespread fraud uncovered in the state. Walz made the remarks today while testifying before the U.S. House Oversight Committee on Capitol Hill. He acknowledged the failures that happened under his watch and said his focus now is on fixing the system. Walz also responded to the Trump administration’s decision to freeze Medicaid payments to Minnesota. He warned that the funding halt could jeopardize health care for children and pregnant women and may force some rural hospitals to close. Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison also appeared before the committee to testify.
>>Gas Prices Rising due to Middle East Conflict
(Undated) – Gas prices are headed in the wrong direction as the conflict in the Middle East intensifies. AAA Minnesota’s Brynna Knapp says we had been enjoying lower prices at the pump, but “Even just a few days ago, our Minnesota average was $2.83 a gallon, and now we’re at $3.07. So, we really are feeling the short-term impacts of the global events that took place over the weekend in Iran.” She says gas prices historically increase in March and April, but not this kind of jump.
>>Legislation Prohibiting Surveillance Pricing in MN Needs More Consideration
(St. Paul, MN) – Today, the Minnesota House Commerce Committee heard two proposed bills banning the practice of surveillance pricing in state stores. Grace Gedye with Consumer Reports, a national consumer protection advocacy organization, says they had an outpouring of responses saying surveillance pricing discrimination is real, citing, “One member shared their experience online shopping for an electric razor, seeing a discount code, then looking at a more expensive razor, and then navigating back to the original razor, only to find the discount was now gone.” Republicans say the bills need additional guardrails to keep individual coupons for consumers. Bill Authors, DFL Representatives Emma Greenman and Carlie Kotyza Witthuhn, say that the bills already have exemptions for common discounts, such as veterans and seniors. An experiment was done at a Target in St. Paul, where, despite shopping for the same items, consumers fell into seven price categories ranging from $81.24 to $86.78. The bills were laid over for more discussion.
>>Grey Eagle Man Escapes Burning Soybean Truck Near Melrose
(Melrose Township, MN) – A Grey Eagle man escaped injury Tuesday after his soybean truck caught fire and tipped into a ditch near Melrose. The Stearns County Sheriff’s Office says 59-year-old Steven Berscheit was driving a truck south on County Road 13 around 10:50 a.m. when the vehicle began losing power. Berscheit told dispatchers he smelled burning rubber and saw smoke filling the cab. Deputies say the truck lost all power, rolled backward down the hill, and eventually tipped into a ditch as the fire spread. Berscheit was able to climb out of the cab unharmed. The cause of the mechanical failure has not yet been determined.
>>Driver Dead After Crash Near Capitol
(St. Paul, MN) – A crash involving a Ramsey County deputy late Tuesday night near the State Capitol left one person dead and three injured. Deputies had located a stolen vehicle, and the driver fled onto Interstate 94 before being stopped and arrested after a PIT maneuver. As officers responded, a Ramsey County deputy collided with another vehicle near the Capitol. The deputy and all three people in that vehicle were taken to the hospital, where the driver later died. One passenger remains in serious condition; the others have non-life-threatening injuries.
>>Propane Truck Crashes North of Richmond; Roads Closed for Safety
(Richmond, MN) – Several roads north of Richmond were shut down this morning after a propane truck crashed and began leaking fuel. The Stearns County Sheriff’s Office says the crash happened around 7:35 a.m. on County Road 161. Deputies say dense fog contributed to the crash when the driver from Wenner’s Gas Company failed to see an upcoming intersection. The truck left the road, hit a power box, and hit several trees. The driver was trapped in the cab and had to be extricated by Chain of Lakes Fire and Rescue. He was taken to St. Cloud Hospital, and his condition is unknown. Because the truck was leaking propane, power was shut off in the area, and multiple roads remain closed.
>>Perham Man Sentenced for Possessing Child Porn
(Fergus Falls, MN) – A Perham man has been sentenced to four months in the Otter Tail County Jail after admitting to possessing child pornography. 42-year-old Zachary Nash will also serve five years of probation following his release. He pleaded guilty to two counts of possessing child pornography. According to the Otter Tail County Sheriff’s Office, investigators received multiple tips from the Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force in December 2022 indicating Nash’s computer contained illegal images. A search warrant executed in May of 2023 led investigators to seize several devices, where they found 17 illicit files.
>>Employee at Moorhead Elderly Living Center Steals from Resident
(Moorhead, MN) – A worker at Arbor Park Living Center in Moorhead has been fired after admitting she used a resident’s credit card to make more than 1,200 dollars in unauthorized purchases. A Minnesota Department of Health investigation found 45 fraudulent charges over two months, including orders from Temu, Uber Eats, Amazon, and DoorDash. The victim is a man with cognitive and memory issues following a stroke. The resident’s community support worker discovered the theft after noticing his account had dropped to $2. The former employee told investigators she first got the card information while helping the man order food, then used the replacement card after the first one was canceled. The facility says all staff have since been retrained.
>>Big Lake Mobile Home Park Fined for Wastewater Violations
(Big Lake, MN) – A mobile home park in Big Lake is looking at more than $24,000 in fines for multiple wastewater violations. State officials say Big Lake SADO, LLC was cited for unauthorized releases of untreated wastewater in October 2024 and again in January and February of 2025. The Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA) says the company also failed to notify the Minnesota Duty Officer in a timely manner. As part of a corrective action plan, the operator is preparing an evaluation report with recommendations for repairs and improvements to the park’s wastewater system. The incident remains under state oversight.
