>>Two People, Dog Dead in Princeton Home Explosion
(Princeton, MN) — Two people and a dog are dead after a home explosion in Princeton this morning. Authorities responded to multiple 911 calls around 3:55 a.m. reporting a possible explosion. Mille Lacs County deputies found a single-family home had exploded into a “large debris field.” First responders found two victims in the home’s rubble, 60-year-old Royce Kreeger Jr. and 61-year-old Katherine Kreeger. A dog carcass was also recovered. The State Fire Marshal is investigating the cause of the explosion.
>>Two Injured, Two Arrested After Minneapolis Shooting
(Minneapolis, MN) — Two men are injured, and two women are in custody after a shooting in north Minneapolis Monday. MPD Officers responded to a local street around 6:35 p.m. after hearing gunfire. Officers found a man with a gunshot wound in an alley, who was brought to a hospital with non-life-threatening injuries. Officers found another man with gunshot wounds a block away, who was brought to a hospital with life-threatening injuries. Two 18-year-old women inside a residence near where the men were found were arrested and booked for aiding and abetting an offender.
>>MN House Refuses Backer’s Request for $120M for EMS in Greater MN
(St. Paul, MN) – House Democrats this afternoon refused Browns Valley Republican Jeff Backer’s request to allocate 120 million dollars — instead of 16 million dollars in the governor’s budget — for struggling emergency medical services, especially in Greater Minnesota. The Democrat-sponsored bill would establish a new state Office of Emergency Medical Services, but G-O-P Representative and E-M-T Backer say, “Without the funding, we’re just growing government, folks.” But fellow Republicans voted against Backer because the 120 million dollars isn’t in the Democrats’ budget framework. Minority Leader Lisa Demuth states, “This is out-of-order, but it’s not out-of-order because it’s not a necessity. It is out-of-order because the majority has decided this isn’t important.” Republicans could be waiting for closer to the end of the session when they might be able to bargain for the full amount if Democrats need their votes on other legislation — for example, a bonding bill.
>>Gov. Walz Signs Hidden Fees Bill Into Law
(Undated) – Flanked by lawmakers and First Avenue CEO Dayna Frank, Governor Tim Walz today signed a bill that eliminates hidden fees when buying tickets online for live music and sporting events, as well as adds new protections for ticket buyers to prevent scams. U-S Senator Amy Klobuchar, who introduced similar legislation in Congress this year, says the bill proves “Minnesota is leading the way” nationwide: “We have seen hidden fees up to 30% of the face value of tickets. We’ve seen fake tickets being sold, people actually buy them and then they show up at the concert and find out they don’t have a ticket. We’ve seen mess ups like with Taylor Swift, Bad Bunny, and Bruce Springsteen.” Minnesota’s “junk fees” bill also allows buyers who have been scammed or “harmed” to sue sellers and resellers.
>>Dakota County Offering Private Drinking Water Well Test Kits
(Dakota County, MN) — The Dakota County Groundwater Protection Unit is offering Apple Valley, Burnsville, Farmington, and Lakeville residents who use private drinking water wells a free water test kit. Participants can test their water for common contaminants recommended by MDH including nitrate, arsenic, lead, and E. coli bacteria. Households and businesses can get their free water test kit by completing a survey on the Dakota County website. (https://www.co.dakota.mn.us/Pages/default.aspx)
>>> Minnesota P-W-H-L Qualifies for Inaugural Playoffs, Faces Toronto in 1st Round
(St. Paul, MN) — The Minnesota P-W-H-L team embarks on its chase for the Walter Cup this week, after qualifying for the league’s inaugural playoffs. Minnesota will face top-seeded Toronto on Wednesday night to open their best three-out-of-five series. Toronto beat Minnesota three times out of four meetings during the regular season, including a 4-1 last Wednesday. By being the top seed, Toronto was given the option to pick their opponent. Minnesota hosts game three on May 13 at Xcel Energy Center, as well as an if necessary fourth game on May 15.
>>> New Arena Football League, Commissioner Under Fire for “Lies, Continuous Mistruths”
(Phoenix, AZ) — The Arena Football League (AFL), an attempt to revive the longtime league of the same name, is facing questions about its survivability. Iowa Rampage owners have called on Minneapolis attorney and league commissioner Lee Hutton to resign, saying he “destroyed not only the AFL’s revival…but player’s hopes and dreams.” Iowa announced they were folding after one game. Rapid City says the league “failed to meet financial obligations.” Sunday, the Minnesota Myth released a statement encouraging fans to attend the team’s upcoming game, despite reports of a player walkout over working conditions. The A-F-L has previously folded twice, the most recent in 2019.