>>Woman Injured While Unloading Hay Bales
(Little Falls, MN) — A woman was injured Saturday afternoon while helping unload hay bales. According to the Morrison County Sheriff’s Office, 38-year-old Tasha Wood was assisting her husband with unloading bales from a trailer when one fell on her, northeast of Little Falls. Investigators say Wood’s husband was operating a skid loader with a bale spear when a bale slid off and landed on her, briefly trapping her underneath. Wood was taken to St. Joseph’s Hospital in Brainerd with injuries that have not been disclosed.
>>Texas Man Injured While Loading Potatoes
(Morrison County, MN) — A Texas man was injured while loading a trailer near Little Falls early Saturday morning in Ripley Township. Authorities say Dimas Delgado Jr. of Eagle Pass, Texas, was helping load a potato trailer using a conveyor when the trailer unexpectedly pulled away. Delgado’s safety vest became caught in the conveyor, causing him to lose his balance, and the machine’s wheel ran over his leg. He was taken to St. Gabriel’s Hospital in Little Falls with unknown injuries.
>>Rochester Man Enters Alford Plea in Child Sex Assault Case
(Rochester, MN) — A Rochester man is pleading guilty via an Alford plea in a child sex assault case tied to a local swimming beach. Court documents say 46-year-old Valentin Soto was accused of inappropriately touching a six-year-old girl at Foster-Arend Park in July. Soto denies guilt but admits there’s enough evidence for a conviction. The plea deal reduces the charge to fifth-degree criminal sexual conduct and includes a 180-day jail sentence.
>>Sen. Pappas Says DFL Doesn’t Have Votes for Gun Ban
(St. Paul, MN) – Another week and still no sign that Governor Tim Walz will call a special session on gun violence. The governor said last week that calling a session without a vote on an assault rifle ban would be a waste of time and money. DFL Senator Sandra Pappas of St. Paul says she thinks Walz “is realizing that we probably don’t have the votes to pass gun legislation in a special session.” She calls it sad, as it feels like an urgency after the Annunciation school shooting. Republican leaders say they haven’t seen any legislation yet about a ban on assault rifles. Their agenda instead concentrates on making schools safer and offering more mental health services.
>>MN Fire Marshal Kicks Off CO Awareness Campaign
(Rochester, MN) – The Department of Public Safety (DPS) is teaming up with the State Fire Marshal and local advocates to prevent carbon monoxide poisoning across Minnesota. Cheryl Burt, a mother who lost two of her sons, 4-year-old Nicholas and 16-month-old Zachary, to CO poisoning in 1996, says they were clueless for months, thinking they just had the flu. She says by the time they figured out this wasn’t normal, it was too late. Federal legislation enacted in the Burts’ honor is funding the 25 hundred free CO alarms that will be given out to community members by DPS.
>>Minneapolis Celebrates Housing Affordability, Homelessness Prevention Milestone
(Minneapolis, MN) – Minneapolis is marking a milestone in providing affordable housing and homelessness prevention with a new progress report, following an investment of $400 million since 2018. Mayor Jacob Frey says their prevention plan has led to a 33% decrease in unsheltered homelessness and a 30% decrease in family homelessness. The report states that between 2022 and 2024, Minneapolis has served more than 3,000 households through financial wellness and down payment assistance to cultivate generational wealth. Frey says compared to when they started, the city is providing eight-and-a-half times more homes.
>>Camper Total Loss After Meeker County Fire
(Meeker County, MN) — A camper is a total loss after a fire in Meeker County on Saturday. Deputies and Grove City fire crews responded to the report around 5:41 p.m. The camper was fully engulfed in flames. No one was in the camper at the time, and no injuries were reported. The cause is under investigation.
>>Holidazzle Rebrands as ‘Winterapolis’ in Downtown Minneapolis
(Minneapolis, MN) — Holidazzle is getting a makeover. The longtime holiday event, usually four days in mid-December at Loring Park, is rebranding as “Winterapolis,” a months-long winter campaign running from November through February. The Minneapolis Downtown Council says the new format will feature arts, culture, markets, and citywide events. Organizers hope Winterapolis will bring fresh energy and broader participation to downtown’s winter season.
