>>Two Dead, Third Critically Injured in Willmar Shooting
(Willmar, MN) – Willmar police say two men are dead and a third critically wounded after a shooting in a park Monday night. Police were called to Rau Park in Northwest Willmar at 8 p.m. on the report of a shooting. Emergency crews found two victims, age 19 and 20, and started lifesaving measures. The victims were taken to the Willmar Hospital where one man died and the other was airlifted to St. Cloud in critical condition. A third victim was taken by private party to the Willmar hospital where he was pronounced dead. Police say they don’t believe this was a random act, and the public is not in danger. No names have been released at this time. The Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension (BCA) is assisting in the investigation.
>>St. Cloud Man Sentenced to 17½ Years for Sexually Abusing Young Girl
(St. Cloud, MN) — A St. Cloud man will spend more than 17 years in prison for sexually abusing a young girl. A Stearns County judge sentenced 43-year-old Scott Erickson to 17-and-a-half years, with credit for more than two years already served in jail. A jury convicted Erickson of two counts of first-degree criminal sexual conduct. Prosecutors say the abuse began when the girl was six and occurred multiple times at homes in St. Cloud and St. Joseph between 2021 and 2024.
>>Google Promising Protections, Grants for Hermantown Data Center
(Hermantown, MN) — Google is promising new environmental protections and community funding for its proposed data center in Hermantown in northeastern Minnesota. The company says revised plans would reduce wetland impacts by 37 percent and include groundwater monitoring near trout streams. Google is also pledging to keep noise at or below 47 decibels and address potential impacts to nearby private wells. The company plans to distribute $2.5 million in grants to local nonprofits. Some residents continue to raise concerns about the project’s location and potential environmental impacts.
>>MPCA Fines Leaking Gas Station in McGregor
(St. Paul, MN) – The Minnesota Pollution Control Agency fined Rasley Oil $25,000 for leaking equipment and failing to conduct required testing at its gas station location in McGregor. An inspection by the MPCA found that gas station staff had failed to conduct routine testing on multiple pieces of equipment since 2021 and had not fixed broken equipment, including several hoses and nozzles. In addition to paying the fine, Rasley Oil has completed the necessary testing, submitted required reports, and fixed its equipment.
>>Grants Available for Livestock Farmers and Ranchers
(St. Paul, MN) – The Minnesota Department of Agriculture is now accepting applications for two grants to help farmers and ranchers with their livestock. The first grant helps Minnesota livestock farmers improve, update and modernize their infrastructure and equipment. The second allows farmers to purchase equipment to protect their herds from the avian flu. Up to $1.5 million is available for the Livestock Investment Grant and $250,000 for the avian flu protection grant. Applications are due by November 17.
>>Legacy Cup Cannabis Festival Returns to Minneapolis
(Minneapolis, MN) — Minnesota’s largest cannabis festival returns to Minneapolis this weekend. The seventh annual Legacy Cup runs on Saturday from noon to 8 p.m. at Surly Festival Field. The 21-and-older event features live music from Big Boi, Bone Thugs-N-Harmony and others, along with cannabis competitions, educational sessions and licensed on-site sales and consumption. Organizers say the festival began as a hemp and CBD gathering in 2019 and last year became Minnesota’s first licensed cannabis event.
>>Giant Pumpkins and Ferris Wheel Highlight Stillwater Harvest Fest
(Stillwater, MN) — Giant pumpkins will take over downtown Stillwater when the 21st annual Harvest Fest returns October 10th and 11th. The free festival at Lowell Park along the St. Croix River features the Giant Pumpkin Weigh-Off, where growers compete with pumpkins weighing thousands of pounds. Other highlights include the Pumpkin Regatta, with competitors paddling hollowed-out pumpkins down the river, and the popular 100-foot Pumpkin Drop. This year also marks the return of a full-size Ferris wheel to downtown Stillwater for the first time in more than 50 years.
