>>Senator Hauschild Calls for Diesel Relief for Northern Minnesota
(Hermantown, MN) – State Senator Grant Hauschild is calling on Minnesota and federal leaders to provide temporary diesel relief for farmers, loggers and other businesses that depend on fuel to keep working and delivering goods across northern Minnesota. Hauschild said, “It costs more to harvest timber, get crops to market and move supplies across the long distances our communities depend on.” Hauschild is asking Governor Tim Walz and the Minnesota Department of Revenue to examine what immediate state relief is legally available. He’s also asking Congress to pursue targeted diesel tax relief. AAA (Triple A) reports the average price for a gallon of diesel is now $6.33 on Friday. A year ago, the price was $3.60.
>>Woman Killed in Suspected Drunk Driving Crash Near Glyndon
(Glyndon, MN) — A 19-year-old Fosston woman is dead following a suspected drunk driving crash north of Glyndon. Clay County deputies were called around 1:45 Friday morning after a cellphone automatically reported a crash. Authorities say the vehicle struck a power pole. The 21-year-old driver from Sisseton, South Dakota was taken to a Fargo hospital with life-threatening injuries and died. Investigators say alcohol and speed appear to have contributed to the crash. Names are being withheld until family members are notified.
>>Mayo Clinic to Pay $50K To Worker Denied COVID Vaccine Exemption
(Rochester, MN) — Mayo Clinic has agreed to pay 50-thousand dollars to an employee who received a COVID-19 vaccine against his wishes to avoid losing his job. The settlement stems from a 2025 religious discrimination lawsuit. The security guard said the vaccine conflicted with his Pentecostal faith and offered to undergo COVID testing and wear a mask instead. Mayo denied his religious exemption request in December 2021, and the worker was vaccinated after being told he could lose his job. Under the settlement, Mayo will provide religious accommodations to its vaccination requirement unless doing so would create an undue hardship.
>>Up To 12 Homes Considered Total Losses After New Richland Flooding
(New Richland, MN) — Cleanup continues in New Richland after heavy rain caused widespread flooding last weekend. City officials say up to 12 homes are considered total losses, with roughly 1,200 people impacted and about 80 percent of homes affected. Some areas received up to nine inches of rain. City Administrator Tyler Lendt says everyone in the community is safe and water levels are dropping, although some areas still have about six inches of standing water. Minnesota Homeland Security and Emergency Management has requested that FEMA and the U.S. Small Business Administration begin preparing a joint preliminary damage assessment.
>>Deadly Rabbit Disease Detected in Lake of the Woods County
(St. Paul, MN) — Minnesota animal health officials are warning rabbit owners after a highly contagious and deadly disease struck two colonies in Lake of the Woods County. Rabbit Hemorrhagic Disease Virus type 2 was confirmed in one colony after about 15 percent of its rabbits suddenly died. A second colony less than a mile away lost about half its rabbits and is considered a presumed case. Officials say RHDV2 can kill up to 90 percent of infected rabbits. Owners are encouraged to consider vaccination and take precautions to prevent the virus from spreading. The disease is not known to affect people.
>>Northeastern MN Tribes Call for Study of Mining Impacts
(Grand Portage, MN) — Two northeastern Minnesota tribes are calling for a broad state study of mining’s environmental impacts. The Grand Portage and Bois Forte bands want the state to examine the cumulative effects of mining and other mineral extraction across 5.5 million acres of 1854 Treaty territory. Tribal leaders want the review completed before new extraction projects are permitted, citing concerns about water pollution and damage to wild rice. The Minnesota Environmental Quality Board said Thursday it had not yet received a formal request.
