>>Flags Lowered to Half-Staff in Honor of Late Governor Al Quie
(St. Paul, MN) — Flags are flying at half-staff on state buildings through sunset Saturday in honor of former Governor Al Quie. Minnesota’s 35th governor will lie in state from noon to 3 p.m. today (Friday) at the State Capitol. Quie represented southern Minnesota’s 1st District in the U.S. House for 20 years before serving one term as governor from 1979 to 1983. The Republican was known for working across the aisle with Democrats. Quie died on August 18th of natural causes at age 99. There’s a public funeral tomorrow (Saturday) at 1 p.m. at Central Lutheran Church in Minneapolis.
>>Secretary of State’s Office Can’t Keep Trump Off Minnesota Ballot
(St. Paul, MN) — Secretary of State Steve Simon is telling Minnesotans his office does not have legal authority to investigate whether a candidate is eligible for office — specifically, former President Donald Trump. Simon says, “We’ve gotten something like 500 e-mails, multiple letters, we’re getting I’m told a steady stream daily of phone calls… and we’re giving all of them the same kind of response.” Simon says such issues are decided in the courts — not by the Secretary of State’s Office. The 14th Amendment states that anyone who has sworn to uphold the Constitution is not allowed to hold any office if they have “engaged in insurrection or rebellion” against the Constitution. But some say Trump’s alleged actions don’t meet the constitutional definition of “insurrection.”
>>Some MN Democrats Oppose Special on School Use-of-Force Law
(St. Paul, MN) — Forty-four Democrats in the Minnesota House and Senate say they oppose a special session to repeal a new use-of-force law that’s prompted some law enforcement agencies to pull their on-site officers out of schools. House Republican Minority Leader Lisa Demuth (DAY-muth) says those D-F-L lawmakers have only said they oppose a total repeal of the law, and hopes Governor Tim Walz will still call a special session to clarify it. Law enforcement groups argue the new statute exposes them to possible legal action, either for not doing enough to stop school violence or for going too far. Backers say the law prohibits school resource officers from using dangerous physical holds unless it’s to prevent bodily harm or death.
>>Members at Cleveland-Cliffs’ Silver Bay & Babbitt Plants Ratify 3-Year Contract
(Silver Bay, MN) — Workers at Cleveland-Cliffs’ taconite plants in Silver Bay and Babbitt, who voted in July to join the United Steelworkers union, have ratified their first three-year contract. Steelworkers District 11 Director Emil Ramirez says it will improve wages, benefits, and working conditions while enhancing job security. Union officials say the new contract includes a lump-sum bonus in addition to annual increases. Northshore Mining had been the last taconite mine on the Iron Range without a union. U-S-W also represents about two thousand workers at four other Cleveland-Cliffs facilities in Minnesota and northern Michigan.
>>Murder-Suicide Suspected in Deaths of 3 at Breezy Point Vacation Home
(Breezy Point, MN) — Crow Wing County authorities say a Twin Cities man fatally shot a woman he was in a relationship with and her daughter before killing himself at a Breezy Point resort home. The two victims are 54-year-old Melanie Jansen of Maple Grove and 29-year-old Hannah Parmenter of Elk River. The suspected shooter is 59-year-old Michael Toner of Maple Grove. Investigators say Jansen’s 28-year-old son and his wife arrived to visit his mother and sister, he saw a man and woman on the floor with blood around them and called 9-1-1.
>>MPLS City Council Hesitates on Moving 3rd Precinct Police HQ downtown
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(Minneapolis, MN) — The Minneapolis City Council is hesitating on moving the police department’s 3rd Precinct headquarters to a downtown building — a plan councilmembers all but approved two days ago. The Star Tribune reports several councilmembers say they didn’t understand how much money it would actually cost and also expressed surprise when a city staffer said officers could be stationed there for ten years. The paper reports it’s unclear if the plan is in jeopardy or whether council members just need more time to understand it. The old 3rd Precinct was destroyed during the riots following the police killing of George Floyd.
>>Pedestrian Struck and Killed by Vehicle in Bemidji
(Bemidji, MN) — Police in Bemidji are investigating a crash that left a pedestrian dead Thursday afternoon. Officers say an S-U-V collided with a 42-year-old woman who was attempting to run across a street. The woman was treated at the scene and later died at Sanford Medical Center. The victim hasn’t been identified. Investigators do not suspect that alcohol was a factor in the crash.
>>161 Fatal Crashes From Memorial Day to Labor Day in Minnesota
(St. Paul, MN) — The period from Memorial Day to Labor Day lived up to its billing as the “100 deadliest days of summer” on Minnesota roads. Office of Traffic Safety Director Mike Hanson says the preliminary numbers show that 161 people lost their lives during that 100-day period. Last year that number was 168 and the year prior to that it was 167. Hanson says that’s way too many traffic deaths and substantially ahead of 2018 and 2019. He says speed, impairment, and distraction are to blame for most fatalities. Hanson also reminds Minnesota drivers that seat belts save lives.
>>Suspect Arrested in Connection to Shooting in Becker County
(Frazee, MN) — A suspect is under arrest after a shooting late Wednesday night in Frazee in west central Minnesota. The Becker County Sheriff’s Office received a report of gunshots and deputies and state troopers responded to the scene. They learned the suspect was possibly staying at a hotel in Perham and authorities took one man was taken into custody. Deputies say the shooting was an incident between “known parties.” The suspect is scheduled to appear in court today (Friday) in Becker County.
