>>Man Dead After Fatal Shooting in Minneapolis
(Minneapolis, MN) — A man is dead after a fatal shooting in south Minneapolis Thursday. Police responded to reports of a shooting around 2 p.m., finding a man in his 20s with a fatal gunshot wound who was pronounced dead at the scene. Investigation shows the victim was with a group when an altercation occurred with another man and the subsequent shooting. No arrests have been made. The Hennepin County Medical Examiner is working to identify the victim and cause of death.
>>Woodbury Officer, Washington County Deputy, Justified in Using Force Against Man
(Woodbury, MN) — Washington County Attorney Kevin Magnuson announced a Woodbury police officer and sheriff’s deputy lawfully used force in an incident where they shot a man pointing a high-powered pellet gun that looked to be a firearm at police. The Minnesota BCA cleared Officer Hames Stoffel and Deputy Brian Krook in the use of deadly force against 61-year-old Donald Roche. Roche pleaded guilty on July 18th to two counts of second-degree assault but not one count of third-degree card fraud and burglary. During his plea, Roche said police “had every right” to shoot him based on his threatening actions and that he had wanted officers to shoot and kill him, so he didn’t have to return to prison. His sentencing hearing is September 30th.
>>MN Sees Surge in Whooping Cough Cases
(Rochester, MN) – Minnesota is seeing a surge in pertussis cases, also known as whooping cough. Patients range from one month to 86 years old. The increase is particularly notable among adolescents. Mayo Clinic Doctor Nipunie Rajapakse says, “Generally, kids who have it will have bouts of coughing where they can’t catch their breath, and then after the coughing is finished, they take a big deep breath to catch their breath from it, and that’s where that whooping comes from.” He adds it’s unusual to see this infection when the population is well covered with vaccination. As of Thursday, there were 516 reported cases of pertussis, with Hennepin County leading with 178 cases. You are encouraged to see your doctor if you have had a persistent cough lasting more than seven days or have had close contact with a known case.
>>LSVOTF Makes 4 Arrests in Narcotics Trafficking Investigation
(Duluth, MN) — Four people are in custody after two search warrants by the Lake Superior Violent Offender Task Force (LSVOTF) turned up thousands of dollars of drugs. Around 9:45 p.m. on August 10th, authorities searched a vehicle on Highway 37 near the Hibbing Airport as part of an ongoing narcotics investigation. A man and woman were arrested and charged with first-degree meth sales for their part in trafficking meth from Chicago to the Iron Range for several months. $1,900 of drug proceeds were seized. Around 1:45 a.m. the next day, another search took place at a Hibbing residence. Another man and woman were arrested, and nearly 617 grams of meth, cocaine, psilocybin mushroom, Schedule II pills, an ounce of fentanyl, and $1,562 of drug proceeds were seized. Those in custody include Ronald Freeman and Emily Russo of Hibbing, Shaunte Parker of Chicago, Illinois, and Chavell Ford of Las Vegas, Nevada. Charges were referred to three additional people who have not been arrested yet.
>>Political Analyst Thinks Gov. Walz Needs to be Candid About Military Service, 1995 DWI
(Undated) – As questions fueled by Republicans continue swirling about Governor Tim Walz’s military service and his DWI nearly 30 years ago, Hamline University analyst David Schultz says from a political perspective Walz needs to “just come out and be candid about it and talk to reporters because, the longer he doesn’t talk to reporters about it, the more these stories continue to fester.” He adds Walz will be at a disadvantage if they persist until the debate with Republican rival J.D. Vance, and he “probably wants to be on the offensive, not defensive, in the debate.”
>>Poor Crop Conditions Continue to Plague SE MN Farmers
(Faribault, MN) – Crop conditions are all over the board in southeastern Minnesota. Gail Donkers farms near Faribault and says it’s been a very wet growing season, giving only “a few beautiful fields.” He says local drainage ditches might be a factor because “those have just been full, so you can see where the tile lines are. There are like big ‘U’s in between the tile lines in the fields and stuff like that; you can see where the tile lines are draining away the excess fluids.” Donkers says harvest could be challenging as corn and soybeans mature at different rates.
>>Getting Kids Back to School Ready Physically, Mentally
(Undated) – Minnesota kids will soon be back in school, and experts have a few tips to get them back into a routine while making sure they’re in good mental and physical shape. The Riverwood Healthcare Center’s Heidi Olesen says if your child is attending a new school, take advantage of open houses or schedule an informal visit before classes start. Being familiar with those spaces ahead of time removes some of the added pressure of the first day of school. As for wellness visits, Olesen says providers are very busy this time of year, so if you aren’t able to schedule one before school starts, it’s still beneficial to make an appointment for September.
