>>Kandiyohi County Sheriff’s Deputy Charged in Drunken Driving Crash
(Atwater, MN) – A Kandiyohi County sheriff’s deputy is now charged with driving while intoxicated after crashing his patrol vehicle last month. The criminal complaint says 39-year-old Christopher Flatten of Atwater was seen driving erratically on the evening of July 18 before his county SUV left a county road near Atwater and rolled several times. He was airlifted to the St. Cloud Hospital, and an investigating state trooper obtained a search warrant for a blood test, but Flatten, who reportedly had bloodshot eyes and smelled of alcohol, refused. He has been charged with refusal to submit to testing and 4th-degree DWI.
>>Minnesota Woman Suing Boar’s Head Over Listeria Outbreak
(Coon Rapids, MN) — A woman from Coon Rapids has filed a lawsuit against the Boar’s Head company after falling ill with listeria. She had purchased sliced deli meat from a grocery store during a visit to Florida in May. Upon returning to Minnesota, she became sick, and testing revealed that she had contracted listeria. The woman, who was 35 weeks pregnant at the time, was hospitalized for several days and required antibiotics for over a week after being discharged. Her lawyer stated that she nearly lost her baby due to the illness.
>>Former Rainbow Health Workers Express Frustration With Unresponsive Board After Sudden Closure
(Minneapolis, MN) – After the sudden closure of Rainbow Health in Minneapolis on July 18th, an organization known for bringing HIV and LGBTQ+ services to multiple communities in need, former union employees are furious after the board canceled a planned bargaining session Thursday and will be ceasing bargaining altogether. Ash Tifa, former Legal Health Services Coordinator, says the board just wants the conversation to end, but they aren’t willing to give up. Tifa says, “Not only has the board’s decision destabilized our clients, patients, and thousands of people across communities all over Minnesota, the board destabilized all of our lives as staff by terminating our work, our employment, and our healthcare with no notice.” The union demands the board pay the nearly 60 affected workers severance, 30 days of wages for inadequate notice of termination, and all unused paid time off (PTO).
>>Will Your City Have a Marijuana Dispensary Come 2025?
(St. Paul, MN) – Since Minnesota legalized recreational marijuana last year, the Office of Cannabis Management has hired staff, moved into a building, drafted regulations, and started the licensing process, but the most common question is still unanswered for most: will my city have a dispensary? Interim Director Charlene Briner says this is determined by population, with 12,500 being the threshold for operating a dispensary. Briner adds that communities cannot opt out of having a dispensary, but smaller communities have an exception if no one wants to run one. Several tribal nations have already started selling, and residents can grow up to eight plants at home.
>>Minnesota DNR Confirms Zebra Mussels in Buffalo Lake in Becker County
(Richwood, MN) — The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources has confirmed the presence of zebra mussels in Buffalo Lake near Richwood in Becker County. A lake property owner contacted the Becker County Soil and Water Conservation District after finding a zebra mussel attached to a snail in Buffalo Lake. A DNR invasive species specialist later found another zebra mussel attached to a dock wheel at the public water access, about 2 miles from the location of the initial discovery. The most northern bay of Buffalo Lake extends into the White Earth Nation. The DNR has contacted the White Earth Nation about the zebra mussel confirmation.
>>Flood-Damaged Fort Snelling State Park Re-Opens Friday
(Fort Snelling, MN) — Fort Snelling State Park is reopening today after being closed June 22 due to flooding on the Minnesota and Mississippi Rivers. The DNR says some areas and facilities will remain closed until the flood damage is repaired and clean-up efforts are complete. The fishing pier, Picnic Island boat launch on the Minnesota River, and most hiking trails are open. Park officials say canoe and kayak rentals will be available at the ranger station.
