>>Legislative Auditor’s Report Finds Issues in Behavioral Health Grants
(St. Paul, MN) — A new report shows some Department of Human Services employees backdated or created documentation during an audit of behavioral health grants. Office of Legislative Auditor Judy Randall says her staff found what appeared to be an attempt to fabricate documents that didn’t previously exist. The O-L-A audit found pervasive and continued issues in the management of hundreds of millions of dollars in grants. The audit focused on grants for mental health and substance use disorders. House Speaker, Republican Lisa Demuth (day-muth), says, “This proves once again that those running our program expect no repercussions or accountability from Governor (Tim) Walz or the Democrats in power.” Democratic Senator Melissa Wiklund, Chair of the Senate Committee on Health and Human Services, says the Senate has “worked hard to allocate resources carefully given to Minnesotans’ urgent and significant needs…to find out that the promised care and leadership was not present is disappointing and compounds the work already before us.”
>>MN Republicans Testify at Federal Fraud Hearing
(Washington, D.C.) — Several Minnesota officials today are appearing before a Congressional hearing on alleged government fraud involving daycares and other state services. Three Republican state lawmakers, including Representative Kristin Robbins, are testifying before the U.S. House Oversight and Government Reform Committee. Robbins emphasized the investigation is not about Islamophobia. Committee Chair James Comer has also invited Governor Tim Walz and Attorney General Keith Ellison to testify at a future hearing. Walz’s office responded, saying the governor is “happy to work with Congress,” while criticizing the committee for holding “circus hearings that have nothing to do with the issue at hand.”
>>Anoka Hennepin Schools and Teachers Reach Tentative Contract Agreement
(Anoka, MN) — It looks like there won’t be a strike beginning Thursday at the state’s largest school district. Anoka-Hennepin Schools and its teachers’ union reached a tentative agreement on a new two-year contract following a 20-hour mediation session last night. The proposal still needs to be approved by members of Anoka Hennepin Education Minnesota and the school board. The teachers were pushing for higher pay and lower health care costs. Terms of the agreement weren’t immediately available.
>>Head on Fatal in Red Lake County
(Plummer, MN) — The Minnesota State Patrol is investigating a fatal head-on crash in Red Lake County. Authorities say the collision occurred just before 7 this morning(Wed) on U.S. Highway 159 near Plummer. Sgt. Jesse Grabow reports one person was killed and another injured. Additional details are expected later today.
>>Shed Fire in New York Mills a Total Loss
(New York Mills, MN) — A New York Mills shed and its contents are a total loss after a fire in Otter Tail County on Tuesday. Officials say the 24-by-32-foot structure was fully engulfed when crews arrived around 6:45 p.m. No injuries were reported. Investigators believe the fire started from an electric heat lamp.
>>Immigrant Rights Advocates Plan Protest Against ICE in Minneapolis
(Minneapolis, MN) — Immigrant rights advocates will hold a protest and march this Saturday at Powderhorn Park in Minneapolis. The event begins at the northwest corner of the park. Organizers say they’re demanding an end to Immigration and Customs Enforcement operations in Minnesota. The Minnesota Immigrant Rights Action Committee (MIRAC) is responding to a recent announcement that two thousand additional ICE agents will be deployed to the state, amid what they call an unprecedented surge in enforcement activity across the Twin Cities. MIRAC member Latifah Moss says, “Now more than ever, we need to stand with our immigrant coworkers, neighbors, and friends. Immigrants make this country great.”
