>>Boater Thrown Overboard Rescued on Lake near Alexandria
(Alexandria, MN) — Authorities in Douglas County say a boater is okay after being thrown overboard Tuesday afternoon on a lake near Alexandria. A local resident saw the incident on Lake Miltona and reported the unoccupied boat was still running in a circle. Sheriff’s deputies say witnesses in another boat rescued the man, and they monitored his boat until it ran out of gas. The 66-year-old man from Clarissa told the D-N-R he lost control of the boat motor handle while reaching for something and was thrown into the water. He was wearing a life jacket
>>AG Ellison Moves to Recover $58M in Big Tobacco Underpayments
(St. Paul, MN) — Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison is looking to enforce Minnesota’s historic 1998 settlement agreement with Big Tobacco after manufacturers allegedly underpaid the state in their annual settlement payments since 2019. Ellison filed a motion stating that the federal corporate tax rate changed in 2018 from 35% to 21%, and due to misrepresentation to the third-party administrator, payments have been docked by nearly $10 million a year. The motion asks manufacturers to pay over $58 million in underpayments, interest, and civil penalties to prevent tobacco manufacturers from underpaying in the future.
>>Fergus Falls Man Sentenced to more than 6 Years Involving Fentanyl Death
(Fergus Falls, MN) — Twenty-three-year-old Frankie J. Reed III of Fergus Falls has been sentenced to more than six years in prison after pleading guilty to 3rd Degree Murder. According to court documents, the Fergus Falls Police Department was dispatched to Matthew House, a multi-unit transitional housing facility, on a report of a drug overdose on March 30, 2023. Officers found Matthew Millsop in a second-floor bedroom, who was transported to the hospital where he died. Residents reported that Millsop had purchased pills from Reed, who admitted to selling the pills and bringing them to Fergus Falls with the intent to sell. The autopsy reported Millsop’s cause of death as Fentanyl toxicity.
>>Moorhead Police Responding to Surge of Motorcycle Crashes, Reckless Driving
(Moorhead, MN) — Moorhead Police are warning drivers to be cautious after several motorcycle accidents resulting in fatalities and serious injuries. In a recent incident, a motorcyclist ran a red light and fled police, resulting in an accident. Moorhead Police Captain Deric Swenson says, “This is a community-wide issue, and it’s a question of cooperation with the drivers, the motorcycle driver, and us.” Over the past few weeks, there have been three fatal motorcycle crashes in West Fargo, Grand Forks, and Fergus Falls.
>>Eden Prairie Man Charged with Arson After Setting Fire to Townhouse with Children Inside
(Minneapolis, MN) — An Eden Prairie man has been charged with one count of arson causing injury after setting fire to a townhome with four children inside. Eden Prairie fire officials responded to a fire in a townhome around 11:27 a.m. on May 31st, 2024. When they arrived, an adult man, 23-year-old Abdirahman Abdullahi, and three children were outside, but a nine-month-old baby was still in the house. Firefighters rescued the baby, who survived but needed to be hospitalized. Investigators learned the baby’s mother lived inside the home, and Abdullahi was violating a restraining order by being there. After sending the mother a threatening message saying, “When I see u, I’m smoking u,” Abdullahi set fire to the home. Gas station surveillance video shows him buying a canister of gas, which he used to set the fire. Abudllahi’s next court appearance is Monday.
>>Minnesota DPS Getting $200K To Install Carbon Monoxide Alarms
(St. Paul, MN) — The state Department of Public Safety is getting a grant to help install carbon monoxide alarms in Minnesota homes. The state will receive 200 thousand dollars as part of a law named for two Minnesota brothers. Nicholas and Zachary Burt died in 1996 when the furnace in their family home in Kimball malfunctioned. Democratic Senator Amy Klobuchar worked on the bill for ten years before it was finally signed in 2022. The money will also help fund an education campaign to promote carbon monoxide safety and awareness.
>>Court Denies Attempt To Dismiss Doctor’s Lawsuit Against Mayo Clinic
(Rochester, MN) — A lawsuit against the Mayo Clinic will go forward after an Olmsted County judge partially denied a dismissal request. Doctor Michael Joyner sued the healthcare organization last year for allegedly punishing him for his statements to the media. The judge overseeing the case ruled Monday that Joyner could not claim that the punishment violated the Mayo Clinic’s Academic Freedom Policy. However, the judge also let other parts of the suit go forward, including claims that two other doctors acted in bad faith. Joyner is still employed by the Mayo Clinic but is seeking damages and an order to stop officials from setting limits on his speech.
