>>House Bill Would Establish Office of Gun Violence Prevention in Department of Health
(St. Paul, MN) — A Minnesota House committee will consider legislation today that would establish an Office of Gun Violence Prevention within the state Department of Health. The bill sponsored by Representative Robert Bierman of Northfield would require the new office to report to the legislature and appropriate funding to support statewide gun violence prevention efforts. Protect Minnesota is supporting the proposal, and its executive director, Maggiy Emery, will testify at today’s hearing.
>>Rochester Man Sentenced in Two Child Sexual Assault Cases
(Preston, MN) — A Rochester man is serving a jail sentence after being convicted in two child sexual assault cases in Fillmore County. Forty-six-year-old Mathew Scott Johnson entered Alford pleas last fall, meaning he’s not admitting guilt but acknowledges there was enough evidence for a conviction. Court records say Johnson was accused of sexually abusing a 13-year-old girl between 2021 and 2022 and a 12-year-old girl during the winter of 2022-23. Johnson was sentenced to 270 days in the Fillmore County Jail and granted work-release privileges. He is also required to register as a predatory offender.
>>Two People Suffer Minor Injuries in Elysian House Fire
(Elysian, MN) — Le Sueur County Deputies responded to a house fire early Sunday morning in Elysian. Two females, 18-year-old Izabella Perry of Faribault, and a 16-year-old juvenile female from Elysian, were inside the residence when the fire started. Both were able to escape and were transported to Owatonna Hospital, where they were evaluated for minor burns and smoke inhalation. The interior of the home sustained severe damage. The cause of the fire remains under investigation.
>>Public Meeting in Inver Grove Heights on the Minnesota Hockey Hall of Fame
(Inver Grove Heights, MN) — The Inver Grove Heights City Council is hosting a public meeting tonight on the proposed Minnesota Hockey Hall of Fame. The 151-million-dollar project would include a 141-thousand-square-foot facility on 46 acres near Interstate 494. Backers say it could attract 460,000 visitors a year and create 400 full-time and part-time jobs, as well as 740 construction jobs. Officials will update the council on work already underway, financing, legislative funding efforts, infrastructure needs, and a possible pre-development agreement.
>>Gas Prices Rise in Minnesota as Middle East Conflicts Continue
(St. Louis Park, MN) — Gas prices are rising in Minnesota as air strikes continue in the Middle East. Triple-A Minnesota reports today’s (Mon) statewide average for regular unleaded is $ 2.83 a gallon – up from $2.69 last week. Some oil production facilities in Saudi Arabia and Qatar are shut down because of Iran’s strikes on Gulf countries. The U-S and Israeli strikes on Iran have resulted in military conflicts and sent crude oil prices rising. Analysts predict gasoline will soon top $3 a gallon for the first time this year.
>>Sting Adds Minneapolis Stop to “Sting 3.0” Tour
(Minneapolis, MN) — Multi-Grammy Award winner Sting is bringing his “Sting 3.0” tour to Minnesota this fall. He’ll perform at the Orpheum Theatre in Minneapolis on October 13th. Sting will be joined on stage by longtime guitarist Dominic Miller and drummer Chris Maas from Mumford & Sons. The former frontman of The Police has sold more than 100 million albums worldwide and is currently starring in his musical The Last Ship. A fan club presale begins Tuesday. Tickets for the general public go on sale Friday at 10 a.m.
>>Eric Clapton Playing Grand Casino Arena on September 15th
(St. Paul, MN) — Rock & Roll Hall of Fame guitarist and songwriter Eric Clapton is coming to Minnesota this fall. Clapton is scheduled to play Grand Casino Arena in St. Paul on September 15th. He has six tour dates in the Midwest in September. Jimmie Vaughn from the Fabulous Thunderbirds is the opening act. Tickets for the St. Paul show go on sale Friday at ericclapton.com.
