>>Walz Announces Next Chief Justice to Minnesota Supreme Court
(St. Paul, MN) — Governor Tim Walz is appointing Justice Theodora Gaïtas (GUY’-ay-diss) as the next chief justice of the Minnesota Supreme Court. Gaïtas will fill the vacancy of Chief Justice Natalie Hudson when she retires in September. Walz said, “She brings a rare breadth of experience, having served at every level of our state’s judiciary, and will be the first public defender to serve as chief justice of the Minnesota Supreme Court.” Gaïtas was born in Minnesota, lived in Greece through high school, and attended college and law school at the University of Minnesota. Walz also appointed Judge Reynaldo Aligada, Jr., as an associate justice to succeed Gaïtas on the state’s high court.
>>Woman Killed in Hit and Run
(Brooklyn Park, MN) — A 25-year-old Twin Cities woman is dead after being struck by a vehicle early this morning(Tues) in Brooklyn Park. The Minnesota State Patrol says Amiah Walker was walking along the shoulder of Highway 252 around 1:20 a.m. when two people she knew were trying to convince her to get into their vehicle. During that time, investigators say a dark gray Toyota RAV4 struck Walker at a high rate of speed and fled the scene. Troopers say Walker had alcohol in her system and died at the scene. The crash remains under investigation.
>>Flanders Fire Update
(Breezy Point, MN) — Fire crews continue making strong progress on the Flanders Fire east of Breezy Point in Crow Wing County. The wildfire has now burned 1,666 acres and is 60% contained. Officials say 143 personnel remain assigned to the fire, with crews continuing mop-up operations, strengthening containment lines, and removing hazardous trees. All evacuation orders are set to be lifted at noon today, allowing residents to return home. County Road 11 has reopened, though the public is still being urged to avoid the area when possible as firefighters continue working. Officials also remind people that drones are prohibited near the fire due to a temporary flight restriction over the area.
>>Willmar City Administrator Placed on Leave
(Willmar, MN) — The Willmar City Council has voted to place City Administrator Leslie Valiant on immediate non-disciplinary administrative leave without pay. According to the West Central Tribune, the decision came Monday night following a closed-session performance evaluation discussion. The motion was approved unanimously by the council, while Mayor Doug Reese was absent from the meeting. No specific reason for the leave was publicly released. Valiant has served as Willmar’s city administrator since 2021, and a previous evaluation cited strong technical skills but concerns about interpersonal communication and meeting performance goals.
>>Comprehensive East Metro PFAS Cleanup Study Recommends Groundwater Treatment
(St. Paul, MN) — The Minnesota Pollution Control Agency is recommending a major groundwater cleanup effort in the East Metro to address long-term PFAS contamination. The plan calls for drilling a series of wells to pump and treat polluted groundwater as part of a broader environmental cleanup tied to Minnesota’s 850-million-dollar settlement with 3M in 2018. Officials say the seven-year feasibility study focused on the Project 1007 watershed area and found that cleaning groundwater and surface water now would be more cost-effective than only treating drinking water supplies. State officials also say the study highlights the need to phase out nonessential uses of PFAS chemicals because of how long they remain in the environment.
>>Cool Spring Keeping Minnesota Lakes Chilly Ahead of Memorial Day
(St. Paul, MN) — While this spring has felt colder than normal, Minnesota is nowhere near record territory for the coldest May. Assistant State Climatologist Pete Boulay says average temperatures so far are around 47.6 degrees, making this only about the 24th coldest May on record, though overnight lows rank among the 10 coldest starts to May. Boulay says Alberta Clippers have helped keep temperatures down and warns lake water temperatures remain dangerously cold heading into Memorial Day weekend. Many central Minnesota lakes are still only in the 40s, making swimming conditions unsafe despite warmer air temperatures that may arrive.
