>>Feeding Our Future Founder Bock Sentenced to 500 Months in Prison
(Minneapolis, MN — Feeding Our Future founder Aimee Bock will spend more than 41 years in federal prison for leading the 243-million-dollar fraud scheme. She was sentenced to 500 months this (Thurs) morning for using her nonprofit to steal federal funds from a child nutrition program intended to feed low-income children. Judge Nancy Brasel (BRAZ’-ul) told her, “This is a vortex of fraud, and you were at the epicenter.” Bock was crying as she said she was sorry and admitted to being responsible. She was taken away by U-S marshals and returned to the Sherburne County jail in Elk River.
>>Job Growth Rebounds in April
(St. Paul, MN) — Minnesota saw a strong rebound in job growth during April, adding nearly 16-thousand jobs, the largest monthly increase in more than a year. According to the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development(DEED), the state’s job growth outpaced the national rate, while Minnesota’s unemployment rate held steady at 4.5 percent. DEED Commissioner Matt Varilek says sectors including leisure and hospitality, construction, manufacturing, and transportation all posted gains. Varliek says the growth could be partly due to workers coming back following “Operation Metro Surge.”
>>Orr Man Charged With Allegedly Shooting at Plane Fighting Wildfires
(Orr, MN) — A northern Minnesota man says he was hunting crows when investigators allege he shot a plane helping battle wildfires near Orr. Forty-eight-year-old Daniel Christian Pettit of Orr is facing multiple felony charges after authorities say a firefighting aircraft was struck by a bullet while scooping water from Kjostad(SHO-stad) Lake to battle a nearby wildfire. Investigators say the plane was damaged, but the pilot landed safely and was not injured. According to court documents, Pettit admitted firing several shots and told investigators that if he hit the aircraft, it was unintentional.
>>Judge Denies Motion to Dismiss Rochester Woman’s Charges for Racial Slurs at Boy
(Rochester, MN) — A judge in Olmsted County will not dismiss disorderly conduct charges against a Rochester woman accused of directing racial slurs at an eight-year-old boy. Prosecutors say 37-year-old Shiloh Hendrix repeatedly called the autistic child a racial slur for taking a pouch of applesauce from her diaper bag in April 2025 at a Rochester park. Hendrix also used a racial slur at the person recording video of a confrontation over her remarks. Her trial was scheduled for April but was delayed until July 14th.
>>Police in St. Cloud Investigate Fatal Pedestrian Crash
(St. Cloud, MN) — Police in St. Cloud are investigating a deadly pedestrian crash. Officers say 57-year-old Tammy Hamby of Sauk Rapids was walking Monday afternoon in the lanes of traffic when she was struck by a car. First responders found Hamby unconscious and not breathing and treated her at the scene. Hamby was taken to St. Cloud Hospital, where
she died of her injuries. Investigators say the woman driving the vehicle wasn’t hurt.
>>Minnesota Pausing Cannabis Testing Licenses to Deal with Backlog
(St. Paul, MN) — Minnesota regulators are temporarily pausing cannabis testing licenses as the state works through a growing backlog that is slowing the rollout of legal marijuana products. State officials say only a limited number of laboratories are currently approved to conduct the required safety testing, creating delays for growers and retailers waiting to get products onto store shelves. The Office of Cannabis Management says some products are sitting for extended periods before they can be cleared for sale. Regulators say they are working to expand testing capacity and reduce the bottleneck.
>>Cargill Locks Out Union Workers at Colorado Beef Processing Plant
(Wayzata, MN) –Minnesota-based Cargill is locking out more than 1,700 union workers at a beef processing plant in Colorado as contract talks with the Teamsters union stall. The workers say the company has refused to offer adequate wage increases after months of negotiations. The lockout has effectively halted operations at the beef slaughterhouse at a time when consumers are already facing high beef prices nationwide. Union members recently voted overwhelmingly to reject Cargill’s latest contract proposal.
