>>Procession for Eagan, Eden Prairie Firefighter Fatally Shot Off-Duty
(Jordan, MN) — A community came together today to honor Joseph C. Johns, a firefighter from Eagan and Eden Prairie who was fatally shot in Minneapolis over the weekend while he was off-duty. Johns was 40 years old and was celebrating the 19th anniversary of the TRU Breed Motorcycle Club on Sunday when he was shot and later died at HCMC. The procession started at the Hennepin County Medical Examiner’s Office and ended at a Jordan funeral home. There are no arrests currently, and it’s still unclear what led to the shooting. Please get in touch with CrimeStoppers if you have any information.
>>Princeton Home Explosion, Unknown Injuries
(Princeton, MN) — A home explosion near Princeton has been confirmed, but the number of victims is currently unknown. Officials responded to multiple 911 calls reporting a possible explosion around 3:55 a.m. this morning. Deputies from Mille Lacs County found a single-family home had exploded, leaving a large debris field. Authorities confirmed people were inside the structure at the time of the explosion, but no details have been released regarding the victims or their conditions. The State Fire Marshal is investigating the cause of the explosion.
>>Rideshare driver pay agreement moves forward in MN House; Uber and Lyft don’t support it
(St. Paul, MN) — Legislative leaders say a deal on rideshare driver pay cleared a key committee in the Minnesota House this morning (Tues) — but Uber and Lyft both say they can’t support it. Mohamed Egal (ee-GAHL) with the Minnesota Uber-Lyft *Drivers* Association says the proposed $1.27 per mile is less than they wanted, but “In order to come along and agree on something, we support that number… because of the drivers’ well-being.” But Uber lobbyist Joel Carlson told lawmakers the proposed rate — $1.27 per mile and 49 cents per minute — is “not supportable economically.” Carlson says, “We have this experience in other cities and we know that, when you price rides out of the reach of riders, that utilization goes down.” Carlson says what’s in the state’s report is “business-ending for Minnesota.” The bill must clear one more committee before a vote in the full Minnesota House. The Senate has not yet acted on it, with under two weeks remaining in the legislative session.
>>Minnesota AG Ellison Brings Charges In Faribault Area Medicaid Fraud Scheme
(St. Paul, MN) — Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison is charging eight people linked to an alleged scheme to defraud the state’s Medicaid program out of two-point-six million dollars. He says the defendants used the stolen identities of hundreds of people, who are mostly from the Faribault area, to charge Medicaid for services the victims did not receive. They are charged with several felonies, including racketeering and identity theft. The charges come about five months after Ellison brought charges in another Medicaid fraud case, which involved close to eleven million dollars in billing
>>Becky G Joins 2024 MN State Fair’s Grandstand Concert Series
(Falcon Heights, MN) — Becky G, a multiplatinum and award-winning singer, has been announced as the latest act to perform at this year’s Minnesota State Fair Grandstand Concert Series. The 26-year-old artist will be the opening headliner and perform at 7 p.m. on Thursday, August 22nd. Tickets for the concert will go on sale on Friday at 10 a.m. and can be purchased online at etix.com or by calling 800-514-3849.
