>>Teen Who Plead Guilty to 2022 Murder of Brooklyn Park Woman Being Sentenced
(Brooklyn Park, MN) — A 17-year-old who pleaded guilty to murdering a Brooklyn Park woman in 2022 will learn his fate this morning. Foday Kamara was charged in March as an adult with two counts of second-degree murder related to the death of 23-year-old Zaria McKeever, meaning he faces up to 40 years in prison. A plea deal states Kamara is expected to be sentenced to nearly 11 years in prison in exchange for testimony against others in the case, including McKeever’s ex-boyfriend, Erick Haynes, who was sentenced to life in prison in April.
>>South Central College to Honor Fallen Firefighter, Graduate Finseth
(North Mankato, MN) — South Central College will honor fallen Burnsville firefighter-paramedic Adam Finseth during commencement tomorrow (Thurs 4 p.m.) in Mankato. Finseth’s wife, Tara, will accept an honorary doctorate and the 2024 S-C-C Outstanding Alumni Award on Adam’s behalf. He graduated with high honors from the two-year paramedic program at South Central in 2012. Finseth and two police officers were killed in the line of duty on February 18th in Burnsville.
>>Sen. Smith, Klobuchar Confirm Postal Service Failure in Northern MN
(Washington, D.C.) – An investigation by Minnesota’s U.S. Senators Tina Smith and Amy Klobuchar confirms postal service management failures in northern Minnesota. The November 2023 audit found 79,000 pieces of delayed mail over three days. Senator Tina Smith says “There’s more to come.” She says the Inspector General’s district-wide report will be released soon and a full picture should hold the Postal Service accountable. She says the report also clarifies that management failures, not the failures of postal workers, are responsible for the problems.
>>University Of Minnesota Discloses Investments In Pro-Israel Corporations
(Minneapolis, MN) — The University of Minnesota has disclosed its investments in companies based in Israel or supporting the Israeli military. The university has revealed that nearly $5 million is invested in pro-Israeli corporations, which is a small percentage of the university’s $2.7 billion endowment. The university agreed to enhance the transparency of its investments to end pro-Palestinian protests on the Minneapolis campus.
>>7,000 Turkeys Dead in Stearns County Barn Fire
(Stearns County, MN) — 7,000 turkeys are dead after a large barn fire in Stearns County Tuesday. Deputies responded to a 911 call around 10:30 p.m. about a fire in Sauk Centre Township. When they arrived, a turkey barn was fully engulfed, the owner reporting there were 7,000 birds in the 64′-by-200′ barn. Investigators believe the fire began in the mechanical room.
>>Former Mayo Clinic May Have Called Himself A Widower Before Wife’s Death
(Rochester, MN) — Investigators are seeking permission to search the electronic devices of Connor Bowman, a former Mayo Clinic doctor who is accused of murdering his wife, Betty, last August. The search warrant request filed in Olmsted County District Court suggests that Bowman may have been using dating apps to pursue new relationships and may have told women he met that he was already a widow before his wife’s death. The next hearing in the case is scheduled for June 11th.
>>Southeast MN Farmers Seeing Wet Spring
(Undated) – A spring that started very dry has turned extremely wet in southeast Minnesota. Collin Emery grows corn, soybeans, and canning crops near Northfield and says they applied anhydrous ammonia in mid-March and began planting corn the second week of April. Despite the setback, Emery says the moisture from the torrential rains was needed, and he’s hopeful they can still finish planting corn by May 15th.
>>MN Tackle Company First to Sign Loons & Lakes Legacy Pledge
(Undated) – Minnesota-based Lindy Tackle is the first company to sign what is called the Loons & Lakes Legacy Pledge. Jon Mobek (MOH’-beck) of the National Loon Center in Crosslake says Lindy is committing to phase out lead fishing products by launching some of their newest tackle made of non-toxic material, followed by their commitment to have their entire product line be lead-free by 2027. Mobek says removing lead from our lakes improves our water resources and protects loons and other birds from an unnecessary toxin. The Lindy-Lead Free product line has four styles of fishing jigs in 144 different variations.
>>UMN MIDB Discovers New, Noninvasive Way to Scan, Understand the Brain
(Minneapolis, MN) – Researchers at the Masonic Institute for the Developing Brain (MIDB) are utilizing precision functional mapping (PFM) to establish a new, noninvasive way to scan and understand the brain. Dr. Robert Hermosillo says the MIDB Precision Brain Atlas will launch with over 53,000 individual-specific network maps and probabilistic maps of neural networks that will enable researchers to evaluate unique aspects of brain organization. Hermosillo likens the process to finding and fixing a leak in your house, a plumber could give you the fix that works for 99% of people, but your house might be built differently; traditional brain mapping works for the group average, but limits results for anyone outside that spectrum.
