>>1st Case of Signal Crayfish Confirmed in Lake Winona
(Alexandria, MN) – The Minnesota DNR is confirming the first case of signal crayfish, an invasive species, in Lake Winona near Alexandria. A commercial harvester contacted the DNR after trapping two signal crayfish. Since the initial report, the harvester has caught eight additional signal crayfish. The DNR followed up with trapping in Lake Winona and in two adjacent connected lakes but did not capture additional signal crayfish. At this time, there is no evidence of reproduction; no eggs or juveniles have been found. Signal crayfish are larger and more aggressive than Minnesota crayfish and the invasive rusty crayfish. They could outcompete native species for food and habitat and can spread between connected waterways or be transported by people. Signal crayfish can also crawl over land at night and during wet weather.
>>MN Farmer’s Union President Welcomes Biden’s $5B in Rural Investments
(Undated) – Minnesota Farmer’s Union President Gary Wertish says he welcomes the Biden Administration’s more than $5 billion in rural investments. Wertish says, “You know we can criticize the government all we want but this is putting dollars in rural America and it’s going to make a difference.” Wertish says, “Whether it’s changing a practice on a farm or whatever it is, there’s the REAP program, a lot of stuff available. Every farmer keeps looking at his farm and how he can do things better, and here’s an opportunity that maybe there are things that will help unlock more potential for rural America.” President Biden announced the rural investment funding during a visit to a family farm near Northfield this week.
>>Shakopee Woman Faces Murder Charges for 2021 O.D. Death
(St. Cloud, MN) — A Shakopee woman is facing murder charges after the drug overdose death of a Litchfield man last summer. CEE-6 Drug Task Force Commander Ross Ardoff says on July 31st they were called to assist at the scene of the drug overdose death of a 60-year-old Litchfield man. They discovered the name of a woman who provided the drugs to the man before he died. On Tuesday the 26-year-old Shakopee woman was arrested while driving a stolen vehicle in St. Cloud, and officers found suspected fentanyl in her possession. She now faces 3rd Degree Homicide charges. The case is still under investigation, and more arrests are anticipated.
>>Two-Story Garage Fire in Minneapolis Under Investigation
(Minneapolis, MN) — A two-story garage in Minneapolis that collapsed due to a fire is under investigation. Fire crews responded to the fire around 11:55 a.m. Wednesday, seeing the fire extended to electrical powerlines, a pole, and an adjacent shed. Fire crews evacuated a nearby residential home and called Xcel Energy to de-energize the electrical lines damaged by the fire. No injuries were reported. The cause of the fire is under investigation.
>>Medical Examiner Needs Help Identifying Female Victim
(Minneapolis, MN) — The Hennepin County Medical Examiner’s Office is trying to identify a female body that was found in Minneapolis on Fremont Avenue North Tuesday. Officials say she possibly went by the name “Amanda” and could possibly be from St. Cloud. She is approximately 15 to 25 years old, white, about 5’8″, and weighs 116 pounds. She has several tattoos including one star on her left thigh, two stars on the left upper chest, and two Xs with a possible smiley face on the left ankle. She was wearing checkered pajama pants, a black striped top, and a purple bra. Anyone with information is asked to contact the Hennepin County Medical Examiner’s Office.
>>Check Your Smoke, Carbon Monoxide Detectors During DST
(Undated) – When changing your clocks for Daylight Saving Time Sunday, be sure to change the batteries in your smoke and carbon monoxide detectors. Jen Longaecker with the State Fire Marshal’s Office says, “We know that smoke and carbon monoxide alarms save lives but only if they work. So, the message this weekend is simple to change your batteries when you change your clocks.”
>>Celebrity Chefs Takeover at St. John’s University
(Minneapolis, MN) – There are some new faces, and new foods, at the Refectory Dining Hall at St. John’s University. Over the next few weeks, three local “Celebrity Chefs” will take over and prepare meals inspired by their restaurants. Chef Yia Vang of the Union Hmong Kitchen in Minneapolis prepared students Grilled Hilltribe Chicken and said, “I always tell people Hmong food isn’t a type of food but a philosophy about food. Hmong people have always believed there is this living world around us that we can gather and gleam in that living world. And we can make food and dishes that nourish our body but more importantly, it builds community to bring people together.” Vang says, “In our restaurant, we had this mantra… we said every dish has a narrative. If you follow that narrative long enough and close enough, you get to the people behind the food. And once you are