>>Substitute Teacher Accused of Reenacting Police Murder of George Floyd at Woodbury High School
(Woodbury, MN) — A substitute teacher at Woodbury High School is accused of reenacting police actions in the 2020 murder of George Floyd on Monday. In a letter sent to families, Principal Sarah Sorenson-Wagner says students reported the sub twisting a student’s arm behind their back and showing pressure points on their chin and face, made racist and sexist remarks and jokes, spoke “in disturbing detail about dead bodies he had seen and two sexual assault cases he investigated,” and stated, “police brutality isn’t real.” The Woodbury Police Department is investigating the claims, and the teacher has been trespassed from any South Washington County schools. Sorenson-Wahner says they’re working with Teachers on Call to ensure the person is removed from the sub list.
>>Red Flag Warning Issued for 27 Counties in Southwest, West Central Minnesota
(Chanhassen, MN) — Twenty-seven counties in southwest and west central Minnesota are under a Red Flag warning from 1 to 7 p.m. today (Wed) due to extreme fire danger. The National Weather Service says fires can spread quickly and easily get out of control with strong winds and dry conditions. The Minnesota D-N-R will not issue any permits for burning debris and discourages campfires while the warning is in effect. Here’s the list of affected counties: Big Stone, Brown, Chippewa, Clay, Cottonwood, Douglas, Grant, Jackson, Kandiyohi, Lac Qui Parle, Lincoln, Lyon, Martin, Murray, Nobles, Otter Tail, Pipestone, Pope, Redwood, Renville, Rock, Stevens, Swift, Traverse, Watonwan, Wilkin, and Yellow Medicine.
>>Good Thunder Man Sentenced to 20 Years in Prison for Fatal Stabbing, Kidnapping, Assault
(Mankato, MN) — A Good Thunder man has been sentenced to 20 years in prison for fatally stabbing a woman and terrorizing a young child last year. 35-year-old Dustin Murilla was arrested in May 2023 after leading law enforcement on a high-speed chase through Mankato. The chase began after citizens reported his erratic driving behavior after he used methamphetamine on a sidewalk. Once police stopped Murilla by ramming and flipping his car, the stabbing victim came out of the car covered in blood and collapsed. At the hospital, the victim died, having been stabbed 36 times. Murilla also attacked an 11-year-old child earlier that day, tying her up and threatening her with a knife. Murilla was previously convicted of attempted murder in 2013.
>>Bloomington to Use $7M Federal Grant to Hire 18 Full-Time Firefighters
(Bloomington, MN) — The Bloomington Fire Department hopes to hire 18 extra full-time firefighters after receiving a $7 million federal grant. The Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response grant covers a firefighter’s first three years of employment. The funding comes after a national decrease in part-time or volunteer firefighters since the COVID-19 pandemic. Bloomington currently boasts 30 full-time firefighters and 70 part-time.
>>Prison For Former Chick-fil-A Manager Who Stole $140K
(St. Paul, MN) — A former manager of a Chick-fil-A at MSP Airport is imprisoned for stealing over 140 thousand dollars from the franchise and a sister restaurant. Timothy Hill Jr. was sentenced to one year behind bars in federal court in St. Paul. The 37-year-old defendant from Brooklyn Park was also sentenced to two years of court supervision once released and must repay the money he stole. Hill confessed in his plea deal that he pocketed daily cash receipts instead of putting them inside a safe deposit box.
