>>Authorities ID 1 of 2 Victims in Deadly Crash near Minnesota-Iowa Border
(Austin, MN) — A 17-year-old boy from Austin and a northern Iowa woman are the victims of a fatal crash near the state border in Mower County. The Minnesota State Patrol says 25-year-old Jacie Weaver of Rockwell, Iowa, was driving a transit van that collided head-on with a car driven by the teen late Tuesday morning on Highway 218. Both drivers died at the scene. State troopers haven’t released the boy’s name. The report says alcohol was not involved.
>>Wisconsin Rock Climber Dies in Wyoming
(Eau Claire, WI) — A 21-year-old rock climber from Eau Claire died Sunday from a fall at Devils Tower in Wyoming. The National Park Service says Devils Tower Law Enforcement received a call for a rock climber who had reportedly sustained a fall and found the injured party and their climbing partner around 8:40 pm. A release from NPS says Stewart Philip Porter of Eau Claire was rappelling the second pitch of El Cracko Diablo when he fell, sustaining major injuries. He was pronounced dead on the scene by a local EMS Paramedic. Porter’s partner was stranded and later rescued from the wall of the Tower. This is just the seventh climbing death in Devils Tower’s 100-plus-year climbing history.
>>Emails Show Duluth Mayor’s Girlfriend And Campaign Manager Involved In City Business
(Duluth, MN) — Duluth Mayor Roger Reinert’s girlfriend and campaign manager has reportedly handled city business directly. Emails reveal that Amber Gurske coordinated the mayor’s involvement with President Biden during his visit in January. She was also on a panel interviewing candidates for a senior adviser position at Reinert’s office. Hamline University Political Science and Legal Studies professor David Schultz told the Star Tribune that Gurske’s involvement in city operations is unethical and possibly illegal. He added that the mayor could face accusations of conflict of interest
>>Minneapolis Man Charged with 2nd-Degree Murder of Woman Outside Minneapolis Church
(Minneapolis, MN) — A 38-year-old man has been charged with the second-degree murder of a woman found dead near a Minneapolis church in July. Police responded to a north Minneapolis church on July 14th on reports of a woman with injuries to the face and upper body. The 57-year-old victim was pronounced dead at the scene, and her cause of death was later deemed to be blunt force trauma. Police say the suspect, Byron Varag Bautista, was seen with the victim the night before. Surveillance video from Metro Transit buses showed the two traveling through the city and leaving the bus near the church. Traffic cameras show Bautista carrying the woman to where her body was found, going back and forth to the scene before leaving. Bautista was arrested in south Minneapolis on September 19th and remains in custody.
>>Hibbing College Gets $2.2M Federal Grant
(Hibbing, MN) — A northern Minnesota college is getting more than two million dollars to help create new vocational training programs. The U.S. Department of Commerce grant will go toward mobile HVAC and welding programs at Minnesota North College in Hibbing. The program is expected to create 225 jobs and generate one million dollars in private investment. Senators Tina Smith and Amy Klobuchar praised the grant from the agency’s Economic Development Administration as a way to help more students prepare for well-paying technical careers.
>>Former Accountant Accused Of Stealing From Construction Company In Marshall
(Marshall, MN) — A Marshall woman is accused of stealing more than 95 thousand dollars from a construction company she worked for. Rikki Lee Kor has been charged with 24 felony counts of fraud. Prosecutors say the defendant worked as an accountant for KHC Construction and stole money by writing checks to herself and misusing company credit cards. Kor allegedly spent the funds on gift cards, a Spotify subscription, and casino trips, among other things. She is expected back in court on October 1st.
>>Fall Turkey Season In MN Kicks Off Saturday
(St. Paul, MN) — Minnesota hunters will kick off the fall turkey season this weekend. Turkey hunting will begin on Saturday and continue through October 27th. Bows, crossbows, and shotguns can be used, with a limit of one bird of either sex during the season. More information on hunting licenses and other requirements is available on the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources website
>>Grandma’s Marathon Registration To Open Tuesday
(Duluth, MN) — Registration for one of Minnesota’s biggest running events will open next week. Entries for the Grandma’s Marathon weekend will be accepted beginning at 7 p.m. Tuesday. Thousands of runners attend the event in Duluth each June, and organizers say it is one of the largest and most well-regarded marathons in the United States. Registration for the marathon will be 130 dollars through October 15th. More information is available online at grandmas-marathon-dot-com.
