>>Lawmakers To Meet With School District Leaders This Afternoon

(St. Paul, MN) — Minnesota legislators are set to meet with leaders from several school districts at the state capitol today. They will discuss new regulations affecting schools during a time when districts are facing budget shortfalls. With the school year halfway over, districts are also working on policies regarding the use of phones by students, a new law that takes effect in March. This is part of several education bills signed by Governor Tim Walz, which include the elimination of book bans and the requirement for mental health education for students in grades four through twelve.

>>State Regulators Found 199 Pounds of Illegal Cannabis Flower in 2024

(St. Paul, MN) — The Minnesota Office of Cannabis Management says regulators found more than 199 pounds of illicit cannabis flower at 134 sites between January and October of last year. The O-C-M’s report to the legislature shows businesses voluntarily destroyed more than 600 thousand dollars worth of cannabis after inspections. Those businesses were also fined 10 thousand dollars each. Cannabis possession, use, and cultivation were legalized in August of 2023, but retail sales are still illegal. An O-C-M survey found that 40 percent of Minnesotans use cannabis daily or almost daily.

>>U. S. Border Patrol Agent Killed In Vermont Is From Minnesota

(Coventry, VT) — Authorities have identified the border patrol agent who was shot and killed in Vermont as David Maland, a native of Blue Earth, Minnesota. Maland was on duty during a traffic stop near the Canadian border in Coventry when he was fatally shot on Monday. The incident resulted in the death of a German national during an exchange of gunfire. Additionally, a third individual was wounded and taken to the hospital.

>>North Dakota Family Sues Mayo Clinic After Daughter Left Paralyzed

(Rochester, MN) — Relatives of a paralyzed teenager are suing the Mayo Clinic. They allege that surgeons at the Rochester medical facility failed to protect Kayla Barton’s spinal cord during multiple corrective back surgeries. According to the lawsuit, these procedures resulted in the 14-year-old girl from North Dakota becoming paralyzed, and she is reportedly no longer able to move her legs. Barton’s parents have stated that they filed the lawsuit because their daughter will require a lifetime of costly medical care and support.

>>No Charges in Officer Shooting Death of Armed Man in South Minneapolis

(Minneapolis, MN) — Hennepin County prosecutors will not be charging any Minneapolis police officers in the shooting death of an armed suspect last June. The Minnesota B-C-A determined that 39-year-old Michael Ristow appeared to raise a firearm and point it at several officers when they fired back. Officers provided medical aid at the scene, and Ristow died in the hospital. Hennepin County Attorney Mary Moriarty said, “after a thorough review of the B-C-A investigation, the decision to decline charges in this case is appropriate.”

>> Minnesota PFAs Policy Drawing Global Attention

(St. Paul, MN) – Minnesota’s PFA “Forever Chemical” regulations are drawing attention worldwide. The author of the legislation, Senator Judy Seeberger from Afton, says she met with a film crew from Japan and an Australian Member of Parliament to discuss the new regulations in Minnesota. Both international guests were interested in how Minnesota has implemented the new law to save residents from contamination. During this session, Seeberger said she would work on new ideas for cleaning water treatment facilities.