>>State Supreme Court considering request to keep Trump off 2024 ballot in MN
(St. Paul, MN) — The Minnesota Supreme Court after this morning’s (Thurs) oral arguments is considering whether former President Donald Trump’s alleged role in the January 6th riots at the U-S Capitol prevents him from appearing on the 2024 ballot in Minnesota. Chief Justice Natalie Hudson asked, even if the court has the authority to keep Trump off the ballot, should it do that? Hudson said, “You have the potential… of 50 different states deciding this question differently…. You have this possibility for, just, chaos.” Petitioners’ attorney Ronald Fein responded, Minnesota law “says ‘shall,’ not ‘may.’ And had the legislature intended to provide discretionary jurisdiction, the legislature certainly could have.” But Trump attorney Nicholas Nelson contends it’s not for the courts to decide whether the former president is on the ballot. “When parties asked the courts to decide who can or can’t be president, the courts overwhelmingly say that’s not a decision that should be made in the judiciary; that’s a decision that should be made elsewhere, Nelson said.
>>Congressman Phillips Gets 6 Percent Support in New Presidential Poll
(Hamden, CT) — Minnesota Congressman Dean Phillips has six percent support in a new presidential preference poll by Quinnipiac (QUINN’-uh-pee-ack) University. President Joe Biden leads the Democratic primary race with 77 percent support, author Marianne Williamson is a distant second at eight percent, and Phillips is in third place. He said on social media, ” I’m amazed to be at 6% after 6 days on the campaign trail! In 50 days, I’ll be catching up to someone with a 50-year head start.” Minnesota’s 3rd District congressman launched his campaign for the Democratic presidential nomination last Friday in New Hampshire.
>>Minneapolis City Council approves Mayor Frey’s plan for new 3rd Precinct police station
(Minneapolis, MN) — After a committee deadlocked earlier this week, the Minneapolis City Council today (Thurs) on a vote of 8-to-5 approved Mayor Jacob Frey’s proposal for a new Third Precinct police station, about four blocks north (2633 Minnehaha Avenue) of the building that protesters torched during riots following the police murder of George Floyd. Officials say the new Third Precinct building will cost 14 million dollars and take a year-and-a-half to complete. The council also voted unanimously to create a “community safety center” on the site which would include mental health services. Estimated cost: an additional seven to eight-and-a-half million dollars.
>Man Arraigned on 2nd Degree Murder Charges in Killing of Babbitt Couple
(Virginia, MN) — Bail is set at one million dollars for an Iron Range man accused of killing a couple in Babbitt on Saturday. St. Louis County prosecutors have charged 54-year-old Roger Beldo with the second-degree murders of 78-year-old Clifford Johnson and 79-year-old Christine Johnson. The criminal complaint says Beldo had been staying in the Johnson’s home and confessed several times to the killings. He reportedly told investigators he used a tire iron and hammer to kill the couple and then drove their car to Duluth where he was arrested.
>>Walz announces Greater Minnesota grants
(St. Paul, MN) — Governor Walz is announcing grants for infrastructure projects that he says will fund nearly one thousand jobs in three Greater Minnesota communities. The funding awarded through DEED’s Greater Minnesota Business Development Infrastructure Grant program will support projects in Bemidji, Hutchinson, and Princeton. Projects include improvements to streets, wastewater collection and treatment, drinking water, storm sewers, and more.
>>Concordia-Moorhead announces zero tuition next fall for students from families making under $90K
(Moorhead, MN) — Concordia College in Moorhead says starting in the fall of next year, it will cover full tuition costs for new students from families with adjusted gross income under $90,000 a year. What the school calls the “Concordia Promise” is renewable for up to four years and includes 100 percent of standard full-time tuition using a combination of federal and state aid along with existing Concordia scholarships. There is no GPA requirement. Housing, food, fees, and other costs are not included. “Reducing the financial burden of education through the Concordia Promise will allow our students to better focus on their mission, their dedication, and their potential to influence the affairs of the world,” says college President Dr. Colin Irvine. “This is a game-changer for families in our region and across the country who may have thought a private college education was out of their reach.”
>>Fire Damages CAIR-MN Property
(Minneapolis, MN) — The Minnesota chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-Minnesota) is asking authorities to look into a possible hate crime following a fire at the Mercy Mosque in Minneapolis. On Wednesday members of the mosque discovered the fire at a garage, alongside two adjacent garages and a residential property all owned by the group. It caused extensive damage, including total loss of all three garages as well as fire and water damage to the adjacent residential property. Anyone with information should contact the Minneapolis Police Department.
>>Fairmont Woman Faces Multiple Tax Crimes
(Fairmont, MN) — A Fairmont woman, Vickie Greiner, is charged with four felony counts of filing false or fraudulent income tax returns and four felony counts of failing to pay income tax. Revenue investigators were notified by Fairmont Police that Greiner had been charged with stealing nearly 350 thousand dollars from her employer between 2019 and 2022. After reviewing her income tax returns for those tax years, officials determined that she did not report the stolen money as income or pay tax as required by law. They say she owes more than 47-thousand dollars.
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