>>Iron Range watching as Cleveland Cliffs continues pursuing U-S Steel after rejection of $7.3B buyout offer
(Undated) — Minnesota’s Iron Range is watching as Cleveland Cliffs continues pursuing a buyout of U-S Steel, after that rival rejected Cliffs’ 7.3-billion-dollar offer. State Representative Dave Lislegard (LISS-luh-gard), Democrat from Aurora, says if a deal does move forward he hopes it’s Cleveland Cliffs that buys U-S Steel. “Cleveland Cliffs is a proven company. …they care for their workers. They care for their communities,” says Lislegard. “They’re forward-thinking and they are leading the way in this transition in this country with clean steel.” United Steelworkers International President Thomas Conway said the union would “unequivocally endorse” a merger but “will not endorse anyone other than Cliffs for such a transaction.” Analysts say a merger would effectively create a monopoly on Minnesota iron ore, and U-S Steel in a letter to Cliffs says both companies would have to address “antitrust risk” from a merger. Cleveland-Cliffs owns three of the six taconite mines in Minnesota, U-S Steel owns two, and they jointly own Hibbing Taconite.
>>Minnesota officials move to civilly commit man convicted of multiple sex assaults in Wisconsin
**MEDIA REFERENCE – 3RD LINE**
(Minneapolis, MN) — A Minnesota man who served prison time for multiple sexual assaults when he was a student at the University of Wisconsin Madison was arrested over the weekend after a Minnesota judge ruled he should be civilly committed as a sexually dangerous person. A review hearing is set for August 21st. The Star Tribune reports 27-year-old Alec Cook from Edina pleaded guilty to five offenses, and some Wisconsin lawmakers saw his three-year prison sentence as too lenient. In anticipation of his release in 2021, Minnesota prosecutors asked the judge to commit Cook to the Minnesota Sex Offender Program. Cook’s attorney argued his client has been offense-free, celibate and sober since his arrest in 2016. At least 11 women, mostly strangers, accused Cook of stalking and assaulting them.
>>Rochester police arrest suspected drunken man for handling gun in city park
(Rochester, MN) — Police in Rochester arrested a man suspected of being intoxicated while handling a gun in a city park Sunday evening. Authorities say an off-duty police department employee reported seeing the gun raised outside a vehicle, and the person appeared to be racking the gun’s slide. A preliminary breath test showed the 22-year-old man’s blood alcohol level at point-one-one, and he was arrested on suspicion of carrying a pistol while under the influence. He’s also suspected of supplying alcohol to the 19-year-old driver of the vehicle, who was also arrested on suspicion of D-W-I.
>>Goodhue City Council emergency meeting after entire police force resigns
(Goodhue, MN) — The city council in the southeast Minnesota community of Goodhue has an emergency meeting tonight (Mon 7pm) after its entire police force resigned last week, reportedly over pay and the city’s recruitment efforts. Seven part-time employees left immediately after hearing that Police Chief Josh Smith resigned. Smith and one other full-time employee said they’d work for the next two weeks while Goodhue city officials seek law enforcement assistance from the county sheriff’s office.
>>Rochester Police Investigate After 19-Year-Old Found Dead
(Rochester, MN) — Rochester police are investigating after responding officers found a 19-year-old man dead in his apartment this (MON) morning. The Southern Minnesota Regional Medical Examiner’s Office is working to identify the man and cause of death. Authorities say there’s no danger to the public at this time.
>>Moorhead Police Officer and K9 Win Case of the Year
(Moorhead, MN) — Moorhead police officer Brett Musich (Music) and his K-9 Zeke are being named “top dog” as the winners of the National Police Canine Association’s national Case of the Year in the patrol category. In September 2022, Moorhead officers pursued fleeing shooting suspects on I-94 in Fargo. The suspects’ car hit a ditch and they fled on foot and hid in a culvert. Musich and Zeke tracked the four suspects, found them, and assisted in their capture. Musich will fly to San Antonio this month (Aug.) to accept the award.
>>Comedian Charlie Berens to Hit Mayo Civic Center
(Rochester, MN) — Wisconsin native and comedian Charlie Berens is coming to Rochester’s Mayo Civic Center this fall for his “Good Old Fashioned Tour.” Berens is known for his Midwest-focused comedy sketches and has been featured on Comedy Central, Fox, CBS, Funny or Die, MTV News, and more. He’ll perform Saturday, October 21st at 8 p.m. Tickets go on sale this Friday (Aug 18) at 10 a.m. at the Mayo Civic Center Box Office and on Ticketmaster.
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