>>Senate Bonding Tour

(St. Paul, MN) — Minnesota Senate lawmakers begin hearing pitches for bonding dollars as they kick off the first leg of their statewide tour in northwest Minnesota, visiting more than 30 sites in 23 cities over the next three days (Tues-Thurs).
(Among highlights: the Bemidji Veterans Home, Central Lakes College in Brainerd, Alexandria Technical and Community College, Minnesota State Community and Technical College in Moorhead, U-of-M Crookston, and the Historical Society’s Comstock House, also in Moorhead.

Minnesota House lawmakers will tour northwest and northeast Minnesota in September… southwest, central, and southeast Minnesota in October… and the Twin Cities in mid-November to hear pitches from projects vying for state bonding and infrastructure dollars.

>>Trial Against Former Benton County Attorney Delayed

(Foley, MN) — The trial of a former county prosecutor accused of sexual misconduct with a teenage girl has been delayed. The trial against former Benton County Attorney Philip Miller was scheduled to start Monday. A hearing is scheduled for Wednesday to determine how to proceed. Court records show both of Miller’s lawyers had family emergencies and couldn’t attend the scheduled start time. The 62-year-old is charged with groping a 15-year-old girl both over her clothing and underneath her clothing in March 2020 and again “one or two months” after the first incident. Court records show Miller was interviewed by investigators and denied ever groping the girl or touching her anywhere else that would be of a sexual nature.

>>Goodhue City Council Holds Emergency Meeting after Entire Police Force Resigns

(Goodhue, MN) — The city council in the southeast Minnesota community of Goodhue held an emergency meeting Monday night 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 and accepted another position in Lake City. 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. The council was adamant it wants to eventually rebuild its force — and its future.

>>Duluth Officially Bans Recreational Marijuana Smoking in Most Public Places

(Duluth, MN) — Duluth becomes the first major city in the state of Minnesota to officially ban smoking recreational marijuana in most public places, just 2 weeks after it became legal. The Duluth City Council approved the ordinance Monday in an 8 to 1 vote, having restricted smoking areas include being within 100 feet of a medical facility, inside any city transit authority, 15 feet from the nearest point of any transit shelter, and some city parks. The council also approved a $25 fine for first-time offenders, $50 for second, and $75 for any further violations. The smoking ban includes ingesting cannabis in the form of vaping, edibles, e-cigarettes, and tobacco.

>>Nudieland Mass Shooting Victim Identified

(Minneapolis, MN) — Officials have identified the man killed in a mass shooting at an underground music venue, Nudieland, on Saturday as 35-year-old Nick Golden also known as August. Two men opened gunfire on a group of people, killing Golden and injuring 6 others in the crowd. The suspects are still on the run and police haven’t given a motive for the shooting. Fundraisers have raised nearly $200,000 for the victims already.

>>Missing Man’s Body Found Near BWCA

(Cook County, MN) — A missing Marshall man was found near a Cook County Lake Monday. Authorities discovered the body of 32-year-old Justin Sperl in the Brule Lake area of the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness (BWCA) by other canoeists. Sperl was reported missing on August 10th, but law enforcement says they contacted him on August 11th, where Sperl said he was fine and only out canoeing. Sperl’s remains will be sent to the Midwest Medical Examiner’s Office for further investigation.

>>Two Twin Cities Restaurants’ Maui Relief Tickets Sell Out in 10 Hours

(Minneapolis, MN) — The owners of two Twin Cities Hawaiian restaurants holding a local fundraiser for Maui disaster relief sold out all their tickets in just 10 hours. Chris Ikeda of Pau Hana and Warren Seta of Ono Hawaiian Plates will host a special luau Monday, August 21st at Ono Hawaiian Plates where all proceeds will go toward disaster relief and providing Maui aid. Ikeda says that even though tickets are sold out, he encourages people to donate to the Maui Food Bank if possible.

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