>>Veterans Day on the Hill at Minnesota Capitol Wednesday
(St. Paul, MN) — Veterans from around Minnesota are gathering at the State Capitol today (Wed) for the annual Veterans Day on the Hill. Trent Dilks with the D-A-V of Minnesota says it starts with lunch and a presentation at the Cedar Street Armory in St. Paul before veterans march to the State Capitol at 1pm for a rally. Dilks says this event is an opportunity for veterans to talk with legislators about policies, local issues, and programs. One of their top priorities is updating the property tax value exclusion for seriously disabled veterans. More than a dozen buses from every corner of Minnesota brought groups to the Capitol.
>>Family of Ricky Cobb to Announce Lawsuit Against State Trooper Londregan
(Minneapolis, MN) — The family of Ricky Cobb the Second will be joined by nationally-known civil rights lawyers this morning (Wed 11am) when they announce they’re suing State Trooper Ryan Londregan (LON-druh-gan), who fatally shot Cobb during a traffic stop on I-94 in north Minneapolis. Londegran is charged with second-degree murder, second-degree manslaughter, and first-degree assault but Republicans are heavily criticizing Hennepin County chief prosecutor Mary Moriarty. All four Republican U-S House members from Minnesota are asking the chairman of the Judiciary Committee for an investigative hearing. They allege Moriarty disregarded information from experts who concluded Trooper Londregan acted lawfully and in accordance with his training. Minnesota House Republican leaders are demanding Moriarty’s resignation and asking Governor Tim Walz to reassign the case.
>>BCA: Man Fatally Shot by Deputies in Minnetonka Fired First
(St. Paul, MN) — A report by the State Bureau of Criminal Apprehension indicates a man fatally shot by Hennepin County sheriff’s deputies at a Minnetonka home last week fired on them first with an assault-style rifle when they knocked on the front door and announced themselves. Investigators say the deputies returned fire, backed away and set up a perimeter. They say 28-year-old Clint Hoyhtya (HOY-tee-uh) was wearing a protective armor vest. Two of the four deputies were wounded during the shootout. Deputy Christopher Heihn (Hine) was hit multiple times and has since been released from the hospital. Deputy Keith McNamara was hit by shrapnel and treated at the scene. Authorities say the deputies were serving an arrest warrant for someone else who lives at that address.
>>Duluth Man Sentenced to 40 Years in Fatal Drive-By Shooting
(Duluth, MN) — A Duluth man is sentenced to 40 years in prison for his role in a deadly drive-by shooting last summer. Twenty-five-year-old Brandon Williams-Gillard was found guilty of aiding and abetting second-degree murder and second-degree assault with a dangerous weapon in December. St. Louis County prosecutors say Williams-Gillard and a co-defendant shot from a vehicle towards 19-year-old Paris Allen and another man on August 2nd, 2023. Allen died and the other victim was wounded. Williams-Gillard must serve at least two-thirds of the 480-month sentence before he’s eligible for parole.
>>Authorities Search for Teen’s Body in Southwest Minnesota’s Cottonwood County
(Eagle Lake, MN) — Authorities in Cottonwood County have initiated a search and rescue operation for a teenager who went missing after jumping into a lake during a canoe ride. Deputies say the 15-year-old boy jumped into Eagle Lake on Monday to retrieve an oar. A family member informed investigators that the wind had pushed the canoe out of reach, and the boy disappeared while attempting to swim back to shore. It is reported that the teenager was not wearing a life jacket.
>>Clay County Authorities ID Driver, Victim in Fatal Drunken Driving Crash
(Ulen, MN) — The Clay County Sheriff’s Office is naming the two people involved in a deadly drunken driving crash near the small town of Ulen (YOO’-len). Deputies say 43-year-old Sonny Syverson of Ulen died in the crash and 53-year-old Dean Thompson of Lake Park was arrested for D-W-I. First responders tried to save Syverson late Saturday night, but he died at the scene.
>>Blaine Man Sent to Federal Prison for $600K Employment Scheme
(Minneapolis, MN) — A man from Blaine will spend four-and-a-half years in federal prison for defrauding nearly 200 people out of 600 thousand dollars in an employment opportunity scheme. The U-S Attorney’s Office in Minnesota says 44-year-old Charles Fields would offer sales jobs for a water filtration system and home security businesses after they paid him upfront deposits of three- to five-thousand dollars. Fields pitched the phony jobs nationwide and guaranteed applicants six thousand dollars in monthly profits. Prosecutors say the victims never received products or training promised by Fields. He pleaded guilty to wire fraud and was ordered to pay 598 thousand dollars in restitution.
>>Ex-FM Diversion Director Issues Statement Since Sudden Resignation
(Moorhead, MN) — The former executive director of the Fargo-Moorhead Metro Flood Diversion Authority is making his first public statement since resigning last week. Joel Paulsen says his “sudden” decision to resign was due to “irreconcilable differences over contract language.” Paulsen believes the differences could cause “financial and logistical” risks to the diversion project. His departure was a surprise for more than half of the members of the Diversion Authority Board. Chair and Moorhead Mayor Shelly Carlson said that Paulsen’s personnel file could not be released because he is now a private citizen. However, the North Dakota Attorney General’s Office said in a statement that Paulsen’s file is a public record and therefore can be released.
>>DEED Awards $674K in Innovation Grants to 26 Startup Businesses
(St. Paul, MN) — The state Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED ) is awarding 674 thousand dollars in Launch Minnesota Business Operations Innovation Grants to 26 startup businesses. The grants provide recipients up to $35 thousand dollars to use toward operational costs such as research and development, direct business expenses, and technical assistance. Sixteen of this round’s grantees are led by entrepreneurs of color, veterans, women, persons with disabilities, or are startups located in greater Minnesota.
>>President Of Gustavus Adolphus College Announces Retirement
(St. Peter, MN) — The president of a southern Minnesota college is planning to retire next year. Rebecca Bergman announced Tuesday that she plans to step away from her position at Gustavus Adolphus College next summer. Bergman became the first woman to lead the college in St. Peter when she was hired in July of 2014. The college plans to begin a search for Bergman’s successor in the next few weeks.
>>U of M Associate Professor Awarded 2024 Guggenheim Fellowship
(Minneapolis, MN) — The University of Minnesota says Associate Professor Lamar Peterson has been awarded a 2024 Guggenheim Fellowship by the John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation. One of the 188 chosen from the nearly 3,000 applicants, Peterson will travel to rural Georgia during the fellowship to “research and rediscover forgotten Black artists and their work.” Peterson says his goal is to challenge conventional narratives, honor the resilience of overlooked Black artists, and connect with his father’s artistic legacy.
