>>Minnesota Teen Facing Criminal Vehicular Homicide Charges
(Maple Plain, MN) — An 18-year-old is facing criminal vehicular homicide charges in a crash that killed an 11-year-old girl on her way to school. Prosecutors say Conner Iversen of Independence was using his cell phone when he ran a stop sign last February and hit the Loycano family’s SUV at a Maple Plain intersection west of the Twin Cities. Lilyana Loycano died two days later, and five family members were injured. Witnesses say Iversen was speeding and never slowed down before the crash.
>>Primary Election in House District 34 B
(Undated) — Voters head to the polls today in the primary for the special election to fill the seat of DFL Representative Melissa Hortman. Hortman and her husband, Mark, were shot and killed in their Brooklyn Park home in June. The suspect, Vance Boelter, has pleaded not guilty in federal court. The general election for the solidly Democratic district is set for September 16th.
>>Minnesota Man Killed in Wisconsin Crash
(Frederic, WI) — A Minnesota man is dead after a crash Sunday afternoon outside Frederic in Polk County, Wisconsin. The Wisconsin State Patrol says 70-year-old Rodney Bodell of Rush City was riding a motorcycle when he turned onto the highway. A truck pulling a trailer was rounding a curve when the trailer tipped over into Bodell’s lane, hitting him. He died at the scene.
>>Officials Simulate Nuclear Incident at Monticello Nuclear Generating Plant
(Monticello, MN) — The Minnesota Department of Public Safety will simulate a nuclear incident today at the Monticello Nuclear Generating Plant. The annual exercise tests the capabilities of federal, state, and local agencies in the event of an incident at the plant. People living near the plant will see emergency responders in the area as they carry out duties during the exercise. The exercise is slated to run from 8 am to 5 pm.)
>>Experts Look at how Climate Change Leads to a Rise in Mosquito-Borne Diseases
(Undated) – Climate change could be a cause for an increase in mosquito and tick-borne diseases in Minnesota and across the Midwest. UW – Madison entomology professor Dr. Lyric Bartholomay says rising temperatures and shifting rainfalls have led to longer mosquito seasons. Bartholomay says that an extended season leads to a higher risk for the spread of mosquito-borne diseases like West Nile Virus. Bartholomay says limiting standing water and using certain insecticides can help communities control mosquito populations.
>>St. Paul Officials Confirm Cyberattack Was Ransomware
(St. Paul, MN) — More details are coming out about a recent cyberattack in the city of St. Paul. City Press Secretary Jennifer Lo announced that the attack on July 25th was ransomware. Ransomware is a malware that restricts access to files and computer operations unless a specified amount of money is paid to the attacker. Lo says that the city has not paid any amount to the suspected hackers. Currently, more than 35 hundred St. Paul city employees are going through a process of resetting passwords. The breach crippled the city’s online services and internal systems, shut down internet access in government buildings, and put the security of government employees’ data at risk.
>>WAMM Protests St. Paul’s Water Contract
(St. Paul, MN) — Woman Against Military Madness (WAMM) is protesting outside St. Paul City Hall today in opposition to the city’s new water contract. St. Paul signed a seventy-four-thousand-dollar contract with Israel-based Waterfall Security last year to provide cybersecurity for the water department’s computer system. WAMM officials say they’re championing the Boycott, Divest, Sanctions movement to challenge Israel’s attacks on Palestine and demand that St. Paul secure contracts with companies “that don’t facilitate or profit from human rights abuses.” Activists also protested outside the last water board meeting on July 15th, but say no activists were allowed to speak with the board.
