>>2nd Wave of National Guard’s 34th Infantry Red Bulls Return from Middle East
(Arden Hills, MN) — More than 550 members of the Minnesota National Guard’s 34th Infantry Division are back home with their families for the holidays. The second wave of Red Bulls returned Saturday from a ten-month deployment to the Middle East. The first group was welcomed home last Tuesday in Arden Hills. The Minnesota soldiers were part of military exercises with partner nation forces in the region. The Red Bulls were responsible for operations across seven countries.
>>Minnesota Republicans Oust Hann, Elect New Chairman Plechash
(Minnetonka, MN) — David Hann is out as chairman of the Republican Party of Minnesota. Wayzata City Councilman Alex Plechash was elected Minnesota G-O-P chair Saturday by the State Central Committee. Former state Senator Hann of Eden Prairie was elected chair in October 2021 following the resignation of Jennifer Carnahan and re-elected in December of 2022. Plechash served as a congressional district vice chair and a R-N-C committeemen. D-F-L Chair Ken Martin put out a statement saying, “The Minnesota G-O-P has been completely captured by the most extreme fringe activists in Minnesota politics.” Hann was not seen as a strong supporter of President-elect Donald Trump.
>>Explore Minnesota Hoping for ‘More Normal’ Winter
(St. Paul, MN) — Officials with Explore Minnesota are hoping for a “more normal” winter this year. Executive Director Lauren Bennett McGinty says last winter lacked cold temperatures and snow. She says, “some businesses really suffered, those who rely on those snowy trails to draw visitors. ” McGinty says we’ve already had significant snowfall in far northern Minnesota. Not much snow has fallen in southern Minnesota. She says many winter sports rely on snowfall and cold weather including ice fishing. Most lakes in the northern half of the state have solid ice.
>>Red Wing Couple Sentenced for Child Torture, Locking Kids in Cages
(Red Wing, MN) — A couple from Red Wing is sentenced to four years in prison for torturing their children and locking them in cages. Goodhue County prosecutors say 40-year-old Christina Cotton and 42-year-old Ben Cotton pleaded guilty in September and were sentenced Friday. Police discovered three of the Cotton’s children in makeshift cages in August of 2022. Investigators said their four kids between the ages of three and nine had been held in cages for 13 hours at a time and were physically abused by them.
>>Rosemount Man in Custody for I-35 Wrong-Way Crash
(Minneapolis, MN) — A Rosemount man is in custody after injuring three people by driving the wrong way on Interstate 35-W in Minneapolis early Sunday. The State Patrol says a 33-year-old man was driving south in the northbound lanes when he hit another vehicle. The suspect wasn’t hurt but his passenger, a 40-year-old Duluth woman, suffered minor injuries. The driver of the other vehicle also had minor injuries, and his 25-year-old passenger suffered “severe nonlife-threatening injuries.” The current conditions of the victims are unknown.
>>2 Found Dead at Barron County, Wisconsin Home
(Chetek, WI) — Authorities in northwest Wisconsin are investigating the deaths of a man and woman in a Barron County home. Sheriff’s deputies were called to the report of a woman lying a pool of blood and not moving. She was found dead outside the home near Chetek and the man was later discovered dead inside the house. Investigators say they were called to the home in September for a domestic disturbance.
>>Rare Donation in Fargo Red Kettle
(Fargo, ND) — The Salvation Army says volunteer Kathy Swenson found a treasure while sorting donations received in Red Kettles in Fargo last week. Someone left a 2016 Australian Gold Kangaroo 1 ounce gold coin. One side of the coin features Queen Elizabeth II and the other has a picture of a kangaroo. The coin has a face value of $100. But according to precious metals company JM Bullion, the coin could be worth up to nearly $2,900. The Australian Kangaroo gold coins debuted in 1987. The Salvation Army in Fargo-Moorhead set a goal to raise $900,000 for this Christmas season. So far, just over $350,000 has been raised.
>>Minnesota Vikings Host Chicago Bears on Monday Night Football
(Minneapolis, MN) — The Minnesota Vikings ride a six-game win streak into tonight’s (Mon) N-F-C North matchup with the Chicago Bears at U-S Bank Stadium. The 11-and-2 Vikes clinched a playoff berth Sunday evening following Green Bay’s win at Seattle. The 4-and-9 Bears are on a seven-game losing skid. Minnesota topped Chicago 30-27 at Soldier Field on November 24th. The Bears defense shut down All-Pro wide receiver Justin Jefferson , but Jordan Addison caught eight balls for 162 yards and a touchdown and T-J Hockenson had seven catches for 114 yards.
