>>Minnesota Legislature’s 2024 Session Begins in 1 Week
(St. Paul, MN) — Hot-button social issues are starting to percolate, with just one week until state lawmakers open the 2024 legislative session in Saint Paul. Democrats’ push for end-of-life options will see heated opposition from those who label it assisted suicide. Expect debate on possibly putting an abortion rights constitutional amendment on the ballot. Strong resistance is likely from Republicans to a Democrat-sponsored bill that would prohibit state and local law enforcement from cooperating with federal authorities on deportations and make Minnesota a so-called “sanctuary state.” And Republicans are signaling fierce opposition to a bill that would eliminate a required five-year minimum sentence for felons in possession of firearms, which Democrats contend clogs up the courts and doesn’t make communities safer.
>>Phillips Receives 1.7 % of Votes in South Carolina Presidential Primary
(Columbia, SC) — Minnesota Congressman Dean Phillips plans to continue his presidential campaign despite receiving less than two percent of the vote in the South Carolina Democratic primary. President Joe Biden won the primary election Saturday with more than 96 percent support and got all 55 of the state’s delegates. Author Marianne Wilson finished with two-point-one percent and Phillips received one-point-seven percent of the votes. Phillips said in a social media post, “Congratulations, Mr. President, on a good old fashioned whooping. See you in Michigan.” The Michigan Democratic presidential primary is February 27th.
>>Shooting of Man by Willmar Police Under Investigation
(Willmar, MN) — The Minnesota B-C-A is investigating after a police officer shot a man with a knife Sunday morning in downtown Willmar. Someone reported being threatened with a knife and was located by an officer at the scene. Police say the officer was talking to the alleged victim when the suspect exited a doorway and charged at the officer with a knife. The officer reportedly gave repeated commands for him stop before shooting the suspect. Investigators say he fled but was arrested a short distance away. The suspect was taken to a hospital in Willmar and later transferred to a higher care facility. The officer was treated for minor injuries.
>>Man Dies of Injuries Suffered in Rochester Shooting
(Rochester, MN) — Police in Rochester report that a man died in the hospital after being shot Saturday afternoon in the parking lot of a shopping center. Officers say multiple shots were fired outside the Crossroads Shopping Center and one man was taken to the hospital and two others were taken into custody. The victim died of his injuries Saturday evening. Investigators say there was some sort of altercation before the shooting. The victim hasn’t been identified.
>>At Least 3 Dead in Koochiching County Crash
(Northhome, MN) — At least three people are dead after a crash late Sunday morning in northern Minnesota’s Koochiching County. The State Patrol says an eastbound Chevy Silverado collided with a Ford F-150 heading west on Highway 1 near Northhome . The Chevy’s driver, 24-year-old Riley Scheidecker of Bloomer, Wisconsin died at the scene. Troopers say the driver of the F-150, 27-year-old Joseph Carlson of North Branch, and his passenger, 27-year-old John Corazzo of Shoreview, were killed in the crash. Two of the Chevy’s three passengers suffered life-threatening injuries and the third had non-life-threatening injuries. The report say it’s unknown if alcohol was involved.
>>2 Kids Suffer Life-Threatening Injuries in Pine County Amish Buggy Crash
(Hinckley, MN) — Authorities in Pine County are investigating a crash between a car and an Amish buggy that left two young children seriously injured. The sheriff’s office says a vehicle struck the horse-drawn buggy with six people in it near Hinckley Thursday and a two- and four-year-old child suffered life-threatening injuries. They were airlifted to Children’s Hospital in Minneapolis. The other driver wasn’t hurt. Deputies say the caller reported hitting an object in the road. No names have been released.
>>Northeast Minnesota Man Struck in Head by Falling Tree near Chisholm
(Chisholm, MN) — A northeast Minnesota man is hospitalized with serious injuries after a tree fell on him late Saturday morning near Chisholm. The St. Louis County Sheriff’s Office says the 66-year-old man was on a tractor when he was struck in the head by a falling tree at a recreational property. Deputies say the victim was taken to a hospital in Hibbing for treatment. The man and his family were clearing trees from the property.
>>Sun Country Airlines Adding 12 New Routes in May
(Mendota Heights, MN) — Minnesota-based Sun Country Airlines will continue to offer new flights to new places this year. Minneapolis-St.-Paul International Airport spokesman Jeff Lea (lee) says Sun Country is adding 12 more routes in May. He says the low-cost carrier will have capacity to serve up to 98 destinations this year, which is nearly double the 40 destinations it served in 2017-2018. Sun Country had the second-most passengers at M-S-P in 2023 behind Delta Air Lines. Passenger traffic rose by 11 percent overall at the airport last year.
>>Wolves’ Finch to Coach Western Conference NBA All-Star Team
(Minneapolis, MN) — Chris Finch of the Minnesota Timberwolves and his staff will coach the Western Conference team at the N-B-A All-Star Game in Indianapolis. Finch was named the West coach after the Wolves beat the Houston Rockets 111-90 Sunday night to clinch the best record in the conference. He’s the second coach in franchise history to be an All-Star head coach. The late Flip Saunders led the Western Conference to a victory in the 2004 N-B-A All-Star Game in Los Angeles. All-Star weekend is February 16th to 18 in Indiana.
