>>Walz Orders Half-Staff Flags for Fallen Border Patrol Agent
(St. Paul, MN) — Governor Tim Walz is ordering all flags to fly at half-staff from sunrise until sunset tomorrow (Sat) in honor of fallen U-S Border Patrol Agent David “Chris” Maland from Blue Earth. Forty-four-year-old Maland will be laid to rest Saturday at Fort Snelling National Cemetery. He was fatally shot in an exchange of gunfire during an immigration vehicle inspection on January 20th near the Canadian border in Vermont. Two people have been arrested for his murder. There will be a visitation prior to the graveside service for Maland from 9 a-m to noon tomorrow at the Morris Nilsen Funeral Chapel in Richfield. Maland graduated from Fairmont High School in 1999 and enlisted in the U-S Air Force that June.
>>9th annual “Guns N Hoses” Charity Hockey Game at Blaine Sports Complex
(Blaine, MN) — Minnesota police officers and firefighters are facing off tonight (Fri) in the ninth annual ‘Guns and Hoses’ charity hockey game in Blaine. St. Paul Deputy Police Chief Tim Flynn says they had a huge turnout last year following the deaths of three Burnsville first responders. He says last year it was sold out and organizers are hoping the arena is beyond capacity again tonight. Burnsville police and firefighters are expected to play in the game. Proceeds from the event go to The Front Line Foundation.
>>First Bill of Session Tabled in Minnesota House
(St. Paul, MN) — The first bill of the session in the Minnesota House failed to the get the necessary 68 votes Thursday, and then was tabled for more debate. Republican Leader Harry Niska brought a proposal to the floor that he says would require the Attorney General’s Office to be more transparent when it comes to investigations and complaints. A-G Keith Ellison argues that it could put some whistleblowers at risk if their data is released. The G-O-P has a temporary 67-66 majority in the House and the party line vote came up one short of passing.
>>AG Ellison Believes Banning Trans Students from Sports Violate MN Human Rights Act
(St. Paul, MN) — Attorney General Keith Ellison says he believes President Trump’s executive order banning transgender students from playing in sports consistent with their gender identity is a direct violation of the Minnesota Human Rights Act (MHRA). At the request of the Minnesota State High School League, Ellison’s formal legal opinion on the “Keeping Men Out of Women’s Sports” order is that the plain language of the M-H-R-A prohibits discrimination by schools against students based on their gender identity. The M-H-R-A specifically defines gender identity to mean “a person’s inherent sense of being a man, woman, both, or neither.
>>Deadly Snowmobile Crash near Canadian Border in St. Louis County
(Crane Lake Township, MN) — Authorities in northeastern Minnesota are investigating a deadly snowmobile crash near the Canadian border in Crane Lake Township. The St. Louis County Sheriff’s Office says a 72-year-old man from Glenville was riding with friends Thursday night when he veered off the trail and struck a tree. Deputies say fellow riders treated the victim until paramedics arrived, but the man died at the scene. Investigators say it appears speed may have been a factor in the crash. The victim’s name hasn’t been released.
>>Court Hearing for Man Charged in Killing of UnitedHealthcare CEO Thompson
(New York, NY) — The man accused in the shooting death of UnitedHealthcare C-E-O Brian Thompson has a hearing today (Fri 9am) in New York Supreme Court. Twenty-six-year-old Luigi Mangione pleaded not guilty to 11 state charges for the December 4th killing of the health care executive from Maple Grove, Minnesota. Mangione has raised nearly a half million dollars through a defense fund and recently thanked his supporters. Police said the fatal shooting of Thompson was a planned, coordinated attack by Mangione. He’s also facing charges in federal court and the state of Pennsylvania.
>>Duluth Man Sentenced to 17.5 Years for Drug Trafficking Conspiracy
(St. Paul, MN) — A Duluth man will spend 17-and-a-half years in federal prison for dealing large amounts of methamphetamine and fentanyl in northeastern Minnesota. Court documents say 34-year-old Jonathan Thompson, a-k-a “Remy,” regularly traveled to Chicago to buy meth and fentanyl to sell throughout the Duluth area. Prosecutors say Thompson had more than 7,300 grams of meth and over 860 grams of fentanyl between October and November 2023. The judge at Thompson’s sentencing noted the length was due to his negative impact on the City of Duluth and that his crimes “fed existing addictions and destroyed lives and families.”
>>DNR Considering 2 Walleye Limit on Lake Mille Lacs This Summer
(Onamia, MN) — Minnesota D-N-R officials are proposing more walleye harvest opportunities this summer on Lake Mille Lacs. Central region fisheries manager Brian Nerbonne says they talked about possible limits at a meeting this week. He says the regulations shared with the Mille Lacs fisheries advisory committee were for two fish bag limits. Nerbonne says most of committee members were calling for a more aggressive three-fish bag limit on Mille Lacs. Walleye fishing was catch-and-release until mid-August last season.
>>Minnesota Girls State Hockey Semifinals at the Xcel Energy Center
(St. Paul, MN) – The semifinals of the Minnesota State High School Girls Hockey Tournament are being played today (Fri) at the Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul. Orono and Warroad face off in the first Class One-A semifinal at 11 am, and Dodge County and Academy of Holy Angels play the other game at 1 o’clock this afternoon. In the Class Two-A quarterfinals Thursday, Rosemount topped Centennial-Spring Lake Park 3-2, Hill Murray beat Andover 5-3, Edina skated past Farmington 3-1, and Holy Family Catholic got past Moorhead 3-1. Rosemount faces Hill Murray in the first Two-A semifinal at 6 pm today , and Holy Family Catholic takes on Edina in the late game tonight.
