>>Minnesota House Finally Gavels in, Representative Demuth Elected Speaker
(St. Paul, MN) — The disorder in the Minnesota House is finally over after three weeks of negotiating a power sharing agreement. Secretary of State Steve Simon finally declared a quorum Thursday and House D-F-L members returned to the Capitol. Republican Representative Lisa Demuth of Cold Spring was elected speaker of the House. Demuth is the first Black woman elected House speaker. She called for both parties to work together. The House is adjourned until Monday afternoon.
>>Significant Snowfall Expected in Minnesota from Latest Storm
(Chanhassen, MN) — Forecasters say a system moving into Minnesota this evening (Fri) could bring the second most snowfall of the winter. National Weather Service Meteorologist Brennan Dettmann says it arrives in western Minnesota and moves across the central part of the state. He says there’s a pretty solid chance for a lot of locations to see at least four inches of snow and a narrow path could see five to seven inches. Dettman says the snow will continue in parts of Minnesota through Saturday morning. A large part of the state is under a winter storm watch.
>>State Health Officials Report First Child Flu Death of Season
(St. Paul, MN) — The Minnesota Department of Health is reporting the first pediatric flu death of the season. Officials no longer release the patient’s age or hometown. Influenza complications were blamed for the deaths of four children last year. The latest update shows 43 more flu-related fatalities the week ending February 1st, bringing the total to 163 since the season began. The total number of hospitalizations surpassed 51-hundred last week. Nineteen schools and 16 long-term care facilities had flu outbreaks.
>>3 Suspects Charged in Deadly St. Cloud Apartment Shooting
(Foley, MN) — Three 19-year-olds are now charged in a St. Cloud apartment shooting Sunday that left a 17-year-old boy dead and another victim in critical condition. Officers called to a report of gunshots found 17-year-old Layson Davis of St. Cloud dead in a stairwell. A 19-year-old from St. Joseph was wounded and taken to St. Cloud Hospital in critical condition. Prosecutors charged Bernard Bowens with one count of second-degree murder and one count of third-degree murder via warrant Thursday. Olivia Williams and Quinton McNeal are charged with aiding and abetting theft of a firearm and first-degree robbery. Williams also faces another count of aiding an offender for driving Bowens to his girlfriend’s house in Minnetonka after the shooting.
>>Trial Date Set for Man Charged in Deadly Crash at Park Tavern
(Minneapolis, MN) — Trial is scheduled to begin May 15th for the man accused in a drunken driving crash that killed two people at the Park Tavern in St. Louis Park. Fifty-six-year-old Steven Bailey is charged with two counts of third-degree murder, two counts of criminal vehicular homicide, and nine counts of criminal vehicular operation. Surveillance video shows Bailey attempting to park his car before crashing into the crowded patio, killing employee Kristina Folkerts and customer Gabe Harvey, and injuring nine others. His lawyer said during a hearing Thursday that Bailey has completed an alcohol addiction program.
>>DNR, Fond du Lac Band Partner on Northeast MN Elk Restoration Project
(Cloquet, MN) — The D-N-R and Fond du Lac Band of Lake Superior Chippewa are partnering on a project to bring elk back to northeastern Minnesota. Elk program coordinator Kelsie LaSharr says studies of the area and a community survey found there is lots of habitat that could support elk and a significant amount of landowner support. The proposal from Fond du Lac calls to move 100 to 150 animals to the Cloquet area from the northwest herds. She says it will happen in small increments of 12 to 20 elk over five-plus years. There is an online public meeting about the plan Monday evening on the D-N-R’s website.
>>Barn Fire Kills 4K Pigs in Southern Minnesota
(Brownsdale, MN) — Investigators in southern Minnesota are examining a barn fire that resulted in the deaths of thousands of pigs near Austin. Mower County first responders were called to the barn in Brownsdale just before midnight on Wednesday. When fire crews arrived, the barn was fully engulfed in flames and was ultimately destroyed. No people were injured, but approximately 4,000 pigs perished in the fire.
>>Classes to Resume at Mankato School after Crash
(Mankato, MN) — A Mankato school that was evacuated following a vehicle accident is scheduled to reopen today (Fri). An S-U-V crashed into the side of Kennedy Elementary School around 8:30 Thursday morning. Officers say the impact triggered the school’s fire alarms, prompting the evacuation of students to Mankato East High School, where they could be picked up by their parents. No one inside the school was injured, and the driver of the S-U-V sustained only minor injuries. The crash is still under investigation.
>>Mille Lacs County School Bus Driver Narrowly Avoids Head-On Crash
(Onamia, MN) — A Mille Lacs County school bus driver is being praised for avoiding a head-on crash with a semi. The scary near-miss happened Wednesday on U-S Highway 169 near Onamia. Video from a school bus camera shows the northbound semi crossing into the southbound lane, forcing the bus driver to steer quickly into the other lane. The semi hit the rear of the bus, and two students were checked for minor injuries. The Minnesota State Patrol is working with the sheriff’s office to investigate the crash.
>>Vikings O’Connell Named NFL Coach of the Year, Allen Gets Hall of Fame Nod
(New Orleans, LA) — Kevin O’Connell of the Minnesota Vikings is being honored as the N-F-L Coach of the Year. O’Connell won the award at the N-F-L Honors ceremony Thursday night in New Orleans. K-O-C led the Purple to a 14-and-3 record this season and the first round of the playoffs. O’Connell has been credited with turning around the career of Vikings quarterback Sam Darnold this year. Darnold finished third in voting for Comeback Player of the Year Award, which went to Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow. Former Vikings pass rusher Jared Allen was elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame last night. Allen spent six seasons in Minnesota and led the league with 22 sacks in 2011.
