>>Walz Administration to Present 2025 Budget Proposal Thursday
(St. Paul, MN) — Governor Tim Walz and Lieutenant Governor Peggy Flanagan are rolling out their 2025 budget proposal today (Thurs 12pm). Governor Walz talked about the next budget after the latest economic forecast showed the state with a projected 616-million-dollar surplus. The governor said, “this puts us in a good position to do a measured, responsible bi-partisan budget that continues to move Minnesota forward.” The November forecast also warns of a five-billion-dollar budget deficit in fiscal years 2028 and 2029. Minnesota lawmakers passed a record 72-billion-dollar, two-year budget in 2023.
>>FTC, Minnesota and Illinois AGs File Suit Against John Deere Over Right to Repair
(Washington, DC) — The Federal Trade Commission, Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison, and the Illinois A-G are suing tractor manufacturer John Deere over its equipment repair policies. The lawsuit claims that the company has violated both state and federal laws by not providing customers with adequate options to repair their farm equipment. Ellison said that John Deere maintains an “unlawful repair monopoly” that makes the process of fixing farm equipment slower and more costly than it should be.
>>TSA Agents Stop 52 Guns at MSP Security Checkpoints in 2024
(Minneapolis, MN) — The T-S-A is reporting a slight drop in the number of guns stopped at airport security checkpoints nationwide and at Minneapolis-St. Paul International. Regional spokesperson Jessica Mayle says 52 guns were detected at M-S-P last year as we saw an 8.3 percent increase in passengers. T-S-A officers stopped 53 guns at M-S-P in 2023 and 58 in 2022. Mayle says guns must be packed unloaded in a hard-sided case and owners need to inform their airline at baggage check.
>>Former Rochester Police Officer Guilty of Sexual Assault
(Rochester, MN) — A guilty verdict Wednesday in the sexual assault trial of a former Rochester police officer. Twenty-four-year-old Timothy Morgenstern was charged in January 2023 with sexually assaulting a 16-year-old girl. Court documents say he was also accused of exchanging sexually explicit photos and videos with the victim on Snapchat. The criminal complaint says the teenage victim first disclosed to her therapist that she had been involved in an inappropriate relationship with Morgenstern, who was the coach of her speech team at John Marshall High School.
>>Ex-Olmsted County Deputy Sentenced for Child Porn Conviction
(Minneapolis, MN) — A former Olmsted County detention deputy is headed to federal prison. Forty-seven-year-old Matthew Adamson was given a nearly 20-year prison sentence Wednesday for his conviction for producing or attempting to produce child pornography. According to court documents, Adamson produced child pornography, and in some cases, secretly recorded 12 and 13-year-old girls multiple times from 2015 through 2023. He was also accused of coercing a minor girl into having sexual contact with him and possessing sexually explicit images and videos of children.
>>Man Convicted in 2023 Moorhead Murder
(Moorhead, MN) — A Moorhead man will be sentenced in February for the stabbing death of another man in April of 2023. Prosecutors say 59-year-old Robert Icanberry was found guilty of second-degree murder in the killing of Terry Klevgaard. Police said Klevgaard was found dead in an apartment and hadn’t been seen for more than two weeks. Icanberry fled to California and was arrested two months later.
>>13-Year-Old Boy Arrested for Making Threats to Fridley Public Schools
(Fridley, MN) — Police say a 13-year-old boy is under arrest for making threats against Fridley Public Schools. Classes were cancelled Wednesday and there is no school today (Thurs) due to continued safety concerns. The initial threat was made Tuesday night on social media. Officers say authorities were made aware of additional potential threats during their investigation. The boy was taken to the Lino Lakes Juvenile Detention Facility.
>>Man Arrested for Stabbing Woman in Anoka County
(Andover, MN) — Anoka County authorities say a man is in custody for the stabbing of a woman Wednesday afternoon in Andover. Deputies found the victim in a home with non-life threatening injuries and the suspect fled the scene on foot. Officers say he was arrested a short time later. Initial reports said it was a domestic incident, and the stabbing victim was the man’s mother.
>>3 Dogs Killed in Duluth House Fire
(Duluth, MN) — Three dogs are dead after a house fire early Wednesday in Duluth. Firefighters found heavy smoke and a fire in the basement and worked quickly to attack the flames. Officials say all the residents were safely evacuated but the three dogs did not make it out. Damage to the home is estimated at 100 thousand dollars. No word yet on what caused the fire.
>>Texas Man Indicted for Escaping Federal Custody in Minnesota
(Minneapolis, MN) — A man from Texas is facing additional charges for escaping from federal custody in Minnesota. The U-S Attorney’s Office says 48-year-old Ismael Benavidez was in a Residential Reentry Center in October in Minnesota when he walked away without authorization. Benavidez was serving an initial 40-month prison sentence for conspiracy to harbor illegal aliens in Texas in 2018 and three years of supervised release. He was indicted Wednesday on one count of escape from custody and detained until his next court hearing.
>>Mayo Clinic Announces Online Scheduling for Blood Donors
(Rochester, MN) — The Mayo Clinic is introducing online scheduling for members of its blood donor program. The clinic’s Blood Donor Dashboard allows current blood donors to track their previous donations and schedule new appointments. It also enables new donors to request appointments. The dashboard can be accessed online at blood-donor-program-mn.mayo-clinic.org.
>>Leinenkugel Family Trying to Buy Back Western Wisconsin Brewery
(Chippewa Falls, WI) — The Leinenkugel brothers want to buy back their brewery in Chippewa Falls, Wisconsin. However, Molson Coors has declined the first step of a proposal by Jack and Dick Leinenkugel to purchase the brewery. Molson Coors announced in November it is closing the brewery and moving production to Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Jack and Dick say they’re profoundly saddened by the decision to close the Chippewa Falls brewery. They say it’s not only been a cornerstone of the Chippewa Valley economy, but a welcoming destination for thousands of visitors.