>>Senator Mitchell Appears in Court for Alleged Break-in at Stepmother’s House
(Detroit Lakes, MN) — State Senator Nicole Mitchell of Woodbury will stand trial for first-degree burglary later this month in Becker County. Mitchell appeared at a settlement conference Tuesday for the alleged break-in at her stepmother’s Detroit Lakes home in April. No agreement was reached and the judge scheduled jury selection to begin January 27th. The judge is also considering a request to have cameras in the court for Mitchell’s trial. She has another hearing on January 14th which is the first day of the legislative session. Republicans and fellow Democrats have called on Senator Mitchell to resign her seat.
>>New Minnesota Law Requires Insurance to Cover Wigs for Cancer Patients
(St. Paul, MN) — One of the new state laws in Minnesota requires health insurance companies to cover the cost of wigs for cancer patients. The late Senate Majority Leader Kari Dziedzic of Minneapolis sponsored the bill while battling ovarian cancer last year. Dziedzic said she knows insurance companies don’t like mandates, but this law puts patients first. Coverage for wigs is limited to one-thousand dollars annually. Senator Dziedzic died last Friday at age 62.
>>New State Law Bans Products with Intentional PFAs
(St. Paul, MN) — A new Minnesota law going into effect today (Wednesday) aims to reduce PFAs across the state. Kirk Koudelka with the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency says 11 product categories with intentionally added PFAs are impacted. The banned products include carpets and rugs, cleaning products, cookware, cosmetic, dental floss, fabric treatments, children’s products, menstruation products, textile furnishings, ski wax and upholstered furniture. Koudelka says a near total ban on PFAs in products will take effect in 2032.
>>Minnesota Senate Committee to Host Informational Hearing on Sports Betting
(St. Paul, MN) — A Minnesota Senate committee is hosting an informational hearing on sports betting one week from today (1/8) at the State Capitol. Finance Committee Chair John Marty of Roseville is a longtime opponent of legalized gambling. Senator Marty says the hearing will focus on the economic, health and social harms from online sport betting. Authors of recent studies on sports betting and experts on gambling addiction are expected to testify. Bills that would legalize gambling on sports did not pass last year’s legislative session.
>>Winning Numbers Drawn in 2025 Minnesota Millionaire Raffle
(Roseville, MN) — There could be two new millionaires in the state after the winning numbers were drawn this morning (Wed) in the Minnesota Millionaire Raffle. The numbers of the two grand prize tickets are 504777 and 605212. State lottery officials say the one-million-dollar winning tickets were sold at Bill’s Superette in Nowthen and Casey’s General Store in Tracy. Five players won 100-thousand dollars and there are 15-thousand other prizes. A total of 800-thousand tickets were sold for the New Year’s Day raffle.
>>DEED Awards Greater Minnesota Infrastructure Grants to 4 Projects
(St. Paul, MN) — The Department of Employment and Economic Development is awarding four-point-three-million dollars in grants to four infrastructure projects in Greater Minnesota. Hermantown received two-million dollars to help construct streets and public utilities for an industrial park. Stewartville is getting just over a million to extend a business park for a biotech medical company. North Mankato was awarded a one-point-one-million-dollar grant to add 67 acres to an industrial park. And Chisago City will use 214-thousand dollars to add space at its industrial park for a food packing manufacturer and a cannabis operation.
>>Quitting Smoking is a Top New Year’s Resolution
(Duluth, MN) — One of the most popular New Year’s resolutions is the desire to quit smoking, with more than 70% of smokers reporting they want to stop. Pat McKone with the American Lung Association in Minnesota says this includes both traditional tobacco and e-cigarettes. She says there is more research showing e-cigs are not harmless water vapor devices, but indeed nicotine delivery devices that we are concerned about that can lead to a lifetime of addiction. For more tips on quitting, head online to lung.org.
>>New U of M Study Shows Physical Activity is Top Predictor of When You’ll Die
(Minneapolis, MN) — A study out of the University of Minnesota, John Hopkins University and the University of Colorado shows that physical activity is the top predictor of when you might die. Researchers used wrist devices to track the activity of more than 36-hundred Americans ages 50 to 80. What they found is that older adults who did high intensity exercise during their ten most active hours have a lower mortality risk than those who are moderately active throughout the day. Their conclusion is that physical activity measured by wearable devices is a better life span predictor than smoking, obesity, diabetes or heart disease. Their study is published in the journal Medicine & Science in Sports and Exercise.
>>Minnesota State Patrol Identifies 2 Victims in Fatal Chisago County Crash
(Shafer Township, MN) — The Minnesota State Patrol is naming the two people killed in a head-on crash Monday near Taylors Falls in Chisago County. The report says a car driven by 59-year-old Thomas Collins of Amery, Wisconsin crossed the center line on Highway 8 and collided with a vehicle driven by 55-year-old Kim McCoy of Minneapolis. Collins died in the hospital and McCoy’s passenger – 61-year-old Kimberly Brown of Minneapolis – was dead at the scene. McCoy was taken to Regions Hospital with life-threatening injuries. The roadway was wet at the time and alcohol was not involved.
>>Otter Tail County Man Charged in Fatal Shooting of Neighbor Dog
(Fergus Falls, MN) — A west central Minnesota man is facing charges in Otter Tail County for the alleged killing of a neighbor’s dog in July. Sheriff’s deputies were called to the report of a three-year-old labradoodle being shot in Vergas and dying on the deck of a home. Investigators learned that 19-year-old Bodi Engebretson of Vergas was involved, and he later admitted to shooting the dog with a pellet air gun. Engebretson claimed the dog was on his property when he shot it. He made his first court appearance Monday for felony mistreatment of an animal.
>>First Day Hikes Offered Today at Several Minnesota State Parks
(St. Paul, MN) — Several Minnesota state parks are ringing in the New Year with First Day Hikes. The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources says the hikes are a way to help start the year by making a connection with the outdoors. The hikes will be held at ten locations, including Blue Mounds, Fort Snelling, Lake Bemidji, Whitewater and Wildwood State Parks. More information is available on the D-N-R’s website.
>>Minnesota Wild Skate Past Nashville on New Year’s Eve at the X
(St. Paul, MN) — The Minnesota Wild are celebrating a 5-3 win over the Nashville Predators on New Year’s Eve in St. Paul. Marco Rossi scored twice for Minnesota and Jonas Brodin and Mats Zuccarello each had a goal and an assist. Filip Gustavsson stopped 43 of the 46 shots he faced for his 17th victory. The Wild play the Capitals Thursday night in Washington, D-C.
