>>Governor Walz Announces $5.5 Million for Minnesota Food Shelves
(St. Paul, MN) — More Minnesotans will be getting the food they and their families need to survive. Governor Tim Walz announced another five-and-a-half-million dollars in funding Wednesday for Minnesota food shelves. Half of the money will be used to buy food from Minnesota producers and processors and supporting the local agricultural community. These funds will support Second Harvest Heartland and the Food Group, which are hunger-relief organizations that partner with food shelves to provide millions of meals across the state.
>>Winthrop Man Sentenced to 30.5 Years for Killing of Sibley County Farmer
(Gaylord, MN) — The sentence is 30-and-a-half years in prison for a south central Minnesota man convicted of the September 2022 fatal shooting of a Sibley County farmer. Forty-eight-year-old Travis Bauer of Winthrop was sentenced Wednesday for the second-degree murder of 79-year-old Dennis Weitzenkamp. Police found Weitzenkamp dead in his machine shed with a gunshot wound to the back of the head. Investigators say lab tests confirmed the presence of gunshot residue on Bauer’s clothing, hat, and belt. The criminal complaint says Bauer had helped Weitzenkamp farm his land for many years and would benefit financially from his death.
>>St. Cloud Hosting 2025 Minnesota Organic Conference
(St. Cloud, MN) — Farmers from across in the state are in St. Cloud for the annual Minnesota Organic Conference. State Agriculture Commissioner Thom Peterson says they have 80 booths in the trade show and around 400 people have registered to attend. Peterson says they’ll be discussing agritourism business, direct marketing organic crops, soil health, and food as medicine. Minnesota has between 600 and 700 certified organic farms and another 250 organic processors.
>>Minnesota Well Behind Normal for Snowfall This Winter
(St. Paul, MN) — Minnesota is expected to receive light snow over the next few days but not nearly enough to put to a dent in the seasonal snowfall deficit. Pete Boulay of the State Climatology Office says we have lot of bare ground right now. He says St. Cloud is about nine inches short of normal for snowfall, International Falls about 14 inches, and Duluth is almost 26 inches short of normal. Boulay says the only areas with snowpack are in northern Minnesota along the Canadian border and the North Shore away from Lake Superior.
>>Investigators Believe Smoking Led to Death of Woman in Ely
(Ely, MN) — Investigators believe smoking caused the death of an elderly woman outside an adult care facility in northern Minnesota. Eighty-year-old Marjorie Jane Hible died on Monday when her motorized wheelchair caught fire at the Boundary Waters Care Facility in Ely. Staff members managed to pull Hible from the wheelchair, but she later died after being airlifted to a hospital in Duluth. A preliminary report suggests that the fire was accidentally caused by smoking.
>>Plea Hearing for Man in Ruby Slippers Theft Delayed
(Grand Rapids, MN) — A plea hearing for 77-year-old Jerry Hal Saliterman, who is linked to a theft at Minnesota’s Judy Garland Museum in Grand Rapids, is being postponed. Saliterman’s lawyers requested the delay due to his hospitalization for serious medical issues. He was scheduled to plead guilty Friday to federal charges related to the 2005 theft of a pair of ruby slippers worn by Judy Garland in “The Wizard of Oz.” Another man from Minnesota pleaded guilty in connection with the crime in 2023 and received a sentence of time served because of his poor health.
>>Minnesota Bank Robbery Suspect Jailed in Western Wisconsin
(Sparta, WI) — A western Wisconsin man is under arrest in connection with a bank robbery in Minnesota. The Monroe County Sheriff’s Office says 51-year-old Cory Billstrom of Janesville, Wisconsin was arrested Tuesday in the Village of Wilton in as part of a coordinated effort with law enforcement agencies in both states. Deputies and local police made contact with Bilstrom outside a residence and took him into custody. He’s being held in the Monroe County Jail pending extradition to Minnesota, where he will face charges related to a bank robbery in Bloomington.
>>Minnesota Woman Arrested After Pursuit on I-94 in North Dakota
(Barnes County, ND) — A Worthington woman, 23-year-old Makayla Ryan, is in the Cass County jail after leading North Dakota Highway Patrol troopers on a pursuit on I-94. It began around 4 p-m Wednesday when troopers responded to reports of a reckless driver swerving and brake-checking. After attempting a traffic stop, Ryan fled. Troopers deployed spike strips, deflating three of her car’s tires, but the pursuit was halted for safety reasons. Later, a trooper stopped Ryan and arrested her for felony reckless endangerment, fleeing, a misdemeanor D-U-I charge, and possession of T-H-C paraphernalia.
>>Deer River Essentia Workers Reach 1 Month of Strike
(Deer River, MN) — Essentia Deer River union workers hit the one-month mark today (Thurs) of their unfair labor practice strike. The group voted over 90% to reject Essentia’s offer Tuesday that would mean raises of just eight cents for workers. Employees say they’ve been ready to bargain, but Essentia has refused to engage and set dates. Essentia says they’re disappointed in the vote outcome and are committed to achieving a contract that serves both colleagues and patients. The two have been bargaining since August, and the strike began on December 9th.
>>Red Cross Offering Blood Donors a Chance at Super Bowl Tickets
(Undated) — Want a chance to win a pair of tickets to Super Bowl LIV (59)? The American Red Cross says all you must do is roll up your sleeve and give the gift of life this month. Officials are encouraging Minnesotans to make appointments during National Blood Donor Month in January. From now through January 26th, donors who give blood are automatically entered to win a trip to New Orleans. The winner will get tickets to in-stadium pre-game activities, tickets to the game, round-trip airfare including a three-night stay at a hotel, and a $1,000 gift card for expenses. You can make an appointment at redcrossblood.org or by calling 1-800-Red Cross.
>>Wildfires Could Force NFL to Move Vikings at Rams Wildcard Playoff Game
(Los Angeles, CA) — The N-F-L has a backup plan for Monday night’s Vikings playoff game at the Rams due to the wildfires in the Los Angeles area. Officials say they continue to prepare for the wildcard game as scheduled at SoFi Stadium but could possibly move the location to State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona, if necessary. The Arizona Cardinals have agreed to host the first-round matchup between the Vikings and Rams. The league says its priority is the safety of the Los Angeles community. The L-A Kings home game was postponed last (Wed) night.
>>Vikings Receiver Jefferson Named to 2025 NFLPA All-Pro Team
(Undated) — The N-F-L Players Association is welcoming Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Justin Jefferson to the 2025 All-Pro Team. This is the second time Jefferson has been named to the Players’ All-Pro Team. He led the N-F-C with 1,533 receiving yards this season and caught ten touchdown passes. Active players vote on the selections to the Player’s All-Pro Team and cannot votes for themselves or their teammates.
