>>Governor Walz to Visit Rapidan Dam, Give Flood Update
(Mankato, MN) — Governor Tim Walz will be at the Rapidan Dam near Mankato this afternoon (Tues 12:30pm), which suffered a partial failure last week due to the flood-swollen, raging waters of the Blue Earth River. The torrent swept away an Xcel Energy electrical substation and undercut the river’s west bank to the point where the Hruska family home fell into the water last Tuesday. Their nearby Rapidan Dam Store, a beloved fixture in the community for decades, was also threatened. Blue Earth County bought the structure and demolished it, officials saying to lessen the impact downstream if it toppled into the river. Fundraising efforts are under way to help the family.
>>Flooded St. Croix River Starting to Recede in Stillwater
(Stillwater, MN) — City officials say levels on the St. Croix River are starting to recede after cresting Monday in Stillwater. Public Works director Shawn Sanders says one restaurant was forced to close and parking lots were underwater, but the damage is minimal. He says they put up jersey barriers to protect the downtown area and crews are going to start taking them down and opening parking lots. Sanders says they think the river is going to drop fast so they can open everything by the end of the week. MnDOT plans to begin removing the ballasts on the historic Lift Bridge next Monday and resume operations early next week.
>>April through June 2024 Wettest on Record in Minnesota
(St. Paul, MN) — The last three months will go down in the state weather record books for highest average rainfall in Minnesota. Pete Boulay with the State Climatology Office says this April through June was the wettest on record with a preliminary total of around 17 inches of precipitation. Boulay says the previous record was 15.22 inches in April, May and June of 2014. Finland on the North Shore received 17-and-a-half inches of rain over the past three months. He says last year at this time the drought was ramping up in Minnesota.
>>Craig to Introduce Legislation to Prevent Drug Trafficking on Social Media
(Hastings, MN) — Minnesota Congresswoman Angie Craig plans to introduce a bill in the U-S House that will prevent drug trafficking on social media platforms. Senator Amy Klobuchar introduced the bill in the U-S Senate last year. Craig and Klobuchar will talk about the need for passage of the measure today (Tues 10am) with Bridgette Norring of Hastings, who lost her son, Devin, to fentanyl poisoning. Nineteen-year-old Devin died in April 2020 after purchasing a counterfeit pill on Snapchat that he thought was Percocet.
>>Fire Crews Discover Body near Tech High School in St. Cloud
(St. Cloud, MN) — Police in St. Cloud are investigating the discovery of a body near Tech High School late Monday morning. Fire crews called to a small grass fire found a person at the scene who had died. Officers have not released any information on the victim or the cause of death. They called in the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension and the State Fire Marshal’s Office to assist in the investigation.
>>St. Louis County Authorities ID Scuba Diver Who Drowned on Crane Lake
(Crane Lake Township, MN) –The St. Louis County Sheriff’s Office is identifying the scuba driver who drowned Sunday on Crane Lake near Voyageurs National Park. Deputies say 50-year-old William Rebarich of Embarrass was helping a group recover a piece of sunken machinery in about 70 feet of water when he failed to resurface. Rebarich was underwater for a period of time before being taken to shore. First responders provided medical aid, but he died at the scene.
>>Fatal Shooting Under Investigation in St. Paul’s Payne-Phalen Neighborhood
(St. Paul, MN) — A man is dead after a shooting Monday night in St. Paul. Police say the victim was found suffering gunshot wounds in the yard of a home in the Payne-Phalen neighborhood. Paramedics treated the man at the scene but were unable to save him. Investigators say they are working to determine what led to the shooting and seeking additional information from possible witnesses.
>>BCA Issues Statewide Missing Person Alert for Pine City Teen
(Pine County, MN) — The Minnesota B-C-A is asking for the public’s help finding a missing teenage girl from Pine City. Officials say 15-year-old Destiny Rae Matrious unknowingly left her residence overnight June 16th and hasn’t returned. Destiny is described as American Indian, 5 feet 4 inches tall, weighs around 180 pounds, and has black hair and brown eyes. Investigators believe she may be across the border in the Danbury and Siren, Wisconsin area. Anyone with information about Matrious is asked to contact the Pine County Sheriff’s Office or call 9-1-1.
>>Southern Minnesota Residents to Use 10-Digit Dialing by July 30th
(Undated) — Southern Minnesota residents will need to get used to a new dialing routine as the 507 area code is expected to run out of numbers by early 2025. Starting July 30th, residents will need to start using 10-digit dialing as the new 924 area code is added to the area. The 507 area code region includes all cities in the southern third of the state, including Rochester, Faribault, Owatonna, Mankato, and Winona. Call prices, coverage, and local call status will remain the same.
