>>Duluth Man Suffers Severe Hand Injury in UTV Rollover Crash
(Duluth, MN) — Authorities in northeastern Minnesota say speed was likely a factor in a UTV rollover crash that injured a Duluth man. The St. Louis County Sheriff’s Office says the 32-year-old rider suffered a severe hand injury in the crash Tuesday night near Cotton. Deputies say he was stable and conscious when airlifted to a Duluth hospital. The report says alcohol and drugs were not involved.
>>MN Late Season Flooding Postpones, Cancels Many July 4th Fireworks
(Chanhassen, MN) – A number of Minnesota communities canceled or postponed their Fourth of July fireworks due to continued rainfall. Assistant State Climatologist Pete Boulay says the summer of 2024 is looking like a repeat of 1993, “where we had a really wet summer across the state. It was an agricultural disaster in some places. I’m hoping for a little drier conditions in July. But we also had high rivers summer of 93. So it kind of feels a little bit like it so far.” Boulay says the flooding in early July in Minnesota is unusual. The state just set a record for the wettest April through June this year.
>>Officials Urge Superior Forest Visitors to Exercise Caution
(Duluth, MN) – Supervisor Tom Hall says it’s mainly roads—22 of them—that remain closed in the Superior National Forest after severe storms in the middle of last month. But Hall is also warning of elevated water levels and increased rapids in some areas, plus the potential for trees down on forest roads. Superior National Forest encompasses three million acres, and Hall says the public could encounter problems that rangers don’t know about. In such situations, he suggests posting the information on social media and calling any of the district offices, which are staffed over the weekend. For specific information on closures, visit the Superior National Forest website and click on “News and Alerts.”
>>Biden, Trump Age Issue Compared to Reagan, Mondale in 1984
(Undated) – As the debate continues over President Joe Biden’s fitness for office — and by connection, former President Donald Trump’s age—analysts are harkening back to 1984 when former Vice President Walter Mondale was challenging President Ronald Reagan. Mondale was 56, and Reagan was 73. He faltered in the first debate, which brought the age issue to the forefront, but in debate number two, he demolished the objection that Mondale was trying to get traction on, saying, “I will not make age an issue of this campaign. I am not going to exploit, for political purposes, my opponent’s youth and inexperience.” Reagan in 1984 was the oldest person ever to be nominated by a major party for president—a record that stood until 2020, when Joe Biden captured the Democratic nomination at age 77, while Donald Trump got the GOP nod at age 74.
>>Free July Weddings in Goodhue, McLeod, Dakota County Fairs
(Undated) – Love and the aroma of corn dogs will be in the air at three Minnesota county fairs next month when judges marry couples for free. It happens at the Goodhue County Fair on August 7th and 8th, in McLeod County on the 16th and 17th, and in Dakota County on August 5th through the 8th and also the 10th. It’s first come, first served, uh, wed, so sign up now if you’re planning to tie the knot in a civil ceremony. The idea apparently comes from Hennepin County, where courts have performed free weddings on Valentine’s Day in prior years, and neighboring Ramsey County did it for the first time last year. It’s quite a savings for couples beginning their life together: after-hours weddings at the courthouse can run from $150-$350.
