>>Public Memorial for Slain M-P-D Officer Jamal Mitchell in Maple Grove
(Maple Grove, MN) — The Minneapolis Police Department says thousands of police officers from across the state, region and nation are expected to join family and friends for this morning’s (Tues 11am) memorial service at Maple Grove High School for slain Officer Jamal Mitchell. Organizers say the service will be livestreamed. After the memorial there will be an honors ceremony outside the school followed by a military jet flyover. Following that, there will be a law enforcement procession about 30 miles along mainly I-494 and then Highway 62 from the school in Maple Grove to M-S-P airport, from where Officer Mitchell’s body will be returned to his native Connecticut. Officials are encouraging the public to show support along the procession route from streets running parallel to the freeways, but stress that stopping on the highway will not be allowed.
Seating for the general public opens at 9 a-m, two hours before the service, but space is limited. The only public parking is at the Maple Grove Parkway Station and shuttle buses will run from about 8:15 a-m until public seating capacity is reached and return there beginning at about noon. The service, which begins at 11am, is expected to last about two hours.
>>MOA Fatal Shooting Suspect Sentenced to 30 Plus Years
(Bloomington, MN) — The sentence is more than 30 years in state prison for the second suspect in a deadly shooting at Mall of America in December of 2022. Nineteen-year-old Lavon Longstreet pleaded guilty to second-degree murder in the shooting of 19-year-old Johntae Hudson of St. Paul. Bloomington police said surveillance video showed Longstreet and Taeshawn Adams-Wright chasing Hudson in the Nordstrom store before firing at him multiple times. Hudson died at the scene. Adams-Wright also received a 367-month prison sentence.
>>Boy Dies after Shooting in Burnsville Last Week
(Burnsville, MN) — Police say a boy is dead after a shooting in Burnsville last Wednesday night. Officers responded to a Burnsville apartment complex and found an adult and small child in critical condition due to gunshot wounds. Investigators say the boy was taken to a hospital for treatment but died from his injuries Sunday. The adult remains in critical condition. No arrests have been made.
>>2 Killed in Cottonwood County Crash near Sanborn
(Sanborn, MN) — The Cottonwood County Sheriff’s Office in southwest Minnesota is investigating a two-vehicle crash near Sanborn that left two people dead. Deputies say an S-U-V and pickup collided at an intersection Sunday evening. The report says the driver of the S-U-V and their passenger died at the scene. The names of the victims will be released after family is notified. The pickup driver wasn’t hurt.
>>Body Pulled from Vehicle in Lake Minnetonka
(Mound, MN) — Authorities in the west metro are investigating a possible weekend drowning in Lake Minnetonka. Orono police received a report of a vehicle that drove into the water late Friday night in Mound. First responders entered the lake and pulled the lone occupant from the vehicle. Officers say life-saving measures were performed but the victim died at the scene. Investigators are expected to release more information about the incident today (Tues).
>>Kids Count Ranks Minnesota 5th for Child Well-Being, 19th in Education
(Undated) — The Annie E. Casey Foundation’s latest Kids Count report finds Minnesota ranks fifth in country for child well-being. Debra Fitzpatrick with the Children’s Defense Fund says the state has been in the top five for the last decade. Minnesota dropped to 19th in the education category, and she says, “the fact that we are struggling in the education area stands out relative to the other areas that are measured in this survey.” Low test scores in reading are blamed for the decline in Minnesota. This latest report tracked the 2021-2022 school year. The Kids Count Report is based on 16 indicators in four domains – economic well-being, education, health, and family and community factors – and ranks states according to how children are faring overall.
>>Workers at Cloquet Paper Mill Authorize Strike
(Cloquet, MN) — Union workers at a northeast Minnesota paper mill have authorized a strike after disagreeing on a new contract. The National Conference of Firemen and Oilers Union represents about 150 workers at the Sappi paper mill in Cloquet. The union said a strike is not imminent, but the authorization of the strike is part of the collective bargaining process. The union also said that it has asked the paper mill to schedule more dates for contract talks later this month.
>>Corpse Flower Set to Bloom at Gustavus Adolphus College
(St. Peter, MN) — Officials at Gustavus Adolphus College in St. Peter expect a corpse flower to bloom sometime this week. The plant in the Nobel Hall greenhouse is one of two flowers known as the Gemini twins. They are relatives of a corpse flower that bloomed on the campus last summer. The plant got its name because its blooming smell resembles that of a rotting corpse. A webcam that shows live images of the flower can be seen on the Gustavus Adolphus College website.
>>Opportunities Available to Hunt Elk in Northwest Minnesota
(Undated) — The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) is reminding hunters they have until Saturday, June 15th, to apply for one of the 10 elk licenses offered this year. The 2024 licenses offered include two landowner permits, two 10-year history permits, and six general lottery permits. All three seasons begin Saturday, September 21st, and end Sunday, September 29th. The three recognized herds in northwest Minnesota include Grygla, Kittson Central, and Caribou-Vita.