>>Governor Walz Touring Flood Damage in Northeastern Minnesota
(Biwabik, MN) — Governor Tim Walz is in Biwabik (Fri 10am) on Minnesota’s Iron Range and in nearby Cook today, surveying major flood damage after storms with torrential rains hit northeast Minnesota. The Saint Louis County Board has declared a state of disaster, allowing damage assessments to begin for possible state and/or federal assistance to repair public infrastructure. Over 40 county roads were closed, and officials say the whole central corridor of the Iron Range was hit hard, with Hibbing, Chisholm and Virginia reporting flooded basements, damaged houses and washed-out roads. The worst damage is reported in Biwabik and Cook.
>>Volunteers Needed to Fill Sandbags in Waterville
(Waterville, MN) — Volunteers are needed in Waterville in south central Minnesota to help with sandbagging efforts along the Cannon River. The LeSueur County Emergency Management said volunteers will be filling sandbags at the city shop today (Fri) from 9 am to 2 pm and 6 pm to 8 pm. Officials says volunteers must be at least 18 years old and they will be filling sandbags rain or shine. They also ask volunteers to dress for the weather and to not wear open toed shoes. Volunteers will sign in when they arrive.
>>Office of Cannabis Management Hosting Social Equity Applicant Training
(Minneapolis, MN) — The Minnesota Office of Cannabis Management is hosting a training later today (Fri 4-6pm) in south Minneapolis on how to complete the social equity verification process. O-C-M interim director Charlene Briner says the 500 potential operators signed up for this workshop want to know, “How do I start the process. How do I know if I’m a social equity applicant. What do I need to provide in terms of this part of the application process.” Briner says operators interested in applying for a cannabis business license “pre-approval” must be verified as a social equity applicant. They include people who may have been harmed or incarcerated for a cannabis offense, residents of an area that was over-policed during marijuana prohibition, military veterans, and emerging cannabis farmers.
>>7 Case of Tularemia or Rabbit Fever Reported in Minnesota in 2024
(St. Paul, MN) — The Minnesota Department of Health and Board of Animal Health are tracking an increase in tularemia cases in animals across the state. Epidemiologist Maria Bye says tularemia, previously known as “rabbit fever,” can affect over 250 animal species, but cats are the animals that get sick with it the most often and get hit the hardest. Bye says dogs can also be infected, as can humans, through either a tick or fly bite or interacting with an infected animal. With an average of seven animal cases reported annually, 21 cases were reported in 2023, and seven have already been reported in Minnesota this year.
>>Duluth Man Convicted in Deadly Drive-By Shooting in August 2023
(Duluth, MN) — A Duluth man is facing state prison time for his role in a fatal drive-by shooting last August. St. Louis County prosecutors say 22-year-old Sanussi Bangoura was found guilty Thursday of aiding and abetting second-degree murder, assault with a dangerous weapon, and drive-by shooting. They say Bangoura and Brandon Williams-Gillard shot from a vehicle towards 19-year-old Paris Allen and another man and Allen died from gunshot wounds and the other victim was injured. Williams-Gillard received a 40-year prison sentence in April. Bangoura’s sentencing hearing hasn’t been scheduled.
>>RPD Completes Fatal Crash Investigation Involving a MN State Trooper
(Rochester, MN) — The Rochester Police Department has completed its investigation into a three-vehicle crash near Apache Mall on May 18th that killed an Owatonna teen and involved a Minnesota state trooper. Seven people were injured and 18-year-old Olivia Flores, a passenger in one of the three cars involved, died three days after the crash, weeks before graduating high school. State Trooper Shane Roper was taking 20-year-old Peter Mayer of Zumbrota for a ridealong, and preliminary information shows the vehicle Flores was in collided with the squad when the driver of that car attempted to make a left turn into the mall. The vehicle then hit an SUV leaving the mall, and the SUV ended up in the ditch. The findings have been sent to the Olmsted County Attorney’s Office for review and potential charging.
>>Fatal Motorcycle Crash in Steele County
(Steele County, MN) — A motorcyclist is dead after colliding with a car in Steele County just before noon Thursday. The State Patrol says a 57-year-old man from Austin was northbound when he crashed with a car driven by 21-year-old Mya Gaul of Montgomery. Troopers say Gaul and her two passengers, a 15-year-old from Lansing, Iowa, and a 16-year-old girl from Austin, were not hurt. The name of the motorcycle rider has not been released.
>>Hutchinson Woman Sentenced for Embezzling $2M from Employer
(Minneapolis, MN) — A Hutchinson woman will spend more than three years in prison for embezzling over two million dollars from her employer. Court documents say 53-year-old Jennifer Rath, who worked as the financial controller at a construction company, was responsible for payroll, accounts receivable, accounts payable, company credit cards, and corporate bank accounts. Prosecutors say between August 2013 and December 2019, Rath stole over $2 million in funds to pay her credit card debts, tax liabilities, and other personal expenses. She manipulated the company’s accounting software to embezzle, avoid detection, and prolong her fraud scheme.
>>Replica Space Shuttle Lands in St. Cloud Saturday
(St. Cloud, MN) — A replica space shuttle is scheduled to ‘land’ in St. Cloud this weekend. Inspiration is a full-scale replica of a space shuttle Orbiter. It is on its final leg of its multi-day journey from NASA Kennedy Space Center in Florida. It is being proposed as the lynchpin of a non-profit, educational “spaceport” for school children and families. The 140-foot-long truck carrying Inspiration’s 25-ton fuselage (main body) and another vehicle hauling its support equipment are scheduled to arrive in St. Cloud tentatively between 12:01 a.m. and 5:00 a.m. Saturday. Another eight truckloads of Inspiration parts have already arrived and are in storage.
>>MSHSL Splits State Baseball Championship Games on Friday and Saturday
(Minneapolis, MN) — The Minnesota State High School League says two of the state baseball championship games will be played today (Friday) at Target Field and the other two on Saturday. All four title games were postponed Monday due to rain and thunderstorms. Parkers Prairie and Springfield meet in the class A prep championship at noon and Rockford and Foley will play the class Two-A title game 45 minutes after the first one concludes. Mahtomedi takes on Totino Grace in the Three-A final at 11am Saturday and East Ridge faces Mounds View in the class Four-A championship tomorrow afternoon. Officials say they’re closing watching the weather.