>>Busy Monday at the Minnesota State Capitol

(St. Paul, MN) — Bills that would set minimum wage protections for Minnesotans with disabilities have hearings (p-m) in both the Minnesota House and Senate. This morning (Mon 1030am) there’s the last committee stop before a House floor vote on a bill requiring plain language on driver’s license written tests, and a bill naming a section of Highway 169 on the Iron Range in honor of the late Senator Dave Tomassoni. A Senate panel (1230pm) debates a bill that would crack down on employers who misclassify employees as independent contractors to avoid paying benefits and unemployment insurance. There’s another House hearing (1pm) on a controversial bill for end-of-life options, which opponents label assisted suicide. But Senate Majority Leader Erin Murphy said earlier that “we’re at the beginning of a process that will probably take more than one year.”

 

>>House Republican Proposal Would Cancel Minimum Pay for Rideshare Drivers

(St. Paul, MN) — A new Minneapolis ordinance setting minimum pay for Uber and Lyft drivers is getting Republicans’ attention at the Minnesota Legislature, and today (Mon) they’ll formally introduce a bill that would cancel that measure, after the city council overrode Mayor Jacob Frey’s (FRIES) veto.  Farmington Representative Pat Garofalo says, “We all recognize that if the legislature does nothing, if we don’t act, Uber and Lyft are dead in Minnesota on May 1st.” House Democratic Majority Leader Jamie Long says “we’re working hard… to protect the economic security of drivers and their families, while also ensuring the ability of rideshare companies to continue operating here in Minnesota.”

 

>>Lake Superior Shipping Season to Open Friday Evening

(Duluth, MN) — The shipping season begins Friday when the Soo Locks open on the St. Mary’s River between Lake Superior and the lower Great Lakes. Jayson Hron (ROAN) of the Duluth Seaway Port Authority says they had a “very good” 2023 season and are hoping for a repeat this year. He says, ” We ended up moving 31.7 million short tons of cargo from the Port of Duluth-Superior last year. So a very solid year. More than 21-and-a-half million tons of that was iron ore. So, that was the most iron ore we’ve moved in a single season since 1995.” Hron (ROAN) says ships will be heading to the ore docks this week and will likely pass through the Soo Locks on Friday evening.

 

>>Deadly Fire Under Investigation on Red Lake Indian Reservation

(Red Lake, MN) — Very little information is being released about a deadly fire on the Red Lake Indian Reservation. The Red Lake Police Department says firefighters and officers were called to a structure fire on Friday and two fatalities were reported. The victims haven’t been identified. Officers from the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (A-T-F), and the F-B-I are assisting local investigators with the case. Anyone with information is asked to contact the Red Lake Public Safety tip line (218-679-1912).

 

>>Spring Burning Restrictions Begin in 38 Minnesota Counties

(St. Paul, MN) — Spring burning restrictions go into effect today (Mon) for more than three dozen counties in parts of western, central and northern Minnesota. Conservation officers say there is increased wildfire risk from the lack of snow, warm winter and exceptionally dry conditions across most of state. The D-N-R will not issue permits for opening burning of brush or yard waste in the affected counties until restrictions are lifted. Officials say spring fire conditions are about six weeks ahead of schedule this year. Here’s the list of restricted counties:

(Aitkin, Anoka, Becker, Beltrami, Benton, Carlton, Cass, Chisago, Clay, Clearwater, Crow Wing, Douglas, Grant, Hennepin, Hubbard, Isanti, Itasca, Kanabec, Mahnomen, Mille Lacs, Morrison, Norman, Otter Tail, Pine, Polk, Pope, Ramsey, Red Lake, Sherburne, St. Louis County (southern half), Stearns, Stevens, Todd, Traverse, Wadena, Washington, Wilkin, and Wright.)

 

>>Body Found in Rochester Thought to Be Missing Woman

(Rochester, MN) — Police in Rochester believe a missing woman has been found dead inside a trench. The woman’s body was discovered Friday near a retention pond. Officers say items belonging to Alice Dobmeier were located near the body. Dobmeier was last seen leaving her home in Rochester on March 3rd. An autopsy is being done to identify the remains and the cause of death.

 

>>Grygla Man Accused of Intentional Ramming Bemidji Squad Car

(Blackduck, MN) — A northern Minnesota man is accused of leading authorities on a high-speed chase and intentional crashing into a Bemidji police squad car. Beltrami County sheriff’s deputies say they were on patrol early Saturday in Blackduck when they saw the suspect driving erratically and take off at speeds topping 100 miles per hour. The report says officers used stop sticks to deflate one tire before the suspect vehicle drove at a squad car, striking the rear driver’s side. Officers say the 52-year-old man from Grygla (GRIG’-luh) resisted arrest and had to be pepper sprayed. He suffered minor injuries but no one else was hurt.

 

>>Second Man Charged in 2005 Ruby Slippers Theft

(St. Paul, MN) — A second Minnesota man is charged with the 2005 theft of a pair of ruby slippers Judy Garland wore in the 1939 film “Wizard of Oz.” The ruby slippers were stolen from the Judy Garland Museum in Grand Rapids. Federal prosecutors say 76-year-old Jerry Saliterman of Crystal is accused of helping Terry Jon Martin steal the slippers, witness tampering and threatening to release sex tapes of a woman to conceal the theft. The slippers were found by the F-B-I in 2018. Martin pleaded guilty in October to the theft, while Saliterman has not entered a plea.

 

>>Le Sueur County Woman Arrested for Gun Threats, Standoff

(Le Center, MN) — Le Sueur County prosecutors are expected to charge a Waterville woman today (Mon) after a standoff and threatening to shoot law enforcement early Saturday. Authorities say the woman called 9-1-1 because she was upset about how officers handled an earlier domestic disturbance and then made comments about shooting them and having firearms and ammunition. Deputies say she refused to talk with them at the scene but exited her home holding a firearm and pointing it up and down the street. She surrendered after hours of negotiations and was taken to the hospital for evaluation.

 

>>Shots Fired Outside Bloomington Mosque

(Bloomington, MN) — No one is injured after shots were fired outside the Dar Al-Farooq Islamic Center in Bloomington late Saturday night. When officers arrived, they noticed vehicles leaving the parking lot. A witness told police that people had started arguing inside a restroom and were asked to leave the premises and escorted out to a parking lot. Shortly after that, gunshots were heard. Officers said they found shell casings in the parking lot. If you have any information, please contact the Bloomington Police Department.

 

>>North Oaks Man Dies in Central Minnesota Crash

(Silver Lake Township, MN) — One driver is dead after a two-vehicle crash near Clearwater in central Minnesota on Saturday morning. The State Patrol says a tanker truck driven by 60-year-old Wayne Lange of Spring Valley and a pickup driven by 81-year-old Dennis Wendell of North Oaks were both going west on Interstate 94 when they collided. State troopers say Wendall died at the scene and was not wearing a seatbelt. Lange was not hurt in the crash.

 

>>Diggins Wins 2nd World Cup Cross-Country Ski Title in Sweden

(Falun, SE) — Jessie Diggins of Minnesota can now stake a claim to being the most dominant cross-country skier on Earth. Diggins won her second World Cup title in Sweden Sunday. The Afton native became the first American woman to win the World Cup in 2021. She’s also won several Olympic medals for the U-S, including a gold medal in South Korea in 2018.

 

 

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