>>Ex-Senator Justin Eichorn Released After Arrest in Underage Solicitation Case
(St. Paul, MN) — Ex-Republican state Senator Justin Eichorn of Grand Rapids has been released from jail on personal recognizance after being charged with attempting to solicit a minor for sex. Prosecutors say he communicated with an undercover Bloomington officer posing as a 17-year-old girl. Eichorn resigned from the Senate on Thursday ahead of his first court appearance. He must stay at a halfway house, wear a G-P-S monitor, and avoid unsupervised contact with minors. His next hearing is set for March 26th.
>>Eichorn No Longer Chair of Iron Range Resources & Rehabilitation Board
(Eveleth, MN) — The Iron Range Resources and Rehabilitation Board needs to find a new chair. State Senator Justin Eichorn of Grand Rapids resigned Thursday and is therefore no longer chair of the I-R-R-R-B. State Representative and vice chair Roger Skraba of Ely is calling for a special meeting to reorganize the board and select a new chair. Eichorn stepped down from the Minnesota Senate after being charged with soliciting a minor for prostitution in Bloomington.
>>Northeast Minnesota Lawmakers Concerned About Layoffs at 2 Iron Ore Mines
(St. Paul, MN) — State lawmakers from northeastern Minnesota are expressing concern about hundreds of job losses at two Cleveland-Cliffs mining operations. Senator Grant Hauschild of Hermantown says they received the difficult news that Hib Tac and Minorca will be idling and eventually approximately 600 steel workers will be laid off temporarily. Hauschild says there are a lot of iron ore pellets on the market right now and the automobile industry isn’t selling as many vehicles as usual. The union president at Minorca said production was ceased Thursday.
>>Democrats, Teacher’s Union Rip Trump’s Order to Dissolve Department of Education
(St. Paul, MN) — Minnesota Democrats and the state teacher’s union are blasting President Trump’s executive order to dissolve the U-S Department of Education. Education Minnesota president Denise Specht says losing 500 million dollars a year in federal education funding will “harm every Minnesota student and educator and would pass more of the cost of providing public education to local taxpayers.” Congresswoman Angie Craig called it “an attack on our kids, our teachers and our state.” She claims the president and education secretary cannot shut down the Department of Education without congressional action and support. Republican Congressman Tom Emmer said on social media “this is a win for America’s children.”
>>Lawmakers, Patients, Hennepin County Officials Discuss Protecting Medicaid
(Minneapolis, MN) – Lawmakers, patients, and county officials gathered at Hennepin Healthcare Thursday to discuss how federal cuts could impact Medicaid. Democratic Congresswoman Ilhan Omar says cuts to Medicaid would force Minnesota’s most vulnerable communities to make impossible decisions between paying for health care, putting food on the table and keeping a roof over their heads. Joel Williams, an 11-year patient at Hennepin Healthcare, says he wouldn’t be able to get the care he needs without Medicaid. Data from 2023 show more than 1.4 million Minnesotans relied on Medicaid for coverage.
>>Catholic Charities’ Homeless Elders Program Faces Budget Uncertainty
(St. Paul, MN) — A vital program supporting Minnesota’s growing population of homeless seniors is at risk of losing the majority of its $1.5 million in state funding as lawmakers debate a budget bill. Catholic Charities’ Homeless Elders program offers case management and housing assistance to older adults, many of whom are experiencing homelessness for the first time. Advocates argue that demand for this service is increasing due to economic pressures and a shortage of affordable housing. However, without the necessary funding, the program may have to reduce its services.
>>Flu Numbers Continue to Decline in Minnesota
(St. Paul, MN) — Flu activity is declining in Minnesota, but the season isn’t over yet. The state Department of Health is reporting 11 more flu-related deaths the week of March 15th. A total of 320 people have died of influenza complications this season including two children. There were 128 hospitalizations which is down from 180 the previous week. Two schools and two long-term care facilities had flu outbreaks last week.
>>North Branch Man Gets 19.5 Years for Fatally Running Over Teen in Forest Lake
(Stillwater, MN) — The sentence is 19-and-a-half years in prison for a North Branch man convicted of running over and killing a 17-year-old girl in Forest Lake. Twenty-one-year-old Dylan Simmons was found guilty of second-degree murder, criminal vehicular homicide, and assault with a dangerous weapon in the death of Darisha Bailey Vath of Stacy. Washington County prosecutors say Simmons admitted that he intended to strike Vath with his vehicle following a fight between two groups in a Forest Lake park in July of 2023. He remains jailed in Stillwater awaiting his transfer to a state prison.
>>Boys State Basketball Tournament Semifinals in Minneapolis
(Minneapolis, MN) – The Class A and 2-A semifinals of the Minnesota Boys State High School Basketball Tournament are being played today (Fri) in Minneapolis. Defending Class A champion Cherry faces Nevis at noon in Williams Arena and Dawson-Boyd takes on Red Lake County in the other semifinal. In Class 2-A, Caledonia plays Albany at 6 p-m and state champion Breck meets Waseca at 8 o’clock tonight on the U of M campus. Mankato East and Alexandria will play for the Class 3-A championship on Saturday and it’s Cretin Derham Hall vs. Wayzata in the Class 4-A title game tomorrow night.
