>>Minnesota Teacher Receives a Shoutout During State of the Union Address
(Washington, DC) — During his State of the Union address on Thursday night, President Joe Biden recognized a Minnesota teacher from Plymouth. Keenan Jones was able to benefit from programs aimed at reducing the burden of student debt for nearly four million Americans. Jones, a public-school educator, has helped educate hundreds of students so they can pursue higher education. Thanks to the Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program, which eliminated his remaining student loan debt after ten years of public service, Jones was able to continue his teaching career and help his own daughter pay for college. In April 2023, Jones emailed President Biden to express his gratitude for the program. He was a guest of First Lady Jill Biden during the address.
>>GOP Congressman Tom Emmer Rips Biden’s State of the Union Speech
(Washington, DC) — Sixth District Congressman Tom Emmer is ripping President Biden’s State of the Union Address. The Minnesota Republican says in a statement, “Joe Biden banking on tonight’s address to be his big, political reset was as effective of a strategy as rearranging the deck chairs on the Titanic.” Emmer says,” Minnesotans know that the real state of the union has been defined by the unprecedented crisis at our borders, total chaos overseas, and lingering economic struggles thanks to Joe Biden’s failed policies.” Emmer claims that they’re “ready to abandon the sinking ship” in November.
>>House Committees Touring Minneapolis Vets Home, Bloomington Armory
(Minneapolis, MN) — Members of two Minnesota House committees are touring the Minneapolis Veterans Home and Bloomington National Guard Armory this morning (Fri 9-11:30am). Both facilities are seeking state funds for infrastructure projects and are candidates for the proposed bonding bill. The Minnesota House Capital Investment and Veterans and Military Affairs committees are visiting the two sites.
>>SRO Injured While Breaking Up Fight at Fridley High School
(Fridley, MN) — Officials say a school resource officer was injured while breaking up a fight Thursday at Fridley High School. He was reportedly kicked in the head during the altercation, which happened in the parking lot. Administrators say the person who kicked him was a bystander who wasn’t involved in the fight. The officer was taken to a hospital in stable condition, and the person who kicked him was apprehended, along with two others involved in the initial fight.
>>10-Year Firearms Sentence for St. Cloud Man in 5-Year-Old’s Shooting Death
(Minneapolis, MN) — A Saint Cloud man is going to federal prison for ten years for illegally possessing firearms, including one that resulted in the 2020 accidental shooting death of the young son of a woman who later became the defendant’s wife. Investigators say five-year-old Dayton Patterson found a purple Taurus 9mm pistol in their home and shot himself in the head. Prosecutors say that same gun was in a photo on 39-year-old Roberto Williams’ cellphone with the caption “my new toy.” They say after the boy shot himself, Williams put two backpacks in a garbage bin containing drugs, a semiautomatic rifle and the pistol which still had the boy’s blood on it.
>>Brooklyn Center Gang Member Sentenced for Illegal Possession of Machinegun
(Minneapolis, MN) — Prosecutors say a gang member from Brooklyn Center will spend two years in federal prison after pleading guilty to unlawful possession of a machinegun. Authorities searched the home of 21-year-old Marquez Hill-Turnipseed last April and found a loaded semi-automatic pistol with a switch that turns it into a fully automatic machinegun. A loaded ghost gun was also recovered. Hill-Turnipseed was under investigation for drug trafficking, firearms and acts of violence as a member of the Minneapolis Lows street gang.
>>Chances of Spring Flooding Low This Year in Minnesota
(Chanhassen, MN) — The lack of a snowpack, continued drought, and abnormally dry conditions throughout much of Minnesota are keeping the spring flood risk low. National Weather Service hydrologist Craig Schmidt says it will take something like some major rainfall or some late-season snow followed by heavy rain or something like that in order for us to get much in the way of flooding. Now is typically the time of year when the depth of the snowpack and risk of ice jams on rivers precipitates spring flooding. Schmidt says the long-range forecast for March through May calls for above-normal temperatures.
>>Edina Financial Advisor Pleads Guilty to Stealing $1.6M from Client Funds
(Minneapolis, MN) –Forty-seven-year-old Edina financial advisor Kristi Berge is pleading guilty to federal wire fraud charges for embezzling $1.6 million in client investment funds. Court documents say Berge, the C-E-O and founder of Keep Safe Investments, engaged in fraudulent activities from June 2020 through February 2023. Prosecutors say Berge lied to her clients by claiming to safeguard their funds in secure investment accounts, such as retirement or 401(k) accounts, while in reality, she used the funds to purchase multiple properties in Edina for her real estate business.
>>Boys State Hockey Semifinals Friday at the Xcel Energy Center
(St. Paul, MN) — The semifinals of the Minnesota State Boys High School Hockey Tournament are being played today (Fri) at the Xcel Energy Center. Warroad and St. Cloud Cathedral meet in the first Class A game at 11am and then it’s Hermantown versus defending state champion Mahtomedi at 1pm. Chanhassen and Cretin Derham-Hall face off in the first Class 2-A semifinal at 6 o’clock tonight and Edina takes on Grand Rapids in the second game around 8 pm. The winners advance to the state championship games on Saturday in St. Paul.
>>Timberwolves’ All-Star Forward Towns to Undergo Knee Surgery
(Minneapolis, MN) — The Minnesota Timberwolves are confirming that All-Star forward Karl-Anthony Towns will miss at least a month due to a torn meniscus in his left knee. The team says Towns will undergo surgery early next week and be re-evaluated in four weeks. The Wolves beat the Pacers 113-111 Thursday night in Indiana without KAT. Minnesota is in first place in the Western Conference with a 44-and-19 record.
