>>Ontario Premier Sticks to Electricity Tariffs on Minnesota
(Toronto, ON) — Ontario Premier Doug Ford is moving forward with his commitment to implement a 25 percent tariff on electricity exports to Minnesota, Michigan and New York, effective Monday. This decision comes on the heels of President Trump’s temporary suspension of most tariffs on Mexico and Canada. Border states have raised concerns about the impact of such tariffs on both customer costs and grid stability. Governor Tim Walz met with Ford and the premier from Manitoba Wednesday to discuss ways to alleviate tariff impacts.
>>Federal Cuts Could Worsen Minnesota’s State Budget Picture
(St. Paul, MN) — A dismal state budget forecast can still get worse depending on what kinds of federal funding cuts we see out of Washington, D-C. Minnesota Management and Budget Commissioner Erin Campbell says, “you’ve got a number of policy actions that again sort of change day by day. Then you’ve got the federal funding reductions, and I think the risk has to be high just based on the value of those resources to the state budget.” The biggest fear of lawmakers is potential cuts to Medicaid and education because they are two of the biggest pieces of the state budget. The forecast shows a 456-million-surplus the next two years and a six-billion-dollar deficit in 2028-2029.
>>AG Ellison Pushes Back Against Call to Pardon Derek Chauvin
(Minneapolis, MN) — Minnesota’s attorney general is pushing back on the idea of pardoning ex-Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin. Chauvin was convicted of the Memorial Day 2020 murder of George Floyd. Attorney General Keith Ellison tells C-N-N that calls for President Trump to pardon Chauvin show “blatant disrespect” for the law and Floyd’s family. The A-G said a pardon would set society back and said he hopes Trump “has enough humanity” to deny a pardon. Chauvin was sentenced in federal and state court for the killing of Floyd.
>>MSP Airport Busy for Spring Break Travel
(Minneapolis, MN) — The terminals at Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport are packed with spring break travelers. M-S-P spokesman Jeff Lea says the airport will see about a 20% increase in passengers, which means more people on the roadways and our ticketing lobbies and certainly perhaps the rest of the airport. Most Minnesotans are headed to warm weather destinations. Airfare for March and April is up compared to last year. The average price per flight is now $280, which is a 4% increase from the same time last year.
>>Minnesotans Should Keep an Eye Out for Possible Utility Scams
(Minneapolis, MN) — Minnesotans should be on the lookout for possible utility scams. Common scams include someone impersonating a utility provider either over the phone or in person and demanding payment via cash, wire transfer, or gift cards. CenterPoint Energy spokesperson Joshua Solis says if you see someone working near your home or requesting to enter your home to perform utility work, you can always ask to check their identification. If you think you’ve been targeted by a utility scam, you’re urged to call your utility provider and report the fraud to local law enforcement.
>>Radio Mankato Owner Missing in Alaska Avalanche
(Mankato, MN) — An owner of Radio Mankato is one of three people presumed dead in an Alaskan avalanche. Alaska Wildlife troopers say 39-year-old David Linder, 38-year-old Jeremy Leif, and 39-year-old Charles Eppard were buried under at least 40 feet of snow, up to a depth of 100 feet. The trio was part of a heli-skiing group Tuesday in Girdwood, Alaska. A fourth skier was rescued, but no other rescue efforts can be made right due to the conditions. Linder took over Radio Mankato ownership after his father died in 2017.
>>Felon from Mahnomen Indicted for Illegal Possession of Firearms
(Minneapolis, MN) — A man from northwest Minnesota could face federal prison time for illegally possessing firearms as a felon. The U-S Attorney’s Office says 23-year-old Adam Webster of Mahnomen was caught with a rifle and a 12-gauge shotgun in July of 2023. A prior felony conviction for third-degree assault prohibits Webster from having firearms or ammunition. He was indicted and made his initial court appearance in U-S District Court in Fargo, North Dakota.
>>Man Arrested in Missouri for Faribault Stabbing
(Faribault, MN) — A 45-year-old man is under arrest in Missouri in connection with a weekend stabbing in Faribault. Police say a 50-year-old man was stabbed in the torso and arm Saturday. He was brought to the hospital and has since been discharged. Just after midnight Saturday, Ricardo Ortiz was identified as the suspect. He was arrested in Harrison County, Missouri on Tuesday. Ortiz was wanted on multiple counts of felony assault and burglary.
>>Minneapolis Woman Sentenced to 32 Years for Killing, Dumping Infant
(Minneapolis, MN) — A Minneapolis woman faces 32 years in prison after pleading guilty to killing and abandoning her infant child. Minneapolis Police were called to Children’s Hospital last March on a missing child report. Twenty-year-old Esperanza Harding told officers her son died of natural causes at the hospital just five days before, but the hospital had no records of the child or his death. Harding eventually admitted her son died on February 28th in a Bloomington hotel. The criminal complaint says his crying upset Harding, so she drowned him in the tub, wrapped up his body, put him in a backpack, and threw it into a dumpster. Harding also claimed Edwin Trudeau, the man she was dating, didn’t like her child, and wanted him to be put up for adoption.
>>Minnesota Boys State Hockey Semifinals Friday at the X
(St. Paul, MN) — The semifinals of the Minnesota Boys State High School Hockey Tournament are today (Thurs) at the Xcel Energy Center. Defending Class A champion St. Cloud Cathedral plays Orono in the first game at 11 a-m, and East Grand Forks skates against Hibbing-Chisholm-VCA in the second Class A semifinal at 1 p-m. Defending Class 2-A champs Edina outlasted Rogers 2-1 in overtime in the quarterfinals Thursday night, Moorhead beat Lakeville South 7-4, St. Thomas Academy topped Shakopee 2-1, and Stillwater shut out Andover 5-0. St. Thomas Academy and Stillwater face off in the first 2-A semifinal at 6 p-m today, and Edina meets Moorhead in the late game tonight.
