>>Chaotic Close to Minnesota Legislative Session Late Sunday Night
(St. Paul, MN) — Pandemonium in the Minnesota House and a likely unprecedented lapse of protocol in the Senate last night (Sun) in the closing minutes of the 2024 session. The loud booing continued for 25 minutes after Senate President Bobby Joe Champion ignored Republican members so Democrats could pass a 14-hundred-page bill spanning topics from higher ed, agriculture, Uber/Lyft driver pay to human services, and items Republicans oppose including a gun binary trigger ban and paid family leave. Also, pandemonium in the House, where Speaker Melissa Hortman said the move was necessary because of repeated Republican filibusters. House Republican Leader Minority Lisa Demuth said, “We were asking to be recognized, we were asking for the bill… and the speaker chose to completely ignore what was going on.” A bonding bill, sports betting, and an E-R-A (Equal Rights)/abortion constitutional amendment all didn’t make it through before the midnight deadline.
>>Rideshare Drivers Cheer Bill Passed in Minnesota Senate
(St. Paul, MN) — Jubilant Uber and Lyft drivers were cheering outside the Minnesota Senate chamber early this morning (Mon) after the legislature passed and sent to the governor a bill increasing rideshare driver pay to $1.28 per mile and 31 cents a minute. Sponsors say it will prevent Uber and Lyft from leaving the market. Farhan Badel says he’s been a driver for five years and, “It has not been a fair fight, so we knew it was gonna be an uphill battle. But the poor drivers have won against two multi-billion-dollar companies.” An Uber spokesman says the rideshare company will be able to continue operating across Minnesota, but price increases set for next January 1st may hurt riders as well as drivers. Lyft officials didn’t immediately comment. It’s expected Governor Tim Walz will sign the bill.
>>US Senator Smith Awaits Report on US Postal Service Delays in Minnesota
(Washington, DC) — A statewide audit of the Minnesota and North Dakota Post Office District is expected to be released in the coming weeks. This comes after reports of major mail delays across parts of the state. U-S Senator Tina Smith says unreliable mail is hurting Minnesotans and, “it’s the way people are getting their prescription medications and paying their bills and getting checks in the mail and staying in love with their loved ones, too.” Smith says she looks forward to getting a full picture in this report so we can hold the Postal Service accountable for real solutions. A recent audit in northern Minnesota including several reds about postal delivery.
>>St. Paul Police Investigate Deadly Shooting at Light Rail Station
(St. Paul, MN) — Police in St. Paul are investigating a fatal shooting at a Green Line light rail station . Officers were called to report of shots fired at the Metro Transit Station on Dale Street late Friday night and located a wounded man. They say the victim died from multiple gunshot wounds at Regions Hospital. Investigators are still searching for suspects. The victim hasn’t been identified.
>>Man from Spring Valley Fatally Shot in North Minneapolis
(Minneapolis, MN) — A man from Fillmore County in southeastern Minnesota is the victim of a deadly shooting Friday night in north Minneapolis. Officers say 28-year-old Da’Vonte Adams of Spring Valley was found suffering from life-threatening gunshot wounds and later died in the hospital. Police have not reported any arrests in the case.
>>Fort Ripley Man Sentenced to 4 Years in Wife’s Hit-and-Run Death
(Fort Ripley, MN) — A man Fort Ripley is sentenced to four years in prison for the hit-and-run death of his wife last year. Crow Wing County prosecutors say 48-year-old Tony McClelland pleaded guilty in February to one count of criminal vehicular homicide – operating a vehicle with negligence and under the influence of alcohol. The body of 49-year-old Angela McClelland was found June 25th, 2023 near their home. The sheriff’s office said that McClelland’s wife died after being hit by a vehicle. The criminal complaint says an S-U-V driven by Tony stopped, then reversed to the area where Angela’s body was in the road and stopped again before speeding off. Investigators say his wife’s blood, tissue, and hair were found under the vehicle.
>>Fatal Crash near Ridgedale in Minnetonka
(Minnetonka, MN) — Police are investigating a crash in Minnetonka early Saturday morning that left one person dead. Officers say a vehicle exited a frontage route off Interstate 394 at a high speed and landed under the Ridgedale Drive underpass. Thirty-nine-year-old Ryan Chesness of Shakopee died at the scene and passenger was taken to the hospital with serious injuries.
>>Search Continues for 2 Missing Canoeists in BWCA
(Ely, MN) — Authorities in northeastern Minnesota continue to search for two missing canoeists in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area north of Ely. The St. Louis County Sheriff’s Office says two canoes went over Curtain Falls on Iron Lake Saturday night and one person was badly hurt and two were missing. The D-N-R used a helicopter to rescue the injured person and one other early Sunday and another person from their group was later flown out of the B-W-C-A. Deputies say the St. Louis County Rescue Squad continues to search the area for two more people.
>> Fry Fire Contained in Superior National Forest
(Tofte, MN) — A smoldering wildfire in the Superior National Forest near the North Shore is now 100 percent contained. Officials issued the final report on the Fry Fire Sunday and said it was contained as off Saturday night. Highway 1 was closed last week due to the fire but has since reopened for public use. The Fry Fire sparked on the morning of May 15th during a prescribed burn in the area.
>>Timberwolves Top Nuggets in Game 7 of Western Conference Semifinals
(Denver, CO) — The Timberwolves are headed to the Western Conference Finals after a 98-90 Game 7 semifinal victory over the Nuggets last (Sun) night in Denver. Karl-Anthony Towns and Jaden McDaniels scored 23 points each and Anthony Edwards added 16, eight rebounds and seven assists for Minnesota. Nikola Jokic led the defending N-B-A champions with 34 points, 19 rebounds and seven assists. The Wolves will host the Dallas Mavericks in the West finals beginning Wednesday night at Target Center. Tickets for Games 1,2 and 5 go on sale at noon today (Mon).
