>>Halloween Snowfall Reports Top 4 Inches in Minnesota
(Chanhassen, MN) — It wasn’t the Halloween blizzard of 1991, but parts of Minnesota received measurable snowfall on Thursday. The National Weather Service says Henriette in Pine County received 4.5 inches; Monticello, Plymouth, and Winthrop in south central Minnesota had 4.3 inches; Maple Lake reported 3.5; Buffalo and Hinckley got 3 inches; 2 inches fell in Windom; and Duluth is reporting 1.6 inches. The storm started as rain and switched over to wet, heavy snow across the state. The Minnesota State Patrol says troopers were called to 219 crashes statewide on Halloween.
>>920K Early Absentee Ballots Accepted in Minnesota So Far
(St. Paul, MN) — About 920-thousand early ballots have been accepted in Minnesota as of Thursday afternoon, roughly a quarter-million more than in 2016, but significantly fewer than the 1.9 million in pandemic year 2020. Officials advise if you’re voting absentee and haven’t mailed your ballot yet, at this late date you should instead drop it off at your in-person voting site. You have until 8pm Tuesday, Election Day, to drop it off. That’s five hours later than previous elections due to a change in state law, which election officials say means it might take longer to report the results on Election Night.
>>Political Analyst Believes GOP Congress Members Hold onto 4 Seats
(Morris, MN) — Republicans in next Tuesday’s election will likely hold onto all four U-S House seats they have in Minnesota, says U-of-M Morris political science Professor Tim Lindberg. He says in the 7th Congressional District in western Minnesota, Congresswoman Michelle Fischbach will likely be re-elected. Lindberg says population shifts and redistricting have made it more difficult for a Democrat to win in the 8th District , meaning Congressman Pete Stauber will likely be returned to office. He says he’d be “very surprised” if Congressman Tom Emmer doesn’t comfortably win re-election in the 6th District. And he says 1st District Representative Brad Finstad will likely win re-election.
>>First Lady Gwen Walz Campaigning in Wisconsin this Weekend
(Wausau, WI) — Minnesota First Lady Gwen Walz is planning campaign stops in Wisconsin this weekend. The Kamala Harris campaign announced Thursday that Gwen Walz will be making three campaign stops in Wisconsin Saturday. Her first stop will be in Wausau at 2pm, then Eau Claire at 4:30pm before wrapping up in Hudson. No information on the locations of those events has been released. The campaign says she’s expected to encourage voters to support Harris’ New Way Forward plan, which includes lower costs and restores freedom.
>>GOP Lawmakers Blame DFL Mandates for School Budget Shortfalls
(Jordan, MN) — Republican lawmakers are blaming what they call Minnesota Democrats’ “mandate-filled” education budget for school district deficits. Representative Ben Bakeberg from Jordan says the D-F-L passed 65 mandates last session and many changed curriculums including liberated ethic studies which he called divisive. Bakeberg also says unemployment insurance for hourly school workers and paid family leave are huge costs and criticized school discipline mandates. Some Minnesota school officials say the end of federal COVID funding has resulted in budget shortfalls.
>>Prosecutors Rest in Adam Fravel Murder Trial in Mankato
(Mankato, MN) — Attorneys for Adam Fravel begin presenting their defense to the Blue Earth County jury today (Fri) in Mankato. The prosecution concluded its case against Fravel Thursday after calling nearly 70 witnesses over a span of ten days. The state wrapped up by showing a video timeline of Madeline Kingsbury’s disappearance and presenting testimony from the lead investigator. Fravel faces murder charges following the discovery of Kingsbury’s body last year. The defense plans to call five witnesses today but has not yet indicated whether Fravel will testify.
>>Dodge County Deputy Sent to Hospital Following Hazardous Materials Leak
(Hayfield, MN) — Authorities in southeast Minnesota’s Dodge County say a sheriff’s deputy was hospitalized Wednesday night after responding to a hazardous materials leak near Hayfield. The sheriff’s office said it received a report of anhydrous ammonia fumes crossing Highway 56 next to the Central Farm Service Co-op and the deputy was the first to arrive. Investigators said a bulk storage was leaking the hazardous material. The deputy wasn’t feeling well and was taken to the hospital for treatment and later released. The Olmsted County Hazmat Team worked overnight to stop the leak and Highway 56 re-opened Thursday morning.
>>Military Agency Identifies Minnesota Soldier Killed in Korean War
(Minneapolis, MN) — A Minnesota soldier killed during the Korean War is being identified. The Defense P-O-W/M-I-A Accounting Agency says 19-year-old Army Corporal William Colby of Minneapolis was a member of Dog Company, 1st Battalion and was reported missing in action December 2nd, 1950 after his unit was attacked by Chinese People’s Army forces. In July of 2018 North Korean Supreme Leader Kim Jong-un turned over 55 boxes to then President Donald Trump, which contained the remains of American service members killed during the war. Some of the remains were eventually identified as Colby, who will be buried later in Minneapolis.
