>>GOP House Members Choose Niska as Minority Leader
(St. Paul, MN) – Minnesota Republicans have started choosing their leaders for the upcoming legislative session. Friday, House members elected Representative Harry Niska (R-Ramsey) as House Minority Leader. Niska was the House Republican Floor Leader last session. Representative Jim Nash (R-Waconia) was elected as Deputy Minority Leader. The Democrats reelected Senator Erin Murphy as Senate Majority Leader and Representative Zack Stephenson as House Speaker-designate.
>>Minnesota Mother Gets Life Sentence in Stabbing Death of Two Children
(Fergus Falls, MN) –A north-central Minnesota woman was sentenced Friday to life in prison for the 2024 deaths of two of her children. A federal jury convicted 37-year-old Jennifer Marie Stately of five counts of first-degree murder and one count of arson. Prosecutors say Stately stabbed her five- and six-year-old sons and then set three fires inside her home on the Red Lake Tribal Nation reservation. The six-year-old died from stab wounds, while the five-year-old died from carbon monoxide poisoning. Authorities say Stately fled with her three-year-old son and was later found in Todd County, about 150 miles away.
>>Fire Crews Extinguish Transformer Blaze at Solar Panel Array
(St. Cloud, MN)–St. Cloud fire officials are investigating after a transformer caught fire at a solar array Friday morning. Crews battled the blaze near the city’s wastewater treatment plant for nearly three hours before bringing it under control. Officials say the fire was contained to the transformer, with no damage to the solar panels and no injuries reported. St. Cloud’s fire marshal is leading the investigation.
>>Man Dead After Friday Morning Shooting, Crash in St. Paul
(St. Paul, MN)–A man is dead after a shooting and crash in St. Paul Friday morning. Police responded to a two-vehicle crash in the Dayton’s Bluff neighborhood and found one car had slammed into a tree. Officers discovered the driver suffering from apparent gunshot wounds. He was pronounced dead at the scene. No arrests have been made, and investigators are working to determine what led to the shooting. The Ramsey County Medical Examiner will identify the victim and confirm the cause
>>51-Year-Old Man Dies in Fatal Accident in St. Louis County
(Cook, MN) – A 51-year-old man from Nett Lake was killed in a one vehicle accident near the city of Cook in St. Louis County. Authorities say the pickup struck the old McDonald’s building off Highway 53 on Friday morning. When first responders arrived, they say the man was unresponsive. Life-saving measures were unsuccessful, and the man was pronounced dead at the scene. Authorities say it appears the man had a medical emergency while driving. Alcohol is not considered a factor. The accident remains under investigation.
>>Gopher Football Hosting #5 U-C-L-A Tomorrow
(Minneapolis, MN) — The Golden Gopher football team hosts fifth-ranked U-C-L-A at Huntington Bank Stadium this morning at 11 a.m. The visiting Bruins are undefeated at 8-0 overall and 5-0 in the Big Ten after a 27-0 win over Nevada last weekend. Minnesota enters the game at 5-3 overall and 3-2 in the league after losing at Indiana in overtime last Saturday, 23-16. This is only the second time U-C-L-A has visited Minnesota and the first since joining the Big Ten in 2024. The Gophers lead the series 3-1.
