>>Retired Veterans Affairs Commissioner Herke Dies of ALS
(St. Paul, MN) — State officials and the military community are mourning the loss of retired Minnesota Veterans Affairs Commissioner Larry Herke. His family says 61-year-old Herke died Friday night, “with a serene view of Big Sauk Lake in Sauk Centre, Minnesota.” Herke retired from the Department of Veterans Affairs last September due to an A-L-S diagnosis. The Mankato native spent three decades in the Army and National Guard and served with Governor Tim Walz. The governor called Herke a “good soldier” and a “great man.” His statement said, “Larry’s insight and hard work have informed everything I’ve done on behalf of veterans in Congress and as governor.” Herke was first appointed as Veterans Affairs commissioner in January of 2019.
>>Seat Belt Use in Minnesota Reaches Record-High 95 % Rate
(St. Paul, MN) — Minnesotans are buckling up at a record-high rate. Nearly 95 percent are using their seat belts this year. Office of Traffic Safety Director Mike Hanson says the state has made a drastic improvement since he started as a state trooper in 1985. Hanson say there were nearly 42 hundred life-changing critical injuries as a result of traffic crashes in Minnesota in 1987 and last year the number of serious injuries was just under 13 hundred. Hanson says they’re also seeing encouraging numbers from the younger male drivers.
>>43% of Minnesota High School Students Taking College Courses
(Minneapolis, MN) — More and more Minnesota students are taking advantage of programs that allow them to earn college credits while still in high school. University of Minnesota program director Emily Hanson says dual enrollment opportunities are popular. She says, “across the state 43 percent of high school students take some sort of college course while they’re still in high school. And that’s actually up from the national average which is s 34 percent.” Hanson says juniors and seniors can attend classes at a U of M campus or take a course at their high school from an educator who is certified to teach a college class. She says students in 240 schools earned credits last year that provided a 40-million-dollar value.
>>Man Shot by Yellow Medicine County Sheriff’s Deputies near Clarkfield
(Clarkfield, MN) — A man is hospitalized in Minneapolis after being shot by law enforcement during a standoff near Clarkfield in southwest Minnesota. The Yellow Medicine County Sheriff’s Office says the man pointed a rifle at deputies Saturday afternoon and refused to come out of a farmhouse. Investigators say they were negotiating with the suspect when he fired a long gun at SWAT team members, and they returned fired hitting him in the leg. Authorities say the man left the house after about eight hours and fired again at officers. That’s when another SWAT member shot him the leg and the man was airlifted to Hennepin Healthcare in stable condition. No one else was injured in the incident.
>>Annandale Man Charged in Wife’s Stabbing Death
(Annandale, MN) — A man from Annandale in Wright County is facing second-degree murder charges for the alleged stabbing death of his wife. Police went to a home Thursday after 85-year-old Rodney Andersen called to report that he had stabbed his wife. Officers say the 82-year-old victim was found on the kitchen floor with multiple stab wounds to the abdomen. First responders tried to save her, but she died at the scene. Andersen’s next court hearing is Thursday in Buffalo.
>>16-Year-Old Girl Dead, 5 Injured in Minneapolis Hit-and-Run Crash
(Minneapolis, MN) — Police are still investigating a hit-and-run crash in downtown Minneapolis that left a 16-year-old girl dead and five others injured. Officers say six people were taken to the hospital and the girl died of her injuries. Investigators say the suspect got into a vehicle after a fight involving young women and drove into a crowd along Hennepin Avenue. The 22-year-old female suspect was arrested in north Minneapolis and booked on suspicion of murder.
>>Harris Man Killed, 6 People in Injured in Crash near Princeton
(Greenbush Township, MN) — A man from east central Minnesota is dead and six people are injured after a crash Saturday near Princeton in Mille Lacs County. The State Patrol says a car driven by 36-year-old Ulysses Chase of Harris crossed the centerline on Highway 95 and collided with an S-U-V. The report says Chase died at the scene and an 11-year-old boy, 13-year-old boy and 41-year-old woman in his vehicle suffered non-life threatening injuries. The S-U-V driver, Geralyn Weitzel of Menomonie Falls, Wisconsin, is hospitalized in St. Paul with life-threatening injuries. Two passengers in her vehicle were taken to a Princeton hospital with non-life threatening injuries.
>>2nd Person Arrested in Relation to St. Anne’s Place Assault, Attack
(Minneapolis, MN) — A 35-year-old man is the second person arrested in connection with an assault at St. Anne’s Place homeless shelter in Minneapolis earlier this month. The suspect was arrested during a traffic stop Friday and booked for second-degree assault, discharge of a weapon, and felony possession of a firearm. Police say a group of at least three people were seen on surveillance video on September 5th assaulting a person and damaging the building and a resident’s vehicle. A 35-year-old woman was arrested last week for her involvement.
>>Anti-War Protesters Stand with Palestine, Remember 1982 Lebanon Massacre
(Minneapolis, MN) — Anti-war protesters are demonstrating near Lake Bde Maka Ska in Minneapolis tonight (Mon 5pm), standing with Palestinians on the anniversary of the 1982 Sabra and Shatila Massacre. Organizers say Israel invaded Lebanon on this day, killing thousands of Palestinian refugees and Lebanese civilians. Local peace groups have highlighted this date for years, saying “it holds lessons for the present day.” The official death toll in the current attack on Gaza has reached nearly 41,000 since last October.
>>Vikings Beat 49ers in Home Opener at US Bank Stadium
(Minneapolis, MN) — The Minnesota Vikings are 2-and-0 after Sunday’s 23-17 win over the San Francisco 49ers in the home opener. Quarterback Sam Darnold passed for 268 yards, a pair of touchdowns, and an interception. Justin Jefferson caught a 97-yard T-D before leaving the game in the third quarter with a quad injury. The Vikings defense had six sacks and two picks of Niners Q-B Brock Purdy. The Houston Texans come to U-S Bank Stadium next Sunday.
