>>Minnesota Senator Pappas Closing Watching War in Gaza, Israeli Strikes in Lebanon
(St. Paul, MN) — A Minnesota lawmaker is closing watching the war in Gaza and also Israel and Hezbollah trading waves of strikes in the north that have killed hundreds in neighboring Lebanon. Senator Sandy Pappas from Saint Paul has several dozen grandchildren and a couple great-grandchildren in Israel and says she’s on the Home Guard system. She gets the alerts when drones or rockets are coming over the region and says it’s been almost non-stop the last couple days. Pappas says the “Iron Dome” anti-missile system “absolutely” is protecting her family. She says,”if they didn’t have it, they’d be in a similar situation to Lebanon and Gaza. The destruction would be horrific.”
>>Election Ballots in Wabasha County List Wrong Minnesota House District Race
(Zumbro Falls, MN) — Election officials in Wabasha County are working with the Minnesota Secretary of State’s Office to correct a ballot error affecting voters in Zumbro Falls. The county administrator says the wrong Minnesota House district races appears on ballots sent to voters in the city. The ballots included the House District 20-A race but should have had the District 20-B race printed on them. The county is working to have new ballots sent out and will discard any completed ballots containing the wrong information. Republicans are criticizing the Secretary of State’s Office for the error.
>>AHS and Second Harvest Heartland Partner on Pet Food Distribution
(St. Paul, MN) — More Minnesota food shelves will be offering pet food under a new partnership between Second Harvest Heartland and the Animal Humane Society. Tabitha Ewart (U’-wert) of A-H-S says they currently provide pet food and cat litter to 13 organizations. She says Second Harvest has the infrastructure to expand pet food distribution to its partners across the state. Ewart (U’-wert)says the goal is to meet the food needs of the whole family. Second Harvest partners with more than a thousand food shelves and hunger-relief programs.
>>2 Killed in Head-on Crash near Iowa-Minnesota Border in Mower County
(Austin, MN) — The State Patrol is investigating a crash along the Minnesota-Iowa border in Mower County that left two people dead. Troopers say a transit van driven by a northern Iowa woman collided head-on with a car driven by a 17-year-old boy from Austin late Tuesday morning on Highway 218. The report says the roadway was dry at the time. Authorities plan to identify the victims today (Wed).
>>MN BCA Identifies State Trooper Who Shot Gun on I-94
(St. Paul, MN) — The Minnesota B-C-A says State Trooper Mark Steeg fired his gun in a use-of-force incident Saturday on I-94 in Minneapolis. Officials say Steeg was responding to a crash when he came under gunfire almost immediately. The suspect who fired shots during the incident, 23-year-old Eddie Freeman III of Minneapolis, was charged Tuesday with six felony counts related to the use-of-force incident and another shooting on I-94 prior to State Patrol arriving. No injuries were reported. Steeg is on standard critical leave while the incident is under investigation.
>>City Touts Strong Support to Redevelop 3rd Police Precinct Site in South Minneapolis
(Minneapolis, MN) — City officials in Minneapolis say there is strong support to redevelop the site of the former 3rd Precinct Police station into a democracy center and community space. The proposed building would house the City’s Early Vote Center and an eight-thousand-square foot community space with a business center and social services. The 3rd Precinct was burned down during the May 2020 riots following the Minneapolis police killing of George Floyd. The city is hosting an open house on the proposal for the site on October 2nd.
>>Minnesota Man Sentenced to 30 Years for Child Sex Crimes in North Dakota
(Grand Forks, ND) — A man from Minnesota is sentenced to three decades in prison in North Dakota for sex crimes against underage girls in Grand Forks. Prosecutors say 47-year-old Manuel Martinez Junior from Moose Lake was sentenced to 50 years in prison but had 20 years suspended. Martinez pleaded guilty to sexually abusing his girlfriend’s four daughters in Grand Forks between 2012 and 2021. He’s currently serving a prison sentence in Minnesota for another sex-related crime.
>>First Flight Powered by Sustainable Aviation Fuel Taking off at MSP
(Minneapolis, MN) — There’s a symbolic Delta Air Lines flight departure today (Wed) at Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport. Peter Frosch of Greater M-S-P Partnership says the first airplane fueled by sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) is taking off from Minneapolis to New York for New York Climate Week. Seven thousand gallons of SAF made from Minnesota-grown camelina arrived at M-S-P this week. Frosch says they’re working on a study of how to get from two thousand to one million acres of camelina. He says using SAF in jets reduces carbon by 70 percent.
>>Minnesota Lynx Host Phoenix in Game 2 of WNBA Playoffs
(Minneapolis, MN) — The Minnesota Lynx and Phoenix Mercury play Game 2 of the W-N-B-A playoffs tonight (Wed) at Target Center. The Lynx can sweep the best-of-three, first-round series with a victory on their home floor. Napheesa Collier scored a career-high 38 points in Minnesota’s 102-95 win on Sunday. Game 3 is scheduled for Friday night in Phoenix if necessary.
