Minnesota News Network

The Minnesota Housing Department is lifting an August 17th application deadline for the HomeHelpMN program. And Housing Commissioner Jennifer Ho says the assistance cap has increased from $35,000 to $50,000. Ho says the program “can help people reinstate past-due mortgages, contract for deed manufactured home loans.  you can pay delinquent expenses such as property taxes insurance association fees,  lot rent and land lease payments.” Ho says HomeHelpMN has received nearly 5,000 applications from homeowners throughout the state. And she says there are up to 25,000 income-eligible homeowners who may need assistance but have not applied. Around $109 million is available to Minnesotans through the federal American Rescue Plan. For more information or to apply, you can visit homehelpmn.org.

 

Former Iron Range State Senator David Tomassoni has passed away. Tomassoni was diagnosed with A-L-S last summer. There is no known cure for ALS, which is a progressive, neurodegenerative illness that affects muscle control. Tomassoni served as a state senator for 22 years. As one of his last acts in the legislature, Tomassoni helped draft and pass a bill committing $25 million to fund research into ALS. Fellow Iron Range Senator, Tom Bakk says “Today I mourn the passing of my dear friend David Tomassoni. A true champion for the Iron Range and hard-working men and women across the state. The legacy he leaves is enormous, and his passion for public service benefited countless lives.” Tomassoni was 69 years old.

Law enforcement from 300 agencies across the state cited nearly 19,000 drivers for speed violations in the month of July. Officers, deputies and troopers participated in the statewide extra enforcement and awareness campaign resulting in 18,983 citations. During the campaign, Eagan police stopped two cars racing at 103 mph in a 50 mph zone. One driver was arrested for DWI. A Foley police officer cited the same person twice just an hour apart for speed. And troopers in the Golden Valley District pulled over a 16-year-old driving on a learner’s permit for going 110 mph. His parents were called to the scene.

Three people, including Best Western employees, are charged today in connection to the shooting at Mall of America Thursday. Bloomington Police chief Booker Hodges says the three charged were friends with the suspected shooter and another man and helped them elude police capture. Hodges identifies the two fugitives as 21-year-old Shamar Lark and 23-year-old Rashad May “know we’re looking for them. May is wanted right now we’re going to issue a nationwide warning for aid to an offender and Lark we’re going to issue a nationwide warrant that we’ll be wanting for second-degree assault.” The three already charged with aiding Lark and May are 21-year-old Denesh Raghubir, 23-year-old Delyanie Kwen-Shawn Arnold and 23-year-old Selena Raghubir. No one was injured in Thursday’s shooting.

Ex-Minneapolis police officer J. Alexander Kueng was sentenced today to three years in federal prison and fellow former officer Tou Thou was sentenced to three-and-a-half years for violating the civil rights of George Floyd. Kueng, Thao and Thomas Lane were convicted in February of not intervening when former officer Derek Chauvin caused Floyd’s death by kneeling on his neck. Lane received a 30-month federal prison sentence last week. Kueng and Thao are also scheduled to stand trial on state charges in October for aiding and abetting manslaughter and murder.

Authorities in several metro communities are investigating after recent reports of antisemitic flyers being distributed. Jewish Community Relations Council of Minnesota Executive Director Steve Hunegs says “law enforcement [in] St Louis Park other communities, they’re concerned about it– of course, the question becomes is this protected First Amendment speech or is this somehow crossed the line into threat, harassment, intimidation?” Hunegs adds, “just because the message itself may be protected First Amendment speech it doesn’t mean the delivery the message the way it’s cast about onto lawns and driveways, etc. in the middle of the night, is necessarily protected by the First Amendment.” Hunegs says since July 1st, flyers with “vicious” antisemitic messages have been found in Minneapolis, St. Paul, St. Louis Park, Hopkins, Edina, North Oaks, New Brighton, Cottage Grove and Arden Hills.

 

Patients registered in Minnesota’s Medical Cannabis Program will be eligible to buy gummies and chews from the state’s medical cannabis dispensaries starting August 1st. Director of the Office of Medical Cannabis Chris Tholkes  says “what gummies offer are in particular for folks who need more of an extended coverage of medication typically we would offer a tablet or a capsule to those folks and some people have difficulty swallowing for example and so a gummy or two is going to be better for them.” Tholkes says these state-approved medical cannabis gummies and chews differ from recently legalized hemp-derived edible cannabinoid products allowed under a new state law and adds “the product concept I guess is the same thing as being an edible category product–I guess what distinguishes the medical cannabis products is that our products are very precisely laboratory tested.” In preparation for the change, registered patients who are interested in gummy and chew products can make an appointment for a consultation with a medical cannabis dispensary pharmacist to get pre-approved.