Polls are open across the state today from 7am to 8pm. Most races are either school bond referenda or municipal. Minnesota’s two largest cities will elect new mayors today.
Mahnomen County authorities are investigating the death of a Naytahwaush man, who got stranded in the woods. Sheriff Doug Krier says 33-year old Corey Bush went to cut firewood with his father-in-law Sunday afternoon but their truck got stuck on a trail. Bush walked to get help but never returned. His father-in-law stayed in the truck until morning and walked out, found a ride home, and then reported Bush missing. A ground and air search throughout the area located Bush’s body late yesterday Monday, about a mile from his truck. While hypothermia may have been the cause of death, an autopsy is being done.
The topic of refugee resettlement continues to divide the residents of St. Cloud. During last night’s city council meeting, council member Jeff Johnson once again called for a temporary moratorium on any new refugees coming to St. Cloud. Council member George Hontos went on to say he strongly disagrees with Johnson’s resolution and that he wanted to take the chance to publicly denounce it. A resolution stating that St. Cloud is a “Just and Welcoming Community” passed on a 5-1 one vote two weeks ago. Last night, the council reaffirmed that ruling with a 6-1 vote.
The Fargo-Moorhead Diversion Authority is appealing a ruling by a federal judge that halted construction of 2.2 billion dollar project. U.S. District Judge John Tunheim of Minnesota issued the order in September, saying the diversion authority and Army Corps of Engineers did not have the required permits from the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources. Tunheim granted a preliminary injunction sought by the Minnesota DNR and the Richland-Wilkin Joint Powers Authority, a group of upstream residents who have sued to block the project. Lawyers in the case say the notice filed Monday with the 8th U.S. Circuit of Appeals is a protective appeal because the two sides have agreed to suspend legal proceedings while a task force works on solutions to the dispute. The task force has a Dec. 15 deadline.
More jobs are coming to the northwest metro after an announcement by electric car maker Tesla. The company is buying Brooklyn Park-based Perbix, which has been building equipment for Tesla for three years now. No price was released. Tesla says it wants to expand the current workforce at the plant which employs 150 people.
Winter Hazard Awareness Week continues across the state. Today’s focus by the National Weather Service is on outdoor winter safety which includes being careful around ice that is forming on lakes, snowmobile operation, avoiding frostbite and shoveling snow. More information is at the National Weather Service website. (Weather-dot-Gov)
Starting this morning, the Science Museum of Minnesota is making available a recreation of its vintage 80s hoodie worn by a character on the hugely popular Netlflix show Stranger Things. A limited supply of the museum’s 1980s Brontosaurus exhibit hoodies and shirts will be available at the Science Museum’s gift shop, or you can order them online at the museum’s website.