Willmarfest activities include Queen's Splash, concert
Willmarfest is underway. Tdoay's activities include the Senior Coronation at 2 p.m. at the Willmar Community Center. The Queen's Splash takes place at the Dorothy Olson Aquatic Center from 5 to 7 p.m. International Princess Kaitlan Bloomquist and Willmarfest Vice President James Miller say they've tried the Queen's Splash before but it's been rained out. The Pie and MORE...
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| Tom Decker |
Decker survivors agree on funds disbursement
The family of murdered Cold Spring police officer Tom
Decker has reached an agreement on the allocation of memorial funds that were
donated after his shooting death last November. Widow Alicia Decker had
earlier asked that half of the money go to her, with the other 50 percent
divided into trust funds for his four children. Ex-wife Rebecca Decker
argued that Alicia Decker and the four MORE...
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Father of 5-year-old who died in hot van charged
Charges have been filed against the father of a Moorhead
infant who died last week after she was left in a hot minivan. Clay County
Attorney Brian Melton says that Andrew Sandstrom is being charged with one
count of second-degree manslaughter. Five-month-old Christiana Sandstrom
died while she and her five siblings were in the care of their father. The
children's mother was away at work. MORE...
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| Wickenhauser |
Wickenhauser trial slated for September 10th
A Cokato man will stand trial in Willmar September 10th for charges in connection with a drunk driving fatal crash last year near Kandiyohi. Prosecutors say 22-year-old Paul Wickenhauser was intoxicated August 17th of last year when his pickup collided head-on with a car on Highway 12. The crash killed 68-year-old Marta Stoffers of Atwater, her daughter-in-law 40-year-old Michelle Hoffman of MORE...
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| Steve Okins |
City council approves sewer rate increase, new fee
Starting in September Willmar sanitary sewer system users will start seeing an extra 10 dollar fee on their bill, plus a small user rate increase. City officials say they need to increase revenues to cover the costs of building and operating the new 80 million dollar wastewater treatment plant west of town. Willmar Finance Director Steve Okins says the plant, which opened in late 2011, has MORE...
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Missing two-month old found safe.
(Brooklyn Park, MN) -- Police say a two-month old baby missing from an apartment in Brooklyn Park has been found alive in St. Paul and a woman and man have been arrested. Authorities say the mother knows the suspects, but did not describe her relationship with them. The infant was first reported missing around six a.m.
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Two Month Old Infant Missing In Brooklyn Park
(Brooklyn Park, MN) -- Police in the north metro are investigating the disappearance of a two-month-old boy. Brooklyn Park Police say the infant was reported missing by his mother around six a.m. and was last seen around 1:00 a.m. on her couch. MORE....
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Hit And Run Driver Being Sought
(Hinckley, MN) -- Authorities are trying to locate the driver who struck down a military veteran near a ramp on Interstate 35 just before 11 p.m. Monday night in Hinckley. 25-year-old Trevor Langlois of Wyoming, MN was assisting another motorist when he was struck. According to Pine County officials, the striking vehicle stopped and then fled the scene. MORE....
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Murder Suspect Arrested In Death Of Jordan Man
(Minneapolis, MN) -- Police have made in an arrest in the shooting death of a Jordan man early Monday in south Minneapolis. Officers say the murder of 35-year-old Daniel Maniece was an isolated incident and no other suspects are being sought. The Hennepin County Attorney's Office is reviewing the case for charges.
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Anoka Lawmaker Launches Campaign For U.S. Senate
(Anoka, MN) -- A state lawmaker from Anoka is announcing his campaign today for Minnesota's U-S Senate race next year. G-O-P Representative Jim Abeler (ABE'-lur) has formed a start-up committee and launched a website. MORE....
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Litchfield City Council approves bids for new shower building
The Litchfield City Council has approved of a bid for the restroom/shower building at Memorial Park by Lake Ripley. The project will cost more than originally expected. The American Legion will be contributing $35,000 towards the project which was originally expected to be half of the cost of the project. Mayor Keith Johnson says the building will use a type of block that is more MORE...
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| Sen. Klobuchar |
NSA eavesdropping protested today at Klobuchar's office
Members of Minnesota's peace and justice community are protesting N-S-A
surveillance today (Tues, 4:30pm) outside U-S Senator Amy Klobuchar's office.
Civil liberties supporters are speaking out against the National Security
Agency's secret monitoring of telephone calls and emails. The Anti-War
Committee and MN Committee to Stop F-B-I Repression will be carrying signs
that read MORE...
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| UH-60 Blackhawks from Minnesota Army National Guard C. Co. 2-211 General Support Aviation Battalion (GSAB) Air Ambulance attached to 3rd Marine Air Wing are parked and are waiting to assume the mission in Al Asad Air Base, Iraq on Oct. 11. |
Soldiers coming home from Afghanistan
Over 50 soldiers from the Company C, 2-211th General
Support Aviation Battalion return to Minnesota today after serving nearly a
year in Afghanistan. National Guard Major Dan O'Meara says the company flew
more than 3,200 hours and covered an area of approximately 62,000 square
miles in western Afghanistan. A welcome home ceremony will be held over the
noon hour at the Army MORE...
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Minnesota has 5th fastest-growing economy
Minnesota has one of the fastest-growing economies in the
country. The Gopher State tied California for fifth place in growth of
domestic product(GDP) last year, based on data for durable-goods
manufacturing, construction, mining, agriculture, wholesale trade, and
finance and insurance. GDP for Minnesota climbed 3.5 percent in 2012, a full
percentage point better than the national average. MORE...
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| Mayor Yanish |
Yanish offers alternative to Brimeyer-Fuhrsman study recommendations
Willmar Mayor Frank Yanish has criticized recommendations in the government organizational study being put together by the consulting firm of Brimeyer-Fuhrsman as being "old school", unrealistic, unsustainable and unjustified. Among the ideas put forth in the early drafts of the study are to create a position of "director of external services" to head day-to-day operations MORE...
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Charities group in Willmar today to talk about electronic games
Allied Charities of Minnesota is hosting an informational meeting in Willmar today to discuss electronic gaming and the opportunities for local charities. Allied Charities Executive Director Alan Lund says with the increased number of e-game sites and broad marketplace availability of e-bingo, they're hitting the road to tell charitable gaming operators about the potential for e-games and MORE...
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| Rogator |
Farm implement crash hurts Richmond woman
A Richmond woman was hurt when her mini-van collided with a farm implement in Stearns County yesterday morning. The sheriff's office says 73-year-old Lucille Gertken tried to pass a 2011 RoGator tractor traveling northeast on County Road 2 in Rockville Township. At the same time she tried to pass, the RoGator, driven by 36-year-old Clinton Rausch of Watkins, made a MORE...
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Daycare Provider Charged With Neglect And Child Endangerment
(Pine City, MN) -- A Sandstone daycare provider has been charged in Pine County with child neglect and child endangerment. 56-year-old Carrie Richardson is accused of losing track of a toddler on June 12th. The child wandered onto a state highway before being rescued by a good Samaritan. MORE.....
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Tornado Outbreak
(Minneapolis, MN) -- Today marks the three-year anniversary of the largest single-day tornado outbreak in Minnesota history (6/17). Assistant State Climatologist Pete Boulay (BOO'-lay) says we received a year's worth of twisters on June 17th, 2010. MORE....
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| Rep. Tim Walz |
U.S. House to look at Farm Bill this week
A busy week in Washington D.C. The U.S. House is
expected to take up the farm bill. First District Congressman Tim Walz says
he is pleased with the overall bill, adding that the bill does the things
that his constituents asked for--including putting a safety net in place for
when times are tough. The deadline for amendments on the farm bill is this
afternoon. (1 central) The Senate MORE...
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No DFL candidate gets endorsement for Mayor of Minneapolis
It's a wide-open race for mayor in Minneapolis, after
none of the candidates were endorsed at the D-F-L convention on Saturday.
Two rounds of ballots narrowed the field down to two hopefuls, but neither
secured the 60 percent needed to earn the party's endorsement. Hennepin
County Commissioner Mark Andrew got 50 percent of the delegate vote, and City
Council Member Betsy Hodges MORE...
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Cycle crash injures Brownton man near Morton
A Brownton man was hurt in a motorcycle accident north of Morton Sunday afternoon. At 5:51 p.m. 47-year-old Mark Raddatz was traveling on Highway 71 when he hit some rumble strips and crashed near County Road 2, about a mile north of Morton. Raddatz was flown to North Memorial Hospital in the Twin Cities with non-life-threatening injuries. (KWLM)
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Cycle crash hurts woman...driver charged with driving drunk
A Dassel man faces drunk driving and criminal vehicular operation charges after a crash that injured a passenger yesterday in Meeker County. 41-year-old Chad Savoy was driving his Harley northbound on 650th Street near Dassel when he lost control and crashed in the ditch. His passenger, 43-year-old Stephanie Savoy was taken to the Hutchinson Hospital with minor injuries, and MORE...
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Willmar men hurt in Meeker Co. crash
Two Willmar men were hurt in a traffic crash in Meeker County Saturday afternoon. The sheriff's department says at 1230 p.m. a car driven by 53-year-old Asad Omar of Willmar collided with a Chevy Trailblazer driven by 69-year-old Ronald Hoese of Mayer at the intersection of Highway 12 and County Road 31. Omar and Passenger 23-year-old Mohamed Awale of Willmar were taken to Meeker Memorial MORE...
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| Para-glider |
Woman hurt in para-gliding accident near Cosmos
An Eagan woman was hurt in a paragliding accident near Cosmos Saturday night. The Meeker County Sheriff's Department says around 8 p.m. 53-year-old Linda McClary was para-gliding with a group of people from SDI Para-Gliding Academy of Farmington near the intersection of County Road 37 and 515th Street in Cosmos Township. McClary was being towed by a vehicle and was about 20 feet in the air MORE...
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Dayton man hurt in crash at Grove Creek
A Dayton man was hospitalized after crashing his race car at Grove Creek Raceway east of Grove City Saturday afternoon. The Meeker County Sheriff's Department says 64-year-old Paul Larson was driving his 1933 Ford Model 40 Custom Kit Car on the drag strip around 2 p.m. when he lost control and struck the barrier was doing 80 to 90 miles an hour. He was taken to Meeker Memorial Hospital in MORE...
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| Regent Dean Johnson |
Johnson invites people to have lunch with Gopher coaches
University of Minnesota Board of Regents Vice President Dean Johnson of Willmar invites everyone to a free lunch and to visit with the Univeristy's coaches. They are coming to the Willmar American Legion, on 19th Avenue Southwest, Monday. For free tickets call 1-800-846-7437 or go to gophersports.com. The American Legion can accomodate 275 people for lunch. Johnson says many of the MORE...
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Bring your dog to the Stingers game tonight
People can take their best friend to the ballgame Monday night and help raise money for the Humane Society of Kandiyohi and Meeker Counties. The 2nd Annual Bark in the Park takes place at Bill Taunton Stadium as the Stingers take on the St. Cloud Rox. People are invited to buy an extra ticket and bring their dog to the game. Humane Society Director of Operations Bobbie Bauman says MORE...
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| Mayor Yanish |
Yanish to appear on Open Mike...taprooms could get nod by council
Mayor Frank Yanish is scheduled to appear on KWLM's Open Mike Show at 10 this morning. The Willmar City Council tonight could take action that could open the door for a microbrewery to serve home made beer. City Administrator Charlene Stevens says the Minnesota Legislature this year allowed cities to approve a new category of liquor licenses for people interested in making and MORE...
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Adopt-a-Highway Program Saves State Millions
(St. Paul, MN) -- Minnesota's Adopt a Highway Program is proving to save
the state millions of dollars. Program Administrator Earnest Lloyd says
about 25 to 26-thousand tons of litter per year are being collected along the
state's highways and freeways. MORE ....
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Couple in Fatal Domestic Incident Identified
(Clear Lake, MN) -- Officials are investigating the deaths of a Clear Lake
township couple. According to Sherburne County Sheriff Joel Brott, on Friday
afternoon a woman reported speaking with a man who claimed he shot his wife
and was threatening to shoot himself. MORE .....
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Lottery Numbers
(Roseville, MN) -- Here are the winning numbers for the Minnesota State
Lottery for Saturday, June 15, 2013. MORE .....
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Children's Hospitals MN at Top of List for Care
(Minneapolis, MN) -- US News and World Report has ranked Children's
Hospitals and Clinics of Minnesota among the top hospitals in the country in
2013. The hospital earned high marks for neonatology, which consists of
medical care for newborn infants MORE....
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Tick Season Reminder
(St. Paul, MN) -- State Health Department officials say last year's
unusually warm and dry spring and summer likely contributed to a significant
drop in cases of Lyme disease and other illnesses transmitted by wood
ticks.MORE.....
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Tan Mom Sent to Detox After Incident at MSP Airport
(Bloomington, MN) -- The New Jersey woman who infamously became known as
the tanning mom was taken to a temporary detox facility after allegedly being
intoxicated at the Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport. MORE .....
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Mpls Dems Wrap Up Convention without Mayoral Endorsement
(Minneapolis, MN) -- Minneapolis Democrats wrapped up their convention
Saturday--without officially endorsing a new candidate for mayor. Incumbent
R.T. Rybak is not seeking another term. MORE....
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Suspect Being Held in St. Cloud After Knife Attack
(St. Cloud, MN) -- A 34-year-old St. Cloud woman is being charged with 2nd
degree assault following an alleged knife attack. The suspect was arrested
early Saturday morning. MORE .....
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Parade, street dance today for Atwater Festival Days
Atwater's Festival Days reach their climax today with a car show, grand day parade, community dinner and street dance. City Clerk-Treasurer Goldie Smith says the city-wide garage sales begin at 8 a.m., and the ever-popular turtle races take place in the Downtown Park at 9. Bring your own turtle. There's a volleyball tournament at IDK starting at 10 a.m., and bouncy houses for the kids MORE...
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| Rogers |
Rogers' trial set for August 12th
A Montevideo man accused of having home made bombs at his parent's mobile home last month is scheduled to stand trial August 12th. 24-year-old Buford "Bucky" Rogers pleaded not guilty to charges of illegal weapons possession and three counts of possessing "unregistered destructive devices" June 7th in federal court in Minneapolis. U.S. District Court Judge Judge Jeanne MORE...
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Island Days continues in Bird Island
Bird Island is celebrating Island Days this week with many events taking place today. Island Days Committee Chair Mandy Osterfelt says The "We Gotta Run" 5k took place beginning at the fairgrounds at 7 a.m. The group "3rd Lair" will be putting on a skateboard and BMX bike demonstration in the city park from noon to 3 p.m. The Regatta Parade begins at 3 p.m., and MORE...
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Rice Care Center evacuated after smoke detected
Residents of Rice Care Center in Willmar were evacuated shortly before 4 p.m. yesterday after smoke and the odor of smoke was detected in a part of the building. The Willmar Fire Department responded and at this time it appears ventilation work taking place on the roof of the building, which is currently undergoing a major renovation, may have caused smoke to enter the building. No one was MORE...
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Man charged with carjacking, car theft spree
A man charged with a crime spree that started in Foley and ended in St. Paul is being held without bail at the Hennepin County Jail. Police say Brandon Stark kidnapped a driver at a Foley business Wednesday and forced him at knifepoint to drive him to Minneapolis. Once in the city, Stark allegedly pulled a knife and forced a woman walking in northeast Minneapolis to take him to her car. MORE...
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U of M Regent concerned about budget cuts
While the University of Minnesota Board of Regents
seemed pleased overall with the 2014 operating budget they approved Friday,
several board members voiced concerns. Regent Richard Beeson sounded a
warning about the future. He said if all the U does is focus on cost
reductions, which he acknowledges are necessary, they will never succeed in
elevating the university. Regent David MORE...
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Cold, wet weather will reduce corn yield this year
Cold wet weather in Minnesota and across the Midwest is expected to impact corn yields, bringing production expectations down. The new report shows an expected harvest now of just 14 billion bushels, and USDA economist Joe Glauber says the bushels-per-acre number is lower as well. Even though the forecast was lowered, Glauber says that's still a very large crop, and he expects a MORE...
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Child who died in van lived in an"extremely filthy home."
A judge has ruled the five siblings of a baby girl who
died after she was accidentally left in a hot van in Moorhead will
temporarily remain in the custody of social services. The children are
staying with their maternal grandmother. Andrew and Shayna Sandstrom's
children were taken out of their home this week after caseworkers discovered
what they call "extremely filthy MORE...
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Son of accused Minneapolis nazi defends his father
The son of a 94-year-old Minneapolis man is disputing a
report that his father commanded a Nazi SS-led unit in World War II and lied
about his wartime past in order to become a U.S. citizen. It has been
reported that Michael Karkoc (CAR-kotch) was a top commander in the Ukrainian
Self-Defense Legion. On Friday, Karkoc's son read a statement saying the
reports defamed his father and that MORE...
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6-Month Anniversary of Sandy Hook Shootings, Gun Laws Largely Remain Unchanged
(Minneapolis, MN) -- Today marks the 6th month anniversary of the shooting rampage at Sandy Hook Elementary in Newtown, Connecticut, where 26 people died. Joan Peterson is with Protect Minnesota and says during this past legislative session, there were various bills introduced with a goal of reducing gun violence in the state. MORE....
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U-of-M Regents Approve Tuition Freeze
(Minneapolis, MN) -- The University of Minnesota Board of Regents approved a two-year tuition freeze this morning. University president Eric Kaler told the board the freeze, along with an attempt to hold down fees, brings the combined cost for resident undergraduates to the lowest levels in recent history. MORE....
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U of M Union Leaders Protest Layoffs
(Minneapolis, MN) -- Union leaders are speaking out today against the layoffs of 25 Information Technology workers at the University of Minnesota. The cuts are part of the university's effort to trim 15 million dollars in administrative costs. Earlier today, the board of regents today approved the university budget, calling for a two-year-freeze on tuition. MORE....
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Man accused of lying about possible war crimes
A number of various media reports indicate a top
commander of a Nazi SS-led unit accused of burning villages filled with women
and children lied to American immigration officials to get into the U.S. and
has been living in Minnesota since shortly after World War II. Reports
indicate 94-year-old Michael Karkoc(CAR-kotch) told American authorities in
1949 he had performed no military service MORE...
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Woman hurt in Waite Park rock climbing accident
A woman was hurt in a rock climbing accident at Quarry Park in Waite Park yesterday afternoon. The Stearns County Sheriff's Department says 40-year-old Sarah Dusbabek of Ramsey was rock climbing with her daughter when she fell about 15 feet to the bottom of a quarry. She was lifted out by emergency crews and taken to St. Cloud Hospital. Her current MORE...
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| Rep. Ellison |
Ellison irked at NSA phone and internet record snatch
The controversy continues over the U-S government
collecting information on Americans' cell phone and Internet usage, looking
for possible terrorist activity. Congressman Keith Ellison says the
government doesn't need to know about 200 million people's calls. He says
what officials need to know is who a terrorist is calling, and who
they're receiving calls from -- but MORE...
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| This baby in China survived being hit by an arrow in 2009 |
Police Chief looks for input on bow and arrow ban
Willmar Police Chief David Wyffels recently asked the Public Works/Public Safety committee to consider an ordinance amendment that would place some restrictions on citizens shooting a bow and arrow within City limits, as currently there are none. The concern rises from the potential of an accidental target miss by someone using such a device and crossing property boundaries, possibly striking a MORE...
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Pioneerland Band Festival in Benson tonight
The 26th Annual Pioneerland Band Festival takes place in Benson Friday evening. The parade starts at 6:30 and follows the traditional route, from Runnings to the Amoco station, then north to Benson High School. The grand marshal this year is Candace Monson Sowers. 10 bands will be performing in 3 classes, with cash prizes of over $2500 to be awarded to the top bands. The prize ceremony MORE...
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Willmar Area Studio Hop today and tomorrow
The 9th Annual Willmar/Spicer/New London Studio Hop takes place Friday and Saturday at 16 artists' studios across the region. Janet Olney with the Willmar Area Arts Council says people can visit artists Friday from 5 to 8 and Saturday from 10 to 5, which is a different schedule than years past. Stoneware artist Bill Gossman of New London says they debated extending it to Sunday, and MORE...
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| Jacobs |
Jacobs takes over at MnDot Region 8 Public Affairs
Judy Jacobs is now serving as the public affairs coordinator for the Minnesota Department of Transportation District 8, which encompasses 12 counties in west central and southwestern Minnesota. Jacobs has more than 20 years of experience with MnDOT communications focusing on media relations, internal and external communications and public outreach. She most recently served as the MORE...
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Man Pleads Guilty In Shooting/Rape Spree At Woodbury Motel
(Woodbury, MN) -- A man charged in a shooting and rape spree at a Woodbury motel last August has pleaded guilty to five felony counts and will be sentenced to at least 24 years in prison. The Star Tribune reports that Demetrius Ballinger entered a plea in Washington County District Court to one count of second-degree attempted murder and four counts of first-degree criminal MORE....
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U-S Senate Panel Approves Changes To No Child Left Behind
(Washington, DC) -- The U.S Senate Education Committee has passed sweeping changes to the 12-year-old No Child Left Behind Act, which was meant to improve student perfomance in public schools. Senator Al Franken wrote several provisions in the new education reform package, dubbed the Strengthening America's Schools Act, MORE....
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Ex-Mayor Of Mantorville Sentenced For Meth Possession
(Mantorville, MN) -- The former mayor of Mantorville in southeast Minnesota, who was also once a Dodge County Sheriff's deputy, has been sentenced to five years probation for meth possession. Luke Nash was arrested in March, after investigators say he purchased the drugs from an undercover police informant in Kasson. MORE....
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Toddler Rescued From Middle Of Pine County Highway, Daycare Operator Drunk
(Sandstone, MN) -- A toddler was spotted walking down the middle of Pine County Highway 23 Wednesday afternoon and brought to safety by a woman in a nearby home who noticed traffic dodging the child. Sheriff's officials say the toddler had wandered away from a Sandstone daycare. MORE....
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Deer hits cycle, causes crash near Grove City
A motorcyclist hit the pavement this morning after getting hit by a deer near Grove City. The state patrol says the man was part of a group of bikers on Highway 12 when a deer came out of the ditch near the Grove Creek dragstrip, just east of Grove City, at 7:20 a.m. The deer hit the cycle causing him to crash. The driver was wearing a helmet and a leather jacket and suffered some road rash MORE...
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Horses, dogs siezed from Darwin residence
Meeker County Deputies and Humane Society officials siezed several horses and dogs from a rural Darwin residences last night. At 7:49 pm. , the Sheriff's Office and Kandiyohi County Humane Society responded to an animal neglect compaint at the home of 45-year-old Bridget Scharafanow on County Road 14 in Darwin. Scharafanow signed a voluntary waiver of rights for the animals over to the MORE...
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Name of woman killed in car fire still withheld...gas found in car
The identity of a woman killed in a car fire during morning rush hour yesterday (Wed) in Bloomington still has not been released, but more details about the incident have. Witnesses called 9-1-1 after hearing what sounded like an explosion, and when firefighters arrived they say the car was engulfed in flames. After the fire was out the woman's body was found in the car, alongside an MORE...
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Digital purchase tax goes into effect July 1st
If you buy books, music or other digital products online,
take note: youll soon be paying a little extra on those purchases. A new
sales tax for digital goods and products goes into effect July 1st. State
Revenue Commissioner Myron Franz says video games and electronic greeting
cards are also subject to the new tax. The change is a result of the tax
bill Governor Dayton signed into law MORE...
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| Montevideo City Hall |
Hearing July 1st to address new Montevideo Fire Hall
The Montevideo City Council has set a public hearing for July 1st to discuss building a new fire hall and doing improvements at the existing Montevideo City Hall. City Manager Steve Jones says the entire project would cost around 2-and-a- half million dollars. Jones says the current fire hall is running out of space and says if the fire hall is relocated, that would open up needed space MORE...
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Centennial Dash Run this afternoon in Atwater
Atwater Festival days will see the return of a favorite event today...the Centennial Dash Fun Run. Atwater City Clerk-Treasurer Goldie Smith says registration fee is 10 dollars and all participants get a t-shirt. And tonight is the ever-popular pet show, starting at 7 in the Downtown Park, put together by former police chief Reed Schmit. Smith says tomorrow's Festival Days MORE...
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| Stolen boat |
Let's Go Fishing boat stolen
Thieves in Montevideo stole a boat used by a group that takes senior citizens on fishing trips. Montevideo Police Sergeant Ken Schule (SHOO-lee) says sometime Sunday evening someone in a dark colored pickup stole a pontoon boat belonging to the group "Let's Go Fishing." The boat was taken from the parking lot of the True Value Hardware store, 625 Legion Drive, where it's MORE...
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Boy Charged In Crash That Killed 2, Injured 2 Others
(Hastings, MN) -- A 17-year-old boy is charged in Dakota County juvenile court with criminal vehicular homicide for an August crash in Burnsville that killed two teenagers and left two more injured. The driver is accused of weaving and speeding 96 miles-per-hour in a 40-mile-per-hour zone before losing control of the vehicle, MORE....
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Progress In Otter Tail County Murder Investigation
(Fergus Falls, MN) -- Otter Tail County Sheriff Brian Schlueter (SHLEW'-ter) says investigators working on an unsolved murder are not far from cracking the case. 33-year-old Scott Burris' body was found in the Otter Tail River southwest of Fergus Falls a year ago this week, several days after his blood-spattered van was discovered 15 miles away. MORE....
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Storms Dump 3-4 Inches Of Rain Southwest Of Twin Cities
(Various) -- A small but intense series of thundershowers dumped several inches of rain southwest of the Twin Cities this morning (Wed). Todd Krause with the National Weather Service says generally three to four inches of rain fell in a relatively narrow band from New Auburn and Green Isle over to Chaska, Jordan and Shakopee. MORE....
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Grocery Store Employee Kidnapped, Back Home Safe
(Foley, MN) -- An employee of a central Minnesota grocery store was kidnapped just before three this morning (Wed) but is now safe. Acting Foley Police Chief Katie Lang says the Coborn's employee was confronted by a man who forced the worker to take him to the Twin Cities. Lang says they used the victim's car. MORE....
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Halstad Mayor Pleads *Not* Guilty To Rape Charges
(Halstad, MN) -- Halstad Mayor Steve Sortland was back in court today (Wed) where he pleaded *not* guilty to two counts of criminal sexual conduct. Norman County prosecutors allege Sortland raped a female acquaintance. The woman also told investigators that Sortland made a comment about killing her. The mayor has taken a leave of absence until the case is resolved.
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Fatal Car Fire
(Minneapolis, MN) -- Authorities are investigating what appears to be a fatal car fire in Bloomington this (Wed) morning. Crews were able to put out the fire within about an hour, but authorities said at least one person trapped inside the vehicle died. MORE....
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Another Candidate Comes Forward In 6th Congressional District
(Ham Lake, MN) -- Another Republican has joined the race for the U-S House in Minnesota's 6th Congressional District. Anoka County Commissioner Rhonda Sivarajah (siv-uh-RAH'-zhuh) announced today (WED) she's running for the seat being vacated by Congresswoman Michele Bachmann.MORE....
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| Sheriff Norlin |
Newtown Police Chief, Oak Creek officer share their lessons
Law enforcement officials who were on the front lines of two major tragedies shared what they learned with Minnesota sheriffs, deputies, police chiefs and officers on Tuesday. Meeker County Sheriff Jeff Norlin and Chief Deputy Brad Lindgren were among those in attendance at the Hennepin County Sheriff's Office Leadership Series on Active Shooter Response and lessons learned in Brooklyn MORE...
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| Stevenson |
Adrian Peterson's brother investigated after pot delivery
The Southwest Metro Drug Task Force is investigating
the brother of Vikings' Adrian Peterson. Ashton Stevenson is one of the star
running back's 14 siblings, and his home was raided nearly two weeks ago
after a package of marijuana that came through the Twin Cities International
Airport was addressed to that house. A detective posing as a FedEx driver
dropped off the package, and MORE...
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| Dayton |
Dayton, delegation leave for trade mission today
Governor Dayton and a delegation of 35 business and higher
education leaders and state officials leave today (Wed) on a 10-day trade
mission to Germany, Sweden and Norway. Madeline Koch (COOK) with the state
Department of Employment and Economic Development says the three countries
represent over a billion dollars in annual export sales for Minnesota, with
Germany being the state's MORE...
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Baby left in mini van dies
A 5-month-old Moorhead baby is dead after she was left in
her safety seat inside a minivan. Moorhead Police got a call last (Tue)
night concerning an unresponsive child, and despite a full emergency response
the baby was pronounced dead at the scene. Investigators say the infant had
apparently been left in the van for, "An extended period of time," but in the
early stages of the MORE...
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Atwater Festival Days underway
Atwater's Festival Days got underway yesterday with the fire department's fun night. Atwater City Clerk-Treasurer Goldie Smith says the medallion hunt begins today with clues released at city hall. There's also a Battle of the Businesses Bowling Tournament at IDK lanes. Smith says tomorrow's highlights will include the return of the Centennial Dash and the pet show. MORE...
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Starlite Drive-In going digital
The owner of the Starlite Drive-in near Litchfield is about to go digital. Tim Eilers of Minneapolis bought the Starlite in 1998 and reopened it after 16 years. Eilers added 4 screens, but now has to do another major upgrade...digital projection. Eilers says the drive-in is not a money-maker for him but is a labor of love. And says if he wants to continue showing movies, he needs to MORE...
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Area towns get improvement money
Grants totaling $17.97 million were awarded to 32 communities in Greater Minnesota to help pay for rehabilitating housing and commercial structures and improving infrastructure.
The Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED) awarded the funding under its Small Cities Development Program, a federally-funded initiative that seeks to benefit people of low and moderate MORE...
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| Leroy Peterson |
EDC excited about Renville County hydrogen wind farm
Kandiyohi County EDC ag and renewable energy specialist Leroy Peterson says a wind and hydrogen farm proposed for Renville County is exciting. Leroy Peterson says the project, proposed by a company called Emerald H2 and Norfolk Wind Energy, would create Emerald's first hydrogen wind center in Renville County. Wind turbines would produce hydrogen, and would be the largest hydrogen MORE...
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| Regent Dean Johnson |
July 8th meeting to examine best use of MCROC
University of Minnesota Regent Dean Johnson of Willmar says a meeting takes place next month to talk about how to best use a new facility on the Minnwest Technology Campus. The Mid Central Research and Outreach Center opened last year with the goal of helping businesses and entrepreneuers have access to university resources. Johnson says they want to get a better idea of how to use the MORE...
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Duluth Police Shoot And Kill Man Reaching For Gun
(Duluth, MN) -- Police in Duluth shot and killed a 26-year-old man after responding to a single-vehicle crash which the driver had fled. Police tracked the owner and encountered a male with a handgun. They say after repeated verbal orders to get the man to comply, they tried to take him into custody and he then reached for the area where a gun was located. MORE....
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Charges Expected Against Juvenile After Shotgun Threat
(Hewitt, MN) -- Assault charges are expected against a 15-year-old who authorities say threatened another person with a shotgun in rural Hewitt. Authorities say two juveniles were having a verbal altercation and one reportedly pointed a shotgun at the other. Otter Tail County officials are investigating.
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North Dakota Billboard Campaign Will Continue Despite Minnesota Objections
(Moorhead, MN) -- The Greater North Dakota Chamber says it has no plans to back off its billboard campaign in Minnesota promoting that state's business climate. The flashy yellow sign reads "North Dakota....Open For Business." MORE....
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| Tajreed Rich |
Hall monitor arrested for having sex with teen
A Robbinsdale Cooper High School employee was arrested
after the parents of a student told police he had sex with their daughter.
41-year-old Tajreed Rich has been a hall monitor and attendance office
employee for more than two years, and charges are expected to be filed by
noon today. Police continue to investigate whether he had an ongoing
relationship with the teenager or if it was a MORE...
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Child disfigured in dog attack
A 6-year-old boy suffered possible permanent damage to
his face in the second serious dog attack in Douglas County in a month.
Police say the 2-year-old pit bull-lab mix bit the boy when he was playing
near where the dog was eating. Family members say the dog bit all the way
through the boy's cheek, and he may have permanently lost motion on that side
of his face. The dog was tested for MORE...
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Car hits apartment building in St. Cloud
Six families had to go to a Red Cross shelter after a
woman crashed her car into the outside wall of an apartment building in Saint
Cloud Sunday night. No injuries were reported. Authorities say
18-year-old Violet Hopkins fled the scene. Authorities located Hopkins later
and cited her for reckless driving, hit-and-run, and no valid drivers
license. (MNN)
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| Sen. Klobuchar |
Senate passes Farm Bill...House looks to make cuts to food stamps
After passage yesterday (Mon) in the U.S. Senate, the Farm Bill is now in the
U-S House's court and Minnesota Senator Amy Klobuchar says the hope is that
the two chambers can work out their differences in conference committee. But
Klobuchar adds that if the House doesn't allow a floor vote, "then we're in
real trouble." Among significant differences: the House MORE...
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Man who ran from car crash found dead in lake
The body of a man who ran from a car crash in Benton County was found in a lake Saturday night. The state patrol says at 11:30 Friday night they were called to a vehicle crash with no injuries on Hwy 10 in the Little Rock Lake area south of Rice. It was reported a Ford Explorer, was traveling S/B on Hwy 10 struck the concrete guard rail on the bridge over Little Rock Lake. The driver was MORE...
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| Doug Allen |
Ridgewater president says now is a great time to go to college
Ridgewater College President Doug Allen says there's never been a better time to go to college. Allen says with more financial aid available and tuitions now frozen for the next 2 years, college is more affordable than ever. In Willmar last week the head of the state office of Higher Education, former senator Larry Pogemiller, said the 2013 legislature took action to try and cost the costs MORE...
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| Zumhofe |
Zumhofe askes for bail reduction
Looking more fragile than his 70s and 80s wrestling persona, Buck "Rock and Roll" Zumhofe of Cyrus asked a judge yesterday for his bail to be reduced as he faces 12 felony sex charges. In Kandiyohi County District Court in Willmar Monday, 62-year-old Eugene Otto Zumhofe did not enter a plea before Judge Gerald Siebel, and asked for an omnibus hearing which will be held July 3rd at MORE...
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Checks Coming To Thousands Of Minnesotans In Mortgage Settlement
-- Thousands of Minnesotans are receiving checks for about 15-hundred dollars as part of a settlement with the nation's five largest mortgage service providers. The settlement also required banks make it easier for struggling borrowers to stay in their homes, but Marceline White of the Consumer Rights Coalition says they aren't always living up to their end MORE....
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Ex-Student Sueing Shattuck-St. Mary's Over Alleged Sex Abuse
(Faribault, MN) -- A former student is suing Shattuck-St. Mary's prep school in Faribault, claiming administrators allowed a teacher to continue to sexually exploit students. The lawsuit filed in Rice County alleges three separate reports were made to school officials that 71-year-old Lynn Seibel (SY'-bull) had inappropriate sexual conduct with students. MORE....
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McCollum, Ellison Hold Hearing On Food Stamp Cuts
(St. Paul, MN) -- As the U-S Senate gets ready to vote on the Farm Bill, Democratic Congresswoman Betty McCollum and Congressman Keith Ellison held a hearing at the State Capitol this afternoon (Mon) on proposed cuts to foodstamps -- or SNAP -- in the *House* version of the Farm Bill. MORE....
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Parkers Prairie Man Dies In Tractor Accident
(Parkers Prairie, MN) -- A Parkers Prairie man died Saturday after becoming trapped underneath a tractor. 53-year-old Steven Ferdelman told his son he was going to use a tractor to pull out another tractor that was stuck in the mud. MORE....
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Drowning victims identified
The Lac Qui Parle County Sheriff's Department has identified the woman and child who drowned in Lac Qui Parle Lake near Watson Saturday. The sheriff's office says cold water, improper life jacket use and non-life jacket use likely led to the deaths of 5-year-old Fernanda Mendoza and 34-year-old Claudia Ramirez, both of Montevideo. At 3 p.m. Saturday a boat containing the victims and MORE...
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Bar owner murdered in St. Paul
A St. Paul bar owner was shot to death inside his
business in the Frogtown neighborhood shortly after closing time early
yesterday (Sun) morning. Police say the same gunman shot two other people
inside Malinas (muh-LEE'-nuhz) Sports Bar but they are expected to recover.
Investigators have not said what led to the shooting death of 45-year-old
Vone (VAHN) Moua (MOO'-uh), but they do MORE...
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| Mark Roth |
Roth Chevrolet sold to Schweiters Chevrolet
Roth Chevrolet of Willmar today announced the completion of it's acquisition by Schweiters Chevrolet of Willmar Inc. For the first time in 4 generations the Roth Family is saying goodbye to the automobile business. They started in the early 1900s following the launch of the Model T with a Ford dealership in Lamberton. They switched to Chevrolet and came to Willmar in MORE...
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Van hits boat near Redwood Falls
An Alexandria man was hurt this weekend when his van hit a boat and trailer that came loose from an on-coming pickup. 72-year-old Kenneth Caller was traveling southbound on Highway 71, near Redwood Falls, when a boat and trailer came loose from an oncoming pickup driven by 61-year-old Robert Larson of Ruthven Iowa. Caller's van hit the boat and trailer, then left the MORE...
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Man welcomed home after cross-country bike ride
A "welcome home" tonight (7pm) in Fergus Falls for a
man just back from a bike trip across America dubbed the "Dream Big Tour."
David Jensen says it was physically more grueling than expected -- and in odd
ways such as the need to constantly turn his head around to check for
traffic. Jensen went through 19 bicycle tubes and two tires, a cell phone
that broke in MORE...
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Allied Charities holding meetings on e-pulltabs
Allied Charities is holding informational meetings on
electronic pulltabs this week in Bemidji, Duluth, Mankato and Rochester --
and next week in Fergus Falls, Willmar, Marshall and Saint Cloud. E-pulltabs
have not produced expected revenues to help build a new Vikings stadium, and
Allied's Allen Lund says the meetings are an opportunity for charities to
become more familiar with the MORE...
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St. Paul Ford Plant demolition begins today
Demolition begins this morning on the 125-acre Ford
plant site in St. Paul. Project manager Merritt Clapp-Smith says the
wrecking crews will likely be on the job for at least a couple of years. She
says Ford hopes to put the site on the market in 2015. The former assembly
plant sits in a prime location, across the road from the Mississippi River in
St.Paul's Highland Park neighborhood. MORE...
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Child drives car into Rochester house
A child was at the wheel of a car that rolled into a
house in Rochester yesterday (Sun). Police say the boy, who was under the
age of 10, was playing in his parents' parked car and accidentally shifted it
into neutral. The car rolled down a hill and slammed into the front of a
house. Nobody was home when it happened, and the child driver was not hurt. (MNN)
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ATV flips on top of man pulling lawnmower from the mud
A Kingston man was hurt in an ATV accident Saturday night. The Meeker County Sheriff's Office, Dassel Rescue, and Gold Cross Ambulance responded to 73127 County State Aid Highway 4 for a one vehicle ATV personal injury accident. 56-year-old Kenneth Kotila was attempting to pull his riding lawnmower loose that had become stuck on a muddy slope with his ATV when it caused the ATV to flip MORE...
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118 tickets written for not wearing seatbelts
Law enforcement officers in Kandiyohi and Swift Counties cited 118 unbelted drivers from May 20 June 2 as part of a Click It or Ticket seat belt education and enforcement campaign. More than 350 unbelted motorists were killed in the last three years (2010-2012) in Minnesota, representing 41 percent of the total motorist deaths, according to the Minnesota Department of Public Safety Office MORE...
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Two hurt in Saturday Renville County accident
Two people were hurt in a two vehicle accident in Renville County Saturday afternoon. The Sheriff's Office received a report of a two vehicle accident at the intersection of County Road 9 and 780th Ave approximately five (5) miles south of the City of Sacred Heart in Sacred Heart Township. 62-year-old Nancy Ellen Guerrero of Granite Falls was traveling southbound on County Road 9. Guerrero MORE...
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| Zumhofe |
Zumhofe in court today
Former pro-wrestler Buck "Rock and Roll" Zumhofe makes an appearance in Kandiyohi County District Court on sex charges today. Zumhofe, an AWA pro wrestling star from the 1980s, and a promoter in the U.S. Midwest for years, was arrested May 27th in Kandiyohi County and charged with molesting his daughter years back. In total, there are 12 criminal sexual conduct charges that have MORE...
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Two drown in Lac Qui Parle Lake
The Lac Qui Parle County Sheriff's Department says two people are dead after their boat overturned on Lac Qui Parle Lake Saturday afternoon. Officials say they recieved a report at 3 p.m .Saturday that people were in the water after their boat flipped near Boyd's Landing. Three people were pulled from the water, and a man and girl were taken to Johnson Memorial Hospital in Dawson where MORE...
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Lottery Numbers
(Roseville, MN) -- Here are the winning numbers for the Minnesota State Lottery for Saturday, June 8, 2013. The winning Daily 3 numbers are 7-7-5. MORE....
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Security Improvements At Moorhead Detention Center
(Moorhead, MN) -- Big security improvements are on the way for the West Central Regional Juvenile Detention Center in Moorhead. Director Steve Larson says the facility's obsolete video system is being replaced with high-resolution digital cameras and state-of-the-art software. MORE ....
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Fire Fatalities Down
(St. Paul, MN) -- Minnesota is on pace to have fewer fire fatalities in 2013 than last year. Fifty people died in fires in 2012, an 11-percent decrease from the year before. Deputy State Fire Marshal Becky White says while some fires remain under investigation, MORE ....
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Franken Bullying Bill
(Washington, DC) -- Senator Al Franken has again introduced a bill that would require public school districts to have a policy in place to end the bullying of students who are, or are perceived to be, lesbian, gay, bisexual, or transgender. MORE.....
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Heroin Deaths At Epidemic Levels Across Minnesota
(Undated) -- Twin Cities law enforcement and medical officials are warning heroin use and deaths have reached epidemic levels in the Twin Cities area and across Minnesota. In 2008 Hennepin County only saw four deaths from heroin, but last year MORE ....
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Ford Plant Demolition
(St. Paul,MN)- A piece of Minnesota's industrial history goes under the wrecking ball starting tomorrow when demolition begins at the 125-acre Ford plant in St. Paul. Project manager Merritt Clapp-Smith says the work of decommissioning the site MORE ....
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KWLM Dairy Days on-the-farm broadcast
KWLM is saluting the Dairy Industry with an on-the-farm live broadcast today from 9:00 am until 1:00 pm. The event is being held on the Rod and Naomi Lindquist Farm located at 1780 90th Street SE in Kerkhoven. It is an opportunity for all ages to visit the Lindquist farm during a come and go event. KWLM’s Bill Dean, Todd Bergeth and Paul Stagg are broadcasting MORE...
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State Colleges And Universities Raising Scholarship Money
Minnesota colleges and universities hope to raise 20-million dollars over the next two years for scholarships. MnSCU (MINN'-skew) Chancellor Steven Rosenstone says the "Access to Excellence" campaign aims to assist 16-thousand students who have some financial need. He says they'll be studying everything from nursing to engineering to auto mechanics to welding to I-T technology. MORE...
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Free Admission Today At State Parks
This is "National Get Outdoors Day" and admission to all 76 Minnesota state parks and recreation areas is free today. The DNR's Pat Arndt says hundreds of free activities and programs are being offered at Minnesota state parks this weekend. A complete list can be found on the DNR's website. Governor Dayton has proclaimed June as Great Outdoors Month in Minnesota. MNN
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Ellison Says Congress Must Intervene In Internet/Phone Record Controversy
Minnesota Congressman Keith Ellison says Congress must step in, even as President Obama defends the government collecting information from phone and Internet records. The president said Friday "You can't have 100-percent security, 100-percent privacy, and zero inconvenience." Obama also said America is going to have to make some choices as a society. Ellison responded on C-N-N that MORE...
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Samuelson says warrants should be required for phone records
The head of the American Civil Liberties Union Minnesota
chapter says it's appalling that the National Security Agency was able to get
access to millions of Verizon customers' cellphone records. ACLU's Charles
Samuelson says up until the last Supreme Court decision, the U.S. always
obtained warrants in individual cases. Samuelson says investigators need to
demonstrate probable MORE...
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| Bachmann |
Bachmann leaving her future options open
-- Embattled congresswoman Michele Bachmann says she's
not going away, despite the announcement that she would not run for
reelection. In an exclusive interview with Fox News Channels Sean Hannity,
Bachmann said she may run for another public office but gave no specific
plans for her future. Hannity didn't ask about the investigations into
alleged campaign finance violations MORE...
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| The Benson sinkhole was a little smaller than this one in Guatemala |
Sink hole appears by railroad bridge in Benson
Benson offiicals are trying to figure out what caused a large sink hole to appear on the side of the railroad grade near the bridge over the Chippewa River. Public Works Director Elliot Nelson says a youngster in the area reported the 8-foot wide by 8-foot deep last week. Nelson says it appears to have been caused by ancient failing pipe underneath the railbed. Nelson says when pipes or MORE...
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| Kjergaard |
Willmar School District gets school improvement grant
The Willmar School District learned yesterday they are getting a more-than-half-a-million dollar state grant to help close the learning gap between white and minority students at Kennedy Elementary School. Kennedy was recenty cited by the Minnesota Department of Education and placed on a priority list because it had one of the biggest learning gaps in the state. Willmar School District MORE...
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| Mike and Darla Reynolds with this year's scholarship winners Ben Muller and Hannah Olson |
Benefit tournament for Reynolds Foundation Saturday
Willmar School Board Member Mike Reynolds says his son Stephen was a hard worker with a good heart but struggled with reading and retention in school. After Stephen's unexpected death in November 2011 his family created a foundation to raise money and help kids going through the same struggles he did, and on Saturday people can help the S7R Foundation and have fun playing disc golf. Mike MORE...
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Veteran's Benefit motorcycle run in Belgrade tomorrow
Rain or shine, the 10th annual Veteran's Benefit Run takes place this Saturday. Organizer John Larson of The Brotherhood Motorcycle Club says last year 60 riders participated in the event which raises money for various charities. This year the ride will benefit The Wounded Warriors Project. There's a suggested donation of $10 each to ride although many raise more then that. MORE...
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| Senator Lyle Koenen, Doug Allen at Ridgewater |
Pogemiller, Allen disagree on withholding state funds
The Director of the Minnesota Office of Higher Education says Governor Dayton and the legislature this year chose Higher Education to have the largest increase in spending. Former Senator Larry Pogemiller of Minneapolis spoke to college and other officials at Ridgewater College in Willmar Thursday and said there was a $250 million dollar investment in order to maintain a high level of MORE...
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| Arnolds |
Fire damages Willmar farm equiptment dealer
Fire damaged the shop area of Arnold's Equiptment in Willmar last night. Willmar Fire Chief Gary Hendrickson says they were called to Arnold's, on the south side of Willmar on Highway 71, at 8:20 P.M. The fire was confined to the shop area, although there was some smoke damage throughout the facility and the cause is under investigation. Hendrickson say crews from Spicer, Pennock, Lake MORE...
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ATV driver hurt when hit by truck in Elrosa
An Elrosa man was hurt in a truck-ATV accident in the City of Elrosa. The Stearns County Sheriff's Department says just before 1 p.m Thursday 31-year-old Paul Linn of Elrosa was driving a Honda ATV southbound on Elrosa's Main Street and was hit by a truck that was traveling westbound on 3rd Avenue. Linn was taken to the Sauk Centre Hospital with serious injuries. The truck driver, MORE...
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No Waits To Apply For Same-Sex Marriage Licenses
(Minneapolis, MN) -- There was no waiting line for same-sex marriage license applications today (Thurs) at the Hennepin County Government Center in downtown Minneapolis. Today is the first day gay and lesbian couples in Minnesota can apply to marry under the new Minnesota law which takes effect August 1st. MORE....
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Big Meth Bust In Staples Area
(Staples, MN) -- A major methamphetamine bust in north-central Minnesota. Following a nine-month investigation, several law enforcement agencies executed three search warrants in the Staples area Wednesday. Authorities say six people were arrested MORE....
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Farm Bill Vote Likely In U-S Senate
(Washington, DC) -- The Senate is expected to pass the farm bill now that they are back from recess, and Minnesota U.S. Senator Al Franken says it goes in a positive direction. Franken says the bill eliminates direct payments to farmers but has a strong crop insurance program to make sure that there's a safety net -- and saves about 24 billion dollars on the debt. MORE....
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Man allegedly shoots himself in leg after threatening others with handgun
Willmar Police say a man threatened another person with a handgun, then accidently shot himself in the leg. Police were called to Rice Memorial Hospital just before 3 a.m. Thursday on a report of a person with a gunshot wound to the leg. Officers spoke to 27-year-old Daniel Torres of Willmar who said earlier in the evening some strangers had followed him in a car, then shot him in the leg. MORE...
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| Emmer |
Emmer officially enters 6th District Congress race
Former Minnesota State Representative Tom Emmer has
officially kicked off his Congressional campaign. Emmer is seeking the GOP
nomination for the Sixth District, which is an open seat after U.S.
Representative Michele Bachmann decided not to seek another term in Congress.
The 52-year-old Emmer, who ran for governor three years ago, is the first
Republican to enter the race. (MNN)
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Gay marriage licenses go on sale today in Twin Cities
Same-sex couples can apply for marriage licenses in Hennepin,
Ramsey and Washington Counties starting today (THU). Hennepin County
Auditor/Treasurer Mark Chapin says he'll have extra help on hand should it
get busy. Chapin says the early application date should help applicants and
staff avoid a backlog when the Freedom to Marry law goes into effect on
August 1st. (MNN)
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| Rick Nolan |
Minnesota congressional Dems. sponsor anti-gas price spike bill
Minnesota's five Democratic U-S House members are
co-sponsoring legislation aimed at preventing future spikes in gasoline
prices. It would require refineries report their maintenance schedules to
the U-S Energy Department. Eighth District Congressman Rick Nolan says the
spike in gas prices at the start of the tourism season has become a ritual,
and one excuse that constantly comes up is, MORE...
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Tiger Marine building demolished in New London
An historic building in New London is now a part of history to make way for progress. The Tiger Marine building has been at it's location on Main Street since 1916 but fell to the wrecking ball on Tuesday afternoon. Actually it was a tractor with a large scoop shovel that took down the walls as it rained. Gina Lieser, co-owner of the Happy Sol clothing boutique next to the Tiger MORE...
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| Stevens |
Ron Gilbertson to retire...city to advertise for replacement
Another veteran Willmar city employee will be retiring soon after many years of service. Public Works Superintendent Ron Gilbertson will be hanging it up next month after almost 40 years. City Administrator Charlene Stevens says the city council this week decided to fill that position and advertise internally for 2 weeks, then advertise for applicants externally. In the meantime, Stevens MORE...
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Highway 40 project begins near Milan tomorrow
Motorists will encounter lane closures beginning Friday, June 7, as crews resurface Highway 40 from Highway 119 to Highway 7 near Milan. Crews will resurface Highway 40 with 1.5 inches of pavement. A pilot car and flaggers will control traffic through the work zone. Duininck Inc. is the contractor for the $897,019 project, which will be complete near the end of June, weather permitting. When MORE...
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MnDot plan available for review in Willmar today
The Minnesota Department of Transportation (MnDOT) invites you to participate in an overview session today from 1 – 3 p.m. at the Kandiyohi County Health and Human Services building to review the draft 20-year State Highway Investment Plan (MnSHIP), which guides MnDOT’s priorities for investing in the 12,000-mile state highway network over the next 20 years. In the fall of 2012, we MORE...
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Tuition Freeze Focus Of U-of-M Budget Discussion
(Minneapolis, MN) -- The University of Minnesota's planned tuition freeze was the focus of much discussion as the Board of Regents examined President Eric Kaler's (KAY'-lerz) budget plan today (Wed) prior to next week's vote. Regent Laura Brod (BRAHD) says she's concerned that spending increases at the -U- could "eat up" the tuition freeze. MORE....
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McGregor Woman Bitten, Clawed By Black Bear
(McGregor, MN) -- A 72-year-old McGregor woman has serious but non-life-threatening injuries after she was bitten and clawed by a black bear in Aitkin County Monday evening. D-N-R Major Phil Meier says the woman had been seeing bears in her yard the last few days and let her dog out when she thought they weren't around -- but as soon as she opened the door three yearlings MORE....
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Deer Creek Man Charged In Buggy Hit-Run
(Deer Creek, MN) -- A man from Deer Creek in west-central Minnesota faces felony charges after allegedly hitting a horse-drawn buggy with his pickup Thursday and not stopping. Authorities say 36-year-old Anthony Swanson admitted he'd been driving that night and was extremely tired. MORE.....
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Child burned after siblings play with matches and lighter fluid
A three-year-old boy from Milville is in critical
condition at a Rochester hospital with severe burns to more than half of his
body. The Wabasha County Sheriff's Office says the boy and three siblings
were playing with matches and lighter fluid on the front porch of their home
Monday. Lighter fluid was sprayed into a tin lunchbox and ignited, and the
burning fluid splashed onto the MORE...
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Fire deaths down in Minnesota
The Minnesota Department of Public Safety reports an
11-percent decline in fire deaths for 2012. While 56 people were killed in
fires two years ago, Deputy State Fire Marshal Becky White says 2012 numbers
are trending in the right direction again. Fifty people died in fires last
year. The all-time low was 35 fire deaths in 2009. The all-time high of 134
fatalities was back in 1976. MORE...
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| Parker |
Cheerleader arrested for prostituting a fellow cheerleader
A Hopkins High School cheerleader has been arrested and
accused of prostituting a teammate, a 16-year-old special education
student.18-year-old senior Montia Parker is charged with sex trafficking and
promoting prostitution, after investigators say she set up a Backpage.com ad
for her teammate, drove the girl to an apartment to have sex, and then took
the 60-dollars the girl made. Minnetonka MORE...
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Mankato area couple disappears in Colorado
Colorado police are investigating the disappearance of
two Minnesota natives who grew up ten miles apart, and were living near each
other in Colorado when they went missing. David Noren (nor-EEN) grew up in
Mankato, and Leann Annie Meyer grew up in St. Peter. Detective Ryan McKone
of the Lakewood Colorado Police Department says both disappeared from their
homes near Denver -- four miles MORE...
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| Lake Harriet Bandshell (Chris Gregerson) |
Minneapolis has the best park system in the U.S.
Minneapolis, where 94% of residents live within a 10-minute walk of a park, has the U.S.' best park system, according to new rankings by a national non-profit conservation group. New York improved from third in last year's ranking to second; San Francisco dropped from first last year to third, according to the Trust for Public Land's second annual ParkScore index. ParkScore MORE...
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Willmar to be recognized as Green Step City
The City of Willmar is being recognized as a Minnesota GreenStep City and will receive an award for advancing to become a Step 2 City by completing 12 best practices. The city will be recognized at the upcoming League of Minnesota Cities (LMC) 2013 Annual Conference on June 20th. The award shows community members and other cities across Minnesota that Willmar is taking steps in the MORE...
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Improvements to take place at Litchfield garbage transfer station
The Meeker County Board of Commissioners has approved of seeking bids for several items that will update the Meeker County Transfer Station, just north of Litchfield. The main item is a new scale. Peter Fuller from Fuller Engineering presented information to the board Tuesday morning about the project. He says it will create better traffic flow and will include paving the area. Fuller MORE...
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| Stevens |
Public hearing set for Willmar sewer rate hike
The Willmar City Council took action Monday to raise wastewater treatment rates for Willmar customers. A public hearing will be held during the June 17th city council meeting on a basic rate increase as well as a $10 monthly meter fee. City Administrator Charlene Stevens says the council was told in November rates would have to increase in order to maintain a cash flow for operations and MORE...
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New Ventura book rips political parties
Former Minnesota Governor Jesse Ventura is pulling no punches
in his new book, "DemoCRIPS and ReBLOODlicans: No More Gangs in
Government."Ventura speaks out on the U.S. government's use of drones, calls
the federal response to the Occupy movement "overreach," and protests the
Obama administration's push for stricter gun control laws. Ventura says
government on all MORE...
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Two Dead, Two Wounded In Shooting At Shoreview Home
(Shoreview, MN) -- The Ramsey County Sheriff's Office and Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension are investigating after a shooting at a home in Shoreview this morning (Tues) left two people dead and two others wounded. Spokesman Randy Gustafson says a woman who was killed was trying to move out MORE....
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Ritchie Not Running For Re-Election As Secretary Of State
(St. Paul, MN) -- Minnesota Secretary of State Mark Ritchie announced today he will *not* run for a third term. Ritchie, a Democrat, says it was a difficult decision, but after months of thought and discussion with family, he decided to step aside and make way "for the next generation of talented leadership" in the Secretary of State's office. MORE....
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Flag burning suspect photos put on Facebook
The Willmar Police Department has posted photos of the suspects in the weekend flag burnings on their facebook page. There are two sets of photos...the first is an overhead shot of 4 different suspects walking or running down a sidewalk. They appear to be young, maybe teen white males. The second set of photos are taken through a store window and show a suspect, possibly wearing a mask. Flags MORE...
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Teen crashes trying to avoid running over ducklings
A Mankato teen wasn't hurt but he was given a traffic
ticket for hitting a van and rolling his S-U-V, trying to avoid running over
a group of ducklings. Waterloo, Iowa police say 17-year-old Juan Bolanos
swerved to miss the baby ducks on U.S. Highway 218, and his sport utility
vehicle pushed a van into the cement median. The S-U-V then rolled, coming to
rest on its roof. Bolanos MORE...
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Youthful robbers with the munchies steal pizza, wings
Two teenage brothers are accused of robbing a pizza
delivery driver at gunpoint, taking his wallet and an order of chicken wings.
The Checkerboard Pizza driver told police that he pulled up to a home to
make a delivery when two men walked up and asked if he worked for the
pizzeria, and when he said yes 19-year-old Karheem Kirk pointed a gun at him
and demanded his money and wallet. Kirk and MORE...
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Dylan coming to Duluth in July
Bob Dylan is coming home for a concert this summer. The
legendary musician will take the stage at Bayfront Festival Park in Duluth on
July 9th. The announcement came this afternoon (Mon) at the park. Dylans
band will also perform with Wilco, My Morning Jacket and the Richard Thompson
Electric Trio. Duluth Mayor Don Ness says the best outdoor touring show in
the nation is coming to MORE...
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Gas prices "down" to 3.82 a gallon statewide
Gas prices continue falling in Minnesota one week after the
Memorial Day weekend. The statewide average for regular unleaded
is 3-82 a gallon. Triple-A Minnesota's Gail Weinholzer says prices are
headed in the right direction -- although declines are never as quick as
increases. Weinholzer says Minnesota has a long way to go to get back to the
national average, and it will probably take MORE...
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| Stinson |
Stinson to retire from state's top economics post
Doctor Tom Stinson is stepping down after being
Minnesota's state economist for 26 years -- easily the longest term of
service in that position in state history. Governor Dayton says Stinson,
quote, "has been an invaluable source of economic wisdom, sound judgment, and
common sense for five administrations. He represents the very best in
excellent, dedicated public service. MORE...
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| Stevens |
Vision 2040 process has begun
Consultants spent 3 days in Willmar last week doing interviews and conducting meetings meant to create a vision for Willmar for the next 27 years. City Administrator Charlene Stevens says the Willmar Lakes Area Vision 2040 process is underway. Stevens says Rebecca Ryan, Marty Ryan and Charlie Grantham of Next Generation Consulting of Madison Wisconsin asked questions like what do you
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| Chief Wyffels |
No arrests in flag burnings
No arrests reported yet in two weekend flag burnings in Willmar. Police Chief Dave Wyffels says American flags were burned sometime late Saturday night or early Sunday morning outside Kitchen Fair on 5th Street in Downtown Willmar, and outside the Midas store on Highway 12, near downtown Wyffels says they are examining video of the incidents. Wyffels says there are rumors that the flags MORE...
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Boyle chosen for vacant Litchfield City Council seat
The Litchfield City Council added a new member last night – Mike Boyle, and also appointed an interim Administrator. Bruce Miller has retired after 26 years as City Administrator, and Dave Czoik (chuck) will serve as interim Administrator.
Czoik is the Wastewater Superintendent. He has a Master’s Degree in public administration.
Five people had applied for MORE...
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Woman Killed, Another Injured In Carlton County Crash
(Thomson, MN) -- Carlton County authorities say alcohol was a factor in a crash that killed a 34-year-old woman Saturday. Kari Luoma of Cloquet died at the scene of the accident near Thomson Township. The driver of the second vehicle, 25-year-old Megan Dickenson of Duluth, was taken to a nearby hospital. The accident remains under investigation.
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State Economist Warns Of Dropping Graduation Rates
(St. Paul, MN) -- Outgoing state economist Doctor Tom Stinson says Minnesota's economy has done extraordinarily well compared to other states -- but warns the biggest challenge to keeping that position for the next 20 or 30 years is high school graduation rates. MORE....
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One Arrested On Animal Mistreatment Charges, Two At-Large
(Fergus Falls, MN) -- One person has been arrested at two remain at-large after failing to appear in Otter Tail County court on animal mistreatment charges. 47-year-old Bill Fick, 38-year-old Penny Fick and 19-year-old Billy Tompkins face charges after authorities found dead and malnourished horses last February at a property near Vergas. MORE....
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Two hurt in motorcycle, mini mart mishaps
Two crashes in Stearns County Sunday hurt a Brooten teen and a man from Sunburg. At 4:49 p.m. a motorcycle driven by 42-year-old Robert Olson of Sunburg slid on gravel on County Road 18 and crashed near 330th Street in Raymond Township. Olson was taken to the Sauk Centre Hospital with non-life-threatening injuries. And at 9:55 p.m. a car driven by 17-year-old Marissa Quade of Brooten was MORE...
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| Tom Emmer |
Emmer to run for 6th District Congress
Former state Representative Tom Emmer is expected to
announce this week in Delano that he's running for Congress in Minnesota's
6th District. G-O-P Congresswoman Michele Bachmann said Wednesday she's not
running for re-election and D-F-L rival Jim Graves dropped out of the race
two days later. 52-year-old Emmer, a Republican, narrowly lost to Governor
Dayton in 2010 after a MORE...
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| Willmar flag burner (facebook) |
Flags burned in downtown Willmar
Willmar Police are investigating two incidents of flag burning over the weekend. Police Chief Dave Wyffels says American flags were burned sometime late Saturday night or early Sunday morning outside Kitchen Fair on 5th Street in Downtown Willmar, and outside the Midas store on Highway 12, near downtown Wyffels says they are examining video of the incidents. Wyffels says there are rumors MORE...
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State Independence Party resolves to sue if state doesn't balance budget
At its convention in St. Cloud this weekend, the State
Independence Party re-elected chair Mark Jenkins and ratified the decision to
lift the party's current ban on accepting PAC money. A call for a
constitutionally balanced state budget also received overwhelming
support--with the party going so far as to promise a lawsuit if the budget
isn't balanced by the December 1st MORE...
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Hector teen hurt in weekend crash
A Hector teen was hurt in a crash in Buffalo Lake Saturday. The state patrol says 17-year-old Andrew Best was riding in a Chevy Blazer that rear-ended a Chevy SUV that was turning from Highway 212 onto County Road 8 in Buffalo Lake at 1:30 p.m. Saturday. Best was taken to the Hutchinson Hospital with non-life threatening injuries. (KWLM)
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Five hurt in crash near Kingston
The Meeker County Sheriff's Office says several people were hurt in a one vehicle rollover Saturday morning. At 5:27 A.M. the Sheriff's Office responded to a one vehicle rollover just North of Kingston on Hwy 15. 19 year old Jonathon Wanha of Litchfield was driving South on MN Hwy 15 in a Black 2001 Volkswagen Jetta were he went into and rolled the vehicle into the West ditch. The MORE...
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Chopper spraying for worms around Green Lake this morning
Beginning at sunrise Monday morning helicopters will be spraying for tent caterpillars around Green Lake. The pesticide is harmless to humans and pets and can be washed off of vehicles. If school is still in session, spraying will be suspended between 730 and 8 a.m. (KWLM)
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Local schools get top rankings from MNCAN
Some local schools have made the top ten lists of a group that wants to close the acheivement gap between rich and poor, white and minority students. The education policy group MinnCAN ranks schools in key areas and shows the top-performing schools in 7 different areas. In the category of Performance Gains among Minnesota's Elementary Schools, ACGC Elementary Schools grades 5 and 6 came in MORE...
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Litchfield guard unit going to Afghanistan
Later this year, Aaron Valiant's job will change from chasing down dogs and directing traffic around accidents in Willmar streets, to removing bombs and bobby traps from roads in Afghanistan. Valiant, a Community Service Officer with the Willmar Police Department, is also a member of the Minnesota National Guard's 849th Mobility Augmentation Company, 682nd Engineer Battalion, based in MORE...
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5 die in weekend accidents in southern Minnesota
It was a deadly weekend on Minnesota roads. The state patrol reports five fatal traffic accidents since Friday afternoon. On Friday 54-year-old Dennis Twite of Caledonia died when his pickup crossed the centerline of Highway 76 in Houston County and struck a semi head on, and 35-year-old Tyson Raitz of New Ulm was killed when his car left Highway 14 in Waseca County and struck two unoccupied MORE...
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Fatal Stabbing In Alexandria
(Alexandria, MN) -- A 28-year-old man was stabbed to death in Alexandria Saturday. Authorities responded to a call yesterday afternoon and found Phillip Alstadt dead. A 25-year-old suspect was arrested and taken into custody. Police say the two men knew each other and the stabbing happened after they had an altercation. MNN
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Tick Season in Full Swing
(Mankato, MN) -- Tick season is in full swing in Minnesota after a late start and they're not only attracted to humans. Mankato veterinarian Dr. Nancy Greenwald says she's seeing dozens of ticks on dogs brought in for grooming and exams. She says they routinely check for Lyme disease and suggests a vaccine for dogs that spend a lot of time outdoors. There are
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Minnesota Named Healthiest State for Seniors
The United Health Foundation has named Minnesota the healthiest state for seniors. State Human Services Commissioner Lucinda Jesson says that's due in part to how active the state's seniors are. The report found as many as 200-thousand people could be kept out of nursing homes each year if other states emulated Minnesota's offerings of long-term care information and MORE...
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Xiong convicted after son kills little brother
A Minneapolis man was convicted Friday of manslaughter
and child endangerment for leaving out a gun that his four-year-old son used
to accidentally shoot and kill his little brother. The defendant,
31-year-old Kao Xiong, did not react when the verdict was read, but there was
an outburst among his relatives. Prosecutors say Xiong stashed the weapon
between a pillow and headboard where the MORE...
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| Grampa Al |
Senator Franken becomes a grampa
Senator Al Franken and his wife Franni are
grandparents. Six-pound, 11-ounce Joseph Bryson Greenwald was born yesterday
(Thurs) to proud parents Thomasin Franken and Brody Greenwald. Senator
Franken reports mother and baby are healthy and happy. Franken says somehow,
in the last few hours, he and Franni have already managed to spoil the
baby.Franni Franken says she's filled with love, MORE...
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Buggy creamed by hit and run driver, three hurt
The Otter Tail County Sheriffs Office is looking for the
driver of a pickup who clipped a horse drawn buggy. The Dodge pickup hit the
buggy on County Hwy 73 just after 6 pm Thursday. An adult female and 2
juvenile males were in the buggy at the time. They were taken to the Wadena
hospital and treated for non-life threatening injuries. Deputies believe
they have found the vehicle that was MORE...
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Pot, PACS, platform discussed at today's IP convention
Delegates to the Independence Party's state convention in Saint Cloud today (Sat pm) decide whether the party will support legalizing marijuana. If delegates say "yes", the measure would go into the party platform. The Independence Party convention will also elect a state chairman and director...and decide whether to lift the party's current ban on accepting PAC MORE...
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Paynesville school getting "safe room"
The Minnesota Department of Public Safety Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Management (HSEM) secured federal grants to build two safe rooms, one at Paynesville Middle School and High School in Stearns County and another in Lake Traverse near the Minnesota/South Dakota border. Paynesville School District Superintendent Robert Huot (HUGH-it) says the tragedy in Moore, Oklahoma shows MORE...
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| Schmoll |
Schmoll steps down at Safe Avenues
After more than 12 years, yesterday was the last day on the job for Connie Schmoll, Executive Director of Safe Avenues in Willmar. Schmoll says she's stepping down to spend more time closer to home. Schmoll started at what was then the Willmar Shelter House in October of 2000, and has seen it grow to a regional program serving and advocating for battered women and children and MORE...
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Three killed in crashes in southern Minnesota
The state patrol reports three fatal traffic accidents since yesterday afternoon. At 4:09 p.m. 54-year-old Dennis Twite of Caledonia died when his pickup crossed the centerline of Highway 76 in Houston County and struck a semi head on. 35-year-old Tyson Raitz of New Ulm was killed when his car left Highway 14 in Waseca County and struck two unoccupied semis at the side of the road, near MORE...
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| Graves |
Graves drops out of 6th District race
Sixth District congressional candidate Jim Graves is
dropping out of race two days after incumbent Republican Michele Bachmann
decided not to run for re-election. Graves, a Democrat, issued a statement
today saying, "this was never about Jim Graves; this was about challenging
the ineffective leadership and extremist ideology of Michelle Bachman on
behalf of those she MORE...
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Twin Cities Counties to soon take gay marriage license apps.
Three Minnesota counties -- Hennepin, Ramsey and
Washington -- will accept marriage license applications from same-sex couples
beginning June 6th, even though the new state law doesn't go into effect
until August 1st. Hennepin County Auditor/Treasurer Mark Chapin (CHAY'-pin)
says they wanted to open up the application process now, so paperwork can be
completed and same-sex couples MORE...
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Zebra Mussels turn up in more MN lakes
The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources is
confirming adult zebra mussels in a northern Minnesota lake. Zebra mussels
were found in Sand Lake and Little Sand Lake, in Itasca County. These lakes
are a part of the Bowstring Chain of lakes that eventually flow into the
Bigfork River. Additional searches of connected waters are being performed
to determine the scope of the infestation. MORE...
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Gun-toting student too young to be charged
The investigation into a gunfire incident at an
elementary school continues, even though Minneapolis police say the student
that apparently came to class with the weapon in his backpack is too young to
be charged with a crime. Just before K-through-5th grade students were let
out of class at the end of the school day at Bethune Community School on
Tuesday, the gun was accidentally fired from MORE...
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Rainy May broke some records
The month now ending was a rainy one across most of Minnesota.
State Climatologist Greg Spoden (SPOE'-den) says the southeastern part of
the state especially got a lot of rain, and some counties will set new
monthly total records. Spoden says some areas received well over 10 inches
of rain in May. The good news: Only three-percent of Minnesota's landscape
remains in severe drought. MORE...
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Facebook again helps Willmar Police arrest suspect
The Willmar Police Department might want to consider sending Mark Zuckerberg a junior crimefighters badge after Facebook again helped them nail a suspect. Police Chief Dave Wyffels says they placed a photo of a credit card fraud suspect on their facebook page. Wyffels says it got thousands of views, and they were able to identify the suspect..In the past Facebook has been used to help MORE...
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Woman killed in Montevideo crash
A Holloway woman was killed when the van she was riding was hit by a pickup on the west side of Montevideo yesterday afternoon. The state patrol says at 5:44 p.m. a van driven by 82-year-old Vernon Arnold of Holloway was southbound on Highway 7 when he made a left turn onto County Road 15, and was hit by an oncoming pickup driven by 30-year-old Reid Greiss of Watson. MORE...
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| Chief Wyffels |
Willmar Police Chief says fed ammo buy-up causing shortages
Gun owners across the United States are having difficulty finding ammunition for their weapons due to a nationwide shortage, apparently caused by the Federal Department of Homeland Security. Willmar Police Chief Dave Wyffels says his department, like everyone else, is having trouble getting bullets for officers to carry while on duty and to practice with. Wyffels says he's been told MORE...
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Twin Cities rated healthiest metro area in the nation
Minneapolis-St.Paul is the healthiest, fittest metropolitan
area in the U-S for the third straight year, according to the annual American
Fitness Index. The American College of Sports Medicine ranks the top 50
metro areas for things like smoking, exercise, health care and availability
of parks and recreation facilities. The Twin Cities metro was followed by
Washington, D-C; Portland, MORE...
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Yesterday's storms do damage in southern MN
A lot can happen in two or three minutes during storm
season, and a thunderstorm that moved through southeastern Minnesota late
yesterday (Wed) afternoon in under 180 seconds left significant damage in
Fountain, Chatfield, St. Charles, and Cherry Grove. The roof of a furniture
warehouse in Fountain was peeled away and trees were uprooted. Buildings in
Chatfield and Cherry Grove suffered MORE...
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86 percent of corn planted in MN
Additional progress has been made in corn planting in
Minnesota and most other states, after a very slow start caused by late
season cold followed by significant rains. USDA Meteorologist Brad Rippey
says most farmers had a good window of opportunity right before the holiday
weekend, with an additional 15 percent of the corn crop planted, bringing the
total to 86 percent. That's only 4 MORE...
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| Steve Sortland |
Halsted mayor charged with raping woman friend
The mayor of Halstad was charged Wednesday with two counts of
criminal sexual conduct. Court documents allege 44-year-old Steve Sortland
raped a female acquaintance, the woman was injured and went to the emergency
room at the hospital in Ada. Prosecutors say the victim also told
investigators that Sortland made a comment about killing her. Bond is set at
75 thousand dollars. If convicted, MORE...
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| Harley Zero |
Electric Harley's coming to Minnesota
Rochester Harley Davidson is the newest dealer in Minnesota to carry the 2013 Zero Motorcycle product line. The fully electric motorcycles can go zero to 60 miles per hour in just over five seconds. Rochester Zero spokesman Jacob McGuire says they go along way on an eight-hour charge from standard wall outlet, 80 to 100 miles. McGuire says they've only sold a few Zero MORE...
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Suit filed against daycare union law
A lawsuit has been filed in federal court, challenging a
new state law that allows workers at state-subsidized daycares to vote on
whether they want a union. The group Minnesota Majority is backing the suit
and spokesman Dan McGrath says the proposed union election is not to help
workers get better wages, but rather to transfer state child care money "into
the coffers of broke state MORE...
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| Bill Graves |
Graves won't change strategy with Bachmann exit
Sixth District congressional candidate Jim Graves says his
campaign won't change even though incumbent Republican Michele Bachmann has
dropped out of the race. Graves says he's committed to serving all the
people of central Minnesota and doesn't care if someone's Republican,
Democrat, independent or Libertarian. "We're all in it together," he says.
Republicans MORE...
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Site chosen for new Olivia hospital
The RC Hospital Board has chosen a site for their new hospital and clinic in Olivia. CEO Nathan Blad says out of 4 viable sites, they chose a 43-acre location on the east side of Olivia, on the south side of Highway 212. Blad says it is currently undeveloped and the most effective. Blad says the next step is to secure a USDA loan. Blad says they've outgrown their current MORE...
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Willmar schools stand to gain $750,000 from ed funding increase
Willmar School District Finance Director Pam Harrington says there's a lot of good things for education funding coming out of the 2013 Minnesota Legislative Session. Lawmakers opted to increase education funding by about $485 million dollars, and Harrington says that will mean an additional $350,000 to the Willmar District due to increases in the per-student formula. .And MORE...
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Stolen vehicle, chase, crash leads to arrest
A Willmar man faces several charges after fleeing police in a stolen car and crashing on I-94. Willmar Police say a Jeep was stolen from the Cashwise Foods parking lot yesterday morning, and at 9 a.m. the state patrol got a report of a Jeep driving eratically on I-94. An eastbound chase ensued near Highway 25 south of Monticello. The chase lasted around 10 minutes and hit speeds of 107 miles MORE...
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Mayor of Halstad charged with sexual misconduct
Criminal sexual conduct charges are pending against the
mayor of Halstad. Norman County Sheriff Jeremy Thornton says his office
began investigating Steve Sortland last Thursday, but he was out of town at
the time, so officers took him into custody during a traffic stop in the city
of Halsted yesterday (Tue). Sortland is also being held for suspicion of
terroristic threats. The charges stem MORE...
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| Pulju |
Man says he was in alcoholic blackout when he killed his mother
A 40-year-old Rosemount man who claims he was in an alcoholic blackout when he stabbed his mother to death in St. Cloud last summer will spend 22 years in prison. Chad Pulju plead guilty to second-degree murder in the death of 68-year-old Geraldine Bennett. Prosecutors had asked the judge to sentence Pulju to 25½ years in prison, at the higher end of sentencing guidelines. The MORE...
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Tourism up in the Twin Cities
The Minneapolis-St.Paul metropolitan area saw a 4.1
percent increase in total visitors last year. A new study shows 27.9 million
people visited the Twin Cities metro in 2012, compared with 26.8 million in
2011. Those visitors spent 6.885 billion dollars - a 5.5 percent increase
from the previous year. Meet Minneapolis C-E-O Melvin Tennant says this
visitor increase is a solid start to MORE...
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Gun goes off in student's backpack
A handgun inside a student's backpack discharged
outside Bethune Community School in Minneapolis shortly before classes ended
for the day. District officials say the gun fired accidentally, and there
were not many students in the area. It happened 10 minutes before the end of
the school day. Police interviewed the parents of the student, school staff
and a bus driver who was nearby when MORE...
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Bachmann won't run for reelection
Minnesota U.S. Representative Michele Bachmann posted
a video to her website early this (Wed) morning, announcing that she does not
intend to run for reelection in 2014. Bachmann says the investigation into
alleged campaign finance violations did not influence her decision, and it
also has nothing to do with the announcement by Democrat Jim Graves to
challenge for the seat in 2014, or any MORE...
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| Zumhofe |
Former pro wrestler arrested on sex charges
Slam Sports, a wrestling publication, reports Buck "Rock and Roll" Zumhofe, an AWA pro wrestling star from the 1980s, and a promoter in the U.S. Midwest for years, was arrested on Monday in Kandiyohi County and charged with molesting his daughter years back. In total, there are 12 criminal sexual conduct charges that have been filed by County Attorney Jennifer Fischer against MORE...
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Big cigarette tax good for the kids
The cigarette tax increase will bump the Minnesota state tax on smokes by $1.60 a pack to $2.83, which would give Minnesota the sixth highest tobacco tax in the country. Governor Mark Dayton has said the increase is more about health than revenue, and a pediatrician and child care advocate says it's a good move for the state. Dr. Dina Joy Lieser (LEE'-sir) says it will help MORE...
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Callaway man arrested after chase
A Callaway man is under arrest after a Memorial Day chase in Meeker County. The sheriff's office says at 12:08 p.m. yesterday they helped the State Patrol with pursuit of a 1996 Camaro coming into the County eastbound on Hwy 55 from Paynesville. The Patrol asked for stop sticks to be put out on the highway near Eden Valley but the suspect was able to get through town before they could be MORE...
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| Bear pic taken by Kandiyohi County Deputy Jason Keith |
Bear spotted north of Pennock this morning
At 8:15 this morning Marvin Lindgren, who lives 3-and-a-half miles north of Pennock, spotted a bear in his grove. Lindgren said the bear stayed there for quite some time, and may have been heading for his bee hives. This weekend a black bear was spotted at a residence near a wildlife area on the south side of Big Kandiyohi Lake, and DNR officials say a bear has also been spotted in the Hector MORE...
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| Daisy Jo Holland |
Child who drowned remembered on her birthday
The family of a Minnesota toddler whose body was found
in the Elk River over the weekend, after a tragic camping trip, gathered
yesterday (Mon) to release balloons into the sky to say Happy Birthday.
Monday would have been Daisy Jo Holland's second birthday. She went missing
on Friday night at a campground, and after extensive searches that involved
hundreds of volunteers her MORE...
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Gas prices dropping
It's costing less for Minnesota drivers to refuel their
vehicles. According to Minnesota Gas Prices-dot-com the average price for a
gallon of unleaded is four-dollars. While the price continues to fall,
Minnesotans are still paying 35 cents above the national average of 3.65 a
gallon. Just a week ago, the average price of a gallon a gas in Minnesota
hit an all-time high of $4.28 MORE...
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GOP will need name recognition, money to beat Dayton
While he hasn't officially announced his re-election
bid, it's expected Governor Dayton will seek a second term. Carleton College
Political Analyst Steven Schier believes Dayton has a good shot at getting
re-elected unless Republicans can come up with a well-known candidate with
deep pockets. He says Republicans need someone who can raise enough money to
become well known very MORE...
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Houseboat capsizes on Mississippi River...11 rescued
Eleven people were rescued yesterday (Mon) after a
houseboat tipped over on the Mississippi River near Dresbach. Six of the
victims were taken to the hospital but are expected to survive. A
preliminary investigation shows the boat may have lost power and was then
swept into the rollers at Lock and Dam No. 7. A family of four drowned in
2007 when their boat lost power in the same area. (MNN)
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Memorial Day Holiday traffic death toll stands at 3 so far
At least three people died on Minnesota roads over the
Memorial Day weekend. Minnesota State Patrol officials say one person was
killed yesterday (Mon) near Little Falls when one person in a van collided
with a car carrying three people. 24-year-old Jessica Parish-Olson of
Waterville died Saturday morning when her car hit a utility pole in Le Sueur
County. Her 2-year-old son was also in the MORE...
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| Senator Scott Newman |
Lawsuit will oppose day care union law
The group Minnesota Majority says they plan to file a lawsuit to stop a law allowing daycare and home health care providers to unionize. Minnesota Majority's Dan McGrath says it violates federal law which pre-empts state law. Governor Dayton signed the bill last week which will alllow Minnesota's thousands of day care and home health care providers who recieve state subsidies to vote MORE...
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| Harlan Madsen |
County hires firm to help increase recycling
Kandiyohi County has hired a marketting firm to try and increase recycling in the county. Kandiyohi County Commissioner Harlan Madsen of Lake Lillian says the board will pay Linda Mathiesen and LDM Marketting of Willmar three to five thousand dollars to raise awareness of recycling. Madsen says the county is looking at different ways to increase recycling, including co-mingling MORE...
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| Ahmann |
Ahmann wants early warning system for businesses looking to leave
Willmar City Councilmember Steve Ahmann says he would like to prevent the city from suffering future economic hits like this spring's announcement that Molenaar Manufacturing was being purchased and moving out of town. In April Fey Promotional Products announced they were buying Molenaar from it's parent company, Wilson Tool, and would move it's operations and some employees to MORE...
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Wire transfer ban aimed at stopping scams
The 2013 legislature put in place new laws to try and cut down on the number of people victimized by financial scams, which will include a "do not send" list. The list will allow Minnesotans to sign themselves and their elderly relatives up so that they are not allowed to wire transfer money. Peggy Harri of Duluth says her mother lost more than 47-thousand dollars, mostly from credit MORE...
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| James Wertish |
Remember our local soliders killed in action since 9-11
Memorial Day is to remember service men and women killed in action defending our country. There have been several local soldiers who have lost their lives in the War on Terrorism since the September 11th 2001 attacks. They include Jesse Lhotka of Appleton, Kyle Miller of Willmar and Bird Island, Josh Schmit of Willmar, Brent Koch of Morgan, Matt Kahler of Granite Falls, Ryane Clark of New London and James Wertish of Olivia. (KWLM)
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| Rep. McCollum |
McCollum wants committee to address military sexual assaults
On this Memorial Day, and with the crisis over sexual assaults in the military growing as more details emerge by the week, a Minnesota congresswoman is calling for an extensive investigation by the U.S. House of Representatives. Democrat Representative Betty McCollum has introduced legislation to establish a "Special Committee on Sexual Assault and Abuse in the Armed Forces." MORE...
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| Daisy Jo Holland |
Body of missing child found in Elk River
The body of a missing toddler was found in the Elk
River, not far from the campground she wandered away from on Friday. Elk
River Chief of Police Brad Rolfe says 2-year-old Daisy Jo Holland was found
yesterday (Sunday) afternoon, several hundred yards downstream from the
campsite where she was last seen. Daisy was on a camping trip with her
mother, two other adults, and five other children, MORE...
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| Rep. John Kline |
Kline wants feds to honor promise on special education funding
A Minnesota lawmaker says he's disappointed that the Obama administration continues to ignore the federal government's obligation to fund special education. Burnsville Republican U.S. Congressman John Kline is Chairman of the House Education and the Workforce Committee, and in a hearing this week he told Secretary of Education Arne Duncan that federal school funding legislation has MORE...
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Man hurt in cycle crash in Meeker County
A Hutchinson man is hospitalized after a motorcycle accident in Meeker County Saturday morning. The sheriff's office says at 9:20 a.m. 63-year-old Roy Nelson was driving a Harley owned by a Darwin man when he left County Road 9, north of 220th Street, in Ellsworth Township, and crashed in the dtich. He was flown from the scene to Hennepin County Medical Center in Minneapolis and his MORE...
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Many local Memorial Day events this morning
Memorial Day ceremonies taking place across the country, state and our local area today. The Willmar Memorial Day observance and program takes place at 11 a.m. It was originally scheduled for it's usual locaiton, Fairview Cemetery on Northwest Gorton Avenue but organizers have moved it to the Willmar War Memorial Auditorium, downtown Willmar. The program will be aired live on KWLM and the main speaker will be past commander of the Disabled American Veterans, Rueben Hogland. In Benson the Memorial Day Parade starts at 930 a.m. and ends at the Benson City Cemetery where a service MORE...
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Man hurts in Meeker County RV rollover
A Glenwood man was hurt when his bus-motorhome rolled in Meeker County Friday evening. The sheriff's office says at 7:30 p.m. 64-year-old Steven Holte was driving his RV north on Highway 15, half a mile north of County Road 24 or 3 miles north of Dassel, when he lost control of the vehicle and rolled into the west ditch. He was taken by ambulance to Meeker Memorial Hospital in Litchfield MORE...
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Three hurt in mud bog accident
Three people were hurt when their off-road SUV crashed into a tree while driving in a mud pit in Meeker County Friday night. The sheriff's department says at 9:35 P.M. 24-year-old Joshua Crusoe was driving his modified Ford Explorer in a mud pit during a Mud Run hosted by the River Runners 4-by-4 club in Swede Grove Township. The accellerator got stuck, causing the truck to leave the pit MORE...
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Highway 23 could do battle with Highway 14 for gap money
Approval of money to help complete 4-lane highways across the state could fuel some rivalries among proponents of different projects. The legislature approved borrowing 300 million dollars for the "Corridors of Commerce" program and will authorize the bonds in July of next year, and in the meantime, will go through the list of potential projects. Bob Dols of Willmar is Chair of the MORE...
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Search Continues For Missing Toddler Near Elk River
(Elk River, MN) -- Hundreds of volunteers joined law enforcement in a search yesterday for a missing two-year-old girl near Elk River. Daisy Jo Holland was last seen near the Wapiti Park Campground at around 8 p.m. Friday. The search effort involves dive teams, search dogs and choppers in a two-mile radius. (MORE...)
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Victim In Fatal Douglas County Crash ID'd
(Douglas County, MN) -- Officials have identified the victim of a fatal crash Saturday morning in Douglas County. Nineteen-year-old Landon Lien of Carlos died when the pickup truck he was in sideswiped another truck on Interstate 94 before rolling into the median. Lien was rushed to a hospital in Alexandria where he died. (MORE...)
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Extra Patrols On Roads This Weekend
(St. Paul, MN) -- Authorities will be out on the roads in full force this holiday weekend. Donna Berger with the Office of Traffic Safety says law enforcement will be on the lookout for impaired drivers, speeders and motorists not wearing seat belts. Over the last five years, there have been 28 deaths in Minnesota on Memorial Day weekend.
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Memorial Day Events
(Willmar, MN) Willmar area veterans raised the Flags of Honor Saturday morning and about 1,800 flags will be put on veterans' graves in the area. A number of events are planned for Monday to observe Memorial Day as well. In Willmar, veterans will begin visiting area cemeteries, reading roll call, firing rifle salutes and playing taps beginning with the Vinje cemetery (MORE...)
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2-Yr-Old Girl Missing Near Elk River
(Elk River, MN) -- Authorities in Sherbrune County are searching for a missing two-year-old girl. The girl was last seen near the Wapiti Park Campground in Elk River at around 8pm last (FRI) night. Crews searched the ground and river late into the night. (MORE...)
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2-Yr-Old Girl Missing Near Elk River
(Elk River, MN) -- Authorities in Sherbrune County are searching for a missing two-year-old girl. The girl was last seen near the Wapiti Park Campground in Elk River at around 8pm last (FRI) night. Crews searched the ground and river late into the night. (MORE...)
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Missing Children's Day
(St. Joseph, MN) -- Today marks the 30th annual "National Missing Children's Day." Patty Wetterling and her husband Jerry are "searching parents" after their son Jacob was abducted in 1989 near St. Joseph in central Minnesota. Wetterling says the discovery of three young women in Ohio is proof that some children are out there. (MORE...)
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Missing Children's Day
(St. Joseph, MN) -- Today marks the 30th annual "National Missing Children's Day." Patty Wetterling and her husband Jerry are "searching parents" after their son Jacob was abducted in 1989 near St. Joseph in central Minnesota. Wetterling says the discovery of three young women in Ohio is proof that some children are out there. (MORE...)
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Duluth Man I-D's As Shooting Victim
(Duluth, MN) -- An Arizona man was charged today with killing the fiancé of his ex-girlfriend in Superior, Wisconsin. 41-year-old Juan Padilla of Fort Mohave, Arizona is charged in Douglas County with first-degree intentional homicide in the death of Terrence Luukkonen. He was found shot-to-death yesterday in his car outside of Genesis Attachments in Superior. MORE....
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Rosemount Man Sentenced For Mother's Murder
(St. Cloud, MN) -- A Rosemount man convicted of killing his mother in her St. Cloud home last year was sentenced today to almost 22 years in prison. The attorneys for 40-year old Chad Pulju argued for a lesser sentence than called for by sentencing guidelines but the request was denied by the judge. Pulju pleaded guilty to Intentional Murder in the Second Degree, MORE....
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Investigation Continues In Field Trip Fatalities
(St. Paul, MN) -- The investigation at Lilydale Regional Park continues after a gravel slide resulted in the deaths of two children Wednesday. The city of St. Paul has hired a civil engineering firm to examine the site. St. Paul Parks and recreation Director Mike Hahm says Northern Technologies Incorporated has experience evaluating collapses and natural disasters. MORE....
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DEED Commissioner Touts Development Package
(St. Paul, MN) -- The Dayton administration is touting the 108-million dollar economic development funding that is part of the recently approved state budget. Department of Economic Development Commissioner Katie Clark Sieben says the funding provides more money to compete with other states in attracting businesses. MORE....
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Gas Prices Dropping Slowly
-- The price of gasoline is slowly coming down, as Minnesotans head out for the holiday weekend. Minnesota-Gas-Prices-dot-Com reports regular unleaded averaging just over 4-14 statewide. More people are expected to hit the road this weekend and State Patrol Lieutenant Eric Roeskesays drivers need to buckle up MORE....
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| Mandy Matula |
Search for Matula this weekend near Royalton
It's been three weeks since Mandy Matula
(muh-TOO'-luh) of Eden Prairie went missing. Her brother Steven has been
leading the effort to find her ever. He says his family still has hope that
Mandy is out there alive, but they're not raising their hopes too high so if
she's found dead they're not crushed. Matula was last seen with her
ex-boyfriend David Roe on May MORE...
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Bob Dylan turns 72 today
The annual celebration of Bob Dylan's birthday kicks off
today (Fri) in his hometown of Hibbing, Minnesota. The artist formerly known
as Robert Zimmerman turns 72 today (5/24). Dylan Days organizer Aaron Brown
says the event people get most excited for is tonight's singer/songwriter
contest. He says while you can count on everyone playing at least one Dylan
song, they also perform MORE...
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| Mohamed Fofana |
Memorial service this morning for kids killed in park landslide
There's a memorial gathering this morning (Fri 9:30am) at the school that lost two fourth-graders in a deadly gravel slide in St.Paul's Lilydale Park. Governor Dayton is among those scheduled to attend the ceremony at Peter Hobart Elementary in St.Louis Park. Nine-year-old Haysem Sani and 10-year-old Mohamed Fofana were killed while fossil hunting on a field trip Wednesday. Crews MORE...
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Man survives 100 foot tumble down Mississippi bluff
St. Paul first responders rescued a man Thursday who fell off a bluff on the Mississippi River. Fire officials say the man was walking along the bluff when he tumbled 80 to 100 feet down a steep embankment. The man suffered back and hip injuries, but was conscious when rescuers got to the scene. The location where he fell was tough for crews to get to because of dense trees and a steep grade. MORE...
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| Sen. Klobuchar |
Klobuchar and Franken intro anti-gas spike legislation
U-S Senators Amy Klobuchar and Al Franken have introduced legislation to help prevent spikes in Minnesota gas prices. The significant increase is blamed on the recent closures and maintenance of oil refineries in the Midwest. Their bill would require refineries to report their maintenance schedule to the Department of Energy to prevent simultaneous closures and help avert future shortages. MORE...
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TV station recognizes new Litchfield playground
The Litchfield Community Built Playground was chosen by WCCO-TV as the best playground in the state and was featured on the station s 10 o clock news last night. Reporter Matt Brickman put the story together.
Brickman interview Playground Co-coordinator Luke Stordahl and Litchfield Mayor Keith Johnson as well as some parents who were involved in the project and who were enjoying the new MORE...
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Dayton cuts funding for zebra mussels from Legacy Bill
Governor Dayton has line-item vetoed money in the Legacy Fund Bill that was meant to battle aquatic invasive species. Dayton signed the bill to allocate nearly 500 million dollars in Legacy Fund dollars to outdoor, water, parks, trails, history, culture and arts programs. But he line-item-vetoed $6.3 million dollars meant for the Metropolitan Council for parks in the metro area, and $3 MORE...
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| Dodge truck similar to suspect's vehicle |
Gas thief sought in Stearns County
The Stearns County Sheriff's Department is looking for a possible serial gas drive-off thief. On Tuesday a white male in his early 20s filled his pickup with $150 worth of gas at Rockville Gas and Bait, then drove off without paying. The suspect and vehicle match the description of other recent gas drive offs. The pickup is a mid-1990s black single cab Dodge Ram pickup with a large MORE...
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| Buford Rogers |
Rogers indicted for possession of gasoline bombs
WCCO T.V. reports 24-year-old Buford "Bucky" Rogers of Montevideo has been indicted for having molotov cocktails. Rogers was arrested earlier this month in what the FBI called a thwarted terror plot. A federal grand jury indicted him on four counts, including possessing Molotov cocktails and a pipe bomb, but not terrorism. Rogers was indicted on one count of possessing two Molotov MORE...
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DFL lauds ed funding boost...GOP says special interests served
Even though the 2013 legislative session is over, the
finger-pointing between Republicans and Democrats is not. Democrats are
calling it the "Education Session," pointing to all-day kindergarten, plus
increased funding for K-12 schools and early education programs. House
Speaker Paul Thissen (TEE-sen) predicts people will look back on the
education bill as one of the MORE...
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| Lilydale Regional Park |
Two children killed in landslide in a park
The search for a fourth grade student killed yesterday
(Wed) when a bluff along the Mississippi River gave way at Lilydale Regional
Park in St. Paul will resume at 7 a.m.. Fire Marshal Steve Zaccard says the
mudslide was likely caused by ground saturation after several days of rain,
and the children were plunged about 30 feet into a large hole. One student
died at the hospital; two others MORE...
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| Rep. Dean Urdahl |
Urdahl says Kahn changes repelled, Legacy bill passed
The Minnesota Legislature passed a Legacy Fund bill before adjourning their 2013 Session Monday night. House Legacy Committee Member and former chair, Dean Urdahl of Grove City, says despite several attempts to change the bill by current chair Representative Phyllis Kahn of Minneapolis, the bill that passed 70 to 55 was pretty much the same as the original version. The bill appropriates MORE...
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Norling, Huisinga win Siehl Prize
Ray Norling and Ted Huisinga of Willmar will be honored for their acheivements in agriculture at the Macnamara Alumni Center at the University of Minnesota tonight. Norling and Huisinga are 2013 winners of the Eldon Siehl Prize for Excellence in Agriculture. Leroy Peterson of the Willmar and Kandiyohi County Economic Development Commission says Norling and Huisinga, of Willmar Poultry MORE...
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| Charlene Stevens |
Willmar opens door to "tap rooms"
The Willmar City Council this week took action that could open the door for a microbrewery to serve home made beer. City Administrator Charlene Stevens says the Minnesota Legislature this year allowed cities to approve a new category of liquor licenses for people interested in making and selling their own beer in a so-called "tap room". The Willmar Public Works/Safety Committee MORE...
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| Sen. Al Franken |
Franken blames gas price spike on budget cuts
Although Triple-A Minnesota and other sources are blaming the recent spike in gas prices on planned refinery shutdowns, a Minnesota lawmaker is putting a portion of the blame on federal budget cuts. U.S. Senator Al Franken is blaming the recent spike in Minnesota gas prices, in part, on the Department of Energy s decision to stop publishing refinery maintenance reports two years ago. Those MORE...
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| Rep. Sawatzky |
Money in transportation bill may help "fill the gap"
There may still be hope for money to complete a 4-lane Highway 23 from Willmar to St. Cloud. Representative Mary Sawatzky says they were able to include 300 million dollars in bonding money in the Transportation Bill to go towards "Corridors of Commerce." Those corridors are major highways that cross the state, like Highway 23. The 23 "Fill the Gap" group has been asking MORE...
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Alfonso Rodriguez back in court
The parents of a Minnesota woman kidnapped and murdered almost 10 years ago spent the day yesterday (Tue) in a federal courtroom in North Dakota, hearing lawyers argue the fate of Alfonso Rodriguez Jr. Rodriguez is on death row at a federal prison in Terre Haute, Indiana after being found guilty of abducting and killing 22-year-old University of North Dakota student Dru Sjodin of Pequot Lakes on MORE...
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| Nizzel George |
Teen gets 28 years in prison for gang-related shooting of child
A 16-year-old boy has pled guilty in one of the more
notorious murders in Minneapolis in recent years. Julian Anderson admitted
to being one of two teens who shot up a home last June, killing 5-year-old
Nizzel George while he was sleeping. Anderson pled guilty to second degree
murder and was sentenced to 28 years in prison. He'll be 33 at his earliest
possible release date. 17-year-old MORE...
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| Secretary of State Mark Ritchie |
No excuses needed to vote absentee
Legislation that would allow a new form of absentee
voting in Minnesota is awaiting Governor Dayton's signature. Current law
requires voters to explain why they are unable to cast a ballot on Election
Day, and Secretary of State Mark Ritchie says the change in law means voters
will no longer have to check one of the boxes and offer up some excuse.
Ritchie says in-person absentee MORE...
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| Rep. McCollum |
McCollum calls for FTC investigation of gas price hikes
Congresswoman Betty McCollum is calling on the
Federal Trade Commission to investigate the major increase in Minnesota gas
prices. In a letter to the chairwoman of the F-T-C, McCollum says prices
have spiked as much as a dollar per gallon in the last month and says that is
, "Both outrageous and unacceptable." She says a full investigation by the
F-T-C to determine whether the MORE...
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| Dayton |
Governor calls session a success
Governor Dayton yesterday expressed satisfaction over the just-ended 2013 legislative session. He counted an increase in the commitment to education and property tax relief for middle-class Minnesotans among the session's successes. However, the governor did express disappointment that the House's 800-million-dollar bonding bill did not pass. A scaled back version of the bill MORE...
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Medtronic axing 2000 workers
Fridley-based Medtronic announced today it will cut
two-thousand jobs worldwide as part of a restructuring plan. It's estimated
500 jobs will be cut here in Minnesota. However, 160 new jobs have been
posted, making the number of cuts closer to 340. Officials say a majority of
the planned reductions have already taken place, the remainder will take
place in the fiscal year 2014. (MNN)
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| Charlene Stevens |
Willmar to participate in Vision 2040 process
Willmar is beginning the process of creating of vision of how it wants to look in the year 2040. City Administrator Charlene Stevens says next week they are going to be participating in the Vision 2040 process, with a consultant from Madison Wisconsin coming to town to begin talking to community stakeholders. Stevens says many years ago Willmar did the Vision 2020 process, and even MORE...
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Wet weather lessens fire danger
Wet conditions have lowered the fire danger and prompted the Department of Natural Resources (DNR) to lift burning restrictions in all or parts of 32 Minnesota counties. Restrictions were lifted at 9:30 yesterday morning. The following counties have been removed from burning restrictions: Aitkin, Anoka, Becker, Benton, Carlton, Cass, Chisago, Clearwater, Crow Wing, Dakota, Douglas MORE...
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| Senator Lyle Koenen |
Koenen calls session a success
Senator Lyle Koenen of Clara City is calling the 2013 Legislative Session a successful one. The DFLer just finished his first full session in the senate and was in the middle of the action, serving on the Tax Reform Committee and on the conference committee that crafted the final tax bill. The session started with a 600 million dollar deficit that needed to be addressed, and Koenen says MORE...
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Crash kills man in Howard Lake
A Howard Lake man is dead after a head-on crash on Highway 12 yesterday. The state patrol says 66-year-old Keith Hardel was killed when his car crossed the centerline of Highway 12 at 12th Avenue in Howard Lake and hit a westbound Jeep. Hardel was dead at the scene. The Jeep driver, 45-year-old Karrie Taylor of Hutchinson and her passenger were not hurt. The crash occured during the noon MORE...
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Man killed in crash south of Villard
A Villard man is dead after his car and a pickup collided south of Villard. The state patrol says 75-year-old Clifford Euerle was westbound on 150th Street, stopped at the stop sign on Highway 28, and pulled into the path of a westbound pickup driven by 51-year-old James Hoppe of Freeport. Eurele was killed and Hoppe wasn't hurt in the collision, reported at 10:25 this morning. (KWLM)
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| Rep. Gruenhagen |
Gruenhagen claims global warming is "fraud and lie"
A Youtube video that is growing in popularity consists of what many say is
just the latest outrageous statement from Republican Minnesota State
Representative Glenn Gruenhagen. The video is of Gruenhagen's House floor
speech last week against funding an increase in alternative energy use in
Minnesota. Among other things, he claims that the human caused increase in
carbon doxide is MORE...
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Republicans predict DFL will pay at polls for tax hikes
The legislative session has come to an end, with higher
taxes on cigarettes, the state's wealthiest, and other things, and some
analysts predict Democrats will lose their majority in the Minnesota House
because of the tax hikes. House Speaker Paul Thissen (TEE'-sen) says any
repercussions will be "Positive ones, and Majority Leader Erin Murphy agrees.
But House Republican MORE...
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| Governor Dayton |
The rich, smokers hit with tax hikes as 2013 ends
The DFL-controlled Minnesota Senate approved a top-bracket income tax
increase and a hike in the cigarette tax last night (Mon) just before the
legislature adjourned its 2013 session. Governor Dayton is expected to sign
the bill into law. Among many other objections, Chanhassen Republican
Julianne Ortman warns that charging businesses sales tax for goods they store
in rented warehouses will MORE...
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| Rep. Andrew Falk |
Daycare union vote bill passes...Falk and Sawatzky vote yes
After many hours of debate yesterday, the Minnesota House passed a
bill 68-66 allowing day care operators and personal care attendants to vote
on whether or not they want to form a union. DFL Representatives Mary Sawattzky of Willmar and Andrew Falk of Murdock voted for the bill, which Falk says sets up possible unionization votes among child-care providers who get state subsidies, and care MORE...
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| Leroy Peterson |
Local anhydrous plant may become feed pellet plant
It appears a planned anhydrous ammonia plant for Kandiyohi County might turn into a feed pellet plant. Originally the plan was to build a co-op owned plant to produce anhydrous ammonia using biomass products like corn stover. The ammonia would then be sold back to co-op members at a discounted price. However, due to the oil and natural gas boom in North Dakota the price of natural gas, which MORE...
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Work begins today on County Road 9 project
The Kandiyohi County Public Works Department office in Willmar announced today that, weather
permitting, work will begin Tuesday, May 21, 2013 on County Highway 9 from County Highway
90 to 0.4 miles south of State Highway 23. Through traffic will be diverted west on County
Highway 90 and north on State Highway 23. The construction zone is closed to through traffic.
The work MORE...
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| Irina Furshman delivers the report last week |
Phase 2 of Willmar government study to look at cost savings
Last week the firm of Brimeyer-Fursman delivered the message to Willmar government leaders they have a lot to work on. Part one of the Government Structure Study looked at how the city delivers services to it's residents, and part two will deal with opportunities for the city to work with other entities to consolidate and combine services to increase efficiency and reduce waste. On MORE...
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House Narrowly Passes Daycare Unionization Vote
(St. Paul, MN) -- After many hours of debate, the Minnesota House passed a bill 68-66 allowing day care operators and personal care attendants to vote on wheter or not they want to form a union. The bill sets up possible unionization votes among child-care providers who get state subsidies, and care attendants to the elderly and disabled. MORE....
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Chief Tax Judge Ousted
(St. Paul, MN) -- With just hours left in the legislative session the Minnesota Senate put aside budget and other negotiations to oust Chief Tax Court Judge George Perez, after a three-judge panel ruled earlier this month that he engaged in misconduct. MORE....
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Salmonella Outbreak Traced Back To Queso
(Minneapolis, MN) -- At least 25 Minnesotans became ill after eating a raw Mexican-style cheese -- queso fresco. State health officials say this latest salmonella outbreak illustrates the dangers of consuming unpasteurized dairy products. MORE....
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Body Found In Trunk
(Minneapolis, MN) -- A deceased person was found inside the trunk of a car today at a north Minneapolis tow yard. Employees noticed a strong odor coming from the vehicle when they discovered the body. Brooklyn Park Police also responded MORE....
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| Rep. Greg Davids |
GOP leader says tax bill "picks the pockets" of Minnesotans
There's less than one day left in the legislative session, and Republicans in
the Minnesota House are blasting Democrats for passing a bill early this
morning (Mon) that increases taxes on high-income Minnesotans and hikes the
cigarette tax a dollar-60 per pack. Preston Republican Greg Davids says
Minnesotans are waking to discover their pockets, "Have been MORE...
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Winning Powerball ticket sold in Florida
Even though the winning Powerball ticket was sold in
Florida, Minnesota did benefit from the hoopla surrounding the record
590-million-dollar lottery jackpot. Minnesotans won more than 3 million
dollars in the drawing, with two players winning a million each and a dozen
players winning 10-grand each. In addition, retailers in the state earned
just over a million dollars on commissions by MORE...
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Severe weather possible today
Severe storms rumbled across eastern Minnesota and
western Wisconsin last (Sun) night, and some areas could see continued rough
weather today (Mon). The National Weather Service in Chanhassen says there
were some tornado warnings associated with the severe thunderstorms, but no
confirmed touchdowns. There have been scattered reports of power outages,
downed lines and tree damage across the MORE...
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Smaller bonding bill may be attempted today
Backers are trying to revive a bonding package for state public works
projects on this last day of the 2013 legislative session. An
800-million-dollar proposal failed earlier in the House when Republicans
refused to help Democrats pass it -- but the Senate put a much-scaled-back
package in the mix early this morning, with money to renovate the State
Capitol but a plethora of other projects MORE...
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Minnesota won't pass anti-bullying bill
Minnesota will not join many other states that have put laws in place to tackle bullying in schools. The Senate started debating anti-bullying legislation late last (Sun) night, but sponsor D-F-L Senator Scott Dibble pulled it early this (Mon) morning, after Republicans said they planned 10 hours of debate on the issue. It would have required a thorough investigation of bullying complaints, MORE...
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| CNG tank in trunk of a Toyota |
Sky high gas prices makes CNG attractive
This past week's skyrocketing gasoline prices again make looking at home made biofuels more attractive. Neighboring North Dakota's oil boom has also flooded the market with cheap natural gas, Leroy Peterson of the Willmar and Kandiyohi County Economic Development Commission office says maybe compressed natural gas might be an answer. Peterson is the Ag and Renewable Energy Specialist MORE...
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Click it or Ticket campaign begins today
Motorists and passengers are reminded to buckle up this spring as extra Click It or Ticket seat belt patrols take to the roads statewide today through June 2nd. Kandiyohi and Swift County Sheriff s Offices along with Willmar, Atwater and Benson Police Departments are among nearly 400 Minnesota agencies increasing patrols to encourage motorists to buckle up. In the last three years on Minnesota MORE...
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Program on Somalis in Willmar to be re-aired today
In case you missed it last night, Pioneer Public Television will be rebroadcasting it's program Postcards again today featuring Somali Culture in Willmar. Executive producer Dana Johnson says "This week's episode of Postcards gives an introduction to the local Somali culture in Willmar, Minnesota." Johnson says making the show was fun for her because she was born and raised MORE...
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Winning Lottery Numbers
(Roseville, MN) -- Here are the winning numbers from the Minnesota State
Lottery for Saturday, May 18th, 2013. MORE.....
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DNR: Check Used Docks for A-I-S
(St. Paul, MN) -- The D-N-R is reminding Minnesotans who purchase a used
dock, boat lift or water toy about a new aquatic invasive species law.
Watercraft inspector Nathan Olson says that equipment must remain out of the
water for MORE.....
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Walleye in Mille Lacs Could Yield Reward for Anglers
(Garrison, MN) -- Anglers who catch a tagged walleye on Lake Mille Lacs
this summer will receive a prize. All they have to do is return the orange
tag to the Minnesota D-N-R to receive MORE.....
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Duluth Boy Missing Since Thursday Found Safe
(Duluth, MN) -- Duluth police reported via Facebook late Saturday night
that a missing 12-year-old boy has been found and is safe. Earlier in the
day, officials asked for help finding Lyrik Schmelz, MORE.....
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Two Men Arrested in Wyoming, MN for Illegal Firework Operation
(Wyoming, MN) -- Two men are in jail in Wyoming, Minnesota accused of
manufacturing illegal fireworks. Police uncovered the illegal operation
while responding to a medical call MORE.....
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MN House Passes K-12 School Funding Bill
(St. Paul, MN) -- The Minnesota House early this morning (Sun) passed a
15-point-six-billion-dollar K-12 school funding bill -- the largest part of
the state budget. The Senate votes this afternoon MORE.....
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Long debate expected today over daycare union bill
There could be a lengthy showdown in the Minnesota House
today (Sat) over a bill allowing home day-care workers to form a union.
Republicans pushed the Senate debate to nearly 18-hours earlier this week --
what some called a filibuster -- and Democratic Majority Leader Erin Murphy
says in the House, she hopes for a "reasonable" debate.
Deputy Republican Leader Jenifer MORE...
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Police release name of officer involved in fatal cycle crash
Minneapolis police have released the name of the
officer who was driving a squad involved in a fatal crash last week. Officer
Joshua Young was responding to a shooting involving two fellow officers on
May 10th. En route, his squad collided with a motorcycle, killing the
cycle's driver and injuring a passenger. Police say Young did enter the
intersection with a red light, but that he had MORE...
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Willmar Car Show tomorrow
The 33rd Annual Willmar Car Club Car show is Sunday at the Kennedy Elementary School Parking lot beginning at 7 a.m. The awards presentation program begins at 3 p.m. Show Co-Chair Greg Gjerdingen (jer--duh-ghin) of Willmar says they expect to have between 100 and 150 cars on display, as well as vintage bikes, motorcycles, and a display of airbag operation and sprint cars from Ridgewater MORE...
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Syttende Mai celebrated in Milan today, Sunburg tomorrow
Even though Friday is May the 17th, Norwegian Independence day, the event will be celebrated this weekend in Milan and Sunburg. Milan's Syttende Mai festivities begin Saturday with arts, crafts and food vendors on Main Street from 9 to 4. The Kvitsied Smorgaas Tea is at the church from 930 to 1, and the Syttende Mai program begins at 130, followed by the Uff Da Day Parade at 2 p.m. There MORE...
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Paddling Theater comes to Minnesota River today
Granite Falls is the center of attention this weekend for Celebrate River History Month. Last night a series of speakers talked about) the DNR's Water Trails program, and there are exhibits on display at the K.K. Berge Building including mussell shells, steam boats and the water trails program. Peg Furschong (fur-SHONG) of CURE in Montevideo says on Saturday they will be having their MORE...
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Minnesotans loading up on Powerball tickets
Minnesotans are buying millions of tickets for
Saturday's 550-million-dollar Powerball Jackpot. State Lottery Director Ed
Van Petten says it's the third biggest lottery prize in U-S history and says
sales in Minnesota are, in his words, "through the roof." Van Petten says
Minnesota sales for Wednesday night's drawing totaled 3.2-million dollars and
he expects even MORE...
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Bonding Bill Defeated In House
(St. Paul, MN) -- The D-F-L's 800-million dollar bonding bill went down in defeat this afternoon after failing to get the needed super majority, or 60-percent. The final vote was 76-56 with three Republicans voting "yes" but eight were Republican votes were needed for passage. MORE....
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Alleged "Smiley Face" Bomber Competency
(Rochester, MN) -- A federal judge will soon consider whether the alleged "Smiley Face" pipe bomber is competent to stand trial. Luke Helder, now 32, has been in a mental institution near Rochester since 2004. Authorities allege Helder planted pipe bombs in rural mailboxes in five states in a "smiley face" pattern. MORE....
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| Sen. Klobuchar |
Klobuchar "outraged" at refinery shutdown-induced gas price spike
Senator Amy Klobuchar is asking the Secretary of Energy to take action regarding the skyrocketing gas prices in the upper midwest. Kloubuchar says there's no reason three refineries had to be shut down at the same time when they serve the same region of the country, and is considering legislation to forbid a repeat. Kloubuchar is asking U.S. Energy Secretary Ernest Moniz to MORE...
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| Barn Bluff |
Man falls from Red Wing cliff
A man is dead after falling from the top of Barn Bluff
last night in Red Wing. Witnesses were peforming C-P-R on the victim when
police arrived and he died at the scene. Officers say the man was seen
jogging on the bluff about 20 minutes earlier and was asking people for
directions. He was found unresponsive lying on a path at the bottom of a
200-foot rock wall. The victim's name is MORE...
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Stolen vehicle recovered in Meeker County
At 6:27 last evening, the Meeker County Sheriff's Office located and recovered a stolen vehicle at 175 Meeker Avenue South in Watkins. A 2001 Chevrolet Malibu, white in color, registered to 50-year-old Kevin Hurrle of South Haven, was reported stolen on April 7th in Stearns County. Upon further investigation, the deputies made contact with the person suspected of stealing the MORE...
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Top baby names for 2012 unveiled
The Social Security Administration is out with its list of the
most popular baby names for 2012. The top five boy's names in Minnesota last
year were Mason, William, Ethan, Liam (LEE'-um) and Henry. The most common
girl's names in the state are Emma, Olivia, Sophia, Ava and Avery. Paul and
Jennifer were two of the most popular names in the 1970s, 80s and 90s -- but
they no MORE...
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Drone facility at Camp Ripley open house today
There's a grand opening ceremony today (Fri10am) for the Unmanned Aircraft Systems Operations Facility at Camp Ripley. The Minnesota National Guard is using the facility to house and maintain drones and train operators. Captain Eric Lewanski says the aircraft they're assigned is called the Shadow System. Lewanski says this is the only such facility in Minnesota and one of only a MORE...
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New Goodwill Store opens tomorrow, preview sale this afternoon
Be the first to shop the bigger and better Willmar Goodwill store at the preview sale today from 4 to 7 p.m. The new store will be stocked with the best merchandise Goodwill has to offer. Besides great shopping, a silent auction and light refreshments will be available. Admission tickets are available at the door for $7. Everyone wins when Goodwill expands its presence in a MORE...
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Somalis in Willmar featured in Pioneer Public TV
Pioneer Public Television is proud to premier the next episode of Postcards on Sunday, May 19, 2013 at 7:00 p.m. with Somali Culture in Willmar.
"This week's episode of Postcards gives an introduction to the local Somali culture in Willmar, Minnesota. Community member, Mohamed Sayid, invites us into his daily life and explains his family traditions from Somalia. We also hear a tune MORE...
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| Hendrickson |
Dry, windy weather this week spread grassfires
With the stretch of dry weather this week some grassfires has flared up around the county. Earlier this week there were scattered fires in the Hawick, New London and Belgrade areas, and yesterday a grassfire along Kandiyohi County Road 1 north of Pennock burned a section of land. Crews from Willmar, Pennock, Sunburg and Kerkhoven worked for several hours on that fire. Willmar Fire Chief Gary MORE...
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Minimum Wage Increase
(St. Paul, MN) -- A minimum wage increase in Minnesota is all but a sure thing, with just days left in the legislative session, the question is, "How much?" The Senate has proposed a bump to $7.75 by 2015, and the House has recommended $9.50. MORE....
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Budget Bill Votes
(St. Paul, MN) -- With just four days left in the legislative session, neither the Minnesota House or Senate have approved any budget bills. House Minority Leader Kurt Daudt (doubt) again questioned majority leadership about when those votes may come. House Majority Leader Erin Murphy says there may be some action on a portion of the budget today (Thu). MORE...
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Red Cross Response To Wildfires
-- The American Red Cross has deployed response teams to north-western Minnesota and western Wisconsin after wildfires broke out in these areas. Minnesota Red Cross spokeswoman Carrie Carlson-Guest they continue to assess the needs and are providing shelter, food and mental health support. MORE....
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April's unemployment rate drops, 11,000 job cuts
Minnesota's unemployment rate fell to
5.3 percent in April, according to figures released today by the Minnesota
Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED). State employers
shed over 11-thousand jobs in April, while March figures were revised from
5,200 jobs lost to 3,300 jobs lost. The biggest job losses occurred in
trade, transportation and utilities (down 5,700), MORE...
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Two hurt in crash in Montevideo
Two people were hurt in a car-van crash in Montevideo yesterday. The state patrol says at 11:30 a.m. a car driven by 89-year-old Burnette Larson of Milan was northbound on Chippewa County Road 15 when it collided with a van that was traveling westbound on Highway 7. Larson was taken to the Chippewa County Montevideo Hospital with non-life-threatening MORE...
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Urdahl wants Franken's help welcoming Dakota back to Minnesota
Sometimes politics make strange bedfellows. Republican State Representative Dean Urdahl of Grove City is asking for Democrat U.S. Senator Al Franken's help in changing the wording in some 150-year-old legislation stemming from the U.S.-Dakota War of 1862. After the war, Urdahl says the Indian Removal Act of 1863 banned Dakota Indians from Minnesota, and he'd like Frankens' help to MORE...
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Company says it will be wind-powered hydrogen plant in Renville Co.
The Renville County Register says a company called Emerald H2 and Norfolk Wind Energy have signed an agreement to locate Emerald's first hydrogen wind center in Renville County. The project involves using wind turbines to produce hydrogen, and would be the largest hydrogen production facilities powered by wind in the U.S. Company CEO Patrick Pelstring has repeatedly refused to return phone MORE...
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Unemployment numbers come out today
April unemployment numbers come out later this morning
(10am). In March, Minnesota employers shed 52-hundred positions, and state
job officials are hoping the April numbers are trending the other way.
Analyst Steve Hine says despite slower growth in March, Minnesota remains
near its pre-recession peak job numbers and continues to outpace the rest of
the country in job growth. MORE...
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Gas prices skyrocket more than 30 cents a gallon in one day
Gas prices in Minnesota range from a low of $3.69 in Sherburne
to $4.35 a gallon in Golden Valley today (Thu). Gail Weinholzer with
Triple-A Minnesota says the recent spike has a lot to do with two large
refineries in the Chicago area shutting down indefinitely for maintenance.
She says consumers should not expect price relief of any significance between
now and the Fourth of MORE...
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Hann afraid tax increases will be rushed through legislature
Only five days remain until the Minnesota Legislature
must adjourn, and Democrats still have not agreed on how much they'll
increase taxes. Senate Republican Minority Leader David Hann (HAN) says he's
afraid Democrats will pass their bills so quickly that the public won't have
a chance to see what's in them. Senate Tax Committee Chairman, Clearbrook
Democrat Rod Skoe (SKOY) MORE...
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| Rep. John Kline |
Kline outraged at IRS targetting scandal
Minnesota U.S. Congressman John Kline is calling the
growing I-R-S scandal unconscionable and says the targeting of taxpayers for
audit based on their politics tramples on the First Amendment - and, so far,
Kline says there are endless questions and no answers. He says House
lawmakers are holding the administration accountable for what he calls, A
mess caused by a disturbing and MORE...
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Wildfires wreaking havoc in N. Minnesota, N. Wisconsin
Wildfires destroyed several dozen homes and burned more than
32 square miles this week in northern Minnesota and Wisconsin. The Germann
Road fire, near Solon Springs, Wisconsin (south of Duluth) has destroyed at
least 17 homes. The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources says it's the
largest fire to hit northern Wisconsin in 33 years, but at last check was 95
percent contained. At MORE...
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| Franken appears on Legislative Reveiw |
Franken suggests compressed natural gas for buses
The U.S. Senate Ag Committee passed the 2013 Farm Bill on a
15-5 vote Tuesday. Senator Amy Klobuchar says the bill includes major reform
in food and ag policy by ending direct payments. Overall the bill cuts
23-billion dollars by eliminating some subsidies, consolidating programs to
end duplication and combating misuses and fraud in food assistance
programs. Senator Al Franken says MORE...
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New traffic lights at 1st Street and 19th Avenue today
The City of Willmar says new traffic signal lights are being installed at the intersection of 19th Avenue and South 1st Street on Thursday. Traffic will be allowed but motorist should drive with care. The job should only take one day. (KWLM)
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| Irina Fursman addresses the council |
Council recieves report on government structure
The Willmar City Council yesterday listened to a report on problems in the city's governmental structure and suggestions to improve it. Richard and Irina Fursman of the firm of Brimeyer Fursman read the report compiled after dozens of interviews with city council members, the mayor, administrator, city staff and employees, members of the business community, minority groups and the public. MORE...
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Daycare union bill passes the MN Senate
After nearly 17 hours of debate and a very close vote, the Minnesota Senate approved a bill that allows some daycare providers and home health care aids to unionize. Republican Senator Roger Chamberlain of Lino Lakes argued that the bill goes too far. Chamberlain says it's a thin connection to deem daycare workers and home care providers state employees, simply because they get a MORE...
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Debate continues on unionizing daycares
Minnesota state Senators have been burning the midnight
oil; so far there has been more than 14 hours of debate over the bill that
would unionize in-home daycare providers and some other small businesses.
One amendment hotly debated would have prohibited union dues from being used
for political expenses or contributions. Republican Senator David Senjem of
Rochester says allowing that is just MORE...
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| Rep. Sawatzky |
Lawmakers ponder "legacy" of this session
On the Legislative Review Show on KWLM last weekend, area lawmakers were asked what kind of legacy they think they will be leaving behind by this session. DFL Representative Mary Sawatzky thinks people will remember it as the session education got the funding it needed. Republican Representative Dean Urdahl says the buffet of new taxes and tax increases will leave behind a different kind MORE...
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Dayton signs gay marriage bill
Thousands cheered on the front lawn of the State Capitol
Tuesday as Governor Dayton signed a same-sex marriage bill into law. The
governor thanked Minnesotans who voted to defeat, as he put it, "a very
destructive constitutional amendment" -- and he thanked lawmakers for
writing what he termed the latest chapter in John F. Kennedy's "Profiles in
Courage." Nick MORE...
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Record heat yesterday
Just twelve days after portions of Minnesota broke a
snowfall record, temperatures across much of the state pushed into record
territory yesterday. The National Weather Service in Chanhassen says it was
98 degrees in the Twin Cities, which was a record high for the date, and the
hottest ever temperature reached so early in the year. It was 102 in St.
James, and 100 in Albert Lea. It was a MORE...
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Raymond waiting for wastewater plant plan approval
The City of Raymond is still waiting for approval of their 5 million dollar wastewater treatment plant improvement project from the MPCA. The delays may put completion of the project this year in peril. They had hoped to open bids last Wednesday but they are now pushing back that date. According to the Raymond-Prinsburg News, Bollig Engineering says there appears to be a lot of contractor MORE...
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Rail crossing in Raymond closed today
The Kandiyohi County Public Works Department office in Willmar says the railroad crossing on Kandiyohi County Road 7 in the City of Raymond will be closed at 8:00 A.M. today and remain closed until 6:00 P.M. Thursday. Burlington Northern Santa Fa will be repairing the railroad crossing. Please use alternate routes. (KWLM)
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| Sen. Koenen |
Koenen voted against gay marriage bill, working on tax bill
Senator Lyle Koenen of Clara City was one of three DFLers who voted against the Marriage Equality Bill that passed the Senate Monday afternoon. Koenen says he's been consistant on this issue and has voted how he feels his constituents in District 17 feel, so the no vote should be no surprise. Koenen says it's already in law that churches will be protected from being forced to MORE...
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Spicer trying to rein-in geese
The City of Spicer wants to put up a fence to keep geese off of the Glacial Lakes State Trail and off of city streets and Highway 23. The geese nest in the slough on the south side of Spicer, near the baseball stadium, but once the eggs hatch, the geese and goslings often cross the road to get to Green Lake and in the process, cause traffic hazards. Plus they deposit a large amount of MORE...
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Study on Willmar government structure to be reviewed today
The Willmar City Council this afternoon will be hearing the preliminary report on the city's government organizational structure. City Administrator Charlene Stevens says the meeting is open to the public and begins at 4:45 p.m. The city had considered ordering a study last year but decided not to hire the firm of Springsted's and Associates because they have been the city's MORE...
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Daycare Unionization Up For Vote
(St. Paul, MN) -- Citizens on both sides are at the State Capitol as the Senate prepares to vote on a bill allowing licensed home day care workers to decide whether they want a union. Child care worker Kimberly O'Loughlin (oh-LOCK'-lin) from International Falls supports it, saying a union would give workers a louder voice in their industry. MORE....
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Gun Bill Gets Hearing
(St. Paul, MN) -- A bill that started out as part of the sweeping gun legislation that was abandoned amid a firestorm of controversy had a hearing today in a state Senate committee. At issue were two major gaps sponsor D-F-L Senator Ron Latz says exist in the database officials rely on when determining whether to issue a gun permit. MORE....
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Senate Ag Committee Passes Farm Bill
(Washington, DC) -- The Senate Ag Committee passed the 2013 Farm Bill on a 15-5 vote today. Senator Amy Klobuchar says the bill includes major reform in food and ag policy by ending direct payments. Overall the bill cuts 23-billion dollars by eliminating some subsidies, consolidating programs to end duplication and combating misuses and fraud in food assistance programs. MORE....
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Wildfires On Red Lake Reservation
(Grand RApids, MN) -- Fire crews are battling two separate wildfires on the Red Lake Indian Reservation in northwest Minnesota. Jean Bergerson with the Interagency Fire Center in Grand Rapids says the Buffalo Ranch fire is affecting about six-thousand acres 45 miles northwest of Red Lake. MORE....
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Bomb threat Indictment
(St. Paul, MN) -- A 22-year-old man, formerly of Maine, was indicted today for making bomb threats at Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport and the Mall of America.(MOA) The indictment alleges that Dana Ashey threatened that bombs had been planted at both the airport and MOA. The first threat came into the airport on April 12th just before three a.m., MORE....
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B-B gun shooting leads to drug bust in Kerkhoven
What started out as an investigation into a b-b gun shooting ended up as a drug bust over the weekend in Kerkhoven. According to court records, the Swift County Sheriff's Department got a call on Sunday from a Kerkhoven man saying he had been shot in the face with a b-b gun. The victim suffered a small wound to the forehead from the b-b, and another suspect had hit him in the head with MORE...
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Satanic images spray painted on Hastings church
Hastings Police are looking for a vandal they say spray
painted graffiti that may have been satanic on the side of a church.
Five-pointed stars inside circles and an upside down cross have been scrubbed
from the bricks and windows of St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Church, but Police
Chief Paul Schnell says the nature of this vandalism is a concern to his
department, and any time vandalism is MORE...
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Cocaine found in Minnesota's waters
From bug spray to illegal drugs, a wide variety of chemicals from prescription medicines and personal care products are ending up in Minnesota s lakes and rivers, according to a State study. In the studies, the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency randomly sampled lakes and rivers for chemicals used in pharmaceuticals and products like soaps and shampoos. The mosquito repellent DEET was the MORE...
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| Danielle Jelinek |
Prosecutors waiting for test results on Jelinek's body
Police and prosecutors are awaiting toxicology results
before determining whether the on-again, off-again boyfriend of a woman who
was missing five months before her body was discovered last week will face
charges. The medical examiner has listed the cause and manner of Danielle
Jelinek's death as "pending", and Chisago County Sheriff Rick Duncan says if
the cause is MORE...
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Southern Minnesota in a fire watch
Later today a "Fire Weather Watch" will be issued for
most of central and south-central Minnesota. Strong winds, high temperatures
and low humidity are making conditions ripe for wildfires. Jean Goad with
the Interagency Fire Center in Grand Rapids says they're also urging people
who have done burning over the last few days to go back and make sure there
are no coals MORE...
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Dassel woman hurt in Meeker County crash
On Monday May 13th, at 7:00 p.m., the Meeker County Sheriff s Office received a 911 call
reporting a personal injury accident at the intersection of County State Aid Highway 4 and 240th
Street, north of Dassel. Meeker County Deputies, Dassel Rescue, Dassel Fire Department, Gold
Cross Ambulance, and Life Link Helicopter were dispatched to the scene. Life Link MORE...
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Gay marriage bill passes Senate...Koenen votes no
The Minnesota Senate passed the gay marriage bill Monday, and Governor Dayton says he'll sign it on the capital steps Tuesday at 5 p.m.. Senator Lyle Koenen of Clara City was one of 3 DFL Senators who voted against the bill. Last Friday the House passed the bill, without the vote of DFL Representative Mary Sawatzky of Willmar. Sawatzky says it was a very hard week for her leading up to the MORE...
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DNR says fishing will pick up as water warms
The fishing opener Saturday had some good news and some bad news. Assistant DNR Fisheries Supervisor Brad Carlson in Spicer says it was cold, windy, and people who ventured onto the water were disappointed. Carlson says people who fished on shore may have had better luck, especially with crappies. But he says with temperatures warming up this week into the 80s, fishing will pick MORE...
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U of M President's Salaray & Compensation Ranks 33rd
(Minneapolis, MN) -- The pay of University of Minnesota President Eric Kaler (KAY'-lur) ranks 33rd in a new survey of 212 public research university presidents. Kaler made a total of 653-thousand dollars for the 2011-2012 fiscal year, some of which was pro-rated because he took over in July of 2011. MORE....
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Bachmann Attributes 9-11 and Bengazi Attacks to God's Hand of Judgemen
(Washington, DC) -- At the same time Congress held hearings to look into the terror attacks on an American embassy in Benghazi, Libya which killed four Americans in September 2012, Minnesota Republican Michele Bachman attributed both 9-11 and the Benghazi attacks to God's "hand of judgment." MORE....
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Sentencing Day for Somali al-Shabab Suspects
(St. Paul, MN) -- Two men convicted of terror recruiting and financing for a Somali terrorist group will be sentenced today (Mon) in federal court. The sentencing hearings for Kamal Said Hassan and Mahamud Said Omar will begin a week of sentencings for several defendants.MORE.....
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Driver of anhydrous tanker truck hit by train dies
The Minneapolis Star Tribune says the driver of a tanker truck that was struck by a freight train west of Murdock last week died at Saint Cloud Hospital today. 45-year-old Eric Westin passed away six days after his truck, hauling anhydrous ammonia, was hit at the Koch Nitrogen Terminal just northwest of Murdock. The collision caused a leak from the tanker, prompting a Murdock Elemenatary MORE...
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Child hurt in ATV rollover...driver charged with DWI
A rural Darwin man is charged with DWI after an ATV accident that seriously injured a child. The Meeker County Sheriff's Department got a call yesterday just after 3 p.m. about an ATV crash at the Thompson Lake County Park, west of Cosmos. 30-year-old Michael Vollmer was giving his friend's 5-year-old daugher a ride and was trying to climb a steep MORE...
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| Governor Dayton |
Legislature trying to wrap up budget talks
Top Minnesota leadership has come to an agreement on the budget for 2014-15. The agreement reached by Governor Mark Dayton, Senate Majority Leader Tom Bakk (BOCK), and House Speaker Paul Thissen (TEE'-sin) say the plan balances the budget in 14-15, and achieves long-term structural balance in the following biennium, repays the money borrowed from Minnesota schools within two years, and MORE...
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Senate to vote on gay marriage today
A final vote today (noon debate start) at the state
Legislature on legalizing same-sex marriage in Minnesota. The Senate is
expected to pass the bill and send it to Governor Dayton for his signature.
Today's historic vote comes just two years after the then
Republican-controlled legislature put a constitutional amendment on the
ballot to ban same-sex marriage -- which voters MORE...
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| Mandy Matula |
Trevino's family helps search for Mandy Matula
The search continued over the weekend for a missing
Eden Prairie woman, with hundreds of volunteers fanning out in areas near St.
Cloud, Sartell and Victoria. 24-year-old Mandy Matula was last seen with her
ex-boyfriend, who shot and killed himself in the Eden Prairie Police parking
lot after he was called in for questioning. Several of Kira Trevino's family
members were among MORE...
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Minneapolis incident leaves two dead, two cops in hospital
An autopsy report shows that the man who struggled
with police officers in a Minneapolis home Friday afternoon died of multiple
gunshot wounds. The Hennepin County Medical Examiners report doesn't say who
shot 22-year-old Terrance Franklin, but police say he tried to take a machine
pistol from an officer after they chased him into a home. The unanswered
questions include who fired the MORE...
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House, garage damaged by fire near Albany
A house and garage near Albany were damaged by fire Saturday night. The Stearns County Sheriff's Department says the fire at the Chris and Kari Harrum home on County Road 41 in Farming Township was reported at 9:50 p.m. It began in the garage and spread to the house and was rported by a neighbor. Fire crews from St. Martin arrived and helped rescue several animals from the house, no one MORE...
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Two ATVs crash near Albany, teen hurt
A Melrose teen is hospitalized after an ATV accident Saturday evening in Stearns County. The sheriff's department says 16-year-old Mitchell Funk was driving an ATV behind another ATV driven by 15-year-old Ben Blonigen of Freeport when Blonigen stopped and was struck by Funk. Funk's ATV rolled several times and he was thrown from it. He was taken to the Melrose Hospital with minor MORE...
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Man found dead after crashing van with two women inside
A man is dead and two women slightly injured after an incident near Granite Falls Sautrday morning. The Yellow Medicine County Sheriff's Department says 62-year-old Brent Anderson of the Upper Sioux Community was driving a van westbound on Highway 67, near 570th Street when he had a medical emergency. Anderson drove the van off the road and down a steep embankment, and when emergency crews MORE...
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| Charlene Stevens |
Wastewater rates likely to increase in Willmar
Willmar residents can expect their sewer rates to be on the rise. Willmar City Administrator Charlene Stevens says Springsteds and Associates did a rate study last fall and recommended a rate hike. The new Western Interceptor sewer line is also adding to the costs. The city began gradually increasing sewer rates several years ago in anticipation of the new wastewater treatment plant. MORE...
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Highway 7 project from Montevideo to Milan begins today
Motorists may encounter minor delays on Highway 7 from Highway 29 in Montevideo to Highway 40 near Milan as construction begins on Monday, May 13.
Crews will resurface the highway with two inches of pavement, install high tension cable guardrail and work on the shoulders.
Duininck Inc. is the contractor for the $2.3 Million project, which is scheduled for completion near the end of June, MORE...
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Plouffe, Markakis Can't Use Pink Bats Today
(Minneapolis, MN) -- Twins third baseman Trevor Plouffe and Orioles right fielder Nick Markakis won't be using their pink MaxBat brand bats today on Mother's Day. Major League Baseball has told them the twigs go against the league's contract with Louisville Slugger. The bats are used to raise awareness for breast cancer, which both players' mothers survived.
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Two Mpls Police Officers Involved in Shooting ID'd
(Minneapolis, MN) -- Details are emerging about a Friday shootout in Minneapolis that sent two officers to the hospital, resulted in the death of a 22-year-old suspect and led to the death of a passerby on a motorcycle. According to Minneapolis police, the suspect fled the scene following a traffic stop and ran into a nearby home to hide. (MORE...)
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Sen. Franken Urges FDA to End Infant Drug Shortage
(Washington, DC) -- A bi-partisan group of a dozen U.S. senators, including Minnesota's Al Franken, have called on the Food and Drug Administration to end a shortage of drugs needed to treat critically ill infants. Several hospitals around the country have already been forced to ration or reduce certain products. (MORE...)
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Billion Dollar Fertilizer Plant Under Construction in Grand Forks
(Grand Forks, ND) -- Northern Plains Nitrogen leaders are moving ahead with construction of a one-point-five-billion dollar fertilizer plant west of Grand Forks. C-E-O Don Pottinger says the facility will be the safest, most efficient and most environmentally compliant plant of its type, and it's important because more than half of the nitrogen used to fertilize U.S. crops is imported. (MORE...)
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Billion Dollar Fertilizer Plant Under Construction in Grand Forks
(Grand Forks, ND) -- Northern Plains Nitrogen leaders are moving ahead with construction of a one-point-five-billion dollar fertilizer plant west of Grand Forks. C-E-O Don Pottinger says the facility will be the safest, most efficient and most environmentally compliant plant of its type, and it's important because more than half of the nitrogen used to fertilize U.S. crops is imported. (MORE...)
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Governor's Fishing Opener In Progress
(Park Rapids, MN) -- The 2013 Governor's Fishing Opener is underway in Park
Rapids, and anglers have been out on the water since shortly after midnight
(Sat). Event Chair Dennis Mackedanz (MAC'-uh-dans) says Fishhook Lake was to
be the main venue, but they were forced to move anglers to some of the
smaller lakes in the area because Fishhook is still about 80 percent ice
covered. MORE...
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Gas Tax Added in State Senate
(St. Paul, MN) -- Minnesota Senate Democrats last night (Fri) included a
five-cent-a-gallon gas tax increase in a transportation funding bill, over
Republicans' heated objections. St. Cloud Republican John Pederson says "it
was a smart move" because most of the newspeople had already gone home and
not many people would hear about it. Democrats respond a gas tax increase
was MORE...
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Suspect Dead, Two Officers Injured After Shootout in MPLS
(Minneapolis, MN) -- Two Minneapolis police officers are reportedly in
stable condition at Hennepin County Medical Center after being shot by a male
suspect. The male suspect is dead. The shooting happened around 3:30 pm in
the Uptown area of south Minneapolis. The officers were chasing a suspect on
foot following a traffic stop. The man started shooting as police were
clearing the house. As MORE...
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Police Recover Jelinek's Body in Chisago County
(Chisago, MN) -- Chisago County Sheriff's Officials have confirmed that the
body found in a swamp on Friday was that of Danielle Jelinek, who'd last been
seen in the area in early December. Jelinek's body was found close to the
home of the man deputies say is a person of interest in the case, her
one-time boyfriend, Aaron Schnagl, who is currently in jail on an MORE...
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North Dakota Governor Joining Dayton For Fishing Opener
(Park Rapids, MN) -- Two governors will be in the boat for Minnesota's fishing opener shortly after midnight near Park Rapids. North Dakota Republican Governor Jack Dalrymple is getting aboard D-F-L Governor Mark Dayton's boat. Fishing guide Jason Durham says Dalrymple has ties to the area and they thought "let's get him over here MORE....
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Budget Negotiations Continue at State Capitol
(St.Paul, MN) -- State budget negotiations continue at the Minnesota Capitol with just over a week remaining this legislative session. Democrats and Governor Dayton have not yet agreed on which taxes they'll increase -- or even on a total revenue number so the rest of the state budget can be finalized. Work will likely slow down over the weekend for the Fishing MORE....
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"If You See Something, Say Something" Campaign
-- The Minnesota Department of Public Safety is kicking off a summer-long campaign today (Fri) called "If You See Something, Say Something." Homeland Security and Emergency Management Director Kris Eide says they're reminding the public how important it is to immediately report suspicious activity. MORE....
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Family of Missing Oakdale Woman Asks Fishermen To Help
(Oakdale, MN) -- The family of a missing Oakdale woman is asking anglers to keep a look out for their missing loved one during this weekend's fishing opener. 27-year-old Danielle Jelinek was last seen December 9th in Chisago County by her ex-boyfriend, who says he does not know what happened to her. MORE....
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FAA Cancels Plan To Shutter Air Traffic Control Towers
(Washington, D-C) -- Some good news from Washington for some small airports in Minnesota. The Federal Aviation Administration is cancelling plans to shut down nearly 150 air traffic control towers in the U-S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood says the agency now has the funding to keep them running until the end of the budget year. MORE....
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Gas Prices Spike For Fishing Opener/Mother's Day
-- Gas prices are on the rise for the Minnesota fishing opener and Mother's Day weekend. The statewide average for a gallon of regular unleaded is now 3-83 (Fri). That's 27 cents more than the U-S average of 3-56. Minnesotans were paying 3-59 at the pump one week ago. MORE....
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| Wenzel |
Olivia arson victim askes for help
The owner of a mobile home burned down in an arson fire last month is asking for the public's help in clearing the site. Jordan Wenzel of Olivia says anyone who would like to take anything from the site for scrap is welcome to it. Wenzel and her room mate lost their home and all their possessions when someone started it on fire April 15th. Wenzel, 63, is handicapped and lost her therapy MORE...
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Locks of Love event generates more than 30 yards of hair
More than 34 yards of hair was donated to the Locks of Love organization at a special event in Willmar yesterday. Q102 and Cost Cutters teamed up to have people come in a donate their hair, a minimum of 10 inches at a time, to Locks of Love. The goal was 1025 inches, but in the end more than 1256 inches was collected. That's more than 104 feet or 34-plus yards. Locks of Love is a MORE...
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| Kira Trevino |
Body in river was Kira Trevino
The medical examiner has confirmed that the body found under a barge in the Mississippi River in St. Paul is that of Kira Trevino. St. Paul Police Senior Commander Brian Coyle says it was the outcome nobody wanted, but the one that was expected. After a large amount of Kira's blood was found in the home she shared with her husband Jeffery, he charged with two counts of MORE...
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Hutchinson man hurt in cycle crash
A Hutchinson man is hospitalized after a motorcycle crash in Meeker County last night. The sheriff's department says at 7:08 p.m. they dispatched Litchfield Fire and Rescue, Gold Cross Ambulance and Life Link Helicopter to County Road 28 and 575th Avenue – south of Litchfield, for a one-vehicle motorcycle accident with injuries. 34-year-old Joseph Butcher of rural Hutchinson, was MORE...
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| Tom Decker |
Decker's family, officers on way to Washington DC for memorial
Fallen Officer Tom Decker's widow, his police chief,
and his fellow officers are among a group of 31 heading to Washington, D.C.
for National Police Officer's Memorial Week. Cold Spring-Richmond Police
Chief Phil Joes says the group's coach bus will receive a police escort
Sunday morning to Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport, and an Honor
Guard escort through the airport. MORE...
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Flu kills three more Minnesotans
The flu season, which peaked in January is going down in
the history books as one of the most severe in Minnesota. Three more
flu-related deaths were confirmed in Minnesota last week, raising the total
to 197 since the flu season started in October. Last year, 33 flu-related
deaths were reported statewide. The Minnesota Department of Health says
during the latest reporting period one MORE...
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Keep an eye out for northern anglers
Thousands of Minnesota anglers are getting set for this
weekends fishing opener. Even though many lakes in northern Minnesota are
still frozen over, Department of Natural Resources Fisheries Chief Dirk
Peterson is optimistic there will be good fishing where there is open
water. Spicer area DNR Fisheries Supervisor Dave Coahran predicts we'll be seeing anglers in our who normally MORE...
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Gay marriage bill passes house...Sawatzky votes no
Two years after the Minnesota Legislature put a constitutional amendment banning same-sex marriage on the ballot, a dramatic
turnaround as the Minnesota House voted Thursday to legalize same-sex marriage. Minneapolis Senator Scott Dibble says the campaign to defeat the ballot amendment -- which was successful -- allowed a one-on-one conversation
with Minnesotans about what really matters. MORE...
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| Sheriff Holtz |
Highway 12 reopens after tanker removed from crash site
Highway 12 west of Murdock reopened to traffic at noon yesterday. Swift County Sheriff John Holtz says they cleaned up the wreckage of a train-semi crash and reopened the road after having closed it at 9 a.m. Tuesday due to a leaking tanker trailer filled with anhydrous ammonia. The tanker had been hit by a train and venting the gas, which is deadly when inhaled in it's gas form, into the MORE...
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| Butterfield |
Kandiyohi County approves Torgerson abatement
The Kandiyohi County Board this week approved a 10-year property tax abatement to Torgerson Properties Inc for their 11 million dollar Holiday Inn/Convention Center Project. The move will save Torgerson about $350,000. Kandiyohi County Commissioner Jim Butterfield of Willmar says the project will help Torgerson and the community. The Willmar City Council last month also approved an MORE...
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90 cars, other items up for bids at Willmar auction today
The annual City of Willmar auction takes place at the Willmar impound lot on Highway 40 Friday beginning at 1 p.m. City Clerk Kevin Halliday says there will be at least 90 cars and pickups on the block. Some have been in accidents, some were towed there after big snow storms and never claimed, and some were forfeited by their owners due to legal troubles. Halliday says not all are in running MORE...
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House Passes Same Sex Marriage Bill
(St. Paul, MN) -- The Minnesota House by a significant margin -- 75-to-59 -- this afternoon (Thurs) passed a bill to legalize same-sex marriage in Minnesota. The historic vote came after a relatively short three-hour debate as thousands on both sides packed the Capitol. Supporters of same-sex marriage cheered wildly as the vote was announced, many crying and hugging each MORE....
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Body Of Kira Trevino Found
(St. Paul, MN) -- After months of searching, officials are confirming the body pulled from the Mississippi River near downtown St. Paul Wednesday is that of a missing St. Paul woman. 30-year-old Kira Trevino was last seen February 21st. Trevino's husband, 39-year-old Jeffrey has been charged with two counts of second-degree murder in her disappearance. MORE.....
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Election Reforms
(St. Paul, MN) -- A bill passed in the Minnesota House would make changes to the state's election system that are meant to get more people to vote, make it more convenient for them, and increase the integrity of the election process. Chief author D-F-L Representative Steve Simon says it would allow anyone eligible to vote to cast an absentee ballot without having to provide MORE....
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(Washington, DC) -- An amendment aimed at fighting the spread of Asian carp in
(Washington, DC) -- An amendment aimed at fighting the spread of Asian carp in Minnesota's waterways passed unanimously in the U-S Senate. The Strategic Response to Asian Carp Invasion act was co-sponsored by Senators Al Franken and Amy Klobuchar. The measure will enable the federal government to work more effectively with state and local agencies MORE....
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Comp Time Or Overtime
(Washington, D.C.) -- A bill passed in the U.S. House would allow workers to take comp time, or paid time off, rather than overtime pay. Minnesota Congressman John Kline, chairman of the House Education and Workforce Committee, says the Working Families Flexibility Act would give workers the choice between being paid time-and-a-half for overtime hours, MORE....
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Green Lake breaks ice-out record
Green Lake Property Owners Board Chair Jamie Duininck of Spicer says the record for latest ice-out on Green lake has been broken. Duininck says the ice out occured yesterday afternoon or evening, May 8th, breaking the previous latest ice-out record of May 7th 1951. Oddly enough, just last year Green Lake broke the record for EARLIEST ice out, March 19th, breaking the MORE...
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Three hurt in crash near Cosmos
The state patrol says three men were hurt in a one vehicle rollover last night south of Cosmos. The crash was reported on Highway 4 at 7:43 p.m. A car driven by 24-year-old Joseph Lies of Cosmos swerved to avoid a deer, left the road and rolled several times. Lies wasn't hurt, but passengers 24-year-old Joseph Sullivan of Bird Island and 23-year-old Riley MORE...
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Senate passes minimum wage increase
The state Senate voted Wednesday evening to increase
Minnesota's minimum wage to 7-75 an hour by 2015. Republicans warn the
result will be fewer jobs for young people and for seniors, and they say it
could force some companies out of business. Democrats respond Minnesotans
who work hard at low-wage jobs need an increase to help support their
families. The House has already passed MORE...
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| Bucky Rogers |
Rogers detention hearing delayed
The lawyer for a man the FBI accuses of planning a terror
plot in western Minnesota has asked that his client's detention hearing be
delayed, and after the prosecution posed no objection, the judge agreed. At
this point 24-year-old Buford "Bucky" Rogers is accused of illegally
possessing a gun, after a previous conviction for felony burglary, but when
he was arrested Friday MORE...
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| Hoffner |
Hoffner fired at Mankato State
The Inter Faculty Organization, a union representing
Minnesota State University Mankato faculty, confirms that former head
football coach Todd Hoffner had been fired. General Counsel Connie Howard
says a grievance for the termination will be added to the grievance already
filed against MSU for Hoffner's January suspension and job reassignment.
That came after Hoffner was charged with MORE...
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Dayton to unveil new Viking stadium funding plan
The Dayton administration is working on a new revenue
source to pay the state's portion of a new Vikings stadium -- but the
governor won't say what it is, because he "wouldn't want to spoil the
surprise." The governor says sports memorabilia is "not currently" part of
the proposal to back-up faltering e-pulltab revenues, nor would the Vikings
have to kick in MORE...
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Falk to vote for gay marriage bill
In a news release, DFL Representative Andrew Falk of Murdock said he will vote for the gay marriage bill on the House floor today. Falk rejects common arguments made against legalizing gay marriage..."The bill does not force a religious institution to marry two individuals of the same sex. Furthermore, language has been added to the bill to offer additional comfort that no MORE...
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Willmar city auction tomorrow...90 cars on the block
The annual City of Willmar auction takes place at the Willmar impound lot on Highway 40 Friday beginning at 1 p.m. City Clerk Kevin Halliday says there will be at least 90 cars and pickups on the block. Some have been in accidents, some were towed there after big snow storms and never claimed, and some were forfeited by their owners due to legal troubles. Halliday says not all are in running MORE...
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| Wittenberg |
Businesses gather, talk about how to keep employees healthy
Area businesses are getting together to find ways to keep their employees healthy. Theresa Wittenberg of the YMCA is Chair of ACHIEVE, a healthy community initiative of the Y, and says they held a meeting Wednesday morning that included 50 representatives businesses, the insurance industry and medical facilities. Wittenberg says healthy employees are more productive and better motivated, MORE...
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| Crews hosing down vapor cloud (KEYC tv) |
Highway 12 west of Murdock closed through weekend
Swift County Sheriff John Holtz says it's taking longer than expected to clean up a leaking anhydrous ammonia tanker west of Murdock. Holtz says Highway 12 between Murdock and Degraff will remain closed for the next few days while they continue the clean up. He says Hazmat crews continue alleviating pressure from the tanker, hit by an eastbound train at the Koch Nitrogen Plant along MORE...
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Dayton Looks For New Revenue Source For Vikings Stadium
(St.Paul, MN) -- The Dayton administration is working on a new revenue source to pay the state's portion of a new Vikings stadium -- but the governor won't say what it is, because he "wouldn't want to spoil the surprise." The governor says sports memorabilia is "not currently" part of the proposal to back-up faltering e-pulltab revenues, MORE....
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Minnesota Exports Set Record in 2012
-- Minnesota exports set a second straight record in 2012, climbing one-point-two percent to 20-point-six billion dollars. Employment and Economic Development Commissioner Katie Clark Sieben (SEE'-bin) says the state has added 200 new exporters since 2010. She says many small businesses are understanding the value of exporting and what selling products in an MORE....
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New Ulm Man Gets Two Months in Jail For Videotaping Females
(New Ulm, MN) -- A New Ulm man accused of hiding a video camera in a women’s shower at a hog farm has been sentenced to 60 days in jail and two years probation. Fifty-four-year-old William Rolloff was sentenced after pleading guilty to interfering with the privacy of a minor. Rolloff admitted to recording three different women at Langhorst Pork near Lafayette MORE....
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Brother of Missing Eden Prairie Woman Praises Search Efforts
(Eden Prairie, MN) -- The brother of a missing Eden Prairie woman is praising investigators and social media for efforts to bring Mandy Matula home. Mandy disappeared a week ago, and Steven Matula says detectives have been making sure the family is kept up to date. Some of that information includes a DNA match to Mandy of a bloody jacket found in David Roe's car, MORE....
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Klobuchar Calls on Credit Rating Agencies To Protect Consumers
(Washington, DC) -- U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar is calling for the major credit rating agencies to take swift action to protect consumers from errors on their credit reports. Klobuchar says she has been working with a number of Minnesotans who have found discrepancies, including a woman who owns a small town jewelry store. MORE....
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State Patrol Finds Empty Semi On Its Side Near Alexandria
(Alexandria, MN) -- State Troopers responding to a report of a semi on its side on Interstate-94 near Alexandria were surprised to find the cab empty early this morning. Both the driver and a passenger had run from the scene. Sgt. Jesse Grabow says they were later tracked down and treated at a hospital for minor injuries. MORE....
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Highway 12 still closed due to anhydrous tanker cleanup
The Swift County Sheriff's Department says Highway 12 between Murdock and Degraff will remain closed for the foreseeable future while they continue cleaning up an anhydrous ammonia tanker hit by a train west of Murdock. Sheriff John Holtz says Hazmat crews continue alleviating pressure from the tanker, hit by an eastbound train at the Koch Nitrogen Plant along Highway 12 at 8:30 yesterday MORE...
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Corpse found in Crow River in Wright County
The Wright County Sheriff's Department found a man's body
during a search on the Crow River last (Tue) night. Emergency crews were
looking for 26-year-old Samuel Gustafson of Rockford, who was last seen at a
friend's home April 21. His show was found in a parking lot the next day.
Family members say Gustafson is a paranoid schizophrenic who did not have his
medication with him MORE...
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Minimum wage hike vote in Senate today
The Minnesota Senate is set to debate and vote today
(11am start) on a bill that would raise the state minimum wage for large
employers from the current 6-15 an hour to 7-50, effective August 1st. The
minimum wage at small employers is not changed immediately but, beginning in
August 2014, the minimum wage at all employers would be indexed to the
cost-of-living. Last Friday the House MORE...
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Big crowd expected tomorrow for gay marriage vote
There will be stepped-up security at the State Capitol
when the House votes tomorrow (Thurs) on a bill to legalize same-sex marriage
in Minnesota. Fire marshal's inspectors went through the Capitol Tuesday to
help officials determine a safe visitor capacity for the building. A key
State Patrol official says potentially thousands are expected. The official
says it won't be possible to MORE...
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Bucky Rogers in court again today
A detention hearing is this afternoon (Wed) in St. Paul
for a Montevideo man who may have been planning a terrorist attack in the
small western Minnesota community. Federal authorities believe they foiled a
planned attack orchestrated by 24-year-old Buford "Bucky" Rogers. During a
search of Rogers' mobile home last week, authorities found suspected pipe
bombs, Molotov cocktails MORE...
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Click it or Ticket campaign May 20th through June 2nd
Motorists and passengers are reminded to buckle up this spring as extra Click It or Ticket seat belt patrols take to the roads statewide May 20 June 2. Kandiyohi and Swift County Sheriff s Offices along with Willmar, Atwater and Benson Police Departments are among nearly 400 Minnesota agencies increasing patrols to encourage motorists to buckle up.
In the last three years on Minnesota roads MORE...
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Meeker County okays no-wake zone on Lake Koronis
The Meeker County Board of Commissioners heard some concerns yesterday morning from members of the Lake Koronis Improvement Association. The board approved of a resolution concerning a no-wake zone. Lake Association President Ken Hess says the main area of concern is around the Highway 55 bridge where Lake Koronis connects to the North Fork of the Crow River which is also the location of the MORE...
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New building to go up at Lake Ripley Beach
The Litchfield City Council has approved of another improvement project for Memorial Park at Lake Ripley. The city will be partnering with the American Legion on the construction of a new restroom/shower facility at Lake Ripley Beach.
Litchfield American Legion Commander John McCann presented the proposal last night for the 26-by-44-foot building which will be located between the beach and the MORE...
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Highway 12 still closed west of Murdock
MnDot says Highway 12 remains closed this morning between Murdock and DeGraff due to a semi/train crash near the roadway Tuesday morning. Traffic is being detoured around the scene. The highway will remain closed until further notice. The Swift County Sheriff's Department says at 8:30 a.m. yesterday a semi truck owned by Jensen Transport Inc. was leaving the Koch Industries Terminal along US MORE...
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| Tim Huber |
Tim Huber guilty of second degree murder
Nearly 24 hours after beginning deliberations, a Kandiyohi County jury in Willmar has found 47-year-old Timothy Huber of rural Paynesville guilty of 2 Counts of 2nd Degree Murder. They found him not guilty on one count of 1st Degree Murder for the October 8th 2011 shooting death of 43-year-old Tim Larson of Albertville on a farm near Belgrade. Kandiyohi County Attorney Jenna Fischer says she felt justice was served even without the 1st degree murder conviction. Larson was a teacher of emotionally-behaviorly disturbed children in the St. Michael-Albertville School District. Judge Don Spilseth revoked Huber's bail and ordered him held in the Kandiyohi County Jail until his July 12th Sentencing. MORE...
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Fire destroys bus south of Olivia
Fire destroyed a bus that had been carying the BOLD Baseball Team from Olivia to Redwood Falls Monday. The Renville County Sheriff's Department says the bus driver phoned-in the fire at 4:30 p.m. on Highway 71 at 780th Avenue, south of Olivia. The driver said no students were on the bus at the time. The bus had been carrying the BOLD Baseball Team to Redwood when the bus broke down and pulled over. Another bus was called to take the team to the game, and afterwards, the first bus started on fire. The sheriff's department, Olivia police and fire and the state patrol all responded. No one was hurt. The bus was owned by Palmer Bus Company and owner Floyd Palmer refused to comment on the cause of the fire and referred all calls to his attorney. (KWLM)
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| Megan Olivia |
Minnesota Teacher of the Year announced
A St. Paul science edcuator has been named
Minnesota's Teacher of the Year. Megan Olivia Hall was presented with the
honor Sunday. Hall teaches grades 7-12 at the Open World Learning Community.
She has taught at the school for seven years and has been in the St. Paul
school district since 2002. Hall was nominated for the honor by a former
eighth grade student. As Teacher of the Year, MORE...
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Dogs to sniff out zebra mussels
The Minnesota D-N-R will have a new tool this summer
to help stop the spread of aquatic invasive species -- three zebra
mussel-sniffing K-9 teams to detect aquatic hitchhikers for the first time
during this weekend's fishing opener. Minnesota will become the second state
in the U-S to use detector dogs to find zebra mussels and other non-native
aquatic species. Conservation officers and MORE...
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Farmers have started planting
With more rain in the forecast for tomorrow, Minnesota farmers are trying to get more of their crops in the ground. Last week s rain-and-snow kept the tractors in the sheds, as farmers got further behind on their spring planting. The raindrops and snowflakes last week prevented any planting progress at all, with zero percent of Minnesota fields with seed in the ground. Twenty-six percent MORE...
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| Jeff Rogers (Steve Browne, Marshall Independent) |
Bucky Rogers makes first court appearance...father says he's harmless
The FBI believes "a terror attack was disrupted by law enforcement personell and that the lives of several local residents were potentially saved" by Friday's arrest of 24-year-old Buford "Bucky" Rogers of Montevideo. A news release from the Minneapolis Field Office of the FBI says several guns and explosive devices were found in Roger's trailer in the Northdale MORE...
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| Shooting victim Tim Larson |
Jury continues deliberating in Huber case
Jury deliberations continue this morning in the Timothy Huber murder trial in Willmar. Huber, 47 of rural Paynesville, has been on trial for the past two weeks on charges of Liability For Crimes of Another: 1st Degree Murder-Premeditated, 2nd Degree Murder-Intentional, and 2nd Degree Felony Murder. He is accused of advising, conspiring with or encouraging his father Delbert to shoot and kill MORE...
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Anti-bullying bill passes House
The Minnesota House passed an anti-bullying bill last
night (Mon) that Republicans warn will do more harm than good. On the week
when the legislature could vote on a same-sex marriage bill, Andover
Republican Peggy Scott asked, if a student tells a classmate that homosexual
behavior is a sin, will that be considered bullying? Bill sponsor,
Minneapolis Democrat Jim Davnie says a MORE...
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| Sen. Scott Dibble |
Gay marriage bill on way to House floor
A bill allowing same-sex couples to marry passed the House Ways and Means
Committee on a voice vote without debate last (Mon) night. The committee was
the last stop for the legislation before a possible floor vote. D-F-L Senator
Scott Dibble from Minneapolis says his same-sex marriage bill re-states
constitutional protections of religious freedom and personal belief, but
adds, MORE...
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Brother of Missing Eden Prairie Woman Updates Investigation
(Eden Prairie, MN) -- The brother of a missing Eden Prairie woman gave an update on Facebook this (Mon) morning about the investigation into Mandy Matula's disappearance. Steven Matula wrote that David Roe, who died hours after shooting himself in the head outside Eden Prairie police headquarters, left a farewell video on his phone saying MORE....
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Gay Marriage Debate Expected Tonight in Minnesota House
(St.Paul, MN) -- The gay marriage debate is likely to keep some lawmakers at work well into the night. After state bean counters determined that the legislation, if passed, would not have a profound impact on the state's general fund, the legislation will be heard in the House Ways and Means committee. MORE.....
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Firearms Instructor Shoots Himself in the Hand
(Stockton, MN) -- A Minnesota firearms instructor was hospitalized last week with injuries to his hand after an accidental shooting. Winona County Sheriff's investigators say 66-year-old Fred Petersen of Stockton was showing his wife a handgun Thursday morning in their home, and she asked him whether it was possible to pull the trigger when the weapon was holstered. MORE....
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Jury begins deliberating Huber case
Jury deliberations have begun in the Timothy Huber murder trial in Willmar. Huber, 47 of rural Paynesville, has been on trial for the past two weeks on charges of Liability For Crimes of Another: 1st Degree Murder-Premeditated, 2nd Degree Murder-Intentional, and 2nd Degree Felony Murder. He is accused of advising, conspiring with or encouraging his father Delbert to shoot and kill 43-year-old MORE...
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| Buford Rogers |
FBI says Montevideo arrest stopped a terror attack
The FBI believes "a terror attack was disrupted by law enforcement personell and that the lives of several local residents were potentially saved" by Friday's arrest of 24-year-old Buford Rogers of Montevideo. A news release from the Minneapolis Field Office of the FBI says several guns and explosive devices were found in Roger's trailer in the Northdale Trailer Park at 1204 MORE...
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Bus driver accused of mistreating kids
A 73-year-old Cloquet school bus driver who was fired
after being accused of assaulting a student has been charged with a
misdemeanor. Raymond Thomsen of Cloquet was charged with disorderly,
offensive or abusive conduct: using more than reasonable force to restrain
students on his bus, arousing alarm, anger or resentment in them. He is
accused of grabbing the back of a first-graders neck and MORE...
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Snow melt raising levels of Mississippi and Saint Croix Rivers
Some of the heavy snow that fell last week is now flowing
down the Saint Croix and Mississippi Rivers. That generated flood warnings
during the weekend on the Mississippi River at Wabasha (waw-buh-shaw). The
Mississippi is about four inches below its flood stage at Wabasha, and is
expected to go above stage around mid-week, with minor floods predicted. Most
flooding is expected to disappear MORE...
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Dr. looks at cause of lower bee numbers
What may be causing the alarming decline in honey bee
populations? A new report has some answers. Dr. Sonny Ramaswamy
(RAM'-uh-swah-me) says it concludes there are many causes, including
parasites and disease, genetics, poor nutrition, and pesticide exposure as
well. Director of the Bee Lab at the University of Minnesota Marla Spivak
agrees. She says there are not enough flowers MORE...
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Burning banned in Pope, Stearns and Benton Counties
Burning restrictions go into effect today (Mon8am) for 13
counties across central Minnesota. D-N-R fire information officer Jean Goad
says these restrictions are taking place much later than usual this year
because of the late winter. Burning restrictions took effect in late April
for ten counties in the Twin Cities and areas northeast. (5/6 Aitkin,
Benton, Crow Wing, Douglas, MORE...
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Gay rights advocates still hope gay marriage bill passes this session
With only two weeks until the legislature must adjourn,
speculation is swirling at the Capitol over how soon lawmakers will vote on
whether to legalize same-sex marriage. Chief House sponsor, Minneapolis
Democrat Karen Clark, says it hasn't been determined but is "certainly
possible" the vote could be this week. Clark says she's sure her bill has
the votes to pass. MORE...
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Jeff Johnson throws hat in the ring for Governor
Hennepin County Commissioner and former State Representative
Jeff Johnson announced Sunday that he's running for governor. He says he has
concerns about the direction the state is headed under the current
leadership. Johnson says in addition to reforming state government, his key
areas of focus will be improving the business climate in the state and
working to close the achievement gap MORE...
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No signifant finds in weekend searches for three missing women
No significant clues emerged in the search for a
missing Eden Prairie woman yesterday (Sun). A group of volunteers searching
for Mandy Matula found several small pieces of facial tissue with blood on
them, but investigators determined that the tissue appeared to be unrelated
to the 24-year-old's disappearance. Matula was last seen with her boyfriend,
24-year-old David Roe, who agreed to MORE...
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| Tim Huber |
Huber trial wrapping up
Jury instructions, and then closing arguments begin at 9 this morning in the Timothy Huber murder trial in Willmar. Huber, 47 of Paynesville, is charged with 1st and 2nd Degree Murder for the October 8th 2011 shooting death of 43-year-old Timothy Larson of Albertville, on a farm near Belgrade. Tim Huber's father Delbert has admitted killing Larson and is serving prison time, and the state MORE...
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| Buford Rogers |
Rogers to appear in court on weapons, bomb charges
24-year-old Buford Rogers of Montevideo is expected to make his first appearance federal court in Minneapolis today after being arrested in a raid at his home Friday. Dozens of FBI agents, Montevideo Police, Chippewa County Deputies and the Bloomington Bomb Squad surrounded the Northdale mobile home park on the north side of Montevideo around 11 a.m. Friday and arrested Rogers. The Montevideo MORE...
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| Carey Hodapp |
Mother says autistic kids need help after they turn 18
The mother of a man convicted of burglary, theft and arson says the state needs to do more to help autistic children once they become adults. Carey Hodapp of Willmar is the mother of 22-year-old Chase Hodapp who will be released from prison in July after serving time for a crime spree in April of 2011. Hodapp says her son has Asberger's Syndrome, a form of Autism. Chase was a special MORE...
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MN Still Affected by Drought
5-5-13 Minnesota is now the only Midwest state still considered mostly in drought or some form of extremely dry conditions, but an ag weather expert says that could change in this week's drought monitor report. Most Minnesotans weren't exactly pleased with the winter-like weather last week, and USDA meteorologist Brad Rippey admits it was far from typical. About half MORE...
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Suspicious Package in St. Cloud Contained Explosives
5-5-13 A bomb squad in St. Cloud closed off a section of road to inspect a suspicious package Saturday. Upon further investigation, police determined the package *did* contain explosives and destroyed it. No injuries were reported. Authorities aren't yet saying what exactly the package was. MNN
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Person of Interest in Matula Search Dies
5-5-13 The former boyfriend and a person of interest in the disappearance of 24-year-old Mandy Matula has died. That's according to the Hennepin County Medical Examiner. Police say David Roe apparently shot himself in the head Thursday in the Eden Prairie City Hall parking lot after he was called in for questioning about Matula's disappearance. The pair had MORE...
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Tran incompetent to stand trial in slaying of trial
The Oakdale man accused of fatally shooting a
nine-year-old boy in February has again been found incompetent to stand
trial. Nhan Tran will be committed to a state security hospital, but still
could face trial for the shooting death of Devin Aryal. A psychological exam
by the defense found him incompetent in March and the latest exam was ordered
by the prosecution. Police say Tran stood in MORE...
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Prince to play two shows Memorial Day weekend
Prince is playing two shows at the Myth in St.Paul over
Memorial Day weekend. Both concerts are scheduled for Saturday May 25th.
The 8 p-m performance is for all ages and the 11:30 concert is a plus-18
show. The Minnesota native played three nights at the Dakota Jazz Club in
Minneapolis in January. Tickets for the Myth shows are 259 dollars and go on
sale Saturday at noon (5/4) MORE...
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Man arrested after FBI raid at Montevideo trailer court
Dozens of FBI agents, Montevideo Police, Chippewa County Deputies and the Bloomington Bomb Squad surrounded a Montevideo mobile home park yesterday and arrested a man on weapons and explosive charges. The operation began around 11 a.m. at the Northdale Mobile Home Court on Benson Road, just north of Highway 7 in Montevideo. Officers arrested 24-year-old Buford Rogers without incident. The MORE...
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Disc golf event today at Robbin's Island
We've yet to get into the groove of the spring season but the disc golf league season has begun in Willmar. People can meet at the Willmar disc golf course in Robbin's Island Park at 5:30 and it costs 2 dollars. But it costs nothing to play a round of disc golf at Robbin's Island, and golfer Steve Gralish of New London says it's now possible to play 18 holes. Gralish MORE...
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Netland chosen by DNR to manage area wildlife
Cory Netland will manage wildlife in Brown, Chippewa, Kandiyohi, Meeker, Redwood and Renville counties as the new area wildlife supervisor for the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR).
"This diverse work area is particularly attractive to me," Netland said. "I know the existing wildlife habitat in the area and the potential for expansion, protection and MORE...
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Major Disaster Declaration For Southwest Minnesota Ice Storm
(St.Paul, MN) -- President Obama has declared a major federal disaster for five southwestern Minnesota counties affected by an April ice storm. The declaration comes after assessments in Cottonwood, Jackson, Murray, Nobles and Rock Counties revealed more than 26-million dollars in costs and damages. MORE....
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Minnesota House Approves Minimum Wage Hike
(St.Paul, MN) -- House Republicans tried today (Fri) to scale back a proposed increase in Minnesota's minimum wage but Democrats refused. Eden Prairie Republican Jenifer Loon proposed the state minimum wage go up to the current federal level -- 7-25 an hour -- rather than the 9-50 that Democrats propose. MORE....
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Reward Increased to $5000 in Kira Trevino Case
(St.Paul, MN) -- St. Paul Police are now offering a five-thousand-dollar reward to anyone who has information that will help locate the body of a missing St. Paul woman. Thirty-year-old Kira Trevino has been missing since late February and is presumed dead. MORE....
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Burnsville Man Charged After 12 Pounds of Meth Found
(Burnsville, MN) -- A 35-year-old Burnsville man has been charged in Dakota County after police seized 12 pounds of meth during a search of his home. Albert Johnson faces two counts of controlled substance crimes and one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm. MORE....
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| Armored truck outside Northdale Park |
Two apparently arrested in Montevideo raid
Officials refuse to comment on what appeared to be a major operation at a mobile home court in Montevideo today. The FBI, Bloomington Bomb Squad, Chippewa County Sheriff's Department and Montevideo Police descended on the Northdale Mobile Home Court on Benson Road around 11 this morning. The Montevideo American News says they surrounded a trailer and appeared to take two men into custody. MORE...
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FBI operation in Montevideo
The FBI is not commenting on a large operation taking place today in Montevideo. Witnesses have seen several FBI agents along with the Bloomington Bomb Squad and officers with the Chippewa County Sheriff's Office concentrated in the area of the Casey's Convenience Store and mobile home court on the north side of Montevideo, near the airport. An FBI spokesman said MORE...
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| Dr. Janning |
YMCA Mystery Donor is Dr. Marty Janning
YMCA Capital Community Team Chair Mary Jo de Cathelineau unmasked the YMCA’s Mystery Donor Thursday night. Local doctor Marty Janning, a longtime YMCA member and supporter, was revealed as the generous contributor that challenged community members to match his pledge, first with an initial $10,000 pledge, then a second $10,000.
YMCA volunteer fundraisers rallied, raising over MORE...
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Vote coming today in House on minimum wage increase
The Minnesota House is set to debate and vote today (10am
start) on increasing the state's minimum wage from the current 6-15 an hour
to 9-50 by the year 2015. Democratic Majority Leader Erin Murphy says people
who are working very hard will earn a little bit more money -- and she says
it will be good for middle-class Minnesotans and young people. But Mountain
Lake Republican Rod MORE...
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Man dies after setting himself on fire
Police have identified a man who died after apparently
setting himself on fire in Lilydale Regional Park. St. Paul Police say the
death of 25 year old Ahmed Mohamed Ali of Minneapolis remains under
investigation. Two hikers discovered Ali Monday night, after they smelled
something burning and heard a whimper. When the two men looked over the
bluff they saw a man engulfed in flames. A MORE...
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Snowstorm continues in southeast Minnesota
The record breaking May snowstorm continues this
morning, with lingering snow in southeastern Minnesota, stretching from just
east of the Twin Cities and into Wisconsin and northern Iowa. Forecasters
with the National Weather Service in Chanhassen say snowfall rates are
expected to continue at 1 to 2 inches per hour until warmer air moves in
later today, and change over to all rain by late MORE...
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Off day today in Huber trial...will go to jury next week
The Timothy Huber murder trial in Willmar is in recess until Monday morning. Yesterday morning the defense called 5 witnesses before concluding their case. Closing arguments will take place next week before going to the jury. On Thursday the defense team of Carter Greiner and Steven Ferrazano called Gene and Carolyn Lauer who live two miles from the Hubers near Paynesville. The Lauers had MORE...
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Willmar beefs up security against terrorism at large events
More arrests were made this week in the April Boston Marathon bombing. Willmar Police Captain Jim Felt says when it happened, Willmar Police were in contact with the FBI to make sure there were no threats against large gatherings in Minnesota. Felt says even though it may not be completely visible, there is extra security in place when there are large, concentrated gatherings of people in MORE...
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| Steven Eckblad |
Steven Eckblad stepping down as conductor of Willmar orchestra
The conductor of the Willmar Area Symphonic Orchestra will weild the baton one last time for Sunday's concert at the WEAC Auditorium in Willmar. Steven Eckblad is retiring after 10 years at the helm, and says he's greatly enjoyed his time in Willmar. Eckblad, of St. Cloud, recently retired as a faculty member at St. Cloud State University and wants to spend time traveling and visiting MORE...
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| Rep. Andrew Falk |
Legacy Bill stalled over money going to the Twin Cities
It appears the failure of a Legacy Bill in the legislature so far this session is due to an effort to get more funds for wildlife habitat in the Twin Cities. The House Legacy Committee was chaired by Republican Representative Dean Urdahl of Grove City until this year, when it was taken over by DFL Representative Phyllis Kahn of Minneapolis. Kahn and others disagree with recommendations on how MORE...
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| New community room (srperspectives.com) |
Public invited to see new community room at Willmar museum
The new community room at the Kandiyohi County Historical Society Museum is finished, and they want to show it off to the public Saturday. Historical Society Director Jill Wohnoutka says they started the process of building the 40 foot by 40 foot room last year at this time, and construction was complete in March. She says they had a volunteeer breakfast with 60 people last month, and last MORE...
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Timberwolves President Kahn Will Not Return Next Season
(Minneapolis, MN) -- David Kahn is out as president of basketball operations for the Minnesota Timberwolves. The Wolves announced today (Thurs) that the team has declined to exercise the one-year option on Kahn's contract for the 2013-2014 NBA season. MORE....
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>Medical Marijuana Legislation Unveiled
(St.Paul, MN) -- A bill was introduced today (Thurs) at the state Capitol that would legalize medical marijuana in Minnesota. Lead author Democrat Carly Melin(MUH'-leen) of Hibbing says the prescription would have to come from a doctor and the patient would then be issued a state i-d card. MORE....
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Johnson Set To Announce Run For Governor
(Hamel, MN) -- Hennepin County Commissioner and former State Representative Jeff Johnson is expected to announce Sunday afternoon in Hamel that he's running for governor. Johnson will be the second Republican to officially jump into the race. Wayzata businessman Scott Honour made his announcement last month. MORE....
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Red River Crests at Fargo-Moorhead, Now Receding
(Fargo, ND) -- After a long wait, the Red River in Fargo-Moorhead has crested well under earlier projections in a range of 38 to 42 feet. The river peaked at just over 33 feet last (Wed) night. Fargo Deputy Mayor Tim Mahoney says the city plans to talk with the National Weather Service about its flood forecast methods MORE....
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Storm Leaves 11-Thousand Xcel Energy Customers in SE Mn Without Power
-- The May snowstorm that blanketed southeast Minnesota in a new layer of white has left about 11-thousand Xcel Energy customers without power. Xcel's Patti Nystuen (NYES'-toon) says the outages are primarily in the Red Wing, Faribault and Northfield areas. Extra crews have been brought in and will be working throughout the day to restore service. MORE....
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Heavy, Wet Snow Cripples Rochester
(Rochester, MN) -- The overnight snowstorm that hit southeastern Minnesota has left the city of Rochester at a virtual stand still. Deputy Emergency Management Director Ken Jones says power is out to much of the city. This time of year trees are often suffering some damage from the long winter, and Joes says that can be problematic under the right conditions MORE....
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Red Wing Cleaning Up 17 Inches of Snow
(Red Wing, MN) -- Red Wing city crews are out in full force clearing roadways after a record-breaking May snowstorm of up to 17 inches. Lynn Nardinger is deputy director of the Public Works Department. He says they have every possible personnel member out doing the best they can with the wet, heavy snow. There are trees down all over Red Wing. MORE....
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Minnesota National Guard Helping Veterans Find Employment
(Cottage Grove, MN) -- The Minnesota National Guard is a leader in identifying ways to help active and reserve members of the military find employment. Captain Ron Jarvi (JAR'-vee) says Minnesota was the first state to bring an Employment Resource Team to troops stationed in Kuwait last year. MORE....
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| Tim Huber |
Huber trial in recess until Monday
The Timothy Huber murder trial in Willmar is in recess until Monday morning. The state called their final witness Wednesday afternoon, and this morning the defense called 5 witnesses before concluding their case for the week. More witnesses and closing arguments will take place next week before going to the jury. This morning the defense team of Carter Greiner and Steven Ferrazano called Gene and Carolyn Lauer who live two miles from the Hubers near Paynesville. The Lauers had purchased a tractor from the Hubers in the 1990s and also interacted with them at auctions. Gene Lauer recalled seeing a large bruise on Tim Huber's head, and Tim told him his father had hit him. Lauer said whenever he saw Tim Huber and his father Delbert together, it always appeared Delbert was the dominant one, and Carolyn went further, saying when Delbert was around, Tim appeared "humble, meek and subservient." MORE...
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Budget differrences being hammered out
Minnesota House and Senate negotiators are now sitting
down to start hammering out their differences in various areas of the state
budget with under three weeks left in the legislative session. Democratic
leaders met with Governor Dayton yesterday (Wed) to lay out a general plan.
Senate Majority Leader Tom Bakk (BOCK) says the first issue they'll probably
try to tackle is a significant MORE...
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Corn planting late, getting later
Corn farmers in Minnesota aren't too happy with the forecast
for the remainder of this week, which includes a significant amount of rain
and snow. There has already been quite a bit of flooding in across the corn
belt and ag meteorologist Brad Rippey says the weather expected to smack
Minnesota this week won't help much. Rippey says the May snowstorm will
contribute to further delays MORE...
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| Jeffrey and Kira Trevino |
Trevino lawyer wants delay in murder trial
The lawyer for a man accused of killing his wife has
asked for more time to prepare the defense for Jeffery Trevino, saying the
prosecution hasn't yet turned over all the evidence in the presumed murder of
Kira Trevino. Defense attorney John Conard also contested a request by
prosecutors to double the prison time for Jeffery Trevino if he is convicted
of killing his wife, saying the MORE...
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Pearson candy buys Bit-O-Honey
St. Paul-based Pearson candy has acquired the Bit-O-Honey
candy brand from Nestle. Pearson announced last month it was planning on
expanding its candy-making operations and adding workers at its West Seventh
Street factory. The 90-plus-year-old Bit-O-Honey will soon be made alongside
the Salted Nut Roll, Nut Goodie and Bun Bar. Pearson has been owned by a
Connecticut-based private equity MORE...
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13 inches of snow in Owatonna
Some in southeastern Minnesota are digging out from
more than a foot of May overnight snowfall. The National Weather Service in
Chanhassen says 13 inches fell in Owatonna, nine inches in Goodhue, and eight
inches in Hastings. Nine inches has already fallen in Dodge County, and
forecasters are predicting three to five more. Utility crews are working to
restore power to more than 15,000 MORE...
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House Speaker Thissen says no gun bill this year
With both sides deadlocked over background checks,
Speaker Paul Thissen (TEE-sen) said last night (Wed) there will be no gun
bill on the Minnesota House floor this session. Thissen says "neither side
is willing to compromise" and there isn't enough time to work it out before
the May 20th deadline. Saint Louis Park Democrat Ron Latz, chief author of
anti-gun-violence MORE...
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Minnesota House Rejects Sunday Liquor Sales Bill
(St.Paul, MN) -- The Minnesota House this afternoon (Wed) said "no" to liquor stores being open on Sunday and on Thanksgiving and Christmas Eve. Mazeppa (muh-ZEP'-uh) Republican Steve Drazkowski (draz-COW'-skee) supports Sunday sales, saying liquor stores are "buzzing" in Wisconsin, right across the river from Winona, Wabasha and Red Wing. MORE....
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Senate Passes Minnesota Dream Act
(St.Paul, MN) -- The Minnesota Senate today passed its version of the federal "Dream Act" which would allow undocumented immigrants to receive in-state tuition at the U-of-M and state colleges and universities. Prior Lake Republican Eric Pratt says of several states which do that, "only three go to the point of allowing students access to public financial MORE....
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Minnesota House Schedules Minimum Wage Increase Vote
(St. Paul, MN) -- A vote is set for Friday in the Minnesota House on increasing the state's minimum wage from the current 6-15 an hour to 9-50 by the year 2015. The measure would also permit most employees to take 12 weeks of unpaid leave when they have children or adopt. Opponents warn a minimum wage increase will force employers to cut back jobs, MORE....
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Iowa Senate Votes To Investigate Alleged Payments to Bachmann Campaign Chair
(Des Moines, IA) -- The Iowa Senate Ethics Committee voted today (Wed) to launch an investigation of a state senator accused of being paid 75-hundred dollars a month to work on Minnesota Congresswoman Michele Bachmann's presidential campaign. Senator Kent Sorenson denies the allegations and claims his accusers are on a witch hunt. MORE....
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Cold Spring Man Receives 10-Year Sentence For Meth, Firearms
(Duluth, MN) -- A Cold Spring man will spend ten years in federal prison after pleading guilty to being an illegal alien in possession of a firearm plus methamphetamine charges. Thirty-seven-year-old Tomas Marquez admitted that police found more than two pounds of meth and a .22-caliber revolver in his trailer home in September of 2012. MORE....
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Sheriff Declares "Ice Out" in Hennepin County
(Minnetonka, MN) -- The Hennepin County Sheriff's Office has officialy declared an "ice out" for 2013. The declaration is made when a boat can be piloted through a number of areas on Lake Minnetonka and back to the water patrol unit in Spring Park. This year's "ice out" is only the third time since the 1880s that it has occurred in the month MORE.....
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Highway 7 project begins May 13th
Motorists may encounter minor delays on Highway 7 from Highway 29 in Montevideo to Highway 40 near Milan as construction begins on Monday, May 13.
Crews will resurface the highway with two inches of pavement, install high tension cable guardrail and work on the shoulders.
Duininck Inc. is the contractor for the $2.3 Million project, which is scheduled for completion near the end of June, MORE...
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| The REAL David Gilmour |
Man poses as David Gilmour of Pink Floyd
A Minnesota man checked into a St. Cloud Hospital, claiming to be Pink Floyd singer-guitarist David Gilmour, and even signed autographs for hospital staff. Fifty-three-year-old Phillip Schaeffer of Monticello was treated at St. Cloud Hospital nearly two weeks ago, racking up a bill of about $100,000, but he checked in under the name of David Gilmour. He was treated even though he MORE...
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| Kandiyohi County Attorney Jenna Fischer |
State wraps up it's case in Huber trial
The state has wrapped up it's case in the Timothy Huber murder trial in Willmar. Defense attorneys Carter Greiner and Steven Ferrazano begin calling their witnesses Thursday morning. In court today, a coroner and two BCA experts took the stand. Dr. Richard Wehseler (WESS-ler) of Affiliated Community Medical Center was first. MORE...
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| Governor Dayton |
Dayton, fellow DFLers spar on tax increases
Top D-F-L lawmakers meet with Governor Dayton this morning
and taxes will likely be one topic. The House, Senate and governor don't
agree on proposed increases. Dayton says he opposes "any extension of any
tax to the middle class" -- and that includes expanding the sales tax to
clothing. But Senate Democratic Majority Leader Tom Bakk (BOCK) says the
governor's MORE...
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Gay marriage supporters eager to get bill passed in MN
Supporters of same-sex marriage are anxiously awaiting a
vote with under three weeks left until the Minnesota Legislature adjourns.
Senator Scott Dibble, a Democrat from Minneapolis, is chief author of the
bill. He says he feels very confident that lawmakers are "in a really,
really strong position." Autumn Leva (LEV'-uh) with Minnesota for Marriage
says most of the battle will MORE...
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April was third snowiest on record
The month of April will go down in the Minnesota record books for a number of unusual weather events. State Climatologist Greg Spoden says most of the state received snow last month and the 17.9 inches in the Twin Cities makes 2013 the third snowiest April. Several record-low temperatures were set on April 20th, including a 14-below zero reading at Embarrass. (MNN)
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Minnesota unemployment rate returning to pre-recession levels
Minnesota's unemployment rate is nearly back to where it stood before the recession. In just the last six months the state has gained nearly 51-thousand jobs and consumers continue to spend. Dave Brennan is a professor of marketing at the University of St. Thomas and says Minnesota's unemployment rate of 5.5 percent is well below the national rate. Brennan says there is still a MORE...
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No planting of corn yet
Last year, 90-percent of the state's corn crop was
planted by the end of April. This year, cold temperatures and late-season
snow has delayed planting. Kent Thiesse(tee-see) is a farm management
analyst in Lake Crystal and says the moisture level of the ground is pretty
good for planting, but the soil temperature is not there yet. He says we've
been running 15 to 20 degrees below the MORE...
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Mayday! Snow in the forecast
A rare May snowstorm is expected to impact a broad
swath of Minnesota beginning later today (Wed). The National Weather Service
says moderate to heavy accumulating snow will begin to fall this (Wed)
afternoon, and continue into about the lunch hour tomorrow (Thu). A winter
storm warning is in place on a line roughly 50 miles on either side of the
Twin Cities to Mankato to Blue Earth, and MORE...
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| Roger Imdieke |
Meeting tonight in New London focuses on zebra mussel prevention
While the prospects of getting any money to fight zebra mussels from the state are still up in the air, the Kandiyohi County Aquatic Invasive Species Task Force and several area agencies want to let the public know what's being done on the local level. Kandiyohi County Commissioner Roger Imdieke of rural New London invites the public to attend an AIS Education Meeting Wednesday night MORE...
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Two men honored for saving lives in Highway 12 crash
Two men who helped at the scene of a horrible traffic crash near Willmar last year have recieved lifesaving awards from the Minnesota State Patrol. Jose Alvarado and Michael Remarke came across a two-vehicle crash on Highway 12, west of Kandiyohi and pulled a young boy and girl from a burning van and carried them to the side of the road, saving their lives. Alvarado and Remarke were given MORE...
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| Ryan Blahosky |
Schools making up snow days
School officials across the state are doing some creative scheduling to try and make up for the all the snow days this winter. Willmar Schools Superintendent Jerry Kjergaard says Willmar had 6 snow days...5 have been made up and they will not make up the 6th. The last day of classes for students is June 7th. Willmar Schools Athletic Director Ryan Blahosky says they had their first MORE...
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| Tim Huber |
Meidcal professionals to testify in Huber trial
Medical professionals are on the docket for the Tim Huber murder trial in Willmar today. Assistant Kandiyohi County Coroner Dr. Richard Wehseler who examined murder victim Tim Larson's body October 8th 2011 will testify as well as a couple of specialists from the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension. Yesterday Dr. A. Quinn Strobl with the Ramsey County Medical Examiners office told jurors Larson died quickly of a single MORE...
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State Health Dept Proposes Changes to Child Immunizations
(St.Paul, MN) -- The Minnesota Department of Health is proposing some changes to update the state's school immunization laws. Infectious disease director Kris Ehresmann (AIRZ'-min) says they want to replace the seventh grade tetanus-diptheria vaccine with one that also includes pertussis or whooping cough. MORE....
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Dayton Reacts to Senate DFL Tax Bill
(St. Paul, MN) -- The day after Senate Democrats passed their tax increase bill, Governor Dayton says except for the cigarette tax, he strongly opposes "any extension of any tax to the middle class." The governor reiterated he strongly opposes extending the sales tax to clothing or to any additional services. MORE....
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Seven Appointed To MNsure Health Insurance Exchange Board
(St.Paul, MN) -- A technology provider...a business start-up consultant...a General Mills executive...a human services director on the Fond du Lac Reservation -- those are among seven people Governor Dayton has appointed to the MNsure (MINN'-sure) health care exchange board. The group will decide which health insurance products get into the state-sponsored MORE....
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Crash kills St. Cloud teen
The passenger in an SUV was killed in a crash near St. Cloud last night. The state patrol says the Chevy Suburban left Highway 10 at 85th Street in Benton County, north of Sauk Rapids, went airborn and hit a tree. A passenger, 13-year-old Ellie Savado of St. Cloud was killed. The driver, 59-year-old Phillip Boyle and another passenger, 12-year-old Sofia Boyle suffered non-life-threatening MORE...
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State patrol recognizes local lifesavers
Two men who helped at the scene of a horrible traffic crash near Willmar last year have recieved lifesaving awards from the Minnesota State Patrol. Jose Alvarado and Michael Remarke came across a two-vehicle crash on Highway 12, west of Kandiyohi and pulled a young boy and girl from a burning van and carried them to the side of the road, saving their lives. Alvarado and Remarke were given MORE...
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I-94 down to one lane after 7 tonight south of St. Cloud
Drivers planning a, eastbound trip this evening (Tue)
along I-94 between St. Cloud and Clearwater will have to make alternative
travel plans. Because of a lengthy construction project there the interstate
has been reduced to one lane in each direction, but tonight (Tue) MnDOT
officials even that lane will be closed on the eastbound side for emergency
repairs to construction cones and MORE...
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Senate rejects tax increase bill, then DFLers change mind and pass it
Democrats' tax increases were voted down in the Minnesota
Senate Monday afternoon, but after D-F-L lawmakers had a closed-door meeting
the bill passed on the second try, 35-to-31. Republicans urged Democrats to
stick with their conscience and vote "no" again. Burnsville Senator Dan Hall
warned D-F-L members of "the largest hit they'll ever have" at the polls MORE...
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Nurses being trained to take evidence from sex crime victims
Beginning today nine registered nurses at Rice Memorial Hospital will begin training to collect forensic evidence from victims of sexual abuse, and how to be expert witnesses in court trials. Safe Avenues, Rice Hospital, the Willmar Police Department and the Kandiyohi County Attorney's and Sheriff's Offices are collaborating on the Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner, or SANE program for MORE...
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| Rep. Dean Urdahl |
Urdahl accuses the DFL of "bait and switch"
An area lawmaker says the Minnesota DFL is guilty of "bait and switch" when it comes to taxes. Republican Representative Dean Urdahl of Grove City says during the campaign last year, DFLers promised to balance the budget by increasing taxes on the rich, but the House Tax Bill includes huge tax increases on cigarettes, alcohol and on upper middle class and upper class wage MORE...
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| Renee Nolting |
United Way announces funding recipients
United Way of West Central Minnesota (UWWCM) conducted its Community Review process in March thanks to the help of over 50 volunteers. These volunteers reviewed applications, visited agencies and conducted interviews to determine how to best allot $390,000 in program funding. "The process reminded us that needs are still great in West Central Minnesota and that we are incredibly MORE...
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Proms coming up...keep your eyes on the road!
With the prom coming up Friday at both Willmar and New London Spicer High Schools, police want to stress traffic safety. Willmar Police Captain Jim Felt says distracted driving is a big concern. Felt says there's a series of events going on throughout the day today at Willmar High School designed to increase traffic safety awareness. Felt says traffic crashes are the leading MORE...
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Debate Continues on Minnesota Senate Tax Bill
(St.Paul, MN) -- Republicans are blasting Democrats as the Minnesota Senate debates a tax bill to increase income taxes on the top seven percent and extend the sales tax to clothing and services. The bill also includes an increase in Minnesota's tobacco tax, which Saint Louis Park Democrat Ron Latz says will discourage young people from starting, MORE....
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Former T-Wolves, Current NBA Center Comes Out
-- Ex-Timberwolves center Jason Collins is coming out as the first gay player in the N-B-A. Thirty-four-year-old Collins tells Sports Illustrated in a cover story, quote, "I'm black and I'm gay." Collins says he didn't set out to be the first openly gay athlete playing in a major American team sport..."but since I am, I'm happy to start MORE....
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Potlach Lumber Mill Worker Falls to Death
(Farden Township, MN) -- OSHA and the Hubbard County Sheriff's Office are investigating the death of an employee at the Potlach Lumber Mill near Bemidji. Officers say 23-year-old Mitchell Harthan of Grand Rapids was doing maintenance 40 to 50 feet in the air Saturday when a section of catwalk he was standing on fell. MORE....
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House Committee Passes Minimum Wage Hike Bill
(St.Paul, MN) -- The Minnesota House Ways and Means Committee passed a bill today (Mon) that would raise the state's minimum wage to $9-50 over the next three years. D-F-L Representative Ryan Winkler of Golden Valley says we raised the minimum wage in the early 1990s and Minnesota had its best economic decade ever. MORE....
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| The victim, Tim Larson |
Huber jury watches security camera video
Testimony is over for the day in the Timothy Huber murder trial in Willmar. Things wrapped up at 3:10 p.m. and Judge Don Spilseth dismissed the jury until 9 a.m. tomorrow. Testifying today were friends of Tim Huber who talked about how he helped put siding on a house on the day that Tim Larson was shot to death on a farm near Belgrade. The jury this afternoon got to watch video from a security MORE...
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| Ellison |
Ellison says FBI should not target muslim groups for terrorism
In the aftermath of the Boston Marathon bombings, law enforcement, particularly the FBI, have been scrutinized for not more aggressively pursuing leads about suspect Tamerlin Tsarnaev and his ties to extremist groups. On Sunday's Meet the Press Representative Keith Ellison says now is not the time to assign blame. He says the FBI and law enforcement protect this country every day and MORE...
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| Senator David Hann |
Senate tax bill with many increases debated today
Expect heated debate when the Minnesota Senate takes up Democrats' tax increase bill today (11am start). Senate Republican Minority Leader David Hann says he hopes democrats will "reconsider their desire to drive the state economy over the cliff." Hann says Senate Democrats' plan includes a top-bracket income increase that Republicans warn reaches down into the middle MORE...
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| Sam Gustafson |
Rockford man missing
The search continues for a missing Rockford man. 26-year-old Sam Gustafson was last seen leaving a friend's home on the morning of April 21st. Gustafson's shoe was located the next day in a nearby parking lot. Gustafson suffers from paranoid schizophrenia and his family is concerned about his welfare as he's likely been without his meds since his disappearance. More than 100 MORE...
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Red River to crest at 37 feet Wednesday morning
The National Weather Service says the Red River is expected
to crest in Fargo/Moorhead at 37 feet sometime early Wednesday morning.
That's on the low end of the Friday forecast, which showed a crest range of
37 to 39 feet. However, that's still nearly 20 feet above flood stage and
would be the seventh-highest on record , similar to levels hit in 2006 and
2010. River watchers MORE...
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Crash hurts two south of Litchfield
At 6:09 Saturday morning the Meeker County Sheriff's Office received a report of a one vehicle accident on 624th Avenue at County-State-Aid-Highway 28, south of Litchfield in Greenleaf Township. A car driven by 29-year-old Todd Smith Jr. of Grove City was southbound on 615th avenue when his vehicle ran a stop sign and rolled in the south west field. Smith was airlifted by Life Link Helicopter MORE...
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| Tim Huber |
Week two of Tim Huber murder trial begins at 9 a.m. today
The Timothy Huber murder trial resumes this morning at the Kandiyohi County Courthouse in Willmar. Testimony began on Thursday of last week and featured testimony from Huber's father, Delbert, who admitted shooting Tim Larson of Albertville to death on a farm near Belgrade October 8th 2011. Tim Huber, 47 of rural Paynesville, is charged with 1st and 2nd Degree Murder for his part in the MORE...
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| Police Chief Jones with whiteboard (wjon) |
Rocori School District installs bulletproof whiteboards
With the help of the local businesses, the ROCORI school district has bought 193 of the whiteboards, at $300 per board. They plan to put one in every classroom in all the public schools and private schools in the three communities. They also plan to give the white boards to other staff like the cooks and janitors. Superintendent Scott Staska says it's another layer of defense if a MORE...
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Willmar Police to work with high school kids on driver safety Tuesday
Traffic crashes are the leading cause of death for young people. Traffic Safety Day activities on Tuesday, April 30 will give Willmar High School students opportunities to see how they can be safer drivers.
Starting at 9:30 a.m., scheduled activities include: Ghost-Out, Distract-A-Match, EVERYTIME Thumb Bands, Young Forever Presentation and a Roll-Over Simulator.
Distracted driving and MORE...
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Trailhead opens in Greenwald
A grand opening celebration took place Saturday for Stearns County' s Dairyland Trail in Greenwald. Phase one of the Dairyland Trail runs about eight miles from Greenwald to Elrosa, and includes trailheads in Elrosa and Greenwald. The trail will ultimately run through western Stearns County from Albany through New Munich, Greenwald and Elrosa to Brooten on the former Canadian Pacific Soo MORE...
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Wild Beat Avs, Move On To Playoffs
(Denver, CO) -- The Wild locked up a playoff berth with a hard-earned 3-1 victory over the Avalanche in Colorado. Zach Parise [[ puh-REE-see ]] scored his 18th goal of the year while Devin Setoguchi netted his 13th of the season for Minnesota. Pierre-Marc Bouchard added a late empty-netter for the Wild, who will face the Chicago Blackhawks in the first round.
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4-Year-old, Six Others Injured in Fridley Crash
(Fridley, MN) -- A four-year-old boy is among the seven seriously injured after a rollover SUV crash in Fridley yesterday. According to the State Patrol, six of the SUV's occupants were not wearing seat belts and multiple people were ejected from the vehicle. Officials say the four-year-old was among the passengers not wearing a seat belt and he was not in a car seat. (MORE...)
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Man Pulled from Maple Grove Pond Dies
(Maple Grove, MN) -- A man pulled from a Maple Grove pond Friday night has died. Witnesses saw 20-year-old Andrew Pitts of Brooklyn Park walking into the pond and called 911 at around 8. Emergency crews pulled Pitts from the icy water about an hour-and-a-half later. Officials say Pitts was unconscious when he was recovered from the pond. He died at a nearby hospital a short time later.
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Gun Violence Debate Resumes at Capitol
(St. Paul, MN) -- Anti gun-violence legislation has been on hold at the Minnesota Capitol, but with lawmakers now in the final push to wrap up the state budget, the gun issue will likely return to legislators' radar screens soon. Vernon Center Republican Tony Cornish says any attempt at expanding background checks on gun purchasers will fail. (MORE...)
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Gun Violence Debate Resumes at Capitol
(St. Paul, MN) -- Anti gun-violence legislation has been on hold at the Minnesota Capitol, but with lawmakers now in the final push to wrap up the state budget, the gun issue will likely return to legislators' radar screens soon. Vernon Center Republican Tony Cornish says any attempt at expanding background checks on gun purchasers will fail. (MORE...)
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Dayton Requesting Disaster Declaration For Ice Storm Damage
(St.Paul, MN) -- Governor Dayton is asking President Obama for a major disaster declaration after the recent winter storm. The southwest part of the state was hit by an ice storm April 9th through 11th. Roughly two inches of ice coated trees, roads and powerlines -- and knocked out electricity, heat and water service in the Worthington area. (MORE...)
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Dayton Requesting Disaster Declaration For Ice Storm Damage
(St.Paul, MN) -- Governor Dayton is asking President Obama for a major disaster declaration after the recent winter storm. The southwest part of the state was hit by an ice storm April 9th through 11th. Roughly two inches of ice coated trees, roads and powerlines -- and knocked out electricity, heat and water service in the Worthington area. (MORE...)
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Anti-Tax Rally at State Capitol Today
(St. Paul, MN) -- Thousands are converging on the State Capitol for today's annual Tax Cut Rally (Sat 10am-2pm). The Taxpayers League of Minnesota's Phil Krinkie says there's plenty to protest with the Senate and House Democrats' stampede toward higher taxes. (MORE...)
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Anti-Tax Rally at State Capitol Today
(St. Paul, MN) -- Thousands are converging on the State Capitol for today's annual Tax Cut Rally (Sat 10am-2pm). The Taxpayers League of Minnesota's Phil Krinkie says there's plenty to protest with the Senate and House Democrats' stampede toward higher taxes. (MORE...)
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Major Meth Bust in Hennepin County
(Minneapolis, MN) -- The Hennepin County Violent Offender Task Force executed two search warrants today (Fri) in Minneapolis that resulted in a huge meth bust. Officers arrested five people and confiscated 12 pounds of methamphetamine, 150-thousand dollars cash and a semi-automatic handgun. The estimated street value of the drugs is 200-thousand dollars MORE....
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St.Paul Man Sentenced To 10 Years in Sex Trafficking Case
(St.Paul, MN) -- A second man has been sentenced to ten years in connection with the sex trafficking of two underage girls at an Eagan hotel. Twenty-five-year-old Brandon Barnes of St. Paul received a lesser sentence than the 14 years of co-defendent Giorgio Baymon, because the judge ruled Barnes was less culpable than Baymon for the crime. MORE....
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Ex-GOP Staffer Sues Minnesota Senate For $600,000
(St. Paul, MN) -- Former G-O-P staffer Michael Brodkorb is suing the Minnesota Senate for at least 600-thousand dollars in past and future lost wages. Documents filed in the lawsuit Thursday also ask for an unspecified amount of money for alleged pain and suffering. Brodkorb made about 90-thousand dollars MORE....
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Crime Victims Bill Headed To Conference Committee
(St.Paul, MN) -- A bill to better notify victims of domestic assault, criminal sexual conduct or stalking when the accused is released from custody will be discussed in conference committee at the state legislature. D-F-L Senator Vicki Jensen of Owatonna says the difference between the Minnesota House and Senate versions is not great MORE....
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Huber trial wraps up for the week at 2:15
It was a short day today for jurors in the Timothy Huber murder trial. Day two of testimony began at 9:00 a.m. and things wrapped-up for the week at 2:15 p.m. They have the weekend off and will resume at 9 a.m. Monday. Huber, 47 of rural Paynesville, is charged with 1st and 2nd Degree Murder for the October 8th 2011 shooting death of 43-year-old Timothy Larson of Albertville. Huber's MORE...
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House-Senate Conference Committee Appointed
(St.Paul, MN) -- It's a bit of routine housekeeping that's common at this point in the legislative session, and the Minnesota House has voted to appoint a group of five to work with Senate lawmakers to iron out the differences in two key pieces of legislation. D-F-L Representative Thomas Huntley of Duluth says MORE....
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Olmsted County Courthouse Considers Metal Detectors
(Rochester, MN) -- Olmsted County officials are considering the addition of metal detectors to screen people entering the courthouse, after a man tried to slash his wrist during a sentencing hearing for a sex crime yesterday (Thu). 77-year-old Peter Bandy is undergoing a psychiatric evaluation, MORE....
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Texas Man Sentenced For Convincing Minnesota Girl To Pose Nude Online
(Houston, TX) -- A Texas man will serve nearly 20 years in prison for convincing a 9-year-old Minnesota girl he met online to pose nude and email him the picture. A federal judge sentenced Steve Correa-Franco after he pled guilty to enticement of a child and possession of child pornography.MORE....
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Crash closes Highway 12 for a few hours this morning
A Willmar man was hurt in a crash involving a semi and a mini van between Litchfield and Grove City this morning. The Meeker County Sheriff's Department says just before 4 a.m. a mini-van driven by 27-year-old Matthew Lindquist of Willmar was westbound on Highway 12 when his vehicle crossed the centerline west of Litchfield and collided with an eastbound semi-truck/trailer driven by MORE...
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| Bad memories of 2009 in Fargo |
Moorhead ready for big Red River crest
The latest flood forecast from the National Weather
Service shows a crest on the Red River at Fargo-Moorhead between
38-and-40-feet. Moorhead Mayor Mark Voxland says the city is well prepared
to handle anything up to 42-and-a-half feet. He says after the record flood
of 2009 the city bought out over 200 flood-prone homes along the river and
built seven miles of permanent levees. MORE...
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Elevator blast rocks Shakopee
An explosion at en energy plant in Shakopee rattled
windows, shook buildings, and prompted evacuations but nobody was hurt.
Kodak Energy and Rah Malting operate in a joint venture just south of the
Minnesota River near downtown Shakopee. Company executives say the explosion
happened just after noon, and the resulting fire damaged two biomass fuel
silos and their conveyor system, as well as a MORE...
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| Rep. Mary Sawatzky |
Sawatzky votes for Higher Ed Finance Bill
The Minnesota House of Representatives last night passed the Omnibus Higher Education Finance bill on an 86-44 vote and got the vote of Representative Mary Sawatzky of Willmar. Included in the bill is funding that will directly benefit students by freezing tuition at both the University of Minnesota (U of M) and the Minnesota State Colleges and University system (MnSCU), including MORE...
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| Kiefer and Brady |
Smith indicted for killing teen burglars on Thanksgiving
A Little Falls man has been indicted on first degree
murder charges, five months after he was accused of shooting two teenagers to
death on Thanksgiving day. 64-year-old Byron Smith faces life without parole
in the deaths of 18-year-old Haille Kifer and 17-year-old Nicholas Brady.
Special prosecutor Pete Orput says he looks forward to bringing justice for,
"These two high MORE...
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| Rep. David Hann |
GOP leader rips K-12 Education Bill
"Worst education bill ever," said Republican Leader David
Hann (HAN) as the DFL-controlled Minnesota Senate passed a
15-point-seven-billion-dollar K-12 school funding package last night (Thurs).
Lino Lakes Republican Roger Chamberlain called it "snake oil" -- a lot of
money and not delivering on promises. Chamberlain points to delayed teacher
evaluations and lower MORE...
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| Tim Huber |
911 tapes played, Delbert Huber appears in Tim Huber trial
Jurors in the Timothy Huber murder trial in Willmar yesterday got to hear the approximately 10 minute 911 call Delbert Huber made to report he had shot and killed Tim Larson. Huber pleaded guilty to 2nd Degree Murder last August, admitting he killed Larson after an argument at Larson's father Norman's farm near Belgrade October 8th 2011. The crotchety Huber, 82, testified yesterday MORE...
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Little Falls Man Indicted on First-Degree Murder Charges
(Little Falls, MN) -- The Little Falls man accused of killing two teens who broke into his home on Thanksgiving has been indicted on two counts of first-degree murder. Sixty-four-year-old Byron Smith was initially charged with second-degree murder in the shooting deaths of 18-year-old Haille Kifer and 17-year-old Nicholas Brady. MORE....
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Senate Debating K-12 School Funding Bill
(St.Paul, MN) -- Debate continues in the Minnesota Senate on a major K-12 school funding bill which Republicans say relaxes accountability standards for teachers. The bill delays the start of a new teacher evaluation program by one year, until the 2015-16 school year. Andover Republican Brandon Peterson objects, noting that the greatest in-school factor for student MORE....
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Minnesota House Passes higher Ed Bill
(St.Paul, MN) -- Democrats joined by some Republicans passed a major higher education funding bill in the Minnesota House today (Thurs) which has good news for students. Winona Representative Gene Pelowski says there will be no tuition increase for undergraduates at the University of Minnesota and at state colleges and universities -- meaning students won't have to MORE....
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Marshall Schools Apologize For Leaving Child at SD Museum
(Marshall, MN) -- The Marshall School District is apologizing to a child's parents after a four-year-old boy was left behind on Tuesday after a field trip to the Children's Museum in Brookings, South Dakota. Superintendent Klint Willert says the district learned about it from officials at the museum just before the bus returned from the trip, and sent someone to pick up MORE....
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Franken Pushes Marketplace Fairness Act
(Washington, DC) -- Minnesota Senator Al Franken is hopeful the Marketplace Fairness Act will pass the U-S Senate today or tomorrow (Thu/Fri) with bi-partisan support. The bill would require online retailers to collect sales tax in the state where purchases are made. He says it creates a level playing field for brick-and-mortar stores so they can compete with online MORE....
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Four More Minnesota Flu Deaths
(St.Paul, MN) -- The Minnesota Department of Health confirmed four more flu-related deaths over the past week, bringing the total to 194 since the season began in October. Only one school reported a flu outbreak and there were none in the state's nursing homes. Four people were hospitalized with influenza last week. MORE....
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Father of Slain ASU Student From Minnesota Speaks About Daughter
(Northfield, MN) -- The father of a Minnesota teen found bound and beaten to death in Arizona says his daughter was a perfect kid, the kind of child everyone hopes to raise. 19-year-old Becky Kasper was a 2011 graduate of Northfield High School and was attending Arizona State University when she was found dead Tuesday. MORE....
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F-B-I Active Shooter Training in St.Cloud
(St. Cloud, MN) -- The FBI is sharing its shooting response tips with Minnesota cops today and tomorrow in St. Cloud. Around 50 law enforcement officers are taking part in the training sessions at the request of the White House, in response to the school shooting in Newtown, Connecticut. MORE...
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Crest forecast lower at Wahpeton-Breckenridge
Forecasters have lowered the expected Red River crest at
Wahpeton (WOP'-uh-tin)-Breckenridge, but 2013 is still expected to be one of
the top five worst flood years on record. Richland County Emergency Manager
Brett Lambrecht says they have ten dump trucks loaded with sandbags ready to
in case there are any breaches or problems. Five-thousand sandbags have been
prepared. The area is MORE...
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| Murder victim Tim Larson |
Huber portrayed as feeble-minded in opening statements
In opening statements at the Timothy Huber murder trial in Willmar this morning, defense attorney Carter Greiner portrayed the defendant as a feeble-minded, physically abused son who followed the orders of his father, Delbert Huber, out of concern for his own safety. Tim Huber, 47 of Paynesville, is charged with 1st and 2nd Degree Murder for his part in the October 8th 2011 shooting death of MORE...
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| Scott Honour (twincities.com) |
Scott Honour wants to run for Governor
Wayzata businessman Scott Honour says he's running for
the Republican nomination for governor of Minnesota in 2014. He's the first
Republican in the state to officially jump into the race although others are
reportedly considering it. In a video message, Honour says "we lack
leadership in St.Paul and that's a failure of Governor Dayton. We lack vision
in St. Paul and MORE...
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Marshall 4-year-old left behind at South Dakota field trip
A four year old student was left behind on a school field trip, and school officials didn't realize the boy was missing until the bus arrived back at the school in Marshall, about an hour away. It happened on a class trip to the Children's Museum of South Dakota. Marshall Public School officials say the teacher failed to follow standard procedure and count the students before and after MORE...
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| Timothy Huber |
Opening statements, testimony to begin in Huber trial this morning
Testimony begins this morning in the Timothy Huber murder trial at the Kandiyohi County Courthouse in Willmar. Lawyers will give their opening statements before the jury and Judge Don Spilseth starting at 9 a.m. Huber, 47 of Paynesville is charged with 1st and 2nd Degree Murder for his part in the October 8th 2011 shooting death of Tim Larson of Albertville on Larson's father's farm in MORE...
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| Mary Rooda speaks at news conference |
Local health care providers protest budget cuts
Officials who work with services that help the disabled gathered in Willmar yesterday to ask state lawmakers not to cut $150 million dollars from the health and human services budget. Steve Larson, Policy Director with the ARC of Minnesota says these programs are already underfunded, and cutting more money will affect some of the most vulnerable in society. Mary Rooda is head of ARC MORE...
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| Charlene Stevens |
Willmar City Administrator performance reviewed
In a marathon meeting at city hall last night the Willmar City Council reviewed the performance of City Administrator Charlene Stevens. The annual review was performed during the Labor Relations Committee Meeting and took about 4 hours. Committee Chair Steve Ahmann says he's not at liberty to disclose the results of the review but said they will be discussed at the MORE...
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Felling Trailer hires former Bobcat workers in Litchfield
Last year Bobcat in Litchfield laid off or moved 100 manufacturing jobs to Bismarck North Dakota. But at the same time, Felling Trailers of Sauk Centre decided they wanted to expand, and Felling Shop Supervisor Tom Downs says they thought the conditions were right to come to Litchfield. Downs worked for Bobcat in Litchfield for 12 years before coming to Felling. He says they've been MORE...
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April snowfall breaks some records
This week's snowstorm created a record-breaking month in some areas of Minnesota, but not all. The April snowfall total at the Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport is at 17.6 inches, making it the third snowiest April on record. National Weather Service officials say that's still more than four inches away from the record for April, set in 1983. More than 50 inches of snow has MORE...
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| Rep. Greg Davids |
Davids says DFL tax hikes will backfire at polls next year
"Taxes Gone Wild" says Representative Greg Davids.
Democrats put their tax increase plan up for a vote later today (early pm
debate start) in the Minnesota House. The Preston Republican points to
Democrats' permanent tax increases and a temporary surcharge on high-income
Minnesotans, plus increases in the cigarette tax and alcohol tax.
Minneapolis D-F-Ler Jim Davnie MORE...
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No corn planted yet
Minnesota farmers are chomping at the bit to get into fields
that are just too wet, thanks to late season snowfall that just doesn't seem
to quit, plus flooding rainfalls. USDA meteorologist Brad Rippey says the
unseasonable weather has really hindered corn planting: Not a single field
has been planted in Minnesota, and only four percent along the entire corn
belt. Last year more MORE...
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Ducklings give adults salmonella
State Health Department investigators have
linked three cases of salmonella to ducklings purchased at the Tractor Supply
Company store in Inver Grove Heights. State Public Health Veterinarian
Doctor Joni Scheftel says the illnesses were all in adults, which is a bit
unusual. Scheftel cautions people to wash their hands after handling chicks
and ducklings and to avoid face contact with the MORE...
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| Rep. Dean Urdahl |
Squabbles over recommendations may doom Legacy Bill
The Legacy Bill may be in trouble this session. The bill decides where approximately 600 milliion dollars raised by a voter-approved sales tax surcharge will be spent to protect, preserve and enhance the environment, outdoors, water and the arts. Republican Representative Dean Urdahl of Grove City is the former Chair and still sits on the House Legacy Committee and says the problem seems to be MORE...
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| Adam Arvidson |
Downtown Willmar gateway open house this evening
The public is invited to an open house this afternoon to look at plans to create so-called "gateways to downtown Willmar." Willmar Planning and Development Director Bruce Peterson says they've hired a consultant from the Twin Cities, Adam Arvidson, to study how to direct people downtown. Peterson says they want to create gateways which don't rely on signage to guide people MORE...
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Willmar Salvation Army sends canteen truck to Fargo
The Willmar Salvation Army has deployed it's Mobile Emergency Disaster Canteen truck to Fargo to help feed flood defense workers. Salvation Army Envoy Chris Fuqua says at this point they only need the truck, not volunteers. Fuqua says the truck is set up at the Fargodome where an army of workers is filling sandbags to protect the Fargo Moorhead area from the Red River. Fuqua MORE...
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| Heibel (Litchfield Independent Review) |
Sex offender charged with molesting child at party
An East Bethel man who has two previous sex offense convictions has been indicted on a charge accusing him of molesting a 10-year-old girl at a party in Litchfield last November. 37-year-old Robert Heibel faces life in prison if he is convicted on his third sex offense, and because of the potential life sentence, a grand jury indictment was required. It was handed down earlier this month. The MORE...
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Renville County Board okays new Olivia hospital
The Renville County Board of Commissioners yesterday voted unanimously to go forward with building a new hospital and clinic in Olivia. RC Hospital CEO Nathan Blad (blawd) says the project is contingent upon approval of a low-interest USDA loan, which he believes this project qualifies for. Blad says the county board approval is an exciting next step in the process. He says they MORE...
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Twins Win!
(Minneapolis, MN) -- The Twins edged the Marlins 4-3 this (Tues) afternoon in the first game of a day-night doubleheader at Target Field. Rookie Oswaldo Arcia hit a three-run homer in the 4th inning to give Minnesota the lead. Twins starter Kevin Correia allowed two runs over seven innings MORE....
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Republicans Blast Senate DFL Tax Proposal
(St.Paul, MN) -- Republicans at the state Capitol are calling the Senate D-F-L's tax proposal a "shameful bill." One of the most controversial parts of the plan is to extend the sales tax to clothing while reducing the sales tax rate. Senate G-O-P Leader David Hann says Governor Dayton recognized that raising taxes on the middle class by increasing MORE....
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Eight Percent Increase in H-I-V Cases in 2012
(St.Paul, MN) -- The Minnesota Department of Health is reporting an eight-percent increase in the number of new H-I-V cases in 2012. The biggest spike in infections was among males and injection drug users. Infectious Disease Director Kris Ehresmann (AIRZ'-men) says the concentration of new H-I-V cases was in the Twin Cities MORE....
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Minnesota House Debating $16-Billion Education Bill
(St.Paul, MN) -- The Minnesota House this afternoon is debating the biggest piece of the state budget -- a nearly 16-billion-dollar funding bill for K-12 education. Education Finance Committee Chairman, Dilworth Democrat Paul Marquart says the goal is to close the achievement gap, MORE....
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Jury chosen in Huber trial
The jury has been set in the Timothy Huber murder trial in Willmar. Tomorrow will be an off day and opening statements and testimony will begin at 9 a.m. Thursday. The whole week had been set aside for jury selection but it went faster than planned, with the 14th juror being chosen early this afternoon. There will be 12 jurors and 2 alternates. Huber, 47, of rural Paynesville is charged with MORE...
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Apple Valley Man Indicted in the Murders of Wife and Unborn Child
(Hastings, MN) -- An Apple Valley man has been indicted on first- and second-degree murder charges in the March 7th death of his wife and her unborn child. Thirty-six-year-old Roger Holland is accused of strangling 37-year-old Margorie Holland in their townhome. MORE....
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Dead Moorhead Rape Suspect Denied Committing Crimes To Police
(Moorhead, MN) -- A Fargo man who was charged with a brutal rape and assault last September in Moorhead told investigators he didn't do it. A May trial date was set for 46-year-old Richard Haaland, but the case was closed after Haaland died last week in his Fargo apartment. MORE....
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Senate DFL Tax Plan
(St.Paul, MN) -- Senate Democrats' tax plan rolled out today (Tues) includes a controversial extension of the state sales tax to clothing while lowering the sales tax *rate* more than a percentage point. Low-income Minnesotans would get up to a 60-dollar credit to offset the tax on clothing. MORE....
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Rape charges filed in dead baby case
Criminal charges have been filed in connection with the
stillborn infant found tangled in hospital linens in a Red Wing laundry last
week, but not in the manner most may think. A 32-year-old man has now been
charged with statutory rape for allegedly having sex with the 14-year-old
mother of the dead baby. Jose Recinos-Ramirez of St. Paul is charged with
third-degree criminal sexual conduct. MORE...
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| Rep. Sawatzky |
Sawatzky votes for Health and Human Services Bill
The Minnesota House of Representatives approved the Omnibus Health and Human Services bill on Monday by a 70-64 vote. State Representative Mary Sawatzky (DFL Willmar) voted in favor of the bill. In a news release, she says the bill reduces the HHS budget by $150 million over two years through targeted cuts, reforms, and re-prioritization while still protecting the poor and MORE...
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Roccori buying bulletproof whiteboards
A central Minnesota school district that was the site of a school shooting in 2003 is adding bulletproof whiteboards to each classroom. The boards being used by the Rocori School District can hang on a wall and be used in class, just like any other marker board, but when the lives of students are threatened a teacher can use it as a shield. Cold Spring Police Chief Phil Jones says it's the MORE...
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Buffalo Lake ethanol plant closes again
A recently reopened ethanol plant in Buffalo Lake is closed again, and Purified Renewable Energy s top executives have been fired amid allegations of wrongdoing in an unfolding bankruptcy case. Former chief financial officer Patrick Riggs was terminated in March while on leave for cancer surgery, and just 10 of 23 employees remain on the job. Court documents show the plant has just enough MORE...
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Buffalo Lake ethanol plant closes again
A recently reopened ethanol plant in Buffalo Lake is closed again, and Purified Renewable Energy s top executives have been fired amid allegations of wrongdoing in an unfolding bankruptcy case. Former chief financial officer Patrick Riggs was terminated in March while on leave for cancer surgery, and just 10 of 23 employees remain on the job. Court documents show the plant has just enough MORE...
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| Senator Franken |
College funding meeting tonight in Willmar
On Tuesday, April 23, at 6:30 p.m., key members of U.S. Sen. Al Franken's staff will be at Willmar High School to lead a "College Affordability Resource Night" to help area families understand their best options for paying for college.
"Navigating the process of paying for college can be incredibly complicated for parents and students alike," said Sen. Franken. "From MORE...
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Rueter wins top prize at Inventor's Congress
The Minnesota Inventors Congress Invention & Idea Show is proud to announce this year's F. Robert Starr Award recipient! Former Minnesota legislator, Douglas E. Reuter of Corinth, Texas, graciously accepted the grand prize award at tonight's banquet for his new board game, QB8"!. QB8 is another exciting and challenging game from Reuter, the inventor of the game MORE...
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| Charlie Zelle in Willmar |
New MN Transportation Commissioner visits Willmar
New Minnesota Transportation Commissioner Charlie Zelle (zelly) made a stop in Willmar Monday afternoon to talk about transportion funding. At an hour-long presentation at Northern States Supply, Zelle told a room full of government and business leaders Governor Mark Dayton is not in favor of passing a gas tax to fund more road and bridge projects in the state. Zelle said a gas tax is MORE...
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| Bruce Peterson |
Gateways to downtown Willmar discussed today, tomorrow
Ever since the Willmar Downtown Bypass was built 30 years ago, newcomers and visitors to the city have wondered "where is downtown?" and "how do I get there?" Willmar Planning and Development Director Bruce Peterson says they've hired a consultant from the Twin Cities, Adam Arvidson, to study how to direct people downtown. Peterson says 3 specific "gateways" MORE...
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| Murder victim Tim Larson |
9 jurors selected in Huber trial
Good progress is being made on jury selection in the Timothy Huber murder trial. This whole week had been set aside for jury selection, but by the end of the day yesterday 9 of a potential 15 jurors (12 jurors and 3 alternates) had already been selected. Judge Don Spilseth said at this rate they may be ready to have opening statements and testimony starting Thursday or Friday. One woman who MORE...
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Ground/snow-breaking today for new Stearns County park
Construction is set to begin, and a groundbreaking is planned, for Stearns County s most recently acquired park Rockville County Park & Nature Preserve. A groundbreaking is set to take place at1:30 today. Rockville County Park, located along Glacier Road in Rockville, was established in late 2006 and early 2007 through the acquisition of three major parcels of property. The largest MORE...
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Senate DFL Leader: Some Democrats Could Lose Election Over Taxes
(St.Paul, MN) -- Senate Majority Leader Tom Bakk (BOCK) is getting lots of attention at the State Capitol after saying that some lawmakers will probably lose elections because Democrats will raise taxes -- but Bakk adds that "leading is not a popularity contest." Senate Democrats are talking about a tax increase on a larger number of high-income Minnesotans than MORE....
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Affidavit Shows Bachmann Presidenital Campaign Paid Iowa State Senator
(Shakopee, MN) -- A former chief of staff to Michele Bachmann says the congresswoman was aware of payments made to an Iowa state senator during her presidential campaign. In an affidavit released today, Andy Parrish writes that Iowa Senator Kent Sorenson was paid 75-hundred dollars a month through a fundraising firm for being Bachmann's state chairman MORE....
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Lawmakers Re-Work Mayo Clinic Expansion Plan
(St.Paul, MN) -- A reworked proposal for state funding to help with the Mayo Clinic expansion requires more local match money and more private investment before the state of Minnesota does any spending. Revisions made today (Mon) in the Senate Taxes Committee would withhold state dollars until 250 million dollars is spent on upgrading the clinic and associated development MORE....
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Hennepin County Sheriff's Office Adding First Somali-American Deputy
(Brooklyn Park, MN) -- Hennepin County Sheriff Rich Stanek will swear-in the county's first Somali-American deputy during a ceremony tonight in Brooklyn Park (Mon7pm). Haissan (huh-SAWN') Hussein is one of the 30 new deputy sheriffs who will receive their badge. MORE....
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Weather Postpones Twins and Marlins Opener
(Minneapolis, MN) -- The series opener between the Twins and Marlins tonight at Target Field has been postponed due to another April snowstorm. The game will be made up tomorrow (Tues) as part of a day/night double-header with Miami. Tuesday's games are scheduled for 1:10pm and 7:10pm. MORE....
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Authorities in Crookston Respond to "Swatting" Call
(Crookston, MN) -- Police in Crookston are investigating what turned out to be a prank call of a shooting. Officials say the Minnesota Relay System, which allows people with hearing or speech disabilities to make and take phone calls, received a call Sunday from a 15-year-old male reporting a shooting. MORE....
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Cold and Snowy Spring Not All Bad for Agriculture
-- The Minnesota Extension Service says even though March and April have been cold and wet, it hasn't been all bad news for agriculture. West Central Regional Ag Educator Dave Nicolai says even though things vary from field to field, the slow melt down is helping recharge depleted soil moisture, which is important for drought recovery. MORE....
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Dylan Schedules July Concert at Midway Stadium
(St.Paul, MN) -- Hall of Fame singer-songwriter Bob Dylan is headlining a minor league ballpark tour this summer that includes a stop in his home state. Dylan is scheduled to play Midway Stadium in St.Paul on July 10th with Wilco and My Morning Jacket. MORE....
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Highway 4 project in Cosmos begins today
The Highway 4 reconstruction project in Cosmos began Monday, according to the Minnesota Department of Transportation. The detour follows Highway 4 north to Highway 7, then east to Meeker County Road 1, north to County Road 28, and west to Highway 4. Traffic on Highway 7 will not be affected by the detour. The reconstruction includes grading, paving, sidewalk construction, watermain MORE...
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| Ricky Cobb |
Bar room brawl at St. Cloud bar
Two people were arrested in St. Cloud after a huge bar brawl that left an employee and several other people injured. St. Cloud Police say the fight inside the Press Bar involved at least 30 people, throwing glasses, beer bottles, and tables. The employee's arm was cut with a beer bottle when he tried to break up the melee. 22-year-old Ricky Cobb the Second of Brooklyn Park was arrested and MORE...
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Doctors watching for bird flu
Minnesota doctors have been placed on alert, asked by the Minnesota Department of health to watch for a new strain of influenza that's now circulating in China; physicians are urged to notify state health authorities if they have patients who traveled to the Asian nation and have flu-like symptoms. Health department officials say doctors have already reported a couple of patients who fit the MORE...
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Winter storm coming this afternoon, tonight
Another major winter storm is expected to impact the Northland. The National Weather Service has issued a winter weather advisory for east central Minnesota, and forecasters say the snow will start this (Mon) evening and could fall at a rate of one to two inches per hour by tomorrow (Tue) afternoon. The storm may include thunder and lightening as well. Road conditions are expected to MORE...
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| Dave Nicolai |
Slow meltdown helping soil moisture
The Minnesota Extension Service says even though March and April have been cold and wet, it hasn't been all bad news for agriculture. Regional Ag Educator Dave Nicolai says even though things vary from field to field, the snow and cold, slow melt down is helping recharge depleted soil moisture. Unfortunately the snow has prevented the soil from warming up. Corn germinates best at 50 MORE...
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| Bri Rohne |
Willmar man was in Boston one week ago today
The City of Boston and the nation are celebrating Friday's capture of one of the suspects in last Monday's Boston Marathon bombing. Ed Nowacki of Willmar was there one week ago today, watching his daugher Bri Rohne of St. Paul run the race. He says they were about a block away when the bombs went off, and could feel the concussion on his chest. Nowacki says Bri had improved her MORE...
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| Tim Huber |
Tim Huber murder trial to begin today
The Timothy Huber murder trial begins today in Kandiyohi County District Court in Willmar. Things will begin with jury selection, and the trial is scheduled to last 3 weeks. Huber, 47, of rural Paynesville, is charged with 1 count of 1st Degree and 2 counts of 2nd Degree Murder for his part in the October 8th 2011 shooting death of 43-year-old Tim Larson of Albertville at Larson's MORE...
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| Jim Butterfield |
Commissioner says new flood maps aren't accurate
Citizens and government officials weren't happy with new flood maps released by the Federal Emergency Management Agency. Kandiyohi County Commissioner Jim Butterfield of Willmar and others had a chance to look at the maps at the Kandiyohi County Health and Human Services Building last week. Butterfield says FEMA did not use the latest technology when creating the new maps. MORE...
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Crash kills Watson woman
One person was killed and three people were injured in a crash north of Montevideo yesterday afternoon. The state patrol says it happened at the intersection of Highway 29 and Chippewa County Road 13 at 3:50 p.m. A pickup driven by 18-year-old Charles O'Malley of Montevideo was westbound on 13 and broadsided a pickup driven by 51-year-old Thomas Finke of Holland. O'Malley and MORE...
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Winning Lottery Numbers
(Roseville, MN) -- Here are the winning numbers from the Minnesota State Lottery for Saturday, April 20th, 2013. MORE.....
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New SWAT Vehicle For Hennepin County
(Minneapolis, MN) -- The Hennepin County Sheriff's Office is showing off its new Ballistic Engineered Armored Response vehicle - or BEAR. It will be used to transport SWAT teams to events involving armed offenders, high-risk warrants, chemicals or MORE.....
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Crime Victims' Rights Week Begins
(Undated) -- Crime Victims' Rights are in the spotlight this week as the state commemorates the 30th anniversary of the signing of Minnesota's Crime Victim Bill of Rights. The 1983 bill was the first of its kind in the state and provides a comprehensive set of rights for crime victims, including the right to a secure waiting area during court proceedings and the right to
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MN Vet Gets Long Overdue Medal
(St. Paul, MN) -- A Korean War veteran from Princeton will receive his long-overdue Prisoner of War service medal at a ceremony at the state Capitol today. Duane Broten has waited 60 years for the honor, as he and his family have worked to correct Army records -- which failed to show that Broten had been taken prisoner in Korea in 1953. Broten managed to escape, despite MORE....
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Becker County Jailbirds Caught Within An Hour
(Detroit Lakes, MN) -- Two people escaped from the Becker County jail for about an hour yesterday. The sheriff's office says the two inmates, 30-year-old Scott Sellers and 20-year-old Arlan Bergstorm used a metal plate MORE.....
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Faribault Police Looking For Stabbing Suspect
(Faribault, MN) -- Faribault police are looking for a man suspected of assaulting his girlfriend. Twenty-seven-year-old Shane Wilson is accused of stabbing the 26-year-old victim multiple times. Officials found the woman unresponsive MORE.....
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Earth Day Celebrated at Prairie Woods Environmental Learning Center
(Spicer, MN) Earth Day is Monday, but the local celebration takes place Saturday at Prairie Woods Environmental Learning Center until 1 pm. There will be displays on archery, archeology, wood ducks, Pheasants Forever, flintknapping, zebra mussels, alternative energy and the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency will have a display of macro invertibrates, (MORE...)
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Plans Ready For Levees, Sandbag Dikes In Fargo Area
(Fargo, ND) -- Plans are now in place for building clay levees and sandbag dikes in Fargo and Cass County to protect against what could be record flooding along the Red River. Truck convoys will start delivering sandbags into Fargo neighborhoods Tuesday and students will begin placing them on Thursday. (MORE...)
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Arrest Made in Fatal Shakopee Shooting
(Shakopee, MN) -- Police have arrested one suspect and are searching two others following a fatal shooting at a Shakopee apartment Thursday. Twenty-seven-year-old Steven Moore was arrested in connection with the death of 19-year-old Marcos Pantaleon -- a Shakopee high school senior. Two other males were shot--they're recovering at a nearby hospital. (MORE...)
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State Senate Rejects Unemployment Benefit Extension For Locked-Out Workers
(St. Paul, MN) -- Labor groups are trying to figure out why the DFL-controlled Minnesota Senate pulled a measure out of a budget bill Friday that would have paid two years of extra unemployment benefits to locked-out employees. (MORE...)
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State Senate Rejects Unemployment Benefit Extension For Locked-Out Workers
(St. Paul, MN) -- Labor groups are trying to figure out why the DFL-controlled Minnesota Senate pulled a measure out of a budget bill Friday that would have paid two years of extra unemployment benefits to locked-out employees. (MORE...)
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Minnesota Native's Home Hit During Massachusetts Manhunt
(Watertown, MA) -- A 1998 St. Cloud Cathedral High School graduate woke up to a bullet hole in the wall of her Watertown, Massachusetts apartment where the manhunt continues for the second suspect in the Boston Marathon bombings. Meghan Marrer says she first knew something was up when she and her fiance received a reverse 9-1-1 text alert -- telling them to stay inside MORE....
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Iowa Senate Leaders Mum on Bachmann Campaign Ethics Investigation
(Des Moines, IA) -- Iowa Senate leaders are saying little about the ethics committee investigation involving Michele Bachmann's presidential campaign. Bachmann's former chief of staff, Andy Parrish, has agreed to testify that Senator Kent Sorenson was paid with campaign money which violates Iowa Senate rules. Senate G-O-P Leader Bill Dix says MORE....
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Senate Panel Passes Health and Human Services Cuts
(St.Paul, MN) -- A bill that would trim health and human services spending in the state budget is moving toward a vote next week in the Minnesota Senate, despite Republicans' efforts today (Fri) to send it back to committee for re-working. Ham Lake Republican Michelle Benson says Democrats are "exceptionally good at raising taxes" and if they're going to rob MORE....
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Heated Senate Debate Over "Minnesota Teen Challenge" Funding
(St.Paul, MN) -- Heated debate in the Minnesota Senate this afternoon as Republicans tried unsuccessfully to earmark one-and-a-half-million-dollars for Minnesota Teen Challenge -- a group that opponents say sends negative messages and tries to convert gay and lesbian clients. Maple Grove Republican Warren Limmer points to Teen Challenge's 75-percent success rate MORE....
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| Jade Ovando |
Officials looking for missing Benson girl
Officials are looking for a missing Benson teenager. 14-year-old Jade Ovando was last seen by her grandmother on April 4th, and it is suspected she may be in the Willmar area. Jade is 5 feet tall, 100 pounds, with brown eyes, long brown hair, and a pierced nose. She is of native american and Guatamalan descent. If you have any information on her MORE...
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Minnesota House Passes Hospital Staffing Study Bill
(St.Paul, MN) -- The Minnesota House has passed a bill that tries to address a long-standing dispute between hospital management and nurses over staffing levels -- which nurses claim are inadequate to protect patient safety. Inver Grove Heights Democrat Joe Atkins says his bill represents "peace in the valley. " MORE....,
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Senate Debates Higher Ed Legislation
(St.Paul, MN) -- The Minnesota Senate has voted to limit tuition increases to three percent at state colleges and universities -- but not at the University of Minnesota. Lino Lakes Republican Roger Chamberlain proposed the U-of-M not get any money from the state unless it freezes tuition at current levels. MORE....
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Teen Killed in Sauk Centre Crash
(Sauk Centre, MN) -- An 18-year-old woman was killed Monday in a two-vehicle crash in Sauk Centre. According to police, Anne Marie Chronister of Lake Benton was a passenger in a car that ran a stop sign and collided with a truck pulling a horse trailer. The driver of the car, 21-year-old Talia Hoffman, and another passenger, 33-year-old Lazaro Diaz, MORE....
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Regions Hospital Apologizes For Stillborn Baby Incident
(St. Paul, MN) -- Regions Hospital in St. Paul is offering an apology for the incident involving a stillborn baby who ended up in linens that were sent to Red Wing. In a statement, Regions officials say the remains of a baby boy had been wrapped in the linens at the hospital morgue and were mistaken for laundry that was sent out for cleaning. MORE...
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Dayton Signs Decker Memorial highway Bill
(St.Paul, MN) -- Governor Dayton this afternoon (Tues) signed a bill designating Highway 23 from Richmond to Wakefield Township as the "Officer Tom Decker Memorial Highway" in honor of the slain Cold Spring officer. Police Chief Phil Jones says it may seem like a small stretch of highway - it's only 11 miles - MORE....
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Dayton Orders Flags at Half-Staff in Honor of Boston Marathon Victims
(St.Paul, MN) -- Governor Dayton has ordered all flags to be flown at half-staff on state and federal buildings in memory of the victims of the Boston Marathon bombings. The governor signed the proclamation today MORE....
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Minnesota Runners Return From Boston Marathon
(Fergus Falls, MN) -- A runner from Fergus Fall is happy to be back in Minnesota after finishing the Boston Marathon. Scot Rownd (round) was on the subway headed back to his hotel when he found about the bombings. He says the attacks will not change the way he views marathons and he will definitely go back to Boston if he qualifies again. MORE....
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Revised "Destination Medical Center" Plan For Rochester
(Rochester, MN) -- A revised Destination Medical Center plan has been unveiled by the Minnesota House Taxes Committee, and it would shift more of the funding away from the state. The original request was for $500 million in state funding, but House Democrats want to cut that back to $338 million, and no more than $30 million per year. MORE....
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State Lawmakers May Consider Changing Electronic Gambling Rules
(St.Paul, MN) -- Legislators may try to change the state's electronic gambling rules due to the shortfall in proposed e-pulltab revenue for the Vikings stadium. House Commerce Committee Chair Joe Atkins says he would consider dropping the requirement that establishments have paper pulltabs in place before they add the electronic version of the game. MORE...
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Minnesota House Passes Jobs Bill
(St.Paul, MN) -- The jobs bill passed by the Minnesota House invests $46 million to help spur job creation throughout the state. It also includes a $350 million tax cut for Minnesota businesses. Last year, the Republican-led legislature sought a 50 percent cut to jobs and economic development, and D-F-L Representative Tim Mahoney says he's happy to see the MORE....
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More Fish Poaching Charges
(St. Paul, MN) -- Twenty-one more people are being charged with game fish poaching in north-central Minnesota. This comes after a three year special investigation. Ten men were indicted last week on federal charges as part of the same investigation. MORE....
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Shaffhausen Trial
(Hudson, WI) -- Closing arguments may begin this afternoon in the Aaron Schaffhausen trial in Hudson, Wisconsin. The 35-year-old admitted he killed his three young daughters last summer in their River Falls, Wisconsin home. Jurors must now determine whether Schaffhausen was insane at the time. MORE....
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Higher Ed Spending Under Discussion
(St. Paul, MN) -- The Senate Finance Committee is taking a close look at each portion of the proposed state budget this week, and higher education spending is under discussion today. D-F-L Senator Terri Bonoff says the higher ed budget includes $80 million each for the U-of-M and MnSCU.
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The Tax Man Cometh
-- Last minute tax filers must get their returns in the mail today, or they'll be considered late and that may mean penalties. Minnesota Revenue Commissioner Myron Frans says if possible, it's best to file electronically. He also cautions those who are racing to get their returns done. MORE....
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American Crystal Sugar Workers Vote to Ratify Contract
(Grand Forks, ND) -- After a 20-month lock-out, American Crystal Sugar workers have voted to ratify the company's latest proposed contract. Fifty-five-percent of the workers voted yesterday to accept the offer. It was the fifth time workers have voted on a contract since the lockout. (MORE...)
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Bill Proposes Naming Highway for Fallen Cold Spring Officer
(Cold Spring, MN) -- A bill that renames part of Highway 23 after slain Cold Spring Police Officer Tom Decker is headed to Governor Dayton's desk. It passed unanimously Thursday in the Minnesota House and Senate. Senator Michelle Fischbach [[ FISH'-bock ]] says this is a small thing we can do to honor the man who gave his life in his dedication to protect and serve. (MORE...)
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MN Drought Update
(Undated) -- Minnesotans have been pretty vocal about the late season snowstorm that has stretched across the state for the last several days, but at least one man says it's a good thing. Meteorologist Brad Rippey says the storm brought snow and rain to Minnesota, and the latest drought monitor shows the dryness continues to slowly improve -- (MORE...)
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MN Drought Update
(Undated) -- Minnesotans have been pretty vocal about the late season snowstorm that has stretched across the state for the last several days, but at least one man says it's a good thing. Meteorologist Brad Rippey says the storm brought snow and rain to Minnesota, and the latest drought monitor shows the dryness continues to slowly improve -- (MORE...)
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Graphic Crime Scene Photos at Schaffhausen Trial
(Hudson, WI) -- Jurors viewed some disturbing crime scene photos today at the trial of Aaron Schaffhausen. The prosecution called a forensic image specialist to the stand today. The specialist had taken more than 600 photos inside the River Falls, Wisconsin home where Schaffhausen admitted to killing his three young daughters, Amara, Cecilia and Sophie last July. MORE....
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Another Vote for Locked-Out American Crystal Sugar Workers
(Moorhead, MN) -- Locked-out American Crystal Sugar workers are scheduled to vote again Saturday on the company’s last contract offer. The union rejected the same deal during a vote in December with 55-percent of union workers voting against the proposal. MORE....
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Worthington Secures Outside Power Transmission Lines
(Worthington, MN) -- Progress is being made in Worthington today after severe weather caused citywide power outages earlier this week. The town had been running on back-up diesel power with rolling blackouts for about 45 hours until early this morning MORE....
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U of M Releasing Results of Iron Range Cancer Study
(Mountain Iron, MN) -- University of Minnesota researchers will release results of a five-year, five-million-dollar study looking into possible links between asbestos exposure in taconite mines and a rare cancer. The study's results will be released during a community meeting this afternoon (3 p.m.) at the community center in Mountain Iron. MORE....
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"Stand For Marriage Rallies" in Greater Minnesota
-- The organization fighting efforts to legalize same-sex marriage in Minnesota is holding a number of rallies across the state. The first "Stand for Marriage Rally" is tonight outside Tobie's restaurant in Hinckley (Fri7pm). Minnesota For Marriage is asking supporters to urge their state legislator to vote "no" on same-sex marriage MORE....
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More debate on jersey tax to pay for Vikings stadium
Debate in Minnesota House committee Wednesday afternoon
but no vote on a plan to have a sports memorabilia tax as a backup for
electronic pulltabs, which are generating nowhere near expected revenue for a
new Vikings stadium. Balsam Township Democrat Tom Anzelc (ANN'-zells) said
panic isn't appropriate but lawmakers are "looking for a little comfort."
Minnesota Sports MORE...
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Winter storm warning remains in effect
A Winter Storm Warning remains in effect for most of west
central Minnesota, including the Twin Cities metro, and it's expected to last
through tonight (Thu). But the National Weather Service says the snow won't
stop until Friday morning. The overnight mix of rain and snow has
transitioned to snowfall in the region, and forecasters are warning commuters
that six inches or more is MORE...
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Bachmann cheering on St. Cloud State in Frozen Four
Congresswoman Michele Bachmann will be rooting for the
St.Cloud State Huskies tonight (Thus) in the N-C-A-A Frozen Four. The Sixth
District Republican recognized the team Wednesday on the U-S House floor.
Bachmann said if there's one thing the people of Minnesota understand, it's
hockey. Bachmann says she and all the people back home are extremely proud
of these young men and what MORE...
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Travel hazardous in the area...plows pulled
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Rep. Tim Walz wins congressional hot dish event
On Wednesday, Minnesota's Congressional Delegation came together for U.S. Sen. Al Franken’s (D-Minn.) third annual hotdish competition. Sen. Franken started the friendly “Hotdish Off” as a way to bring the delegation together and celebrate a Minnesota culinary tradition. Rep. Walz’s “Hermann the GermanHotdish” took first place. MORE...
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SW Minnesota Reeling After Ice Storm
(Various) -- A late winter storm with freezing rain and ice is causing major problems in southwestern Minnesota, and that area could get a one-two punch with significant snow also on the way. State officials say Nobles, Cottonwood, Murray and Rock counties have widespread power outages, power lines down and numerous trees down. MORE....
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Man Charged With Biting Off Finger Of Minneapolis Officer
(Minneapolis, MN) -- The man accused of biting off the finger of a Minneapolis police officer has been charged with first-degree felony assault. Fifty-four-year-old James Dawkins makes his first court appearance Thursday afternoon. Police were called to Dawkins' boarding house Tuesday after his roommate reported Dawkins was having an emotional breakdown MORE....
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More Plans Floated To Address Vikes Stadium E-Pulltab Shortfall
(St. Paul, MN) -- More proposals in the mix today (Wed) to close the e-pulltab funding gap for the Vikings stadium. State Representative Bob Barrett's bill would have the Vikings plug the shortfall with 200 million dollars they received from the N-F-L, or have the team turn over stadium naming rights to the state until e-pulltab revenue is sufficient. MORE....
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Some State Lawmakers Angry Over Mayo CEO's Comment In D-C
(St. Paul, MN) -- Mayo Clinic officials are getting heat at the Minnesota Capitol over their C-E-O's comments about a request for state assistance. Doctor John Noseworthy said "49 states" would be eager to have Mayo's expansion and, if the legislature doesn't approve the bill, Mayo will have to "rethink" whether investing in Minnesota is best MORE....
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Lake Crystal Man Gets Five Years For Sex Assault Of Two Teens
(Mankato, MN) -- A Lake Crystal man charged with sexually assaulting two underage girls last fall has drawn a five-year prison sentence. Twenty-two-year-old William Edwards pleaded guilty to criminal sexual conduct in the rapes of a 13-year-old girl on a playground and a 12-year-old girl in his apartment. MORE....
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House Dems Roll Out $858 Million Bonding Plan
(St. Paul, MN) -- House Democrats have unveiled their bonding bill for state public works projects. At 858 million dollars, it's about a hundred-million more than Governor Dayton's plan. Like the governor's plan, the House DFL proposes 109 million dollars to continue renovations at the State Capitol MORE....
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House Dems Unveil Health/Human Services Budget
(St. Paul, MN) -- One-hundred-50-million dollars in cuts over the next two years -- that's the key feature of House Democrats' proposed state health and human services budget unveiled today. Duluth Representative Tom Huntley says the bill still protects the most vulnerable Minnesotans, funds mental health initiatives and includes a two-percent increase for nursing home MORE....
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Sauk Rapids Mayor Pleads Guilty To DWI
(Sauk Rapids, MN) -- The mayor of Sauk Rapids has pleaded guilty to driving drunk following a February crash and failed breath test. 48-year-old Brad Gunderson pleaded guilty today to one count of driving under the influence and was immediately sentenced to a year in jail and a three-thousand-dollar fine. He must serve 15 days in jail, pay 900 dollars of the fine MORE....
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Winning Lottery Numbers
(Roseville, MN) -- Here are the winning numbers from the Minnesota State Lottery for Saturday, April 6th, 2013. MORE.....
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Businesses Mull Minimum Wage Raise
(Alexandria, MN) -- The proposal in the Minnesota legislature to raise minimum wage is not sitting well with some restaurants and small businesses. Republican Representative Mary Franson of Alexandria says she is hearing from some businesses that are already struggling. MORE.....
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Conservation Stewardship Program Begins
(Undated) -- The weather may not feel quite right, but spring is here and Minnesota farmers can now sign up for the Conservation Stewardship Program. Funding had been in jeopardy, but policy organizer Adam Warthesen with the Land Stewardship Project says the oversight has been fixed MORE.....
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Fairview Health Hearing at Capitol Today
(St. Paul, MN) -- There's an unusual Sunday hearing at the state Capitol this afternoon on the proposed takeover of Fairview Health Services by South Dakota-based Sanford Health. Attorney General Lori Swanson says she's concerned about an out-of-state organization taking over a century-old charitable trust governed by Minnesota residents. MORE.....
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Trevino Search Continues
(St. Paul, MN) -- The search for missing St. Paul woman, Kira Trevino continues today--and is expanding in Maplewood and St. Paul. Trevino has been missing since late February and is presumed dead. Her husband, 39-year-old Jeffery Trevino MORE.....
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MN GOP Pick Downey as New Party Chair
(Bloomington, MN) -- Minnesota Republicans elected former state representative Keith Downey as their new state party chair at their central committee meeting yesterday (SAT) in Bloomington. Downey served two terms in the Minnesota House MORE....
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| Senator Newman |
Newman says effects of sequester on MN will be "miniscule"
Senator Scott Newman of Hutchinson says federal budget cuts to Minnesota under sequestration will be "miniscule". The District 18 Republican was briefed on the impact of the cuts on Minnesota Friday. While the most publicized impact of sequestration on Minnesota has been the closing of the air traffic control tower at the Blaine and St. Cloud Airports and the reduction of some MORE...
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Witness Testifies Schaffhausen Talked About Killing Family
(Hudson, WI) -- A former co-worker says the man accused of murdering his three daughters in River Falls, Wisconsin last summer had talked about killing the family before. Jeremy Michaels testified today (FRI) that one time while he and Aaron Schaffhausen were playing cards, Schaffhausen said he wanted to kill his three daughters, his ex-wife and the man she was dating. MORE....
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Authorities Looking For Missing White Bear Lake Teen With Autism
(White Bear Lake, MN) -- Authorities are asking for the public's help locating a White Bear Lake teen who has autism. Eighteen-year-old Kyle Konkler left work at the White Bear Lake Police Department on foot Thursday afternoon and did not return home. He's six-feet tall, weighs 215 pounds and has brown hair and hazel eyes. MORE....
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Repubs Say Dayton Should Find New Vikings Stadium Revenue Source
(St. Paul, MN) -- Republicans say the state needs to come up with another financing source for a new Vikings stadium because e-pulltabs are seriously under-performing. A Vikings-themed lottery game is one backup specified in stadium legislation, MORE....
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Target Apologizes For Fashion Faux Pas
(Minneapolis, MN) -- One of Minnesota's largest companies is offering an apology for referring to the color of a dress meant for plus size women as "Manatee Gray." Manatees are large sea creatures that are often called sea cows, and the inference angered a California woman. MORE....
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Prison Escapees Captured In Twin Cities
(Burnsville, MN) -- After nearly a week on the run, two men who ran off from a minimum security lock-up in Duluth have been captured. Gerald Greenfield and Michael Krzyzaniak (CRIZ'-ahn-ee-ack) were found staying at a hotel in Burnsville early this (Fri) morning, after a tip was called in to investigators. MORE....
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Remains ID'd
(Hastings, MN) -- Remains found near the Vermillion River in January have been identified as those of a Hastings woman missing since July 2011. Hastings police say Diane Kusick was last seen jumping into the river by witnesses. The Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension performed a DNA test on the skeletal remains MORE....
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SNAP Changes
(Washington, D.C.) -- Changes have been made to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, formerly food stamps, that will give Minnesota and other states more resources to improve health and well-being. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack says the SNAP Nutrition Education and Obesity Prevention Grant Program will MORE....
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Two More Flu Deaths In Minnesota
(St. Paul, MN) -- The state Health Department is confirming two influenza-related deaths during the last week of March. The flu has claimed 186 lives in Minnesota since the season began in October, but it appears activity is slowing down across the state. MORE....
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New Test Shows No Asian Carp In Mississippi Or St. Croix -- Maybe
-- Officials say a new and more detailed e-DNA study shows something quite different from earlier tests -- that there's *no* evidence of invasive Asian Carp in either the Mississippi or Saint Croix Rivers in Minnesota. But researchers say there's still uncertainty even in the new test results MORE....
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Effect Of Sequestration Cuts On MSP Still Unknown
(Minneapolis, MN) -- The impact of federal cuts on Minneapolis-St.Paul International Airport is still unknown at this time. M-S-P's Pat Hogan says there was an episode during spring break where the T-S-A cut overtime, and checkpoint delays caused about 200 travelers to miss flights. MORE....
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Twins Win Season-Opener Series, Beating Tigers 8-2
(Minneapolis, MN) -- The Twins used a five-run eighth inning to beat the Tigers 8-2 this afternoon, winning their season-opening series at Target Field. Josh Willingham hit a two-run homer to tie the game and Trevor Plouffe (PLOOF) hammered in the go-ahead solo shot in the fifth. MORE...
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New York Mills Man Accused Of Assaulting Infant
(New York Mills, MN) -- Charges are pending against a New York Mills man accused of assaulting a two month old infant. Otter Tail County Human Services began investigating the 26-year-old after the child was hospitalized with head injuries late last month. The infant has since been released from the hospital and is currently in protective custody. MORE
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Fire destroys barn west of Litchfield
Yesterday afternoon at 5:12, the Meeker County Sheriff's Office received a 911 call of a barn on fire located at 59157 U.S. Highway 12, west of Litchfield. Meeker County Deputies and the Litchfield Fire Department were dispatched to the scene.
The Litchfield Fire Department requested and received mutual aid, in the form of tankers and man power, from the Grove City, Cosmos, and Dassel Fire MORE...
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Authorities ID Woman, Two Children Found Dead Easter Sunday, No Suspects Sough
(Zimmerman, MN) -- Authorities have identified a woman and two children found dead in a home in Zimmerman on Easter Sunday. Details are sketchy but investigators say they are *not* looking for any suspects. The Sherburne County Sheriff says the victims are 35-year-old Stephanie Shields, seven-year-old Nolan Shields and six-year-old Josephine Shields. MORE....
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Fargo Looking For Sandbagging Volunteers
(Fargo, ND) -- Officials in Fargo are looking for sandbag volunteers with flooding possible along Red River this spring. The city activated its flood volunteer hotline today (701-476-400). Fargo and Cass County are hoping to fill one-million sandbags. "Sandbag Central" will be open from April 3rd through 6th and again between April 8th and 13th(8am-7pm).
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Madsen unhappy with medicare reiumbursement rates
Kandiyohi County Commissioner Harlan Madsen says the federal government needs to change the way states are reiumbursed for medicare claims. Madsen says because Minnesota is so efficient, it gets penalized when it comes to reiumbursements. He says some states get reiumbursed at more than twice the rate as Minnesota for the exact same medical procedures. Madsen says these issues are MORE...
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Fog May Have Caused Fatal Hawley Plane Crash
(Hawley, MN) -- Authorities say fog was likely a factor in a small plane crash in Clay County Friday that killed the pilot. Forty-eight-year old Kevin Ferris of Duluth died when his Cessna went down in a field a couple of miles from the Hawley Airport. (MORE...)
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MN Lawmakers Continue to Mull Gun Reform
(St. Paul, MN) -- While President Obama is trying to regain momentum on gun law reform, the Minnesota legislature likely won't act on pending bills until late April or early May. The Senate bill includes universal background checks, but the House bill limits checks to gun show sales only. However, House Speaker Paul Thissen expects efforts to expand the House bill. (MORE...)
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MN Soldiers in Kuwait for Easter
(Little Falls, MN) -- The tenth anniversary of the start of the Iraq war took place earlier this month. With Operation New Dawn, U.S. soldiers are no longer serving in combat missions in Iraq, but there are still a of lot troops in the region this Easter. Minnesota National Guard Spokesman Major John Donovan says Camp Ripley has a ministry unit stationed in Kuwait. (MORE...)
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Road Construction
(Undated) -- There's one sure sign warmer weather is around the corner: Mn-DOT announced their 2013 summer construction projects this week State Patrol Lt. Eric Roeske says when making your summer travel plans, be sure to do a little homework on the construction projects in your area. (MORE...)
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Open Arms Embezzlement Conviction
(Minneapolis, MN) -- A Minneapolis man who worked as a food services director for Open Arms of Minnesota will be sentenced June 4th for embezzlement. Fifty-five year old Nicholas Collins pled guilty to four counts of theft by swindle in Hennepin County District Court Friday. (MORE...)
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Stearns County Man Awaits Murder Sentence
(St. Cloud, MN) -- A Stearns County man remains in jail after admitting in court he killed his mother last August. Forty-year old Chad Pulju was charged with Intentional Murder In The Second Degree. The Stearns County Attorney's Office says Pulju's mother was found covered with blood when police responded to a domestic assault call just after midnight August 23rd at her home in St. Cloud. (MORE...)
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Twins Announce Partnership with Vets
(Minneapolis, MN) -- The Minnesota Twins and state Department of Veterans Affairs are announcing a new partnership on this, Minnesota Vietnam Veterans Day. At games over the next three months, more than 30 Vietnam vets will raise the American flag at Target Field. MORE....
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Returning Cold To Affect Potential Flooding
(Chanhassen, MN) -- Not quite yet. National Weather Service meteorologist Dave Kallenbenz says warmer temperatures this week have melted some of the snowpack in northwest Minnesota, but not enough for large scale runoff. He says colder temperatures next week will shut down any significant melt, MORE....
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New Information in the Disappearance of Kira Trevino
(Maplewood, MN) -- Police cadaver dogs hit on two of the 49 holes drilled into the ice on Keller Lake in Maplewood, in the ongoing search for a woman who has been missing for more than a month and is presumed dead. The home Kira Trevino shared with her husband is less than two miles from the lake, and after a large amount of blood was found in the house MORE...
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No Plea Yet from Dad Accused of Murdering Three Daughters
(Hudson, WI) -- A plea decision in the murders of Aaron Schaffhausen's three daughters at their River Falls, Wisconsin home has been delayed by a day. Schaffhausen was expected to plead guilty yesterday (Wednesday) morning, but now his lawyer says that may not happen. The Minot, North Dakota man faces three counts of first-degree intentional homicide in the MORE....
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Coon Rapids Woman Accused of Beating Daughters With Cords
(Coon Rapids, MN) -- A Coon Rapids mother has been accused of beating her 16- and 10-year-old daughters, and prosecutors say the children were afraid of what their mother might do if they called police. Julia Peter Modj Kojo's daughters told investigators they were hit more 20 times with telephone and electrical cords, MORE....
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Expert Says Gay Marriage Debate Not About Separation of Church and State
(St. Paul, MN) -- As the same-sex marriage debate rages on in St. Paul and places across the country, an expert on the separation of church and state says gay marriage opponents are falsely claiming that their religious liberty is being trampled. Dr. Jay Michaelson says, for most of us, religious freedom means the freedom to practice our religion, MORE....
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State Lawmakers Meeting With Constituents Over Break
-- Minnesota lawmakers are spending most of their Easter/Passover break talking to their constituents about state budget issues. Deputy House Republican Minority Leader Jenifer Loon strongly opposes Democrats' proposed tax increases. She says maybe the break is coming at a good time so people will get out in their districts collecting input MORE....
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Minnesota House Panel Schedules Hearings On Drought, Water Usage
(St.Paul, MN) -- Sixty-seven percent of the land in Minnesota is experiencing extreme or severe drought and state lawmakers want to address the water shortage. The House Ag Policy Committee has scheduled hearings next week. Representative Jean Poppe of Austin says a lot of state agencies are looking at water usage and how to get ample water. MORE....
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Clean-up Continues at Otter Tail County Train Derailment
(Parkers Prairie, MN) -- The Minnesota Pollution Control Agency is monitoring the oil spill that happened this morning when a train derailed just south of Parkers Prairie in Otter Tail County. The M-P-C-A's Dan Olson says crews continue to clean up the oil MORE....
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Water Over Highway 200 in Northwestern Minnesota
(Laporte, MN) -- There's a temporary speed reduction posted on Highway 200 in northwestern Minesota due to spring flooding. MnDOT reports water over the highway between Hubbard County Roads 45 and 30 east of Laporte. MORE....
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No Plea Change For Schaffhausen
(Hudson, WI) -- There was no plea change by the North Dakota man accused of killing his three daughters last summer in River Falls, Wisconsin. The defense said Aaron Schaffhausen might change his plea from *not* guilty by reason of mental illness to guilty by reason of insanity MORE....
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Cop Injured in Fight at Eden Prairie High School
(Eden Prairie, MN) -- An Eden Prairie High School police officer is recovering after being injured in a fight involving six female students. The fight broke out at around 10:00 this morning. School staff and the liaison officer responded to the melee, MORE...
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Woodbury Man Charged With Stealing Beer From Science Museum of Minnesota
(St. Paul, MN) -- A 52-year-old Woodbury man is charged with stealing two six packs of beer and a teacher's wallet at the Science Museum of Minnesota in St. Paul. Mark Murto fit the description of a suspect caught on surveillance video stealing the teacher's wallet MORE....
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Minnesota A-G Investigating Proposed Takeover of Fairview Health
(St.Paul, MN) -- Minnesota Attorney General Lori Swanson is investigating the proposed takeover of Fairview Health Services by South Dakota-based Sanford Health. Swanson says Fairview is a century-old Minnesota charitable trust with deep ties and roots in the state. MORE....
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Dayton Appoints Lillehaug to Supreme Court
(St. Paul, MN) -- Governor Dayton has appointed former U-S Attorney David Lillehaug (LILL'-uh-howg) to the Minnesota Supreme Court. Lillehaug will replace Justice Paul Anderson when he retires at the end of May. Dayton says Lillehaug has one of the most brillant minds he's ever encountered, MORE....
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North Dakota Abortion Laws Toughest In The Nation
(Bismark, ND) -- Governor Jack Dalrymple signed legislation today (Tues) giving neighboring North Dakota the strictest abortion laws in the country. One bans most abortions if a fetal heartbeat can be detected which can happen as early as six weeks into pregnancy. MORE....
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New Prague Juvenile Back With Parents After Reporting Fake School Shooting
(New Prague, MN) -- The 12-year-old New Prague student accused of calling 9-1-1 to report a bogus school shooting last week has been released to his parents. The boy had been in a juvenile detention facility since the hoax last Wednesday that led to a school lockdown. MORE....
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Trevino Search Continues On Keller Lake
(Maplewood, MN) -- Search crews are back at Keller Lake Regional Park today (Tues) looking for more clues in the disappearance of Kira Trevino. The Ramsey County Sheriff's water patrol unit was augering holes in the ice several days after evidence was discovered MORE....
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Minnesota paper pulltabs show enduring popularity
Tax revenue from electronic pulltab games, which is supposed to help fund a new Minnesota Vikings stadium, is falling short of the state's expectations. The new games have proven popular at a handful of bars, such as Porky's in St. Paul, where patrons bet more than $86,000 on the games in February alone, Minnesota Public Radio News reported Tuesday, March 26.
Read More >>
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Gopher A-D Confirms Firing Tubby Smith
(Minneapolis, MN) -- University of Minnesota men's basketball coach Tubby Smith was fired today (Mon) after his team was knocked out of the NCAA Tournament Sunday by Florida. Athletics Director Norwood Teague says he believed it was time for a fresh approach following a season where there were high expectations for the coaching staff. MORE....
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Trevino Search Yields Possible New Clues
(St.Paul, MN) -- Investigators are poring over new clues in the disappearance of Kira Trevino of St.Paul. The items of interest were found by volunteer searchers over the weekend at a Maplewood park. But it could be a while before investigators know for sure what they've got. MORE...
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Oakdale Shooting Suspect Not Competent To Stand Trial
(Oakdale, MN) -- A judge has ordered a second competency evaluation for the Oakdale man accused of randomly shooting and killing a nine-year-old boy. Nhan Tran is charged with six felonies, including murder, for the February 11th incident. A Washington County-appointed psychologist said in court today that Tran was incompetent to stand trial.MORE....
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| Jeffrrey and Kira Trevino |
More clues found in disappearance of Kira Trevino
More clues found at a Maplewood Park could solidify the
case against the husband of a missing St. Paul woman -- whom investigators
believe murdered her. Kira Trevino has been missing for a month, and police
believe her husband Jeffery Trevino killed her inside their home. Detectives
took several items from Keller Lake Park back to their lab, but aren't
releasing the exact nature of what MORE...
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Dayton Does Not Support Statewide Frac Sand Moratorium
(St.Paul, MN) -- Governor Mark Dayton does not support a statewide moratorium on the mining of silica, but does back tougher regulations on the frac sand industry. He does, though, say he wouldn't hesitate to call for a temporary ban on mining sand if the industry begins to spiral out of control.MORE....
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House Committee Approves Funding For Ag Leadership Council
(St.Paul, MN) -- The House Environment, Natural Resources and Ag Finance Committee advanced a bill that would fund the Minnesota Agriculture Leadership Council 1-million dollars a year for the next two years, to pay for business management programs for farmers. MORE....
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50-50 Spring Flood Outlook for Red River
-- An updated flood forecast from the National Weather Service shows there's a 50-percent chance the Red River at Fargo-Moorhead could hit 38.1 feet this spring. Fargo says it's well prepared to handle that, but sandbags will be needed to shore up levees and other low areas. MORE....
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Four More Flu Deaths In The Last Week
(St.Paul, MN) -- State health officials are confirming four more influenza-related deaths, bringing the total to 180 since the flu season began in October. There were seven hospitalizations during the second week of March, while four schools and one nursing home reported flu outbreaks. MORE...
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| Johnson Fur |
Johnson Fur in Willmar a top supplier of deer skin to China
A Willmar fur processor says he's one of the largest suppliers of deer skins to China. Scott Johnson of Johnson Fur, 4 miles south of Willmar on Highway 71, says there's a huge demand for deer skins in China, and he's happy to supply them. Johnson has been in the business for near 50 years, and says he processes about 100,000 deer skins every year. He says he took a trip to China 7 MORE...
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Middle School Student Arrested After New Prague Shooting Hoax
(New Prague, MN) -- A 12-year-old New Prague middle school student is custody, accused of calling 9-1-1 and claiming there was an active shooter in the building who had injured several students. Officials say the male student is the only person involved in the hoax MORE....
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Backers Reworking Gun Bill After Roadblock In House Committee
(St. Paul, MN) -- House sponsors are trying to revive a gun bill after abandoning their plan for universal background checks on all gun purchases. They're talking about making the background checks apply to gun show sales only. It's not Governor Dayton's preference but he says "something's always better than nothing." MORE....
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Dayton Signs Health Insurance Exchange Bill
(St. Paul, MN) -- Governor Dayton this morning (Wed) signed the Minnesota Health Insurance Exchange bill into law, and officials then unveiled its new name, MnSure. One-point-two-million Minnesotans are expected to use the on-line-based tool to select health insurance from a number of policies pre-screened by a special board. more....
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Dayton Doesn't Like House Dems' Income Tax Surcharge
(St. Paul, MN) -- Governor Dayton is not keen on House Democrats' proposal for a temporary income-tax surcharge on those making over 500-thousand dollars a year, calling it "a bit of piling-on." He says the plan "goes too far" in increasing the tax rate on top earners. But Dayton continues pushing hard for a *permanent* income tax increase MORE...
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Fergus Falls Man Sentenced For Crim Sex Conviction
(Fergus Falls, MN) -- A Fergus Falls man will spend more time in jail for a criminal sexual conduct conviction. 45-year-old Shannon Pederson was originally charged in seven cases. In a plea agreement, he was convicted on a charge of criminal sexual conduct involving a female victim under the age of 13 MORE....
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Search for Kira Trevino Continues
(St. Paul, MN) -- The search continues for a missing St. Paul woman presumed dead. Acting on a tip, police scoured a St. Paul park Saturday looking for the body of 30-year-old Kira Trevino--who's been missing since February 24th. Volunteers also searched the area yesterday and plan to resume the search today. It's not clear what, if anything was found in yesterday's search. (MORE...)
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Disability Services Bill Clears Hurdle in House Committee
(St. Paul, MN) -- It's been years in the making, but a bill that would create a methodology for setting the rates the state pays for home and community based disability services cleared it's first hurdle in a House committee. (MORE...)
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Gov. Dayton Proposes Investment in Adoption Services
(St. Paul, MN) -- In his revised budget, Governor Dayton is proposing a two-and-a-half-million-dollar investment in a plan to help foster children find permanent homes. Erin Sullivan Sutton is Assistant Commissioner for Human Services in Minnesota. (MORE...)
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Sen. Klobuchar Introduces Cell Phone Unlocking Bill
(Washington, DC) -- U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar has introduced legislation that would allow cell phone unlocking. She says if the bill is passed it would require cell phone companies to allow consumers to keep their phones even if they change their carrier for cell phone service. Klobuchar says the unlocking would give consumers more choices and increase competition in the wireless market.
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National Curling Tournament at Willmar Civic Center
(Willmar, MN) Saturday is the opening ceremonies for the Mixed National Curling Tournament, being held for the next 7 days at the Willmar Civic Center. Practice begins at noon, and opening ceremonies begin at 4 pm Saturday followed by a reception. The first match of the tournament is at 6:30 Saturday evening. (MORE...)
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St. Paddy's DWI Crackdown This Weekend
(Various) -- Law enforcement is concerned about drinking and driving with Saint Patrick's Day falling on Sunday this year. State Patrol Lieutenant Robert Zak says D-W-I arrests on the holiday have more than doubled since 2008. Zak says there will be extra patrols on Minnesota roads through Sunday to prevent alcohol-related crashes. (MORE...)
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State Lawmakers Considering Alcohol Tax Increase
(St. Paul, MN) -- You could be paying more for your St. Patrick's Day drinks next year if state lawmakers pass a bill this session that would raise taxes on alcohol. It would amount to about a dime a drink. Eric Finneman, owner of Nick's Discount Liquor in St. Cloud, says tax increases could change consumer behavior. (MORE...)
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Jobs Going Unfilled in Three Sectors
(Undated) -- A new study shows three Minnesota job sectors are having trouble filling open positions. They are production services...nursing or medical services...and manufacturing. Of 213 businesses surveyed, employers reported over 15-hundred job openings in the second quarter of 2012. Many believe it's due to a shortage of skilled workers. (MORE...)
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Officials Unveil Initiative To Increase High School Grad Rates
(St. Paul, MN) -- Education officials unveiled the "GradMinnesota" initiative this week, aimed at upping the state's high school graduation rate to 90-percent by 2020. Education Commissioner Brenda Cassellius (cuh-SELL'-ee-us) says accountability will be one key to the program's success. (MORE...)
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Seven More Flu Deaths In Minnesota
(St.Paul, MN) -- The state Health Department reports seven flu-related deaths over the past week. Thirty-seven Minnesotans were hospitalized with lab-confirmed influenza between March 3rd and 9th. Flu activity is circulating at a slower rate, with just one nursing home and two schools reporting outbreaks in the latest period. MORE...
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Dayton Drops Sales Tax, Keep Top-Bracket Income Tax In Revised Budget
(St. Paul, MN) -- As expected Governor Dayton has dropped his proposal to extend the state sales tax to high-priced clothing and business services, in his revised budget plan released today. A 500-dollar property tax rebate is also out of Dayton's plan, but a cigarette tax increase remains in, as does an income tax increase for the top two percent. MORE....
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Wolf Hunt Moratorium Clears State Senate Committee
(St. Paul, MN) -- A state Senate committee on a narrow 7-to-6 vote has approved a bill that would put a five-year moratorium on wolf hunting in Minnesota. Maureen Hackett with the group Howling for Wolves supports it, saying "never before has an animal been taken off the endangered species list and hunted immediately." Bemidji farmer John Gilbertson responds MORE....
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In Sports...
(Chicago, IL) -- The University of Minnesota men's basketball team was knocked out of the Big Ten Tournament by Illinois 51-49 today (Thurs) on a last-second shot. The game was tied at 49 with nine seconds remaining when the Gophers turned the ball over to the Fighting Illini. MORE....
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Minnesotans for Medical Marijuana
A clear majority of Minnesotans, almost two-thirds, would support a bill to allow marijuana use for medical purposes, but it's unlikely such a law would be enacted because it doesn't have the support of Governor Mark Dayton. A recent poll conducted by Public Policy Polling shows that 65 percent would support changing state law to allow people with serious or terminal illnesses to use medical marijuana if their doctors recommend it; 66 percent think Dayton should sign such a law if it's passed; and 54 percent wouldn't want their county sheriff or county attorney working to defeat such a bill. Minnesotans for Compassionate Care says state lawmakers are preparing to introduce a bipartisan medical marijuana bill. (MNN)
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| Billy Mclaughlin |
Comeback guitarist to play at Women's Fund event Friday
A talented guitarist who overcame a debilitating illness will perform Friday night at a fundraiser for the Women's Fund of the Willmar Area Community Foundation. Billy Mclaughlin played guitar solo and with bands from Minneapolis to Los Angeles for more than 30 years before coming down with focal dystonia, which made his arm cramp up and fatigue. But Mclaughlin says through treatment he MORE...
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Minnesota Theologian Says New Pope's Experience Is Hopeful Sign
(Collegeville, MN) -- Catholics around the world have a new pope: Cardinal Jorge (HOR'-hay) Bergoglio (ber-goh-LEE'-oh) from Argentina is now Pope Francis the First. Bill Cahoy,dean of the School of Theology at Saint John's University in Collegeville, says the pope's experience is a hopeful sign MORE...
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Wright County Daycare Provider Charged With Assaulting Infant
(Buffalo, MN) -- A daycare provider in Wright County has been charged with assaulting an infant. 48-year-old Robbin Rollag of Buffalo is accused of fracturing the leg of an 11-month-old girl in her care last week. Rollag originally told investigators the injuries occurred while she and the infant were sledding MORE...
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Repubs Try To Delay Gay Marriage Vote In Senate
(St. Paul, MN) -- Republicans in the state Senate today (Wed) tried unsuccessfully to at least temporarily block a vote on the same-sex marriage bill that passed out of committee Tuesday. The Senate probably won't vote until May on whether to legalize same-sex marriage MORE....
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American Crystal Asks High Court To Reconsider Jobless Benefit Ruling
(Moorhead, MN) -- Moorhead-based American Crystal Sugar is asking the North Dakota Supreme Court to reconsider its decision granting unemployment benefits to about 400 union workers locked out of company plants at Hillsboro and Drayton, North Dakota. MORE....
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Same-Sex Marriage On Lawmakers' Plate At State Capitol
(St. Paul, MN) -- Same-sex marriage takes center stage at the State Capitol today (Tues). There are hearings in both the House (815am) and in the Senate (noon) on bills that would legalize same-sex marriage in Minnesota. Backers are pushing the initiative after Minnesotans last fall rejected a constitutional amendment that would have defined marriage as between MORE...
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House Lawmaker's Shocked By Colleague's Gay Marriage Comments on House Floor
(St. Paul, MN) -- State Representative Glenn Gruenhagen has caused another outcry in the Capitol with comments connected to the gay marriage debate. The Glencoe Republican used point of personal privilege to introduce a friend on the House floor, saying, "The interesting thing about Kevin is he was active in the gay lifestyle for about 10 years and then he left it, MORE...
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Veterans Lobby Day At State Capitol
(St. Paul, MN) -- Governor Dayton speaks to veterans' organizations in the State Capitol Rotunda this morning (930am) to kick off their "Day on the Hill." Lee Ulferts, chair of The Minnesota Commanders' Task Force, says anyone concerned about veterans' issues should contact their representatives and make their concerns known, loud and clear. MORE....
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Some Turbotax Users Okay, Other Will Have To Re-File
(St. Paul, MN) -- Minnesota officials say most tax returns prepared with Turbotax and filed electronically can be corrected by the state revenue department -- but taxpayers who filed on paper will most likely have to submit an amended return. Intuit says it's corrected software problems, but state officials recommend for now that Minnesota taxpayers use other MORE....
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Charges For Man Who Pulled Gun at Southeastern Minnesota Bar
(Stewartville, MN) -- Police say a Stewartville man who was drunk and was trying to pick fights pulled out a handgun and set it on the bar last weekend. The Olmsted County Sheriff's Department says William Timm put the gun on the bar at Skip and Dales, but didn't point it at anyone and he didn't threaten anyone with it. MORE....
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AARP Minnesota Pleased With Health Insurance Exchange
(St. Paul, MN) -- The Health Insurance Exchange approved last week in the Minnesota House is slightly different from the bill passed in the Senate, so now lawmakers get down to work on hammering out those differences. No matter how the final draft looks, Mary Jo George with AARP Minnesota says it'll be a place for people to shop for health insurance MORE....
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Crop Insurance Deadline Friday
(St. Paul, MN) -- The March 15th deadline for Minnesota farmers to finalize a crop insurance plan is fast approaching. State Commerce Commissioner Mike Rothman says if dry conditions persist as expected, having proper crop insurance could be crucial. Ag Commissioner Dave Fredrickson says risk comes in many forms for farmers MORE....
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Day On The Hill
(St. Paul, MN) -- Veterans will be at the State Capitol tomorrow for their "Day on the Hill." Lee Ulferts, chair of the Minnesota Commanders' Task Force, says organizations will lobby for issues important to Minnesota's 370-thousand veterans. MORE....
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Watkins Man Injured In Rollover Crash
(St. Cloud, MN) -- A Watkins man is hospitalized after being ejected from his car early this morning in Stearns County. A car driven by 20-year-old Dillon Hansen left the road and rolled several times in Maine Prairie Township. Hansen was transported to St. Cloud Hospital by family and his condition is unknown. Alcohol is believed to be a factor in the crash.
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St. Cloud Police Using New Translation Technology
(St. Cloud, MN) -- The St. Cloud Police Department is using a new technology to help communicate with residents who do not speak English. The mobile interpretation unit is called ELSA. Sergeant Jason Burke says the unit is about the size of a cell phone and it provides immediate communication in 180 different languages. MORE....
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Duluth Police Investigate Suspicious Death
(Duluth, MN) -- Duluth Police are investigating the death of a young man. Saturday afternoon, authorities were called to the home of a man who is believed to be in his 20's. Officials are calling his death suspicious, but are not releasing any other details at this time. MORE....
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Same Sex Marriage Debate
(St. Paul, MN) -- First hearings are expected this week (likely Tues) in both the Minnesota House and Senate on bills to legalize same-sex marriage. Senate Republican Minority Leader David Hann (HAN) says the timing and priority doesn't make sense when lawmakers haven't even seen the DFL legislative budget bills, MORE....
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Dayton Dropping Plan For Sales Tax On Business-To-Business Services
(St. Louis Park, MN) -- Governor Dayton told a business group today (Fri) he'll likely drop a proposed sales tax on business-to-business services when he releases his revised budget plan. Dayton is reworking his proposal because the state's budget deficit dropped. MORE....
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Man Charged In Murder Of 18-Year-Old St. Paul Woman
(St. Paul, MN) -- A 23-year-old man is charged in the murder of an 18-year-old St. Paul woman. Alberto Palmer is accused of killing Brittany Clardy. Her body was discovered in a car at an impound lot in Columbia Heights last month--about a week-and-a-half after she had been reported missing MORE....
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Moorhead Police Looking For Third Suspect In Shooting
(Moorhead, MN) -- Moorhead police are looking for a third man possibly involved in a shooting Wednesday afternoon that sent a man to the hospital with gunshot wounds. 25-year-old Samuel Bullock, who uses the nickname "Philly," is believed to be in the Fargo-Moorhead area. MORE....
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90 Percent Chance Of Near-Major Flooding In Fargo-Moorhead
(Moorhead, MN) -- A new flood forecast from the National Weather Service shows a 90-percent chance that the Red River in Fargo-Moorhead will near a major flood stage of 30 feet. That's a level Fargo city leaders consider easy to handle. MORE....
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Suspect Arrested In Murder Of St. Paul Woman
(Andover, MN) -- An arrest has been made in connection with the murder of a 18-year-old St. Paul woman. Brittany Clardy's body was found February 24th in a car at an impound lot in Columbia Heights. She had last been seen February 11th. MORE....
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Suspect In Custody After Moorhead Shooting
(Moorhead, MN) -- A suspect in yesterday's shooting in south Moorhead is in custody after a SWAT team executed a search warrant on an apartment in north Fargo late this morning. Police say those in the apartment did not offer any resistance. A car tied to yesterday's shooting helped lead police to the apartment. MORE....
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State Senate Debating Health Insurance Exchange
(St. Paul, MN) -- Debate is expected to go into the evening in the state Senate on a controverial "health insurance exchange" -- an on-line marketplace where Minnesotans could compare and choose their health insurance. A seven-person board would decide which insurers are included in the exchange, MORE...
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Minimum Wage Increase Moving Forward In Minnesota House
(St. Paul, MN) -- A proposed minimum wage increase in Minnesota continues moving forward at the state legislature, with a bill clearing another committee this afternoon in the DFL-controlled House. Nicole Hilgendorf, a server in Minneapolis, told lawmakers "tipped employees are not at all wealthy, nor are they greedy in asking for a fair compensation." MORE....
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Stock Market Soaring But Economist Says Economy Not Out Of Woods Yet
(St. Cloud, MN) -- The stock market is soaring and the Dow hit an all-time high today (Tues), topping the old record set in October 2007. But Saint Cloud State University Economics Professor King Banaian (BAN'-yun) says things like gold and oil still aren't where they should be. MORE....
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Former Church Bookkeeper Charged With Embezzling From ELCA Synod
(Moorhead, MN) -- In what's being called the largest embezzlement case in Clay County history, a former church bookkeeper is charged with stealing over 600 thousand dollars from the E-L-C-A's northwestern Minnesota synod. MORE....
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Woman Sentenced For Smuggling Drugs Into Drug Treatment Facility
(Fergus Falls, MN) -- One of four women accused of smuggling drugs into a drug treatment facility in Fergus Falls has been sentenced to four years in prison. 34-year-old Rachel Campbell pleaded guilty to one of the charges against her MORE....
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No Prison Time For O-J's Former Girlfriend
(Fargo, ND) -- O.J. Simpson's former girlfriend won't be going to prison. Christie Prody (PROE'-dee) of Moorhead pleaded no contest to charges that she tried to steal a woman's purse at a mall in Fargo MORE....
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Anti Wire Transfer Fraud Bills Being Heard At State Capitol
(St. Paul, MN) -- State lawmakers are considering a bill that backers say will help protect seniors from wire transfer fraud. Among other things, it would require that wire transfer companies confirm the location provided by the sender is where the money actually ends up. MORE....
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Keep Snow And Ice Off Of Gas Meter
(Various) -- As the state digs out from another winter storm, utility companies are urging Minnesotans to keep their natural gas meters free of ice and snow. The meter's regulator vent is vulnerable to plugging, which could lead to a dangerous natural gas buildup inside a home or other building. MORE....
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Weekend snowmobile accidents hurt two in Meeker, Stearns Countys.
The Meeker County Sheriff's Department says a Hutchinson man was hurt in a snowmobile accident yesterday afternoon. At 4:37 emergency crews responded to a single snowmobile accident with injuries on Highway 15 and 240th Street in Dassel Township. 30-year-old Chase Ostlie of Hutchinson was driving a snowmobile eastbound crossing Highway 15 with a group of snowmobilers, and as he was crossing MORE...
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Winter Storm Watch for Much of MN
(Chanhassen, MN) -- A winter storm watch is in effect for much of Minnesota and parts of western Wisconsin tonight through Tuesday. According to the National Weather Service in Chanhassen, as much as six inches of snow could fall in the Twin Cities metro area. Up to 10 inches are predicted in the northwestern part of the state. (MORE...)
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Mpls Meat Packing Plants Could be Affected by Sequestration
(Washington, DC) -- There are about 35 federally inspected meat packing plants in Minnesota, and they could be the first to feel the effects of the sequestration cuts that impact all federal departments with 10-percent across-the-board budget cuts. (MORE...)
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Boost for Food Shelves Proposed at Capitol
(St. Paul, MN) -- Legislation has been introduced at the state capitol that would increase state funding of food shelves. Senator Melisa Franzen authored the bill, noting that food shelves have been dealing for years with a double whammy--more people using them, and fewer people able to donate. (MORE...)
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Roseville Teen Headed to National Spelling Bee
(Minneapolis, MN) -- A 13-year-old Roseville student will compete in the Scripps National Spelling Bee in Washington DC in May. Jacob Lahti correctly spelled "mobiliary" to win a metro-area regional spelling bee at Augsburg College yesterday (SAT). Fifty students, from elementary- to junior high-school-age competed in the local competition.
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Police Set Up Tipline To Help Locate Missing Woman's Body
(St. Paul, MN) -- Saint Paul police have set up a tip line and are asking the public for information to help locate the body of Kira Trevino. Her husband, 39-year-old Jeffrey Trevino, has been charged with second-degree murder. Authorities say he reported his wife missing last weekend when she didn't show up for work at a Mall of America clothing store. (MORE...)
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Teen Suspect Arrested in Maplewood Stabbing Death
(Maplewood, MN) -- A 17-year-old boy has been arrested in connection with the fatal stabbing of a teenage girl in Maplewood. Officials say the suspect knew the victim, 16-year-old Anna Hurd. Hurd's body was found on a walking path in a popular park on Saturday, February 23rd. According to the Ramsey County Medical Examiner's Office, Hurd's death was the result of multiple stab wounds.
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Dementia Conference Today In St. Paul
(St. Paul, MN) -- Hundreds are in St. Paul today for the "Meeting of the Minds Dementia Conference". Doctor Ron Petersen, director of the Mayo Clinic Alzheimer's Research Center, says studies show complex changes in the brain begin a decade or two before symptoms ever appear. Petersen says this allows doctors to diagnose Alzheimer's and intervene, earlier than ever before. (MORE...)
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Amber Alerts Now Going To Smartphones
(Undated) -- Minnesota issued its first Amber Alert through the federal Wireless Emergency Alert system in a recent child abduction in Minneapolis. Bruce Gordon with the state Department of Public Safety says it's a new way to send warnings directly to cellphones in affected areas. (MORE...)
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Cameras Allowed In Courtroom In Upcoming Schaffhausen Trial
(River Falls, WI) -- A Saint Croix County judge has ruled that cameras will be allowed in the courtroom for the trial of Aaron Schaffhausen, accused of killing his three daughters last July in River Falls, Wisconsin. Schaffhausen is in court today as prosecutors prepare for trial in April. MORE....
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.Career Criminal Sentenced For Firearm Possession
(Minneapolis, MN) -- A career criminal from St. Cloud has been sentenced to 17 years in federal prison for being a felon in possession of a firearm. Twenty-five-year-old Shawn Roering pleaded guilty to possessing a semi-automatic rifle and attempting to sell it in August 2011. MORE...
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Winona Man Charged With Assault After Confrontation At Party
(Winona, MN) -- A gun, a knife and a keg of beer sent a Winona man to jail. Winona Police say 31-year-old Lucas Polus confronted a group of people at a party with a gun in one hand and a knife in the other. When he left, the homeowner discovered a half-barrel of beer was missing. MORE...
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American Iron Buying Closed Verso Paper Mill
(Sartell, MN) -- American Iron & Metal is expected to close on the sale of the Verso Paper Mill in Sartell today (FRI). The paper mill closed following an explosion and fire last May which killed one person and left hundreds without a job. Sartell City Administrator Patti Gartland says American Iron officials told the city the plan is to demolish and salvage the site, MORE....
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Deficit Drops, Repubs Say Dayton Tax Increases Not Needed
(St. Paul, MN) -- The state's budget shortfall has dropped 463 million dollars in the latest forecast released today -- and Republicans say it demonstrates that Governor Dayton's proposed tax increases are not needed. Dayton defends his plan, asking how the state can refuse to make additional investments in education and still expect better results. MORE....
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St. Paul Man Charged In Wife's Murder
(St. Paul, MN) -- A St.Paul man is facing two counts of second-degree murder nearly a week after his wife disappeared. Thirty-nine-year-old Jeffrey Trevino was charged today (Thurs) in the disappearance of 30-year-old Kira Trevino. Trevino reported his wife missing last weekend when she didn't show up for work at a Mall of America clothing store. MORE....
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Body Found In Burned-Out Cabin In Carlton County
(Sawyer, MN) -- Authorities in Carlton County are working to identify a body found in a burned out cabin near Sawyer. Cloquet firefighters and the Fond du Lac Police Department responded to the fire Wednesday MORE...
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Gay Marriage Bill Debate
(St.Paul, MN) -- Opponents promise a hard fight against a bill that would legalize same-sex marriage in Minnesota. Maple Grove Senator Warren Limmer says 75 of the state's 87 counties voted for the marriage amendment and a lot of freshman Democrats come from those areas.
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"Homeowner Bill of Rights" Hearing
(St.Paul, MN) -- Backers of a "Homeowners Bill of Rights" are at the State Capitol lobbying lawmakers before tonight's (7pm) committee hearing. The bill would ban so-called "double-tracking" and require banks say either "yes" or "no" to a homeowner's loan-modification request MORE....
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Dept. of Revenue Warns of Tax Refund Scam
(St.Paul, MN) -- Scammers posing as the Minnesota Department of Revenue are using state tax refunds as bait to get bank information from taxpayers. Assistant Commissioner Terri Steenblock says the state Revenue Department would never call taxpayers MORE....
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Frac Sand Moratorium Clears Senate Committee
(St. Paul, MN) -- A controversial one-year moratorium on new or expanded "frac sand" mining operations in Minnesota cleared its first state Senate committee today (Tues) on an 8-to-4 vote. Southeastern Minnesota residents complain of noise, dust and water pollution from ramped-up silica sand mining.
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Former Shattuck-St. Mary's Teacher Back In Minnesota On Sex Charges
(Faribault, MN) -- The ex-Shattuck-St.Mary's drama teacher accused of sexual misconduct with at least six former students is back in Minnesota. Seventy-one-year-old Lynn Seibel (SY'-bull) was moved from a Los Angeles jail to Faribault for arraigment today (Tues). MORE...
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Biden Names Minnesotan As National Security Advisor
(Washington, DC) -- A Minnesota native is the new the national security advisor to Vice President Joe Biden. The White House announced today (Tues) that Jake Sullivan of Minneapolis was officially appointed to the position. MORE....
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Hy-Vee Recalls Some Dog Food
(West Des Moines, IA) -- Pet owners should be aware of a manufacturer recall of some types of Hy-Vee dog food. Random testing by the Iowa Agriculture Department found higher-than-normal levels of a chemical contaminant called alflatoxin (ALF'-luh-toxin) that's been linked to liver damage. MORE....
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More Info Expected After Two Found Dead In Little Falls Home
(Little Falls, MN) -- More details are expected today after two people were found dead in their Little Falls Township home when officers went there to check on their welfare. Morrison County Sheriff Michel Wetzel says there is no danger to the public MORE....
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At The Capitol...
(St. Paul, MN) -- A proposed increase in the state's minimum wage is on lawmakers' plate at the Minnesota Capitol as a House panel hears presentations on its economic impact. Minnesota's minimum wage has been at 6-15 an hour since 2005, MORE....
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Court Appearance For Pastor Charged With Shooting Granddaughter
(Rochester, MN) -- A Rochester pastor charged with shooting and wounding his granddaughter is in court today. Stanley Wilkinson told investigators he was asleep when he heard someone trying to break into his house last December. He fired two shots...MORE...
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History Center Civil War Exhibit and "Lincoln"
(St. Paul, MN) -- As "Lincoln" competes for the best picture Academy Award at tonight's (SUN) Oscar ceremony, pieces of the film's set are making their way to the Minnesota History Center. Authentic telegraph instruments used in the War Department Office and Headquarters of the Union Army scenes will be on display--MORE.....
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Outdoor Recreation is Big Business in Minnesota
(Undated) -- There is a lot of money in outdoor recreation in Minnesota. The Outdoor Industry Association has counted the financial impact that hunting, fishing and other such sports have on the state. Avery Stonich (STONE'-itch) says spending tops more than 11-billion dollars MORE.....
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State Health Dept. Concerned About Children's Dental Care
(St.Paul, MN) -- A new report by the Minnesota Department of Health shows more than half of third-graders have tooth decay. State Health Commissioner Dr. Ed Ehlinger says the state needs to explore ways to bolster Minnesota's dental workforce, MORE.....
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St. Paul Man Dies In Bar Fight
(St. Paul, MN) -- A St. Paul man died early Saturday morning following a bar fight at the Moonshine Saloon in St. Paul. 28-year-old Cher Vang died and two others suffered non-life threatening injuries and were taken to a local hospital. Police are not saying what led up to the stabbings and have not said if any arrests have been made.(MNN)
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Two Found Dead In Little Falls Home
(Little Falls, MN) -- Two people were found dead last night at their Little Falls Township home. Morrison County Sheriff Michel Wetzel says when deputies arrived they found both of the home's occupants dead. MORE.....
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Girl Found Dead In Maplewood
(Maplewood, MN) -- Maplewood Police and the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension are investigating the death of a 16-year-old girl early Saturday morning. A witness told police that a man was scene running from the scene in Maplewood. MORE.....
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Charges Filed in Minneapolis Child Abduction
(Minneapolis, MN) -- A Minneapolis woman accused of abducting an eight-month-old boy is now charged with felony kidnapping. Hennepin County Attorney Mike Freeman says Isabella Diaz-Castillo went to the home of Carlos Orozco MORE....
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Body Discovered In Columbia Heights Impound Lot
(Columbia Heights, MN) -- Authorities have discovered the body of an 18-year-old woman in a vehicle eight days after it had been towed to an impound lot in Columbia Heights. The car was towed from an apartment complex in Brooklyn Park MORE....
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Eagan Woman Killed In Two-Vehicle Crash
(Eagan, MN) -- A 24-year-old Eagan woman is dead following a two-vehicle crash this (Fri) morning on snowy Highway 13 south of Interstate 494. The victim has been identified as Taya Clifford. MORE....
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Lawmakers Look To Past Budgets To Craft More Sustainable Future
(St.Paul, MN) -- In the weeks leading up to a finalized Minnesota budget, the Senate's Legislative Commission on Planning and Fiscal Policy sat down with Senate Fiscal analyst Eric Nauman, to learn more about what led up to state's current economic state. MORE....
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House Bill Would Expand Alcohol Sales at Williams/Mariucci Arenas
(St.Paul, MN) -- A state lawmaker from St.Paul Park is sponsoring a bill that would expand alcohol sales at University of Minnesota basketball and hockey games. Beer and wine are currently only available to fans in premium seating at Williams and Mariucci Arenas. MORE....
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Blaine Police Officer Struck By Suspected Drunk Driver
(Blaine, MN) -- A Blaine Police officer working a traffic stop escaped injury when his squad car was hit by a pickup, despite the fact that the emergency lights were flashing. The officer was standing near the driver side door of the car he had just pulled over MORE....
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Kidnapping Suspect May Be In U-S Illegally
(Minneapolis, MN) -- Officials from U-S Immigration and Customs Enforcement believe the woman accused of kidnapping an eight-month-old boy in Minneapolis may be in the country illegally. An immigration detainer has been placed on the woman. She's also facing kidnapping and burglary charges after allegedly taking Carlos Orozco from his family's apartment MORE....
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Authorities I-D Plane Crash Victim
(Parkers Prairie, MN) -- A 41-year-old Ottertail man is identified as the victim of a fatal plane crash last (Wed) night near Parkers Prairie. Adam Menze (MEN'-zee) was piloting the plane that went down on a county road and was the lone occupant. Menze died on impact. Federal investigators are looking for the cause of the crash.
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12 More Flu Deaths in Minnesota
(St. Paul, MN) -- The state Health Department is confirming another 12 flu-related deaths in Minnesota, bringing the total number of deaths so far this season to 148. In addition, there have been 59 hospitalizations for flu-related illness during the week ending February 16th MORE....
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Red River Flood Chances Increase Dramatically For Fargo
(Fargo, ND) -- The chance of major Red River flooding at Fargo jumped from six percent last month to 79 percent in the latest National Weather Service forecast. Recent heavy snowfall in the southern Red River Valley is a major factor for the change. MORE....
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Deadly Weekend on MN Roads
It's been a deadly weekend on Minnesota roads. On Saturday afternoon, a 63-year-old Elk River woman died in a three-vehicle crash on Highway 169 near Brooklyn Park. Officials say Louise Moyer was riding on a motorcycle her husband was driving when the bike clipped the back of a truck. Elsewhere, the State Patrol is investigating a fatal accident that occurred Saturday MORE...
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