Heidi Wigdahl reports for KARE-TV: “Opening statements are set to begin Monday in the federal trial of three former Minneapolis police officers. J. Alexander Kueng, Thomas Lane and Tou Thao are charged with depriving Floyd of his constitutional rights while acting under government authority, as fellow officer Derek Chauvin kneeled on Floyd’s neck, causing his death. On Thursday, all 12 jurors and six alternates were selected. .… The indictment alleges the three officers willfully failed to aid Floyd. Kueng and Thao are also accused of willfully failing to intervene when Floyd could not breathe.”
The Star Tribune’s Briana Bierschbach writes: “Minnesota Republicans are turning to natural immunity from COVID-19 as a way to push back on vaccine mandates, arguing that hospitals, businesses and public institutions should consider past infection in exempting some from requirements. The idea is gaining traction in Republican-led legislatures around the country, despite pushback from public heath officials who say protection from infection varies dramatically from case to case.”
FOX 9 story says, “Senator Amy Klobuchar and former Governor Mark Dayton are teaming up with two local organizations to help fundraise and bring in donations for Afghan families resettling in Minnesota. … Alight, a global humanitarian organization, has been leading the welcoming of Afghan families since the Taliban takeover. In partnership with a veteran-led disaster response organization called Team Rubicon, Alight has been providing ready-to-live-in homes and the items for families to make it feel like a home.”
For the Star Tribune, Liz Navratil says, “The fight over reopening two Burger King restaurants is back on after Minneapolis officials canceled permits for their drive-throughs. In a letter last month, city zoning officials told the operators of locations at 818 W. Broadway Av. and 3342 S. Nicollet Av. that they had lost the right to run drive-throughs after the properties sat unused for too long. … Minneapolis’ elected leaders have passed multiple measures in recent years that prohibit the creation of new drive-throughs, saying they contribute to noise and traffic and make sidewalks dangerous for pedestrians.”
Kim Hyatt writes in the Star Tribune: “A shooting at a funeral in Minneapolis and back-to-back homicides in St. Paul over the weekend have loved ones and investigators grappling with ongoing violence across the Twin Cities in the new year. Within about 24 hours in St. Paul, two women were killed in separate incidents in the North End neighborhood. One woman was fatally shot during an argument and another woman was beaten to death. Suspects have been arrested in both cases. St. Paul police have reason to believe both cases were a result of domestic violence with arguments leading up to the homicides.”
A FOX 9 story by Nick Longworth says, “The shells have been swept and the floors will remain clean indefinitely as doors were locked at Uptown’s Williams Pub & Peanut Bar Friday. Announced on Facebook, Williams will be temporarily closed for an indefinite period of time. … The long-standing establishment along Hennepin Ave was recently the site of a shooting that grazed its building early Friday morning, leaving one injured and front windows shattered.”
The Forum News Service’s John Myers writes: “Could having wolves in the area help keep deer and moose apart, and thus spare moose from a deadly parasite that’s spread by deer? That’s the finding of a new study by University of Minnesota and Grand Portage Band scientists who found that having wolves around caused deer and moose to split up more, decreasing the likelihood that deer will spread parasitic brainworm to moose. The study found that higher wolf pressure was linked to less overlap between deer and moose and a lower risk of parasite transmission.”
Andrew Krueger reports for MPR, “Dozens of endurance athletes will gather once again in far northern Minnesota later this month for a 135-mile race through the wilderness. The Arrowhead 135 — returning this winter after being canceled last year amid the pandemic — allows racers to choose whether to ski, bike or run the course between International Falls and Tower. This year’s race begins on Jan. 31. Racers have minimal if any outside support along the trail …. And there’s a 60-hour cutoff time to reach the finish line at Fortune Bay Casino.”
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