At NBC News Dennis Romero reports, “A Minnesota supporter of former President Donald Trump who officials say staged a fire that he blamed on left-wing radicals pleaded guilty Tuesday to wire fraud, prosecutors said. Denis Molla, 30, had claimed that his camper was targeted because of his Trump flag. He filed fraudulent insurance claims worth hundreds of thousands of dollars after the 2020 incident at his Minneapolis-area residence, prosecutors said. Molla also created a GoFundMe fundraiser after the fire.”
A WCCO-TV story by Beret Leone says, “Activists pushing for a pause on homeless encampment evictions in Minneapolis were met with opposition Wednesday. ‘It’s clear that we have a problem here,’ said activist Paul Meringdol, who is also experiencing homelessness. ‘A problem that’s been side-stepped and overlooked.’ Outside of the Minneapolis City Council meeting, Communities United Against Police Brutality activists and some experiencing homelessness, gathered to share a resolution to put a moratorium on camp evictions in the city. They say evictions are causing health issues linked to fatigue, stress and trauma. They also say it makes it harder to help those unhoused in the city. … The group brought the resolution to the council as it convened and councilwoman LaTrisha Vetaw stayed back to hear their plea. ‘I want to help,’ Vetaw said. ‘I want to help the people that want help.’ Despite a passionate ask and multiple attempts, Vetaw did not sign the resolution. She said the homelessness issue isn’t that simple of a fix and encouraged the group to look for answers at Hennepin County.”
Over in St. Paul, the Pioneer Press reports via Frederick Melo, “A Ramsey County judge has ruled that a plan to build a day shelter for the homeless at the site of the former Red’s Savoy restaurant on East Seventh Street in St. Paul can move ahead with city funding. ‘It is all systems go,’ said Molly Jalma, executive director of Listening House, which plans to relocate from Maria Avenue to the edge of downtown St. Paul. ‘The contractor’s ready to go. We’ll start the (interior) demolition next week.’ Judge Leonardo Castro, who issued his ruling Tuesday, earlier had ordered a temporary halt to the project after more than a dozen business owners sued…” MinnPost CityScape columnist weighed in on the issue in this piece last week.
Stribbers Ryan Faircloth and Alex Chhith report, “University of Minnesota Prof. Steven Ruggles, who won a prestigious MacArthur Fellowship on Wednesday, is the architect of the world’s largest population statistics database — an unfathomably sprawling system that details the characteristics of more than 2 billion people who walked the Earth between 1790 and today. Ruggles, 67, built the Integrated Public Use Microdata Series (IPUMS) in 1993 to guide his research on changing family structures. It has since become the world’s largest public database of census microdata, enabling researchers worldwide to analyze social change over time. Scholars have used the data to assess COVID-19 vulnerability, the intersection of residential segregation and employment, and how climate events affect migration.”
At KSTP-TV Josh Skluzacek reports, “The Minnesota Supreme Court has overturned a conviction for secretly recording a teen in a bathroom, a decision that could prompt action from lawmakers next year. In 2018, a 15-year-old boy in Bloomington stopped at a fitness center to use the bathroom in the locker room. While in the bathroom, the teen saw a cellphone’s camera lens pointed at him. He reported it to management and his parents then filed a police report against the suspect, according to court documents. Prosecutors later charged that suspect with felony interference of a minor’s privacy. 5 EYEWITNESS NEWS is choosing not to name the man because the charge against him was dismissed. Court documents state that man argued that he believed it was his friend, who he was trying to get back for doing something similar in the past. He also denied knowing the victim was a minor, which he also argued prevented him from being charged with the felony, saying state law requires proof that he knew the victim was a minor.”
This from Tommy Wiita at BringMeTheNews, “Country music stars Miranda Lambert and Cody Johnson will headline the Winstock Country Music Festival in Winsted, Minnesota in 2023. The festival, located about an hour west of the Twin Cities, will take place for its 29th annual event on June 16-17. The headliners are Cody Johnson Friday night and Miranda Lambert Saturday. The entire lineup was announced on Wednesday and features, among others, Gabby Barrett, Jordan Davis, BlackHawk, Dylan Scott, Jo Dee Messina, Chris Kroeze and Diamond Rio.”
Says Erica Pearson in the Strib, “What do you serve for lunch that’s fit for a queen? A Minneapolis church hosting Norway’s Queen Sonja this week is going with a menu of smoked lake trout and wild rice salad with veggies and fruit grown in Minnesota. And for dessert? Waffles. … Queen Sonja is set to be in Minnesota from Thursday through Sunday, making stops at the church as well as Northfield’s St. Olaf College and Norway House in Minneapolis — where she’s set to open a new building at the center for Norwegian art and culture. A meeting with Gov. Tim Walz is also on the royal agenda.”
At KARE-TV CeCe Gaines and Kiya Edwards say, “Wednesday morning, elected officials revitalized a push to put Minnesota on the world stage. Gov. Tim Walz, Sen. Amy Klobuchar and a delegation of Expo leaders from the Bureau of International Expositions provided an update on the United States’ bid to host the 2027 World Expo in Bloomington. BIE members arrived Sunday, visiting Bloomington, Minneapolis and St. Paul over the last few days to examine the feasibility and viability of hosting the expo in our state. Their tour included meeting with the mayors of each city and going to places including U.S. Bank Stadium, the governor’s mansion and the proposed Bloomington expo site. The White House selected and appointed Bloomington to host the expo. It’s been nearly 40 years since a World’s Fair was held on United States soil.”
Another KARE story, this by Allasondra Doyle says, “Several southwestern Minnesota counties have been put under a Red Flag Warning by the National Weather Service due to extreme fire risk conditions. Cottonwood, Jackson, Lincoln, Lyon, Murray, Nobles, Pipestone and Rock Counties are all included in the advisory. According to the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources, ‘A Red Flag Warning means the area is experiencing weather conditions that are ideal for wildfire, including strong winds, warm temperatures and minimal humidity levels.'”
0 Commentaires