(courtesy: Wisconsin DOA)RAPID CITY, S.D. – Agriculture officials say an invasive insect found in evergreen decorations in Minnesota and Wisconsin has shown up in South Dakota. The state Department of Agriculture is encouraging residents who bought wreaths and other evergreens from chain stores to bag the items and dispose of them in a landfill in order to stop the spread…
MADISON, Wis. – Republican Attorney General Brad Schimel says jail staff don’t have to follow inmates’ do-not-resuscitate orders. Sauk County attorneys asked Schimel for a legal opinion on the question after an inmate arrived at the county jail in September 2017 wearing a do-not-resuscitate bracelet. Schimel issued the opinion Thursday. He said that under state law only emergency medical technicians,…
UPDATE: MADISON, Wis. – (11:15 a.m.) Gov.-elect Tony Evers has named two Democratic lawmakers to his Cabinet. Evers on Thursday named state Rep. Peter Barca, of Kenosha, as secretary of the Department of Revenue and state Sen. Caleb Frostman, of Sturgeon Bay, as secretary of the Department of Workforce Development. Frostman won a special election last year representing the Door…
MINNEAPOLIS – The Minnesota Department of Public Safety says more people lost their lives on state roadways in 2018 compared to the year before. Initial reports show 380 people were victims of fatal crashes last year, up from 358 in 2017. Mike Hanson is director of the department’s Office of Traffic Safety. Hanson tells Minnesota Public Radio News there are…
ST. PAUL, Minn. – Keith Ellison says prescription drug prices, student debt and housing costs will be among his top priorities when he’s sworn in next week as Minnesota’s attorney general. Ellison tells Minnesota Public Radio the community meetings he’s already held in Duluth and Albert Lea, and one planned for Thursday night in Minneapolis, are giving him insights into…
MADISON, Wis. – Democratic Wisconsin Gov.-elect Tony Evers says he isn’t ruling out vetoing the entire state budget if Republicans completely ignore his proposal and decide to write their two-year spending plan. Evers reiterated in a Wednesday interview with The Associated Press that he wants to work together with Republicans who control the Legislature. But when asked if he would…
WASHINGTON – A U.S. Marine has been shot and killed at the Marine Barracks in Washington, D.C. Police say the Marine was shot early Tuesday in an apparent accident. Marine Corps spokesman Chief Gunnery Sgt. John Jackson said the man did not shoot himself. The U.S. Marine Corps said in a statement that the shooting was under investigation and that…
MINNEAPOLIS — The Minnesota State Patrol says there were 111 arrests for drunken driving overnight on New Year’s Eve. The arrests statewide by law enforcement agencies happened between 6 p.m. Monday and 6 a.m. Tuesday. That’s six fewer arrests than the same time last year. The State Patrol says its troopers made 28 of those drunken driving arrests. Categories: News,…
NEW YORK – One ticket matched all five numbers and the mega ball to win the Mega Millions $425 million dollar jackpot. The lucky ticket was sold at an Auto Service Center in Glen Head, in Nassau County, New York. Lottery officials say it’s the second time the jackpot has been won on New Year’s Day. The last time it…
WALKER, Minn. – A central Minnesota man is being held on $1 million bond in the death of an infant in his care. Twenty-year-old Presley Sleyster is charged in Cass County with second-degree murder without intent in the Dec. 5 death of the three-month-old boy. Sheriff’s deputies were called to Sleyster’s rural Staples home for an infant who suffered a…
WASHINGTON — More police officers have died in the line of duty this year in the United States than in 2017, according to data released Thursday. The most common cause of death was gunfire, and vehicular accidents claimed nearly as many officers’ lives. The National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund said in a report that 144 federal, state and local…
NEW YORK – Wells Fargo will pay $575 million in a settlement with attorneys general from all 50 states and the District of Columbia that are investigating its banking practices, which have included phony accounts and manipulative sales practices. Under the agreement announced Friday, the bank will also be required to create teams to review and respond to customer complaints…
LITCHFIELD, Minn. – Authorities are looking for a man wanted for domestic assault and a lengthy law enforcement standoff in Meeker County. Sheriff’s officials say a caller who had fled from a home Harvey Township about noon Thursday said a man armed with a revolver remained in the residence. Tactical officers were called to the scene after the man refused…
MADISON, Wis. – Gov.-elect Tony Evers says he plans to appoint current Assistant State Superintendent Carolyn Stanford Taylor to replace him at the state Department of Public Instruction. Evers currently serves as schools superintendent, a position he’ll have to give up when he’s sworn in as governor Jan. 7. Evers announced Thursday he plans to appoint Stanford Taylor as superintendent…
ST. PAUL, Minn. – The state has been given a $2 million federal grant to begin testing a backlog of sexual assault kits that have been sitting on shelves for years. WCCO-TV reports there are more than 3,000 untested kits. Each one represents a victim that has endured a sexual assault exam. The grant from the Office of Justice Programs…
Minnesota DNR LogoFARGO, N.D. — The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources has granted a permit for an updated plan of a Red River diversion project meant to protect flood-prone Fargo and Moorhead, Minnesota. The DNR in October 2016 denied a permit for the original project, leading a federal judge to stop construction that had started southwest of Fargo. The new…
photo: Facebook/UW Med FlightPARDEEVILLE, Wis. – Authorities in southern Wisconsin say a medical helicopter flying in to pick up a UTV crash victim had to cancel its flight when someone shining a laser pointer injured the pilot. Columbia County Sheriff Dennis Richards says the UW Med Flight helicopter was trying to land in Pardeeville on Tuesday evening to pick up…
(DNR) ST. PAUL, Minn. – Hunters shot and killed about 420 deer in southeastern Minnesota in a special late-season hunt as part of the state’s fight against chronic wasting disease. Minnesota Public Radio News reports that the deer hunt last weekend in and around Fillmore County is part of the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources’ plan to slow the spread…
ST. PAUL, Minn. – Cable and internet provider Comcast is defending itself against a consumer fraud lawsuit filed by Minnesota’s attorney general. The lawsuit filed Friday alleges that the company has overcharged thousands of consumers for cable TV packages, charged them for unordered equipment and services, and failed to deliver on promised Visa gift cards. Comcast spokeswoman Jill Hornbacher says…
ST. PAUL, Minn. – Minnesota Gov. Mark Dayton’s administration has appealed a state regulatory panel’s approval of Enbridge Energy’s plan to replace its aging Line 3 oil pipeline across northern Minnesota. The Minnesota Department of Commerce said Friday that the Public Utilities Commission ignored experts who said the project isn’t needed. Dayton says in a statement that Enbridge failed to…
MADISON, Wis. – Gov.-elect Tony Evers has named four more members of his Cabinet, including an advocate for raising revenue to improve the condition of Wisconsin’s roads as head the state Department of Transportation. Evers announced the picks Friday. His choice to lead the Department of Transportation is Craig Thompson, the executive director of the Wisconsin Transportation Development Association. Evers…
GREEN BAY, Wis. — Investigators say a 61-year-old Wisconsin man was arrested for tearing down a neighbor’s Christmas decorations while drunk and naked. The Green Bay Gazette reports that Gregory Brannigan faces misdemeanor charges of disorderly conduct and resisting an officer. A criminal complaint shows Brannigan’s neighbor called police Wednesday after to report that he was naked, kicking her door…
ST. PAUL, Minn. – Republican lawmakers are criticizing Gov. Mark Dayton’s administration for approving pay raises for 22 local government officials. Minnesota Management and Budget Commissioner Myron Frans recently notified lawmakers that his agency is allowing salary cap waivers for positions in Dakota, Hennepin, Ramsey and Scott counties, as well as the Metropolitan Council and the city of Rochester. The…
WASHINGTON (AP) — Defense Secretary Jim Mattis is stepping down from his post, President Donald Trump announced Thursday, after the retired Marine general clashed with the president over a troop drawdown in Syria and Trump’s go-it-alone stance in world affairs. Mattis, perhaps the most respected foreign policy official in Trump’s administration, will leave by the end of February after two…
ST. PAUL, Minn. – The federal Bureau of Land Management says it plans to formally renew the mineral rights leases for the proposed Twin Metals copper-nickel mine near Ely. The bureau said in a statement Thursday that its plans to impose updated stipulations on the leases from the U.S. Forest Service to mitigate risks to water resources and wilderness areas….
SUN PRAIRIE, Wis. – A police chief says there will be no criminal charges against anyone related to an explosion in southern Wisconsin that killed a firefighter and leveled several buildings. Sun Prairie Police Chief Patrick Anhalt said Thursday “There is not probable cause to believe a crime was committed.” Sun Prairie firefighter Cory Barr was killed in the July…
CARLTON, Minn.-Last night, the Carlton County Attorney’s office announced it had dismissed 18 pending cases involving a Cloquet police officer. In a statement released today, the city of Cloquet said the officer being separated from his employment is Scott Beckman, who has been with the force since October of 2000. City Administrator Aaron Reeves told Fox 21 that a separation…
ST. PAUL, Minn. – The Minnesota Pollution Control Agency has signed off on three important permits sought by the developers of the planned PolyMet copper-nickel mine in northeastern Minnesota. The agency Thursday announced its approval of the air and water quality permits for the project and a certification of the company’s plan to mitigate the mine’s impact on wetlands. The…
(AP Photo/Jim Mone)ST. PAUL, Minn. – Minnesota Gov.-elect Tim Walz is preparing to announce three more cabinet appointments. Walz, a former teacher, will visit a school in St. Paul on Thursday to name his picks to run the Department of Education, Office of Higher Education, and Department of Corrections. Walz announced his first five commissioners on Tuesday. His transition team…
MINNEAPOLIS – Opponents of Enbridge Energy’s plan to replace its aging Line 3 crude oil pipeline across northern Minnesota have filed appeals to challenge the state Public Utilities Commission’s approval of the project. Environmental and tribal groups filed initial notices Wednesday with the Minnesota Court of Appeals against the commission’s decision to grant a certificate of need for the project….
CARLTON, Minn.-A prosecutor’s office in northern Minnesota has dismissed 18 pending cases involving a Cloquet police officer. Acting Carlton County Attorney Jeffrey Boucher said Wednesday that after assistant county attorneys learned of a misconduct finding involving the officer, all pending cases involving the officer were dismissed pending a review. In addition, Boucher says four cases submitted for review have not…
ST. STEPHEN, Minn. – Authorities are investigating the death of an 86-year-old man whose body was found in a burned field in central Minnesota. Stearns County Sheriff Don Gudmundson says Edwin Opatz of Rice was found dead in a burned area of the field northwest of St. Stephen. An investigation found that Opatz was burning grass pastureland earlier on Monday….
ST. PAUL, Minn. – New figures from the U.S. Census Bureau show Minnesota’s population continues to grow. But the state demographer warns Minnesota could lose a congressional seat after the 2020 census. According to the Census Bureau, Minnesota’s population grew by 43,000 people between 2017 and 2018. That puts the state’s population over 5.6 million. It’s the second consecutive year…
WASHINGTON – Outgoing House Speaker Paul Ryan is bemoaning America’s “broken politics.” He’s also using a farewell speech to say that Washington’s failure to overhaul costly federal benefit programs is “our greatest unfinished business.” The Wisconsin Republican is ending his two-decade House career. He says in prepared remarks that the country’s problems are solvable “if our politics will allow it.”…
MADISON, Wis. – Democratic Gov.-elect Tony Evers has chosen four prominent Milwaukee leaders to hold top-level Cabinet positions in his new administration. Evers’ transition team announced Wednesday that Joel Brennan, chief executive officer for Discovery World, will serve as his top aide heading the Department of Administration. Brennan previously served as campaign manager for Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett. Preston Cole,…
MADISON, Wis. – A new study finds that Wisconsin’s tax burden has dropped to a nearly 50-year low. The Wisconsin Policy Forum report released Wednesday examines state and local taxes as a share of personal income. The report says that taxes accounted for 10.5 percent of income, down slightly from 10.6 percent last year. That marks the seventh straight year…
ST. PAUL, Minn. – A golden ball swiped from the top of the conservatory at St. Paul’s Como Park has been returned – gift wrapped in giant Christmas stocking. Officials say someone scaled the 64-foot-tall Marjorie McNeely Conservatory over the weekend and stole the finial from atop the building’s dome. A conservatory official put out a request for information Tuesday….
ST. PAUL, Minn. – Minnesota Gov.-elect Tim Walz has named a former speaker of the Minnesota House as his transportation commissioner and is keeping the budget commissioner of outgoing Gov. Mark Dayton. Walz on Tuesday appointed former House speaker Margaret Anderson Kelliher to lead the Minnesota Department of Transportation. The governor-elect also announced that Minnesota Management and Budget Commissioner Myron…
NEW YORK – President Donald Trump’s charitable foundation has reached a deal to dissolve amid a legal battle with New York’s attorney general. Attorney General Barbara Underwood and the foundation filed a joint stipulation with the court Tuesday laying out a process for shutting down the charity and distributing its remaining assets to other nonprofit groups. New York filed a…
MADISON, Wis. – A Legionnaires’ disease outbreak linked to UW Hospital’s water system has infected 14 people with the pneumonia-like bacteria, and three have died. Hospital spokeswoman Lisa Brunette tells the Wisconsin State Journal that the patients who died had other serious, life-limiting health conditions. One patient remains hospitalized. A hospital official has said the cases appear to be linked…
WASHINGTON (AP) – The Trump administration is moving to officially ban bump stocks, which allow semi-automatic weapons to fire rapidly like automatic firearms. A senior Justice Department official says bump stocks will be banned under the federal law that prohibits machine guns. It will take effect in late March. After that, it will be illegal to possess bump stocks. The…
ST. PAUL, Minn. – Minnesota Gov-elect Tim Walz will announce the first five state agency heads who will serve in his administration. Walz and Lt. Gov.-elect Peggy Flanagan have called a news conference for 1 p.m. Tuesday to name his first five out of what will eventually be 23 commissioners for his new administration. Walz’s transition team received over 500…
LA CROSSE, Wis. – A man who served as a choir director for the La Crosse School District has admitted to sexually assaulting students. Thirty-four-year-old Dustin Bagstad on Monday pleaded guilty to five counts of second-degree sexual assault of a child in a plea deal under which prosecutors will dismiss 14 other charges. The criminal complaint says Bagstad committed sex…
EAU CLAIRE, Wis. (AP) – A Wisconsin man with 16 drunken driving convictions in three states is headed to prison. Sixty-three-year-old Bradley Armstrong, of Eau Claire, was sentenced Friday to four years in state prison to be followed by three years of extended supervision. Judge John Manydeeds told Armstrong that he was a dangerous person and that the number of…
(AP Photo/Jim Mone)ST. PAUL, Minn. – Minnesota Gov-elect Tim Walz is preparing to announce his first round of state agency heads who will serve in his administration. Walz and Lt. Gov.-elect Peggy Flanagan have called a news conference for Tuesday to announce the first out of 23 new commissioners. Walz’s transition team received over 500 applications for the leadership positions….
DULUTH, Minn. – National delivery services are gearing up for a busy holiday season handling millions of packages, but they warn to ship them early in order to get to their destinations on time. “The sooner you mail the better,” said Karen Mazurkiewicz, U.S. Postal Service spokeswoman. The U.S. Postal Service expects to deliver 12.5 million packages in the Central…
DULUTH, Minn. – An effort is underway to reintroduce elk to parts of northeast Minnesota, but it could be a long process. Minnesota Public Radio reported that the University of Minnesota has spent three years observing potential habit for elk in three forests in the region. Researchers also say nearly 80 percent of rural landowners and residents in the area…
MADISON, Wis. – University of Wisconsin-Whitewater Chancellor Beverly Kopper is resigning after her husband was banned from campus amid sexual harassment allegations. Kopper sent out a campus-wide email Monday announcing her resignation effective Dec. 31. UW System President Ray Cross banned Kopper’s husband, Pete Hill, from campus in June in response to allegations that Hill had sexually harassed several women…
ROSEVILLE, Minn. – The husband of a Roseville home day care provider has been found guilty of sexually assaulting three girls cared for at the site. The St. Paul Pioneer Press reports that a Ramsey County District Court jury convicted 44-year-old Edgar Lopez-Monter of both first-degree and second-degree criminal sexual conduct after deliberating for about four hours Friday. Minnesota Department…
ST. PAUL, Minn. – Garth Brooks and Gov. Mark Dayton are making a concert announcement after the governor asked the country superstar to schedule another performance when tickets for his May 4th concert in Minneapolis sold out in less than an hour. The governor’s office says at least 50,000 people were in line, on the phone or online Friday when…
