Author: The Associated Press

Gov.-Elect Tim Walz Names First Five Commissioners

The Announcements Were Made 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…

Gov.-Elect Tim Walz Will Name his First Five Commissioners

Walz's Team Received Over 500 Applications

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…

Man With 16 Drunken Driving Convictions Gets Prison Time

His Convictions Date Back to 1989

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…

New elk Herd Could be Reintroduced in Northeast Minnesota

Officials say it Could be a Long Process

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…

Man Convicted of Sexual Assaults at Wife’s Home day Care

The Husband was Found Guilty on Friday

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…

Brooks, Dayton Making Concert Announcement in Twin Cities

Brooks Will Hold a Second Show in Minneapolis

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…

Walker to Take Action on Lame-Duck Bills Friday Afternoon

Walker's Office Announced the Event at Noon Friday

MADISON, Wis. – Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker plans to take action on a sweeping package of Republican-authored lame-duck legislation that restricts early voting and weakens the powers of the incoming Democratic governor and attorney general. Walker’s office announced the event at noon Friday at a Green Bay state office building. Walker has repeatedly signaled support for the bills and downplayed…

Walz Draws GOP Criticism for Skipping Trump Meeting

Walz Declined as Invitation to the White House

(AP Photo/Jim Mone)ST. PAUL, Minn. – Minnesota Gov.-elect Tim Walz declined an invitation to join a bipartisan group of new governors in a meeting with President Donald Trump, drawing some criticism from Republicans. The six-term Democratic congressman stayed in Minnesota this week to meet with transition staff and advisers, even as his counterparts from South Dakota, Wisconsin and other Midwestern…

Hayward Area Memorial Hospital Targeted in Nationwide Email Bomb Threat Hoax

The Hospital Campus was Pronounced all Clear

HAYWARD, Wis. – Businesses and schools across the U.S. were evacuated because of a bomb threat hoax, including the Hayward Area Memorial Hospital. Officials in states across the country say businesses received emailed bomb threats Thursday that were part of what they believe is a nationwide hoax. The Sawyer County Sheriff’s Office says they were informed of a bomb threat…

Walker to Offer $25 Million to Kimberly-Clark

The Deal Would Save Nearly 400 Jobs

MADISON, Wis. – Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker plans to offer paper-products giant Kimberly-Clark Corp. a deal worth $25 million to keep a plant open and save nearly 400 jobs. The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reports Thursday that the deal will be done using powers Walker currently has but that would be taken away under a bill Republicans passed in a lame-duck…

Minnesota Regulators Reject Attempt to Stop Line 3

Opponents Will now Challenge the Project in Court

ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) – Minnesota regulators have rejected the latest attempt by environmental and tribal groups to stop Enbridge Energy’s plan to replace its aging Line 3 crude oil pipeline. The Public Utilities Commission voted unanimously Thursday to reject petitions from groups opposed to the project. The groups wanted the commission to reconsider its decision to approve a certificate…

Minnesota Police Look for Solutions to Recruitment Struggles

officials say There is a "Crisis" in Attracting new Officers

MINNEAPOLIS – The Minnesota Chiefs of Police Association has launched a six-month public relations campaign dubbed “Wear the Badge” to try to increase the number of recruits into the profession. The Star Tribune reports that the recruitment campaign emphasizes the community service parts of police work through videos and online advertisements. The effort comes as top law enforcement officials say…

Walker to Make ‘Major’ Kimberly-Clark Announcement

The Announcement Comes After the Legislature Failed to Pass a tax Incentive Bill

MADISON, Wis. – Gov. Scott Walker plans to make what he’s calling a “major economic development” announcement at the Kimberly-Clark factory in northeast Wisconsin. The announcement Thursday comes after the Legislature failed to pass a tax incentive bill that company officials said was needed to keep the factory open. It employs about 300 people. Walker has been working on an…

Oil Pipeline Opponents Look Past Minnesota Regulators

Environmental and Tribal Groups Hold out Little Hope

MINNEAPOLIS – Opponents of Enbridge Energy’s proposed Line 3 crude oil pipeline replacement are turning their attention to fighting the project on other fronts as a Minnesota regulatory panel prepares to take one of its final steps to allow it to proceed. The Public Utilities Commission on Thursday will discuss whether to reconsider its decision to approve a route permit…

80-Year-old man Injured in St. Paul House Explosion Dies

A gas Leak is Suspected as Cause for the Explosion

(Leila Navidi/Star Tribune via AP)ST. PAUL, Minn. – An 80-year-old man injured in an explosion at his St. Paul home last month has died. A spokeswoman for Regions Hospital in St. Paul tells the Star Tribune that John Lundahl died Tuesday at the hospital from his injuries. The Nov. 23 explosion left Lundahl with significant burns and a broken arm…

Michigan Governor Signs Bill Allowing Great Lakes oil Tunnel

The Tunnel and new Pipeline Segment Will Replace Twin Pipelines

TRAVERSE CITY, Mich. – Gov. Rick Snyder has signed legislation establishing a panel to oversee a hotly disputed tunnel that will house an oil pipeline beneath the waterway linking Lake Huron and Lake Michigan. Snyder acted Wednesday, a day after the Republican-dominated Michigan Legislature gave the bill final approval. It creates the Mackinac Straits Corridor Authority to monitor construction and…

Rising Gambling tax Revenues Fill US Bank Stadium’s Reserves

Other Taxable Charitable Gambling Activities Include Bingo and Raffles

ST. PAUL, Minn. – Tax revenues from charitable gambling are generating so much revenue for paying off the debt for U.S. Bank Stadium that Minnesota officials say corporate taxes are no longer needed for that purpose. The state projects the stadium’s reserve account will hit $193 million by 2012. So, officials plan to drop an annual infusion of $20 million…

State Officials Confirm 11 CWD Infections on Deer Farm

The Deer Were Found on a Washington County Deer Farm

(DNR) MADISON, Wis. – Wisconsin agriculture officials have confirmed 11 more cases of chronic wasting disease on a Washington County deer farm. The Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection quarantined the farm in March after a buck there tested positive. The agency announced Monday that 11 additional animals of the farm have tested positive for the disease. A team…

Warmer Temps Affecting University of Minnesota Winter Sports

The Alpine ski Team is Faring Better

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Warmer weather is affecting some winter sports at the University of Minnesota. Higher temperatures cause more snowmelt and shorter ski seasons. Two seasons ago, the university’s Nordic ski team could not participate in the American Birkebeiner, which was canceled because of warm weather. Gopher winter sports are off to a better start this season, but the team…

Second Lead-Poisoning Eagle Euthanized at Raptor Center

Bald Eagle StareST. PAUL, Minn. – The University of Minnesota Raptor Center has euthanized a second eagle this hunting season because of lead poisoning. The Raptor Center says it sees lead poisoning cases annually beginning with deer hunting season and lead bullets are the main cause. The birds scavenge on an animal that’s been shot and wind up eating lead…

Minnesota’s Next Government Faces $1.5B Projected Surplus

The Governor and Lawmakers Will get an Updated Forecast in February

(AP Photo/Jim Mone)ST. PAUL, Minn. — Minnesota will have a projected $1.5 billion surplus for the next two-year budget period, state officials announced Thursday, setting the stage for a spirited debate over taxes and spending in the legislative session that starts in January. The healthy surplus gives Democratic Gov.-elect Tim Walz and the Legislature more room for spending initiatives, tax…

Regents OK Three Percent pay Hikes for UW System Employees

The Increase Would Start July 1

LA CROSSE, Wis. – Regents have approved a plan to increase pay for employees of the University of Wisconsin System by 3 percent each of the next two fiscal years. The Board of Regents unanimously approved the pay plan at a meeting in La Crosse Thursday. Regents also backed an identical pay plan for UW-Madison. The proposal calls for full…

Mail-Only Ballots Discussed for Presidential Primary

The Switch Would Begin in 2020

MINNEAPOLIS – Minnesota political party leaders and state and local officials are considering mail balloting for the 2020 presidential primary, a dramatic change from past practices in which citizens make their selections in party caucuses. The state will switch to a more straightforward primary system beginning in 2020 that allows voters to cast ballots for their preferred choice for president…

Regents Pick Lone Finalist for U of Minnesota President

She is the First Female President of the U of M

MINNEAPOLIS – A sole finalist is in line to become the first female president of the University of Minnesota. The University of Minnesota’s Board of Regents on Wednesday advanced Joan Gabel, provost at the University of South Carolina, as the single finalist for the president’s job. Regents Chair David McMillan says Gabel “has shown strong leadership,” and the presidential search…

Minnesota Budget Forecast Expected to Show Surplus

Walz Will Release Budget Outline February 19

ST. PAUL, Minn. – Minnesota officials are preparing to release a budget forecast that will set the stage for the debate over taxes and spending in the 2019 legislative session. Minnesota Management and Budget is due to issue the forecast late Thursday morning. The revenue and spending projections are expected to show a significant surplus, which would give Gov.-elect Tim…

Toxic Amounts of Vitamin D Spur dog Food Recall

Elevated Vitamin D Levels can Cause Kidney Failure

NEW YORK – Elm Pet Foods is the latest maker of dog food to issue a recall over elevated levels of vitamin D, which can cause kidney failure at high enough levels. Similar recalls have been issued by ANF Inc., Sunshine Mills Inc., Natural Life Pet Products, and Nutrisca over the last month. Elm and others urge consumers to either…

Wisconsin Legislature OKs Weakening Governor, AG

The Bill Will go to Gov. Scott Walker who has Signaled Support

MADISON, Wis. – The Republican-controlled Wisconsin Legislature has approved a sweeping package of bills weakening the incoming Democratic governor and attorney general. The state Assembly approved the lame-duck legislation Wednesday morning. The Wisconsin Senate did the same less than three hours earlier after lawmakers worked through most of the night. The bills now go to outgoing Republican Gov. Scott Walker,…