Author: The Associated Press

Officials Believe Body of Iowa Student Mollie Tibbetts Found

Information is not Available Regarding the Location of the Body

IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) – Investigators believe they have found the body of Mollie Tibbetts, a University of Iowa student who has been missing for more than a month. The 20-year-old woman was last seen July 18, jogging in her hometown of Brooklyn in central Iowa. Greg Willey, the vice president of Crime Stoppers of Central Iowa, says a body…

Minnesota man Charged With Aiding Wife’s Suicide

Houck Will Appear in Court on Tuesday

EDEN PRAIRIE, Minn. (AP) – A Minnesota man has been charged with aiding the suicide of his wife, who was reportedly suffering from unexplained pain. Sixty-one-year-old Thomas Houck of Eden Prairie was charged Monday. A criminal complaint says he called 911 last Thursday to report his wife had “euthanized herself” with nitrogen. Eden Prairie police arrived to find the woman…

Man Struck and Killed by Train at Crossing in Detroit Lakes

The Accident Happened Early Monday Morning

DETROIT LAKES, Minn. (AP) – A man is dead after being struck by a Canadian Pacific Railway train in Detroit Lakes. Police say the 57-year-old pedestrian was hit at a crossing about 12:15 a.m. Monday. He was taken to a local hospital, where he died. The man’s name wasn’t immediately released. His last known address was Fergus Falls. Categories: News,…

PepsiCo Buys SodaStream for $3.2 Billion

JERUSALEM (AP) — PepsiCo bought carbonated drink maker SodaStream for $3.2 billion on Monday, a move the beverage giant hopes will further help it adjust as consumers drink less traditional soda and opt more for flavored waters and other drinks. The deal is also a boon to SodaStream, which has enjoyed a resurgence after being targeted by anti-Israel boycotters in…

Torso, leg Found in Mississippi River in Southeast Minnesota

DNA Tests Will be Conducted

WABASHA, Minn. (AP) – Authorities say more body parts have been found in the Mississippi River in southeastern Minnesota. Wabasha County Sheriff Rodney Bartsch says two boys discovered a torso and an attached leg with a boot on Saturday. The Winona Daily News reports the boot appears to match a boot found on a human leg that was discovered July…

Police Recover Puppy Stolen From car in Chaska

The Puppy was Stolen Outside of Goodwill on Friday

photo: Facebook/Chaska Police DepartmentCHASKA, Minn. (AP) – Police have recovered an 11-week-old puppy stolen from a car in Chaska. The Chaska Police Department said in a Facebook post on Sunday that the dog named Goldy has been recovered. Police say a suspect has been identified, and the investigation is still active. A woman was suspected of stealing the puppy from…

Pence’s Return Highlights White House’s Focus on Minnesota

The White House is Focused on Minnesota Ahead of Election

ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) — Vice President Mike Pence is heading back to Minnesota. Minnesota Republican Party chairwoman Jennifer Carnahan announced Monday that Pence will return to Minnesota Aug. 30 and will be stopping in Bloomington for a fundraising event. It’s the latest evidence of the White House’s keen focus on Minnesota ahead of an election filled with competitive races…

Minneapolis Police Department Implements Cameras on Guns

Farmington Police Also Started Using the Technology

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) – A police force in a Minneapolis suburb is outfitting its officers with cameras mounted on their handguns amid calls for more transparency in police shootings. The West Hennepin County Safety Department says the $7,200 cameras are significantly less expensive than body cameras. The Star Tribune reports that the department tested the weapon-mounted cameras over the past year…

Police work to stop overdoses after 76 fall ill

(AP) – Police swarmed a Connecticut park near Yale University and searched people’s homes for drugs Thursday in an effort to prevent more overdoses from a batch of synthetic marijuana blamed for sending more than 70 people to the hospital. Social workers and mental health professionals also responded to the New Haven Green, where most of the overdoses happened Wednesday….

Beer Offer Kept Minnesota man From Jumping off Bridge

The man was Taken to a Hospital by Police

ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) – Police say two Minnesota beer deliverymen prevented a suicidal man from jumping off an interstate bridge in St. Paul by offering the man a Coors Light. Authorities say Jason Gable and Kwame Anderson were driving their truck Wednesday morning when they spotted the man clinging to the outer fence of the bridge and asked him…

Northern Minnesota Under air Quality Alert due to Smoke

Smoke Levels Consideres Unhealthy for Sensitive People

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) – Residents in the northern half of Minnesota are being warned about poor air quality due to smoke from Canadian wildfires. The state Pollution Control Agency has issued an air quality alert for the region through midday Sunday. Officials say the smoke is expected to reach levels considered unhealthy for sensitive people. The affected area includes the cities…

Woman Sues Surgeon who Wrongly Removed her Kidney

The Surgery was Supposed to Remove an Adrenal Gland and Mass

SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (AP) – An Iowa woman is suing a South Dakota surgeon and his practice for wrongly removing one of her kidneys. The lawsuit filed by Dena Knapp alleges that Dr. Scott Baker erroneously removed her healthy right kidney instead of removing an adrenal gland and a mass on the gland during a surgery in Sioux Falls in…

Inmate Facing new Charges in Prison Guard’s Hammer Death

A Grand Jury is Required to Approve the new Charges

STILLWATER, Minn. (AP) – An inmate accused of using a hammer to kill a Minnesota prison guard has been indicted on first-degree murder charges. A grand jury returned the indictment Tuesday against 42-year-old Edward Muhammad Johnson. He’s accused of killing Department of Corrections Officer Joseph Gomm at the Stillwater prison on July 18. According to the new charges, Johnson repeatedly…

Student Stabbed on First day of School in Oklahoma

The Student has Been Airlifted to a Hospital

LUTHER, Okla. (AP) – Investigators say a student has been airlifted to a hospital after a stabbing at a central Oklahoma high school. Oklahoma County sheriff’s spokesman Mark Opgrande says deputies were called to Luther High School in the small town of Luther following the reported stabbing Thursday morning. Opgrande says a student suspected in the attack is in custody….

Passengers Help Deliver Baby Born on Minnesota bus

Paramedics Took the Mother and Newborn to the Hospital

ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) – Passengers on a city bus in Minnesota have helped a woman deliver her baby after she went into labor. The Star Tribune reports the mother started having contractions Tuesday as the bus rolled through a neighborhood near the University of Minnesota’s St. Paul campus. Jane Mulcahy was seated right across from the woman. Mulcahy says…

‘Queen of Soul’ Aretha Franklin has died

Franklin was 76 Years old

(AP Photo/Shea Walsh, file)DETROIT (AP) — Aretha Franklin, the undisputed “Queen of Soul” who sang with matchless style on such classics as “Think,” ″I Say a Little Prayer” and her signature song, “Respect,” and stood as a cultural icon around the globe, has died at age 76 from advance pancreatic cancer. Publicist Gwendolyn Quinn tells The Associated Press through a…

Human Error Blamed for Statewide 911 Outage in Minnesota

Nearly 700 Calls Failed to be Routed During the Outage

ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) – Officials in Minnesota say human error was to blame for a statewide 911 outage earlier this month. Minnesota’s Emergency Communications Networks said Wednesday it has concluded its investigation into the Aug. 1 outage . Similar disruptions were reported in North Dakota and North Carolina. According to the agency, CenturyLink, Minnesota’s 911 service provider, said human…

Researchers Look Into Lake Superior Algae Bloom

Researchers Will Know by end of Week if Bloom is Toxic

DULUTH, Minn. (AP) – Scientists are investigating an unprecedented algae bloom in Lake Superior and have sent samples for lab testing to determine if it’s toxic. Minnesota Public Radio reports that kayakers and other visitors to the popular lake shore along eastern Minnesota and northwestern Wisconsin found green scummy algae last week on Lake Superior’s surface. Robert Sterner directs the…

Vermont Nominates 1st US Transgender Candidate for Governor

Hallquist Defeated Three Other Democrats

(AP Photo/Charles Krupa)WASHINGTON (AP) – A former utility executive from Vermont has become the first transgender candidate to win a major political party’s nomination for governor. Christine Hallquist defeated three other Democrats en route to victory in Tuesday’s primary. The former CEO of the Vermont Electric Cooperative says she’s running because she feels she has the best plan to help…

Turnout in Wisconsin Primary Highest Since 2002

Nearly 994,000 People Voted in the Primary

MADISON, Wis. (AP) – Turnout in Wisconsin’s primary that saw hotly contested races among both Democrats and Republicans is the highest since 2002. Based on official results, turnout in Tuesday’s election was nearly 22.1 percent. That is the highest since 22.5 percent in 2002. That year featured a multi-candidate primary for governor on the Democratic side won by Jim Doyle,…

Minnesota Primary Turnout Estimated Highest in 24 Years

Best Since 1994

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) – Minnesota’s long list of big races in Tuesday’s primary sparked the biggest turnout in more than 20 years. A spokesman for the secretary of state’s office tweeted late Tuesday that it was about 21.5 percent. The spokesman, Ben Petok, said that was the best since 1994. Turnout in midterm primary elections in recent cycles has been more…

Father Charged With Gravely Injuring Infant

The Infant is Only Breathing With Assistance

APPLE VALLEY, Minn. (AP) – A father with a lengthy criminal record is charged with inflicting life-threatening injuries on his newborn son in Apple Valley. Thirty-two-year-old Michael Herkal is charged in Dakota County District Court with first-degree assault and malicious punishment of a child. Herkal is jailed on $750,000 bond. A criminal complaint says the 13-day-old boy suffered a skull…

Housley Wins GOP Primary for Minnesota Senate Seat; to Faceoff with Tina Smith

Minnesota state Sen. Karin Housley has easily won the state's Republican primary in a race to finish the last two years of Al Franken's Senate term.

ST. PAUL, Minn.-Minnesota state Sen. Karin Housley has easily won the state’s Republican primary in a race to finish the last two years of Al Franken’s Senate term. Housley faced no major challengers when launching her campaign in the days after Franken announced his resignation over allegations of sexual misconduct. His departure unexpectedly put a Democrat-held seat in play, complicating…

Evers Wins DFL Primary for Wisconsin Governor; Now Faces Gov. Walker

Wisconsin state schools chief Tony Evers has won the Democratic primary for governor and will face Republican Gov. Scott Walker in November.

MADISON, Wis.-Wisconsin state schools chief Tony Evers has won the Democratic primary for governor and will face Republican Gov. Scott Walker in November. Evers emerged from a field of eight candidates in Tuesday’s primary. He was the only candidate to have won election statewide before and now faces his biggest challenge against Walker. Walker has built up a big financial…

Ellison Wins Minnesota’s Attorney General Nomination

Ellison Defeated Four Other Candidates

ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) – U.S. Rep. Keith Ellison has won Minnesota’s Democratic primary for attorney general. Ellison defeated four other candidates to win Tuesday’s primary days after a former girlfriend accused him of domestic abuse. Ellison denied the allegation. Ellison decided to give up his safe Minneapolis-area seat to try for attorney general when incumbent Lori Swanson ran for…

Stauber Wins GOP Nomination for Eighth District

Pete Stauber has won the GOP primary for the northeastern Minnesota congressional seat being vacated by Democrat Rick Nolan.

HERMANTOWN, Minn.-Pete Stauber has won the GOP primary for the northeastern Minnesota congressional seat being vacated by Democrat Rick Nolan. Stauber, a St. Louis County Commissioner and retired Duluth police officer, defeated former Duluth School Board member Harry Robb Welty on Tuesday to advance to a general election contest that’s seen as one of the Republicans’ best chances anywhere in…

Vukmir Wins GOP Senate Primary in Wisconsin

A Wisconsin state senator and close ally to Gov. Scott Walker has defeated a former Marine who cast himself as a political outsider in the state's Republican primary for U.S. Senate.

MADISON, Wis.-A Wisconsin state senator and close ally to Gov. Scott Walker has defeated a former Marine who cast himself as a political outsider in the state’s Republican primary for U.S. Senate. Leah Vukmir beat Kevin Nicholson in Tuesday’s primary and now advances to face Democratic Sen. Tammy Baldwin. Vukmir won the endorsement of the Wisconsin Republican Party and the…

Johnson Wins GOP Primary for Minnesota Governor

ST. PAUL, Minn.-County Commissioner Jeff Johnson has beaten former Gov. Tim Pawlenty in Minnesota’s Republican primary for governor, derailing Pawlenty’s bid to reclaim his old job. Johnson won Tuesday despite Pawlenty’s enormous fundraising and name recognition advantages. He also won despite his own history as the party’s losing candidate for governor four years ago. Johnson positioned himself as a more…

The Latest: Walz Wins 3-way Primary for Minnesota Governor

Democratic Rep. Tim Walz has won a three-way primary for Minnesota governor.

WASHINGTON (AP) – Democratic Rep. Tim Walz has won a three-way primary for Minnesota governor. Walz leveraged his rural Minnesota connections and a geographically balanced ticket to defeat state Rep. Erin Murphy and Attorney General Lori Swanson in Tuesday’s primary. Walz is leaving Congress after six terms representing southwestern Minnesota. Walz’s outstate appeal and pedigree as a former teacher and…

Jury Awards $289M to man who Blames Roundup for Cancer

Monsanto has Denied a Link Between Glyphosate and Cancer

(AP Photo/Jeff Roberson, File) SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — A jury’s $289 million award to a former school groundskeeper who said Monsanto’s Roundup left him dying of cancer will bolster thousands of pending cases and open the door for countless people who blame their suffering on the weed killer, the man’s lawyers said. “I’m glad to be here to be able…

Former Sen. Norm Coleman Says Cancer has Returned

Coleman is now a Lobbyist in Washington

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) – Former Minnesota Sen. Norm Coleman says he is being treated for lung cancer. The 68-year-old Republican announced his condition Tuesday in a posting on Facebook. It comes about two and a half years after he was diagnosed with throat and neck cancer. Coleman underwent surgery, chemotherapy and radiation after his initial diagnosis. He had eventually been pronounced…

Two Found Guilty in Wisconsin Pipeline Protest Case

The Enbridge Pipeline is now in Service

SUPERIOR, Wis. (AP) – A jury has found two people guilty of disorderly conduct and obstructing an officer following a protest at Enbridge Energy’s Line 3 construction site in Wisconsin last summer. Wisconsin Public Radio reports that 24-year-old Alexander Emery Good-Cane-Milk of South Dakota and 26-year-old Kyla L. Hassig of Minnesota were also found guilty of trespassing on the site…

Devastating Toxic Algae Bloom Plagues Florida’s Gulf Coast

(AP Photo/Chris O’Meara)LONGBOAT KEY, Fla. (AP) — Tons of dead fish. A smell so awful you gag with one inhale. Empty beaches, empty roads, empty restaurants. A toxic algae bloom has overrun Florida’s southern Gulf Coast this summer, devastating sea life and driving people from the water. “I’ve never seen it this bad,” said 31-year-old Heather Lamb of Venice. She’s…

Child Dies in Swing set Collapse in Zumbrota

This is the Second Swing set Death This Month

ZUMBROTA, Minn. (AP) – Authorities say a young child died in a swing set accident in southern Minnesota. Police say the 4-year-old child was swinging Monday morning in Zumbrota when the structure collapsed. First responders and a medical helicopter were dispatched to the home. Lifesaving efforts at the house were unsuccessful. It’s the second time this month that a child…

Cars Plunge as Highway Bridge Collapses in Italy; 22 Dead

A 260 Foot Stretch of the Bridge Collapsed

(Vigili Del Fuoco via AP)MILAN (AP) — A bridge on a main highway linking Italy with France collapsed Tuesday in the Italian port city of Genoa during a sudden, violent storm, sending vehicles plunging  nearly 150 feet into a heap of rubble below. A transport official said at least 22 people were killed and eight injured in the tragedy. A…

Lawmakers vow Action on Google Location Tracking

(AP Photo/Seth Wenig)SAN FRANCISCO (AP) – Google records your movements even when you explicitly tell it not to. An Associated Press investigation shows that using Google services on Android devices and iPhones allows the company to record your whereabouts as you go about your day, even if you’ve used privacy settings that are supposed to prevent it from doing so….

Immigrations Audits Affect Dozens of Minnesota Businesses

ICE Audited 34 Minnesota Companies

(Francisco Kjolseth/The Salt Lake Tribune via AP) ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) — A St. Paul baking company that shuttered after an immigration audit is among nearly three dozen Minnesota businesses U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement has targeted since President Donald Trump took office. ICE audited as least 34 Minnesota companies from January 2017 through April 2018 as part of the…

Florida Parking lot Shooter Charged in “Stand Your Ground” Case

Drejka has Been Charged with Manslaughter

(Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office via AP, File) FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. (AP) – Florida prosecutors have charged a white man in the death of an unarmed black man whose videotaped shooting in a store parking lot has revived debate over Florida’s “stand your ground” law. The Pinellas County State Attorney Bernie McCabe said Monday that 47-year-old Michael Drejka has been charged…

St. Cloud Woman Fatally Struck While Walking on Street

The Driver who hit the Woman has Been Cooperative

ST. CLOUD, Minn. (AP) – St. Cloud police say a woman has died after she was struck by a car as she walked on a city street. Officers were called to the crash on Saturday afternoon. Police say the 59-year-old St. Cloud woman was walking with traffic in the outside lane of West St. Germain when she was struck from…

Trump Tweets About Harley-Davidson Boycott

New Tariffs Could Cost the Company $100 Million Annually

NEW YORK (AP) – President Donald Trump is backing calls for a Harley-Davidson boycott amid an ongoing steel tariff dispute. Harley-Davidson drew Trump’s wrath in June after the manufacturer announced it is moving production of motorcycles sold in Europe to facilities outside the U.S. The company blames the decision on tariffs imposed by the European Union to retaliate for tariffs…

Minnesota Deputies Rescue Women ‘Stranded’ on Unicorn Raft

The Woman and the Sheriff Were Able to Have a Good Laugh About the Mishap

Driving by a local lake we observed a bunch of women in a ???????? stuck in the weeds…Yes a rainbow unicorn… With a handful of laughs and some mad rescue roping skills they were pulled back to the dock! #wherestheglitter pic.twitter.com/qCyhfJqAa9 — Chisago Co Sheriff (@ChisagoCountySO) August 11, 2018 STARK, Minn. (AP) – It was not a fairy tale, but…

Crocs to outsource manufacturing of clogs, other footwear

They are Also Focusing on More Online Sales

(AP Photo/Damian Dovarganes, File) NIWOT, Colo. (AP) — Colorado-based footwear company Crocs Inc. is closing company-owned manufacturing plants in Italy and Mexico by year’s end and replacing its chief financial officer. The company announced the outsourcing of additional manufacturing and the closure of a distribution facility in Mexico Tuesday while reporting a second-quarter profit of $30.4 million, or 35 cents…

Two new Exotic Species Identified in the Great Lakes

The Discovery is Alarming to Experts

BRIDGEPORT, N.Y. (AP) – Researchers say two new exotic zooplankton species have crept into the Great Lakes. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency says Cornell University researchers confirmed the species are in Lake Erie. The species are Diaphanosoma fluviatile, which is from Central and South America and the Caribbean, and Mesocyclops pehpeiensis, which is native to tropical and temperate areas of…

Teasing led to Fatal Wisconsin Circular saw Attack

The 24 Year old is Charged With First-Degree Intentional Homicide

ELLSWORTH, Wis. (AP) – Investigators allege teasing led to a roofer killing a co-worker with a circular saw in western Wisconsin. Twenty-four-year-old Miguel Navarro of St. Louis was charged Thursday with first-degree intentional homicide and mayhem in the death of 37-year-old Israel Valles-Flores, also of St. Louis. According to the complaint, Navarro was seen attacking Valles-Flores with a circular saw…

NFL Players Protest During Anthem, Drawing Rebuke From Trump

There has Been no Change in the NFL’s Policy Regarding the National Anthem

(AP Photo/Wilfredo Lee)(AP) – NFL players demonstrated during the national anthem at several preseason games Thursday night, protests that again drew a rebuke from President Donald Trump. Writing on Twitter from his New Jersey golf resort, Trump said Friday players “make a fortune doing what they love,” and those who refuse to stand “proudly” for the anthem should be suspended…

Officer Assaulted at St. Cloud Prison

The Officer was Treated and Released

ST. CLOUD, Minn. (AP) – An assault at the St. Cloud prison sent a corrections officer to the hospital. Authorities say the sergeant was processing an offender through intake and was taking him to his residential unit when the inmate struck him in the face with an elbow. The officer was treated at the hospital and released. The facility was…

Minnesota’s Swanson Accused of Pushing Staff to aid Ambition

Swanson is Vying in Tuesday's Primary

photo: loriswanson.comST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) – Democrat Lori Swanson’s campaign for Minnesota governor is being hit by late accusations that she pressured staffers in her office to perform political work. D’Andre Norman, a former staffer in Swanson’s attorney general office, told The Intercept he spent years rounding up office staffers to volunteer for Swanson. Norman was a dispute resolution mediator…

Woman who Texted man 696 Times in April is Charged

She is Charged with Stalking and Other Crimes

FOREST CITY, Iowa (AP) – Authorities say a Minnesota woman who sent 696 text messages to a northern Iowa man in April violated a no-contact order. Winnebago County District Court records say 34-year-old Katie Christian, of Emmons, Minnesota, is charged with stalking and other crimes. Her arraignment is scheduled for Aug. 24 in Forest City. Attempts to reach her attorney…

Dayton Requests Federal Help for Storm Damage

Federal, state, and local officials conducting damage assessments verified more than $21 million of eligible damages for 29 counties and three tribal nations.

ST. PAUL, Minn.- Gov. Mark Dayton is requesting federal help for Minnesota communities hit hard by severe storms and flooding between June 15 and July 12. Dayton has sent a letter to President Donald Trump requesting a disaster declaration. That would mean the Federal Emergency Management Agency would fund 75 percent of approved costs. The state would pay the other…

Opponents of Enbridge Line 3 Pipeline Project File Appeal

The Minnesota Public Utilities Commission approved the project in June, giving Enbridge a green light to replace its aging Line 3 crude oil pipeline across Minnesota.

ST. PAUL, Minn.-Opponents of Enbridge Energy’s planned Line 3 replacement are asking the Minnesota Court of Appeals to declare that the environmental review for the controversial project fails to meet the legal requirements and needs to be redone. The Minnesota Public Utilities Commission approved the project in June, giving Enbridge a green light to replace its aging Line 3 crude…