Author: The Associated Press

Semi Crash Sends Hogs Spilling Onto Minnesota Highway

A few of the Pigs Died

MANKATO, Minn. (AP) – Some pigs went hog-wild on the highway after a semi-truck overturned in southern Minnesota. The semi crashed at an interchange of Highways 169 and 14 near Mankato Wednesday morning. Hogs escaped from the punctured trailer and spilled onto the roads. The Minnesota State Patrol says the 30-year-old semi driver lost control and rolled on the ramp….

Officer Dies After Assault by Inmate at Minnesota Prison

Gomm was a 16-Year Department Veteran

BAYPORT, Minn. (AP) – A corrections officer has died after he was assaulted by an inmate at the Stillwater state prison. The Minnesota Department of Corrections says Officer Joseph Gomm was attacked by an offender at 1:30 p.m. Wednesday. Gomm was taken to Regions Hospital in St. Paul, where he was pronounced dead. Gomm was a 16-year veteran of the…

Group Seeks Another Environmental Review for PolyMet Mine

PolyMet is now Seeking Permits

ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) – A clean water group has petitioned state and federal regulators for another environmental review for the planned PolyMet copper-nickel mine in northeastern Minnesota. The project has already undergone an extensive environmental review, and PolyMet is now seeking permits. But Paula Maccabee, an attorney for WaterLegacy, says critical details have changed so much since what was…

Traffic Headache, but no Injuries in Fiery Interstate Crash

The Truck Burst Into Flames When hit

MILWAUKEE (AP) – A fiery crash between a chemical truck and a car temporarily closed a downtown Milwaukee interchange, but did not cause any serious injuries. The crash happened on northbound Interstate 43/94 just after 3 a.m. Wednesday and forced the closure of the entire Marquette interchange for about two hours. The northbound interstate lanes remained closed for about six…

Out of Hospital, Thai Boys Recount Moment They Were Found

All 13 Boys Have Been Described as Recovering Well

CHIANG RAI, Thailand (AP) — Trapped in the recesses of a flooded cave in northern Thailand, the 12 boys and their soccer coach were trying to dig their way out when they heard voices in the darkness. Their coach quickly told everyone to be quiet. “We weren’t sure if it was for real,” said 14-year-old Adul Samon. “So we stopped…

Minnesota State Fair announces dozens of new attractions

Seven new Rides Have Been Added This Year

FALCON HEIGHTS, Minn. (AP) — The Minnesota State Fair has announced dozens of new attractions for the 2018 edition of the Great Minnesota Get-Together . Thrill-seekers will find seven new rides, including five on the Mighty Midway. They include a two-level haunted house ride that fair officials say will be the largest traveling haunted attraction in North America when it…

Man Charged in Girlfriend’s Death Dies in ATV Crash

The man had Been Charged in a Snowmobile Crash That Killed his Girlfriend

LA CROSSE, Wis. (AP) – A La Crosse County man charged in a snowmobile crash that killed his girlfriend has died in an all-terrain vehicle crash in northern Wisconsin. Thirty-one-year-old John Marshall, of Brice Prairie, died Saturday in a crash on the north side of Birch Lake in the Town of Edgewater. Marshall was charged with homicide by intoxicated use…

Crews Extinguish car Fire in Mall of America Parking Ramp

No one was Hurt in the Fire

BLOOMINGTON, Minn. (AP) – Firefighters have quickly contained a car fire in a parking ramp at the Mall of America in Bloomington. Assistant Bloomington Fire Chief Jay Forster says two cars caught fire, and a third was damaged, on the fourth level of the mall’s west parking ramp Tuesday afternoon. Forster says crews were on the scene within minutes after…

FEMA Teams Visit Northern Wisconsin Damaged by Flooding

They Will Visit Douglas and Bayfield Counties

SUPERIOR, Wis. (AP) – County officials in northern Wisconsin are hoping the Federal Emergency Management Agency will validate their estimates of about $11 million in damages caused by last month’s flooding. Wisconsin Public Radio reports that emergency managers from Douglas, Bayfield, Burnett, Ashland and Iron counties documented flood damage in a briefing with FEMA officials on Monday. Wisconsin Emergency Management…

Trump Says he Misspoke on Russia Meddling

Trump Says he Meant to say "Wouldn't"

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump says he meant the opposite when he said in Helsinki that he doesn’t see why Russia would have interfered in the 2016 U.S. elections. Back at the White House on Tuesday, the president told reporters that he said he meant he doesn’t see why Russia “wouldn’t” be responsible. He also said he accepts the…

Discovery of Human leg Found in Mississippi River

The Investigation is Ongoing

WABASHA, Minn. (AP) – Sheriff’s officials in Wabasha County are investigating the discovery of a human leg found in the Mississippi River. Authorities say deputies responded to a citizen’s call about human remains Saturday afternoon. A resident cleaning out a debris pile near the shoreline in West Newtown found the leg, from thigh bone to foot, with a shoe still…

Insurance Company not Liable for Hunter’s Injuries

The Judge Ruled in Favor of State Farm

MADISON, Wis. (AP) – An insurance company isn’t liable for a hunter who was accidentally shot in the head nearly four years ago. According to court documents, David Devine shot Patrick Humfeld in the head while both men were hunting on John Marsh’s property in Galesville in November 2014. Humfeld sued State Farm Fire and Casualty Company, Marsh’s insurance company,…

Bicyclist Falls Into Drawbridge

MENASHA, Wis. (AP) – Police say a bicyclist who weaved past the gates blocking access to a bridge over a river in eastern Wisconsin escaped serious injury after falling into the gap that was created when the bridge started to rise. Wisconsin Department of Transportation surveillance video shot July Fourth shows the woman ignoring the barrier and red flashing lights…

Court Says Indefinite Drug Tests are not a Condition for Welfare

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) – The Minnesota Court of Appeals has found that people with prior drug convictions can’t be required to undergo random drug testing indefinitely as a condition of receiving state welfare benefits. Monday’s ruling comes in the case of 62-year-old Kim Verhein, who lost her Minnesota Supplemental Aid benefits when she refused to take a drug test in 2015….

Day Care Owner Gets Probation for Trying to Kill Child

The 16-Month-old boy Survived

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) – A Minneapolis day care owner was sentenced to 10 years of probation for trying to kill a toddler in her home by hanging him from a noose. Forty-three-year-old Nataliia Karia was sentenced Monday after earlier pleading guilty to attempted murder and third-degree assault. She also pleaded guilty to criminal vehicular operation for hitting a pedestrian, a bicyclist…

Lava Crashes Through Roof of Hawaii Tour Boat, Injuring 23

The Lava Punctured the Boat's Roof

(AP Photo/Jae C. Hong, File)HONOLULU (AP) — An explosion sent lava crashing through the roof of a tour boat off Hawaii’s Big Island, injuring 23 people Monday, officials said. A woman in her 20s was in serious condition with a broken thigh bone, the Hawaii County Fire Department said. Three others were in stable condition at a hospital with unspecified…

Three Killed in Goodhue County Crash

The Driver was Airlifted to a Rochester Hospital

WELCH TOWNSHIP, Minn. (AP) – A crash on a highway in Goodhue County has taken the lives of two young brothers from Red Wing and a third person. Sheriff’s officials say the crash in Welch Township happened shortly before noon Saturday when a car driven by a 50-year-old Hager City, Wisconsin man cross the center line and collided with an…

Caregiver Charged With Neglect After Disabled man Dies

The man Lost Consciousness and Could not be Revived

HASTINGS, Minn. (AP) – The caregiver of a 19-year-old man with muscular dystrophy has been charged in Dakota County with neglect after taking him to a party where he consumed alcohol and died. Twenty-four-year-old Taylor Wellman, of Inver Grove Heights, is charged with neglect of a vulnerable adult. Investigators say others at the party in Vermillion Township last August told…

Study Shows Water Softeners Adding Salt to Minnesota Water Bodies

Road Salt was the Largest Contributor

ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) – A new study from the University of Minnesota has found that home water softeners are sending a significant amount of salt into the state’s lakes, streams and groundwater. Minnesota Public Radio News reports that about 50 of the state’s water bodies have chloride levels that exceed its water quality standards. University researchers from the Water…

Minnesota Candidate Arrested on Suspicion of Revenge Porn

The Mayor or St. Paul has Called for him to Resign

ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) – A City Council candidate in St. Paul, Minnesota, has been arrested on suspicion of violating the state’s revenge porn law after a topless picture of his estranged wife was posted to his campaign website. Police say David Martinez was arrested at his office Monday, two days after a post on his website that included the…

Dayton Heads to Mora, Carlton to Survey Storm Damage

Minnesota Qualifies for Federal aid if There is More Than $7.7 Million in Damage

ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) – Gov. Mark Dayton is visiting more Minnesota cities wracked by recent flooding. Dayton was scheduled to tour flood and storm damage in Mora and Carlton Monday. He’ll be joined by Minnesota Homeland Security and Emergency Management Director Joe Kelly and other state and local officials. It’s his latest trip to survey extensive damage across the…

Trump: Summit With Putin off to a ‘Very, Very Good Start’

The Scheduled 90 Minute Meeting Lasted Over two Hours

(Heikki Saukkomaa/Lehtikuva via AP)HELSINKI (AP) — President Donald Trump and Russia’s Vladimir Putin opened their long-awaited summit Monday with a wink and slouch, respectively, then talked one on one behind closed doors for two-plus hours before the American leader declared their meeting was off to a “very, very good start for everybody.” Neither leader revealed what was discussed. But in…

Minnesota Fishing License Sales Drop to new low

This is the Second Lowest Sales in 20 Years

ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) – Recent data from the state Department of Natural Resources shows fewer people are buying fishing licenses in Minnesota. The Star Tribune reports that according to the department the number of licenses sold so far this year is down about 41,000, or 4.8 percent from the same time last year. It’s also the second-lowest fishing license…

University of Minnesota Looks to Enroll More Local Students

The Goal is to Bolster Admissions to its System Campuses

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) – The University of Minnesota is looking for ways to halt the enrollment trend of losing local high school students to neighboring states and bolster admissions to its system campuses. Minnesota Daily reports that the university’s Systemwide Enrollment Planning Taskforce in June presented potential ways to curb losing more high school graduates than it attracts. Barbara Keinath is…

12 Russians Accused of Hacking Democrats in 2016 US election

12 Russians Charged for Hacking Offenses During 2016 Election

WASHINGTON-The Justice Department has announced charges against 12 Russian intelligence officers for hacking offenses during the 2016 presidential election. The indictments were announced Friday by Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein as part of the ongoing special counsel probe into potential coordination between the Trump campaign and Russia. The Russians are accused of hacking into the computer networks of the Democratic…

Trump Stands by ‘Culture’ Criticism of European Immigration

Thousands Protest Trump During U.K Visit

ELLESBOROUGH, England-President Donald Trump is unabashedly repeating his criticism of European immigration policies, saying migrants are “changing the culture.” During a press conference with British Prime Minster Theresa May on Friday, Trump backtracks on his criticism of his counterpart in an explosive interview released as he began his visit to the country. but he reiterates his belief that Europe’s decision…

Charges: Drunken Minnesota man let one-year-old Drive

Bail is set at $20,000

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) – A Minnesota man is accused of driving drunk and putting a 1-year-old boy behind the wheel of his SUV in a Minneapolis suburb. Thirty-one-year-old Domonic Green of Hopkins is charged with child endangerment and DWI in connection with the Saturday night incident. Both charges are gross misdemeanors, punishable by up to a year in jail. Police say…

Lawsuit: Police Urged Paramedics to Sedate Minnesota man

Man Says he Suffered Breathing Problems

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) – An attorney for a Minneapolis man is drawing parallels between his client’s lawsuit and the recent debate over police urging paramedics to sedate unruly people. Forty-eight-year-old John Powell says he suffered breathing problems and needed emergency care after suburban police allegedly asked paramedics to inject him with the powerful sedative ketamine three years ago. Powell filed a…

Oldest Living Person in Minnesota Turns 111

Kleine Outlived Both of her Husbands and has no Children

(Evan Frost/Minnesota Public Radio via AP)ST. ANTHONY, Minn. (AP) – Minnesota’s oldest living person has added another candle to her birthday cake. Minnesota Public Radio News reports Evelyn Kleine turned 111 years old this week at a community home in St. Anthony where she is a bingo and cribbage champ. Kleine was born in northeast Minnesota on July 11, 1907….

Powerful Storms Cause Floods and Wash out Minnesota Roads

There Were Roughly 1,500 Strikes During a 15 Minute Span

MORA, Minn. (AP) – Powerful overnight storms dumped significant amounts of rain in northeast and east-central Minnesota, leading to floods and washed-out roads in some areas. The National Weather Service says between four to seven inches of rain fell by Thursday morning from the Lake Mille Lacs area southeast to Mora, roughly 70 miles north of the Twin Cities. Flood…

Mother, Daughter Killed by Boulder That Fell off Truck

Both Victims Died at the Scene

ROSEMOUNT, Minn. (AP) — Authorities say a mother and daughter were killed when an 800-pound boulder rolled off the back of a truck and struck their car in suburban St. Paul. Police in Rosemount are looking for the driver of the truck. Sixty-seven-year-old Karen Christiansen and her 32-year-old daughter, Jena Christiansen, were killed Monday afternoon when their Toyota Avalon was…

Rock Climber Critically Hurt in Fall in Minnesota State Park

The Climber Remains in Critical Condition

TAYLORS FALLS, Minn. (AP) – Authorities say a rock climber was critically injured when he fell in a Minnesota state park along the St. Croix River. Twenty-three-year-old Nicholas Walberg remained in critical condition Wednesday at Regions Hospital in St. Paul. Witnesses told authorities that Walberg slipped Monday while trying to climb the rocky gorge in Interstate State Park on the…

Minnesota man Recovers Stolen Bike by Answering Facebook ad

Police are Still Searching for the Suspect

ROCHESTER, Minn. (AP) – A Minnesota man has his stolen expensive bicycle back after answering an ad for the bike on Facebook. The 25-year-old Rochester man told police he stopped at a convenience store on Monday. When he came out, his unlocked Italian-made bike, valued at $5,000, was gone. On Tuesday morning, the owner found a Facebook ad from someone…

Body of Minneapolis man Recovered in Boundary Waters

An Autopsy Will be Done to Determine Cause of Death

DULUTH, Minn. (AP) – The body of a Minneapolis man has been recovered from a lake in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness. The Cook County Sheriff’s Office says the 75-year-old man was paddling on Sawbill Lake Tuesday when he canoe overturned. Officials say the man was not wearing a life jacket. His body was recovered about 5:30 p.m. An…

South Dakota Officials Approve new 300-Megawatt Wind Farm

Xcel Energy Plans to Build and own the Project

PIERRE, S.D. (AP) – State officials have approved a roughly 300-megawatt wind farm in Grant and Codington counties of northeastern South Dakota. The South Dakota Public Utilities Commission on Tuesday approved a permit with conditions for constructing the $380 million project, which is expected to be finished in 2021. The Dakota Range wind project is expected to encompass up to…

Explosion Rocks Wisconsin Town After Natural gas Main Struck, one Dead

Some Civilians Suffered Minor Injuries

UPDATE on the status of those injured in the explosion: 1 police officer was released from the hospital 7 civilians, minor injuries, all released from the hospital 6 firefighters: 3 with minor injuries and released, 1 with minor injury and admitted, 1 in very critical condition, 1 succumbed to his injuries at the hospital SUN PRAIRIE, Wis. (AP) – A…

Searchers Find Body of St. Paul man in Crow Wing County Lake

The Victim was Found in Nine Feet of Water

BRAINED, Minn. (AP) – Authorities have recovered the body of a 60-year-old St. Paul man from a lake in north-central Minnesota. Crow Wing County Sheriff Todd Dahl says the man was swimming near a pontoon with others on Adney Lake when he went under the water Sunday afternoon. Searchers were forced off the water that day because of an approaching…

Wisconsin Confirms First Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever Death

RMSF is Spread by the American dog Tick

MADISON, Wis. (AP) – Health officials are confirming Wisconsin’s first documented death from Rocky Mountain spotted fever. The state Department of Health Services announced Tuesday the tick-borne disease has killed a La Crosse woman. Jo Foellimi, a La Crosse County public health nurse, says the woman was bit while camping in western Wisconsin in early May. The woman was diagnosed…

Grand Jury Indicts two in Multi-State Textbook Thefts

The two Stole Textbooks from Instructors' Offices

MILWAUKEE (AP) – A federal grand jury in Milwaukee has indicted two Texas residents in connection with textbook thefts at colleges around the country. Federal prosecutors said in a news release the grand jury indicted Ryan Lewis and Genisis Abellar, both of Houston, on Tuesday on charges of conspiracy to transport stolen goods and interstate transportation of stolen property. Prosecutors…

Minnesota Health Plans at Risk to Lose $71.1 Million

The Move Could Result in Higher Rates for Consumers

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) – A federal government decision to freeze risk adjustment payments under the health care law is threatening more than $70 million in funding for Minnesota health insurers and raising questions about the potential impact on premiums next year. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services said Saturday it’ll hold the financial transfers, which shift money from some insurers…

Minnesota man Charged With Kidnapping Kansas Girl

White Faces 20 Years in Prison and a Fine

KANSAS CITY, Kan. (AP) – A 23-year-old Minnesota man was charged with kidnapping a 13-year-old Kansas girl he met online. U.S. Attorney Stephen McAllister announced Dechon White, of St. Paul, was charged Monday in federal court in Kansas. Court documents indicate White and the girl met online in February. White traveled to Lenexa, Kansas, in July to visit the girl….

Trump Replaces High Court’s Swing Vote With Conservative

Kavanaugh is a Former law Clerk for Retiring Justice Anthony Kennedy

(AP Photo/Evan Vucci) WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump chose Brett Kavanaugh, a solidly conservative, politically connected judge, for the Supreme Court, setting up a ferocious confirmation battle with Democrats as he seeks to shift the nation’s highest court ever further to the right. A favorite of the Republican legal establishment in Washington, Kavanaugh, 53, is a former law clerk…

Daring Rescue Saves all 12 Boys, Soccer Coach From Thai Cave

The Boys had Been Trapped for 18 Days

MAE SAI, Thailand (AP) — All 12 boys and their soccer coach have been rescued from a flooded cave in northern Thailand, the Thai navy SEALs said Tuesday, ending an 18-day ordeal that riveted people around the world. The SEALs, who were central to the rescue effort, said on their Facebook page that the remaining four boys and their 25-year-old…

University of Wisconsin-Madison Launches Tick Tracking App

Researchers are Especially Interested in Nymph Data

MADISON, Wis. (AP) – University of Wisconsin-Madison researchers are hoping a new smartphone app will help them gain a better understanding of where people come across ticks in the state. Wisconsin Public Radio reports that the Tick App helps people identify ticks and provides instructions on how to remove them from the body. The app gives users daily reminders to…

St. Paul Police dog bit man After Handler Lost Control

The Department has Tightended Rules Related to K-9's

ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) – A Minnesota man is recovering from injuries after a St. Paul police dog got loose from its handler and bit the man outside his home. The Star Tribune reports 33-year-old Glenn Slaughter was leaving for work Friday when the dog bit him. Anne Shomshor, who is engaged to Slaughter’s brother, says police were looking for…

Wisconsin DA Won’t File Charges Over Male Enhancement Brownies

Three High School Students Gave Classmate Laced Brownies

JANESVILLE, Wis. (AP) – A Wisconsin prosecutor has decided he won’t file charges against three high school students who gave their classmates brownies laced with a sexual enhancement supplement. Rock County District Attorney David O’Leary and Clinton Police Chief David Hooker issued a news release on Monday saying that three Clinton High School students made brownies, secretly laced them with…

Argument Over Fireworks Leads to Shooting Death of Texas man

The man Died Early Sunday From Gunshot Wounds

DALLAS (AP) – Authorities in North Texas say an argument over fireworks lead to the fatal shooting of an 80-year-old man over the weekend. Wise County Sheriff Lane Akin tells The Dallas Morning News Edward Cordero was shot Saturday evening in Lake Bridgeport after complaining to his neighbors about the fireworks they were setting off. The sheriff alleges Cordero retrieved…

Couple Killed, Father Critically Injured in Motorcyle Crash

The Crash Remains Under Investigation

WILLMAR, Minn. (AP) – Police say a couple died and a relative was critically injured when a car turned into the path of three motorcycles in central Minnesota. The State Patrol says 42-year-old James Young Jr. and 44-year-old Michelle Young of St. Cloud, Minnesota, were pronounced dead at the scene of the crash Saturday on Highway 23 northeast of Willmar….

Minnesota day Care Provider Accused of Killing Infant Girl

Kortan is Charged with Second Degree Murder

RED LAKE FALLS, Minn. (AP) – A northwestern Minnesota home day care provider is accused of killing a 2-month-old girl who was in her care. The Star Tribune reports that 30-year-old Sarah Kortan is charged with second-degree murder in connection with last month’s death in Red Lake Falls. Kortan remains jailed without bail. A court appearance is scheduled Wednesday. An…

Starbucks is Ditching Plastic Straws

The Elimination Will Happen Within two Years

(AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar, File)NEW YORK (AP) — Starbucks will eliminate plastic straws from all of its locations within two years, citing the environmental threat to oceans. The company becomes the largest food and beverage company to do so as calls to cut waste globally grow louder . Plastic straws have become a flashpoint. A week after its hometown banned…